Fortunately, the eruption was not nearly as bad as it could have been, and evacuations were successful, although the upper cable car station was destroyed. Sera suspected not every wild Pokemon was as lucky as the humans, but she knew many fled or were escorted to safety, so she just couldn't let herself dwell on the possibility. The flow stopped and the magma within settled back down to normal shortly after the Magma entrance was blocked, so it seemed whatever set it off was very carefully calculated indeed…

Meanwhile, Morgan's search had turned up nothing. Once it was clear the trail was cold, and once Sera's side had settled, the League took over searching Mt. Chimney, and recommended the girls go to Mossdeep to get their seventh badge.

"You want us to focus on the Game at a time like this!?" Morgan demanded.

"No, it's not that," Genevieve explained. "Granted, the masses don't know how dire things are, and seeing you two proceeding as normal will hopefully keep them calm." News of the sub being stolen, the eruption, and Steven's announcement were all combining to get people suspicious of how much was going on, but they thankfully didn't know everything. "More importantly, though, you know how the badges exude bits of power, correct? Like all badges help keep unruly Pokemon in line."

"...Yes?"

"Well, the badge from Mossdeep helps Pokemon move more effectively underwater. Don't ask me for the logistics, but…"

"But it should help us search for Archie?" Morgan pieced together.

"Precisely."

Well, that did seem worthwhile. Especially when they were both able to make such short work of the Gym Leaders. In Morgan's searching, she'd wandered through Shoal Cave and gotten a Snorunt, and at some point found a Dawn Stone. Her new Froslass took out the gym single-handed, aside from the obligatory double battle with Andraste. Pelt was able to do the same for Sera, with some help from Tank in the final battle.

Sera may also have gotten a bit of intel from someone claiming Sharpedo were twice as fast at surfing as most Pokemon. She'd used her catch credits, but, well… If she was just… researching this claim and didn't battle with it, it wasn't breaking any rules, right? The League probably would have agreed under the circumstances regardless, but sure, that sounded fine as the cover story. So Xavier joined the team.


A day passed, but Archie was nowhere to be found, Matt and Shelly had disappeared, and the Chimney team was having no luck either.

The sun was setting fast, but Morgan wasn't ready to give up searching just yet. If only she'd managed to nab a Lantern… She wondered if Andraste could recruit some to help them out temporarily without catching them.

"Morgan, are you there?" Her Nav sounding off startled her for just a moment; there'd been a lot of 'technical difficulties' off and on to cover for how much time the girls were spending searching. Not just them, even, but a few other competitors with strong Pokemon had even been recruited. But once she registered it was Steven's voice, she settled down.

"Sup."

"I'm in Mossdeep. I was hoping you could join me."

Yeah? Was it something important? Sensitive? "I'll be there as soon as I can." He gave her directions where to meet, and Andraste adjusted her course.

Some 15 minutes later, she arrived to find Steven looking pensive, but not panicked at least. That was good. "What's up?" She hopped down off the Latias.

"Ah.. Sorry, it's not.. urgent or anything."

Morgan bit the inside of her mouth. "Then why interrupt the search? I need to-"

"Wait," he commanded, and she listened. "I had a feeling you wouldn't stop unless someone made you. You need to rest, or you won't be in any shape to fight Archie when we do find him."

Morgan's sigh melted into a groan. She had a feeling arguing would get her nowhere, though. "Fine. I can head to the Center and take a nap."

Steven shuffled. "Ah.. actually…" What was he so nervous about? "I was hoping you might… come to my place? I live here on Mossdeep and…" Oh. What? "You could see my rock collection?" he offered with an uncharacteristically sheepish smile.

Morgan squinted. "...Is that a euphemism?"

A moment of disbelief, then Steven snorted and pressed a hand to his mouth in a failed attempt to stifle a laugh. "No, I assure you it wasn't." Morgan wasn't sure why that was so funny, but all right then.

"I guess."

Following him to a house not far from the meeting point, Morgan soon saw that he really wasn't joking about the rock collection. The house looked more like a museum exhibit than a place of residence, with nearly every surface lined with stones and labels.

"Aren't they fascinating?" he asked. "Each one has its own story."

"Huh…" She had to admit, it was pretty impressive, but… "What's this really about though?"

"Hm? … Ah…" It wasn't like him to be this awkward, was it? Or had he just been putting on a brilliant facade when she'd seen him before?

Well, it must not be too important if he was hesitating to say. Nothing that would affect their mission at any rate. She felt sure he'd be able to spit out anything like that. So Morgan just decided to browse the rocks a bit. Some were very old, others surprisingly new, and she couldn't seem to figure out how Steven had them ordered if there was any reason to it. But in looking around, something else soon caught her attention: a framed photo of Steven in the arms of a young man who looked strangely like a taller male version of Lisia.

"This your boyfriend?" she blurted before she really thought about it.

"What?" His attention was drawn to the photo, and, "Oh.. Yeah, that's Wallace." He lightly touched the back of his neck. "But it's ah, pretty open." He forced a light laugh. "Almost has to be with all Wally's fangirls."

For about half a second, Morgan imagined the small green Wally swarmed by girls, but quickly realized a pet name for the handsome older Wallace made more sense, heh. "That's fine if you're into it I guess," Morgan shrugged.

Steven hesitated, then asked, "So I take it you're not?"

She shrugged. "I don't really do good with one partner, let alo- wait why does it matter?" She squinted. "Are.. you trying to ask me out or something? Now?"

"No!" Steven raised his hands innocently. "Or- not exactly?"

"If it's an end-of-the-world sex kink I'm not interested."

That got a snicker. "It's not like that, I promise." The grin soon faded away, though. "It's more… end-of-the-world confession, I guess." He sighed. "If we're all going to die soon, I just wanted to get off my chest I do like you. That's all…" He forced a tired smile.

Morgan blinked a few times. She'd simultaneously 'expected' something of the sort and been joking, so his sincerely saying so blindsided her a bit. "Why?" She found a place to sit. "You barely know me for one thing."

That sheepish look returned as he sat down near her. "Call it a celebrity crush, I guess, heh… But your sense of humor, your dedication, and the way you've managed to screw my dad's little Game rules while still showing up when it really counts. It's… really something."

"Oh." . . .

"Oh…?" Morgan didn't know what else to say, but she could feel her face heating up. "I guess some part of me.. also felt a certain kinship when we first met. And I can't really explain that but…"

"N-no, I know what you mean." In this world of idle spectators and manipulative assholes, she had felt like Steven was someone she could trust somehow. And maybe she hadn't gotten over just how pretty his stupid face was, either…

There was a bit of silence before Steven finally said, "Well.. That was all. It's fine if you don't have anything to say in return, I just wanted you to know."

Morgan's mouth felt dry. "I…"

"Hm..?"

She averted her gaze. "I might… like you just a little," she mumbled, and Steven's face lit up.

Suddenly, his suave aura seemed to return as he scooted closer to her. Gracefully, his fingertips brushed against her cheek and tilted her chin. "Would it be all right if I kissed you…~?"

Face burning, she mumbled, "I.. I guess."


When Morgan awoke with Steven's arms around her, her stomach sank. The night had only consisted of kisses and cuddles, but she still felt so embarrassed to be here. Feeling she would be unable to get back to sleep, she gathered her things and headed outside into the cold night air. Maybe she'd go back in once she cleared her head, and maybe not.

As she walked along the rocky coast of the northern shore, though, something reached out to her.

Human… it whispered.

"Who's there?" She stopped in her tracks.

A friend… it answered, but its voice did not sound friendly. All the same, she found herself enticed as it said in her head, You want answers, don't you?

"What kind of answers?"

Morgan could feel a terrifying grin she couldn't see. I've been helping you already, human. That's just how nice I am~ Okay…? If you want more help, though, I need a tiny favor from you.

She had a bad feeling, yet had to ask, "What kind of favor?" Should she bring out a Pokemon? No… As malevolent as the presence felt, she felt entirely certain it wouldn't hurt her. This feeling was further cemented as a large circle appeared before her, filled with starry space and rimmed with gold. Was this what had been teleporting her conveniently around the country?

Step through, the voice urged. The favor I need lies on the other side.

Despite her reservations, Morgan complied, and soon found herself on a ledge on a secluded part of the island, the space center in the distance all that told her she was still on Mossdeep. A tiny cave lay before her, and inside lay a pedestal surrounded by some kind of seal. On the pedestal rested an ornate bottle.

Break it, commanded the voice. And you will have all the answers you seek.

Morgan hesitated. "Will you tell me who you are or why this is important?"

. . . All the answers except those.

Morgan rolled her eyes. Typical. This had bad news written all over it, and yet the being had proved an invaluable help so far. It seemed to know what was going on, and if Morgan had been a little more competent either time it had transported her before she may have stopped Archie already. For that, she couldn't help but trust the being. More than she trusted most of Hoenn anyway.

"Well… Here goes nothing." Or everything. If the world ended in the next day or two it wasn't like it would matter, eh? With that in mind, Morgan reached in, encountering no resistance from the seal, and picked the bottle up before smashing it down.

YeS. The sound in her head was instant. My… pOWER. The voice became deeper and thunderous. THANK YOU, HUMAN. The portal through which she'd come had disappeared, but another just like it now took its place. THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK LIE AHEAD. GO FORTH.

"Th...anks." If she'd just made a horrible mistake, it wasn't like there was anything she could do now, right…? Right… And so, Morgan passed through the gate.


One minute, Sera was asleep, and the next she was falling from the ceiling. The sensation woke her, as it often did dreamers, but rather than relief she was met with a harsh thud. "Ow!" Sitting up and rubbing her head, she looked to find… "Morgan?"

The redhead blinked in surprise. "Huh. Didn't expect it to bring you, too."

Sera's world still spun a bit. "What to bring me where?" Sera's bag clattered to the floor beside her, PokeBalls all in tow. Well… thanks mysterious whatever it was?

"I wish I could tell you." Morgan stretched, debating getting her Nav out, but afraid it would set itself off somehow.

WELCOME… boomed the voice from before, now to Sera as well. TO SEA MAUVILLE.


The wealth of things to find here was mind-boggling, but it was difficult to tell just what their mysterious benefactor wanted them to find.

Was it evidence that Maxie and Archie had once worked together here? No, their shared history was evident enough by this point, and after cross-referencing things they knew of Magma and Aqua, they confirmed that to be true. Perhaps it was related, but it wasn't enough on its own.

Was it the Spiritomb Morgan caught? So many souls jammed into a rock was horrifying, but perhaps it was just a lost Pokemon. It wasn't as though they had context for why it was here.

Was it the Sea Mauville rules of conduct that made it sound like some dystopian labor camp more than a legitimate business? M...maybe? 'Lay your life on the line for safety checks'? 'Give up your sanity'? 'No need to think. Just work unceasingly'? No fucking wonder this place was shut down, yikes.

Finally, though, they came across something truly stand-out: the Infinity Energy extraction area. That was what this facility was made for, wasn't it? And shut down for.. hurting the environment, was it?

Water and time had worn away much of the facilities contents, but the girls were able to find enough to piece together several facts.

Sea Mauville 'extracted' Infinity Energy by capturing ocean-dwelling Pokemon and draining them of their life force. Most survived, but barely, and what happened to the weakened creatures after being released back into the wild was none of the workers' business. Some didn't make it back into the sea.

This was where the energy for so much of Hoenn's advancement came from. Where the energy powering their Navs and other parts of their lives right now had come from. The energy was so potent and renewable that even 11 years after the plant was shut down it still circulated through Hoenn, but was it worth the cost to obtain?

But there was more.

"It's…" Sera covered her mouth. "About Revive crystals."

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange.

As they read, tears filled Sera's eyes. "I can't believe… we never thought…"

Revives were such a miracle. Who would have ever stopped to think that they could only work by infusing a corpse with the life energy taken from other Pokemon? Who would have suspected that when Pokemon corpses disappeared off the routes, it was to break down their bodies into whatever energy still remained? Who would have guessed that bits of the old Pokemon's consciousness remained in the crystal shards, and sometimes clung to the new Pokemon when infused? How many trainers had revived one Pokemon enough to realize that repeated revivals could crowd the mind with so many voices that the revived Pokemon could entirely lose themself?

Sera thought of Spitfire's strange behavior after revival, and now had to wonder if she was being haunted. Why hadn't she said anything? Why…

"Why did anyone ever allow this technology to the public?!"

Morgan didn't know what to say. Maybe that explained why some trainers didn't revive their Pokemon, but how much was them knowing and how much just getting a feeling something was Wrong?

Magma revived, though… 'Of course' they did, Tabitha said. And Sera was suddenly more furious with them than ever, because she knew he must have known. They knew and they still used Pokemon like Koffing… They….

"I guess this is what Archie rebelled against," Morgan mumbled. "Extraction and application alike.." She huffed. Why couldn't he have come up with a better course of retaliation than wiping out humanity? Why?

"And the League…" Morgan grit her teeth. "Devon approved this monstrosity, and the League endorses it." Was this part of why Steven opposed his father's work, or… was this something he let stay swept under the rug? Why had he never said anything before! He-

He sent Morgan a Revive when Cerebus died. He really did support this. He must have known with his position and he still…

Would she have still done if it she'd known? Revived any of them? Was it better to be dead and at rest, or alive with some detrimental side effects? Surely one revival couldn't be too terrible if she'd never noticed the effects- even if the ethical side of it was abysmal. But still, she should have been able to make that choice!

"I don't…" Sera's voice cracked and her stomach turned. "I don't think I can revive anyone else…"

Morgan wasn't sure she agreed, but she wouldn't say as much aloud. She could understand the aversion, for sure. And she scowled. "I think a lot of folks have a lot of explaining to do." But why did Morgan's benefactor want her to know this? What did a being with such power gain by taking on the League?

Well, whatever the case… "It'll have to wait though," she admitted. "We need to make sure there's a world left to uncorrupt before anything."

Sera swallowed hard. "Yeah… We should.. probably get going.." She checked the time. "The sun's almost up again, and we should get back to searching."

They found their way out and mounted Andraste and Sapphron.

As they flew toward Mossdeep, something weighed on Sera. "H-..hey!" she called.

"Sup?"

"I've been thinking… Maybe I should fight Archie and you should fight Maxie, if we find them both."

Morgan's frown bordered on a scowl. "Why?" Sera pursed her lips and averted her gaze. "...Do you seriously still sympathize with Magma or something?"

"Not Magma!" she quickly defended. "Not with their whole plan, just… the people… aren't the worst I've met and…" She didn't want to hurt them.

Morgan sighed slowly. "Fortunately, the odds of us finding them at the same time are slim to none. We'll probably both fight bo-"

Before she could finish that thought, two beams of light shot up in the distance. One was blue in the direction of the southern seas, the other red in the direction of Mt. Chimney.

"... Well fuck me raw."

"Shit, shit, shit. What does that mean?" Sera clung to Sapphron tighter.

The Latis seemed just as nervous as their riders. I'm not sure we're fast enough, admitted Andraste.

"...Hang on." She pulled Andraste to a stop, and Sapphron followed suit. It was worth a shot right? Cupping her hands, Morgan called, "Hey pal! A little help here?"

For a moment everything was quiet, then two portals in space appeared before them.

Sera looked as though she'd seen a ghost. "I-!? How did you do that!"

"Guess the universe likes me," Morgan brushed off. "Now c'mon."

Sera wanted to say more, but Morgan took off through one of the rings, and in an instant it closed behind her. She sighed. "When did she meet a Hoopa…" Shaking her head, she resolved to focus on the matter at hand, and went through her own portal as well.