• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

TEEN: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light (Vol. 1)

Bonus: Family Picnic
This is a short bonus part that was uploaded on November 18th, 2017. It was the final update before the fic was changed from a K10+ rating to the TEEN rating it has now. Enjoy!

XxX

Bonus: Family Picnic

~Sunrise Village~

On the outskirts of Horizon's quietest community sat Hillside Park. As its name suggested, it was a small, open field running up a grassy hill. It featured a sandbox in the shape of a Sandygast to keep children entertained. It was into this park that a young Tessa sprinted, turning to look over her shoulder.

"Hurry up, Gallian! Kick the ball," she squealed, turning around to backpedal.

"Okay!" Gallian's squeaky voice echoed through the park. "You better get ready." He wound up with a foreleg and launched a small rubber ball well over Tessa's head. She threw her arms to the side and dashed off after the ball.

"I got it! I got it!" she shouted.

"Not if I get it first!" Gallian shouted, speeding off after her.

"… heh." Incineroar rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She runs just like you do, you know that?"

He looked to his right, where Prisma walked alongside him. She had a basket hanging loosely off her right arm, while her left arm was wrapped around Incineroar's waist, a safe distance above his fiery belt.

"I so don't run like that," Prisma grumbled.

"Are you kidding? You've been running with your arms stuck out like Lati wings since the day I met you," Incineroar said with a chuckle.

Prisma's face flushed. "It hasn't been that obvious since I became a Lucario," she insisted.

"I can still spot it," Incineroar said.

"You know, if you're gonna be like that, there's nothing stopping me from taking the food and waltzing out of here," Prisma pouted.

"Relax, sweetie, I'm just having a little fun," Incineroar said, feigning a hurt expression. "After all, today's my day off. I want to enjoy it to the fullest!"

"Are you sure you're not needed back at the guild for anything?" Prisma asked.

"Of course not. You felt the tremors when you woke up too, right? The Tapus are out reshaping the Mystery Dungeons. Nothing's getting done today. That's why I gave the whole guild the day off!" he said, giving her a thumb's up. "Besides, Braviary and Leafeon are holding down the fort. She said it'd be helpful with preparing him to take over as my assistant."

He shook his head. "Man, never thought I'd end up seeing the day where Leafeon would retire. I'd figure she'd just stay with us forever."

"I think she's earned it," Prisma said. "At the very least, your dad'll appreciate her company." She removed her paw from his waist and rubbed her shoulder. "Err, sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that. He's still having a rough time of things, isn't he?"

Incineroar sighed and shook his head. "You know my old man. He'll never admit that anything's getting to him." He wrapped an arm around Prisma. "But, truthfully? Losing Mom has hit him pretty hard. I can barely get more than a couple of sentences out of him when I go to visit." He looked up to the sky. "We really should take the kids to see him, soon. I think he'd like that a lot."

Prisma frowned. "But, if the Tapus are working on the dungeons, you're going to be flooded with work starting tomorrow. How are you possibly going to find the time?"

Incineroar gave her a reassuring grin. "I'll burn that bridge when I get to it. What's my motto?"

"Always go for seconds at dinner?" Prisma replied.

"Very funny," Incineroar deadpanned. "No, it's 'take things one day at a time.' For now, let's just focus on enjoying our time together as a family." He looked down the hill and watched as Tessa tossed the ball toward Gallian. He lunged in front of the ball and used his body to block it from rolling away.

"Ha! Nice try, sis, but it'll take more than that to get one past me," Gallian boasted. "Now… taste this!" He reared back and clubbed the ball with the flat of his scythe. Tessa started backpedaling, only to trip and fall on her rear. Her parents couldn't help but laugh as her eyes comically widened upon landing on her tail. Gallian snickered. "Ha! That makes in three to nothing. Step up your game, sis!"

"That's not fair. You're bigger and stronger than me!" Tessa protested, rubbing her tail as she got to her feet.

Gallian grinned. "And don't you go forgetting it!" He lowered his scythe, which flickered with pink energy before abruptly fizzling out. "Aww, c'mon. Work, you stupid thing!"

"Kids! Lunchtime," Prisma called, spreading out a picnic blanket. They turned around simultaneously and sprinted toward her.

"I'm gonna get there first," Gallian called.

"But you have four legs," Tessa whined. Her eyes squinted shut and she ducked her head down as Gallian's lead increased on her. Then, surprisingly, she vanished in the blink of an eye. The confident smirk on Gallian's face disappeared and, seconds later, he fell to the ground. Tessa popped up right next to him and stumbled the rest of the way to the picnic blanket.

"W… what just happened?" she gasped.

"Looks like someone's just learned Quick Attack," Incineroar said. He gave Tessa a thumb's up. "That's my girl!"

Tessa's aura feelers twitched. "I… I used an attack?" she gasped. Her expression immediately brightened. "Alright!"

Gallian walked over, blinking stars out of his eyes. "Nnnrrrgh… you cheated," he accused, frowning.

"Nuh-uh! Learning a new move isn't cheating. It's, um, strategy," Tessa declared.

"Settle down, both of you," Prisma said, passing them plates of food. "If you're still this riled up after eating, you can have a practice battle."

Gallian's eyes flickered with interest, while Tessa's face blanched. "Now, now, let's just enjoy lunch," Incineroar said. "So, Gallian, still trying to get Psycho Cut working, huh?"

Gallian scowled. "The psychic energy keeps disappearing before I can shoot it forward. Why can't I go work with Bruxish, dad?"

"Bruxish helps teach moves to guild members," Incineroar explained. "I can't let you use his services if you're not in the guild. Wouldn't want folks thinking I give my family special treatment, right?"

Tessa looked up at him, her mouth full of berry. She swallowed and then said, "Is that why you're not making Mom your new assistant?"

Incineroar and Prisma exchanged looks. "That… has nothing to do with it," Prisma stated. "Your father and I just have a difference of opinions as to how I can best serve the guild."

"Your mom wants to stay out in the field and keep doing missions," Incineroar said. "Who am I to say no to that? Besides…" He leaned over and nestled Tessa's head. "… this way, your mom has time to look after you. And Gallian too, of course."

"Does that mean we can do more, um, 'ower-a' practicing, Mom?" Tessa asked.

"It's 'aura,' Tessa," Prisma corrected. "And, of course it does. But, remember, aura training isn't easy. If you want to work with me, then I need you to be focused."

"Of course! I can focus really good," Tessa said. "Look, here's my focused face." She furrowed her brow and stared intently at the remains of her sandwich. "See? Pretty good, huh?"

"I guess so," Prisma said, rubbing the back of her head.

The rest of the meal went by swiftly. Tessa got to her feet as Incineroar cleaned up their picnic. "Okay, Mom. Let's start that training stuff right now!" She bobbed back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Actually, Tessa, why don't you go play with Gallian some more?" Incineroar suggested, placing a paw on Prisma's shoulder. "Your mother and I need to have a little chat."

Tessa and Gallian looked at their parents, and then at each other. "Hey, I'll bet that Quick Attack was a fluke," Gallian suddenly declared. "You'll never get it working again."

"Nuh-uh! I can so do it again," Tessa immediately countered.

"Oh, really? Then, catch me if you can!" Gallian said, running off down the hill. Tessa gave chase. When the kids were out of earshot, Incineroar turned to Prisma.

"Sweetie, is there something you're not telling me?"

Prisma frowned. "Uh… no."

"Let me rephrase that," Incineroar said. "I know you're keeping something secret from me." Prisma raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Braviary came up to me about a day after I offered to make him my new assistant. He said that he thinks there's a very specific reason you turned down my offer. Something much bigger than just wanting to be out in the field more."

Prisma shifted about uncomfortably. "And you believe him?"

"He's one of my most trusted friends," Incineroar replied. "I don't think he'd lie to me."

"Maybe he's just seeing smoke when there's no fire," Prisma scoffed. "You know he's never quite been the biggest fan of me."

"Well, maybe that's true," Incineroar said. "But, if there really is something wrong, you know you can always talk to me, right? You're the love of my life, Prisma. I want you to be happy. I want our family to be happy. And if you're not happy, I'll do whatever it takes to fix that."

"I'm quite content, thank you," Prisma tersely replied. "If anything, this line of questioning is making me peeved. So, how about we drop it, okay?"

A worried look crossed Incineroar's face. "It's not me, is it?" He put a paw to his forehead. "Oh gods, I've been too pushy, haven't I? I'm being too overbearing. Saying you'll spend more time with the kids, as if you don't have a choice in the matter. Sylveon's always willing to look after them, so I don't know why I'd say that!"

Prisma leaned over and pecked Incineroar on the cheek. "If I did have a problem, I guarantee it has nothing to do with you. You've been nothing but kind and loving. And, really, I'm honored that you would ask me to replace Leafeon. Honest." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "But, I can't just stay around the Observatory, save for the occasional special assignment. I'd go absolutely stir crazy. I can guarantee it."

Incineroar wrapped an arm around Prisma. "Ah, I really hadn't thought about it that way. I'm sorry. It was pretty selfish of me to thrust that request onto you like that."

"It's fine, sweetie. Don't beat yourself up over it. You and Braviary already work so well together. This is only going to be good for the guild. Trust me," Prisma insisted.

"I always do," Incineroar chuckled, giving her a wink. "Even if you have gotten us into trouble a couple of times."

"Look, if this is about that time your dad caught us kissing in his office, I already–"

Incineroar laughed at this. "Are you kidding? Probably my favorite night I've ever had at the Observatory." Prisma blushed at this. They fell into silence for several seconds, before Incineroar said, "It's about the picture, isn't it?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The reason you want to keep working in the field is that picture you always have on you, right?" Incineroar asked. Prisma gave him an incredulous look. "Drop the act, baby. I've known about your picture since you were a Riolu. You always keep it under that bandanna of yours."

Prisma subconsciously brought a paw up to fiddle with the bandanna in question. "I… th-that…" she stammered.

"Hey, it's okay," Incineroar coaxed. "I just figured it's related to your lost memories, that's all. If you think exploring will help you get those memories back, you have my blessings. Go explore to your heart's content. But…" He looked over at her. "Promise me that, if something's bothering you, you'll come to talk to me, okay? I'm probably just making a mountain out of a Drilbur hill here. But, the way Braviary talked about you, it sounded like you were keeping some sort of deep, dark secret from me."

"What? That's totally ridiculous." Prisma let out a nervous laugh. "I've got nothing to hide from you." She lay down on the grass, allowing her upper body to rest on Incineroar's thighs. "I know we've got a big day ahead of us at the guild tomorrow. So, let's just rest up for now. Maybe we can have a little alone time after we put the kids to bed?"

Incineroar smiled. "I was just thinking the exact same thing."
 
Chapter 20
As I mentioned last post, this is the point in the fic where I switched the rating to T. So, from here on out, all the warnings in the content advisory will apply. Individuals chapters with particularly sensitive material will have their own warnings. This chapter was originally posted on November 24th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

~Dewdrop Woods~

"Stufful, sweetie. Don't run too far! Momma can't see you if you go behind the trees."

A small, pink bear with stubby brown legs skidded to a halt. Stufful turned around to look at a similarly-colored, much larger, two-legged bear. "Sorry, Momma. I thought I saw a berry bush up ahead," he squeaked. "It was just a normal bush, though."

Stufful's mother put a paw up to her mouth and stifled a giggle. "That's quite alright, sweetie. But you've got to be careful if you go poking around the trees and bushes. Sometimes there may be Pikipeks and Trumbeaks lurking in them. And you wouldn't want to make one of them angry, right?"

Stufful shook his head. "No, I don't."

"And that's because…?"

"Because they know attacks that could hurt me very badly," Stufful dutifully recited.

"Right you are, kiddo," his mother said. She knelt down and, to Stufful's delight, tussled the fur on his head.

"Aww, look at that, Umbry. Isn't it just such a pretty widdle sight? Almost makes that Bewear look docile!"

Bewear quickly got to her feet and spread her arms wide. "Who goes there? Show yourself," she growled.

Espeon leaped down from one of the nearby rocks and held her head high. "Ta-daaaaah! Here I am, my lovely little helper."

Bewear's eyes narrowed. "There are no Espeons making their homes here," she said. "What do you want? And what's with the ridiculous rocks all over your head and chest?"

Espeon jutted out her lower lip. "You don't like them? Umbry thinks they're very fashionable. Don't you, Umbry?"

Umbreon casually strolled over to Espeon's side, prompting Bewear to take up a fighting stance and whisper, "Get back, Stufful. I think these two might be trouble."

"Trouble? Oh, no, no, no, no," Espeon said, shaking her head rapidly. "You've got me pegged all wrong, you snuggly-wuggly Bewear. We're the good guys. And we're here to help you, along with all the Pokémon in this forest."

Bewear didn't even have time to react. The diamond embedded in Espeon's forehead crackled and a ray of red-and-black light shot out. It struck Bewear right in the chest, causing her to let out a loud, high-pitched roar and stumble backward. Umbreon stepped forward, the red-crescent moon on his head glowing. He shot forth an identical stream of energy. This second one caused Bewear to fall to her knees.

"Momma! Momma!" Stufful cried.

"S… Stufful. Run. Run away," Bewear said through gritted teeth.

"B-But you said–"

Bewear dropped to her hands and knees, roaring in agony. Above her, a winged heart with demonic horns and a piercing eye in its center flashed brightly and then faded away. Stufful noticed his mother's eyes start to glow bright red. Jagged rows of teeth appeared in her mouth and her arms swelled up to the size of her body.

"Momma!" Stufful shrieked. He immediately turned and ran into the bushes, tears streaming from his eyes. He fell to the ground amidst a tangle of vines and leaves. Blinking the tears from his vision, Stufful saw Espeon and Umbreon cease their attacks. They stood in front of Bewear. Red and black energy continued to crackle across her body, making her arms and torso grow even larger.

Her fur coat started tearing, revealing a chitinous exoskeleton filled to the brim with fluorescent-red fluid. Stufful's heart leaped into his throat. He tried to open his mouth and scream again, but a brief glimpse of Umbreon's fierce, red eyes caused him to swallow the scream in his throat. Instead, he settled for a whimper, digging himself as far into the soil as he could go.

"Almost there. You're doing great!" Espeon chirped encouragingly, but a wicked grin lay on her face.

Bewear fell to her stomach as her ears and legs burst apart, showering the ground with fur. In their places lay a set of horns and four, spear-like, insect legs. The light faded from her body and the newly-infected Bewear staggered to her feet. She raised her comically-swollen arms up and flexed them proudly, belting out a mighty roar. Stufful squealed and backpedaled out of the little hole he had dug for himself. He struck a rock and fell over. Despite landing on his side, he still had a clear view of his mom and her assailants.

"Uhuu huu huu huu! Isn't she beautiful, Umbry? I told you a Bewear would make the perfect Buzzwole specimen," Espeon declared, happily prancing around.

Umbreon's brow furrowed. "Are you kidding? This thing's hideous."

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Bewear shouted shrilly as she proceeded to uproot a tree twice her size. She thrust her arms apart and tore the tree in half, showering Espeon and Umbreon in wooden splinters. The sight caused Stufful's eyes to roll back in his head. He promptly passed out from shock.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Espeon declared, tail wagging excitedly. She watched Bewear stomp through the forest, picking up more trees. "She'll raze this entire forest to the ground. And then, when Tapu Fini comes crawling out of the woodwork to see what's wrong… bam! The old hag won't know what hit her! Then we can search out the Dawn Hourglass unimpeded. And we'll have one Legendary rubbed off the planet."

Bewear pulled a rock from the ground and hurled it forward, sending a flock of Pikipek fleeing into the air.

"We should go grab some snacks, Umbry. This is going to be so exciting! Uhuu huu huu huu!"

XxX

Episode 6: Striking Midnight

Chapter 20: Lousy First Impressions


XxX
"N... Nicky?"

"What do you want, Shane?"

"Um... you want to hang out or something? I know you got suspended and stuff, but..."

"Seriously, dude?
That's what you start out with? No 'Hey Nicky, how are you?' or 'You hanging in there, dude?'"

"I... I figured you just wouldn't want to talk about it."

"There shouldn't be anything to talk about, Shane! I'm getting screwed, here! None of this was my fault! It was Rebecca... and those assholes she calls friends!"

"Why did this even happen, anyway? I thought you had that awful stomach bug. You... you lied to me about that, didn't you?"

"Shane, don't–"

"But we were planning to go see that movie for months! How could you just bail on me like that?"

"Rebecca's my girlfriend, dude. Or, at least, I thought she was..."

"But I'm your best friend!"

"Step off it, Shane! You saw the damn photos, didn't you? I'm the laughing stock of the whole school, here. My parents are furious. I... I don't know what I'm gonna do, here. Could you stop thinking about yourself for a moment, here? I'm hurting!"

"None of this would've happened if you'd just gone to the movies with me."

"... unbelievable."

"What?"

"Shane, we've been over this. My life doesn't revolve around you. I'm allowed to hang out with other people... or go to their parties."

"Not if it means ditching me, Nicky. That wasn't fair."

"Don't you dare talk to me about not fair. What's happening to me?
That's not fair."

"... I get it, Nicky. You hate me... don't you?"

"What? No, I don't hate you, Shane. Will you stop doing that?"

"But you're yelling at me..."

"Because I'm upset, Shane! Can't you see that?!"

"Y... yeah. But maybe if we hang out, you'll feel better."

"No."

"Don't you want to get out of your house for a little bit?"

"I'm grounded, Shane. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not going to feel better if I hang out with you. So, just drop it. I'll see you whenever they let me back into school."

"B... but... I just want to have fun."

"And I'm not up for it. Goodbye, Shane."

Click!

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane woke up to find Tessa nudging his shoulder. "Wake up, Vulpix. I've got some good news."

"Huh?" Shane mumbled sitting up on his cushion.

Tessa waved an envelope at him. "Check it out. We have a job offer."

Shane blinked. "Okay. How is that special?"

"Because it's a job offer addressed to us," Tessa chirped.

"Really?" Shane gasped. He jumped to his feet, suddenly full of energy. "That's great! We're already getting recognized!" He smiled at Tessa. "See? I told you good things would happen if you stuck by me." Shane hopped off his cushion and trotted out toward the assembly area, with Tessa following along after him. They other guild members were already there, awaiting the start of morning assembly.

"Good moooooooorning, Team Radiance!" Bruxish called, beckoning Shane and Tessa over with a fin. "You both seem to be in mahvelous spirits."

"Well, why wouldn't we be? Someone specifically requested our team for an assignment." Shane said, beaming. "Can you believe it? We're moving on up in the world."

"Let's not get carried away here, Vulpix," Tessa cautioned. "It's nothing all that major. We're just going to collect some purple nectar for a Pom-Pom Oricorio."

"Now, now, dahling, no need to be so modest," Bruxish chuckled. "After all, getting a personal request is suuuuuuuch a big deal. Even if it's a smaller assignment, it'll stick with you throughout your time here. Why, I still remember my first requested mission like it was yesterday…"

Shane lunged forward and covered up Bruxish's mouth. "Aha ha… that's nice and everything, but I think the morning assembly's starting soon. Maybe we could take a rain check on that little trip down memory lane?"

"Oh, fiiiiiiiiiiiine," Bruxish said. Shane sighed in relief. "I suppose I could always regale you dahlings at dinner tonight." Bruxish turned to Tessa. "So, how goes learning Thunder Punch? Were my lessons yesterday heeeeeeelpful?"

"Yup," Tessa chirped. She raised a clenched fist and yellow electricity crackled around it. A stray bolt jumped off her arm and tickled Shane's chest, frizzling his fur.

"Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing," Shane protested. He ran a forepaw over his chest, only for the remaining sparks to traverse his foreleg, prickling clumps of fur.

All attentions requested, Metagross' robotic voice carried through the assembly area. Everyone turned around to face his office. Shane noticed Lycanroc and Mimikyu standing between Metagross and Braviary.

Fact: we have acquired two temporary members. Fact: they are Lycanroc and Mimikyu, respectively, Metagross explained. Order: treat them with the same courtesy you would extend toward one another. Order: report any issues to me or Braviary. He glanced at Braviary. Continue assembly.

Braviary nodded. "Right. Now, I know most of y'all were with us in Sunset Shoals, so y'know about why Lycanroc's here and all that jazz. But, we've gotta be fair and bring the rest of y'all up to speed."

Shane initially looked over at Tessa and back toward the southern hallway where Null lingered. He also spotted Teams Captivate and Specter hanging out by the stairs. Likewise, Primarina and Vaporeon were over by the pond.

"So, we really didn't get any solid leads about what's messing with the tides," Braviary explained. "Worse than that, it ain't just the ocean that's causing problems no more. The Midnight Sea is rising up toward Circadian Coast."

"Oh, the horror! The torment of it all!
My precious home could very well fall.
We cannot afford to wait too long,
If we're hoping to right such a terrible wrong."


Shane buried his head in his forepaws. 'Ugh, why is this guy still here?' he groaned.

"Err… thanks for that, Primarina. But we done put in a temporary countermeasure," Braviary said.

We installificated some fortified structures and dug out irrigation trenches, Magearna elaborated. By my calculations, they should hold for at least the next two months. After which, we will need to go back and reconstructimalize.

Braviary nodded. "Exactly. Which brings me to the other issue that came up. We had a run in with some… strange Mareanies. Ain't like no Mareanies I've ever laid eyes on, I tell ya what."

"Uh, Braviary, sir?" Shane spoke up. "These Mareanies, they wouldn't have happened to have any strange markings or crystals on their bodies, would they?"

"They sure did. Had some kinda funny heart with an eye and wings," Braviary replied. "So, if'n yer reports are accurate, they're probably connected to the other Pokémon you've encountered with weird markings. Now, I'm sure y'all have heard that Gallian paid this place a visit while we were away."

Tessa looked down guiltily.

"We went through the guild top-to-bottom, Braviary. It doesn't look like Gallian took anything," Milotic reported.

"But he did steal TM's from the Kecleon Shop before skipping town," Serperior reminded her friend. "I gotta admit, that takes serious stones to pull off. Wonder what got into him? No one sees hide or hair of him for six months and then… wham! He shows up, tears this place upside down, and robs Aeon Town's biggest merchant."

"Well, it seems like Gallian might be under the effects of whatever's messing with Pokémon like the Mareanies we found," Braviary said. "Which is where Lycanroc comes in."

Lycanroc flashed a toothy smirk. "G'day, mates. Yeh, I'm pretty sure I can pinpoint the cause of our troubles here. It's these two creeps: Espeon and Umbreon."

Shane and Tessa exchanged nervous looks. "Crap! We totally forgot about them," Shane whispered.

Tessa frowned. "You mean the ones who kept talking about making us their playmates?"

"Yeah. I feel like such an idiot right now!" Shane growled.

"Well, it's been a rough last few days for us," Tessa pointed out. "And, in fairness, I've met them more than once. So, the blame's on me for not bringing them up."

Shane nodded. "You're right. It is your fault." A blue fist connect with his shoulder and he doubled over in pain. "Ow! What was that for?" he hissed in a whisper.

"That was very rude, Vulpix," Tessa growled. "Apologize, now."

Shane wilted under Tessa's scornful look. "I... I'm sorry," he squeaked. 'Stupid big mouth... next time make sure that stuff stays in my head!'

Tessa shook her head disapprovingly. 'The things I'm putting up with so I can be famous like Team Poképals.'

"Hey. Didn't Espeon and Umbreon mention something about wanting to 'infect' Pokémon?" Shane whispered, glancing nervously around the room. "I feel like there was something else, too. It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember."

"But there's gotta be more than a few Espeons and Umbreons lurking around Horizon," Growlithe pointed out to Lycanroc. "How are we supposed to know where to look to find these two?"

"That's the thing, kiddo, we don't know where to look," Lycanroc scoffed. "But, I know what I saw." He crossed his arms. "There I was, minding my own business in the Cavernous Depths, when I saw them. Espeon and Umbreon planted this whacko black crystal into one of the cavern's walls."

Lycanroc's glowing red eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist. "The crystal… it made this crazy spinning blades pop up all over the cave! It was total lunacy, mates. Then I saw Espeon take out a card and throw it on the ground. This freaky vortex popped out and the two of them walked right into it! Needless to say, I got outta there quick as I could."

Shane's eyes widened in realization. 'Ah! That was the other bit. They were using Entercards.' His gaze fell toward the ground. 'No. This guy's gotta be lying. I refuse to believe this is all their fault. They're being manipulated or brainwashed. They can't be doing this on purpose!'

"So, that's how you ended up in Circadian Coast?" Trapinch asked.

"Ya got that right. Normally I wouldn't set foot near a place like that. Water just plain sucks, mate," Lycanroc said, shuddering. "But I wanted to get as far from Cosmic Cavern and the Cavernous Depths as possible, ya dig? And, while I was in Circadian Coast, I did a li'l bit of sleuthing. And I figured out where our problem lies."

The various guild members exchanged hushed whispers.

"Espeon and Umbreon ain't Horizon natives, mates! They're here to muck up our continent!" Lycanroc bellowed.

"Hey now. How can youse be so certain about dat?" Yungoos asked. "Sunrise Village and Aeon Town have plenty of Eeveelutions."

Lycanroc smirked once again. "It's them freaky cards. I found a book about 'em. Entercards, they're called. But that ain't the juicy part." He licked up saliva from his lips. "That book said that there are only three Pokémon in the whole world who actually work with Entercards. I've never laid eyes on Keldeo, but I know for a fact I saw the other two: Espeon and Umbreon! And they live in the Mist Continent. Not Horizon."

Tessa tensed up at this. "Now that I think about it, they did use a card to get away from us the last time we met them." She looked over at Shane, only to see him shaking his head rapidly.

"That's not true… that's not true…" he whispered.

"Vulpix, are you okay?" Tessa asked.

"Don't you realize what this means? Those two gits are mucking around on our continent for their precious little experiments!" Lycanroc barked. "They're messing with forces the gods don't want us tampering with and now we're paying the price for it! The rising tide and the crazy Pokémon are all their faults. If we don't stop those dills, who knows what sort of havoc they'll wreck?"

"That's not true!"

Shane felt everyone's attentions fall onto him. He met Lycanroc's glare, only to immediately look down. "Espeon and Umbreon are good Pokémon! They… they're nice a-and… kind… and… they played a part stopping the Bittercold. There's no way they'd be out causing problems intentionally. Someone or, more likely, something is controlling them. And we need to figure out what that is so we can save them!"

"Is that a fact, Snowy? And how would a bloke like you know about them, huh?" Lycanroc asked. "Word on the street is that ya ain't been here too long, mate."

"I… I've… y'know… read the stories and stuff," Shane muttered. He shot a pleading glance at Tessa, but she returned his look with one of confusion.

"Listen, Snowy," Lycanroc growled. Shane tried to suppress a shiver. "Good on ya for trying to get up to speed on things. But some of us here were alive for that trite. And while none of it affected Horizon, we heard stuff. It sounds to me like Espeon and Umbreon were a bit too obsessed with them Entercards. And that ain't natural."

"Err, no offense meant dahling, but this isn't exactly a subject you're well-versed in," Bruxish said to Shane. "I think you'd best leave this to Braviary and the Guildmaster."

Shane frowned. "But my gut's telling me–"

"Your gut? Aww, ain't that cute," Lycanroc chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me your gut feeling is better than what I saw with my own two eyes, mate?"

Shane's stance slumped and he coughed out a weak, "No."

Lycanroc smirked and crossed his arms. "Thought so."

Braviary rubbed the back of his head. "Well then... if'n that's the truth, and them two are from the Mist Continent, odds are they're registered in the Pokémon Nexus, right?" He turned toward Magearna. "Mags, any chance you can hit up our contact in the Expedition Society and see if she can look into them two varmints' whereabouts?"

Magearna's mechanical eyes whirred in their sockets. It has been a little while since I've contacted her, but I can certainly try. Togedemaru, I may need your Zing-Zap to help boost the Gear-Com's signal.

Togedemaru smirked. "Of course you do. Because I'm just awesome like that."

"Good. In the meanwhile, I'll do a flyover across the continent and see if'n there are any other weird crystals like what Lycanroc saw," Braviary stated. "Yungoos, I want you flyin' with me. You've got a good nose on ya."

Yungoos stood at attention. "Youse got it, boss-man."

"As fer the rest of ya, go about business as normal. If'n we need to take any additional measures, the Guildmaster will contact y'all." Braviary looked at Metagross, who nodded in approval. "Alright, y'all are dismissed. Get some work done today."

As the assembly started breaking up, Shane made a beeline towards Braviary. "Vulpix?" Tessa called. "We need to get going to Twilight Forest. What are you doing?"

"… leave him be. He's… clearly troubled…"

Tessa flinched at the rasping sounds of Null's voice. "Hi… Null. Did you, um, want to come with us again today?"

"… I might…" the chimera replied. "But… I heard you were… working on some new moves." He shook out his scaly, furry body. "I haven't… had a good practice battle… in a while. Maybe… you could help?"

Tessa stole a glance back at Shane, who was pushing past Growlithe and Yungoos. "I suppose I could spare a few minutes," she muttered and followed Null toward the staircase.

"Ugh, lemme through. I need to talk to Braviary," Shane growled, not noticing his partner's departure.

"Hey now. Where's the fire, Snowy?" Lycanroc chuckled. "If it's that important, just come out and say it."

"No, I need to speak to him alone," Shane insisted. He waved a forepaw in Braviary's direction. "Please, Braviary. I just need a few minutes."

Braviary furrowed his brow and walked over to Shane. "Son, I've got something rather important to attend to. What's getting ya hot and bothered, huh?"

"I can't say it out here. Can't we find someplace private?" Shane pleaded.

Braviary's brow furrowed. "… fine." He pointed a wing toward Metagross' chambers and Shane hesitantly walked inside.

"But I asked for somewhere private," Shane muttered, glancing over at the Guildmaster. Metagross stared at his tapestry, seemingly lost in thought.

"Anything ya can say to me ya can say to the Guildmaster too, hoss," Braviary said. "Now, go on. Out with it."

Shane's gaze fell to the ground. "You… you shouldn't trust Lycanroc. He's not a good Pokémon."

"Is that a fact? And what, pray tell, gives ya that impression?"

"He's calling me Snowy," Shane explained.

Braviary rolled his eyes. "So? Shoot, Midnight Lycanrocs love teasing other Pokémon. Especially fellow canines."

Shane gritted his teeth. "You didn't let me finish, sir. Someone else has called me Snowy: Sneasel. He's an outlaw who says he's part of a group called Team Fang. Has a scar running down the little feather in his head." He looked up at Braviary. "It's plain as day, to me. Lycanroc's probably Team Fang's leader. You led an outlaw right into the guild!"

Braviary's eyes narrowed at this. "Son, are you saying you don't trust my judgment? You don't trust the Guildmaster's judgment?"

Metagross turned around at this. Fact: I detected no hostile intent. Order: treat Lycanroc with respect. Order: do not make unjust, unsubstantiated allegations.

"But what about him accusing Espeon and Umbreon! You have no way of proving they're the research duo from the Mist Continent," Shane whimpered.

Braviary put a wing on Shane's shoulder. "Listen, hoss, I understand you had a rough time of things while we were gone. But that don't give you no right to act nasty toward other Pokémon, guild members or not. Talk things out with yer partner if you need to. But don't be picking no fights because yer upset." Braviary stood up and made for the door. "I suggest you adjust yer attitude, pardner, else I can give you something to really complain about."

Shane slumped over in defeat. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, run along. Don't want to keep Riolu waiting, do you?"

XxX

~Twilight Forest~

"I'm telling you, Riolu, Lycanroc's a dirty liar! He's totally making up everything! He's gotta be part of Team Fang. I just know it."

Tessa walked forward, resting her arms against her head. Shane trailed behind her, glaring at the ground. "And you're just basing that off the fact that he called you Snowy?" she asked.

"Yes! Weren't you the one who told me that everyone just goes by their species name here?" Shane growled.

"Yes, but there are some Pokémon that like to mess around with others," Tessa said. "My dad always told me that Incineroars, Zoruas, Zoroarks, and Midnight Lycanrocs are prone to making fun of other Pokémon. But they usually don't mean any harm by it."

"But there was definitely malice in his voice," Shane insisted. "Metagross said he 'didn't sense anything' but how could he? Lycanroc's totally a dark-type. The Guildmaster's psychic powers are useless on him."

Tessa laughed. "Guess you're not as well read up on things as you claim to be. Both versions of Lycanroc are rock-types. It's in the name, doofus."

Shane froze mid-step. "I… I knew that," he squeaked. "I meant to say his secondary type was dark."

"Which is, again, wrong. Both Lycanroc forms are pure rock-type."

"Wait. What do you mean both forms? Don't tell me that jerk can transform," Shane groaned.

"No. Lycanroc can either be in midday or midnight form depending on the time of day that they evolved," Tessa explained. "Actually, I think I remember hearing something about a third form, but I can't recall the details."

Shane frowned. "You seem to know an awful lot about these Lycanroc characters. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Tessa turned around and gave Shane a stink eye. "Yes. It just so happens my grandpa, gods rest his soul, was a Midday Lycanroc. So, what? Are you gonna tell me he was a no-good, two-faced liar too?"

Shane's body went rigid. "Of course not!" He scampered forward after his partner. "I'm not saying all Lycanrocs are bad. Just that one. C'mon, don't tell me your little aura feelers didn't sense any hostility. If I were a Riolu, mine would probably twitch like crazy!"

"Good for you. That makes you paranoid," Tessa said. 'C'mon, Riolu. Deep breaths, here.'

"But, I was on the money about the thefts in Aeon Town, wasn't I? Don't you think I could be right about this?" Shane pleaded.

"Well, no. Because you found evidence Gallian was stealing stuff. This time around all you've got is a gut feeling," Tessa pointed out.

"I do have evidence. He called me Snowy, just like Sneasel did!"

Tessa shook her head. "Look, I know you love racing to conclusions, but I think this time around you're off the mark. Sorry." She turned away from him and resumed walking. "Just give the guy a chance, okay? And maybe just try keeping your mouth shut around him? At least until you have a better idea of the kind of Pokémon he is."

"Sure, fine, whatever," Shane grumbled. "Thanks for the talk, Mom."

"You're not helping your case by acting like a little kid," Tessa said.

"Forget it," Shane sighed. "So, how much further until we reach the nectar fields?"

Tessa pulled the Wonder Map from the team's pouch. She started to unfold it when Shane dashed in front of her. He opened his mouth and shot a stream of frosty air forward. The Rufflet swooping toward them fell toward the ground, groaning in defeat.

"And here I thought we wouldn't be encountering any wild Pokémon," Tessa said. "Thanks for the save. Looks like you've got Frost Breath working."

Shane looked down at the Rufflet. "No strange markings anywhere on him. So, I guess Parasect was the only infected Pokémon in the forest."

"We don't know that for a fact. But let's keep our voices down just to be safe," Tessa suggested. "The nectar fields should be just a little further ahead." She picked her head up and sniffed the air. "Smell that? The air's getting sweeter."

Shane mimicked his partner. "Huh, how about that. There's a kind of fruity smell to it." He smiled. "Man, this Vulpix nose is totally amazing! Way better than my human one." He trotted down the forest path. "Of course, it probably makes nasty smells even worse. But I haven't had to deal with that, yet. And hopefully never will."

Tessa facepalmed. "You do realize you just tempted fate by saying that, don't you?"

Shane rubbed the bridge of his snout. "Heh. I'm a human in a world of Pokémon. If that's not messing around with fate, I don't know what is."

'I see he rebounded from his funk pretty quickly,' Tessa thought. 'Ah well, I'd rather have him do this than complain about Lycanroc.'

"I guess that's one way to look at things," Tessa said. She followed Shane into a bright clearing in the forest. The dirt and tree roots gave way to an open grassy field filled to the brim with flowers.

"Wow!" Shane marveled. "Check out the bright colors. Red, yellow, pink, and purple. What sort of flowers do you think these are?"

"Uh, nectar flowers?" Tessa said, shrugging. "They're definitely what we're looking for. Let's pick one and head back."

"Well, this turned out to be extremely uneventful," Shane chuckled. He walked up toward one of the purple flowers, ignoring the wide-eyed look Tessa gave him.

"Arrrrrroooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Shane's tails stuck straight up and he froze. "Uh, Riolu. Was that your stomach?"

"What do you think?" Tessa growled. "Honestly, Vulpix, I can't believe you jinxed us. And after you gave me such a hard time for doing that the last time we were here. That's not cool!"

"Hey now. There are no problems here. I've got the flower. Let's activate the Escape Orb and get out of dodge before anything goes wrong," Shane said. "See, I am learning."

Tessa fumbled about for the Escape Orb. The moment she pulled it out of her explorer's pouch, a chorus of angry squawking drew her attention. Out of the cover of some of the trees appeared a quartet of Pikipek. But along with them were two larger birds, with longer, multicolored beaks.

The Pikipek spotted Shane and Tessa and cawed excitedly. Their bigger counterparts nodded and then dive-bombed the two canines. Tessa yelped and fell to the ground. The Escape Orb tumbled from her grasp.

"Ack! Grab the orb, Vulpix!" Tessa barked. Shane sprinted forward, only to skid to a halt as the Pikipek surrounded him, cawing angrily.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Shane hissed, gathering cold air in his mouth.

"Noise! Noise! Bad noise!" the Pikipek chanted in unison.

"Oh, for god's sake. We didn't make any noises!" Shane said. "We're just picking up some nectar."

"No! No! No nectar for noise-makers!" the Pikipek chanted.

Team Radiance quickly went on the defensive. They easily fended off the flock. Tessa got the two Trumbeaks to crash into each other and then fried them with swings of her electrified fists, while Shane caught a lucky break and had the Pikipeks get their beaks stuck in the ground when they couldn't hit him. He swiftly dispelled them with a single frosty cloud.

"In the words of a terrible movie villain: 'Stay cool, bird boy,'" Shane taunted, using a thick accent.

"Are you about done making a fool of yourself?" Tessa groaned. "Seriously, what were you doing with your voice? You sounded like someone was holding your head underwater."

"It's not your concern, Riolu," Shane chuckled. "Just grab the Escape Orb so we can get the heck out of here before something else goes wrong."

"Okaaaaaay. Ignoring your blatantly obvious attempts to jinx us here, I need you to grab another flower first. I accidentally stepped on the one you picked up before," Tessa said. Shane nodded and went to scoop up a new flower. Tessa grabbed the Escape Orb. It released a rainbow light that swallowed up both members of Team Radiance.

XxX

~Aeon Town~

Team Radiance departed the port and made their way toward the town square. "Oricorio should be waiting by the fountain," Tessa said.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Shane asked. "I've never heard of an Oreo-coro, but it sounds like these delicious cookies we have back in the human world."

"Or-i-core-io," Tessa corrected. "And it should be a yellow bird with large balls of feathers on the ends of her wings."

Shane froze in the middle of the pathway. "Uh, Riolu?"

Tessa looked up from the piece of parchment containing Oricorio's original request. "What?"

Shane pointed a forepaw forward. "I see a bird. But it's definitely not yellow."

Tessa looked forward, only to frown at the sight of a purple-feathered bird. Instead of big, round puffs of feathers, this bird had flat, fan-shaped extensions on her wings. She also had a small crest on her head, with two feathers protruding from each side. Curiously, she wore a rainbow shawl around her shoulders.

Shane narrowed his eyes. "And look who's beside the bird," he growled, drawing the attentions of both the bird and Lycanroc, who stood next to it.

"What up, Snowy?" Lycanroc fixed his glowing red eyes on Shane. "You seem a bit peeved, mate. Just having a friendly chat with one of the locals. Trying to get up to speed with things around town."

"Oricorio, is that you?" Tessa asked, looking between the bird and the paper in her hand.

"Oh. Oh dear. You must be Team Radiance, huh? This is kinda awkward, isn't it?" Oricorio pressed one of the fanned edges of her wing to her beak.

"Puh-lease don't tell me we went to all that trouble and got the wrong nectar," Shane groaned. "I can't read that chicken scratch and you said she wanted purple nectar."

"That's not a mistake. I did want some purple nectar," Oricorio confirmed. "It's just that Lycanroc here happened to show up and had nectar flowers with him. And, well, I heard that Twilight Forest has become a bit perilous as of late, so I kind of jumped at the chance to take the nectar."

Shane narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Is that a fact? You just so happened to have some flowers that are utterly useless to you?"

Lycanroc bared his fangs at Shane. "Are you calling me out, Snowy? Matter of fact, I like the smell of nectar flowers. Yeah, I get it. It's not terribly manly. But it's soothing. Way better than all the dust I breath in back home. I found some flowers growing in Circadian Coast, so I kept them. Didn't mind giving one to Oricorio. I've still got a few more." He produced a quartet of different-colored nectar flowers from his scruffy mane.

"I'm still willing to pay you guys, since you went through the trouble of finding one," Oricorio said. She reached into her bag and produced a nice stack of coins and some seeds. Tessa accepted the payment, keeping some of it in her paws to give to Braviary upon return to the guild.

Shane continued giving Lycanroc a stink eye. "Aww, c'mon, Snowy. Just an honest misunderstanding here. Didn't mean to chafe your tails, mate." He turned back to Oricorio, ignoring Shane's cross expression. "Anyway, it was nice talking to ya, sheila. Safe travels back home."

Oricorio bowed gracefully. "Thank you very much, sir. You have a good night, as well." And with that, she turned and fluttered her way into the air. Lycanroc turned to head back toward the guild.

"Guess we should head back, too. Sun's starting to set," Tessa said.

"Hold up a moment." Shane blocked off Tessa's path. "You aren't seriously telling me you believe that drivel, are you? He 'had some flowers on him already.' That's total baloney. I'll bet he tailed us and snagged some flowers while we were occupied with those birds."

"Vulpix, I think the summer heat's getting to you," Tessa scoffed. "What would Lycanroc have to gain by doing that? Especially when he's here to investigate Pokémon going crazy."

"The guild's trust. Duh!" Shane said. "He's weaseling into their good graces." Tessa gave him a look of disbelief. "Look, there was a loud howl before we got attacked, remember?" Shane asked, prompting Tessa to nod. "So, that was totally a werewolf howl."

"A what?"

"Werewolves! They're creepy, two-legged wolves in the human world that are triggered by full moons and tend to give off these loud, creepy howls," he explained. Shane craned his neck skyward and belted out an, "Arrrrrroooooooooooo! … kinda like that."

"Oy! Keep it down, you mangy pup!"

A rotten berry hurtled out from a building window and splattered across Shane's left hip. He stumbled forward, grimacing at the sight of purple splotches in his fur. "Oh, come on! It wasn't even that loud!" he protested.

Tessa crossed her arms. "Where are you going with this, exactly? Lycanrocs aren't werewolves. They're Lycanrocs."

"But they look exactly like werewolves in my world. It had to have been him," Shane said. "Lycanroc followed us, howled to anger the wild Pokémon there, and grabbed flowers while we were preoccupied."

"Don't you think we would've seen him if that had happened?"

"No, because we were busy trying not to get pecked to death," Shane said.

Tessa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Vulpix. But to me, that just seems like an even stranger coincidence than Lycanroc finding some nectar flowers on his own and picking them." She walked past him. "Let's go to the guild. I'm getting hungry and I really don't have the patience to listen to more of your ranting."

Shane kicked at the ground with a forepaw. "I'm not ranting! It's the truth, dang it!" He turned and ran after her. "Don't walk away from me. We're not done with this subject yet!"

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

"It's so quiet in here. Where is everyone?" Shane looked around the assembly area and found it empty. The lone exception was Null, who had curled up into an awkward ball, sleeping next to the pond. 'That might be cute if I wasn't looking at this world's equivalent of Frankenstein's monster,' Shane thought.

"Shhhhh!" Togedemaru appeared out of the northern hallway. "Will you keep your voice down, Vulpix? Comfey's trying to concentrate back here!"

"Did someone get hurt?" Tessa asked.

"… I think so. I'm really not sure how to describe it. You're better off looking for yourselves," Togedemaru said, and then led the duo back to the nursing station. They found Magearna, Growlithe, Braviary, Metagross, Mimikyu, and Lycanroc gathered around one of the beds. And on that bed lay a Pokémon that looked like a larger Yungoos, with a thicker head of hair. However, this Pokémon's body was just various shades of gray.

Hypothesis: Aromatherapy use may allow Floral Healing to work, Metagross stated.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Shane asked, trying to push his way through the group.

"Hey now, Snowy. Stay back a bit. Give the lady some room to work," Lycanroc scolded, drawing an annoyed glare from Shane.

"I'm sorry, Guildmaster," Comfey squeaked. "I can't seem to do anything to Gumshoos here. Nothing's working. I… I think he might be…"

I do not detect any energy signatures from Gumshoos, Magearna confirmed. Surely you would agree with that observationary, Guildmaster?

Metagross stepped back. Affirmative. Fact: this Pokémon was drained of its life force and spiritual energy. Fact: this is not a Gumshoos anymore. Merely an empty shell.

Shane noticed Tessa grimace at this. "Uh, Tessa and I have seen this happen before," Shane declared.

"And we saw it with those wild Mareanies in Sunset Shoals," Growlithe added.

"Well, yeah. I did find this feller along the Clayback River," Braviary recalled. "He was screeching and flailing his arms around like he was on fire."

"Did ya notice anything else, mate?" Lycanroc asked. "Maybe some dark black crystals somewhere in the ground?"

"Sorry, Lycanroc. I didn't see nothing like that," Braviary replied.

'Of course he didn't. Because Lycanroc's making all that stuff up. How can I be the only one who sees that?' he thought.

"Espeon and Umbreon must've gotten to this poor bloke," Lycanroc growled, shaking his head. "The nerve of them creeps, I tell ya. If I get my paws on them…"

Order: do not do anything rash. Reminder: you are under our roof and will follow my directions, Metagross stated.

"Ain't nothing we can do about this feller fer now," Braviary said. "But what should we do with him, Guildmaster? I reckon it ain't safe to keep him 'round these parts."

Affirmative. Order: return him to Clayback River, Metagross said and departed the room. The other guild members started to disperse, save for Lycanroc and Braviary, who continued inspecting Gumshoos.

"So, ya think the crystals ya saw in the Cavernous Depths are causing this?" Braviary asked.

Lycanroc nodded. "I'll bet Espeon and Umbreon made 'em with corrupted Entercard energy or something."

Shane stomped a forepaw on the ground. "Vulpix, don't–" Tessa started but Shane stormed past her.

"You're lying, Lycanroc!" Shane accused. "Just like you lied about 'conveniently' having nectar flowers on you. You totally stalked my teammate and I during our mission!"

Braviary raised a brow. "Now what's all this hullabaloo?"

"Ah, don't pay Snowy any mind." Lycanroc said, waving dismissively. "His tails are all twisted up cause I gave some purple nectar to an Oricorio who asked him to find some. It was just a coincidence." He craned his head to the side. "By the way, you've uh, got a little something on yer side there, mate." He brushed a paw along his hip.

"Ha! You wish it was a coincidence." Shane turned to Braviary. "In Twilight Forest, we heard a Pokémon howl loudly and then we were attacked by birds. It was obviously this guy who did it."

"Why would I do that? I ain't got no reason to go to Twilight Forest. It'd be a waste of time," Lycanroc scoffed.

"Because you're here to mooch off the guild's generosity," Shane declared, snorting out tufts of frosty air. "You made up some story about a pair of famous Pokémon turning evil and attacking this place. That's completely ridiculous!" He turned to Braviary. "And it's more ridiculous that you're actually buying into this."

Tessa's eyes widened and she stepped back toward the hallway. "Oh no. Tell me he didn't just snap at Braviary like that," she squeaked.

"Well I could, but I'd be lying."

"Gah!" Tessa jumped. She looked beside her to see Togedemaru standing there. "W-What are you doing here? I thought you left."

"I heard Vulpix shouting and came back. I do so love seeing rookies get chewed out by Braviary," she giggled.

"Listen up, hoss," Braviary said, narrowing his eyes at Shane. "There are Electrikes and Houndours in Twilight Forest. Ya just heard one of them. Now, I could understand if'n ya were a bit nervous around a Midnight Lycanroc. Most smaller 'mons are. But going around and calling him a no-good scoundrel when he ain't done nothing is where I draw the line. Not to mention, the Guildmaster already told you he ain't sensed no hostile intent."

Braviary shook his head. "Apparently, that didn't get through that thick skull of yers. So, maybe a day on sentry duty will adjust yer attitude?"

"Oh, come on!" Shane hissed. "I'm being serious!"

Lycanroc licked his lips. "I'm real sorry ya ain't a fan of me, Snowy. But this is just who I am." He shrugged. "I don't want our continent becoming some dumping ground for dark magic crystals, that's all."

"And that sentry assignment goes fer yer pardner, too," Braviary said, glancing at Tessa.

Tessa's eyes widened. "What? Don't lump me in with him! We couldn't disagree more on this issue!"

Togedemaru fell onto her back laughing. "Aha ha! You sure found a real winner of a teammate, there. Wonder what the powers that be were thinking when they brought this guy over from the human world." She stumbled back down the hallway. "Oh, wait'll Serperior hears about this. What a hoot!"

Shane's tails drooped. "But–"

"If yer gonna keep on yapping, I can extend your sentry duty punishment," Braviary declared. "Well, go on. Still got something to say?"

Shane hung his head and shook it.

"Good." Braviary turned to Lycanroc. "Let's get ya some food. Ya must be starved."

"Actually, no need." Lycanroc pulled a small bag out from his mane. "I bought something from that café over in town. Because I don't want to – oh, how did Snowy phrase it? – 'mooch off the guild's generosity.'"

Shane's eyes widened. 'Oh, come on! He probably stole money from someone to get that,' he thought, but a death glare from Tessa kept his mouth shut.

"Suit yerself, pardner," Braviary said. "Yer still welcome to join us in the dining area." He pointed a wing forward guided Lycanroc to the hallway. Lycanroc turned and gave Shane a cocky smirk as he walked by.

Shane gritted his teeth, but waited until Lycanroc and Braviary disappeared from his view before turning to Tessa and saying, "Did you see that look he gave me? He knows he's getting away with thi–"

SMACK!

Tessa struck Shane in the gut with a glowing palm. Shane crumpled to the ground like a destroyed stack of cards.

"Here's a little suggestion, partner. When I tell you to ignore Lycanroc, listen to me! He's trying to get a rise out of you and you're making it too easy for him. I'm sure he'll be gone before you know it," she hissed, and then stormed off down the hallway, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Comfey floated down toward Shane. "Oh dear," she sighed. "I hate it when teams have infighting."

Shane staggered to his feet. 'I don't get it. I know I'm right here. Why isn't anyone believing me?'
 
Chapter 21
This chapter was originally posted on November 29th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 21: The Peak of Reckless Abandon

Shane's eyes fluttered open and he yawned loudly. However, he immediately buried his head in his forelegs, shielding his eyes from a familiar bright-orange expanse.

"Gah!" Shane shouted. He slowly stood up, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Okay, that never fails to startle me. At least this is pretty convenient timing." He took a step toward the orange water lapping up at the shore's surface. "Yo, Solgaleo! Get your booming voice out here. Your chosen one needs a bit of spiritual guidance."

The sun-shaped silhouette from his previous dreams flickered into view on the water's surface. "What the matter, human? Did I not make you purpose clear last time?" he growled.

"You totally did," Shane said. "Be the chosen one, protect day and night, save the world, yadda yadda… look, I got that. But I've run into an issue. And I really need your sagely wisdom. See, there's this Midnight Lycanroc running around the guild and I think he's up to no good. He claims he knows what's causing Pokémon to go berserk, right? And I'm pretty sure it's connected to the whole day-night issue, but I think he's lying!"

"Foooooooooooooooooool!"

The booming roar knocked Shane off his feet and he tumbled across the sand. "Hack! Plebth! Okay. Easy on the yelling," Shane groaned, coughing up some sand.

"Absol is the problem," he said. "You don't have time to waste on Lycanroc."

"What if he's in league with Absol?"

"My powers are stretched thin enough already, chosen one," Solgaleo retorted. "I do not have the strength to see how virtuous Lycanroc is. You're on your own."

Shane frowned. "Darn. So much for that idea." He scratched his ear. "But wait a second. If you said that Absol's the problem, then that means Espeon and Umbreon
aren't the problem. And that means Lycanroc's totally lying. Which means I'm one hundred percent right and Tessa, Braviary, and the whole guild can suck it!" He narrowed his eyes. "I knew that mangy mutt was trouble the moment I laid eyes on him!"

He looked up at the silhouette on the water. "Thanks a ton, buddy! This was actually very helpful."

"Then I expect no more stupid questions," Solgaleo growled. "Do not dawdle, human. You must start restoring the balance between night and day before it's too late!"

His vision went completely white.


XxX​

Shane picked his head up off his cushion. "Nnnnrrgh. Talk about a rude awakening," he whined, rubbing his temple. "The sun's barely even risen. It's not time to get up." He rested his head back on his pillow. Unfortunately, his ears twitched and swiveled in the door's direction. "Hmm?" He picked his head up, ears twitching again.

"Curse these sensitive Vulpix ears," Shane mumbled. "When I was a human I was such a deep sleeper. Now I can wake up at the drop of a pin." He slowly stood up and arced his back. His spine produced several satisfying cricks. "Might as well investigate whatever that thumping noise is." He proceeded out of his room and into the hall.

Shane didn't need to go far to identify the problem. The moment he stepped into the assembly area, he gave a frightened yip and scrambled to his right. Seconds later, Null's large frame skidded past him. Null shook his head about, giving a deep, rasping cough, and charged forward.

'Okay… definitely awake now,' Shane realized, his heart thumping against his chest. He picked his head up and saw Tessa standing in the center of the room. Null continued his charge, bringing a foreleg up as blades of energy sheathed around his talons. He swiped down at Tessa, but she thrust her left palm forward.

The force from the two limbs meeting caused both Pokémon to buckle. Null's larger frame easily absorbed the blow, while Tessa trembled and fell off balance. Null brought his head down and his helmet and feathered crest hardened into steel. He thrust his upper body forward and struck Tessa in the face with a resounding claaaaaaaaang!

Tessa collapsed onto her back. Null bore down on her, raising a foreleg while air gathered in between his talons. "You got me," Tessa squeaked, holding up her paws in surrender. Null lowered his foreleg and extended it to Tessa. She grabbed hold and Null hoisted her to her feet. He then turned away and shook his body. His helmet rattled around on his head, making Shane's fur stand on end.

"… your left side… is weak…" Null wheezed. "… that last attack… you wouldn't have been so vulnerable… if you'd used your right paw…"

Tessa wiped sweat from her brow. "It was really that noticeable, huh?" she sighed. "I guess I've got to work on that."

"… yeah… you do…"

"Still, thanks for waking up to do this with me at this hour," Tessa said. "This was a good release." She stretched her arms up toward the ceiling.

"… wasn't getting much sleep anyway. The headaches… keep getting worse..." Null groaned. He tensed up and clawed at his helmet with a foreleg.

Tessa shrank back, unsure how to approach Null. "Um, are you okay?" She cautiously reached a paw toward him, but Null swerved his head away with a hiss. Tessa quickly brought her paw back to her side.

"Hey!" Shane finally decided to make his presence known. "Are you two trying to wake everyone up? Because it's working."

Tessa caught Shane's gaze and frowned. "I needed to blow off some steam and this is the only real practice area the guild has. It's too chilly outside this early in the morning."

"Blow off steam?" Shane parroted. "What for? I thought we had a pretty good day yesterday, save for Lycan–"

"Don't you dare start with that nonsense again!" Tessa snapped, balling her paws into fists. "It was your big mouth that got us stuck on sentry duty and so help me if you extend it beyond today, I'll… I'll…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You already got your licks in with that Force Palm yesterday," Shane reminded her. "Thanks for that, by the way. My chest is nice and sore now."

"You deserved it," Tessa growled. Null immediately stepped in front of her, blocking the duo's view of each other.

"… don't escalate things. Just walk away…" he said. Tessa nodded and followed Null down toward the dining area.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Shane called. "Don't I at least get some sort of apology?"

His answer came in the form of a blue tail wrapping around his snout, clamping it shut. Shane's eyes widened. He turned in the direction of the tail to see Dragonair looking right at him. She wasn't glaring. Rather, she had a calm, almost detached appearance about her. Dragonair unwound her tail.

"What's the big idea?" Shane growled.

"We need to talk, Vulpix," she said. Dragonair turned around and beckoned him forward with her tail. "Walk with me."

"Uh, you don't walk. You slither."

"I could knock you out in one Extreme Speed if you don't feel like cooperating," Dragonair threatened, her voice still calm and measured. Shane's tails stiffened and he immediately trudged along after her. She led him up the stairs toward the entrance, pausing at the top to look at the starry mural painted across the ceiling.

"… I'm concerned about you and Tessa," she finally said after a long silence.

"You know we're supposed to call her Riolu, right?" Shane said. "I'm totally telling her you're not listening."

"In case you haven't noticed, she's not here," Dragonair countered, showing no signs of impatience toward Shane. "Stop trying to deflect. I want you to listen to me."

"Pssssht. Riolu and I are fine. She's just a bit mad about sentry duty, that's all," Shane dismissed. "I know I'm right about Lycanroc and soon you guys will realize that, too."

Dragonair sighed. "This goes beyond Lycanroc. Every time it seems like the two of you are making some solid progress as partners, something happens to set you back. And, generally speaking, it's your fault," she accused, jabbing Shane's torso with her tail.

Shane frowned. "Maybe we're not a perfect team, but we're getting better. You just saw us at our low point back with Parasect. We've improved since th–"

Dragonair abruptly cut him off, wrapping her tail around his snout once again. Shane's eyes narrowed and he let out a puff of frigid air.

"If you really intend to do right by Riolu as her partner, then you need to start respecting her boundaries," Dragonair lectured. "She's been through a lot. More than you could possibly know."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Mmmmmffffrrrghhhh," he grunted, Dragonair's tail muffling his voice. She rolled her eyes and withdrew her tail. Shane exhaled forcefully. "Sheesh, no need to muzzle me."

"I have found it's the most effective technique for dealing with your moody, childish rambles," Dragonair said. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you meant her family? Because I'm already perfectly well-versed in that subject. Sure, the thing with her brother's a bit weird, but at least she knows her family's somewhere here," Shane said. "How do you think I feel? I've already been here a month. Who knows how much time has passed in the human world? What about my family, huh?" The lie made Shane's stomach churn, but he kept a straight face.

To his relief, Dragonair closed her eyes and said, "That's a fair point. I'll give you that much. However, I do not believe Riolu has given you the full story about what's happened with her family."

Shane pursed his muzzle. "What? You mean there's more to it than just 'my parents are exploring the Grass Continent and I don't know when they'll be back?'"

Dragonair nodded. "Yes. But it's not my place to tell you. That would violate Riolu's trust."

"Aww, c'mon. I can keep a secret. And I'm her partner, so it's important that I know," Shane said.

"If she doesn't trust you enough to tell you the truth, what makes you think I will?" Dragonair scoffed. "If you want to win her over, then do as I suggested. Respect her boundaries."

Shane's face scrunched up. "But what does that even mean? I've been perfectly nice to her lately!"

"That's something the two of you need to talk out," Dragonair said. "Preferably, without any shouting."

"Well, great. Now I'm tired and confused. Thanks," Shane grumbled. "Can I go now? I've got sentry duty to attend to."

Dragonair slithered away from the stairs. "Be my guest," she said. Shane shot her an annoyed look and descended back to the main level.

'What could Tessa not be telling me about her family?' Shane thought, making his way toward the sentry station. 'This is all so weird. What happened to my partner being a cheerful, energetic little Pokémon with tons of spunk? Tessa's like the exact opposite of that!'

He stopped to look up at the ceiling. 'Is this some sort of secret character test? Is Tessa under some sort of spell that I can break her out of with love, kindness, or the power of friendship? Bah… that's so pathetically sappy!' His brow furrowed. "Yo, Arceus, if you're really up there doing whatever, how about a sign?"

"… hurry up, human…"

Shane flinched at the sound of Null's rasping voice. He quickened his pace and entered the room. Tessa sat on a cushion, clutching the guild's entry log. Null stood up from beside the Pokénector. He turned to Tessa and said, "… if he… bothers you at all… call for me…"

"Hey! There's no need for that," Shane whined. "I'm not looking for any trouble, okay."

Null fixed his tired, gray eyes on Shane. "… actions speak louder than words… human…" He exited the room, eyeing Shane as he went.

"Cripes. Could you be any creepier?" Shane scoffed. "You've been hanging around with him quite a bit lately. Is there, uh, something going on between you two I should know about?"

Tessa crossed her arms and looked away. "No. I just appreciate his company. He's soft-spoken, unlike a certain ice-type, who shall remain nameless. Besides, it's none of your business how I choose to spend my free time."

'Besides, even if he looks strange, I don't feel as lonely when I'm around Null,' Tessa thought. 'If I can't forge a good relationship with Vulpix, then at least I have Null to lean on for support until we figure out what's happening to the world and how to a put a stop to it.'

Shane prepared to retort, but his conversation with Dragonair flashed into his mind. His ears drooped and he slinked toward the unoccupied cushion. 'I don't believe this,' he thought. 'Why is my own partner starting to trust that freak with the headgear more than me? Why can't she just see things my way for once?'

He pawed at the ground. "Um, listen. About yesterday…"

"I said not to bring that up," Tessa growled, spinning away from him.

"Oh." Shane lowered his head. "Right… sorry."

Sentry duty proceeded in silence for the duo, with the exception of the occasional Pokémon arriving and Tessa announcing said arrival. All the while, Shane's thoughts continued to fester. He soon found himself gnashing his teeth together. 'I can't just stay quiet. I don't want friction between us. If Tessa's refusing to speak up, it's up to me to put this issue to rest!'

"Are you at least willing to hear an apology?" he asked. Tessa raised her head at this. "See, I…" Shane started, but cut himself off when his ears twitched. He lifted his head and glanced down the hallway.

"You what?"

"Uh, hang on a second." Shane got to his feet. "I think I hear someone out in the assembly area."

"So? We're on sentry duty, not eavesdropping duty," Tessa scoffed.

"Hallway conversations aren't private," Shane countered. "I'll be right back. I just want to investigate." He got to his feet and padded his way toward the assembly area. As he did, he could make out a familiar voice. His brow immediately furrowed.

"… exactly why I wanted to find ya, sheilas," Lycanroc's voice carried around the corner. "From what I heard, you're the strongest team around these parts. I'd try asking Braviary or the Guildmaster, but they seem busy."

"Hold on," Milotic said. "What makes you so sure something's happening in Dewdrop Woods, anyway?"

"Right. I was on my way through town and I saw this right banged-up Araquanid and Volcarona duo trudging through the place."

"That's Team Buzz-Buzz!" Serperior gasped. "Are they okay? What the heck happened?"

"They said they got throttled in Dewdrop Woods. Something about a Bewear losing its mind," Lycanroc explained. "And, yeah, they're resting on up with Comfey. Them suckers had some nasty blows."

Shane's muzzle pursed. 'What the heck's he talking about? Beware losing your mind? That doesn't make any sense.' He narrowed his eyes. 'I'll bet this is a set up! Lycanroc's trying to dupe Team Captivate.'

"Look, I'd go investigate myself, but I ain't got any ideas how to navigate that forest. And I'd be beyond useless against the likes of a Bewear. Plus, there's three of you and one of me," Lycanroc pointed out.

'I'll bet he's gonna try and steal their stuff,' Shane concluded. 'No, wait. What if he's telling the truth and leading them right into a trap?'

"I don't know, it sounds a little vague," Serperior said, to Shane's relief.

"But if we don't do anything, it could start rampaging through the town," Lycanroc pointed out. "Now, I'm sure you fine sheilas don't want that on your tails, right?"

'Come on, don't listen to him. Dragonair, you're stupidly logical. Say something!' Shane thought.

"Hmm. Well, we wouldn't want something like that happening. Pokémon could get hurt that way," Milotic agreed. "Besides, we were planning to visit Dewdrop Woods anyway. C'mon girls, let's get going."

Shane's eyes widened and he smacked his forehead. He stiffened at the sound of footsteps. Shane quickly turned away as Lycanroc popped up in front of the south hallway.

"Oy. Ain't you supposed to be somewhere, Snowy?" Lycanroc asked.

"Yeah. I'm just, uh, taking a short break!" Shane lied. "Y'know, stretching out my legs so I don't, uh, get any muscle cramps." He leaned down in a stretch and then jogged in place. "It can get a bit stuffy sitting in the sentry room, see. Aha ha… ha…"

Lycanroc smirked. "I'll take your word for it, mate. Later." He strolled off toward the living quarters, whistling a jaunty tune.

'Grrrrrrr. Why that no-good, sleazy dirtbag! He's setting Team Captivate up for… something.' Shane started jogging down the hallway. 'I'd better report this to Tess–'

He promptly skidded to a halt. "Wait, what am I saying? She's just going to say I'm lying again and run off to complain to Null or Braviary." He turned back toward the assembly area. "But I can't just go after Team Captivate myself. I've gotta find someone to help me out…"

Shane backpedaled toward the assembly area. "Okay, living quarters are no good. Lycanroc's there, remember? Maybe I'll have some luck upstairs." He sprinted up the stairway and smiled at the sight of Yungoos, Trapinch, and Growlithe. "Oh, thank heavens," he chirped. "You're just the Pokémon I need right now."

"Uh, ain't youse supposed to be doing sentry duty?" Yungoos pointed out.

"Forget that! Listen, did you see Team Captivate pass through here?" Shane asked. The three apprentices nodded in unison. "Crud! I wasn't fast enough."

"Where's the fire, Vulpix?" Growlithe asked. "And why didn't you let me light it?"

"Listen, I just overhead Lycanroc begging Team Captivate to go investigate Dewdrop Woods," Shane explained.

"Oh brother, not this song and dance routine again," Trapinch sighed.

"I'm serious! He said something about 'Bewear losing its mind,' or some nonsense like that," Shane insisted. At that, the apprentices' eyes widened.

Trapinch gulped. "Did… did you just say Bewear?"

Shane rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Why? It doesn't make any sense, right?"

Yungoos gave Shane an unamused look. "Rookie, youse do realize Bewear is a Pokémon, right?"

Shane's jaw slackened. "Huhwha–?"

"Hmm. How can we describe it to you?" Growlithe wondered. "Oh! It's like an even more terrifying Ursaring. It's got huge arms like this." He reared up on his hind legs and spread his forelegs out, trying to flex them. "It can snap a tree in half just by hugging it. Great for gathering firewood, if you ask me."

Shane's tails shot straight up. "Are you serious? If that's the case, Team Captivate's in serious danger!"

"What do you mean? They're the strongest team in the guild," Trapinch said. "They can handle anything."

"But Lycanroc's leading them into a trap! An ambush!" Shane darted toward them. "We have to do something. We need to catch up to them and get them out of that forest!" The apprentices all exchanged nervous looks. "Ugh… look. I'm telling the truth, I swear." He turned to Trapinch. "Can you just check Team Captivate's room and make sure Lycanroc isn't trying to steal anything?"

"Uh, I guess so?" Trapinch muttered. "But why would Lycanroc–?"

"Because he's a no good crook of an outlaw," Shane growled. "And when you're done checking, go take my place at the sentry station."

"But if Braviary finds out youse ditched yer post, you'll–"

Shane held up a forepaw to silence Yungoos. "Uh-uh. This time, the two of you are coming with me so I can prove I'm right. And because if there is trouble I need backup."

Growlithe wagged his tail. "Does this mean I can light stuff on fire? Because I've heard a Bewear's fur is especially combustible." Shane nodded. "Great! I'm in."

"Hang on a minute dere, rookie. Youse can't just come up to us and demand we help youse like dat. We could get in trouble too, y'know," Yungoos said.

"Well… uh…" Shane's eyes lit up. "I know. I'll buy you the Supreme Berry Sorbet from Crabrawler's Café if you help me."

Yungoos' eyes sparkled. "Now dat is what I call a bribe! Okay, I'm in too."

"Great!" Shane ran toward the door. "Then we'd better get a move on. We need to catch up to Team Captivate."

He sprinted through the entrance, with Yungoos and Growlithe following him. The three guys failed to notice a hulking, helmeted form watching them from beside the Observatory entrance.

"… beast… beast… have to... follow. Must get rid of him… get rid of… beast!"

Null moaned and wheezed. He jostled his head around and then plodded toward the town square.

XxX

~Dewdrop Woods~

"Anyone see anything suspicious?" Shane asked, swiveling his head about.

"No. Just trees and rocks. Da usual stuff," Yungoos replied. "Does dis mean we can go now?"

"Not if you want that sorbet," Shane replied. "Braviary said you had a nose for sniffing things out, right? How about putting that to use here?"

"Fine." Yungoos walked beside Shane and bent down toward the ground. He sniffed the pathway.

"Wow, amazing," Growlithe chirped. "I'll bet if I tried that I'd inhale the dirt and just end up setting Vulpix on fire with one of my sneezes."

Shane took several steps forward, his tails falling between his legs. 'I could've been a normal, fire-type Vulpix but nooooooo. This universe hates me, apparently, because it put me with a Riolu who isn't even appreciative of being a Riolu!'

"Hey, I got somet'ing!" Yungoos picked his head up and sniffed at the base of a rock. "I smell brine."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Which is weird because…?"

"Because Milotic always smells like seawater cause of her shampoo. Duh," Yungoos scoffed.

Growlithe looked at his guild mate. "And you know this because…?"

"Because none of youse business, dat's why!" Yungoos growled. "I'll bet Team Captivate took off in dis direction." He pointed a foreleg down a path running east. Yungoos brought his head back toward the ground and resumed sniffing. Shane followed along after him. "Oh yeah, I can definitely still smell 'em," Yungoos muttered.

"How far could they have gotten anyway? I didn't think serpents could slither that fast," Shane muttered.

"Well, they're Team Captivate. They've been doing this for a while," Growlithe chuckled. "I tried to beg Dragonair to teach me Extreme Speed once, but she said it won't work until I evolve. Some Pokémon just have all the luck, huh?"

'Preaching to the choir there, buddy,' Shane sneered, continuing to keep his distance from Growlithe.

Yungoos led them forward, focusing on the ground. They reached a point where the trail started to wrap around a hill, when Shane's ears suddenly twitched. "Hey, I think there's someone coming," he said, turning to face some of the nearby foliage.

Sure enough, the trio soon saw the trees and bushes shaking. They all took a few steps back. The bushes then parted and several Pikipeks and Ledybas fluttered out. "Whoa!" Yungoos gasped, scampering backwards. The cluster of wild Pokémon made no attempt to engage the guild members, however. Instead, they shot worried glances back into the forest and scrambled across the trail. They disappeared into another set of bushes.

"Sheesh. What's got them all riled up?" Shane growled, trying to use his tails to dust off his fur.

"Uh, hello? Weren't youse da one who said dere's a Bewear going crazy in here?" Yungoos pointed out. "What d'ya t'ink dey're running from?"

Shane remembered Growlithe's description and his body stiffened. "Aha ha… right…" He gulped. 'C'mon Shane, show some backbone! This is your time to shine… I think. I hope. Maybe.'

"Should we try going into the trees?" Growlithe wondered. "I could always set them ablaze to draw out whatever's lurking in there!"

"No!" Shane and Yungoos belted out in unison.

"Err, what I meant ta say was dat I'm still picking up Milotic's scent on dis trail," Yungoos said. "It's possible dey ain't run into no trouble yet."

Growlithe's tail drooped in disappointment. "Right."

The trio prepared to start forward again when the ground started rumbling.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Cripes!" Yungoos jumped up in fright, smacking his head against a low-hanging tree branch. He fell to the ground, eyes swirling about in their sockets.

"What… what was that?" Shane asked. "Is that what a Bewear sounds like? It's pretty high-pitched for a giant bear."

"Yeah, Bewear have deceptively squeaky voices," Growlithe said. "At least, that's what Braviary tells me."

"Uhuu huu huu huu! Aww, look at the adorable tiny tykes brigade. They're so scared, Umbry!"

Shane's eyes widened. 'Oh no. Please not here. Please not now!'

Growlithe's eyes narrowed. "Hey, haven't I heard that voice somewhere before?"

A spark of pink energy danced across the forest path, just in front of the guild members. More sparks followed it, and they started to gather around in a circle. Their coloration shifted from pink to a sinister dark lavender. The image of a winged heart appeared in the circle, with arced horns and a piercing eye in its center. A red and-purple vortex rose up from the circle.

"W… what in da blazes?" Yungoos gasped, staggering backwards.

"Hey, that's my line," Growlithe griped.

Shane's tails darted between his legs as he watched Espeon ascend from the vortex, head held high and sunlight distorting around her due to the black armor on her torso. A smile creeped across her face and she opened her mouth…

"Solgaleo, provider of daylight…
Great Lunala, defender of the night…
Working hard for the sake of harmony!"


Espeon put a paw to her snout and giggled. "Uhuu huu huu! That's surprisingly catchy. Now I see why that Primarina fellow loves singing it so much." She turned back toward the vortex. "How did I sound, Umbry? Better than that stuffy, soggy sea dog, I hope."

Umbreon appeared beside Espeon from the vortex. It quickly shut behind the duo, receding into a small, red-and-black card that vanished in a flash of light.

"… bah! Don't waste my time with your little games, Espy," he huffed. "We're here for a reason."

Espeon pouted. "Aww. But we're supposed to be having fun!"

"We can have fun once we've infected Vulpix," Umbreon stated. "Besides, he seems like a good playmate for you. He has a wonderfully big mouth you can clamp shut for endless amusement."

Shane's eyes widened. 'That's me they're talking about. And I so do not have a big mouth!' He briefly went cross-eyed, attempting to inspect his snout.

"Infect?" Yungoos raised an eyebrow. "Hey, didn't da weird Mareanie we run into at Sunset Shoals keep saying stuff 'bout infecting?" he asked Growlithe.

"I think so," Growlithe replied. "And have you forgotten what Lycanroc told us yesterday?" He narrowed his eyes. "These two are the ones responsible for all of it."

Espeon jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, yaaaaaay! You guys saw our handiwork." She then frowned. "But you cost me a bunch of adorable little playmates! And you two aren't nearly squishy enough to make up for it."

"I ain't got no plans to play wit no one," Yungoos said. "Especially not a couple of crazy tourists bringin' trouble. Youse scoot on back to yer own continent and leave Horizon alone."

Shane suddenly jumped in front of his guildmates. "Espeon! Umbreon! Snap out of it!" he barked. "This… this isn't like you! You're both nice Pokémon who want to help others."

Espeon tilted her head to the side. "Oh? Do you know us from somewhere? Because I'm not intimately familiar with any white-furred Vulpixes. How about you, Umbry?"

"… no. They're unique to this continent," Umbreon replied. "Either he has us confused with someone else or he's trying to throw us off to make an escape." Umbreon's eyes glowed an even brighter red. "In which case, you're not putting on a very convincing act."

"But Umbry, he's a human, remember?" Espeon giggled. "He shouldn't know any Espeons or Umbreons at all!"

"I know you!" Shane insisted. "You're a kindly research pair from the Mist Continent. You're trying to master Entercards to help benefit Pokémon around the world. And… and you deeply care for one another. You're not troublemakers and you never have been! You have to fight back against… whatever it is making you act like this!"

"Uhuu huu huu huu!" Espeon cackled, fixing her bright blue eyes on Shane. "Well, well, someone's done their homework, haven't they? Umbry and I care about each other lots, but I must say," she sauntered up toward Shane, "I'm not really into stalkers."

Her eyes flashed white and next thing Shane knew, he lay well behind his guild mates, knocked flat onto his back. Growlithe and Yungoos shouted in fright. Shane scrambled to his feet, only to freeze when he saw faint blue auras around his teammates' bodies. Espeon's eyes crackled with pink bolts of energy.

"And you were a bit off base, kid," Umbreon sneered. "We are interested in Entercards. But not for the sake of research." The red rings across his body flickered. "Because with the energy we've gotten from the Prism Virus, we're close to achieving something no Pokémon could ever dream of cooking up on their own: Ultra Entercards! With them, we'll have absolute control over ley lines. Meaning we can circumvent the chaotic energies forming Mystery Dungeons…"

"… and spread our wonderful Prism Virus to every corner of the planet!" Espeon cheered. "And once we do, we'll have everything we need to make the world of endless night our beautiful new reality! Uhuu huu huu!"

"W… world of… endless night?" Shane practically choked on his words. 'Oh no. The threat to the balance between day and night! This had to have been what Solgaleo was talking about!'

"Yup! Where Legendaries are nothing but distant memories and every Pokémon can live out a worry-free life," Espeon continued, her grin broadening.

"No more conflicts. No more battling. No more obnoxious Mystery Dungeons. The world will finally… finally achieve peace and prosperity," Umbreon declared. "And it starts with using our Ultra Entercards to bypass the magic keeping each and every Legendary holed up in their Mystery Dungeons. Then, we infect them with the Prism Virus, and get rid of them... permanently."

Shane's eyes widened in horror. "What are you saying? You can't do that! We need those Pokémon or the world's gonna fall apart. Besides, you're not helping anyone. You're poisoning the environment and hurting other Pokémon," he growled. "Now, you'd better let those two go right now or… or…"

Umbreon took a step forward, his red eyes glowing. "Or what… you're going to stop both of us? Don't make Espy laugh!"

"Too late! I've already done plenty of that," Espeon giggled. "But, I have something in mind that's way more fun. We're going to play a little game… the five of us! It's called 'hostage negotiation.'"

Shane went rigid. "D-Don't…" he whimpered.

"The rules are super-duper simple," Espeon said. "You give us that girlie scarf around your neck and then we get to infect you! In return, your so-called friends here will get their freedom." Her eyes narrowed. "… for now."

"My… scarf?" he looked down at the rainbow scarf. 'But, they said they're going to infect me if I give this up. That means they're going to make me into one of those crazy monsters like Parasect and the Munchlaxes. I can't end up like that. I'm this world's best chance against whatever's controlling these two! And besides,' his gaze fell to the ground, 'Tessa entrusted me with this. I'm not going to give it up so easily!"

"No deal," Shane said.

Umbreon's eyes flashed with rage. "Big mistake. Now we do things my way…"

Shane crouched into a fighting stance, waiting for Umbreon to charge him. But he didn't. Instead, both he and Espeon froze as the ground trembled yet again.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Espy?" Umbreon turned around. "I thought you said you had sent Bewear to the northern part of the woods?"

Espeon frowned. "Yeah, uh, about that." She grinned sheepishly. "I might've told a teensy-weensy white lie."

"What?!"

"Hey, c'mon, it's not like we were planning to be around here long," Espeon scoffed. "Besides, this presents a convenient scenario. Let's have Bewear deal with these three. Our paws stay clean and we can focus on other things in the meantime!"

Umbreon's eyes narrowed. "I'm not leaving this up to chance. Vulpix is coming back with us!"

The ground shook once again. Shane, Espeon, and Umbreon nearly fell from the force of the tremors.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Umbreon frowned. "Okay, on second thought, not becoming food for an out-of-control Ultra Bewear is a much better idea."

Espeon released Yungoos and Growlithe. Shane noticed her levitating up another red and black card.

"Wait… wait!" Shane cried, but the duo deployed their Entercard. A new vortex formed up and they disappeared into it. Espeon paused in the center of it. She turned and blew a kiss in Shane's direction.

"Until we meet again, my lovely stalker! Wait, you're heading for the great Bewear-yond, aren't you? Oh well. It was nice knowing you. Uhuu huu huu huu!" She disappeared into the vortex and it faded behind her.

"No!" Shane lunged toward the Entercard, only for it to vanish in a burst of bright pink light. Another tremor struck, this one far stronger than any of the others. Shane toppled over into Yungoos and Growlithe.

"Oof! Get offa me you clod," Yungoos hollered. "What were youse t'inking back dere? You nearly got us all killed!"

"Wait." Growlithe turned to Shane. "Do you not have an Escape Orb?"

Shane pawed at the ground. "Aha ha… see… funny story. Riolu's sorta the one in charge of the items and I, uh, didn't grab anything before we left. I assumed one of you had one."

Yungoos and Growlithe glared daggers at Shane. But before they could scold him, a beam of ice split through some of the trees. It immediately froze patches of leaves and shattered them. The guild members backed up cautiously. Seconds later, Milotic hurtled out from behind the trees.

"Auuuugh!" she hollered, striking a boulder across the forest path and dropping to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Milotic? Milotic!" Growlithe dashed over to her. "It's Growlithe. Are you okay? What happened?"

"B-Bewear… crazy… not…" Milotic mumbled, but her eyes fluttered closed and her head slumped against the ground.

"Um… guys?" Yungoos whimpered.

Shane and Growlithe turned around. Their jaws dropped at the sight before them.

"That's a Bewear?" Shane gasped. "That's no Ursaring lookalike."

"Dat… dat ain't what dey usually look like."

"Really? They don't all have four legs and massive red arms with veins bulging out of them?" Shane panicked. "It's called leg day, you big brute! And you never skip it!"

Bewear heard the taunt and turned her attention toward the guild members. She raised her arms high up and then swung them down toward her massive, rippling chest. Bewear flexed her oversized pectorals and uttered a loud, "Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Shane's legs quivered.

'Oh god. This is it. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die! What was I thinking? This isn't like the games…'

Bewear whirled around, karate-chopping one of the trees beside her in half.

'… this is a literal waking nightmare!'
 
Chapter 22
This chapter was originally posted December 4th, 2017. As a suggestion, play this music for the featured battle. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 22: Breaking the Ice-Type

Bewear roared and flexed her arms skyward. A dark black aura encased both of them and she immediately slammed her fists to the ground. None of the guild members had any time to react. A black shockwave rippled across the ground, spearing Yungoos and Growlithe. Shane, being farthest away, was left best off, but still hollered from the attack rattling his bones.

"What the–? What sort of attack was that?" Shane gasped, forepaw placed on his chest.

"Br… Brutal Swing," Growlithe whimpered. "It catches you off guard, cause you think if you dodge the Pokémon's arms you're fine. But then the shockwave hits…"

Bewear gave the group no time to commiserate further. She stomped forward with her four, pointed legs. She raised her arms and flexed once again. This time each of her arms hardened into gigantic, bright-red hammers.

"Get back!" Shane hollered. Bewear thrust her arms downward once again. Yungoos rolled back along the ground, barely skirting Bewear's strikes. Growlithe had already gotten back to his feet, so he easily dodged the attack. He positioned himself behind Bewear and shot a stream of red-hot flames directly at her.

Fire washed across Bewear's back. Shane's eyes widened as the flames spread across Bewear's fur. Or, more specifically, what was left of her fur, as several patches along her body seemed to have been replaced with a tough, fibrous exoskeleton to match her legs.

"Oh, praise the gods! This sucker's still got Fluffy," Growlithe cheered. The victory was short lived, however. Growlithe recoiled in horror as Bewear spun her head and torso around without the use of her legs.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" she shrieked. Bewear brought her arms, still encased in chitinous hammers, to her sides, and started to rotate her torso rapidly. Growlithe immediately backpedaled.

"This is bad. That's not supposed to be physically possible!" he panicked. Bewear roared and stomped forward. Her upper body whirled about; a living, towering top looking to pummel Growlithe into oblivion.

"We've got to draw him away!" Shane hollered.

"I ain't getting near dat t'ing," Yungoos said. "Youse can hit it from a distance, so do something!"

Shane nodded and opened his mouth. Chilled air raced forward, but the combination of residual flames from Growlithe's attack and Bewear's rapid spinning created a wall of heat that vaporized the attack before it could so much as tickle Bewear's massive paws.

Growlithe was now several yards away from his teammates, running along the trail and silently praying for Bewear to get dizzy. Yungoos and Shane slowly jogged forward, both of them too bewildered to properly think up anything to do.

"Wait, what the heck is Bewear's typing anyway?" Shane asked. "With arms like that it's gotta be fighting-type, right?"

"No duh, rookie!" Yungoos spat. "What'cha gonna tell me next? Da sky is blue? Dat yer face is ugly?"

Shane ignored that jab and tensed up his body, trying to call forth psychic energy from the deeper recesses of his mind. His eyes glowed pink and a set of familiar pink ripples raced ahead of him. The spinning Bewear had no defense against the psionic waves. They ensnared her and exploded. The force wasn't strong enough to knock Bewear to the ground, but the attack successfully disoriented her.

"Now! Go, go, go!" Shane hollered, sprinting forward. He didn't dare to look back at his enemy for fear of snapping her out of her stupor. Yungoos whizzed past him, making it to Growlithe first.

"Thanks for the save, guys," Growlithe said. "So, anyone have any ideas?"

"Yes!" Shane said.

"Absolutely not! Anyt'ing youse try to offer is gonna get us murdalized," Yungoos spat.

"Now's not the time for jokes or Magearna impressions. This is serious!" Shane hissed. He took a deep breath. 'Okay, Shane. Time to draw out your inner Pokémon trainer here. Strategize… strategize…'

Bewear snapped out of her confusion. She flexed her arms in front of her chest and unleashed another ear-splitting, "Kiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Okay, Yungoos, you need to blind Bewear with Sand Attack," Shane ordered. "Growlithe, you and I stay together and hit Bewear. Use Flamethrower first to make its fur catch on fire. Then I'll use Extrasensory. If we're lucky, it'll turn your Flamethrower into a giant fireball that erupts on top of Bewear!"

Yungoos started to protest, but noticed Bewear raise up her arms once again. Black tendrils of energy encased her hands and she slammed them to the ground. The trio found themselves leaping up, barely dodging the shockwave that rippled out from Bewear's arms.

"Ah, forget it! We're already hosed! What've I godda lose here?" Yungoos groaned. He jumped forward and kicked at the ground repeatedly. Multiple plumes of dirt shot out, smearing across Bewear's face. Bewear hissed and staggered back. She kept switching between flexing and trying to wipe the dirt from her eyes.

"Now, Growlithe!" Shane ordered. Growlithe stepped forward and unleashed his fire breath. The flames struck Bewear's chest and quickly started to spread around her body. The dirt pockets on her face heated up, creating a loud sizzling sound that made Shane shiver.

"My turn," Shane said. He stood next to Growlithe and sent a quartet of psychic ripples forward. They trapped Bewear and burst around her. Only, instead of a small pink flash, this time a brilliant orange fireball swallowed up Bewear's hulking form. The guild members shielded their eyes from the rush of heat.

"Okay, if we weren't fighting for our lives, you'd have to admit that that is pretty cool," Growlithe chuckled.

"Actually, it's the exact opposite of cool," Shane quipped. "But it looks like it did the trick. Great work, you two! I knew we could pull this o–"

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

The triumphant look on Shane's face deflated. His ears and tail drooped. Not only was Bewear not down for the count, but that last combo seemed to have disposed of the remaining fur patches on her body. Her arms and torso were now a fully chitinous exoskeleton. A white, winged heart sat seared in her chest, with vicious horns point up toward her vein-filled neck. Strange luminescent fluid ran through the veins bulging out of Bewear's arms and neck.

"No! It's got that symbol that Espeon and Umbreon had," Shane gasped. "And look at that crystal sticking out of the center of the heart!"

"That's a black crystal. Just like what Lycanroc said Espeon and Umbreon were planting. But how did it even get in there?" Growlithe wondered.

"Nice going, gang! We just succeeded in making it mad!" Yungoos groaned.

"But… but we hit it with two super-effective attacks in tandem. That should've seriously weakened it," Shane squeaked. 'Just what does this Prism Virus thing do to these Pokémon?'

"Okay, don't panic too much guys," Shane said. "We just need to do the exact same thing and that oughta– oh my god!" His eyes widened at the sight of Bewear turning and scooping Milotic's unconscious body up off the ground.

"Hey, you put her down right now!" Growlithe barked. Bewear shrieked in rage and flexed with her free arm. The arm gripping Milotic reared back and swung forward.

"Duck!" Yungoos shouted, sprawling out on his belly. Growlithe dove toward the bushes. But Shane wasn't fast enough on the uptake. Milotic's cream-colored face collided with his head and neck.

Craaaack!

White-hot pain flared up on every square inch of Shane's body. His legs buckled and he crumpled to the ground.

"What… what just hit me?" Shane whimpered. He tried to blink the stars from his vision, but to little avail.

"It… uh… whipped you… with Milotic," Growlithe said in disbelief.

Bewear roared and brought her Milotic-wielding arm back. It whipped Milotic forward yet again. Still disoriented, Shane had no proper means of self-defense. Milotic's limp form hammered him across his back.

Craaaack!

A fresh wave of excruciating pain gripped Shane. Invisible needles stabbed him repeatedly from all over. Shane wailed in agony and his spotty vision quickly turned to nothing but bright light.

"Ahh… ahh…" Shane lay there, desperately gasping for air.

"He's gotten da wind knocked outta him! He's useless to us right now!" Yungoos hissed. "But how are we supposed to hit Bewear wit'out hitting Milotic?" Yungoos scampered forward. Bewear snarled viciously and lashed out with Milotic. Yungoos barely managed to skirt the strike, and continued running forward. He didn't even try to attack. "Now, Growlithe! While its back is turned!"

Growlithe recognized his opening. He curled up into a ball and doused his body in flames. Then he ran forward, his jaws igniting with wicks of fire. He bit down on one of Bewear's rear legs. Startled by the blow, she gasped and dropped Milotic to the ground. Growlithe quickly headbutted Milotic. She went rolling down the hill, safely away from Bewear.

However, Growlithe lacked the time to properly escape Bewear's reach. Her arms turned midnight-black and came thundering down right onto Growlithe. Bewear's fists pummeled him into the ground with far greater intensity than the shockwave he'd experienced previously. Growlithe's pained howl echoed through the forest.

Yungoos whirled around in a panic. Bewear raised her arms high and flexed triumphantly. Yungoos could just barely make out Growlithe between Bewear's legs. His fur stood on end as he noticed Growlithe's left hind leg bent at an angle it very clearly should not go at.

Shane got his second wind at the exact same time, only for his gut to squirm at the sight of his unconscious teammate. Worse yet, the black crystal embedded in Bewear's chest started crackling with black electricity.

"No! Get away from him!" Shane shouted. Even though every facet of his body screamed in protest, Shane called up his psychic powers. More psionic waves shot forward from his head, going straight for the crystal in Bewear's chest. The waves exploded in a flash of pink. The crystal rattled about in Bewear's chest. She screeched and flexed her arms back behind her in surprise.

Unlike the previous attacks, this one tripped Bewear up. Her hind legs gave out, sending her hulking form toppling over. "Aiiiyyyyyeeeeee!" Yungoos yelped as Bewear's form fell toward him. He scrambled backward, only to gasp in pain. Bewear's head struck his tail, pinning him down to the ground.

"Agh! No, no, no, no, no!" Yungoos panicked, desperately yanking his tail. It refused to budge from under Bewear's massive head. "C'mon, stupid tail. Is youse trying to get us both snapped like Growlithe's leg?"

Shane tried to go forward and attack again, but his legs seized up when he took a step forward. Burning pain shot down his back. He froze. 'Ow… owww! Why does this hurt so much? Did Bewear damage my spine?' His eyes widened at the thought.

Bewear started getting back up. Yungoos felt the pressure subside from his tail and scrambled forward. He managed about half a dozen steps before a burly, black arm shot forward and grabbed him by the tail. "Ahhhhh! No! Put me down! I don't taste good or nuttin'!" Yungoos hollered, flailing his limbs about. He found himself looking right into Bewear's glowing-red eyes.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Bewear roared.

"Rookie!" Yungoos sobbed, thrashing about even faster. "Don't just stand there... do somethiiiiiiing! I don't wanna diiiiiiiiie!"

Bewear flexed her free arm. Yungoos watched it form up into a gigantic, glowing hammer. Bewear then released her grip and, before Yungoos could properly fall to the ground, spiked him down from on high with her solidified arm. The force propelled him into the ground, leaving an impact crater twice his size, with cracks reverberating all around the ground.

Shane seized up in pain yet again as he tried cry our for his guild mate. 'No... this is a disaster! We're all gonna die out here! It's not fair!'

Bewear rotated her torso to lock eyes with Shane. The life drained out of his face. The pain in his spine refused to subside. His legs remained locked in place, even as his brain desperately screamed for him to turn tail and run.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Bewear shrieked. She rotated to the side, leaned down, and hefted up a rock three times Shane's size. Bewear hoisted the rock up and turned to face Shane. His heart hammered in his chest. Shane tried to take a step back, but his hind legs wouldn't move. The excruciating pain continued spilling out from his back. Shane's vision turned watery.

'This is it. I'm done for! And it's all because of stupid Lycanroc! All because nobody would listen to me! How could this go so spectacularly wrong? I'm trying to do the right thing. This shouldn't be happening!' Shane thought. 'All that work Solgaleo did to bring me here… it's all gonna be for nothing!'

Shane couldn't even close his eyes. He could only watch through his tearful vision as Bewear's arms started to move forward, preparing to hurl the boulder and crush every bone in his body.

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaash!

The boulder exploded into hundreds of rocky fragments. Bewear's arms thrust apart. She flexed them as she looked up in surprise to see Null land directly on her head. Bewear hissed in protest and reached toward her face.

'Null!' Shane gasped, unable to open his mouth and speak properly. The chimera leaped off Bewear, spun around, and sent a blades of air forward. They speared Bewear's chest crystal. She staggered backward, clutching at the crystal with one hand and flexing her free arm.

Null fell to the ground and worked quickly. He scooped Yungoos out of his crater and tossed him in Milotic's direction. Bewear roared her disapproval. Null ignored her and ran toward Growlithe. However, the bulky helmet clearly slowed him down. Bewear raised her arms high, transforming them into gigantic hammers yet again.

Shane tried opening his mouth to shout, but all that escaped was a dry cough. More pain shot across his back and, at last, his legs had had enough. He collapsed on the ground, body trembling in agony. He teared up again, so he failed to see Null barely dodge a pair of wild swings from Bewear's arms.

Null reached Growlithe and tossed him over by the other unconscious battlers. He turned and thrust his left foreleg at Bewear. Air crescents hurtled forward. They struck Bewear's left-front leg. The sharp air currents made her leg buckle. Bewear lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. In desperation, she reached out toward a tree to steady herself, but merely shattered the tree into splinters.

Bewear struck the ground with an audible thud. Null saw Shane lying on his side and approached. He shook his head about, letting out a raspy hiss. Null's talons scratched at the ground.

"… he's down…" Null whispered. "We can… dispose of him. We can… eliminate both of them." Null shook his head and staggered backward at this, hissing loudly.

"No! He's… part of... the guild. I don't…"

Null thrust his head to the side, roaring. "Do it! Destroy him! He's... a Beast! We must... kill all Beasts! It's why... we were made!" he suddenly shouted. He lumbered forward, gathering white energy in his talons. He raised his foreleg high…

… and struck his own helmet. Null stumbled to the side, lapsing into a coughing fit. He took a deep breath to calm himself and produced an oran berry from the pouch around his torso.

Shane didn't move, still whimpering in pain. Null stepped forward and planted a foreleg on Shane. Null rolled Shane onto his back, drawing a pained grimace, and shoved the berry into his open mouth. Shane's eyes widened, but the berry appeared to do the trick. He slowly rolled onto his stomach, coughing up a storm.

Bewear finally returned to her feet. She roar furiously and turned her attention on one of the forest's trees. Null heard the roar and immediately started clawing at this helmet.

"Null… what… how did you… get here?" Shane wheezed. He took a few shaky steps forward and gave a relieved sigh. A dull, throbbing ache still ran across his back, but at least he could move now.

Null only growled loudly in response. It echoed against his helmet, making Shane's skin crawl. He decided it best not to question the good turn of fortune. Instead, he turned back to Bewear, only for his heart to immediately start racing again. With another shriek, Bewear successfully uprooted an entire tree. A pair of Pikipek flew out from the branches, squawking in terror.

Bewear hefted the tree over her head, glaring at Shane and Null.

"It's… it's gonna throw that tree at us!" Shane realized, tails sticking straight up in panic. "What do we do?"

"… combine attacks…" Null hissed. Shane glanced at him and could see a sharp air current encasing his right foreleg.

'Right! Just like I did with Growlithe's Flamethrower,' he recalled. 'But can I really pull off an attack now? I couldn't even move before Null showed up.'

Bewear hurled the tree forward, giving Shane no further time for thought. He saw Null whip his foreleg around, shooting air blades forward. Shane grit his teeth and tensed every muscle in his body. He thrust his head forward and smiled as pink waves shot ahead of him.

They reached the tree seconds after Null's wind blades and exploded. Bursts of psychically-bolstered air currents raced out in all directions. The tree shattered into harmless little splinters. But there was no time for celebration. Bewear lurched toward the duo with her four legs. She flexed her arms in front of her chest and they transformed into hammers once again.

Without even thinking, Shane opened his mouth, exhaling with all the force he could muster. A torrent of ice-cold frost raced forward. Aside from hitting Bewear, it made the ground slick. One of Bewear's forelegs planted down, only to kick up. Bewear hollered in surprise. Her arms' transformations faded and she toppled backward.

Null stepped forward and again gathered fragments of concentrated air in his right foreleg. He hurled the air crescents at the fallen Bewear. The blades struck Bewear's chest crystal. This time, the crystal shattered, scattering glassy, black fragments in all directions.

"KIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…" Bewear's shriek gradually diminished in volume. She reached a trembling arm up and gave one final flex before the arm collapsed to her side. Null and Shane looked on as light encased Bewear's body. She shrank down, her arms losing most of their ridiculous muscle mass. When the light faded, the exoskeleton was gone, replaced with black fur around her body and pink fur around her head.

Shane took a step toward Bewear, only to recoil as wisps of black electricity started racing around her body. "No!" Shane cried, realizing what was happening. The tendrils retreated toward the ground. And as they did, Bewear's colors melted away and spilled out on the ground around her.

Null thrashed his head about again, hissing loudly and clawing at his helmet. Shane switched between watching him and watching Bewear's colors evaporate into the air. When the multicolored steam faded, Bewear lay motionless on the ground.

"It's… it's gone…" Shane whispered. He glanced at Null, who was now scratching his helmet up against a tree. Shane's adrenaline rush, meanwhile, was fading fast. His vision grew fuzzy fuzzy. Something weighed down his limbs. 'This… this doesn't feel like a victory at all,' he thought, whimpering.

"… momma?"

A tiny squeak drew Shane's attention. Null didn't seem to notice. He remained next to the tree while Shane proceeded forward. He only made it a few steps before stopping. Stufful had walked out from behind Bewear. He sniffed at her torso.

"Momma?" Stufful squeaked again. He nudged Bewear's limp form with his muzzle. Bewear failed to move.

'No. C'mon, little guy, go away!' Shane thought. 'You shouldn't be looking at this.'

"Momma? Momma?" Stufful tried to shove Bewear with his forelegs, but to no avail. His eyes teared up. "Mommaaaaaaaaaa!" Stufful rubbed his face against Bewear's hide.

Shane's head throbbed. His vision flickered. 'This isn't right. I'm just supposed to fight upset wild Pokémon and move on. I can't deal with things like this. That Bewear was a mother! And now… now her kid… is all alone.'

"M-Momma…" Stufful lay down against her shoulder.

Shane took a step forward. "Hey, kid… you shouldn't stay out here. It's not safe for you."

Stufful got to his feet. He spun around, growling at Shane. "Get away! You… you and your friends hurt momma! You're… you're a bad person!"

"No, you don't understand. Your mom… she…" Shane started, but his voice trailed off. His legs started to shake. His head pounded. His vision failed him. The combination of mental and physical exhaustion proved too much for Shane to take. Overwhelmed by everything that had happened, Shane's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground.

Null managed to snap out of his stupor and saw Shane passed out in front of Stufful. He walked over toward Shane, but it wasn't long before Stufful spotted him. Stufful leaped in front of his mother, his legs trembling.

"Get away, you monster! I won't let you hurt my momma!" Stufful squealed.

Null coughed and shook his head. "I don't... want to hurt her. I just... want to help you. You can't stay out here... by yourself..."

"I'm... I'm not by myself. Momma's here with me, see?" Stufful whimpered.

"Kid... your mother's gone. You need to come... with me. I'm with the guild. We can keep you safe," Null said, but his rasping voice made Stufful's fur bristle. He glared tearfully at Null.

"No, I won't leave my momma! You... you go away! Or else!" he warned. Null sighed and scooped Shane off the ground.

"Suit yourself... kid."

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Tessa sprinted out from the sentry hallway. Trapinch scampered after her. "Wait up, Riolu!" he squeaked. "I can't run that fast!" She wasn't running for much longer, however. The second he entered the main assembly area, Trapinch skidded to a halt by Tessa's side. They both watched Metagross stomp toward the nursing wing. He levitated multiple Pokémon around him.

"Null!" Tessa called and ran over to him. She slowed her pace, noticing Yungoos and Growlithe draped over his back. "Wh… what happened?"

"… infected Bewear… tearing up Dewdrop Woods…" Null rasped. He turned away from Tessa and trudged along after Metagross.

"Oh man, Vulpix was right?" Trapinch gasped.

Tessa whirled on Trapinch. "Wait. Vulpix hasn't been in the nursing wing this whole time? You told me he got overheated and fainted!"

Trapinch's face blanched. "Aha ha… ha… did I say that? Oops. I must've gotten my wires crossed with another guild member."

Tessa clenched her fists. "What did that crazy idiot do this time?" Trapinch looked around nervously. "C'mon, Trapinch, spit it out!"

"Okay, okay!" Trapinch squeaked. "Vulpix came up to us saying he overhead Lycanroc tell Team Captivate to go to Dewdrop Woods and investigate reports of a Bewear going crazy. He thought Lycanroc was leading them into a trap. He convinced Growlithe and Yungoos to go with him and I covered his sentry spot." Trapinch flinched and looked away. "Please don't get mad at me. I just wanted to help."

Tessa relaxed her arms and paws. "Ugh, what was he thinking?" She stormed off toward the nursing wing. But the place was packed. She couldn't even get a glimpse of who was in there, because Lycanroc and Braviary filled up the entrance.

"… well, yeah, I did ask Team Captivate to go check the place out. Actually, Volcarona and Araquanid are the ones who reported Bewear to me. But I ain't got a clue what Snowy and the others were doing in the forest, mate. You'll have to ask one of them."

"I can't exactly do that right now, can I?" Braviary stated. "They're all totally out of it. Null, how'd ya even manage to get 'em all back here?"

"… Team Captivate… had Escape Orbs. Found their item pouch… and used one…" Null muttered.

"Mighty quick thinking on yer part, hoss," Braviary complimented. "Comfey, how are they looking over there?"

"Excuse me, Braviary, can I just get through to see my partner?" Tessa asked.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Braviary lifted a wing to let Tessa through. She stepped into the infirmary and found all of Team Captivate positioned on separate beds. Beside them lay Shane, Yungoos, Growlithe, and two large bugs Tessa didn't recognize. She assumed they were the Volcarona and Araquanid that Lycanroc had mentioned. Comfey floated between all of the beds.

"Well, Team Captivate's all healed up. Their injuries were fairly routine, all things considered," Comfey reported. "But these three are going to be a problem. I think I can heal Yungoos up with one round of Floral Healing. Let's see…" She floated down to Yungoos and draped her string of flowers across his body. A glow overtook them, bathing Yungoos in soft, pink light.

Yungoos' eyes fluttered opened. "Eh… huh?" He picked his head up. "Ayy, I ain't dead! Oh, t'ank da Tapus, I ain't dead!"

"Shhh!" Comfey released a cloud of light pink vapor around Yungoos. He breathed in the gas and sank back onto the bed. "You need to rest, and I need you to keep your voice down, okay?" Yungoos nodded slowly, letting out a yawn. "Good. Now then." Comfey turned to Growlithe. "That broken leg needs to be reset before I can try anything. Guildmaster, if I could borrow you for a moment?"

Affirmative. Metagross stepped forward. Comfey floated over to Growlithe's head. She started releasing a pink cloud around his face. Metagross' eyes flashed blue and Growlithe's leg abruptly snapped back in the proper direction. Growlithe's entire body tensed up and a whine escaped his muzzle. But he then breathed in the vapors and fell back to sleep.

Comfey floated down toward his hind leg and pointed a stubby arm at it. A set of small, glowing, green vines shot out and wrapped the limb up. "And there's a Synthesis cast for good measure. He'll need to stay off his leg for the next few days, but I think it'll heal properly."

"Good to hear," Braviary acknowledged. "What about Vulpix?"

Shane had woken up of his own accord, but he couldn't bring himself to meet anyone's gaze. He just stared transfixed at his pillow. Comfey floated over and inspected his spine with a furrowed brow.

"Vulpix, you have a massive bruise running down your back," she observed. "What happened?" Shane said nothing. He attempted to curl up into a ball, only to wince in pain. "Hey now, don't you move a muscle, mister," Comfey scolded. "You've clearly damaged your spine and any unnecessary movement could make it impossible for me to fix it properly."

"… he was… on his feet… when I found him…" Null rasped. "Used… an attack… too…"

Comfey's eyes went wide. "Good heavens!" she gasped. "I'd better get working right away." She floated over Shane and draped her flowers along his back. Tessa walked up toward his bed but Shane buried his face into the pillow. The soft glow of Comfey's Floral Healing spread out across his back. When it faded, only faint traces of the massive bruise remained.

"Now, I'll ask again. What happened?" Comfey said. "I need to know to determine my next move."

Shane glanced Tessa's stoic expression from the corner of his eyes. "Bewear… hit me in the back… with Milotic."

Everyone's attentions turned toward Milotic, who recoiled in shock. "I… I don't remember anything like that," she said.

"Because you were out cold. Bewear picked you up and wielded you like a whip," Shane reported. Milotic's eyes widened and her face flushed. Serperior's jaw hung open.

"Oh… oh my…" Milotic flummoxed. "I… I'm so sorry. This is really humiliating."

Tessa frowned and stepped back from Shane's bed. He turned to look at her. Tessa's aura feelers stood upright. 'That's odd. Vulpix's aura is way different than before.' She quickly moved out of the way to allow Comfey to circle Shane's bed.

"I'm overlaying your back with bands of Synthesis," she explained. "Their healing energies should be able to safely reach your spine. I don't want to risk any other treatment options. So, I'm going to need you to lie like that for at least the next day. Possibly more depending on how your body reacts to the treatment."

"… whatever. I deserve it," Shane whimpered. A knot tied up in Tessa's stomach.

'Vulpix fell into a pretty bad funk the last time we fought an infected Pokémon,' she recalled. 'But this seems even worse.' Her face then scrunched up. 'Wait, what am I thinking? He's right. None of this would've happened if he hadn't chosen to run off and try to play the hero again. Dang it, Vulpix! Why couldn't you just listen to me and not eavesdrop on Lycanroc? You're supposed to be my ticket to success and happiness, but that all goes out the window if you go out and get yourself killed!'

Her aura feelers tensed again. She stared down at the floor in an attempt to ignore them.

"Well, this turned into a right mess, eh?" Lycanroc sighed. "I'm sorry, sheilas. If I had really known what Bewear was like, I'd have never asked ya to get involved."

A growl drew the room's attention. Tessa briefly looked up from the floor to see Shane staring Lycanroc down. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'He can't seriously still be on Lycanroc's case, right? Even after all of this? Keep your mouth shut, Vulpix. Please! Things are bad enough already. You're going to make everything worse.'

But her mental prayers failed to reach Shane. "You… you planned this," he croaked. "You knew what Bewear was capable of, but you told Team Captivate to go to the woods anyway."

"It was an honest mistake, mate," Lycanroc growled. "And that don't explain how you ended up in the woods."

"You did it on purpose," Shane accused. "You told them about Bewear in the middle of the guild… so I would hear. You knew I had sentry duty. You… you set me up!"

"Funny," Braviary said, scratching his beak. "So, yer admitting you done abandoned yer station after I assigned you sentry duty as a punishment?"

Shane winced. "I… I had to! I only meant to go warn Team Captivate that they were heading into a trap. I didn't expect to actually run into Bewear. Everything got out of control, okay. And I'm sorry, but I needed to do it. Because… because Lycanroc's…"

This time Lycanroc growled. His crimson eyes narrowed and the usual smirk on his face turned into scornful frown. "What about me, mate? I already apologized. Yeah, I mucked things up real good, but I ain't about to stand here and let you drag my name through the mud. What makes you think yer so high and mighty, huh? Is it the human tidbit? Because if all this is an indication, yer more of a hindrance than a help to this place!"

Tessa tensed up, tucking her chin against her chest. Lycanroc's words sent a chill down her spine. 'That's… that's what I really think of Vulpix right now, isn't it? No... that's what I've always thought of him, isn't it?' She involuntarily flinch. She saw a Lucario stare back up at her from the floor, a disapproving look in its eyes.

'I latched onto the idea that Vulpix was a chosen one... and would elevate me if I stayed with him,'
Tessa realized. 'No... no! You stupid, stupid idiot. You weren't supposed to get your hopes about all of this, remember? Look at what's happening! You were right... Vulpix is a total fluke! He's not special. He's nothing like my heroes. He's... he's a total failure.' Tessa's ears and aura feelers drooped. 'And that means... I'm not going to be special, either.'

Shane gnashed his teeth together, jolting Tessa upright. "I know you're a problem," he claimed, leering at Lycanroc. "I… I figured it out. In a dream."

Lycanroc's muzzle pulled back into a smirk. Everyone's eyes fell on him. Tessa buried her face in her paws. 'Oh, gods. Why, Vulpix? Out of all the ridiculous things you could possibly say, why that?'

"Hoss, do ya realize how absurd yer sounding right now?" Braviary scoffed. "Comfey, ya might wanna check his noggin'."

"I'm not crazy," Shane said. "It's the truth. I've… I've had visions in my dreams where Solgaleo talks to me. I think he's the reason that I'm here. Guildmaster, you can read my mind, right? Tell 'em!"

Fact: dreams are fabrications of your subconscious. Fact: excluding Legendaries, only Pokémon with access to Dream Mist can view the dreams of another Pokémon. Conclusion: I cannot validate your statements, Metagross declared.

Shane noticed the bewildered looks from his guild mates. "Don't look at me like that. I'm sure other humans brought to this world have experienced stuff like this. The story where Temporal Tower got saved? That human had visions in it. Dimensional Screams… that's what they were called, right?"

That is correct. But I still find the odds of your statement being true infinitesimally smallimal. Approximately sixty-four thousand to one, with generous rounding, Magearna stated. An incarnation of Solgaleo and Lunala have not been witnessified anywhere throughout the world in over two centuries. And my lieification sensors are detecting a 72.5 percent fluctuation in your vocal pitchitude, suggesting uncertainty with your own statements.

"Oh, come on. You totally just made that up. Pokémon don't have built in lie detectors," Shane hissed.

Your deflectifying of the issue only serves to further my point, Magearna countered.

"I'm not lying!" Shane whimpered. "He's contacted me several nights since I've gotten here. He told me that someone or something is trying to upset the world's balance between day and night. And he also told me…" Shane glanced at Tessa, who wore a big frown on her face, "that Tessa's brother, Gallian, is the Pokémon behind it." Shane hastily looked away.

Tessa took a step backwards, her paws balling up into fists and her arms trembling. 'No. How could he say something like that? That... that... that asshole!' The tremors intensified. 'He... he promised me a chance at fame and admiration. But all he's doing is earning me the exact opposite of that! I didn't need people looking down on me more than they already did. What have I done?' Tears welled up in her eyes. 'I... I never should have come here. This was a mistake. A huge mistake that's spiraling into the disastrous failure I feared it would be!'

"Don't you see? Lycanroc came in here insisting Espeon and Umbreon are to blame for everything. But they're not! They could be under Gallian's control, or maybe someone else's, but no one's doing any favors listening to Lycanroc," Shane stated, unaware of Tessa's growing restlessness. "He's here to drive wedges between everyone in the guild. And it's working."

Lycanroc's face contorted into a snarl again. "But, rookie," Yungoos muttered. "We did run into Espeon and Umbreon in the forest."

"Is that so? And what did they tell y'all?" Braviary asked.

"Lots! Namely, most of da stuff Lycanroc told us. Dey're usin' Entercards for evil. Dey wanna spread somet'ing called da Prism Virus and use it to kill all da Legendaries and make a world of endless night," Yungoos said.

Shane's ears drooped. "They… they must've been brainwashed into saying that…"

"Like dey was brainwashed into restraining Growlithe and me to get to youse?" Yungoos snarled.

Braviary narrowed his eyes at Shane, who abruptly tensed up. "Ya mind repeating that one?"

"Yeh," Yungoos growled. "Espeon and Umbreon were after him! Dey want Vulpix. And dey was willin' to hold Growlithe and me in a psychic bind to get him to give up dat dopey scarf and turn himself over to dem!"

Metagross' eyes flashed blue. Fact: Yungoos' statement is true, he announced. Murmurs rose up amongst the other guild members.

Shane squirmed about in his bed. "W-Wait… wait! You, uh, don't have all the context behind that!"

"Oh, is dat so? By all means, rookie, jump in if I'm leavin' somet'ing out," Yungoos spat.

Vrrrriiiiiiiiiing! Vrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiing!

If I may interrupt your argumenticating for a moment? I appear to be receiving a call, Magearna announced. Origin signal is… Lively Town.

A hush fell over the room. Shane sat up, only to hiss in pain. Comfey floated down and pressed him back into a lying position. "Honestly, were you even paying attention to me?" she groaned.

"Well, best be giving 'em an answer, Mags," Braviary said.

Magearna nodded. Her stomach compartment opened up and a somewhat larger version of her Gear-Com appeared. She retracted one of her arms and out popped a small satellite dish.

Horizon Guild. Magearna speaking.

"Oh, uh, hi, Magearna," a very squeaky voice projected from the Gear-Com. "This is Dedenne. You're the one who called Latias, right?"

Shane's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something but received glares from several guild members, forcing him to hold his tongue.

Yes, that is correct, Magearna replied.

"Right. Latias has been a bit tied up. We've been running her and her brother ragged lately," Dedenne explained. "I don't know if any of you have noticed, but something's up with the moon. And it's been messing with a lot of the Mystery Dungeons around here. Latias has been out with Team Gaia investigating things."

Tessa's heart skipped the beat. 'Oh gods, is that true? I thought the moon seemed off the last time I ran into Espeon and Umbreon. Is there really something wrong with it?'

"Howdy, Dedenne. Braviary here," Braviary spoke up. "Any chance you could elaborate a smidge?"

"Oh, sure. Although Jirachi might be a better option for that one. Hold on…" Her voice trailed off and the faint sound of footsteps echoed through the speakers. It didn't take long for Dedenne to return. "He's asleep. And trust me, you don't want me waking him up. I can still do my best, though!" she said. "See, a couple of weeks back the moon went from being quarter-full to completely full in only a couple of nights. And it hasn't waned since."

"S-See?" Shane groaned. "What did I tell you? Balance between day and night is in trouble. Now do you believe me?"

"Pipe down, son," Braviary ordered. "Well, that is mighty concerning to hear, Dedenne. Matter of fact, we've been having some strange tidings here in Horizon, too."

Yes. Some odd weather-related phenomenon are occuspiring throughout the continent. I have been engaged in multiple confusion cycles trying to figure out a cause. Admittedly, the moon did not occur to me as a possibility, Magearna added.

"Yeah, it's been shining really bright too," Dedenne said. "Some of us are even having trouble sleeping at the Expedition Society. But, oh, I'm straying off subject, aren't I? Silly me! I'm supposed to be following up on that request you called us with."

Magearna's eyes whirred in their sockets. Were you able to look into the Pokémon Nexus, then?

"You know it," Dedenne replied. "And, um, I'm afraid I've got bad news."

Lycanroc's smirk reappeared. "Is that so?"

"We're familiar with Espeon and Umbreon. In fact, they've tagged along with Team Gaia on occasion to conduct their research," Dedenne explained. "They're honorary Expedition Society members, so they're registered in the Pokémon Nexus for sure. But we can't get a lock on their signal. Like… at all."

Shane felt Lycanroc's crimson gaze fall onto him. He squirmed in his bed, only for Comfey to throw a hand on him. He abruptly stopped and resumed staring at the floor.

"Latias said she can't sense any traces of their energies around here," Dedenne continued. "She went to Post Town and spoke with Virizon, Keldeo, and Emolga. Apparently, no one's seen them around town in weeks. And Keldeo told her that some sort of outside force has blocked his ability to synthesize Entercards."

I see. Well, thank you for the informatelligence, Magearna said. Sorry to have bothered you.

"It's no trouble at all," Dedenne chirped. "We're always happy to help out our friends across the ocean. Just give us a ring if you need anything."

Static erupted from Magearna's speaker and it withdrew into her stomach. "Well, I think we can all agree what's going on 'round here, mates," Lycanroc declared. "Espeon and Umbreon are using their Entercards to throw day and night out of whack. And they're messing up our continent as a result!"

Another chorus of murmurs erupted throughout the room.

"But what exactly is a Prism Virus?" Trapinch wondered. "I mean, I know a prism's a kind of shape."

"Yeah, but I've never heard of viruses," Serperior muttered. "Yo, Guildmaster. That ring any bells for you?"

Negative, Metagross responded. Fact: the human is familiar with that term.

Though he was still looking at the floor, Shane sensed everyone eyes falling on him again. "What, you can't tell me you guys really don't know what viruses are? C'mon, haven't you ever gotten sick?"

"You mean like a tummy ache?" Trapinch asked.

Shane glanced at Comfey. "I treat Pokémon for illnesses, but they're caused by things like getting poisoned or spending too much time in the heat or cold."

Shane sighed. "Okay then. A virus is a type of disease. From the human world… I guess." He tapped a paw against a chin. "How can I explain it? Viruses are, like, these little invisible enemies that can make you really sick. They invade your body and start using it to make more copies of themselves. And they, uh, well, if you can't cure them then they usually kill their hosts and move on to infect someone else."

"What?" "You're kidding!" "Is that what happened to those Mareanie?"

"But don't you see what this means? It's not Espeon's and Umbreon's faults!" Shane looked at Lycanroc. "If they're infected by a virus, then that's what's got control of them."

"And what if they're the ones responsible for making it, huh?" Lycanroc growled.

"How could they be?" Shane said. "You guys just said that you don't know what viruses are. So how would they, huh?"

Lycanroc rolled his eyes. "Seriously, mate? You answered that one already. Didn't you say something about them two helping stop the Bittercold?" Shane's muzzle stiffened while Lycanroc's faze fiercened. "That means those two have met a human before…"

"But the human had lost its memories," Shane pointed out.

"So? Espeon's a psychic. She could probably read the human's mind. Including its lost memories," Lycanroc scoffed.

"Why are you determined to tear the two of them down? If we can free them from the Prism Virus' control, then they could help us!" Shane insisted.

"And why are you so intent on putting them on a pedestal, mate?" Lycanroc growled. "Wait…" A smirk appeared on his muzzle. "Oh. Aha ha ha! I think I see what's going on here now." He crossed his arms. "Yer crushing on Espeon. Or maybe Umbreon. Hey, I ain't judging."

Shane's eyes widened. "What? Need I remind you I'm human?!"

"But you look like a Vulpix. So, you've got Vulpix instincts, mate," Lycanroc chuckled. "Look, hey, maybe we got off on the wrong foot here. I'm willing to live and let live if you just fess up and say you spat on my pride because you've got the hots for one of them." His smirk widened. "Or both of them."

"I do not," Shane snarled. "I'm mad at you. Because you're a nasty, awful, mean-spirited Pokémon. It's not my fault no one here wants to believe me!"

Enough.

Claaaaaaaang!

Metagross slammed a foreleg on the ground, silencing both of them. He turned to Shane.

Fact: you abandoned your post on impulse. Fact: appropriate action was to contact a high-ranking guild member about Bewear, Metagross stated. Fact: your actions served to place guild members in harm's way. Conclusion: when you are healed, you and your teammate will report to my office for proper disciplinary action.

Tessa went stiff as a board. "What?! I didn't even do anything this time!"

Fact: a team is held accountable for its collective actions. Fact: Braviary has repeatedly informed you of this, Metagross elaborated. He turned toward the rest of the guild members. Order: disband immediately and go about your business. Lycanroc, you are free to do as you wish.

"Thank you, mate," Lycanroc said. "Think I'll grab something to eat in town." He turned and strolled out of the room. The guild members followed shortly after him.

"R-Riolu…" Shane rasped, but Tessa turned around and stomped up to him.

"I cannot believe you!" she snarled. "You ignore me. You run off and nearly get yourself killed. And, when you were lucky enough to escape a Bewear by the skin of your teeth, you have the audacity to not only humiliate me in front of the whole guild, but to try and accuse my brother of masterminding everything?" Tears were in her eyes.

"I… I…"

"No! No more excuses! No more fake apologies! I'm done listening to you! The only thing I want to see or hear whenever I'm around you is complete and utter silence! Are we clear?"

Shane's lower lip trembled.

"Do I make myself clear?!"

Shane opened his mouth, but couldn't form up a response. Tessa turned and stormed out of the infirmary, howling in anger.

Comfey sighed and shook her head disapprovingly. She floated up and drew curtains in front of Shane's bed to give him some measure of privacy from the other Pokémon in the infirmary. Just before the curtains closed up, he saw Tessa burry her face in Null's left foreleg.

Shane pressed his face into his pillow. 'I don't understand. I've been trying to do the right thing since I got here. It worked for the other humans, didn't it? Why is everything going so wrong for me? No one in the guild trusts me. I can barely hold my own against enemies. And my partner…'

Shane sniffled. '… Tessa hates me now. She'd rather be around a walking jigsaw puzzle in a hideous mask. And Null's not even nice. Everything he does makes him look like a creep.' Tears pooled in his eyes. 'Who am I kidding? I don't have what it takes to be a chosen one. What was Solgaleo thinking bringing someone as useless as me here? Maybe Tessa was right… maybe I am here by mistake. In which case…'

His pillow grew damp. 'I'm never going to be a human again, am I? I'm gonna be stuck here… trapped in a Vulpix's body… in a place where everyone hates me!'

Shane lay there, letting those thoughts roll around in his head. His body's aches and pains eventually won out. He fell into a restless sleep.

XxX​

Absorptive Aggressor, Ultra Bewear
Espeon and Umbreon have pumped Bewear full of life energy from a creature not of this world. The resulting increase in muscle mass has peaked Bewear's anger. Now, she will stop at nothing to tear Dewdrop Woods down. Her flexing behavior is evidence that her spirit has warped to such a tremendous degree, that she cannot realistically be called a normal Pokémon anymore. Is there any way to turn her back to normal?
 
Last edited:
Bonus: Stargazing
A preface to this bonus: these are two scenes that I had wanted to put in the episode proper and had drafted them up... only to find that they didn't properly fit where I wanted them to. Rather than just outright scrap them, I made them into a bonus part and added a bit to the end to tie it back into the episode proper. It was originally posted on December 8th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

Bonus: Stargazing

~Celestial Island~

"That should just about do it for the Horizon Continent."

Atop a sparkling, multicolored rock sat a large white lion. He shut his eyes and arced his neck back, turning his face toward the mosaic of stars twinkling above him. His neck joints popped satisfyingly, prompting him to flop down onto his stomach.

"Sunrise in the Grass Continent won't be for a little while. I think I've earned myself a nice break until then," he declared, yawning. He rested his head against his forepaws and started to drift off to sleep. But a strange sensation tickled his mind's eye and he stuck his head back up. He lumbered to his feet and jumped off the rock, landing atop luminescent, multicolored grass.

"Lunala, is that you?" he called, plodding forward. He passed several more rocks and trees, all of which gave off the same wide spectrum of colors as the rock he previously lounged on.

"I wasn't calling you, Solgaleo," a soft, female voice muttered. "Go back to sleeping or eating or whatever you were doing."

Solgaleo turned to his right and squeezed past a set of palm trees. He found himself near the edge of the floating island, looking out toward the endless purple expanse beneath it. But his gaze quickly shifted to Lunala, who lay on her stomach. Her head rested against a small rock, and she was lazily moving a pebble around with the digits on her wing.

"I'm on break," Solgaleo said. "Besides, you seem a bit upset."

"What gave that away?" Lunala snorted.

"Your aura, actually," Solgaleo replied matter-of-factly.

"I thought we agreed to keep our aura sights off on the island," Lunala growled.

"Sorry, I was dozing off. Couldn't really help it," Solgaleo said. He walked up to Lunala and lay down next to her. "So, what's on your mind? Aside from that rock, of course."

Lunala rolled her eyes. "It's not your problem."

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I can't lend an ear or two, right?" Solgaleo offered, giving his counterpart a big grin.

"Believe me, you're the last Pokémon that can help me right now," Lunala said. She turned her head over to look away from Solgaleo, only to suddenly jump as the lion popped into existence on her right. "Hey, knock it off! We promised Ho-Oh only to teleport for work-related reasons."

"But it is work-related," Solgaleo exclaimed. "My partner's feeling blue and I've got to cheer her up so she can keep doing an awesome job." He gave her another big grin.

"I already told you, you can't help me," Lunala huffed.

"Then tell me who can help you, so I can reach out to them," Solgaleo said.

"Nobody," Lunala hissed, squeezing her eyes shut. "I just want to be alone right now."

"Suit yourself."

The ground shook under Lunala's belly. She poked an eye open to see that Solgaleo had rolled onto his back and was now staring up at the sky. "The stars are really pretty right now, wouldn't you say?" he hummed.

"I'm ignoring you," Lunala grumbled. She turned so her head toward her left once again.

"Where do you suppose all these stars came from, huh?" Solgaleo continued. "Like, they couldn't have just poofed into existence when Arceus shaped the universe."

"Well, they're in space. Palkia probably made them," Lunala figured.

"Maybe. But what kind of purpose do you think they serve? Because I doubt Palkia would waste a ton of energy creating all these stars just to make the sky look pretty. The moon already does a great job of that."

"You're not fooling anyone with that flattery routine," Lunala scoffed.

"I'm serious, though," Solgaleo said. "The way you shine moonlight down from the heavens is breathtaking! It always makes looking at the stars such a treat. Look! That cluster over there kinda looks like a Pyukumuku, don't you think?"

"I think you're just saying that," Lunala dismissed.

Solgaleo frowned. "Why would you think something like that?"

Lunala finally picked her head up. "Because nobody cares about nighttime!" she blurted out, only to realize what she had said and promptly look away, face bright red.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Lunala growled. "Just look at the Pokémon down there. Everyone's so lively and awake when you bring them daylight. They go about their lives… laughing and playing with friends... helping each other through Mystery Dungeons." She drew her lips back in a snarl. "But nighttime? Nobody likes nighttime. Kids hate it because their parents send them off to bed. Townsfolk hate it because that's when strange things pop up from Mystery Dungeons and attack. Wild Pokémon in Horizon despise it because that's when their homes may get changed around on them. And when do most outlaws like to carry out their crimes? That's right… at night!"

"O-Oh…" Solgaleo muttered. "I didn't think…"

"Of course you didn't," Lunala cut in. "I told you that you couldn't help me out. You don't understand what it's like to be so unappreciated just for doing your job." Her head sank to the ground. "Why couldn't Ho-Oh have told me what it would be like? I'd have chosen to be a Solgaleo and made you evolve into a Lunala."

Sweat drops formed on Solgaleo's head. "I, uh, I don't think it works like that."

Lunala shot him a look that said it could work that way if she wanted it to.

"Well, um, I'm sorry you feel that way," Solgaleo said. "But I think you're wrong."

Lunala rolled her eyes. "I don't want to hear it, buster," she harrumphed. "Everyone loooooves the sunlight guy."

Solgaleo shook his head. "You're exaggerating, Lunala. Sure, it's true that a lot more happens on the surface during the day. But," he glanced up toward the sky, "I can't do anything nearly this impressive with sunlight. It's too bright." He scooted closer to his partner. "I know you think everyone's singing my praises, but the fact of the matter is no one's ever going to marvel at the sun. It would blind them."

"Sure, Pokémon like blue skies, but they also like majestic, starry vistas," Solgaleo continued. "The way you blanket the continents in moonlight, and let them gaze upon the stars, it's magnificent. It shows the Pokémon down there how grand the world really is. It's not something that I can do. Heck, I'll never do it."

He glanced at Lunala, whose lip quivered. "I… I don't really believe that," she muttered.

"Let's consider it from another angle, then," Solgaleo proposed. He traced a paw through the dirt, drawing out a couple of Pikachu. "Yeah, it's true that Pokémon sleep through the night." He waved his paw across his drawings' faces. "But that sleep is important. It's just as critical for all of them as eating or breathing. If they didn't get sleep, they wouldn't be able to recover their energy."

He drew frowning faces on the Pikachu. "Then they wouldn't have the strength needed to get up and go about living their lives." He picked his foreleg up and swept it across the edge of the island. "Now, imagine that happening on a global scale. The world would grind to a halt. And, before long, there wouldn't even be any Pokémon left for us to give day and night to."

Lunala pursed her lips. "I hadn't considered that," she whispered, looking downward.

"But, thanks to you, the Pokémon down on the surface have a chance to sleep. To recover all their strength," Solgaleo continued, erasing the frowny faces on the Pikachu and replacing them with smiles. "And they wake up the next morning and go about contributing to a lively, thriving world." He turned to Lunala and gave him a grin. "So, yeah. If you ask me, Pokémon owe you quite a bit."

"Okay, I get it," Lunala said, giving a melancholy chuckle. "You can climb off your precious pedestal now."

"Are you feeling any better?" Solgaleo asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lunala muttered. "I'm sorry. I don't really know what got into me."

Solgaleo leaned over and nestled his partner's neck. Lunala pushed him away, fighting off a blush. "It sounds to me like you're going a bit stir crazy up here. When was the last time you went down to the surface, anyway?"

"I… I don't remember," Lunala admitted.

"Then take a day or two to go explore," Solgaleo insisted, giving her head a playful shove. "Just put some excess energy into the moondial before you go. That way, you're covered."

"Are you sure about this? I wouldn't want you to be up here all alone," Lunala worried. Solgaleo turned and gave her a lick on her cheek. Lunala immediately turned away, fighting to hide a blush. "S-Stop it. You know I hate it when you do that," she griped.

"Sorry, you had a little smudge," Solgaleo lied. "And I'll be fine. Maybe I'll invite Cresselia over for a bit. She said she could do with some time off from Team Poképals."

"Okay." Lunala took a deep breath. "Then I'm going to leave just as soon as you raise the sun for the Grass Continent."

"Great! Have fun," Solgaleo said. Lunala nodded and slowly rolled onto her back.

"You're right. The stars do look beautiful right now."

XxX

~Azure Cape~

About 160,000 feet below Solgaleo's and Lunala's conversation, a different pair of Pokémon sat underneath the starry sky. A small campfire flickered about between them, and above it hovered a pair of marshmallows.

"Careful, Tessa. You're putting yours too close to the fire. You want to make it golden-brown or it won't taste good."

Tessa stuck her arms up above her head. The stick holding her marshmallow followed. But her arms started shaking as soon as she did this. "G-Gallian, this kinda hurts," she squeaked. "How long do I have to do this for?"

"Just keep it up for ten more seconds," Gallian said. His own roasting stick sat in his mouth, muffling his voice slightly. "Almost there… almost there… okay!" He yanked his head back and pivoted his body. He spread the marshmallow against a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate sitting atop it. Tessa watched him and then tried to mimic his actions, only to end up with marshmallow smeared across her paws.

Gallian placed a second graham cracker atop the marshmallow and smirked. "Heh." He rubbed the bridge of his snout with a forepaw. "A perfect s'more, as per usual."

"Um, Gallian? Did I do this right?"

Gallian looked over his shoulder to see his sister's paws were a mess of melted marshmallow and chocolate. Some of it had splattered onto her lap.

"Err… not quite," Gallian muttered, holding back a laugh as Tessa tried to fling the goop off her fur.

"Aww, it's all sticky!" she whined. "This is never gonna come out of my fur. Mom's going to make me take a bath now, isn't she?"

"Throw some sand on it. That oughta help it rub out," Gallian proposed. Tessa threw her paws into the sand and started furiously rubbing the granules across her lap. Gallian fought off snickers at her antics.

"Hey. Don't laugh at me, Gallian. I'm gonna tell Mom on you, and then she won't let you join the guild tomorrow," Tessa threatened. Gallian rolled his eyes and got up. He walked around the fire and took up a spot lying down next to Tessa.

"Here, why don't I make a s'more for you, okay?" he offered. Tessa passed him her roasting stick and the bag of marshmallows. Gallian speared one of the marshmallows and turned his head to hold it over the fire.

"Gallian? C… can I ask you a question?"

She noticed him smirk despite the stick in his mouth. "That's technically a question, you know."

"R-Right," Tessa squeaked and looked away. "Sorry."

"Relax, I'm only yanking your tail," Gallian chuckled. "What is it?"

"Are you, y'know, nervous… about tomorrow?" Tessa asked. She gripped her ears and pulled them against her head. "Ohhhh, that was a stupid question, wasn't it? You've been doing all that training with Dad. I'm sure you'll be fi–"

"Yeah, I'm nervous."

Tessa's muzzle stiffened at this. "O-Oh. I'm sorry. I–"

"It's fine, Tessa," Gallian dismissed. "I'm just a bit worried about what this entrance test is going to be like. Dad made it sound pretty serious." He twisted his head to adjust the angle of the marshmallow. "Then again, Dad teases us quite a bit. So, he might be pulling a fast one on me."

"Doesn't Dad try to pull pranks on some of the guild members? Remember how Serperior showed up to our Winter Solstice party painted bright pink?" Tessa recalled.

"Oh yeah, that was a riot," Gallian said. His expression immediately fell, however. "It's just, even if I get through the entrance bit no problem, I'm just worried about how other Pokémon are gonna treat me."

Tessa's eyes widened. "But you're awesome, Gallian. You're the best big brother ever!"

Gallian smirked. "Aw, thanks, squirt," he chirped.

"Hey! I'm not that much shorter than you," Tessa pouted, crossing her arms and scowling.

"You're still the shortest in the family," Gallian teased.

"Only until I evolve. Then I'll be calling you 'shorty,'" Tessa declared, putting her hands on her hips matter-of-factly.

Gallian pulled his head away from the fire and finished assembling Tessa's s'more. "Y'know, I could just eat this myself if you're going to tease me."

Tessa's eyes widened in horror. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't eat it," she begged, batting her eyelids at him. Gallian smirked and slid the s'more over to his sister. Tessa eagerly grabbed it and swallowed the whole thing in one bite.

"Jeez. I see you got Dad's bottomless appetite," Gallian mused. "But Mom'll kill me if I give you too much sugar. So, I think we should call it there."

Tessa jutted out her lower lip. "Aww, c'mon. Can't I have another?"

Gallian shook his head.

"Pweeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Tessa begged, leaning over and brushing her head against Gallian.

"Well… when you put it that way…"

Gallian grabbed the marshmallow bag and slid it back into his satchel.

"… no."

Tessa fell off the log, landing on her back. "Aww, you're no fair!" she whined, crossing her arms over her chest. Gallian smirked and slid off the log, laying down next to his sister.

"I'd rather be unfair than a victim of Mom's nagging," Gallian said. He then leaned over and whispered, "She didn't say anything about what you can't eat for breakfast, though."

Tessa's expression brightened at this. She rolled over and gave her brother a hug. "See? No one in the guild's gonna hate you. You're the best big brother ever!"

"Ha ha… I hope they see it that way," Gallian said. "Well, except for the brother part. That'd just be weird."

"Right," Tessa said. She craned her head up to the sky. "Um, Gallian?"

"Yeah?"

"You're, um, you're going to come home and visit, right?"

"C'mon, Tessa. What kind of question is that? Our house is right near the Observatory," Gallian replied.

"I… I know. But sometimes when Mom and Dad get super busy, it can be weeks before we see them again," Tessa muttered, fidgeting with her paws. "I mean, I love getting to play with Eevee, but… I really miss them when they're gone." She glanced at her brother. "And now you're going to be off adventuring just like them." Her eyes watered. "What if you guys all forget about me?"

"Pssssshaw! That's never gonna happen," Gallian said, playfully shoving Tessa. "And I'll tell you why. Because, we're meant to take the guild by storm… together!"

Tessa's ears twitch at this. "Huh?"

"Come on, don't play coy with me," Gallian said, nudging his sister again. "Dad took over running the guild from Grandpa Lycanroc, right? So, that means one day… we're going to run the guild when he gets too old!" Tessa's eyes widened in acknowledgement at this.

"But, but I don't know when I'm going to be strong enough to join the guild," she said. "You'll probably be an amazing explorer by then. You're not going to want to waste your time with your little sister."

"I can wait."

Tessa blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"You're my little sis, Tessa," Gallian said. "If it helps you out, I'll hold up moving up the ranks. I'll stay an apprentice until you join. That way, you've got a familiar face to show you the ropes when you're ready to join." He tilted his head and gave her a wink.

"B-But… Mom says I'm not doing very well in my aura training. What if it, y'know, takes a bit of time?"

"Then I'll wait," Gallian said matter-of-factly. "Or better yet, I can help train you! Maybe we don't know the same moves, but I can help you with speed and evasion. Those are my specialties, after all!" He gave her a confident smirk. "I know it's hard to see right now, but the two of us? We're gonna be the best Guildmasters the Horizon Guild's ever seen! I'm talking Wigglytuff-levels of amazing! I'll bet we'll impress everyone so much, they'll let us go overseas and meet the world-saving heroes from all the stories!"

"You... you mean like Team Poképals? And Team Go-Getters?" Tessa gasped, her eyes sparkling.

"Not just them. Teams Paradise and Gaia, too," Gallian said, beaming. "We'll meet them all. And they'll be super-impressed with us. I'm sure of it!

Tessa smiled at this. "Okay! I'll train super-duper hard, then!"

"That's great. But why don't you wait until tomorrow to start that?" Gallian said, yawning. "Let's just rest for now. I've got a big day ahead of me, after all."

Tessa nodded. She snuggled up to her brother and rested her head on his chest. "Hey, can you point shapes out to me in the stars?" she asked.

"Of course," Gallian replied. "Let me just see what I can find…"

XxX

~Celestial Island, Present Day~

"Aww, phooey!"

Espeon kicked up a clump of clammy, gray grass, sending it tumbling over the abyss and into a spiraling, red-and-black void.

"My beautiful Bewear got thrashed, Umbry," she huffed. "I can't believe that little fuzzball lucked out again."

Umbreon glared at her. "We should've taken care of him ourselves."

"C'mon, you have to admit using Bewear was a good idea! How could I have known that the masked weirdo would show up to bail the human out?" Espeon huffed.

"Well, well, well, looks like you have yet another failure to add to your growing list, Espeon."

"Eep!"

Espeon's fur stood on end and she jumped back, arching her back like a frightened kitten. "G-Go away, Lunala! We didn't ask for your creepy hide to butt in."

A swarm of shadows pooled out from a dead, gray tree lying in the grass. A pair of bright, sky-blue wings spread apart from them.

"And I don't like wasting my time bringing messages to you. But Mistress Zero… heeheeheehee… she is looking for you. She is quite upset with this new development. I don't blame her."

The color drained out of Espeon's face. Her ears and tail fell against her body. "T-Tell her she's gonna have to leave a message, then," she whimpered.

Lunala tilted his crescent-moon head. "Do it yourself. I'm tired. Every move I make wastes more and more of what little light I have." He tilted his head skyward. "What are you still doing here? Go away!" he barked, his red eyes flashing ominously.

Espeon's tail shot between her legs. She hastily fled into a Magnagate. Umbreon shuddered and followed along after her.

"Heeheehee. The stars," he muttered, looking up to the sky. The swirling vortex of dark energy over his head parted, offering him a small glimpse out outer space. "So beautiful. So full of light. My light. The light that was stolen from me... by these contemptable gods."

The black armor on Lunala's forehead sparkled. A glowing red eye appeared on its brimmed. It flashed brightly and the vortex again swallowed up the sky.

"Each and every one of you stars... I'll put you back where you belong... inside of me!"
 
Last edited:
Hi, it is I. It's been a while. A lot has happened. Let's dive into it, shall we? xD

CHAPTER 12

Definitely still a fan of Braviary and his cowboy narration schtick. He's hilarious, and seeing a battle through his narration certainly spiced up things and was a treat to read. I maintain I wanna punch him a little for insisting that Torracat give up on Prisma, but that's probably just because I know they end up together and Prisma is Tessa's mom, etc. xD Although now that I'm caught up with the Bewear stuff, Braviary seems to have a stubborn streak. He refuses to budge after making assumptions, as he does with Shane after immediately jumping to the conclusion that Shane is lying about Lycanroc without any further investigation. At his place in the guild hierarchy, that's bound to get him in trouble sometime, methinks...

Anyway, Torracat might've been motivated by a crush, but methinks we need more supportive and understanding people like him in the world. <3 I like him a lot, too, and I wish we got to see more of him.

Prisma's story about waking up randomly without memories near the water sounds familiar, as does her insistence about real names. *cough* Is that a hint I see? :p I'm not sure I've figured things out with her just yet, but I feel like pieces are slowly falling together. The pacing feels just right there.

AN ELECTRIFYING SPIRIT BONUS

I'm glad you make time for us to see Sylveon and Eevee. Shane's interactions with Eevee, especially with the "lump on the head" story, are super fun to read, and since shit's gonna be hitting the fan soon, humor's important to kinda lighten the mood once in a while and to remind readers what they interact like when, well, shit's not hitting the fan.

Tessa's more of a natural storyteller than she might give herself credit for, haha. The Tapu Koko and Zekrom tale was also fun. The lore of how a mystery dungeon was made is exactly what I'd wanna see out of a PMD fic.

This chapter did remind me... I'm unsure in general what to think of some of the personalities given to legendaries. Tapu Koko's in partcular seems extremely immature and not at all befitting of someone I'd want looking over the Horizon continent. I'd say it's just Tessa's rendition of things as part of the story, but Marshadow and Necrozma also seem fishy. If most or all legendaries are like that, then it's a wonder how the world hasn't been destroyed already. :p It does, however, show me that they're pretty much just like any other 'mon in the world, just with glorified powers.

CHAPTER 13

Tessa's thoughts toward Shane being a human sent to the Pokémon world to be a hero are... complex. I like that. I like that a lot. She scolds Shane and calls him pretentious for even thinking such a ludicrous idea and for letting it influence his impulsive actions, but deep down, she seems to be guided by the idea. She seems to depend on it, if her reaction to the Bewear incident (ie., "Shane was supposed to help me become famous by saving the continent") was anything to go by. She accuses him of using her for his wild schemes, but isn't she doing the same exact thing? The main difference between her and Shane is, she'll think her actions through - at least, the ones she's self-aware enough about. And she thinks herself superior for that, when in my opinion, she's not much better than him. Kinda hoping Shane goes off on her for this one day, but he's not got a lot of social tact himself to get the point across like Tessa can...

Quick note, too: kudos on continually having Shane remember and/or reference the human world. I mean, he could easily have forgotten it all in the face of the dangers plaguing Horizon right now, or he could only think of the human world in terms of "I was brought from there to save the Pokémon world", but no, there's specific details about game mechanics he remembers, about him not going outside much, and probably most pertinently, him having rough friendships, etc. It really adds to the color of both worlds and to Shane's characterization overall.

I'll give Shane some credit. He did end up laying off of Null after several reminders to do so. So he can control himself when he really puts his mind to it, though there always seems to need to be something to obsess over. It broke my heart a little when he's upset about Tessa crying into Null's paw, but he doesn't dwell on the "he's an ugly monster" bit as much. No, he dwells on him being a terrible friend, which... I mean, it's not a fun thing to have to dwell on. But I think it'll be necessary for down the line. Now if only he could reflect on the two "oh shit I almost died" parts of the Parasect/Bewear situations... :p

I didn't have much of a reaction to the Gallian stuff the first readthrough. I cared more about Tessa's reaction, which I think is fair since we've only really seen her up to this point, but I like the focus on Tessa's memories with Gallian as kids after this. It's been interesting, going from disliking Gallian outright and thinking Tessa's better off without him... to empathizing with him and wanting to know the full story, plus wanting the family to just be together and happy again.

CHAPTER 14

Don't have much to say on this one. I don't blame Null for being sick of their bickering. He seems like a third wheel in all of their antics all the time, after all. xD Them apologizing clearly didn't mean much, since they've continued to act petty and foolish, but, well, old habits die hard. I'm still rooting for them. Tessa becoming more sympathetic when Shane reveals his true self with negativity and self-hatred seems to be a thing that'll factor in the future as well... although I'm not sure sympathetic is the right word. I get the impression she just doesn't wanna deal with that stuff and will do whatever to make it go away.

The bits about Gallian's past were finally nice to see. I don't blame Tessa for not sharing every little last detail with Shane. She doesn't seem the type to trust easily, and Shane's not done too much to earn her trust as it is. I love the detail about Absol being disaster Pokémon and how that superstition might tie into things, and I love how he was just kinda adopted into the family. Just like Incineroar and Prisma to do that. <3

CHAPTER 15

Mm, a glimpse into a friendship Shane had in the human world. Unsurprisingly, he's pushy, and seemingly refuses to see things from another person's perspective. But I don't think he does this intentionally or out of maliciousness. Others just get tired of him not changing and being selfish 99% of the time.

Also, Ace Attorney references! Hehe. Shane actually jumping at the chance to prove he's human through a top speed investigation is adorable, and of course, the infamous stepladder joke got a chuckle out of me, especially when he remembered the argument from somewhere. xD I know exactly where, Shane. I know exactly where. Wasn't expecting the Scooby Doo reference at the end, but you know what? It fit perfectly. 11/10.

Shane cheering on Tessa's aura powers was adorable, too, even more so when they worked. :3 I do hope to see her more confident in those abilities some time. Seemed she had both her mom and Gallian promise to help her, then... well, you know. Everyone bailed. It's hard to accept and push forward after a thing like that.

CHAPTERS 16/17/18/19

Right, count Team Captivate as my favorite character and my favorite team (outside of Shane/Tessa, of course). There's so much sass from them, but so much complementary teamwork, too, and some of the little details of their conversations were very good touches (ie., emeras, hot stone therapy, etc).

I liked the appearance of a Zoroark (or a "Zoroark", more accurately). All the confusion surrounding her request added to the mystery of the mission Team Captivate had to complete from start to end, in my opinion.

The idea of a Stealth Rock is an intriguing one. Honestly, I always advocate for "screw canon" and ignoring it, but you take so many elements and make them work naturally. That said, I do think you've improved a ton in battles and not outright saying attack names unless they're particularly relevant to understanding what just happened. The action itself and the consequences of characters not fully knowing what's going on until it's explained to them feels a lot more fluid that way.

"Now's not the time for shadow puppets," Marshadow criticized.

I lol'd. You'd think Marshadow would want to play with shadow puppets. ;( And it'd have been an amusing af show.

Also... RIP Null. Team Captivate getting the scoop on Null potentially being a dangerous 'mon could go a lot of ways. Yeah, they're right in that Null's not been dangerous before, but with him acting oddly with the Bewear incident, it doesn't seem like it'll be long before that helmet of his stops restraining him. And Shane probably won't see it coming because there's a lot more on his mind than the weird words Null yelled during that fight. So hopefully Null's restrained by other forces before he causes damage, whether it's through Team Captivate or whatever else. I also predict Shane will feel pretty validated by Team Captivate agreeing with him... although I also predict the rest of the guild may not believe them so easily, even if they are the strongest team in the guild and a team with a solid reputation.

FAMILY PICNIC BONUS

Damn, we went from cute and fluffy Tessa/Prisma/Incineroar/Gallian family moments (I love how understanding Incineroar is about Prisma wanting to travel) to a brutal transformation sequence involving Espeon and Umbreon. Seriously, that was brutally written, but in the good sort of way. xD It helps the fic shift a little darker, which I think as a whole has happened slowly over the last few chapters, but from here, you dive into it full force.

CHAPTER 20

The Nicky aftermath conversation... I dunno. I find myself wanting to take Shane's side, since I know his situation and life a little more, but it's also because of that I know he's a lil shit more often than not. Really, they both sound selfish. There's a time and a place for everything, Shane, and you might wanna figure out how to read the social atmosphere a bit better. xD

I agree with Braviary and them that Shane's argument about Lycanroc is... pretty weak. I have little doubt that Shane's not on the right track, though, so I'll be interested to see how he's vindicated if he truly is right. I sympathize a lot with him, at any rate, noticing a lot of details that make things feel off when no one else seems to think anything's amiss. Makes you question yourself quite a bit, especially if it happens frequently.

CHAPTER 21

Welp. When even Solgaleo tells Shane not to focus on Lycanroc and he doesn't listen, what else can you do? Lmfao. Still don't think he's wrong. Too many coincidences indeed. I like the idea of Shane supporting Espeon and Umbreon being infected because he knows them as good guys from the human world games, but that I'm not sure I'd wager on. They must have a rather nuanced form of the infection if so, but I suppose that's not impossible.

Dragonair pulling Shane to the side and lecturing him about Tessa wasn't surprised, though I half-expected her to talk about Null, given what Team Captivate found out. I don't know if it was even Dragonair's business to tell Shane there was something more to Tessa's story than she let on, since Shane's liable to just press her relentlessly until she gives in and tells him when she doesn't want to. But hopefully they work it out. Shane starting to apologizing, then ditching said apology to go spy on Lycanroc more was an awful start, but, you know.

CHAPTER 22

I don't have much to say on this one, because I read the whole way through without taking much notes. It was gripping like that. Endangering two different guild members he coerced into going on this spy mission was... kinda an all time low for Shane, I have to say. He got the worst of the injuries, it seems, and him becoming paralyzed with a spine injury would certainly put a dent in his plans to fight infected Pokémon.

Also... obligatory "oh, this is the scene with Milotic being used as a whip I thought was amusing long before I read it" comment. Yikes. That was actually pretty dark. Sorry, Milotic. >.> But I stand by it being a creative way to battle, lol.

The conversation between so many guild members was well done, too. So many voices could easily get confusing, but no, I knew exactly who was talking and when, and the conversation never felt too crowded or like a particular voice felt random and pointless. The details with Latias after the whole Zoroark thing is a little suspicious... but it's too soon, I think, for me to connect the dots there. Not that I'm good at connecting dots anyway, but I try. :V

STARGAZING BONUS

Solgaleo and Lunala were adorable...! Until the end. Don't tell me that's the same Lunala who ended up being corrupted after all. ;_; I did like Solgaleo trying to cheer Lunala up, though. The dialogue was sweet and borderline poetic, hehe.

Well, I'm not sure if any of what I said here is actually helpful more so than reactionary on my part. xD Though that's probably a good thing I don't have much to criticize? Probably the only worry I have is that the repetitiveness between Shane/Tessa arguing might for real start to feel old from a reader's standpoint after a while. But right now, there's enough development happening (or regression, in some cases, which is realistic) that it's not really an issue. There's just so much more going on in this fic that I don't want "another scene like this we've seen many many times before" to get in the way of things.

I'm also not entirely sure if the special episodes and/or bonuses are supposed to be read. As in, will I miss essential details if I don't read them, from your point of view as the author? I feel like... yes (for special episodes) and no (for bonuses). I've noticed a lot of details I wouldn't have otherwise by reading them. But I feel like those details will be revealed in their own time in the main fic anyway and/or have hints sprinkled throughout the main fic as well. I plan to read them either way, personally, because I love the little glimpses into the past and into side characters, but it might work to your benefit with readers pressed for time knowing whether or not those chapters are essential to read.

Anyway, I'll try my best to keep up with this better. Looking forward to more~
 
Chapter 23
Alright, so it's been, like, over a month since I actually had to respond to any reviews here. Hopefully I'm not out of practice. ^^;

Definitely still a fan of Braviary and his cowboy narration schtick. He's hilarious, and seeing a battle through his narration certainly spiced up things and was a treat to read. I maintain I wanna punch him a little for insisting that Torracat give up on Prisma, but that's probably just because I know they end up together and Prisma is Tessa's mom, etc.
I'm pretty sure the whole reason I did the narration schtick was for fun and to be corny like that, lol. I was still new to the writing game and didn't know any better. That said, you're not wrong to want a punch him. There's a reason Torracat found a mate and Braviary's still a bachelor all these years later. XD

Although now that I'm caught up with the Bewear stuff, Braviary seems to have a stubborn streak. He refuses to budge after making assumptions, as he does with Shane after immediately jumping to the conclusion that Shane is lying about Lycanroc without any further investigation. At his place in the guild hierarchy, that's bound to get him in trouble sometime, methinks...
You might just be onto something, here. I'd advise you to hold that thought and revisit it down the line.

Anyway, Torracat might've been motivated by a crush, but methinks we need more supportive and understanding people like him in the world. <3 I like him a lot, too, and I wish we got to see more of him.
He's easily one of the nicest guys in the whole story and that's intentional to make all the family drama stuff hit a bit harder.

Prisma's story about waking up randomly without memories near the water sounds familiar, as does her insistence about real names. *cough* Is that a hint I see? :p I'm not sure I've figured things out with her just yet, but I feel like pieces are slowly falling together. The pacing feels just right there.
I think you might have a clearer picture come the next episode.

I'm glad you make time for us to see Sylveon and Eevee. Shane's interactions with Eevee, especially with the "lump on the head" story, are super fun to read, and since shit's gonna be hitting the fan soon, humor's important to kinda lighten the mood once in a while and to remind readers what they interact like when, well, shit's not hitting the fan.
I still haven't gotten tired of Shane being a bit of a cosmic punching bag in this reality. To be fair, he brings some of it on himself, but he's still going to have plenty of lip about him. He's not going to suddenly turn into an eagle scout.

Tessa's more of a natural storyteller than she might give herself credit for, haha. The Tapu Koko and Zekrom tale was also fun. The lore of how a mystery dungeon was made is exactly what I'd wanna see out of a PMD fic.
Thanks! I enjoyed conceptualizing this. Especially because a mechanic like the chargestones from the Gen V games isn't something I could just ignore and wanted to find a way to bring it into the PMD world. So, giant electric explosion!

This chapter did remind me... I'm unsure in general what to think of some of the personalities given to legendaries.
Good. Keep in mind, this is the same world where A) you needed to beat Rayquaza up to get him to stop a meteor from colliding with the planet, B) Dialga loses his sanity if you wreck his home, C) Kyurem and Yveltal were easily brainwashed by eldritch abominations, and D) the legendaries in the canon games act pretty ridiculous to begin with. In fact, you might say Legendaries being absurdly bad at their jobs is something that will factor into the main story in a big way. ;)

Tessa's thoughts toward Shane being a human sent to the Pokémon world to be a hero are... complex. I like that. I like that a lot. She scolds Shane and calls him pretentious for even thinking such a ludicrous idea and for letting it influence his impulsive actions, but deep down, she seems to be guided by the idea. She seems to depend on it, if her reaction to the Bewear incident (ie., "Shane was supposed to help me become famous by saving the continent") was anything to go by. She accuses him of using her for his wild schemes, but isn't she doing the same exact thing?
You can thank kintsugi, then. Her review suggested I show a bit more of Tessa's side of things, which I did. I also went back to add similar trains of thought to earlier chapters. I didn't finish all the changes I wanted to make before the awards, but I plan on going back to do that. Essentially, Tessa is, like many teens, wishing for the adoration of her peers. But she lacks confidence to such a high degree she figures she needs to be "the partner character," because being world-famous is the only way for her to be happy in life.

The main difference between her and Shane is, she'll think her actions through - at least, the ones she's self-aware enough about. And she thinks herself superior for that, when in my opinion, she's not much better than him. Kinda hoping Shane goes off on her for this one day, but he's not got a lot of social tact himself to get the point across like Tessa can...
Well, something may come up in the near future.

Quick note, too: kudos on continually having Shane remember and/or reference the human world. I mean, he could easily have forgotten it all in the face of the dangers plaguing Horizon right now, or he could only think of the human world in terms of "I was brought from there to save the Pokémon world", but no, there's specific details about game mechanics he remembers, about him not going outside much, and probably most pertinently, him having rough friendships, etc. It really adds to the color of both worlds and to Shane's characterization overall.
D'aww, I think you flatter me, here. Truthfully that referential humor has bit hit or miss with people. I don't plan on stopping it, though, because I enjoy writing it.

I'll give Shane some credit. He did end up laying off of Null after several reminders to do so. So he can control himself when he really puts his mind to it, though there always seems to need to be something to obsess over.
The last sentence of yours is crucial. Yes, Shane needs something to obsess over. He's got an obsessive way of thinking. I've never really outright stated it in the story, but you and Cutlerine have been able to pick up on that. Granted, with your background, I'm not surprised. ^^

It broke my heart a little when he's upset about Tessa crying into Null's paw, but he doesn't dwell on the "he's an ugly monster" bit as much. No, he dwells on him being a terrible friend, which... I mean, it's not a fun thing to have to dwell on. But I think it'll be necessary for down the line.
It might factor into things, but probably not in the way you're thinking of.

I didn't have much of a reaction to the Gallian stuff the first readthrough. I cared more about Tessa's reaction, which I think is fair since we've only really seen her up to this point, but I like the focus on Tessa's memories with Gallian as kids after this. It's been interesting, going from disliking Gallian outright and thinking Tessa's better off without him... to empathizing with him and wanting to know the full story, plus wanting the family to just be together and happy again.
Sounds like things worked out, then. There have been a couple of joke comments pointing out similarities between this group and a certain family introduced in Gen VII and I never realized it when I was first drafting this. ^^;

Don't have much to say on this one. I don't blame Null for being sick of their bickering. He seems like a third wheel in all of their antics all the time, after all. xD
Yes, he's like an annoyed babysitter or older sibling. :V

Them apologizing clearly didn't mean much, since they've continued to act petty and foolish, but, well, old habits die hard. I'm still rooting for them. Tessa becoming more sympathetic when Shane reveals his true self with negativity and self-hatred seems to be a thing that'll factor in the future as well... although I'm not sure sympathetic is the right word. I get the impression she just doesn't wanna deal with that stuff and will do whatever to make it go away.
The way I like to think of it is that it could've been a foundation for things to change... had Lycanroc not showed up and Shane started obsessing about that. In that way, he was his own worst enemy.

The bits about Gallian's past were finally nice to see. I don't blame Tessa for not sharing every little last detail with Shane. She doesn't seem the type to trust easily, and Shane's not done too much to earn her trust as it is. I love the detail about Absol being disaster Pokémon and how that superstition might tie into things, and I love how he was just kinda adopted into the family. Just like Incineroar and Prisma to do that. <3
I'm always worried how people will perceive me implementing dex characteristics into this story, but comments like this make me happy I made the decision.

Mm, a glimpse into a friendship Shane had in the human world. Unsurprisingly, he's pushy, and seemingly refuses to see things from another person's perspective. But I don't think he does this intentionally or out of maliciousness. Others just get tired of him not changing and being selfish 99% of the time.
That's a fair analysis. This (and the other conversation) were added thanks to a suggestion by Persephone, actually. The reason being that otherwise there's a pretty egregious instant of diabolus ex machina later on.

Also, Ace Attorney references! Hehe. Shane actually jumping at the chance to prove he's human through a top speed investigation is adorable, and of course, the infamous stepladder joke got a chuckle out of me, especially when he remembered the argument from somewhere. xD I know exactly where, Shane. I know exactly where. Wasn't expecting the Scooby Doo reference at the end, but you know what? It fit perfectly. 11/10.
I have no shame in admitting this chapter was conceived to spoof Ace Attorney. The stepladder gag came in through revisions, but it looks like I was able to use it well. And, well, with a Mimikyu character I practically had to make a Scooby Doo reference.

Shane cheering on Tessa's aura powers was adorable, too, even more so when they worked. :3 I do hope to see her more confident in those abilities some time. Seemed she had both her mom and Gallian promise to help her, then... well, you know. Everyone bailed. It's hard to accept and push forward after a thing like that.
I'm opting for slow progression, here. Tessa got Force Palm working last episode, now she's doing a bit better with aura reading. I hope I can continue to pace myself well in that department.

Right, count Team Captivate as my favorite character and my favorite team (outside of Shane/Tessa, of course). There's so much sass from them, but so much complementary teamwork, too, and some of the little details of their conversations were very good touches (ie., emeras, hot stone therapy, etc).
Glad to hear it. I did mold them after Team Charm, in a manner of speaking. But this special episode was partly born out of my frustration with how dreadfully boring the Team Charm special episode is in Sky. I wanted to make something that might be weird for PMD, but would be entertaining. Looks like it worked.

I liked the appearance of a Zoroark (or a "Zoroark", more accurately). All the confusion surrounding her request added to the mystery of the mission Team Captivate had to complete from start to end, in my opinion.
Excellent! Mission accomplished, there. I wanted a bit of a meta misdirection gag. The illusion Pokémon was, herself, an illusion from a more adept shapeshifter.

The idea of a Stealth Rock is an intriguing one. Honestly, I always advocate for "screw canon" and ignoring it, but you take so many elements and make them work naturally.
I think I was channeling Indiana Jones with this one, to be honest. But I'll take it! :V

That said, I do think you've improved a ton in battles and not outright saying attack names unless they're particularly relevant to understanding what just happened. The action itself and the consequences of characters not fully knowing what's going on until it's explained to them feels a lot more fluid that way.
Thanks! I was really working hard to implement that piece of feedback you gave me.

Also... RIP Null. Team Captivate getting the scoop on Null potentially being a dangerous 'mon could go a lot of ways. Yeah, they're right in that Null's not been dangerous before, but with him acting oddly with the Bewear incident, it doesn't seem like it'll be long before that helmet of his stops restraining him. And Shane probably won't see it coming because there's a lot more on his mind than the weird words Null yelled during that fight. So hopefully Null's restrained by other forces before he causes damage, whether it's through Team Captivate or whatever else. I also predict Shane will feel pretty validated by Team Captivate agreeing with him... although I also predict the rest of the guild may not believe them so easily, even if they are the strongest team in the guild and a team with a solid reputation.
So, the thing is that, as Latias implies, the whole scenario makes it so that Team Captivate aren't entirely sure they believe everything that happened. Keep in mind, it's Marshadow who reads the information about Null and, given what he ends up doing, nobody would blame them for thinking he made stuff up. And then they get decked by Ultra Bewear, so it'll be hard to address the issue at all.

Damn, we went from cute and fluffy Tessa/Prisma/Incineroar/Gallian family moments (I love how understanding Incineroar is about Prisma wanting to travel) to a brutal transformation sequence involving Espeon and Umbreon. Seriously, that was brutally written, but in the good sort of way. xD It helps the fic shift a little darker, which I think as a whole has happened slowly over the last few chapters, but from here, you dive into it full force.
I honestly hadn't intended for that juxtaposition... it just wound up happening. Some of the bonuses tend to be spur of the moment ideas and this was definitely one of them. ^^;

The Nicky aftermath conversation... I dunno. I find myself wanting to take Shane's side, since I know his situation and life a little more, but it's also because of that I know he's a lil shit more often than not. Really, they both sound selfish. There's a time and a place for everything, Shane, and you might wanna figure out how to read the social atmosphere a bit better. xD
I get that it's a bit cloudy at the moment, but this point will get expounded on in the future and hopefully it will click then.

I agree with Braviary and them that Shane's argument about Lycanroc is... pretty weak. I have little doubt that Shane's not on the right track, though, so I'll be interested to see how he's vindicated if he truly is right. I sympathize a lot with him, at any rate, noticing a lot of details that make things feel off when no one else seems to think anything's amiss. Makes you question yourself quite a bit, especially if it happens frequently.
That was all deliberate. See the trivia note at the end of this chapter for exactly why.

Welp. When even Solgaleo tells Shane not to focus on Lycanroc and he doesn't listen, what else can you do? Lmfao. Still don't think he's wrong. Too many coincidences indeed. I like the idea of Shane supporting Espeon and Umbreon being infected because he knows them as good guys from the human world games, but that I'm not sure I'd wager on. They must have a rather nuanced form of the infection if so, but I suppose that's not impossible.
Yes, their situation is different from the monsters that Team Radiance has fought. Shane's guilty of some pretty bad black and white thinking at the moment.

Dragonair pulling Shane to the side and lecturing him about Tessa wasn't surprised, though I half-expected her to talk about Null, given what Team Captivate found out.
Again, they're not really sure what the story is and, well, none of them have a high opinion of Shane, so odds are they wouldn't have said anything.

I don't know if it was even Dragonair's business to tell Shane there was something more to Tessa's story than she let on, since Shane's liable to just press her relentlessly until she gives in and tells him when she doesn't want to. But hopefully they work it out. Shane starting to apologizing, then ditching said apology to go spy on Lycanroc more was an awful start, but, you know.
Good observation, there. Dragonair probably overstepped her boundaries in an effort to get through to Shane. But she might've done more harm than good.

I don't have much to say on this one, because I read the whole way through without taking much notes. It was gripping like that. Endangering two different guild members he coerced into going on this spy mission was... kinda an all time low for Shane, I have to say. He got the worst of the injuries, it seems, and him becoming paralyzed with a spine injury would certainly put a dent in his plans to fight infected Pokémon.
We haven't quite hit rock bottom yet, though. That's coming next episode, and then it's a bumpy road uphill from there!

Also... obligatory "oh, this is the scene with Milotic being used as a whip I thought was amusing long before I read it" comment. Yikes. That was actually pretty dark. Sorry, Milotic. >.> But I stand by it being a creative way to battle, lol.
The mental image was too good for me not to do it. :V

The conversation between so many guild members was well done, too. So many voices could easily get confusing, but no, I knew exactly who was talking and when, and the conversation never felt too crowded or like a particular voice felt random and pointless.
Happy to hear it. I think I tried to make a few tweaks so that it flowed better.

The details with Latias after the whole Zoroark thing is a little suspicious... but it's too soon, I think, for me to connect the dots there. Not that I'm good at connecting dots anyway, but I try. :V
I have no idea what you're talking about. *whistles innocently*

Solgaleo and Lunala were adorable...! Until the end. Don't tell me that's the same Lunala who ended up being corrupted after all. ;_; I did like Solgaleo trying to cheer Lunala up, though. The dialogue was sweet and borderline poetic, hehe.
Hmm... I'm not sure you actually got the big takeaways from that scene. I'd advise you go back and compare Solgaleo to the voice Shane's had in his dreams. Then compare them both to the Lunala you see at the end. That's all I'll say. Alternatively, you can wait for next week's update, where it'll become crystal clear. XD

Well, I'm not sure if any of what I said here is actually helpful more so than reactionary on my part. xD Though that's probably a good thing I don't have much to criticize? Probably the only worry I have is that the repetitiveness between Shane/Tessa arguing might for real start to feel old from a reader's standpoint after a while. But right now, there's enough development happening (or regression, in some cases, which is realistic) that it's not really an issue. There's just so much more going on in this fic that I don't want "another scene like this we've seen many many times before" to get in the way of things.
Yeah, I can understand the arguing bit. I don't want to give too much away, but things are still going to get worse. The good news(?) is that they hit the absolute low point next episode, and from there you will start to see a shift in their dynamic to the positive side of the spectrum. That said, it's going to be rough. If it helps, the feedback for Episode 7 was quite positive. Cutlerine and Negrek said they didn't think I took it too far to where Shane became completely irredeemable and they thought his change of heart felt genuine.

I'm also not entirely sure if the special episodes and/or bonuses are supposed to be read. As in, will I miss essential details if I don't read them, from your point of view as the author? I feel like... yes (for special episodes) and no (for bonuses). I've noticed a lot of details I wouldn't have otherwise by reading them. But I feel like those details will be revealed in their own time in the main fic anyway and/or have hints sprinkled throughout the main fic as well. I plan to read them either way, personally, because I love the little glimpses into the past and into side characters, but it might work to your benefit with readers pressed for time knowing whether or not those chapters are essential to read.
I fully admit to a pacing problem, because there will be no special episode content for the next 40 chapters or so. It's Team Radiance for the foreseeable future. That said, I consider the upcoming bonuses extremely important unless they're omakes. The Christmas and Valentine's Day specials are so crucial that, if I were lucky enough to get winter awards nominations, they'd go in the recommended reading for sure.

Anyway, I'll try my best to keep up with this better. Looking forward to more~
Glad you're liking it and thanks for reviewing! ^^

This chapter has a bit of trivia to it. I've included it with the boss description at the end. It's original upload date was December 10th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 23: Baring Your Fangs

Null staggered along the Observatory's northern hallway, his head slowly bobbing up and down. He had just about made it to the main assembly area when something fuzzy brushed against the scales and chitin on his foreleg. Null flinched, groaning hoarsely.

"Oh, Null. I'm so sorry!" Tessa squeaked. "Are… are you hurt? Nobody even thought to let Comfey take a look at you. Here, I'll bring you back."

Null exhaled forcefully and tapped the base of his helmet against his chest. "… I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"… just more headaches. I'm used to them," Null muttered. He brushed the corner of his helmet against his right shoulder, huffing loudly. "… if anything… I should ask… how you're doing."

"M-Me?" Tessa fidgeted with her scarf. "I'm… I'm fine. Really!"

"… you don't seem fine. Is it… the human again?"

Tessa flinched and looked away. "It's not something you need to concern yourself with." She placed a paw against his foreleg and her aura feelers stiffened. She fixed her gaze on the side of Null's helmet. "What were you thinking going after Vulpix like that? From the sound of things, that Bewear could've really hurt you!"

"… everything was fine," Null rasped. "… our guildmates… had already weakened her. She was… completely focused on the human. I snuck up on her easily…" He shook his head again, huffing quietly. "I tried… to tell someone. Couldn't find the Guildmaster… or Braviary…"

That was a lie, of course, but it completely fooled Tessa, since it prompted her to bite her lip. "So, you thought the best alternative was to run after them? Ooh, do you have any idea how lucky you are? If… if something would've happened to you, I…"

Null turned away from her. "… please. We don't… know each other well. You don't need… to be nice to me… out of courtesy. You can just… ignore me… like everyone else."

Tessa winced at this. 'But I don't want to ignore you,' she thought. "Will you at least answer one thing for me?"

"… haven't I answered enough?" Null grumbled. "… I'm tired." Tessa looked at him with pleading, puppy-dog eyes. "… tch. Fine."

"Why did you go rescue Vulpix?" Tessa asked. "He's done nothing but make fun of you. Nobody would've blamed you if you didn't do anything."

Null looked down at the ground. "… I don't know."

Tessa frowned. "What do you mean you don't know? Surely you were thinking something."

Null hissed and shook his head about, striking the nearby wall. Tessa took a cautious step back. Null turned his cold, gray eyes on her, making her heart race. "… I just don't know… okay? I saw him… the human… he ran off. And then…" He touched a claw to his helmet. "… there were voices. Hundreds of them… yelling at me. 'Follow him!' they screamed."

Null leaned his helmet against the wall. "They got so loud… I couldn't block them out. Eventually… I just went to the forest… without even thinking. That's when… I saw the Bewear… and leaped into action…"

Tessa glanced one of her aura feelers out of the corner of her eyes. It twitched, as if acknowledging Null's statement. "I… I don't understand," she muttered.

"… you don't have to. It's not your problem…"

Tessa frowned. "But if there's a problem, you shouldn't have to face it alone. We're guild mates! I even offered to let you be my teammate."

"… and I already said... I'm not committing to that. Look at me. I'm not… the type of Pokémon… a sweet little girl… should be around," Null muttered. "Assuming I even am a Pokémon to begin with. No one… has any idea what I'm supposed to be. Not Magearna… not Braviary. The Guildmaster says… he can't even read my mind. They just… called me Null… because they literally couldn't think of anything…"

"I'm sorry," Tessa whispered.

"… why? You didn't… do anything wrong…" Null wheezed.

"Even still, I'm not going to turn my back on you based on appearances," Tessa said. "Look at Vulpix. He thinks Lycanroc's a bad guy because of the way he acts. I don't want to stoop to that level. I want to help you. Because you've been helping me cope with my stress. It's only fair."

Null let out a long sigh. "… you really… want to know… what's wrong?" Tessa nodded. "These voices… they're always popping up. I can't… block them out. This… this thing…" He rattled his helmet. "… it hurts. It always hurts. I can feel it… weighing on my head… weighing on my shoulders…"

He staggered forward. "But sometimes… the headaches get bad. My head… it starts to pound. Then I hear them. Voices… echoing around… in my head. Too many… to make out… what they're really saying." He shook his helmet about again. "I can… kinda make them be quiet… when I do this. But it… barely helps."

"Have you gone to see Comfey about it?"

"… what do you think?" Null growled. Tessa shrank back, fidgeting nervously again. "… sorry. That was… uncalled for…" He exhaled loudly. "I couldn't… feel anything… that Comfey did. Magearna thinks… this helmet… is the problem. Says it... emits its own aura. One that masks… everything around it. She said the aura… is unnatural…"

Tessa brought a paw up to rub one of her aura feelers. 'Is that why these guys can't stop twitching around you?' she thought.

"But I can't... break it," he growled. "I've tried… but that just makes the headaches worse…" He coughed three times.

"Are you okay?" Tessa worried. "That doesn't sound good."

"I just... need rest," Null wheezed. He walked toward the residential quarters. "… please don't follow me…" he muttered.

"Wait." Tessa ran up to Null's side. "Listen, um, Vulpix is kind of out of commission for a bit. Would you, y'know, be willing to do some assignments tomorrow… together?"

Null turned to look at Tessa with his heavyset eyes. "… I'll sleep on it…" And then he walked away.

Tessa sighed. Her shoulders slumped. 'Some week this is turning into,' she thought. 'Vulpix's totally gone off the deep end and he's going to drag me down with him.' Tessa winced. 'It's the aura training fiasco all over again. The longer this goes on... the worse it's making me feel.' She glanced down the empty hallway. 'I know I haven't known him long, but if I could just get Null to agree to partner with me... maybe I could stay here. Maybe I wouldn't feel like I've been backed up into a corner. I really want to be Null's friend... otherwise, I just see myself getting the cold shoulder from everyone here. Assuming I don't go back to Sunrise Village. Either way, I'll be alone again.'

A shudder ran down her spine. 'Mom, what would you think of all this if you were here? Would you offer me a shoulder to lean on? Or would you tell me this is all my fault? That I wasn't focused or disciplined enough... and I deserve all this crap Vulpix is putting me through?"

She bit her lip. 'Ooooh… I've been so wrapped up letting Vulpix drag me places. I'm not any closer to figuring anything out where Mom went. I mean, sure, she's keeping a Pokémon safe. But if what Vulpix said about viruses is true, can she really do it on her own?' Shivering, Tessa brought her paws up to her shoulders. 'If Mom's out there alone, then the Prism Virus could get her. Just like it might've gotten to Gallian. I can't lose her like that… right?'

The slow beating of wings snapped Tessa out of her thoughts. She turned around and a lightbulb went off in her head. "Oh, Volcarona!" she called. "Are you heading to the veterans' quarters?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Comfey wants me to rest up," Volcarona replied. "Why, do you need something?"

"Um… I don't suppose I could come downstairs with you and see my mom's room, could I?" Tessa requested.

"Am I going have to watch you if you do?" Volcarona asked.

"It's, uh, part of the rules isn't it?"

"… eh, I guess it can't hurt too much," Volcarona sighed. "But I'm just warning you… I may conk out on you." She turned and flew toward the stairs. Tessa followed after her, descending into the dimly-lit veterans' quarters. The dark blue hallways gave way to the occasional opening leading into a room. Volcarona rounded the corner and flew over toward a glowing orb. She hovered next to it while Tessa proceeded in through the doorway.

The last time Tessa went in her mom's room was when she asked to speak to Milotic in private. She didn't pay any mind to the room's condition. This time, however, she stiffened upon entering. 'This doesn't look right,' she thought. 'This place is totally torn up! Papers… books… everything's strewn about so carelessly. It's not like Mom at all.' She took a cautious step forward, over a book that lay face down on the floor. 'Milotic said nobody has touched her room since she left. Could Mom really have left it like this?'

Her brow furrowed. 'Hang on. Gallian did show up here a few days ago. Maybe he did this? No, Serperior said Gallian hadn't done anything.' She shuffled forward, stopping at a pile of papers scattered across a rainbow carpet. Tessa knelt down and picked the papers up, only to frown. Most of them had doodles drawn on them.

'Are these… feathers?' she wondered, flipping through the pages. As she did, the doodles steadily transformed from feathers, to a large, bright-red bird with a golden outline. Tessa squinted. 'There's some stuff written here? 'Rainbow Wing… summon her… use the scarf…' Huh?'

She flipped to the last drawing, which just consisted of massive amounts of black scribbling with the words "Save him," and "It's not too late. Get the ash," repeatedly scrawled on the page. Tessa reflexively brought a paw toward her scarf. Images flashed through her mind, showcasing the numerous times she had seen one of her parents wearing the scarf back when it was in one piece. Tessa frowned and dropped the papers back to the floor. She wandered over toward the desk. The light was much darker in this part of the room.

"Um, hey, Volcarona? Think you could detach that luminous orb and bring it over here?"

"Zzznnrkk… hrrrkkk… huh?" Volcarona sputtered, jolting to attention. "Oh. Sure." She detached the orb and flew it over to Tessa, who accepted it and placed it on the corner of the desk. A frown immediately returned to her face. The first thing she noticed was giant blotches of spilled ink. The stains had dried up, so her attempts to rub them away proved futile. She lifted the orb up and hovered it over the desk.

A cursory examination revealed a map of the Horizon Continent. Her gaze went toward the top-left corner and settled on a large X. Tessa noted the phrase "temple?" scrawled underneath it. Before she could question the sight, she spotted an identical mark at the bottom of the map. 'I wonder what these are for?' she thought.

Her gaze drifted toward the right side of her mom's desk, where more papers lay strewn about. It was another set of doodles. This time, however, Tessa couldn't tell what they depicted. She lifted one of them up and rotated it. All she could see was a thick blue circle, with some bits of white in the center. She immediately recalled the bedtime stories her dad told her about magic portals. A deep pang of sadness tugged at her heart from the thought, prompting her to set the drawing down.

Tessa flipped through the pages. The same doodle was sprawled out repeatedly. Only each subsequent drawing had more jagged lines. The "eye" in the center became steadily more difficult to discern. Eventually, Tessa discovered rough patches in the pages, as if someone had scratched at them with nails or claws. At this point, large red splotches showed up in the drawings.

'Did Mom start bashing her pen against the paper?' Tessa wondered. 'And what are these lines around her drawing?' She squinted, trying to follow the different connections between the lines. 'It kind of looks like the Unown language Dad showed me pictures of… but it's not the same. There are no eyes.'

Tessa reached the bottom of the drawings and froze. She found herself looking at a picture that Magearna had taken. 'I remember this. This is after Gallian got promoted to apprentice rank,' she recalled.

Gallian sat dead center in the picture, a silver guild badge nestled in his chest plume. A slightly-younger Tessa hugged his side. Their mother stood behind them, a slight smile tugging at her lips. And next to her was Incineroar. The rainbow scarf around his neck sparkled in the picture, as did the platinum guild badge pinned to it. He gave a thumb's up toward Tessa.

… or at least, that's what she imagined he was doing. Because his right arm was obscured by a massive blot of red ink, just like some of the doodles she held in her hand. She and Gallian had similar red spots covering parts of their bodies. And a trio of claw marks ran across the picture.

Tessa grit her teeth. 'But if Gallian didn't do this, then…' She pressed the photo to her chest. 'Mom. What's happened to you? I can't even imagine what you're dealing with right now.'

"… I think you oughta get a move on there, pardner."

Tessa stiffened at the sound of Braviary's voice. It was much graver than his usual tone. He walked into Prisma's room, examining the papers and books scattered about the floor.

"Ain't no good coming from poking around here, hoss," he said. "Nothing but memories left, I reckon."

Tessa winced and looked down at the floor. 'Hadn't Vulpix said something about finding Braviary suspicious? No, don't think like that. He's totally nuts. He thinks half the guild's out to get him.'

"I just… I just want to know what happened to Mom," Tessa muttered. "I miss her… I want her to be here with me." She looked up at Braviary. "Did you see her when she left?" He nodded slowly. "Did she tell you anything? Anything at all?"

"Tessa…"

"Don't call me that!" Tessa snapped, before throwing her paws over her mouth. "Oh… s-sorry… I didn't…"

"Look, I don't think it's best for you to dwell on the subject," Braviary said. "Lucario was mighty steamed about something the night she left. I reckon it was the angriest I ever done saw her since the day the two of us met."

'What… Mom was angry? But, she seemed so relaxed when she brought me to Sylveon's house,' Tessa thought. 'That doesn't make any sense…'

"And she done said something about going away fer awhile and not to bother looking fer her," Braviary said, scratching his head. "I don't exactly remember the specifics."

Tessa frowned. 'But Mom told me she was doing a quick assignment!' She pursed her muzzle. 'I mean, that turned out to be a lie. But why would she say something different to Braviary? Or… is Braviary lying to me right now?'

Braviary tried to give Tessa a reassuring smile, but all it did was make her fur stand on end. "Why don't ya head on back upstairs? It's been a heck of a week. Ya need yer rest, pardner." He gestured toward the doorway. Tessa slumped over in defeat and trudged out, passing by a sleeping Volcarona. She ascended the stairs and returned to the main level.

Tessa paused in the middle of the assembly area. 'That's odd.' She glanced toward the wing leading to the dining area and found light streaming out of it. Tessa walked over to the east hallway. As she did, her aura feelers twitched, followed by her ears.

"… I mean, can you believe that little runt? He gets clobbered by a crazed wild Pokémon and he's got the stones to blame me! If all humans are like him, then they're a bunch of dills."

'That sounds like Lycanroc! But who's he talking to?' Tessa crept forward until she approached the cusp of the wall of light spilling out from the dining area.

"Kweh heh heh! That sure sounds like the Snowy we know, don't it?"

"Yeah, the guy's nothing but a grade-A loser. If it weren't for that prissy Riolu following him around he'd be lying at the bottom of Clayback River right about now."

Tessa's aura feelers shot up. 'Team Fang? What are they doing in here? Oh, gods, did Lycanroc let them in? Was Shane actually telling the truth?' Her eyes narrowed. 'And what did Jangmo-o just call me?'

"Hey now, don't be hating on the poor sheila like that, mate," Lycanroc said. "After all, she must've pissed off the Tapus pretty badly to get shackled to a guy like Snowy. I feel bad for her."

"Seriously?" Sneasel scoffed. "I didn't have you pegged as a softie."

"I ain't soft, mate," Lycanroc growled. "I'm letting you two dipsticks take all these berries, ain't I? That's sticking my neck out a ways considering Snowy's got a vendetta against me."

"And we totally appreciate it, dude. We haven't had a decent meal in ages," Jangmo-o chirped. "These berries are berrytacular!"

Smack!

"What have I told you about making up words like that?" Sneasel hissed. "It ain't cute and it makes you look like a wimp."

"S-Sorry, Sneasel," Jangmo-o muttered.

Tessa grit her teeth. 'He let them in so they could steal our food? But why would he do that? No one in the guild thinks he's bad except for Vulpix. Does this mean he was actually right?'

"You mates are a riot," Lycanroc said. "Like I said before, I don't really care. You can trash the place, for what it's worth. Serves these dumb blokes right for letting a cur like Snowy walk around like he owns the place. I don't want our continent going down the drain, but I ain't working with that mangy Vulpix. Espeon and Umbreon can tear this place apart. I'll just lay low and be the top dog in whatever's left of the world."

"Kweh heh heh heh! I like your thinking. You oughta join up with us. We'd make a great team," Sneasel cackled.

Tessa started to turn around. 'I'd better find Braviary again… quickly!'

"Forget it, mate. I work alone. Where do you think the whole 'lone Lycanroc' expression comes from, anyway?" Lycanroc scoffed. "I'm gonna knock Snowy down a peg for spitting on my pride, and then go after the rest of those lousy enabling guild 'mons. Starting with the creep in the helmet."

Tessa froze with one of her paws resting on the wall.

"There's a Shelmet in this guild?" Jangmo-o gasped.

"No, no, no," Lycanroc said. "There's this... this thing that walks around with a giant stone helmet over its face. I mean… I don't blame it. If some god had hit me with an ugly stick that bad, I'd want to hide my face from everyone, too. But I ain't got a clue what kind of Pokémon it is. I just know it makes a Muk look like an attractive mate!"

"Kweh heh heh heh! Sounds like one sorry 'mon," Sneasel cackled. "You oughta let us take a crack at it. We could use a bit of a morale boost."

"Ha! My pleasure, mates. Why not make a little sport out of it?" Lycanroc said. "First one to knock that ugly bitzer's lights out gets first cracks at Snowy."

Tessa had balled her paws into fists, gnashing her teeth. 'Grrr… how dare those jerks!'

"Riolu, are you okay?"

Tessa ignored Steenee's tired mumbling and stomped forward, her eyes burning. "Hey!" she barked, raising up her fists. "What do you crooks think you're doing!"

"Meep!" Jangmo-o dropped the berry sitting in his mouth. "S-Sneasel… it's Miss Prissy-Pants!"

Lycanroc held up a paw. "Easy there, sheila. Ain't looking for no trouble here. I found these two passed out from exhaustion. Figured they could do with a little food, that's all. Ain't that what you guild 'mons are all about... helping folks out and all that jazz?"

"Don't lie to me. If you really found them passed out, you should've brought them to Officer Magnezone. Because they're a couple of outlaws!" Tessa spat. "And I heard what you said about us! I can't believe you'd act like this after we let you in here out of the goodness of– agggggh!"

Tessa yelped in pain as a series of rocks pelted her body, knocking her to the ground. Lycanroc's crimson eyes glowed and he shook out his mane. "You've got things backwards there, sheila. I wanted to try and do good by you folks. But your dumb friend Snowy went and drove a stake right through my pride. And I never forget a slight... no matter how small! Anyone who crosses me gets roughed up! That's how I roll!"

He glanced over his shoulder at Team Fang. "Good news, mates. I think I'm taking you up on your offer. How's about we christen the occasion by kicking the daylights out of this sheila here?"

"Kweh heh heh! Why that sounds positively wonderful," Sneasel cackled. He rubbed his claws together and they hardened into steel. Just as he was about to run Tessa down, however, a stream of glistening, multicolored leaves funneled out from the hallway. Sneasel threw his claws up and slashed them to ribbons.

"Eh? So, you brought backup," Sneasel growled. "Figures you don't have the spine to stand up to us on your own."

Steenee appeared and helped Tessa out from the rock pile. "Are you okay, Riolu?"

"Fine, but we've gotta stop these guys," she growled. "They raided our food supply."

Lycanroc rolled his eyes. "Please. You mates don't need all them berries. And dills like Snowy don't deserve 'em." He planted his paws on the ground and scooped them upward. More rocks appeared in front of him and arced toward Tessa. Steenee stepped forward and whipped the petals on her head around, sending out another volley of glowing leaves. The leaves sliced through the rocks effortlessly.

But Senasel and Jangmo-o took advantage of the opening Lycanroc made. Jangmo-o charged down Steenee while Sneasel disappeared into the shadows. Tessa hollered seconds later, as Sneasel barreled into her from behind. Steenee turned around in surprise, only to end up on the ground next to Tessa, the result of Jangmo-o swinging his glowing-blue tail around and clobbering her in the gut.

"Owww! Unnngh," Steenee groaned.

"Heh, how do ya like them apples? We've picked up a few new tricks since our last scrap, runt," Sneasel cackled.

"Yeah?" Tessa's eyes narrowed and she rolled to her feet. She charged down Sneasel, raising a glowing fist. "Well, you're not the only one, tough guy," she barked, whirling her arm around…

… only for Lycanroc to step in at the last moment and take the blow right in his plume of chest fur. He stumbled back with a grunt, only to flash Tessa a fang-filled grin. Both of his paws glowed brightly and he brought them crashing down onto the top of Tessa's skull. A loud gasp of air escaped her. Tessa crumpled to the ground, gripping her head in agony.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that? Was that supposed to hurt or something?" Lycanroc taunted, rubbing his chest plume with a paw.

"C-Counter?" Tessa whimpered, stars fluttering around her vision and a harsh ringing filling her ears. "But how–?"

"What can I say? I'm a 'mon of many talents!" Lycanroc said with a laugh. He looked over to see Steenee steering Jangmo-o away with a stream of razor-sharp leaves.

But she didn't stay up for long. Sneasel positioned himself behind Steenee and unleashed a gust of frigid wind. Steenee squealed in pain and stumbled forward. Jangmo-o skidded to a halt. His tail brimmed with blue dragon energy and he once again brought it around, socking Steenee in the side. This knocked her into a nearby stack of crates. They collapsed on top of her. Jangmo-o waited for a second, but the pile didn't stir. He turned to Lycanroc, a grin plastered on his face.

"Nice try, sheilas, but you're outnumbered and outmuscled," Lycanroc sneered. He turned, hocked up a large loogie, and spat it onto Tessa's back. "C'mon, mates. Let's blow this lame little outfit."

"… hey!"

Team Fang turned around and Lycanroc's smirk widened at the sight of a Vulpix standing in front of them on shaky legs. "I was wondering when you were gonna show, Snowy."

"Kweh heh heh heh! You don't look so good, Snowy," Sneasel cackled.

"Yeah, look at his eyes, boss. They're all red and puffy!" Jangmo-o teased. "Is widdle cwybaby Vuwpix sad we hurt his special fwiend?"

Shane drew his lips back into a snarl. "I was right! You are a thug," he said, but his voice cracked while making the accusation. Shane looked right down at the ground, his face going red with embarrassment.

"V… Vulpix!"

Shane spotted Tessa crumpled up on the ground. "Don't be an idiot! Go get help!" she begged.

Lycanroc snarled and whirled around, flinging up several more rocks to bury Tessa. She rolled to her right, wincing as the room spun about. The rocks struck the ground next to her and shattered harmlessly.

"Run, Vulpix!" Tessa shouted. She staggered to her feet, trying her best not to hurl, and lunged at the bewildered Lycanroc. Blue energy encased her paw and she smacked him right in the chest, knocking him back into Sneasel.

"Rrrrrrrgh! Don't let him run off!" Lycanroc roared, falling to the ground. Tessa quickly backed off, fearing another Counter. She glanced at the knocked-over crates and her heart soared at the sight of some oran berries. Tessa scampered toward the crates, scooped up two oran berries, and downed one. Her vertigo quickly subsided and her strength returned to her.

"Help! Help! Thieves in the guild!"

Shane sounded off like a squeaky claxon. Seconds later, a howl of pain sounded. Tessa's eyes widened.

"Yeah. How does that feel, loser?" Jangmo-o's voice resonated through the hall. Tessa tried to run in Shane's direction but Sneasel's form blurred into her from the shadows, knocking her to the floor.

"Oh no you don't," he hissed, icy air gathering around his face. "Consider this payback for those swimming lessons at Clayback Riv– mmmrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

Sneasel's eyes bulged out as Tessa forcefully clamped his mouth shut. He was forced to swallow the ice that he had gathered up. His eyes watered from the frigid air constricting his larynx. Tessa's right paw flared up with blue energy and she backhanded Sneasel across the face.

"Idiot!" Lycanroc snarled, flinging a rock barrage at Tessa. "Taunt after you've gotten your licks in! That's battling 101, mate!"

Panicking, Tessa curled up in a ball around her other oran berry. The rocks peppered her back, drawing a pained squeal. She ate her other oran berry and immediately got to her feet. Lycanroc brought up his fists, ready to face her down. Tessa took a step forward, only to disappear in a blur of motion. Lycanroc swung his paws in her direction, but ended up only hitting air.

"What the–?" He swung his head back and forth, only for his eyes to widen. "Oy!" He lunged at Sneasel and hurled him to his feet. "She bailed on us with Quick Attack! Don't just stand there… get her!" He shoved Sneasel forward and lumbered after him.

No sooner did Sneasel and Lycanroc reach the end of the hallway then a resounding clang echo throughout it. Lycanroc found himself tumbling back down the hallway. He ended up sprawled out on the floor.

Sneasel looked up, his jaw hanging open. "Wh... what are you supposed to be?"

"… Null."

A masked, metal-coated head slammed into Sneasel. Sneasel careened backwards. His momentum came to an abrupt stop when he crashed into Lycanroc. Null turned around slightly. Togedemaru and Trapinch had Jangmo-o pinned to the ground. The former was sitting atop him, digging her spikes into his scales.

"Owie! Owie! Stop! Uncle! Uncle! I give in!" Jangmo-o squealed, his eyes tearing up.

"Yeah, Togedemaru's got some personal space issues," Trapinch muttered. "Good luck getting her off you."

"Ahem?" Togedemaru's cheeks sparked with electricity. Jangmo-o yelped as the current ran down his body. "You want to come here and say that to my face?"

"Please don't! Please don't! I can't take any more of this," Jangmo-o whimpered, only to squawk like a bird as Togedemaru nuzzled him with her spikes again.

"Quiet, you crook," she hissed. "Hey, human. Any luck getting the Guildmaster?"

"I'm trying!" Shane whimpered. "Wake up! Wake up! Can't you tell we're under attack out here?!"

Null turned back around to see a barrage of frost-coated rocks flying right at him. He narrowed his eyes and again hardened his helmet into steel. He ran forward, bursting through a few of the rocks. But he couldn't keep up his charge. The metal dissolved off his mask and the remaining rocks struck his head and torso. Null staggered backward, hissing in pain.

"You made a big mistake taking us on two-on-one, ugly!" Sneasel spat. "Only thing those beady eyes of yours are gonna see are stars. Kweh heh heh!"

Tessa jumped out from behind Null, her paws brimming with bright blue energy. "You leave him alone!" she roared, speeding down the hall. Lycanroc stepped forward, a grin appearing on his face, and braced himself. But Tessa suddenly banked toward the side, leaving Lycanroc staring down Null's frost-coated helmet.

Null conjured up air around his right foreleg and shot an air spear at Lycanroc. While it didn't really hurt him, it made his attempts to Counter dissipate. This allowed Tessa to strike Lycanroc's chest with an open palm, knocking him back into Sneasel. The two ended up atop one another. Tessa and Null ran forward, the former's paws alighting blue once again. Lycanroc groaned and picked his head up, only to blanch in the face of the charging duo.

Lycanroc reached back and grabbed hold of Sneasel. "Huh? H-Hey… what d'ya think you're doing? Put me dooooooooooooooown!"

Sneasel found himself sailing through the air, limbs flailing about in all directions.

Tessa screeched to a halt, falling on her rear. The base of her tail struck the floor, sending a jolt of pain up her spine that made her eyes water. Sneasel beaned her in the head, knocking her flat on her back. He continued his trajectory forward, but Null was ready for him. Null raised a glowing foreleg up and batted Sneasel aside with his claws. Sneasel smacked into the wall and slid to the floor on his belly.

"Kweeeeeeegh… pr-pretty birdies…" he muttered, drool seeping out of his mouth.

"Rrrrrgggh, you two are a couple of useless blokes," Lycanroc growled, glaring at Sneasel. "Doesn't matter. I can take you one-on-one, freak. You ain't so tough!"

That is sufficientary, Null. I can take things from here.

With a wheeze, Null stepped to the side, revealing Magearna. She had one arm pointed at Sneasel and the other at Lycanroc.

"Oy, yer the science sheila, ain't ya? Ha… I'd just like to see ya try getting yer licks in on m–"

Two beams shot forward. One of swirling metallic gray that struck Sneasel in his gut, knocking him out. The other being a steady stream of ice that washed across Lycanroc's body, freezing him solid where he stood. Tessa staggered to her feet, fighting to hide a smirk at the sight of Lycanroc's widened eyes darting about in his icy prison. Null walked over to Sneasel and pinned his down with a foreleg.

"Did you just use Flash Cannon and Ice Beam at the same time?" Tessa gasped.

Correct, Magearna replied. Awhile back I ran a diagnosticary on my processors. I found out that I could overclock my motherboard to one hundred and fifty percent efficacy, allowing for dualmentary attack implementifying.

"In laymon's terms, she reprogrammed herself to use two attacks at once," Togedemaru mused, shoving Jangmo-o's equally-frozen form into the hallway.

You know, it sounds one hundred percent more scientific the way I say it, Magearna grumbled.

Shane staggered into the room. His face was so flushed, one could mistake it for that of a fire-type Vulpix. "Couldn't… get the Guildmaster… up," he muttered. Tessa frowned at him. "What? I did what you guys wanted me to do this time. It's not my fault the Guildmaster could sleep through the end of the world."

Negative. Fact: I am an automaton. Fact: I do not sleep, I recharge my circuits.

Heavy, metallic footsteps echoed off the stone floor. The arranged guild members all backed up against the walls. Metagross walked forward, flanked by a trio of floating magnets.

"Officer Magnezone?" Trapinch gasped. "Wait… Guildmaster, did you already know this was happening?"

KZZRRT… Metagross brought to my attention that the guild was being robbed, Magnezone announced. I take it these are the perpetrators? He pointed to the immobilized trio of Team Fang.

"Yes, sir. I found them raiding our pantry. Who knows how many berries they ate," Tessa exclaimed.

Very well. Magnezone turned to two Magneton deputies. Break the ice and immobilize the culprits with Thunder Wave, please.

"Um, is that really such a good id–?" Shane started to ask, only to watch the ice around Lycanroc and Jangmo-o shatter. Seconds later, electricity crackled across their bodies, rendering them stiff as boards. Magnezone and his deputies then hefted Team Fang into the air using their electromagnetism.

"What the–? Lemme go!" Lycanroc snarled, his body twitching from the paralysis. "This is all Snowy's fault! He's the bad egg here!"

That is a distortion of the facts, Metagross declared, stomping over to Team Fang.

"Hey, don't make me out to be the bad guy here. You guys were caught red-handed," Shane growled. His statement came out as a hoarse squeak, eliciting giggles from Togedemaru and Trapinch.

Fact: after I stopped the human's argument with Lycanroc, I sensed a change in his thought patterns, Metagross announced. Fact: careful analysis led me to conclude Lycanroc would bring trouble into the guild. Fact: Lycanroc intended to foist the blame onto the human and get him expelled from the guild. Fact: Midnight Lycanrocs are confrontational in nature. Fact: they hold irrational grudges. Metagross glanced at Shane. Fact: the human drew Lycanroc's ire with his comments.

Shane tensed up. "Wait… what?"

Warning: do not interrupt my explanation, Metagross growled, eyes flashing blue. Shane whimpered loudly, tails drooping. Fact: I established a mental link with Lycanroc's mind to spy on him. Fact: I discovered him meeting with these outlaws in Aeon Town. Fact: they discussed raiding our food stock. Conclusion: inform the authorities and use the opportunity to test you apprentices.

"Wait, this whole thing was a set up?" Togedemaru gasped.

"What?! You told us this place was easy pickings!" Sneasel snarled, trying to work through his paralysis and glare at Lycanroc.

"I… I didn't… but that don't make a lick of sense!" Lycanroc growled.

Hypothesis: there will become a time when you apprentices have to face difficult odds without a true leader present. Conclusion: use the outlaws as a test run of your abilities to work as a team under pressure, Metagross elaborated. Either you would subdue the outlaws or Magnezone would arrive with backup to defeat them. Based on the results, I calculate my plan was a success.

"And what would have happened if we ran into problems and Magenzone couldn't get here fast enough, huh?" Togedemaru asked.

Fact: the berries that Team Fang ate had rotted. Fact: they should begin to experience symptoms of food poisoning in thirty seconds.

Jangmo-o's eyes widened. "You're kidding! Those berries tasted perfectly scrumptious."

"That's… because… the Guildmaster… had me use Sweet Scent… on them…"

Everyone turned and watched Steenee stagger back into the hallway, gripping her side in pain.

"You were in on this?" Tessa gasped. "But look at how banged up you got!"

"Heh… I was supposed to… discover everything… and wake you guys. But… you kinda beat me to the punch there," Steenee explained, chuckling weakly.

"Owwwwwiiiieeee!" Jangmo-o suddenly groaned. "Sneasel... my tummy… it don't feel too good."

"Rrrrggghh… sh-shut up… Jangmo-o," Sneasel moaned. "Nobody… cares…"

Lycanroc's face turned pale. "This… this is an outrage. Do you hear me!"

Save it for your fellow inmates, criminals, Magnezone stated. Let's move out, troops. He turned and carried off Team Fang. Lycanroc locked eyes with Shane.

"I hope you're happy, Snowy! You got what you wanted. Whoop-de-doo," he snarled. "Savor it for now. Because I swear… I'm gonna break out of yer stupid jail. And then… I won't rest until I've strung you up by your fat, ugly tails!"

Lycanroc managed to fight through the paralysis and spit right on Shane's face. Shane hissed and rubbed his face against his shoulder.

"You ain't no hero, Snowy! Ya got that?" Lycanroc shouted as Magnezone's squad carried him toward the stairs. "Yer just a stupid kid with a big ol' mouth! Yer gonna get what's coming to ya, Snowy! No one crosses me and gets away with it! Do you hear me? No one!"

Enough talking, prisoner.

A spark of electricity flashed along the stairwell, followed by a loud howl from Lycanroc. An awkward silence fell over the guild members.

"Well… uh… I guess we oughta clean things up a bit?" Trapinch suggested.

"Can't it wait until morning?" Togedemaru groaned, yawning.. "I need my beauty sleep! And I'm a bit mad at the Guildmaster, quite frankly."

I had my reasons for acting as I did. Order: I will handle the cleanup of this wing. You are to all return to bed, Metagross said. And you, human, should expect a tongue-lashing from Comfey for leaving your bed.

"Oh, he's going to get more than a tongue-lashing…"

Shane's tails jolted stiff and he looked up to see a very unamused Comfey floating in front of him. "What did I tell you? Twenty four hour bed rest at a minimum! And here you are, running into a battle when your spine isn't even fully healed." Her eyes narrowed at the sight of fresh bruises on Shane's back. "And you got hit in the back again!"

She shook her head. A psychic force hefted a yelping Shane into the air. "Well, you'd best start crossing your digits and praying you didn't do any permanent damage," Comfey declared.

"Wait!" Shane pleaded. He froze in midair. "I just… I just want to know one thing." He turned to look at Tessa and Metagross. "Was… was Lycanroc telling the truth?"

Tessa's snout stiffened. She shut her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Vulpix. He really wanted to help us with this Prism Virus situation… until you insulted him. I told you that Lycanrocs can hold grudges, but I guess you weren't listening... as usual. Your big mouth turned him against us. So, congrats. You were right in the end. I hope you're happy."

Fact: in insisting that Lycanroc was an outlaw you created a self-fulfilling prophecy, Metagross stated. Fact: I will address this with you in your disciplinary session once you have properly healed. He turned his back to Shane. Assuming you can even be healed at all.

Comfey levitated Shane out of the room. His whines grew progressively softer until no one could hear them. Following Shane's exit, the rest of the guild members started to make their ways back to their lodgings.

"… that was… pretty harsh back there…"

Tessa froze in the middle of the assembly area and glanced back and Null. "Don't tell me you're actually defending him. He's been a total jerk to you!" she said.

Null looked down. "… yeah. I just… don't think… he means bad. He's just… frightened of me. Just like… he was frightened… of Lycanroc."

Tessa bit her lip. "But… he sure didn't sound frightened. He sounded… more like a know-it-all. And he doesn't have a reason to be scared of you. You're a nice Pokémon! You're…"

"… Riolu… I appreciate it. But… look at me…" Null walked forward, giving Tessa full view of his patchwork hide, emphasizing the mosaic of fur and scales. "… I don't… give off… a very inviting… first impression."

"So? Mom always told me not to judge another Pokémon by its looks… or even its aura," Tessa said.

"… okay…" Null muttered. "But Shane… wasn't raised that way. He… certainly wasn't raised… as a Pokémon." Tessa stiffened and her gaze fell to the ground. "He's just reacting… to the sight… of something… bigger and scarier… than him."

"If… you want him to change… you need to provide him… with a good example… of what he should do," Null continued. "… be his… role model… or something…"

Tessa bit her lip. "For Vulpix? I…" She shook her head. "Sorry… no. That's asking too much of me. I can't be a role model."

Null sighed. "… tell you what. Why don't… we talk it over more… during some assignments… tomorrow?"

Tessa's expression brightened up. "You mean it?"

"… you could do… with a good distraction. G'night," Null said. He shuffled toward his room, wheezing loudly.

Tessa ran forward and embraced Null's right hind leg. He cringed from the contact. "Thanks, Null," Tessa whispered.

"… whatever…" Null muttered, and then walked back toward his room.

Tessa yawned and retreated to her room. She flopped down on her pillow and rolled onto her back. Her muscles began to ache. Tessa's eyelids fluttered closed. Her head lolled to the right. She glanced a portion of the full moon shining through a crack in her window.

'Wait… since when does the moon glow purple?'

XxX​

Pesky, Petty Crooks, Team Fang
Lycanroc has lent his strength to Team Fang, making a pair of annoying thieves into a giant headache for poor Team Radiance. Though Sneasel and Jangmo-o pride themselves on their abilities, the fact is that they have a very short list of successful crimes under their belt. The list is so small, they haven't even been acknowledged as legitimate outlaws... well, until now.

If you're thinking to yourself that this episode felt familiar, you're right! This whole episode was an inversion of, coincidentally enough, chapter 6 from the Explorers games, where a band of outlaws called Team Skull (no relation to Alola) join the guild and pull the wool over the guildmaster's eyes. They generally make life miserable for the hero and partner, but your guild mates step in to pick things up.

In this story, I flipped it upside down. Lycanroc was not a criminal. Shane drove him to act out, instead. And instead of the guild rallying to Shane's side, his behavior turns pretty much everyone against him. Hope you got a kick out of this bait and switch maneuver.
 
Last edited:
ayyy here for chapter 23. I like the Null/Tessa interactions in this chapter. I guess I'm kinda surprised Null lied to her face, but also not? It's probably tiresome, trying to explain himself over and over. He already tries with his helmet, and that doesn't get him anywhere besides making people more confused. And in the Bewear situation... Well, it's touchy.

Plus, like he says, he and Tessa don't know each other well. I can't help but notice Tessa's latching on to Null now instead of Shane, tbh, and not in the "I feel sorry for you" way or even the "I want to be your friend" way (at least, not by itself). No, she hints at wanting to have him help her reach her goals like Shane was supposed to, but failed at. Sorry, Tessa, but success comes from within. Solely depending on other people is asking for trouble. :V

Slightly related, I'm surprised Tessa keeps trying to get him to officially join the team. That means that, if Shane causes trouble and gets disciplined, both her and Null will get disciplined now, right? Since the whole team is held accountable. Doesn't sound like somethnig Tessa would really want to subject him to knowingly. To be fair, though, that's probably not on her mind all that much at this time.

A little annoyed at Tessa for specifically asking Null why he bothered to save Shane. Just because someone causes trouble and/or just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you shouldn't be a decent person in return. That's... easier said than done, I know. But yeah, this chapter increased my sympathy for Shane.

Finally - I have a lot of stuff to say about this scene, apparently - Tessa bugging Null nonstop and not letting him end the conversation sounds a lot like what Shane would do. Hmm... :p

'It's the aura training fiasco all over again. The longer this goes on... the worse it's making me feel.'

Aw, I liked this line. :'v I don't blame her. It sucks not having an ounce of control in things and not knowing how long you're gonna have to deal with it.

Tessa frowned. 'But Mom told me she was doing a quick assignment!' She pursed her muzzle. 'I mean, that turned out to be a lie. But why would she say something different to Braviary? Or… is Braviary lying to me right now?'

Darn, now I'm paranoid. I want Braviary to be a good guy and not fk up massively! But...

"Idiot!" Lycanroc snarled, flinging a rock barrage at Tessa. "Taunt after you've gotten your licks in! That's battling 101, mate!"

I lol'd.

Correct, Magearna replied. Awhile back I ran a diagnosticary on my processors. I found out that I could overclock my motherboard to one hundred and fifty percent efficacy, allowing for dualmentary attack implementifying.

Heh, interesting concept and use of it here. Combining attacks sounds useful, and taking advance of Magearna's species to make it happen is neat. Sounds like a thing that could have bad side effects without proper training, though. xD

Tessa's snout stiffened. She shut her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Vulpix. He really wanted to help us with this Prism Virus situation… until you insulted him. I told you that Lycanrocs can hold grudges, but I guess you weren't listening... as usual. Your big mouth turned him against us. So, congrats. You were right in the end. I hope you're happy."

Hmm. Something sits wrong with me about Shane getting punished over this. Well, I mean, he shouldn't have jumped the gun and been as aggressive as he was. That I get. But Shane can't control Lycanroc's actions. Lycanroc had a million choices in front of him, but he chose of his own accord to react badly and become a thief.

Anyway, you mentioned things going uphill from here. I hope these poor bbs make it out all right indeed.
 
I like the Null/Tessa interactions in this chapter. I guess I'm kinda surprised Null lied to her face, but also not? It's probably tiresome, trying to explain himself over and over. He already tries with his helmet, and that doesn't get him anywhere besides making people more confused. And in the Bewear situation... Well, it's touchy.
It's supposed to be an unusual situation. And when you add to that Null's rather terse style of speaking, it adds up to him coming up with the quickest answer that'll avoid getting Tessa too worked up.

Plus, like he says, he and Tessa don't know each other well. I can't help but notice Tessa's latching on to Null now instead of Shane, tbh, and not in the "I feel sorry for you" way or even the "I want to be your friend" way (at least, not by itself). No, she hints at wanting to have him help her reach her goals like Shane was supposed to, but failed at. Sorry, Tessa, but success comes from within. Solely depending on other people is asking for trouble. :V
That may have been a result of me phrasing it badly. It's less about her succeeding in her plan to get recognized and more this desperate sense of not wanting to go back to being a "lonesome loser" in Sunrise Village. Maybe I need to tweak a couple of lines?

Slightly related, I'm surprised Tessa keeps trying to get him to officially join the team. That means that, if Shane causes trouble and gets disciplined, both her and Null will get disciplined now, right? Since the whole team is held accountable. Doesn't sound like somethnig Tessa would really want to subject him to knowingly. To be fair, though, that's probably not on her mind all that much at this time.
It's certainly not something she's thinking about. Really makes you wonder why that policy exists, doesn't it? Who came up with it, for that matter: Incineroar... or someone else? As far as tying him to Shane though... well... you might eat your words come this week's update. ;)

A little annoyed at Tessa for specifically asking Null why he bothered to save Shane. Just because someone causes trouble and/or just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you shouldn't be a decent person in return. That's... easier said than done, I know. But yeah, this chapter increased my sympathy for Shane.
Consider that a sign of things to come.

Finally - I have a lot of stuff to say about this scene, apparently - Tessa bugging Null nonstop and not letting him end the conversation sounds a lot like what Shane would do. Hmm... :p
I suppose. The idea I had in mind was that she really wanted to get across to Null someone in the guild was thinking of him, but her execution left something to be desired.

Aw, I liked this line. :'v I don't blame her. It sucks not having an ounce of control in things and not knowing how long you're gonna have to deal with it.
Yes, I'm constantly worried about bringing this stuff up because I'm vaguely aware of the stereotypes and cliches that come with riolus and lucarios in fanfic. And I don't want to fall into those pit-traps.

Darn, now I'm paranoid. I want Braviary to be a good guy and not fk up massively! But...
Good. If you're paranoid, that means I'm doing my job right! :p

Heh, interesting concept and use of it here. Combining attacks sounds useful, and taking advance of Magearna's species to make it happen is neat. Sounds like a thing that could have bad side effects without proper training, though.
You're absolutely right. Wonder what Magearna's really spending all that time in her workshop doing, anyway? :V

Hmm. Something sits wrong with me about Shane getting punished over this. Well, I mean, he shouldn't have jumped the gun and been as aggressive as he was. That I get. But Shane can't control Lycanroc's actions. Lycanroc had a million choices in front of him, but he chose of his own accord to react badly and become a thief.
Maybe this is a cop out response, but it's meant to sit wrong with readers. For one, Lycanroc's response was irrational but, as was stated a few times in the episode, midnight lycanrocs pick fights for the stupidest reasons. And for another... well... I don't want to speak too much on it, but perhaps the next episode will get you to think a bit more about who it was the punished Shane and what kind of frame of mind they have.

Anyway, you mentioned things going uphill from here. I hope these poor bbs make it out all right indeed.
Err... uh... not quite. They'll start going uphill, yeah, but only after things take a complete nosedive. Like I said, we're not at rock bottom yet. It's going to get really rough, but episode 7 was well-received. Just, y'know, prepare yourself. That's where the content warnings really start coming into play. Thanks again for reviewing. ^^
 
Just wanted to reply rq to clarify thingz

That may have been a result of me phrasing it badly. It's less about her succeeding in her plan to get recognized and more this desperate sense of not wanting to go back to being a "lonesome loser" in Sunrise Village. Maybe I need to tweak a couple of lines?

I think it was me reading too far into things and speaking in general along with specifics of the scene, but I didn't get much of the sense of lonesome loser, either, so I'd suggest tweaking a couple of lines indeed. o:

Maybe this is a cop out response, but it's meant to sit wrong with readers. For one, Lycanroc's response was irrational but, as was stated a few times in the episode, midnight lycanrocs pick fights for the stupidest reasons. And for another... well... I don't want to speak too much on it, but perhaps the next episode will get you to think a bit more about who it was the punished Shane and what kind of frame of mind they have.

Nah, that makes sense to me!

Err... uh... not quite. They'll start going uphill, yeah, but only after things take a complete nosedive. Like I said, we're not at rock bottom yet. It's going to get really rough, but episode 7 was well-received. Just, y'know, prepare yourself. That's where the content warnings really start coming into play. Thanks again for reviewing. ^^

Oh, okay. For some reason I thought you said this chapter was the rock bottom chapter... which it didn't feel like, so things make more sense now. xD
 
Chapter 24
I think it was me reading too far into things and speaking in general along with specifics of the scene, but I didn't get much of the sense of lonesome loser, either, so I'd suggest tweaking a couple of lines indeed. o:
I did make a tweak. Thanks for the suggestion. ^^

This chapter was originally posted on December 15th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 24: Rocky Road to Recovery

Tessa poked at the grass with a digit. "… and then, even though he almost got himself killed, Vulpix flew off the handle at Lycanroc. That set Lycanroc off, Mom. Next time I ran into him, he had let these outlaws called Team Fang into the guild. I heard them badmouthing us and when I tried to stop them, they attacked me!"

From her position beside her daughter on the clifftop, Prisma scowled. "Well, I'm sorry you had to go through that, Tessa. But I
did warn you, didn't I? Vulpix is nothing but bad news."

"I know, Mom," Tessa sighed. "It's just… you always taught me never to turn my back on someone." She looked up at her mom. "That, as an aura Pokémon, I need to try my best to help others."

Prisma rolled her eyes. "Well, it's nice to see at least
something I taught you sank in," she declared stoically. "But you're forgetting my very first lesson: your own safety comes first. You're still young, Tessa... an woefully inexperienced. If you keeping sticking your neck out like that, something bad will happen."

"You mean… like what happened to Dad?" Tessa muttered. Her eyes widened and she threw her paws up over her muzzle. "I… I'm sorry, Mom," she squeaked.

Prisma's eyes flickered dark red and she balled her right paw into a fist. "It's fine, Tessa." She took a deep breath. "I know I'm not in Horizon right now, but that's no excuse to develop a reckless streak." She leaned over and rubbed Tessa's head with her snout. "You're my pup. I have an obligation to look out for you."

Tessa nodded slowly. "Uh-huh. I'm just… not really sure what to do about all of this."

"That's a decision you ultimately have to make on your own. All I can tell you is what I know from the Pokémon I'm helping," Prisma said.

Tessa pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "Mom… are you protecting Lunala?"

If Tessa had managed to catch Prisma off guard, she didn't show it. "What would give you that idea?" Prisma asked.

"A few things that happened today, actually," Tessa admitted. "When Vulpix called Lycanroc a crook, he said that he's having visions in his dreams where Solgaleo speaks to him."

Prisma clenched her jaw. "He… he said that?" She glanced around the area for a few seconds, drawing a concerned look from Tessa. Prisma's calm demeanor then returned. "I suppose that's actually a good thing. It must mean that Solgaleo is safe as well."

"From the Prism Virus?" Tessa asked. "That's what you're protecting Lunala from, isn't it?"

"Prism Virus? Where did you hear that?" Prisma asked, her brow furrowed.

"From an Espeon and Umbreon that are causing trouble in Horizon," Tessa replied. "I've met them a few times, actually. They keep trying to take my scarf. They say it's so they can 'infect me.'" She looked down and fidgeted with the scarf. "Vulpix says that a virus is a deadly sickness from the human world."

Prisma turned away from her daughter. "Tessa, don't listen to that. For all you know, he could've been lying to you."

Tessa shook her head. "I don't think he was. I felt ripples of his aura, Mom," Tessa said, rubbing her aura feelers. "I'm getting a bit better at it, actually." Prisma raised a skeptical eyebrow at this. "He seems very worried and agitated about this," Tessa continued.

Prisma's gaze sharpened. "What else did Vulpix tell you?"

"Solgaleo warned him that an unknown force is trying to upset the balance between day and night," Tessa said. "It might be this Prism Virus thing that Espeon and Umbreon are trying to spread. That's what got Vulpix very mad at Lycanroc. He thinks that someone's controlling Espeon and Umbreon." She picked at some grass on the clifftop. "He… he said Solgaleo told him Gallian is behind all of this."

Prisma tensed up. "And you honestly believe him? You really think
Gallian is capable of something like that? Are you even listening to yourself right now?" she scoffed.

Tessa whined softly. "Mom. Gallian might be infected." She looked over, but saw no surprise on her mother's face. "I ran into him recently. He looked a bit like the other infected Pokémon I've seen."

"I... I see," Prisma whispered. "It seems... that things have gone quite downhill since I left." She rubbed the bridge of her snout. "Nevertheless, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it."

"Because you have to protect Lunala, right?" Tessa squeaked.

Prisma stiffened again. "Well… um…."

"Mom, we also got a call from the Expedition Society," Tessa said. "They think there's something wrong with the weather. And they said the moon's been full for an unusually long time." She poked at the grass again. "I noticed it too. The moon went from quarter-full to completely full too quickly. And just before I fell asleep, I saw it glowing purple." She leaned over to rest her head on her mother's shoulder. "It's because of Lunala that you're gone, isn't it?"

Prisma gave a defeated sigh. "You ought to give yourself more credit," she said. "I'm surprised you were able to pick up on that. Clearly, your father rubbed off on you more than you think."

Tessa's face flushed at this. "It's nothing," she mumbled.

"In any event, you're right," Prisma said. "I was called away to help tend to Lunala. She managed to reach out to me through a dream. Pretty much like what I'm doing now. When I found her, she said that some sort of otherworldly creature had attacked Celestial Island, ranting and raving about 'taking back the light that's rightfully mine.' She and Solgaleo had to flee, but ended up getting separated in the ensuing chaos. The escape left her on the verge of death. She's been in the process of recovering ever since. While she does, I'm supposed to keep her safe."

"So, you've really been hiding with her for seven months?" Tessa asked. "That's… a very long time."

Prisma's brow furrowed. "I know. That's because she's having difficulty recovering. Lunala thinks something is feeding off the cosmic energy she keeps trying to gather." Prisma crossed her arms. "But I haven't been able to sense anything with my aura sight. Perhaps it's the Prism Virus? I wouldn't exactly know how to sense energy that's not of this world."

"What's going to happen to Lunala, then?" Tessa asked.

"Well, none of us are giving up yet. Especially not Lunala," Prisma said. "We're trying to figure out a way to stop the Prism Virus from siphoning Lunala's energy. If we can at least stall it, Lunala might be able to return to full strength."

"And what about Solgaleo?"

Prisma shrugged. "No idea. If Vulpix is telling the truth, he probably knows what happened to Solgaleo. But…" Her eyes narrowed. "As I said before, I think it's in your best interest to avoid him."

"Yeah," Tessa whispered.

"I mean, look at what's happened, Tessa. He keeps running into the Prism Virus. For all we know, it could've been the force that brought Vulpix here from the human world," Prisma pointed out. "I know that your father and I have dealt with more than our fair shares of trouble, but I need you to promise me you'll try to stay clear of this."

"But," Tessa poked her index digits together, "Null told me I should try being a role model for Vulpix."

"Null?"

"He's, um, a friend I made," Tessa mumbled, earning a confused look from Prisma. "He joined the guild after you left. It's, uh, kind of tricky to explain."

"Well, if he's your friend, couldn't you just team up with him instead of Vulpix?" Prisma proposed. "I'm just trying to keep an eye out for you."

Tessa squeaked as her mother leaned over and embraced her. "I… I'll try, mom." She gave a yawn and lay down on Prisma's lap. It wasn't long before her eyelids closed and the dream melted away around her.


XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Tessa arced her back as she walked out toward the main assembly area. It cricked several times, causing her to flinch. "Oof. Boy, am I sore." She froze and looked around. "Huh, where is everyone? Isn't it assembly time?"

"Braviary cancelled it after all the hullabaloo yesterday," Togedemaru answered. Tessa turned toward the northern hallway, where Togedemaru sat on top of a large box. "And yes," Togedemaru said, "he specifically used the word, 'hullabaloo.' And now Magearna won't stop talking about it." She hopped off the box and rolled toward Tessa. "Word around the Observatory is you and Null were thinking of taking on assignments today."

"And, what, you want in or something?" Tessa asked.

"You're darn tootin' I do!" Togedemaru declared. She froze upon completion of that sentence. "Oh, for pity's sake." She smacked her forehead. "Now Braviary's got me talking like a wastelander, too."

"Tessa! Tessa! Tessa! Tessa!"

Tessa turned around in time for a speeding brown ball to barrel into her, knocking her to the ground. When the stars faded from her vision, she found Eevee's beaming face staring down at her. A wicker basket dangled from his snout.

"Hiya, Eevee," Tessa mumbled. She sat up and rubbed the back of her head. "I see you're… getting pretty quick on your feet. Where's the fire?"

"Did someone say fire?" an excited voice barked from the infirmary wing.

"Hey! I told you to stay in bed, Growlithe. Don't make me immobilize you," Comfey's exasperated voice called.

Trapinch scrambled down the stairs, looking about in a panic. "Oh, there you are. You can't just go running down into the guild like that, you know." He walked over toward Eevee and Tessa. "Are you okay, Riolu?"

"Peachy," Tessa muttered. "Eevee was just telling me what brings him to the guild this morning."

"Itch a speciuhl dewivewy," Eevee chirped, his basket muffling his speech. He set it down and took the cloth off the top of it. "We're a little late, but Mommy and I wanted to give you something to congratulate you on one month in the guild. Ta-daaaaah!"

Tessa leaned over to look at the basket. She found a set of smiley-faces staring back at her. "They're cookies!" Eevee squeed. "Mommy baked them… and I did the razz berry frosting. Aren't they great?"

Togedemaru looked at the basket. Drool dripped down her mouth. "I'll say! And they smell amazing." She walked toward the basket.

"Hey! Hey!" Eevee stepped in the way and swished his tail in Togedemaru's face. "They're for Tessa. If you want some, buy them from the Kecleon Shop. Mommy just brought some over."

Togedemaru's eyes widened. "She did?" She pivoted to Tessa. "Don't go leaving for any missions without me. I'll be back lickety split!" She curled into a ball and rolled off toward the stairs, yelling, "Dang it, there I go again! Get out of my head, Braviary!"

Tessa shook her head and picked up the basket. "Well, thank you very much for these, Eevee. I'm sure I'll enjoy them after a busy day of exploring."

Eevee pouted. "Aww, you're not gonna eat them now?"

"Sorry, Eevee. Mom may not be here, but I still promised her no sweets in the morning," Tessa said. "Now, go on. Tell Sylveon I said hi."

"Okay!" Eevee chirped and sped back off up the stairs.

"Hey, wait. I'm supposed to escort you out!" Trapinch groaned, and then scurried off after Eevee.

"… he a friend… of yours?"

Tessa's fur bristled and she spun around. "N-Null!" she squeaked. "Morning. You… you really shouldn't sneak up on folks like that."

Null shook his helmet about. "… can't you… sense auras?"

"Not when I'm not paying attention," Tessa said. "But that's neither here nor there. Are you okay with Togedemaru joining us today?"

Null stretched his neck out. "… I'd rather… she didn't. She talks… too fast…" He finally managed to focus his gaze on Tessa. "But you were... being rhetorical… right?"

Tessa raised her paws innocently. "You got me there. Let me just drop these cookies off at my room and we can take a look at the mission board, okay?"

"… sure."

XxX​

Shane grimaced, his face scrunching up in pain. Whimpering, he tried to stretch out his lower legs, but they spasmed uselessly. The curtain in front of his bed swished open. Unable to lift his head, Shane could barely glance Comfey floating in front of him.

"Goodness, you're an absolute mess," Comfey gasped. Shane's fur was disheveled, his tails edges' were frayed, the tuft of fur on his head was knotted up, his eyes were bloodshot, and the welt across his back had blackened. Sweat had pooled around his body overnight, leaving a damp stain across the bedsheet.

Shane paid Comfey no mind. With a groan, his head twitched against his pillow. Comfey spotted the flushing under Shane's eyelids and frowned. She floated over toward him and gently placed a hand on his head. Startled, Shane barked loudly. Comfey quickly pulled her hand back.

"Yup, your forehead's on fire," she said, waving her hand about to cool it off. "You're running a terrible fever." She gave Shane a disapproving look. "I told you not to run around after I put Synthesis bulbs on your back. Instead of going to heal your back, they went to uninjured parts of your body and made you sick." She let out a long sigh. "Which I means I can't try using more Synthesis bulbs on your back. This just complicated things considerably. What do you have to say for yourself, mister?"

Shane didn't respond. In fact, he didn't even meet her stern gaze. He stared blankly at the wall. With a whimper, Shane tried to stretch a foreleg, only for it to tremble.

"Can you hear me?" Comfey asked. She leaned in toward Shane, but froze at the sound of Shane weakly gasping for air.

"Help… me…"

"Vulpix, are you alright?"

Shane met her gaze with a dazed look in his bloodshot eyes. "Car… crushing… me…" he wheezed. "Hurts… everything huuuuuuurts…"

Comfey frowned. "What's a 'ca-hurr?' Oh, dear. I think the fever's made you delirious."

"So… much… pain…" Shane whimpered. A shiver ran along his body. He again tried stretching out a foreleg but it twitched unresponsively. Shane started to hyperventilate.

Worry flashed across Comfey's face. "Hey, human, calm down. I can't heal you if you're acting like this," she said. She floated over by Shane's face and waved an arm in front of it. Shane continued grimacing in pain.

"Um, is Vulpix gonna be okay?"

Comfey looked behind her and noticed Araquanid standing in the center of the infirmary, looking about in confused. "I'll be with you in a minute," Comfey said, before mumbling under her breath, "… or five." She exhaled and released a small cloud of pink gas that encased Shane's body. His breathing progressively slowed and his widened eyes narrowed. Comfey again floated in front of him and noted his pinprick pupils darting about the room.

"Wh… wha–?" he blinked several times. "Where… how did…?"

"Vulpix? It's Comfey. You're in the infirmary, remember?" she said, waving her hand in front of his face for good measure.

Shane's breathing continued to slow and his eyes fluttered shut. "Oh, right," he rasped. "I must've had a nightmare or something. Is it morning already?"

"Yes, and it looks like you have a fever," Comfey exclaimed. "I'm going to have to take care of that before I can even attempt to fix your back. Assuming I can fix it at this stage."

"… what does it matter? If I got a fever… I deserve it. Just leave me here and go deal with everyone else," Shane muttered. He tried to roll over in his bed, only to hiss in pain as his back seized up.

Comfey's cheeks puffed up. "Oh no you don't, mister." She gave him an unamused look. "You're in my infirmary and that makes you my patient. My treatments aren't going to be effective with that kind of attitude. So, take your self-pity and stuff it into whatever clump of brain you pulled it out of."

"It's not self-pity if it's true," Shane said. "Didn't you hear them last night? All of this is my fault."

"I see," Comfey said. Her body glowed with a soft blue aura and, next thing Shane knew, there was a Stufful floating next to Comfey.

"Uwaaaaagh! I don't want to see that little guy," Shane hollered, trying to bury his face in his pillow but finding himself unable to move. "He thinks I killed his mom."

"What, this?" Comfey looked at the Stufful. "This is a doll I made. He's Mr. Bluey. When you're feeling sad, you hug him and then you feel a little better." She set the toy down next to Shane, who eyed it with a look of disbelief.

"How's that supposed to make me feel better?" Shane said.

"Well, it would help if you could actually hug it," Comfey admitted. Shane gave her a scathing look. "But, as it stands, it's a reasonable distraction for me to do… this!"

A flash of light blinded Shane. He needed a good minute to get his vision back in order. When he did, he found Comfey floating in front of him. "Just what was that all about?" he groaned.

"I needed to discombobulate you a little bit so I could apply my special fever cream to your forehead," Comfey said.

"Magearna taught you that word, didn't she?" Shane groaned.

"Actually, it was Metagross, but that's beside the point," Comfey chuckled. "Now, I'll need you to lie perfectly still for the next few hours while the cream takes effect. Not that you can really move, from what it looks like. Oh, you might feel faint and the cream may cause some chills. But you're an ice-type, so it won't be that bad compared to when I use it on normal Pokémon. However, there is the matter of cooling you off."

"Cooling me off?" Shane parroted. He repeatedly flexed his brow, now aware of the cream's presence in his fur.

"Yes. Your body temperature is supposed to be pretty low, after all," Comfey said. "Look at all the sweat you're generating. Odds are you're teetering dangerously close to getting dehydrated. And that's very bad for an ice-type. In my medical opinion, the best way to get you back to normal would be an ice bath."

Shane's eyes widened. "What? You can't make me do that. I chickened out of three polar plunges back in the human world, you know."

"It's either that or you stay bedridden for gods only know how long," Comfey said. She turned and floated over toward Araquanid, leaving Shane lying there with a dumfounded expression.

XxX

~Clayback River~

Tessa shuffled backward, her left leg dipping into a pile of clay. "That's a lot of Wingulls," she said.

In front of her, a flock of Wingulls hovered around a pile of golden coins, repeatedly squawking, "Our treasure! Finders keepers!"

Null grimaced. "… I don't… have any… effective way… to hit them…"

Togedemaru stepped forward and puffed out her chest. "Then isn't it a good thing you've got me here? Behold… my brilliant strategic plan." She pivoted to glance at Tessa. "You learned Thunder Punch, right? Quick, sock me right in the back and launch me toward those Wingull."

"Are you nuts?" Tessa said. "Better yet, did Vulpix put you up to this?"

"Pfbt, please. There's a difference between science and stupidity. It's just hard to tell when you're not trained to appreciate said differences," Togedemaru scoffed.

Sweat drops ran down Tessa's head. 'I think that was supposed to be an insult.' Nevertheless, she stepped forward, allowing electricity to encase her fist. When her foot was free of the sticky mud puddle, she lunged at Togedemaru. She swung her fist in an upward arc. In contacted Togedemaru's back. Much to her surprise, the electricity rushed inside Togedemaru's body. The force of the punch shot her into the air.

"Now, time to light this flock up," Togedemaru declared. "Behold, my patent-pending Super Ultra Hyper Lightning Rod-Boosted Discharge Attack! Hyaaaaaaaaah!" Electricity crackled around her cheeks and, seconds later, a swarm of lightning bolts rained down on the Wingull flock.

The Wingulls gave squawks of pain and spasmed about in the air. Togedemaru cut off the attack and landed in front of the coin pile. The Wingulls fell to the ground, forming a sparking heap of comically-charred, unconscious bodies. "Ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaah!" she declared, turning back to her guild mates. "Now, let's grab these coins for Nosepass, so we can get going."

Tessa gave Null a confused look. "Did you see what was scientific about that attack?" she asked.

Null shook his head.

"… tch. Amateurs. I used Lightning Rod to raise the intensity of my attack. Combining that with the angle at which the Discharge struck the Wingulls ensured it was a one-hit KO on all of them. It's a matter of basic physics, duh," Togedemaru explained.

"Oh, okay, that makes it much clearer," Tessa said, her voice filled to the brim with sarcasm. "Give me a second to shift some things around in my pouch so I can fit all these coins."

"Mind the clay pile in front of you," Togedemaru warned. "It can't support your–"

Fwump!

"Auuuuugh!"

"–weight." Togedemaru facepalmed. Null looked beside him and noticed that Tessa had somehow disappeared. He started looking around in confusion. "Stick your left foreleg down, buddy," Togedemaru said. Null did as instructed and felt something grabbing his insectoid exoskeleton. He hoisted his foreleg up, flinging a mud-covered Tessa toward Togedemaru's feet.

Tessa squirmed about. "Ugggh… this is totally disgusting!"

"Are you kidding? It's absolutely hilarious," Togedemaru mused. "The only way it'd be funnier is if it was Vulpix there instead!"

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

"Wahchooo!"

Shane sneezed, spitting out a mouthful of water that Comfey had tried giving him. "Good gracious. What was that all about?" she gasped.

"Dunno," Shane mumbled. "I've just got this strange feeling someone's making fun of me right now."

XxX

~Clayback River~

"Look at it this way, there are tons of minerals in that silt. When you wash this stuff off, your coat's gonna have a healthy sheen that oughta make Solgaleo blush," Togedemaru chuckled.

"Gee, that makes it so much better," Tessa groaned. She tried brushing silt off her torso, but it just ended up clinging to her paws. "And my pouch is totally ruined, too."

"You can always clean it off back at the guild," Togedemaru said. "I'll just use mine."

"Wait, you've had it the whole time? Then what was the point of making me walk over here?" Tessa seethed.

"It just slipped my mind, that's all," Togedemaru giggled.

Tessa fell backwards in disbelief, landing in the same pile of muddy clay with an unceremonious splash. Null's shoulders sagged and he stepped back to dig Tessa out of the silt once again. She wore an annoyed expression. "I so did not need this happening today," she griped.

"Are you okay?" Null muttered.

"Do I look okay?" Tessa growled, thrashing about and flinging clay onto Null's helmet and body.

Null huffed and released his grip on Tessa. "You wanna… talk about it… or something?"

"There's nothing to say," Tessa sighed. "It's obvious. The powers that be are telling me I can't ditch Vulpix, even though I want to. I'm just going to be stuck with him forever!"

"Hmm? So that's… still bothering you?" Null asked.

"Yes," Tessa said. "I… well… that is…" She poked her muddy digits together. "I'd really rather not say."

"Oooooooooh, but saying that just makes me all the more curious," Togedemaru said, appearing by Tessa's side.

"This doesn't concern you," Tessa huffed.

"Well, maybe I can help you work through your issues from a scientific angle," Togedemaru offered, though her eager grin didn't sell her sincerity.

Tessa slumped over. "No point in hiding it, I guess. You know how yesterday Vulpix said he's been communicating with Solgaleo in his dreams?"

Togedemaru nodded. "Wait, are you saying you actually believe the guy?"

"Yes," Tessa said. "Because the same thing is happening to me."

Null stiffened. "… you're sure?"

Tessa nodded. "I wanted to tell you earlier, Null. But, well, a part of me just thought I was just crazy. Look at how everyone reacted to hearing Vulpix say he's had visions in his dreams. I figured you guys would just laugh at me." Her shoulders sagged. "But it's really happening. Honest. The thing is, I'm not seeing Solgaleo. I'm seeing my mom."

"… you mean Lucario?"

"Wait? Lucario's talking to you? What's going on? Is she okay? Where did she take off to?" Togedemaru asked. Tessa shrank back at her rapid-fire question assault.

"It's… complicated. I don't really feel like explaining it," Tessa said. "The biggest part is that she keeps telling me to leave Vulpix. She said Vulpix will keep attracting trouble and if I stay on his team, I'm just going to get dragged into it. And after everything's that's happened lately, I just don't think I can handle it. Plus, it's my mom. I… I'm always supposed to listen to her, right?"

"You're just now realizing Vulpix is a troublemaker?" Togedemaru scoffed. "Please, I could've told you that day one."

"… you're just… upset… at him… and holding a grudge…" Null muttered.

"Of course I am. He called me a Pikachu!" Togedemaru spat. "Stupid, skinny, overrated little posers..."

Tessa ignored her. "It's just, y'know, I remember what we talked about last night, Null," Tessa said. "About me trying to be a role model and stuff. But I can't just go against my mom's wishes like that. Besides, I can't explore on my own." Her aura feelers drooped. "I'm just not good enough. I'll never be as good as Mom."

"Just ditch Vulpix, then," Togedemaru scoffed. "You and him obviously don't mesh. He'll understand."

Null stepped in front of Togedemaru. "I just… want you to be happy. That's what… friends want… right?"

Tessa smiled, though no one could tell with the mud dripping down her snout. "So, would you be okay if we teamed up, Null?"

"… if it's for you… I can live with it…" Null said, letting out a few rasping coughs.

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane hovered in midair, barking up a storm. His legs dangled under him unresponsively. "No, please don't make me do this! I don't wanna!" he whined. "It's gonna be painful!"

"For the last time, you're an ice-type. This'll be fine," Comfey sighed. "Now, on the count of three. One… two…"

"W-Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Shane hollered. "I, uh, got Trapinch to sneak me a berry five minutes ago. You can't put me in the ice bath, because I have to wait thirty minutes after a meal to swim."

Comfey gave him an unamused look. "You didn't get any berries. You've spit up everything I've tried feeding you today. That's why we're doing this. You're so dehydrated you won't take in food or fluids. This is for your own good. Stop trying to wriggle out of it." This only made Shane bark even louder. "Oh, for pity's sake. I can't even use Sweet Scent on you right now. I'll need to resort to something else." She tapped her chin. "I think I've got an idea."

She floated back toward her desk and started rummaging through it. "Hey, Vulpix. I've got a picture of Espeon and Umbreon right here. Lycanroc said you've got a crush on one of them, right?"

"What? No! He's lying. I don't have a crush on any–" Shane started, only to freeze at the sight of an old tabloid magazine. A blush overtook his face.

"Pefect," Comfey said. She released her psychic grip on Shane, dropping him into the ice bath with a holler. Frigid water splashed in all directions. Comfey floated up toward the edge and peered down. A circle of bubbles formed in the center of the bath.

"Don't you think that's a bit mean of you?" Dragonair wondered, slithering away from one of the infirmary beds.

"It was the best thing I could think of in the moment," Comfey said. "Unfortunately, it looks like it didn't shock his legs into working again." Dragonair shook her head and slithered out of the room while Comfey levitated Shane out of the ice bath. His head trembled and his teeth chattered. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic," Comfey dismissed. "You're perfectly fine."

"N-N-N-N-No I'm n-n-n-not. I'm f-f-f-f-f-freezing!" Shane squealed. Water streamed down his soggy fur, splatting against the surface of the bath. "G-G-G-G-Gimme a t-t-t-t-towel."

"Hmm, I'm not really sure how to explain that one," Comfey said.

It is entirely possible that Vulpix's human brain is overriding the instinctual desires his species has for colder body temperatertures, Magearna exclaimed. She walked into the room with a towel draped over one of her arms. I soaked this towel in cheri berry as you requestified. She set the towel down and exited the room.

"Excellent," Comfey said. She set her trembling patient down at the edge of the large water trough. "Don't worry Vulpix, this ought to help get some sensation back into your legs."

"Fffffffffforget that. I just… want a b… b… blanket," Shane stammered. "And a parka, a space heater, my Pikachu onesie… and a bathtub full of chicken noodle soup!"

XxX​

Metagross lay in the middle of his office, eyes closed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Metagross' eyes opened and he hoisted his body off the ground. Enter, he stated. The metal door slid open, allowing Braviary and Tessa to walk in.

"Err, Guildmaster. Riolu here has something–"

Stop.

Metagross' eyes flashed blue. Tessa's aura feelers stood on end. She had no doubt the Guildmaster had opted to read her mind instead of hear her out. Fact: you are requesting Team Radiance's termination. Fact: you wish to form a new team with Null. Request: one moment while I consider this proposal.

Tessa didn't have the chance to respond, as Metagross immediately closed his eyes. One second later, they opened back up. Proposal considered, Metagross announced. Fact: the timing of this request directly coincides with the human's delinquent behavior. Fact: terminating your team would absolve you of any consequences you would face as his teammate. Hypothesis: guild members will view this as a means to escape discipline in the future.

Tessa's face scrunched up. 'Oh, great. He's going to shoot me down.'

Fact: this issue is causing you significant distress, Metagross stated, prompting Tessa to grit her teeth. Conclusion: I will accept your proposal–

"You will? Oh, thank you, Guildmaster!"

Order: let me finish, Metagross warned, glaring at Tessa. She scooted closer to Braviary. I will accept your proposal and dissolve Team Radiance… provided you make it through my disciplinary assignment successfully.

Tessa stiffened. "Huh?"

Fact: I will explain when the human reports for disciplinary action following his recovery, Metagross said. He turned away from his door. … assuming he recovers at all. Order: you are dismissed.

"But…"

Dismissed, Metagross stated. Braviary then shooed Tessa out of the office.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear things ain't going well with yer pardner," Braviary said. "I don't suppose there's something I could do fer y'all, is there?"

Tessa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Braviary. My mind's made up on this matter. In fact, I'm going to go tell him right now."

"If you're going to see Vulpix, then I'm afraid you won't be having much of a conversation," Comfey said, floating by the duo with a pair of berries. "The ice bath and cheri berry combination didn't work. I'm afraid I had no other options but to administer a special serum to try and reverse the damage to his spine. I had to put him into a very deep sleep for his own safety. He won't be waking up until its effects wear off."

Braviary gave her shocked look. "Shoot. Was it really that bad?"

"All my attempts to correct the damage in his spine have failed so far," Comfey reported. "This is my last-resort option. I have to keep him asleep, otherwise I risk putting him in a tremendous deal of pain. I wish it hadn't come to this. Vulpix was too out of it to even consent. I just assumed he'd want the treatment..."

"What if this thing don't work?" Braviary asked.

"Then I fear he'll never walk again."

Tessa bit her lower lip. "Um, in that case, can you have someone tell me when he's awake? I need to talk to him," she whispered.

"It could very well be a week before he's up, Riolu. Maybe even more than one week," Comfey warned. "But, I'm sure I can arrange that." She floated away.

Tessa adjusted her scarf. "Well, I'm going off to bed. Sorry, Braviary." She walked off toward the living quarters.

Braviary sighed. "G'night, Riolu." He looked back at the door to the Guildmaster's office. "I sure hope you know what yer doing in there, Mets. Them two basically need a miracle right now."

XxX

~Mellath Bog~

"Tch! How disgusting!"

A pair of sky-blue wings spread apart. Their owner doubled over in a fit of coughing. Espeon turned around, only to flinch and look away from the sight. "We didn't ask you to come, you know. Why didn't you just stay back at Celestial Island?"

Behind her, Lunala rubbed his mouth with a black, crystallized arm. Said arm then spasmed, smacking against his chest. "You told me you were going to infect a dungeon. How could I not miss the opportunity to suck the life out of this worthless swamp's inhabitants? I'm hungry... I want more light." His mouth twitched, and then opened wide. His tongue lolled out to the side. "Even dank, murky light is better than nothing. Even if it tastes like moldy cheese lathered in Garbodor sheddings. It sends the pain away... and that's good enough."

Espeon put a paw up to her muzzle, and then forcibly swallowed the load of bile she stopped herself from spitting up. "Yeah, thanks for that wonderful mental image, buddy."

"What is the point in this, anyway? This is hardly the type of place you're going to get Tapu Fini to come to. Heeheeheehee… it's as depressing as your boyfriend over there," Lunala mused. His jaw tightened. "You two think you're so clever, don't you? You think you won Mistress Zero over by putting your heads together... but you won't fool me that easily. Your relationship is a farce. It's coming apart at the seems. In fact, I think it'll be your undoing. I mean... I'm not surprised. Umbreon just can't seem to put up with you anymore, can he? Look at him. He has an attitude that only the most devout sister could love." His arms twitched and he pulled them against his chest.

"Shut it, batface!" Espeon hissed, the diamond on her forehead sparking. She turned around, only to see her colleague had vanished.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve? Good. Because the two of you disgust me. Just as much as this swamp. You are using my light... power you never deserved. Mistress Zero is wasting my core's energy on you fools," Lunala whispered. From the shadows, he enveloped Espeon with his wings. She stood there, petrified, as his black arms twitched erratically against her fur.

"K-Knock it off, Lunala! You're not funny!" she shrieked, leaping forward and spinning around to face him.

"Really? Because I think I'm hilarious. You're just thin-skinned," Lunala crooned. "Perhaps your precious Umbry is rubbing off on you more than you'd care to admit." He paused, and then a grin spread across his lips. "Then again, he's always rubbed off on you, hasn't he?" Lunala added. "See what I did there... with the double entendre? I told you I'm hilarious!"

A flicker of yellow light caught Lunala's attention. His head pivoted and his red eyes flickered with interest. "Oh-ho! What have we here?" He disappeared into the shadows. Espeon raised a confused eyebrow.

Seconds later, a terrified pair of screams echoed through the swampland. Espeon jumped up onto a tree branch and spotted Lunala floating over a murky pond. He clutched two Lanturns in his metallic limbs. "Finally... some wildlife. A pair of Lanturns whose spirits I can devour. Look at these light balls… bobbing off of their heads. It's not much, but every little drop of light fills that gaping hole in my spirit. I'm so tired of feeling empty. That's why I want your life forces inside of me." He flapped the captive fish up and down, making their antennae bounce around.

"Put them down. Umbry and I call the infection shots, not you."

A red eye appeared inside the black, triangular armor on Lunala's forehead. "Oh? Are you telling me I can't take their light for myself? They live in this Mystery Dungeon. A Mystery Dungeon filled with stardust. Filled with light that was stripped from me. Their life energy is mine. I want this pain gone. I want my full spirit back." He hoisted the Lanturns up so they were at eye level with him. "Are you going to stop me, Espeon? Because I don't care how much Mistress Zero likes you. If you don't let me take their light, then I'm going to rip that tail off your round little behind and strangle you with it!"

Espeon's eyes widened in horror. She stepped back, looking away from Lunala and saying nothing.

"Silence. Good. I'm glad you know where you stand."

"L-Let us go!" one of the Lanturn shrieked. Bright green energy gathered at the tip of her antennae.

But before any attack could fire, the red eye atop Lunala's forehead brightened. Both Lanturn abruptly stopped screaming and seized up in Lunala's arms. Espeon wore a neutral expression as the colors spilled off the Lanturns' bodies. They swirled around Lunala's head before flying into his open mouth. His entire body convulsed, causing him to drop the two colorless Lanturns. They struck the ground and, in an instant, black crystals covered every square inch of their lifeless bodies. Lunala's three red eyes flashed and the crystals shattered. Their remnants dissolved into fine black mist.

"It wasn't much, but at least it took some of the edge off," Lunala said. Espeon turned away, only to jump backwards and give a startled yelp as Lunala teleported right in front of her. "You and Umbreon, on the other hand? You would be quite filling! Your spirits are strong. And they are filled to the brim with Z-Power from my core. The fact that you haven't felled the human yet is a testament to how you have stolen what belongs to me."

He leaned in and saliva dripped onto the ground in front of Espeon. "I want your spirit. I want Umbreon's, too," he said. "Oh yes… I imagine your life energy must taste so sweet... like cotton candy! But Mistress Zero would rather give power that isn't hers to worthless mortals like you. Which is why I can't wait for you two to crash and burn. I'll swoop in and take my light back. And you can spend eternity with your precious Umbry."

Espeon shrank backwards, tail shooting between her legs. "U-Umbry!" she shouted. "You need to hurry up... now!"

Umbreon jumped up onto a nearby rock. "It's finished. All we need to do is wait for the crystals to corrupt the dungeon. That ought to drive Tapu Fini out of hiding." Espeon joined her partner on his perch and looked out across the swamp. Ahead of her, a cluster of black crystals sent out shockwaves of dark energy. As they raced across the swamp, they transformed the murky water into bubbling, fluorescent-purple ooze.

Lunala teleported over to the slime and examined it. He yanked his head back seconds before a particularly large bubble burst. "What an absolute waste! All of this Z-Power getting poured into twisting this landscape, when it should all be working toward giving me back my real body!" He floated up and glared at Umbreon.

Umbreon's brow furrowed. "Take it up with Mistress Zero. She approved our changes to this dungeon. We're leaving. The less time we have to spend around you, the better." Espeon produced an Entercard and opened up a Magnagate behind her. She and Umbreon trotted inside the portal, which then shut behind them.

Lunala wrapped his wings around his torso. "Yes, go ahead. Walk away," he taunted. "Just like the gods. Just like everyone who called themselves a friend. I cannot wait for you to fail once more. Heeheeheehee. Yes, and then I'll take your spirits. Because all light in this world belongs to me… to Necrozma!"

His red eyes flashed and a blue portal opened up in front of him. Necrozma unfurled his wings and flew off into it.

End of Episode 6
 
Last edited:
Chapter 25
This chapter was originally posted on December 19th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

~Dewdrop Woods~

"I'm sorry, Captain. I was unable to locate the source of the ultra aura traces you sensed."

Sticky emerged from behind a set of trees. A gray visor sat over his eyes, but it quickly dematerialized by dissolving into purple streams that faded into the harness on his chest.

"… tch. So, this was a waste of time, then?" Gallian growled, seated atop an overturned rock. He rolled onto his back and let his head droop down. He had an upside-down view of the blue-pawed dog Sticky addressed. "I thought Houndooms were supposed to be clever."

Sticky's eyes widened. "F-Forgive him, Captain Luxeira. He–"

The Houndoom raised a blue forepaw. "It's fine, Sticky," she said, adjusting her white, full-body jumpsuit as she got to her feet. "Truthfully, I didn't have a lot of hope, given how weak the signals were. It looks like we were too slow on the draw."

"Yeah… you seem to have a rather nasty habit of that," Gallian sneered.

"Well, perhaps if the terrestrial with the self-professed 'disaster sense' could offer up a little more support, this wouldn't be happening," Luxeira countered, her expression unreadable behind her helmeted visor. "Our partnership was born out of circumstance, but I seem to recall you saying that you 'owed us big time.' Perhaps it's time to you started living up to that promise. Or are the inhabitants of this world the type to renege on their vows so easily?"

"… tch. My disaster sense doesn't give specifics, Captain," Gallian growled. "And it's not going to work unless I'm close to the disaster, literally or figuratively speaking."

"Easy now, you two," Sticky coaxed, floating in between them. "There's no need for petty squabbles. We are here for reconnaissance work, after all. And, even without a source for the ultra aura, it's pretty evident that something transpired in this… this…" He tapped his forehead. "Oh, what do you terrestrials call this location, again?"

"A Mystery Dungeon?" Gallian said.

"Yes, yes. Quite an odd designation. I do not see any apparatuses associated with highly-fortified terrestrial prisons," Sticky mused. "But that's beside the point. What could have torn the landscape asunder like this?"

Gallian sat back up on his rock and rubbed his temples. "First off, enough with the big words. You sound like an uptight stiff. Second, I've got a hunch as to what's responsible."

"Oh? Do tell, rookie," Luxeira ordered.

"It was probably a Bewear," Gallian said, "or five."

Sticky titled his head in confusion. "Captain, are you familiar with that Pokémon? I am afraid I have not encountered it in the past."

"They're really big. And strong. Like, they can snap trees in half just by hugging them. It's the only Pokémon I can think of capable of doing something like this that lives around here," Gallian explained. "I guess the group that did this ran off."

Luxeira got to her feet. "Then it would appear it's time for us to move o–" She froze. Gallian tensed up, digging his claws into the rock. Luxeira's visor flashed. "Sticky! Get a load of this. I'm picking up substantial ultra aura readings."

Sticky pressed the jewel at the center of his harness. His visor rematerialized over his eyes. He placed a stubby hand on his temple and frowned. "I concur, Captain. Off to the southwest. A noticeable surge… and it doesn't appear to be subsiding, either."

"Rookie, what lies to the southwest of this dungeon?" Luxeira asked.

"Uh… that'd be Tethys Tunnel. It leads to an underground swamp," Gallian exclaimed.

"Alright. Sticky, I want you to do some careful observation on this 'Tethys Tunnel' and report back to me posthaste," Luxeira ordered.

Gallian's eyes flashed purple. "No way. Nuh-uh. You're not letting him get anywhere near that place."

"Because, let me guess, 'disaster awaits us if he does?'" Luxeira scoffed.

Gallian glared daggers at her. "Yeah. Pretty much," he seethed.

"Rookie, Team Paradox's first and foremost responsibility is to investigate anomalies that we suspect have ties to Ultra Space," Luxeira declared. "Even without a home, we're not about to abandon that principle."

Gallian pointed his scythe toward Luxeira. "Yeah, and how much have you accomplished here, honestly? Lemme answer that… nothing. Pinhead's not going to Tethys Tunnel, period."

Luxeira stormed over to Gallian's location and grabbed his scythe. The energy forming on it quickly dissipated. "I am your captain. And, as such, I'm ordering my subordinate to investigate Tethys Tunnel."

Gallian's forehead diamond sparked. "Then I'm going with him. Things probably won't end as badly if I'm around."

"Absolutely not," Luxeira said. "Your violent temperament will not do Sticky any good."

"But he's going to run into trouble. I'm sure of it," Gallian hissed.

"Then he will do his best to remove himself from that situation," Luxeira declared, giving Sticky a nod.

"Seriously?" Gallian gave her an exasperated look. "I went to a lot of trouble to get you two TM's so that you could actually defend yourselves out in these Mystery Dungeons. And you're telling me that you're just going to let that go to waste?"

Luxeira flicked her tail. "All members of an Ultra Recon Squad surveillance unit are expected to adhere to a strict nonaggression policy. We observe, but we don't attack unless there are no other options."

"Yeah, fat lot of good that policy did your home, huh?" Gallian muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Luxeira growled.

"Nothing," Gallian dismissed, turning his snout skyward. "You want to find Tethys Tunnel? Fine. Follow me." Gallian turned and led Luxeira and Sticky back along the forest trail.

XxX

Episode 7: The Great Divide

Chapter 25: Fading Radiance


XxX​

"Fooooooooooooooooooooool!"

So loud was Solgaleo's roar that it made the tiny dreamscape island quake. Shane tumbled down the sand and landed in the orange water with an unceremonious splash. Only, to his horror, he realized what soaked him was far more viscous than water. It was more like orange slime. When he managed to trudge back onto the beach, he resembled a normal, fire-type Vulpix.

"I explicitly gave you one direction. Do not disclose our conversations!" Solgaleo bellowed. "And now you've gone and done just that. Do you have brain damage? Because it's not like my instructions were hard to follow."

Shane writhed about, trying to clear some of the ooze off his body, but to little avail. "I… I didn't have a choice. I was backed into a corner there. And besides, I needed to prove a point. It helped out, didn't it?"

"What sort of answer is that? You are the worst chosen one ever!" Solgaleo shouted. "Proving a point is far less important than saving the world, don't you think?"

Shane flinched at this.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself, human?"

Shane drew his lips back into a snarl. "I get it okay. Tessa, Null, the rest of the guild, and now you, too. You all hate me. Think I'm some sort of screw up, don't you? Well, why'd you bring me here, then? Why did you think that I'd actually be the one who could save your sorry butts, huh? You've given me no sense of direction, extremely cryptic clues, and not a single power boost to help me. How do you expect me to do this when nobody wants to help?"

"Siiiiiiillllleeeeeeennnnce!"

Shane jumped. He glared off toward the horizon, where a sun-shaped silhouette sat. "Well, which is it? You want an explanation or you want me to keep my mouth shut? I'm getting very mixed messages here, bub."

"I do not have the strength to bring forth another human," Solgaleo declared.

"And why not?" Shane huffed. "You didn't answer my first question, either. Why me, huh? What makes me special?"

"I said… silence! If I'm to be stuck with you, I need to make the best of a bad situation."

"Gee, thanks for the ringing endorsement," Shane sneered. "Real words of encouragement from a Pokémon that's supposedly worshiped around these parts. You're supposed to be making me feel better. Picking me up in my moment of need! Instead, you're just putting me down."

"Idiot! I am not here to give you belly rubs and tell you that you're the very best like no one ever was," Solgaleo roared. "This isn't some happy-go-lucky fairy tale where everyone holds hands and skips around in circles belting out songs about friendship and joy. This is a real, dangerous situation. Lives are on the line!"

"Yes, I think that's been made abundantly clear to me at this point," Shane said. "So, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? Rally your stupid friend, Riolu, and go after Absol like I told you to!" Solgaleo ordered. "And this time, no more excuses."

"Yeah, uh, and just
how do you expect me to do that, big guy? According to Comfey, I broke my spine," Shane admitted.

"So? You are a Pokémon. You should heal up quickly," Solgaleo said.

"Look, I don't exactly know how healing works here. But where I come from, a broken spine is
not something you just bounce back from and resume going about your business like nothing happened," Shane elaborated. "Heck, the whole reason I'm asleep right now is that Comfey's trying to use a serum to get my legs working. And if it fails… I don't think I'm ever going to walk again."

His head and ears drooped. "Besides, it's not like Tessa's going to be all that cooperative with me. She totally hates me now. She'd rather run around doing missions with Null. And that guy's the walking definition of creepy." He looked out toward horizon. "So, again, are you sure you've got the right guy? Tessa told me Null just randomly appeared with no memory several months back. And he's much stronger than me. Maybe he's the human you actually brought here? And I'm… just a mistake."

"Null? I know of no Nulls!" Solgaleo responded. "You are the human I summoned. Quit acting like a crybaby and get to work!"

Before Shane could offer a rebuttal, his entire field of vision went white.


XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane's eyes shot open. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the lack of light. 'Great. Not only did that go terribly, I woke up in the middle of the night,' he groaned. 'Things just keep getting better and better in Shane's horrible new reality.' He rubbed his head against his pillow and cringed at the feeling of moisture. 'Looks like I've got night sweats, too,' he sighed.

He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately hoping he could will himself back to sleep. Unfortunately, his brain didn't get the memo, so he continued to lie there, staring up at the ceiling. 'Maybe this is some form of punishment?' he thought. 'Like, I spent all that time playing Pokémon games and doing things online related to Pokémon when I could've, I don't know, volunteered in the community, or whatever. And now, as some sort of twisted karmic retribution, I'm trapped here in what should be a dream come true, only everything's trying to kill me and I haven't made a single friend.'

Shane shuddered. 'No, I can't think like that. I'm not a bad person. I might not be perfect, but that's why the phrase "I'm only human" exists in the first place, right? There are way more malicious folks out there. I need to keep my head up.'

He looked down at his hind legs and tails. 'Come on,' he thought. 'Come on, Shane. You can do this. Move those legs… move them. Come on… come on…' His brow furrowed, he grit his teeth, and held his breath as he tried to bend his knees. Much to his surprise, he saw his legs move ever so slightly toward his thighs.

His expression brightened immediately. 'Did Comfey's treatment work? Can I use these legs again?' With a forceful breath in, he flicked his foreleg back and hit one of his hind legs. The leg in question tensed up from the contact. 'I actually felt that!' he cheered. 'Oh, thank god, it worked. I'm healed!' He let himself fall back against his pillow, panting from exhaustion. Somehow, that brief bit of exertion had managed to drain him of his energy. He quickly fell back asleep.

Several hours later, light funneled in through the curtain, causing Shane to wake up. He stretched out his neck and, with considerable effort, managed to sit himself up. 'Maybe this means I can finally get out of bed without being levitated around,' he hoped.

"U-Um, h-hello? A-Are you a-awake in there, Mr. Vulpix?"

Mimikyu's squeaky voice came from the other side of the curtain. "Come in," Shane said. A ghostly hand drew back the curtain and Mimikyu zigzagged into the room. "What do you want?" Shane asked.

"O-oh… n-no…" Mimkyu looked down. "Are you not supposed to have visitors? I didn't get that memo. Please don't rat me out!"

"Relax, it's fine," Shane dismissed. "Did someone send you over here?"

Mimikyu shook his head. "No. I just, y'know, wanted to see how you were holding up." The little eye slots in his disguise started tearing up. "You've been asleep for a week now and–"

Shane's eyes widened. "A week?!" he gawked.

"Agh! Sorry! S-Sorry! I thought... y'know... someone had already told you," Mimikyu mumbled. "Comfey was supposed to break that news. Oooooh, she's going to be so mad at me."

Shane sat there in stunned silence. Mimikyu stared at him, and then looked down dejectedly. Just as it looked like he was about to leave, Shane snapped out of his stupor. "Wait. You clearly came here for something. What did you want?" he asked.

"R-Right. Sorry. Anyway, you've been asleep all this time, and I don't think a single Pokémon has come to visit you. I thought that maybe you'd appreciate a little company… but then I saw you move behind the curtain. So, I figured you must be awake. Aha ha… ha…" The head of his disguise flopped over, obscuring his eyes.

Shane frowned. "Yeah, I'm not exactly the most popular guild member right now. Thanks for the reminder."

Mimikyu's disguise stiffened. "O-Oh no! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad! I was only trying to cheer you up." He scuttled toward the bed. "For what it's worth, I thought Lycanroc was very scary too."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Shane muttered, but in the back of his mind, he thought, 'Great. It's like I'm back in my high school cafeteria. No one's letting me sit with them, so I have to slink over to that one table where the kid with hideous braces always sits.'

"Um…" Mimikyu shifted about, sensing the awkward silence. "I, uh, thought you might be hungry. So, I brought you a treat." His spectral arm appeared from underneath his disguise, carrying a small plate. "It's a 'Get Well Soon' Muffin. I made it myself!"

Shane looked at the "muffin," which actually appeared to be several brown lumps held together by a red paste. "I know it doesn't look that good," Mimikyu admitted, "but Steenee tried one and liked it." He set the plate down next to Shane's head.

'Yeah, but how much Sweet Scent did she douse it in?' Shane wondered. 'Well, I am hungry. May as well eat this.' He picked up the muffin and took a tiny, cautious bite of the largest lump. His eyebrows raised. "Huh, you're right. It's not bad." He scarfed the rest of the muffin down.

"I could get some more from the cafeteria if you want," Mimikyu offered. He looked down dejectedly. "Nobody else ate any."

Shane felt a pang of guilt. Clearly, he wasn't the only one failing to fit in. "You know what, that sounds good. Why don't you grab me three or four?"

The head of Mimikyu's disguise perked up. "Okay!" He turned to leave, only to see Comfey floating in front of him. Mimikyu tensed up. "Err, hi Miss Comfey. I, um, was just visiting Mr. Vulpix. Hope you don't, y'know, mind."

"It's quite alright, Mimikyu. But I'll need you to run along. Vulpix and I have work to do," Comfey said. Mimikyu saluted the healer with his shadowy arm and scurried back down the hall.

"Well, so much for breakfast," Shane muttered.

"I don't want you gorging yourself on carbs, mister," Comfey chided. "Not when we need to start rehabilitating those legs of yours."

Shane raised a brow. "Eh? How did you know I can feel my legs again?"

Comfey smiled. "Because you just told me."

Shane flopped back against his pillow. "Looks like I walked right into that one." An unseen force grabbed hold of him and lifted him off the bed. Shane's paws make contact with the floor. Comfey released her psychic grip and Shane collapsed onto his belly. "Ooooooooogh," he groaned. "Warn me before you do that."

"Sorry. In any case, we should get started. I find that most limbed Pokémon need a lot of time to get up and walking again. But since you're a human, maybe things will be different for you," Comfey said.

What followed was several hours of strenuous work for Shane. The net result being that he could shakily get to his feet. However, as he tried to shuffle forward, his hind paws slipped out from under him. Comfey grabbed him with her telekinesis before he could wipe out, and then give him a gentle nudge along. Still, his frustration was clearly mounting.

"Okay… I officially take back… every time I ever… laughed at those cheesy rehab scenes… in inspirational movies." he wheezed.

"Let me get you some water. You're sweating enough to fill up the town fountain," Comfey mused.

Shane dropped to his stomach, sides heaving. "Isn't there a better way… to do this?"

Comfey frowned. "This is the way I always rehabilitate my patients," she exclaimed. "I suppose if you're that desperate there's one other thing I could attempt. But the last Pokémon I tried this on lost all the fur on her legs."

Shane craned his neck back and brushed his sweaty coat with his snout. "Look… I'm desperate here. I'll try anything."

Comfey sighed. "Fine. If it's really bothering you that much, I suppose I can let you try my special healing potion." She floated over to a cabinet and pushed it aside with her telekinesis, revealing a safe. "It's actually a liquid soap. You pour it into a bath and soak yourself in it. It's supposed to seep through your skin and repair damage to any bones and muscles, but, as you heard, it's had mixed results."

"Wait, how am I supposed to use it, then?" Shane wondered. "There are only showers in the lodging area."

The safe opened, revealing a small, corked bottle filled with fizzy pink liquid. Comfey levitated it onto her desk. "We have baths in the veterans' quarters. I'll have to go ask the Guildmaster if it's okay for you to use one. Wait here." Comfey left the infirmary. When she disappeared from Shane's view, he heard her say, "Oh, hi, Riolu. Do you need something?"

"I'm good Comfey. I just need to speak to Vulpix."

Shane's ears folded against his head. 'It's Tessa. And she doesn't sound very happy.' He buried his head in his forelegs, so he couldn't see her enter the room. Much to his surprise, he didn't hear her say anything. Instead, Tessa draped a piece of paper over Shane's back. His head shot up with a startled yip. He craned his neck around and managed to grab the paper with his snout.

"What'd ya do that for?" Shane whimpered. "And what's this?"

Tessa crossed her arms. "It's a teammate dissolution notice. I'm done putting up with you."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shane expected something like this could happen. But the shock of hearing her say it overwhelmed him anyway. All he could do was repeat in his head over and over one single thought.

'She really does hate me.'

The silenced lingered, with Shane staring blankly at the piece of paper. He kept opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, but only succeeded in letting out short rasps. "Well? Say something, already," Tessa growled, tapping a foot on the ground.

Shane looked Tessa in the eye. "Why?" he croaked.

"You know exactly why. You're an insufferable jerk," Tessa explained. "I don't want to be around you anymore."

A whine escaped Shane's muzzle. His mind raced to try and form up something to say that could change her mind, even though the look in her eyes said she would never budge on this issue. "Please," he croaked. "I… I see now that I screwed up… badly. Just give me another chance. I'm begging you. You have no idea how awful this whole affair has been. I can honestly say this is the worst I've ever felt in my whole life. Both the Pokémon and human parts. Please don't make it any worse."

"Don't pull that crap with me. I've given you several chances," Tessa growled. "I'm sick of the constant danger. I'm sick of getting looked down on because I teamed up with you. And I especially don't want the Prism Virus chasing me around when it's really after you." Shane winced with each and every gripe Tessa rifled off. She turned away from him. "The Guildmaster's making us stay together for whatever punishment you got us. After that, I'm creating a new team with Null. I'll never have to deal with you again."

Shane's brow furrowed. "You're really just going to leave me like that? What am I supposed to do, then? I… I can't handle the Prism Virus by myself. It's a danger to everyone, including you."

"Haven't you been calling yourself a chosen one? Well, now you've got your chance to prove it," Tessa responded stoically. "Or, better yet, why not let the experienced Pokémon take over and stay on the sidelines for once? You'd be doing us all a favor." She turned and stormed out of the room.

"… that's it then," Shane whispered. "I'm all alone." He bowed his head solemnly.

'This isn't fair. I'm just trying to help everyone. Why can't Tessa see that?' he thought. 'Why doesn't she appreciate it? She should be defending me, not joining everyone else in getting mad at me. I'm doing the best I can here.' His muzzle stiffened. 'She really doesn't expect me to just sit and wait while the Prism Virus runs amok, does she? How can she even think that? She's just as wrapped up in this as I am!'

Before he could feel any sorrier for himself, a psychic force grabbed him and levitated him out of the room. He floated beside Comfey as she guided him to the stairs. "So, good news. I got you permission to use a bath in the veterans' quarters." The bottle of soap also floated next to Shane. "I just need to mix this into the water and have you stay in there for, let's say, an hour or so."

"An hour?" Shane sputtered. "I'll shrivel up!"

"The serum needs time to seep in through your skin," Comfey said. Shane noticed that they had passed the dimly-lit veterans' rooms and descended to an even-darker sublevel in the Observatory. Only a pair of small, orange Luminous Orbs provided light in the hallway. "Apologies with how dark it is down here," Comfey continued. "I've found that the lower lighting helps make the baths more relaxing. I can turn them up if you'd like."

"It's fine," Shane whispered. Comfey levitated him through one of the doors, revealing a small, purple, circular room shrouded in steam. He hovered in the doorway while Comfey proceeded to pour the bottle's contents into the water. Within seconds, mountains of lavender soap bubbles formed up.

"Alright, off you go," Comfey exclaimed, lowering Shane toward the pool.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Shane gasped, limbs flailing about. "You're not actually about to just plop me in here and watch me bathe, are you?"

Comfey raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem? Even if the fur covering your sensitive areas gets brushed aside, they'll be under water. I won't be able to see anything sultry and I need to make sure nothing happens to you."

Shane's face scrunched up. "Look, I don't know how Pokémon do things, but humans bathe alone. So, leave me be."

Comfey gave Shane an unamused look. "Oh, for pity's sake. You're the most difficult patient I've had in all my time here." She turned toward the doorway and her eyes flashed. Shane watched a blur whiz past his face and land in the bath.

"A rubber Ducklett? I'm not a little kid, you know."

"It's got a two-way communicator in it, so I can check in on you," Comfey explained. "I'm not about to float in that hallway for an hour."

"Fine. Whatever. I'll call you if I need you," Shane said. He watched Comfey float out of the room. The second the door shut behind her, the levitation ceased. Shane fell into the bath, splattering water around the rim. Luckily, he landed in the shallower part and easily surfaced, spitting up soapy water. "That wasn't very kind or caring," he muttered.

Shane managed to pull himself up to the rim of the bath. He rested his back against the wall and allowed the shallow floor to support his legs. Gradually, he slid down under the surface. Shane used his forepaws to pull some of the soap piles over toward him, washing away the grime and sweat in his fur from last week's events.

"Well, now what, Shane?" he sighed. "You finally have an inkling of an idea about what's going wrong with this world, only now the enemies are too tough for you to beat. Your partner's being unreasonable. The Guildmaster and Braviary think you're incompetent and now you're gonna get seriously punished. How do we fix this, huh?"

"There's only one thing you can do in this situation."

Shane blinked a few times and looked to his right. Above his shoulder floated a black shadow with a wisp of white smoke coming out of its head. Shane blinked several times. "This... this is just a trick, right?"

"... hmph, I do not waste my time with idle tricks," the specter sneered, crossing his arms.

Shane reached up and pulled his ears against his forehead. "Oh god... this is it... I'm totally losing my mind, here! And I didn't even have the common sense to hallucinate something really evil like Giratina or Yveltal!"

"Hrmph. I'm positively insulted!" the specter said, shaking his head. "You know that I've done far worse than either of those two rubes."

"Okay... fair point, Darkrai," Shane said, sighing. "Given the world I'm in, you're the perfect candidate to drive me crazy."

"Glad to see my reputation precedes me," Darkrai chuckled. "Then, I suppose we can cut to the chase."

"Hold up. Isn't there supposed to be another figment of my imagination here? Doesn't my conscience get a say in this?"

"Bah! The way I see it, you're so inept your conscience doesn't even want to try and sway you," Darkrai scoffed.

"That's not true!"

A flash of pink encased Shane's left shoulder. From it appeared a blue, swan-like creature. "Gee… a Cresselia. How predictable," Shane deadpanned. He glanced at Cresselia. "By the way, you owe me, like, a thousand Reviver Seeds. Dumb, stupid escort mission… I wasted hours saving your sorry butt."

"You do realize I'm a figment of your imagination, right?" Cresselia squeaked.

"If that's the case, what took you so long?" Shane sneered.

"This jerk Dark Voided me," Cresselia growled.

Darkrai shrugged. "You made it all too easy."

"Right. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Except for the part where it doesn't," Shane hissed. "Well, thanks, but you both wasted a trip. I'm trying to do some thinking for myself. So, unless you two plan on offering up some much-needed advice, buzz off!"

"Oh, I've got advice," Darkrai declared. "It's quite simple. Ditch these inconsiderate bullies and join the winning side."

"You mean… I should let the Prism Virus get me?"

"Yes. More specifically, that Espeon you have your eyes on," Darkrai mused. "Or, is it the Umbreon? I'm inside your brain and frankly even I'm not sure what to make of it."

Shane's face went beet red. "S… stop assuming things!" he hissed.

Darkrai flicked a hand dismissively. "Whatever. The point is, they're hunting you down. Why not simply join them voluntarily? Y'know, get with the more powerful side? If you haven't been able to beat their flunkies, I hardly think you stand a chance against Espeon and Umbreon."

"Don't listen to him!" Cresselia cried. "I know things may seem bad, but the night is always darkest just before dawn. And, if you've really hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up."

"Seriously?" Shane said, cocking an eyebrow. "Motivational taglines? That's your best defense?"

Cresselia looked down. "They sounded good when I was rehearsing them in front of my mirror."

Shane didn't even want to try and imagine how that would work.

"You see?" Darkrai let out a laugh. "Your conscience can't even put up a reasonable counterargument. And that's because I'm right." He floated up next to Shane and flicked his snout. "You tried doing the whole hero routine. Look where it got you. You've been humiliated, thoroughly beaten, and then repeatedly kicked while you were down."

"The vaunted 'partner' who's supposed to turn into your best friend prefers the company of a freak of nature that doesn't even qualify as a real Pokémon. That's how bad at this you are." Darkrai began sarcastically slow-clapping. "I must give you kudos. What you managed to do on your own ranks up there with some of the best nightmares I've ever made."

Shane scowled. "That's not me. This whole place is a nightmare and I just got plopped into it without any say in the matter. I'm trying to do the best I can here, but I'm not getting any help."

"That's exactly why you have to fight on!" Cresselia declared. "Solgaleo brought you here. Tell me, how many hundreds of millions of humans could he have picked from? He clearly sees something in you. Sure, it's something that none of us are aware of at the moment, but with a little time and some focus, I'm sure you could become stronger and turn the tide of this situation."

"Aha ha ha ha ha! Don't be ridiculous! Him?" Darkrai gestured at Shane. "Give me a break! It's obvious Solgaleo went cross-eyed and brought him here by mistake." He leaned against Shane's snout. "I mean, did you really expect to accomplish anything here? The only reason you got through any of the games back home is because you cheated!"

Shane's annoyance disappeared and he sank down on the ledge. "Well, yeah. Because they're long… and tedious… and boring… and they're really dang hard, okay! I don't want to spend, like, ten hours grinding up because I can't beat one stupid boss. That's obnoxious."

Darkrai chuckled once more. "Exactly. There are no cheat codes or Action Replays here to bail you out. If you want to get stronger then you have to do it the old-fashioned way. And are you really up to that? Especially when you have no one to turn to for help?"

Shane started opening his mouth but Darkrai held up a hand. "Let me answer that. No, you're not. Which is why you will join this Prism Virus. You can get all the strength and power you'd ever want as a Pokémon with no effort required whatsoever." He crossed his arms. "Not to mention the added perks. Like getting to show up all these guild Pokémon who've made fun of you from day one. And, of course, the company of the lovely Esp–"

Shane flicked Darkrai away with a forepaw. "How many times do I have to say it? I don't feel anything about anyone here and if I do it's this stupid Vulpix body and its stupider Vulpix instincts!" He slapped the surface of the water with a forepaw.

"... hmph. How utterly childish," Darkrai sneered. "If you were working with the Prism Virus, you'd have no need for petulant tantrums."

"Shane," Cresselia whispered, "I know it might sound tempting, but it won't end the way you want it to. You've seen what's happened to all the infected Pokémon you've encountered."

"But none of them joined willingly," Darkrai countered.

"And who's to say he wouldn't just meet with the same fate if he joined willingly, huh?" Cresselia huffed. "Shane, you're hurting. I get that. It's stopping you from thinking straight. Please, realize that you have everything to lose and nothing to gain from listening to Darkrai. Think of what you'll be turning your back on. A way back home… your family…"

"Things he's barely even given a passing thought to since he arrived," Darkrai scoffed. "For all Shane knows, the Prism Virus could give him a way back home instantly."

"Yeah, but it would be as someone his family would never recognize," Cresselia countered. "You said it yourself earlier. You are not an inherently evil person. Don't give into dark temptations simply because things aren't going your way right now. That just means it's time to make a change. Just get through Metagross' punishment and you can start fresh. Maybe try making a new team with Mimikyu? He seems to like you."

Darkrai visibly fought to hold back his laughter. Cresselia glared at him. "Look, you said you wanted to be a hero and save this world, right? Well, that means you have to take the bad with the good. But the victory will be all the more satisfying if you struggle and work for it. I guarantee it," she proclaimed.

Shane lowered his head. "Enough, alright?" he sighed. "I just… I guess I'll see what this punishment is, and go from there."

Darkrai's lone visible eye flashed ominously. "Fine. But when you go out there and get yourself killed, don't say I didn't warn you." He then vanished in a swirl of black shadows. Likewise, Cresselia disappeared in a flash of pink light. Shane let out a yawn and felt himself drifting off to sleep…

"Vulpix, do you copy? It's Comfey. You've been in there for ninety minutes already! Is there a problem?"

"Guuzack… sssnrggt… huhwha–?" Shane rapidly blinked his eyes and looked over at the rubber Ducklett. He grabbed it and found the little speaker on one of its wings. "I'm okay. Must've dozed off." He tossed the toy out of the tub and, without really thinking about it, climbed out. Shane stood on all fours and shook about to try and dry himself.

"Man, where do they keep towels around here?" he muttered, walking about the room. Shane eventually found one in the corner. No sooner did he grab it with his snout then he realized something. "H-Hey! I'm walking!" he gasped. Shane sprinted over toward the rubber Ducklett. "That didn't hurt either," he chirped. "Comfey, I think your serum worked! No more pain or tingling. I'm walking just fine."

"Glad to hear it. Head on up to the infirmary, then. I should be able to discharge you after a quick check up," Comfey declared. Shane ran for the door and bounded up the steps, overjoyed to finally be over his horrible injury. He made it up to the veterans' quarters when he noticed a shadow passing through the hallway. Shane skidded to a stop and peered out from the staircase.

"I just can't help but feel sorry for her, y'know?"

'That sounds like Serperior,' Shane realized. He glanced around the hallway and then cautiously crept forward, following the sounds of conversation.

"What makes you say that?" Milotic's voice carried over to Shane.

"She got played by that human. I don't know what Vulpix did to convince her to work with him, but she's clearly miserable," Serperior scoffed.

"I must concur. The entire time she's been here, she hasn't seemed like her usual, perky self," Dragonair muttered. "But do you think that's Vulpix's fault?"

"Yes," Serperior replied. Shane's stance slouched. "And all of this is happening with her hatch day tomorrow, to boot."

Shane stiffened. 'Wait. They actually do birthdays here?' It was admittedly an aspect of Pokémon that Shane had never considered. 'And Tessa's is tomorrow? But why wouldn't she say anything?'

"Maybe you're better off not bringing that up," Milotic suggested. Shane found himself slowly creeping even closer to Team Captivate's room. "She hasn't exactly advertised it to the guild, you know."

"Can you blame her? Her teammate's an attention whore and in the span of a year her entire family's disappeared on her," Serperior said. "She's probably too heartbroken, since none of them will be here."

Shane's ears flattened against his head. 'But Tessa told me her parents were exploring in the Grass Continent. Did she lie to me? Why would she do that?'

"Maybe we should throw her a surprise party. Y'know, to cheer her up?" Serperior proposed.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but I think it's equally likely we could just end up making her really sad," Dragonair exclaimed. "Plus, she has to do that disciplinary assignment from the Guildmaster. I'll bet he made it so that it will run through her hatch day."

"We could always do a belated party, then," Serperior said.

"I just think it's too much of a headache at this point," Milotic sighed. "She clearly doesn't want anyone acknowledging it, so I say we respect her wishes. Even if we don't agree with them."

Shane found himself shuffling backwards. 'I don't believe this,' he thought. 'No wonder Tessa's furious with me.' He lowered his head guiltily. 'Why couldn't she have just told me what was going on?' He glanced over his shoulder and noticed that, in the process of sneaking around, he had ended up in front of another room. His eyes widened at the site of a large map of the Horizon Continent.

'This is Tessa's mom's room,' he realized. Shane took a step inside and examined the map in greater detail. Charcoal and ink markings dotted the map. Upon closer examination, Shane realized that most of the markings centered around continent's northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwestern corners. 'That's odd,' he thought. 'It seems like Tessa's mom was looking really hard for something. A treasure, perhaps?'

He crept into the room and started looking around. There were papers everywhere. 'Tessa must have got her tidiness from her dad, because this place is a total pigsty.' His forepaw struck a piece of paper. A crinkling noise filled up the room and Shane immediately tensed up.

"Well now. Yer looking mighty fit fer someone who'd been put to sleep to get his legs working again."

Shane slowly turned around and looked into Braviary's eyes. His fierce gaze was fixed directly on Shane, making Shane's heart race. "Uh… uh…" He looked around rapidly. "Whoa! How did I end up here? I guess that special healing soap Comfey gave me must've made me space out."

"Nice try, son," Braviary harrumphed. "But we both know that's a lie. This is the second time I've done caught you wandering these halls unsupervised. And that's on top of the trouble yer already in, to boot. What d'ya gotta say fer yerself, pardner?"

Shane had meekly lowered to the floor. "I'm… sorry?" he squeaked.

"Save it fer the Guildmaster," Braviary exclaimed. "Since yer clearly feelin' better, I think it's high time you and yer pardner had yer disciplinary hearing."

Shane's eyes widened. "N-No, wait! Please! Comfey said I'm supposed to get checked out by her first." Braviary unfurled his wings, causing Shane to yelp. Braviary darted over to Shane and plucked him off the ground with his talons. He then flew out of the room, making for the stairs.

"Haunter! I know yer hiding 'round here. Make yerself useful and go wrassle up Riolu fer me," Braviary ordered. Shane looked to his right and saw a pair of eyes materialize in the wall.

"Aww, but it was just getting to the good part!" Haunter whined. His eyes vanished into the wall.

Shane shut his eyes tight. 'Is it just me, or did Braviary find me awfully quickly given I wasn't making any noise? And he seems really steamed about this.' His snout stiffened. 'Is there something about Tessa's mom he doesn't want me figuring out?' He briefly looked up at Braviary, only to squeak and look back down as Braviary met his gaze with an annoyed look.

'No, Shane. You can't make the same mistake you did with Lycanroc,' he thought. 'He's mad because you broke the rules when you're already in trouble.' He gulped. 'Which I'm sure is going to make Tessa even angrier.'

Shane yipped as Braviary dropped him to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, doing his best to avoid Braviary's gaze. Braviary gave three sharp raps on Metagross' metal door with his beak. He then shoved Shane forward as the door opened.

"Well, go on. Guildmaster's waiting fer ya."

Shane peered into the dimly lit room and felt his tails droop between his legs.

XxX​

Naturally, as soon as I saw the USUM trailer debuting the Ultra Recon Squad, I thought to myself they could make a fantastic Ultra Space variation of rescue/exploration teams. So, I created one for this story.
 
Last edited:
Here for chapters 24 and 25!

Starting off with a conversation between Prisma and Tessa was nice. It took me a few paragraphs to realize it wasn't some faux dream or whatever else that would make it Not Real, probably just because I wasn't expecting it... and it seems like the type of thing that would happen with Tessa's bad luck. :p Anyway, I'll be interested to see what kind of treatment she gets compared to Shane if she starts opening up more about those dreams and what she knows about Lunala.

I'm also surprised she's not more open to the idea of leaving Shane alone during her conversation with her mom. Later she seems so sure and angry, in the moment she's dumping Shane as a teammate, and I get why - she doesn't wanna betray her mom's wishes, and why would she trust Shane over her own mom anyway - but I guess the two disparate attitudes was slightly jarrnig regardless.

I don't think I've said this before, but I really love all the little details that go into Comfey's healing methods. They make good use of pokémon moves and put a unique spin on them, and watching Comfey tier them based on the severity of Shane's injuries and based on his body's reactions to previous healing methods was interesting. Anyway, I know Shane being completely healed was necessary for the plot, but it seems like the exact kind of break he needed.

I'm not sure what to make of the continued insinuations that Shane has a crush on either Umbreon or Espeon... Is that foreshadowing or just a gag? xD I'll be interested to find out. It does seem that he could become friends with them if it turns out them being good 'mons, just brainwashed 'mons, is true.

Shane shuddered. 'No, I can't think like that. I'm not a bad person. I might not be perfect, but that's why the phrase "I'm only human" exists in the first place, right? There are way more malicious folks out there. I need to keep my head up.'

Character development spotted! For real, this is probably the first time I've seen Shane stop himself from jumping to conclusions.

Of course, I get the feeling that it's true Braviary's got something to hide, and that'll only enforce his habit of jumping to conclusions in the end, but lol.

Finally, Shane's little angel vs devil argument with Cresselia and Darkrai was amusing. I don't see Shane seriously considering allowing himself to be infected... but then again, desperation and dire circumstances lead people to do crazy things. And it's not like Shane's always rational, if he ever is. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out!
 
Starting off with a conversation between Prisma and Tessa was nice. It took me a few paragraphs to realize it wasn't some faux dream or whatever else that would make it Not Real, probably just because I wasn't expecting it... and it seems like the type of thing that would happen with Tessa's bad luck. :p Anyway, I'll be interested to see what kind of treatment she gets compared to Shane if she starts opening up more about those dreams and what she knows about Lunala.
I suppose that's one way of looking at it. Though, given you're quite observational, I'm more surprised you're not questioning the authenticity of what's actually happening, given what happens in the last scene of that chapter. It was put there for a reason. ;)

I'm also surprised she's not more open to the idea of leaving Shane alone during her conversation with her mom. Later she seems so sure and angry, in the moment she's dumping Shane as a teammate, and I get why - she doesn't wanna betray her mom's wishes, and why would she trust Shane over her own mom anyway - but I guess the two disparate attitudes was slightly jarrnig regardless.
Hmm, I guess I might not have made things all that fluid. A week does pass, but we don't see it actually happen. The part about Null was supposed to be her hesitancy, but I probably need some sort of line in there about how she'd risk losing him as a potential friend if she didn't at least try his idea out.

I don't think I've said this before, but I really love all the little details that go into Comfey's healing methods. They make good use of pokémon moves and put a unique spin on them, and watching Comfey tier them based on the severity of Shane's injuries and based on his body's reactions to previous healing methods was interesting. Anyway, I know Shane being completely healed was necessary for the plot, but it seems like the exact kind of break he needed.
I did actually have to tinker with them a bit in revisions because there were a few glaring errors in the original version. And, yeah, Shane had to bounce back, so I opted to go for a middle of the road approach that he only comes back after having basically been in a coma for a week.

I'm not sure what to make of the continued insinuations that Shane has a crush on either Umbreon or Espeon... Is that foreshadowing or just a gag? xD I'll be interested to find out. It does seem that he could become friends with them if it turns out them being good 'mons, just brainwashed 'mons, is true.
Well, if I told the answer, I'd spoil the fun. As it stands, Lycanroc genuinely thought there was a crush in play... though I leave it up to your interpretation whether he added Umbreon to the mix out of spite or not.

Character development spotted! For real, this is probably the first time I've seen Shane stop himself from jumping to conclusions.
Huzzah! He's... learning?

Of course, I get the feeling that it's true Braviary's got something to hide, and that'll only enforce his habit of jumping to conclusions in the end, but lol.
Again, not saying anything here. ^^;

Finally, Shane's little angel vs devil argument with Cresselia and Darkrai was amusing. I don't see Shane seriously considering allowing himself to be infected... but then again, desperation and dire circumstances lead people to do crazy things. And it's not like Shane's always rational, if he ever is. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out!
All I can say is you might not like some decisions he's going to be making in the next couple of chapters. We're heading for rock bottom, after all. Thanks for reviewing! ^^
 
Bonus: Christmas Special 2017
This was the Christmas Special originally published on December 22nd, 2017. Unlike the Halloween special, it's extremely important! I suggest you read it, as it's got a pretty big reveal in it. Enjoy!

XxX

Bonus: Snowfall

~???~

"Looks like you're down to your last dude, Nicky."

A young boy leaned forward, looking over the screen of his Game Boy Color. He flashed a smile at his friend, who lay on the floor, looking at his own device.

"Heeheehee... don't think you've won yet, Shane. This one's my best guy," Nicky declared, pushing brown hair out of his eyes. "You ready for this? Go, Lugia!"

Shane watched the colored pixels flash across his screen. "Ha, big whoop! My Dragonite can totally deal with th–"

"Eat this... Psychic!" Nicky squealed, jostling his Game Boy in excitement. In the process, the Pikachu plushy in his lap dropped to the floor. Shane's enthusiastic expression quickly vanished as he watched Dragonite's sprite fall off of his screen.

"No way. You were faster than me?" Shane gasped.

"Now you're down to your last dude, Shane," Nicky taunted.

Shane's grin reappeared. "Ah, but I saved the best for last, too. Go, Ho-Oh!" The other Legendary bird popped up on his Game Boy's screen. He eagerly went to select a move to use. "Alright, it's time for me to win the bat–"

"Heeheeheehee! Nice try, but it won't help. Hydro Pump to the face, dude," Nicky said with a victorious laugh.

"What? It gets Hydro Pump?" Shane gasped. He watched the HP of his Ho-Oh trickle down to zero and Ho-Oh's sprite vanished from the screen. "No way. You totally cheated!"

"Of course Lugia gets Hydro Pump," Nicky scoffed. He grabbed his stuffed Pikachu and dusted off the rainbow ribbon pinned to its chest. "Don't you remember the Lugia movie? It lives underwater, dude." He disconnected the Link Cable tethering their Game Boys. "Better luck next time."

Shane hung his head in defeat. "Ugh, fiiiiine."

Ding-Dong!

"Nicholas, your mother's here!"

Nicky frowned. "Aww man. Already?"

"You can come back tomorrow, can't you?" Shane asked.

Nicky shook his head. "No. Tomorrow I'm going on a trip."

"Oh." Shane slowly got to his feet. "But we can play more when you get back, right?"

"Totally!" Nicky promised. The two of them ran down the staircase, where a pair of women stood by the door. One had on a black, puffy winter jacket.

"Nicholas, what do you say to Shane and his mom?" Nicky's mom asked, rubbing fog off her glasses.

"Right." He turned back to Shane. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"And?"

Nicky gave his mom a confused look. She rolled her eyes and said, "And Merry Christmas to you both."

"Oh, right! Merry Christmas, Shane. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Shane's Mom!" Nicky chirped, causing the two women to giggle.

"Okay. Let's get going before the snow gets really bad on the roads," Nicky's mom exclaimed. The two exited the house. Shane ran up to the window beside the door and gave Nicky a wave goodbye.

"I'll see you soon, dude!" he called as the car pulled out of the driveway.

XxX

~14 Years Later~

A young man removed the white coat he was wearing and draped it over his right arm. He paused at a corner and poked his head around the wall. "Dr. Sinclair?" he called.

"I know what I said, Rory, and I'm sorry. I got held up at work. I'm waiting on some labs for a patient."

He spotted a woman seated in front of a computer with her back to him. She had a cell phone pressed against her right ear, while her left hand twirled a lock of blonde hair. "Prisma?" he said, knocking on the wall.

"Hang on, Rory," Prisma sighed and pulled the phone away. She spun around in her office chair. "What are you still doing here, Sanders? I thought I told you to go drop by the holiday party before it closes down."

Sanders laughed nervously. "Aha ha… right. I was planning on doing that, but the Ardsley kids' parents yanked me aside and started asking me questions about his procedure tomorrow. Before I knew it…"

"Sanders, Sanders, Sanders," Prisma sighed, shaking her head. "How many times do I have to tell you? Do not indulge helicopter parents. You'll never be able to shake them off. Give them brief answers and tell them you'll check in on their kid shortly. Then get your butt out of that room." She lifted her phone up. "Now, is there anything else? I'm a bit busy here."

"I, uh, just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. You're, um, not stuck working this year, are you?" Sanders asked.

"Ha! Good one, Sanders," Prisma laughed. "That's what we've got you residents for."

Sanders eyes widened. "B-But I thought I had Christmas off," he muttered.

Prisma rolled her eyes. "You do. Learn to take a joke, Sanders. It'll go a long way in this field. Now, get a move on before I change my mind and make you do blood draws with the nurses."

"R-Right," Sanders muttered. "Merry Christmas, boss."

"And a happy new year," Prisma replied, waving her subordinate off. She spun back around in her chair and took her hand of the phone's speaker. "Sorry about that, sweetie. One of the kids had a question." A pause followed. "Yes, I was talking about a resident. You know how Sanders gets sometimes. Poor guy's too polite for his own good."

A notification popped up on Prisma's computer. "Oh… oh!" She leaned in toward the screen and started moving the mouse around. "Looks like I shouldn't be out too much longer, Rory. I just got the test results I needed. I'm going to wrap things up with my patient. With any luck, I'll be home in an hour."

She went silent and nodded slowly. "I'm aware it's already after sundown. Can't she just wait until I'm home?" Prisma sighed and rubbed her temples. "Okay, tell you what. She can open one of her birthday presents now. But she'll need to wait until I'm home to open the rest. And don't let the kids get at the cake yet, either."

Another pause followed. "Love you too, sweetie. I'll be home before you know it." She ended the call and tucked the phone into the pocket of her white coat. Prisma took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. "Come on, baby. Prisma needs a Christmas miracle here." She pulled up a page of lab results and immediately started scanning them. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, thank heavens. This is fantastic!"

Prisma typed into the keyboard and the printer beside her whirred to life. The lab values printed out and she grabbed the page. Prisma fast-walked down the hallway, approaching a bedroom in the corner. She stopped at the door and gave a knock. "Evening, Mr. and Mrs. Miller," she greeted. Then she turned toward the bed, where a young girl lay heavily wrapped in blankets. "And hello to you too, Izzy. How are we feeling tonight, huh?"

"Kinda tired," Izzy mumbled. She pulled the stuffed Lapras doll in her arms up against her face.

"She just woke up from a nap," Mrs. Miller explained. "We know that the floor's holiday movie night is happening soon." She shot her husband a concerned look. "But you said you weren't sure if she'd be allowed to leave the room and go."

"Well, I have some good news for you all, then," Prisma exclaimed, passing the page she printed to the Millers. "Her white count's showing marked improvements. No inflammatory markers, either."

Mr. Miller examined the page in confusion. "What does that mean, doctor?"

"It looks like the bone marrow transplant is taking," Prisma elaborated. "She's responding well to it. No signs of rejection in her labs." She stepped to the side, allowing a nurse to enter the room. "So, I'm happy to say that she's got my permission to take part in the floor's Christmas activities." Her smile widened. "And that includes movie night, of course."

Izzy sat up at this. "Really?" she squeaked. "Can Cissy come with me, too?" She held up the Lapras doll.

Prisma nodded. "I think that would be okay," she exclaimed. Izzy cheered and hugged the plush while the nurse helped her out of the bed and into a wheelchair. Prisma gave her a wave as the nurse wheeled her toward the exit. "You have a Merry Christmas, okay Izzy? I'll be back soon to check up on you."

"Okay. Merry Christmas, Dr. Prisma," Izzy bid her farewell.

Prisma waited until the wheelchair was out of view, and then turned to her parents and said, "You'll want to sanitize and wash that doll tonight. Her immune system's improving, but it's far from perfect."

"Of course, doctor," Mr. Miller said. "We can't thank you enough for all your help." He wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "We were so worried she was going to be cooped up in this room for all of Christmas."

"It's my pleasure. I'm here to help," Prisma replied. "Now, I should let you know that I'll be out of the hospital on vacation with my family next week." She pulled out a business card from the chest pocket of her coat. "My partner, Dr. Bezdow, will be covering my patients, along with my residents. I'm sure you both remember Dr. Sanders."

"The mousy fellow, right?" Mrs. Miller asked.

Prisma fought back a laugh at that. "Yes, well he'll be off for Christmas, but he's here the rest of the month. I've given him special instructions to keep an eye on Izzy. So, don't you worry. She's in great hands." She winked at the Millers. "I'm afraid I must get going, now. It's my daughter's birthday, you see, and I'm already in hot water with my husband for staying here too late."

The Millers chuckled at this. "Well, don't let us hold you up any further," Mr. Miller declared. "Merry Christmas, Dr. Sinclair."

"Same to you both," Prisma replied. She turned and departed the room, taking off her white coat in the process. She made a quick stop at her office to shut down her computer, and then snaked her way through the hospital to get to her white SUV. As she pulled out from the parking garage she frowned at the sight of snowflakes cascading down in front of her car's headlights.

"Ah, crud," she muttered. She reached down and switched the radio on.

"… that'll conclude the traffic report. For the weather, here's meteorologist Chuck Donohue," a man's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Thanks, Mac. The words for the night are snowing and blowing, folks," Chuck exclaimed. "We've got a high-pressure system moving in from Lake Ontario. And jets of warm air to the south and southeast of us look to be slowing the storm system down. So, expect the snow to linger over the county from tonight, through tomorrow, and into Christmas Day. If your kids were hankering for a white Christmas, then they won't be disappointed."

Prisma sighed and switched the stations. She flipped on her high-beam lights and slowly drove through the deserted city. She remained focused on the road, only the music and whirring of her windshield wipers to keep her company. After thirty minutes of driving, she pulled up to a snow-covered driveway. She glanced out the window.

'I think I can make it,' she figured. 'C'mon, old girl. Let's put that horsepower of yours to good work.' She spun the wheel to the left and slammed down on the accelerator. Her truck surged forward, digging through the snow and shooting its way along her driveway. She pulled into an open garage door and shut it behind her.

Prisma managed to just make it through the door when a pair of eager voices sounded through the house.

"Mom!"

"Mommy!"

Prisma hastily dropped her bag onto the floor and opened her arms up to embrace her two kids. "Hi!" she chirped. "Aren't you two positively bursting with energy?" She looked up and noticed her husband walking forward, hands tucked into the pockets of his black jeans. "You didn't let them get at the cake, did you?"

"What kind of sorry soul do you take me for, huh?" Rory asked, rubbing the back of his bald head. "Kids, tell your mother we've been waiting for her to get dinner started."

"We've been waiting and we're sooooooo hungry," they declared in unison.

"Well, you won't have to be hungry any longer," Prisma declared. She took off her winter coat, hung it up, and proceeded into the kitchen. "Oh, wow. Smell that? Looks like someone's got her favorite dish waiting for her, huh?"

Prisma's daughter nodded enthusiastically and sprinted toward her seat at the table, black hair fluttering. The rest of the family joined her. Rory brought over a large strainer filled with spaghetti and offered up helpings to everyone. "Okay, dig in," he declared, setting down the strainer to take his seat. Both of the kids immediately reached for the jar of sauce.

"Hey. Let go, Gallian. I wanna use the sauce first!"

"And let you take all of it? Little sister, please," Gallian scoffed, shoving her smaller hand aside.

Prisma rolled her eyes and gently lifted her son's hand off the jar. "Come on, Gallian. It's Tessa's birthday. Let her have first dibs just this once, okay?"

Gallian sat back in his chair and scowled while Tessa accepted the jar with a delighted grin. "… tch. Have some pasta with your sauce," he heckled, blowing a tuft of brown hair out of his eyes.

"Hey now, tomato sauce can be good for you," Rory said, looking over toward Prisma. "Isn't that right, doc?"

"How the heck should I know? I'm not that kind of doctor," Prisma scoffed. "Last I checked, tomato sauce isn't causing cancer, so Tessa's free to have as much as she wants."

"Yeah, sure. Maybe you'll turn into a tomato if you keep eating that much," Gallian said, pouring sauce on his pasta. "Then I can tell everyone in school that my sister's taken being a vegetarian one step too far."

"Mom!" Tessa whined.

"Don't tease your sister, Gallian," Prisma scolded. "Especially with all the junky snacks you like to eat. Don't think I don't know that you're taking coins from the family coin jar to use on the vending machines at school, because I do."

"Meh." Gallian shrugged. "Dad shaysh I have a shuper metabolishm jusht like him."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to talk with your mouth full?" Prisma sighed.

Gallian slurped up the spaghetti dangling from his mouth. "I can eat whatever I want and I'll never get fat."

"I never said anything like that," Rory insisted, raising his hands innocently.

"Good. Because I'd hate to have to replace all the snacks in the pantry with vegetables," Prisma teased. Gallian's eyes widened and he promptly looked down at his dinner, pouting. "So, Tessa," she said, turning to her daughter, "I understand you got a bit overeager with opening your presents. What'd you get?"

Tessa's eyes sparkled. "Oh! Oh! Wait here, I'll go get it." She launched off her chair and sprinted out of the room.

"Nice airplane arms you've got there, ya dork," Gallian heckled.

"As I recall, you used to run like that when you were her age," Rory mused, stroking his goatee. Gallian looked away, blushing.

Tessa returned, brandishing a small game case in her right hand. "Here it is, here it is!" she chirped, slapping the case on the table. Prisma briefly glanced the bright-blue background on the cover art.

"Oh, yeah. This is the game you had asked for, right? It's not as new, so your father and I weren't sure if we'd be able to find it." Prisma said. Tessa nodded enthusiastically

"Yup! I'm gonna play as the Oshawott, cause he's the cutest," Tessa squealed, picking the case up and hugging it.

Gallian rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother. We both know you're going to give up at the first boss and come running to me, begging me to beat it for you."

"I will not," Tessa huffed. "My friend Stacey told me this one's much easier than the last one."

"How would you know? I seem to recall I played through that entire game for you," Gallian scoffed. "And it would've been so much easier if you'd just let me do the personality quiz. Vulpix and Riolu are a terrible combination."

"Hey! I like Riolu," Tessa said, her cheeks puffing up. "And Vulpix."

"Gallian, what did I tell you? Quit teasing your sister," Prisma scolded. "My, how easily you seem to have forgotten that you used to always come to your father and I for help with your games."

"Here, here," Rory agreed, raising his glass. "Who could forget trying to solo Blue with an overleveled Pikachu?"

Gallian's face flushed and he started poking dejectedly at his spaghetti. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, why don't you?" he grumbled.

"Besides, I seem to recall you enjoy playing games with your sister," Prisma declared.

Gallian shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "I guess. Just don't tell the other moms in your parent group or whatever."

"Deal," Prisma promised, winking. They finished off dinner and then proceeded into the living room, where the rest of Tessa's presents sat. She gleefully tore through the wrapping paper. The first box contained a new dress, courtesy of her parents. Then there were assorted posters for her bedroom and some DVDs.

"… heh. Saving mine for last, I see," Gallian declared. "You better like it. I spent good allowance money on it."

"Allowance money that we gave you," Rory muttered under his breath, before Prisma elbowed him in the gut.

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "This is just a package," she said, staring at a brown postal box.

"Relax, sis. Take a look inside," Gallian said, nodding at the present.

Tessa carefully used scissors to cut along the tape and spread the box open. A big grin appeared on her face and she dipped her arms into the box. She pulled out two stuffed toys: an Absol and a Vulpix. "Aww, they're so cuuuuuuuuute!" she squealed in delight, wrapping the plushies up in a big hug. "Thanks, Gallian!"

"No problem, sis," Gallian said, before leaning in and whispering, "and if you liked those, just wait until Christmas." A broad grin appeared on Tessa's face and she looked down at the toys.

"Wow, I can't wait," she chirped. "I got you something really good, too. But Mom said I can't spoil the surprise." She stepped back, tightening her grip on her toys. "Come on, you two. We've got a game to start playing."

"Hey now, what about cleaning up all this wrapping–"

"Thanks for the presents," Tessa called as she ran past her parents and toward the stairs. Gallian chuckled and slowly followed along after her.

"–paper?" Rory leaned over and sighed.

"Easy there, honey. This barely qualifies as a mess. I'll just throw this stuff in the kitchen garbage," Prisma declared. She hastily cleaned all the wrapping paper and brought it toward the large garbage bin in the kitchen. "Hey, Rory, did you get the mail today? I don't see it here."

"Ah, nuts," Rory said, snapping his fingers. "I knew I was forgetting something. Do you want me to head out and grab it?"

"No, no, it's fine. I'm still dressed. I'll just throw on my boots and jacket and go get it," Prisma exclaimed. She geared up for the cold and then proceeded out her house's back door. A blast of cold air awaited her and she quickly pulled up her coat hood. Snow was still falling down. Her first steps saw her sinking into the white, powdery ground. The snow reached halfway up her lower legs.

"Hoo boy. I sure hope the plows can make it here overnight," she said, rubbing her gloved hands together. Slowly, she stomped forward, making her way through snowstorm. She pulled a flashlight out from her pocket and shined it ahead of her. It unveiled the mailbox, barely sticking out from the snowdrift pile that had gathered around it. Prisma reached it and opened it up, taking out its contents. She tucked the mail under her arm and started returning toward her house.

Prisma had made it halfway up her driveway when she brought a hand up to her temple. 'Unngggh… w-what–?' Her vision flickered and she blinked rapidly. 'Where's that ringing coming from?' She cupped her free hand over her ear, but the ringing only grew louder. Her vision flickered once again, before everything went white.

"R-Rory!" Prisma shouted. She tried to reach her hand into pocket and grab her phone, but her arm stiffened. Her other arm followed suit. The mail fell to the ground. "Rory!" she shouted even louder. "Help! Call 9-1-1! I think I'm having a–"

She felt the ground disappear beneath her legs. The air rushed out of her lungs and she immediately lost consciousness.

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

"… Lucario? Hey, Lucario? You feeling alright, pardner?"

Prisma snapped to attention, blinking her eyes rapidly. "B-Braviary!" she gasped, a blush coming on. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Yer room? Hoss, yer in the hallway in the veterans' quarters." He stepped back and lifted a wing to showcase the hallway.

"O-Oh…" Prisma fidgeted with the bandanna around her neck. "Whoops, silly me." She laughed nervously. "I must've gotten, y'know, taken in by the snow." Prisma glanced out the window, watching snow gently drift down onto the ground. Braviary stepped up next to her.

"Ain't nothing special about this, really," Braviary thought aloud. "You've seen yer fair share of snowstorms hitting Aeon Town, ain't ya?"

"Of course I have," Prisma replied hastily. "But... I dunno. I guess it's just nice to see it falling again."

Braviary gave her a skeptical look. "Uh-huh. How long ya planning on staring, exactly? It's almost sundown, you know."

Prisma's aura feelers stood on end. "I-It is?" she squeaked.

"Course it is. Ol' Incineroar's been counting the minutes. You know how much he looks forward to his Winter Solstice party. Feller wouldn't stop yapping about it all day," Braviary said with a laugh. "He took off to get the kids an hour ago. I reckoned you were already home."

"Oh gods, I forgot about the party," Prisma groaned, smacking her face with a paw.

"Well then, I'd shake a tailfeather if I was you," Braviary chuckled, turning to walk toward the staircase. "Yer family's waiting for ya, after all." He hovered in the stairway and waved a wing at her. "Happy Winter Solstice, Lucario."

Prisma raised her paw and slowly waved it. As soon as he was gone, she turned back toward the window. Her grip on her bandanna tightened. "My family's… waiting for me," she whispered.

Her paw slowly slid underneath the bandanna and pulled out a small piece of paper. She unfolded it and stared at a photo of her, Rory, and their human kids in front of a large fountain. Everyone wore big, enthusiastic smiles. Her free paw clenched into a fist and she grit her teeth.

"My… family…"

Her eyes watered and red energy crackled across her fist.
 
Last edited:
Well, when you said this was a depressing holiday special, you weren't kidding. Lol. But there's lots of cute stuff in here anyway, like glimpsing into Prisma's life for the first time and seeing how her kids are pretty similar to Tessa the riolu and Gallian the absol. Them blatantly talking about playing the PMD games and having riolu/vulpix teammates was equally adorable. xD I guess it does feel out of left field for Shane and Nicky to get the spotlight at the beginning, and probably they could've been cut out without the bonus suffering for it, but it is, well, a bonus. That's more just me saying I think it would've been cool to see them again somewhere in the bonus. Really, though, with Prisma starting to appear more in the actual fic and more stuff's coming to light, it was good to learn more about her in this short piece.
 
Chapter 26
Well, when you said this was a depressing holiday special, you weren't kidding. Lol.
50% of the time I deliver on my premises... every time. B)

But there's lots of cute stuff in here anyway, like glimpsing into Prisma's life for the first time and seeing how her kids are pretty similar to Tessa the riolu and Gallian the absol. Them blatantly talking about playing the PMD games and having riolu/vulpix teammates was equally adorable. xD
Not gonna lie... you're the only one so far who's reacted this way. Everyone else was too busy being creeped out over the fact that Prisma has attempted to recreate her human family in the Pokémon world.

I guess it does feel out of left field for Shane and Nicky to get the spotlight at the beginning, and probably they could've been cut out without the bonus suffering for it, but it is, well, a bonus. That's more just me saying I think it would've been cool to see them again somewhere in the bonus.
Yeah. I don't really have a defense for it. It was initially meant to be Nicky's introduction into the story, before I got feedback from Persephone and added in those phone conversations earlier. I probably could've spliced in an extra scene and maybe I will in a future revision. DX

Really, though, with Prisma starting to appear more in the actual fic and more stuff's coming to light, it was good to learn more about her in this short piece.
Absolutely! And you're right about her appearing more in the fic proper. ;) Thanks again for reviewing!

And we're on to the next main part, originally published December 26th, 2017. If you're playing along with the music home game, I recommend you use this song for the new location introduced for the next two chapters and this for the battle. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 26: A Sticky Situation

Shane slinked into Guildmaster Metagross' office. He barely made it through the door when Metagross locked eyes with him. Shane abruptly stopped. His gaze fell to the ground and stayed there until he heard the sound of footsteps. He looked up and confirmed that Tessa had entered the room.

"So, you're all healed up, huh?" she said, her tone completely neutral.

"Y-Yeah," Shane said.

Order: attention on me, human, Metagross bellowed, causing Shane to jolt upright and stare straight ahead. Fact: I have considered your transgressions. Observation: You continue to display a disregard for your fellow Pokémon, sometimes due to ignorance but mostly out of selfishness.

Tessa nodded in agreement, while Shane winced and looked straight down.

Conclusion: your punishment must make clear that exploring is something to be taken seriously, Metagross exclaimed.

"Then why do I have to be here? I've understood that from the get-go," Tessa growled.

Order: no comments or questions until I have finished, Metagross replied. Fact: you've made no attempts to reach out to anyone to help you and your partner settle your differences. Fact: you cannot go through life picking and choosing the Pokémon you work with. Conclusion: this punishment will also force you to work cooperatively with the human.

Tessa's face blanched. "But… that's," she meekly whispered before her gaze fell to the floor. Shane glanced her out of the corner of his eyes and she immediately glared back.

Fact: your punishment is an exploration assignment, Metagross said, to the duo's surprise. Fact: you will guide Oranguru to Sunflower Meadows.

"An escort mission? Are you kidding me?" Shane groaned.

Silence, Metagross thundered, sending Team Radiance shrinking back. Tessa gave Shane a scathing look. Fact: this is not up for negotiation. Fact: if you fail this assignment, you will both be expelled.

Now it was Tessa's turn to interrupt. "Wait, what? Why? That's not fair!" she protested.

Fact: your continued behavior is having a negative effect on other members. Fact: my responsibility is to run the guild and keep it in order. Conclusion: caustic individuals must be removed, Metagross explained. Counteroffer: if you succeed this assignment, you will both obtain apprentice rank.

"So, our places here are dependent on escorting some random Pokémon? That's just great," Shane said. He turned to Tessa and said, "We're going to Dhelmise Depot and dropping off every single item we've got. I don't want this Oranguru fellow dipping into our stock. And, trust me, he will. These things always go badly."

Fact: Oranguru will provide his own supplies. Fact: this is no mere random Pokémon. He is a close acquaintance. I will tolerate no slander of his character, Metagross said. Order: you two are to be on your best behavior. Fact: if you act out, I will know and you will fail the assignment.

Shane's jaw slackened. Likewise, the color seemed to drain from Tessa's whole body. "So, uh, how are we supposed to find this Oranguru guy? Is he in Aeon Town?" Shane asked.

Negative, Metagross responded. Order: you will meet him in Moonrise Marsh. Fact: it is a subterranean swampland at the end of Tethys Tunnel.

"But, that's a Mystery Dungeon, isn't it?" Tessa asked, having pulled out her Wonder Map. "Couldn't we just go straight to the Marsh?"

"Didn't you hear him? It's underground. So, unless the Sharpedo have learned how to dig tunnels outside the water, we have to go through it," Shane said, frowning.

"Okay, I get it. You don't have to be a jerk about it," Tessa growled.

Shane's brow furrowed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You've never done an escort mission. They always suck."

"And you would know this... how?" Tessa asked, her tone growing angrier. "Oh, let me guess, it's another one of those stupid game things you've mentioned countless ti–"

CLANG!

I demand order, Metagross declared, his eyes glowing blue. Shane and Tessa reflexively curled up into balls. This is precisely the kind of negative behavior that has put the two of you in this situation. Reconcile your differences or I can guarantee that you will fail this assignment.

A shiver rad down Shane's spine. 'Okay, is it just me or is this guy a lot scarier when he starts speaking like a normal person?'

Metagross turned away from them. Order: proceed to Moonrise Marsh. Meet up with Oranguru. Escort him to Sunflower Meadows by traversing Mellath Bog.

"Are you kidding me? We have to go through two dungeons in succession? How is that possibly fair?" Shane said, stamping a forepaw down. "If we run into any Prism Virus Pokémon, we're so unbelievably screwed." He narrowed his eyes at Metagross. "I'll bet you're setting us up for failure! Tell me, did you come up with this or is this all Braviary's idea?"

Warning: continued combative backtalk will result in your immediate expulsion, Metagross replied.

"Oh, no, by all means, keep flapping your gums," Tessa sneered. "You could make this a lot easier for both of us."

Shane lifted his head up and his left eye twitched. "Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you?" he muttered.

Metagross' door opened up behind them. Exit. I have finished conferring instructions. Oranguru is waiting. He pointed a hind leg toward the door and Team Radiance walked out. They both refused to meet each other's gazes.

"So, uh, are we going to Dhelmise Depot?" Shane finally asked.

"Yeah, we're definitely going there," Tessa responded. She turned around and clutched the straps of the item pouch. "But it's so that I can deposit my items so that you don't use them up in these dungeons!"

Shane narrowed his eyes at Tessa. "Hey, we're still a team for this. That means those items belong to both of us!"

"But you're the irresponsible one who's going to get hurt and burn through our reserve," Tessa said, leaning in toward him. "So, I want to put as much stuff away as possible so I still have a decent inventory to use once this stupid mission is done and the team's dissolved."

Shane drew back his lips and bared his fangs. "Where did this nasty attitude of yours come from? I already said I'm sorry! You're making me out to be some sort of villain. I'm not out to blow this mission, you know."

Tessa raised her fists and they crackled with electricity. "That's because the only reason we're in this do-or-die situation is because of you! I'm stuck doing this ridiculously difficult mission with a reckless jerk because he managed to delude himself into thinking a random stranger was pure evil. No amount of 'I'm sorry's' can make up for that!"

"I've learned my lesson!" Shane snarled back. "I feel terrible, okay? And you're just making it worse. So, can we please just put this issue aside already?"

"I will not just put it aside," Tessa barked. "Because every time you've apologized and said you were going to try and do better, you've lied. If you want me to shut up, then listen to what I have to say for once. Otherwise, you can bet your sorry ass that I'll keep reminding you of all the boneheaded decisions you've made up to this point."

Shane's left eye twitched. "That's totally uncalled for!" he protested. "Besides, weren't you the one who said you at least appreciated some of my 'boneheaded decisions,' because they pushed you into doing things you weren't comfortable with?"

"I only said that because I thought you were turning over a new leaf. But in the short time since then you've somehow managed to become worse than when we first met," Tessa replied. "You stressed me out to the point where I can't think straight!"

"How do you think I feel? I've been in a coma the past week with a deathly fever and a broken spine. Or did you just happen to forget that?" Shane hissed.

"Oh, you want pity? Too bad! It's your stupidity that got you hurt," Tessa countered. "And if it wasn't for Null, that Bewear probably would've killed you. Have you even thanked him for saving your life yet? Let me answer that. No, you haven't. Because you only think of one person and that's yourself!"

"Do you have idea how childish you're sounding right now?" Shane sneered.

"No, you're the one sounding childish!" Tessa fired back.

A loud thump and harsh hissing noise abruptly jolted the duo out of their argument. They looked over toward the south hallway and spotted Null staggering about. He thrashed his head from side to side, groaning loudly.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Null," Trapinch called, running over to him. "Is your head hurting again? Maybe you should go see Comfey?"

Trapinch was forced to duck back as Null whirled around and bashed his head against the wall several times. "Wow. I can't believe that's what you want to ditch me for," Shane scoffed. Null turned around to face Shane, who stiffened. He stared right at Shane, letting out heavy, echoing wheezes. Null stomped toward him, continuing to shake his head about.

"Null!" Tessa shouted, walking into his path. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Much to Shane's surprise, Null stopped dead in his tracks. His tired, gray eyes blinked repeatedly. "… sorry about that," he wheezed.

Tessa leaned in close and whispered, "The voices again?"

"… yeah," Null replied. "They're… getting worse…"

"Why don't you come with us, then?" Tessa suggested. "I think we could really use the extra help for this one."

"What? No, no, no, no! You are not dragging that thing along with us!" Shane cut in. "Did you see the way he was looking at me? Besides, we could get in trouble for that. You were the one yelling at me for making bad decisions. What do you call what you're doing right now, huh?"

Tessa turned and glared at him. "Bettering our odds. You said you just wanted to get this mission done with minimal conversation? Null's a perfect way to do that. I can talk to him and ignore you the entire time. And did it ever occur to you that he's giving you nasty looks because you're being mean to him?"

Shane looked down and pawed at the ground. "But the Guildmaster," he whispered.

"Didn't say we couldn't bring Null with us," Tessa said. "The way I see it, it's perfectly fine."

Shane snorted out clouds of frosty air. "He better stay as far away from me as possible."

XxX

~Tethys Tunnel~

Team Radiance proceeded into the cavernous dungeon in silence. It didn't take them very long to lose all light from the surface. The tunnel alternated between flat areas and downward slopes taking them deeper underground. As the sunlight faded, patches of green Luminous Moss appeared along the floor, walls, and ceiling of the cavern. The moss overlay rocks littered with clammy, gray plants.

"This is so strange," Tessa whispered. "Null, do you see these purple threads running through the walls? It almost looks like there's some kind of liquid flowing through them."

Shane glanced at the opposite wall and noticed purple fluid with twinges of red rushing through a network of crystalline veins embedded in the wall. "You're the most knowledgeable about Horizon, Tessa. Can't you explain what these things are?" Tessa ignored him. "Hey, I asked you a question," Shane growled.

"No, you didn't," Tessa said flatly. "I'm Riolu."

Shane gritted his teeth. "Fine. Riolu, do you know what these things are?"

"Nope," Tessa responded, making a vein bulge out of Shane's head. "I don't remember hearing about anything like this. My dad always said Tethys Tunnel was boring. Just a lot of gray inside it. So, these bits must be a recent addition."

"Brilliant deduction there, professor," Shane sarcastically declared. "And not in the slightest bit help– gah!"

Shane suddenly found himself sinking. He looked down and saw that his legs had been sucked up by the ground. "What the–? Hey! Help! I'm sinking!"

His teammates looked over at him. Tessa rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny. C'mon Vulpix, you're holding us up."

"No, I'm serious here," Shane grunted. He struggled about, but that only made him sink deeper, to the point where his belly brushed against the dirt.

"… is that… quicksand?" Null wondered.

"In a cave? I find that hard to believe," Tessa said. "But I guess we've got to help him out. Stop struggling, Vulpix. You'll just make yourself sink faster."

"Then get me out of here!" Shane hollered. Null stepped forward and stuck his foreleg out. "And just what am I supposed to do with that, huh?" Shane growled.

"… bite down on my leg. I'll pull you… to safety," Null offered. Shane looked skeptically at Null's talons, but also felt the quicksand steadily rising along his torso. He clamped his jaw on one of Null's talons. Null's exoskeleton-coated claw tasted horrible, to the point where Shane thought he was going to hurl. Null gave a hearty tug and his massive weight and foreleg strength resulted in Shane getting flung out of the quicksand pit.

Shane landed in a heap in front of Tessa. His entire lower body was covered in coarse sand. "Huh, guess it really is quicksand," Tessa said. "But what would quicksand pits be doing in a cave like this? There isn't even supposed to be sand here."

"How should I know?" Shane growled, trying to brush sand off his coat to little avail. "Maybe your stupid Tapu thingies can magically teleport quicksand into dungeons to screw with innocent Pokémon?"

Smack!

Shane quickly found himself sprawled out on his belly, with Tessa standing over him. "You do not badmouth the Tapus!" she barked. "They're the continent's protectors. That makes them noble, not stupid. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Mom," Shane muttered, glaring at Tessa as he got back up. "The fact remains that there's quicksand in a place where there shouldn't be and we can't explain it. I guess we can just ignore it for now and tell Braviary when we're done."

"You do that if it bothers you so much," Tessa growled and stomped forward in the cavern.

Null stepped beside Shane and cleared his throat. This made Shane jump. "Cripes! Don't sneak up on me like that. You're already frightening enough as it is."

"… Lycanroc said something… about seeing weird stuff… in the environment," Null muttered. "Espeon and Umbreon… planted strange crystals… in the ground. And they… messed with the environment. Perhaps that's what... we're seeing here?"

Shane's muzzle stiffened. "But they're not the bad guys!" Null looked right at him. "I… I mean…" Shane winced and slumped down in defeat.

"Hey! Are you guys coming or what?" Tessa asked from farther down the cave. Her teammates looked away from one another and proceeded forward in silence. Their trek then grew a bit more cumbersome. After the first patch, the team encountered several quicksand areas scattered around the tunnel floor. To make matters worse, the Luminous Moss faded, leaving the mysterious crystal veins as the dungeon's only light source.

This was also when the team encountered traps and wild Pokémon. It was nothing they couldn't handle, but the quicksand pits limited their maneuverability considerably. Not helping things at all was Shane's insistence on staying in the back of the group, for fear of walking into another quicksand pit.

"Quit being such a baby and get up here! I need your help with these wild Pokémon," Tessa ordered.

"No way! There are Tirtuoga over there. And I have no intention of getting smacked around with rocks," Shane whined. "You have the fighting-type moves, you do something."

"Then can you at least take care of the Wimpods? They're only Wimpods, for pity's sake," Tessa growled. A frosty gale rushed past her, nearly causing her to fall into a quicksand pit on her right. "Hey, watch where you're aiming!"

"I thought you wanted my help," Shane taunted.

"Move it along," Null growled. "Neither of you are doing us any favors."

They continued through the tunnel, dipping into their supply of apples and each taking an oran berry to refresh themselves. "Ungh, how much further do we have to go? The air's musty down here," Shane said.

"If you don't like it, take the Escape Orb," Tessa said. "I'll happily report your disappearance to the Guildmaster when we return."

Shane gnashed his teeth together. "Are you going to just take a dig at me every time I open my mouth? Because that's beyond obnoxious!"

"You brought it on yourself," Tessa said, her voice caustic. "It's not fun when people say things that make you feel bad, huh?"

Shane frowned. "If you're trying to tell me that this is how Lycanroc felt, then you're doing a lousy job of it. You're only making yourself look like a spoiled puppy throwing a temper tantr– oomph!"

He walked into Null's hindleg and staggered backward, muttering angrily under his breath. Null turned back to give him a disapproving look. "… perhaps it's best… if you keep quiet…"

"Ha!" Tessa taunted.

"… that goes for you too," Null growled, eliciting a frown. He walked beside Tessa and whispered, "… I thought I had told you… that the best way to get him to change… is to be a good role model. He's right… you're acting foolish."

"That went right out the window the second his stupidity got me in a situation where I could get kicked out of the guild," Tessa said, and then walked forward. Null hung his head, sighing. He trudged forward after his teammate, while Shane followed him, boring visual holes into the ground.

As they walked down another incline, Tessa's aura feelers twitched. "Hold up," she whispered, "I think someone else is here."

"Well, yeah, we've seen tons of wild Pokémon," Shane scoffed.

"No, I mean someone a bit stronger."

"This is preposterous. I'm getting the same signal everywhere. There's no way for me to localize this energy pattern with so much interference."

Shane frowned. "That's one strange voice," he said. "But he doesn't sound all that threatening. Let's just move along and ignore whoever he is."

"Maybe we ought to wait and see if he leaves?" Tessa proposed.

"Oh no, I'm not sitting around in this musty cave," Shane growled. He walked forward, hip-checking Tessa in the process. "If you're not going to lead anymore, then move aside." He descended down the rest of the incline and entered a flattened area.

Bwoop! Bwoop! Bwoop!

A beeping alarm made Shane tense up. He turned to the right side of the room and found Sticky floating by the wall. "And just what are you supposed to be?" Shane asked. "If you're a Pokémon in distress, then I can help. But you've got to shut off that awful alarm. You'll wake up all the wild Pokémon here!"

"My sincerest apologies."

Sticky turned around to face Shane. "I am referred to as Sticky, however I understand the inhabitants here refer to one another by species name. So, my species designation is Poipole."

Shane cocked his head in confusion. "Your species name is just a color? What a joke!" He then noticed the alarm was coming from the harness on Sticky's chest. "Hey!" Shane narrowed his eyes at Sticky. "That's just like the thing Gallian had on. What's going on here? Are you working for the Prism Virus?"

That statement drew not only a panicked expression from Sticky, but footsteps from behind Shane. His teammates hastily caught up to him. "You know Gallian? Where is he? Please tell us," Tessa called out.

"Drat," Sticky muttered, fidgeting his nubby hands. "This is precisely the type of predicament Gallian warned the captain about. He will undoubtedly be incensed at this development." Sticky raised up his arms. "Attention, terrestrials. I am doing routine reconnaissance of this subterranean habitat. I mean you no harm. Please, continue about your business."

"Fat chance of that," Shane growled. "If you're in league with Gallian, then you're working for the Prism Virus and that makes you the enemy."

"Prism Virus?" Sticky gasped. He looked away from Shane and whispered, "It must be further encroaching on these terrestrials." He cleared his throat. "I am afraid that such a term does not register any…" His voice trailed off as he turned to face Null. Sticky's jaw dropped.

"Hey, don't ignore me," Shane said. "Riolu, what's this stupid Pokémon's deal?"

"Pokémon?" Tessa cocked an eyebrow. "I've never seen a Pokémon like that before."

Shane's brows raised. "So, what, is it an alien then? Oh, that's just great. The Prism Virus is an alien virus. Because this wasn't messed up enough, already." He snorted out frost. "Well, I'm not about to let this jerk get away."

"Get away? You should be the ones attempting evacuation!" Sticky yelped, hovering back from the group. "Do you not realize you are in the company of a dangerous monstrosity?"

Null's muscles tightened up and he let loose a low growl. Tessa stood in front of him and thrust her arms to the side. "You leave Null alone! He's part of our team."

Sticky's eyes widened. "I am afraid that that is an unacceptable response, terrestrial," he declared. "This failed experiment is a threat to those of us with ultra auras. Though my team adheres to our Ultra Recon Squad's nonaggression policy, I'm sure my captain would overlook it in this instance. Your friend must be immediately neutralized. Please surrender him to me."

Null's head fell toward the ground. "… experiment?" he rasped.

"So, he is a total freak, then? I knew it!" Shane scoffed. He shook his head at Tessa. "And you actually want to be his friend. You're really something, you know that?"

"I am quite surprised that this experiment has not already attempted to eviscerate you," Sticky said, looking directly at Shane. "Your presence triggered my scanner. You display a perplexingly substantial ultra aura for one of such minuscule stature."

Shane's smirk faded to a look of confusion. "Ultra… aura?" He looked at Tessa. "You're the aura reader. What's this freak talking about?"

"I don't know," Tessa said. "It just sounds like an ultra-powerful aura, to me."

"Gee, thanks, Brock. Never would've guessed that on my own," Shane deadpanned.

"What did you just call me?" Tessa growled.

"Ultra auras are energy signatures displayed by anyone who has been exposed to a particular type of radiation as a result of traversing Ultra Space," Sticky explained.

"Okay, that's it. I know when I'm being messed with, and I've had enough of it," Shane said, eyes narrowing in anger. "I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt because you also thought Null's a freak show, but you're clearly just as obnoxious as Gallian is."

"Your hostility is unnecessary," Sticky said. "Simply surrender the experiment and I will leave you both in peace."

"I'm not about to let you take Null," Tessa responded.

"Very well. Though my combat skills are lacking, it behooves me to utilize force. Gallian said I should be able to do an adequate job defending myself," Sticky exclaimed. He raised his nubby arms, and blobs of purple toxins formed up in them.

"Oh, come on! Another poison-type? I'm getting sick of this nonsense. Literally and figuratively," Shane hissed. He released the icy energy gathering in his mouth, trying to bathe Sticky in it. Sticky easily hovered over it and launched the poisonous globules downward. One of them smacked Shane directly in the face, causing him to stagger back with an agonized howl. Tessa jumped out of the way out of the second one.

Null gathered air around his foreleg and sent a wind blade up in Sticky's direction. Sticky once again skirted the attack, gathering more poisonous sludge in the sacs on his head. "Riolu," Shane said, coughing, "gimme a pecha berry. This jerk's slinging Toxics around!"

Purple splotches now coated Shane's fur. Tessa glowered at Shane. "I just knew you were gonna end up dipping into my item reserves," she said. Null appeared by her side and flicked a foreleg skyward, shooting an air blade in Sticky's direction. Sticky held his ground and allowed the attack to strike. He fought through the pain and pointed his head in Shane's direction.

"… look out… human!" Null called. Shane looked over his shoulder in time to see streams of purple ooze raining down on him from Sticky's location. He dove forward, sliding across the cave floor on his belly.

"Pity, I missed," Sticky declared stoically. "I should not have tried withstanding that attack. It clearly impacted my aim."

"Pecha berry, now!" Shane ordered, glaring at Tessa. "If I get Venoshocked while I'm poisoned, we're gonna start dipping into our Reviver Seed supply."

Tessa rolled her eyes and produced the berry in question. Sticky's eyes gleamed at the sight of the fruit and he pressed the central gemstone on his harness.

Click!

Just as Tessa tossed the pecha berry to Shane, she stepped on a glass tile, breaking it. She looked up and watched the berry expand outward, taking on the form of a bulky Carracosta. It completely flattened Shane, who could only squeal in fright at the turn of events.

"What the... he turned the berry into a Carracosta? How?" Tessa said, recoiling in shock. Null looked up in time to see Sticky pressing the gem on his harness again. Null looked around the room and noticed several flashes of purple on the ground. Glass tiles appeared for a split second, before vanishing. When Sticky finished, Null thrust a foreleg forward to shoot air blades at him. Sticky descended toward the ground and gathered more toxic blobs in his nubby hands.

"Nrrrgggh! Somebody… help… me!" Shane wheezed, thrashing about beneath Carracosta. The newly-summoned enemy seemed to get over its momentary confusion and stand up. It turned around, formed a rock between its flippers, and shot it into Shane from point-blank range. Shane howled in pain as the attack buried him underground.

"Riolu… go help… Vulpix," Null ordered from across the cave. He and Tessa managed to jump back from the toxic blobs that Sticky threw at them.

"Me? Why do I have to help him? He's the one who escalated things, as usual," Tessa growled.

"Just do it!" Null roared, to Tessa's surprise. "I'm… the one… this guy's after. Don't… get yourself hurt… protecting me."

"But…"

Null shook his head about, hissing loudly. Tessa quickly got the message and ran in Shane's direction. Sticky anticipated this, however. The gemstone in his harness opened up and produced a small seed that he hurtled at Tessa. She wasn't prepared for the projectile, so it struck her in the head. Pink gas washed across her body. Tessa flopped onto her belly, snoring loudly.

Sticky nodded in satisfaction, only for his smile to disappear when he saw Null charging him down, claws glowing bright white. He quickly pointed his head at Null and blasted purple streams at him. Null managed to sidestep the attack. But in the process, he stepped on one of the glass tiles Sticky had summoned. Sickly-purple spikes popped up around him and dug into his foreleg. With a groan, Null staggered forward. Purple splotches appeared along his hide.

However, much to Sticky's surprise, the splotches immediately vanished and Null resumed his charge. He lunged at Sticky and swiped at him. Null's claws hammered Sticky into the ground. Null prepared to follow that attack up, but Sticky blasted him in the helmet with a stream of purple venom, forcing him backwards.

"So, you armed yourself with an anti-poison apparatus," Sticky said. He looked down and saw the looplet around Null's foreleg. "Ah, yes. The device you terrestrials use to bolster your abilities when exploring. I should have expected something like this."

"Heeeeeeey! Where's my pecha berry?" Shane whined, sprawling out on his belly to dodge a set of rocks Carracosta shot at him. "What's the hold up, Tessa?" He poked his head up and his eyes flashed pink. Psychic waves burst forth from Shane's body, knocking Carracosta onto its back. It landed directly on a purple tile, scattering toxic spikes all around it. Carracosta flailed its limbs about, desperately trying to right itself.

Shane staggered to his feet and scrambled over to Tessa, doing his best to skirt the purple tiles Sticky had scattered. Sticky spotted Shane and again opened the gemstone in his harness. But before he could grab the item he wanted, Null slammed into him, sending black energy through Sticky's torso. Sticky petered backward and pulled an oran berry out of his harness. He quickly ingested it, restoring some of his vitality.

Over at the other side of the cavern, Carracosta still struggled to right itself and now had poisonous blotches across its body. Shane repeatedly smacked Tessa's snout until her eyes fluttered open. "Hey! What's the big idea?" she hissed.

"You let yourself get put to sleep, doofus!" Shane snarled. "Give me my pecha berry, now. I feel like I could collapse any second."

Null realized Sticky could attempt to interrupt the item exchange again, so he charged Sticky down. Sticky's eyes widened and he quickly ascended. He gathered a ball of orange acid between his hands and chucked it down at Null, who evaded the attack. In the process, Null ran past Sticky, whose head tilted in confusion. Null's helmet then gained a metal sheen. He ran directly into the cave wall. The shockwave from his collision raced up above him.

Sticky yelped as shards of rock rained down on him from the ceiling, sending him crashing into the ground. Across the cave, Shane had managed to heal up, but Carracosta had righted itself. Furious, Carracosta surged forward on a jet of water. Tessa just barely managed to evade the attack but Shane was smacked in his side. The water drenched him and knocked him to his belly.

Tessa managed to get behind Carracosta. Her palm lit up with aura and she hammered Carracosta in its shell. Howling, Carracosta lumbered forward, giving a weary Shane the opportunity to engulf it in psychic waves. They exploded around Carracosta, upending itonce again. Unfortunately, Shane neglected to account for Tessa's positioning. Tessa yipped in fright and dove to the ground to dodge the falling Carracosta.

It struck the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke. At the same time, Tessa hit one of the remaining glass tiles. Toxic spikes appeared all around her. They pricked her arms and legs, drawing a pained whimper. Sticky noticed the development and ascended to dodge a swipe of Null's talons. He pointed his head sideways and sent purple bursts racing toward Tessa.

Shane leaped out in front of her and blew out a large cloud of frost. He froze the poisonous streams solid and they dropped to the ground, where they shattered harmlessly. "You can thank me later," he said.

"Thank you?" Tessa hissed, scrambling to pull out a pecha berry. "This was all your fault! How could you not know I was behind Carracosta? Were you trying to crush me?"

"I didn't know, okay!" Shane barked. "Unlike a certain someone, who's really starting to twist my tails, I don't have awesome aura-sensing powers."

"It's called depth perception, loser!" Tessa snarled, shoving Shane's shoulders.

Shane's left eye twitched and he snorted ice tufts at Tessa. "Don't you dare shove me like that. I'm not the one you're supposed to be fighting," Shane growled.

"Well, I was hoping we wouldn't have to fight anyone. But you got that creepy purple guy all hot and bothered. Because you can't seem to open your mouth without making someone mad," Tessa hissed.

Shane glowered. "You certainly didn't help things! We don't need to protect Null. Didn't you hear the alien? He's some sort of failed experiment. In other words, a waste of our time and energy!"

Null skidded to a halt in front of them just as Shane finished that statement. He whirled on Shane, an enraged look in his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that," Shane said. "You know it's tr–"

A multicolored blast struck both Shane and Tessa, rendering them as stiff as statues. Null looked up in time to see a metal rod evaporate from Sticky's hands. "There, that ought to quiet you two down," Sticky said. "Now I do not need to split my focus anymore." Null didn't like this new development. He whipped a foreleg forward. An air blade raced toward Sticky, smacking him in the side.

Sticky hovered backward and produced another oran berry. He quickly devoured it and dusted himself off. "Even with your abilities inhibited, your strength is frightening," Sticky said. "Perhaps I can synthesize a trap to hinder you further?" The gemstone on his harness glowed and Sticky prepared to press it.

"… what do you mean… abilities inhibited?" Null wheezed. "And… why are… you calling me… a failed experiment?"

Sticky produced a glimmering tile and hurled it at Null. He wasn't expecting the projectile and it smacked his helmet, shattering on impact. A chilling sensation ran down Null's foreleg. He lifted it up, only to see his looplet had turned to stone. The emeras within it were drained of their colors. Null hissed angrily and charged down Sticky.

However, Sticky was much faster, and moved to his right. He gathered blobs of poison in his hands and tossed them right at Null, who managed to pivot and run toward the poison. Null's helmet turned to solid steel. He lowered his head and the toxins harmlessly splashed against his helmet. Sticky's face blanched and, seconds later, Null charged into him. This finally knocked the alien out of the air and down to the ground.

Null lumbered toward Sticky. "Do you… know who I am?" he panted. "Tell me… why do I… hear all these voices? Why can't… I make them… go away?"

Sticky rolled backward and resumed hovering. "Hmm, so your creators tampered with your memories, did they?" He rubbed his forehead. "Yet, your aggression levels have clearly spiked at the sight of me. Which means, on some subconscious level, you still acknowledge ultra auras."

Null roared in frustration and slung a line of air crescents at Sticky. Sticky turned and fired poisonous beams from the pins on his head. They struck the wind blades and resulted in a stalemate that splattered toxins in all directions. Null backpedalled, allowing Sticky to reach into his harness and produce a small seed. He hurled it at Null and a large explosion ensued, blasting Null across the cave.

This had the unintended side effect of causing Null to strike the petrified Tessa. She dropped to the ground, clutching her knee in pain. Sticky didn't notice this development and instead proceeded toward Null. "Well then, I believe we should wrap this up before you manage to do any significant damage," Sticky said.

Hearing that gave Tessa a second wind. Ignoring Shane, she rolled to her feet and sprinted forward, electricity gathering in her fists. She jumped onto a small rock and leaped at Sticky. He didn't realize his mistake until Tessa connected with his right temple. Sticky careened into a wall, leaving a sizable imprint, and slumped down toward the ground. Electric bolts crackled across his body, signifying Tessa paralyzed him.

Tessa ran over and helped Null to his feet. Null looked silently at Sticky. His gray eyes had glazed over. Tessa picked up on this and stomped over toward Sticky. "You do not threaten my friend like that," she said. "Now you can look forward to a nice, long talk with Officer Magnezone."

"I have… made a grave miscalculation," Sticky muttered. He shakily reached a hand toward his harness and produced an Escape Orb. Tessa's eyes widened and she lunged for Sticky. But her efforts were in vain. The second he pulled the orb out, a multicolored aura encased him, then he disappeared in flash of light. Tessa wound up striking the wall. She fell back on her rear, clutching her face in pain.

"Oww!" she whined. "Okay, that didn't go over very well, but at least we fended that little creep off, right?" She looked over at Null, expecting a response. Null continued to stare emptily ahead of him. "N-Null?" Tessa squeaked, getting to her feet. She approached him, reaching out a paw. "Are you okay? Do you need a healing item?"

Null suddenly banged the side of his head against the cave wall, keening despondently. He dropped to the ground, clawing at his helmet with his talons. "Make them stop! Make them stop!" he cried, jerking his head in different directions.

Tessa bit her lower lip and ran up to her friend. But before she could get up close, one of his forelegs swiped at her. She barely jumped back in time to dodge. "Null, you have to calm down. I can't help you when you're all riled up like this," Tessa said.

"N… no… get away," Null muttered.

"But you need help," Tessa pleaded.

"Get away!" Null roared. He lumbered to his feet and sprinted further into the tunnel. His loud stomps echoed through the cavern, until they gradually faded out. Tessa's eyes widened and she quickly tried to run after him, only for a muffled scream to cause her to skid to a halt.

"Oh… right… Vulpix," she whispered, looking back at Shane's motionless body. Tessa approached him and kicked him in the chest. Shane abruptly regained his movement, in time for the air to rush out of him. He dropped to his belly, eyes watering in pain.

"What… the… heck?" he snarled, breathing rapidly. "You were just going to leave me there!" he accused.

"No, I wasn't," Tessa insisted. 'As tempting as it sounds.'

"Don't lie to me! You were ready to book it after that freak," Shane spat. "And thanks for breaking me out of petrification when you were freed, by the way. You're a real class act. A wonderful teammate. I'm such a lucky Vulpix."

"We have bigger things to concern ourselves with, you selfish jerk," Tessa growled. "Null needs our help. That little alien totally spooked him."

"Really? Are you sure that isn't what Null's normally like?" Shane sneered. "Need I remind you that the alien is in league with your brother? If he thinks Null's a threat, then what do you imagine the big guy would do to us?"

Tessa crossed her arms defiantly. "You're thinking backwards to suit your own desires," she said. "If that alien is evil, and he's afraid of Null, then that means Null's on our side. Which means we should do everything in our power to help him."

Shane opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't think up a counterargument. He settled for snorting out tufts of frost and storming off into the next tunnel. Tessa followed him, grinning triumphantly. They proceeded down the darkest inclined path they had encountered yet.

"I don't see any sign of him," Shane growled. "And I don't hear anything eith– yaaaaaaaah!"

Shane suddenly slid away from Tessa. She took another step forward and found out the hard way that the dirt along the cave floor had given way to water, which swept Tessa up and carried her down the tunnel. All the while, she let out a scream matching Shane's.

XxX​

Paradox Navigator, Sticky
And who could this creature be? Did he really call himself "purple?" What kind of Pokémon names itself after a color, anyway? Well, despite his minuscule appearance, he has a couple of tricks up his nonexistent sleeves. Like the ability to create trap tiles on the ground! It's believed that this ability is shared between the aliens dwelling beyond this world.
 
Chapter 27
DISCLAIMER: This part is not eligible for awards judging. If you are reading this as a summer awards judge, stop and scroll back up to Chapter 21. Alternatively, you can use the threadmarks.

This chapter was originally published on December 29th, 2017. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 27: Shattered Psyches

~Moonrise Marsh~

Shane and Tessa hollered in fright as they slid through what could only be described as a natural water slide. It zigzagged past several large rocks, before taking a sharp drop off a small ledge. They careened out of the tunnel and fell onto a very large, rubbery lily pad. They bounced about multiple times before coming to a stop.

"Urrrrrgh… my aching everything," Shane groaned.

Tessa slowly got to her feet. "I think we made it to the marsh," she announced, surveying her surroundings. Several floating wooden planks extended in different directions from the lily pad. They either led to other lily pads or some small wooden shacks sitting on large rafts made of bark. Above them, a dense fog obscured any signs of how far underground they were. Tessa could barely make out a few trees up ahead. Some had luminous orbs hanging from their branches.

Shane wobbled about on the lily pad. He looked around at the bubbling, dark-gray swamp water spreading out across the marsh and grimaced. "Blech. Looks like Pacifidlog got visited by a Garbodor horde." His snout wrinkled and he threw up a forepaw. "And everything smells moldy and mildew-ridden like my grandma's house." He glanced at the nearest tree. "It's gotta be these trees. Are those mold spores growing on them instead of leaves?"

"If I'm remembering correctly, it's a fungus that grows in damp environments," Tessa said. "But who cares about that? We have to find Null." She approached the edge of the lily pad and stared down into the swamp. "You don't think he sank down when he landed down here, do you?"

"Well, he's pretty dang heavy, so I wouldn't be surprised," Shane said. "Let's just find Oranguru first."

"Vulpix! We're not ditching our teammate like that," Tessa growled, glaring defiantly at Shane.

Shane rolled his eyes. "Glad to you see you've got so much concern for him but are willing to leave me petrified in the middle of a cave."

"I had a brain fart, okay?" Tessa harrumphed. "It happens."

"Please, we both know it was intentional," Shane scoffed. "Whatever. Look, from what you told me, Oranguru's a psychic-type, right? So, he could probably help us find Null. We're not going to get anywhere by ourselves. Especially with this fog."

"Okay then." Tessa stepped onto one of the planks, arms crossed. "Where should we look for Oranguru? Do tell."

Shane stepped off after her, shoving her to the side and nearly sending her into the swamp. "Isn't it obvious? Try knocking on all the shacks and see who answers," he said, ignoring the scowl Tessa gave him. Shane continued along the planks toward the closest dock. He approached the nearby house and rapped the door with his forepaw. "Hello, anyone home? We need some help."

The door opened up, revealing a shabby-looking fin. "Hiya, Relicanth," Shane greeted as the door opened a bit wider. "I'm with the Horizon Guild. My teammate and I are looking for Oranguru. Do you know where to find him?"

Relicanth yawned loudly. "His shack's in the center of the marsh." He shifted his position a bit, allowing Shane to notice a gaping hole in his house giving way to the swampy water beneath it. Relicanth backed into the swamp and disappeared underwater. Shane started to proceed forward, when he heard splashing behind him. He looked around and saw Relicanth was now bobbing in the water next to the dock.

"Go along those planks over there," Relicanth said, pointing a fin forward. "It's the second dock you encounter."

"Thanks," Shane chirped, before flashing Tessa a cocky grin.

"Don't mention it. But I oughta warn you, whatever you need Oranguru for, you're probably not going to get anything out of him," Relicanth said. "He rarely leaves his hut for anything. I swear, it's been months since I last saw him."

Tessa's jaw stiffened. 'That doesn't sound good. The Guildmaster wouldn't just send us for no reason, right?' Her brow furrowed. 'Unless this is a test of some sort. Oh gods, please let it not be a test.'

Relicanth disappeared into the swamp and Shane hopped onto the planks. "You coming or not?" he called, walking off into the fog. Tessa jogged forward to catch up with him, but had to slow down in order to avoid slipping off the planks. This was one of the few times she found herself wishing she had extra legs for greater traction.

After a few minutes, the duo arrived at the dock Relicanth directed them to. They found another small shack. This one had an odd structural combination of mud and wooden planks. In fact, the roof looked like it could fall right off the place. "Jeez, how could anyone stand to live here?" Tessa wondered.

"Different strokes for different folks, I guess," Shane said, drawing a confused look from Tessa. "It's a human expression." He walked up to the door and knocked on it. "Oranguru? It's Team Radiance. We're here to take you to Sunflower Meadows," he called.

Shane stepped back from the door, expecting it to swing open. Nothing happened, however. Shane knocked on the door a bit harder. "Yoo-hoo, Oranguru! Your friend at the Horizon Guild sent us. Come on and open the door," he declared, his tone growing a bit more impatient.

The door suddenly swung inward, causing Shane to fall through the doorway onto his side. "Oof!" he grunted. Shane grimaced from soggy wood brushing against his chest. He looked up and found himself staring at a big, white orangutan. He had a lot of gray patches in his fur, and heavy bags under his eyes. Oranguru appeared to be wearing a purple shawl over his shoulders, but on closer inspection Shane realized it was actually part of his fur.

"Hello," Oranguru whispered. "Please, come inside. You must be tired."

"Um, actually, sir, we were wondering if we could ask a favor of you," Tessa said as she stepped inside the hut. Shane had already walked over and sat down on a small, raggedy carpet. "See, our teammate–"

Steam rose up from the other side of the room. "I just finished boiling some sitrus and mago berry tea. Would you care for a taste?" Oranguru said.

"We really don't have the time to–"

"Sure, why not?" Shane chirped, giving Tessa the smarmiest grin he could muster. She glared at Shane in response.

"Ah, an excellent choice," Oranguru said. "My mate and I do so enjoy picking out berries from Mellath Bog. You would think that murky wetlands would be awful spots for berries. But, surprisingly, the trees there seem to produce these ripe, firm babies." Oranguru sighed and held up a swollen oran berry. Shane started drooling.

"Though, I must admit, my beloved mate and I haven't been up for venturing into the bog as of late," Oranguru continued, while Tessa tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. "Something seems off about the place. It's probably those doggone kids causing trouble with the wild Pokémon again. Why, back in my heyday, we would go about leaving treats for them in dungeon spaces. I even had a pen pal in Twilight Forest, if you can believe that."

Shane flashed his pearly whites at Tessa. "Having fun yet?"

"Stop sounding so smug," she seethed.

"Whoa, nice alliteration there, wordsmith. Bravo," Shane said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned away from her at the sound of footsteps. Oranguru approached them with a tray holding three clay bowls. He set the tray down on a log serving as a knee-high table.

"Oranguru, please, I just need to talk to you about my partner Nu–"

"Go on, try the tea," Oranguru suggested, pushing the tray toward Tessa.

"Yeah, come on, Riolu. We're this guy's guests after all. Wouldn't want to be impolite, would we?" Shane added. He leaned over and lapped up some tea, ignoring Tessa's exasperated expression. "Hmm, it's very sweet, but it's got a bit of a kick to it."

"Yes, yes, of course," Oranguru said, nodding slowly. "That was actually my lovely mate's idea." He raised up a hand and started pantomiming with it. "Just a single drop of tamato berry will make the tea invigorating," he said in a high-pitched voice. "Of course, the first time I tried it she had actually spiked the tea with quite a lot of tamato berry. I could barely feel my mouth for the next week." He shook his head. "Never did think of a way to pay her back for that little trick."

"That's all well and good, sir, but there's a matter that I could really use your help with," Tessa said, fidgeting nervously with her paws.

Oranguru slowly sat back in his wicker chair. "You seem rather tense, child. Go on, try the tea. It should help."

Tessa bit her lower lip. 'Good grief. Just how dense is this old fella?' she wondered. 'Easy now, Riolu. You're supposed to treat your elders with respect, remember? And you don't want to give Vulpix the satisfaction of seeing you annoyed.' She reached out grabbed the last remaining bowl from the tray. Tessa sat cross-legged on the floor and proceeded to drink the tea.

"It's pretty good," she said.

Oranguru smiled. "I'm sure that will make my darling mate quite happy," he said. "Now that we have partaken in some tea, please, tell me what troubles you, child."

Tessa's eyes lit up and it was now Shane's turn to look annoyed. "Oh, you don't need to worry about her. She's perfectly fine," Shane said.

"Actually, we're missing one of our teammates," Tessa said. "He ran off while we were still in Tethys Tunnel."

"Ah, yes." Oranguru stroked his beard. "Never a wise decision. Why, I remember the first time I was in Tethys Tunnel and made the foolhardy decision to run along part of the path. I hit the brook leading to Moonrise Marsh and tumbled right on down. Sprained my ankle pretty badly. But, oh, my wonderful mate nursed me back to health." He shook his head. "If only the Tapus didn't constantly rearrange the tunnel's layout. We wouldn't have problems with you youngsters having accidents."

"Right," Tessa mumbled. "Anyway, we think he's somewhere in the marsh but the fog outside is really thick. We're not sure how to look for him. So, we were wondering if maybe you could use your psychic abilities to sense his aura for us?"

Oranguru nodded slowly. "Well, it's been a little while since I've given the ol' brain a workout like that. Mostly I just do these old sliding box puzzles I bought from a traveling Greninja merchant. Now that is quite the tale–"

"And we would totally love to hear it once we're travelling through the bog," Tessa cut in. "But right now, we really need help finding our teammate."

Shane shook his head in disbelief. 'How could Guildmaster Metagross possibly be friends with this guy? He's the very embodiment of wasting time. Maybe he's gotten slow with old age?'

"Very well," Oranguru said. "So, what kind of Pokémon is your friend?"

Tessa's expression immediately blanched. A grin wove its way onto Shane's lips. "Um… err… well…" She poked her index digits together.

"We don't know because the guy's some sort of messed up experiment," Shane said, earning a frown from Tessa.

"You do not know?" Oranguru parroted. "Hmm, that is rather interesting. I vividly recall my youthful days when I encountered a Pokémon species for the first time. There was always this sense of mystery and intrigue. Let me tell you about the time I first encountered a Decidueye…"

"Maybe later," Tessa interjected. "Isn't there anything you can do to help us?"

Oranguru sipped more of his tea. "Well, do you know his typing?"

Tessa's gaze fell to the ground. "N… no," she squeaked.

"The guy's a total freak of nature," Shane said. "Canine body like mine. But his front two legs are like an insect's mixed with a bird's. He's got a fish's tail and this massive stone helmet covering his head and neck. Frankly, I'm not even sure he's a real Pokémon."

"Shut up, Vulpix. You're not helping," Tessa seethed.

"Now, now. No need for harsh words," Oranguru said, waving both hands. "We can solve this problem together. Why, my lovely mate and I are quite the problem solvers. Just the other day, we had an issue with the door falling off its hinges. They had rusted over, you see. So, we took some metal coils we had lying around and used them to anchor the door to the inside wall. Quite the solution, eh?"

"Would you be willing to help us search for our friend, then?" Tessa asked. "I know we're supposed to be helping you out, and you don't like to leave your home, but I'd really appreciate it."

"Well, I suppose it would get the old heart pumping a bit before we set out into the bog," Oranguru said, knees popping loudly as he got to his feet. "Chances are, if your friend just wandered through here without any sense of direction, he ended up on one of the small patches of wetlands we have here." He started shuffling toward the door. "They're a bit deeper into the marsh."

Tessa jumped to her feet. "Great! C'mon, Vulpix, we'd better get moving."

Shane huffed out some frost. "I said I'd take you to Oranguru so he could help. I didn't say anything about scouring this place in search of Null."

An exasperated expression overtook Tessa's face. "Seriously, Vulpix? We're supposed to be doing this as a team."

"Yeah, then take it up with Null. He's the one who ran off," Shane harrumphed. He then yipped in fright as a small psychic force brought him up to his feet.

"It is not polite to argue with a nice, young lady like Riolu, here," Oranguru chided. "Come along, child."

Shane scowled and trudged along after Tessa. "She's not my friend," he muttered. They exited onto the dock and it bobbed in the water, sending Tessa stumbling forwards.

"The wetlands are due north of my house," Oranguru said. "But there's also a patch to the northeast." He beckoned Team Radiance toward him, where two sets of floating logs led off in different directions. "How would you prefer to split this up?"

Shane stomped off toward the rightmost path. "I'll go this way," he said. "You two can go north."

"Oh no you don't," Tessa growled. "You should take Oranguru with you."

"Why? I can handle myself," Shane said, eyes narrowing.

"Because I don't trust you to actually look for Null," Tessa said, crossing her arms.

Shane rolled his eyes. "Well, bully for you. I'm still going by myself." He turned and walked away. Tessa quickly lost sight of him in the fog.

"It would seem you and your friend are at odds," Oranguru observed. "Did you consider talking out your differences? That's what always helped my mate and me when conversations got a bit heated."

"I'm pretty sure that's what led to our current situation," Tessa said, rubbing the bridge of her brow. "Come on, let's start looking for Null."

XxX​

'Man, if I had a fire-type move like a real Vulpix, I could get this stupid fog out of the way,' Shane thought, cautiously proceeding along the path of floating planks. He could barely make out a small patch of light ahead of him, but the fog obscured his view. 'This is such a waste of time. Obviously Null doesn't want to be found. Why can't Tessa just take the hint and move on? What, has she got a crush on that thing?'

Shane shuddered at the thought. In the process, one of his hind paws came down on the edge of the wood and slipped backward. Shane slid onto his belly, yipping in surprise. His hind leg partially dropped into the swamp, causing him to grimace. "Ugh, gross!" he whined, hoisting himself back to his feet. He looked over and inspected the leg. A thin layer of gray slime covered his fur.

Groaning, Shane continued along the plank. The ball of light grew closer, until Shane could make out a luminous orb hanging from a large wooden stake that someone had planted in the ground. The orb illuminated a small island littered with crabby gray grass and patches of damp, equally-gray sod.

"How could anyone stand to live in such a dank, depressing place?" he wondered. "Actually, it's kind of the perfect place to go if you don't want to be bothered." His snout wrinkled. "If only it didn't smell like a pair of used bowling shoes." He approached the end of the dock and stepped off it. The ground squelched under his paws. Soft, sticky mud surrounded Shane's paws, making him grimace.

"Yo, Null! You out here?" Shane shouted, looking around. "C'mon, you big loon. Riolu's worried about you. Stop messing around. We've got Oranguru and we want to leave this place sooner rather than later." He swiveled his head about the wetlands. All he heard was swamp water lapping up against nearby wooden planks. His ears folded against his face. "Great. We're never going to get out of this stupid swamp at this rate. I should've taken Oranguru with me. Then I could've just ditched Riolu and finished this mission on my own."

He walked further into the wetlands. His gaze fell to the ground as he tried to stick to the patches of grass. Of course, they were just as soggy as the dirt. So, every one of Shane's steps created a splashing noise louder than the creaking of the docks. "Null! Where are you?" he shouted. "Man, this is useless. I'm going to shout myself hoarse at this rate."

A rasping, wheezing cough sounded. Shane jolted to attention. "Th… that you, Null?" he stammered. "Come on. Quit hiding and get out here already." Loud squelching footsteps sounded, and then a bulky outline appeared in the fog in front of Shane. "There you are. Jeez, what got you so riled up that you just took off like that?" Shane said, frowning. "Whatever, I don't care. Riolu's waiting for us. Let's go and try to meet up with her."

Shane got no response. Instead, the squelching noises got faster. The outline in the fog rapidly thickened. "Um, Null? You okay, dude?" Shane said, stepping back hesitantly.

A loud roar answered Shane, sending a shiver racing across his body. Shane had no time to process what was happening. Out of the fog appeared Null, helmet glowing with a metallic sheen. He charged headfirst into Shane, knocking him across the wetlands. Dirt and swamp water caked Shane's body.

"Agh! W-What the… Null?" Shane croaked, looking up. Null fixed his beady gray eyes on Shane and hissed angrily. Shane's eyes widened. "What is your problem? It's me… it's Shane!"

Null charged toward Shane. "You… beast!" he snarled. Shane scrambled to his left, squealing in fright. He dodged a swipe of Null's glowing talons. Null struck the ground instead, splattering dirty water against his chest.

"Oh, come on!" Shane hissed. "Who put you up to this, huh? Tessa? Braviary? Why does everyone have such a problem with me? I haven't done anything wrong this whole mission!" He opened his mouth and shot a blast of frosty air forward. It hit Null, who staggered backwards, hissing.

Null thrashed his head about, rattling his helmet in the process. "Beasts… must be… destroyed! Do it… do it! Destroy them!" Null shouted. Next thing Shane knew, a sharp blade of wind grazed his side. Shane gasped and hopped backward, wincing in pain. Null's helmet once again hardened into metal and he began charging Shane down.

"Stop it, you crazy freak!" Shane cried, turning and running away. His smaller stature easily allowed him to stay clear of Null. "Help! Help! I'm being attacked by a raving lunatic!" Shane screamed. But in looking back at Null, Shane misjudged his stride. His forepaw struck a patch of mud and slipped out from under him. Shane ended up sprawled out on his belly.

Shane's eyes widened in fear as Null shouted, "Get rid… of the beasts! That's why… we're here. It's what… we must do!" Shane turned around and shrieked as loud as he could. The sound waves missed Null, however. Null collided with Shane moments later. The force from the blow sent Shane reeling across the wetlands.

The ground slipped out from underneath the lower half of Shane's body. Shane started sliding into the water. He desperately tried to dig his forepaws into the wetlands to pull himself back up. But he failed to get a proper grip. In a matter of seconds, the remainder of his body slid into the water with a small splash.

His entire world went dark. Shane jammed his eyes shut and puffed out his cheeks, struggling to hold his breath. Slimy reeds suddenly brushed up against his backside. Shane couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Swamp water rushed into his mouth. Shane started to thrash about, utterly uncertain how to use his four limbs to propel himself up. This proved a poor decision. His struggling only succeeded in getting reeds ensnared between his tails.

Shane forced himself to swallow the swamp water and tucked his head into his chest. He felt himself sinking deeper into the swamp. 'I've only got one shot at this!' he thought. Shane tried to push the sensation of the slimy water and reeds out of his mind. He concentrated as hard as he could and then released a burst of psychic energy directly below him. The lack of traction underwater resulted in the attack rocketing Shane upwards.

He broke the surface of the water and took in a huge gulp of air. Unfortunately, he couldn't get close enough to the wetlands to pull himself ashore. 'Come on, Shane. Doggie paddle! Doggie paddle like your life depended on it… because it totally does!'

Shane started sweeping his legs forward and back. Much to his delight, the movement managed to propel him forward. However, he didn't make a lot of progress with the swamp reeds getting in the way. He craned his neck up and took in another deep breath.

A blade of air whizzed past him, slicing the tops off several reeds. Shane rapidly blinked swamp water from his vision. He could just make out Null's blurry outline positioned on the surface of the wetlands. Null paced back and forth, shaking his head and snorting. He quickly gathered more air around his foreleg and launched crescents right at Shane, who yelped and ducked underneath the surface. The wind blades grazed Shane's mane, taking locks of wet fur with them.

Shane resurfaced and immediately started swimming to his right. 'There's got to be some other patch of land I can climb onto. I have to get away from this guy!'

"What… are you waiting for? Get him!" Null snarled.

He threw his head to the left. "But… but he's my teammate. I don't… want to… hurt him."

Null then thrust his head back to the right. "He's… one of them. We exist… to eliminate them. He made fun… of us. This… should be child's play!"

Null groaned in frustration. More air gathered around his foreleg and he slung it toward Shane. Shane took in a big breath and submerged himself. All the while, he continued paddling forward. The surface of the water rippled from the explosive air. Shane's breath quickly escaped him as a stream of bubbles. He resurfaced, tilting his neck up to try and see in front of him.

Shane heard a loud hiss and the sound of creaking wooden planks. He didn't dare try to look at Null, for fear of leaving himself open to an attack. Null was clearly trying to follow him. Sure enough, another blade of air rushed past Shane, nicking the back of his neck.

'Gotta hurry… gotta hurry!' he thought. Shane's heart hammered in his chest and his legs ached from opposing the weight of his soaking-wet fur. He maneuvered himself into a set of reeds. Seconds later, several of the reeds behind him fell apart. A ripple spread through the water. Null roared loudly.

'Is he getting closer? Maybe I should turn around?' Shane thought. 'No… everything hurts. I can't keep this up much longer. I've got to get back on land… even if it's right where Null is.' He peered through the reeds, praying for some sign of approaching land. Shane's heart fluttered at the sight of a luminous orb dangling from the branch of a rotting tree. It illuminated another patch of wetlands.

'Oh, thank god! I'm almost there. I'm going to get through this,' Shane cheered. He took a deep breath and forced himself to paddle harder. A groan escaped his muzzle, nearly causing him to swallow a mouthful of swamp water.

"I don't… want to… keep chasing… him!" Shane heard Null yell. "Make this stop!" Null groaned.

Seconds later, Null shouted, "He's exhausted… this is our chance to strike." Shane redoubled his swimming efforts, and the edge of the wetlands soon came into view for him. He spotted what looked like a drier patch of land and steered himself toward it.

Shane glanced to his left and noticed that Null had slipped out of his view. He couldn't see any nearby floating planks, either. 'I should be in the clear,' Shane thought. He approached the wetlands and, with considerable effort, scissor-kicked with his hind legs. This drove him upward. Shane refused to take any chances. He opened his mouth wide and sank his fangs into the ground.

Grass and mud filled his mouth, making his eyes water as he tried to fight the urge to gag. But it provided him with the traction needed to hoist the lower half of his body out of the swamp. Shane released his grip and staggered forward, before collapsing on his side, panting heavily. Every muscle in his body burned.

"There… you are!"

Null's furious roar sent Shane racing to his feet. Shane looked to his left and spotted Null racing out of the fog. His helmet had turned to steel once again. Shane turned tail and ran in the opposite direction, ignoring the intense pain shooting through his legs.

"Tessa, get over here! I'm being attack by Null!" Shane cried. He tried to focus on where he was running, but the fog made it difficult to see a path forward. Shane's eyes widened and he had to skid to a halt as he realized he was approaching the edge of the wetlands.

'No, no, no! There's got to be a plank or a dock around here somewhere,' he thought, looking about in a panic. But the clanging of Null's metallic helmet grew steadily louder. Shane turned to cut to his left, but Null had already anticipated this. Shane found himself on a direct collision course with Null. He turned to his left and opened his mouth. But in his fatigued state, all he could manage to do was cough up a couple of clouds of frosty air.

Shane screamed in terror as Null's mask bashed against his head. The blow upended him, immediately knocking him out. His unconscious form slid back across the ground, picking up mud, until Shane's head and neck dangled over the surface of the swamp. Null raised a foreleg, gathering air between his talons.

"One more blow… and he's gone forever," Null muttered.

"Null! What are you doing?"

Null heard Tessa's cry too late. He thrust his foreleg forward and an air crescent rifled toward Shane.

"Null!"

The blast struck Shane and knocked him back into the swamp. Tessa sprinted toward Null, a look of confusion spread across her face. Null turned to face her just as she threw a small seed at him. Next thing he knew, a smoky-pink cloud enveloped him. Null wobbled about before collapsing onto his side, snoring loudly.

Tessa looked over to see Oranguru lifting Shane out of the swamp and lowering him onto the ground. He knelt down and placed a paw on Shane's side. It flashed pink, sending waves of psychic energy pulsating across Shane's body. Moments later, Shane coughed up a mouthful of swamp water.

"It seems we got here just in time," Oranguru said. "Yes, this is just like the close shaves my lovely mate and I ran into back when we lived near Glyphic Falls."

"Uunnnnnggh," Shane groaned. His eyes slowly creaked open. "W… what happened?" He looked up at Oranguru. "Are we… in Sunflower Meadows?" Shane sat up, blinking rapidly. "Wait..." His gaze fell on Null's slumbering form. Tessa knelt beside Null, rubbing his side with a paw.

"Are you serious?" Shane growled. "You're paying attention to him? That psycho just tried to kill me!"

Tessa flinched and looked up at him. "Vulpix, it's not his fault."

"Oh, of course. How silly of me," Shane said, narrowing his eyes at Tessa. "You're absolutely right. Null's perfectly fine. I just decided to go for a nice, refreshing dip in this nasty-ass swamp!"

"Actually, the swamp water really isn't that bad if you know where to swim," Oranguru mused.

"Shut it, gramps!" Shane barked. He whirled back on Tessa. "Alright, fess up! Someone put the two of you up to this, didn't they? Who wants me snuffed out? Braviary? The Guildmaster? Lycanroc?"

"You don't understand," Tessa said. "Null… he can't help it. He hears voices."

Shane bared his fangs. "Are you kidding me? That's your big explanation? Well, I'm not buying it. Pokémon aren't schizophrenics. The guy's just a dangerous freak!" He glared at Null. "For all we know, he could've picked up the Prism Virus!"

"He's not infected," Tessa said, stepping defensively in front of Null. "I know you don't like to think about other people's problems, but Null told me that when he gets his headaches he starts hearing a bunch of voices. The same thing happened with Bewear in Dewdrop Woods. The only reason he followed you was because these voices yelled at him until they overwhelmed him."

"Shut up!" Shane screeched, smacking the ground with a foreleg. He grinded his teeth together. "You don't get to defend him. Not after what he just did to me! He deserves to stay here and rot with these moldy trees. He's not a Pokémon… he's a freak of nature!"

"You shut up!" Tessa snarled, balling her paws into fists. "Maybe if you had taken the time to actually be nice to him, none of this would've happened." She looked back at Null. "I was talking to him after Lycanroc got arrested, you know. He said he doesn't blame you for the way you act around him. Why can't you just do the same thing?"

"Because I nearly drowned thanks to him!" Shane thundered, snorting out water droplets. "A little teasing will never measure up to that."

"And I nearly drowned because of you on our very first assignment!" Tessa shouted, her fists flashing blue.

Shane's left eye twitched and a vein bulged out of his forehead. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

Tessa crossed her arms. "Well, you certainly haven't done anything to help the situation."

Shane's left eye twitched again. "Alright, that tears it!" he bellowed. Shane sprinted toward Tessa, face contorted in rage. Tessa's eyes widened, but she backed up right into Null. A stream of slush washed in front of her. Tessa slipped and fell onto her belly. Seconds later, Shane barreled into her. The two canines tumbled across the ground. Their momentum carried them to a mud pit, which they fell into with a large splash.

Shane got the upper hand and pinned Tessa against the ground. Tessa thrashed about underneath him, but Shane had pressed his forepaws down on her arms, preventing her escape. "Let… me… go!" she screeched.

Shane responded by pushing Tessa's head into the mud with his neck. He leaned down and sank his fangs into her ear. The taste of iron filled up his mouth as Tessa wailed in pain. Shane let go of her ear and pushed harder against her.

"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore! I'm through listening to you!" he hissed, spitting a mouthful of blood onto Tessa's neck. Shane pulled his head back and smacked Tessa across the cheek. He opened his mouth wide and coated Tessa in chilled air from head to toe. Tessa cried out in frustration and struggled even harder. But her energy quickly faded as Shane's attack encased her in a thick layer of ice.

Once he was certain he'd frozen Tessa solid, Shane lumbered to his feet, howling angrily. For good measure, he doused the mud puddle surrounding Tessa in snowflakes, freezing it over. Shane walked over and scooped up Tessa's item pouch. "I'm taking this," he declared, "and I'm going to bring Oranguru to Sunflower Fields myself. When I'm done, you can bet I'm telling the Guildmaster all of this. And then the two of you will get kicked to the curb where you belong."

He reached into the pouch and produced a sparkling orb. "Here. Unlike your stupid friend, I'm actually generous. When you thaw out, you can use this to buzz off." He rolled the orb over to Null's sleeping form.

Shane turned and stomped over toward Oranguru. "C'mon, we're leaving."

"Are you sure about that? Don't you want to wait for your friends to recover?" Oranguru asked. "It is not wise to rush into Mellath Bog by your lonesome. I remember the first time I made that mistake…"

"Don't care," Shane said. He pointed his snout forward. "Get walking. Now!" Oranguru looked back at Tessa and Null. Shane shoved him with his snout. "I said get moving!"

Oranguru lumbered forward, sighing. Shane gave his former teammates one last scornful look before storming off after Oranguru, shaking bits of mud off his pelt.
 
Post Awards feedback incoming! (warning: possible long post ahead)

The story already stands out from all the rest by exploring what PMD would look like if Gen 7 mechanics were in a PMD story, and how they would conceivably work in the PMD universe. This is why, Shane, our hero, becomes an Alolan Vulpix when he arrives in the PMD world. Together with his Riolu partner Tessa, the two of them set off on a weird and wild adventure involving the Ultra Beasts, Solgaleo, and Lunala.

Even though I didn't play very much of MD Time/Darkness, I did get far enough along to understand the concept of the guilds, and what they do. I like that you add your own spin on the guilds, so that it's not a carbon copy of the games. Instead of a Wigglytuff, we have a Braviary playing the Chatot role, and a Metagross guildmaster. Since our hero does retain all his human memories, this leads to some funny moments. Far too often I see PMD fics aim for the darkest, most dreary story possible, while forgetting about why we loved the games in the first place--levity, and humor. This one remembers the humor, so I know that while it may get dark later on, there's still a light to cheer for, that also drives the story forward.

The world sounds like it could very well be in its own PMD game. Every setting, from the hub village to every dungeon; has a personality all its own--if this was a real PMD game, I would happily play it. There's plenty of detail, and small references to the series itself, but the author is careful not to have it sound like it walked out of the games.

I will say that Shane is a breath of fresh air in how he reacts to being pulled in the Pokeworld. His commentary and repartee with Tessa is clearly some of the best parts of the fic. The bad guys could use a little tweaking to stand out a bit, but they could very well become compelling characters, like many reviewers have suggested.

The story does tend to ramble at first, but once we settle in, the story starts to move at a fairly brisk pace, but not so quickly we are left wondering who is who, what is what, and what the heck just happened. Any important info is naturally conveyed to us, the audience, through action and events, not an infodump. I like how you are careful to keep their world lore consistent, while at the same time showing us how Gen 7 mechanics could work in a PMD setting. Luckily, these don't feel very 'game-y' at all. They feel very natural, and part of the world. I didn't see any major technical dealbreakers, either.

Overall, if there was a PMD game featuring Gen 7 Pokemon and mechanics, I would want it to look like this. You're not afraid to explore the dark side of the Pokemon world, but you also don't forget to reassure the audience with some levity and humor. Having some great characters with chemistry doesn't hurt either!

Shane is meant to fill the role of a player character in a PMD style adventure. But this does not mean he is a static character at all. Throughout the course of the story, we see him come to terms with being brought to the Pokemon world (albeit with human memories), and come into his own as a hero. He learns to make friends, clashes with foes, and learns about abilities and good qualities he never knew he had. This is remarkable (to me, at least) because we actually learn a little about what Shane was like as a human (and he still retains his human memories in Pokemon form).

Shane has come a long way from being a frightened and scared Alolan Vulpix that washed up on a beach. While he still has his human snark and spirit, he is learning lessons about trust, friendship, love and more--which we learn he struggled with back in the human world. His heart to heart with Tessa and dealing with a major loss show that he is willing to bare the deepest parts of his soul to those he has finally learned to trust. He also deals with the fact the PMD world is more than just a video game series--it is its own realized world, and he has a role to play in it.

Far too often we don't learn anything about the protagonist's life as a human in a PMD type story, if it's ever explained at all. If we're lucky, we may get a few passing references, but usually nothing more than that. Shane stands out from these faceless protagonists by retaining his human knowledge, memories, and abilities, which serve as character development for him and comic relief at his genre savviness.

Shane's snark and genre savviness are what makes the fic for me. A lot of his best scenes made me knowingly smile at dealing with some of the same frustrations he does while playing PMD. His feelings at being pulled into a PMD world are portrayed realistically, and his coming to terms with this and learning more about himself make the story an entertaining read.

This is very clearly Shane's story. There's already rumblings of a cataclysmic event in the world, and Shane is well on his way towards rising to meet the challenge.

Far too often we don't get to find out what the partner's life was like before they met the player character. This is not the case with Tessa--we learn early that she has family issues, and is struggling to find her place in the world after discovering she is not very good at controlling aura. This gets to the point where she refuses to be called by name. This somewhat justifies why she comes off as a bit harsh to Shane at first. But as they go on adventures together, she comes to learn that Shane is the friend she always wanted, and she needs him as much as he needs her.

Outcast members of a society struggling to find their place in the world are not exactly new. But Tessa stands out from the crowd by having a realistic-ish response to such a situation. This makes her slow transformation into a trusted companion that much more gratifying, as she learns to accept her herself the way she is, and let go of her past shame.

While Tessa's not necessarily the most original of character types, her realistic response to her situation helps her to stand out. Through all the team's adventures, she's beginning to come into her own as a character, and learning to deal with her conflicted emotions about all that is going on.

Like her partner, Tessa's snark and personality really shines in the story. Her repartee with Shane is easily some of the best parts of the story, even making me burst out laughing. Yet for all her fluster and snark, underneath lies a Riolu that longs for love and security.

This is very much Tessa's story as it is Shane's. They mutually benefit each other, and deal with many of the same issues. While they still have a long way to go on their adventures, they are coming into their own into the heroes they are destined to be.

Far too often we don't get to see what the partner in a PMD game was doing before they met the player. In addition, many of them just willingly go along for the sake of the plot. So when Tessa meets Shane, she reacts as one would realistically expect someone to react in such a situation--blow him off as weird. But as they get to know each other and work through their shared problems, we come to see that the partnership you form in a PMD story isn't as simple as the games would have you believe.

Shane clearly retains his memory and genre savviness of a human. Tessa has her own hangups regarding her family and her place in Riolu/Lucario society. But as they go on adventures together and learn to trust and support each other, they grow into a beautiful friendship--the epitome of what the classic English theme song meant when it said "You teach me, and I'll teach you."

The pair's dynamic stands out simply because it is realistic. This pair doesn't start out the best of friends overnight, and have to learn to work as a team and trust each other. So this is a breath of fresh air, and something you don't see very often in the wider PMD community.

Shane and Tessa's repartee easily makes the fic. Even though they don't always get along, their banter is a highlight of the story for me. No matter what situation these two find themselves in, they have a witty remark or three to say about it. Some of their comments literally made me burst out laughing.

Shane and Tessa are meant to be the heroes of the story, and this shines through everything they do. Their relationship may not begin on the best of terms, but it is showing glimmers of a deep, loving and meaningful friendship--a light they will need in defeating the evil force that threatens the Pokemon world.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 28
The story already stands out from all the rest by exploring what PMD would look like if Gen 7 mechanics were in a PMD story, and how they would conceivably work in the PMD universe. This is why, Shane, our hero, becomes an Alolan Vulpix when he arrives in the PMD world. Together with his Riolu partner Tessa, the two of them set off on a weird and wild adventure involving the Ultra Beasts, Solgaleo, and Lunala.
Yes, a cursory glance through FFN showed a severe lack of PMD centered on Gen VII, which extra-motivated me to convert my CYOA idea to a proper fic. There... still isn't a lot of Gen VII PMD, sadly. If only we could get an actual game. *sigh*

Even though I didn't play very much of MD Time/Darkness, I did get far enough along to understand the concept of the guilds, and what they do. I like that you add your own spin on the guilds, so that it's not a carbon copy of the games. Instead of a Wigglytuff, we have a Braviary playing the Chatot role, and a Metagross guildmaster. Since our hero does retain all his human memories, this leads to some funny moments. Far too often I see PMD fics aim for the darkest, most dreary story possible, while forgetting about why we loved the games in the first place--levity, and humor. This one remembers the humor, so I know that while it may get dark later on, there's still a light to cheer for, that also drives the story forward.
Even as the fic has morphed into something a lot different from its original "plan," which was a mostly lighthearted tale, I didn't want to abandon the humor and quirkier elements. I admit that I struggle to balance them at times, but I've tried to go back and fix the instances where I was told before that the blend outright didn't work.

The world sounds like it could very well be in its own PMD game. Every setting, from the hub village to every dungeon; has a personality all its own--if this was a real PMD game, I would happily play it. There's plenty of detail, and small references to the series itself, but the author is careful not to have it sound like it walked out of the games.
Thanks. I do think the pre-Bulba version was... lacking in proper descriptions. So, I really tried to add stuff in without bloating the size of the fic up. Hopefully it worked out.

The bad guys could use a little tweaking to stand out a bit, but they could very well become compelling characters, like many reviewers have suggested.
We're... almost at the part where the bad guys finally start to get fleshed out more. But I wanted the first several episodes to be mostly focused around Shane's and Tessa's struggles with each other. The main bad guys will throw another wrench into the complicated mess of cogs.

The story does tend to ramble at first, but once we settle in, the story starts to move at a fairly brisk pace, but not so quickly we are left wondering who is who, what is what, and what the heck just happened. Any important info is naturally conveyed to us, the audience, through action and events, not an infodump.
Yes, that first chapter is... long. I promise none will ever be as long as that. They get split when they hit 8000 words, for the most part. @_@

The author is careful to keep their world lore consistent, while at the same time showing us how Gen 7 mechanics could work in a PMD setting. Luckily, these don't feel very 'game-y' at all. They feel very natural, and part of the world. I didn't see any major technical dealbreakers, either.
I think it helps that I tied it into the existing PMD canon. I wasn't confident enough in my worldbuilding skills to create something entirely from scratch.

Shane is meant to fill the role of a player character in a PMD style adventure. But this does not mean he is a static character at all. Throughout the course of the story, we see him come to terms with being brought to the Pokemon world (albeit with human memories), and come into his own as a hero. He learns to make friends, clashes with foes, and learns about abilities and good qualities he never knew he had.
He started out originally as a bit of a caricature of self-insert characters before the story shifted tone and Shane became more of a jerk in response to initial feedback. Granted, that jerkishness is a risky strategy. As you can tell, that factor (combined with the story's size) is probably why it wasn't getting any attention for awhile.

This is remarkable (to me, at least) because we actually learn a little about what Shane was like as a human (and he still retains his human memories in Pokemon form).
Well I had to show off Shane's human life because it's very important to the overarching plot. Trust me. ;)

Shane has come a long way from being a frightened and scared Alolan Vulpix that washed up on a beach. While he still has his human snark and spirit, he is learning lessons about trust, friendship, love and more--which we learn he struggled with back in the human world. His heart to heart with Tessa and dealing with a major loss show that he is willing to bare the deepest parts of his soul to those he has finally learned to trust. He also deals with the fact the PMD world is more than just a video game series--it is its own realized world, and he has a role to play in it.
He's still got a very long way to go, though, given what's happened since the nomination period ended. :V

Shane stands out from these faceless protagonists by retaining his human knowledge, memories, and abilities, which serve as character development for him and comic relief at his genre savviness.
Yeah, the original idea was to parody PMD stories by having Shane keep his memories. When things turned more serious, I was able to rework it to use his memories in a different manner.

Shane's snark and genre savviness are what makes the fic for me. A lot of his best scenes made me knowingly smile at dealing with some of the same frustrations he does while playing PMD. His feelings at being pulled into a PMD world are portrayed realistically, and his coming to terms with this and learning more about himself make the story an entertaining read.
Wrong genre savvy is a big part of this whole story. So, you got me there.

Far too often we don't get to find out what the partner's life was like before they met the player character. This is not the case with Tessa--we learn early that she has family issues, and is struggling to find her place in the world after discovering she is not very good at controlling aura. This gets to the point where she refuses to be called by name. This somewhat justifies why she comes off as a bit harsh to Shane at first. But as they go on adventures together, she comes to learn that Shane is the friend she always wanted, and she needs him as much as he needs her.
Yeah, I really never understand why the partner characters just... have no family or friends to speak of. Super made a bit of an effort, but that game didn't do as much as it could've. In some respects, both unintentionally and intentionally, the focus on Tessa's family is another nod to Gen VII. Because family was a big theme with SM and USUM. Astute readers have made several connections between Tessa's family and the Aether family, for what it's worth.

Outcast members of a society struggling to find their place in the world are not exactly new. But Tessa stands out from the crowd by having a realistic-ish response to such a situation. This makes her slow transformation into a trusted companion that much more gratifying, as she learns to accept her herself the way she is, and let go of her past shame.
Admittedly, it's easy to write an outcast when you're an outcast yourself. :V

While Tessa's not necessarily the most original of character types, her realistic response to her situation helps her to stand out. Through all the team's adventures, she's beginning to come into her own as a character, and learning to deal with her conflicted emotions about all that is going on.
She still has a long way to go, too. Trust me.

Yet for all her fluster and snark, underneath lies a Riolu that longs for love and security.
Spot on! And that'll be very important going forward.

So when Tessa meets Shane, she reacts as one would realistically expect someone to react in such a situation--blow him off as weird. But as they get to know each other and work through their shared problems, we come to see that the partnership you form in a PMD story isn't as simple as the games would have you believe.
Right. A big part of the story was me wanting to examine the player-partner dynamic and see what I could do to stretch it into something different. I think it's worked out so far.

Shane clearly retains his memory and genre savviness of a human. Tessa has her own hangups regarding her family and her place in Riolu/Lucario society. But as they go on adventures together and learn to trust and support each other, they grow into a beautiful friendship--the epitome of what the classic English theme song meant when it said "You teach me, and I'll teach you."
Well, they were getting there at the time nominations ended. But there's been a bit of a regression since then. ^^;

The pair's dynamic stands out simply because it is realistic. This pair doesn't start out the best of friends overnight, and have to learn to work as a team and trust each other. So this is a breath of fresh air, and something you don't see very often in the wider PMD community.
I'm still trying to find the PMD community and connect with them. Results have been... mixed. Hell, I'd say 90% of all the feedback I've gotten has been from people who don't do anything PMD-related. I guess I should start advertising this as "The hidden gem of PMD fics?" XP

Shane and Tessa's repartee easily makes the fic. Even though they don't always get along, their banter is a highlight of the story for me. No matter what situation these two find themselves in, they have a witty remark or three to say about it. Some of their comments literally made me burst out laughing.
Glad to hear it. I've put a lot of effort into their dynamic so it's gratifying to see that rewarded. Thank you very much for taking the time to judge the fic for the awards. Best of luck with your projects! ^^

We've finally moved on from the 2017 content. This chapter was first published on January 3rd, 2018. Enjoy!

XxX

Chapter 28: Cut Down to Size

~Mellath Bog~

To Shane's pleasant surprise, a significant degree of the fog shrouding Moonrise Marsh disappeared when he entered the Mystery Dungeon. However, it didn't take long for Shane to wish for the fog's return. "I… really don't like the look of things here," he said, swiveling his head back and forth as he walked. The entire dungeon glowed purple, with the leaves serving as the source for the unnatural light. He turned to Oranguru. "Is this place radioactive or something?"

Oranguru raised a curious eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't quite know what you mean."

Shane frowned. "Right, sorry. That's a human thing. Is this supposed to be a toxic swamp?" He stopped at the point where the path branched out in front of him, encircling a small lagoon. Unlike the marsh, this pond was filled to the brim with fluorescent purple liquid. It was even thicker than the swamp water. Shane gave a frightened squeak and quickly backpedaled as a large bubble formed in the lagoon and burst. Some of the fluid splashed ashore and dissolved, leaving darkened patches on the ground.

"This is definitely not how I remember this place looking," Oranguru said. "The dungeon used to have clear water. And it housed wild Pokémon like the Goodra and Lanturn families."

As if on cue, the pond's surface rippled. A fish lunged out of the water. At first glance, it looked unrecognizable underneath all the purple sludge. Its only distinguishing feature was an antenna that ended with a white, spike-covered ball of crackling electricity.

"Infeeeeeeeeect," the fish moaned. Shane wasted no time in sending a pink, telekinetic burst forward. It struck the sludge-covered monster, blowing it off the trail and into the woods. Shane heard a splattering sound and winced.

"The Prism Virus is here," he concluded. "And it's not just infecting Pokémon this time. It's polluting this entire Mystery Dungeon!"

"Would it not be wiser to wait for your friends to recover and join us, then?" Oranguru proposed.

A scowl crossed Shane face. 'No, I'm not chickening out here. I don't want Tessa's or Null's help.' He resumed walking down the path. "They're not my friends," he said. "Now, let's get moving before that mutated Lanturn wakes up."

Oranguru lumbered along after Shane. Both Pokémon took in their surroundings. The dark purple trees gnarled and twisted around each other. Some trees sported dozens of pointed spines. They pulsated with some sort of red and black liquid. Shane grimaced and fixed his attention to the pathway. But even that couldn't extinguish the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. The numerous cracks in the soil glowed the same shade of purple as the leaves and water.

"You can do this, Shane," he whispered to himself. "You're the human here, remember?"

"There's strength to be had in numbers, you know," Oranguru said. "Why, there was this one time where my lovely mate tried to venture into Rem Canyon on her own. A tribe of dragon-types captured her, for the wild Pokémon living there are not fond of us civilized folk. Naturally, my first inclination was to dash in after her. But it was your Guildmaster who advised I wait so he could gather the personnel necessary for a rescue mission. Ah, what a kind soul he was."

"Guildmaster? You mean Metagross? Is that how you know him?" Shane asked, eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Guildmaster Metagross?" Oranguru said, raising an eyebrow. "I think you are mistaken, child. He is the top explorer in the Horizon Guild, sure. But I'm talking about Incineroar!" Oranguru smiled. "Such a charismatic fellow. He could light the room up with his infectious smile. And not just because he was a fire-type. Ho ho ho!"

"You're clearly just doing this to bug me, aren't you?" Shane huffed in frustration. "I have no idea what an Incineroar is, but I know for a fact that Metagross is our Guildmaster. He's the one who sent us down here to help you."

Oranguru stopped in the middle of the trail. "That cannot be," he said. "I've been exchanging letters with Incineroar for the last few weeks. Perhaps Metagross simply conveyed the order on Incineroar's behalf?"

Shane's brow furrowed. "Look, you said yourself you haven't been out of the marsh in a while, dude. So, I don't know what to tell you. I'm still pretty new to the guild myself, but everyone there acknowledges Metagross as the Guildmaster. Maybe Incineroar stepped down and didn't tell you? It doesn't matter. Less talking, more walking."

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Oranguru standing there, frowning. "But he is such a close friend. My wonderful mate and I have gone on many excursions with Incineroar and his mate, Lucario." He scratched his head. This revelation caused Shane to stumble.

'Wait… so Tessa's dad is this Incineroar guy?' Shane gasped.

"Hmm… come to think of it… Riolu could've been their pup," Oranguru muttered. "I never met their children in person, you see, but Incineroar loved to talk about them. Oh, how I long for the good ol' days when my aura-sensing abilities were up to snuff."

"For god's sake." Shane puffed out a cloud of mist. "Look, sir, there's clearly been some sort of miscommunication here. Tessa told me herself that her mom and dad have been in the Grass Continent for quite a while. And neither of them will be returning to Horizon anytime soon. Let's put the issue to rest and get go–"

"But, there's no way we could have communicated so frequently if he's in the Grass Continent," Oranguru said. "This is quite perplexing."

"No, it doesn't matter," Shane growled. "Look, we're wasting time standing here and talking. You want to see your 'lovely, wonderful, fabulous mate,' right? Then we should be booking it through this bog. So, come on, already!"

Oranguru stretched out his neck. "Yes, I shouldn't keep my darling mate waiting, should I? Sorry, these old bones can't move as fast as I'd like them to." He arced his back and then proceeded forward.

Shane bit his lower lip. 'This is getting weird. Why would Metagross deceive this old geezer? He's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.' He started walking after Oranguru. 'And what about that Incineroar business? I guess Metagross is just acting as Guildmaster in his absence, then? But how could Tessa not think to mention her father is the actual Guildmaster. That's a pretty big detail to leave me in the dark about this whole time.'

Shane scowled and shook his head. 'No. You know what? I'll bet she did that on purpose. If her dad's the actual Guildmaster, then exploring really is in her blood. So, the only reason she's acting like this is because she hates me and wants to be rid of me!' A glare crossed his face. 'I'll bet she's probably not in any danger of getting expelled. Metagross wouldn't want to upset 'Daddy's Little Girl,' after all.'

He gnashed his fangs together. 'Well, we'll just see about that. When I get back to the Observatory and show Metagross that Tessa's willing to defend a would-be killer, there's no way he'll let her stay. And with any luck, Null will get the boot too.'

XxX

~Moonrise Marsh~

Null's eyes slowly opened. Groaning, he struggled to stand up against the weight of his helmet. "What… happened?" he muttered, finally righting himself. Null surveyed the foggy wetlands. All he spotted was the luminous orb hanging from its tree and a small patch of blue ground giving off a fine mist.

"We fell unconscious!" Null found himself shouting. "The beast escaped us again."

Null jerked his head to his right. "No… shut up. That… that wasn't a beast. That was… a teammate." He clawed at his helmet. "I… attacked Shane."

Null stiffened. "Of course we did. He has an ultra aura. That makes him a beast. All beasts must be destroyed."

He walked over toward the tree, continuing to shake his head. "I don't… know what you mean. He's just… a little Vulpix," Null growled.

Again, his head jolted straight up. "We will not stand for this. Prove that purple beast wrong. Destroy Vulpix! Show him this infernal contraption can't contain us! Show that we are not some failed experiment!"

Null stiffened. He turned and banged his helmet against the tree, making a considerable dent in the rotting wood. His head throbbed in pain, but he also felt the hissing voices retreat from his mind. Null sighed in relief and sat down in front of the tree. He figured his best course of action was to find Tessa.

He got back to his feet and proceeded forward, approaching the blue mound in the wetlands. As Null got closer, his eyes widened at the sight of Tessa lying on her belly, encased in a thick sheet of ice. "What happened here?" he wondered. Null raised a foreleg and chipped away at the ice. He continued digging until he exposed Tessa. A layer of brown, hardened mud caked her entire body. Patches of ice clung to the mud. Null reached in and yanked Tessa out of the frozen mud pit.

Tessa didn't stir. Null cautiously placed a foreleg on her chest and felt it slowly rise up. That drew a relieved sigh, until Null noticed the item bag was missing. He did a quick scan of the wetlands, but saw no sign of it. Null hung his head. He then lay down next to Tessa and slowly curled his body up around her. Cold, slimy mud brushed against Null's fur and scales. He willed his discomfort away and tucked Tessa up against his shoulder.

Null continued lying there, trying to forget about his splitting headache. If he started shaking his head, he'd strike Tessa, and that would make things worse. Eventually, he felt Tessa stirring. Null slowly uncurled, allowing Tessa to wake up and roll onto her knees.

"I… am going… to kill him!" she seethed, digging her digits into the sod.

"What happened to you?" Null asked, drawing Tessa's attention. Her eyes blazed with anger.

"Vulpix totally lost it and attacked me," Tessa spat. "I was just trying to come over and help you out, but Vulpix flipped out, charged me down, and knocked me into the mud. He pinned me to the ground and then froze me solid!" She lumbered to her feet. "Before I passed out, I heard him say he was taking our hard-earned items and ditching us to take Oranguru to Sunflower Meadows." She stepped forward and grabbed the brim of Null's helmet. "He's going to try and get us kicked out of the guild. And all because he wouldn't just stop and listen to me for a minute!"

"… no. It's… it's my fault," Null rasped. "After battling that… little guy… in the tunnel… the voices… they burrowed into my mind. They were screaming at me. I couldn't... make them stop. So... I ran off. I thought… if I hid somewhere… they would go away." He lowered his head. "But… they got so loud… my head was hurting so much. Before I knew it… I was attacking Vulpix. I couldn't… control myself."

"Don't you blame yourself," Tessa scolded. "You couldn't help it. It was just like what happened with Bewear, right?"

Null nodded. "… yes. I… the voices…" He clawed at his helmet. "I… started speaking… what they were saying. I… was shouting… that Vulpix needed... to be destroyed."

"And I tried to explain your problem to Vulpix. But he refused to listen. And that's when he got mad and attacked me!" Tessa growled. "C'mon, we need to go after him."

"Are you sure… that's a good idea?" Null muttered. "What if… I lose control… and attack him… again?"

Tessa placed a paw on Null's shoulder. "I'll be there to help keep you calm. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She gazed off into the fog. "And I'm not about to roll over and let Vulpix get away with this. We can get a fresh start, the two of us. All we need to do is catch up to him. I think if he's dealing with both of us, he'll keep quiet and listen."

She walked off toward the fog. Null jerked his head to the right and jostled his helmet around. "… okay. I trust you. Please… please make sure... I don't snap again."

Tessa approached Null's side and the two of them ventured off toward the marsh's exit.

XxX

~Mellath Bog~

Shane forcefully exhaled, sending frosty air spilling out in front of him. The icy attack splashed up against a wall of thorny, pulsating, red vines. To his utter horror, his attack harmlessly bounced off the foliage. Worse, the red glow strengthened and the vines pulsated faster. Shane slumped over, panting heavily.

"It's… it's no good. I can't break through them," he said.

"You should take some time and think about how to approach this from another angle," Oranguru suggested. "A clear mind can tackle the toughest of obstacles, you know."

Shane's left eye twitched. "In case you haven't noticed, we don't exactly have the time to dawdle here!" he growled. "This place is crawling with infected Pokémon. And these vines are definitely growing out onto the path."

A thorny-red vine launched out from one of the purple trees. With a startled bark, Shane sprawled out on his belly. The vine shot past him and dug into the existing wall of plant life. Small roots emerged from the new vine and wrapped around the wall. It wasn't long before red and black liquid started pumping through the new roots.

Shane rolled out from underneath the vine, his legs trembling. He stuck his snout in the item pouch and brought an apple out. Shane hastily devoured it. "See what I mean? We can't stick around here. This place is crawling with the Prism Virus."

"Prism Virus?" Oranguru parroted. "What in heaven's name is that?"

"It's… complicated," Shane muttered. "The quick version is it's an evil force turning Pokémon into sick, twisted monsters. Which is exactly what we'll become if we stay in one spot too long." He turned back toward the vine wall. "So, are you going to give me a hand with this thing or not?"

"I'm afraid I don't think my hands would do much good with that thing, child," Oranguru muttered. "My lovely mate, on the other hand, had quite the iron grip about her."

"I didn't mean literally! How stupid are you, huh?" Shane hissed. "Can't you use your psychic powers to boost up my Frost Breath? We might be able to get through that way."

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be," Oranguru said. "I don't quite have that spring in my step nowadays."

"Well, we're not getting through here if we can't bust this down," Shane said. He sucked in a deep breath and spewed a large gust of frost. As his cloud of frozen air struck the vines, a pink glow overtook it. This amplified the blast of cold and, to Shane's delight, froze the vines solid. Shane spun around and kicked the base of the wall with his hind legs. A large crack weaved its way through the frozen wall, and it came tumbling down.

"Finally! Now, let's get going," Shane ordered, proceeding forward. 'This is it. We've gotta be getting close now. And not a moment too soon. This swamp is absolutely terri–'

Shane abruptly stopped, squeaking in surprise. "W-What the–? What is this place?"

Oranguru lumbered up beside Shane and started stroking his beard. The duo found themselves looking at a rounded area similar to the lagoon near the bog's entrance. However, there was no body of water. Instead, a basin sat in the center of the clearing. Pitch-black crystals peppered the basin floor. Each one crackled with ominous red energy. Similarly, crystal roots extended out from the basin, heading into the forest.

"Is this what's corrupting the Mystery Dungeon?" Shane gasped. "What are these things?"

"I couldn't say," Oranguru muttered. "Look closely. The light is distorting over there. I daresay this is not natural."

Shane gave Oranguru a look of disbelief. 'Gee, you think?' he sneered. Shane cautiously took a step toward the basin. As he did, his eyes fell toward its center. There, a pointed black stone jutted out from the ground. Shane followed it upward, until he spotted a red, winged heart insignia burned into the top of the stone. The heart had horns poking out of its top and a piercing eye in its center.

'This is no crystal. It's a monolith!' he realized. 'Someone had to have put this here. Don't tell me Espeon and Umbreon did this.' He took a deep breath. "Well… this doesn't concern us. Let's keep going."

Shane walked around the basin, only to freeze mid-step when the ground started trembling. He scrambled backward, yipping loudly. Seconds later, a pink, drill-like structure popped out from the spot Shane had been standing in.

"It's carving time! Kekekeke!"

Shane's heart leaped up into his throat as he watched the newcomer unfurl her limbs. "An… an infected Scyther?" Shane gulped.

"What are you talking about, child? That is definitely a Lurantis," Oranguru corrected him. "And here I thought my eyesight was getting lousy."

"Lurantis? Like, a praying mantis?" Shane said. "Because, where I'm from, they don't have four giant pink swords for arms. And they're not that big!" His tails shot between his legs. "Dear god, why is it so big?"

Oranguru stroked his beard. "Well, Moonrise Marsh is led by Totem Lurantis. If you're with the guild, surely you know how Totem Pokémon work, yes?" Shane was not in the mood to give Oranguru an honest answer. Oranguru dismissed Shane's silence and offered Lurantis a friendly wave. "Lurantis, how are you doing? I noticed you did not drop by for tea, yesterday. Were you busy here in Mellath Bog?"

In response to this, Lurantis pointed her upper arms skyward and shot a ball of red light above her. Shane's tails jolted stiff and he prepared to book it, only to notice the fireball had stopped and was now hovering above them. It bathed the clearing in orange light.

Shane's eyes widened in realization. "Wait… Sunny Day? So, it's grass-type, then. Perfect!" He sucked in a breath and blew out a steady stream of frost.

"Kekeke… I'm going to slice you up like a loaf of moldy white bread!" Lurantis cackled. Her four arm-blades flared to life with vibrant green energy. She swung her lower limbs forward to absorb Shane's attack. Shane ceased his attack and sprinted backward. But Lurantis swung her upper limbs forward, causing two massive beams of light to pummel Shane into the ground.

"Agggh! Wha… what did she just hit me with?" Shane hollered.

"Solar Blade," Oranguru said. "It has been quite some time since I've seen that attack in action. And using Sunny Day to remove the charge-up time? Quite the strategy. Why, if my lovely mate were here, I'm sure she'd be complementing Lurantis… despite her aggression."

"Nnnrrgh… you're not helping!" Shane hissed through gritted teeth. He lumbered back to his feet. "Give me a little backup, here," he ordered.

"I'm afraid I'm not much for fighting these days," Oranguru said, shrugging. "Ah, if only you'd seen me in my youth."

Lurantis raised her upper right arm. Shane's eyes widened at the sight of a target reticle appearing on the ground and slowly approaching him. "News flash, you old geezer. This thing's trying to kill us! I don't care if you're old, just help me out!" he yelped and sprinted away from the targeting reticle. It instead maneuvered toward Oranguru. The second the reticle contacted Oranguru's body, it turned red. Lurantis' eyes gleamed and her raised arm shot forward like a pointed rocket.

Oranguru barely managed to form a sparkling blue shield around him, blocking the attack. Lurantis whipped her limb backward, causing her arm to retract. "Your shields will fall, you worthless scum. Kekeke!"

"Hmm," Oranguru hummed, stroking his beard, "why would Lurantis be able to use Smart Strike? That doesn't sound quite right. What is going on here?"

Shane quickly shot a gust of icy air forward while Lurantis continued to focus on Oranguru. It successfully struck her right side, sending her stumbling backwards with a hiss. Her attention immediately diverted to Shane. He took off, glancing into the item pouch. "C'mon, c'mon. There's gotta be something in here I can use to deal with he– meeeep!"

Shane skidded to halt and a giant blade of green light slammed down in front of him, missing his snout by inches. He looked up and saw a second green blade careening down toward him. Shane gritted his teeth and leaped over the Solar Blade that had missed him. He just barely managed to clear the beam of light and land safely on the other side.

"Hey, old man! Now's your chance!" Shane yelled. He opened his mouth and spewed a large cloud of frost in Lurantis' direction. Lurantis stuck her limbs out. To Shane's utter horror, her arms started spinning around her body while her head and legs remained stationary. Her spinning blades easily parted his attack. But they proved to be useless against a sudden blast of psychic energy that erupted behind her.

Lurantis gasped and abruptly stopped her spinning. "Rrrr… why won't you let me slice you up?" She stomped her feet about angrily and raised her upper limbs. Two targeting icons started moving toward either side of her. Shane immediately stuck his snout into the item pouch.

'I've just gotta think about what I want, right?' he figured. 'C'mon… stun seed, where are you? I know Tessa's bound to have at least one after that Parasect business.'

Something sharp contacted Shane's tongue. He hoisted his snout out of the pouch, only to realize the targeting reticle was about to lock onto him. He sprinted to his left and spat the stun seed forward. Lurantis saw this coming, however, and raised up one of her lower limbs. Green energy crackled across it and she sliced the seed at a diagonal angle. Lurantis' cursors contacted both Shane and Oranguru and she launched her upper arms forward.

Shane was astonished by the speed of the attack and had no means to evade it. Lurantis' metallic blade smacked him on the side of his head, making his entire world go white. 'No… not again! I can't have this happen again!' He staggered forward in a daze, desperately snapping at air while he tried to get into the item pouch.

"Kekeke! First, I'll slice off your silky little tails. Then I'll skin the fur off your hide and knit it into a beautiful vest," Lurantis giggled, withdrawing her limbs. Shane's vision returned to him and he plucked an oran berry from the item pouch. At the same time, another small blast of psychic energy struck Lurantis. She stumbled to her left. "Oh, you want to be infected first?" she said, looking up at Oranguru. "Your fur isn't silky soft, but I can still slash it up real nice."

All four arms flared up with giant green blades. Lurantis slammed her lower arms together, looking to squish Oranguru. Her upper limbs spun around, attempting to clothesline Shane. He yelped and dropped to his belly, the solar-powered energy grazing his hair. Shane looked over in Oranguru's direction, only for his eyes to widen.

Oranguru stood clear of Lurantis' arms, perched atop Null's mud-soaked back. Panting heavily, Null sat down to let Oranguru climb off. Tessa sprinted out from behind Null, paws glowing bright blue, and smacked Lurantis' lower arms. Lurantis recoiled and withdrew her limbs.

"What are you doing here?" Shane growled.

"Saving your ugly hide, that's what," Tessa sneered. "Actually, scratch that, we're here for Oranguru. You're just collateral, as far as I'm concerned."

"I had everything under control here," Shane hissed. "I gave you that Escape Orb. Why didn't you just use it?"

Lurantis shook the stars from her vision. "Newcomers? Fantastic! I'll paint the soil into a beautiful mosaic of fur and blood. Kekekeke!" She stuck out her four arms and four reticles appeared along the ground. Null stepped forward and hurled an air blade at Lurantis. It struck her chest and promptly knocked her into the basin. The reticles immediately evaporated.

"Because they only work inside Mystery Dungeons, dipstick. And in case you forgot, Moonrise Marsh isn't a dungeon," Tessa growled. "Once again, you acted impulsively and look at all the trouble it managed to cause. Bravo!"

"Me? What about your hideous friend over there?" Shane snarled. "He tried to kill me. And you were justifying it! What is wrong with you?"

"Hey! Focus!" Null roared, turning to face the basin. Lurantis had managed to stumble out of it. She glared at Null.

Tessa and Shane stared each other down. "… fine. I'll deal with you later," Tessa said.

"Likewise!" Shane snarled, turning away from her to face Lurantis.

"Mind if I cut in?" Lurantis shouted. Her arm-blades suddenly lit up with vibrant blue energy. She leaped forward and slammed her upper two limbs downward. Tessa quickly sprinted to her right, avoiding the attack. Shane was not as fortunate, however. Lurantis' arm struck his side. Shane hollered as the blow sent him reeling. He careened back and slammed against a tree. Shane slumped down to the ground, his eyes shutting.

"Okay. Anybody know what attack that was?" Tessa asked. Lurantis left no time for an answer, though. She thrust her lower limbs toward Null and Oranguru. The latter managed to form up a blue shield and deflect the attack, though he dropped to one knee from the effort. Null could not move fast enough and got speared in the chest. Like Shane, a powerful force sent him rolling back across the ground, skidding to a stop by the edge of the clearing. He struggled to get back to his feet.

"I've certainly never seen anything like it," Oranguru said. "Ah, the wonder of seeing a move in action for the first time. If only my lovely mate were here to see this."

Shane staggered over toward Tessa, flanks heaving. "Sacred… Sword. It knows… Sacred Sword," he wheezed.

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Did you just make that attack name up or something?"

"No. It's one of those things I know because of my 'stupid human game stuff.' Not so stupid now, is it?" Shane said, voice filled with spite.

"Considering you still got hit by the attack, yeah, it is," Tessa replied.

"Huh? But my slashes should've left you for dead. How can you still be standing?" Lurantis gasped, stomping about in a fit.

"Reviver Seeds," Shane replied.

"My Reviver Seeds!" Tessa corrected. "That you stole from me, by the way."

"Hey, it'd still have gotten used on me even if you were holding the pouch. So, back off!" Shane barked. Their bickering was abruptly halted as an elongated green energy blade flattened Tessa from above. Shane had enough time to look up and whimper before he too was pounded by a blade of green energy.

"Rrrrgh… this is… all your fault!" Tessa yelled, her right eye now swollen shut. "If you hadn't stormed off, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"No, it's your fault for following me!" Shane countered, rolling back to his feet and shooting out a frosty gust.

Lurantis cackled and spun in place. Her arm-blades effortlessly diverted the attack. Likewise, the crescents of air Null shot forward were easily dispelled, leaving him hissing in anger. "You think you have all the answers for my attacks, don't you?" Lurantis growled. "Well, if I can't slice you into ribbons, I can at least tear the ground to shreds and swallow you up in the process!" She hefted her upper arms above her head and pointed her lower arms down.

"Kekekeke! Take this… Prism Drill Breaker!"

Lurantis started spinning, transforming into a giant, pointed metallic top. Team Radiance could only look on in confusion as Lurantis tunneled her way underground, disappearing from view. They immediately felt the ground rumble.

"Tell me she's just using Dig," Shane whined, tails drooping between his legs.

Cracks appeared in the ground, with plumes of dirt shooting up between them. Seconds later, Null roared in pain. Shane and Tessa looked up in time to see Null flying through the air, limbs flailing. He crashed into a nearby purple-leafed tree. Null fell to the ground, landing in an unmoving heap.

The ground shook once again. A sharp tip of gray metal poked out in front of Shane and Tessa. Their eyes widened. "It's not Dig! It's not Dig!" Shane yelped, scrambling away from Lurantis. Tessa booked it in the other direction. Lurantis disappeared underground once again.

"How curious," Oranguru muttered. "That's a surprisingly long time for a Pokémon to stay underground."

"Yo, old-timer, look out! She's heading right for you!" Shane barked.

Oranguru looked down, where a small fissure was zigzagging toward him. He took a few cautious steps backward and raised a glowing hand. A portion of the ground in front of him exploded, showering dirt in all directions. But there was no sign of Lurantis where his attack had struck.

"How's this for an impression? Back Slash!"

Oranguru looked over his shoulder to see Lurantis leap out from underground, two green blades raised above her head, ready to nail Oranguru in the head. Oranguru formed up a shield, but it immediately shattered when the first blade struck. Lurantis swung the second one toward Oranguru and he braced himself.

Only it didn't make contact. Instead, Lurantis was the one giving an agonized cry. Oranguru opened his eyes and spotted Lurantis lying on the ground a few feet away. Null lay on top of her, pinning her on her stomach with his superior weight. He proceeded to strike her in the back repeatedly with a set of glowing talons.

"Agh! Agh! Get off! You're hurting me!" Lurantis whined.

"Shut up… beast!" Null hissed, then struck her even harder with his claws. The black crystals coating her back splintered. Lurantis appeared to stop struggling after that strike. Null didn't take notice of this, however. He raised his claws to hit her again.

"Enough, Null! You got her! She's down!" Tessa hollered, sprinting over toward her teammate. Null froze in the midst of his attack. He blinked a few times and looked at his glowing talons. Null groaned and shook out his head.

"See, what did I tell you? The guy's dangerous," Shane growled. While Tessa tended to Null, Shane went toward Oranguru.

"My, my," Oranguru muttered, leaning over and panting heavily. "That certainly… got the ol' ticker started. Haven't had a workout like that… in several years."

"Whatever, I'll give you an oran berry in a second," Shane whispered. "For now, let's ditch those two creeps and get a move on."

"Really? After they kindly rushed in to help us? That's certainly not very noble," Oranguru said.

"I told you I had everything under control," Shane growled. "Now, get a move on!" He pushed his head against Oranguru's backside. Oranguru stumbled forward. Shane spotted the other end of the clearing. "I think I see some light trickling through the fog. That must be the exit to this place," he said. "C'mon, we're almost there."

"Hey! Just where do you think you're going?"

Shane looked over to see Tessa charging him down. Null trudged along behind her, still looking a bit dazed. "I wasn't going anywhere," Shane lied. "Just tending to Oranguru's injuries, that's all."

"Fat chance. You were trying to run off again!" Tessa accused. "I can't believe you. And after Null and I saved you from Totem Lurantis. You disgust me!"

"I don't recall asking for your help," Shane spat. "And I made it pretty clear back in the marsh that I'm not spending another second with you and your freaky-deaky boyfriend over there."

Tessa glared at him. "Then why don't you use an Escape Orb? Null and I can finish this on our own!"

"Because I need to keep Metagross pleased. Unlike you, Miss 'My dad's actually the real Guildmaster, but I'm not going to tell my partner because I'm a gigantic tool who plays everyone around her to get sympathy,'" Shane bellowed. The fight immediately drained from Tessa's eyes. Her limbs locked up and her gaze fell toward the ground.

"Yeah, that's right. I know all about your dad. Surprised? You can thank our travelling companion." Shane jerked his head in Oranguru's direction. "You think Incineroar would be proud of what you're doing? Defending a psychopath?"

Tessa's paws balled up into fists and she started shaking. "Sh… shut up," she muttered.

"Oh, have I struck a nerve?" Shane sneered. "Good. Because that's exactly how I feel! I don't know how the daughter of a Lucario and a Guildmaster could end up with such a warped sense of right and wrong. You don't deserve aura powers! You deserve to remain stuck a sad little Riolu for the rest of your life!"

Tessa's face contorted in anger, but Shane continued, "Hey, here's a thought. Maybe your parents didn't leave because they felt like exploring the Grass Continent. I'll bet they never actually loved you. And they went away because they were tired of putting up with your bull!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Tessa shrieked. She charged toward Shane, fists glowing bright blue. Shane's eyes crackled with pink, psychic energy. But before either could launch an attack, the ground in front of them gave way. Both Pokémon could only gasp in fright as a large gray drill emerged from the ground.

"Kekekeke! Surprise! Heeeeeere's Lurantis!"

Lurantis spread her four limbs out and blue energy blades encased her arms. She launched her left arms at Tessa and her right arms at Shane. At such close range, there was nothing either canine could do to stop the attack. The blades struck them both, shooting them back in opposite directions.

Shane crashed into a set of thorny, corrupted vines. Lurantis raised her arms triumphantly. "And now for the finishing touches!" she yelled. Lurantis approached the unconscious Shane. The black diamond encasing her chest crackled with red energy. It formed into the shape of a winged heart. "Kekekeke! Enjoy your new life as an Ultra Beast, kiddo," Lurantis bellowed.

She thrust her chest forward and a spiraling beam of black-and-red energy shot out. Lurantis grinned as she watched it fly toward the edge of the clearing. But at the last second, Oranguru suddenly jumped in the beam's path. He had formed up another blue shield. It absorbed the beam and promptly shattered. Oranguru tensed up and dropped to his knees.

"Okay, that's fine. You know what they say: the more the merrier," Lurantis declared. She started charging up more energy in the black diamond, but a furious roar drew her attention. Lurantis didn't even have the time to turn around before Null's metal-coated helmet speared her in the back. The crystals draped over her shoulder blades shattered on impact. Lurantis crumpled to the ground.

She looked down to see the color fading from her legs. "No… no! I can't get cut down! I'm supposed to infect! Mistress Zero, please don't take my spirit! I can still fight! I can still–"

Lurantis looked over at Oranguru and raised a trembling arm. However, it immediately dropped back to her side, as the rest of the crystals on her body shattered. The remaining color drained off her body, leaving her a gray lump in the middle of the clearing.

Null stepped backward and exhaled deeply. "… it's over."

Shane stumbled out of the vines' remains. The thorns had taken off patches of his fur, and there were pink splotches in the fur that remained. "This is officially the work week of my life… ever," he said. He stuck his snout into the item pouch and emerged with an oran berry that he hastily downed. The pink spots disappeared from his fur. "You okay, old-timer?"

He looked at Oranguru, who remained down on one knee, breathing slowly. "Okay, I'm-a take that as a no." He walked forward, using his snout to pluck another berry from his bag. "Here, this ought to get your strength back up." But to his surprise, Oranguru raised a hand. He descended into a raucous coughing fit and brought his other hand to his chest. "Take the berry, for god's sake. You clearly need it."

"I'm afraid… I must decline… your generosity," Oranguru grunted.

Shane's muzzle stiffened. "Why, because you have your own items?"

Oranguru looked over at Null, who was walking toward Shane with an unconscious Tessa draped across his back. "If I could… just get your help… big fella," he muttered. Null pointed a talon at himself, prompting Oranguru to nod. Null shuffled forward. Oranguru used Null's shoulder to stand up. He leaned heavily against Null, who flinched from the sudden weight on his shoulder.

"It shouldn't be very far to Sunflower Meadows," Oranguru declared. "But I'm going to need a little support, iff that's okay with you."

"… I guess so," Null muttered.

"You know, that wouldn't be an issue if you just took the dang oran berry," Shane said.

Oranguru shook his head. "I'm afraid you'd just be wasting it on me."

'Well, yeah, duh. But I'd rather waste a berry than fail this mission after all this trouble,' Shane thought. 'Why's this geezer suddenly being so stubborn?'

He noticed Oranguru and Null slowly trekking forward. Shane sighed and walked off after them. As he passed Null, he noticed Tessa starting to stir. Shane quickened his pace to avoid dealing with her.

XxX

~Sunflower Meadows~

Team Radiance emerged from the exit of Mellath Bog and shielded their eyes. "Cripes, is it sunrise? We really spent all night heading through that horrible swamp?" Shane groaned.

Tessa yawned, then leered at Shane. "Well, we could've gotten a good night sleep if someone hadn't thought it'd be a good idea to try and ditch his teammates to sneak off with our client," she said.

Shane's muzzle scrunched up. "I'm sorry. I don't make it a habit to stick around Pokémon that want to tear me limb from limb!" he barked, shooting Null a nasty look. Null turned his head away shamefully.

"It wasn't his fault, Vulpix. He really can't control his actions when his headaches get too intense," Tessa said. "If you actually took the time to talk to him instead of bullying him, you'd have known that! But, no, it's much easier to make fun of him... and to put down a scared little Riolu."

"There you go, begging for sympathy again," Shane scoffed. "I've seen through your routine, Tessa. How many favors did it win with you with your folks, huh?"

"You take that back right now or I'll–"

"… please… be quiet…" Null hissed, shaking his head.

Shane turned away. "Okay, well, here we are. Plenty of sunflowers," Shane huffed. He looked at Oranguru. "So, where's this mate of yours that you're meeting? There aren't exactly any hiding spots here. Don't tell me she wound up ditching."

Oranguru lapsed into a coughing fit before pointing a shaky arm in front of him. "There," he wheezed. "On the edge of the shoreline."

"But there's nobody over there!" Shane growled. "You're totally delirious, aren't you? Just let me give you a berry." Null helped Oranguru limp forward. Shane rolled his eyes and trotted along after them. "I swear, if this was all just some stupid ploy by Braviary to try and get us killed," he muttered, only for his voice to trail off as he approached the shoreline. His brow furrowed.

"What… what is this?" Tessa squeaked. Oranguru pushed away from Null and stumbled forward. He sat down in front of a small array of colored beads that encircled a large, plump, green berry.

"This is it," Oranguru whispered.

Shane's eyes widened. "Wait… your mate's… she's…"

"Already passed on to the spirit realm," Oranguru whispered. He reached a shaky arm out and placed it on the berry. "Passimian and I, we loved each other so very much. I was a staff member at the Horizon Guild when I met her. At the time, I was helping Guildmaster Incineroar and his assistant, Leafeon, make an important delivery."

"Guildmaster… Incineroar?" Tessa whispered, shrinking back. Her gaze fell toward the ground. Shane huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, your father was the one to introduce us," Oranguru said. "That's just the kind of Pokémon he is, always putting other's feelings ahead of his own. Words can't express how grateful I am that he introduced me to Passimian." He gently rolled the berry back and forth across the sand. "He agreed to let me depart the guild to start a new life with her. Together, we took in all the sights Horizon had to offer. But this place…" His voice trailed off as he descended into another coughing fit.

Null stepped forward, but Oranguru raised a hand. "I'm alright," he insisted, taking a deep breath. "We always considered Sunflower Meadows special. Most Pokémon stay away, because they do not feel the trek is worth it. Nevertheless, we made the journey. And it proved to be a very special trip."

Oranguru reached into his fur and produced a yellow, crescent-shaped feather that dangled from a star. "Somehow, we had managed to run into a kind-hearted soul. I'm not sure why, but she looked the two of us over and gave each of us a feather. She said to think of them as symbols of our love. Ones that will dispel the darkest of thoughts and dreams."

'That's a Lunar Wing,' Shane realized. 'Big whoop. What does that matter?' He stole a glance over at Tessa and noticed her clasping her shoulders with her paws and shivering. He vaguely thought he saw her mouthing something. 'And what's she being so melodramatic over, huh?'

"We ended up retiring to Moonrise Marsh so we could come here frequently," Oranguru continued, setting the Lunar Wing down. "One morning, however, I woke up and found that Passimian was terribly sick. I tried to offer her medicinal berries, but she refused. 'Take me to Sunflower Meadows,' she said. 'I'd like to watch the sunset there one last time.'"

Oranguru took a deep breath. "I must apologize to for deceiving you all."

"What do you mean?" Shane asked.

"When I made the escort request with the guild, I left out the part about this being a one-way trip," Oranguru said. He hunched over, breaking into another coughing fit. Shane quickly stepped forward.

"What are you talking about, old-timer? You seemed just fine up until that battle," Shane said.

"I wanted a team to escort me here… so that I could join my beloved Passimian in the next life," Oranguru said.

"No!"

Shane looked over his shoulder and saw Tessa running toward them, wild-eyed. "You can't… you can't do that!"

"I've been on my own for a couple of years now," Oranguru wheezed. "And I have grown so very, very tired. I'm afraid that it's simply my time to go."

Tessa's eyes teared up. "Puh-Please… can't you just wait another day? Or wait until we leave, at least?" Shane gave his teammate a look of disbelief.

"I understand that this is a lot to take in," Oranguru said. "I had expected that Incineroar would send a veteran team… not his own daughter."

Tessa stumbled back. "My dad… sending a team?" she squeaked, aura feelers twitching.

"Yes, he's the one I made the request to, after all," Oranguru said. Tessa sank down to her knees, staring at the dirt. Oranguru started coughing again. "I fear… that my time here is up. But, there's one thing I'd like to do before I leave." He looked over at Null and beckoned him forward.

"… what do you... want me for?" Null asked.

Oranguru held up the Lunar Wing. "Please, keep this safe for me."

Null's beady, gray eyes widened. "… but why me?"

"I don't need to be psychic to sense that you all are deeply troubled," Oranguru said. "I believe this can help you three find peace of mind." He reached over and stuck the feather into the sling binding Null's head crest. Oranguru patted Null's helmet. "Thank you all for your help," he said. "It was nice to meet you three."

He turned and stole a glance at Tessa, who was now sitting with her head buried in her thighs. "Give my regards to your parents, Riolu," he said.

A golden glow overtook Oranguru's body. Shane and Null quickly backpedaled into the field of sunflowers. The light became so intense, they had to look away. A brilliant, golden flash spread across the meadow. When the light faded, all that remained were the string of beads and the berry.

Shane's muzzle twitched. "I guess that's it, then," he whispered. He took a step forward, only for his forelegs to unexpectedly give out, bringing him to his knees. His breath rushed out of him and his vision grew blurry.

'No… something's wrong,' he thought. He tensed up, whining loudly. 'I'm… I'm…'

He tilted his head toward the sky and bellowed, "Help me!"

XxX
Four-Bladed Menace, Ultra Totem Lurantis
She slices! She dices! And she carves up a mean tossed salad, to boot! This once-friendly Totem of Moonrise Marsh has seen her blades sharpened by the power of the Prism Virus. With two extra scythes at her sides, she can use a slew of new techniques to punish her foes. Why can she wield attacks she can't normally learn? Is this the Prism Virus' doing? Has something alien taken hold of her soul?

Those of you who are Ace Attorney fans might've seen the twist with Oranguru coming, since his character is based on Tahrust Inmee, right on down to some of his speaking mannerisms. I'm sure you were wondering what could possibly keep Team Radiance from a total break-up after the last chapter and I'd link to think having escorted someone to their deathbed would be a big enough shocker to put things in perspective. But that's up to you. If nothing else, it should get you reevaluate your opinions of a certain guild member.
 
Please note: The thread is from 5 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom