Chapter 194 Lights, Action, Drama Part 1
Back at the Night Club, Ash, Serena, and Lillie decide to talk to the others who just come back from the place. But before that, they decide to get some drinks as they find Elias and Hardy there.
Elias: I say, there was quite a strapping young Trainer around here recently. Sunglasses and a black coat and hat... A wonderful choice of attire if I do say so myself.
Ash: That was not the trainer, that was a Legendary Pokemon disguising to be one. And he's right in my yard. But if you want, maybe he can be back here as well.
Hardy: You don't gotta tell her I said this, but... Thanks for helpin' out my sis. 'Ppreciate it. Kinda feel lousy I couldn't get the 'Quaza to do it myself. Can't even use type matchups as an excuse. But maybe what's not important is saving people, but being there for them! Yea! Yea... Let's go with that.
Ash: That's fine.
After talking to the two of them for a while, Ash, Serena, and Lillie decide to talk to the four girls, who are still in a distance with one another.
Julia: Okay, so, here's the itinerary for Rini and me: I'm thinking, we see if we can fly on fireworks next week. By the month after, we'll probably have recovered from any burns we sustained, so we can try going to the rodeo- Get this- AS the bulls. I know you might think that's silly but I know a guy who says he can make a Tauro's fursuit that is ABSOLUTELY indistinguishable. After that, we're thinking of either skiing down Ametrine, snowboarding down it, or trying to do both at the same time. Oh, and a bit after that, I got concert tickets! Unrelated, I happened to meet an event planner who told me where a certain orchestra stores its instruments in between performances. So I'm considering two different arrangements right now- tell me what you think!
Ash: Okay, tell us.
Julia: Okay, option one: Bubblefoam in EVERYTHING. The tubas especially will love it, but I think people are underselling the trombones. Option two: Bubbles in the tubas and trombones only, confetti in the other brasses and woodwinds, and Verdignite in one specific drum.
Ash: Maybe the second option?
Julia: Eeeh? Eeeeeeh? She's gonna love it. It's nice to have someone who you know will be there for you in the future instead of having to cling to the past! That's why communication is important! Also bubbles!
Amaria is next, and Ash and the others can see that she's feeling a little better.
Amaria: Oh, ...Mm ...I'm really not sure what I should say to you anymore. After everything- After an absolutely inexcusable amount of everything- It would be rude to you to just ignore it, it was never your fault, but apologizing for it will only make me worse. What does anyone who's suffering want, I guess? To be seen, perhaps? To know that even if no one can save them, they're not alone and forgotten? What good is that? None, and yet, I suppose it's all we can offer. For everything I've inflicted on you, Ash, I won't apologize, but I see you, and I appreciate that you were there.
Ash: It is actually fine, Amaria, no need to worry about it.
Then they also find Titania, who is actually standing next to the Healing Machine, and that's pretty far from the place where Amaria is standing.
Titania: Thanks for snapping me out of it. Feel free to snap harder next time. I don't want an embarrassing mistake like that on me for longer than necessary. Zero recollection until I came to. I don't like anyone having that kind of influence over me ...But what's done is done, and in the end, maybe it was for the best. Now I have the distance I needed. Freedom to think. Nothing to run from ...I've been thinking about writing more. Easier than battling. Whenever I lose, I think, "Maybe I should stick to books." But even when I mess up at writing, I'm not thinking "Maybe I should've stuck to battling." There's something there. Something important.
Ash: I see. I'm looking forward to seeing your process.
And the final one is Florinia, who is taking a rest in the seats.
Florinia: I am grateful to not have closed the proverbial book on my former friends entirely. It is perhaps lamentable how regularly they require one to go in and avail themselves of their own drama, but... I suppose that is what some refer to as being the ..."Mom friend" ...I do not know how I feel about that phrase. Julia appears to be planning something sinister ...Against my better judgment, I am rather looking forward to finding out what it may be.
Ash: I see. (Realizes something) Oh, Rini. I forget to tell you...Fern, he...I don't know to explain this, but Fern has been turned into a stone, and he is now at Neoteric Island.
Florinia: (Surprised) Fern has- ...Understood. (Leaves)
Ash, Serena, and Lillie can hope that Florinia can find a way to save Fern, and they also go to the counter, as there might be only one more Anomaly left if they don't count Xerneas and Yveltal.
Randall: New shindig, friend. This one comes to you from Beryl Cave. 'Parently there's some kinda temple that appeared over there. Folks are suspectin' there may be another Astronomy in there. A few of the Jim Leaders already went out to give the once over, but don't worry, you can call them James Leaders. Reborn James Leaders. Yup, that sounds official. Anywhoosit, you wanna back 'em up?
Ash: So Necrozma is in the Beryl Cave...
Serena: That's great, maybe we can find some more Zygarde Cells there.
They head to Beryl Cave, and they find the New World Portal inside. They are surprised to see that they are in some sort of Night Club + Temple-like place.
Lillie: So this is the Citae Prisma...I guess it is much like that Citae Astre where you were taken by that Lin Doll?
Ash: Maybe...but what are we going to do here...wait, is that Aunt Serra? And from that distance...Luna and Elias? Oh no...
Serena: Now that you mentioned it, Luna and Elias are daughter and father, right? This is not going to end well...
Then they quickly rush to Serra, trying to know what is going on here.
Serra: Oh, thank god. The cavalry is here. Help. Luna and Elias are in the back, doing god know what.
Ash widens his eyes as he sees how Luna and Elias are using Umbreon and Noivern to push some sort of energy sphere toward each other.
Serra: This has been going on basically since we got here and neither of them will back down. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be seeing in strobe vision for the next ten years. Please help.
Ash nods as they decide to find Luna first, asking what she's doing.
Luna: Ah, good day. Are you doing well? I trust you're enjoying the scenery, to whatever capacity it may be enjoyed under the circumstances. This man has once again chosen to engage in his favorite past-time of appearing from out of nowhere and incessantly expressing all of his dearest opinions on how I should be living my life. I suppose he is very much like a parent in that regard, but I do not accept him. As such, I do hope you will forgive the mild disturbance. It does me no pleasure to cause any form of inconvenience to anyone at all, except him, I suppose. I shall redouble my efforts and dispatch with him at once.
Just then, the sphere is pushed towards Elias a little, and it becomes darker. Then Ash, Serena, and Lillie decide to find Elias and learn what is going on.
Elias: Forgive me, my Lord, for this pitiful display of violence in your presence. I was not expecting you, and yet my progeny and I have become engaged in yet another senseless quarrel. I have attained some degree of enlightenment after recent reflection, and with particular reverence to our prior excursion. I have attained some degree of enlightenment after a recent reflection. I have come to understand that to live one's life in the ideal of service to others is a form of mere avoidance. To keep ourselves blind to our own responsibility, we forfeit our agency in the name of piety. Despite your gifts, I feel as if I am only just seeing this for the first time now. Of course, surely this is by your will as well. I will, however, refrain from prostrating myself before you this time. There are mistakes I must correct, and they dwell across the banister. I raised my child to expect and embrace servitude, and for all her defiance, she has. Now I must teach her to seek her own ideals. Please understand that I cannot in good conscience relent from this. But with your blessing, I have no doubt that we shall prevail. For my family, your blessing is always appreciated. Faciam quodlibet quod necesse est. What must be done for the light, will be. No weakness can abide by the light. I shall remind it of that.
With that, Elias has Noivern move the sphere towards Luna, and the lightness is back on once more. After that's done, they go back to Serra.
Serra: I see you got them to spare our respective eyeballs. Pretty sure standing in a dark temple while my colleagues create photosensitivity risk factors isn't something that's covered on my vision plan.
Ash: We know...whose idea is it to bring those two together in the first place? I thought Luna told us that she doesn't want to see him.
Serra: Well, it was my fault anyway. Had the bright idea that maybe I ought to try this whole "parenting" thing a little more, and there's at least one person in my life who's still actively receptive to it. But the whole father business has hung over me since you, the priest, and the teleporting PokéMart all walked into my life like the start of a bad joke. So I invited them both out here. Luna and Elias, that is. Not the PokéMart.
Serena: I know it is unimportant, but how do you invite the PokeMart here to this place?
Ash: I don't think it is time for some jokes, Serena. But please continue, Aunt Serra.
Serra: Thought we could have some "bonding time". Lesson learned, don't worry. I'd say I only want to atone for my sins now, but I don't really want to be dunked head-first in holy water by that man in particular. Wouldn't be good for my hair color either. It may be cruelty-free, but somehow I doubt this dye was tested to withstand the omniscient gaze of the Lord. So! What do you say we solve whatever this mess is so we can all go on with pretending our lives aren't a complete disaster?! Shall we?
Ash, Serena, and Lillie nod as they move further ahead, trying to see what they can do with the puzzle that is in front of them. All Ash hope is that it is not hard.
And this is the end of the new chapter, as you can see, Ash, Serena, and Lillie are going to do the Necrozma quest, which is almost the final one since there are some more. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be solving this puzzle and capturing Necrozma.
