-Chapter XXVIII: I'm Coming Home-

-Widow-

"Flatline, could you be a dear and hold this?"

She handed the wonder bag to him and said, "Since you won't be flying while we're in there-"

"Halt!" A Magneton flew overhead, and Flatline cursed. "Great… They probably recognize us."

"Shut up! Victor said that we don't have to worry as long as this Zoroark is here."

Sure enough, the Magneton flew over their heads and stopped in front of the Zoroark. In front of her eyes, its image transformed into a familiar Swampert, almost like a suit over itself. Sometimes it would falter and become a Zoroark for a split moment, but it was convincing enough to them. It was applying all of its illusory powers to the Magneton, so it was probably flawless.

*Zzzt! Connor! Zzzt! What brings you here?"

"...does he not see us, or…?"

The Zoroark replied in what she assumed was a perfect impression of the Swampert, "Soulburner, a Chandelure recently detained by Team Blackmist, attacked some of my team members. I wish to speak with him."

*Zzzt! I cannot allow that! He is a ten star rank criminal, arrested for thirty-seven murders and escaping arrest on nine separate occasions!"

"With all due respect, officer Magneton, how many ten star rank outlaws are there? We've only handled up to nine stars."

*Zzzt! There are seven ten star rank outlaws. He is one, and only three were ever successfully captured. The rest have gone into hiding, using other criminals to do their bidding. Zzzt!*

"...Ah. What were their names? I could probably apprehend them with my team."

The Magneton shook its body. *Zzzt! That is classified. Zzzt! Only the chief of police, Magnezone, can give away such information. Zzzt!* Then it looked around for a moment, completely overlooking them. Widow suppressed a laugh. "This is too easy… We need to add a Zoroark to our group."

*Zzzt! Where is Vulcan? Zzzt! As I recall, you two are normally inseparable. And wasn't Sharpedo Bluff the site of a massive explosion? Zzzt!*

"Y-yes… Vulcan is healing up in a secret location. We are currently being hunted down by a mysterious group of pokémon, and I believe that Soulburner is affiliated with them."

*...Zzzt! Very well! I will allow you access. But only for a little bit. And only because it's you, Connor! Zzzt!*

It turned around and stared right at Flatline. *Zzzt! When did Vincent arrive? And Rose? Zzzt!*

Flatline tilted his head slightly. "Vincent…?"

Widow did a mental face-palm. This Zoroark's illusions are amazing. To disguise us as members of team firestorm… and cover our voices! But why would Victor… Oh. She smiled slightly and laughed to herself. This is interesting… If this works, it might be worth the effort...

The Swampert-Zoroark shrugged. "I asked if they could tag along, for… you know, making sure that Soulburner stays where he belongs. And Vincent knows Teleport. That's how he got here."

*Zzzt! Hm. So you say he knows teleport… interesting. If you would follow me, please! Zzzt!*

The Swampert-Zoroark walked past them with a smug expression, and Widow rolled her eyes. "Let's follow them… Vincent."

Flatline chuckled and agreed. "Let's go."

-Roy-

He shouted in pain as Dusknoir used dark pulse, blasting him backwards. He was thrown into the nearest tree, his spectral skin smoking and dissolving from the pulse of pure malevolent thought.

Dusknoir closed his fists and said, "Now… again."

Roy rolled his eyes and replied, "I don't see the point in-" He flew to the side as Dusknoir lobbed a massive shadow ball at him.

Roy grunted and closed his eyes, and pictured the shadows being drawn into him again. The cold darkness pressed against his skin, and he willed his being to become one with the shadows, just as Dusknoir had explained. He'd done it a couple times before, but Dusknoir insisted that he took too long. Apparently it should take no longer than two seconds.

As the darkness poured into him, his wounds healed and his spectral skin pulled itself together until it was back to normal. He took a deep breath and smiled slightly after opening his eyes. "How was that?"

"Still too slow. I could have easily hit you with another shadow ball or Dark Pulse as soon as you ceased your movement."

"Come on! How long did it take?"

"...About six seconds."

"Ugh! Can we please move on to something else? I've already learned teleportation, molding shadows into actual three-dimensional objects, shadow-traveling vast distances by myself, using will-o-wisp to make shadows around the opponent for me to use, and I know how to heal myself using shadows. I just won't be able to do it mid-battle. What else is there?"

"There is only one more thing I am able to inform you of… but, unfortunately, it is not something that can be taught."

"...Huh? What, you mean only I can do it?"

"No, all ghost-types are capable of it… You know of Mega Evolution. What it is capable of doing to a pokemon."

"Of course. Connor, Vulcan and Alice have all done it."

"Yes, yes… Well, Ghost-types can undergo a further, temporary form of evolution that is the same, yet different than the evolution all other pokémon use… we can unleash our spirits in their rawest, most uncontainable form."

"Unleash our… spirits?"

"Yes. Ghost-types have a unique trait… a… gift, if you must call it that. We're not bound to the physical plane like every other type."

"And… what is this 'spirit' capable of?"

"Think of your current form right now as a vessel. It is a manifestation of all of your emotions and feelings and thoughts… your spirit. Your body, by definition, is a soul. It is the life after death, the thing that makes you able to think and feel and… be alive."

"But… I'm not alive…"

"Ah, but you're here, talking, thinking, communicating with me. Even if your physical body died, you're still alive, Roy."

"...That… doesn't make any sense. How can I be dead, but alive? And Dawn said I was dead when we first met. Care to explain that?"

"She sensed a soul that was far away from its host body. A soul by itself would normally be taken by a Dusknoir, such as myself, but if it is imbued with enough of your past self… it is possible to become a ghost-type and still roam the world after death, exempt from reaping until its purpose is complete. Whether that be avenging its death, somebody else's mistakes, or fixing their own mistakes... It's extremely rare, only happening on two occasions that I know of, but it is possible."

"So my spirit is alive, but my body is dead… or my soul- What's the difference between a soul and a spirit?"

"Your spirit is everything that makes you… well, you. While your soul is just the… material form that your spirit resides in."

"So if I unleash my spirit… what happens?"

"I cannot say. That would depend on the primary emotions driving you. If it is anger, then I would dare say that you would destroy every pokémon that ever did you harm, while consumed by absolute darkness. If it is joy, or humor, or other similar emotions… then you will be one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen, cloaked in a white light unlike anything else in the world."

"My… that sounds strange, coming from you."

"Yes… you must forgive me… I have spent most of my life in darkness... in a grey, bleak, dreary world. Connor was not exaggerating when he told you how dreadful it was. As such, beautiful things, to me, are much different than most other pokémon."

"Uh-huh… Still strange. But whatever. So how do I do it?"

"I can't teach you how… only if the three circumstances are met can you unleash your spirit."

"What are the three circumstances?"

"You must be severely wounded by another pokémon, angrier than you have ever been before, and you must be willing to sacrifice yourself to protect someone else."

"Seriously? That specific?"

"Yes. And, sadly, you can't trick or manipulate your way through those steps. I've tried it. I still have yet to unleash my true form. But I know it's in there… lying in wait. I think the same applies to you."

Roy sighed and said, "So you don't know any other Incantations or anything, huh?"

"My species is not capable of higher-level incantations and spells. However, I do know of another pokémon that lives in your era that can teach you the things that I cannot."

"Oh, goodie! What species is it?"

"A Delphox named Valerie. If my memory serves, she is not well-known to the mass population, but to those that have heard of her, her mastery of every spell imaginable makes her reputation as a witch all the more believable."

"Oh, wow! That's incredible! Do you know what kinds of Incantations this Delphox could teach me?"

"Well, there are spells of poison, spontaneous explosions, transformation, good luck, bad luck, levitation, teleportation, illusion, possession of another's body, and many others that I cannot think of at the moment."

"Levitation and Teleportation aren't really necessary, though… right?"

"If you were to transform or possess another pokémon, and still wished to fly or teleport, then yes. But even so, finding her is a daunting task."

"Oh, yeah, she's not gonna be much help." Vincent said. He had appeared behind them, and Roy tilted his head. "Excuse me?"

"The Mafia killed her."

"...Is that so?" Dusknoir asked.

"No. She can't be dead." Roy said. "She sounds too powerful to die that easily."

"They have her petrified form as a statue in the main room. Along with... Rose." He forced the last name out, and Roy looked to the ground. "Ah. Well, that's disappointing."

"No. That is not true." Dusknoir said with confidence. "I have done extensive research on your era before my trip to the past."

Vincent scoffed and crossed his arms. "Oh, yeah, I forgot, 'great Dusknoir'."

Roy sighed and said, "Vincent… Please just give him a chance. Connor, Vulcan and Atlas took almost a whole week to even tolerate him."

"You know what he did, Roy." Vincent said with bitter disgust.

"Of course I do! But I don't really care at the moment! He's here to help! Grovyle, Dawn, Amber, Briar, Basileus, Mirage and Alice can all confirm it!"

Vincent scowled and shook his head. "Pokémon don't change that easy."

Roy big back a mocking laugh. "Oh… yes they do. Pokémon can change on a dime," Roy said. "Not even two weeks ago, Atlas was a happy Machamp that enjoyed fighting on the side, right?"

"Uh-huh…"

"And now he's driven solely by revenge. All he wants right now is to find Mordred and kill him. You see where I'm going with this?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes warily, but looked at Dusknoir and said, "So… you've been reading?"

"Yes. And I can confirm that this Delphox was alive for many, many years, and could have quite possibly outlived the era of Team Firestorm."

"Are you sure it's not another reality on that big 'temporal tree' thing?" Roy asked.

"Our timelines are directly connected, Roy. Grovyle and I… along with the rest of the Insurgo, are connected to your branch on the Temporal Tree. That Delphox is alive, if my assumptions are correct. Which more often than not, are." Dusknoir replied with a knowing tone.

"Alright! So now we just have to find her, right?" Roy smiled, and Dusknoir shook his head. "Under the current circumstances, we would be hunted down before we made it very far. It's best to stay with the team, or close by. There is safety in numbers right now, even for us. That Noivern and Ariados aren't accustomed to taking down large numbers of pokémon. That is why they haven't attacked us as a group yet."

"Ugh! This is so boring! I truly miss being able to do whatever I wished after missions…" He sighed wistfully, and Vincent rolled his eyes slightly. "Fine. You guys do you. I was just checking in, per Connor's instruction."

"Tell him that I said hi!" Roy called out as Vincent teleported away. Roy sighed and said, "Dusknoir… how can you help the same team that doesn't trust you?"
"I am just looking to repay them for any pain that I inflicted upon your leaders, and first recruits, such as Atlas, Vincent and Mirage. And... Grovyle is like a brother to me. I will follow him to the end of the world if he asks."

"My, my… I never expected you to say that about Grovyle… what exactly went on in the future?"

Dusknoir took a deep breath and righted himself. "Well, we must finish your training. We will not stop until you can heal yourself in under one and a half seconds."

Roy sighed as he realized that Dusknoir wouldn't reveal any information. "But what if I get tired?"

"You're healing your entire body repeatedly. You won't 'get tired'."

"...Fiiiine." Roy deadpanned as he rose from the ground. "Hit me with a shadow punch this time. I don't like Dark Pulse."

-Connor-

He was lounging in a shallow hot spring close to the training grounds, along with Briar, Alice and Galvantula. This was the first real relaxing moment they'd had, except for the whole situation with Aaron and that Farfetch'd. Apparently he could beat Grovyle in one-on-one combat, which came as a shock to just about everyone. Grovyle wouldn't come out of the temporary shelter that he'd made after his defeat.

Galvantula joked about it for quite a while, saying that Grovyle wouldn't show his face for a week, but eventually the absolutely deadly looks he got from Briar made him stop on a dime.

Vincent materialized nearby and strode up to them. Connor had asked him to check up on Dusknoir and Roy.

"So how'd it go?"

"Fine." Vincent said. "They were talking about some Delphox that knows magic and could help Roy learn how to cast better incantations or something. Oh, and Roy says hi."

"Good, good… But what about the Delphox?"

"Valerie." Briar said. She lifted herself out of the water and sat on the edge of the springs, letting her feet soak. "She's supposedly a mythical pokémon, but not by classification. Her prowess in the world of spellcasting and incantations is unrivaled, even by pokémon from our timeline."

"Uh-huh… How have we never heard of her?" Connor asked.

"Because she keeps her existence a secret from all but those who she trusts."

"Yeah, but I already told Dusknoir that the Mafia got her-"

Briar shook her head quickly. "I'd imagine that it was most likely a decoy. She wouldn't fall so easily."

"What? You act like you knew her."

"I do know her. Well, did. When I was a Grovyle in this time period."

"So… will she recognize you as a Sceptile?"

"I would think so. We were quite close before I was brought to the Hidden Land with Basileus."

"Dang, we know all sorts of people, don't we?" Galvantula said. "I didn't know you knew Valerie."

"I wasn't allowed to speak of it to anyone. She made me swear by Arceus, until such a time as she was needed by someone of great importance, I would not tell another being. I think this qualifies."

"So…" Connor pressed, "You're saying we should find her… and let her train Roy?"

"Precisely. He is the ghost of magic, when it comes to ghost-types. Under her leadership, he could quite possibly become the most powerful ghost-type aside from Giratina himself."

"But don't ghost-types have Alphas?" Alice asked. "If that were the case, then the Alpha Mismagius should be able to beat him."

"Simply being the Alpha isn't a guaranteed win against others of your species. Basileus and I are evenly matched, and he is the Alpha."

"...That's weird." Alice replied.

Vincent nodded slowly and asked, "Can I chill with you guys?"

"Sure, come on in." Connor pat the surface of the water and used scald, superheating his hand and making a fresh wave of heat. Vincent slowly sunk up to his neck in the water and let out a massive sigh. "Ahhh… This is nice."

"Yeah… Almost like we aren't being run down."

Vincent smiled slightly, but didn't laugh. "Yeah… Sort of." Then he looked at Connor and said, "Promise me… that no matter what happens… we will beat these guys."
He quickly replied, "Of course. I planned on it. No way I'm just gonna lose to some big criminal organization after we saved the world twice."

Vincent smiled and leaned his head against the dirt lining the edges of the spring. "...That's good… I feel better."

"Why?"

"Because… you're Connor. Leader of Team Firestorm. Saviour of the world… Twice! It's only because Vulcan was your best friend that we lost. With him on your side, and the amount of power you have… I know we'll pull through this just fine."

Then Roy appeared right in the middle of the spring. "BLAAAH!"

"Ah!" Vincent and Alice both shouted in unison. Roy giggled uncontrollably and slung a fake tear off with psychic as their shouts turned into a red mist and were drawn into the gems on his robe. "Oh, that was good… Hee-hee-ha-ha!" his eyes sparked with a new energy and he snickered some more.

Alice glared at him, and Vincent laughed. "Well… The moment's ruined."

Roy shrugged and smiled some more. "Well? What do you think?"

"About what?" Alice questioned.

His smile vanished on a dime as he looked at her. "...Fine, I won't tell you."

"Roy, you're being a little girl." Alice replied.

"Am not!"

"Just tell us," Connor said.

Roy smiled and said, "Well, if you insist… I can teleport now! Except with shadows! I can disappear into myself! Like this!"

In the blink of an eye, he vanished into a small swirl of darkness and reappeared right behind Briar. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Do not attempt to scare me."

Roy rolled his eyes playfully and appeared behind Galvantula in another instant. Galvantula laughed with amazement and said, "Bro, that is sick!"

Connor nodded and smiled slightly. "Huh. That's actually… pretty cool."

"And I learned a whole bunch of new tricks! Like this…" The shadows all around the forest swirled around him and brushed against Briar's shoulder. Then, the shadows came together until a pitch-black Sceptile with eyes as dark as obsidian was sitting in the hotsprings with them. It was made entirely of shadows, and it made Connor shudder uncomfortably just looking at it. "Roy, stop it. That's weird."

Roy tilted his hat, and the shadows dissipated and returned to their rightful places. "So… yes, I overheard talk of me, so I came by to see what it was about!"

"We were talking about possibly letting you train under the instruction of Valerie." Briar replied nonchalantly.

"Oh? I thought Vincent said that the Mafia got her."

"He was misinformed. The Delphox that I know would never allow herself to be captured, let alone killed."

"'That you know'…? Is there something I'm missing?"

"Briar knows her personally. Well, did. When she's a Grovyle in this timeline." Galvantula giggled. "Man, that's weird to say… I'm used to Grovyle being a Grovyle."

Briar sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes… I will discuss this with Amber tomorrow. We will accompany your team to Treasure Town while you gain leads on her. She is not an outlaw, by definition, but I have confidence that either Chatot or Wigglytuff knows something about her, and could provide enough clues to pinpoint her whereabouts."

"Okay… So we leave tomorrow?"

"I would like to leave as early as possible tomorrow, yes."

"Alright. We'll talk to the rest of the team about it tonight." Connor confirmed. "At least it gives us something to do. And I want to check up at the guild anyways."

"Alright." Briar raised herself out of the springs and shook herself off. She began walking away, and he sighed with tears in his eyes. "We're about to go home…"

Okay Guys... I think you know what's happening in the next few chapters... This story is coming to a close soon, meaning I must make the next story, which means no uploads besides Firestorm Battle Royale for probably five-six months. But I'm not gonna get all sappy yet! It's still going!

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Dusknoir is teaching Roy some advanced stuff about being a ghost! And apparently they're going back to Treasure Town! That's good! So if you guys enjoyed, or had any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to put them in the form of a Review or PM and send them to me! It's always nice to see that people like my stuff! I will see you all this evening, since I am going out of town in a couple weeks! Much Love!

-PL