"I think I'll burn Astrid to a crisp until she's gasping for air and begging me to stop, then let her recover and do it again!" Salem laughed gleefully, setting the ground around her ablaze. "And I'm gonna carve her little friend's heart out and crush it while both of them are watching! That'll show 'er who's boss~!"

Her words certainly stirred the wrath of those present, but they didn't bother dignifying it with a response.

If the ground had been muddy or marshy, it wasn't anymore. Salem scorched the earth she tread on and filled the air with her odd purple smoke, all while grinning and laughing. If anyone whose presence exuded a maniacal feeling had ever graced the Tranquil Town outskirts, it was definitely the violet-flamed wild-eyed Delphox.

"I've never seen anyone as crazy as this lassie," Nez remarked, unamused and setting off another Earthquake.

"I think that's the whole point," Kaminari mused flatly.

BAM!

Another burst of water exploded against an energy shield, Niles' Snipe Shot rendered useless against Salem's Protect, and Nez's Earthquake stopping just at its edge before it could hit its target. Kaminari took the moment and concentrated for a second while Ace swooped in with another Brave Bird that the Delphox couldn't avoid in time. Nonetheless, though Salem may have taken the hit, she didn't seem all that concerned by it and jabbed her flaming wand for the Staraptor, burning straight through his feathers and singeing his skin. The recoil damage was the brunt of what Ace felt, but it nonetheless elicited a pained squawk.

"Oi, Ace! Are ye alright?!" Nez called to the Staraptor.

"I'm fine!" was Ace's shaky response.

Kaminari, however, was enveloped in a slight glow, multiple copies of her form spreading out from behind her before it faded. Salem quickly noticed the myriad of Double Team effects, but still smirked as her eyes narrowed.

"Nez, are you feeling that too?" Ace inquired of the Nidoking, studying the purplish tint that seemed to be surrounding their assailant.

"Truth be told, I don't find it that bad," Nez replied, eyeing the Delphox. "She must be- GWAH-!"

The Staraptor squawked again when Nez got a briefly pained expression with an equally pained shout following before the Nidoking fell limp.

Salem laughed, slinging another Flamethrower that Ace quickly took to the air to avoid. "You all think he's the nicest creature ever, but he annoys me.~ Oh, I just love Poison-types.~"

Her Future Sight had clearly done him in, and he wasn't moving. A patch of the ground was scorched black, but thankfully she hadn't scorched her original target while another Snipe Shot came blasting down from the cliffs. The Delphox very narrowly sidestepped it, and was splashed by the remnants of it that splattered about.

"Don't you worry, sniper; I'm not gonna leave you out," Salem snickered mostly to herself.

Kaminari and all of her visages held blades of darkness in their hands, and all rushed in at the Delphox. Still with a wild look, Salem readied another Flamethrower and waved her wand to spread it, most of them being scorched out of existence save for a few that jumped back and one- the real one- that jabbed for her throat again. A few snippets of Salem's fur were sliced off and a bit of blood trickled out from broken skin as the Delphox swayed aside to make it miss, but the wild-eyed one instead loosed another fiery blaze on the Greninja.

"Kyah-!" Kaminari gasped, quickly ditching the Night Slash for a Water Shuriken as she retreated.

The Delphox laughed, nonchalantly twirling her wand whilst Protecting herself from an Aerial Ace. "I thought so," she chuckled, giving Kaminari a glance. "You can change your type with your ability, which means I can still have an easy time burning you if I strike right.~"

A larger Water Shuriken shield turned to mostly steam, and when both attacks dissipated, it was easy to see that Kaminari's slashing arm had a nasty burn reaching halfway to her shoulder. A long patch of her ordinarily blue skin was charred black and deep red, and the webbing between two of her fingers was partially turned to ashes. The Greninja's eyes narrowed and twitched in what looked like pain, but she wasn't voicing it if it was.

"D-dammit…" Kaminari hissed.

Salem giggled, probably thinking it was a beautiful sight.

Ace dove down at the Delphox for another Brave Bird, but another burst of purple-tinted flames made him stop and redirect upwards to keep from getting charred himself. His flight was shaky, several of his tail feathers and the tip of one wing burnt, but thankfully that was as far as the damage went.

The more Salem waved her wand and spread her flames, the more she seemed to be shrouded in a purple mist that just wouldn't dissipate. Kaminari still used her tongue-scarf for cover, but she too started to have slightly shaking movements when forming more Water Shurikens in her hands, much more so with the burned one. More of the watery stars hit with Salem trying to simultaneously dodge the remaining visages, but she scorched them out of existence too.

However, a certain Flareon came darting in from the town's perimeter with a bag on his shoulders that apparently wanted to fly open as he sprinted. He made a beeline for Kaminari first and paused next to her while she threw another flurry of watery stars.

"I've got Oran berries," Blaze said quickly, slipping his bag off. "Cobalt and Toko are tending to the kiddos, and Reina's overseeing. I'm not sure if my attacks will scratch Salem, but her fire won't burn me at least."

Kaminari nodded, quickly snatching up a berry. "This is probably the best situation we can have for now. Jax is up in the cliffs with Niles in case one of Salem's underlings try to get in the way of a Snipe Shot, and Astrid took Arashi and flew off for the forest. Salem's not getting her intended targets, at least."

Blaze nodded in turn too. "Good."

Salem caught one Water Shuriken before its points could slice into her neck, and it turned to steam shortly in her grasp, the Delphox still grinning. Another Protect went up, and another Snipe Shot crashed into the energy shield with a forceful burst. Blaze grabbed up the bag with his teeth and darted for Ace next, the Staraptor likewise welcoming his assistance.

In the cliffs, however, a certain Inteleon watched carefully for a nice opening through both the black membranes covering his eyes and a Scope Lens he held in front of one, peeking up over a rock just enough to pick out Salem on the outskirts below. A Toxicroak watched the happenings too, cracking his knuckles even without actually having the opportunity to use them.

"You ain't seen anything like this before, have ya?" Jax inquired, bouncing up and down and pacing a bit. "I thought they were exaggerating the claims, but nope!"

"Never," Niles answered, gaze shifting around ever-so-slightly as Salem tried to avoid hits herself, "I've cracked plenty of cases wide open in my time, but this Delphox… She's another matter entirely."

"Damn, and you're the sharpest one in our lot," Jax remarked upon hearing it.

Apparently Niles found an opening and took it, for quickly he stretched one arm over the rock with one finger outstretched and his thumb pointing upwards, still eyeing Salem through the lens as a concentrated watery blast fired from his fingertip. It hit, but Salem only looked annoyed.

Nonetheless, from his lens, Niles could see Salem stare up in their direction and loose a Shadow Ball.

"Get down!" the Inteleon cried quickly, grabbing Jax and yanking him out of view behind the rock.

"Wha-!" the Toxicroak cried.

The ball of darkness crashed into a rock face behind them before dissipating in a blackened cloud of smoke and fading.

"Damn," Jax muttered, glancing up at where it hit.

"Oh, try it again, you bloody wretch," Niles growled, peeking over the rock again. "Am I bothering you? Because your antics bother me."

The Toxicroak snickered haplessly, musing, "I'd love to Sucker Punch her too, but I think she'd make quick work of me."

"She likely would, with your type and ability," Niles responded coolly. "But you give me peace of mind where you are now. The gods only know what else she's planning…"

"I'd love to see this crazy bitch get her ass handed to her by a legendary, but we can't always get what we want," the Toxicroak remarked in agreement, watching the attacks below being thrown about.

On the scorched ground, however, Blaze tried to rush Salem in a Double-Edge, but her Shadow Ball cut his attempt short. Her flames weren't bothering the Flareon, but the purple smoke still made him feel dissociated from his body, and Kaminari's movements too were becoming less precise. If Aerial Ace hadn't been in Ace's arsenal, he wouldn't have gotten any hits in.

Shortly, however, the Staraptor was letting out a cry and falling limp, downed by a Future Sight too. His crest was partially burnt off, and a patch of skin on his belly was visibly charred.

"I like you all, I really do," Salem laughed. "You're entertaining, but you're not my targets.~"

The Oran berries hadn't been much help, after all. The disorientation caused by the smoke was wearing on them, and making it easier and easier for Salem to hit. The Delphox certainly reveled in that fact.

A Shadow Ball crashed into a Water Shuriken shield, which Kaminari promptly threw at their assailant while Blaze sent a Swift after her. Nonetheless, another Protect went up, and Salem went unscathed. The Flareon rushed her again, and Kaminari charged her in another Night Slash, but the Delphox leaped out of the way of both of them and launched a ball of blackness at Blaze. It made quick work of the Flareon, and Blaze was shortly limp on the ground.

Salem chuckled, holding her wand in front of her and looking to Kaminari next. "I hope you got a good look at your kid, because the next time you see him, I can't guarantee you'll recognize him.~"

BAM!

A Snipe Shot rammed straight into the back of Salem's head, causing her snarling grin to drop for just a second. The Greninja didn't waste time even in her disorientation, throwing a watery star at the Delphox just as the wild-eyed one regained her composure. It hit just below Salem's neck.

The Delphox, however, went back to grinning, a low chuckle escaping her mouth as another Flamethrower blazed at the tip of her wand.

"… Fuck," Kaminari said flatly, vision blurring.

Another burst of purple fire put Kaminari out too. Salem shook her head, smirking, then turned to look at the cliffs.

Niles immediately turned dismayed up in thecraggy rises and gasped in horror at every figure down below save for Salem's being motionless on the ground.

"What's wrong?!" Jax cried, noticing his unease immediately.

"They're down!" the Inteleon said quickly. "All of them!"

"Even Kaminari?!"

"Yes!"

"You've gotta be- GAH!"

The Toxicroak cried out in pain before going limp himself from another Future Sight. Niles' heart sank in his chest, but just as quick, he was ducking down to avoid another Shadow Ball that smashed into the cliffs just above him.

Salem giggled on the ground below, giving her surroundings a brief look- a Nidoking, Staraptor, Flareon, and Greninja all sprawled out and motionless, the otherwise damp ground dried and scorched in numerous places while her purple smoke wafted about freely. It was… beautiful.

At least to Salem.

But what would be more beautiful was the look on Astrid and Arashi's faces when she got ahold of them, and for that, she went sprinting off towards the forest while cackling without a care, her still-burning wand leaving a tiny trail of wispy purple smoke.


If things would ever stop feeling not quite right, Astrid didn't know when that would be.

The air was buzzing, and her feathers were standing on end. Her eyes fluttered open in a daze, which simple as it was, felt like a laborious process. That thing… That thing had attacked them after Salem, and they'd been done in by a single move.

Astrid quickly whimpered in discomfort and glanced about, where she found herself surrounded in a conical formation by the same cable-like appendages that had been sparking before. Arashi was next to her, still unresponsive with closed eyes. Their surroundings were dark, but illuminated in a white glow, and a bit of studying revealed what looked like a cave wall- dull grey and brown rocks, a grainy surface, and craggy edges. The ground beneath her feet was hard but not solid dirt, and her claws punched through the surface when she stood up. She glanced around, and indeed, it did look like a cave, albeit a rather small one. A jagged opening met her when she glanced to the right, but it was almost entirely covered by a detached slab of rock almost like a jagged, uneven door.

Another whimper came when the sparking black wires around her moved. Two of them stayed on the ground, but two copper-plated hands detached along with a three-pronged tail. The creature gave them some space, the sparks dying down a bit. It was fairly easy to tell where the cavern's illumination was coming from, given the brightness coming from the Beast's head and joints.

"You're awake," said the metallic voice of the Beast.

Astrid said nothing, only staring at the familiar but frightening figure with huge eyes. She was awake, alright- being around such sparking energy likely would've kept anyone awake if they hadn't been outright knocked unconscious. Very carefully, but still keeping her eyes locked on their company, she nudged Arashi with one wing.

"A-Arashi," she croaked. "W-wake up…"

Only the faintest of sounds came from the Frogadier.

"I know he's weak to Electric-type moves, so he got hit harder," the creature noted. "Sorry about that last attack; I needed the both of you not to fight back for a while."

Astrid was still as apprehensive as could be, and nudged her comrade some more. "Arashi! W-wake up, Arashi…! It's the beast…!"

His eyes fluttered open too, and they were shortly going wide. Arashi was definitely weaker in getting up than the Dartrix had been, and Astrid steadied him with one wing.

"Arceus above, you weren't kidding," the Frogadier croaked, looking their company over. "Who and what are you?!"

"My identification is UB03-0067, or Six-Seven for short. I'm an Ultra Beast of the Xurkitree species."

They had no clue what any of that referred to, but it sounded off to say the least.

"I've been trying to talk to you for a while now, but there weren't any good openings," it continued. "I'm not supposed to be here. I didn't want to cause problems."

As scared as she was, Astrid growled with narrowing eyes. "Trying to talk to me?! Don't play that game with me! You're gonna hand me over to Salem, if you haven't already! Where the hell are we, and where is she?!"

"I couldn't tell you Salem's exact location, but you're in the cliffsides opposite Overgrown Crevice and towards Craggy Crossroads- at least, I think that's what you call it," the Beast answered. "And you don't need to worry about Salem; I'm not handing you over to her. That's why I'm here- to make sure she doesn't get ahold of you."

As great as that may have sounded, Astrid wasn't buying it for a single second. "Oh, sure!" she wrathfully hissed back. "Just like Zariel was watching out for Cobalt, and Azure just wanted to talk with us! You're one of them! Just be honest already!"

However, at that moment, another voice added to the mix, one that wasn't… corporeal.

*Astrid, can you hear me?*

Immediately, she froze. Arashi perked up, looking around with alarm.

"Who's that?!" the Frogadier cried, gaze darting about.

'Six-Seven' didn't seem bothered by it at all, and Astrid wasn't necessarily bothered either, but…

"You recognize that, don't you?" the Beast inquired.

It definitely was familiar, the Dartrix had to admit. She couldn't quite place where the recollection was from, but it jogged her memory somehow.

*We've spoken before. You've been asleep and thought it a dream the past two times, which it was in some regards. The first time, you were still a human, and immediately afterwards was when you became a Rowlet and met my emissary, Six-Seven, who currently stands before you. I am still under significant stress, but not enough for contacting you to be so difficult. Salem is alive and well, but tired enough to not be leading a charge against me after her failure to obtain you.*

Instantly, it clicked into place. It was the same voice as she'd heard in the blinding visions, just without the static and distortion. Her memories had been fuzzy before, when she'd first awoke… but it was true. The recollection came flooding back to her- the odd sensations, the seemingly random questions, being dubbed a 'timid green' and being told to take charge of her fate.

Arashi got an awkward look. "Am… Am I supposed to be hearing this? You're talking to Astrid, but I can hear you, too…"

*You are,* the incorporeal voice answered. *One way or another, you're her partner now. Therefore, this also affects you, and if you intend to embark with her, you should be notified.*

Still not completely sure, Arashi looked to Astrid next. "They're not lying, are they?"

She shook her head. "N-no, it's true," she replied, returning his gaze for a moment then looking back to the Xurkitree. "H-hold on, y-you…"

*Rest easy, Six-Seven means you no harm.*

'Rest easy,' she wasn't so sure about, but she was certainly more willing to listen to whatever they had to say. "Wh-who are you…?" she inquired of the unseen one.

*I am Necrozma, the Blinding One, the overseer of Ultra Space. You might think of me as being akin to the Pokémon you know as Arceus.*

Astrid blinked, a bit caught off guard by such a description, while Arashi immediately got a far more intently intrigued look. He and Astrid shared another glance, the Dartrix still looking a bit hesitant but the Frogadier with a grin spreading across his face.

*It was I that sent you here. I apologize for this meeting being so late in the making; I would have much rather spoken to you sooner, but things took an odd turn.*

The Dartrix nodded, taking it in. "O-okay, so… You're Necrozma, and you sent me to this world. I turned into a Rowlet after you talked to me the first time, and this thing- er, Ultra Beast…?- is your emissary Six-Seven, who I met in the forest."

*That is correct.*

She nodded again. That was definitely a start in the right direction, but still, she scrutinized the wired figure in front of her. "H-how can I be sure? L-look, I'm no expert here, a-and I'm still not sure what to make of… a-anything, r-really… But that was a pretty vicious attack on Nez, Lurantis in Brushwood Tangle was afraid of you, a-and…"

If a figure made of wires with no facial features could look flustered, Six-Seven was doing it. "E-er, I can explain all that…"

*You should. She's still very wary of you.*

Astrid wasn't going to deny such.

"O-okay, well…" Six-Seven stammered uncertainly, "I should start from the very beginning, then. You two know Salem is a human too, but… She's a symptom, not the problem. Necrozma originally summoned her to save Ultra Space, since there wasn't a Beast left-"

"H-hold on," Astrid interjected, "I need more of a foundation. I d-don't know what half the terms are th-that you're using. I j-just thought you were some weird being, but you're an Ultra Beast from Ultra Space…? And Necrozma is the overseer of Ultra Space…? S-sorry, I've never heard of any of this, and I'm pretty confused as it is…"

Six-Seven nodded. "Right, sorry about that. So on this world, it's filled with creatures called Pokémon, right? There's a lot of different kinds, some special ones you call 'legendaries,' and some of those legendaries like Arceus, Zygarde, and Rayquaza basically keep everything in working order, right?"

"That's right!" Arashi affirmed while Astrid merely nodded.

"Okay, so my world is in Ultra Space, which is an extradimensional location that the inhabitants of your world would probably never see," Six-Seven explained. "And in Ultra Space, we have creatures called Ultra Beasts that mostly inhabit it, somewhat akin to you Pokémon. Generally speaking, though, Beasts tend to be, well… way stronger. I've figured out that you use the generic term 'beast' here, but where I'm from, it's the shortened form of our classification. There's a lot fewer species of Beasts than there are Pokémon, and our equivalent of legendaries are the Light Trio consisting of Necrozma, Solgaleo, and Lunala."

That made more sense, and neither one of them was doubting Six-Seven's assertion of the average Beast's strength. Six-Seven alone had already left quite the impression.

"So you're not from this world, is what you're saying," Arashi noted. "And you aren't either, Necrozma?"

"Yes," Six-Seven affirmed with a nod.

*That is correct.*

"O-okay, I think I get it now…" Astrid mused, still a bit fluffed up. "G-go on."

"Right," Six-Seven replied, "So in order to understand Salem, you need a bit of context for what's going on in Ultra Space. Put shortly, it's been turned into a bloodbath, and Salem is partly the cause of that. In the past, it was at least peaceful… but not anymore. Let me ask- does the name 'Void' mean anything to you?"

The Starstorm duo looked at each other, then back at Six-Seven and shook their heads.

"Of course. I didn't think Salem would let that slip so easily," the Xurkitree remarked, then seeming to start shivering, "Well, you see… Void is Salem's partner if you ask Salem, her 'boss' put nicely, but realistically, a controlling tyrant under the guise of a kind, innocent overseer."

They were taken aback by that proposition, Arashi getting surprised eyes and Astrid blinking without saying a word. The copper fingers started touching together again and Six-Seven's head angled down at the ground, which Astrid couldn't help but interpret as a frightened look.

"Wait, Salem has a boss?!" Arashi exclaimed, studying the Beast, "I thought Salem was the boss!"

"It definitely appears that way to an outsider," Six-Seven acknowledged, still shrinking up a bit. "But you two have been close to Salem, so tell me… Did you notice anything off about her? Her eyes, the way she casts purple fire…?"

They both nodded, Astrid much more intently so.

"W-what is that?" the Dartrix inquired, "That's not normal Delphox fare…"

"It's not, and it's poison," Six-Seven answered. "Specifically a neurotoxin."

And again, they were taken aback, eyeing their company with odd looks.

"But Delphox isn't a Poison-type," Arashi noted curiously. "Is she using Toxic?"

"No, but I'll get to the specifics of how she does it," was the Xurkitree's response. "It's because of Void. You see, Void is part of the Nihilego species, Nihilego being a Rock- and Poison-type. They're parasitic by nature and latch onto whatever host they please, then start secreting a powerful neurotoxin that makes the host become fixated on them and lose whatever inhibitions that may have been stopping the host from violently lashing out. They'll go for whatever they can get their tentacles on, but the thing is… If the host is a human, they can physically merge their bodies and become even more powerful, even boost the power of those around them, but the Nihilego is the only one with any battling capability since humans are weak on their own. If the host is another Beast, or even a Pokémon if one is around, they can't merge, but the host can fight, and they fight viciously. See where this is going?"

Astrid was starting to get an idea, and it… wasn't pretty. Arashi still studied the Beast, looking intrigued but uncertain.

Salem was a human in a Pokémon's body, just like Astrid, casting odd purple smoke that was apparently poisonous because of this 'Void' entity… There had to be some significant relation outside of just Void being her boss.

"Is Salem Void's host…?" Astrid's voice trailed off.

"Exactly," Six-Seven affirmed. "Salem is both human and Pokémon, just like you. In other words, all of the benefits with none of the drawbacks. When Void gets serious, she calls for Salem, and they become two entities in one- their power goes through the roof, Void enhances their abilities together, and Salem's attacks turn into pure destruction. They've been merging for so long that Salem has picked up some of Void's characteristics even outside of merging, and that's why Salem has such odd abilities and those purple eyes. Void's poison runs through her veins at this point, and she burns it in her fire to spread it."

It started to click into place. The neurotoxin had been the cause of several sets of odd behavior. Salem had called the crazy ones her 'temporary subjects,' and while they had no basis for the Clefable they'd fought, the Rhyperior definitely seemed to be far more docile than when he was trying to outright murder them. Team Aeroslash in the headlines reported a disorienting feeling when engaging her, which had been felt even in the small wisps of smoke from her wand, after which they began swinging at their healers. Zariel had cited humans-turned-Pokemon as being quite valuable, Azure cited their 'tactical advantage,' and if the Charizard and Golisopod were Salem's underlings, it didn't take much thinking to figure out where that assertion was coming from. It stacked up far too conveniently to be a lie.

"Which brings us to the current conundrum," Six-Seven continued. "Ordinarily, you could brush a Nihilego's parasitism off as just being what Nihilego do. Void, however, took it to an entirely new level and started poisoning anyone she could touch, turning her hosts into little more than extremely violent slaves to her bidding. It was just a few Beasts at first, then a few dozen, then more and more… all while anyone who got in her way was crushed by her underlings, either killed or poisoned too. It wasn't visible just how much of a problem she was causing at first, since like I said, ordinary Nihilegos going about their parasitic business isn't rare, but it just kept increasing and increasing. And if you asked the poisoned ones what was going on, every single one of them would say they did it for Void, that Void gave them a better purpose in life, and they never wanted to leave her. That's how the Light Trio figured out who was behind the incident, but by then, Void had already laid out her plans. She intended, and still intends, to overtake Ultra Space, poison the Light Trio to do her bidding too, and mold the entire dimension to her own wishes. Once she's done on Ultra Space, this world is the next one, and she doesn't plan on stopping at this one, either. She wants to create an entire multiverse with her as a supreme deity over every living creature, be it Beast, Pokémon, or human."

A jolt of fright went through both Astrid and Arashi's bodies, the Dartrix fluffing up again and the Frogadier getting wide eyes.

"W-wait a second," Arashi quickly cut in. "Surely someone has tried to stop her, right? She can't just take over, can she?"

"B-besides, how'd she get ahold of Salem, if Salem is her host…?" Astrid inquired. "That didn't just happen for no reason, I'm guessing…"

*The both of you are correct,* came Necrozma's voice again, *Some occupants of Ultra Space have tried to stop her, and all have failed. I and my two comrades have tried, and are still trying, but are presently unsuccessful.*

At that, the both of them were seeing an odd vision, the likes of which Astrid recognized from her dreams. An absolutely blinding visage made up most of it, draconic in shape and seemingly made of pure light between pieces of a prismatic frame, surrounded by another glowing spherical barrier that enveloped it. In front of it was another form standing like a guard, the likeness of which could only bring to mind that of the blazing sun- largely feline with an impressive mane and glowing in a bright white, baring fangs and clawing at the ground in an aggressive stance. The both of them were at the bottom of what looked like a very large crater, the ground littered in rubble of what looked like glass and black metallic shards. The surroundings weren't much better off, for what looked like the blown-out ruins of what used to be a place of civilization was all that was visible, around and among which stood a swarm of strange creatures all peering inwards at the lone sources of light, the vast majority either launching attacks or preparing to. Some of them looked like Six-Seven, some looked like dragons, and some were just… downright bizarre. It certainly didn't look like friendly terrain, that was for sure.

*That one with the large mane is Solgaleo, and the dragon of light is myself and Lunala in my fused Ultra form. As you can see, I'm… at an impasse with Void's forces. I cannot remember the last time I was backed into a corner like this, but almost all of mine and Lunala's combined energy is going towards shielding ourselves from the attacks while Solgaleo attempts to guard us from further barrage as best he can, so Void cannot reach us. However, while Void cannot reach us, we cannot reach Void. Sparing energy to reach you alone is quite a feat, and more often than not, I cannot let my guard down for even a second to do so. This standoff is… extremely taxing, to say the least.*

Astrid and Arashi believed it. The vision faded away.

*I contacted Salem shortly after reaching this impasse, as I had exhausted every other option,* Necrozma explained. *There are no sentient life forms left in Ultra Space that are not either being controlled by Void or frantically hiding from her, thus I could use no one from my own jurisdiction. Salem was a human from a differing world, very headstrong and independent, but without much direction in her life. I thought that surely, turning someone like her into a Pokémon, erasing her memories, and giving her a clear purpose would be a surefire way to victory, and indeed, it looked promising… until she actually met with Void, and was poisoned herself. The Salem you now see is a disturbing caricature of the Salem I previously guided.*

Yet again, they were seeing something that was not immediately in front of them, memories that did not belong to them.


"Auuugh! Void, I'm sorry…!"

A creature, very delicate and slender with a mostly white body, fell limply on the cold, hard ground with most of its form singed. Its eyes fell closed though it appeared to resist such, but conscious or not, it appeared to be in a great deal of pain. On one of its stick-thin arms splayed out to the side was what looked like a tattoo reading 'UB02B-0001.'

The surroundings were almost entirely black and dim, illuminated faintly by the cool glow of bluish-green crystalline shards implanted in towering rocky fixtures appearing almost akin to aquatic plants. The terrain underfoot had a glassy texture, making it resemble a waterlogged sea floor even without any actual moisture, and some areas appeared to be partially melted. It wasn't an underwater cave, but even so, the air felt much thicker as if those present were submerged anyway, and despite their rocky looks, the walls and fixtures had an oddly organic feel to them. It was as if the cave itself was a living organism with its own heartbeat, but even if it was, it did not move. It simply made a certain intruder feel… unwelcome.

A fiery orange glow drowned out most of the cool shades of the crystals, the source easily traced to a burning wand in a Delphox's hand. Salem breathed heavily, a bit of the fur on one cheek bearing red trickles from broken skin underneath, and a few more tiny pools of blood added splashes of red to the dark ground. Nonetheless, she still managed to wear a snarling smirk, eyes locked on the target before her.

"It okay, Void not mad," said a gentle, sweetly feminine voice with the faintest hint of a metallic edge. "You try hard, but this one strong."

The voice belonged to a mostly unassuming figure with a gelatinous but glassy body of a vaguely bipedal shape, although she floated instead of walked. Her tentacles drifted down from a translucent bell with a blue-edged frill, most of them varying in length but still fused together to form the appearance of long hair, while two longer ones gave the appearance of legs and two shorter ones acted like arms. The glassy appearance of her body gave off a feel of frailty, as if she would shatter to bits if nudged with even the slightest force. If she was attempting to imitate a human, specifically a young human female, then she too was doing a terrible job and only came off as a strange imitation.

"You're that sicko Void, aren't you?" Salem asked with a snarl, studying the floating glassy one.

The one in question drifted down to the fainted white Beast, one of her tentacle arms giving it a gentle pat as she replied, "Yes, Void is Void, but Void not sick."

Salem snickered, casting a Shadow Ball at the Nihilego, but Void didn't seem all that bothered and instead took on a bright orange glow before launching a Power Gem at the Delphox. Salem Protected herself, but even the energy shield seemed to falter under the Beast's power.

*Salem! Can you-!... Go for…*

"Sorry, Necrozma, I can't really hear you and I'm a little busy…!" the Delphox shouted at the air, her shield and Void's attack dissipating.

Salem concentrated for a moment, setting a Future Sight into motion while Void seemed to give herself a hug with her tentacle arms.

"Void know who you are," the Nihilego nonchalantly noted, swaying like a flower in the breeze. "Void's underlings tell Void about you. You sent by Necrozma to stop Void."

"That's damn right!" Salem shouted back with no trouble, flinging a blazing Flamethrower. "You're a sick, twisted tyrant!"

The Nihilego didn't even bother dodging the blaze but rather sailed head-on through it and closer to Salem, practically staring Salem in the eyes, or at least would have been if the Nihilego had possessed any herself. Salem snarled with a smirk again, her scattered fire making some of the glassy floor deform and melt. Void, though, went practically unscathed, but when the Future Sight landed, a pitiful whimper followed.

"Mmmmm…!" Void cried like a sad child, hugging herself again.

Salem prepared another one, but at the same time, the air around Void started taking a purple hue and Salem couldn't help but notice it. Her smirk faltered as a thick cloud of smog descended on her, letting out a cry of discomfort and jumping back away from the Nihilego. It was too late, however- the Toxic had already taken hold.

"Damn…!" Salem breathed, her eyes twitching and body pained.

"Void not sick and twisted," the Nihilego said, still sounding sweet and nonchalant. "Void make Ultra Space pretty. And Void know that you… you strong, and you different."

Salem coughed with furrowed eyes, the poison's effects making her shiver. She couldn't see straight- her vision was starting to fade. Target though the Nihilego may have been, she couldn't take her eyes off of Void, as if they were locked in place.

"Tyrant," the Delphox nonetheless growled, forming another Shadow Ball.

"Void not like name-calling," the Nihilego nonchalantly brushed her off.

Again, though, Void bunched up and gave herself a hug with a whimper when the Future Sight landed, but still, the ends of her tentacle arms began to fill with purple. Salem loosed her ball of blackness, but Void too returned fire with her own attack- a Venoshock. Salem couldn't have dodged it even if she wanted to.

"AGH-!" the Delphox shouted.

*Salem-!*

Necrozma's voice barely registered. Salem's eyes closed, and she fell limp on the ground, her wand rolling out of her hand.

"Mmm… Ngh…!" the Delphox grunted, trying to hang on to a shred of consciousness.

Void, however, floated down to her and touched one tentacle to her face. Salem tried to recoil, but it was useless.

"You not worry; Void have mercy," the Nihilego's gentle voice came. "Void not kill you. Void like you; Void want you be Void's host."

"Ngh…! N-no…!" was Salem's only weak response.

The Nihilego's tentacle… it stung to the touch. Something, something wasn't right.

"You protest, but Void understand," Void mused softly. "Everyone scared of Void at first, but it okay. You like Void eventually."

Salem's consciousness faded, and when it did, something else faded with it. Try as she might to fight the poison tugging at her mind, it was to no avail.


They could definitely see the resemblance- the snarling smirk, blistering heat, and raw determination were the same as what they'd seen on the outskirts. Necrozma's explanation made sense too, but nonetheless it sounded very… bleak and disconcerting, as if they were jumping in at the dying of the light and fighting a losing battle.

"… Remind me never to hug a Nihilego," Arashi said flatly.

Astrid agreed with his statement, but still perked up with inquisition. "W-wait a second," she interjected. "So, Salem was called in to stop Void, but… If it's the case that no one in Ultra Space is left… Six-Seven, you're from Ultra Space, right…? H-how are you escaping all of this, if there's no one left to defy her…?"

Six-Seven hunched up a bit more. "… Because Void doesn't know I left yet," was the hesitant-sounding answer. "You can probably guess that eventually, that neurotoxin wears off, and for a dose from Void herself, it can take months… but she always makes sure to administer more to all of her underlings when it happens, so no one escapes her. S-see, I was one of the earlier ones she poisoned, and you can tell from my identification- 0067, or the sixty-seventh out of whatever unholy number it's at now. H-here, you can see it."

The Beast outstretched one arm and slightly twisted one of the cable sections near what seemed to be the wrist joint, and sure enough, 'UB03-0067' was marked on the inside. The Starstorm duo wasn't quite sure what to make of such, but before they could form much of a thought, Six-Seven withdrew it and it was hidden again.

"W-we get those marks when she poisons us, so we know who's on our side and she can keep track of us and who needs another dose… So for me, when the poison wore off, I was confused and upset, but I used what information I could recollect to play the part I'd been given since that's all I knew how to do… and I realized what Void was really doing before she could poison me again, so I pretended to still be under the effects. I stuck it out long enough to reach Necrozma, let them see my intentions, and the second the opportunity arose, I ditched the faction and came here in a wormhole. I'm the only one, aside from the Light Trio, that's trying to stop her. Everyone else, the Beasts I used to call comrades, haven't escaped her. I was lucky."

Astrid nodded, taking it in. If this Beast was lying, it was a doing a good job, for she no longer felt threatened by it in the least. It was behaving like her when caught off guard- touching its fingers together and hunching up in place of trying to sink into feathers, and using a very subdued voice. If it was an act, it was a wild success, but it didn't seem to be so.

"She acts sweet and innocent, but she isn't. She's the craziest one of the entire bunch," Six-Seven noted somewhat timidly, "She sent Salem here to try and get a head start on this world when they aren't attacking Necrozma, and she's telling Salem to destroy all of your evolution spots so no one can get strong enough to fight back in the interim. She wants to swoop in unimpeded, down your legendaries, subjugate your citizens, and kill anyone in her way. And… that's why she wants you, Astrid. Because you're just like Salem, and if she can have another of the greatest weapon in her arsenal, she'll stop at nothing to get it."

The Dartrix whimpered, and her comrade gave her an alarmed look.

"Y-you've gotta be kidding!" Astrid exclaimed in dismay. "That's why she wants me?! Sh-she wants me to… She wants to use me a-as… Oh, Arceus above…!"

The thought was absolutely terrifying. Azure had been right in his words- killing her would be a waste, but the alternative was far worse. Astrid couldn't imagine dealing in Salem's antics, not for a second, yet this Void entity had what sounded like an entire army of others exactly like that… She didn't want to dwell on the thought, for it was simply too unsettling to consider.

"B-but, Necrozma…!" the Dartrix stammered distraughtly, "W-why me, then?! I'm not all b-brave and fearless, I'm a n-nervous wreck when I t-talk to anyone new, and I'm a total outsider! I n-never wanted to save the world, I'm scared of Salem, I've never heard of you or Ultra Space…! I-I'm sorry, but… I j-just don't get it. I'm n-no good for this…"

*But you are,* Necrozma calmly said to the contrary. *You see, Astrid, I chose you for very specific reasons after I witnessed Salem fail. You are timid beyond belief, you always think someone out there is better than yourself, and you are horribly insecure. You cannot function alone.*

"Hey!" Arashi shouted playfully at the unseen one. "Don't talk bad about her! She's great!"

Astrid ruffled up even more, wanting to sink into her feathers. She couldn't help but think Necrozma was absolutely right, even if her comrade felt comfortable enough to argue with the highest power of Ultra Space.

*Rest easy, Arashi, I do not mean to disparage,* the Blinding One replied. *I mean it as a contrast. You, Astrid, like Salem, lacked a clear direction in life. As promising as Salem was, she was alone with only me to guide her from afar. She was fast to fully evolve on this world and quick to take the offensive even on Beasts much stronger than her when I brought her to Ultra Space, and she could win. But when faced with Void in the flesh, she was overpowered. I chose you because I knew that, if I gave you a role, you might fuss about being the wrong choice, but you would step up. I knew that I had no worries of you being overpowered, because while it is nothing to complain about having, you don't rely on your power alone. Your run-ins with Salem's underlings have easily proved such. And to be sure you wouldn't be stuck by yourself where you would likely lose ambition, I sent you Six-Seven as a comrade… but that did not go as planned.*

The Dartrix in question had her attention piqued again and went back to studying the Beast, carefully mulling over Necrozma's words.

*While Salem's prowess is almost entirely in attacking, she is a Psychic-type like myself, and with Void's boosts while I was on the defensive like this, she managed to pry into my thoughts just long enough to glean that I had sent you, Astrid. However, she did not know that I had an ally in Six-Seven, and I could not risk losing the only renegade with the full knowledge of Ultra Space's situation. I had intended for you to awaken on this world and meet with Six-Seven, who could act on my behalf in getting you up to speed… But I suppose I failed to properly account for just how confused and scared you would be, given the extreme turn in situations and the fact that you were completely unfamiliar with any kind of Beast.*

They would've seen her blush if her feathers hadn't been in the way, and timidly she took a few steps backwards. "W-wait, so you're saying…" her voice trailed off, studying the beast, "S-Six-Seven, I was supposed to meet you…" then with her eyes falling on Arashi next to her, "And not you…?"

Arashi likewise seemed puzzled, his countenance turning into an awkward grin.

"That's exactly what they're saying," Six-Seven answered. "I was supposed to be your partner, but to be fair here…"

The Xurkitree sparked some more, which made both Astrid and Arashi jump, but just as fast, it died down. Nonetheless, Six-Seven wasn't hunched up anymore, but rather looking as flustered as a creature of cables and glowing spikes could get. The other two present couldn't help but to be startled.

"I'd never seen a Rowlet before, either! Almost all of the plant-based sentient creatures on this world are Grass-types, and most of them aren't scary at all! Where I come from, plant-based life forms are Xurkitree like me and Celesteela, me being an Electric-type that launches superbolts with ease, and the latter being Steel- and Flying-types that blast off from their craters when mature and burn forests down if they get angry! We don't even have Water-types like you, Arashi, and the only Grass-type I am familiar with is Kartana, which is dangerous to even touch because their edges are so sharp! Everything here is the polar opposite of what I'm used to! But I didn't go screeching and running off of cliffs at seeing something weird, now did I? I mean… Sheesh!"

Yet again, the Dartrix was blushing and trying to sink into her feathers. She had to acknowledge that she probably could've handled the encounter much better, but in any case, Six-Seven's frustration seemed to melt almost as soon as the words stopped, and the Beast went back to shirking up and looking shy again with copper fingertips gently touching together.

"A-ah, I'm sorry," Six-Seven mused, sounding rather subdued. "I shouldn't shout like that... I don't like being shouted at either…"

Astrid blinked, still intently eyeing their company.

"Alright, tell us your side," Arashi said gently to the Beast, giving it a thoughtful look. "There's more here than me and Astrid can see."

"Th-there is, and a lot…" Six-Seven's voice trailed off again. "L-look, I didn't mean to threaten anyone, and I get it- if, say, a Garchomp or Tyranitar randomly showed up after I'd had my memories erased, I'd freak out too. We picked the outskirts of Tranquil Town since hardly anything happens here, and I hit you with a weak bolt in hopes that you'd faint so I could go without risking Salem or her underlings getting their eyes on you, but obviously, that didn't quite work. I didn't know the landscape very well, so by the time I could find you again, you were already awake and talking with Arashi. It's not like I could just walk out and explain myself then, since I'm a rebel and I'm not supposed to be here, so I couldn't risk anyone seeing me. I stayed hidden, and I kept a watch on you to see if Salem or her comrades would show.

"Then that Nidoking Nez tried to help you- in his mind, anyway- and I was just going to knock him out in one fell swoop so Salem wouldn't have an easier time locating you, but he figured me out. Obviously, I couldn't explain myself there, either- all I could say was that I needed you, Astrid, and not what it was for. He wouldn't have been dumb enough to believe I was your friend or your cousin or anything like that, and there was no way I was divulging any of the details for someone else to know and Salem to potentially get wind of it. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but battling resolved it. If I can, I want to tell him I'm sorry, because I know he didn't mean any harm and it probably did look like I was the bad guy. We were both just trying to look out for you.

"Then there was the little Pikipek- Rina, is it? I know you all know I was there, because I was hiding myself in the last floor to try and talk to you again, and you got all scared when 'the Beast' came up. Look, I hit the entire room with Discharge before the dungeon-dwellers could do any harm, and I knocked her out too, but only because I couldn't risk being seen by someone so apt to go telling her friends or her parents. I've cleared dungeons way more threatening than Brushwood Tangle, so I know how intimidating it can be if you get lost in the wrong one, and I didn't want to see anything happen to a little one like her that just got lost in the wrong area. I didn't mean anyone any harm.

"And soon after that was Zariel, right? I saw most of that fight from the cliffs, and honestly, I was you relieved you got away as clean as you did. I was ready to jump in myself and drop a few lightning bolts on her, but you seemed to be handling yourself fine, so I didn't… at least, until you left. When you left, I was gonna… finish her off… but Salem was in front of Necrozma again, and Necrozma told me to run, since Salem had figured out something was wrong with Zariel. As close as Salem is with Zariel and Azure, she can tell when something goes awry. I couldn't risk being seen there either, especially not by them, so I ran.

"And then I got word from Necrozma again that Azure was going after you. That worried me more than Zariel, so I went to Lake Lucent as fast as I could to talk you out of it… But by the time I could comb the dungeon to find you, you'd already won and I'd lost you again. I tried to finish Azure off too, but… he woke up before I could hit him with Discharge, and I feigned camaraderie to make it look like I was still with the faction and hopefully prevent Salem from figuring out that I'm a renegade, at least before I could make contact with you. I don't intend to let that situation happen again, so hopefully that won't come back to bite me. But I knew that, with both of her most trusted getting defeated in battle, Salem wasn't going to stay out of the picture… Which brings us to today."

The more Six-Seven went on, the more it fell into place. Astrid's eyes went wide, but not in fright- in an absolute stupor that almost every notion she'd had beforehand could be so easily smashed in one fell swoop. If there was one thing their talk had accomplished, it was that- as messy as the situation seemed before, it was still an absolute mess, but at least an understandable one. It was like looking at a shiny surface, only to realize it was but one facet on a large diamond. She could make sense of it, but there was certainly a lot to make sense of. Arashi likewise was silent with an intent gaze, his utter quietness enough to make anyone else realize something was out of the ordinary.

"S-so…" Astrid stammered, "… we've been wrong this entire time. You really weren't on Salem's side…"

Six-Seven nodded, copper fingertips still touching together. "Never in a million years would I willingly go along with her or her tyrant of a boss."

Astrid and Arashi looked at each other, and the Frogadier broke into an awkward look.

"… This is my fault, then, isn't it?" Arashi mused with an uncertain smile. "I mean… If I hadn't woke Astrid up…"

"No!" Astrid immediately screeched to the contrary, sticking both tips of her wings on his arms, "What happened has happened, and you're my friend now! Nothing is changing that! I'm not fighting Salem or Void or anyone else if I can't have you with me!"

Her comrade chuckled, still looking a bit uncertain but nonetheless giving her a hug.

*As much of a mess as it was, this has worked out well,* Necrozma noted otherwise as well. *You are valuable in your own right, and if Astrid places such significance on you, there is nothing wrong with that.*

"Well, that's a relief," the Frogadier giggled, letting go of his friend.

Astrid, however, skittered closer to Six-Seven, tilting her head all the way back to look up at the Beast that towered over her. "I'm s-sorry I doubted you," she said shyly. "C-can… Can we put all that behind us…? I don't think you're bad… I-if I'm gonna do what I was brought here to do, then I'm g-gonna need your help…"

The Beast knelt down and would've been looking her in the eyes if there were any eyes with which to look. "You don't have to apologize, and absolutely. I'm just glad we're on the same page."

She nodded, and reached her wings out for a hug, but quickly realized she was far too small to reach. Thankfully, Six-Seven picked up on the gesture and reached out to pick her up, the long cable arms easily dwarfing the Dartrix. There were no sparks, but Astrid quickly figured out that it did not matter- being nestled under the Beast's head still made her feathers stand on end. When it put her back down, she deflated.

"Hey, Astrid, I think Six-Seven should join our team," Arashi piped up with a smile.

She cast him a somewhat surprised look, and Six-Seven seemed likewise surprised and gave a sudden twitch.

"H-huh?!" the Beast exclaimed.

"C'mon, you're our comrade!" Arashi cheerfully explained. "You can't tell me for a second that you're not! We're all on the same page here, aren't we? Keep Astrid from Void's faction and keep Void and Salem from wrecking everything! You're one of us, Six-Seven!"

"B-but…" Six-Seven stammered, shirking up again. "I… barely know either one of you. Are you seriously comfortable with that…?"

Astrid and Arashi shared another look.

"Are you alright with it, Astrid?" Arashi inquired of the Dartrix.

"F-fine by me," was the quick answer.

"Then that settles it!" Arashi laughed. "C'mon, you totally should! You don't have to be all social if you don't want to- that's practically my job anyway! You'd be a perfect addition! Besides, no one else has to know what you're really up to; we can just keep it between us!"

The Beast appeared to be mulling it over for a second, then mused, "Necrozma…?"

*Does this idea appeal to you? Be honest.*

"I-it does…"

*Then I have no objections. Should any enemies personally ask you while not actively trying to harm Astrid or her friend, you are merely stranded on this world and keeping an eye on the ones of interest. Your true allegiance is far more likely to be uncovered now than it was prior, but that is still no reason to announce your treachery for all of Void's faction to see. Other than that, do as you see fit.*

Six-Seven nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Arashi gave a happy shout while bouncing up and down in excitement, and Astrid likewise got a happy look, albeit one far less overt.

"Okay, if we're on friendly terms here, then I've gotta ask you something," Arashi noted, turning back to the Beast again. "What's with this 'identification' business? We asked who you were, and you gave us a string of letters and numbers. You're not actually telling us your name is Six-Seven, are you?"

The one in question twitched a bit, bunching up slightly. "I'm… n-not quite sure I understand."

"You know, like our names are Astrid and Arashi," Arashi replied. "Your identification might be whatever that bunch of numbers was that you rattled off, but that's not your name. Can't we call you something else? It's not like you're just a number in a series, unless you do things differently on Ultra Space."

The copper-plated fingers touched together in what looked like an uncertain gesture. "But… that is what I'm called. That's what I've been for as long as anyone has been calling me anything…"

"Oh, come on," Arashi sighed playfully. "I guess that identifies you, but that's awfully impersonal, don't you think?"

A few buzzing sounds came from the Xurkitree, and it touched its fingers together some more while the spiked ball shifted about. Back to shrinking up their company went, looking awfully shy even without facial expressions to convey such.

*They are not of the mindset that 'identification' and 'name' are synonymous, and you do not have a proper name, Six-Seven,* came Necrozma's voice. *Or at least, you have not chosen one, nor had one bestowed.*

"A-ah, I didn't think so…" the Xurkitree's voice trailed off.

Arashi got a surprised but happy look again, exclaiming, "Then we should give you one! You can't just be zero-three-zero, er… whatever that was, for forever! You need a name!"

The Xurkitree perked up, seeming inquisitive at the idea. "What constitutes a good name, then…?"

"Well, my name means 'storm,' because it's pretty fitting for my evolutionary line, and honestly, I really like the sound of it too," Arashi mused. "And then my friend Trixie is Trixie because it sounds mischievous and happy-go-lucky, pretty fitting for her line too. There's 'Lila' and 'Charlie' that just sound nice, but we also met a Lurantis called 'Lurantis' because, according to her, fancy titles are no good. What kind of feel are you going for?"

Six-Seven's fingers went back to tapping together. "W-well… I'm… honestly not sure. Necrozma…?"

*This is not something I should have a say in.*

"A-ah…" Six-Seven took it in, then looking over the other two present, "What appeals to you two?"

Astrid was a bit caught off guard, trying to think of something but drawing an utter blank. She didn't even know where her own name came from, much less how to give one to someone else she'd just met. Between her and her partner, that definitely wasn't her strong suit- the 'Starstorm' moniker had been Arashi's idea, after all.

However, the Frogadier piped up again with a grin. "I got it! We can call you Raijin!"

The Beast paused for a second. "Raijin…?"

"Yeah!" Arashi affirmed. "I'm pretty sure it means something along the lines of 'the lord of thunder,' and you're an Electric-type, right? It fits, and it sounds cool!"

It sounded eccentric, Astrid couldn't help but think. But that was certainly par, and it was far better than anything she could come up with. 'Zap' and 'Squiggle' were about all that came to the Dartrix's mind, which she brushed off fairly quickly.

"Raijin…" the Beast repeated. "I… I like that. Necrozma, is that okay…?"

*If it appeals to you, I'll call you whatever you like.*

The Xurkitree nodded. "Alright, I'm Raijin."

The Frogadier gave another happy cry, gleefully clapping his hands together, but nonetheless he quickly got another inquisitive look and studied their new comrade. "Well, Raijin, can I ask you something else?"

"Go ahead."

Getting a slightly awkward smile, Arashi inquired, "What's your gender? I've never seen a Beast before, so I really have no idea how to tell."

That… had been something that didn't cross Astrid's mind, but sure enough, she too had no idea.

Raijin seemed to get a bit flustered again, twitching a bit, but nonetheless inquired back, "Y-you don't mean for… breeding purposes, do you? Because, er… W-we don't really… do that…"

Astrid couldn't help but blush a bit, and someplace far off, Necrozma seemed to be mentally chuckling at their antics.

"No, no!" Arashi quickly brushed it aside, still grinning. "Like, are you a boy, a girl, or something else? Some Pokémon like Unown don't breed and some like Klinklang need a Ditto, but they have genders too! Like, I'm a boy, Astrid's a girl, and something like an Unown might be neither, so what does that make you? You're obviously not wild, so I don't wanna refer to you as 'it' unless that's what you like!"

That seemed to ring a bell, and the Beast perked up. "Oh! You mean pronoun preferences! I'm 'he,' in that case."

Arashi nodded. "Okay, that covers it! I'm done asking questions now!"

*My, you are the social one.*

The Frogadier only giggled, not protesting it, and Astrid certainly wasn't going to disagree.

"That covers it on my end, too," Raijin noted. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief (at least, as close to such as a creature with his anatomy could) before adding, "Hah, I'm so glad that's finally out of the way…! I was so worried…"

Astrid found herself peering back up at their new teammate and inquired, "S-so, you have more info than us, in this case… Sh-should we go after Salem now, then…?"

*Oh, heavens, no!* Necrozma's voice quickly chimed in, *The likelihood of her being in Void's proximity now is far too high, and I currently cannot afford to exhaust the energy that transporting you to Ultra Space would require. Regardless, the likelihood of you being murdered almost as soon as-! AGH! Apologies, I must go!*

A startled cry escaped Astrid's voice as her feathers fluffed out again, but she softly piped up, "W-will they be okay…?"

"They should be," Raijin quickly replied. "But don't worry; they always answer sooner or later. That happens a lot when they're trying to talk to me, too."

The Dartrix nodded.

"Should we go back home and let everyone know we're still alive…?" Arashi proposed. "They'd probably hear you out, Raijin."

Astrid, however, immediately piped up to the contrary, giving her partner a startled look. "Are you crazy?! Salem's bunch is probably out there looking for us if Salem herself isn't! The perpetrators never return to the crime scene, never mind the victims! We can't go back now; she'd burn the whole town down if she hasn't already!"

Immediately after the words 'if she hasn't already' left her beak, both she and the Frogadier alike got a startled look.

"Point taken, but, er…" Arashi's voice trailed off, then looking to Raijin, "Do you know what happened to her…? Did she… hurt anyone…?"

Raijin shook his head. "I couldn't tell you specifics, but there were definitely some fainted figures, and she was running for the forest with a Flamethrower. She didn't raze your town, thankfully, but the surroundings… Let's just say, I think she was trying to find you in the forest by burning it down. There's a huge chunk of charred trees, but it didn't spread to the entire thing."

That didn't bode well for either one of them, and Arashi looked dismayed while Astrid looked horrified.

The Frogadier let out a heavy breath, breaking into an uncertain smile with misty eyes. "W-well…! I know Mom and Dad can take care of themselves, but…! Oh, Xerneas, grant everyone life again if anything happened…!"

The Dartrix skittered over and placed a wing around him, looking upset herself but sharing a determined glance. "H-hey, you've always been the one to say things are gonna be fine… I believe that…"

Arashi nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "I do, too."

They disentangled, and the Dartrix shook her head as if to clear the myriad of thoughts running through it. She looked between both of her teammates and mused, "Well, Raijin, unless you've got any better ideas, I think I know where we should go…"

Raijin shook his head, looking over at her. "Unless it's regarding something from Ultra Space, I'm listening to you and Arashi. You two know what you're doing."

"Where are you thinking of?" Arashi inquired of the Dartrix.

She cast gave Arashi a knowing look and replied, "Craggy Crossroads."

Almost instantly, her partner's face lit up, and Raijin too seemed to perk up inquisitively.

"We can't go running back to Tranquil Town, that's for sure," Astrid explained. "If Rush still remembers us like Adnea wrote in that letter, he'd probably hear us out. We'll have to figure out the way there, but it's a much better shot."

Enthusiastically, Arashi was nodding in agreement. "You're right. Let's do it!"

The Dartrix looked to Raijin next and asked, "Do you know about the Expedition Coalition?"

"I don't," Raijin answered.

"Then I'm sure Arashi can tell you all about them," Astrid mused with a little smile, her aquatic friend looking eager to do so. "So we're in agreement here?"

Two nods were her answer.

Whatever the case may have been, she'd finally gotten answers, and that was plenty good enough for her. A new teammate and some ethereal allies were a perfect blessing she wouldn't turn down, for what lied in wait on their path ahead seemed absolutely intent on ripping every peaceful status quo to shreds.

'Void.' Something empty of everything, only a hollow and dark nothingness… Such a name seemed fitting for such an adversary. Surely, there was nothing good inside of her.

As frightening as the world may have first appeared, there was too much there worth saving to even think of letting it fall into the hands of a callous, narcissistic tyrant. She'd escaped three of Void's faction, and two of Salem's 'temporary subjects,' which certainly had to count for something… But one way or another, she wouldn't allow herself to become another wayward weapon of smiling destruction like Salem.

No, she wouldn't let any of them win.


Author's note: Hello again, lovelies. I'm still caught up in studying over here, but I'd just like to chime in and say that this part of the story that I'm about to get into is what I have been looking forward to for quite some time, so I do hope you enjoy. I am also going to take the time to look over some of the earlier chapters and revise them a bit (I have noticed a few minor errors and some places that could generally benefit from a revision to sound better), so please be patient with me for the time being, as I am a rather busy woman at the moment.