A moment of necessary violence before peace.

Essentia tore Clembot limb from limb, and the light left his eyes.

The aftermath was quiet.

The crackle and pop of fire, fading by the second as Volcarona ate the flames and Malamar smothered the lingering embers with its psychokinesis.

The sleepy drone of Flare's machine.

Essentia unhooked Clemont's backpack, frisked him for weapons or gadgets, then sent a small nod my way.

I kneeled in front of him.

He kept his eyes on the floor.

"Maybe," he began. He swallowed, working through a dry mouth, "maybe I never knew the real Ash at all."

I nodded. "I don't think I did either."

"I...I hate you, Ash," Clemont whispered. "Not for what you've done here. My gym, my pride, Clembot...they can be rebuilt. Just because...god, Ash. If Bonnie ever learns- no, she'll make it out of this alive, I know she will- when Bonnie learns about all this, she'll be heartbroken. I can't forgive you for that."

"Yeah," I said. "Sorry. I don't think Serena will either. She wants to be Kalos Queen- there won't be Showcases in Kalos for some time to come. But she can still make others smile. I'm not taking away her dream. She can enter the Contest circuit, or be like Duplica and go independent. Isn't that for the best? After this, you'll all have a fresh start."

"A fresh start in what? Team Flare's world?"

"Listen, if-"

"Stop talking, Ash."

I closed my mouth.

"I adore a beautiful production," Lysandre called from the sidelines, "and most of all, the exquisite severance of an inadequate past. But we've wasted enough time here as it is."

He flicked out a hand.

Floating orbs emerged from the dark and shot towards Clemont.

They encased his hands and feet, then tightened with a pneumatic hiss.

Red light flared before they dimmed to a glossy black.

What's wrong with good old fashioned handcuffs? Even their shackles have to be all fancy. I bet Lysandre designed them himself. He looks the type to spend nights drafting up ways to make sure his POWs are as pleasant to look at as possible.

Greninja sent me a heavy look. ...Macabre.

Xerosic barked out a sharp command, and Malamar giggled and placed Clemont under Hypnosis. His head drooped quickly- the technique worked best if the target was suffering from great fatigue.

I continued to avoid his eyes as the lids gradually fell shut.

Sorry, Clemont. This was for the best. Rest now, and you'll come out on the other side in a better place. Everyone will. I raised an eyebrow at Greninja. How are you holding up?

Greninja winced and gestured at his chest wounds. Fine, naturally. But we came far too close to defeat for comfort. Luxray was, as expected, a worthy opponent.

I resisted the urge to topple over.

Even the embarrassment of fainting like a lush felt preferable to staying in the world for another second.

After everything is done, I think I'd like to sleep forever.

A rough noise, like soup cans rattling down an alley.

Iron soles treaded shattered concrete.

Essentia stood in front of me, holding a beige spray bottle filled with a green liquid.

Full Restore.

She moved uncomfortably close to me, the glass of her visor nearly kissing my cheek. I resisted the urge to step back- Lysandre had called me a Team Flare Admin, so I couldn't be showing weakness in front of someone lower on the hierarchy than me, intimidation play or not.

Even still, the all-concealing, space-age getup made me shudder.

"Master Xerosic has sent me to provide relief." Essentia gestured at Greninja, then tilted her head in a questioning way at me, the action causing the glass to brush my cheekbone. The contact nearly me made me lash out. "May I have your permission to treat your partner, Ash Ketchum?"

I glanced over at Lysandre. He had that now-familiar fatherly smile plastered on his face.

Thanks for the illusion of choice.

I took the bottle from her. Twisting the nozzle, I sprayed the medicine on Greninja's wounds. They hissed, then sealed with unnatural speed, flesh knitting then spiraling shut.

Not even a scar left behind.

I felt a sympathetic reaction through our bond- his strength was mine, and I felt the aches and pains of the past few hours melt away into a pleasant buzz.

Synchronized, we raised our fists and experimentally clenched them.

Perfect reaction.

The Mega Evolution energy acting in my body almost felt as though it luxuriated in the new vitality.

Essentia nodded once, then began to walk away.

I frowned when I realized she wasn't walking away all that far away- she stopped at a little less than arm's length, then stood still like a statue.

I sent a questioning look to Lysandre.

"You and Essentia will act as a two-man cell for the remainder of the invasion." Lysandre smiled. "A force strong enough to take on any threat, human or pokemon."

"What about you?"

"I've business elsewhere." He snapped his fingers. "Xerosic."

"Yes, Director."

The man walked up in front of me. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a red Holocaster.

"Take care of this." Xerosic pressed it into my palm. I was thankful he did it with the gloved hand. "My warning is twofold: commercial models have no line to us, so you lose this, you're on your own. And of infinitely more importance, Zygarde will not target you so long as you have this on your person. No burning desire to be pulped by a root the size of a skyscraper? Then be careful."

"Right."

I turned the device over in my hands. Couldn't be that different from a pokedex.

So this phone is enough to no-sell a legendary pokemon?

A god is powerless against a fragile thing like this?

"What Master Xerosic neglected to explain is that I have similar functionalities integrated into my Expansion Suit," Essentia droned. "Do not fear. Even in the worst case scenario, Ash Ketchum, I will protect you."

"...Thank you?"

"Essentia!" Xerosic cried. "Now he knows he has a safety net. He won't take any of this seriously if you coddle him."

Essentia looked down at her feet. "My sincerest apologies, Master."

"Xerosic!" Lysandre boomed. "Enough of this foolishness. Stop harassing the children."

"Yes, Director Lysandre! My sincerest apologies!"

The man shuffled back to Lysandre's side.

Essentia. The girl was a mystery to me.

Her anemic aura escaped the void of her person in wisps so faint I was nearly convinced I was imagining them. My mind trying to make sense of something inherently wrong-

-He strapped her into the machine-

-but no, that was wrong.

I had her resonant frequency.

Somewhere in there was an existence similar to my own.

But right then, I couldn't help but feel I'd just been partnered with a walking, talking corpse.