Boy, it seems like this episode's gone on awhile. Let's wrap it up, shall we?
Content Advisory: chapter contains unhealthy alcohol consumption.
Chapter 51: The Planning Stages
~Solaris Wastelands~
Night was falling over the desert dungeon. Harsh sandstorms swept across the dunes, blowing red sand in all directions. The sand combined with the deep purple light from the oversized moon to cast an eerie lavender glow throughout the sky. Zero stood in the middle of a trough between three dunes, surrounded by lifeless, colorless Sandiles, Krokoroks, and the occasional Gible and Gabite. She leaned over on her staff, panting heavily and scanning the area for any sign of movement beneath the surface.
A flicker of light drew her attention forward. She stood up straight, watching as Xatu toppled over into the sand. His wings were spread open, each one coated in a thick layer of ice to prevent them from moving. His beak was frozen shut and his torso peppered with small stab wounds. Xatu remained motionless even as Dragonite stepped on his back. She raised a hand over her head. Electricity swirled around it, forming a javelin-like spear. Dragonite lowered the spear, pointing the tip against Xatu's neck.
"No sudden movements, birdie. You got that?" she said.
"So, your trip to the Air Continent was successful," Zero said. Her four, tentacle-like aura feelers lashed at the air. "Milotic, Serperior, quit hiding behind Dragonite. I want to make sure you both made it here in one piece."
Milotic and Serperior slithered out on either side of Dragonite. "We're here," Milotic said. She hoisted up her tail, showing off her icy-blue scales and the ice-coated, hexagonal blade that sat where her tail fins should have been. The tail blade had a snowflake carved into its center, which emitted frosty air that evaporated in the harsh desert heat.
"Why do we need this old geezer again?" Serperior scoffed, using her own tail blade to flick up a clump of sand with an annoyed huff. Hers was a wavy sword that crackled with bright-blue flames, matching the blue, fire-shaped markings along her body.
"We need to make an adjustment to our plans," Zero said. "And I want to be absolutely sure that my new idea can safely come to fruition." She glared at Xatu, who returned her gaze with an empty one.
"That's a bit cryptic, don't you think?" Serperior sneered.
"Don't talk to Mistress Zero like that!" Dragonite barked. She rapped Serperior on the back of her head, knocking her emerald helmet askew. The mohawk-shaped stream of green fire shooting out from the helmet weakened, until Serperior readjusted it. The flames then resumed their normal intensity and the small sigil on the helmet's brim glowed. Zero immediately recognized it as the same one Necrozma had on his torso when he killed Umbreon: a winged heart, with demonic horns protruding from its top and a piercing eye in its center.
"No, I'm with Serpy, here," Milotic agreed. "I'd like some details… since we did just join the team, after all."
Zero glanced at Milotic, staring at her helmet. It was shaped similarly to Serperior's, except it was bright blue, with a mohawk of icicles jutting out of it. The same insignia was carved into the helmet. Zero glanced down and noticed the red strip of cloth hanging from her waist also had the same sigil. It was even on the Prism Armor sitting over Dragonite's chest. Zero tightened her grip on her staff.
"We're ditching the Hourglasses to go after the Time Gears," Zero said. "After that business with Tapu Lele, I suspect that Ampharos and Guildmaster Wigglytuff may be attempting to replicate their success in going around Dark Matter. Though they are god-abetting fools, we shouldn't underestimate them. To add to that… Necrozma cannot be trusted anymore."
"Wait… you just let him go?" Milotic gasped.
Zero balled her free paw into a fist. "… yes. But he won't go after us. As long as I have his core, he won't try anything directly."
Dragonite crossed her arms. "So, what, that just means he'll be looking for a way to get rid of us indirectly?"
"Perhaps," Zero said. "However, with the Time Gears, I may have a way to fulfill our goal and be rid of Necrozma… permanently." She pulled the book Dragonite had given her out from her robes. "Dialga forged the Time Gears from Necrozma's life energy. If I bring them to the top of Temporal Tower, I should be able to use the alchemical spells in this book to alter the fabric of time."
"Wait, seriously? Alchemy is a forbidden art for good reason," Serperior said. "Bad things happen if you use it–"
"Because alchemy draws on the power of ley lines," Zero said, cutting Serperior off. "Which can, of course, have disastrous consequences. My plan is to use that power to erase ley lines from history. And, of course, take the gods out with them. Not only will that kill them off… no one will remember they existed in the first place. Aside from us, of course. So, not a single Pokémon will be upset." She gazed into her octahedron. "Beyond that, I can repair all of the damage Necrozma has done… and ensure he disappears while maintaining his powers."
"Is that where Xatu comes in?" Milotic asked, poking Xatu with the edge of her tail blade.
"Correct," Zero said. She marched up to Xatu and knelt down in front of him. Then she grabbed his head with her free paw and hoisted him up. "Alright, I know you're listening in there. Tell me what I want to know. Can I gather the Time Gears and safely rewrite history with these spells?"
Xatu didn't respond. Zero shook him, shouting, "Answer me, bird!"
You can… but you will not succeed in making a world safe for all mortal Pokémon.
Zero's lone eye flashed blue. "That doesn't make any sense. If I rid the world of ley lines, it will be perfectly safe. Mystery Dungeons are the cause of all our misery. If I eliminate them–"
You can only keep the ley lines at bay for so long. They will return in time, Xatu said, his gaze drifting off toward the sky.
Zero tightened her grip, shattering the ice around Xatu's beak. "Not if I erase them from history!"
You are mistaken in your logic. Ley lines were not born of this world, Xatu replied.
Zero slammed Xatu's head into the sand. "I see what you're doing," she growled. "You're being cryptic to try and cover for your worthless gods. I have no intention of sparing them. They have done nothing but perpetuate the ley line epidemic. To think a 'trusted' seer like you would be ensnared by their collective grip on this world… how disgraceful."
Won't work… Xatu groaned. Need gods… to keep ley lines… under control.
"My vaunted team and I are more than enough to keep this world safe once it's free of its gods," Zero snarled.
Not sufficient, Xatu said, finally coughing as a sign of distress. The ley lines will overwhelm you.
"Lies!" Zero hissed, digging Xatu's head into the sand. "Give me the real truth or I'll take your life right this second."
J-Jamba Heart… too strong. Only gods… can repel… Xatu croaked.
"I've heard enough of your worthless lies. Consume!" Zero shouted, cupping her paw over Xatu's eyes. The ice encasing his wings shattered and the colors rushed off his body. They spiraled up Zero's arm and spread across her mask. A rainbow ripple overtook her body and then disappeared. Zero released Xatu's head. He fell into the sand as she got back to her feet.
"Well, this won't be a complete loss," she exclaimed. Zero held her free paw up. Black cubes flickered around her paw, forming into a glass orb with the winged heart sigil on it. "Thanks to Xatu's life energy, I should be able to get us around much quicker. No need for Necrozma… and no worry about wasting time traversing the world."
"So, what's the plan?" Dragonite asked.
"Milotic, Serperior, you're to stay here and search out the fragments of the Dawn Hourglass," Zero ordered. "They're not what I'm interested in, but I don't want Necrozma getting his clutches on them. If he does, he could easily throw a wrench in our plan." She turned to Dragonite. "You and I will make for the Grass Continent and begin gathering the Time Gears. With any luck, we'll have all five with minimal effort."
"Meaning… I get to take down their guardians?" Dragonite said, an eager grin on her face.
Zero shattered the orb in her paw. A distorted black portal appeared behind her. "Correct. Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit will be swept aside by the Prism Virus."
Dragonite licked her lips in anticipation. "This should be fun," she said, cracking her knuckles. She followed Zero inside the portal, which shut behind them. Milotic and Serperior nodded to one another and activated an Escape Orb, vanishing in a pillar of rainbow light.
For a full minute, gusts of wind blew clouds of sand through the area, until a single plume of black smoke formed on the ground where Zero had previously been standing.
"So, that's your ploy, is it, mistress?"
Necrozma rose out of the cloud, draping his wings over his body to settle his spasming arms. "Heeheeheehee… you want to make me disappear, huh? I should've known… you were never going to give me my light back," he growled. "Everyone just takes and takes and takes while giving me nothing! But it's okay… it's fine."
He spread his wings apart and took off into the air.
"If you want the Time Gears, then I'll go right for their source, instead!"
Rory Gardner, Attorney at Law
Shane stood in front of a door made of fake wood. The kind that looked convincing at first glance, only for the illusion to quickly fall apart. A small indentation sat in the center of the door, housing the name placard that Shane was reading over. For the past five minutes, he had been trying to muster up the courage to knock on the door. But the best he could manage was raising his fist up to chest height, only to have it flop back down uselessly.
"Hey, Rory. You in there? There's a kid waiting outside your door."
Shane jumped. He hadn't even heard the woman walking up behind him.
"Whoops. Didn't mean to scare you, kid. You know, I'm pretty sure Rory's just in his office. All you've gotta do is knock."
As Shane reached up toward the door, it swung inward. Shane stumbled forward, nearly bumping into the man standing in the doorway. Luckily, he managed to catch himself before any collisions happened. To Shane's complete surprise, instead of a fierce, intimidating man standing before him in an immaculate suit like he had firmly expected, he found a bald, lanky, middle-aged man with a goatee and a slight five o'clock shadow. And, in place of formal business wear, he had on gray khakis, an orange belt with a flame-shaped buckle, and a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. An orange bow tie sat neatly around his neck.
"Oh, good, you made it," Rory said, extending a hand toward him. "Rory Gardner, come on in." Shane looked at Rory's hand like it was an alien object. An awkward silence fell between the two of them and Rory withdrew his hand. He nudged up his thin, wireframe glasses. "Not a handshaker, huh? I don't blame you. It's flu season and my wife's been going on and on about how easily it'll spread… and how I'm not safe even with the vaccine."
"Yeah," Shane mumbled as he walked into Rory's office. He hadn't exactly set foot inside a lawyer's office before. But his parents were huge fans of law procedural shows, so he'd seen plenty of them on TV.
Rory's was nothing like that. There were no solid oak desks or fancy office chairs. No tray filled with expensive alcohol whose brands Shane would never recognize. And no glimmering, golden picture frames proudly showing off Rory's degrees. Instead, there were plain white walls, a window to look out over a parking lot, a plain leather couch with an accompanying coffee table, and a modest-sized desk sticking out of the wall. Papers and files were haphazardly strewn across it, some of them sitting on top of Rory's laptop computer. A metal tray housed various office utensils and writing instruments, though it was hidden underneath a half-eaten deli sandwich poking out of its wrapper.
"Go on, have a seat," Rory said, gesturing toward a small leather sofa. Shane walked over to it and sat down, looking at the shelves across from him. Legal textbooks and publications lined the shelves, with framed pictures sitting neatly in front of them. In one of them, a small girl smiled back at Shane, arms wrapped around a stuffed Pikachu.
"Your kids like Pokémon?" Shane asked. A beat followed, and then he realized he had said that out loud and abruptly looked toward the door, doing his best to avoid eye contact with Rory.
"Of course they do," Rory said with a laugh. "My wife and I are fans, too. You know, when the originals came out, we gave each other copies as an anniversary present." Rory sat down, sighing contently.
"But that doesn't make any sense," Shane said. "Why would you like Pokémon? No offense, but you're kinda old."
"True," Rory said with a nod. "But, speaking as a legal expert, there are no laws written anywhere saying you can't like Pokémon once you're past a certain age." His statement made Shane flinch. Rory frowned. "Of course, the high school court of public opinion does tend to operate by a different set of rules." He shuffled some of the folders around on his desk, producing a clean yellow notepad. "My son's actually starting high school next year. He's excited, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for him."
Shane scowled. "You should tell him to keep his head down, then."
"Well, we're not in the same school district as you," Rory said. "But, let's drop that subject for the time being and focus on the here and the now." He clicked open his pen and leaned forward. "First off, let me just start by saying that I'm real sorry to hear about what happened to Nicholas."
Shane winced again. "It's not like you knew him."
"Well, I did get to meet him a few times" Rory exclaimed.
Shane grabbed the backpack he had dropped to the floor and threw it on his lap. "Remind me why I'm here, again?"
"The Eisenbergs hired me, Shane," Rory replied. "They just want some answers about what happened to Nicholas. And I was hoping that you could help me out in that regard." Shane squeezed his backpack tighter. The opened zippers slid a little bit farther apart and a plush Umbreon ear popped out of the bag. Rory raised an eyebrow.
"Shane, did you ever notice any of your classmates say anything hurtful to Nicholas?"
Shane didn't reply.
Rory nudged up his glasses. "It's alright. Take your time, if you have to."
"… yeah," Shane muttered. The whole head of the Umbreon doll was out of his bag, which was sliding down toward the floor again. He held the toy in his hands and hunched over, pulling it into his gut.
"Do you think you could tell me the stuff that they said to him?"
Shane shook his head. "… no."
Rory clicked his pen a couple of times. "Is that a 'no' because you don't remember?"
"No," Shane sighed. "I don't… want to say that stuff. It made Nicky upset. I didn't like it when he was upset."
Rory took a deep breath. He placed his pen against the notepad and got up from his chair. He walked over to the couch and kneeled down in front of Shane. "Shane, I get that this must be very hard for you. I can't imagine how you're feeling."
"Yeah, you can't," Shane mumbled.
Rory put on a hand on his shoulder. "I understand how difficult this can be. But… I need you to look at me and listen." Shane hesitantly lifted his head. Rory continued, "Let me tell you a little bit about what I do. See, schools like the one you go to have a responsibility. They're supposed to provide safe, welcoming learning environments for kids like you and Nicky." His expression stiffened. "But when they fail to do that, parents can turn to me. I do some digging. If I find out that schools knowingly created an unsafe environment, then I take action."
"You mean you sue them," Shane said, eyeing Rory skeptically.
Rory stood up. "Not necessarily. And, in this case, all I want right now is just to get a better understanding of what happened to Nicholas." He sat back down at his desk. "Shane, this isn't like one of those shows you see on TV. I can't magically produce perfect pieces of evidence or set some trap to get someone at your school to confess to bullying Nicholas. No… for me to do my job, I need help from folks like you."
"What could I possibly do to help you? I'm just a nobody."
"No, I know that's not true," Rory scolded. "For starters, you were one of Nicholas' best friends. And, I'm sure that, if the chips were down, he would do whatever he could to help you out, right?"
Shane looked his Umbreon doll in the eyes and nodded slowly. "I guess he would."
"Now, I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do, but I think it would mean a lot to Nicholas' parents if you answered some of my questions. That way, I have somewhere to start in trying to help the Eisenberg's," Rory said.
Shane took a deep breath in. "Okay," he whispered. "What do you want to know?"
~Aeon Observatory~
"Shane. Wake up, Shane," Tessa whispered, shoving him hard with both paws.
"Nnnnrghh… I'm a real human. I'm… a real human," Shane groaned, brushing a forepaw across his snout.
Tessa dug her fists into his ribcage, pressing down with all the weight her upper body could muster. Shane's eyes snapped open and coughed, producing a sound similar to a balloon getting deflated. "Gah!" He sat up, looking around the room. "What is it? It's the middle of the night… lemme sleep."
"You were having a nightmare," Tessa muttered.
Shane felt cold metal on his rear. He sprang to his feet, yipping. "Shhh, keep your voice down," Silvally hissed in a whisper.
Shane blinked. "What's going on?"
"Officer Magnezone is tending to Metagross and we're leaving," Tessa replied. She draped Shane's scarf around his neck.
"Leaving? To go where?" Shane asked. In response, Tessa pushed his head to the right, where one of Hoopa's ring portals hovered in front of him. Shane whimpered, tails curling against his underbelly.
"Trust me. I'm confused, too. Latias said she'd explain when we're safe," Tessa said
Shane tried to issue a rebuttal, but Silvally pushed him into the portal. He and Tessa followed along after Shane and the ring shrank out of existence.
~The Temple of Balance~
Splash!
"Are you freaking kidding me?!"
Shane popped out of a chest-high pool of water. Silvally fell out of the portal with a surprised squawk, flattening Shane and sending him underwater. Tessa slogged to the edge of the pool and climbed out, shaking water off her fur.
"What was that all about?" she groaned, peeling off her scarf to wring it out.
"Mwee hee hee! Oh man, did you see Snowball's face before Silvally struck him? Gold, I tell ya! Pure gold!" Haunter cackled. "I told you putting the portal there was a good idea."
Hoopa had a hand over his mouth, suppressing a giggle fit. "You were so right. Hoopa likes you. You have a good sense of humor."
"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You."
A dripping-wet Shane stood in front of Haunter, giving him the most enraged look that he could muster. "Ah, ah, ah." Haunter waved a finger at him. "You can't kill me. I'm a ghost. I'm already dead! Mwee hee hee!"
"Haunter!"
"Zoinks!" Haunter snapped to attention and floated to the side, allowing Braviary to limp past him.
"I expect better of ya," he scolded. Haunter frowned and poked his index fingers together dejectedly. "Say yer sorry to Team Radiance."
"I'm sorry to Team Radiance."
Latias flicked his ethereal ear. "Ow. OW! Okay, sheesh, I'm sorry." His eyes comically teared up. "You guys take all the fun out of everything… just like Tapu Fini. Waah!" He flew away dejectedly, settling inside a blown glass vase in the corner of the room.
"I don't believe this," Shane growled. "Out of everyone who could've survived the Prism Virus' rampage… it had to be those three."
"Wait, did Haunter say Tapu Fini?" Tessa gasped. She finally took in her surroundings. Aside from the many pools of water lining the room, there were several mirrors on the walls. Ornate blue tapestries hung beside each of them. At the other end of the room, she spotted Tapu Bulu laying down next to a similar creature, with light blue hair, and a purple shell enclosing her body.
"We're… at another temple? Why? How?" Tessa looked up at Braviary. "And what are you doing here?"
Latias floated next to Hoopa. "I'm sure you're all a bit confused right now. To put it simply… we needed to get you out of the guild."
More specificatory, we needed to get away from Aeon Town, Magearna exclaimed, walking up to join the group. Team Radiance noticed Comfey, Steenee, and Espeon at her side. We left Metagross behind, in Officer Magnezone's custodiary.
"You mean… everyone's gone except him? Why?" Tessa asked. She shot a panicked look back at Shane. "You don't think this is because of–"
Braviary interrupted her with a long, drawn out sigh. "I was a fool," he exclaimed. "I don't know what got into the Gu–" He cut himself off. "Sorry… what got into Metagross. But, something ain't right with him. I thought it pretty strange that he'd send so many of us to the desert, but to have expected Necrozma to attack like that… and not even care about who we lost…" He shook his head. "How could I be so blind to think nothing were wrong?"
Shane frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Latias put a paw on Braviary's good shoulder. "If I may?" she said. Braviary nodded. "I had a look at Metagross' memories." Team Radiance looked at her skeptically. "I was actually there… in the guild… when Metagross was flying off the handle."
"And you didn't do anything?" Espeon growled.
Latias winced. "No… I didn't," she said. "But I'm going to try to make up for that. Starting with telling you guys that Metagross' behavior is the result of an evolution gone awry."
Tessa tilted her head. "I'm sorry… what?"
"Two Metangs fuse together to make a Metagross," Latias said. "Normally, the two do so willingly, making a Metagross that is a combination of two minds, two bodies, and two spirits. If that doesn't happen, the two spirits will wind up fighting each other for control of the body. Said mental war could last a Metagross' entire life."
"So, the Guildmaster was really two Metangs' spirits waging battle in his body?" Shane gasped.
"Not exactly," Latias said. "It's… um… I could show you the memories, but I think it might confuse you guys more. So, I'll try to explain it as best I can." She glanced at Braviary. "You joined the guild with a Metang, correct?"
"Yeah. He and Incineroar were my best friends," Braviary said.
Latias' wings drooped. "I thought so. See, when I read Metagross' mind, there were barely any traces of thoughts or memories from that Metang. Instead… I mostly saw memories of a Metang that had lived in Voltaic Crater."
Shane's tails shot up in surprise. "You mean this whole time, the Guildmaster was some upset wild Pokémon?"
"Yes," Latias said. "Admittedly, I couldn't believe it at first. Because overseas, most of the wild Pokémon we find in Mystery Dungeons are really just figments made from ley lines. Here in Horizon, however, they're all real, living creatures."
Tessa's muzzle stiffened. "Of course they're real. Why wouldn't they be? And where are you going with this, exactly?"
"The wild Metang was subject to years of harmful electric shocks from living in the dungeon. They were so intense that they warped his mind and his psychic powers," Latias said. "He believed that everyone and everything in the world was out to kill him."
Shane's jaw slackened. "You can't be serious. How could a psychic… who can read minds… possibly think that? Wouldn't he just have to read our minds to see that we mean him no harm?"
"He had become too delusional," Latias said. "The guild's Metang snuck up on him and forced him to combine. And that caused such an intense degree of panic that he was able to completely overwhelm the rival spirit and win complete control over his new body."
"And the good Metang's spirit... never tried to reach out for help?" Shane asked.
"He never got that opportunity," Latias replied. "You may as well think of it as Metang dying while he tried to evolve, with an impostor taking his place."
Tessa's gaze fell to the ground. "But that doesn't make any sense," she whispered. "Metagross seemed totally put-together when we met him. Heck, he had to have acted composed for years. Otherwise someone would've realized something was wrong!" She looked back and forth between Braviary and Latias. "How could no one have realized something was off?"
"Because he hardly said nothing to nobody," Braviary whispered, his eyes slowly widening in realization. "He'd spend almost all his time hiding in his room unless Incineroar gave him an assignment. But once he became Guildmaster, he was always in his office."
Latias' ears and wings drooped. "He did it because that was how he could feel safe. Locking himself in his room shut out all the people he thought were trying to kill him. But Incineroar kept giving him orders as Guildmaster… so Metagross killed him and took over." She looked at Braviary. "He delegated all his responsibilities to you and the other staff, yes?"
Braviary nodded, a stunned look on his face.
"As I thought. This let him hide away in his office… until he realized that Lucario was trying to get answers about Incineroar's death," Latias said glumly.
"So… so it's really true, then? Metagross killed Dad? And he tried to kill Mom, too?" Tessa squeaked, her eyes tearing up. "Is… is he the reason she's Zero, now?"
Latias winced. "I don't know for certain. He pushed Lucario off a cliff, expecting her to fall to her death like Incineroar did. But then there was an explosion…" Her voice trailed off and she shuddered. "His memories turn into an absolute mess after that. The only thing I could pick out was that he was actively trying to get rid of you three." She pointed at Shane, Silvally, and Tessa.
"Us?" Shane said.
"He wanted you to leave the guild, first," Latias said. "When that didn't work, he sent you to Mellath Bog, tracking your movements in secret. It was tough to squeeze this out, but he banked on Tessa bringing Silvally. He expected Shane to bullyTessa to the point that she'd drown herself in the swamp… and then Silvally would kill Shane in retaliation and flee to live in isolation."
The three Team Radiance members looked at each other in horror. Each of them wanted to say something, but no one could find the right words. Instead, Tessa whirled on Braviary. Her irises flared up and blue aura crackled through her paws. "You," she seethed. "You were there… this whole time…"
"T… Tessa?" Shane said. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "How could you fail to see that something was wrong, Braviary?!" she shrieked, stomping the ground. "You… you were Dad's best friend. He trusted you… and you let him down! I want to know why… why did you think there was nothing wrong?"
"I… I…" Braviary tried to shuffle back, but Espeon stepped in his path. Her forked tail flicked beside her, as if it was challenging Braviary to try and make a move in his current condition. Braviary's legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. "It was Dark Matter! Dark Matter, I tell ya! It's all that varmint's fault. He… he cost me my friends!"
The room descended into silence, until Tessa growled, "You really expect me to believe that?"
"Y'all don't get it! Ya weren't around fer it," Braviary said. "When we heard Dark Matter threatening to turn us all to stone, we panicked! Nobody really knew what to do. Metagross and I… we turned to Incineroar fer help. But all he did was tell us to start getting folks underground and then he sprinted out of the Observatory, shouting fer Lucario at the top of his lungs."
"I ain't never seen him so worried as I did in that very moment," Braviary continued. His voice grew more unhinged the longer he rambled. "Metagross and I were left to try and deal with all the folks panicking in Aeon Town until he got back. Neither of us were prepared to do that. It was total chaos!" He gazed off into the distance. "When Incineroar finally got back, he made sure Lucario could get safely underground. Then, he told Metagross and me to keep an eye on her and ran off!"
"Maybe he was just trying to make sure you guys would be safe?" Shane said.
"I was too angry to care… or notice anything was off with Metagross," Braviary said. "Incineroar was my best friend… and it felt like he had completely abandoned me just fer Lucario's sake!"
"So, you were mad… at Mom?" Tessa hissed. "But she didn't do anything wrong!"
"Of course I was! She was distracting Incineroar… stopping him from doing his job," Braviary squawked, weakly flapping his good wing. "I never raised a stink about it, because I didn't want to upset Incineroar. Then one afternoon, out of the blue, Metagross told me that Incineroar needed to go to Glyphic Falls. Wouldn't tell me why, he just said it was extremely urgent. Then he looked me right in the eyes and done said to tell anyone who asked that he had been in the Observatory the whole day!"
"You mean you just lied to cover for him? What is wrong with you?" Shane snarled.
"I didn't think anything of it at the time, alright?" Braviary shouted. "Cause Metagross done stomped into my room that same evening, asking where Incineroar was and why he hadn't come back. I thought fer sure that there weren't a thing wrong. He seemed completely surprised when we found yer dad's scarf in Glyphic Falls."
"It really didn't occur to you that he might be tricking you?" Shane said. "My god, how dense can you possibly be?" He glanced at his teammates, expecting one of them to berate him for badmouthing Braviary. But, to his surprise, Silvally and Tessa continued to stare Braviary down, looks of disgust on their faces. Espeon still stood behind Braviary, narrowing her eyes.
"What d'y'all want from me?" Braviary croaked. He sank down to the ground. "I admit it, okay. Something felt off about that day. But I didn't do anything. Because Metagross stepped into the Guildmaster slot and just kept me busy tending to all y'all. I never got the chance to ask him about what had happened." He shook his head. "And then… Lucario had her meltdown and stormed out of the Observatory. Metagross… he left a little while later. Saying he was gonna try and see to her." He flinched and looked at the floor. "And, well, he came back. But she didn't. That's when he started talking all funny like."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Tessa asked.
"Y'know. It's when he started doing that 'Fact' and 'Order' nonsense of his," Braviary said, letting out a deranged laugh. "It should've clicked fer me. Something had to have happened at Glyphic Falls. Something that knocked him completely off his rocker."
"So, you just let Metagross go after my mom? Are you serious?" Tessa snarled. Silvally had to restrain her, activating ground memories to negate the electricity surging toward her fists. "Gallian was right!" she hissed, blue irises flashing. "You… you helped let this happen! Dad was never really your closest friend, was he? I'll bet you stopped caring about him when he fell in love with Mom!"
"Well, what'd ya really expect?" Braviary shouted, slamming his wing on the ground. "Yer dad had blinders on. Big, huge blinders! He threw caution into the wind! He wouldn't even listen to me try to tell him that Lucario was a human!"
Tessa's temper snapped. She wriggled out of Silvally's grasp and charged toward Braviary, screaming at the top of her lungs. But a psychic force knocked her to the ground. "Beating him up is not going to help this situation, Tessa," Espeon chided.
"How could you stand there and say that?" Shane growled, watching Silvally tend to Tessa. "Didn't you just hear him? This whole time, he's known Tessa's mom was a human. And he never said anything!"
"She threatened me!" Braviary cawed. "Said she'd done try to kill me if I ever told anyone in her family. And Metagross… I didn't wanna get on his bad side. Especially not after whatever happened to him and Lucario at Glyphic Falls!"
The room descended into silence.
"… you have no one to blame for your current state but yourself."
Tapu Fini floating up to Braviary, a stoic expression on her face. "You have an explorer's spirit and body, but the mind of a coward. This past year has been one of imbalance for a broken creature like you. And fate has seen fit to grant you a broken, useless body to match such a sorry state."
"N… no…" he rasped. "Please don't say that. I never meant to hurt anyone!"
"Meaning is irrelevant," Tapu Fini scoffed, flicking her hand dismissively. "Your actions led to harm. And your mental justifications are… lacking." She narrowed her eyes at Braviary. "And if your acquaintances cannot find a way to reverse the damage to your body, then you'll have the rest of your life to lament your poor decision-making."
Braviary slumped over in defeat. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"If you were really sorry, you'd have done something earlier," Shane growled.
"Silence, human," Tapu Fini said, hovering in front of him. Shane's tails scrunched up.
"Me? What did I do?"
"You are in no position to judge this miserable soul," Tapu Fini said, eyeing him suspiciously. "As bad as he is, you are a far more tainted being."
Shane whimpered. "Wh… what's that supposed to mean? Do you know why I keep having nightmares?"
"I do not," Tapu Fini replied. "I sense that every facet of you is warped. Your body is alien, just like every human who has passed into this world. But unlike them, your mind and spirit are fragmented. You are so out of balance, it's a wonder you're up and walking about."
"Wow… rub it in some more, why don't you?" Shane whined, ears folding against his face.
Silvally put a foreleg in front of Shane. He stepped in front of him protectively. "Don't get me wrong, Tapu Fini. We appreciate you extending your home to us, like this. But, if you're just going to float there and talk down to my friend – to Team Radiance's leader – then I think we'll just take our chances forging on ahead by ourselves."
He looked to Tessa and Espeon, who both gave hesitant nods. "L… Leader?" Shane parroted, the surprise in his voice making it crack. His stance slouched. "But… but I'm not…"
Tapu Fini stared down Silvally. "I see your point," she said. "Arguing is not going to get us anywhere. Despite the dreadful imbalancethat all of Team Radiance is, well, radiating–"
"Boooooooooooooo! That was awful!" Hoopa jeered, only to be silenced by a scathing look from Latias.
Tapu Fini cleared her throat and continued, "Though I dislike how your team carries itself, you may use my domain to shelter yourselves from the Prism Virus while you figure out the best way forward."
"And what are you going to do in the meantime, huh?" Shane wondered.
"Tend to the ley lines," Tapu Fini replied. "With Lele and Koko gone, Bulu and I have to work the portions of the continent they were watching over."
Shane didn't look pleased with that response. Tessa put a paw on his shoulder. "We won't be able to stop the Prism Virus if the continent sinks into the ocean."
Shane flinched. "Oh… yeah. Right. I keep forgetting about that." His tails drooped. The room descended into silence once again.
"Wait! There is something you can help us with," Silvally said. "Tell us about Necrozma."
Tapu Fini gave Silvally a confused look. "Necrozma?"
"That what Guiding Light call himself," Tapu Bulu shouted from across the room.
Tapu Fini's stoic expression descended into one filled with worry. "Wait… the Guiding Light is back? Is that the strange presence I was sensing in your temple? It was so out of balance… I thought I might faint."
Espeon took the opportunity to explain about the footage Team Radiance saw in the Nocturnus Catacombs. "Do you know if Necrozma's really telling the truth? About Solgaleo and Lunala? And Z-Power? And… and…" Her voice trailed off and she looked down at the ground.
"Yes, he is," Tapu Fini replied bluntly.
Espeon's ears twitched. Her tail shot between her legs. "You're kidding," she squealed. "But he… he looked so powerful."
"When he restored the sun and moon to our world, Necrozma gave us a new Solgaleo and Lunala to watch over them," Tapu Fini explained. "A short while later, he gathered us up in my temple and presented us with a gift. He transferred some of his energy to us. In essence, he gave us what you know as Z-Power. He said we could use it to help Pokémon in trouble. He hoped it would make lots of Pokémon happy."
"But that caused his creators to imprison him and pull out his, uh, core, for lack of a better word," Silvally exclaimed.
Tapu Fini nodded. "That is what I was told. While none of us were there, we heard about it from Solgaleo and Lunala. Necrozma was stripped of his light by his creators in retribution for helping us. The explosion of light that resulted led to the creation of all the stardust that falls from the sky. That's how much energy was drained from him."
"It's really true then? All of our equipment is made from Necrozma's life force?" Tessa gasped.
"Correct. Orbs, wands, looplets, and emeras are all derived from the stardust Necrozma unwillingly created," Tapu Fini said. "The Totem Crystals that Totem Pokémon hold are also imbued with Necrozma's life force."
"Totem Crystals?" Shane cocked his head to the side.
"They contain Z-Power, much like a Naturia Looplet," Tapu Fini explained. "They're wielded by Totem Pokémon as a sign of their authority."
"But we ran into a Totem and she didn't have any crystals," Shane muttered.
Silvally's expression saddened. "We've only seen an infected Totem. I'll bet Necrozma took the crystal's powers back for himself."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Tapu Fini said. "Apparently, Necrozma's core went berserk as a result of being drained of its light."
"We saw. It formed up some grotesque zombie body from Necrozma's remains and started shooting rainbow lasers everywhere," Shane recalled. "That's when Solgaleo and Lunala appeared and tossed Necrozma into some sort of portal."
"And now he's back," Tapu Fini said. "No doubt, Necrozma is looking to regain the power that was taken from him. He wants to become the Guiding Light once more."
"That's what this must be about," Espeon gasped. "The Prism Virus… it's not trying to make things better for Pokémon like us. It's just trying to make things better for Necrozma!" Her brow furrowed. "He's targeting Legendaries because I'll bet he thinks they have enough life energy to fix his broken core."
"And he's using my mom to try and throw us off," Tessa whimpered, aura feelers drooping. She hung her head and the group lapsed into another round of silence. "Shane… I know we need to gather the Dawn Shards. But where do we even start? Do we have any idea where they are?"
"I do," Latias spoke up. "Hoopa and I tracked strange energy patterns while we were preparing to get you guys out of Aeon Town. We think we know where to look."
Magearna nodded. Correct. According to Latias, the Dawn Shards ended up in the Volcanic Wastes, Cosmic Cavern, Circadian Coast, and Rem Canyon.
"So, there's four of them, then?" Shane said. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Typical. Every time a band of heroes needs to gather magical doodads to save the world, it's always four or seven. Four or seven. It's the Warriors of Light and the Elemental Fiends all over again."
"What are you talking about?" Tessa asked. "Aren't there five Time Gears?"
"Sounds like another human world thing," Silvally mused.
"Well, for the sake of avoiding confusion, I suggest we name each Shard," Shane said. "Based on the areas Magearna mentioned, I'm thinking Sizzle Shard, Subterranean Shard, Seaside Shard, and… uh…"
"Scalebound Shard," Silvally offered. "Because Rem Canyon's full of dragons."
"I like it!" Shane chirped.
"None of that's important," Espeon dismissed. "If I remember what Zero told me, aside from Circadian Coast, those places aren't hospitable to travelers."
Tessa's expression blanched. "R… really?" she squeaked.
Silvally nodded. "Yeah, I agree. There were some pretty painful memories that flared up at the mention of Rem Canyon, in particular."
Well, on the bright side, those areas all border one another. Which means you can just traversitate them in succession, Magearna noted.
"Hoopa and I are happy to get you where you need to go," Latias exclaimed. "Assuming we're available, of course."
"Can't you help us fly in and grab the Dawn Shards?" Shane sighed.
"I'm sorry, but we can't," Latias said. "I can coordinate things for you, but I'm still needed back overseas and Hoopa…"
"Hoopa needs to keep his reputation as hide and seek champion of the world!" Hoopa declared.
Shane blinked in confusion. "Okay, fine. Still, if the Shards are just out in the open, what's stopping Necrozma from swooping in and grabbing them while we're here? I mean, the guy can just put portals into Mystery Dungeons, can't he?"
Panic flashed across everyone's faces as the realizations from Shane's comment sank in. It's the barriers, Magearna declared. I designed them to mask ley line energy signatures. If Necrozma can't read the ley lines of our Mystery Dungeons, it stands to reason that he shouldn't be able to warp into them.
Shane gulped. "I really hope that's true. Because we can't afford to run into him again. Not like this." His stance wilted. "We're not strong enough to take him."
Silvally nudged Shane's chin up with the tip of his beak. "Then we focus on what we are strong enough to do. And that's traverse the continent and get the Dawn Shards back."
Shane blinked. "R… right."
A fair warning, however, Magearna cut in. In those four locales, the communities all have Totem Pokémon to speak of. Odds are, if you're going to have any successination, you will need to win them over.
"Assuming they haven't already been infected," Espeon stated grimly.
Magearna nodded. Also a truthity. She blinked her mechanical eyes. Now, I understand there is significant urgitude to gaining the Dawn Shards, but you four are not exactly fighting fit. My suggestion is you rest up tonight and be ready to leave in the morning. Latias, will you and Hoopa be available at sunrise?
"We're needed back in the Water Continent, but I think we can make that work," Latias replied. "Right, Hoopa?"
"Aww man, is Hoopa gonna have to miss his beauty sleep?" Hoopa pouted. Latias gave him a stern look. He scowled and crossed his arms. "This all you can eat donut party better be worth it," he muttered under his breath.
Tapu Fini turned and floated over to Tapu Bulu. "Unfortunately, this temple has only one bed, and it's mine. I could bring some spare cushions out here, if that will make you mortals more comfortable."
"Thanks. We'd really appreciate that," Silvally said. Tapu Fini nodded and then floated through a doorway, carrying Tapu Bulu with her. Magearna also broke away from the group, leaving Team Radiance in the middle of the room.
"So, I guess this is it, then," Shane said. "One last night with a roof over our heads before god only knows what." He laughed nervously. "Um… Silvally? About that 'leader' comment… you were just joking, right?"
Silvally shook his head. "No. That'd be an awfully strange thing for me to joke about."
Shane's tails curled up against his hips. "But I'm not meant to be a leader. I don't know how to do anything but make bad decisions."
"Yes, you've certainly made a lot of missteps. But, well, all of us have," Silvally said, looking at Tessa and Espeon. They both nodded glumly. "The fact is that Team Radiance wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. So, yeah, that kind of makes you the leader in my eyes." He gave Shane a reassuring smile. "And I think the Dawn Shards are the team's chance to finally turn things around."
"I see your point," Shane said. "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the kind words." Silvally wagged his tail at this. "But… in my eyes… I don't match up to you guys. We're a team, yeah. But I can't be its leader. If anything… you deserve that title. You're so supportive and encouraging… like a leader should be."
"Um," Tessa whispered, "Given our situation, I think we're more like a family. I mean, all we really have is each other."
"… feh. If this is a family, then it's the most dysfunctional, gloomy, and unlucky one I've ever been a part of," Espeon huffed. She turned and walked toward a nearby hallway, exiting the room just as Tapu Fini arrived with cushions floating beside her. Espeon walked down the hallway, passing blown glass sculptures of Tapu Fini and purple tapestries hanging from the ceiling.
As she reached the end of the hallway, her breath grew ragged.
That wasn't very nice of you.
"B… be quiet…" she whispered, ears folding against her head.
You hate them, don't you? Just like you hate me.
Espeon looked to her right and flinched. A black shadowy cloud had formed up beside her, taking the shape of Umbreon. "N… no… you're not real. You're… not real…"
Of course you would say that. After all… I'm gone because of you.
"That's… no…" Espeon curled up on the ground, cupping her forepaws over her face. "No… you did this… because you cared about me."
The phantom leaned down, hovering beside Espeon.
You killed me, Espy. Your angry rants… your unstable mood… it was too much for me.
"U-Umbry, I'm–" Espeon started, only to lash at the air with a forepaw. "No! You… stupid Void Shadow… get away!"
Why did you push me away, Espy? the Void Shadow said.
Isn't it obvious? Because she's totally useless, a new, female voice declared. Espeon poked her head up and saw a phantom of Virizion standing beside Umbreon, glaring at her.
"N… no… get away…" Espeon mumbled, pushing herself up against the wall. Her satchel brushed up against her shoulder.
What are you going to do when this new team runs into danger, Espeon? Virizion's Void Shadow wondered. I bet you'll throw a tantrum… and leave them behind to suffer at Necrozma's hands… just as we did!
"Th… that's not true. That's not true," Espeon whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Umbry, I'm going to get you back, I–" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "This isn't real. This isn't real!"
You can't ignore us, Espy! Umbreon's Void Shadow shouted, taking a step toward her.
We're going to make you pay for leaving us out to dry, Virizion's Void Shadow hissed.
"P… please… stop this…" Espeon squeaked. Forelegs trembling, she opened her satchel up. A small metal bottle tumbled out of it. Espeon glanced at the Void Shadows, who glared at her with glowing red eyes. She lunged for the bottle, yanking the cork out with her mouth and guzzling down its contents so quickly she broke down coughing from the bitter taste.
The Void Shadows evaporated into fine black mist, leaving Espeon laying there, her heart rate steadily slowing until she passed out, body wracked with tremors and drool trickling from her mouth.
~Aeon Observatory~
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!
The assembly room's ceiling gave way, sending slabs of stone dropping to the ground. Two jagged metal balls dropped down in the center of the rubble, each one emitting wayward electric sparks. A large gray figure dropped atop the metal orbs and kicked them away, revealing that Magnezone's body had been cleaved in half.
It's empty, Metagross said. He staggered forward, rainbow glows flickering in and out of his eyes. Metagross opening his mouth, but only static came out. A small twinge of electricity jumped off Magnezone's corpse. It hit Metagross' leg, turning black and racing across his body. The rainbow glow completely overtook his eyes.
Hourglass... gone...
Metagross stomped forward, more static escaping his lips. He looked around the destroyed room.
Must get... back...
Metagross pointed a foreleg at the wall. Sonar-like bursts of pink energy rushed out from his foreleg. The wall exploded, sending dozens of glimmering gemstones racing on the floor. Their multitudes of colors blanketed Metagross' gray body.
Must escape... he muttered, walking up toward the giant pile of emeras. Must find Hourglass... escape world... escape everyone...
He reached the pile of emeras and began scarfing them down, the rainbow glow in his eyes intensifying with each bite he took.
End of Episode 10
Reply time!
Another guest: as I hope this chapter answered, yes, they are working against each other now.
SuperOmegaGuest: it's not technically fluff if their bodies are covered in feathers, instead! ... I'll shut up now.
Veralix: funny you mention Marshadow. I'd hold that thought for a few episodes, if I were you.
Anon Omega: Shadow Dedede, obviously. And it's hard to judge someone I've never met in person. The "patient zero" thing, is actually a historical artifact from the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. People just started using the term for communicable diseases and it started popping up it media and literature. Which makes it too late to change, even if you think it doesn't make sense.
That's all for this week. Next time: Team Radiance's adventure is about to really heat up! ... because they're going to a volcano, duh. Get your heads out of the gutter.