Chapter 58: Settling a Sibling Rivalry

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to go after them!" Silvally barked. He marched toward the Mystery Dungeon's entrance, only for Totem Decidueye to step into his path and hold up a wing.

"Not so fast," he said. "Those two might've gotten by me, but I'm still Totem around here. I will not have a… uh…" His voice trailed off and he stared at Silvally in abject confusion. "Actually, what the heck even are you?" He glanced over at Team Paradox. "One of their cohorts, perhaps? I'll admit… I still don't fully understand what's going on. Gallian refused to explain anything. But I'm not letting anyone else run off into the Depths."

"He is not affiliated with us!" Sticky blurted out, clinging frightfully to Luxeira's harness. "That is a Beast Killer and you must get it away from me right this second!"

Silvally turned and narrowed his eyes at Sticky. This only made Sticky cling tighter to Luxeira. "You need to cut that out. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm worried about Tessa," he said. "So, if you're not going to offer anything to help us out, then stand aside and let some real explorers handle this."

Sticky looked at Luxeira in a panic. "You can't let him go in there. He will sense Gallian's ultra aura and fly into a berserk rage."

"No, I won't!" Silvally snapped, stomping a foreleg on the ground. His cheek bolts spun in their sockets. "You're wrong about me. I'm stable. I've gotten everything under control. Your hostility's not helping anyone."

"Wait, Gallian has an ultra aura?" Shane gasped. "So, we're sure he has the Prism Virus?"

Sticky refused to answer that question, turning his back on Team Radiance. Luxeira chomped down on his tail and spun him around to face the group. "Buck up, Sticky. That's an order."

"C… captain?" Sticky stammered.

"Everyone needs to step back and take a deep breath," Luxeira said. "You've let the events of the past few days rile you up. Team Paradox is still an Ultra Recon Squad unit. When there are problems stemming from uncontrolled Z-Power, it's our job to investigate."

Shane cocked his head in confusion. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up a second. I only got, like, half the stuff you were saying, there. What's this about Ultra Recon Squads?"

Luxeira sighed. "I'm afraid it's a long and complicated story. One that's better told in a less dire situation." She stepped toward Team Radiance. "To keep things brief, I'll just say that, yes, Gallian is afflicted by the same corrupted Z-Power other Pokémon here have succumbed to. Luckily, we managed to get a hold of him before his ultra aura ran out of control. We fitted him with our extra harness. It suppresses ultra auras and negates Z-Power."

Espeon frowned. "But if it negates Z-Power, then how can we purge the Prism Virus from his system?"

"We're still investigating if that's possible," Luxeira replied.

"But it is possible!" Espeon exclaimed. "I'm living proof!"

Luxeira looked at Espeon in confusion. "Wait, have we met before?"

"Yes. In Sunrise Village. I attacked Gallian while I was under the Prism Virus' influence," Espeon admitted.

"Oh my," Luxeira gasped. "I'm sorry. I should've recognized you sooner. It's just, your energy patterns are nothing like they used to be. I figured you were a different Espeon." She turned to Shane and Silvally. "Does that mean you know how to get rid of the Prism Virus?"

"Yes," Shane said. "We're pretty confident that if we knock an infected Pokémon out using a Z-Move, that removes the Prism Virus. It's already worked a few times." He held up his left foreleg. "This looplet lets me use a Z-Move. Tessa and Espeon have them, too."

Sticky floated up to Shane, his visor flashing. "Ah, he's right! They're both giving off significant Z-Power readings, captain!"

"You have Naturia Looplets?" Totem Decidueye gasped. He stepped back from the group and pecked at his shoulder in thought. "Hmm… what to do? I don't want more folks going into the Cavernous Depths with the state it's in. But if the Tapu have judged you worthy, that's another matter entirely. I would be betraying my position by slighting them."

"Please, sir. You have to let us through," Shane begged. "We're with the Horizon Guild, see?" He pivoted to show the explorer's badge on his bandana. "This wouldn't be the first time we've been in a warped dungeon. Plus, we really need to get in there. One of–" He cut himself off and frowned. "Oh, wait, if Gallian's in there, I guess that means two of the Dawn Shards are in there. And we really need to get them!"

"Dawn Shards?" Totem Decidueye raised an eyebrow. "As in… the Dawn Hourglass? It's really broken?"

"And Gallian just ran off into the Cavernous Depths with a piece of it," Silvally said. "Now do you understand why we need to get in there?"

"Absolutely!" Totem Decidueye exclaimed. "This is extremely serious. I would have liked to formulate some sort of plan, but it looks like that can't be helped." He turned over his shoulder and shouted, "Lycanroc, get out here!"

Shane's tails shot between his legs in alarm. "Di… did he just say… Lyacanroc?" He shuffled next to Silvally, whining loudly. But to his surprise, the wolf that appeared look nothing like the one he had a falling out with. She stood on four paws and her lithe body was a bright, gaudy shade of orange. However, her white mane greatly resembled Midnight Lycanroc's, right down to the brown, rocky tip. "Wait, that can't be Lycanroc. It looks completely different," Shane said. "What's going on here?"

The new Lycanroc sized Shane up. "You're yanking my tail, right? How can you be in the guild and not know Lycanrocs have three different forms?"

"Uh… um…" Shane stammered. "I'm human, so…"

"Guys, we really don't have time for this," Silvally cut in. "That's a Dusk Lycanroc, Shane. There, satisfied?" Shane nodded, but stayed close to Silvally.

"You can call me Dusk if it makes it easier." She turned to Totem Decidueye. "What did you need me for, chief?"

"I need your help to take this group into the Cavernous Depths," Totem Decidueye exclaimed.

Dusk's eyes widened. "I thought no one was allowed in there." She turned around and stiffened upon seeing the busted barricade. "Oh… we've got trouble, huh?"

Totem Decidueye nodded. "It's Gallian. You remember him, right?"

"Of course I do," Dusk said. "He finally came back?"

"Guys, seriously?" Silvally growled. "Every second we're talking is time we're wasting!" He stomped toward the tunnel. "We've got to hurry up! Tessa could be utterly lost in there, for all we know!"

His teammates nodded their agreement and filed along after him. "You two coming?" Totem Decidueye asked, looking at Team Paradox.

"Absolutely," Luxeira replied, much to Sticky's chagrin.

~Cavernous Depths~

"Will you… please hold up… for a second?"

Zoroark staggered to a stop, sweat frazzling his already-disheveled mane. He leaned against a nearby rock slab. Tessa turned around, an impatient look on her face. "I didn't ask you to follow me down here, you know. You're really in no condition to be waltzing through a Mystery Dungeon," she said. "I have to catch up to Gallian!"

"I want to help him, too!" Zoroark insisted, hunching over as he struggled to catch his breath. "Besides, you don't know this place like I do. When I was a sentry, I did patrols down here with Gallian." He slowly righted himself. "And I can tell you already that something's very wrong here."

"Really? You mean the part of the ground we passed that gave way to a giant pool of water dropping off into an abyss isn't a normal part of this place?" Tessa scoffed. "I've already dealt with stuff like this. We just have to grin and bear it."

"Well, I haven't," Zoroark exclaimed. "So, this is all pretty surprising to me." His eyes suddenly widened and he lunged for Tessa, shouting, "And so is that!" He wrapped a startled Tessa up in his arms, wincing from her chest spike, and fell back onto the ground. Tessa landed on top of him.

"What the heck was that for?" she barked.

WHAM!

Tessa yipped and jumped to her feet, landing on Zoroark's chest in the process, much to his discomfort. She looked over her shoulder and her aura feelers shot up in surprise the moment she glimpsed the giant, spiked metal crusher that had dropped from the ceiling and smashed into the spot where she previously stood. The crusher was covered in yellow and black stripes and had flashing red lights all around it. Her tail twitched in fright.

"Dear gods," Tessa whispered, "what is that thing?"

"No idea," Zoroark croaked, rubbing his chest and groaning in pain. "But if this place is filled with stuff like that, then we can't just charge on ahead. We'll be walking into certain death." The crusher detached from the ground and slowly retracted back into the ceiling. Tessa grabbed Zoroark around his wrists and ran forward, dragging him along with her. "Ow… ow! Hey, hold up! You're hurting me!"

"We don't have time to hold up," Tessa growled. "Did you even listen to yourself? If you and I don't know about these traps, then that means Gallian's probably just as confused! The longer we leave him on his own, the greater the chance of something bad happening to him. Now, come on!"

"Will you at least let go of me?" Zoroark huffed. Tessa released her grip and started running off without a second thought. Zoroark's shoulders sagged. "Wait up! I didn't mean for you to just ditch me like that! Seriously?"

"I'm not ditching you. I'm trying to scout ahead," Tessa exclaimed. She paused and climbed up onto a stalagmite, scanning the area. "Just what happened here?" she wondered. There were the typical hallmarks of a cave: rocks everywhere, with some random light crystals embedded in the walls, floor and ceiling. But unlike Cosmic Cavern, the rocks in the Depths were a dark shade of lavender. They had small twinkling lights inside them, making Tessa feel like she was completely surrounded by the night sky.

The uniformity of the dungeon only served to make the things that weren't normal in the cave brazenly stick out. Up ahead of her, parts of the rocky floor had disappeared entirely. Pools of water sat in their places and shot up into the ceiling, forming columns maintained by some unseen force.

"None of this makes any sense," Tessa growled, digging her paws into the stalagmite. "In what universe can a body of water suspend itself into a pillar like that?"

"Beats me," Zoroark said, looking at the upcoming parts of the tunnel with a frown on his face. "Tapu Bulu would never do something like this. If he did, Totem Decidueye would surely know about it." He crossed his arms and scowled. "Just what is going on here?"

"I think I've got a pretty good idea, but that explanation's gonna have to come later," Tessa said. She hopped off the stalagmite and sprinted forward, arms out by her sides. "Come on! At this rate, we're gonna fall behind him!"

"Unnngh, seriously?" Zoroark groaned, rubbing his left thigh. "Sprinting through here won't do us any good. It won't be long before we're gonna hit branching paths. And there could be more traps waiting to be sprung."

No sooner did Zoroark finish saying that then Tessa stepped on a part of the rocky ground. It glowed bright red beneath her foot. The area in front of her suddenly erupted in two bursts of dust and debris. Tessa barked in surprise and fell back on her rear. Her aura feelers immediately tightened and her ears folded against her face.

Whiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrr!

Tessa looked up to find two red, mechanical arms sticking out of the newly-made holes in the ground. Each one was topped by a spinning circular buzz saw. The arms rotated so the blades faced Tessa, then shot toward her. Tessa screamed and scooted back along the ground. The saws impacted inches in front of her, shaving off strands of black fur from the sole of her left foot. Aura feelers throbbing, Tessa looked down at her foot to confirm it was still in one piece.

"Don't just sit there gawking! Get up! Do something!" Zoroark shouted, pointing frantically ahead of him. Tessa continued to stare dumbstruck at the buzz saws, which had detached from their arms and were now revving up in the ground. Just as they started to move forward with the intent of slicing through Tessa's legs, a fireball struck each one of them, melting them into slag.

Tessa scrambled to her feet, backpedaling from the molten metal as it spread out and cooled. "Okay, even by Prism Virus standards this is nuts," she said, shivering wildly.

"Were you listening to me? Why'd you freeze up?" Zoroark growled, walking up to her. "You're a Lucario, for pity's sake!"

Tessa wheeled on Zoroark "Hello! I just evolved yesterday, remember? I don't have any ranged attacks to deal with those things!"

Zoroark's jaw slackened. "Seriously? And you just thought it'd be a good idea to charge into this Mystery Dungeon without any backup?"

Tessa bit her lip. "Okay, so this wasn't exactly my finest moment. But it's too late to turn back now. I'm not willing to risk something bad happening to Gallian! Now, come on!" She waved Zoroark forward and the two continued ahead, minding the holes in the ground. The mechanical arms had ducked back inside them, much to Tessa's relief.

However, they got about half way toward the clearing at the end of the tunnel when said mechanical arms popped back out of the ground, wielding fresh buzz saws. "Oh crap! Run, run, run!" Tessa shouted, ducking her head down and sprinting forward. Zoroark turned and spewed a wall of fire behind him. But this time, the blades were spinning so fast they dispelled the flames. With a look of disbelief, Zoroark stumbled after Tessa.

The arms placed their blades into the ground and they shot toward the duo. Zoroark's eyes widened. He braced himself, expecting the blades to run through him. Instead, Tessa grabbed hold of him and yanked him to the side. They both fell down into the clearing, watching the spinning blades shoot right past them. Tessa scrambled to her feet and pointed both her paws forward.

"Go, Aura Sphere!" she shouted, aura feelers rising and eyes flashing blue. However, blue flames meekly flickered around her paws, then quickly subsided. "Oh, come on! That's not fair!" she groaned. The saw blades made their ways across the clearing and climbed toward the ceiling.

"They're coming back around!" Zoroark panicked. He looked around the room, scowling. "Arrrgh! There's too many different ways to go! How are we supposed to find Gallian like this?"

Tessa glanced up at the buzz saws moving around the ceiling. She grabbed Zoroark and shoved him toward the spacious room's corner. The buzz saws descended from the ceiling and once again harmlessly passed them by. Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. 'Come on, aura sense. Show me something. Anything that'll give me a hint about Gallian!'

Her aura sight activated. With each beat of her racing heart, Tessa saw ripples of ley lines spreading out all around her. She gasped, nearly losing her concentration. 'Focus, Tessa! Look for Gallian!'

"Hey, what are you doing? Those blades are making another pass," Zoroark said, tugging at Tessa's shoulder. She swatted his arm away and scrunched her face up.

"Come on… come on…" she whispered. Zoroark turned to run away from Tessa when her eyes shot open. "Over there!" Tessa shouted, pointing to the tunnel behind them. "Gallian went that way!" She scooped Zoroark up in her arms, much to his complete surprise, and hopped over the buzz saws as they descended from the ceiling. This time, however, they spun around on the ground and doubled back toward her. "This is getting ridiculous!" Tessa groaned, running for the tunnel. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I have an idea!" Zoroark said. "How strong of a swimmer are you?"

Tessa blanched. "I… I can't swim," she squeaked.

Zoroark frowned. "Then you're just gonna have to trust me… and hold your breath."

"Wait, what's that supposed to me– AGGGH!"

Zoroark jumped out of Tessa's arms and kicked her in the back. Tessa stumbled forward, entering a suspended column of water with a loud splash. Zoroark sucked in a breath and lunged in after her. He wrapped his arm around the thrashing Lucario's neck and scissor-kicked his legs, propelling them higher in the column. The buzz blades charged into the water after them. In doing so, their blades interlocked, jamming both of them. Zoroark swam forward, reaching the end of the water column. He dropped down to the ground and released Tessa.

Tessa stumbled forward, coughing loudly. Cold water streamed off her sopping fur, forming a puddle around her. Zoroark didn't look much better, with his wet mane plastered against his face. "Wh… what the heck?" Tessa sputtered. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No. But I needed a way to get rid of those blades," Zoroark replied. He hunched down on all fours and shook himself out. Tessa yowled in protest, throwing her arms up over her face. Zoroark ignored her glare and looked behind him, confirming the buzz saws had been stopped. "It worked, didn't it?"

Tessa looked at the stalled blades and bit her lip. "I guess so," she said. "But why did it have to involve going for a dip?" She tried to shake out her limbs, but it did little to dry her off given the cave's damp atmosphere.

"You think I wanted to do that?" Zoroark huffed. He flicked his mane around and it smacked against his rear. "This thing gets rather heavy when it's wet. And it's a right headache to deal with."

Tessa rolled her eyes at Zoroark's pun. "Well, hopefully we can just blast apart any more blades that we come across."

WHAM!

"Oh, for crying out loud! What is wrong with this miserable cave?!"

Tessa's aura feelers tightened up. "That's Gallian!" she realized. "Come on!" She waved Zoroark along and the two of them took off down the tunnel. In the process, they were forced to dive through two more water columns. Tessa again relied on Zoroark to get her through them. After the second water tunnel, another metal crusher came into view. Gallian stood in front of it, an annoyed look on his face.

"Move, you useless hunk of metal!" Gallian snarled, swiping the crusher with his serrated horn. It clanged off the crusher. The noise sent Gallian stumbling back. Likewise, Tessa's and Zoroark's ears scrunched up in displeasure.

"Gallian, cut it out!" Tessa called. Gallian turned around, regaining his frenzied look from before he ran off into the dungeon.

"Get away from me!" Gallian snarled. He thrust his head up and glowing pink crescents arced toward Tessa. She dropped back behind Zoroark, who let the attacks harmlessly strike him. Gallian growled disdainfully, digging his claws into the rock.

"Gallian, please. Don't do this," Zoroark begged. "We don't want to hurt you. All we want to do is talk."

"Liar!" Gallian roared. "You brought her here. I can't trust you anymore!" He vanished in a swirl of dark shadows. Tessa was unable to see him against the darker backdrop of the Cavernous Depths, but her aura feelers tensed, tugging her head to her right. Without much thought, Tessa turned to her right, aura swirling around her right paw and obscuring the mark burned in her fur. Just as Gallian rematerialized, she struck him on the nose with her palm. Gallian hit the wall and scrambled backwards, whining in surprise.

Tessa looked at her outstretched paw in horror. She held it behind her back. "Gallian, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to–"

Gallian's eyes flashed red with rage. "I knew it! You're just like her now! I want you gone, do you hear me? Get out of my life!" His forehead gem crackled with dark energy. Tessa dropped to her belly right as a black energy beam with red stripes surrounding it shot forward. Zoroark was left completely vulnerable. The attack blindsided him, striking his chest and leaving a smoldering mark in his fur.

Zoroark staggered back, gasping in surprise. After he took two steps, ever muscle in his body locked up, freezing the shocked expression on his face. Gallian's face blanked. Tessa used the opportunity to smack his sternum with a flaming-blue paw. Gallian fell backwards, tumbling down the tunnel and coming to a rest against the metal crusher. The moment he felt cold steel on his back, he scrambled to his feet.

Tessa bounced up, only for her aura feelers to shoot up in panic at the sight of Zoroark. She looked down at Gallian in complete shock. "You… you petrified him!" she gasped. Her eyes slowly widened. "You were… going to petrify me! What the–? How the–?"

The metal crusher started to retract into the ceiling. "I don't owe you any explanations!" Gallian shouted. "Not when you're looking like that… like Mom!" He squeezed himself underneath the crusher. Tessa's eyes narrowed. She shoved Zoroark against the wall, the impact freeing him from the petrification.

"Hurry up! We're gonna lose him again!" she cried, beckoning him forward. The two of them dashed down the tunnel. But Tessa noticed the crusher was about to reach the ceiling. She grabbed Zoroark by the mane and flung him out into the clearing. Then she tucked her head in, spread her arms out, and propelled herself forward with a sudden burst of speed.

WHAM!

The crusher slammed into the ground seconds after Tessa ran into the clearing. "Gallian, stop!" she shouted, seeing him running toward the tunnel on the far side of the room. She reared her paw back, producing a stun seed, and hurled it at her brother. Gallian whirled around, scythe brimming with psychic energy. But Zoroark acted quicker, blowing a stream of fire that forced Gallian to retreat. The stun seed struck the tip of Gallian's nose. His joints immediately locked up, leaving him standing there with a disdainful glare on his face.

Tessa walked forward, a frown etched on her face. "Why do you keep trying push me away, Gallian? I'm your sister! I don't want to hurt you!" she said, voice straining. "And what's with the comparisons to Mom? Is it because I'm a Lucario now?"

Gallian tried to move his mouth, but his muscles twitched unresponsively. "Let me guess," Zoroark growled, hunching low to catch his breath, "you won't tell us anything because 'it'll bring disaster on you!'" He leered at Gallian. "I can't believe that this is what you've turned into."

Zoroark's shoulders sagged. "You said I was more important than your disaster sense… that's why you rescued me that night out on the ridge! I believed you! I… I…" He shut his eyes and shook his head. "You were my soulmate! We were supposed to have a life together! You were the first Pokémon… the first one who accepted me for me! And then you threw that all away! Why, Gallian?"

Again, Gallian tried to move. But the effects of the stun seed kept him rooted to the spot. Zoroark limped up to Gallian, orange energy running down his right foot. He swept his right leg around, kicking Gallian's shins as hard as he could. Zoroark's kick swept Gallian off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground. Zoroark immediately fell on Gallian, locking the Absol's forelegs up with his arms.

"Nnnrrrrgh! Get… off of… me!" Gallian howled, thrashing on the ground. His scythe flickered with bug-shaped bits of green energy, but he couldn't point it in Zoroark's direction. Tessa watched the scene unfold with a growing look of concern.

"Not until… you answer me!" Zoroark panted. He kneed Gallian's back, drawing out a pained howl. Tessa's aura feelers crinkled, sensing Gallian's pain. "Why did you leave me behind?"

"I had to," Gallian said. Tessa recognized the black shadows overtaking his eyes. With a twinge of regret, she socked Gallian in the snout with an electrified fist. The contact broke Gallian's concentration, preventing him from shadow melding to escape Zoroark's grasp.

"That's not a good enough answer, Gallian!" Zoroark snarled. "Why did you leave me?"

Gallian's breathing quickened. His pupils dilated and he opened his mouth wide, showing off gleaming fangs. Red energy spilled out of his eyes. Electricity surged across his fur. Zoroark yelped, his grip slackening. Gallian dissolved into a cloud of shadows that raced behind Zoroark. He reformed and speared Zoroark in the back with a bright-green horn.

"Because I didn't want to die!" Gallian cried.

Zoroark's eyes widened in agony. He fell to the ground, gripping his back, and passed out immediately. Gallian stood over Zoroark's unconscious body, eyes hollow and fur bristling with electricity like a Pikachu's cheek-pouches. "G… Gallian!" Tessa gasped, aura feelers throbbing. She looked down at Zoroark, and then back up at her brother.

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Gallian shouted. "You…" He narrowed his eyes at Tessa. "You're just like Mom. Just like she was… when she tried to kill me!" Gallian ran forward, melting into a wave of shadows mid-stride. Tessa staggered backwards, utterly unsure of how she could stop him. Blue aura encased her paws. She raised them up, scrunching her face and grunting in concentration. But the aura failed to coalesce into an attack. Seconds later, Gallian's shadowy scythe raked her shoulder, leaving a noticeable gash.

Tessa stumbled backward, clutching a paw to her bleeding shoulder. Her eyes went wide and the throbbing in her aura feelers intensified. She shakily grabbed an oran berry out of her bag and smooshed it against her wound, making a liquid sealant. But when she looked back at Gallian, she saw him charging up to use his energy beam attack again. He fired right at her. Tessa dove to her right, hitting the ground and rolling back to her feet.

She pulled a sleep seed out from her bag and threw it. Tessa didn't expect it to hit, but it did manage to preoccupy Gallian. Again, she thrust her paws forward, trying to reach into her reserves of energy and call on her new aura powers. However, she got no response, leaving Gallian time to prepare to strike again.

"Wait!" she begged, throwing her paws up. "We don't have to fight like this, Gallian. Please! Just… just talk to me. Why did you say that Mom tried to kill you? Did you notice that something was wrong with her, perhaps? That maybe she wasn't acting herself?"

"Idiot! You know nothing!" Gallian roared. He zigzagged toward her, readying to strike with his black scythe. Tessa gathered aura around her paws and thrust them into Gallian's scythe. The blows knocked each battler back. Gallian bounced to his feet quicker than Tessa did. "I found her… in the valley near these mountains. And she… she flew off the handle at me!" Gallian said, energy gathering in his forehead diamond. Tessa took off running around the edge of the room. Gallian anticipated her movements and fired a beam ahead of her.

But to his shock, Tessa saw his trick coming. She doubled back toward him, using blinding speeds to close the gap between them. An electric fist struck Gallian's diamond. The sight of it shattering brought a frown to Tessa's face. Gallian stumbled backward, the blow rippling through his body. His eyes narrowed in rage. Tessa immediately found herself on the defensive, trying to duck swipes of his pitch-black horn and turn him away with a palm strike. After pushing her halfway across the clearing, Gallian slashed her chest. His horn clanged off her metal spike and he stepped back.

Tessa's eyes fell to the expanding bloodstain on her black and tan fur. She threw her left paw over the wound and shuffled back, producing a berry in her other paw. "Gallian, how could you do this? I'm your sister. Why are you trying to kill me?" she said.

Eyes twitching manically, Gallian dug his claws into the ground. "I want you out of my life. You… you're bringing disaster. Lucarios are scum! They've made my life an endless nightmare! They…" He shot a despondent look at Zoroark. "Mom used Zoroark as the tipping point… the excuse she needed to try and kill me!"

Tessa smashed the berry against her chest and hunched over, trying to catch her breath. "I still don't understand. I mean… I know now that she's Zero. Are you saying Zero tried to kill you?" she asked

"Who's Zero? It was Mom!" Gallian shouted. Pink crescents raced toward Tessa. She rolled to her right, wincing from the pain in her chest and shoulder. Tessa arrived beside Zoroark and hastily stuffed a tiny reviver seed into his mouth. Zoroark's eyes shot open and he sat up, coughing loudly. His eyes fell on Tessa, widening at her injuries. Gallian noticed Zoroark was awake. He thrashed his head about in a poor imitation of Silvally when his helmet was on.

"I told you… Mom never cared about us," Gallian growled, crouching low to the ground. "I heard her… I heard her call me a mistake. I heard her call us mistakes." He glanced at Zoroark. "She saw Zoroark running over and embracing me. Next thing I know, she's screaming about how disgraceful I am. How her life's ruined. And then crystal blades flew right at me."

"Cry… crystal blades…" Zoroark gasped. Tessa looked back at him in alarm. Gallian seized on the opportunity and shot a red energy beam toward Tessa's head. She fell onto her back, stretching out her good arm to drag Zoroark down with her.

"It was Zero, then," Tessa gasped. "Gallian, you have to listen to me. I–"

Gallian stomped toward them, his fur crackling. Tessa cut herself off. "Zoroark took the attack for me." Tears welled up in his eyes. "Can you imagine it? Falling to the ground, watching blades draw the blood of the Pokémon you love? Feeling like a failure… like you couldn't protect him… like you brought disaster upon him?"

Zoroark stiffened. "No. Absols don't bring disasters. It's superstition," he whispered.

"It's not!" Gallian keened. He lunged for Tessa, claws outstretched. Tessa retaliated with a glowing palm to Gallian's underbelly, knocking him backwards. "Look at yourself. I did that to you!" Gallian shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I just sat there… useless. I couldn't move. I couldn't attack. I just watched… watched Mom shoot this beam toward me. It felt like something was trying to rip me apart from my insides. Next thing I know, I'm in this weird harness, Zoroark is gone, and those two alien weirdos are by my side."

Tessa's eyes slowly widened. "You really are infected," she realized. Tessa threw her paws up. "Gallian, please listen to me for a minute! I know this all sounds bad, but I know why Mom did this. She's being controlled, by an evil Ultra Beast called Necrozma!"

Gallian's eyes flashed with rage. "You mean that dumb 'Lightless Black' thing my partners keep harping on about?" He shook his head. "You're deluding yourself, Tessa. I was there in the guild with her. Mom always hated us, but she liked Dad. So, she had to pretend she was a kind, loving mother." He stomped a forepaw on the ground. "Don't be dumb. Think about it! I know you hated your aura training sessions. You always told me how mean you thought Mom was being."

The realization was a figurative stab in Tessa's chest. "I… but… she always told me that it was necessary. That that's how Riolus are supposed to learn." Her face scrunched up, recalling how she had lamented the way Prisma made her feel bad. 'Gallian's right,' she concluded.

"Okay… so maybe that's true. I still think there's some good inside her," Tessa said. "Otherwise, she never would have worked as hard as she did for the guild. We can free her from Necrozma… together!" She took a step toward him, offering a paw. "Gallian, I know how to make what Mom did go away. I can cure you with Z-Power."

"That won't work," Gallian snarled, stepping back from her. "This harness blocks Z-Power. It's the only thing that's keeping me from completely losing control!"

"You've already lost control! Please take it off and let me use my Z-Move. I promise, I can fix this!" Tessa said. "Give me a chance."

Gallian looked toward the ground, then to Zoroark, and then back toward Tessa. His eyes turned pitch-black and his scythe flared up with dark energy. Tessa gasped, hopping backwards to dodge Gallian's slash. "Back off!" Gallian howled. "You want to take my harness off? I knew it! You're trying to drag me into the pit of disaster with you!" He again slashed at her. Tessa sucked in a breath and Gallian's swipe missed her by inches.

"Gallian, stop!" she begged.

"No!" Gallian snarled. "We can't work together, because we're not good for each other! All we'll do is bring endless disasters upon ourselves! And you know exactly why!" He dissolved into shadows, which blanketed Tessa, drawing a frightened cry.

Zoroark took a step toward the black cloud, only for Gallian to reform with Tessa pinned to the ground. The serrated part of Gallian's scythe lay against the tip of her snout. "Trust your sister, Gallian," Zoroark pleaded. "Do it for me!"

"I won't!" Gallian barked defiantly. "I don't trust her to cure me of whatever Mom did. Because she's a failure… just like me!"

Tessa abruptly stopped squirming. "W… what did you just call me?"

"You heard me! We're failures!" Gallian spat. "Every time we've tried to put our best paws forward, we've missed the mark… ruining lives in the process!" He looked at Zoroark. "That's why we need to stay as far away from each other as possible. No good will come from us working together. Only disaster."

"That's quite enough!"

An ectoplasmic arrow whizzed through the air. Gallian hopped off his sister, dodging it. But the arrow looped around and embedded itself in the ground. Purple wisps raced out of it and struck Gallian's left flank. He growled in displeasure, shaking out his fur. "What the–?"

Zoroark looked to the end of the clearing he and Tessa had come from. Team Radiance stood there, flanked by the other folks he had encountered in the village. Totem Decidueye was at the head of the group, holding up his wing as a makeshift bow. "How did you all find us?" Zoroark gasped.

"I tracked your scents with Odor Sleuth," Dusk boasted. "And the big guy here could sense your auras." She rapped a paw on Silvally's knee. He trilled happily, brandishing his bright pink head crest for Zoroark to see.

"Tessa? Tessa! Are you okay?" Shane cried, running forward.

"Get back!" Tessa shouted, making Shane jump. She slowly got to her feet, arms trembling and paws balled up into fists. "I don't want any of you getting involved!"

"Are you nuts?" Dusk cried. "You're clearly in rough shape, girl!"

"I said stay back!" Tessa snarled, whirling around to show the blue flames burning in her irises. The sigil on her right paw crackled with white light, leading aura wisps to swirl around Tessa's palms.

'It's just like back at the Volcanic Wastes,' Shane realized, tails twisted in worry. 'All those pent-up frustrations are finally bursting out of her!'

"You," Tessa seethed, turning toward Gallian. "You ran out on me! You left me alone… when I needed someone with me! And now you're just going to stand there and call me a failure? Do you have any idea what I've been through since you left? Do you?!"

"That stuff doesn't matter," Gallian growled. "My disaster sense tells me everything I need to know."

"No, it doesn't!" Tessa shrieked. She bolted forward, striking Gallian's ribs with her knee. The wind rushed out of him, as did a mouthful of spittle. Gallian fell to the floor, groaning in pain. "I'm done sitting around listening to you talk down to me!" She lunged for Gallian, striking his harness with a glowing palm. "I'm done letting Pokémon walk all over me!" Tessa shouted, hitting his harness again. The crystals started to splinter. A glowing orange rock flew out of the harness, landing by Espeon.

"I've got the Sizzle Shard!" she shouted, scooping it up into her small satchel. Warmth spread across her flank and her fur tingled.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sticky gasped. "If you break that harness, he's going to lose control and succumb to the Prism Virus!"

"No, he won't!" Tessa thundered. She stood up and cupped her paws together. "Because I'm tired of people telling me I can't succeed!"

Tessa thrust her paws at Gallian. A sphere of fiery aura gathered between them and shot forward. It hit the central gem in Gallian's harness and exploded in a brilliant blue blaze. Shane and Silvally shot each other alarmed looks. They were about to rush forward when Espeon stepped in their path. "Don't get involved," she said, looking toward Tessa. "This is something she wants to do for herself."

The dust cleared, revealing Gallian writhing about on the floor. His harness lay in pieces all around him. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Sticky gasped, visor going askew. "The harness. Our technology! She totally trashed it!" He whirled on Luxeira. "Captain, how can you be so calm in this situation? That was some of the last bits of our home we had left!"

"I'm sorry, Gallian. But this is for your own good!" Tessa shouted. She crossed her arms in front of her face. The winged heart flickered with rainbow light, and then her Naturia Looplet flared to life. Orange energy surrounded Tessa, forcing her friends to look away. Gallian glanced up at her, terror etched on his face. Before he had the chance to escape, Tessa vanished. A pillar of crimson energy erupted all around Gallian. He screamed as paws and feet slammed into every square inch of his body, knocking him about like a rag doll.

After several seconds, the blows ceased. Gallian slumped over, out for the count. The purple arrow sitting in the center of the room dematerialized. Tessa stood over Gallian, her back turned to the group. Orange steam trailed off her body, making her aura feelers flow like locks of hair in the wind. After a few seconds, she turned around and knelt down. The glow faded from her eyes and her marked paw. A relieved expression washed over her face.

"It's gone… the Prism Virus is gone," Tessa said. "Look. His scythe isn't messed up anymore!"

A flood of relief washed across everyone's faces, especially Zoroark's. He lumbered forward, nearly falling to his knees. "You can wake him up, right?"

"Yeah," Tessa said, scooping up a tiny reviver seed. She opened Gallian's mouth and shoved it inside. A few moments passed, then Gallian's eyes shot open. He clubbed Tessa across the cheek with the flat of his scythe. "Ow!" she hollered, putting a paw on her cheek. "What the heck was that for?"

"Get away from me!" Gallian shouted, his eyes widened in primal fear. He scrambled to his feet, booking it toward the nearest tunnel. "All of you… stay away!"

"Oh, come on! Seriously? This routine again?" Shane groaned. This time, he ran forward without hesitation. Silvally closed the gap the quickest of the group, but it was too late. Gallian disappeared down the tunnel. Moments later, his screams of terror echoed through the room.

"So nice of you to join me down here, Gallian! I've been looking forward to our reunion!"

Panic spread across Silvally's face. "That was Milotic!" he realized.

Shane's eyes bugged out. "Wait, there's still the Subterranean Shard down here! Crap!" He turned to the rest of the group. "Everyone, this way! And get ready to attack!" He beckoned them forward and sprinted into the tunnel, flanked by his teammates.

Paradox Enforcer, Gallian
The first Pokémon to be infected by the Prism Virus, Gallian was spared the full effects thanks to a certain Lucario's inability to control her corrupted Z-Power at the time. The limiter harness Team Paradox placed on him prevented the Prism Virus from fully morphing him into an Ultra Beast. However, Gallian still experienced significant changes. His disaster sense was kicked into overdrive, firing at instances when it otherwise would be calm. And he inexplicably gained the power of Yveltal's Oblivion Wing. Why did this happen? Could his mother really have been fully responsible for these changes?

I decided to take a few creative liberties at the end, here. As a Lucario, Tessa's version of All-Out Pummeling is based on the Shun Goku Satsu (aka the Raging Demon) from Street Fighter. Make of that what you will. Now, replies...

SuperOmegaGuest: thanks! Hopefully you liked this one, too.

Anon Omega: as you can see from this chapter, that guess of yours was a good one. Good call!

Another guest: I'm flattered, I think? I know what TV Tropes is, sure. But I have no idea how that site works... at all. If people want a page that badly, then someone's going to have to make it themselves, because I sure won't be able to.

That'll do for this week. Next time: an ultra-nasty battle leading to a startling turn of events for an unprepared Shane. Don't miss it!