At Kaito's insistence, the group agreed to take a short break for lunch before resuming the discussion. There was only so much exposition that Kaito was comfortable relaying in one sitting, and he needed some time to reorganize his thoughts without the pressure that came with being in the spotlight.
Sitting alone in the reading room, Kaito flipped through the pages of a book idly, not really concentrating on the printed words and instead replaying the earlier discussion over in his mind. For something that really shouldn't have been difficult, it was astonishing how badly he had been proven wrong. Even with his efforts to keep the information direct and to the point, he doubted he had been particularly successful, and that was why he had called for a break when he had.
The first topic to focus on had been about Diablos' history, but all he had really revealed was the basic nature of Spiritomb in general, and a possibly embellished tale of a man's eerie visit to the Sinjoh Ruins roughly two hundred years ago. Nothing really provided concrete evidence of Diablos' history or his capabilities. So what exactly was he forgetting, or failing, to tell them about?
The answer came to him immediately, but in the process, it caused him a jolt of pain within his chest. It all came down to Kuro. He hadn't told them beforehand about Kuro's involvement, and so it made his written sources look like ignorant leaps of logic or assumptions, as if he was so gullible to believe every fairy tale that so much as hinted about a conclusion he was already hoping to have confirmed.
The Togetic reclined against his chair and heaved a sigh so heavy that it felt like gravity was increasing upon him. Even now, years later, it was difficult to talk about the Zoroark to his peers. It was emotionally draining to dredge up the memories of the feud that eventually broke them apart, or even to relive the happier experiences of working and studying alongside one another, with mutual ambitions about how to repair the bleakness they both saw in the world.
Kaito was not a psychiatrist. There was no way he could ever hope to analyze and dissect his feelings and actions to self-diagnose the reasons behind his reluctance to share his history with the others. Sorin didn't even know much on the subject, yet they were normally very open with one another. Or maybe that was just Kaito telling himself they were, when in reality it was only Sorin that was being open. The Altaria had shared with him all the details regarding his initial encounter with Inferna, and where that incident spiraled off to, and all the stress and emotional difficulties he endured over the years. Sorin didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, so to speak, but he wasn't one to completely shy away from the reality, either.
To make matters worse, Kaito knew it was inevitable that he would need to touch upon his history with the enigmatic Zoroark, because so many details were aligned with this information. The prospect of admitting that Kuro had played such a large role in Kaito's decision to seek out Diablos was incredibly painful.
A light tapping from the doorway of the room jolted Kaito from his thoughts and he looked up. Iris was standing awkwardly just within the room, her eyes bright with concern. More surprising was that Force did not seem to be accompanying her at the moment, although Kaito assumed the Lucario was still too fatigued from his recent evolution to move around very much.
"You okay, Kaito?" Iris asked. The Togetic blinked, but then nodded silently. The Kirlia bit her lip uncertainly, before gesturing towards the opposite armchair in the room. "Um...may I?"
"Suit yourself," Kaito replied dully. Iris smiled weakly before making her way over to the chair and sitting down. Kaito cast the Kirlia a puzzled look, but shrugged. Iris was relatively shy, but could reliably overcome this issue when she had something pressing to talk about. There was no other reason he could think of for her to join him in this room, as opposed to sticking close to Force or one of the others.
Iris remained quiet for a little while, merely looking around the room, but her eyes darted towards Kaito whenever she thought he wouldn't notice. A nearly impossible feat, considering how her presence had already broken his train of thought, and how obvious it was to him that she wanted something.
"Um...have you eaten anything?" Iris ventured finally, once it was apparent that Kaito was already onto her. The Togetic nodded and gestured to the half-eaten sandwich set on a nearby plate. "That's all?" Iris asked, frowning uncertainly. "I just...worry that you sometimes get so into whatever you're doing that you neglect to eat..."
Kaito smiled briefly. In an effort to ease her worries, he picked up the sandwich and took another bite, continuing in this fashion until he had finished the remainder of his lunch. Once his mouth was empty, he smiled again. "I appreciate your concern, Iris, but I'm fine. I usually keep something nearby so that I don't forget to eat."
"That's good, at least," Iris answered. She studied him in silence for a few moments, giving Kaito the opportunity to set the empty plate off to the side.
"Did the others send you to get me to hurry up or something?" Kaito asked blandly. Iris blinked.
"What? O-oh, no, nothing like that," she stammered, fidgeting with her paws for a moment. "B-but I did want to talk to you about something."
"Hm?" Kaito peered over at the Kirlia. Although her nervousness had definitely resurfaced since she entered the room, he had no reason to doubt her sincerity. "Go ahead. What's up?"
Iris hesitated for a moment before relaxing her paws. "Well, um, the others and I were talking a little bit, and we think maybe you were kind of...struggling. We know you were making an effort to tell us what we were asking, but...you seemed like you were having a hard time with it."
Kaito shrugged. There really wasn't much he could say in reply to that. He had definitely been struggling, but admitting as much served no purpose, because he couldn't tell what Iris was getting at. Was this supposed to be a criticism, random commentary, or something else? It seemed odd for Iris to personally approach him if it was a criticism, because surely Cecilia, Lin, or even Force would gladly scold him over his failure to communicate the important details.
Iris could probably sense his uncertainty, because she gave him a brief, reassuring smile, like a private sign that she knew what he was feeling, but that his concerns were unwarranted.
"Um...well, it got me to thinking, and I'm sorry if I'm jumping to conclusions but...do you actually know anything about Diablos' history?"
Kaito's body stiffened, and he mentally cursed himself for reacting in such an obvious way. Iris' expression was non-judgmental, but he could read it in her eyes that his tension had not escaped her notice. Still, she gazed at him patiently, awaiting a verbal answer.
The Togetic sighed, and closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, his eyes were dull, heavy with the sense of defeat. "I barely know anything," he admitted softly, avoiding the Kirlia's gaze.
"...why wouldn't you just say that before?" Iris asked, leaning forward and lowering her voice to a whisper. "Why give us the impression you're sitting on tons of information, when you're really not?"
"I DO have tons of information," Kaito insisted. "Just not about his history. Diablos was never relevant on a larger scale. Barely anyone even knew of his existence to record that information somewhere! Everything I know about him is something I've scraped together from half a dozen different sources, but that was enough for me at the time."
"What do you mean?" Iris asked, an uncertain frown beginning to sour her countenance. "You don't have to go in-depth, but...just tell me what you DO know about him."
Kaito sighed, massaging his forehead with both paws. Iris again sat in silence, waiting patiently for his response.
"Diablos is a ghostly spirit, contained within a cursed prison to restrict his powers," Kaito murmured, speaking barely above a whisper, so that Iris had to lean in closer to hear him. "He has the ability to expose and purge the darkness that stains a person's heart, with the intent of cleansing the world of evil. As his name suggests, he has been viewed as a demon, feared by those whose hearts are exposed by his power."
"Okay, good start," Iris said, nodding along with Kaito's words. "What else?"
"The exact process that gave birth to Diablos' current form is shrouded in mystery, but it is definitely an imitation of the original Spiritomb sealing ritual," Kaito continued tonelessly. "There is reliable evidence to suggest the Keystone was constructed within the Sinjoh Ruins roughly two hundred years ago, and that it was likewise fractured there."
"Reliable evidence? Like what?" Iris asked. Kaito practically cringed, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to proceed.
"The written account I mentioned earlier had more details," he said carefully, but Iris made no attempt to criticize the source. "When he explored deeper into the Ruins, he discovered that the centermost chamber was sealed off by a barrier that nothing could penetrate, and that the atmosphere was eerie and foreboding, as if innumerable eyes were upon him. The greatest indication, however, was an ominous and chilling sensation that gripped his heart and filled his mind with uneasiness, a pressure unlikely anything he had ever felt before. His hands shook fiercely as he attempted to record these feelings in his journal, and he later encountered a strange Pokemon he had never seen before. All he could describe was that it wielded ghostly abilities, and had eerie, green eyes with yellow pupils. Even his journal labeled it a demon, saying that it could appear and disappear at will, transporting instantaneously to another location."
"And that's...reliable?" Iris asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Do you have another explanation for how the description perfectly fits a certain Spiritomb?" Kaito asked, folding his arms over his chest. "I researched the author, and he definitely DID exist, just over two hundred years ago. He had a number of other works published and preserved before this one, and many of his writings are treated as non-fiction, or historical fiction. It also matches the time frame of other artifacts and sources that reference Diablos."
"So...you just read about a Spiritomb that supposedly has this power, and decided, without question, to try to find him and unseal him?" Iris asked seriously.
"Most of my research was more generic than that. Diablos was the end goal, but not the only possibility I was looking for. I had to go through dozens of dead-end hunches or ideas," Kaito countered. "Diablos' presence leaves a strange signature, you might have noticed. The ominous sense of unease that clutches at your heart, as reported in the story. I was looking for artifacts, relics, and locations that were reported to cause such a sensation, or otherwise seemed to be an omen."
"Okay, that makes a little more sense," Iris admitted. "But wait...Force and the others did find the Keystone piece in Mt. Coronet. Um...what WAS it doing there? And the main piece was in the Chateau attic."
Kaito nodded. "The Old Chateau is a place that has consistently given off the vibe of being haunted. I had little reason to believe it would contain the Keystone or its broken piece, but I investigated it regardless. The condemned chamber, however, was a definite hit on my radar, because it was directly associated with a Sinnoh Ruins site. The Sinjoh Ruins, you see...is connected with Johto and Sinnoh, and the power of Unown and even Arceus. Unown are frequently connected with ancient ruins, and have incredible powers, including, but not limited to teleportation and illusions."
"Okay, sort of with you so far," Iris said slowly.
"It's the connection with Arceus that intrigues me. The written account describes the Sinjoh Ruins as being incredibly ornate, and in good repair, despite its age, to the point where several stone depictions and discarded stone molds felt incredible out of place. It seems to me that in addition to normally being uninhabited, the Ruins are probably routinely cleansed, so as not to dilute the atmosphere of the place," Kaito explained eagerly. "It's very possible that the energy within the Ruins, in connection to the Unown, remove 'junk' from the sacred halls, and that the displaced objects may emerge in another area of the world with similar energy."
"Uh...do Unown actually do that sort of thing?" Iris wondered curiously. "The whole glorified janitor thing?"
"On occasion," Kaito answered with a shrug. "With that possibility in mind, a collector of sorts might have eventually come across the Keystone base, and it eventually ended up abandoned in the Chateau attic, whereas the broken shard remained hidden deep in the underground caverns of the mountain."
Iris squinted at Kaito. "Is there something else involved? Because I still get the feeling you're navigating around something, and you looked really bothered by whatever was on your mind."
Kaito sighed. "The rest...I should probably discuss with everyone, and not just you. It's about Kuro, if you must know."
"Oh," the Kirlia paused, biting her lip. "Um...I'm going to go back and talk to the others a bit, kind of fill them in on what you told me, so that...maybe you'll have an easier time with the rest of the discussion."
Kaito chuckled, shaking his head. "Was that really your intention all along? To nudge me into spilling stuff to you?"
Iris giggled softly. "Kind of. You usually have an easier time explaining things one-on-one, but flounder when dealing with more than that. And if I understand your answers, I can tell Force, who can convey it with the others better than I can."
"How...thoughtful of you," Kaito mused, reclining back in the armchair again. "Carry on, then."
Iris smiled and stood up from the chair, making her way to the door, but she paused at the last moment. "Um...are you sure you've had enough to eat? I can get you something..."
"Thank you, but I'll be fine," the Togetic replied. Iris nodded and left the room, once again leaving Kaito alone with his thoughts. Until now, it had never really crossed his mind that he had an easier time explaining himself to one individual, as opposed to a group. At the same time, it made a great deal of sense. Something for him to keep in mind for the future, in case he ever needed to divulge a lot of information at once. Even more interesting was that Iris evidently knew this about him, and had either volunteered or been selected by the others to approach him for this purpose.
Something to think about.
Fifteen minutes later, Kaito emerged from the reading room, only to find the rest of the group already waiting for him. He groaned internally, making his way across the room, taking note that almost everyone had changed seating arrangements. Sorin had settled on the couch, and possibly had insisted on Celes doing the same, because her fur was slightly bristled as if she had fought against this arrangement with every fiber of her being, and she looked more flighty than usual.
Lin had taken over Force's armchair, while the Lucario was sitting in Celes' previous spot, his back pressed against the side of the couch. Cecilia was comfortably sprawled out on the floor where Sorin had been in the previous conversation, and Iris was seated next to Celes, clearly making an effort to get the Flareon to relax. Plasma seemed to be absent entirely, although Kaito wasn't sure how much stock to place on that one.
"Okay, I'm back," Kaito announced. He glanced towards Iris. "Have you filled them in?"
"Yup!" the Kirlia replied brightly.
"Good, that'll make this easier," Kaito sighed, moving to take his place on the far side of the living area, so that the others essentially formed a semi-circle around him, with the wall at his back.
He gazed around the room briefly, uncomfortably aware that he had almost everyone's undivided attention. The break must have done them a lot of good, because even Force seemed more alert, and the earlier vibe of restlessness on Cecilia's end had disappeared.
"Um...you wanted to talk about Kuro next, right?" Iris prompted awkwardly, and Kaito nodded solemnly, although he flashed the Kirlia a grateful smile. The prompting alone would make it much easier to start things off.
"All right. For those who don't know of him, Kuro is an old friend of mine. He's a Zoroark with an overactive flair for the dramatic, and a master illusionist, adopted and trained by an alphabet of Unown."
"Wait, an 'alphabet' of Unown?" Force echoed, amused. "Is that actually the official term for a group of them?"
"Does it really matter?" Kaito asked wearily.
"Well, now you're just making us curious," Cecilia chimed in from the floor, and Kaito pressed his paw to his face in exasperation. "Even Lin's curious, because she hasn't snapped her claws to make us shut up, yet."
"Fine, it's the official term," Kaito deadpanned. "Even if it's not, it's the term I'm using. Let's move on. All you really need to know about Kuro is that he and I shared a similar ambition - the desire to change what we perceived to be a bleak and uncaring world. We exchanged a number of resources during our friendship, and it is by his doing that I uncovered many of my early leads regarding Diablos."
"W-wait...does Kuro know about Diablos?" Iris asked, her eyes suddenly widening in concern.
"Er...kind of, yeah," Kaito admitted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "He knows for sure that it's what I was researching, but we split up before it really got off the ground. Why?"
"Because, don't you remember?" Iris asked, biting her lip. "Back at the Ruins, he asked if we found something deep in Mt. Coronet. But how would he have known anything was there?"
Kaito blinked. "Uh...well, he does have the Unown supporting him, and it would fit my theory of how Unown displace 'junk' from sacred sites, but...I don't actually know if Kuro benefits directly from that information. I assumed he was taunting my lack of progress. He had just outmaneuvered me, in his words, after all."
"But he said he was the reason behind the weird Ruins activity. Is it REALLY a coincidence it happened at the same time we unsealed Diablos?" Iris insisted nervously. "If he knew we found the Keystone shard?"
"I don't know, Iris," Kaito answered seriously. "I really don't...and that worries me."
"What is Kuro even after?" Sorin asked, with a firmness to his tone that immediately caused a flutter of anxiety within Kaito's gut. Clearly, the Altaria had not forgotten the Zoroark's association with Inferna.
"Unfortunately, there's only so much about his agenda that I know for a fact," Kaito admitted with a sigh. Although he and the Zoroark had worked with similar ambitions and goals in mind, they argued not only over their ultimate objectives, but also the means by which to achieve them. In the intervening time since they had last cooperated, innumerable things could have changed, or the details altered. "As an aspiring entertainer and illusionist, Kuro conceals the truth behind the curtain of his performance act, while concealing other things with the illusions themselves."
"Give it your best shot, then," Sorin retorted. Kaito nodded and took another deep breath, doing what he could to calm his jumpy nerves. Although Sorin was a close friend, it would be foolish to forget that he was a Dragon-type Pokemon, and instinctively protective of those he cared about, with Ember serving as a prime example of that.
"Kuro's studies have often dwelled on the power contained within emotions," Kaito said carefully. "He has at times claimed that he does not have emotions of his own, and instead immerses himself completely to the role he serves within his performances. I'm not even sure if he's exaggerating that claim...for he barely registers on an emotional level. I do not sense his presence when he is hidden, and neither, apparently, does Iris."
"That's concerning on many levels," Lin noted seriously. "A potential enemy that can disguise himself without detection? Would he likewise be immune to Force's aura?"
"Force doesn't set his 'radar' to pick up everything," Cecilia pointed out. "Usually he only uses his aura to track things he's looking for."
"I'm right here, you know," Force said pleasantly.
"I know you are," Cecilia giggled. "I'm not wrong though, am I?"
"No," the Lucario admitted. Further commentary was interrupted by Lin snapping her claws.
"Oh come on!" Cecilia protested. "We're answering YOUR question!"
Kaito groaned and shook his head. There were definitely times when Cecilia's perkier personality was more of a detriment than the blessing he liked to think of it as, but either way, he didn't want to get sidetracked over something trivial.
"It gets a bit worse, actually," Kaito continued, glancing over at Lin. "Kuro's talents make him very adaptable, and because he conceals his true agenda, it is difficult to read whether he is telling the truth, exaggerating, or outright lying. In spite of this, I do not believe manipulation is his strong suit. He has a fondness for stage performances, and in stage shows, characters rarely outright lie, at least without indicating to the audience that they are doing so."
"I'm not trying to criticize you here, Kaito, but is it REALLY a good idea to dismiss the notion of deception purely on the ideas that inspire someone, or the needs of their job?" Sorin asked, frowning. "I see no reason why an actor would not be willing to lie in their personal life. If anything, I think it'd be EASIER to conceal his tells, because stage magicians and performers, like Noblesse, are often very grandiose and gesture a lot, to distract you from the subtle details that give things away."
"I'll concede that point," Kaito replied. "In that vein, I advise caution. Kuro rarely disguises himself directly, in favor of concealing himself entirely beneath an illusion, but he is very good at mimicry. To him, a disguise is just another character role."
"So...could he hypothetically be disguised as one of us?" Lin asked.
The Togetic paused for a second. "Hypothetically, yes, but I don't think there's much risk of that. We're a bit too closely knit for him to realistically infiltrate our group disguised as one of our own, and he'd have better luck merely concealing his presence and moving about unseen."
"Not something to entirely disregard, either," Sorin noted. "It gives reason to be reasonably wary of outsiders that...no, I mean outsiders OTHER than Celes, thank you."
It took Kaito a moment to realize that it was actually the Flareon herself who had prompted Sorin's sudden backpedaling, as she was giving the Altaria an incredulous glare, whereas everyone else had been accepting Sorin's comment at face value, without so much as batting an eye over the fact they already had an outsider in their midst.
This actually struck Kaito as amusingly ironic, because no one present really even knew Celes that well, and there was that period of time after Lin's spar when Celes was unaccompanied by someone in their group. Then again, Celes and Sorin had been chatting a little when Kaito had come by to retrieve them, so that conversation might have been enough for Sorin to remain confident that Celes was not being impersonated.
"Anyway, when it comes to Kuro's goals...I have good reason to believe it is heavily rooted in the Sinjoh Ruins. The centermost chamber is said to be sealed somehow, and I believe much of Kuro's research and experimentation is to uncover the means by which to dispel that barrier," Kaito said seriously. "When we worked together, we uncovered information about certain seals and doors with the most peculiar unlocking conditions. There is allegedly a hidden Ruins chamber in Hoenn that unlocks only if you stand completely still for two minutes, or if you do other ridiculously arbitrary actions. In some sites, there are hidden chambers only accessible if you expose the area to light, or fire...or ghostly energy."
Lin blinked. "The Mt. Coronet chamber...Diablos' Keystone piece was found when I used Shadow Claw," she said.
"One such example, yes," Kaito agreed, and he smiled faintly. "Such things fascinated us. The idea that, even within discovered Ruins, more secrets could be uncovered, and only haven't because the means to unlock those doors has been too obscure. Secret chambers, hidden doors, undiscovered relics...all still hidden because no realizes it's there."
Kaito allowed for several moments of silence for the others to digest his words. Even without saying so directly, surely many of them were starting to realize why Kaito had insisted they visit so many different sites all over Sinnoh. It wasn't just about following a hunch - it was searching for any indication of something that had not yet been found, and lay hidden.
"Kuro has the advantage of the Unown when it comes to such sites," Kaito continued softly. "They are like a family to him, but families don't share all their secrets, so he doesn't get a free pass to the reward. The odd activity at the Ruins were to lure others to the site, so that they could unlock the hidden door on Kuro's behalf. It was sealed by an emotional lock, according to him...requiring the individual to feel pure anger."
Sorin cursed under his breath, his eyes widening with sudden realization. Celes gave the Altaria a resentful look, seemingly irked by the cloud dragon's choice of phrasing, but she made no comment.
"Wait...are you telling me that Kuro might have literally planned out the events at the Ruins in such a way to manipulate Ember into opening that hidden chamber?" Sorin asked.
"That...might be giving him too much credit," Kaito replied, giving the Altaria a curious look. "What's your thought process here?"
"Well...the activity started on December seventeenth, a...very significant date," Sorin said, becoming momentarily flustered, as if convinced Kaito was about to point out his tactless comment from the previous week, but the Togetic said nothing. "Such activity would draw in scientists and media sources, and if they did find the door and open it, Kuro would get what he was after, and if they didn't, the media coverage might eventually draw Adrian in."
"So far, that's reasonable, if a small stretch due to the number of variables involved," Kaito agreed.
"Well...that IS what happened," Sorin pointed out. "But Adrian didn't find anything either, but you remember what happened next?"
"Um...the, uh, Unown appeared," Iris supplied.
"And...led us to that wall," Kaito conceded, frowning. Was it possible that Kuro had recognized the opportunity, and had persuaded the Unown to lead them towards the hidden room? It seemed like the most fitting explanation.
"And the trigger to setting Ember off was the mention of the date the activity started," Sorin continued, starting to scowl now. "Kuro's been working with Inferna. It makes me almost positive that the activity starting on that date is not a coincidence. He probably didn't count on it taking three months for Adrian to be sent out, though. Ember's just as moody during winter."
"And...Kuro did seem fixated on Ember...inside that chamber," Iris added. Kaito's eyes widened and he quickly made throat-slashing gestures towards Iris, trying desperately to communicate without words that she wasn't supposed to mention that. The Kirlia stopped, looking perplexed, but the damage was already done.
"...what exactly do you mean by him being...fixated...on her?" Sorin asked. His voice was calm and level, but his body had tensed, and Iris twitched, no doubt picking up on the Altaria's emotional shift.
"Um...I mean like, he...congratulated her on it and...um..." the Kirlia's voice faltered, and she cast a pleading look in Kaito's direction. The Togetic cringed.
"It was...more akin to...taunting her and um...ambiguously flirting," Kaito admitted. "She...did not like that."
"Uh huh...so he knew she was in heat, and was pissing her off on purpose. Is that about right?" Sorin asked, the aggressiveness in his body language unambiguous now, although it was clearly not directed at Kaito, nor anyone else physically present in the room.
"He wanted to fight her for some reason," Kaito explained quickly.
"Testing her mettle to report it to Inferna, I wager. And that's how Inferna knew Ember inherited Dragon Dance," Sorin mused. "And then when Ember came across Inferna, he was there to prevent interference. For the love of...how much of this did he plan out ahead of time? What the hell does he want from her?!"
"I'm so lost right now," Iris practically whimpered. "Why is Ember so significant to you guys?"
"Still don't know who Inferna is, either," Lin pointed out, sounding slightly annoyed by the fact.
"Meanwhile, nothing anyone has said for the past five minutes made ANY sense to me," Force said nonchalantly. "Am I really that out of the loop?"
"You really are," Cecilia giggled. "Not even kidding, either."
Kaito groaned, pressing both paws to his face. Finally, he looked over at Sorin, his voice weary. "You want to quickly clear things up for the others, Sorin? It's not my place to share that information."
Sorin rolled his eyes, his expression sour, but he nodded and took a soothing breath before looking past Celes towards Iris. "Just promise not to ask follow-up questions right now, okay? I don't want to talk about it."
"Um...okay," Iris mumbled. Sorin studied the Kirlia silently for a moment, and then sighed.
"Ember's my daughter."
Iris blinked, her expression first taking on the look of mild surprise, before the realizations truly started to dawn on her, and her mouth fell open.
"And Inferna?" Lin prompted impatiently. Kaito rolled his eyes. Of course the revelation would have no effect on Lin whatsoever - she had only met Sorin earlier that day, so the discovery he had a daughter was of little to no consequence.
"That would be Ember's mother," Sorin deadpanned. "She's a Charmeleon, wields a vicious claw-battling style. Abandoned us a week after Ember was born. No more questions!"
The last statement wasn't shouted, but was said in such an uncharacteristically firm tone that even Lin nearly flinched. Unsurprisingly, Cecilia and Celes seemed the least taken aback by the Altaria's tone, confirming in Kaito's eyes, that Sorin really had disclosed the details of his past with the two of them.
Sorin glared around the room, as if expecting to see someone still eager to ask for more details, before refocusing on Kaito. "What does Kuro want from her?" he repeated.
"I wouldn't have known originally, but I think I can guess now," Kaito said seriously. "But before I get into that, I'll have to touch upon what I've found out after Lin's spar with Noblesse. I promise you that this will connect with your questions, and my previous explanation."
"Fine, go for it," Sorin grumbled.
"I mentioned before that, when Iris and I went to the Ruins of Alph, the others went to the Solaceon Ruins in Sinnoh, and managed to retrieve a peculiar stone from within a hidden chamber," Kaito said. "I came back here to find out more, but it wasn't until Lin's sparring match that the connection clicked...and Force's situation this morning confirmed my suspicions."
"Yeah? I'm all ears," Force prompted. Kaito smiled at the trace of impatient interest within the evolved aura Pokemon's voice.
"The stone that you three retrieved is most likely a Lucarionite," Kaito said. Yeah, he didn't expect anyone to comprehend the significance from that statement alone, although Lin seemed less puzzled, probably by virtue of facing Noblesse earlier. "It is a member of a set of rare stones known collectively as Mega Stones, and when wielded by the corresponding Pokemon, they can achieve a temporary form of evolution known as 'Mega Evolution'."
"Mega Evolution...that term does sound vaguely familiar," Sorin mused. Force was still looking confused, but the others all seemed to be trying to remember where they might have heard the term previously. One by one, they each shrugged and refocused on Kaito, allowing him to resume the explanation.
"Mega Evolution is still a subject that is being studied by trainers and scientists around the globe, as another form of how Pokemon can tap into their inherent potential and advance beyond their previous limits," Kaito continued, his tone becoming more enthusiastic as he spoke. "Current research has indicated that in order to fulfill the conditions for Mega Evolution, the Pokemon must have the corresponding Mega Stone, and their trainer must have a special Key Stone. The Key Stone's purpose is allegedly to act as a medium between the Pokemon and its trainer, allowing for the Mega Stone's energy to be used in a controlled fashion."
"Hmm...so it's a safeguard?" Sorin asked.
"To my understanding, yes," Kaito answered. "Mega Stones contain an incredible amount of power within them, and using that energy has a profound effect on the Pokemon's mind and body, in addition to triggering a physical transformation. Without that safeguard, that energy could easily overwhelm the Pokemon. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a strong bond between the trainer and the Pokemon is necessary...which has a logic to it, while probably not being entirely true."
"What do you mean, not entirely true?" Cecilia asked, scrunching her face in confusion. Kaito could tell that some of his explanation was still going above their heads a little, but hopefully things were becoming clearer as he went on.
"As with many types of instructions, procedures, or safety precautions, there is a line between 'absolutely necessary' and 'strongly encouraged'. In the former, something will literally not function if that aspect if lacking, whereas in the latter, it can function, but is more hazardous or less effective," Kaito answered. He was already drifting into hypotheticals now, and he really wished that he had spent more time studying the subject over the years, because his refresher course this morning had caused him to realize just how deep and interesting the subject's potential was. He had only neglected it previously on the basis that he himself could not wield Mega Evolution.
"...did that actually answer my question?" Cecilia asked.
"I don't know enough to give a concrete answer," Kaito admitted. "But...Noblesse achieved Mega Evolution against Lin without his trainer even physically present, which indicates that the criteria is more flexible than my book lets on. It stated that the Key Stone is necessary to activate the stone, but Noblesse did not require it. It said a bond was needed, but the human was not present."
"Perhaps...but then what might the minimum criteria need to be?" Lin asked quietly, but her red eyes flashed with interest. "Noblesse achieved it with only the stone, so that logically is the one true requirement, as he brought it along specially. You said a Key Stone acts as a safeguard...suggesting that it, too, is unneeded, but the energy is much more dangerous without it. As for a bond...what might substitute there?"
Silence followed this statement, as everyone, even Celes, paused to consider the question.
"Focus," Force said, so abruptly that all eyes turned to him. The Lucario blinked, perplexed by the reaction. "It's what Astrid was saying to me, wasn't it? My mental and emotional state was wrong, so I was getting overwhelmed. Plus I apparently shouldn't have been using it at all."
"Hm...that makes a lot of sense, actually," Kaito admitted, and Force smiled weakly. "A bond with a trainer would probably allow you not to worry as much. Putting trust in another to look out for you and have your back, so that you can focus entirely on controlling your power."
"That fits with Noblesse as well," Lin agreed, her eyes glazed over as she recalled the situation. "He took a moment to focus...but even then, the effort seemed to cause him physical pain. But what was he reciting?"
"I don't know. I could barely hear him at all," Kaito answered with a shrug. "Maybe a mantra to help his focus?"
Sorin cleared his throat loudly, and the Togetic flinched. "This is fascinating, but where are we going with this?" the Altaria prompted.
"Sorry," Kaito muttered, taking a moment to remember where he had left off before getting sidetracked by the details. "This really does come full circle, though. Assuming the Ruins of Alph and the Solaceon Ruins are parallels, as we assumed, it suggests to me that what Kuro retrieved from the Ruins of Alph might be a similar artifact to what was found in the Solaceon Ruins. Now, the next bit is guesswork, but I think I'm onto something."
"I'm listening," Sorin said flatly.
"At the Ruins of Alph, when he challenged Ember, Kuro wagered whatever it was he found, but...seeing as no one other than him knew what it was, and Ember probably couldn't care less, he didn't actually cough up when he lost," Kaito explained. "It occurs to me that MAYBE Kuro was aiming for two things. The first was to test her strength, as you said, and the second...was probably to test her emotional state. He was trying to rile her up the whole time, but he didn't really succeed. She beat him too quickly and too easily."
Kaito paused, gathering his thoughts together. In truth, this theory of his had only just come to him over the break, when he was dwelling on Kuro's agenda and how he might proceed in the near future. Based on what Noblesse had said after the spar, he had a pretty good hunch of what to expect, even if he wasn't sure what exactly the Zoroark was aiming for.
"Bear with me on this one...but he next might have helped arrange Ember and Inferna's rematch. Such a personal conflict would be sure to push Ember to her emotional limits...and you even told me it did, but she lost," Kaito said. Sorin nodded, his expression stony. "That sort of conflict fits with Kuro's interests about the power drawn from emotions, but more specifically, drawn from NEGATIVE emotions. Anger, hatred, so on and so forth."
"Right. But why is he focusing on Ember specifically?" Sorin demanded. "There's probably dozens of other people or Pokemon to use as a testing ground for negative emotions. People are filled with bitterness, fear, and other such things. Why Ember?"
Kaito frowned, internally debating whether he actually wanted to make this suggestion, but the look Sorin gave him was more than answer enough - the Altaria wanted ALL the information Kaito might have, even if it bordered on hypothetical guesswork.
"Because, Ember is part-dragon," Kaito said softly. "Dragons have a reputation for growing and maturing slowly, but having an incredible amount of power within them, in addition to a powerful instinctive drive to protect what they value at all costs. Her history and lineage make her emotions significantly more potent, but there's another angle here, too."
"And what's that?" Sorin demanded, visibly losing patience with Kaito's hesitation to just spit out what he was trying to say.
"Inferna herself," Kaito answered solemnly. "I think Kuro gave what he found to Inferna. As for what he found...I think it's a Charizardite."
"A...what?" Sorin sputtered.
"Charizardite. A Mega Stone connected to a Charizard," Kaito said seriously.
"That doesn't make sense, though," Sorin argued. "Neither Ember nor Inferna are Charizard."
"Yet," Kaito corrected. Sorin stared at him. "Force had a Lucarionite before evolving, and he could tap into its energy. It was...incredibly dangerous to do so, because of his unevolved body and unstable emotional state, but that's what worries me about Kuro. He tried to rile up Ember in exchange for an unidentified prize, and when it failed, he helped set up an emotional rematch with another member of the same evolutionary line. Kuro doesn't do things just for giggles, Sorin. He wanted to achieve something, and both times, it revolved around Ember's negative emotions during battle."
"Okay, let's say you're right, for argument's sake, and Kuro did find a Charizardite, and gave it to Inferna, rather than Ember, who would be a better test subject for whether volatile emotions give a power surge," Sorin said seriously. "What's his aim?"
Kaito hesitated, but the answer came to him almost immediately. "Conflict. You've said Inferna is vicious, but calm and cold in battle. If Ember's hatred of Inferna let her get the upper hand, do you think she'd remain calm for long?"
Sorin paused, then shook his head.
"That's the control variable," Kaito said. "Inferna will stay calm so long as Ember can't beat her. But if Ember's negative emotions prove stronger, Inferna's emotions would become unstable, and possibly trigger the Mega Stone's energy. Kuro would know neither of them can handle the full energy, and it's less risky for the older, more powerful Pokemon to experience backlash than the younger, unevolved one."
"...is Kuro a sociopath?" Iris asked, her mouth hanging open as she listened to the exchange.
"Almost sounds like it," Sorin scoffed. "And Noblesse says Kuro's got a crush on Inferna."
"...he actually might," Kaito mused absently. "In any case, Noblesse suggested that Kuro is setting up a sparring match between him and Inferna. Noblesse is capable of Mega Evolution, but his flirty antics would piss Inferna off. The pattern fits - he's testing the effect of negative emotions within a Pokemon that's carrying a Mega Stone."
"Oh great," Sorin deadpanned. "So Kuro upgraded from trying to piss Ember off on purpose to trying to piss Inferna off on purpose. And he's part-Eevee, from what you said earlier, so combined with a hypothetical crush on her...yeah, he's going to die."
Kaito stifled a chuckle. It wasn't even something that was naturally funny, but Sorin's delivery was so blunt that he couldn't help but find it amusing. However, he didn't really want to dwell on the subject of Kuro for much longer. It involved far too much guesswork, and it would be nearly impossible for Kaito to predict the Zoroark's long-term strategy. Their current goals weren't in direct competition with one another, but Kuro seemed to think of it as such. How much time had Kuro spent with research, before pursuing practical application? At the moment, it almost felt like the two of them were making parallel progress - with Kuro marking the Ruins of Alph around the time Kaito unsealed Diablos, and then neither of them making any progress during the winter.
As much as it unnerved him to consider, he couldn't help but wonder whether their objectives were linked in some way. If Diablos truly was created within the Sinjoh Ruins, was it mere coincidence that Kuro wanted to access the heart of those same Ruins, which was sealed in a mysterious fashion, much like Diablos himself?
For that matter...Kaito had suggested to Iris earlier that Unown might have used their powers to displace what they viewed as junk items from the Sinjoh Ruins, and those items may have turned up in related Ruin sites, such as the condemned chamber of Mt. Coronet. Was it possible that the treasures uncovered from the Ruins of Alph and Solaceon Ruins had been displaced in a similar manner?
There was one more issue niggling at the back of Kaito's brain. Force and Iris had told him that one of the guardians from the Solaceon Ruins had ambushed them, far away from the Ruins themselves, in pursuit of the pilfered stone. Was it possible that the Lucarionite was significant in some way beyond simply being valuable? The chamber in the Ruins of Alph had been blank and empty, with no inscriptions carved into the walls, and no guardian protecting the valuables, but that was not the case for the Solaceon Ruins.
"In regards to your question about our next step moving forward," Kaito said, directing his attention to Lin, although speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "I first want to continue to study a few things here, and I believe Force should take ample time to rest and adjust to his evolution and abilities. After that...I think I need to visit the Solaceon Ruins, where you found the Lucarionite originally."
Lin, Force, and Cecilia exchanged looks briefly, before saying, practically as one, "Why?"
"Because the Ruins of Alph was a dead end, its treasure notwithstanding, but we don't have that one. We do have the Lucarionite, and a Lucario, and I'm sure there's a some significance behind the fact that a Sigilyph actually hunted you half-way across the region in an effort to retrieve it," Kaito explained. "I want to examine what's there."
Oh thank Arceus, I'm done with this section of the arc. My goal for these chapters was to flesh out Kaito and Lin's history (as I've felt they were the ones with the most unclear motivations and backstory), and provide the opportunity to seriously nail down a lot of the questions and uncertainties surrounding certain plot aspects.
But even in my eyes, this section of the arc dragged itself out. Not to the point of being "filler", but it stalled a bit, and I'm kicking myself for it.
Not required, of course, but I'd appreciate any feedback you readers can provide, with me hoping for some confirmation that certain information has been adequately explained or if I neglected something major. This will help me keep tabs over details that I'll have to cover in the future, or explain better.
Either way, thanks for trudging through what I feel was the section with the smallest plot progression in the most chapters. I pray that doesn't happen again.
