Looks like I couldn't fool any of you smart cookies. Let's start the chapter up!
Chapter 40: Into Unown Territory
"Did you guys feel that? I think an earthquake just hit this place." Gallian tapped the ground with a claw.
Luxeira sat down in the middle of the trail. She nudged her helmet with her foreleg. "Hmm. There's still a lot of interference, but I think you're right. There are trace levels of seismic activity. Is that normal around here?"
"Well, there are plenty of water geysers. But this didn't feel anything like one of them," Gallian replied. "And my disaster sense is telling me it's time to get the heck out of here."
"If there was any seismic activity, then it appears to have dissipated," Sticky said, resting a nubby hand on his visor. "I'm not even detecting any aftershocks. Are we sure it was an actual earthquake? Perhaps what Gallian sensed is secondary to something else entirely." He turned to Luxeira, the visor disappearing into his harness' jewel in a stream of purple light. "Do you suppose an Ultra Wormhole could have triggered the earthquake?"
Luxeira shook her head. "No. Even with all the interference, there's no way the seismic waveforms would have a high enough amplitude to be linked to an Ultra Wormhole," she said.
"If it's not about your Ultra Wormholes, then drop the subject. You're just wasting our time," Gallian snorted. He started to walk forward, when Luxeira stuck a foreleg in front of him. Red energy crackled across a glaring Gallian's scythe.
"Sit down for a second, Rookie. That's an order," Luxeira said. She turned back to Sticky. "As I was saying, Ultra Wormhole or not, I still find it odd that such a strong energy signature could fade so quickly. We should've seen it diminish gradually."
"Perhaps all this interference is at fault. Or maybe the freefalling water blunted the aftershocks," Sticky said, tapping an arm against his chin.
Gallian rolled his eyes. "You mean the waterfalls? Don't tell me waterfalls don't exist where you're from."
Luxeira and Sticky exchanged looks. They both shook their heads at Gallian. "We don't have any waterfalls. Though, I suppose the name you terrestrials have for it makes sense. Very simplistic. Difficult to forget," Luxeira said.
Gallian dug his claws into the dirt. "Ugh, I cannot believe you two! We're wasting our time talking about waterfalls. You want to find stuff about the helmeted freak show? Get off your asses and start moving!" Before Luxeira could respond, Gallian tensed up. The diamond on his forehead flashed red. Growling, he crouched low. "We're not alone."
Sticky raised a brow, and then pressed the jewel on his harness once again. His visor reappeared. "… it's no good. There's still too much interference. Are you sure you sense someone coming, Gallian?"
"Boy, Magearna sure seemed worried. What do you suppose happened to Team Radiance, huh?"
At the mention of Magearna, Gallian bared his fangs. He crept forward, as if he was stalking prey.
"Rookie. What are you doing?" Luxeira hissed in a whisper.
"Getting ready to greet some unwanted guests," Gallian said.
"I dunno. But man, dose dopes can't go a single mission wit'out getting demselves into some kinda trouble," Yungoos said. "Wit' dere track record, you'd t'ink dey're getting stalked by a pack of Ab—"
Gallian flicked his scythe forward. Pink energy crescents battered a nearby rock. Debris rained down on the area. The moment he heard startled yelps, Gallian dove into the shadows. Luxeira and Sticky ran after him. "Get back here, Rookie! I did not authorize any combat," she barked.
"I find that our Absol ally is not the type to listen to orders. Or reason, for that matter," Sticky said, sighing.
Up ahead, Gallian emerged from the shadows, a snarl on his face. "Speak of the Absol and he'll appear, you exploring amateurs," he hissed. Dark energy encased his paws. He slashed Yungoos' face, knocking him into Growlithe. The two rolled backward across the path.
"What the— Gallian? You're alive! It's us… it's the Horizon Guild!"
Gallian whirled around to face Volcarona, shadows encasing his fur. "Huh, so there are veterans here, too. You guys on an expedition or something?"
Volcarona glanced at Araquanid. "Something's wrong. He kind of looks like Bewear when we ran into her in Dewdrop Woods," she said.
Gallian lunged at Volcarona. She flapped her wings to safely avoid Gallian's claws. The second Gallian landed, he dissolved into a puddle of black mist. Araquanid whiffed his attempt to bite Gallian. He reemerged a couple of yards away, looking dazed. Volcarona glowed green, but a globule of poison struck her right wing from behind.
Hissing, Volcarona rapidly fluttered her wings to rid them of the toxins. Luxeira and Sticky went to Gallian's side. "We're going to have a serious talk about your insubordination later, Rookie," Luxeira growled.
"No, you're going to thank me. Because I'm going to dig up the information that you've been on the lookout for," Gallian scoffed. He pawed at the ground. "Listen up, scrubs! I know you're here on an expedition. So, get the Guildmaster on the line and tell him to get down here. Or we'll knock the living daylights out of you and swipe every piece of equipment you've got."
Luxeira's jaw dropped. "What? I authorize no such criminality. The Ultra Recon Squad doesn't resort to petty theft."
"Yeah, you're a bit late on that, captain," Gallian sneered. He flicked his scythe. Psycho Cut blades swarmed the guild members. Volcarona fired green waves. Her Bug Buzz blew the Psycho Cut blades apart. Team Paradox scattered to dodge the lingering sound energy. Luxeira stepped out from her cover behind a large rock. She spewed a flamethrower, but much to her surprise, Growlithe jumped in front of the attack. Sighing happily, he shook out his torso as the attack washed across him
Luxeira's jaw stiffened. "Flash Fire? Figures," she said. "Sticky. Quiet this terrestrial down, please."
"Of course, captain," Sticky said, producing an orb from his harness. Yungoos turned around and kicked up a ton of dirt. It smacked Sticky's face, but his visor protected his eyes. He hurled the orb forward, striking Growlithe in the side.
"Eyowch! That hu— mmph!" Growlithe's whine abruptly stopped as his muzzle snapped shut. He tried to open it, but couldn't, leaving him standing there wide-eyed.
"Magearna! Guildmaster! Someone get over here, quickly," Yungoos cried into his scouting team's Gear-Com. "Gallian's gone off da deep end and is attacking us. And he's got some creepy friends with him." Yungoos scrambled away as a burst of poison soared over his head.
~Nocturnus Catacombs, Eastern Quadrant~
Emera ores lining the cavern walls cast a soft, purple glow on the brook trickling through the middle of the cave. Rippling water made the light flicker. Null staggered out of the brook, coughing raucously. Though Toucannon was no longer stuck in his helmet, he was clearly in pain. The spiderweb-like crack left by Toucannon's Beak Blast had created a black, discolored spot on his mask that extended up toward his left eye.
Splashes made Null turn around. Shane, Tessa, and Espeon dragged themselves out of the brook. They were all soaked to the bone, their bodies weighed down by their wet fur. Tessa collapsed onto her knees, clutching her ribs.
"O… ow. That… that really hurt," she squeaked. Beside her, Shane tried and failed to shake himself dry. Likewise, water clung to Espeon's fur, making her look like a pink, ragged mop head.
"This blows," Shane growled, snorting out tufts of chilled air. "Just once… just once I'd like to go on a mission and not end up drenched from head-to-tail. Or covered in mud, slime, or gunge. This is inhumane!"
"But… you're a Vulpix now… not a human," Null said.
"Not the point, big guy," Shane hissed.
"You mean to tell me this kind of stuff happens to you three regularly? Jeez, I can see why you're at each other's throats all the time," Espeon said.
"Hey, we've moved past that," Shane said, though the fur falling over his face deflated his point considerably. "It's not my fault that Arceus is a sick, twisted, perverted weirdo." He craned his head up to look at the rocky ceiling. "Yeah, you heard me! So, you like to get your kicks messing with an innocent little Vulpix's fur? You make me wanna hurl, you overgrown llama!"
"Shane! What are you saying?" Tessa gasped.
"And why are you pronouncing it Ar-see-us? It's Ar-key-us," Espeon said. "And with the way you're acting, you're totally setting yourself up for some form of karmic retribution."
"Maybe. But I've been thoroughly humiliated, chewed up, and spat out repeatedly by this miserable world," Shane grumbled, walking forward. "Frankly, there's nothing left that could happen to m—"
A click cut Shane off. Null's eyes widened as a geyser of mud erupted around Shane, coating him in a thick layer of brown sludge. Espeon snorted, desperately trying to hold back a laugh, while Shane's bright-blue eyes blinked repeatedly from within his new mud coat. He turned and stomped back toward the brook, leaving muddy footprints behind him.
He shot Null a scathing look. "Not. One. Word." Shane trudged into the brook, disappearing underneath the surface. He reemerged seconds later, brown water dripping off his pelt.
"Um, I'd hate to interrupt your moment there, Shane, but I really think we need to get moving. What if that Toucannon followed us down here?" Tessa said.
"I don't think… we need to worry about it… anymore."
Null turned toward the brook. Tessa caught sight of the damaged patch on his helmet. "Toucannon… had gotten stuck on my mask. It fell down with us. But it didn't… pop out of the water."
"Y-You don't mean it drowned, do you?" Tessa said, eyes widening.
Espeon pursed her lips. "Much as it pains me to say it, that's the most logical outcome. Though, given how the Prism Virus works, drowning may have been the best outcome for that poor Pokémon," she said, shuddering.
"Espeon, how could you say something like that?" Tessa said.
"Because I know what happened to Toucannon," Espeon said, shutting her eyes. "Infection… it changes a Pokémon by corrupting its spiritual energy. You've seen the results for yourselves."
"Is that why the infected Pokémon lose all their colors when they're defeated?" Shane asked.
Espeon nodded grimly. "It's Zero's failsafe. Because she damages a Pokémon's spirit to infect it, breaking the virus' hold over a Pokémon causes the entirety of its life force to drain out of its body."
"But you're still here," Null pointed out.
"I know. It's a miracle. Rightly and truly a miracle. Though it feels more like a curse," Espeon whispered.
"Actually, Magearna thinks it was the Z-Move that I used against you and Umbreon," Shane explained. "See, my looplet lets me do this—"
A blue paw grabbed one of Shane's tails and yanked it. Shane cut himself off with a yip.
"We really ought to get a move on, Shane," Tessa said, dragging her teammate away from the water.
Shane managed to wrestle himself free of Tessa's grip. He looked back toward his tails and slowly bobbed them up and down. "Okay, Riolu. No need to get pushy. Besides, where exactly are we going to go? And where the heck are we, for that matter?"
"We fell down from a path in Glyphic Falls," Espeon said, looking up toward the ceiling while she walked past Shane and Tessa. Shane's gaze followed her forward, only for him to immediately look right at the ground, biting his lower lip.
"That means we must be in the Nocturnus Catacombs," Tessa said. Her aura feelers throbbing. She squealed and tightened her grip on the team's item pouch.
"So, we just need to find our way back to the surface, right?" Shane said, alternating between giving Tessa a concerned look and stealing glances ahead at Espeon. A tiny voice in his head chastised his behavior, telling him to focus on staying safe.
"It's not that simple. Our Wonder Maps… they don't include the Nocturnus Catacombs. We're flying blind," Tessa whimpered.
"But it looks like… there's only one direction… we can go," Null wheezed. He pointed a shaky talon forward.
"Yeah. I think our fall caused a bit of a cave-in," Espeon said. She turned back toward the group. Shane hastily looked at the debris on the other end of the cavern. He silently wondered why Espeon made him so flustered.
"What if that was the way to the exit?" Tessa said, worriedly tugging at the strap of her item pouch.
"Then we'll need to hope the direction we can go leads to one," Espeon said. "Now, are you three coming or not?"
Shane raised a forepaw. "Hang on. This is a Mystery Dungeon, isn't it? Why don't we just use an Escape Orb and return to the surface?"
Tessa opened the team's item pouch and pulled out a dull-gray orb. "Because we can't," she said.
"Oh, come on. Seriously?" Shane groaned. "I know our luck sucks, but this is getting to be a bit ridiculous."
Espeon's brow furrowed. "Well, it's true. There must be some sort of hex jamming this place. At the very least, maybe we can move outside the hex's range and then use your Escape Orb to get out of here."
"What about an Entercard?" Shane asked, heart racing as he met Espeon's gaze.
She hook her head. "I need Umbry's help to make one. Now, let's get a move on."
Shane trudged after his teammates, muttering, "We just can't have an easy mission, can we?" He squinted his eyes as he passed over beams of purple light streaming down from the emera ores. "Cripes. These crystals are a bit much, don't you think?" He rapidly blinked the stars out of his vision. Shane slowed up as his gaze fell on Espeon's backside. His chest tightened up and his heart raced even faster.
"… human…"
"Gah!" Shane jumped forward, then looked back at Null. "Don't do that, man. You already scare me enough as it is."
Null coughed. "I'm sorry. It's just… you keep staring at Espeon. It's… a little creepy…"
"W-What?" Shane hastily shuffled forward, trying to use the glow of the ores to mask the blush on his face. "I… I'm not staring. I have to look where I'm going and she's up ahead of me. So, of course I'm going to see her. St… stop being such a worrywart." He walked ahead, but Null quickened his pace.
"It's not… normal. It's a lot like… how I was staring at you… the first time you had sentry duty," Null whispered.
"You're just seeing things, Null," Shane dismissed. He dipped his head down and kept walking. Shane had a bad feeling he knew what Null was implying.
"… you're studying her," Null said, confirming Shane's fears.
"Hey, Riolu. What's up with these weird crystals anyway?" Shane asked in an obvious ploy to change the subject. Null growled his displeasure, but opted to continue onward without pressing Shane further.
"I really don't know," Tessa said. She approached one of the emera ores. "Maybe they're some kind of light source? Like a cousin of luminous orbs?" Tessa placed her paw against the crystal. Her aura feelers jolted upright. She pulled her paw back with a startled yip. Tessa stared wide-eyed at the bright-blue aura clinging to her paw like a flame to the tip of a match. She wrung her arm out, as if she could fling the aura away. It eventually disappeared.
Tessa clasped her paw to her chest. "Th… that's not normal. Those crystals, they have energy in them. A lot of energy. It's scary!" she said, whining.
"That would seal it, then. I had my suspicions, but it looks like these are emera ores," Espeon said, glancing at one of the crystals as she walked past it. Her forehead gem glowed brighter the closer she got to an ore.
"… emera… ores," Null said. His pace slowed considerably. Null nervously swiveled his head back and forth. The helmet muffled his soft whimpers.
"So, what? Are they like the emeras we use, but on massive amounts of steroids?" Shane said, gazing at his distorted reflection.
"Not exactly. In our research, Umbry and I found some documents that talked about Pokémon using massive crystals as energy sources. Apparently, these things are remnants of the battles waged by the immortal gods that shaped the land, sea, and sky," Espeon said. "They're quite volatile, even sporadically venting off their energy and forming up new crystals."
Shane shut his eyes. A brief mental image flash through his mind. Pillars of lava collided against tidal waves, while a massive tornado attempted to break both of them apart. He shuddered at this thought.
"But the emera ore name was made retroactively by some explorers. Because, when they discovered these things, they found the energy signatures were pretty similar to the emeras they used in their looplets," Espeon continued.
Shane's brow furrowed. "Wait a second. I thought the Expedition Society invented looplets to help out explorers."
Espeon raised a confused eyebrow. "Um… no. I don't know where you got that idea from, but looplets have been around for a really long time."
Shane's ears stuck up from the discovery of yet another difference between this world and his games.
"Does that mean our emeras come from these ores?" Tessa wondered. As she walked forward, she took great care to maneuver herself as far from each ore as she could. Her aura feelers had tensed up considerably. She winced every time they throbbed.
Espeon shook her head. "No one's entirely sure about that. The prevailing theory is that emeras, wands, orbs, and other treasures were all created at the hands of one Pokémon." Her eyes drifted shut and she stretched her neck out. "The scriptures I've read said, 'A blinding light enveloped the world. Stardust fell and the earth became ripe with magical treasures.'"
"Seriously? That seems pretty far-fetched," Shane said.
"No, it doesn't. If individual Pokémon gave us the land, seas, skies, outer space, and time, then why can't one Pokémon have made a bunch of treasures?" Tessa said.
"Because it's not like there are a limited number of these things," Shane countered, thinking about how items randomly popped up in dungeons.
"I agree. It's not a solid idea. But, as I said, it's just speculation. Some folks believe that a Pokémon released a massive burst of pure, raw energy. In other words, they gave off a tremendous amount of light and… poof! Suddenly the world was flooded with vast amounts of stardust," Espeon said. "And that's where all the emeras come from." She shook her head. "Some crazy whackos actually think Dialga used stardust to forge the Time Gears as a contingency plan for Temporal Tower."
"Well, I'm not convinced," Shane said, shaking his head in disapproval.
A flash of purple light caught their attention. Null had brushed his hide against a lone emera ore. He froze mid-step, with his teammates watching him. His eyes constricted, then he slammed his helmet into the ground, roaring furiously.
"Null!" Tessa cried. She tried to run toward him, but Shane cut him off.
"Are you crazy? You need to keep your distance," he said. Memories of Null's attack in Moonrise Marsh surface, making Shane's tails curl up.
"But look at him. He's in pain!" Tessa said. Null thrust his head up and jerked it to his right. It struck the emera ore beside him. Another flash of purple light enveloped Null. Shane's fur prickled and his tails shot between his legs.
"Get… out of… my head!" Null snarled, jerking his helmet to the left, then smacking it against the emera ore once more. The second blow shattered the crystal. Shards peppered Null's body, leaving small scuffs in his fur. An explosion blasted Null into the ceiling.
"Null!" Tessa cried again. Shane tackled Tessa to the ground to prevent her from running forward and getting squished. Null fell to the ground, bringing a shower of rocky debris with him. The rubble landed around Null, forming a wall that blocked off the tunnel.
"Nice going, big guy. You just caused a cave-in," Shane whimpered, staggering backwards. Null didn't appear to process his complaint, however. He lay on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the nearest emera ore.
Tessa managed to wriggle free of Shane and sprint over toward Null. "A… are you okay? What happened. "Oh gods, you've got welts on your shoulders." She turned back to Shane and Espeon. "What are you guys doing standing there? He's hurt. Help me get him out."
Shane pawed nervously at the ground. "Um, are you sure it's safe? He looks a little, y'know, crazy." The events of Moonrise Marsh were on repeat in Shane's head. Though he tried to tell himself this wasn't Null's fault, he couldn't bring himself to believe that.
Tessa ignored her teammate and ran forward. She grabbed Null's helmet and tugged. "H… hang on. I'm… gonna… get… you…"
Espeon tensed up. She whirled around and her eyes flashed blue. A pink shield materialized in front of her and deflected a burst of bright-white energy. "We've got company," Espeon cried, crouching low to the ground. Shane turned around and Tessa looked up from her spot beside Null.
"Why are you here?" a squeaky voice echoed through the cavern.
Espeon's eyes widened. "This is bad. I'm sensing more auras popping up. Whatever just attacked me… there are a lot of them!"
"Why are you here?" the squeaky voice asked again.
Shane gulped. "We're explorers with the Horizon Guild. We fell down from Glyphic Falls and got trapped in here. All we're trying to do is find a way out. Just let us pass, please." Another blast of white light sailed over Espeon, forcing Shane to dispel it with frosty air. "Hey! I just said we're not looking for any trouble."
A single, beady eye popped up from beside one of the emera ores. Shane's tails shot up. "Y… you're… an Unown?" He cocked his head in confusion. "Oh-ho… oh… okay. Phew. For a second, I was worried that we were in serious tro—"
Several more eyes popping up around the tunnel. By Shane's count, he saw at least thirty. More Unown floated out of the shadows, joining the one in front.
"We weren't talking to you," the Unown A at the head of the group exclaimed. He fixed his lone eye on Null. "You! Why are you here?"
Null blinked a few times. "Do… do I know you?" he wheezed, struggling under the weight of the rocks.
"You should. You hurt my brothers and sisters!" Unown A said.
Tessa and Shane exchanged confused looks. "Look, little guy. We're just trying to pass through," Shane said. "If you could let us bail our teammate out, we'll be on our way and nobody will get hurt."
Unown A fired a white blast. Shane blew it away with frosty air. "No!" Unown A cried. "The Abomination may not leave. He must pay for what he's done to us!" He spun around to face his fellow Unowns. "Brothers! Sisters! We must strike back against the Abomination. Make him pay for the suffering he brought upon our kind!"
Tessa's aura feelers shot up. She spun around and struck the rock wall with a glowing paw. Several rocks shattered. Null barely managed to wriggle free.
They both looked up and noticed the Unown spinning around one another in midair. "Make him pay! Make him pay! Make him pay!" they chanted.
Espeon released a pink wave, only for her jaw to drop as the attack fizzled out harmlessly against the Unown. "But that's impossible," she gasped. A bright flash of light consumed the Unown. Espeon fled back toward Team Radiance. When the light faded, a Golurk stood in place of the Unown.
"They turned into a Golurk? But how's that possible?" Tessa asked, shakily raising her fists.
"Seriously? That's an obvious one," Shane said. Both Tessa and Espeon gave him confused looks. "You guys are yanking my tails, aren't you? How could you not know that Unown are reality-warpers? When you gather enough of them together, they're capable of distorting the fabric of time and space. But they're hive minds, so they need to have a sense of direction. And Unown A clearly gave them one."
Shadowy tendrils wrapped around Golurk's fists. Two giant, fist-shaped balls of ghostly energy hurtled toward Team Radiance. Null lunged forward and slashed them with his talons. They evaporated into fine purple mist.
"Well, that tidbit isn't exactly going to help us. What are we supposed to do against a Golurk? I can't even touch it," Tessa said.
"That's not true. Don't you still know Bite?" Shane said.
"I am not biting that," Tessa said, gagging.
Golurk roared and retracted in its hands and feet. Jets of fire appeared in their places. It flew toward Team Radiance, bringing an arm back to attack. Null's helmet hardened into steel. He jumped forward. Null struck Golurk. They both bounced back from the blow. Null ended up in a heap by Tessa's feet.
"Null!" Tessa squeaked.
"Don't… just stand there… help me!" Null growled. "I can't… do this alone."
~Glyphic Falls~
"Let us go, Gallian!" Volcarona shouted. She and her guild mates sat inside of a cube-shaped purple forcefield. Volcarona blasted it with a flamethrower, but the forcefield absorbed it and then spat it back at her. Hissing, she threw her wings up to shield herself.
"Dat didn't work da first five times youse did it, so what makes youse t'ink it's gonna work now?" Yungoos sneered, flicking a pebble forward with a claw.
"Gallian, exactly how long to you intend to wait this out? I fear the forcefield does not have the potency to continue withstanding that terrestrial's incendiary attacks," Sticky whispered.
Gallian's glare fiercened. "We'll wait until I say otherwise," he hissed. His forepaw rolled the Gear-Com he had captured against the ground.
"This isn't accomplishing anything. Remind me why you're doing this, exactly?" Luxeira said.
Gallian tensed up. His eyes flashed purple. "… he's coming," he said. He turned to his right and lunged in front of the forcefield. A pink blast struck him from the sky, but didn't hurt him. Eyes pitch-black, Gallian craned his head skyward. Gallian fired a black and red beam. Above him, Latias squealed. She released her psychic hold on Metagross, who dropped in front of Gallian with a heavy thud. Gallian shook his head. The diamond on his forehead smoldered like a lit candle.
"Well, shoot. I didn't wanna believe it, myself. But that's our Gallian right there," Braviary said, swooping in to land next to Metagross. Latias hovered down between them. Umbreon hopped off her back. He shot a concerned look toward Team Paradox.
"I remember you three. You were snooping around Sunrise Village yesterday," Umbreon said.
Gallian raised a curious eyebrow. "You're back to normal?" he gasped.
Luxeira nodded. "It would certainly appear that way, though we can't confirm it without an ultra aura scan. Still, that should be impossible."
Order: stand down and release my subordinates, Metagross sadi, his eyes glowing deep blue.
"Not happening. Not until you give me some answers," Gallian said.
I owe you nothing. Fact: you are outnumbered. Fact: our party has superior physical and ranged attacks at our disposal, Metagross said. Fact: we have a less god. Conclusion: resistance is futile. Order: release your captives or I will attack.
Sticky shot Gallian a panicked expression. "I concur with his assessment. Let's just hand them over so we can be on our way."
"I said not until he gives me some answers!" Gallian snarled, his forehead scythe flickering red. He slammed a forepaw against the ground and a ripple of dark energy raced across his fur. Latias' eyes widened and the blue glow faded from Metagross' eyes.
G-Guildmaster, you felt that, didn't you? Latias telepathically said, shrinking back toward the nearby stream.
"Captain, did you see that?" Sticky whispered. "He's showing signs of corruption again. I thought the harness was supposed to neutralize his ultra aura."
Luxeira raised a forepaw. "Easy now, Sticky. If we try anything, we might set him off."
Gallian stepped closer to the energy cage, black smoke rising off of his scythe. "Good. I see I've gotten your attention," he hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry to ruin your little trip to the falls, Guildmaster. After all, this place has such lovely memories for you, doesn't it?"
Negative. Fact: my memories of Glyphic Falls elicit the same level of response as all other existing memories,Metagross dismissed.
Gallian laughed bitterly. "Don't lie to me, you oversized tin can. It's been, what, a year since this place changed your life for the better? I'll bet you're already feeling nostalgic over it."
Hypothesis: you are implying an emotional connection to this place. Fact: emotions are predatory in nature. Fact: they interfere with my ability to carry out my work properly. Conclusion: your petty mind games are useless,Metagross said. He raised a foreleg and it glowed bright red. He shot forward with an astonishing burst of speed. Gallian barely managed to melt into a puddle of shadows and dodge Metagross' swipe.
He popped up next to Metagross, dark energy sheathing his forelegs. However, his Night Slash was met by both a glowing wing from Braviary and one of Metagross' hind legs. Gallian stumbled back, howling. Umbreon jumped in front of Luxeira and Sticky, rings glowing bright yellow in a warning to keep back.
"I know it was you! So, admit it, already!" Gallian barked.
"Hold up, pardner. Just what are you insinuating here, huh?" Braviary asked, keeping his wing lowered.
Gallian's eyes flashed purple. "Don't play coy with me, Braviary. You're holding up this whole farce too," he said. "Now fess up. Right here. Right now. Because you two are the reason my dad's gone! You killed him!"
Braviary momentarily slackened. Gallian used that moment to strike. Shadows bathed his claws. He lunged for Braviary's throat, only for a metallic leg to blindside him from his right. Gallian sailed backward, careening past Latias and striking the rock wall across the stream. He ricocheted off it and fell into the water with a splash, but didn't stay down long. Gasping, Latias fired a bright blue bolt of energy, but it struck the water harmlessly.
Her eyes widened. Shadows gathered beneath her. Gallian rematerialized. He shot a black beam from the diamond on his forehead. However, a second Dark Pulse struck his side and knocked him back, sending his attack off course. Latias wasted no time. Her eyes glowed blue and, next thing Gallian knew, a wall of water rose out of the stream and crashed onto him. He collapsed into a heap.
"Son, I don't know what you've done to yer noggin, but that there is crazy talk if'n I've ever heard any," Braviary said. Behind him, Metagross pinned Sticky and Luxeira back with a raised foreleg. Sticky turned and sent a tiny beam of blue light to his right. It struck the energy prison and made it disappear.
"Hot diggity! We've been sprung," Growlithe cheered, jumping to his feet. He ran over to hug Metagross, but the Guildmaster shoved him aside with one of his hindlegs.
"Gallian should be lucid. That harness is supposed to suppress the corrupted Z-Power that he was exposed to. Those words are his own," Luxeira said.
Gallian looked up, breathing heavily. Latias floated over him, her normally soft facial features contorted into a glare. "N… no. They're lying!" Gallian growled. "I'm not the one you should be after. It's them. They're killers! Both of them!"
Fact: the night of your father's death I was in the Observatory, Metagross countered, not even turning around to address Gallian. Instead, he looked right at Braviary, who immediately tensed up.
"Right! I can back him up. Because he was with me," Braviary said. He shuffled in place, before seeing Metagross' glowing eyes and promptly fixing an angry look on Gallian. "I suggest you start explaining yerself, hoss. Yer a wanted 'mon back in Aeon Town, you know."
Gallian stuck his head up and spat in Braviary's face. "I don't owe you anything, you backstabbing traitor!"
A rainbow-colored tile fell out of his harness. Latias immediately recognized it and tried to yank it away with her telekinesis. But Gallian managed to wrap his paws around it and shatter it. Both he and the other members of Team Paradox disappeared in three flashes of light.
Latias bit her lower lip. "That doesn't make any sense. You can't just carry Warp Traps on your person like that. They're randomly phased into dungeons," she said.
"I reckon that pointy-headed varmint might've had something to do with that," Braviary said, brow furrowing. "In any case, ain't much we can do about it. Guildmaster, you sensing 'em nearby?"
Negative. Fact: they have warped out of range of my abilities, Metagross said.
"Maybe they're out of range for you, but I bet I could catch 'em. I'll do a flyover and see what I can find. Um, if that's alright with you guys, I mean," Latias said.
Metagross nodded. Order: contact us if you find him.
Latias tucked her arms into her body and zipped off into the sky. Braviary walked over toward the freed guild members. "Y'all doing okay?"
"Yeah. Just a bit humiliated, that's all," Volcarona sighed.
"Um, Braviary? Gallian… was he talking about Guildmaster Incineroar's death?" Araquanid asked. "You guys told us it was an accident."
Order: do not concern yourself with his slanderous statements. Fact: an outside influence has poisoned Gallian's mind. Fact: if we cannot free him from it, he will continue to believe these delusional lies, Metagross said.
The other guild members exchanged concerned looks.
Metagross' eyes glowed blue again. Fact: we are in a time-sensitive situation. Fact: our energy must go toward locating information about summoning the Tapus. Order: continue searching Glyphic Falls.
"Err, but—" Volcarona started, but Metagross had already turned away from her and was walking back to Braviary. "Right… we'll get back to work, then."
~Nocturnus Catacombs, Eastern Quadrant~
"Duck!"
Shane slid onto his belly. An ectoplasmic fist passed over him. Ghostly energy grazed his back. He shivered. Shane scrambled back to his feet and looked around. Espeon had shot a Shadow Ball back at Golurk, but it caught the attack between its hands and slammed it against an emera ore. The crystal absorbed the energy. It crackled with purple lightning.
"Come on. We've gotta keep running!" Shane cried, sprinting forward. He skidded to a halt, however, when blue electricity shot up in front of him. He looked to the side and noticed an Unown G floating there. Moments later, lightning surged through his body. Shane collapsed in a smoldering heap.
"Yay, it worked! That'll teach you no-good creeps!" the Unown I floating above him cheered.
Angered by his teammate's injury, Null shot Air Slash crescents at Unown I. It's single eye widened as the harsh air currents slammed into it. The electricity gathered around it faded. Null hoisted Shane up to his feet. "Come on," he rasped.
Shane coughed up a mouthful of smoke. "Thanks for the save." The crack in Null's helmet splintered further. Shane could swear he saw something gray inside the crack.
"Don't thank me yet… we've still got trouble," Null growled. He put Shane onto his back and ran ahead. His eyes narrowed at the sight of multiple Unown scattered across the tunnel. Behind him, the ground shook.
"Eyaaagh! Are you crazy? You're going to cause a cave-in!" Tessa cried.
"Worth it to stop the Abomination and its accomplices!" Golurk bellowed. "This is for all my brothers and sisters that you locked away in that wretched prison you call a body!"
"Quickly, everyone. Execute Plan B!" an Unown F at the head of the group declared.
"Huh? You need me for something?" an Unown B asked, tilting to the side in confusion.
"No! I said Plan B, not Unown B!"
"Oh. You should've been more specific, then," Unown B quipped.
Null skidded to a stop as the Unown organized into parallel lines. Electric barriers formed up between the lines, effectively walling off the group's only path forward. "Heh. That's Plan B as in 'barrier.' Which means you're not going anywhere," Unown F declared.
Null clawed the ground with his talons. "Why are you… doing this? I don't even… know who you are!" he said. "Please… just let us pass…"
"Look out!" Tessa cried from behind them. Shane barked in fright and leaped off Null's back. Null turned around in time for a large, glowing-red fist to slam into his helmet. It knocked him back against the nearby barrier. Electricity surged through him. Null roared in fury before slumping to the ground. Static clung to his fur. His limbs spasmed.
"Hey! Leave my friend alone!" Tessa snarled. She lunged at Golurk and sank her fangs into its left shoulder. Golurk gasped in pain. Null shakily lifted his head, whimpering as he watched his friend struggle. Another chip appeared in his helmet, offering a peek at gray feathers matching his chest plume.
Golurk raised its right hand. Shadows coated its fist. Before it struck Tessa, however, a purple Shadow Ball hit its right shoulder. Golurk froze up.
"I guess now's as good a time as any to try this out," Shane said. "This is for picking on Null!" He scrambled forward, heart racing. Water coated his tails. Shane whirled around. His tails swept Golurk's legs out from under it. Shane smirked, only for his eyes to bug out. Golem was toppling forward. It was going to flatten Espeon, who was frozen in shock.
"Espeon!" Shane cried. He sprinted toward her and dove to the ground. Shane and Espeon tumbled away from Golurk. It missed them by inches. The nearest Unown scattered, squaling in fright. Their barriers faded. Espeon looked up, panting.
"Th… thanks. I totally locked up there," Espeon said.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Shane asked, looking her over. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw her right hind paw was swollen.
"It… it's fine," Espeon assured him, though the squeak of pain she gave upon standing up made Shane brace himself against her side. A flush came across her cheeks.
"Ach! C'mon, guys, wake up," Unown F said, looking at Golurk. Its two buddies joined it and together they reformed their barrier. "Okay, only one thing to do. Push 'em back. We'll flatten them against the cave-in they caused earlier and that'll be the end of that."
The barriers hovered forward. Tessa's aura feelers shot up. Null scrambled to his feet and backpedaled alongside her. Shane helped Espeon hobble through the tunnel, though she was clearly in pain. The barriers left Golurk unharmed.
"We've got to figure out a way to get rid of them or we're all going to get fried!" Shane said.
"What are we supposed to do? There's too many of them," Tessa cried. "And some of us don't have any ranged attacks, remember?" Shane's brow furrowed. What could they do in the face of impenetrable barriers? Shane realized that, if their attacks weren't enough, then they'd need something bigger.
Static tickled his tails. Shane quickened his pace. "I… I have an idea. But it's kinda— no, it's very risky."
Tessa shot him a horrified look, but glanced the approaching row of barriers and gulped. "How crazy are we talking, exactly?"
He looked over at Espeon. "If Null and I shoot our attacks forward, do you think you could hit them with Psychic? That ought to create a blast that's strong enough to break a few of these emera ore things."
Espeon's tail shot up. "Are you crazy? They're much closer together here than they were before. If we break one, the energy that gets released will start a chain reaction and collapse the whole tunnel!"
"I know that," Shane said. "Which is why we need to run toward the barriers as soon as we launch our attacks."
"That's gonna get us killed!" Tessa cried. She looked in front of her and her face blanched at the sight of the earlier cave-in popping up.
"Do you have any better ideas? Because I, for one, don't want to experience this world's version of an electric chair!" Shane said, not even bothering to care his teammates wouldn't understand what he was talking about.
Tessa skidded to a halt. "Okay, fine. But give some sort of signal so we know when to run."
Shane nodded. He pushed Espeon to the side and shouted, "Null, fire an Air Slash." Null obliged. Shane simultaneously released a white Frost Breath cloud. The two attacks connected. Pink energy erupted all around them. Fierce, wintery air exploded. The lead barrier collapsed and the three Unown fell to the ground unconscious.
"Now! Go, go, go, go!" Shane screamed, ducking his head down and running forward.
His teammates took off after him, though Espeon struggled to keep up. Seconds later, two of the emera ores in the cavern burst open. Fluorescent purple energy shot out of them. The entire cavern shook as, one by one, the arranged emera ores detonated like purple, neon fireworks. Just as Espeon predicted, huge slabs of rock rained down from above. The Unown all shouted in fright, but even after disengaging their barriers they were not as fast as Team Radiance. The foursome passed all the Unown by. More emera ores blew up around them. The cave collapsed on top of them.
"Hurry up… the cave-in's gaining on us!" Tessa screamed. She threw her arms up over her head and slammed her eyes shut. Beside her, Shane's eyes widened. The cracks in the ceiling had caught up to them. They were going to be crushed to death.
"Dive for it guys!" he bellowed. Null encased his helmet in metal and lunged forward, his Iron Head destroying a couple of falling rocks. Tessa likewise burst her way through using a pair of well-timed Force Palm strikes. Shane managed to blast apart a rock that was about to land right in front of him with pink Extransensory ripples. He threw himself to the floor, not even realizing that the rocky ground had abruptly given way to cold, hard steel. The cavern gave one final, violent shake before the tremors subsided.
Team Radiance lay on the ground, flanks heaving. "We're… we're alive," Tessa panted. She blinked tears out of her eyes. "Oh, dear gods, why is every day bringing us crazier and crazier near-death experiences? Our luck can't keep holding out like this!" She looked up at the ceiling. "We're totally trapped! We could be miles underground for all we know and there's no way out. We're going to starve to death in this… this…" She slowly sat up and looked around. "W… what the— this isn't a cave. Where the heck are we?"
Shane had finally managed to get the ringing out of his ears. He staggered to his feet, coughing up dust. Shane blinked stars out of his vision and looked ahead of him. His chest tightened. "Guys… I don't think we're in the Catacombs anymore," he whimpered.
"Hey… Shane? W… where's Espeon? She was running beside you, right?" Tessa said.
Shane turned to his right, only to find himself looking at the metal floor. His eyes widened. "Espeon? Espeon! Where are you?" He looked around frantically. "Can you hear us? Did you get blown across the room?"
"… um… guys?"
Shane turned toward the wall of rubble. Null stood there, looking down. He shut his eyes and pointed a talon forward. "No," Shane whispered. "No! Please, god, no!" he wailed, sprinting toward his teammate. He stumbled to a stop beside Null.
It was there, at the base of the rubble, that he saw a forked, pink tail lying motionless beneath a jagged rock.
Next time: the birth of the God Killer.