Year 891—Arcania Kingdom

The six-year-old Salandit's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw the wooden dummies erupt in jets of flame from the torsos, heads, and arms. It happened so spontaneously, as if conjured by magic. The heat the flames generated burned dark scars into the wood, keeping all their power contained perfectly within the width of the individual blasts.

"So cooooool!" Basil cried. "I get to do that when I'm older?"

Standing beside the optimistic Salandit was a slim and confident Salazzle. She wore a pristine white shirt and blue skirt that reached down to her ankles, a red sash tied around her waist, and a purple silky robe with the shoulders hanging around off around her arms. A standout feature of her appearance was the tattoo over her right eye that, when fully closed, depicted a swirling purple ball of smoke trailing with fire like a comet.

The Salazzle, Wisteria Dawnblite, smiled. "This, and so much more. This is the magic developed by my family over many generations. This is the power of Causinomancy."

Basil tilted his head. "Why not Pyromancy? You know, like the Bonheur Clan?"

Wisteria wagged her finger. "They specialize in manipulating flames. We specialize in burning."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Not necessarily." She raised her arm and pressed her fingers together. "You see, Basil, the Dawnblite Clan lives by a philosophy to the art of burning. Fire to us is a symbol of fortune and prosperity. Fire, to most, is viewed as a destructive element that can raze a city if left on its own. We, however, learn to control the burns. A controlled burn is a sign of fortune. When we burn something, we do so with purpose. We don't let the fire spread. Every action we take is with purpose and intent."

Basil nodded slowly. "So…no big explosions?"

Wisteria smirked. "Well, I didn't say that." She flicked her wrist and, with a snap of her fingers, set one of the dummies alight in a grand, controlled explosion of fire jetting up into the sky.

Basil stumbled back from the blast and fell on his back, yet gazed upon the explosion in awe. "COOOOOL!"

Wisteria sighed and blew the smoke off her fingertips while the practice dummy crumbled into ash. "This is what got me my status as the 1st Class Archmage. Causinomancy is notoriously tricky to learn. It's just as capable of causing havoc if unleashed. It's to be used responsibly."

Basil leapt onto his feet and laughed. "Me next!" He raised his arm forward and pressed his fingers together, but Wisteria cupped his hand in hers. "Hmm?"

She knelt before him and shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, Baz." She poked him in the stomach, causing him to giggle. "I'm only showing you this for when you're ready."

Basil blinked in confusion. "Ready?"

"You are the oldest of your siblings, and tradition states you are to take on the mantle of our magic when you turn thirteen. The Ceremony of Sacred Arts is a blessed time for a young mage to inherit the wisdom of their family's magic. You will be responsible for carrying out our legacy…" She tapped the tattoo over her eye. "And you will carry our brand as a sign of your dedication."

Basil puffed out his chest and grinned. "Then I'll be the strongest mage ever! And when I get older, I'll singlehandedly restore the glory of the Arcania Kingdom!"

Wisteria's eyes widened. "Oh? Where'd these lofty ambitions come from?"

He frowned and sheepishly dug his heel into the dirt. "Well, I overhear you and Dad talking about it sometimes. You said…you're worried about the kingdom's future. That we lost a lot of land. That you're…worried about us."

"…" She sighed and rested her hand on her son's shoulder. "Those are big dreams for such a small child, you know. Maybe one day your dream will come true."

He pouted. "You don't mean that." He huffed and flexed his arms. "I'll get so strong that I can turn my dreams into reality! There's nothing more powerful in this world than a Pokémon's dreams!"

Wisteria giggled behind her hand. "How…idealistic."

"I'm serious!"

"I know." She stroked his cheek and smiled warmly. "Baz, just focus on being a kid for now. Things may look tough, but you don't want to lose these years of innocence. You just let Dad and me handle the touchy stuff. When you're ready to inherit the secrets of our magic, then you can look towards becoming a powerful mage."

Basil nodded. "Yeah! I'm going to save the Arcania Kingdom and defeat the bad guys!"

Wisteria grinned. "Heh, I wonder…just how strong your ideals will become."

Basil blinked. "Huh?"

"Ideals, like dreams, have the power to change the future. If you want to make your dreams come true, you better hold strong to your ideals. Those with unshakeable ideals…may end up as the saviors of a dark future."

Present Day—Five Minutes Earlier

Benvenuto bounced hurriedly through the sky, grappling floating metal within sheets of solid air and flinging them at the rogue Salandit. Basil's laugh boomed with mirth and sadism, skipping off the flying metal and the lingering air platforms like stairs.

"What's the matter, Benny Boy? You've gotten quiet all of a sudden!" He bounced off high above the flying metal and exhaled a large quantity of gas.

Benvenuto swiped the air and shielded against the descending gas as it filled the atmosphere. He grimaced as it started to filter out into the air, making it nearly undetectable in the low light. "Shit…"

Basil spun through the air, his laughter never ceasing. "I wanted to show you how much stronger I've gotten in the last nine years!" With a twist of his arms and snap of his fingers, sparks ignited off the air.

In a flash, sections of the air around Benvenuto burst into flame. He corralled an air bubble around himself, barely staving off the immense heat slamming against him. He kicked off the rubbery air and launched himself high up in the metal sky.

I never would've imagined…he actually mastered Causinomancy, he worriedly thought. He divulged the secrets of learning supposed magic in that archaic kingdom. I've skimmed through that book myself. The secrets are completely useless to a Mr. Mime like myself, but to him…

Basil hopped off a floating sign and snapped his fingers again. Benvenuto barely noticed the thin trail of fire rushing toward him and bounced out of the way before another explosion went off next to him. He shielded against the blast with his arms, hissing as the flames licked the back of his hands.

From what I know about Arcania, the method of achieving this magic of theirs is by altering their biochemistry via alchemy. To enhance or alter certain aspects of the body to bring out the full potential of their abilities, achieving supernatural feats. I remember two primary components of Causinomancy.

Basil spun through the air and snapped his fingers wildly. Benvenuto raised an air wall and bounced off as the explosions went off against it. He caught himself on an air platform and grimaced as the merry Salandit hopped along the floating metal without a care.

Sweet Scent is altered to act like a fuse. It burns quickly, but allows for controlled streams of fire to reach its destination. Poison Gas loses most of its toxicity in favor of becoming highly explosive. The Dawnblite Clan can freely manipulate these gases to create controlled explosions and alter the power of each attack. I've heard the horror stories of his mother. That woman's precision was nightmarish on the battlefield. If he truly means he surpassed her—

"Oh Benny~."

His eyes widened, feeling the Salandit's hot breath flowing down on his shoulder. In a split second, he flipped off the air and over Basil before his previous position went up in flames. He looked back ahead and saw what he thought was the real Basil collapsing into smoke.

Shit! Benvenuto covered his mouth. How much of that gas did I breathe in?!

A chorus of laughter sounded above him. He turned up and gawked as a horde of Salandit descended from the sky with menacing, yet playful grins.

Answer: too much!

The Basil clones grappled onto the freefalling Mr. Mime, locking themselves around his limbs and body. He struggled trying to kick them off, each one simply bursting into purple gas. Some of them had a degree of solidity, but still fell to a single strike.

"I see that knowing look of yours, Benny!" Basil's voice projected from the individual one-by-one. "You thought you were being clever keeping your distance from me. You'll find I'm not so easy to outrun. One whiff of the altered properties of my Sweet Scent, and you'll fall under my hypnotism."

Benvenuto growled. "You little—"

"Glamor Clones: Bon Mot Boom!"

The ringing sound of finger snapping followed with the immediate detonation of the smoke clones. They erupted into a tremendous fireball that roared across the city, briefly pushing back the rest of the fog. From a piece of metal floating above the blast, the real Basil cackled, throwing himself onto his back and clapping his feet in hysterics.

"I have you and the rest of our troupe to thank, Benny!" he cheered, sitting himself back up. "Being a clown taught me everything I needed to know about the world! Isn't life just comical?"

Benvenuto fell out from the fire and smoke, landing on an air platform. He coughed up smoke and held his throat as his skin burned. Feeling himself up, he realized the blast affected everything but his torso, which was where the notebook was stashed away. His limbs and head itched and burned, yet the blast wasn't nearly as powerful as it could've been. Burns across the foreheads, upper arms, and neck, but nothing life-threatening. The damage was shockingly minimal compared to what he imagined.

His precision is frightening. He wasn't even aiming to burn my head off. He's messing with me!

Basil rested his cheek against his fist and snickered. "Now, hand over the notebook before I start having fun."

Benvenuto growled up at him. "You're sick!"

"Pot, meet kettle."

The clown raised his cane and circled the air. The flames of the recent explosion drew toward him, slithering along the cane and compressing their heat along the metal. "You fancy yourself a conjuror of lies and tricks, Dawnblite? Let me inform you of the real truth: there's always someone at the top to surpass you!"

He kicked off his air platform, ricocheting multiple times off the atmosphere. Basil lazily watched the clown maneuver around him, unable to hold back his taunting grin.

Benvenuto halted directly above Basil with the heat building up his cane. "Red Aero!" He thrusted his cane, projecting a superheated laser straight down at the lizard.

Basil bent back and flipped off his perch before the laser struck and expanded the metal with heat before rupturing. Fragments of heated metal fired through the air, but Basil casually twirled around the fiery bullets before landing on a new perch.

Benvenuto summoned his own flames and compressed them around his cane. "The ringmaster gave you a home, and all he asked for was your loyalty. What brought upon this streak of treachery, Dawnblite?"

Basil stood up and smirked. "The truth? You had food."

"Were we nothing more than a free meal to you?"

He picked at his ear canal and retorted with, "Oh, of course not. Not at all." He smirked and added, "Torturing you idiots was very therapeutic, too."

Benvenuto clenched his teeth. "Bastard." He thrusted his cane and unleashed a volley of red lasers down on the lizard. "Red Rush Aero!"

Basil skipped back and dodged the first wave, dashing across the floating metal while exhaling more gas through the air. The lasers pierced through the volatile gas, yet didn't set it off. The gas parted around the lasers like leaves in the wind. The lasers instead riddled the ground below, setting fires to the soaked streets.

Benvenuto climbed higher into the air, twisting the air and fire around his cane. "Air Burn!" Spinning his cane like a fan, he conjured a vortex of superheated, solid air and fired it down on the skipping Salandit.

Basil performed a controlled explosion and blasted himself into the air on a floating barrel, dodging the heat vortex. He cupped his hands around his mouth and exhaled even more Poison Gas into the air, letting it rain over the airspace.

Benvenuto covered his mouth and leapt out of the smoke, yet found vapors still seeping off his clothes. "Gah—"

Basil smirked and raised his hands. "Burn Point: Shoulder!"

With a swift click of his fingers, Benvenuto's right shoulder went alight in a jet of flame. He grasped his burning shoulder, screaming out in pain. It felt like the flames were digging down through his flesh and melting his bones, too. All the heat was concentrated on that one spot.

"Knee! Sternum! Hand! Tailbone!"

Each command and snap set ablaze the targeted areas, causing Benvenuto to scream out even louder. Flames jetted from his right hand and left knee while also erupting from his chest and the back of his waist. All in the span of a few seconds with seemingly no lag in-between shots. They conjured as soon as Basil snapped his fingers.

W-What…the hell?!

Benvenuto fell out of the sky wrapped in smoke and crashed down on top of a floating carriage. He gripped the seats and struggled to pick himself up, growling through the pain. He glared at the sky, where he spotted Basil casually hopping on one foot as more Poison Gas spread out along the atmosphere.

"By all means, keep resisting!" Basil taunted. "I'm having way too much fun with this! Should I cook your organs next?"

Benvenuto shakily rose to his feet and slammed his cane down. He raised a finger and pointed firmly at the mocking lizard. "What's your game in all of this, Dawnblite?"

Basil stopped hopping and crouched over the streetlamp he was on. "I'm just here to put Itzy in the timeout corner. I'm not too big on the whole setting the city on fire angle."

"Your hands are stained in just as much blood as his!"

He smirked. "I have no regrets. That's all in the past."

"What kind of demented mind do you harbor?"

"You're the one jumping around and evading capture. I just wanted the book, but you decided to be difficult." Basil's smirk grew. "A jester's job is to make the king laugh, after all."

Benvenuto scoffed. "And who, pray tell, is the king of the jester's court?"

"Would it be pretentious to hail myself as the king? Either way, I can't stop laughing." He cupped his hands together and rested his chin atop them. "Now, be a good little clown and hand over the notebook before I start roasting you. And believe me, I'm not out of sparks or quips yet."

The Mr. Mime trembled with rage, clutching his cane as flames ignited from the handle. The more he looked at the trickster's face, the more memories surfaced. How he despised the lizard and his constant pestering. How he loathed every second of the obnoxious child who was once a valued member of their troupe. How he dreamed of plunging a dagger through the prankster's tongue.

He had endured enough of the lizard's torment.

Getting bored, Basil stood up and raised his pressed fingers. "No response? Well, if you don't mind, I'll be cooking. Now, which body part should I burn next?" He closed his eye and focused his aim. "Hmm, how about the—"

He staggered as his perch began to move backwards. It lurched back so suddenly that it knocked him down, forcing him to grapple onto a nearby barrel, only it also gravitated away from the battlefield. Basil hopped along the floating debris as it all moved toward a different part of the city, collecting into a mass of scrap metal in the distance.

"Eh?"

Benvenuto saw his chance and jumped off the flying carriage. He flew past Basil and swiped his hands, solidifying air into a spherical ball around the lizard. "Air Prison!"

Basil collapsed inside the air bubble, blinking in confusion. He flipped to his feet and touched the walls, watching the solid air ripple. He glanced up at the hopping Mr. Mime and smirked. "Seriously? What's this going to prove? Running away like a coward, are we?"

Benvenuto ceased jumping and suspended himself in the air. He scoffed as he sheathed his cane through a belt loop on his trousers. "Keep laughing, Dawnblite. I'm done playing games." He raised his hands, stretching the fingers out to their maximum length, and clutched down over the air.

Basil raised his brow. "Eh? What's this now?"

The clown pulled on the air like it was rubber, but the effect looked different to previous instances. It was like he was pulling on a large mass, dragging and placing tension on it by just the strength of his fingertips. The affected space distorted the air around him and darkened in a glowing white aura. The longer he pulled on the air, the more warped the surrounding space became.

"You're not…the only one who has been practicing, Dawnblite," Benvenuto growled. "The air itself…bends at my whim. There is no force on this planet…greater than the weight of our atmosphere. Are you familiar with how natural lightning is formed?"

Basil glared. "Oh boy…"

The rubberized air crackled with sparks of white energy. "Through the power of Bide and maximizing the excitement of energy building up inside, you get my own brand of artificial lightning! Let's see how you handle this, Dawnblite!"

Benvenuto gripped into the solid air and, with all his might, swung his arms, launching the twin bolts of white lightning down on the trapped Salandit. It struck with a blinding flash that blotted out the sky and capital like a new sun.

"Solid Air: Alabaster Flash!"

Year 892—Middle of Nowhere

All sense of time seemed to leave the young child's perception. Nothing mattered in the moment. All he knew at the time was to run. Run, run, run as far away as he could. Blades clashing, fires breaking out, blood spilling across the earth, and screams echoing across their sacred land.

All of it continued to echo within the young Basil's mind.

Storm clouds rolled across the sky and subjected the land to a fierce downpour with the Salandit caught in its wrath, yet he endured. His thoughts remained on the nightmare he escaped from, reflected in his scorched and tattered clothes and the dried blood still splattered across his face which rinsed away in the rain. The rain hid the downpour of tears sliding down his face as he quivered and shook on the side of the road.

Clutched tight within his embrace was the only remnant of home he had left: the Dawnblite Clan's sacred tome for Causinomancy. A withered book bound in a dark purple cover with pages that discolored from time's past. He shielded it from the rain with his body, curling himself around it and holding it like a defenseless baby.

The young Basil sniffled, hanging his head and letting the tears and rain drip down his snout. It all happened so fast that he wondered if he was having a bad dream. A convoluted, blurring mess of images perpetuated by paranoia and fears of the future. That had to be what he was experiencing. This had to be a bad dream, and he would wake up soon to find…

To find his family still alive.

"Run, Basil! Keep moving forward…and LIVE!"

Those were the last words his mother said to him before she saved him from the man who slaughtered their family. A towering figure with a cruel smile wielding claws capable of slicing steel without enhancement. He oozed with the stench of poison and moved as swiftly as a Raikou. He couldn't recall what the man was, but…

Basil will never forget his cruelty.

He clutched the withered tome tightly and clenched his teeth, shaking with grief and rage. "I-It's not fair…it's not fair," he whispered. "W-Why…? What did we deserve to be punished? Why…Why has my home been cursed with nothing but misfortune? What did we do? W-What did we…?"

He couldn't find the strength to finish his thoughts. He just sat there and cried out over the downpour. Why did he have to live? Why was he the one who had to carry on? Why couldn't he have just died like the rest of his family? What cruel god would allow such tragedy to occur? And why leave him to suffer?

"G-Great Gate…" Smoke seeped through his clenched teeth, smog and embers overpowering the rain around him. "That man…" He clenched his fists over the tome and growled through his tears. "I'll…I'll kill him. I'll…k-kill all of them."

The blinding flash receded seconds after colliding with the air prison. Benvenuto hovered through the air, shielding his face in the afterglow of the blast. A smirk grew on his face as the limp body of the trapped Salandit fell from the air and collapsed atop a roof.

He landed on an air platform and laughed. "Tricks and jests won't get you far with me, Dawnblite! I've had nothing but years perfecting myself, and I've been savoring the moment where I kicked your ass. A troublesome imp like you deserves nothing but suffering and torment!"

The Mr. Mime's triumphant bravado fell short as he watched the limp Salandit fizzle into purple smoke before dissipating.

He clenched his teeth. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Perhaps." He turned around with a start and spotted the lizard standing on one of his lingering air platforms. He knelt down, arms crossed over his knees, and smirked. "The art of jesting is to kid your audience, after all."

"How did you—"

"Did you really think that was the real me? Why would I stand out in open and let you—"

Benvenuto fired into the Salandit with Mystical Fire, but this proved to be a huge mistake. Not only was this Basil another clone, but one composed of his Poison Gas. He shielded himself as the clone detonated, throwing him back through the air. He dragged his fingers along the air and caught himself on a newly formed platform.

"See? I think you're missing the point of this exercise." He glared down and saw dozens of Salandit clones scattered along the rooftops, each of them threateningly raising their hands at him. They all bared the magician's irritating grin as they snickered.

I've noticed some of the clones have a degree of mass, and others don't. Did he learn to use Double Team in combination with his Poison Gas? And is he using Substitute for some? How much did he narrow down the stamina cost for Substitute? He covered his mouth and suppressed a growl. And I still inhaled some of his Sweet Scent. I can't trust my eyes and ears, either.

"How about some fun, Benny Boy~?"

The clones suddenly sprung into the air, cackling with their fists ablaze. Annoyed, Benvenuto lit the tips of his fingers on fire and slashed into the air. The air rippled with energy, turning the flames white, and carried them along the space like flying blades.

"Solid Air: Alabaster Heat!"

The blades slashed apart Basil's clones, detonating them midair. Benvenuto flicked the air and conjured an air wall to block the incoming explosion. He kicked off his platform, hopping higher up into the air.

"The air is my domain, Dawnblite. Just try and reach me." He gripped into the air again, stretching it, and fired down a barrage of air blades. "Solid Air: Alabaster Tempest!"

His attacks reached the buildings below and diced them to pieces, collapsing them into the inferno raging in the streets. He tugged on the air again and rained down another barrage of slashes, slicing up even more buildings. He planned to take down all of Basil's landing spots and for himself into an aerial battle.

"You can't hide forever, Dawnblite!" Benvenuto yelled. "My hatred will not cease!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Benvenuto whipped his head back and saw the Salandit leaping over him with his arms crossed smugly. He grinned and whispered, "Such violent outbursts…lack eloquence."

"Air Palm!" He tried to strike Basil with his palm, but the Salandit dove out of the way and landed on an air platform. Benvenuto pulled out his cane and compressed the flames of his Mystical Fire around it. "Red Aero!" He thrusted the cane and fired the laser.

Basil, in a mocking fashion, bowed to the Mr. Mime and let the laser fly overhead, rupturing a poor building in its path instead. "Allow me to teach you to focus that rage." He suddenly exhaled a vast quantity of gas into the air.

"Air Wall!" Benvenuto struck the air and conjured a wide wall against the gas.

Basil smirked. "That didn't work last time." He performed a series of snaps, causing jets of flame to erupt off the air wall, as well as detonating a portion of the Poison Gas.

The Mr. Mime sailed back in the back with only a few additional burns. He skipped and bounced off the air hurriedly and stretched the air as he rose into the sky. With sufficient tension pressed into the affected air, he twisted it around his hand and fired out with a palm strike.

"Solid Air: Alabaster Wind!"

Basil bounced into the air and avoided the massive air palm strike as it obliterated all the lingering air platforms. Spinning off the currents it created, he landed on a new platform and leapt into the air.

"Come on, Benny! That notebook can't be worth preserving your life over!"

Benvenuto wrapped flames around his cane. "I don't fear a soft-hearted fool."

His smirk grew. "A fool, I am."

"Red Rush Aero!" Benvenuto thrusted his cane repeatedly, raining down lasers upon the trickster.

Through controlled explosions and timely jumps off the air platforms, Basil dodged the rain of lasers and rose above the clown. He aimed and prepared to set Benvenuto ablaze, but the clown acted faster and thrusted his cane into his stomach, causing him to wheeze in pain.

"Air Lance!" With the blow registering, pressure released around the cane and blasted hard into the Salandit. He coughed up blood and flew back through the air. Benvenuto grinned. "That…was definitely the real one."

However, Basil just smirked as he fell. "Glamor Clones—"

The clown's eyes widened as dozens of Salandit clones popped up behind and grappled him. "Wait—"

"Bon Mot Boom!"

Fire erupted around Bevenuto, blasting him through the air. With the front of his body (and the notebook) preserved from the blast, the back of his jacket and suit ripped open in flames with his back scarred by the heat. He clenched his teeth, biting back against the pain, and formed a new air platform to land on.

"I can't take my eyes off him for a second," he growled. He coughed up blood into his hand and trembled with rage. His Sweet Scent is nearly invisible. I can't make heads or tails if I'm just making mistakes or he's messing with my head. Calm down, Benvenuto. Get a grip. Don't let him manipulate you.

Meanwhile, Basil fired off controlled explosions from his hands and guided himself to a new air platform. He landed and laughed. "Oh, what joyous reunion, isn't it? My friend, how I missed this!"

Benvenuto stood up and rolled the aches out of his neck. "How annoying." He gripped into the air and stretched it, building up energy through it. "Take this fight seriously, Dawnblite! I thought you were trying to save the city!"

Basil smirked. "Maybe I'd save it sooner if you weren't being so coy."

"Do you not care for the bloodshed going on around you?"

"Technically speaking, people are mostly being cooked alive." He threw his head back and laughed.

Benvenuto's eye twitched. He's just as sadistic as ever. How the hell did this imp get invited into the Foresters? Do they even know who he is? He pulled back on the air as it transformed into bolts of lightning in his hands. "What are you looking for, Dawnblite? Did you really come here to stop the ringmaster?"

"…" Basil raised his hands in mock surrender and chuckled. "You have…a very imaginative alchemist."

"Huh?"

"Give me that notebook, Benny. I'm being as patient with you as possible." He smirked. "You may relish in the destruction of life, but I don't take kindly to senseless use of fire. It goes against the principles taught to me through my family."

Benvenuto scoffed. "An imp like you? Holding onto principles?" He swiped the air and cast down the two white thunderbolts. "Solid Air: Alabaster Flash!"

Basil skipped off the air platform, dodging the twin lightning strikes that collided into the flaming streets below. "Is it really that hard to imagine?"

Benvenuto, having enough, snapped his fingers. Right as Basil landed on a new platform, the solidity collapsed and reverted back to standard air. The Salandit's eyes widened as he fell back toward the flaming streets.

"I've humored your mockery enough. I can neutralize my Air Walk manually, too." He sneered. "Burn to death, Dawnbite."

Unafraid of hitting the ground, the Salandit merely snickered. "You're funny, Benny." He tilted himself back and dove for the flames.

Though there wasn't much in the way of a landing spot, the rubble from destroyed buildings rose above the sea of flames. Basil unleashed controlled explosions and landed atop the pile. He looked back toward the sky, waving mockingly at the floating clown.

Benvenuto grunted. "The lengths I have to go to kill one lizard…" He pulled on the air once more, this time twisting and kneading it between his hands. The more he squeezed and rolled the air in his palms, the more energy built up within it. He kneaded the air over and over, widening it into a large, compressed sphere the size of an Electrode.

Basil shielded his eyes from the bright flames and squinted at the sky. "Eh? Now what's he up to?"

Benvenuto, feeling the pressure building in the compressed air, raised his finished masterpiece above his head. "Let me give you a little life lesson, Basil: this world doesn't deserve redemption! Virdis has brought nothing but misery to its people, so the only recourse left is to raze it to the ground!"

Basil narrowed his eyes. Oh?

"Solid Air—" With all his might, he chucked the air sphere straight down into the flaming streets. He clapped his hands together and shouted, "Alabaster…Tremor!"

The air sphere collided with the street and ruptured. Basil's eyes widened as a powerful white flash brighter than the artificial lightning released out over the streets. With all the air rushing out at once, compressed down to its limits and built up with layers upon layers of tension, it unleashed a truly devastating blast comparable to a cataclysmic earthquake.

A shockwave erupted out over the surface, blowing apart any remaining buildings standing in its way. It carried the flames across its high winds, spreading them out along the air. Basil clung to his perch for dear life, but it wouldn't be able to withstand the shockwave. The ground exploded under the lizard's feet, firing out waves of sharpened rock like bullets and slicing across his skin. Though he did his best to avoid lethal shots, two rocks pierced through his body: one through his left side and the other piercing through his chest.

He screamed, but his voice was drowned out in the explosion. He couldn't even hear his own thoughts of the blast. Everything was drowned out in the uproarious shockwave as it leveled everything caught in its path. Nothing in the city could withstand the might of such power. It was power unlike anything seen by the common criminal.

This was the power…of Last Autumn's high-ranking members.

Benvenuto raised his hands to the sky and cackled at the explosion of white erupting across the city block. "This…is the power we possess, Dawnblite! This is only the beginning! You and the rest of the Foresters are nothing compared to the greater threats of this world! What hope do you have of conquering the uncontested powers of old?"

Though his speech fell on deaf ears, Basil could sense the words of the clown. Pain rattled through his body. Blood seeped from his open wounds. His innards trembled under the explosive weight slamming across him. It truly seemed like a devastating difference in skill and strength.

And yet, all the Salandit could do through the pain was smile. A joyous, yet wicked smile worn only by that of a mischievous trickster preparing the ultimate jest.

Do you think we're not prepared to take on the whole region, Benny? I think you'll find…that the Foresters are full of stubborn fools like me!

Year 899—The Outlands

Basil collapsed over himself, vomiting onto the ground as his body had another violent reaction to the potions he ingested. Broken vials were scattered across his campsite, and scorch marks scarred the land in front of him, leading towards two wooden boards propped up on stands. Both boards had a figure painted across them.

The first was a rough painting of Itzal, looking quite wicked with his over-the-top grin and fire bursting from his scepter.

The second board represented a tall, lanky creature with long purple claws, a long purple feather extending out from the left ear, and dark purple armor. Frankly, it was a chore for Basil to even find purple paint, but it was worth it to depict…him.

The violent reaction churning inside Basil passed, and he crouched over the ground to catch his breath. His body trembled from the aches racing across his body. His hands and arms were scorched from repeated trials of Causinomancy, a showcase of his lack of skill. He only just started, but producing the right reaction was the easy part.

The hard part was getting through the ritual.

Under normal circumstances, the physicians of Arcania would give medicine to the inheritors to combat the biological rewiring of their individual bodies. Without it, a multitude of side effects would follow. For some, it would be unbearable headaches. For others, violent stomachs or full body pain. Altering the natural biochemistry of a Pokémon was tricky business, thus medicines had to be made to suppress the pain. Some discomfort was expected, but nowhere near the level Basil was experiencing.

Regardless, he picked himself up and dragged his feet to his tent. A pot sat over an open fire, boiling the purple concoction inside. He picked up a syringe and extracted a portion of the potion.

"Learning the sacred tomes of the high families…can't be done by one's self, huh?" Basil took a deep breath and positioned the needle on his arm. "No matter how long it takes, I'll master Causinomancy. No matter the pain I must suffer to get my body under control, I'm going to use this skill to its limits."

He injected himself with the potion and set the syringe aside. He picked himself up, trudging up to the painted boards, and glared at the second figure. He raised his hand towards it.

"And when I master this, I'm going to kill you…and everyone who was involved in that massacre."

He snapped his fingers, unleashing a standard Flame Burst that sniped the board's head off in a fiery explosion. The wooden board collapsed into flames, and Basil watched it burn with an unfeeling, vengeful stare.

This was…only the beginning of his training.

Benvenuto panted in the aftermath of his city-leveling attack, looking upon the destruction that spread across the city block. Buildings were razed to the ground, and the flames spread wide, turning the streets into a sea of fire. Everything had been flattened under the pressure of his Alabaster Tremor. Any living soul caught in the blast would've surely been destroyed.

Finally catching his breath, he smirked and dusted his hands off. "No amount of tricks or illusions could save you from that. I'll be keeping that notebook, and I'll be sure to send the rest of your friends to the afterlife alongside you. Misery and death…are the only constants in this world."

He skipped his way down from the sky on a series of air platforms, hovering a few meters over the flaming streets. He crouched and observed the leveled earth for any remnants of the Salandit. If his body hadn't been ruptured beyond recognition, the shockwaves would've turned his organs to mush. If he knew one thing about the trickster, he wouldn't last long in a straightforward fight. Why else rely on tricks in a battle?

Benvenuto folded his hands under his chin and laughed. "What a fitting end to the jester: death by the weight of his own hubris." He narrowed his eyes. "Still, I can't help but wonder. Why…did he track us down? He's not one to be straightforward in his desires. And why did he express interest in Iris?"

"All deeply wonderful questions, my friend."

His heart stopped. As if thunder and lightning crackled down directly behind him, the Mr. Mime froze in abject terror as he felt a purple haze flowing out from behind him. He dared not turn around, sensing the tangible presence of the Salandit standing behind him, back-to-back. He tried to move, but the fear coursing through left him paralyzed on the spot.

Basil snickered. "I'm almost wounded. Why does everyone assume I'm up to something?"

Bevenuto finally found the strength to crane his neck, staring down in horror and fury at the smug lizard. "H-How…?"

"Hmm? How…what?"

"You…You were definitely in the center of that blast. H-How could you…?" It defied all logic. There was barely a scratch on Basil, barring the self-inflicted burns sealing off his chest and sides.

Basil chuckled. "A magician…never reveals their secrets, Benny. Then again, am I really even here?"

Benvenuto blinked, then turned his eyes up to the sky. His eyes widened in horror as the storm clouds raging above began to change shape. Dozens upon dozens of Salandit-shaped storm clouds extended out of the sky and cackled down at the clown, their eyes erupting with flames and electricity.

He looked around the sea of flames and saw Salandit composed of fire pulling themselves out, cackling at his terrified expression. He looked around in the greater distances and even saw the buildings twisting into stone constructs of the lizard, each with his irritating, insidious laugh. All around him, there was nothing but Salandit peering down at him, crawling towards him like a swarm of Spinarak.

Benvenuto clutched around his racing heart as his breathing hastened. "W-What…?"

"How I survived your little attack…is irrelevant," the Basil standing behind him whispered. "I'm still alive. I'm still here. Haunting you." He covered his face, struggling to contain his laughter. "I've dealt a far greater hell to myself mastering Causinomancy. Do you really think I was afraid of being blown over by your little hurricane?"

The flaming Salandit lunged out from the flaming sea. Startling, Benvenuto launched himself into the sky while covering his mouth. His eyes flickered wildly, seeing nothing but Salandit all around him. Their laughter boomed through his mind. No matter the direction he faced, the only constant was Salandit. Nothing but Salandit. Air, land, stone, fire, everywhere!

He's messing with my head! None of this is real! He firmly slapped himself on the cheeks. Get a grip! I'm above this torment! He can't hurt me! Think logically!

Explosions went off around him, missing by just enough to startle him into dodging. He tried launching Air Palm at them, but he couldn't make sense of the blasts. Were they real, or were they just another part of the hallucination? How real was anything anymore?

There's a number of ways he could've survived. He could've road the shockwave with controlled explosions. He…He could've burrowed himself underground? N-No, he…he was playing the long con. That wasn't really him in the first place! It was just an extra durable Substitute clone. Or maybe…

He finally turned his attention back down to the leveled earth, and his eyes widened in horror. Of all the possibilities he could've imagined, this was beyond the realm of logic.

The city block he leveled…was still standing. Flaming streets still ran wild, but the buildings were still there. Everything he destroyed was back to where it once was.

W-What? N-No. That's impossible! He clutched his head as his mind raced for an explanation. This is just another trick! He's messing with my head again! I know I launched my Alabaster Tremor! I…I did use it, right? He couldn't have had me under his influence for this long, right? I couldn't have…!

Growing frustrated, he kicked off the air and dove for the buildings. "THIS ISN'T REAL! I WON'T LET YOU GET IN MY HEAD!"

He reached the top of a building he knew he destroyed and…landed safely on it.

A cold chill raced up his spine as he touched solid matter. Shakily, he knelt and pressed his fingers to it. The roof felt grainy and rough like stone. The illusions couldn't have been distorting his sense of gravity. He was definitely standing on something. It was…It was a building.

"N-No…" he gasped. "That's not possible—"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

He snapped his head around. "Wha—"

A horrific sight appeared before him. The bloodied, lifeless carcasses of his troupe stood before him. Iris, Ansaldo, the Magento Crew, Junko, and Paride. Blood dripped down their bodies as several swords pierced through them. Their eyes were hollow with blood pouring out. They all stood in complete stillness.

And standing behind them…was Basil.

Basil wrapped his arms around the lifeless Iris and Ansaldo, snickering at Benvenuto's expression. "You hate all of life itself, yet you still admitted to loving these idiots. How charming."

Benvenuto staggered back on his heels. "No…NO!" He clutched his head and screamed toward the sky. "THIS ISN'T REAL!"

Basil's smirk grew. "What's real anymore? Every waking moment of my life feels like a dream. I just wanted you to experience that pleasure for yourself."

"YOU'RE A FREAK!"

"Maybe." He snapped his fingers, and the lifeless corpses suddenly sprung forward, rushing Benvenuto down haphazardly.

"Solid Air: Alabaster Heat!" Benvenuto clawed the air and sliced up the corpses, causing them to detonate instantly. He shielded himself from the backlash of flames. "You're not manipulating my emotions, Basil!"

"Then why are you so on edge?" He spun around with a start as the Salandit walked out from right behind him. "All I was asking for was that notebook you've been guarding so stubbornly. You're the one stretching out this torment."

Benvenuto lunged at the Salandit, only to pass through a mass of gas instead. He waved the vapors out of his face, now feeling a sweat pouring down his face. He repeatedly slapped himself, screaming at himself to wake up from the hallucination. Nothing made sense anymore, and no amount of shouting could break him from the spell.

"You're insane!" Benvenuto shouted. "I knew there was a reason I hated you! You call me out for being a heartless monster just because I want to watch the world burn? You're the most emotionally detached person I've had the displeasure of meeting! There's not a shred of empathy anywhere in your soul, is there?!"

"So harsh~," the trickster's voice echoed around.

"Do your teammates know how ruthless you are? Have you been tormenting them this entire time? Do you just take sick pleasure in everyone else's suffering all because of what happened in Arcania?!"

"Oh, don't lump me in with the trauma excuse. It's actually quite simple."

Benvenuto turned around and came face-to-face with the lizard, who raised his hand at him.

"I just think it's funny."

With a click of his fingers, he set Benvenuto's head ablaze. The clown roared out in pain, clawing into the air and forcing the flames apart. As he brushed the burns off his face, his eyes widened as he looked back at the trickster, who was now holding up Iris' alchemy notebook.

"But, like all good jests, they can only stay around for so long."

Benvenuto patted himself down and found the notebook was no longer on his person. Outraged, he sprung forward with his cane blazing in fire. "I won't let you—"

"Burn Point: Tongue."

At the sound of the snap, Benvenuto's tongue burst into flames. He staggered over himself and clutched his smoking mouth, screaming behind his hands. He shouted incoherent threats at the trickster while fighting through the pain.

"Knee. Hands. Nape."

The listed areas erupted in jets of flame, causing Benvenuto to scream out even louder. He pushed on despite his injuries and shouted the incoherent technique of Alabaster Heat, launching flaming wind blades at the lizard. Basil casually jumped over the flames.

"Ears. Abdomen. Hips."

Flames erupted out of the sides of Benvenuto's head and around his waist. He stumbled back on his heels, fighting to stay conscious. Clenching his fists, he forced himself back up and compressed heat around his cane, firing his Red Rush Aero. Once again, Basil dodged through the attack with graceful movements akin to dancing.

"Eyes."

In a flash, Benvenuto's eyes exploded with flame. He cried out in agony, covering his smoking eyes. With his senses utterly destroyed, he could no longer perceive the illusion around him.

The atmosphere of Salandit quickly faded, as did the massive illusion cast over the city block. Benvenuto was correct in his original belief: the city had indeed been leveled. It was all a trick. What he was actually standing on, however, was merely his own Air Walk he subconsciously created upon landing.

The Salandit before him was real, too, standing on the expanded air platform. As the illusion dropped around him, his injuries appeared far more grievous. Blood stained his body and clothes, having all been seared shut by his flames. His right eye was swollen shut from taking a chunk of rock to the face, and he could barely stand straight due to shockwave rattling his body. He ached all over. Every inch of his body screamed out in pain.

And, despite all of that, he was still smiling.

"I lack empathy, you said?" He snickered. "I suppose…that's your interpretation."

Benvenuto stumbled back to the edge of his air platform. "Baaaaaa…llllll…"

"This was fun, Benny. Real fun. I hope we get to do this again sometime." He threw his head back and laughed. "But I've got bigger dreams to pursue! You can just…decide whether or not your life is worth continuing."

"Kkaaaaa…"

"You really shouldn't have assumed I'm soft-hearted just because I'm a Forester." The lizard smiled evilly. "After all, as Itzy proudly taught me: it's not a crime if you don't get caught."

He snapped his fingers, and a tiny explosion went off in front of Benvenuto. This little burst of heat was all Basil needed to tip the clown backwards. He slipped over the edge of his air platform and plunged back into the fiery streets below, his body disappearing within the flames.

Basil chuckled openly and bounced off the air platform, casually soaring over the flaming streets and propelling himself toward the edge of the leveled city block. He landed on a building, stumbling a bit from his injuries, before marching forth. He dusted off the alchemy notebook and flipped through its pages.

"Alas, poor Benvenuto, he went out blind, deaf, and dumb by a trickster's game." He smirked as he found Iris' recipe for the volatile compound, as well as the recipe for the neutralizing agent. "I got what I needed, and I got a good laugh out of it."

He snapped the book shut and went on his way with a merry skip in his step, his whistling carrying over the flames crackling below him.