Fingers crossed that the site doesn't choose to go belly-up when I post an update this time. If I didn't reply to a review, it's because of that. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 56: Time Forms All Wounds
"Oh, for god's sake… another Monster House, game? Are we serious, here?" Shane hissed in a whisper, staring down at his 3DS in dismay. "See, this is why I used an EXP multiplier to get Discharge quickly." He tapped the A-button lazily and leaned back in his chair. "This better stop. I'm trying to move the story forward, here."
WHAM!
Shane jumped in his chair, dropping the 3DS on the table in the process. A large thumb pressed down on the power button and then the rest of the pale-white hand closed the system. "H… hey!" Shane protested. "I was in the middle of something. What's the big id–"
The rest of his sentence got caught in his throat as he looked up to identify the source of the hand. Shane's face paled. "G… Geoff," he whispered, shrinking down in his chair. "Um… can this wait for a better time? I've, uh, got a meeting to run to."
Standing before Shane was a much taller, broad-shouldered boy. Geoff's brown hair was in a crew cut and his hazel eyes were sizing Shane up. A gray hoodie with the school's emblematic C hung loosely around Geoff's torso. "A meeting with what… this useless hunk of plastic?" he said, lifting up the 3DS and shaking it around.
"Put that down right now… or I'm going to the principal," Shane threatened, gripping the arms of his chair to the point where his knuckles turned white.
Geoff set the 3DS down and slid it toward Shane. "All I want to know is who the hell you've been talking to and what you've been saying," he said, narrowing his eyes at Shane. "You seeing a shrink about Prissy Nicky or something, huh? Everyone knows he was your only friend, dude. No point hiding it."
Shane blinked. "I… wait, huh? You're confusing me, here. Please go away." He turned his chair to his left and hastily stood up, ready to make an exit. Geoff blocked his path.
"Answer my question, buddy," Geoff growled. "Who are you talking to, huh?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Shane said, looking around nervously. "Mr. Esposito said that you and your friends have to leave me alone or you're getting in trouble."
Geoff raised his hands but the angry look didn't disappear from his face. "I ain't done nothing wrong here. Just like I didn't do nothing to Prissy Nicky. Which is not what your lying ass is saying behind my back, is it?"
"Guh… get out of my way, Geoff. I'm late," Shane stammered, squeezing his eyes shut.
Geoff turned, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, and slammed it down on the table. "Not until you tell me what kind of whacko stunt you're pulling here. Why am I getting ordered to speak to some lawyer guy, huh?" Geoff took a step toward Shane. "You trying to have me arrested or something? I didn't do anything wrong! It ain't my fault you were too dense to realize something was wrong with your boyfriend until it was too late."
"N… Nicky wasn't my b… boyfriend," Shane muttered.
Shane looked down at the page in Geoff's hand. He recognized Rory's signature on one of the lines and hastily looked away. Geoff stepped back into Shane's field of view. "Tell me what you're up to, Shane. I swear to god, if you do something to get my scholarship pulled I'm gonna make your life a living hell. Just because your life's on the fast track to nowheresville doesn't mean you get to drag me or my friends down with you."
"This has nothing to do with me, Geoff. What about Nicky's parents, huh? They could be doing stuff," Shane said.
"Bull-freaking-shit!" Geoff spat. "You're the guy who followed Prissy Nicky around like a sad, lost puppy dog. And you say tons of weird shit that makes no sense all the time." He grabbed Shane's 3DS again.
"Put that down right now!" Shane shouted, and then shoved Geoff's chest. Geoff raised his hands up innocently, still clutching the 3DS.
"See? You've got it out for me!" he accused. "You lost the only guy who'd play these gay-ass games with you and that made you mad, didn't it? Mad enough to start lying about how it was me and my friends' faults that Nicky died. He made his choice, man. You've gotta live with it." Geoff put the 3DS back down on the table. "And one last thing to keep in mind, buddy. People like me. Which is more than I can say for you. So, go on, keep spreading your lies." He turned away from Shane. "We'll see which one of us walks away from this smelling like a rose."
Geoff stomped away, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Shane looked around the hallway, noticing a couple of students had stopped to take in the conversation. They had now gathered up and were whispering excitedly among each other. Shane sat back down in the chair, limbs trembling. He grabbed his 3DS and barely managed to shove it back into his bag.
Shane shakily produced a flip phone from his bag but dropped it on the ground. He fell to his knees trying to pick it back up. After a few failed attempts at pressing the right buttons on the dial pad, he punched in a speed dial code and hit the green SEND button. The phone rang a few times, with Shane squeezing his eyes shut.
"H-Hello… Mr. Gardner? It's… it's Shane. I need to see you… like, right now."
He paused, waiting for a response. But static greeted him, only to fade and be replaced by a deep voice roaring at him.
This isn't who you are! Wake up… remember your true self!
~Western Volcanic Wastes~
Shane shot up, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. In front of Shane, Silvally's faint outline expanded and shrunk with each sleeping breath. Shane looked around the room, but could hardly make anything out. There was a faint orange glow lying on the other side of a shuddered window.
"Not again," Shane groaned, only to cup a forepaw over his muzzle and look around in worry. To his relief, he didn't see any movement from Silvally's outline aside from breathing. 'Ugh, why can I never remember my inner monologue when I need it?' He cautiously felt around him until his forepaw brushed a strip of bare rock. 'This looks like a safe spot to stand.'
Shane inched his way forward until he was off of his cushion and got to his feet. He took a hesitant step forward. Carpet fibers brushed his paw pads. Shane looked over his shoulder and squinted. Silvally's energy blades flickered, allowing him to glance Tessa's outline. She couldn't curl up into a ball anymore, but she still slept against Silvally, using his side as a makeshift pillow.
Satisfied his teammates were asleep, Shane crept across the floor, inching toward the small bit of light streaming in through the closed window. When he reached it, he paused and glanced through a crack in the blinds. 'Hmm… I'm pretty sure it's still nighttime. Tough to tell with all these storm clouds.'
He bared his fangs and huffed out a cloud of frost. 'Ugh, I can't believe this. Even after such a delightful meal, I still can't get a decent night's sleep.' Shane's ears and tails drooped. 'I'm so exhausted. I just want to sleep through one night… one night without all these awful memories and that voice screaming at me. It's going to drive me crazy!'
Shane took a deep breath. 'There's nothing I can do about this. We have to get the Dawn Shards. I have to stay focused… can't drag the rest of the team down with my sleep problems.' Shane shook his head. 'Oh, how I wish there was a way to make it stop.' He turned toward where he knew Silvally was sleeping. 'He's so lucky. What I wouldn't give for a Lunar Wing right now. Hell, I'd take Darkrai trapping me in a nightmare if it meant I could sleep longer than a few hours.'
"… just shut up! You… you don't know what you're talking about!"
Shane's ears stuck up. His tails curled against his hips and he shrank up against the wall. 'Someone's out there,' he gasped. 'Is… is it trouble?' Shane again looked at his teammates, wondering if he should say anything to rouse them.
"That's not true. I tried my best. I saved lives today! I'm… I'm doing better!"
'Wait… I know that voice! That's Espeon,' Shane realized. 'But who's she talking to? I don't hear anyone else out there.' He got up on his hind legs and gently nudged the window shade open with the tip of his snout. Shane was able to make enough of a gap to stick his head through and peer outside.
A few yards away, Espeon lay on the ground, batting at the air in front of her with her forepaws. "Stop it!" she whimpered. "I'm… this is the best I've got. I swear! I'm going to save you guys! Please… just hold out a bit longer!"
Shane frowned. He looked around for some sign of who Espeon was talking to, but there wasn't a single soul out in the village. Shane ducked his head back inside, the shade shutting behind him. He sank down to the floor. The scene he just witnessed was familiar. After a couple of seconds, it dawned on him that he had encountered a similar situation back at the Observatory. He found Espeon in the assembly room, shouting at someone he couldn't see.
'Maybe she can sense something?' Shane proposed. 'But if that was the case, then Silvally and Tessa would know about it too, right? Can ESP and aura sense work while you're sleeping? I feel like it would, anyway?'
"Get away from me! I hate you… you stupid Void Shadows! Give me back my friends! Give me back Umbry!" Espeon cried.
'Wait… Void Shadows? Here? But that's impossible!' Shane gasped. He heard a loud, elongated snort, followed by raucous coughing. Shane sprang to his feet and hopped up toward the windowsill again. He looked outside and found Espeon standing all alone in an empty part of the village. She was doubled over, face scrunched up in pain and coughing loudly.
Shane was about to head for the door when he glanced movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned back on the windowsill and watched Espeon levitate a small cloth bag into her satchel. Faint multicolored sparkles littered the ground around her. Something immediately seemed off with Espeon. Her eyes were bloodshot and her white, hollow irises constricted. Espeon's tail twitched and erratically jerked back and forth. As she stumbled forward, Shane got a closer look at her face and gasped.
'Is that blood on her snout?' he wondered, trying to lean forward on the window sill. Espeon's ears twitched and, before she could look up, Shane ducked back inside Totem Salazzle's house. He fell to the floor, blinking in confusion. 'I don't understand. What was Espeon doing?' Shane clenched his jaw tightly. 'Did she inhale something? I heard a snorting noise, after all.'
Shane waited a few minutes before daring to poke his head out of the window again. When he did, there was no sign of Espeon as far as he could see.
'Did… did she just walk out on us? After everything we did for her?' he thought. 'No… there's gotta be another explanation… right?'
~Quicksand Cave, Underground Lake~
"Mesprit, I know you're out there! Come out and face me!"
Dragonite stomped across the rocky alcove overlooking a glistening lake, lightning crackling through her arms. All around her, sand streams trickled down stone walls, piling up at the edges of the lake. Small rock platforms littered the water, with a circular arrangement positioned in the middle. There, a green compass-like rune sat, glowing brightly. Mesprit floated above it, a look of worry on her face.
"You're…" Mesprit started, before her tails flashed and alarm washed over her face. "What are you?"
"The ones who will be taking that Time Gear."
Dragonite stepped to her side, allowing Zero to walk past her. She pointed her scepter at Mesprit. "Hand it over, Mesprit. You have failed as a god in protecting this world. We are here to relieve you of that Time Gear… and your life."
Mesprit's eyes narrowed. Her tails rose up, brimming with psychic energy. Dragonite wasted no time in speeding forward, bolts of electricity streaming behind her from her scales. She failed to reach Mesprit, however, before a wall of sand rose up in front of her. Dragonite skidded to a halt. Blue energy shrouded her body and she charged the wall. Dragonite bounced off of it, a look of surprise on her face.
"Wait… that's not sand anymore. It's… it's more like glass, but a lot harder!" Dragonite said. Dragonfire gathered in her mouth and she shot an explosive, blue-violet meteor at the wall. The meteor burst apart, showering the wall with dragonfire. Dragonite floated back, jaw agape at the sight of the wall sitting there, completely unharmed. Some spots on the mysterious glass twinkled.
Zero's eye widened. "Dragonite, get back!" she barked. Dragonite zipped backward in an electric stream. Seconds later, pink baubles of energy erupted where Dragonite had previously hovered. Zero stepped toward the edge of the lake, tightening her grip on her staff. "Future Sight… clever. But not good enough." She pointed her scepter forward and a black beam raced toward the wall.
The wall glowed bright pink. Zero's beam bounced off of it, heading directly back toward her. She held up her free paw and batted the attack aside, leaving it to strike a part of the nearby wall and blow it up. Sand poured into the lake from the missing chunk of wall. "Interesting," Zero said, looking at the sand stream. "And where were these tricks when Darkrai was making his move on Temporal Tower, hmm? If you and the other gods had actually put in effort toward stopping him, crises would've been averted. Lives would've been saved!"
What are you talking about? Mesprit's voice echoed through the chamber. Everything worked out fine thanks to Team Poképals!
"Lies!" Zero spat, metal swirling around her paws. Her scepter disappeared in a flash of light. She thrusted her paws forward, sending out a wave of liquid metal.
"Lightning Partisan!" Dragonite shouted, bringing her right arm up like she was about to throw a ball. Electricity shot down from the ceiling, forming into a crackling spear in Dragonite's hand. She threw it forward, where it coalesced with Zero's metal wave. The attack struck the glass wall. This time, cracks appeared in the wall. They spread out from its center, much to Dragonite's satisfaction.
The wall suddenly exploded. Multicolored stars streamed toward Dragonite. She zipped to her left, leaving a trail of electricity. But the stars immediately altered course. They peppered Dragonite's armored hide, forcing her back.
Zero retaliated with a black energy beam, which flew toward the dusty cloud left behind by the destroyed wall. Water geysers erupted from the lake, forcing Zero to cut off her attack and leap backward. As she did, her aura dreadlocks tensed. Seconds later, a crushing force struck her from all sides. Static blurred Zero's body as she dropped to one knee. She braced herself until the sensation faded. Her eye darted about the room.
"Another Future Sight," she growled. "She's got us in a game of cat and mouse, here." She got back to her feet. "Impressive, Mesprit. For a god with little reputation in battle, you've managed to put on a more impressive display than Zapdos. Which only heightens my disappointment in your inability to take action."
I hear a lot of words coming out of your mouth, whatever you are, Mesprit said. But it's all hot air if you ask me.
Zero's aura dreadlocks twitched. She pivoted, her paws flickering in and out of existence. Red cubes descended from the ceiling, eliciting a frightened scream. "There, Dragonite!" Zero shouted, pointing a distorted paw forward.
With a burst of electrically-charged speed, Dragonite was at a dazed Mesprit's side. Another electric spear appeared in her hand and she slashed Mesprit in the face. The electricity froze Mesprit in midair, body spasming wildly. Then the force of the blow kicked in and knocked Mesprit back into a sand stream.
Dragonite wasted no time in prepping her next attack. She brought her hands up to her mouth and unleashed a blue-violet energy stream that took the shape of a winged dragon. It corkscrewed forward, only to meet a pink shield. Mesprit howled from the strain of trying to keep her shield up against Dragonite's attack.
Zero raised her right paw up. Staticky black cubes swirled over Mesprit's head, forming a small vortex that immediately exploded. Mesprit's shield shattered and Dragonite's attack struck her simultaneously. Her charred, smoking body fell into the water with a small splash. Dragonite dove right in, a trail of lightning fanning behind her. She zipped out of the water seconds later, only to bank in midair and dash to the edge of the platform Zero stood on.
Dragonite dropped Mesprit's scorched, bloody form. Mesprit rolled to a stop in front of Zero. "And so it ends," Zero said, raising a paw brimming with red energy. But before she could fire her attack, her aura dreadlocks crinkled up. Zero turned to her right just in time for a barrage of pink explosions to race over her and Dragonite. She skidded across the ground, digging her crystalline claws into the ground to keep herself from falling into the lake. Dragonite spread out her wings to steady herself.
"What the heck?!" Zero barked. She looked toward the spot where Mesprit was supposed to be lying, only to find the smoldering remnants of a Ninjask, its chitin burnt to a crisp. "How is this possible?"
Sorry, that's a secret, Mesprit's voice echoed through the cavern. After the whole situation with Temporal Tower, I decided to take whatever steps I could think of to better protect this Time Gear from malevolent forces. You're part of this 'Prism Virus' thing I've been hearing about, yes? I don't know what sorts of twisted ideas have poisoned your mind, but I'll defend this Time Gear with every ounce of my power!
The room rumbled. Pink ripples spread across the remaining parts of the lake. Dragonite gasped and lightning-dashed back toward Zero. Tan-colored crystals jutted out of the lake, rising higher and higher until they hit the ceiling, effectively cutting off the rest of the room from the Time Gear.
"Oh… clever. Very clever," Zero declared, employing a sarcastic slow clap. "You learned Uxie's feeble parlor trick. Tell me, why did you not think to use this against Darkrai? Why was there no effort made to protect Temporal Tower?!"
I don't owe you any explanation, Mesprit said.
"Yes, you do!" Zero snarled, afterimages popping up around her as she angrily nudged her mask. "Thanks to you and your fellow gods failing miserably, lives were ruined!"
What are you talking about? I already told you–
"I'm not talking about Pokémon, here!" Zero barked, a rainbow glow brimming underneath her helmet. "I'm talking about humans.How many innocent humans fell victim to the Ultra Wormholes that Primal Dialga's rampage spurned? How many were torn from their homes… from their families… only to end up in some wretched, alien world? Assuming, of course, they were lucky enough to survive in the first place!"
Ultra Wormholes? I have no idea what you're talking about!
"Again, you spout lies! They've been plaguing this world for as long as Solgaleo and Lunala have occupied it!" Zero hissed. "Thousands upon thousands of humans have unwillingly had their lives destroyed as a result of your failures at keeping this world safe and under control! And that doesn't even begin to get into all the anguish and sadness your shortcomings have brought to the Pokémon of this world. You are all failures. When humans fail at their jobs… we dismiss them. It's only fair I do the same here. I musthave that Time Gear, so that no one ever has to suffer injustice again!"
Zero snapped her digits. "Dragonite, go! Dispose of this futile barrier!"
Dragonite zipped to the edge of the platform, a grin plastered on her face. You won't lay a claw on that barrier! Mesprit shouted. The temperature in the room dropped drastically. Dragonite crouched low, seeing every breath she took.
"Dragonite, get back here!" Zero shouted. She threw her paws up, creating three walls of black cubes. Dragonite surged toward Zero, but even her lightning-dash wasn't quick enough to avoid the massive snowstorm that suddenly erupted throughout the room. Zero closed the cube walls together into a triangle, shielding her from the gale-force winds.
Dragonite hissed in pain and dropped to one knee. Ice crusted over her body, freezing her to the ground. When the howling wind died down, Zero dropped her barrier. Her eye narrowed at Dragonite's frozen form. She pointed her paws forward. Red cubes circled around Dragonite, unleashing a ring of fire that thawed her out.
"You're going to pay for that one, stupid pixie!" Dragonite snarled. Electricity and blue energy crackled down her body. A royal-blue aura erupted around her. In the process, a metallic ring formed behind Dragonite's wings. Atop the ring sat three crystalline dragon heads, their eyes glowing and their maws filled with blue-violet light.
"Now, Dragonite! I'll shield you," Zero barked. Dragonite zipped into the air, more energy gathering in the crystal dragons' mouths. Pink baubles raced across the room from all directions, threatening to close in on Zero and Dragonite. Zero punched the ground with a glowing fist. A black shockwave raced out, pushing the psychic energy away from Dragonite.
"Take this… Ultimate Meteor Swarm!" Dragonite shouted. She thrusted her hands forward and the crystal dragons unleashed multiple volleys of dark blue meteors, each brimming with blue lightning and purple dragonfire. The meteors battered Mesprit's barrier one after another. Initially, pink hexagonal shields snuffed the meteors out. But they quickly shattered, letting the meteors pound away at the crystals.
"Huuuuurrrrrrrrrrrgh… yaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Dragonite yelled, and then launched three gigantic meteors from the crystal dragon heads. They collided with Mesprit's barrier, resulting in a massive explosion of lightning and dragonfire that Dragonite had to dash away from.
At the same time, Zero hurled a red Aura Sphere into the explosion. She clenched her open paw into a fist, intensifying the explosion. Glitchy red cubes surged around the room. "Get rid of the dust, Dragonite," Zero ordered.
Dragonite flapped her wings, whipping up a whirlwind that cleared the room right up. Mesprit's crystal barrier was completely destroyed. With the water in the lake having been used to make the barrier, the Time Gear now sat in a crater. The glowing rune accompanying it had vanished. Mesprit lay face down next to it, her body covered in lacerations. Dragonite zipped down and nabbed the Time Gear. She banked off the crater and rebounded back toward Zero.
The instant Dragonite landed, the entire room shook. "Time's about to freeze in this area," Zero declared. She held out her right paw, summoning her scepter, and pointed it at Mesprit. "You cost me a great deal of energy, you worthless god. Time to make up for it. Consume!"
Zero fired a red and black beam at Mesprit. It struck her, siphoning the colors off her body and sending them up to Zero's helmet. "Come, Dragonite. Let us take our leave and make for the next Time Gear. Treeshroud Forest should be our next stop." She raised her free paw, summoning a black orb. Zero shattered the orb, leading to a black portal appearing at her feet. She calmly walked inside it, with Dragonite flying along after her.
Seconds after the portal closed, ripples of white energy raced throughout the room. The tan coloration of the rocks and crystals faded. The few sand streams remaining after the battle instantly stopped flowing and the gray blood seeping from Mesprit's wounds paused. Blood droplets hovered around her body, inches from the floor.
Then a crackle of white light appeared above her. A purple Ultra Wormhole burst forth in the middle of the room. Necrozma flew out of it, only to spread his wings out and screech to a halt.
"Huh?" He looked around the room. "Blast it! Must've taken a wrong turn somewhere! This is…" His voice trailed off and his gaze fell on Mesprit. "Oh?" he whispered, grinning. "Do my eyes deceive me? Mesprit, guardian of Quicksand Cave's Time Gear, lying dead before my non-existent feet?"
Necrozma floated down toward Mesprit. He reached his right arm down and plucked her off the ground by her head. Necrozma brought his left arm to his chest, trying to keep it from spasming. "Alas, poor Mesprit! I knew her, Lunala, a pixie of most excellent fancy!" he shouted. Necrozma brought Mesprit up to eye level. "We had some good times together, did we not?"he said. "Remember the tea parties with Uxie and Azelf? The many games of tag with Mew? Those were great fun… weren't they?"
He squeezed Mesprit's head, digging his claws into her skull. Black crystals slowly encased her corpse. "But, in the end, those 'sweet memories' were just lies. Because when I needed you to save my spirit, you ignored my call! And now I return to this world and what do I find? You're sitting guard over some wretched artifact forged from my stolen light!"
Necrozma finished encasing Mesprit in crystals. He held her up and throttled her violently. "Did Dialga ever tell you how he made these Time Gears? How he used my life energy after all of you let me get tossed aside like a piece of insignificant trash? Well… did he?!" Silence followed. "Oh, right, you can't answer me. You're dead! What a waste of good light." He haphazardly tossed Mesprit over his shoulder. She struck a wall and shattered, the fragments of her corpse raining down onto the frozen ground.
"So, Mesprit's gone… and time's come to a stop in this room," Necrozma said. His wings twitched and his eyes flashed. He held up his right hand and black shadows swirled around his claws. "How did the tale go, again?" His head lolled to one side. The shadows coalesced forming a black, miniature Dusknoir in the palm of Necrozma's hand. He lifted it up to eye level.
"When a Time Gear is removed, the flow of time slows in its region," Necrozma recited, manipulating the tiny Dusknoir like it was a hand puppet. "As many more are taken, time slows in an ever-larger area. Eventually, the planet's flow slows down so much that it stops entirely." His opened his mouth and drool trickled off his tongue. "In a world where the planet has become paralyzed… no winds blow… the day never comes… neither spring nor summer ever comes… it's a world of unrelenting darkness…"
A smile crept onto his lips. He crushed the Dusknoir copy in his grip, leaving only shadowy wisps in its place. "That's the story and everyone really believes it. But a paralyzed planet… heeheeheehee… it still has form… function… life. It is not true chaos. It is not the destruction I seek," Necrozma said, giggling excitedly. He raised his right hand again, pausing as it spasmed in protest, and then wiggled his claws.
The shadows swirled around in front of him. This time they combined into small, ethereal representation of Dialga. "Pokémon can still live on a paralyzed planet… all because of you." His grin widened. "Dialga… the Temporal Pokémon. It is said that time flows when Dialga's heart beats."
He glided up toward the phantom he created. "Heeheeheehee… look at you. You arrogant fool of a god. Controlling all of time and yet you needed months to fix your precious Temporal Tower when it should've taken mere seconds," he whispered. "You say you heard your savior's suffering, but it took you half a year to decide to restore his partner. But... at least you did it. You gave Team Poképals a happy ending. Everyone got what they wanted… bright, joyfulfutures together."
Necrozma leveled himself with the illusion's empty eyes. "What about me? What about the things that I did for you? For everyone in the world?!" he snarled, his spittle falling through the shadowy Dialga copy. "You sensed my suffering. I know you did. Any of you useless gods could've sensed it. Yet you ignored it. You took no action to help this world's truesavior! There wouldn't have been an attack on Temporal Tower if I hadn't brought light back to this world! Instead everyone would've drowned in the despair of endless night… including you!"
"If time flows when your heart beats, then it stands to reason that if I devour your light, I won't just paralyze the planet… but every creature living on it! Heeheeheehee!" Necrozma cackled, folding up his wings to contain their protesting twitches. He swiped at Dialga's phantom, tearing holes in the cloud of black shadows. "No… I'm not giving you enough credit, am I? After Darkrai's attack, you surely realized what a fatal flaw that was."
"It doesn't matter, though. Paralyzing everything still leaves order. It leaves a way to undo that damage. I want destruction! I crave total oblivion!" Necrozma continued. He raised his arms high. Two orange circles brimming with runes containing demonic eyes formed around his wrists. The paralyzed ground trembled. Holes suddenly opened under Necrozma. Black, cast-iron chains popped out of the holes, pointing their ends at the spectral Dialga.
"Primal Dialga will stop at nothing to maintain an irregular flow of time. If he were to come under someone else's control… if I used ley lines to subdue him to my will…" Necrozma pointed his hands forward. The chains descended on Dialga's phantom, wrapping around it and squeezing it. It popped like a balloon, the shadows evaporating into the air. "… then I could destroy time itself and bring this world to ruin! Heeheeheehee!"
His red eyes flashed and the chains retreated into the ground. Necrozma turned to his right and tore open an Ultra Wormhole. "Now then, let's not take any more detours this time. Otherwise, I risk missing my ride!"
With a flap of his wings, Necrozma flew into the Ultra Wormhole, giggling excitedly.
~Invern Mountains, Base Camp~
"Lycanroooooc, my tootsies hurt! How much further do we have to keep walking, huh?"
A vein bulged out of Lycanroc's forehead. He whirled around on Jangmo-o and held up a fist. "We keep walking until I say we're done walking, mate!" he barked. "Ain't you recognized where we are yet? We can't stop here!"
He gestured behind him to a fork in the path they were on. One direction continued forward through the clammy gray grass that rippled against the harsh winds. The other path disappeared in a dense gray cloud. In front of the cloud, a pair of stone houses faced each other. Neither had any windows, likely due to the blustery winds rolling through the area. However, each house's roof had a small layer of frost on it.
"Of course I recognize this place. It's the Invern Mountains. A paradise for ice-types like me. Kweh heh heh!" Sneasel declared. "It's the perfect place to lie low until we get another crack at Snowy!"
"Shut yer trap, featherhead! I ain't staying around here. It's bloody cold. And the Invern Mountains ain't nothing but a load of snowstorms," Lycanroc growled. "So, quit your moaning and keep walking."
"Aw, jeez, ain't there somewhere we can stop for a break or something?" Jangmo-o sighed, trudging forward with his head slumped over. "Surely you know somewhere we can crash, right?"
A rock formed in Lycanroc's paw and he hurtled it into Jangmo-o's snout. "Owie! Not the schnozzle!" Jangmo-o squealed, eyes tearing up and snout throbbing. He dropped to the ground and rubbed his face against the dirt.
"Use your head for just a minute, you ditz," Lycanroc said. "We're wanted outlaws who got out of jail. Do you honestly think there's anywhere we can go?" He threw his paws up in exasperation. "Trust me, I'd love to go crawling back to bloody Cosmic Cavern, but Totem Decidueye ain't no dunce. He keeps up with outlaw postings. He'll turn us in without a second thought."
"Then what's the point of walking anywhere, huh?" Sneasel wondered. "If we've got bounties, then there's nowhere we can go that we'll be safe."
A smirk crossed Jangmo-o's face. "At least we've got bounties. That makes us hardened criminals! Nobody's gonna cross us anymore except dumb old Snowy."
"Will you shut your trap? You're as hard as wet paper, mate," Lycanroc sneered. "Can't even beat up a sorry Vulpix pup."
Rrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuuuuumble!
Jamgmo-o froze mid-step. "S… Sneasel? That was your tummy doing that, right?"
"Kweh? What are you talking about? I've got an iron stomach, it never growls!" Sneasel scoffed.
Jangmo-o winced. "Then what was that rumbling all about?"
A multicolored explosion knocked Team Fang skyward. All of them shouted in surprised, flailing their limbs around desperately. They fell back to the ground. Sneasel faceplanted, while Jangmo-o landed atop Lycanroc, his tail draped over Lycanroc's mane. Lycanroc's eyes widened.
"What the–?! Get your scaly ass out of my face, you stupid worm!" he barked. Lycanroc swatted Jangmo'o, knocking him to the ground.
"Oww! Hey, don't yell at me. That wasn't my fault!" Jangmo-o squealed.
"Well then what was that drivel all about, huh?" Lycanroc snarled.
Not here… no Hourglass…
Team Fang sat up in unison, stoic expressions on their faces. "Hey, Sneasel. Ain't that voice familiar?" Jangmo-o asked. Lycanroc tackled Jangmo-o to the ground, cupping a paw over Jangmo-o's snout. They all turned toward the large storm cloud, watching as a quartet of multicolored, crystalline limbs appeared.
"Mmmmffrrrgh hrrrkkk," Jangmo-o said, his voice muffled by Lycanroc's paw.
"That's… the Metagross guy from the guild that poisoned the berries," Sneasel gasped. Lycanroc turned around. His arms slackened in surprise, releasing Jangmo-o in the process.
"He's all sparkly and colorful now. Like he's made of gems," Jangmo-o said, a twinkle in his eyes. "We should totally try to rip off part of his hide and flip it for a profit!"
Metagross hovered out of the clouds. Team Fang's jaws dropped at the sight of the extra four limbs sticking out of his back and the large, crystal spike jutting out from his chin. His body had become completely translucent, allowing Team Fang to see rainbow energy swirling around Metagross' insides.
Hourglass… find… must get… Metagross muttered, his rainbow eyes twitching. He pivoted to face where Team Fang sat in the grass.
Sneasel's eyes widened. "W… whoa now! I didn't sign up for none of this! Jangmo-o… plan R… on the double!"
Metagross raised his upper limbs, which started glowing. "You don't need to tell me twice!" Jangmo-o squealed.
"Run away!" they shouted and sprinted back down the path.
Lycanroc's eyes widened. "H… hey! Where do you think you're going, mates? Don't just leave me here!" He sprinted off after them, stealing glances back at Metagross as he ran.
~Treasure Town~
Two Chatots stood on the shores of the town's beach. Infernape and Feraligatr were behind them, talking to Mawile. Several yards in front of them, Magearna's special barrier projected up from the water, filling the sky with a bright green glow. It reflected off the water, giving the Lapras stationed on the shoreline an ethereal appearance.
"… and so I'm asking for your permission, Elder Chatot," Lapras said. "I'd like to bring my family here and let them stay in that small alcove near Beach Cave." He gestured to his right with a flipper. "It wouldn't be long, hopefully. Just until we're sure it's safe." He looked expectantly at the Chatot on his left, whose feathers were duller and whose musical note head showed signs of graying.
"Say no more, Lapras. We would be more than happy to accommodate you for the time being," Chatot said, nodding repeatedly. "Isn't that right, Guildmaster?" He glanced over his right shoulder, where a Wigglytuff stood, eyes open wide and staring off into the distance. "Erm… Guildmaster?" Chatot repeated, waving his right wing.
"He's conked out, Dad," the younger Chatot said. Unlike his father, his beak was bright blue and he had a matching ribbon tied proudly around his neck.
"Oh dear," Elder Chatot sighed. "Cresselia, I hate to be a bother, but could you wake the Guildmaster? Gently, of course."
"Mwee hee hee hee! Why not let me take a crack at it, sir?"
Haunter materialized up from the beach next to Elder Chatot. Misdreavus and Drifloon appeared at his side. "I can wake him up... no problem!"
"Hrrrmph... absolutely not!" Elder Chatot squawked. "Magearna and Latias may have vouched for your team, but I've still got my eye on you, buster. Don't think I haven't forgotten the trouble you gave Sunflora and Exploud all those years ago. 'The Invincible Haunter'... pah!"
Haunter recoiled, flipping upside down. "Aww, come on, my outlaw days are far behind me. I've turned over a new leaf and everything! Isn't that right, you two?" He glanced at his teammates, who nodded along.
Elder Chatot fluttered his wings at Team Specter, shooing them backwards. "Even so, I have it on good authority you're still a bunch of tricksters. So, back away from the Guildmaster!"
"Boy, tough crowd," Haunter said, slumping over. "We never should've left Horizon."
"Golly, Haunter, I don't think we would've had to do that if you hadn't messed with Tapu Fini," Misdreavus said.
"Aww, come on! Swapping out an oran berry for an oren berry is a classic prank! How could she not have liked that?" Haunter complained.
"That's quite enough out of you lot," Elder Chatot said, putting a wing to his beak. "Cresselia, are you ready yet?"
Cresselia's blue, swan-like form floated out from behind Infernape and Feraligatr. Her eyes flashed blue. Moments later, Wigglytuff slowly blinked his eyes and yawned. He looked over at the Chatots and then at Lapras. "Oh, what's this, a friendly visit?" he asked. "Friendly visits are always welcome, especially from old friends!" He grinned at Lapras.
"Erm… Guildmaster… I was just saying that we would be happy to house Lapras and his family here in Treasure Town until the Prism Virus crisis passes," Elder Chatot exclaimed. "I trust you have no qualms about that?"
"Of course not. It'll be great having Lapras here," Wigglytuff declared, drawing surprised looks from Feraligatr, Infernape, and Mawile. "Friendly friends always make things better."
Both Chatots looked at each other, blinking. "Err… yes, of course," Blue-Beak said.
Lapras smiled. "Thank you all very much. I'm going to go get my family and bring them over. I should be back in a few hours, tops. The current's quite favorable today," he said, and then turned and sailed off. Lapras paddled through the water. Eventually, he reached the barrier. A small hole opened in it, allowing Lapras to pass. A tingle ran down his spine when he emerged on the other side and glanced the barrier closing behind him.
'I wonder how they got that to work, anyway,' Lapras wondered. He continued forward, with Treasure Town growing father and farther away. Lapras kept his speed steady, a small wake trailing out from the water behind him.
After about half an hour of swimming, Lapras lost sight of Treasure Town on the horizon. It was at this point that bubbles formed around Lapras. His brow furrowed. "Huh? Is someone down there?" he called out.
The bubbling was quickly replaced by a swirling torrent. Lapras gasped as a forceful current grabbed hold of his body and tossed him to the right. He swirled around the newly-formed whirlpool, yelping in pain as his body was dragged down toward the bright, purple portal lying at the center of the wormhole.
"Wh… what's going on heeeeeeeere?!" Lapras shouted. He slammed up against a jagged rock jutting out from the ocean floor. The blow left a bruise on his membranous neck. The whirlpool tossed him into several more rocks, each one eliciting a cry of pain.
"What's going on here… is that you're coming with me! Heeheeheehee!"
Lapras' eyes widened seconds before his body reached the edge of the portal. It sucked Lapras up and then disappeared. The whirlpool settled down, restoring the ocean to normal.
~Brine Cave Pit~
Salty water slowly lapped up against the cavern floor, leaving a dark outline against the brown rock. Sunlight trickled in through the opening out to the ocean, shining directly on the Relic Fragment insignia carved into the cave's wall. Water droplets trickled off the stalactites jutting out of the ceiling, creating soft pitter-patter noises that echoed through the cave.
But the tranquil scene was abruptly ruined by an Ultra Wormhole flickering into existence right over the Relic Fragment rune. The portal expanded, pulsating with intense bursts of white light. A terrified scream sent the wild Omastars crawling around on the ceiling fleeing up into higher floors of the cave. The portal flashed white and Lapras' bruised, scuffed-up body fell out of it. He struck the ground and tumbled across it, coming to a stop half a foot away from the water's edge.
Trembling, Lapras raised his head and glanced the small waves trickling up along the ground. He hopped forward, wincing in pain. "Have to… escape. Gotta get back to… Treasure Town. Tell the others that– Gnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Crrrraaaaack!
A powerful pink blast slammed Lapras' body against the ground. He shakily turned his head back and the color drained from his face when he realized the knobs had been blasted off his shell. Lapras' vision flickered, blurring his view of Necrozma, who now floated right behind him.
"What's this? Trying to run out on me, are you?" Necrozma asked. "And after I went through so much trouble to find you?" He shook his head disapprovingly. "Seriously… I wasted precious light tracking you down. Did you never think to make a second Relic Fragment? You mortals really don't plan for contingencies."
"Wh… what do you want… from me?" Lapras wheezed.
Necrozma grinned. "Isn't it obvious? You're Lapras. You give lifts across the sea. What do you think I want, fool?"
"I can't… I can't help you," Lapras coughed, eyes tearing up. "Please… you can fly. Leave me alone. I… I have a mate! And two kids!"
Necrozma teleported next to Lapras and grabbed his head. He yanked Lapras into the air, muffling his cries with his large black arm. Lapras dangled there, limbs flailing uselessly. "You think a sob story about some family I've never met is really going to make me go away? If they were really so important, why weren't you with them when I found you, huh?"
He leaned in to Lapras' horrified face. "Are you really a loving father? Or do you just show up sporadically and give your kids empty, meaningless platitudes about how much they mean to you? Considering how often you ferry explorers around the world, I bet it's the latter. You're just another buoy floating uselessly in the sea of pathetic, miserable parents."
"Mfffrgh! Rrrrghhh!" Lapras grunted loudly. Necrozma unceremoniously dropped him to the ground, where Lapras landed in a heap.
"You want to know what my favorite part of school was?" Necrozma asked, floating up to the edge of the water and spreading his wings to block Lapras from moving forward. "The field trips! I loved the changes of scenery and the freedom they brought. No homework… no studying for tests. Not to mention, getting to sit in the back of the bus with Shane and keep to our own devices without any obnoxious classmates butting in and judging us."
Lapras stared up at Necrozma in confusion. "I don't... know what you're talking about," he wheezed.
"Don't you get it?" Necrozma bellowed, grin widened. "You're here to help me recreate that magical feeling... and give me some tasty light to blunt this pain, in the process."
"What are you–?" Lapras started, only for Necrozma to bring his black arms crashing down. They connected with Lapras' shell, splintering it. Lapras' eyes widened. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. His eyes blanked and the colors on his body darkened. Necrozma raised his hands, tracing pentagrams in the air with his claws.
Two large black chains shot out of the ground. Necrozma grabbed them and yanked them into the air. He whipped them down onto Lapras, where they attached to the large crack in the middle of Lapras' shell. Necrozma's red eyes flashed and the Relic Fragment rune glowed the same color. A white beam shot out toward the water, creating a small twinkle far off in the distance.
Necrozma floated higher into the air, gripping the chains like a pair of reins. Lapras' body seized up. Necrozma flew forward, jerking Lapras into the water with a small splash. Lapras swam forward, Necrozma controlling his limbs with the chains.
"Heeheeheehee! Next stop… the Sea of Time!"
End of Episode 11
Necrozma is parodying Shakespeare and then quotes Dusknoir from the Explorers games verbatim. That's about the best source citing I can do for this chapter. Onto replies!
SuperOmegaGuest: in Shane's defense, he doesn't have experience with a lot of Ninetales. He was always more of an Arcanine guy, anyway. Whether or not he evolves, though, you'll have to stick around and find out.
Another guest: technically speaking, we're a long ways off from chapter 69, since bonus parts don't factor into the numbering. That chapter's already planned out it's gonna be a tear-jerker, so you'll want some tissues on standby.
Anon Omega: as you can see, they're involved in this, too.
Shawn vermilion: assuming you see this, I'm not quite sure what you're referring to, here. You'll have to be more specific.
That's all for now. Next time: grab your spelunking equipment, because we're off to Cosmic Cavern!