Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light

by Ambyssin

Stop me if you've heard this one before. You wake up somewhere you don't recognize, only to find you've been turned into a Pokémon! Before you know it, you're off on a globe-trotting adventure. Dream come true, right? Well, for one human, that dream quickly turns into a waking nightmare. Can he fend off an otherworldly force threatening to rip the fabric of reality apart?

113. Best Friend, Worst Nightmare

Content Advisory: Like with last chapter, there are instances of charged and suggestive language.

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Chapter 96: Best Friend, Worst Nightmare

~Treasure Town Coast~

Infernape drove a flaming fist into a Celesteela. It wobbled about unsteadily, leaving room for Feraligatr to leap into the air and bite down on one of its arms. Celesteela toppled over, desperately trying to blast Haunter, who floated nonchalantly in front of it. However, when the metal burst struck, Haunter simply vanished in a puff of smoke.

"You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! Mwee hee hee hee!"

Haunter popped up on the other side of Celesteela and licked its other arm. It seized up from paralysis, giving Infernape's Flame Wheel an opening to strike its chest. Celesteela burst apart into shadowy wisps. Infernape uncurled, dusting sand off his knees.

"Err… nice work there," he said.

"Any time!" Haunter bowed and sank back into the ground. Infernape looked around, trying to see if any more Ultra Beasts were attempting to breach the forcefield and invade Treasure Town.

"Go away!"

Feraligatr jumped up with a holler. Infernape looked left, where sound waves knocked a Nihilego into a Pheromosa and a Naganadel like they were a stack of dominos. Exploud stomped about angrily, yelling, "Trying to attack Sunflora when she was preoccupied? You guys are such jerks!"

"I, uh, guess they've got things under control?" Feraligatr mumbled, head titled sideways. "Say, is it just me, or do these things seem a lot weaker than that big building thingamajig Lycanroc was controlling?"

"You mean Spattatatta? Yeah, these guys are a lot weaker," Infernape said. "It doesn't make any sense to me. They look fearsome and imposing. So, why can we knock them out so easily?"

"Yoom-taah!"

To Team Poképals' right, a Guzzlord hurtled through the air, flailing its large arms. A ball of pink fairy energy struck it from above, destroying it. Cresselia hovered down, staring blankly at Wigglytuff.

"Hooray! I blew back the bad guy farther than Exploud did!" Wigglytuff cheered.

Blue-Beak Chatot hopped up and down, flapping his wings. "G-Guildmaster, please. This isn't the time for celebrat— gah!" He shot into the air moments before a Blacephalon head hit the sand and erupted in a neon explosion. Cresselia barely managed to yank Wigglytuff out of the way in time. The Blacephalon in question dropped out of the sky, bowing as a new head appeared in its hands.

"Hey, lanky! Pick on someone your own size, will ya?"

Blacephalon whirled around, only for a Mega Lopunny to drive a glowing foot into its wiry frame. It buckled like a bent straw. Lopunny whirled around, punting its head into the distance. "Light 'em up, Gardy!" Lopunny dropped to her belly, enabling pink ripples to hammer Blacephalon while it was stunned. It dissolved away in trails of gray smoke. "Nice work!"

Mega Gardevoir levitated down from an alcove and daintily touched down in the sand. She was breathing heavily. "Th-Thanks, chief. But I gotta say, this workout's taking a bit of a toll on me."

A loud wham sounded to her right and a Pheromosa hit the ground beside Lopunny. It stuck a leg up, striking Mega Medicham's glowing foot. She hopped back from the stalemate, wincing as she landed. "What happened to staying retired, huh?"

Lopunny sprang toward Pheromosa. It whirled around, leg outstretched to meet her. But Medicham dove into her, forehead brimming with psychic energy. Pheromosa stumbled and Lopunny drove a fiery fist into its sternum. It dropped to its knees and burst into flames. Lopunny wiped her brow. "Well, we can't enjoy retirement if the world gets destroyed, can we?"

Medicham slumped over. "F-fair point, I guess."

"Aw, c'mon. Look on the bright side." Haunter materialized beside Lopunny with Drifloon and Misdreavus in tow. "How many exploration teams get to say they charmed a pack of aliens? Get it? Because you're Team Charm! Mwee hee hee h—"

Lopunny backhanded Haunter's cheek. His eyes popped out of their sockets and rolled through the sand. "Yow! Hey, what's the big idea?!" Haunter huffed, scooping his eyes up and rubbing them against each other to get the sand grains out.

"Golly, Haunter. I don't think they're fans of your brand of comedy," Misdreavus said.

"Exactly. Focus on keeping Treasure Town safe. Then you can crack as many jokes as you want," Gardevoir said, leering at Haunter.

"Preferably out of our range of hearing," Medicham added.

Haunter stiffened and saluted her. "Y-Yes, ma'am!"

"Ma'am? Do I look like my frills are wrinkling yet?" Gardevoir fumed.

"Of course not! Of course not! You three are a pack of angels!" Drifloon said, hearts popping up in his eyes.

"Uh… gross," Medicham said.

"Girls. Let's not waste time with these dweebs. We've got aliens to pulverize!" Lopunny said, before hopping off in Azelf and Uxie's direction. Medicham and Gardevoir nodded and ran after their boss.

"W-Wait, what about us?" Haunter cried, then floated after them.

"I miss Team Captivate. At least they'd hit me while they were chewing me out." Drifloon sighed and hovered off dejectedly.

---

~Celestial Island Interior~

Groaning, Espy rolled from her back to belly. "My aching everything." She brushed her head against her shoulder and blinked. Somehow, she seemed to have ended up somewhere even darker than where she was before. The ground had the same glassy texture as the other floors of the twisted dungeon, but now the cubes were jet-black, to the point where Espy couldn't identify their outlines.

She tensed her back. Her spine popped several times. After confirming nothing was broken, she got to her feet. "You doing okay, Tessa?" Espy waited for a response, but got nothing. She concentrated on her psychic powers but, like with Temporal Tower's ruins, she couldn't sense anything. "T-Tessa? Lunala?" Espy turned around, looking for any sign of the other girls. She saw nothing. Not even a faint outline.

"Tessa? Lunala? C'mon, this isn't funny!" Espy said, louder and more desperate than before. Her tail wrapped around a hind leg. Her breathing and heart rate quickened. "Please, say something! Anything!" Espy's ears folded against her head. She had had this nightmare before. Plenty of times. Being alone in a dark, foreboding void with no way to sense anything and no signs of escape. The only thing that was missing was—

A squelch made her fur shoot up. Her ears and tail stiffened. "W-What was that?!" Espy whirled around. "Wh… who's out there? Show yourself!" She conjured up fairy energy in her forehead gem and unleashed white, dazzling light. It lit up the room long enough for Espy to see a few puddles of black slime evaporate in front of her.

Espy's heart shot into her throat. Her tail ducked between her legs. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. And yet, she knew that her Dazzling Gleam had hit some Void Shadows. Which meant there was no denying it. This really was her worst nightmare come to life. And she could barely see the Void Shadows coming with how dark this place was.

She crouched low to the ground, trying to steady her breathing so she could listen for the sounds of approaching Void Shadows. The silence made her skin crawl. With each passing second, she found it harder to keep her nerves in check. The possibility something could leap out of the darkness at her made it difficult for her to concentrate.

"Deep breaths… deep breaths," she squeaked. Espy found the sound of her own voice slightly calming amidst the stillness.

"Why, Espy? Why did you let me die?"

Espy swallowed hard. She didn't want to turn around. Even with the distortion, she knew that was Umbreon's voice. She wanted to blame Necrozma for all of this. Espy figured it had to be some sort trick or illusion. And yet, the sight of Umbreon — or, rather, what she assumed was a copy of her brother — made her legs tremble.

Umbreon crept toward her, his red eyes glowing. "I spent my best years being the shoulder for you to cry on. Trying to craft apologies to our colleagues for all of your angry tirades." He paced back and forth. Espy stared him down, petrified. "Cleaning up after your wild nights drinking and snorting stardust. Satisfying you. And for what?"

A black beam raced toward Espy. After a second of indecision, she jumped back, wincing as smoke rose from the ground.

"For you to leave me behind… to suffer Necrozma's wrath!" Umbreon said, rings flashing.

"N-No. That's not true." Espy shook her head. "You pushed me into the Magnagate! You wanted me to survive, right? You made it sound like it was the only way!"

"Ha! You only heard what you wanted to hear, as per usual!"

Sharp claws swiped against Espy's rear. She stumbled forward and barely managed to roll away from another Dark Pulse. Espy whirled around, shouting, "Leave me alone!" Her forehead gem flashed white. But Haxorus' copy jumped away from the blast of fairy energy.

"What's the matter? Does the truth hurt? You're only upset because you know that I'm right," Haxorus said, unsheathing her Dragon Claws. "All you've ever done is come up with excuses."

Espy winced. "I… I was upset."

"For over a decade? Please. What kind of sorry reasoning is that?"

Espy's ears twitched at another feminine voice. She saw something glowing red and fired Psychic rings to her left. Virizion yelped in surprise and tumbled back across the floor. Espy looked away guiltily, only to find a ball of dragonfire heading right for her. Espy formed up a Light Screen, but purple ectoplasm struck her in the rump. She gasped, then cried in pain as dragonfire pelted her face.

"How does it feel, Espy? All your safety nets are gone." Umbreon's forehead ring smoldered. "And how about those 'friends' you thought you could replace us with on Team Radiance? I don't see them anywhere."

"Please stop! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Espy said. Even if she knew the dungeon was doing this, she couldn't help it. All the bad memories were bubbling up to the surface. "I made mistakes! A lot of mistakes! Please… leave me alone!" Forehead gem brimming with fairy energy, she unleashed a Dazzling Gleam. It knocked the copies back. They shrank back down into Void Shadows and disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"This is what you deserve. To face down your demise… all alone. With nary a soul to come to your aid."

Espy spun around, then dove to the floor. A purple beam whizzed over her, singing the forked ends of her tail. She looked up into Hydreigon's six eyes. Each one glowed bright-blue. Espy scrambled to her feet, wondering if anyone else would crawl out of the darkness. She shot white energy at Hydreigon, who flew above it.

"It's laughable, really. I thought you were a researcher. And yet, your actions with regards to your new friends are downright irrational," Hydreigon said, shaking his three heads in unison. Espy saw his purple Dark Pulse beam coming this time, however, and countered it with a pink, spiraling Psybeam. She backed away from a cloud of black smoke, only to yowl as something sharp jabbed her right flank.

Espy hopped left, keeping Hydreigon in view while staring down a copy of Keldeo whose horn brimmed with energy. She glanced at the spot he'd struck. The fur was scuffed, but otherwise the injuries were minimal compared to what Dragonite and Zero had done.

"Let's be real, Espeon. You weren't really friends with anyone on Team Radiance," Keldeo said, narrowing his eyes. "They were nothing but crutches to you."

"That's a lie!" Espy cried. She fired pink blasts at Keldeo, but Hydreigon swooped down to harmlessly take the blow. Keldeo used him as a footstool to leap into the air. Next thing Espy knew, water torrents swept her off her feet and sent her tumbling across the floor. She rolled back to her feet quickly, however. Her fur may have been soggy, but otherwise she felt fine.

'What's going on here?' she wondered. The attacks hurt, but they hurt in the same way stepping on a spike trap did. She knewNecrozma was capable of doing far worse. So, if this was one of his traps, why wasn't he using his strongest techniques?

"Admit it! You wanted to use the guys to carry on your old habits!" Hydreigon said. "When they kept you away from the stardust you craved, you got antsy." He opened his mouth and spewed fire at her.

"You craved intimacy. That's why you came onto Ninetales during the stage show. And, when that failed, you began to cozy up to a freak." Keldeo slashed at the flames with his horn. Fiery crescents homed in on Espy. She sprinted away from the Void Shadows, while Keldeo continued, "You were desperate. I'm impressed you managed to show some self-restraint. Maybe you have grown a tiny bit since the days of the Bittercold."

Espy skidded to a halt and threw up a Light Screen. The last fire crescent fizzled out against her barrier. "That has nothing to do with this! I'm trying to make up for what I did. I… I want to be a more positive person. But if I don't stop Necrozma, I'll never get that chance."

Hydreigon swooped toward her, spewing a purple beam. Espy avoided it by running right. Hydreigon shriveled up into a ball of black slime, which then turned into Umbreon. "Please. You don't care about being positive. All that matters to you is the freak'sbig hulking frame on top of you."

Espy shrank back, ears drooping and tail curling around her leg. "N-No. I don't… I wouldn't…"

"It's written all over your face," Virizion said, sauntering up to Umbreon. Her ethereal horn glowing orange. Keldeo joined her at her side, energy gathering in his horn as well. "Warm breath on the back of your neck. Fur and scales rubbing against you." Virizion smirked at Espy. "You want him to have your way with you. To go at you so hard you can't walk straight when he's finished!"

"Stop it! Stop talking about him like that!" Espy said, unleashing a Dazzling Gleam. Energy blades and a Dark Pulse beam countered the white light. Espy shuffled back, legs quivering. "I didn't… I wouldn't…" She shook her head.

"He was a big, alluring piece of meat dangling in front of you. Nothing more. Nothing less," Umbreon said. "Things wouldn't have been any different with him than they were with me."

Espy looked at the floor. These Void Shadows' attacks weren't the problem. It was everything they were saying. She'd heard this all before. In her dreams. In her worst moments of weakness when she was awake. And every time this had happened before, she turned to the same solutions. But she couldn't do that here. These Void Shadows were real. They were dredging her past mistakes back up. She wanted to apologize. She had planned on it.

But they were right. Espy made plans assuming she'd have Silvally to support her. Her gaze darted around. Were the Void Shadows right, then? Maybe Silvally was a crutch she was using to avoid confronting her demons…

Don't listen to them.

Espy tensed up. Her eyes darted around, but she had to backpedal and dodge a Shadow Ball along with red energy crescents from Keldeo. Virizion hit the spot she had been standing in seconds after she moved.

Remember what we talked about. Challenge the negativity.

"Challenge the negativity…" Espy glanced right. Like on Zero's altar, a familiar silhouette stood behind her. It fanned out its translucent crest and smiled at her.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

The silhouette faded. Espy's tail twitched. More ectoplasm was heading for her. She sprinted right, blasting a charging Keldeo with pink energy. Umbreon jumped in to block the blow, however. "What's the matter? You've gotten awful quiet," he taunted. "It's because you know we're right, isn't it?"

Keldeo soared up on jets of water from his hooves. "If you gave up… and returned the Z-Power you took to where it belongs… then maybe you could get him back." He pointed his hooves at Espy. She formed a Light Screen and it proved strong enough to deflect his Hydro Pump jets. Keldeo frowned. "This resistance of yours is laughable. We know you want him inside you. Necrozma can make it happen. All you have to is stand down."

Espy skidded to a halt and glanced at her glowing looplet. So, that was what this was about. When Espy got her looplet, a rush of energy repaired her forehead gem and restored her connection to her psychic powers. She had used Z-Power to fix her "broken" abilities… just like Tessa with her defective aura sense, apparently.

'And Necrozma wants that energy back for himself. Even if it isn't much… he won't be satiated until he takes everything!'

Espy narrowed her eyes at the Void Shadows. She took a calming breath. "You want to know what I have to say?" Her eyes glowed blue. Umbreon readied a Dark Pulse, but Espy unleashed her Dazzling Gleam much quicker. The Void Shadows burned away against a wall of white light. "I say piss off!" She stomped a foreleg on the ground. "Yes, I did a lot of bad things after the Bittercold fell. Ditto with Dark Matter. I treated the Pokémon of Paradise like dirt. I'm not denying that.

"But I think I get why things went badly. I didn't have the help I needed." Espy looked around. New copies — Victini and Emolga, judging by the silhouettes — were forming to her right. Ectoplasm crackled around her forehead gem. "Everyone around me was so concerned with getting Haxorus back from the human world. And then, when we did get her back, people ignored me! It was all about making Paradise as picturesque as possible. Nobody wanted to talk about the Bittercold because they were too afraid that discussing all that negativity would lead to its return!"

She shot the Shadow Ball forward. Emolga tried to blow it apart with lightning, but Espy's attack prevailed. It blew Victini back. Espy charged another Shadow Ball. "I was told to keep quiet. But I couldn't stay quiet. I'm not blaming the others or anything." She shook her head. "They were probably just as scared and concerned as I was. The difference is… they could put on happy faces. I couldn't."

Flames and lightning rushed toward Espy. She jumped right, then blew Victini apart with a large Shadow Ball. "We place too much emphasis on individual strength. It's how you stay alive in dungeons. It's how you go on to be a somebody with a successful lot in life and a plethora of friends." Lightning from Emolga struck her right shoulder. Espy grimaced, but held her ground and retaliated. As Emolga disappeared in a pink explosion, Espy continued, "But hearing you guys taunt my current teammates… it all makes sense now. Pokémon are at their best when they work together."

Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Silv believed that from the bottom of his heart. That's why he refused to give up on me… even when I tried to push him away like I did with everyone in Paradise! He understood." Espy gathered fairy energy from her core and unleashed a white beam, blowing apart the purple and blue energy beams heading toward her. New copies of Hydreigon and Haxorus staggered back.

"Silv and Shane are not crutches. They're not a coping mechanism. They're my friends, damn it!" Espy stomped another forepaw on the ground. "There's nothing wrong with asking for help! It's not a sign of weakness! At the end of the day, I'm still the one who has to apologize to everyone in Paradise," she said, wondering if she should use her Z-Power or hold off in case Necrozma had some other trap lying in wait.

"I made a promise to Silv. We were both going to help each other. Because, even if we've only known each other a few weeks, he cares about me. And I… I…" Espy's legs shook. "I care about him! And that's why I won't stand for you talking down to him! Not after everything he's done to help me. To help all of us!"

Espy's ears twitched. She sprawled out on her stomach. Wind blades surged overhead. A few nicked the fur on her back. When she thought she was safe, she rolled to her feet and looked right, expecting to see another Emolga clone waiting.

What she found instead were two red, beady eyes looking at her through the darkness. Loud thumps echoed through the room as the eyes got closer.

"That was quite the riveting speech you gave. I'm sure the freak would love to hear it," Umbreon said. Espy saw him charging a Dark Pulse. She gathered fairy energy to retaliate. "So, why don't you look him in the eyes and tell him everything you just told me."

The thuds were getting faster and louder. Espy was ready to respond, when a distorted roar made her ears fold against her head. A large figure lunged from the shadows. Squealing, Espy backpedaled. Her eyes bugged out when a pair of familiar, chitinous forelegs struck the ground, kicking up shadowy embers.

"No…" Espy blinked once. Twice. She shook her head. "I'm not falling for anymore tricks, Necrozma! I'm done cowering from Void Shadows!" Espy jutted her head forward. White light engulfed the forelegs and the blood-red feathers brushing against them.

'Wait… red feathers?'

Espy's attack faded. There was no sign of Umbreon, but the main target of her attack was still standing. White smoke rose up from the large, black, crystalline helmet clamped over its face. A rasping groan sounded. The newcomer shook its helmeted head. Heavy chains rattled against its furry frame.

"It's… it's not a Void Shadow," Espy whispered, tail shooting between her legs. "But that's… that's…" She stepped backwards, lip quivering. Crystals jutted out of the creature's body… right where Espy knew Silvally had his thickest patches of scales. The crystals flickered with ominous red light. A red, winged-heart sigil appeared in the center of the helmet.

"S… Silv?" Espy barely managed to whisper the name. She saw him go up in a literal blaze of otherworldly energy. And yet… he was all she could think about. Void Shadows could only copy, not create. There was also the fact that she knew from experience how much Necrozma loathed giving his energy to others. He wouldn't waste his light on making a grotesque replica to mess with her… would he?

"Silv!" Espy shouted. Perhaps it was desperation. After all, he hadn't tried to attack. He just stood there. Staring at her.

That all changed in a flash. A roar echoed through the room. Even through the distortion, Espy could tell the voice she'd come to trust so much was in there. Which made it all the more gut-wrenching for her when Silvally unleashed a silver and red plasma beam from the sigil on his helmet.

"Silv, no!" Espy cried. She ran left, but underestimated the sheer size of the Hyper Beam. It was even larger than the one he used on Dragonite. Plasma seared her right side. Fur burnt away. Her pale, sensitive skin blistered. She crumpled to the ground. Tears bubbled in her eyes.

Espy told herself this must've been an elaborate hoax. She had watched Silvally make the ultimate sacrifice, after she had begged him not to. He wasn't a single spirit. There wasn't any way he could've bounced back. But here he was, standing right in front of her. Looking to kill her.

She tried to lift her head, but purple energy spread across her. It was another weak Dark Pulse from one of the Void Shadows. Espy barely felt it with her side still burning from Silvally's attack. "No," she squeaked. "S-Silv… please. Please don't do this. I don't… I can't…"

"What's the matter? Where's that earlier display of bravado? Aren't you happy to see your close, precious friend alive and kicking?" Umbreon's rings flashed, as did the sigil on Silvally's helmet. He reared up on his hind legs. Holographic swords surrounded him. His leg muscles expanded. The crystals jutting from his body brimmed with red energy. "I thought you were going to tell him how much you cared about him!"

One of the oran berries Lunala had given Espy rolled out of her satchel. She bit into it, but found no recourse in its cooling juices. The ground trembled. Silvally was charging her down. Each lumbering step jostled his helmet. And Umbreon stood ready to strike Espy if she tried to stand up.

Espy's breath came in short gasps. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't match Silvally in the slightest. Certainly not with Void Shadows crawling out of the woodwork to antagonize her. But she couldn't just roll over, either. Espy shakily fired Psychic blasts from her gem. One of them caught Silvally and flung him back, buying Espy enough to roll to her feet and avoid Umbreon's retaliatory Dark Pulse.

She put as much distance between herself and Silvally as she could. "Ha! Look at you! Running from the guy you were just defending… like every other problem you've been faced with," Umbreon jeered. His rings flashed. Silvally's helmet glowed. Another Hyper Beam barreled toward Espy. Thankfully, she was far enough away to flank it.

Espy slowed down. Her forehead gem flashed orange. Warm light enveloped her. Some of the blisters receded. Patches of fur sprouted up to cover her burns. Espy breathed heavily. She knew she couldn't take one of those Hyper Beams head-on… or a strike from his claws now that he was powered up.

A Dark Pulse whizzed by her. Espy spun and rifled off a wall of white energy. A Hydreigon clone dissolved away. She whirled around, squealed in fright, and dropped to her belly. Air Slash blades whizzed overhead. "Why me? Why me?" she said, voice cracking. What was she supposed to do in this situation? The crystals seemed like smart targets, but what if that's what Necrozma wanted her to think?

She tried to take a deep breath, but her teeth were chattering. It was like she was back in the middle of Glacier Palace, only she didn't have Umbreon by her side. Her ears drooped. She shot Psychic rings toward Silvally, but Umbreon snuffed them out with a purple Dark Pulse beam. Silvally charged her down, helmet rattling. His roars split the air. Espy's blood ran cold.

A glimmer caught Espy's gaze. It was the gem in her naturia looplet. Her brows raised. She swore under her breath. How could she have forgotten? Despite all the battling, she still had her Z-Move. If Necrozma had gotten to Silvally, the Z-Move could bring him back, right? He wasn't beyond saving. There was a chance.

The helmet, chains, and crystals wore Silvally down. Despite the fatigue and the burning pain on her right side, Espy could keep a fair distance from Silvally. She struggled to weave through another Air Slash barrage, but stood tall through one of Umbreon's Dark Pulses long enough to snuff him out with white fairy energy. Espy spun around. Though her tail was still firmly between her legs, she forced herself to try and keep a brave face.

'If he's in there, he has to be fighting Necrozma's control.'

"Silv! It's me, Silv! It's Espy!" she shouted, gathering ESP in her forehead. "I'm here. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I… I want to help you. I want to return the favor. So, please… please listen! Follow my voice!" She fired a pink Psybeam. Not a strong attack, but she wanted to discombobulate Silvally. Anything to try and shake off whatever it was Necrozma might've done to his mind. Assuming his mind was even still in there to begin with.

Espy shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She had to hold out hope.

Shadows shrouded Silvally. He slipped through the Psybeam like it was nothing and charged toward Espy, roaring loudly. For a moment, Espy's legs locked up. Ice ran through her veins. The combination of the voice that had encouraged her and the voice that brought the events at Tapu Bulu's temple to mind was too much for her to handle. Nonetheless, she found her footing and barely dodged Silvally's lunge.

He ripped cubes up from the ground when he landed. Silvally spun around. The sigil on his helmet bristled with energy. "W-Wait, Silv! Stop! You don't want to do this. I don't want to do this, either," Espy said. For a moment, the glowing rune subsided. "I don't want to fight you, Silv. Not after everything you've done for me. Please… you have to keep resisting. It's Necrozma! He's making you do this."

Silvally looked to the side. He then jerked his head back, snarling. A Hyper Beam barreled toward a mortified Espy. There wasn't enough time to completely avoid the blast. Espy summoned a Light Screen on her right side, but it shattered after two seconds. She fell to the ground again, her right legs begging her to stay down.

With another roar, Silvally leaped into the air. Espy squealed in panic. Fighting back tears, she rolled across the ground. Silvally hammered the floor, leaving a crater behind. Espy thought her heart would burst out of her chest. Her ears were now ringing. This was all too much for her to bear.

'If I just had help… if only someone was here.'

But the Pokémon she wanted by her side at that very moment was the same one opposing her. And he was gathering up energy for another Hyper Beam. Espy staggered to her feet, firing desperate Psychic rings. Silvally dove through the rings. Shadows from his chains and crystals let him pass through them harmlessly. He landed right by Espy.

"S-Silv, p-please…" She couldn't stop the tears from forming. "Don't do this. I know you're still in there. You have to be. You're… you're…"

Instead of charging up a Hyper Beam, Silvally raised a muscular foreleg. Red energy brimmed in his talons. Espy's vision blurred. "You s-said it y-yourself! You're your own p-person! And I believe that! I believe in you!" she blurted out.

Silvally froze, foreleg right over Espy's head. The energy in his talons flickered. Espy blinked the tears out of her eyes. "It's true. I'm sure there are voices telling you it's not… but it is!" The words poured out of her. She couldn't stop them. Her life literally depended on this. "No matter how many spirits are inside of you… how much Necrozma twists them around… I know you're in there. You've forged your own identity! You're Silvally! Necrozma can't take that away from you!"

He lowered his foreleg. Even with the helmet hiding his face, Espy could see a glimmer in his eyes. Espy's heart raced so fast she thought she'd pass out at any moment. "You're a kind and loving Pokémon who never hesitates to help anyone. You've done nothing but put others before yourself. I admire you! And I care about you!"

Silvally looked down at her. Espy sucked in a breath.

"E… E…"

Her eyes sparkled. "Yes! Yes, Silv! It's me! It's Espy!" Her naturia looplet shimmered. She wrapped her forelegs around one of Silvally's, saying, "Please come back to me! I want you in my life!"

Silvally blinked. But then the winged-heart sigil flared up on his helmet, he roared in fury, and raised his free foreleg to attack.

"Silv… no!" Espy cried.

She had no choice. Even though she knew she'd be caught up in the attack, Espy lit up with an orange aura. Her looplet shook against her foreleg. She thought she was losing her grip on Silvally, so she bit down on his talon. He gasped and tensed up.

All around them, cracks and ripples appeared in the air. Espy pulled herself tight against Silvally's foreleg, whispering, "I'm sorry."

Then the cracks erupted, flooding them both in a geyser of pink, psychic energy. Silvally's roars thundered through the room, only to die down seconds later. The explosion faded away, leaving pink mist swirling around in the air.

Espy lay on her side. Her limbs twitched unresponsively. She couldn't feel her tail, either. Espy prayed it was still there. Her head pounded. Each pulse made her vision blur. She knew she wasn't dead, but gods was she exhausted. Espy wanted to shut her eyes and sleep… even if she wasn't going to wake up. She was just too tired.

"E… Espy…"

Her heart quivered. That was Silvally's voice. She was sure of it. Espy tried to lift her head, but her neck muscles screamed in protest. Oh, why did everything hurt so much? Espy tried to tap into her psychic powers. The moment she did, it was like someone poured boiling water right on her forehead gem. She couldn't rely on Morning Sun.

Fortunately, her Z-Move had jostled her satchel loose. The remnants of her oran berry from earlier lay in front of her. Espy nibbled it. The juices filled her with enough strength to force her back to her feet.

That's when she saw him. The helmet was gone. As were all the crystals, replaced by familiar patches of dark-blue scales. His feathers were a soft, beautiful white once again. "S-Silv." Espy lumbered toward him. Each step grew clumsier until she collapsed on her belly by his face and forelegs. She figured she'd already cried herself dry, but somehow more tears welled up in her eyes.

Silvally opened his eyes. His irises brimmed with golden light… exactly like Shane's weird energy balls. Espy tensed up. Had she actually failed?

"S-Silv? P-Please say something," Espy begged.

Silvally met her tearful gaze with his own. His glowing parts shifted from white to blue. "I'm so sorry," he wheezed. "I thought I—"

"No! Don't apologize." Espy pressed her head into his chest plume. "I… I'm…" She brushed her head against his chest. "I'm so happy you're back."

"That's the thing, though…" Silvally sucked in a sharp breath. Espy's head snapped up.

"What do you mean? You're here! I'm… I'm…" Espy's chest tightened. She couldn't go through this again. Not after losing him once already. And not after this ridiculous ordeal.

"I feel… like I'm gonna break apart… again," Silvally rasped. "I don't know… what Necrozma did… but it's…" He tensed. "My energy's fading. I'm not sure… I can hold out like this."

"No! You can't say that! You're here. I can… I can…" Espy tried to call up energy for Morning Sun, but burning pain enveloped her forehead. "I won't lose you again, Silv. I won't!" She had her forepaws on his beak.

Silvally wheezed again. "Espy…" Pain filled his expression. "I'm sorry. But at least… if I have to go… I'm glad I… got to see… what you're truly… capable of."

"Stop it! You're not disappearing!" Espy tried to reach for her satchel, but her forelegs hurt too much.

"I'm proud… to call you… my friend," Silvally whispered as he shut his eyes and lay still.

"Silv? Silv, no!" Espy smacked his beak. "Wake up! You can't…" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I need you, Silv! I love you!"

Golden flames lit up the air above Espy. Gasping, she threw herself on top of Silvally and squeezed her eyes shut. She tensed up, expecting some sort of attack to finish her. Instead, warm light spread through her system. Heat radiated from Silvally, too. Espy grabbed on tighter. The heat faded after a few seconds.

Espy's eyes shot open. She held her breath for a moment. Then, Silvally opened his eyes. Like before, his irises had a golden tint to them. "Espy? I… I…"

A huge grin spread across her face. "Thank the gods! You're all right!" She buried her face in the crook of his neck, brushing her snout against his feathers. "I'm… I'm so glad. I… I…"

Silvally's fire memories switched on. His head crest fanned out. "I'm glad, too." He craned his head to reciprocate the hug and nuzzle Espy's cheek. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I… I…" He pulled his head away. "When Shane healed me… he did something to all the spirits. It was like I got overcharged and I… I couldn't stop myself."

He shuddered. "When things looked grim against Zero, I found myself thinking that using Explosion would be the only way to win." Silvally hung his head. "I had no idea that was exactly what Necrozma wanted me to do." His cheek-bolts whirred slowly. "Somehow… Necrozma had condensed all the spirits into a core… kinda like his. Necrozma sent the core here… and then tried to bury it under hundreds of extra spirits.

"I saw everything, Espy! How the Void Shadows taunted you. How badly I hurt you with my attacks. I… I…" Silvally looked away. "I'm so ashamed. You trusted me. And I betrayed all of that trust." His head crested drooped. "If this ends up causing you nightmares like the Void Shadows did, I… I…" He clamped his beak shut. "I won't be able to forgive myself."

"Silv, look at me." Espy tried to move his beak with her forepaws. "Look at me."

Silvally turned his head.

"That wasn't you. I meant what I said. You're your own person." Espy pressed a forepaw against his chest. "I don't care how many extra spirits or memories Necrozma pumped you full of. You're still Silvally. I care about you… because you mean the world to me." She nuzzled his neck again. "That's all that matters."

Silvally glowed yellow. His tail wagged. "Thanks, Espy."

"I'm just returning the favor." Espy winked at him.

"Sure." Silvally lifted his head slowly. "Sill, what happened? I feel so energized. Like I'm going through an evolution high or something. How did—"

They both looked up and found Ephemeris standing beside them, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness you two are all right." He offered them a warm smile. "I managed to catch up to Lunala and she told me what was happening. I sensed two fluctuating energies, so I blasted my way through the floor." He glanced at the remnants of the ceiling. "This was quite a nasty trap Necrozma had sprung on you."

Espy tilted her head. "I… I'm sorry. Have we met before? I have the strangest sense of déjà vu."

Ephemeris winced. "Err… it's a bit complicated, I'm afraid. Forgive my poor manners. I am Ho-Oh Ephemeris." He bowed to them. "Now, as much as I would like to let you two catch up, I believe there's the matter of your Lucario friend, yes?"

Espy's ears stuck up. "Ah, that's right!" She got up and looked around. "I don't know what happened to Tessa at all."

"From what I could sense… she's on the other side of this wall." Ephemeris pointed to his right. "I can probably blast it open like I did to the floor. But you two might want to stand back."

Espy and Silvally exchanged nervous looks, then did as instructed. Ephemeris sucked in a breath, then spewed a giant, golden Flamethrower. It struck the wall, which exploded in a burst of red light.

---

Tessa had already gone past her wit's limit. When she managed to roll onto her side and realize she had fallen into a dark, empty room, she got up and grabbed her head, gripping fur between her digits. "I can't take this anymore!" she cried, shaking her head back and forth. "Everything's sore! I'm starving and the occasional berry isn't helping! I've been running around fighting things for a goddamn eternity!"

She stomped around the room. "I haven't had any sleep in… in…" Tessa paused and stared at the wall. Faint red ripples ran between each black cube. "Argh! I don't even know how long I've gone without getting any sleep! Because time's still not working!" Aura flared up in paws. "Is this what things were like for Team Poképals when they wound up the dark future? Why did none of the stories ever mention it? I'm losing my mind!"

Tessa looked around the room again. Then she sank to her knees, ears and aura feelers drooping. "No, that's not true. I've already lost my mind." She put her paws on her lap and rubbed her thighs.

She thought the planet's paralysis meant things were spiraling out of control. But that was apparently a warm-up. So much had happened in— well, part of the problem was Tessa didn't know how much time had passed. She'd gone so long without sleep, but the combination of battles, a jammed aura sense, and shoveling down healing items had left her with absolutely no sense of where her stamina was at. All she knew was that she wanted to scream until her voice was gone.

Tessa lost Silvally. She lost Shane. But did she even have him in the first place? Necrozma was probably right about him being Dark Matter. So, what did that mean? Tessa hung her head. She lifted her paws up and cupped them over her shut eyes. Even if, somehow, she could help defeat Necrozma, what was going to happen? Her mom had literally broken time and, if that wasn't bad enough, she befriended the one thing everyone in the world universally hated. Those were facts she would have to live with.

'Am I really capable of that?'

She put a paw on her chest spike. It was Shane who promised to help her find something that could make her happy in a post-Necrozma world. That promise was meaningless, now. Tessa tilted her head. She could always get a powerful psychic to wipe her memories. But would that really make things better? Tessa wasn't sure. And thinking about this made her headache worse.

"There's an option you're overlooking, Tessa."

She jumped to her feet, paws raised and charging an Aura Sphere. "I don't know what kind of sick trick you're playing, Necrozma, but I'm not falling for it!" she growled. "You think you can play mind games by using Shane's voice? Well, I'm not buying it!"

Two soft, blue eyes stared back at her through the darkness. Footsteps clinked against the cubed floor. Tessa held her paws by her side, charging the Aura Sphere even larger. "I'm warning you. Get back! You saw what I did to Zero! You know what I'm capable of!"

"Now, Tessa, why would I play any mind games with you? After all…"

Shane emerged from the shadows. Crystalline armor sat around his chest. A distorted red eye lay in the center of the armor, pulsating with red light.

"… you've been through so much already." The chains wrapped around Shane's forelegs bristled.

"I said get back!" Tessa hurled the Aura Sphere forward. Shane's eyes flashed blue. A spiraling jet of fire shot out from the eye in his armor. Tessa shrank back, crossing her arms in front of her face to shield it from the smoke. When it cleared, however, her aura feelers shot up. She blinked slowly and rubbed her eyes, but the swathes of black, red, and orange were still there. Tessa shook her head. "You… you made a copy of my dad?" She narrowed her eyes. "How much of a creep can you be!"

"It's okay, Tessa."

Incineroar rose from his position on one knee and adjusted the crystal helmet on his head. An invisible force yanked tendril-like chains emerging from the helmet. Incineroar lifted his right hand. "You don't have to fight anymore. There's no need for you to stress yourself out any further."

"He's right." Shane paced into view. Tessa tensed up, expecting to dodge an attack, but Shane simply stood there with a somber expression on his face. "Necrozma gave you another option, Tessa. You can join us. There'll be no more stress. No more anguish." A smile spread across his face. "You'll have the power to do whatever your heart desires. Anything that upsets you… you can destroy it." Shane smacked a forepaw against the ground. "Doesn't that sound better than a life filled with endless guilt… where you're second-guessing every action you take and wondering if you'll lose control of yourself?"

Tessa's response consisted of a gray Flash Cannon beam. Incineroar jumped in front of it and met it with another corkscrewing Flamethrower from his belt. Tessa hopped backward, worried Shane would use the smoke as a cover to strike. However, he remained behind Incineroar, watching her with a raised brow.

"I won't let you trick me," Tessa said, her breathing heavy. "You're… you're a lunatic!"

"But Tessa… this isn't Necrozma talking." Shane shook his head. "It's me. It's Shane."

"Liar! You took him away from me!" Metal dust swirled around Tessa's paws.

"He's the real deal, Tessa. And so am I." Incineroar frowned. "I know I left you and Gallian behind, but your friend summoned me from the spirit world to talk with you." He raised his hands up. "We're not looking to fight."

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say. You've taken everything from me! Friends! Family! Happiness! I… I…"

"Nothing's been taken, Tessa. I'm still here. And so is Silvally. He's on the other side… waiting for us." Shane jerked his head toward the wall behind him.

Tessa tensed up. Her aura feelers twitched. That had to be a lie. Silvally had blown up. There wasn't any sign left of him on the altar.

"You're confused. That's understandable," Shane said. Tessa leered at him. "Relax. I wasn't reading your mind. I could tell by your expression."

"Then I know you're full of hot air!" Tessa fired off another Flash Cannon, but it faltered against Incineroar's Flamethrower.

"You're certainly channeling your mother's passionate spirit, I'll give you that," Incineroar said, brushing dust of his arms in a robotic manner.

Tessa's eyes flickered with rainbow light. "Don't you dare compare me to her! If you were really my dad, then—"

"You're right. That was… a poor choice of words," Incineroar said, stepping back with a dejected look on his face.

Tessa shook her head. What was she doing talking to them like this? It was clear Necrozma was stalling for time. She couldn't keep hesitating. She had to keep up the offense. Tessa tensed up, ready to charge in with Extreme Speed.

"Why are you fighting us, Tessa? We're only trying to help you."

Tessa almost tripped and fell on her face. Beside Incineroar stood Eevee, his large, brown eyes watering. He wore a helmet like Incineroar's, spawning chains that connected to his legs. "I thought you missed me, Tessa. I thought you didn't want to be alone. So, why are you pushing us away?"

"Because… because you're not real!" Tessa sprinted forward, shoulder bared down to strike Incineroar. To her shock, however, he vanished in a cloud of shadows. Her momentum carried her toward Shane, who blasted her backward with pink energy. Tessa landed on her back with a holler. She quickly rolled to her feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in her shoulders.

"Look at yourself, Tessa. The longer you keep this struggle up, the more painful it'll be," Incineroar said, having reappeared at Tessa's side. "Join us, Tessa. You can get back everything you've lost. It's the only way to avoid a lonesome, guilt-riddled future."

"I don't… believe you," Tessa said through gritted teeth. She shot an Aura Sphere toward Eevee this time, but a wall of white energy swallowed it up. Shane frowned at her.

"Look. I apologize for the disingenuous stunts I did back at the ruins. But they were necessary to deal with your mother," Shane said, shoulders sagging. "If I could've dealt with her myself, I would've. But all that 'tied to Dialga' nonsense put me— well, us in a serious bind. I thought that by channeling energy from Necrozma's core fragment into Silvally, I could give him a big enough power boost to overcome Zero."

He shook his head. "But it wasn't good enough." Shane's ears folded against his head. "So, I did some quick manipulation of his spirits and got him to use Explosion. But he survived the blast."

"Liar!"

"It's true! I coalesced his spirits into core… exactly like what Necrozma has. I transported the core here so I could give him a fresh, newbody when the dust had settled. I did it for you!" Shane said, fanning out his tails. "Because I realized the potential you have. Tessa, you wield a mighty power! You could do amazing things with it!"

"I'm not going to turn into some sort of psychopathic sidekick! I like this world. I want to save it." Tessa dashed right with a burst of Extreme Speed. She flung an Aura Sphere at Shane as she ran. The combined actions made the blue fireball too fast for Shane to deflect. It struck him right in his armor. He staggered backward.

"You stupid bitch!" Shane snarled. Incineroar and Eevee glanced at Shane nervously.

Tessa smirked. "I knew it. This is all fake. Besides, weren't you the one who taunted me about how Shane was really Dark Matter? And now you're trying to use him to get me to give up? The nerve!" Rainbow energy flickered in her paws and eyes. "I hate you, Necrozma… with every fiber of my being. You deserve to burn for everything!"

Shane's eyes shifted from blue to red. "Foolish girl!" His distorted voice made Tessa's aura feelers crinkle. "I helped you! I turned you from a weak, spineless runt into someone to be feared!" The eye in his armor glowed brightly. "And this is the thanks I get for all of my generosity?"

Tessa's face blanched. White-hot flames and golden, card-shaped energy blasts careened toward her. Tessa leaped into the air and kicked off the wall. She sailed over the attacks and fired a Flash Cannon down at Shane. He froze the gray beam with ice breath before it could reach him. Tessa hit the ground, only for pain to flare up across her tail.

"I see Shane was a bad influence on you. You've picked up his recklessness," Sylveon said, standing behind Tessa with a disapproving look on her face. Tessa darted forward and drove an electrified fist into Sylveon's face. Her helmet shattered and she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Your spirit was defective from birth. My Z-Power fixed it. I gave you an aura that any Lucario would salivate over," Shane hissed, flinging pink energy balls at Tessa. She ran in a wide arc across the room. "Then, when the chips were down, I used the power I had from my core to ignite a spark that triggered a transformation beyond Mega Evolution. Not only that, I severed your mother's connection to the rest of my core!"

Tessa vaulted over a Flamethrower, but bungled the landing and couldn't get a counterattack off. Trump Card energy blasts careened toward her. Tessa pointed her paws up and fired a gray beam, blowing them apart. "And I'm supposed to be thankful for that stuff? What a joke! Even if you did save Silvally, you probably corrupted him like you're trying to do to me!" she growled.

"Yes! You're supposed to be thankful." Shane snorted out tufts of ice. "Honestly… I can't believe I opted for power-bolstering instead of controlling you directly. I didn't have enough power to do both, so I chose to sever Zero's connection since she was weakened. After all, I had dreamed of it since the moment she trapped me in Lunala's body."

Growling, Tessa threw an Aura Sphere at Eevee. Incineroar was too far for a Flamethrower to counter, so Eevee exploded in a puff of smoke. Tessa took off running again. Her legs burned, but it was better than the alternative. At the same time, her stomach churned. Necrozma could've controlled her… like he had done with Shane? If that was the case, why wasn't he trying now?

'What if… what if Shane's somehow fighting his control?'

Tessa skidded to a halt and fired another Aura Sphere. Before either opponent could destroy it, she detonated the attack. Incineroar gasped. When the smoke vanished, he was nowhere to be found and Shane was glaring at her. "You really know how to get on my nerves, don't you?" he huffed.

"The feeling's mutual, asshole!" Tessa cupped her paws around her snout. "Shane! If you're in there… keep fighting! I'm doing all I can out here, but I… I need you to keep resisting Necrozma."

"Silence!" Icebergs burst forth from the floor. One clipped Tessa as she tried to make her escape. She tumbled across the ground, yelping in pain. The ice was as cold as Dragonite's attacks. Possibly even colder. Her feet stung.

"C'mon, Shane!" Tessa forced herself back up. The icebergs blocked much of her view. "Even if what Necrozma has said about your spirit or whatever is true… we can talk things out!" She blew as many icebergs apart as she could with one gray beam. When the last one crumbled, flames seared her side. With a cry of pain, Tessa dropped to her knees. Her fur smoldered. Her limbs were growing heavy, like what happened when her transformation faltered against Zero.

"It's not going to work. He can't hear you. I've broken him," Shane said, flipping his mane back and smirking.

"No, you're wrong." Tessa gritted her teeth. "Even with all his antics and mistakes… Shane never gives up! He's as stubborn as can be… for better or worse." She hurled an Aura Sphere into an oncoming wall of white energy, then ran through the ensuing opening. "Don't give up on me, Shane! Because we're partners for life… and I'm not giving up on you! We will find happiness… together!"

Tessa dashed forward with a burst of Extreme Speed while Shane tensed up, his tails going stiff as arrows.

---

Shane struggled to escape the giant hands. He had grown too used to running on four legs. Being put back in a human body messed with his equilibrium. Shane stumbled into an oversized desk leg and fell to the ground. Fortunately, the nearest hand missed him by inches. Shane crawled along the ground, willing the giant hands to disappear.

"Where are you running to, dweeb?"

A muscular leg dangled over Shane. He scrambled to his feet, scuffing his knees against the carpeted floor. Shane made it a few steps before the foot crashed down behind him. He was swept from his feet with a loud yelp. Shane tumbled across the floor and crashed into another desk leg. A chorus of distorted laughter rose up all around him.

"How pathetic!"

"It's like watching him run the track in gym class! What a doofus!"

"At least he wasn't trying to imitate one of his dumb cartoon characters this time."

"Stop it! Be quiet!" Shane cupped his hands over his ears, but it did nothing to quiet the jeers. Two thinner hands with bracelets and rings shot toward him. Shane rolled behind the desk leg. One of the hands brought two fingers close to his neck. "Get away from me!" Shane kicked at the fingers, knocking the hand away. But one of the fingers got caught in a loop of his hospital gown's bow knot. It came undone. The moment Shane ran for another desk, the gown flew off. More laughter echoed above him.

"Wow! Look how pale he is!"

"He's so scrawny!"

"No he's not. He's got a bit of a belly."

"Obviously! All he does is sit around and play on that dumb Game Boy."

A shadow fell over Shane. He looked over his shoulder and saw a giant DS falling toward him. Shane dove forward. The DS hit the ground and shattered. Plastic shards scraped his arms and tore some of the fabric from his briefs.

"Nice shot!" a girl's voice said, brimming with glee.

"Serves him right. I can't believe he still wears briefs. I'll bet his mom still buys all his clothing for him."

Shane looked up. His eyes widened. Coat hangers hung over head. Sharp, metal, pointy coat hangers. "Stop it! I didn't do anything! I… I…" He threw his arms over his head and ran for it. The coat hangers rained down on him from above.

"Do we even want to shred his briefs?" one male voice wondered. "I don't want to see his ass or his junk! At least Eisenberg worked out. This retard wouldn't know a dumbbell if it smacked him in the face."

Shane's eyes widened. He was nearly at the end of the hallway. There was a door and, unlike everything else, it wasn't gigantic. It was his size. If he could just make it another yard…

Something large and black caught the corner of his vision. Shane turned his head and yelped as a dumbbell hurtled toward him. He had no choice but to dive again. The carpet burned his arms and legs, but he'd take rug burns over getting clobbered in the skull.

"Aww, what's the matter? Trying to walk out? This ain't elementary school, dumbass! You can't get out of class by running around and screaming your lungs out like a baby."

"Leave me alone!" Shane cried, tears welling in his eyes. Two more feet looked to squish him, but Shane threw himself toward the door. To his relief, it opened up and let him through. One of the feet smashed the ground behind him and he slammed the door shut. Shane pressed himself against the door as it shook.

"You can't hide in there forever. The longer you stay in there, the worse the ass-kicking will be when you come out!"

Why was this happening? How was Necrozma doing all of this? Shane pulled at his greasy, brown hair. He knew why. Necrozma was Nicky. All of these insults were things Nicky had heard. And Shane feared that these awful memories would play on repeat until they completely broke him. He had to find a way out of this. But what could he do?

The new room he'd entered was dark. There were nondescript cabinets surrounding him and a single computer sitting on a desk across from the door. Shane could tell it was old. Cobwebs covered the tower. It had a CRT screen; something Shane hadn't seen in well over a decade. And yet, despite its age, the screen flickered with light. Shane crept toward it. As he did, he caught sight of his reflection in one of the cabinets.

Though he was in his human body, his freckled face was missing. In its place sat a familiar red core filled with cracks. Another intentionally unsettling reminder of his warped spirit.

You've got mail. You've got mail. You've got mail.

The alerts made Shane jump. A bright computer window appeared on the screen, displaying the same three words the computer said in its monotone, robotic voice. Shane didn't want to acknowledge the computer. It was undoubtedly part of Necrozma's nightmare prison. However, one look back at the entrance revealed the door had shrunk down to the size of his pinky toe. There was no way out.

Shane reluctantly approached the computer. There wasn't a chair at the desk, but that was fine. The thought of sitting in some broom closet in only his underwear creeped him out… which was probably the point of all of this. 'But why humiliate me like this anyway?' Shane wondered, glancing down at his scratched-up waistband. The possible reason made him cringe.

Necrozma was trying to recreate the humiliating experience that Nicky had.

He had never seen the photos for himself, but he heard about it from Nicky. The jocks had spiked his drink, stripped him down, taken naked photos, and somehow put them online for people at school to see. At least, that's what Nicky claimed. Though Shane's memory was fuzzy, he recalled there not being any way to concretely prove who had put the photos up.

Shane pressed the ENTER key on the computer. The window disappeared, only for an image of a courtroom to replace it. Shane clenched his jaw. He was looking at a picture of himself, sitting stiffly in a chair wearing a suit that was at least a size too small. Faceless people surrounded him. One at the judge's bench, one sitting by a typewriter, three sitting at desks across from the witness stand, and several more in spectator seats.

"I'm sorry," Shane said, looking up toward the black space overhead. "I get it, okay? I was a terrible friend to you. But it's not too late! If you just—"

The courtroom window vanished, leaving Shane staring at a blue screen.

A problem has been detected and Nicholas Eisenberg has been shut down to prevent damage to the void.

"What? No, stop it. This is ridiculous." Shane mashed the ENTER key out of frustration. But every time he did, new dialogue boxes popped up.

lol we don't want u in this rp. godmodding retard.

Dude, nobody cares about your damn Lucario fetish. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of e621 from.

How many times do we have to tell you to stop derailing topics and making them about yourself? Your friend can jump off a building for all I care. Seriously, final warning. Your ass is getting banned the next time you do this shit.

Stop trying to start drama and stop playing the victim whenever someone tells you shit you need to hear. This is a Pokémon forum, for god's sake. You need to get outside of your basement more often.

The following user is not allowed to join Camp PMD under any circumstances: LucarioFan96. Yes, I know you can see this. You're a terrible RPer and nobody wants you around.

Seriously, LF? I thought I said that I've got a life beyond this site. You keep pissing and moaning that I don't respond to PMs but, like, I'm not checking the forums every goddamn minute. Learn some patience, man. If you keep this up, I'm blocking you and reporting you to the mods.

Shane punched the screen, cracking the glass. However, it immediately repaired itself. There were no text boxes anymore. Instead, Shane saw footage of Yveltal, Nuzleaf, and multiple Beheeyem struggling in clouds of shadows. "YOU DID THIS" repeatedly flashed above them.

"I'm sorry!" Shane blurted out, as if they could hear him. "Shut it off… please! I can't…" He thought he was going to pull his hair out. "I can't take this anymore! I understand. I'm a horrible person! I shouldn't have friends! I… I…"

yOU wILL sUBmIT, thEn? SurRenDeR… aND lEt Me DrAiN YoU OF yOUr WiLl, thEn YoUR spIrIt?

Shane dropped down to his knees and banged his head against the table. He didn't see the red eye staring him down from the computer screen or the spectral chains that burst out of the back of the CRT monitor. All he did was croak out a muffle sob. "Yes. I give u—"

Shane! If you're in there… keep fighting! I'm doing all I can out here, but I… I need you to keep resisting Necrozma.

He picked his head up, blinking. "T-Tessa?" He was sure he had heard her. But when he looked around, he didn't see any sign of his partner.

yOUr MiND is PLaYInG trIcKS oN YoU BeCaUsE yOU'Re ExHAuStEd, the computer hissed. NoW—

Even if what Necrozma has said about your spirit or whatever is true… we can talk things out!

Shane looked at the computer screen. The eye vanished. He now had a view of Tessa. She looked hurt… again. Yet, despite that, she had her teeth gritted and a determined look on her face. Shane's heart fluttered. Had he heard her correctly? She knew the truth about his spirit… but she didn't care?

Even with all his antics and mistakes… Shane never gives up! He's as stubborn as can be… for better or worse.

He opened his mouth, ready to say that his stubbornness was the thing that had nearly doomed the two of them, but then remembered Tessa couldn't actually hear him. Still, hearing her say that after all of their struggles made a warmth fill up his chest.

Don't give up on me, Shane! Because we're partners for life… and I'm not giving up on you! We will find happiness… together!

Partners… for life? Shane mouthed the words to himself. She wanted to stay with him? Even after all the bad things he'd done to her originally? Shane's heart leaped into his throat. He wanted to stay with her, too. More than anything in the world. Even if it meant he'd be permanently bound to Dark Matter and would have to face those repercussions… he'd still take the chance. As long as he had her by his side, he'd be happy.

Shane took note of the chains wriggling around the computer. "She's right!" he cried, the warmth in his chest spreading out. Shane lashed out and grabbed the chains in each of his hands. They burned like a hot stovetop, but Shane held on, gritting his teeth. He was in some kind of nightmare prison. None of this was real, including the pain. But Tessa was real. Her words were real. She was his partner. And he was going to do whatever it took to return to her.

"I've had enough of this! You can't control me! You can't control Nicky! Give up… and leave us alone!"

He seized on the chains. A garbled scream sounded from the computer, then everything went white.

---

Tessa tackled Shane to the ground. His lack of resistance stunned him, but then she saw a glimmer in his eyes. The heavy chains around his limbs constricted. Tessa hopped off him, looking to her looplet. Though part of her feared losing control to her Necrozmafied Mega Evolution — and gods did she need a better name for that — there was only one way she had a chance of getting Shane back. Assuming this was the real Shane, of course, but the alternatives spooked her even more.

"St… stop this. You can't… defeat me. My victory—"

"Shut up. I am so sick of you!" Tessa crossed her arms. Warm, familiar Z-Power flooded her system. Shane tried to raise a forepaw, but Tessa got her attack off first. She spun around so fast, the world became a complete blur. And yet, it didn't make her dizzy. Somehow, metal dust encased her, turning her into a giant drill that homed in on Shane.

Shane arced his back. A distorted howl escaped his lips moments before Tessa crashed into him. The drill broke through his chains and armor. Try as she might, however, Tessa couldn't cease her Z-Move. Shane was picked up and spun around like ocean debris in a whirlpool. Right when it looked like Tessa would inadvertently pin him into the wall and shatter his spine, a pink outline surrounded Shane.

Tessa finally broke out of the attack and landed on her feet. Shane hung in the air, down for the count. "How the—"

"Sorry I'm late!"

Lunala swooped down, spreading out her wings. Her eyes glowed pink. She looked between Shane and Tessa. "And it looks like I came at just the right time." She shook her head. "The dungeon kept trying to crush me and squish me and blow me up… but it looks like you went through something a lot more upsetting." Lunala's third eye glowed. Soft, pink light spread over both Shane and Tessa.

"I, uh, I guess you could say that," Tessa said, watching Lunala lower Shane to the ground. Once again, a surge of vitality shot through her. At the same time, though, part of her regretted it. She'd now officially lost count of how many times she relied on healing energy to refresh her when she really needed honest rest.

Lunala tried to offer Tessa a comforting smile. "I think that—"

Before she could get a full sentence out, golden light spread across the wall. The temperature in the room spiked. Tessa shrank back toward Lunala. She wasn't ready for another battle. Her brain was still trying to piece together everything that had just happened.

Fortunately, when the wall collapsed, she was greeted not by an enemy, but by the sights of Espy, Ephemeris, and… Silvally?

Tessa blinked. She rubbed her eyes. Hell, she smacked herself across the cheek. "S… Silvally?" She pointed a shaky digit at him. "Is… is it really you?"

Espy nodded, her eyes red and puffy. "It is, Tessa. It is." She leaned her head against Silvally's thigh. His fire memories shifted on, but he did his best to keep what passed for a grin on his beak.

"Hey, Tessa. Sorry I gave you such a scare back on the tower," Silvally said, kicking dejectedly at the ground.

Tessa ran toward Silvally and threw her arms around his neck. "You're safe!" she said. "I'm so glad!" Tessa broke the embrace and stepped back. "Watching all of that happen…" She put a paw on her chest spike. "It was awful."

"I know." Silvally lowered his head. "My powers got out of control because Necrozma messed with my spirits while he was pretending to be Shane. I'm only back now thanks to these two." He gestured at Espy and Ephemeris. "Necrozma forced me to attack Espy, but she fought through her hesitations to save me. And, when it looked like my spirit core would fall apart, Ephemeris stepped in and stabilized the core that Necrozma created… or something."

"Or something indeed." Ephemeris held a wing up and chuckled. "Though, once this whole mess is settled, we will have to have a talk about your, erm, situation." He shook his head. "But that's neither here nor there."

"Wait a second. Isn't Lady Ho-Oh supposed to have orange feathers? And, y'know, be a lady?" Tessa said, scratching her head.

"She is. I'm a different Ho-Oh. The one that your legends speak of, actually," Ephemeris said. "I'd love to give you all the details, but I think you ought to tend to your other friend." He pointed at Shane.

Espy and Silvally's gazes fell on Shane. He was stirring, though the moment he met his teammates' eyes, he shrank back on the ground with a whimper. Shane curled up in a ball, covering himself with his tails.

"Is it… is it him?" Espy whispered, ears drooping.

"I hope so," Silvally said, looking at Tessa. She looked at Lunala who, in turn, looked at Ephemeris. They nodded in unison.

"I believe Tessa's undone all the tampering Necrozma did to your friend," Lunala said. She hovered down, turning horizontal to try and get eye level with Shane. "Are you all right?"

Shane tried to scooch away from Lunala, but all he succeeded in doing was making his tails fall back down by his rear. His ears flattened against his head. "H-Hey," he whispered, looking down.

"Shane." Tessa took a step toward him, but Shane shrank back. "Shane, what's wrong?"

"I just—" Shane looked away, biting his lower lip.

"We came all this way to put an end to this, didn't we?" Espy said, looking between Shane and Silvally. Her tail drooped when she realized Silvally's cheek-bolts were whirring.

"Did you mean it?" Shane said, looking up at Tessa.

"Mean what?"

"That stuff you said. About me not giving up. About not caring what my spirit was really like. Wanting to be partners for life. Did you mean it?" Shane shot Tessa a pleading look.

Espy and Silvally exchanged wide-eyed looks. Tessa's aura feelers crinkled. "You… you actually heard that?" She was conflicted between being overjoyed her words reached him and worried Shane was latching onto the things she said. However, after a few seconds of looking into his soft, blue eyes, she realized they were full of concern.

Tessa nodded slowly. "Of course." She knelt down in front of Shane and put a paw on her chest. "I meant it from the bottom of my heart."

"B-But I'm Dark Matter." Shane's tails curled up. "I… I've hurt so many people." He looked at Espy, who stared back at him incredulously.

"What are you talking about?" Espy titled her head.

"Necrozma told me the truth. Dark Matter lay at the center of his core. It found a way to burst out and it… it fused with my human spirit." Shane shuddered. "I don't remember much of anything about being Dark Matter… but when Necrozma had control of my body, I… I…"

"That changes nothing," Tessa said, putting a paw on Shane's shoulder.

Shane blinked. "W-What do you mean it changes nothing? I… I'm the worst thing to ever happen to this world!" He paused. "Well, okay, maybe Necrozma and I are on equal footing at the moment… but we both came from the void anyway and… ah! My head hurts thinking about it."

"Listen to me, Shane." Tessa subconsciously shifted her paw to Shane's cheek. His eyes widened. Her cheeks burned, but she didn't care. "You're more than a collection of energy."

Silvally nodded. "It's about what you think, not what Necrozma tells you."

"Right." Tessa's expression softened. "You've changed so much as a person. I believe that change is real."

"It wasn't your human self that died in Ultra Space. It was Dark Matter," Silvally said, walking toward Shane. "It gave its power to you… because it thought you could use that power to help. Which is exactly what you've done."

"That's not true though." Shane looked down. "I was a total slimeball my first month here. I didn't help people… I berated everyone. You guys. Lycanroc. The other apprentices." He shuddered. "And Necrozma was able to worm his way into my spirit like it was nothing. I… I… I don't deserve forgiveness. I don't deserve you guys."

"It's in the past now, Shane," Tessa said. "You're here. You're with us." She gestured to her teammates. "We're together again. We can make our own future. Please…" Tessa put her other paw under Shane's chin. His eyes sparkled with tears. "You are a good person. The changes you've made are real—"

"They don't make up for what I did as Dark Matter, though," Shane whispered.

"Maybe not. But you know what would? Stopping Necrozma… and saving our world from total destruction." Tessa pulled her paws away and got to her feet. "It wouldn't feel right for Team Radiance to finish this fight without its leader."

Shane stared up at Tessa, blinking slowly. Silvally stepped to Tessa's side. "I understand what you're going through, Shane."

"But I… I made you blow yourself up," Shane whimpered.

"And I tried to kill you back in Moonrise Marsh," Silvally said, looking down guiltily. "We've both got things we need to work on, that's for sure. And that's why I'm standing by you… like you stood by me when I was doubting myself after breaking my mask."

Espy stepped forward, brushing her side against Silvally's. "Me too. You refused to give up on me… even though I'd given up on myself and the world." She looked at Silvally. "I might not have found something to fight for if you hadn't kept believing in me."

"See, Shane? We care about you… just like you care about us. We're a team. And, even with our rocky beginnings, I want my partner by my side. Now and forever." Tessa stuck her paw out toward him. "So, what do you say? One final mission. Let's put an end to this nonsense for good."

Shane looked at her paw. He brushed his face against his shoulder, then stood up. Shane nodded. "Right." He brought a forepaw up to Tessa's paw-spike. "Through darkest night…"

"… and brightest day…" Espy put her forepaw on top of Shane's.

Silvally gingerly touched a talon to Espy's forepaw. "… Team Radiance always finds a way."

"Thanks, guys," Shane said, sucking in a breath. "Now, uh, not to dampen the mood or anything, but…" He looked around. "If Necrozma isn't here, then where is he?"

"I believe he's battling several of the other gods on the outskirts of the island. I suppose this means he was multitasking between fighting them and controlling you," Ephemeris said. "The others managed to give me an opening to get through to you all." He tapped a foot on the ground. "Still, something's bothering me about all of this. Necrozma was barely putting up much resistance against the gods. All the Ultra Beasts he summoned were beyond frail, as well."

"Now that you mention it, I got swarmed by Void Shadows when I was trapped… but their attacks hardly did a thing to me," Espy added, frowning. "What do you suppose it means?"

"Ahh!" Shane's tails fanned out in alarm. He looked past his teammates. "The Tree! It was right over there! Where did it go?" He spun about in a panic.

"Slow down, Shane. What do you mean?" Tessa said.

"The Tree of Life! Necrozma had put it right over there." Shane pointed a forepaw forward. "He was siphoning spirits from it… I think? But I've been in this room the whole time, haven't I?" He looked up. "Where could he have taken it?"

The ground rumbled. The cracks between the cubes lit up with red energy. Lunala gasped. Her third eye flared to life. "No. No!" An ethereal glow spread throughout her wings. "Ephemeris, help me grab them!" She flew toward Team Radiance.

"Wait, hold on!" Shane's eyes widened. "What are you doi—"

I can't believe you're all such fools!

Lunala enveloped Shane and Tessa in her wings. A bewildered Ephemeris grabbed Espy and Silvally in his talons. Lunala threw open an Ultra Wormhole and raced inside with Ephemeris hot on her tails. The portal sealed itself seconds before a wall of golden light swallowed up the entire room.

---

~Celestial Island Exterior~

Necrozma staggered backwards, lashing at the air with his arms and tail. Palkia hovered in front of him, shoulder-gems smoldering blue. "Ha! What's the matter? You had far more fight in you the last time we met," he bellowed. Palkia slashed at the air. Necrozma barely managed to teleport away from the jagged Spacial Rend tear that opened up and exploded in bursts of blue light. He immediately had to fire psychic rings in an attempt at diverting the golden meteors streaking toward him. It wasn't enough of a counter, however.

Arceus hovered above Necrozma, watching him tumble through the air, snarling. Unown fluttered around. Two Unown-O, an Unown-F, and an Unown-! drifted in front of Arceus. Giratina floated past, smiling at them. "Aww, look! I think our friends are having fun with this."

"Focus, Giratina!" Arceus said. Unown spiraled around his wheel. Multiple golden, ethereal hands formed around him. He glared at Necrozma, but before he got the chance to attack, Dragon Pulse bolts streamed in from his right. Arceus hissed as they singed his flank. A bunch of Unown-A clumped together above him, punctuated by another Unown-!.

"Ah! Sorry, Daddy!" Giratina disappeared in a puff of shadows, only to promptly reappear in the distance. He charged forward, enveloping the Naganadels that attacked Arceus in his wings. "Hello, new friends! Wanna play catch with me? Sure you do!" He thrust his wings back. "Hey, Pal-Pal… catch!"

Palkia whirled around, having just sliced a Guzzlord in half with a Spacial Rend blade. "What is it? I'm busy, Girat—"

Giratina threw all the Naganadels at Palkia like they were living lances. Palkia face-palmed and held his free hand up. Before he could form a vortex, however, one of Hoopa's rings opened up. "Ha ha ha! An excellent idea, Giratina!" he declared.

"Fools! Those are my Ultra Beasts! Not some damn toys for you to play with!" Necrozma spat. Then a second ring portal opened up in front of him. "Loathsome urchins!" He raised his arms, then ran forward, barreling through all the Naganadels.

This left Necrozma with no way to stop a charging Rayquaza. A giant, fiery V slammed Necrozma from above. The armor on his back shattered. His right arm broke off and plummeted from the sky, only to evaporate into a fine mist. Necrozma howled in pain, his core flickering like a dying light bulb while his eyes cycled between different colors at random.

"No… no! You… you…" Necrozma tried to lash out at Rayquaza, but he swiftly flew around to Necrozma's other side.

"You were wrong to underestimate us!" Rayquaza thundered. He blasted Necrozma in the face with a Dragon Pulse. Necrozma's armor cracked. Black mist vented from it. "This world is not beyond hope!"

"Lying wretch! My chains are a part of your world for all eternity! The void can never die!" Necrozma spat, only for two more Dragon Pulses to hit him from each side. The blocky armor pieces hugging his torso shattered, exposing his gleaming, metal hide.

"Yeah! This world's ours. A meanie, nasty, stupid-head like you doesn't belong here. So, go away!" Giratina huffed.

"Even if what you say is true… thanks to your actions, and the mortals who have fought against you, we understand now that we cannot take our positions for granted any longer!" Palkia said, his shoulder-gems brimming with energy.

"Ha! Pathetic! Your bravado is meaningless!" Necrozma looked back toward the rift he had opened. "Even if you beat me — which you won't — the status quo will creep back up. Just as it did after the Bittercold and Dark Matter. The void will triumph. You will fail. Your world will burn!"

Golden light rippled to Necrozma's left. He turned in time for a swarm of meteors to pelt him. Cracks peppered what was left of his prism armor. His other hand dissolved away. The only spot that wasn't broken was where his core sat. Only a tiny sliver of light projected out from it. Necrozma looked up as Arceus hovered toward him, golden hands surrounding his wheel and several Unown floating overhead, spelling GET OUT.

"You have undoubtedly left us all with a lot to unpack. I imagine that the healing process this time around will be… far more protracted," Arceus said, narrowing his eyes. "And I will have things that I need to reflect on. But one thing is certain. You're finished, Necrozma."

"You don't have the right! You did this to me! You took everything from me!" Necrozma snarled. He walked backward through the air, eyes darting about nervously. "This isn't fair! I was so close! So close! I… I…" He looked back at the rift once again.

"Any last words?" Arceus said, Judgement's golden light gathering within his hands. Necrozma turned back to him, a giant, deranged grin on his face. The core faded from his forehead.

"I can't believe you're all such fools!"

Necrozma's rift pulsated with energy. In an instant, all of the Ultra Beasts surrounding Necrozma's opponents evaporated in a fine, black mist. The cracks in Necrozma's armor spread through his body. Necrozma began to decay. With each chunk of his metal form that fell away, patches of green, hexagonal scales appeared.

"Zygarde?!" Palkia's eyes widened. "Father, what's going on here?"

"I… I don't know," Arceus whispered, his attack fading from his hands. The moment it did, Zygarde crumbled into dust. Necrozma's rift spread open even further. A golden, star-shaped silhouette sat in the center of it. Two small, pupilless eyes with several different-colored vertical stripes looked back at Arceus.

"No… it can't be!" Rayquaza shouted, dragonfire gathered in his mouth. He spat a giant Draco Meteor toward the rift.

"AlL oF yOUr SPiRItS ArE MiNE!"

The Draco Meteor made it all of a few yards before it was engulfed by a wall of golden energy. The wall traveled all the way down to the paralyzed ocean, where it proceeded to split the planet's crust open. Ley line chains burst forth from the earth like writhing, metal geysers.

"Get back… all of you!" Arceus cried, trotting through midair toward the approaching wall. He brought all of the Unown around him, forming as many additional hands as he could muster. Arceus thrust them into the wall, only for his eyes to widen in horror as the hands burnt away. He screamed for all of a second before the light swallowed him up.

"We must flee!" Palkia shouted.

However, with no Arceus to oppose it, the wall picked up speed. Palkia had only a few seconds to watch as Giratina, Hoopa, and Rayquaza dissolved away before he, too, was swallowed up by the light.

---

Delphox's wand fell from his grip. "No. No way…" He watched as huge chunks of the world — the world he'd worked so hard to save from Dark Matter — were torn up and swallowed by the advancing wall of light. "M… Meganium." He shakily reached a paw toward her.

Meganium wrapped him up in her vines and pulled him close. She craned her neck around him. They squeezed each other tightly. Neither of them noticed their fellow Expedition Society members gathering near them. They remained in each other's grasps until, like the rest of Lively Town, they were ripped off the ground in streaks of light.

---

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Lopunny sank to her knees. "We can't… we can't beat that."

Feraligatr's jaw dropped. He looked at Infernape. "H-Hey… buddy? Were we… were we too late this time?"

Infernape silently bowed his head. A yard away from him, Haunter turned to his teammates. "W-Well, gang. I guess… I guess this is our curtain call."

Misdreavus looked about ready to say something, but the wall of light sped up. She got one last look at Haunter's somber expression before all of them vanished in swirls of purple and black.

---

"Haxy! Put me down!" Raichu hollered, kicking at the air with her legs.

"No! We can outrun that thing! We can still get away!" Haxorus bellowed, tears in her eyes. Umbreon and Virizion ran next to her, with Emolga and Hydreigon flying overhead. Hydreigon took one look back and all six of his eyes widened. The light wall had ripped the crystallized remains of Post Town apart. Ley line chains freely shot up to tear apart even more of the landscape.

"It's getting faster! We're not going to make it!" he cried.

"Damn it!" Haxorus snorted out dragonfire. "I'm not letting Necrozma get the better of us ag—"

The wall caught up with the group and the light burned them away.

---

Latias had thought it was over. When the Ultra Beasts attacking Pokémon Square had evaporated, she gave her brother a nuzzle and then flew into Lugia's embrace. But then fissures ran through the village. Chains shot out of the earth, grabbing hold of any Pokémon that had stayed to fight.

"L-Lugia! What do we do?" Latias said. She looked up at him, but the empty look in his eyes made her feathers stand on end.

"Th… th… there's nothing we can do," Lugia croaked. He turned Latias around just in time for her to watch the wall of light destroy Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre in bursts of red and blue light.

"No… no! You can't do this to us!" Latios shot a Dragon Pulse at the wall, but it swallowed the attack up like it was nothing, then took Latios with it.

"Big brother!" Latias screeched, only for Lugia to pull her close and wrap himself around her protectively.

"I'm sorry, Latias."

In the end, Latias never felt the moment the wall of light destroyed her.

---

Gallian and Zoroark got tripped up scrambling for the assembly area and end up sprawled out on top of one another. "C-Come on, Zoroark! We have to move!" Gallian said, red sparks pulsating in his scythe's stump. "Something terrible is about to happen!"

No sooner did he finish saying that then wall behind him exploded. Gallian never even got the chance to turn around and see what had caused it.

---

"Sneasel! Sneasel, get up!" Hakamo-o shook his partner in crime. "We've got a problem! A big problem!"

"Hrrgh… quit it. I just… so tired…" Sneasel swatted Hakamo-o's arm away. Hakamo-o took one look at the approaching wall of light, then leaped onto the bed, spreading his arms and legs wide as if he could somehow protect Sneasel from the oncoming danger.

That woke Sneasel up. "Oof! What do you think you're doing! Quit it! I don't want anyone thinking we're—"

The end of Sneasel's sentence was lost, along with the rest of the infirmary, to the wall of light.

---

"The hell's going on?!" Seraph fell onto her rear. "First all the UBs vanish… now this place is shaking like a Baccer arena when the home team wins! What gives?"

"S… Seraph…" Luxeira pointed a forepaw forward, a blank expression on her face. Seraph sat up. She caught sight of the giant rift in the sky, the ground tearing itself up, and the wall of light racing toward the island.

"Y… you're shitting me. After all this…" Seraph lay down on her back and threw her paws over her face. "No… it's not fair! This is not how I'm going out! I… I…"

Luxeira looked right. Totem Decidueye was kneeling, his wings clasped together as he muttered a prayer to himself. Shaymin Esserly stood beside him, her head bowed solemnly.

"Spirits, preserve us," she whispered, a grimace on her face.

Luxeira turned away, but then looked up at Sticky. "Hey!" she barked. Sticky looked down at her in surprise. "If… if this is really gonna be the end for us, I just want to say… I was wrong about you. I'm glad we got to be partners."

Sticky's eyes widened. Unfortunately, he wouldn't get the chance to respond.

---

I cannot even begin to tell you how hard this chapter was to write. Yes, the Zero battle had a heavy amount of emotion involved in it, but since it was mostly centered around Tessa, that made things fairly straightforward and easy to coordinate. Delving into several different psyches made this chapter absolutely grueling to write. I spent such a long time revising it I had to avoid staring at a computer for a fairly long time after it was done. So, I would really appreciate any comments on this part... even if you're just going to mock the ending scene with Thanos, Undertale, or Smash Bros. jokes. I'll take anything at this point.

I know that there are a handful of you — mainly those following the blog — who are heavily into shipping with this fic. I hope that, even if the pairing(s) you were rooting hardest for aren't what played out in this chapter, that you were still able to enjoy things. Please let me know. Everyone's feedback matters!

SuperOmegaGuest: It was actually quite difficult to write those characters again since, it most cases, it had been well over a year since I'd written anything about them. Hence why I kept their scenes on the short side.

Anon Omega: Of course. Can't fool you with your Kingdom Hearts knowledge.

zach: I've done more. Did you enjoy it?

Next time: It's the end.