I hear you guys loud and clear. This special's gone on a bit too long and I admit I got carried away with it. Originally, there was going to be two more chapters in the flashback. But, thanks to my revisions, I've cut that down. This is the last flashback chapter. The next numbered chapter will pivot the focus back to the main story. I appreciate everyone's patience, especially since the site as a whole has been having some serious issues these past few weeks. I tried to spice this chapter up with action to make up for how quiet things have been. I hope it's to your liking. Enjoy!
Chapter 70: Ground Zero
~Cosmic Cavern~
Gallian sprinted out of the Cavernous Depths' entrance, water dripping off his fur. He couldn't show his face to Zoroark again. Not after something so humiliating.
A tingle ran down his spine. Without even thinking, Gallian skidded to a halt. His eyes widened at a glowing white paw narrowly missing his head.
"What the hell?!" Lycanroc snarled, his momentum making him stumble. He turned back around and pelted Gallian with rocks.
"Ow! Ow! What was that for?" Gallian growled, whirling on Lycanroc.
"I warned you… I told you we didn't want you here," Lycanroc barked, hurling more rocks. Gallian sliced through them with shadowy-black claws. "If you're not going to leave, I'm making you leave!"
"You can't do that!" Gallian barked, shooting a black beam from his forehead. Lycanroc dove right and rolled back to his feet.
"I can do whatever I want," Lycanroc hissed. "This was my home long before it was yours, bastard. I ain't letting you ruin it with your gods-forsaken voodoo!"
Lycanroc smacked the ground, sending rocks flying toward Gallian. He tried to blast them apart, but there were way too many. Gallian staggered back, eyes watering in pain. Lycanroc rushed him, paws glowing.
"I don't want to fight with you," Gallian said, turning tail and running for the entrance tunnel.
"And I want you out of my life! Out of all our lives!" Lycanroc spat, lunging for Gallian but missing his rear by a good margin. Gallian disappeared into the tunnel, stealing a glance back at Lycanroc.
By now, other villagers had come out of their homes. Golbats, Gravelers, and a trio of Rockruffs looked down silently at Lycanroc. "Oy! Any of you blokes got a problem, say it to my face!" Lycanroc barked, shaking his fist. "Face it… you all wanted him gone, too. You just didn't have the guts to do anything about it."
The villagers shrank back toward their homes. Lycanroc lowered his paws to the ground and took off running after Gallian. He wasn't expecting a black beam to whiz by his right shoulder. A light crystal nearly clotheslined him in his attempts to dodge.
"You're going to pay for that one!" Lycanroc barked tossing two pawfuls of rocks at Gallian.
Silently cursing, Gallian scrambled through the tunnel. It wasn't good enough to outrun Lycanroc's attack. Gallian stumbled about, pain shooting through his hind legs. Why was this guy being so persistent? Gallian had barely even had a conversation with the guy, yet he was out for blood!
"That's right! Keep running, bitch!" Lycanroc shouted.
Gallian turned around, firing a black beam. It blew apart some of the rocks flying toward him, but a couple rebounded off light crystals and conked him in the head. Gallian stumbled backwards. It was no good. Lycanroc knew how to fight in these tunnels. He'd only ever sparred with Zoroark in open spaces. Gallian needed more room to move around.
He sprinted down the tunnel, jerking left and right to avoid the larger light crystals. Lycanroc's footsteps grew quieter, but rocks continued whizzing toward him. One struck his right hind knee. Gallian crumpled to the ground with an anguished howl.
"I've got you now!" Lycanroc shouted.
Gallian struck a nearby light crystal with pink energy blades, shattering it. The rubble battered Lycanroc. Gallian stumbled to his feet and resumed running. How much further was it? Surely the exit was close.
He rounded a bend in the path and found orange light spilling down it. This was it! He was home free. Even if the trails were wide, Gallian would still have more room to move in open air. He ran the remaining tunnel length, gritting his teeth as pain shot up from his injured knee. Gallian emerged from the tunnel and bounded up the trail. He turned, funneling dark energy into his scythe and waiting to pounce.
Lycanroc emerged, staying low to the ground. Gallian lunged, scythe at the ready. Gallian struck Lycanroc's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere!" he shouted, rearing back to strike again.
"Big mistake… mate."
A glowing hammered Gallian's chest. The wind rushed out of him. Gallian staggered back, staring at Lycanroc's glowing, outstretched fist.
Counter. The guy knew Counter. Gallian thought he had found the perfect time to strike, but instead he had leaped into a trap!
'No.' Gallian's world went fuzzy. 'How could I be so careless?' He opened his mouth, meekly gasping for air.
Lycanroc approached Gallian, clutching his bloody shoulder. "You've got two choices here. You can walk down the mountain and never come back," he said, jerking his head behind him. "Or we have ourselves a little accident and you end up where you should've been… at the bottom of the Midnight Sea!"
A black beam hit Lycanroc from behind, knocking him onto Gallian. Zoroark charged forward, eyes flashing crimson. He grabbed Lycanroc by his spiky fur and hurled him off Gallian.
"I've got an even better option," Zoroark said, crimson energy crackling in his claws. "You leave us the hell alone and I don't haul your ass up to Totem Decidueye and have you exiled for assaulting my partner!"
Wincing, Gallian rolled onto his stomach. Zoroark had come for him? Even after what happened at the lagoon? It didn't make sense. He was supposed to be upset. But, no, here he was, sticking up for Gallian yet again.
"You don't have the right!" Lycanroc snarled. "This is my home… not yours! Not either of yours! I was born here… not you! I won't stand around and let a pair of crooks ruin it."
"Oh, step off it," Zoroark hissed. "This isn't about protecting the village. In never was. This is about that stupid party." He shook his head. "How many times do I have to apologize before you put it to rest, Midnight?"
"I don't want empty apologies. I want you out of my life!" Lycanroc barked.
"Then you go somewhere else," Zoroark said. "Nothing's stopping you."
"No. I ain't letting you bully me out of my own home," Lycanroc said, red eyes flashing.
"Bullying? Have you looked in a mirror, lately?" Zoroark said. "What do you call this, huh?" He gestured at Gallian. "I've tried to be civil with you, but you refuse to let go of things that can't be changed."
"You're the one who snogged me out of nowhere. This is all on you!" Lycanroc howled, throwing a half-dozen rocks at Zoroark.
"Don't pin this on me," Zoroark said, blowing the rocks apart with a dome of crimson energy. "We were drunk! And you were coming onto me pretty hard for someone who says he's only got eyes for ladies!"
Gallian shot up. Had he heard that correctly?
"Step off it, drongo!" Lycanroc snarled. "You used your damn illusions to seduce me."
"That's enough, Midnight!"
Dusk leaped over Gallian and Zoroark. She landed between Zoroark and Lycanroc, nearly losing the stuffed satchel over her shoulder.
"I didn't do anything," Lycanroc said. "Look at what that arsehole did to me!" He pointed to Gallian, then to his injured shoulder.
"Only because you did something to provoke him, didn't you?" Dusk said, glaring at Lycanroc.
"Yeah. He attacked me out of the blue when I left the Cavernous Depths," Gallian explained, limping to Zoroark's side.
"I had to do it! I'm trying to keep the damn village safe," Lycanroc said.
"I don't believe you," Dusk said. "I'm taking you to see the Totem."
Lycanroc socked Dusk in the cheek. The blow slammed her into the mountainside, shattering whatever was in her satchel. Glass shards fell to the ground. Dusk looked down at them, her green eyes going wide. Lycanroc rubbed his snout. "… tch. That's your fault. I told you to stay out of my way," he growled.
"Alright, that tears it!" Dusk screamed. Her green eyes turned bright red. She barreled into Lycanroc at breakneck speeds, sending them both to the ground. Dusk sank her fangs into Lycanroc's arm, refusing to let go even as he howled in pain.
She stood up and jerked her head back, flinging Lycanroc into the rock wall. He bounced off it and landed unmoving at Zoroark's feet. Gallian and Zoroark stood in stunned silence. Dusk's eyes faded back to green and she shook her head. "Ungh… I'm sorry… you had to see that," Dusk whispered, blood trickling down her chin. "The Totem said… I needed to keep my temper from firing off like that, but I guess Midnight finally wore out the last of my patience."
Dusk walked up to Lycanroc. "I'm taking him to the Totem. With any luck, he…" She took a shuddering breath. "Hopefully, he'll be out of our lives come tomorrow."
"You were doing a supply run to Midday Valley," Zoroark said, frowning. "And now everything's broken."
"Don't worry about it," Dusk said, dragging Lycanroc toward the tunnel.
"No, wait. At least let me help you carry him," Zoroark said, jogging toward Dusk.
"What about me?" Gallian said. His hind leg still hurt, so he sank down to his belly.
"Stay out here. I'll be back," Zoroark said. "Besides, I think we should talk." He hoisted Lycanroc up and followed Dusk into the mountain.
Gallian's heart sank. If there was even a glimmer of hope that Zoroark was willing to look past what had happened in the lagoon, it was gone now. With every minute he lay there, alone, the sinking feeling in his gut grew worse. His fur prickled and his heart rate kept spiking no matter how much he tried to stay calm. Gallian told himself Zoroark wasn't mad, but it didn't help. In his mind, he already knew this was going to end badly. A part of him wanted to just run down the mountain and never look back.
He was so lost in thought, he failed to see Zoroark reemerge from the mountain, clutching a basket filled with fruit. "I'm back," Zoroark announced. Gallian jumped. His heart raced even faster, but slowed down when he noticed the fruit basket. Zoroark sat down next to Gallian and put the basket between them. "Here. I brought you some dinner," Zoroark said, looking out across the ocean.
Gallian cautiously reached for an oran berry and took a bite out of it. The sweet juices filled his stomach and settled the lingering pain in his knee. Zoroark took a pinap berry from the basket and sighed. "I guess I owe you an explanation," he said. "Totem Decidueye holds an annual Summer Solstice party. The party after I evolved, I got a bit too eager to try fermented berry juice for the first time."
"What happened?" Gallian said, unable to meet Zoroark's gaze.
"Truthfully, I don't remember. After the fact, I was told I walked up to Midnight, who was also drunk," Zoroark said. "We were talking for a bit… apparently my voice gets all squeaky and high-pitched when I'm drunk. Midnight and I started flirting and, well, I ended up grabbing his ass and kissing him right on the muzzle."
Gallian tensed. So, Zoroark had kissed another guy before. Just like what happened at the lagoon. He wanted to say something, but was convinced he was reading too far into things. Zoroark was drunk, after all.
"Even if I don't remember it, I'm confident it happened," Zoroark continued. "I woke up the next morning with a few lumps on my head, a black eye, and dried blood all over my fur."
"I'm… uh… sorry?" Gallian said, wincing.
"Don't be," Zoroark said, tossing a piece of figy berry into his mouth. "I don't regret it. I had a crush on the guy since the day he evolved. I was always praying that one day he'd simmer down and I could take a chance with him."
Gallian grabbed a sitrus berry and bit into it to keep his jaw from dropping. He wasn't overthinking things. Everything made sense, now. All this time, Gallian freaked out about what Zoroark would think if he knew the truth when Zoroark was just like him. That explained why Zoroark often picked the strangest positions when lying down or sitting in one of his chairs.
'He was trying to see if he could get a rise out of me… in more ways than one,' Gallian realized. Now was the time. He needed to say how he really felt. And yet, there was still a mental block in his way.
"You okay there? You're spacing out on me," Zoroark said.
Gallian knew what the problem was. And if he wanted a future with Zoroark, he needed to swallow his fears and tell Zoroark everything. "Zoroark… I'm sorry," Gallian said, earning a confused look. "I've dodged the question of where I came from for too long. And that's not fair to you. Not when you've been so welcoming to me. I… I'm ready to tell you about how I ended up in Cosmic Cavern."
Gallian explained everything, leaving no subject untouched. He began with his family and the roles they played with the Horizon Guild. Then he addressed the string of events that led him to Zoroark's feet, starting with Incineroar's dead and ending with Drampa's trap that led to him scaling the mountainside. When it was all over, Gallian hung his head.
"All this time, I've grown so close to you. I really do think you're amazing," Gallian said. "But I was a coward. I was terrified of what would happen if you learned my past, so I kept my mouth shut." He sighed. "Well, go on, say it. Call me a horrible person. I deserve it."
Zoroark leaned back, bracing his arms against the ground. "I refuse," he said.
"Huh?" Gallian said, blinking in surprise.
"You're right, I am upset you couldn't bring yourself to say this stuff earlier," Zoroark said. "And I'm concerned about your sister."
Gallian winced. He had to bring up Tessa. Gallian didn't think he had the stomach to see her again, even after a couple of months had passed.
"The thing is… I get it," Zoroark continued, to Gallian's surprise. "There are so many things I can't wrap my head around. An Absol's disaster sense is one of them. It sounds to me like, through all of that, you were panicking." Zoroark twiddled his claws. "If I were in your situation, I'd probably have done something similarly reckless. Possibly worse," he said. "I might've been dumb enough to stomp up to Metagross and demand answers. I'd have probably gotten myself killed."
He sat up and leaned forward, draping an arm over Gallian, whose eyes went wide at the gesture. "There's something I want to tell you, but I need you to promise me something first," Zoroark said.
"What is it?" Gallian asked.
"Promise me that, eventually, we'll go check in on your sister," Zoroark replied. "Say, before the next Winter Solstice?"
Gallian's chest tightened. "I… uh…"
"We can even bring her here to live with us," Zoroark said. "I know I'd like to get to know her at some point."
"Well… um…" Gallian pawed at the ground, trying to shake off the mental image of Tessa's frightened face. He looked into Zoroark's bright-blue eyes and exhaled. "I guess I could do that. I might need some time, but I think I can make it happen before the year ends." He paused. "Wait, what did you mean by 'we'll go check in on your sister?'"
"In all the time we've spent together, I've grown really close to you," Zoroark whispered. "And after what happened at the lagoon, I can't keep this bottled up any longer." He took a deep breath.
"Gallian… I love you."
Those three words echoed in Gallian's head like a church bell. Gallian slumped forward, clenching his jaw as tightly as he could to stop it from dropping. His heart pounded. His vision blurred. What was he waiting for? Zoroark said what he'd wanted to hear all this time!
'Tell him you love him, too! Hurry!'
Gallian turned to Zoroark, opening his mouth to talk. But instead of words, Gallian coughed weakly. 'Oh no,' he thought, heart thundering in his chest.
The sinking feeling was back.
His head rang and bright light filled his vision. Gallian's fur prickled. Even his scythe tingled. He sat there, frozen. It was just like back in Glyphic Falls.
"Gallian, are you okay?" Zoroark asked, a look of concern on his face.
"I… I…" Gallian wheezed. He tried to get to his feet, but in his shocked state he misjudged where the ground was in front of him. Gallian brought a forepaw down on empty air.
Open water filled his vision. And it was getting closer. He was falling! Gallian shouted, but the ocean swallowed him up seconds later.
"Gallian!" Zoroark shouted, looking over the cliff face. He knew from experience Gallian was not a good swimmer and the sight of the Midnight Sea's choppy waters made his blood run cold.
"H-Hang on, Gallian!" Zoroark called. Without thinking, he lunged head-first off the mountain. Zoroark had just enough time to see Gallian stand up in the shoulder-deep water and realize his mistake before splashing down. The water wasn't deep enough to stop Zoroark's head from smacking the bedrock.
Gallian turned to his right just as Zoroark disappeared underwater, still dazed from the fall. The sight of bubbles frothing next to him jolted him out of his stupor. "Zoroark?" he gasped. "Oh, gods, Zoroark! He must've hit his head!" Gallian said. He lowered his head and upper body into the water, feeling around for Zoroark.
It was all his fault! Gallian panicked like an idiot and Zoroark likely cracked his skull open trying to save him.
Gallian's paw brushed against wet fur. He lowered his head even further until he was able to successfully scoop Zoroark onto his back. Gallian struggled to get his head above water again, Zoroark's wet fur weighing him down. He was barely able to make it to water's edge and anchor his claws into the cliff before descending into a raucous coughing fit. Gallian needed a way back up to the path or they were sunk.
He looked around frantically, trying to find some sort of foothold or a way that he could get up out of the water while carrying Zoroark. Something caught the corner of his eye and he turned to his right. His expression brightened at the sight of a portion of the mountain path dipping down toward the water.
Gallian wondered how he had missed that before. He dismissed it as having to do with the tides and pushed off the rock wall. He slowly walked toward the path, taking care to keep Zoroark positioned on his back. By the time he reached the path and staggered onto it, his legs ached. Gallian forced himself along the trail, struggling to keep Zoroark supported on his back. As the trail sloped upward, Gallian found each step getting progressively more difficult to take. How would he get Zoroark back to the village?
He lowered Zoroark onto the trail to ease the pain on his back. Gallian sat down next to him, panting heavily. Gallian nudged his satchel, which had somehow stayed around his neck through the fall into the water. It was soaked. Everything was useless. Gallian shakily got to his feet and looked up the trail. Had he missed a shortcut?
Gallian paused, narrowing his eyes at a small gap in the rock wall. Wincing, Gallian proceeded a bit further up the trail, stopping every few steps to check on Zoroark. He reached the gap he had spotted and, to his delight, found a small cave inside of it. Perfect for tending to Zoroark!
With a great deal of strain, Gallian returned to Zoroark and hoisted him up. Gallian trudged back up to the gap in the rocks. He barely fit through the opening with Zoroark on his back. Gallian gently lowered Zoroark to the ground and then removed the satchel from his neck.
'Come on… please let there be something in here I can still use,' Gallian prayed, nudging the satchel open. A waterlogged oran berry rolled out, ready to fall apart at any second. Thinking quickly, Gallian moved Zoroark beside his bag. He parted Zoroark's mane with his claws, trying to see his head. Gallian grazed a welt right between Zoroarks' ears.
Gallian swept his other foreleg along the ground. The berry burst open against Gallian's leg, so he hastily pressed it up against Zoroarks' head. Gallian rubbed in the berry juice as best he could, then withdrew his paw. The juices sank into Zoroark's head. Some of the swelling subsided, drawing a sigh of relief from Gallian.
'What else do I have in here?' Gallian wondered, poking a forepaw into his bag. A flicker of light drew his attention. Gallian reached further into the bag and dragged out a glowing orb with a sun-shaped rune etched into it. He realized it was a drought orb, which wouldn't help.
Yet, Gallian didn't put the orb away. He glanced at the puddles of water that formed under him and Zoroark. The orb could dry them off and warm Zoroark up!
Gallian shattered the orb. A column of steam erupted around him, startling him. He braced himself, curling up into a tight ball. The steam quickly disappeared, leaving Gallian laying there, perfectly dry.
"Mmmrrrgggh…"
The orb worked! Gallian shoved his bag aside and nestled up next to Zoroark.
"Zoroark, can you hear me?" he whispered.
"Ungh… w-what happened?" Zoroark groaned, opening his eyes and blinking slowly to adjust to the dim cave. He turned to his left. "Gallian? I thought…" Zoroark rubbed his head and groaned a second time.
"Shhh, it's okay, Zoroark," Gallian said, offering a shoulder to help Zoroark sit up. "You dove into the Midnight Sea after me and hit your head. The tide must've been really low, because the water was super shallow."
"That'd explain this miserable headache," Zoroark said. "Wait… if I blacked out, then how did we get here?"
Gallian sheepishly traced a claw on the ground. "I… uh… I realized what had happened. You were trying to help me after I totally freaked out." He lowered his head. "Hearing you say you loved me set off my disaster sense."
Zoroark frowned. "It did?"
"Yeah," Gallian said, wincing. "But seeing you disappear underwater like that…" Gallian shook his head and took a deep breath. "I fought it off."
"Huh?" Zoroark said, ears twitching.
"The disaster sense… the thing telling me to bolt… I fought it off," Gallian whispered. "I got you out of the water and brought you up here. I used a drought orb and an oran berry to dry you off and heal you up."
"Thanks," Zoroark rasped. He scooched back along the ground so that he was leaning against the cave wall. "How did you fight it off, though?"
Gallian's face flushed. "I… uh… well…" He tapped his claw on the ground and sighed. "I love you too, Zoroark. At first, my disaster sense made me think all of this was a bad idea. But after that accident, I realized that you're more important." Gallian took a shaky breath. "I'm not going to listen to a little voice in my head telling me to turn away from you… if that makes any sense."
Zoroark sat there, mulling over Gallian's statement. A smile slowly formed on his muzzle. "Then are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked.
Gallian scooched next to him. "I don't know. Did you think I was gonna say that, yes, I do want to spend my life with you?" he whispered, placing a paw on Zoroark's lap.
Zoroark smirked. "That might've been my guess, yeah," he said. "So, now that that's out in the air, what do you think we should do about it?"
The two stared into each other's eyes, until Gallian broke the stare down by climbing on top of Zoroark and wrapping him up in the best embrace he could manage without any arms. Gallian nuzzled the side of Zoroark's neck.
"I say we make this moment count," Gallian whispered.
A huge grin spread across Zoroark's face. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
~Midday Valley~
Neither of them slept much. They were both too giddy from what had happened. Before dawn came, they returned to Zoroark's home. Gallian finished patching up Zoroark's head, then they ate breakfast together. Zoroark suggested the two go to Midday Valley to replace the supplies Dusk had broken when she stepped in to help with Lycanroc. Gallian initially hesitated, but remembered his promise to Zoroark. If he was going to work up the courage to see Tessa again, the nearby village was a good place to start. Zoroark even offered some moral support in the form of disguising himself as a red-spotted Absol. After getting the list of supplies from Dusk, they set out down the mountain.
To Gallian's surprise, the forest surrounding the village was denser than it appeared from the mountain path. The evergreens were thick but spaced far enough apart to allow sunlight to filter in over the gravel path. Two rows of ferns lined the road, one on each side. However, as Gallian and Zoroark pushed onward, the ferns gave way to berry bushes. Gallian glanced at the bushes to his right and found nothing but empty stalks and the occasional premature berry, far too small and bitter to pick.
"Looks like someone recently cleaned up here," Gallian said. "Is this how the village grows its berries?"
"It's something the villages do for the wild Pokémon," Zoroark said.
"You mean wild 'mons live in this forest? But this doesn't seem like a Mystery Dungeon," Gallian said, blinking in surprise.
"It's not, but there are some wild Pokémon around. Just not that many. I can't tell you exactly why they'd live out here," Zoroark said, brushing his fake scythe against a bush to his left. "If I had to guess, they were probably born here and it's where they're most comfortable living. Surely you could sympathize with that, right?"
"Good point," Gallian said. "I think I see the town up ahead… there's a red-brick building."
"That'd be the hardware shop we need to visit to get the rope," Zoroark said. He shifted his right shoulder to adjust his bag. Gallian stopped and turned around.
"Okay, hold up. I'm sorry, but I have to ask this or it's going to drive me crazy," he said, an exasperated look on his face. "How are you doing that?"
Zoroark blinked. "Doing what?"
"That!" Gallian said, pointing a forepaw at the fake Absol in front of him. "Walking on all fours like that. If it's an illusion, then you wouldn't be able to move around that much, right? I… sorry… this is totally coming out of left field, isn't it? I guess I realized that I don't entirely understand how your powers work."
"You and me both, buddy," Zoroark said, laughing.
"Seriously?" Gallian said.
"Well, to be more specific, there are parts of my ability I don't quite understand," Zoroark said. "But Totem Decidueye was able to find me a book on Zoroarks after I evolved and I gave it a read. Turns out that whoever dubbed our ability 'Illusion' is a total dumbass. It's shapeshifting… plain and simple."
"It is?" Gallian gasped.
"Yeah. Apparently Zoroarks used to be able to do a lot more back before alchemy became a forbidden art. Nowadays all we can do is change our appearances."
"Then wouldn't that just make it Transform?" Gallian said.
"Not quite," Zoroark said. "That's where it gets a bit hard to follow. See… y'know how we all have auras?"
"Yeah. Mom used to bring that up a lot. Everyone has life energy and aura lies at its core. Something like that," Gallian said, shrgging.
"Right. When a Ditto or Mew uses Transform, they're not just shapeshifting, they're morphing their life energy to match their target's," Zoroark said. "From what I read, the amount of strain that would put on your average Pokémon would make them faint on the spot if they tried to do that. But it works for Dittos because they're incapable of doing anything but Transforming. And, well, Mew's a Legend, so I know he has the stamina to do that."
"What does changing your life energy mean, exactly?" Gallian asked.
"It means a Transformed 'mon can use the moves of whatever species they transformed into," Zoroark said. "Sadly, I can't. Just the act of shapeshifting into the guise of another 'mon requires a lot of focus. It takes a lot of life energy to get it to work, too. Which is why I can't change my aura. So, in theory, a powerful psychic-type or an aura reader like Lucario would know that I'm a Zoroark, even if I was transformed."
"Isn't there a Hypno living in Cosmic Cavern?" Gallian said.
"Yeah, but when I said 'powerful psychic-type' I mean pow-er-ful. We're talking Legends or really experienced psychics… like Team ACT's Alakazam," Zoroark said. "Most of the time, I can fool 'mons with my disguises. But the other thing that sets us Zoroarks apart from Dittos and Mew is that it's easy for our illusions to collapse because we have to focus so intently on keeping them stable."
"How easy are we talking?" Gallian wondered.
"If I so much as trip and stumble, then I risk shifting back to normal," Zoroark said. A beat followed, then a suspicious look appeared on his face. "Wait just a second. Are you asking me all this to figure out how to get the upper paw on me if I break an illusion out during a spar?"
"What? Of course not!" Gallian scoffed, turning around to continue walking down the path. "You're putting words in my mouth."
"I can hear you holding back laughter over there, you bitch. You're totally lying!" Zoroark said. He charged forward and speared Gallian's rear with his scythe. Gallian hopped forward with a yip and an annoyed look on his face. Zoroark ran by, sticking his tongue out at Gallian. "Serves you right, traitor!" he teased.
"Traitor? I was just asking innocent questions," Gallian insisted, running after Zoroark. He had just about caught up when a chorus of squawking drew his attention. Gallian skidded to a halt, as did Zoroark, losing his illusion in the process.
"Whoa, that was odd," Zoroark said. "Sounded like some really startled Spearows." He glanced at Gallian. "Think we should go see if the village is okay?"
Zoroark waited for a response, but Gallian's gaze had locked in on the direction the squawking had come from. He stood there, frozen, even as a half-dozen Spearows fluttered high into the air, flanked by a pair of Fearows. Before Zoroark could ask what was wrong, Gallian crouched low to the ground. A twinge of black energy briefly encircled his scythe, then Gallian took off, zigzagging through the forest.
"Gallian? Hey, Gallian! Wait up! Where are you going?!"
Gallian ignored Zoroark's cries and charge on ahead, weaving through the evergreen trees. He came upon Pinecos lying upside down, unconscious and covered in scorch marks. Something was wrong, here. Gallian was sure of it.
He leaped over the Pinecos, landing atop a rock. Like the unconscious forest-dwellers, the rock's side was completely charred. The nearby evergreen trees were stripped of their bark and branches. Scorched remnants of pine needles littered the ground, along with the bare remnants of numerous fern bushes.
Gallian concluded that the Pinecos Self-Destructed. But what made them do that? A tingle ran down his spine and his fur bristled. It was time to turn back.
But the moment he turned around, Gallian recoiled. An invisible force pushed down on his head. "Not again," he whimpered. Gallian looked back through the forest, trying to see if Zoroark had followed him. When he failed to spot his mate, he jumped off the rock and pressed on deeper into the forest. He left the blast zone behind. His scythe tingled. Gallian looked to his right and found black mist rising between some of the trees.
He took a step back, heart racing. Gallian wanted to bolt from the area, but his legs wouldn't listen. He stood there, locked in place, wondering what was going on.
"Skrreeeeeevp! Wh… what… do you think… you're doing?!"
Gallian flinched, his heart skipping a beat upon hearing the angry shouts ahead of him. He hesitantly stepped forward, only to recoil when pine needles crinkled under his forepaw.
"I want you… out of my head!"
This time a different voice yelled out and Gallian's head shot up.
'Mom?!'
It was impossible. She had disappeared, hadn't she? Gallian bounded into the black mist, forcing it aside with short, quick bursts of psychic energy from his scythe. He emerged on the other side, only to freeze up once again.
A few feet in front of him, Lunala writhed about on the ground. Black crystals inched across her body, tearing into her wing membranes and her bony torso. Her eyes randomly flickered between different colors. A Lucario knelt behind Lunala, a paw placed against her head. Gallian recognized the single fang protruding from her mouth, but little else suggested this was the mother who had raised him. Her right eye was gone. In its place sat a triangular gemstone brimming with the different colors of the rainbow. Light spilled out of the gem, racing down Prisma's blackened arm and onto Lunala, where it fed the growing layer of black crystals.
Prisma was burned beyond all recognition, her body a mess of angry scar tissue and the occasional patch of black fur. The most consistent strip of fur lay around her waist, where Gallian expected her tail to be. Instead of aura feelers, four gnarled dreadlocks fanned out behind her, jerking about in different directions like they wanted to detach from her skull and fly away.
Lunala screeched, clumsily flapping her wings forward. They fell back onto the ground. Black diamonds clamped onto each wing's edge, sucking in the sunlight shining down on Lunala. Gallian staggered backward, ready to make a break for it, when Prisma locked eyes with him.
"You," she hissed, her raspy voice making Gallian's skin crawl. "You shouldn't… be here…"
"M-Mom," Gallian squeaked, utterly uncertain how to respond to the scene in front of him. His temples throbbed and his vision flickered. A voice inside him screamed at him, telling him to run, while another egged him to stay and say something to Prisma.
Lunala let out one final gasp, arcing her back to hoist her chest off the ground. Two onyx arms burst out of her chest. Black armor quickly filled the holes in her gut. The last remaining crystals trickled down onto Lunala's face, where they formed a triangular helmet. Inside the helmet sat a distorted, flickering, red eye where Lunala's third eye was supposed to be.
"Wh… what happened? Why do… I feel so… strange?" Lunala said, though Gallian recognized the voice as being the one he first heard screaming. He was in complete shock. His mother was with Lunala. Worse, Prisma had somehow corrupted her!
He had to do something… right?
"I got rid of you… Necrozma," Prisma growled, lowering her outstretched paw and staggering backwards. "My mind… my body… they're mine again," she wheezed, dropping to one knee. "I've trapped you. I put… just enough… of your spirit… in Lunala… to regain control." Prisma slowly got to her feet, clutching the right side of her head in obvious pain.
Necrozma hovered into the air, looking down at his arms. "This light… it's familiar… it's powerful. But there's something missing here. I can't use this light to its fullest effect!" He brought his arms up to his face and clawed at his helmet. "My core? Where is my core? What did you do to it?!"
Prisma shakily brought her paw off her face, revealing the gem in her eye socket. Before Necrozma could protest, static enveloped Prisma's right shoulder. It funneled down her arm, culminating in black cubes flickering into existence and launching themselves at Necrozma. The cubes struck Necrozma's face, blasting him onto his back with a screech of anger. Necrozma lay on the ground, arms and wings flailing in pain. Prisma looked at her distorted paw, her lone eye going wide at the afterimages trailing behind it.
"This… this power," she said. "It's nothing… nothing like what I've felt… as a Lucario." Her eye darted around the forest and a crooked smile appeared on her lips. "I… I can use this power… use this power to make things right…"
Without thinking, Gallian blurted out, "Mom! What are you doing?"
Prisma stumbled forward, her head jerking forward so her eye met Gallian's gaze. "I'm… I'm…" Like a broken puppet, Prisma's head bobbed down to stare at her paws. Her pupil narrowed into a feral slit as she raised her right paw up and pointed it at Gallian.
"I'm correcting a mistake," she whispered coldly.
In the face of the oncoming aura sphere, Gallian was completely petrified. He could only stare at the red orb as it grew closer and closer…
"Gallian!"
Fur enveloped Gallian. He was on his back seconds later, staring at the ground in front of him. Zoroark hastily got him to his feet, nuzzling him in concern. "Do you have any idea how much you worried me when you ran off like that?"
Prisma lowered her paw. Her head lolled to her left side. "What is this?" she growled, her hoarse voice cutting through the air like nails on a chalkboard.
Gallian shoved Zoroark back. "You have to go! Get out of here!" he said, a look of panic on his face. Prisma saw Zoroark. She saw Zoroark nuzzling him!
"Are you kidding me? You think I'm gonna leave my mate out to dry like that?" Zoroark said. "We're in this together, remember?"
"Mate?" Prisma said. The distortion spread from her arm, enveloping her whole body. All that was visible was the gem stuck in her skull, faintly flickering with multicolored light. Necrozma weakly raised his head up, but a wisp of black lightning ran across the ground and caught his armored tail. He seized up.
"I knew it," Prisma's now-distorted voice proclaimed. "You… you worthless, miserable failure. You're… a blight… upon my existence! You… Tessa… such disappointments! Mistakes! Neither of you should exist! You're nothing but reminders of what I had taken from me!"
"What is this crazy thing talking about, Gallian?" Zoroark said, while raising a paw and firing off a black beam. Prisma stalemated the attack with a black wave of her own, resulting in a burst of dark, staticky smoke.
"I… I don't…" Gallian's voice trailed off. His legs trembled, but otherwise refused to budge. His mind was a total blank, unable to process what was going on in front of him.
Zoroark wasted no time in firing a second dark energy beam through the smoke. However, there was no cry of pain signifying he had hit anyone. Instead, the sounds of splintering wood echoed through the area. Zoroark's ears twitched and he looked to his right. Prisma staggered out of the smoke, still enveloped by a static veil.
"Gallian, get down!" Zoroark shouted, lunging for his mate. He was able to knock Gallian to the ground right before a half dozen crystal blades sliced up the left side of his body. Blood spurted out of the newly-formed wounds. Zoroark screamed and fell to his stomach, clutching the left side of his head in agony.
His anguished cries roused Gallian from his stupor. Gallian sat up and saw Zoroark lying at his feet, blood staining the soil underneath him. "Zoroark? Zoroark!" he cried. "No, no, no!" Tears formed in his eyes.
"Don't touch him!" Prisma shouted, her voice so heavily distorted it sounded male. At the same time, the static surrounding Prisma intensified. She whipped her arm forward, having seemingly lost control of the limb. A red and black energy beam shot toward a wide-eyed Gallian.
'Move! Run away!'
Gallian lunged right, but the blast grazed the left side of his body. Gallian landed awkwardly, toppling onto his side. He lay still for a few seconds, before an intense shocking pain gripped every square inch of his body. Gallian curled up into a ball, screaming, but his cries were muffled by the electricity surging through his fur.
Prisma stumbled backward, her arm falling limply to her side. "Aha… ha… what… did I just do? That… wasn't… a Dark Pulse." She tried lifting her arm up, but it wouldn't budge. Prisma didn't get the opportunity to contemplate the turn of events any further, however, because Necrozma flew right toward her.
"Give me back my core right now!" he screeched, opening his new, fanged mouth wide like he meant to bite Prisma's head. Rather than trying to run, Prisma instead lunged at Necrozma, matching his yell with a furious cry. The two collided in a midair burst of black shadows, static, and distorted red cubes. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, each one trying to wrestle the other into submission. Neither of them noticed the ring of energy forming around them until the Ultra Wormhole was complete.
They fell into the open portal. Their frustrated cries grew progressively more distant until the Ultra Wormhole shut, leaving Gallian and Zoroark lying on the ground, each one writhing about in pain.
"I heard the shouts coming from over here!"
A gust of wind blew through the area, whipping up soil, dead grass, and twigs. A Noivern flew in, thrusting his wings apart to stop and hover over Gallian and Zoroark. "Oh, gods," he whispered. Noivern turned around, tensing his speaker-like ears, and thundered, "I need Chansey over here, stat! I've got 'mons here and they're fatally wounded!"
Frantic footsteps followed Noivern's cry. Bushes flew apart, revealing a Pangoro carrying the Chansey in question on his shoulders. She had a shoulder bag on bearing a heart-shaped insignia. Pangoro glanced Zoroark's blood-stained form and bounded over to him without a second thought.
"Good gods!" Chansey gasped. "Everyone, stand back, I'm using Heal Pulse!"
"You're gonna have to spam it if this guy's got any hope," Pangoro said, throwing a paw over his eyes to avoid looking at Zoroark. Chansey knelt down, releasing soft pink light from the tips of her arms. The light spread across Zoroark's body, forcibly tugging fur together and slowing his bleeding.
"It's not good enough," she said. "Okay, desperate times mean desperate measures." She reached into her stomach pouch and pulled out the egg sitting in it. Chansey rolled Zoroark over, recoiled from seeing his wounds, and cracked the egg open. Yolk spilled across Zoroark's head and torso. Chansey shook the egg shell out, dribbling bits of yolk onto Zoroark's left leg. With a sour expression on her face, she went to work rubbing the yolk against Zoroark's lacerations.
"What about Absol? He looks like he's in a lot of pain, too," Noivern said, fluttering above him.
"Are you kidding? It's an Absol! Touch one and you're gonna doom yourself to the Tree of Life," Pangoro huffed. "I'll bet he's the one who did this to Zoroark in the first place."
Noivern's ears twitched. He turned toward the bushes behind him. "Hey! Come out here… whoever you are!"
Luxeira stepped through a nearby evergreen tree, drawing a surprised squawk from Noivern. "What the–? A blue Houndoom? And what's with the freaky jumpsuit?"
"Sir, please don't be alarmed," Luxeira said. "Absol is… an acquaintance of mine. I know what's wrong with him, but I need you all to leave me alone so I can help him."
Noivern gave Luxeira a funny look. "I'm not really sure I buy that, Houndoom," he said.
"Forget Absol!" Pangoro shouted. Noivern turned to see Pangoro cradling Zoroark in his arms. Blood and egg yolk covered Zoroark's fur and medicinal leaves lay over his wounds, including the bloody stump where his left ear had previously been. "We've gotta get Zoroark back to the village for emergency treatment. Chansey says he's from Cosmic Cavern, so you've gotta fly up to the mountains and get a hold of their Totem, got it?"
Noivern looked back at Gallian and Luxeira. "Come on, Noivern! If Houndoom wants to waste her time on Absol, let her," Pangoro said.
"Oh, all right," Noivern said. With a few hearty flaps of his wings, he ascended, disappearing through the trees. At the same time, Pangoro and Chansey retreated to the direction they came from. Luxeira sighed in relief, then knelt beside Gallian.
"Sticky, the coast is clear. Get out here… quickly!" Luxeira said. She pressed the gemstone on her harness. Her helmet rematerialized over her head. At the same time, a similar-looking harness formed on the ground next to her.
"Luxeira, are you sure you can touch him safely? These readings are seriously abnormal," Sticky said, his visor flickering with light.
"I'm aware of that," Luxeira snapped. "But we have no time to lose. There's corrupted Z-Power flowing through his system and if we don't stop it from spreading, then he'll lapse into a bloodthirsty rampage and that entire village will be in jeopardy. Now, give me a hand!"
She bit down on the spare harness and, straining considerably, hefted it over Gallian's trembling shoulders. Gallian snarled in protest and snapped at the air in front of him. "Luxeira, look! The horn on his head… it's sharpening!" Sticky gasped.
"Then hurry up and help!" Luxeira barked. Sticky floated beside her and they tugged back on the harness, forcibly pressing it to a howling Gallian's chest. Luxeira reached out and touched the gemstone with a forepaw. A hissing noise sounded, following by metal scraping against metal. The harness set itself against Gallian's frame. At the same time, the lightning faded from Gallian's fur. He slowly stopped thrashing.
Luxeira stepped away from Gallian, sighing in relief. "Well, that was close," she said. "Good job, Sticky."
"Err… you're welcome," he said, making a mental note of it being the first time Luxeira had actually said anything remotely complimentary toward him. "But what exactly are we going to do now? We cannot simply allow this terrestrial to roam about unchecked. That is a very important piece of equipment for us. It's the last remnants of our world's technology."
"Yes, I know," Luxeira whispered. "It looks like we're going to be saddled with a new travelling partner."
"Are you serious?" Sticky gasped.
"At least until we can figure out a way to get the corrupted Z-Power out of his system," Luxeira said. "Just play it a cool for a bit. I'll do the talking, all right?"
Gallian sat up, blinking slowly. Luxeira dematerialized her helmet and walked in front of Gallian. "Um… hello? Are you doing okay, sir?" she asked, waving a forepaw in front of him. She didn't get a response. Instead, Gallian tensed up. His eyes flashed red and crimson light brimmed along his now-serrated scythe. Luxeira took a cautious step backwards. "Sir, try to stay calm. You were in an accident, but my partner and I came to your rescue."
Gallian swiped at Luxeira with his scythe. She barely jumped out of the way. Gallian fell to his stomach, putting his forepaws on his head.
"Mom… Zoroark… why? Why?" he growled. Gallian noticed the harness on his chest. "What is this?" he whispered. "What's going on here?" Gallian saw bloodstained soil over his shouler. "Where did he go? Why am I by myself? I… I…" He brushed his head with his forepaws. "My head… why does it hurt so much?"
He swung his head to the right, forcing Luxeira to jump as black sparks raced along the ground. "Luxeira, I don't think this is working," Sticky whispered, hovering nervously by her shoulder. Luxeira took a deep breath and stepped in front of Gallian.
"Listen, sir, I understand that this must all be very troubling to you, but I need you to listen to me," Luxeira said. Gallian looked up at her. His brow furrowed and black shadows swirled around his scythe. He jumped to his feet. Luxeira's tail stuck up in alarm, but she stayed rooted to her spot. "Something bad has happened to you. I need you to follow me out of this forest, so I can take you somewhere safe."
"Somewhere… safe?" Gallian repeated, and then shook his head. "But… but I'm safe. There's no… there's no…"
His voice trailed off. The pounding in his head intensified. All the recent events flashed through is mind. Lunala's corruption. His mother's hand. Zoroark's blood spilling across the ground. Gallian shot up. Zoroark was in peril! He had to go! His mate needed him.
'I have to… I have to…'
Gallian's throat went dry. His chest tightened. The blood… the wounds… he couldn't get them out of his head. Zoroark was going to die. All because of him. He ran off and found Prisma, then stood there uselessly while she tried to kill him!
"No!" Gallian wailed, thrashing his head back and forth. Luxeria and Sticky backed up even further, avoiding black sparks jumping off Gallian's body.
'I did this. It's my fault. I led Zoroark… into disaster!'
His vision flickered.
'But he's my mate. I can't… I can't leave him. I need him!'
Gallian's throat constricted.
'No… I've already ruined his life. I can't bring even more disaster upon him.'
Luxeira jumped in front of Gallian. "Hey!" she barked. Gallian stiffened, locking eyes with Luxeira.
"Wh do you… want from me?" he rasped. "I don't… I can't…"
"Sir, your life hangs in the balance, here," Luxeira said. "My partner and I put that harness on you to stop the pain from spreading any farther. You have to come with us so we can monitor you. Otherwise, we can't guarantee your safety… or even your survival! I know it's confusing, but as soon as we have you somewhere safe, I can explain everything in greater detail."
Hearing the part about survival snapped Gallian to attention. His eyes widened, his pupils dilated, and his jaw locked. He stood in front of Luxeira, legs so tense he thought they might pop out of their joints. Gallian kept shifting his gaze in random directions, trying to avoid eye contact with Luxeira. All he could see in his mind was the memory of Zoroark lying in front of him, bleeding out. The image kept flashing in front of him no matter where he looked. Each time it did, stabbing pain gripped his chest. Eventually, Gallian doubled over, gasping for air.
'Survival… I have to… survive. Otherwise… it's disaster…'
When he caught his breath, he looked up at Luxeira. "Where do you plan on taking me?" Gallian whispered, voice full of resignation.
"We've been hiding in a small cave at the base of the nearest mountain," Luxeira said, jerking her head behind her.
"We?" Gallian said, a concerned look in his eye.
"Yes… my partner and I," Luxeira said. She gestured to Sticky, who floated over cautiously. Gallian tensed upon seeing him. What sort of Pokémon was that?
"Puh… please! Do not attack! I mean no harm!" Sticky shouted, throwed his arms over his face.
Gallian looked between Luxeira and Sticky. "Just what are you two, anyway?"
Luxeira sighed. "It's a long story… and it's best told back in the cave."
Thanks to those of you who took part in the poll. You helped me to win a bit with a friend. I enjoyed this, so I'm actually going to post more polls in the future. Keep an eye out for them. Onto the replies.
Anon Omega: as you can see, nothing rating-bumping to be found here. I'm not into writing anything citrus-filled, if you catch my drift. And the flashback's over. Thank you for patience!
WatermelonShark: you're not the first person to make that guess regarding Shane. But you'll need to stick around to find out just what's going on. The Chapter 69 thing was what we in the business refer to as a happy accident. Don't worry, we'll be back with Team Radiance soon and their next mission is probably their most ridiculous one so far.
Next time: well, would you look at that! It's almost Halloween. Guess that means it's my time to shine. That's right, folks, get ready for this year's Halloween special! Mwee hee hee hee!