The rays of sun belting down on Moon's back made it difficult to climb the stairs of the Altar of the Sunne, but she would be damned if she didn't get to the top of it. It was a tradition of hers, now, to take Nebby into Ultra Space and go for a ride once a month, since she became Champion of Alola. Sometimes they would run into shiny variants, other times legendaries, and so Moon was sure to be prepared – just in case. Chili, her Incineror, strode beside her confidently, head held high. The fire type looked down at his trainer, noting her discomfort at the heat. With a wink and a gesture of finger guns from the cat, Moon chuckled, picking up her own pace.
She still had to wonder why she always chose to walk up instead of flying to the wormhole – it would save her so, so much time.
Once they reached the top and stood facing the space-time anomaly, Moon released Nebby, who had grown into a fantastic metal beast that roared proudly, demanding praise and attention. Moon couldn't help but scratch him affectionately under the chin – he was still little curious Nebby on the inside, even after all that had happened. A press of a curious button, and Moon changed into gear borrowed from the Ultra Recon Squad, a small grin forming in anticipation. Their tech still astonished her.
With a pat on the shoulder and a whisper of "I can't climb on top of you when you're standing, Nebby", the lion lowered himself, allowing Moon to recall Chili and climb aboard. The beast, with Moon clutching to his mane for dear life, roared at the wormhole, ordering it to open. A flash of light, along with a whistle of space and time bending to Nebby's will suffocated Moon's senses, and then they were off.
Racing through ultra space was like a dream, she had decided. The intensity of colours was overwhelming to her senses, her head feeling light, yet her mind hyper-focused. It was addicting to travel through an unknown void, endless opportunities awaiting them, although they never got too far in their travels.
It was more vigorous than having wind whip through your hair when flying, or the salt spray of the ocean when travelling on a sharpedo. And it was far better than climbing ten thousand stairs to reach the Altar of the Sunne.
"Well, Nebby," Moon called over the sound of vacuums and roars and boots crunching on leaves, over and over, "let's see how far we can get today!" Nebby roared in reply, raising his head proudly, running faster. Small views of different worlds graced their eyes, but Moon was certain they would find something extraordinary. Something better than the usual closed off areas, something –
A black wormhole?
Pitch black, a hole in a technicolour canvas leading to nothing and everything, all the same, was in their field of view, coming closer as the seconds ticked by. Its gaping maw inspired uncertainty in Moon, and all at once she was ready to chase after it. A pit in her stomach, so small it could be mistaken as pain from sitting oddly, cried out in fear. It was a different kind of unknown, one that people shouldn't transgress haphazardly; one where your gut feeling would tell you to haul ass back to sunlight and the rest of the known world. But Moon was hungry, and feeding off the accomplishment of discovering new territory, new grounds to frolic in.
Being Champion was old and regular, and possessed no challenge or skill any longer. She needed new excitement, new challenge, and this was her best bet.
She would regret this decision in the future.
Moon urged Nebby forward, who seemed as carefree as she was, and together they inspected the black void, nothingness caging them as they entered. It was as void as nothingness could be, and Nebby slowed to a trot, light from his body fading outwards in a monochrome gradient.
Moon looked behind them, only to falter, the pit in her stomach growing to the size of a plump oran berry. There was no wormhole, no exit, no escape.
There was nothing.
She took a breath, unease shaking her, berating her. You silly girl, it said, cawing at her madly, look at what you've done, look at what your nurtured greed has brought you.
Shaky breaths and clenched fists grounded her momentarily, nails digging into the suit that protected her. Nebby had stopped walking now, hunched in the void, poised for what may come next.
All at once, her body ached.
Her body screamed, a crushing pressure surrounding all of her. Eyes gaping, mouth wide open, silent screams echoing through her. Prismatic tendrils wrapped around her arms, her legs, her waist, her neck.
They tightened; her vision blurred. Blood rushed through her ears, a rumbling and pumping that shortened her breath evermore, panic settling in.
And then the pain disappeared, and she looked down.
One last silent scream echoed through the void as a tendril reverberated through her chest, clutching her heart, and squeezed.
The world went white.
The sunlight batted at her closed eyes, forcing Moon to hold a hand over her face. A groan escaped her dried lips, mind reeling with what happened.
She was supposed to be dead.
Palpitations sung through her body, blood pumping, adrenaline running as she sat up at the speed of light. Fog swam through her head, her thoughts a slurred mess. She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and opened her eyes.
She was back at the Altar of the Sunne, Nebby leaning over her, head tilted to the side with a curious expression on his face.
Had she just fainted? Was the heat too much for her?
A white paw landed delicately in her lap, patting her legs softly. The sun legendary was concerned, that much was obvious. A soft, albeit metallic, mewl sounded from Nebby. Moon chuckled softly, fingering one of her braids. She just needed to take a minute.
It was just the heat, of course it was just the heat! Nebby looked fine – Moon looked down, noting nothing odd sticking out of her chest – as did she! She fell back to the earth, head striking the stone, though it didn't hurt.
Nothing hurt as much as that hallucination did.
Another laugh left the girl as her starter appeared beside her. Chili growled softly, his way of asking what the holdup was.
"I think it's too hot to do this today," Moon reasoned, arm shielding her eyes from the sun as she sprawled back onto the stone. "Maybe tomorrow, after we get through the challengers at the League."
She laid there until her mind could process her surroundings, and then they went home, the air conditioning of the house only slightly comforting Moon.
She went to sleep with the lights on that night.
She tried to forget how she felt, how it felt, as the day progressed. But the imagery kept coming back to her, prismatic tendrils stabbing her over and over in her dreams the night before.
It almost felt like nothing was real. The trees seemed flat, the wind still. Every lingering touch with another person, a pokemon, an object, felt like a far away dream.
She was thankful her team were well versed in battle tactics as she faded in and out of consciousness during battles, heart rate varying wildly. There were a few close calls, and her ampharos Chive had to jolt her back to reality more than once.
They were currently taking a break from challengers for lunch, and Moon sat cross-legged on her throne, rubbing her eyes wearily. Dark bags hollowed out her eyes – she looked like utter shit, and she knew it.
A stream of curses poured out of her mouth when she heard footsteps approach – didn't they get the memo she was having an off day? A headache? A pain in the ass –
"Well, fine, maybe I'll come back later," a voice replied indignantly, freezing Moon to her core.
Arceus, was she saying that out loud? She rubbed her temple with her thumbs, eyes squeezed closed.
"Yes, you were, Moon."
She cracked an eye open, and her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened in shock, hands lowering from her head to atop her heart, praying silently that it wouldn't beat out of her chest.
"G-Gladion?" Moon stared at the figure before her, noting how little had changed since he left for Kanto. She almost sighed in relief, but caught herself, instead taking deep breaths to calm down.
Gladion's eyes narrowed, noting something off about the trainer he had come to respect and admire. He took a few steps forward, stopping a foot or so away from the girl. "Are... you alright, Moon?"
She took in a gulp of air, forcing it down into her lungs, into her bloodstream, forcing herself to hold together for a little longer. A smile graced her features – she was genuinely happy to see him, to see how he's improved.
"Just had a rough encounter with the temperature yesterday," she replied, shrugging half-heartedly. After all, that's all it was. Some bad air. Or maybe lack of it.
Nothing of concern.
Gladion raised a brow at her reply, though said nothing.
She stretched her arms out in front of herself, hands locked together, joints cracking in all the right places. Another deep breath, and she was more or less herself again.
"How was Kanto?"
The boy shrugged his reply, hands stuffed into the pocket of his hoodie. "The gyms were easy enough," he lamented. His shoulders relaxed, and he consciously shifted weight to one foot, leaning more casually. "None of them compared to you, though."
Moon coughed to hide the blush that threatened to crawl up her face and engulf her. I could say the same about my challengers as of late, she mused to herself.
Gladion didn't need to hear that thought, though.
He removed his hands from his pockets, instead crossing his arms against his chest. "Would you be up to one more battle today?"
Moon nodded.
For Gladion, she could make an exception.
She had expected Gladion to leave after challenging her, after her victory that was only won because her lycanroc – Cinnamon, dusk form, a rarity among lycanroc breeds, apparently – had set up stealth rocks in the beginning, but he stood before her, a smile on his face.
No, not even a smile. A grin, pearly-whites gleaming in her direction, almost blinding her.
Her heart could stop beating so abstractly any time now.
Hand on his hip, his charizard's pokeball in hand, Gladion walked back to Moon, standing even closer than before. He was still smiling, his eyes brighter than she'd ever seen them.
Did Kanto do that to him, I wonder?
"Did Lillie mention anything about a party to you?" He asked. Moon shook her head in reply, mind fogging once again.
"I don't remember her bringing anything up," she said, hand on her chin. Another shake of her head indicated that no, she couldn't remember.
"That's good," he said softly, a sigh slipping past his lips. "She wanted to surprise you with me coming back, or something."
Moon squeaked when he held out his hand to her. "It's going to start soon. Come on."
The void in her stomach grew three times as she grasped his hand.
They walked beside one another as they climbed the hill to Iki Town, where Gladion's return celebration was being held. Dusk was beginning to set in as the sky became a myriad of colours, from red to purple to deep unsettling black. The breeze was cool and welcoming against Moon's bare arms, and cleared what brain fog she had acquired that day.
It felt weird to be able to think clearly again.
Her stomach nor her chest were happy with it, as the void thrummed knowingly and her heart beat, beat, beat, against her chest, aching for a way out.
This was more than just crush anxiety, and with that realization came dread washing over her in a great wave. It pulled her below, dragged her down, her heart beating harder – she stopped walking, hand clutching her chest. She felt a tender snap of teeth cutting through her lip, the taste of iron fresh in her mouth.
Prismatic tendrils danced in her vision.
Gladion whirled around, and planted his hands firmly on her shoulders. His thumbs ran comforting circles by her neck, and she breathed in a fresh gulp of air.
"Moon, what's wrong?" Gladion begged of her, his voice full of concern. She shook her head, unable to speak.
No one would believe her, anyway.
Another breath, and she pulled away, back towards the party.
It was only then that the world tilted on its axis, and light bloomed in the sky. Total silence followed in pursuit of streaks of white against the reds and purples, and Gladion and Moon looked up at the end above them.
The streaks of white rained down upon them, and in the center, high above Melemele island, was the face of death Moon had witnessed the day prior.
A white dove, unevenly numbered wings splayed, half escaped from a dark chrysalis, prismatic tendrils waving lazily across the sky, sending downward their destruction.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen.
And then she turned back around to Gladion, voice still caught in her throat. Her hand reached forward, to pull him toward her, to warn him to get away.
Run, Gladion, before – !
Tendrils, reflecting the colours of the sky above, ripped through the boy in front of her, lifting him off the ground, throwing him down once again.
Screams erupted from Iki Town.
Moon lurched forward, ears ringing, the eerie silence wrapping around her neck. Bend it the wrong way, and it may break.
She reached forward toward Gladion, a red hole where his stomach once was, bright eyes no longer reflective.
She didn't even register the tendril that came for her next.
She shot up in her bed, one hand over her mouth, the other holding her stomach. With widened eyes, she threw her blanket off and raced to the bathroom.
Tears fell as she heaved, over and over, the images replaying again and again and again and again –
Her chest ached with every fibre of her being, the act of breathing becoming almost impossible through her tears and choking sobs and heaves.
And then it stopped.
The night faded into the background of Moon's mind, and clarity returned.
Why am I alive?
She brushed her teeth to remove the taste of bile, and returned to her room. She sat on her bed, and rested her elbows on her knees, letting her hands lace together in front of her.
An idea flashed through her mind, and before she could stop herself, she lifted her hand to her mouth and wedged a finger perfectly between her teeth –
She bit down, hard.
No taste of iron came, just the salt from sweat. But it would leave a bruise, signifying her existence, at least to herself.
Moon cracked her knuckles. Took a breath. Exhaled.
Tendrils danced in the corners of her vision once again.
If all was well, she would tell Gladion what was wrong when morning came.
It was a repeat, but this time Moon could at least think.
Yes, things were repeating. Her mother said the same thing to her that morning as she did yesterday, and the date hadn't changed.
The challengers were all the same, and she had that goddamn headache again.
The difference was in her attitude - she wasn't groggy this time, and could relay orders clearly to her partners.
It changed as soon as Gladion stood in front of her though.
Axis tilt. Fogginess.
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
He was perfectly fine, though the expression that was on his face the first time was replaced with a deeper concern.
He came closer.
Tears began to fall.
"Moon, what's wrong?" His voice was soft as he slowly approached, lowering himself so that he was level with her cross-legged self that sat on her throne.
She wanted to tell him–
– she had to tell him.
"It's repeating," she choked out, a gravelly whisper that Gladion tilted his head at. She wrapped her arms around herself. "We died, and its repeating."
The void in her stomach laughed, grandly, as if a theatre show was being put on, and the comedic act had just ended, curtains swallowing bowing actors.
Tendrils appeared in the corners of her vision yet again, taunting her. You fool, they chided. This is your burden to carry alone.
Repent.
The tendrils reached for her, wrapping around her heart once again. Suffocating her.
Her eyes widened as she clutched her chest, and Gladion held her once again, silent cries asking her what was wrong.
What's wrong, Moon?
A squeeze dimmed her vision.
Her last vision was of Gladion holding her, calling her name, tears running down his face as she died in his arms.
Moon stared at her ceiling, eyes furrowed in dangerous contemplation, then grabbed the empty glass beside her bed and chucked it at the wall. It broke on impact, and sharp pieces decorated the floor.
"Guess I can't fucking tell anyone," she huffed, anger coursing through her veins.
The only thing she could do was prevent anything bad from happening again.
No more deaths.
Arceus, she was sick of the pain.
She didn't even bother going to the League. What was the point?
She was just going to end up dying again, anyway, knowing her luck.
The walk up to Iki Town during the day was quiet, save for the pikipeks chirping in the trees. At least they were there. For now.
Moon was going to have to keep a mental note of events if she wanted to fix things.
She sighed, and turned her head towards the sky. It was clear – no horrible light beast amalgamation in sight.
Palpitations ran through her body again, and she stopped to breathe them away. Panicking would do her no good.
Not anymore.
As she entered the town, she was met with streamers and decorations of all sorts. People handled the torches and braziers, moving them into position for the evening festivities, by the looks of it.
Ah, this was what Gladion was talking about before.
We never did get to see it the first time, did we? Moon chuckled, tone deprived of joy, and shoved her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. What a shame that I don't get to see him this time.
She passed any resemblance of Lillie or Hau in the shadows of buildings, making her way towards the trail that led to the Ruins of Conflict. It was higher up the hill, and after climbing a sizeable tree, she'd have a decent eye's view of everything that should happen.
She was willing to take as long as she needed to, to get it right.
Moon situated herself in a relatively tall, stable tree, resting against a long, thick branch. It would hold her weight nicely, and she had a clear view of Iki Town below, as well as the darkening sky above.
Blonds, contradictory in their outfits, met below in the town, and Moon's heart shattered. She knew she could barely make out their figures, but with the way the black-clad figure paced back and forth, she had a small feeling Gladion had tried to look for her.
It was a good thing only her memories were retained, she decided then and there.
She could handle the pain for them.
She could make it right.
The hours passed by slowly as she collected her thoughts, and some semblance of a plan.
Scout out the amalgamation. Figure out where it came from.
Fight it.
Win.
See tomorrow.
The ultra wormhole appeared over Ten Carat Hill, and the dance of massacres began again.
It took a few more tries, a few more realities, a few more "restarts" to get it right.
She didn't think the beast would guard Ten Carat Hill, as it pierced her in front of the entrance of the cave.
Nor did she think it would lunge at her as soon as she made it to the top of the hill, barely even given a chance to release her team.
With those experiences nestled comfortably at the back of her mind, Moon scaled the face of Ten Carat Hill with Cinnamon's stone edge. They jumped from outcrop to outcrop, as Moon debated on a way to defeat the beast.
"Moon, what are you doing?" A call below her sounded, almost causing her to lose her balance.
Her heart skipped in painful glee, and a sigh escaped her lips.
"Gladion, no," she whispered, turning to stare at him.
"Exploring!" She called back, faux joy clawing at the inside of her throat in hope that Gladion would leave her be.
She didn't need to see him die again.
He heaved a sigh, and began ascending the outcrops behind her. "I don't know what's wrong," he said between jumps, "But you wouldn't shirk your duties for exploring."
"How are you even here?" She groaned, continuing along. "I left first thing this morning. I'm the only one who even has memories of what's happening," she grumbled.
"What?"
Moon paused her climbing.
Fuck.
She took a deep breath, expecting the tendrils to appear.
Moments passed.
They didn't.
"I went to see you this morning," Gladion added after the stretch of silence between them. "Your mom said you went out this way."
Thanks, Mom.
"Not even glad to see me?" They had reached the crater in the peak, and Gladion stood close behind her, breath caressing her ear.
"I will be when I stop dying," she mumbled, walking forward, Cinnamon at her heels.
She cleared her throat, and released Chili. "There's some sort of beast that's hellbent on destroying Alola. We kinda need to stop it."
Nebby came out next.
Gladion stepped beside her, releasing his own team. Silvally turned around to look at them, barking in acknowledgement. "Sounds like fun."
Lastly, her mimikyu and lurantis, Thyme and Anise, released themselves from their balls.
"From observation," Moon began, "It seems like an amalgamation of necrozma's different forms." Gladion coughed.
"It's serious, then. Not just regular Ultra Beasts."
Before Moon could reply, time and space warped around them, bending light into the black void that formed before them.
The wings appeared first – three of them, feathers glowing a blinding, sickening white, with prismatic tendrils billowing behind them. The other half was as dark as the void, cracked like a minior, with opal filling the cracks like vases repaired with liquid gold.
Eyes burned red with rage against the worlds, a prism lodged in the middle of its body, much like a gardevoir's horn.
Gladion visibly shook beside her, and turned to face Moon.
"What have you been dealing with since I've been gone?" He asked softly, then shook his head, ready for action.
Thyme jumped on top of Gladion's charizard, and they took off toward the beast. Shadow claw after shadow claw, play rough after play rough. The other pokemon followed suit, and Moon and Gladion shouted orders to the best of their ability.
The beast shook them off, sending prismatic lasers towards them, again and again. Tendrils thrashed, slamming into the rock, the mountain, the ground. The beast wailed in pain as attacks struck consecutively.
The clouds changed rapidly, and bolts of lightning shot down at the beast.
Beside them appeared Tapu Koko, who chirped in annoyance before rushing forward to join the fray. An electric terrain surged across Ten Carat Hill, and Moon visibly cheered.
"Lucis, get your ass out here!"
A beast ball was tossed.
The electric ultra beast appeared, cord-like body writing excitedly in the electric terrain.
"Tail glow!" Moon commanded, and the xurkitree sunk its claws into the ground, glowing brighter than the amalgamation before it, albeit briefly. It resumed its stance, arms waving languidly.
"Thunder."
The strike of lightning, along with the other pokemons' attacks, collided into the amalgamation, and it fell to the ground.
Minutes of expectant silence passed.
It didn't stir.
Moon fell to her knees, the void in her stomach dissolving along with the beast before them. Tears raced down her face, and she screamed into her hands.
She awoke in her bed as she had countless times before, and her heart fell in her chest.
Had she failed?
She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. Before she could turn to check the date on her phone, the door creaked open.
Gladion stepped inside.
"Are you feeling alright?" He asked as he stepped closer to her. Hesitantly, he sat beside her on the bed as she slowly nodded.
"That… necrozma… thing. Is it gone?" She asked softly, staring at her hands. Anywhere but at Gladion.
She didn't need to cry again.
"Yeah. It is."
Gently, Gladion reached for Moon's hands with his own, stopping just before they touched. He looked at her, and noticed the blush that spread across her cheeks.
His hands clasped hers.
"I'm here if you want to tell me everything. I won't leave."