Chapter 73: Mega Mishaps

~Dewdrop Woods~

"Blimey, I thought I'd never get out of that stupid prison!"

A pool of purple shadows inched up a massive tree trunk, coming to a stop on a branch that jutted out over a cluster of vibrant green bushes. Purple baubles stacked one on top of the other until Marshadow completely rose out of the puddle. He tilted his neck toward his right shoulder, wincing from the crick that sounded.

"I can't believe they had a way to neutralize my shadow melding. It's disgraceful. Master Thief Marshadow trapped inside a cramped underground room because a few broads got the better of him," Marshadow grumbled, his beady eyes smoldering. "Whoever this 'Magearna' character is, I'm going to have to pay them a nice visit as thanks for creating the maximum-security cells. I would've been out of that jail in a day if it wasn't for them!"

Rustling leaves drew Marshadow's attention. He looked over his shoulder, where a trio of yellow rock spines jutted out from a cluster of leaves. "You know, you could at least offer a little thanks to the girl who helped bail you out, bucko," a slightly-distorted voice whispered from inside the leaves. "If it wasn't for me, you'd still be bashing your fists uselessly against your cell door."

"What are you looking for, luv? Flowers? A box of chocolates? I don't do favors or thanks," Marshadow said, waving his hand. Behind him, Solrock rose up from her hiding spot. Her body was covered in purple, boil-like protrusions.

"Oh no, it's nothing like that," Solrock said. "I was just thinking that the two of us ought to team up. Y'know, pool our resources together and all that jazz." Solrock floated awkwardly toward Marshadow. "With my cunning brain and your raw strength, we'd make quite the pair, don't you think?"

"Not in the slightest, luv," Marshadow scoffed. "I'm Marshadow. Operating alone and unseen is my M.O. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you helping me bust out of jail, but don't expect me to return the favor. Maybe once I get that ancient looplet back from those pesky serpents I'll send a few coins your way as thanks."

Solrock began vibrating. Her strange growths flashed with purple light. She floated in front of Marshadow, who took a cautious step backwards. "I'm sorry," Solrock said, her voice growing progressively more distorted. "That wasn't a request… it was an order."

Before Marshadow could respond, Solrock exploded in a burst of purple light and black chains. Flaming rock shards battered Marshadow, stopping him from disappearing into the tree branch. He lost his footing and tumbled off the tree. Marshadow didn't fall for very long, however. The chains that burst out of Solrock descended on Marshadow. They wrapped around his body, binding his arms and legs together. Marshadow's eyes widened. He tried to dissolve into a cloud of shadows and escape, but the chains responded with black lightning, locking Marshadow in place. He floated in midair, wrapped up in the chains.

"Heeheeheehee! Well now, don't you look comfortable?"

Marshadow regained feeling in his arms and legs and resumed struggling. Beside him, a cloud of black smoke drifted away from the tree trunk, forming up into Necrozma. His right arm securely gripped the ends of the chains. "Rrrgh… wh-what's going on here? Who are you? Do you… nrrrgh… have any idea… who you're messing with?" Marshadow growled.

"Of course. Marshadow… the Master Thief!" Necrozma declared. "Admittedly not a Pokémon I'm all that familiar with, but the 'shadow' part is really all I'm interested in, if you catch my drift." He brought his wings together and rubbed his claws gleefully.

"I… don't… take on… partners," Marshadow grunted through gritted teeth.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to break that rule for you," Necrozma taunted, lifting his right arm up and flicking the dangling Marshadow with a claw. Marshadow bounced around like a tetherball, until his struggling came to a stop. "You're going to partner up with someone. In fact… heeheeheehee… it'll be the closest partnership in the entire world!"

Confusion spread across Marshadow's face. "You're clearly off your rocker," he said, trying to conjure up an attack. The chains responded by tightening around him, drawing a pained yelp.

"Heeheeheehee! Struggle all you want, but you're not breaking free of these ley lines," Necrozma said. "See, in my days as a pathetic human, Shane simply begged me to borrow a game I had gotten that his parents wouldn't buy for him. And I, being the good, naïve friend that I was, acquiesced. I figured Shane would beat it quickly and then give the game back."

He hoisted the chains up so that Marshadow was at eye level with him. "He gave it back… heeheeheehee… only the disc had such a large scratch on it that the game was unplayable! And did Shane make up for it by buying me a new copy? No! Worse… my parents sold my precious Gamecube when they got my report card a week later. I was outraged! Incensed!" Necrozma shook the chains, throttling Marshadow. "Once again, a generous act had been rewarded with a proverbial kick to the nads!"

"I bought the game to get a Shadow Lugia! I loved it. I needed it. But Shane… he took it from me! He stole my Shadow Lugia! Just like the gods stole my light!" Necrozma shouted, arms spasming and nearly making him lose his grip on the chains. "And then… he had the nerve… the nerve to flaunt it in front of me! The gods are doing that here, too!" Necrozma's tongue drooped out from his mouth. Drool trickled down his armored chest.

"But now… heeheeheehee… I can rectify that!" Necrozma said, licking his lips as he brought Marshadow closer to his face.

"I don't want any part of your sicko fantasies, you whack job," Marshadow barked, only for the ley lines to tighten around him once again.

"I may not have the means to close the door to a Pokémon's heart, but who cares! That was a stupid concept, anyway," Necrozma continued, ignoring his captive. "I've got a much better alternative. And, as a reward for assisting me, I'll let you steal something far more precious than a piece of old jewelry."

Marshadow's eyes flashed green. "Is that a fact?"

"Of course," Necrozma replied, squeezing the chains in his claws. They strangled Marshadow to the point where his head slackened against his neck. "I've got the 'Shadow' part secured… so now, I just need to get the other half: Lugia! Heeheeheehee!"

Necrozma levitated Marshadow up so the ghost sat on his shoulder. "I hope you brought a towel, because we're about to go for a swim!" The red eye on his forehead flashed and an Ultra Wormhole popped into existence. Necrozma flew into it with Marshadow trailing behind him.

~Circadian Kabana, Juice Bar~

Kahua Raichu led Team Radiance into a large square room with a glazed wooden floor. Circular tables sat clustered around the front half of the room, while the back half had a black marble dance floor. A variety of differently-colored Luminous Orbs were embedded into the ceiling. However, they were all shut off. Instead, natural sunlight filtered in through a pair of windows along the back half of the room.

Team Radiance sat down at the two tables closest to the bar on the right side of the room. It was a lot like the one they were familiar with at Crabrawler's Café. Drink bottles of different sizes and colors sat on multiple shelves. The bar counter had a row of stools in front of it, with a few of them clearly designed for four-legged Pokémon. On the left side was a cardboard cutout of what appeared to be an Exeggutor, only its neck was absurdly long, stretching all the way up to the ceiling. Shane paid the cutout little mind, figuring it was a unique feature for Exeggutors in Horizon.

"Alright, here we are," Kahuna Raichu said, floating out of a white door on the left of the bar. A circular tray floated on either side of him. He set one tray down on each table, revealing white flour tortillas. Shane salivated at the sight of bits of egg and sausage poking out from the breakfast burrito in front of him. Empty glasses and pitchers of orange juice accompanied the food. "Hey now. No need to wait for a signal, yeah. Go ahead and eat," Kahuna Raichu said.

Shane and Tessa wasted no time digging into their meals, while their teammates were a bit more methodical. Silvally and Zoroark used their claws to cut the burritos into reasonable chunks. Gallian did the same thing with his horn. Espy stared at her plate, brow furrowed.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Silvally asked.

"I don't know… something about trying to eat this doesn't sit right with me. Feels like I'd be committing taboo if I did," Espy said, cautiously sniffing her breakfast.

"If you won't eat it, I will," Silvally said, licking his beak.

Espy's stomach growled. She pulled off a mouthful with her telekinesis and ate it. Espy shrugged and continued tearing off pieces to eat. "So, tell us a bit about these missing tourists," Espy said between bites.

"It started a few days ago. A Furfrou couple that was traveling here for a vacation had gone off to Daybreak Beach for Mantine Surfing lessons," Kahuna Raichu explained. Shane was immediately tempted to ask about Mantine Surfing, but looks from Espy and Tessa told him he'd have to wait to find out more about it. "Only, when the afternoon rolled around, the Mantines came back to Daybreak Beach and said they'd lost the Furfrous."

"Do they know what happened?" Tessa gasped, rubbing bits of egg and meat off her snout.

"No. That's the really strange part, cousin," Kahuna Raichu said. "They said they remembered the lesson going really well. Then, all of a sudden, they blacked out."

"Were they attacked?" Silvally asked.

"I don't think so. They looked perfectly fine," Kahuna Raichu said. "It didn't sound like they had lost consciousness or anything. They just… had a big memory lapse. And once they snapped out of their dazes, the Furfrous were gone."

Gallian frowned. "What happened after that?"

"Well, I was tempted to close the beach down, yeah. But this is a busy time of year for us and we already lost Evening Beach to the rising tides," Kahuna Raichu explained. "So, I went to Primarina's studio to find Team Harmony, but only Vaporeon was there." He scratched at his ear. "Vaporeon said that Primarina had gone on an expedition to Sunset Shoals. Like, setting up a base camp and everything. Something to do with trying to mine more music crystals."

"Anyway, I asked Vaporeon if he'd search for the Furfrous. He agreed and took his mate, Jolteon, along with him," Kahuna Raichu continued. He sighed and looked down at the floor. "But he hasn't come back yet. Jolteon and Primarina haven't, either. And, in the meantime, more guests have vanished from the beach… and nobody seems to know how or why."

"Huh, that's quite perplexing," Silvally said, finishing off the last of his orange juice. "They couldn't have just walked into the ocean… they'd drown, wouldn't they?" The thought made Shane and Tessa cringe.

"Hmm… I wonder," Espy said, tapping a forepaw against the table. "Maybe these disappearances are related to the Seaside Shard? Think about it. It's a safe bet at this point that the Seaside Shard is in Sunset Shoals. Otherwise, someone here would've discovered it. And I'm pretty sure Ultra Serperior used some of the Sizzle Shard's power to destabilize Mt. Supernova. So, who's to say similar problems aren't happening at Sunset Shoals?"

"True, though the Subterranean Shard was just sitting in a wall in the Cavernous Depths," Shane said. "I'm not saying I disagree with you, Espy. I just think that, if we take those pieces of information together, it's a good possibility that a Pokémon in Sunset Shoals found the Seaside Shard… and that's causing all of our problems."

Shane looked around at his teammates' stunned expressions. "What? What's with the funny looks? Do I have something in my teeth?"

"No. I'm just… surprised to hear you come up with that idea," Espy said.

"Hey! I can say smart stuff sometimes," Shane huffed. "I figured out that Gallian was behind the thefts in Aeon Town last month, didn't I?"

"Whoa, time out, cousins," Kahuna Raichu said, holding up his paws. "Bring me up to speed here. What's this about a Sunset Shard in Seaside Shoals? I mean… a Shardset Sun in Shoalside Seas…" His brow furrowed. "Err… you know what I mean, yeah?"

Espy quickly relayed the situation with the Dawn Hourglass to Kahuna Raichu. She concluded with, "That's why we're here, actually. We intend to go to Sunset Shoals to see if we can locate the piece of the Dawn Hourglass that ended up there."

"Ah, yeah, that'd be pretty important," Kahuna Raichu said, scratching his ear. "Thing is, I just closed down Daybreak Beach on account of the disappearances."

"What's the big deal? We're going to the Mystery Dungeon, not the beach," Shane said.

"Sunset Shoals is located on an island off of Daybreak Beach. The only way we can get there is by swimming a mile through the ocean," Silvally explained. His glowing appendages turned blue. "I could probably handle it fine, but you guys…" His voice trailed off and he looked at his teammates. "Uh, no offense intended, but I'm pretty sure that Zoroark is the only one who can swim. And he's injured. So, I doubt we'd be able to make it as a group."

"That's where I'll have to step in, yeah," Kahuna Raichu said. "Usually we offer Mantine Surfers up to guild members free of charge, but I sent them all home." He rubbed his stomach and gave a reassuring grin. "Don't despair, though. Seeing as you guys are on a mission for the Tapus, I can definitely convince a few of them to give you a lift to Sunset Shoals."

"Excellent," Silvally said, beaming. "Then we should prepare to head out."

"Uh… about that," Tessa whispered, poking her digits together nervously. "You do realize that none of us have ever gone Mantine Surfing before, right? Heck, I'm still trying to get used to moving around on my toes. How do you expect me to stay balanced on a Mantine, huh?" She turned to Kahuna Raichu. "You wouldn't happen to have Sharpedo Sailors you could call on, do you?"

"Sorry, cousin, they don't work for me," Kahuna Raichu said. "If it's any consolation, our Mantine Surfers are real pros at navigating the ocean. If your team wants a nice, smooth ride to Sunset Shoals, then that's what you're going to get. I'd stake my Totem Crystal on it."

Tessa tugged at her bandanna. "O… okay, I guess," she squeaked. The idea of falling into the ocean deeply unsettled her.

"Kahuna Raichu, you wouldn't happen to have any, like, floaty devices or life preservers, would you?" Shane asked. "Y'know, for Pokémon that can't swim?"

"Well, I do have flotation vests for little kids who need 'em, but I don't think they'd work with a full-grown Ninetales," Kahuna Raichu said, tapping his chin.

"N… no, no, I'm okay. I can swim," Shane said, laughing nervously. He wished he hadn't learned through a life-or-death situation, but he couldn't change the past.

Tessa picked up on Shane's train of thought. "I am not wearing a kiddie vest," she said, scowling and crossing her arms.

"Sheesh, it was just a suggestion," Shane said.

Before anyone could offer anything else up, the doors to the juice bar flew open. "K… Kahuna Raichu!" a panicked Poliwhirl with yellow hands shouted, barging into the room and nearly knocking a table over in the process.

"Whoa, easy there. Where's the fire?" Kahuna Raichu asked.

"It's… it's… Jolteon!" Yellow-Hands wheezed. "She… she washed ashore… on the beach! She's in… real bad shape!"

"You're kidding," Kahuna Raichu gasped. "Were Vaporeon and Primarina with her?"

"No. It's just Jolteon. Come on, I can take you to her," Yellow-Hands said, jogging in place by the door and beckoning Kahuna Raichu to follow.

"Mind if we tag along? This could be important," Silvally said, getting to his feet.

"By all means," Kahuna Raichu replied, hovering toward the door. Cosplay Pikachu swapped her outfit out for a poncho of an Audino and hopped onto her dad's back. The rest of Team Radiance followed along after him.

"Unngh… I was really hoping… I wouldn't have to run," Zoroark grunted, gripping his injured leg. Gallian and Tessa hung back, the latter offering her right shoulder to Zoroark for support.

"Hey, guys, wait up!" Gallian barked, but it did no good. By the time the three of them had made it out of the Kabana, there was no sign of any of their teammates.

"Crap!" Gallian hissed, stomping a forepaw against the gravel. "Tessa, any chance you can sense where they went?"

"Um, lemme see," Tessa said. She shut her eyes, channeling her aura sight. Immediately, a throbbing pain shot through her head, forcing her eyes open. Tessa stumbled forward, almost tripping Zoroark up in the process. "Ow!" she squealed, rubbing her temple. "It's… it's no good, Gallian. The second I tried using aura sight, I got a splitting headache." She avoided Gallian's gaze, worried he'd be disappointed in her failure.

"So, what do we do? Go knocking on doors until we find the rest of the group?" Zoroark wondered, looking around the resort.

"Well, Poliwhirl mentioned finding Jolteon at the beach, right?" Tessa said. "If the beach we came to is closed, then she must've washed up at Daybreak Beach. Which is… uh… that way, I think!" She pointed a paw to her left. "Come on, let's run!" Without even asking, she scooped Zoroark up in her arms.

"Hey, I didn't say I needed a lift!" he gasped.

"Sorry, we're pressed for time right now," Tessa said, dashing forward. Gallian matched her pace, eyeing her skeptically. "Relax, Gallian, I've got him. He's… a bit on the heavy side, yeah, but nothing too bad."

"It's the mane. It weighs more than you think," Zoroark said, grabbing hold of his hair to avoid tripping Tessa up. After a minute of running, they found another archway with a beach on the other side. It was larger than where they arrived and it didn't end in a wall. Instead, frothy ocean water lapped up against the shore, leaving a long stretch of darker-colored sand between each wave.

"You guys see those storm clouds?" Gallian asked, tensing up. "They look pretty fierce. Did Magearna or Latias mention anything about a storm-bringing Pokémon flying over this part of Horizon?"

"No," Tessa said, lowering Zoroark to the ground.

"I was afraid of that," Gallian said, scowling. "That's gotta be the direction Sunset Shoals is in."

"You don't think the dungeon is causing it, do you?" Zoroark said.

"After what we've seen, I'm willing to believe anything out of the ordinary," Gallian replied, his scythe crackling pink. "More importantly, though, I'm not seeing our teammates out here."

"I guess they must've already gotten Jolteon to a healer," Zoroark said, scratching at the stump where his left ear used to be.

Tessa's aura feelers scrunched up. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the edge of the shore. "Guys, I think something's up with the water," Tessa said.

"What do you mean? All I see are waves rolling up from the ocean," Zoroark said.

"That's just it! The waves… they're getting bigger!" Tessa realized, aura feelers shooting up in alarm. As soon as she finished speaking, a particularly large wave crashed down on the shore, spilling water out across the sand. A hazy cloud blocked the trio's view of the shoreline. Gallian and Zoroark both took cautious steps back toward the resort.

"Something's wrong here," Zoroark said. "I think we need to call for h–"

"Hit the deck!" Tessa shouted, cupping her paws together and thrusting them forward. A blue fireball shot out. It stalemated with a larger blue fireball. Smoke spread in all directions. Hissing, Tessa threw an arm over her face.

"Is someone attacking us?" Gallian growled.

In response, a column of water split the smoke apart. Gallian scrambled to his right. The water struck the top of the archway and rained down on Zoroark and Tessa. Both threw their paws up over their heads and ran forward, groaning loudly.

"You lads are coming with me!
That's the way it's got to be!
Anyone who sets foot on this beach!
I'll catch before they get out of reach!
Yo ho! Yo ho! Prepare yerselves, cause it's time to go!"

Tessa grabbed her ears and pushed them against her skull. "Argh! What is with that godawful singing? It's painful!"

"Tessa, look out!" Gallian cried, scythe brimming with psychic energy. He launched pink crescents in front of his sister, destroying the blue fireball that nearly broadsided her. The smoke finally settled, revealing a Clawitzer with seaweed wrapped around his torso. His large pincer smoldered with blue embers.

"Hold still, scallywag, or this will hurt!
And we need us a crew that's fresh and alert!"

Clawitzer again belted out scratchy, out of tune lyrics that made his opponents' fur prickle. Tessa fought through the ringing pain in her ears and rifled off another blue fireball. She expected him to have no mobility on land, but Clawitzer shocked her by bouncing into the air. Luckily, her Aura Sphere curved upward. It knocked Clawitzer into the water.

"Gallian, listen to me!" Tessa shouted, thrusting her paws to the side. Blue flames encased each of them. "You have to go back into the resort and get help… now!"

Gallian paused in the middle of gathering black shadows in his scythe. "Wait, what? And just leave you and Zoroark out here?" he growled.

"You're the fastest one out of us. Just trust me on this!" Tessa said. She sprinted across the beach before he could respond, frantically waving her arms to catch Clawitzer's attention.

Zoroark fired a black beam. Clawitzer deflected it with a glob of water. "Do it, Gallian! We need the others here," Zoroark said. "I won't go charging into the fray, I promise."

"R… right," Gallian whispered, then took off running for the resort. As soon as Tessa was sure he was safely through the archway, she launched a blue fireball at Clawitzer. He dipped underwater to avoid it. Clawitzer rolled onto the shore and brandished his large pincer at Tessa.

Water and ice swirled inside it. Clawitzer laughed heartily and launched an ice spear at Tessa. A chain-shaped stream of water trailed behind it, connecting back to Clawitzer's pincer. In a last-ditch attempt to save herself, Tessa funneled aura into her paws and thrust them forward, praying she could break Clawitzer's projectile apart.

The plan failed miserably. A torrent of ice and water blew Tessa back across the beach with an agonized howl. She rolled across the sand, leaving a trail of water and blood droplets behind her.

"Tessa!" Zoroark cried. He turned to Clawitzer, paws and right eye flashing crimson. He slammed the ground, sending a crimson wall of energy toward Clawitzer.

"Don't make me laugh!
You won't stop me, lad!
I gave you both fair warning!
Now you've made me mad!"

Clawitzer turned to Zoroark. The watery chain whipped back toward his pincer and a new ice harpoon formed up inside it. Clawitzer launched the harpoon. It split Zoroark's attack apart and forced him onto his back. Ice, water, wood and leaves exploded behind Zoroark, remnants of a tree Clawitzer's spear destroyed.

Zoroark sat up, shooting a black beam. He clipped the left side of Clawitzer's head, but Clawitzer wasn't fazed. Water and ice whipped up around Clawitzer. Zoroark knew exactly what Clawitzer planned to do, but his injured leg made getting up a cumbersome task.

"Nnrrrgh… c'mon, Gallian," Zoroark groaned, shooting another black beam in desperation. This time Clawitzer vaulted over the attack, landing a couple of feet in front of Zoroark. Clawitzer prepared to unleash an ice spear, when an enraged scream echoed across the beach.

"Huh? What the—" Clawitzer started, only to get cut off by a blue fireball equally as large as he was. His exoskeleton splintered, cracks racing down his arm toward his chest. The collision jettisoned him skyward. Clawitzer careened off toward the ocean, water and ice streaming from his limp body. He splashed down hard, kicking up a plume of water that Zoroark could barely see given how far away it was.

"Okay," Zoroark whispered, trying to catch his breath. "That was… suitably terrifying. Thanks for the save, Tessa." He turned to his left, expecting Tessa to acknowledge him. Instead, he had to throw his arm up over his face to shield himself from a bright flash of orange light. "Tessa? What's happening? Is that you?"

"I… have had… enough!" Tessa shouted, her voice distorting. The orange light surrounding her faded to red ripples that raced across her body.

"Gyah!" Zoroark shouted, skirting back across the sand. "Tessa, what happened to you? You're… you're…"

Tessa hunched over. Her new, waist-length aura dreadlocks lashed out at the air behind her like whips, brushing the tan fur extending off her waist where her tail should have been. The spiderweb pattern of black fur on her torso had spread out to her head, arms, and legs. Her black-furred paws and feet instead glowed fluorescent-red. The winged heart, by contrast, was pitch black, matching the color of the gem in her Naturia Looplet. Both appeared to be the sources of the red wisps surging around her.

"Just once… just once… I'd like to show up somewhere and not have something trying to kill me within the first hour!" Tessa snarled, her irises flashing with a multitude of different colors. "Why? Why can't we just have one peaceful goddamn morning?!" She pivoted to her right and thrust her paws forward. A giant blue fireball raced out into the ocean, splitting the water apart as it moved. It exploded in a blinding blue flash.

"Tessa! What the hell are you doing?!"

Gallian charged onto the beach, skidding to a halt in the sand when he saw his sister. The rest of Team Radiance came to his side, while Kahuna Raichu and Cosplay Pikachu both helped Zoroark back to his feet.

"Rrrrghh… get… away… from me!" Tessa shouted, whirling around and flinging a blue fireball at Gallian. He stood there, utterly mortified. The aura sphere would've bowled him over had Silvally not leaped in front of Gallian. Purple shadows raced down his talons from the ghost memories in his looplet. He lashed out, slicing the fireball into blue cinders.

"What's wrong with her?" Gallian said. "Why does she look exactly like Mom?!"

"It's Mega Evolution," Shane realized, horror spreading across his face. "But Tessa can't control it!"

Tessa doubled over, crying in pain. She threw her metal-coated paws over her ears and shook her head about violently. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Tessa screeched. She struck the ground with a glowing paw. Plumes of sand shot up near Team Radiance, forcing Shane and Gallian back with startled gasps. Silvally cit through the plumes with a barrage of air crescents.

"Tessa, listen to me! It's Silvally! You've got to calm down!" Silvally shouted, bounding toward her. "We don't want to hurt you. Everything's going to be okay, but you've got to stop shouting and take a few deep breaths!"

"I'm done listening to you!" Tessa roared. Two streams of metal corkscrewed toward Silvally. He channeled ground memories before taking the metal in the face. Silvally skidded into Gallian.

"How is this even happening? Espy, I thought you had all of our Awakening Emeras," Shane said, looking worriedly at Tessa. How could he stand up to that? He had a glaring steel weakness.

"I do," Espy whispered meekly, peering at her satchel. "Plus, Jirachi said he had solved the issue of Pokémon going berserk if they used an Awakening Emera. I have no idea what's going on here!"

"Be quiet!" Tessa snarled, shooting liquid metal in Espy's direction. She gasped and ran to her right, barely skirting the attack. "This is all your faults!" Tessa shouted. "You ran ahead… when you knew Zoroark was hurt. I was just trying to stay back and be a good spirit-sister. I tried to shout for you all. But did you listen? No!"

Gallian and Silvally were too busy untangling themselves to see the Aura Sphere racing toward them. Espy tried to snuff it out with a bright-pink energy ball, but her attack wasn't strong enough.

"Tessa, what are you doing? Stop attacking them!" Shane cried, only to squeak frightfully as Tessa's wild-eyed gaze fell on him.

"You want me to listen to you?" she growled. "Fat chance! You wouldn't even show me the same courtesy!" Tessa closed the distance between her and Shane in a matter of seconds. Shane backpedaled across the sand, panic spreading across his face. "If you had listened to me when I was calling for you, then I wouldn't have had another near-death experience to add to my growing list! Why do you have to be such a dense moron, huh?"

"I… uh…"

Tessa's metal spikes extended into claws and she raked them across Shane's head. He collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain. Tessa reared back, ready to thrust her metal claws through Shane's rib cage. But the sight of the mortified look in Shane's eyes made her pause. Tessa stood there, right paw raised over her head, trembling. Blood pooled out from the gashes on Shane's forehead, staining his fur and trickling down his mane. For a brief moment, the red energy ripples stopped surging across Tessa's body and the rainbow glow in her eyes faded.

"Sh… Shane?" she squeaked, bringing her paw back down toward her chest.

As soon as she did this, however, her eyes regained their multicolored glow and her red aura intensified. An angered look spread across her face as she raised her paws up, claws poking between her digits. She brought her paws crashing down toward Shane. But earth-encrusted talons broadsided her across the face. Tessa's head whipped around to her left, then the rest of her body followed suit.

"I'm sorry, Tessa, but this is for your own good!" Silvally cried, striking her with his other foreleg. Her red aura and glowing eyes disappeared in a flash of orange light. By the time she hit the sand, she had returned to normal. Silvally looked away, shutting his eyes. "That was… just awful," he whimpered.

"Oh, man, this is really bad," Kahuna Raichu said. He glanced at Cosplay Pikachu. "Listen, I'm gonna go get Florges over here on the double. Think you can at least step in and help out in the meantime?"

"I'm on it, pops," Cosplay Pikachu said. She dashed toward Shane, her Audino hooding fluttering behind her. "Stand aside, stand aside. He needs treatment fast!" she shouted. A pink glow encased both her paws. She pointed her index fingers toward Shane. Pink light struck Shane's head and slowed his bleeding. Shane tried to sit up, but his whole world was spinning. He groaned loudly.

"Sorry, cousin, that's the best I can do," Cosplay Pikachu said. "I've gotta tend to Absol. Big guy, think you can prop him up until Florges gets here?" she asked.

Silvally bent over and hoisted Shane into a seated position against his right shoulder. "Shane, you still with me?" Silvally said.

"Oogh, my aching head," Shane said. "What happened?"

"Tessa hit you pretty hard with… uh… I think it was Metal Claw? I'm not entirely sure," Silvally said.

"Wait… oh gods, Tessa!" Shane shouted. "Is Tessa okay? What happened to her?" Silvally repositioned Shane, allowing him to see Tessa stirring in the sand a foot away. "Tessa, can you hear me?" Shane called. Tessa didn't respond. Instead, she brought her paws up toward her face.

Before Shane could say anything else, Kahuna Raichu returned, with an orange-flower Florges floating behind him. "Here they are," he said, gesturing toward Team Radiance. "It was a Mega Evolution gone wrong. Ninetales suffered a pretty bad blow at the paws of Lucario."

"I'll get right on it," Florges said, floating calmly toward Shane.

"Nuh… no… don't worry about me. Tend to Tessa," Shane croaked.

"I'm sure your friend appreciates the concern, but you need the most immediate attention, Ninetales," Florges said. She exhaled a small green cloud that washed over Shane and Silvally. Both of them relaxed, the former slumping down into the sand. Florges waved her right arm and a trail of yellow dust spread over Shane's face. A few seconds later, the dust lit up blue. Shane's wounds sealed themselves off, leaving only bloodstains behind.

"Did you heal him with Wish? I didn't think it worked like that," Silvally gasped.

"It's a trade secret among us healers," Florges said with a wink. "Now, let's tend to Lucario." She floated to Tessa, who remained face-down in the sand.

"Go away," she mumbled, the beach muffling her voice. "I don't deserve your help."

"Sorry, Lucario. The Kahuna wants you all healed up. I'm not going to refuse him," Florges said. Tessa tried to raise a paw in opposition, but Florges quickly calmed her down with another cloud of green gas. Florges healed Tessa up the same way she did Shane. Tessa slowly sat up until she was kneeling in the sand. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I… I'm so sorry," Tessa squeaked, clasping her paws against her chest spike. "I have no idea what came over me! We lost sight of you guys, so we went to the beach. That's when a Clawitzer came rising out of the sea. He attacked us, singing this awful song the entire time." She grabbed her head and shook it. "His voice was horrendously scratchy… it's like a million Joltiks climbed into my ears and electrocuted them!"

"But the kicker was that Clawitzer used some weird attack where he made this blade out of ice. He hit me with it and… and it just hurt so much!" she continued, shivering. "That pain… I got so frustrated that I had to lash out. Everything became a blur until Silvally stopped me."

The rest of the group stood there, taking in Tessa's tale. "I don't understand how it happened," Silvally said. "There aren't any Awakening Emeras in her looplet."

"Yeah, about that," Zoroark said, limping up to Tessa. "There was some sinister-looking energy spilling out of the gem in your looplet." He held his paw out toward Tessa who, in turn, showed Zoroark her looplet. Zoroark examined the central gem and confirmed that it had returned to its usual pink color. "It looks fine now, but it was all black and red while Tessa was transformed," Zoroark said.

"So, you think my looplet caused this?" Tessa gasped, pulling her paw back. She covered her right paw up with her left to hide the heart sigil from her friends. "If that's the case, then I'm taking it off. I don't want to risk going crazy like that again!"

"Are you serious? We need Z-Power to beat the Prism Virus, remember?" Shane said. "Look… it was just a one-time fluke, that's all. Now that we know it's happening, we can keep an eye on you and prevent the same problem from popping up in the future. Does that sound okay?"

"No!" Tessa shouted. She cupped her paws over her mouth. "I'm sorry, Shane. I didn't mean to shout," she squeaked, aura feelers drooping. "It's just… I can't bear the thought of hurting any of you again. And the feeling… when all that energy was flowing through me…" She shuddered. "I know we need to stop the Prism Virus, but I'm not willing to risk Mega Evolving again. It's horrible."

"You don't have to do this for my sake, Tessa," Shane said, frowning. "It's more important that we deal with the Prism Virus, isn't it?"

"It's not just about you, Shane!" Tessa snapped. Shane scooted back, looking down guiltily. She had a point, right? He couldn't force her to use the looplet. Forcing Tessa to do things was what initially made their relationship so toxic.

"Easy there, Tessa," Silvally said. "I'm sure the whole ordeal must've been terrifying for you. Just take a second and gather your thoughts."

"Y… yeah… okay," Tessa whispered. She walked backwards for a few paces, rubbing her right paw with her left. After a half-minute of silence, she said, "I didn't mean to spook you, Shane. It's just… you really don't understand how scary it was."

"I think I might have an idea," Shane said, pointing to the blood on his head. "I guess if you're that concerned about keeping yourself safe, then maybe you should lose the looplet for a bit. At least until we can figure out what the issue is."

"I can help with that," Espy declared, walking up to the rest of the group with the Gear-Com levitating beside her. "Just got off a call with Magearna about this whole crazy incident. Now, she doesn't have her reference materials on her, but she seemed confident that what we saw was just your average, uncontrolled Mega Evolution."

"Excuse me? That sounds like a hell of an oxymoron," Gallian growled, flicking up some sand with a forepaw.

"Eh heh heh… I phrased that poorly," Espy said with a nervous grin. "What I meant to say is that, according to Magearna, Z-Power from a Naturia Looplet can trigger a Mega Evolution instead of a Z-Move."

"That's what I was afraid of," Tessa squeaked, looking at her looplet. "I can't keep this on. What if the next time I try to use a Z-Move, I end up Mega Evolving and attacking you guys instead? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that."

The gravity of Tessa's words quickly sunk in amongst her teammates. "Then, take it off," Silvally said. "We've still got other Z-Move users. Heck, you could give it to Zoroark!"

"That's not necessary," Espy said. "See, what Magearna told me was that, for Pokémon that have Mega Evolutions, it comes down to what they're thinking and how they're feeling when they summon their Z-Power. If negative thoughts and emotions like anger or hopelessness predominate, a Pokémon will Mega Evolve, then immediately lose control."

"What about the, y'know, ninety-five percent of 'mons that can't Mega Evolve?" Shane asked.

"They fail to channel any Z-Power," Espy replied. "On the other hand, if positive or constructive thoughts like determination are in control, a Pokémon channels Z-Power. Magearna suggested that adding an Awakening Emera to a Naturia Looplet might allow Tessa to control her Mega Evolution, but she said that's just a hypothesis."

"See, Tessa? It's not so bad. We've just got to stay by your side and make sure things stay under control," Shane said, smiling and offering an encouraging tail wag.

Tessa's face scrunched up. "If that's the case… you have to promise me you're not going to leave me behind under any circumstances."

"Absolutely," Shane said. He sat down in the sand and raised a forepaw. "Scout's honor, we're going to keep you from going berserk in the future."

"Okay," Tessa whispered, her voice shaky. "I'm still taking an Awakening Emera to be on the safe side, though." Tessa walked up to Espy, paw outstretched.

"Everything good, then?" Kahuna Raichu asked. Hesitant nods ensued from the rest of the group. "You think you're still up to go to Sunset Shoals?"

"Based on what Jolteon told us, I think we have to," Silvally sighed. He looked at Gallian and Zoroark and said, "Jolteon was attacked by Primarina. Apparently, he can now hypnotize Pokémon by singing to them."

"That would explain why Clawitzer sang while he attacked us," Zoroark said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Shane shot a nervous glance at Tessa. He didn't want to drag her out into a Mystery Dungeon if she was already shaken up. Still, someone had to go. The Seaside Shard was likely at stake. They couldn't let it fall by the wayside. "Tessa, are you okay with going?" Shane asked. "I don't want to push you if you're not feeling up to it."

"I'll go," Tessa said, fitting an Awakening Emera into an open notch on her looplet. "You guys said you'd make sure I don't lose control, right? You can't do that if you're in the dungeon and I'm cooped up here."

"Right. A-as long as you're okay with it," Shane said, tails twisting around one another.

"Alright. I'll go hit up the Mantine Surfers, yeah. And, while I'm at it, I'll try to find some 'mons who can patrol the beach in case anymore surprises are lurking in the ocean," Kahuna Raichu said. He beckoned Florges and Cosplay Pikachu to follow him back toward the resort.

"Now what?" Gallian asked, looking nervously at his own looplet.

"I guess we wait for the Mantine Surfers," Silvally said.

Review replies!

Another guest: those kinds of fancy emotes won't work on FFN, I'm afraid. Primarina's schtick is more inspired by DJ Octavio and Courtney Gears (shout out to my fellow Ratchet & Clank fans). Totem Ninetales is not the same Ninetales that played a part in Silvally's creation, but Ninetales live quite a long time in this world. And, yes, that Kirby update was crazy. Good thing my precious egg boi Magolor is as broken as Marx!

SuperOmegaGuest: I don't steal writing. I've certainly got a lot of references to things and borrow ideas from other game series, but that's fanfic for you!

Anon Omega: Let's Go just wasn't for me. I'm having much more fun with Kirby Star Allies now that it's a complete game. Also, you're right on the money with DJ Octavio comparisons. Safe to say Primarina's remixed a few folks' brains.

Next time: mail call!

Wait, what? That's it? Who's writing this drivel?!