My apologies for the slight delay getting this chapter up. I was travelling and had limited internet access last weekend. Onto Episode 10!

~Pokémon Paradise~

Despite the fact that it was already late morning in the thriving Mist Continent community, the area seemed eerily quiet. Word from the Expedition Society was that Zapdos would be passing over the area, bringing with him a major storm. Thus, the townsfolk had opted to remain in their homes, and keep their businesses shuddered. So, when the sky darkened and rain drops began to fall against the ground, only a single, three-headed dragon found himself getting soaked.

Hydreigon booked it toward his cozy little house on the outskirts of the area, but he couldn't get there before the heavens opened up. "Blech! Ugh! It's like getting hit by a Hydro Pump from above," he groaned, using his two smaller heads as cover for his main one. He reached his house and threw the door open, fumbling inside. He was so focused on entering the house, he failed to account for the wooden chair sitting in the middle of the floor. Hydreigon flew right into it and flipped over it, landing on the floor with a thud.

Swirls appeared in all six of his eyes. "Ooooogh, when did that chair get there?" he muttered, waving his limbs in front of his main head.

"Wow. Impressive. I see some things just never change. Even in a floating body with three heads, you're still as clumsy as ever!"

Hydreigon's heads shot up at this, and the smaller two hissed at the sight of Necrozma sitting comfortably in the house's other chair. A small fire crackled next to him, and Hydreigon could see threads of firelight trickling toward Necrozma's face.

"Now, now, there's no need to get all flustered," Necrozma assured. "All I want to do is spend some quality time and catch up. See? I even started your fire for you. Come on… dry yourself off. Pull up a chair. Let's have ourselves a chat, Voice of Life."

Hydreigon raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Lunala, is that you? I know it's been a few years, but some advanced notice would've been appreciated." He floated closer toward the fire, only to freeze up. "Wait a second." He narrowed his eyes at Necrozma. "Your life force… it's tainted. You're not Lunala, are you?" He raised his smaller heads and snapped at the air with them. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Heeheehee. You really don't remember me?" Necrozma said. "It's me. Your old friend… Necrozma!"

Hydreigon's face scrunched up in confusion, only for the realization to slowly set in. Surprise spread across all three of his heads. "You're… the Guiding Light?" He backed away, hissing at Necrozma with his smaller heads. "That's impossible! Solgaleo and Lunala assured me they had put you in some sort of inescapable void!"

Necrozma frowned. "So… it's true. You know what happened to me." His frown contorted into a snarl. "And yet… you saw fit to help everyone try and pretend like I never existed! There wouldn't have been a Solgaleo and Lunala if it wasn't for me!" His claws dug into the arms on the chair. "But… oh no… we can't give Necrozma credit. Heaven forbid the lowly mortals ask questions we don't want to answer. Better to lie! Tell them Ho-Oh – that fat, worthless sack of feathers – made them. They'll buy that for sure!"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding. Solgaleo and Lunala… they said you were on a rampage. It was either they contain your or kill you," Hydreigon said.

"A rampage? I was in pain!" Necrozma shouted, slamming his arms onto the chair and shattering it. He floated into the air and draped his wings over his body. "Golem hurt me. He took my light. He fractured my spirit! You… Arceus created you to help Pokémon like me! Why didn't you come to my aid when you heard what happened?"

Sensing the escalating tension, Hydreigon floated back toward the door. Necrozma immediately teleported behind him. Hydreigon turned around and the flaps of scales around his three heads curled up in fright. "Hold on. Calm down. Please! I… I had no idea what was going on then. And there's no way I could've gotten there quick enough to–"

"Liar!" Necrozma reached out and clamped his arms around Hydreigon's neck. "You called me your friend! You made me a cake when I brought light back into the world. I really appreciated that. And yet, when I told you I was worried about Golem… you and the rest of the gods did nothing!"

Hydreigon gasped for air. His smaller heads shakily raised up, trying to gather up dragonfire. Necrozma's red eyes flashed. Black crystals shot out of the ground and muzzled Hydreigon's smaller heads. Necrozma dug his claws into Hydreigon's throat. His gasps turned into panicked wheezes.

"Heeheeheehee. What's the matter? Bat got your tongue?" Necrozma crooned, opening his mouth and licking his fangs. "You know… the humans you love so much… they did research. Yes… lots of research. About what happens when you leave a person alone. No friends… no family… no one to even talk to." Necrozma dropped Hydreigon, who fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Hydreigon descended into a fit of raucous coughing. "If I was really your friend… you would've helped me. You could've told Solgaleo and Lunala to bring me back. You could've tried to fix me."

"I… I'm sorry…" Hydreigon wheezed. "Look, if you just give me time, I can…"

"It's too late for that!" Necrozma snarled. He hoisted Hydreigon back into the air again. "My core – my Ultranecrozmera – it's stuck in some stupid Lucario's skull! All because of you! Because you gods turned your backs on me!" He brought Hydreigon close to his face. The red crescent moon in his forehead morphed into a piercing red eye. "I want my light back. I want my spirit back. But Mistress Zero… heeheehee… she has my power!"

Necrozma's wings spasmed and he nearly lost his grip on Hydreigon. "See how Lunala fights my control? All because I don't have my Ultranecrozmera. I'm tired of this pain. I want light. I want life energy." He opened his mouth wide and drool trickled out of it. "So, I've decided to take it… by force!"

Hydreigon's eyes widened in horror. He again gathered dragonfire in his mouth but Necrozma slammed him onto the floor. "What did Guildmaster Wigglytuff like to say, again? 'Truly evil Pokémon… don't really exist.' Well, that's a farce. But I'll play along. If you follow that logic… there isn't a drop of darkness in any of you. You're all brimming with light! Light for me to devour."

Hydreigon burst up from the floor. Instead of dragonfire, three bolts of Dragon Pulse spiraled forward, coalescing into one large wave. Necrozma thrust an arm forward and split the Dragon Pulse in half with a single Shadow Ball. The attack exploded before it could reach Hydreigon, flooding the entire house with smoke. Hydreigon made for one of the windows, bursting through the wooden shutters. Rain pounded on his back the moment he exited the house, and smoke trailed out of the busted window.

"Somebody sound the alarm!" he roared. "There's an enemy attacking the Paradi– AIIIIIYYYYSSSSSSE!"

His warning turned into a cry of pain as dark black crystals speared him from below, knocking his smaller heads into his main one. The force of the blow made Hydreigon's entire world spin, to the point where he could only vaguely see swirls of blue and black in his vision. Necrozma reached out and caught Hydreigon before he could hit the ground. The dragon let out a weak groan.

"Heeheeheehee! Well now, isn't this fitting for a god who loves to pluck innocent, unsuspecting people from their homes?" Necrozma taunted. "It's not much fun when the shoe's on the other foot, is it? Oh, who am I kidding? Neither of us have feet!"

Necrozma bent his head downward and sank his fangs into Hydreigon's gut. His three mouths opened wide and the life instantly faded from his eyes. Necrozma jerked his head upward, pulling the colors off of Hydreigon's body. He proceeded to slurp the dragon's life force up like it was an oversized pasta noodle. When all was said and done, he let his arms fall, and Hydreigon's colorless body fell to the ground with a thug.

"Hydreigon? Oh gods… Hydreigon!"

Necrozma smiled as Virizion charged forward. A blade of energy had appeared atop her forehead. "You monster! You're going to pay for this," she cried, lunging for Necrozma. Her angered expression slowly morphed into one of utter horror as her Sacred Sword passed harmlessly through Necrozma's crystalline body, poking out of his back. His grin widened.

"Hey, that tickles!" he exclaimed. "And I appreciate the mid-meal entertainment. Honestly… using a fighting-type move on a ghost. I thought you Legendaries were supposed to be clever. I know Mistress Zero wanted to kill you herself, but I'm not going to wait around if you're all this incompetent!"

Virizion had no time to offer a retort, as Necrozma hands grabbed both sides of her body. She flailed about, letting out a scream. Necrozma dug his talons into her hide, and Virizion immediately went silent. Her head lolled lifelessly against her shoulder. Drool poured out of her mouth while her colors raced across Necrozma's arms and funneled into his open mouth. But rather than releasing her, Necrozma tightened his grip. As he did, black crystals spread across every inch of her dead body. Cracks appeared in the crystals seconds before Necrozma's iron grip shattered her into a thousand pieces.

"NO! VIRIZIIIOOOOOOOON!"

Necrozma looked up and noticed a tearful Emolga trying to fly toward him, with Dunsparce and Keldeo barely able to hold him back.

"Heeheeheehee. This just keeps getting better and better. Yes! Attack me! I'll take your light as my own!" Necrozma cackled.

But before he could move to attack the newcomers, he felt a presence in the back of his mind. Zero's voice growled, "Necky, where are you? I thought you were going to track down Tapu Lele. We had a deal!"

His mouth clamped shut and his wings twitched. "Of course, mistress. Just taking a moment to fill up on a little light before I go."

"Well, hurry up. For all we know, Tapu Lele may have fled her temple. So, quit wasting time!"

Necrozma felt the mental connection fade. "Ah… the Tapu. Another batch of two-faced deceivers! I'll deal with them soon enough. But first…" He fixed his gaze on the Pokémon streaming out of various buildings, stealing panicked glances at him. "I'll suck the life right out of this town. Because your friendships are meaningless before Necrozma, Devourer of Light!"

Episode 10: Tapu Fever

Chapter 44: Instinctual Reactions

"Phew. That was a tough one, team, but we managed to pull through in the end," Shane exclaimed, hoisting his Nintendo DS into the air with a smile on his face. "Good work, everyone!"

Shane looked across his bed, where Nicky lay on the other end. He folded up his DS and slid it into his bag with a sigh. "Yeah. Good work… as usual."

Shane's brow furrowed. "That's not how you're supposed to react, you know."

"Huh?" Nicky blinked twice. "Oh… right." He sat up on the bed and snapped his fingers. "Curses… foiled again! You might've won this time… but Team Rocket never gives in so easily. We'll be back… just you wait!" Nicky proceeded to roll halfheartedly off the bed. He sat up on the floor and slumped back against the bedframe, sighing loudly again.

"That definitely wasn't your best take," Shane scoffed. "Is something the matter? You're acting kind of funny."

Nicky rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Shane. Something is the matter. Why do I always have to play the bad guy?"

Shane looked down at his DS. "Uh… well… b-because you're so good at it," he mumbled, opening and closing the DS repeatedly. "You can do all those funny voices. It makes the battles more fun that way. Aren't you having fun?"

"No… not really," Nicky replied. "Because I'm tired of losing. Couldn't you just let me win one battle? Or at least let me be player one on occasion when we're doing a co-op game?"

Shane looked at Nicky. Distorted rippled encircled Nicky's head. A pair of blue eyes glared back at him. "This boy means nothing to you," a deep voice growled.

"H… huh?" Shane rubbed his eyes, sending the strange image away.

"Did you hear me?" Nicky asked.

"Y-yeah!" Shane said. "And I don't know what you're talking about. You've won plenty of battles. You beat me at Smash all the time."

"Because you suck at Smash, dude," Nicky retorted. "No offense, but you self-destruct so often you'd make a Golem cry."

"The controls are confusing!" Shane harrumphed. "Look, I don't see what the big deal is. It's just harmless fun."

Nicky's expression darkened. "Right… harmless fun…"

Shane looked down and noticed ripples of black cubes spreading across Nicky's face. They dissolved, replacing his head with that of a metal lion. "Forget this nonsense! It's all meaningless to you! Wake up! Remember who you are!"

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane's eyes shot open, silver filling his vision. He became acutely aware of the fact that he wasn't resting against his pillow. He turned his head and Silvally's feathers brushed against his cheek. Silvally's exhale came out as a soft whistle and he shifted. A paw brushed Shane's backside. He glanced over to see Tessa fast asleep beside him, attempting to drape an arm around him like he was a plush toy. He blinked a few times, steadily adjusting to the darkness in the room, and slowly slid out from between his teammates. As he got to his feet, he noticed Silvally curl into a tighter ball, wrapping Tessa up in the process. The sight brought a small grin to his muzzle, but it faded quickly.

'Looks like it's another sleepless night for me,' he thought, glancing out the window. The eerie purple glow of the moonlight had grown darker. It only served to unsettle Shane's stomach, forcing him to retreat out of the room. He stopped in the doorway. 'What is wrong with me? First these dream visions turn out to be a big lie. And now…' He shuddered.

Warmth hit Shane's cheek. He turned to the right and his whole face grew hot. His tails slowly fluttered at this. It took him a second to conclude that steam was filling up the hallway. 'Is someone showering… at this ungodly hour?'

He padded forward, steam gradually enveloping his entire body. He noticed some dim, yellow lights to his right. Shane glanced over his shoulder, where he could just make out Umbreon sleeping in the room he'd been assigned. The rings on his body slowly pulsated with light as he breathed in and out. In the process, he managed to illuminate a faint outline of Latias' body. She was curled into a little ball, resting her head underneath her wing.

'If Latias and Umbreon are here, then that must mean…' His thoughts trailed off as light trickled out of the end of the hallway. Shane proceeded into the shower area, the floor dampening under his paws. He froze, absolutely certain that any further steps may alert whoever was in here to his presence. Shane looked toward the far corner of the room, where the clouds of steam were the thickest. He saw a luminous orb hovering by the wall. There was an outline next to it. He squinted, trying to see through the water and steam.

Eventually, he noticed a forked tail lazily drifting back and forth. Shane throat grew dry, despite all the moisture in the room. His face was already red from the heat, but now he felt more blood rushing toward it. He continued staring, failing to realize there was a problem until the tail disappeared in the steam, and a pair of glowing blue eyes replaced it. Shane realized his mistake one second before hot water drenched him, sending him to the ground. He slid across the room, coming to rest atop one of the drains.

Shane looked up and found Espeon standing over him, water dripping off her fur. "Enjoying the view?" she asked. Shane rolled onto his belly and planted his head against the wet drain. But a forepaw grabbed his head and yanked it back up. "No, no, by all means, keep staring," Espeon exclaimed. She let go of his head and slowly spun around in a circle, flicking her tail against Shane's snout. "Take it all in, why don't you."

"I… I was sleepwalking! I didn't realize–"

Espeon grabbed a towel from a nearby hook and wrapped it around her torso. "Don't lie to me," she said. "In fact, let's have ourselves a little chat."

"In here?" Shane gulped. "But what if–"

"You clearly don't seem to have a problem with coming in here for stupid reasons," Espeon scoffed. "So, yes, in here." She slid the towel along her body and let it hang over her hips. "Why have you been staring at me all day, huh?"

"Muh-me? I wasn't… that wouldn't…" Shane stammered, his face bright red.

"I wasn't born yesterday, you know," Espeon said. "You think you're the first guy to check me out? Far from it. Probably won't be the last, either. Mom warned me about this. 'Espeons have a certain physique that a large number of Pokémon in our egg group will find appealing. So, I hope you're prepared to deal with that.'" Espeon shook her head. "I'm just surprised because you're supposed to be human. So, what's the deal? I want an explanation."

Shane dug his head under his forepaws. But Espeon grabbed one of his ears and yanked it up. Shane let out a whine. "Ow, ow, OW! Stop it! That hurts. We're gonna wake everyone up like this."

"I don't care," Espeon said. "Answer my question."

"Alright, alright," Shane groaned. Espeon released his ear. He flopped down against a puddle and spit up some water. "I know… it's stupid. I'm stupid. I just…" He let out a loud sigh. "Look, you exist in my world. Sort of." He sheepishly poked at the puddle of water with a forepaw. "So, I already knew about you and Umbreon. And, well, Espeon happens to be one of my favorite species. So, I definitely liked you for that reason. But then…" He lowered his head shamefully. "… I woke up in this body. And suddenly, liking Espeons didn't feel good enough anymore."

Espeon sat down and curled her tail around her legs. "Go on," she said.

"I have different instincts. Every time I see you, my heart starts racing. Then there's a tingle that runs along my back, right to the tips of my tails," Shane said, covering his eyes up with his forepaws. "And when I actually met you, you... y'know... made some advances toward me. Yeah, you were working for the Prism Virus, so I was a bit creeped out. But then you told us that you were well aware of everything you were doing. So… so I thought that… maybe… you were attracted to me, too."

Espeon closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Well then. That's, um, certainly something. So, you really do have a crush on me?"

Shane nodded shamefully. "I know how ridiculous it sounds. But ever since that Bewear attacked me, it's just…" He trailed off and let out a frustrated hiss. "I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

"That's your excuse?" Espeon said, looking unamused.

"You wouldn't understand," Shane whispered meekly. "Each day that passes… every time I wake up… it feels less and less like I'm a human. Like I was ever a human."

"You're right. I don't understand," Espeon said. "Sounds like you're speaking in riddles to me."

"I'm not," Shane insisted. "I tried to fall asleep this evening. But I just woke right up. Because my dream… it was just someone yelling at me. Telling me all my memories are fake. And I need to wake up and remember… something." He smacked his head with a forepaw. "What if it's true? What if I'm actually just a Vulpix? What if all these human memories are actually fake?"

Espeon seemed taken aback at this. "You're right, that does sound bad," she said. "But that's no excuse to keep checking me out. It's making me uncomfortable." Her brow furrowed. "And, I'm sorry, but I don't return your feelings. At all."

"Because of Umbreon?" Shane croaked.

Espeon's eyes narrowed at him. "No, of course not. What would make you think that?"

Shane blinked in surprise. "A… aren't you two intimate? You have pet names for each other, don't you?"

Espeon hissed in frustration. "You found that old tabloid article, didn't you? The one those stupid Jellicent wrote about us." Shane's eyes widened. "It's a hoax. A load of crock. Someone saw us snuggling together for warmth one evening. That's all that happened! We're brother and sister, understand? We've been by each other's sides since the day we both hatched. I have no interest in anyromantic relationships. If I did, I'd have settled down to start a family years ago." She shook her head angrily. "Who showed you that article, huh? I swear, I'll make that 'mon wish they were never born!"

Shane's muzzled stiffened. 'Maybe I should just leave out her thoughts about Umbreon from the Connection Orb, then. I'm already in enough hot water as it is… literally.' He coughed weakly. "Okay. I understand. I'm really sorry and I'll try not to let it happen again."

Espeon's gaze turned icy. "You'll try?" she growled.

Shane's ears shot up and his face went bright red. "No. I mean yes! I mean… we can still be friends, right?"

Espeon slapped him across the snout. Shane gingerly placed a paw on his stinging cheek. "Control your urges, perv. And then we can talk," she said, and left the room in a huff.

Shane hung his head in shame. "Nice going, you moron," he whispered. "No wonder you never dated."

"… you should consider yourself lucky. When she found out about that gossip article, she tied the Jellicents' limbs together and tossed them into the Altar of Ice. I had to drag her out before she could summon Kyurem to eat them."

Shane's ears twitched, and he looked up to see Umbreon standing in the doorway. He clearly looked tired, but this was the first time he didn't look as serious as Espeon. Still, a panicked expression overtook Shane's face. "How much of that did you hear?" he whimpered.

"I came in at the part where you said your heart starts racing when you see Espy," Umbreon replied stoically.

Shane's fur bristled. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I wasn't going to try anything, I swear!"

Umbreon sighed. He walked over and offered his forepaw. Shane looked at it skeptically, but clasped it anyway. Umbreon hoisted him back to his feet. "Look. Espy's… changed over the years. Between the Bittercold and Dark Matter, she's not the same sister I grew up with."

"I think I can see that," Shane said.

"I figured. She's a lot more… emotionally volatile, to say the least," Umbreon declared. "Little things set her off these days. One moment, she can be walking about cheerfully, and then the next, she's a sobbing wreck." He lowered his head. "I've tried to do the best I can to support her. It's tough sometimes." He scrunched his face up. "I love her… I really do. But ever since Dark Matter's attack… she's been driving me up a wall!"

He shook his head forcefully. "So many nights of sleep lost to Espy waking up, shouting about Void Shadows that aren't really there. Evenings coming home to broken glasses and spiked berry juice scattered around the house." He shuddered. "Stardust hidden under her pillow." That comment drew a confused look from Shane, but Umbreon paid him no mind. He let out an unhinged laugh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You're nothing to us. Espy would try to strip the fur off my skin if she heard me saying this."

"But I don't care. I need to get it off my chest. She's unbearable! And, after all that stuff with Zero, it's just too much for me to handle. I'm afraid of what the future holds for her. I can't keep her grounded anymore. I'm exhausted. And I really don't know what to do." He stopped walking and lowered his head shamefully. "Know how Espy and I got split up today? It wasn't your Guildmaster's doing… it was me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told him to split us up!" Umbreon declared. "Because if I had to spend an afternoon dungeon-crawling with her after all of this, I was gonna start pulling out my fur." Another unhinged laugh escaped his lips. "Imagine how horrified I was to hear she fell down a ravine and got crushed in a cave-in."

"I… I had no idea things were this bad," Shane whimpered. "Is there anything I can do to help? Please! I… I don't want to see you two like this."

"Ha!" Umbreon laughed again, his voice cracking. "You've done enough already. If you want Espy's friendship so badly, keep your conversations with her superficial," Umbreon said. Shane blinked in confusion at this. "It's what our friends back in the Mist and Water Continents do," he continued. "But, enough about that. Because I want to talk about what happened underground." His eyes narrowed at Shane. "Specifically, about what you did to Espy."

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to… I mean, I know it was reckless, but it was do or die, so…" Shane's voice trailed off and he shrank down to the floor. "Please don't hurt me," he squeaked.

"… tch. It's in the past, now. I don't have anything to gain by attacking you. Especially if we're on the same side," Umbreon scoffed. "No, I wanted to know how in the world you managed to heal my sister up with Morning Sun when you're a Vulpix."

Shane gulped. "Ah, you, uh, know about that?"

"I heard about it from Silvally. He had no idea what you did. But, from the way he described it, there's nothing else it could've been," Umbreon explained. "I've seen Espy use it hundreds of times, after all."

Shane scratched the back of his neck. "Um, I don't really know what to tell you. I'm not sure how I did it, either." He looked back at Umbreon. "But that's part of why it feels like my humanity is slipping away from me. Something's really wrong here. Bruxish told me my ability is not normal. And now I'm using moves I shouldn't know."

Umbreon raised a skeptical brow. "Based on what I'd heard from your guild mates, I expected you to start prancing around boasting about how awesome you are."

Shane's ears drooped. "No, it's not awesome. It's scary!" he whined.

"I can't help you there," Umbreon said. "Speak to Latias tomorrow. She's an empath, so she might be able to help." He turned and left the room. Shane remained standing there for another minute before plodding out of the shower area. He winced with each squelching noise his wet paws made against the ground.

Shane brushed his sides against the doorway to his room, trying to get off as much water as possible. It hardly proved effective. Shane let out a defeated sigh and lay down on the floor, not wanting to wake up his teammates. He started to curl up into a ball, when he felt fur and feathers against his back. Shane's body stiffened, and he looked up to see a pair of silver eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"What are you doing?" Shane whispered.

In response to this, Silvally curled up around Shane. Cold metal pressed against Shane's wet fur as Silvally's Looplet touched his shoulder. "I think you could use some positive vibes right now," he replied.

A soothing sensation rippled across Shane's body. He let out a yawn and his eyelids slowly closed. "Th… thanks…" he muttered.

"What are friends for?" Silvally replied.

Shane drifted off into a dreamless sleep. He slept through the remainder of the night, waking up to the sound of footsteps, followed by Tessa shouting, "You guys gotta get up right now!" Shane's muzzle twitched and he sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he noticed the worried look on Tessa's face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, getting to his feet. Silvally looked between his teammates, beak clamped shut.

"Yes, I think. I don't know all the details, but Espeon and Umbreon are really upset! They said Pokémon Paradise was attacked last night."

Shane's tails shot up and his fur bristled. "Attacked? But that's… that's… no way!" He sprinted out of the room, leaving his teammates standing there with bewildered expressions on their faces. They jogged after him, stopping when they reached the assembly area.

"Nooooo. Umbrrryyyyyyy! This can't be truuuuuuuuuue!"

Espeon collapsed onto the floor, her face buried in her forelegs. Umbreon sat beside her, a stunned look on his face. He looked right at Tessa and Null, but they could both tell he was practically catatonic. Slowly, he lowered his head to face his sister. "E-Espy…"

"This is all our fault!" Espeon wailed. "Our home… our friends… gone! And it's our fault, Umbry. Our fault!" Without warning, she grabbed his torso and dragged him to the ground. She buried her face in the scruff of his neck and continued crying, her body quivering.

"I can't believe this," Shane whispered from beside his teammates.

"I know," Primarina said, fins pressed against his head. "She cries half an octave flat, babe. It's absolutely terrible."

Shane shot Primarina a look that screamed "Seriously, dude?"

"How did this happen?" Tessa wondered.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out for myself," Latias exclaimed, floating over to join Team Radiance. Her eyes glowed bright-blue. "Latios is sight-sharing with me right now. It's… it's really not pretty. The Prism Virus got Post Town too, by the look of it."

"Can we take a look?" Shane asked.

Tessa's aura feelers jolted up at this. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" she squeaked. But it was too late. A powerful presence filled up her mind and, in an instant, Tessa found herself standing in open air. She barked frightfully, expecting to plummet to her death. But, to her surprise, she remained suspended in midair.

"Oh my god," Shane muttered. "This is horrible!" He and his teammates surveyed the wreckage. Crystals jutted out of the ground, covering every square inch of settlement. The ground was littered with scattered patches of soil and broken rocks from the buildings that previously stood there. But it wasn't long before those also turned into black gems, sucking in the light from the air around them.

"And now this place has one of those monoliths too," Silvally said, glancing at the spire sticking out of the ground. The star insignia now had a piercing red eye in its center that stared out across the ruined town, sending shivers down Team Radiance's spines. Latias severed the mental connections, returning Team Radiance to the assembly area with grim expressions on their faces.

She floated back from them. "Sorry I can't show you more. I've got to deal with the Expedition Society right now." She floated off toward the staircase, a worried look spreading across her face. Latias left Team Radiance standing in silence. All of them exchanged worried looks.

"What's going to happen now?" Tessa wondered. "Are they going to evacuate the Mist Continent? Send everyone into the Mystery Dungeons because at least they're not out in the open that way?" She fidgeted with her paws. "Did Zero do all of that?"

"No… it had to have been Lunala… or whatever's really controlling him."

The team turned to see Umbreon looking at them. They could see tears brimming in his eyes. "He can take a Pokémon's life force, and then turn its lifeless body into black crystals." A shudder ran across his body. "We saw it for ourselves multiple times."

Tessa tensed up this. She thought back to her conversation with Shane in Glyphic Falls. 'That can't be true. Maybe there's just another Lunala. An evil Lunala. Mom's okay. The Prism Virus hasn't gotten to her. She's the strongest Pokémon I know.'

"If that's the case, shouldn't we be doing something?" Shane spoke up. "Why are we all still working separately from one another?" Tessa and Silvally looked over at Shane. "We need to start pooling our resources together or the Prism Virus is going to just take down one community at a time."

"It's not that easy, human," Umbreon replied. "You're acting like the groups back home are just sitting around, twiddling their paws."

"And how would you know what they've been doing?" Shane wondered.

"Shane, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Tessa asked.

Shane's muzzle stiffened as he noticed Umbreon's ears drooping. While Espeon's sobs had quieted, she still lay on the ground, unresponsive. "Sorry," he said, taking a deep breath. "It's just… there are other humans living over there. And they've dealt with this kind of stuff before. If we could just get there help, then–"

Ruuuuuuuumble!

The ground started to shake, making Shane in surprise. "Wha-what's going on? Is this an earthquake?" His tails jolted into the air. "Are we under attack?"

Latias' head poked over the staircase. "You guys are going to want to see this!" she shouted. Team Radiance exchanged nervous looks but ran up the stairs in unison. They found the front entrance open and several guild staff members assembled around a large metal rod that pulsated with blue and gold energy.

"That wasn't there before," Tessa realized. "What the heck is it?"

"Only one way to find out," Shane said, and proceeded out the guild's main entrance. His teammates joined him just as the tip of the rod shot a beam into the air. The trio looked up and watched the energy rise above them until it exploded outward. Blue and gold energy raced across the sky, blanketing Aeon Town. Slowly it trickled down toward the ground, eventually connecting to the outskirts of the city to form a dome.

"Did you guys just erect a forcefield?" Shane gasped. "How? Why?" He looked up at the energy dome again.

Affirmative, Metagross replied. Fact: after becoming Guildmaster, I ordered Magearna to construct a barrier device for the town. Fact: it is powered by emera ores.

"But I thought these days it was taboo to use them for anything," Latias squeaked, stealing frightful glances at the glowing rod.

It might be. But I deemed this action necessary to protect Horizon's citizens from malevolent forces, Metagross replied. Fact: we have placed similar devices underground in other communities. Fact: Braviary and Volcarona have departed to activate these devices. Fact: we also installed them in Lively Town, Treasure Town, Post Town, and Pokémon Square.

I placated a call to the Expedition Society telling them to activate their barrier and get other towns to do the same,Magearna added. The primal energy in the emera ores should be strong enough to repellenate the infected Lunala.

"How are we supposed to get in or out of the city, though?" Shane asked. "Does this mean we're trapped here?"

Negative, Metagross replied. Fact: small, temporary holes can be made in the barrier to permit entrance and exit from Aeon Town.

"And what's just stopping the Prism Virus from teleporting someone in here, huh?" Shane wondered.

Primal energy, Magearna answered. Most of the world's Legendaries use primal energy to keep their domains protected. For example, it's primal energy that forms the basis of the sealed pockets that Temporal Tower and Spacial Rift sit in.

"And didn't Espeon say that Zero was after the Dawn Hourglass in order to get around those barriers?" Tessa thought aloud.

"Okay, point taken. But, if you guys can do all this fancy-schmancy barrier stuff, why aren't we trying to get the Expedition Society and other guilds over here to help us out?" Shane asked. "What happened to strength in numbers, huh?"

Metagross turned and glared at Shane, sending his tails shooting between his legs. His eyes glowed blue and he said, That is illogical for a number of reasons. Fact: the fastest method to get us in one location we be use of Hoopa's rings, which is far too risky. Fact: putting us all in one location would create an enormous target for the Prism Virus to strike with. Fact: it would also leave other parts of the world vulnerable to attack.

I heard it from Dedenne. The Expedition Society is stretched thin right now, Magearna continued. Numerous reports of Pokémon getting sucked into wormholes and plopped into the middle of Mystery Dungeons. Not to mention the weather-relatiated issues that the enlarged moon's bringing about.

"I get it. I get it. Sorry for bringing it up," Shane growled. "It's just… it doesn't feel like we're making any progress here."

Fact: our top priority is now to locate the Tapus and the Dawn and Dusk Hourglasses, Metagross declared. Order: Team Radiance will depart for Aurora Vale posthaste. Order: you will locate the Temple of Mind.

"And what exactly do we do if we find it?" Silvally asked.

Order: get Tapu Lele to bring the Dawn Hourglass to Aeon Town, Metagross exclaimed. Once we have both hourglasses, I will explain my plan in greater detail.

Tessa and Silvally exchanged concerned looks. Shane slumped over. "You mean we have to go through the entirety of Aurora Vale again?" he asked. "That place is dangerous now. And we need to be at our best."

I concurbulate, Magearna said. Which is why you're going to use my Geartronic Dungeon Penetratorizer to immediately warp to the end of Aurora Vale. Thanks to some fine-tuning, I've gotten its error rate down to three percent. I believe you should have no difficultifiers using it.

Shane looked at the metal device apprehensively. "Isn't that the thing you said could explode if we don't use it right?"

Yes. However, I estimate the odds of it spontaneously combusting as one in six thousand, six hundred, and thirty-seven, with rounding, Magearna reported.

"I like those odds!" Silvally chirped. "Besides, it beats trudging through that place again, right? I mean, it could be fun to skate across the ice, sure. And I suppose I could use my fire memories to try and burn us a path through. But I think we'd run out of elixirs if we did that." He scratched at his cheek bolt with a hind leg. "Not that I wouldn't enjoy torching the place after all the flak it gave us. We've gotta be practical here, right?"

He turned to give Shane the closest thing to a smile he could manage with his stiff beak. Sweat drops appeared on the back of Shane's head. "Uh, sure. Whatever makes it quick for us, I guess." He looked back at Metagross. "And what's everyone else doing while we're charging into danger, huh?"

Fact: teams will be sent to the locations where we believe the other temples are. They will offer the Tapumeras we created to gain access, Metagross replied.

"Hopefully, this means we can get the Dusk Hourglass, too," Latias exclaimed.

Metagross nodded. You are in sufficient health to fly the teams to their respective locations?

Latias' face blanched. "You want me to take everyone?"

Affirmative. Fact: your in-air velocity exceeds that of a Sharpedo in the water, Metagross replied. Conclusion: you can cover the distances in Horizon much quicker.

Latias gulped. "I'll, um, do my best, I guess," she whispered.

Team Radiance, are you prepared to depart? Metagross asked.

Shane and Silvally nodded, but Tessa put her paws against her chest and stiffened. "No, wait! I forgot our new item bag. I should go back and–"

"Wait! Please wait! I've got it right here!"

Mimikyu scuttled out of the Observatory, only to trip on his rag and faceplant on the ground. Shane's stiffened at the sight of ectoplasmic wisps seeping out from the base of Mimikyu's disguise. "S-Sorry… I'm sorry," he mumbled, pulling himself upright. He slipped the bag off his neck and pushed it over to Tessa. "Here. I grabbed it out of your room. Please don't be mad at me for going in!"

"It's fine, dude," Shane dismissed. "You saved us a little bit of time." He helped Tessa sling the new item bag over her shoulder. "Alright, I guess we've got everything we need. So, what, we go outside this forcefield and activate the device?" Magearna nodded and the team started walking away from the Observatory.

"Wait! Please wait… err… again!"

Shane stopped short. Silvally walked into him and knocked him onto his belly. Mimikyu sped forward. "Tuh… take me with you!" he begged, before seeing Shane collapsed on the ground. "Oh. Or, y'know, don't. It's entirely up to you and I wouldn't want to be a burden–"

"Hold up. You actually want to come with us?" Tessa asked. "Have you seen the stuff we've been dealing with lately?"

"Nuh-no. I mean… uh…" Mimikyu tugged at his disguise. "Of course I've seen what you guys look like coming back from your missions. And… and that's why I want to help. I know I'm not really a guild member. But there's bad stuff happening out there. If I don't do anything, then I'm just going to end up in danger anyway! At least this way, I can take a stand, right?" He looked away from Tessa. "Oh, who am I kidding? You guys probably think I'm just a nuisance, don't you?"

"Eh, why not let him come?" Shane said, shrugging. "You don't need him for anything, do you Guildmaster?"

Fact: I had assigned him to clean dishes in the dining area, Metagross replied.

Mimikyu's raggedy head perked up. "You really mean it?"

"We need all the help we can get at this point," Shane said. "And it's probably not good to rely on Silvally here to carry the team."

Silvally shrugged. "I'm willing to battle as much as it takes."

Order: enough idle chatter. Depart for Aurora Vale at once, Metagross thundered. A rainbow of different colors flashed across his eyes, drawing alarm from the entire group. They hastily left, making for the edge of town. Latias floated along after them.

"Hey, uh, human," she called, flying up to Shane.

"What?"

"That suggestion you made earlier and Metagross shot down… I think I'm going to try and contact my brother about it," Latias said.

"To do what, exactly?" Shane asked.

"I'm going to see if we can convince Hoopa to help us," Latias said. "I… um… I'm not really sure I trust what your Guildmaster's doing here."

Shane's ears folded against his face. 'So she thinks there's something wrong… and she's actually a powerful psychic!' He gulped. "W… what do you mean by that?"

"I don't agree with his belief that we shouldn't be pooling resources," she said. "That's the kind of circular thinking that led to problems in the past. That's why I want to reach out to Hoopa. If we're lucky, maybe he'll agree to help without asking for anything unreasonable in return."

"Seriously? Isn't, y'know, being allowed to live enough of a reward?" Shane groaned.

"Not for Hoopa. He's… um… he's a bit of a character," Latias muttered. "Anyway, good luck with Tapu Lele." She waved farewell to the team and zoomed back off to the Observatory.

Tessa wanted to press the issue further with Shane, but they had reached the edge of the town. "Okay then," Shane said, setting Magearna's device on the ground. "Magearna said she put in all the coordinates. So, all I need to do is press this suspicious-looking big red button, and it should take us to the end of Aurora Vale."

"Then we find the temple, talk to Tapu Lele, and bring her back with the Dawn Hourglass," Silvally said. "With any luck, we'll be back in time for a real lunch!"

Tessa's ears drooped. "Knowing our luck, there's no way that's happening."

"C'mon, don't think like that," Silvally said. "We've had such a lousy streak, that it's about time for something to go our way. Be positive!"

"I think it's best that we stay on our guard," Shane exclaimed. "Everyone ready?" His teammates nodded. "Then let's hope this thing really works." He stuck his forepaw out and pressed the large red button. The device started to vibrate and sparks flew around it. Shane stepped backward, biting his lower lip.

"Is it supposed to be doing that?" Silvally asked.

"I don't know. But back in the human world, if things starting smoking and shaking like this, it was usually a bad sign," Shane whimpered.

Suddenly, beams of light shot out of the metal plate, swallowing up each member of Team Radiance. They instantly retreated into the plate, and a small portal appeared underneath it. The plate fell through the portal, which then disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Only a scorch mark remained on the ground, giving off a trail of black smoke. The area fell into silence for a few moments, before a nearby set of bushes rustled.

"Ha! Told you gits this was the perfect place to lay low."

Lycanroc popped out of the bush, stretching out his back. "We found Snowy and his band of freaks without needing to lift a paw. Not bad, eh?"

Jangmo-o stepped out of the bush, spitting out a mouthful of leaves. "Did we have to pick such a thorny bush to hide in, though? I think I pricked the underside of my tail… and it's really sensitive down there."

A rock flew out of the bush and conked Jangmo-o on the head. He toppled over, swirls in his eyes, while Sneasel stomped out. His body was covered in nicks and scrapes. "What're you complaining about, you dunce? You've got a body of scales. Thanks to you, I look like I just hugged a Pyukumuku!"

"How's it my fault?" Jangmo-o whimpered, sitting back up. His eyes spun about in their sockets.

"You sat on me, tubby! That wasn't a thorn pricking your tail, it was me!" Sneasel hissed, brandishing his claws.

"Quiet, mates," Lycanroc growled. "Ain't my fault you two are a pair of softies. Not even a prison stint can harden you up. I ought to toss ya both back in that bush."

Their faces blanched at this. "Oh yeah? Well… well… your breath stinks!" Jangmo-o countered, causing Lycanroc to roll his eyes.

"And what was the point of finding Snowy if we just let him run off, anyway?" Sneasel asked.

In response to this, Lycanroc smacked Sneasel's head. "Use your brain, mate. Assuming you've got one, of course. Didn't you hear 'em? They're trying to find one of the Tapus. That means, they're going to come back with some banging treasure." He rubbed his hands together. "All we have to do is wait for them to come back and–"

"But boss, there's, like, one more of them than there is of us," Jangmo-o squeaked. "We ain't supposed to pick fights where we're outnumbered. That's bad maths!"

Lycanroc sarcastically applauded the dragon. "Bravo, mate. You can count. I was kinda worried there for a moment." He crouched on all fours and then flicked the tip of Jangmo-o's snout.

"Owie! My schnozzle," he whimpered, eyes tearing up.

"Think about it, mate. They'll be super tired from their mission. Meaning they'll be easy pickings," Lycanroc said. "Now, as I was saying, we jump them, take their treasure, and bring it back to the guild. Then we'll be welcomed in with open arms, while Snowy and his flunkies'll be the laughing stock of Horizon."

He pointed a paw back toward the bush. "Now get your butts back in there, mates. I ain't bailing your hides out if you get seen by someone." Sneasel and Jangmo-o sighed and trudged back into the thorny bush. Lycanroc smirked. "That's right, Snowy. Have fun with Tapu Lele. Team Fang'll have a nice surprise waiting for when you get back."

Some review replies before I go...

Another guest: glad you got a kick out of the joke. It was fun to write.

Commenter: I enjoy it quite a lot. I even have a little headcanon soundtrack going for it that works pretty well.

Anon Omega: that's a solid Shane-tier dad joke you've got there. Are you sure you're not stealing my chapter drafts from my computer?

Next time: Tapu Lele's temple forces Team Radiance to do some serious mental gymnastics.