Not waiting until after Finals week to start writing this arc was...not my smartest idea. While I don't like it, I'm going to have to take another break mid-arc. The next chapter will come out in eight days.
Apologies, but honestly, there is no way I'm going to be writing another chapter in the next four days with numerous papers and exams to deal with as well.
In sharp contrast to Alola, the Kalosian sky was covered in clouds and the air was chilly as the group stepped down the stairway from the plane. It looked as if it might begin raining any second, though at present it was at least dry. Marcus glanced up at the sky. "We might want to get inside quickly."
"That shouldn't be a problem," said Serena. "I've arranged for Professor Sycamore to pick us up."
"You know Professor Sycamore?" Theo asked, at the same time as Marcus asked, "Professor Sycamore's picking us up?"
Serena smiled. "Yes, he's how I got Delphox," she said. "He actually contacted me on the flight. Asked me if I could come to Vaniville Town - my hometown - to help him out with something. I asked if I could bring you three along…I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," said Connie. "Haven't met a Pokemon Professor yet. Magnolia back home ain't much of a traveler from what I've heard."
"Is he offering lodging?" Theo asked.
"Yes," said Serena, "or more specifically, he's arranged for it."
"Then I'm in," said Theo.
"Great!" Serena grinned. Her gaze swiveled over to the right. "Oh, look! Here he…oh."
Puzzled at Serena's sudden change in tone, Medicham turned to look to the right as well. She hadn't expected to see Calem standing there, dressed in his usual attire, an Alakazam at his side.
Marcus, too, inhaled sharply as he saw Calem. It took him a moment to speak. "Hello, Calem."
"Hello, Marcus," Calem responded. "Good to see you again."
"Likewise." Both their tones were understandably slightly strained, but Marcus's tone lightened at least a little bit as he indicated the rest of the group. "You already know Serena, of course…this is Connie, and this is Theo. Connie, Theo, this is Calem. He and I…go back."
Calem waved, then turned to Serena. "Sycamore said I was supposed to take you to Vaniville. Are they coming along?"
"Yes, they are," said Serena.
"All right, Alakazam, five to Vaniville plus accompanying Pokemon," said Calem. "You think you've got it?"
"Shouldn't be too difficult," Alakazam responded telepathically. "Gather around, please."
The group swiftly gathered around Calem and his Alakazam. The instant they were all clustered up, Alakazam flared with Psychic energy; there was a brief gut-churning sensation, and then they were standing on a grassy knoll. Medicham peered out of her Luxury Ball and saw a picturesque small town, dotted with a mixture of red-roofed houses and green trees and divided into sections via gray stone brick paths. The cloudy gray sky marred the town's beauty, but only slightly.
Alakazam's eyes narrowed and he clutched a spoon to the side of his head. "Alakazam, are you okay?" Calem asked.
"My apologies," said Alakazam. "There are a lot of Dark-types in this group."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," said Calem. "Here." He extended an Ultra Ball from his waist. "Rest up, and I'll get you a Colbur Berry at the lab."
He recalled the grateful-looking Alakazam, then turned to the rest of the group. "Welcome to Vaniville," said Calem. "This way, please. Sycamore's lab isn't too far from here." He began to step down the grassy knoll, heading towards a stone brick path that led into the town proper.
Connie and Theo followed close behind, while Serena and Marcus hung back. "I'm sorry, Marcus," Serena whispered. "I didn't know Sycamore would send him."
"It's all right," Marcus responded. "We made up, remember?"
"It…doesn't sound like you've made up," Serena pointed out.
"We're not friends, if that's what you're wondering," said Marcus. "We're not enemies anymore, but…there's still some baggage we have to work through. And that'll take time."
"Okay," said Serena. "Just as long as you don't get into any shouting matches."
"I'll make an effort," said Marcus.
The two of them followed the other three Trainers into Vaniville. Now that they were level with the town, it seemed even more beautiful, with multicolored flowerbeds arranged around the trees and small Pokemon moving around everywhere Medicham looked. It was a small town, sure, but that was clearly part of its charm. Several people looked up from gardening or peered out of windows to wave at Calem and Serena, clearly recognizing them. It occurred to Medicham that with a town this small, everyone would know each other.
The clouds finally began to break as they approached one of the larger buildings in town. Raindrops began to plop onto the stones and the Trainers; people began to flee into their houses, and Marcus and the rest of the group noticeably picked up the pace. Calem stepped up to the building and rapped sharply on the door. "Professor? I've brought them."
The door opened almost immediately, revealing a smiling Professor Sycamore. "Ah, excellent, excellent," he said. "Come in, come in. Get out of the rain."
The group gratefully moved inside. The house was fairly messy, with papers strewn everywhere and several tables groaning under piles of thick-looking books. Professor Sycamore shut the door behind them. "I apologize for the mess, but I'm still quite hard at work. Things were chaotic even before the lawsuit…Aether's nothing but a bunch of swarming Sharpedo. Stealing Aether technology - ha! They traded that technology to Lysandre Labs…it's not my problem if they didn't intend for that technology to fall into the hands of Sycamore Labs…"
"Professor," Calem warned.
Professor Sycamore collected himself. "My apologies," he said to the group. "You aren't interested in things like that." He glanced at Marcus. "So, how's the Tyrunt?"
"Kamado is growing nicely," said Marcus. "He had his first battle earlier today - a loss, unfortunately, but it was close."
"Good, good," said Professor Sycamore. "I would like to extend you all an offer. Vaniville is my hometown, and I happen to own a couple houses in the town that are presently unoccupied. You all are welcome to stay in one of them. I will request a rental fee, of course - have to pay my legal fees somehow - but it'll be a good deal cheaper than what the hotels will charge you. Additionally, if there's anything you all need, let me know. I'm a Pokemon professor - I can procure it."
The Trainers looked at each other. It seemed a great deal, almost too good to be true. "Professor, why?" Marcus asked.
"Well, it's not like I'll be using the house for anything else," said Professor Sycamore. "And I know you're attempting to become a Gym Leader." Medicham saw Calem start a little bit at that. "It's a win-win; you get cheap lodging for the next three months or so, I get some extra money - and possibly your aid for any difficulties I run into."
"Of course we'll take it," said Marcus, glancing to the rest of his group for confirmation. They agreed unanimously. "Thank you, Professor."
"Don't mention it." Professor Sycamore glanced over at Serena. "You seem agitated. What's wrong?"
"Professor, do you have a Moon Shard, by any chance?" Serena asked. "I have an Eevee who wants to evolve into Umbreon."
"Oh, certainly," said Professor Sycamore. "I know I have a couple somewhere around here…"
"Professor Sycamore," said Marcus, "Calem mentioned you needed Serena's help with something. What exactly do you need help with?"
Professor Sycamore glanced at Marcus. "There's been a rash of Skorupi activity recently," he said. "Invasive species, from Sinnoh. They've been swarming Kalos ever since Team Galactic arose in Sinnoh, though usually they're a little more benign than they are now."
"What's changed?" Connie asked.
"Dunno," said Professor Sycamore. "They just seem more agitated. They've been pushing local Bug-types out of the woods, and they're difficult to wrangle."
"I have a Drapion," said Marcus. "Maybe he could be of help?"
Professor Sycamore slapped a hand to his forehead. "I completely forgot! Yes, a Drapion would be of great help! If you - and he - could spare the time, I'd certainly appreciate it."
"We've got time," said Marcus. He glanced at Drapion's Luxury Ball. "And I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping to wrangle a few of his own kind."
Drapion was really not looking forward to this. Part of him was wondering what Marcus had been thinking; the rest of him remembered that Marcus had no idea what was going on. Of course he'd assume that it was just a bunch of wild Skorupi acting up.
But Drapion knew better. He knew they were agitated because of him. Especially after the failure of Fang and the Unseen Fist Swarm. And Drapion knew that when the Swarms were angry, they would take their frustrations out on the locals.
This is my fault.
No, he couldn't think that. It wasn't his fault that they despised him. It wasn't his fault that they wanted nothing more than to track him down and kill him.
Which was why Drapion was not looking forward to the experience. It wasn't that he was worried about the Trainers' capability to deal with the Swarms; he was worried because he knew the Swarms would recognize him, and any amount of secrets he'd been hoping to keep about his past would be blown wide open.
He'd told his teammates the bare minimum back when they'd encountered the Swarm near Coumarine City. That he was known as the Marked One because of that damn Absol that had laid its horn upon his egg; that he'd become an outcast in his own Swarm; that he'd ended up on his own, with the Swarms believing he was dead. They knew nothing about the Swarmlord, or of the true reason behind his departure. But that might very well change if they did, in fact, encounter the Swarms.
Thankfully, Professor Sycamore had decided that with the rain and the fairly late hour, it would be better to handle the Skorupi tomorrow. So at least Drapion had an extra day of reprieve.
By now the group was ensconced in a sizable house. Marcus was calling his parents, letting them know that he was back in Kalos; the rest of the Trainers were handling affairs either in their own rooms or down by Professor Sycamore's lab. Serena would be busy tonight, as Professor Sycamore had finally found a Moon Shard for Serena's Eevee. The rest of the Trainers would be getting some well-earned sleep, freed from the chaos of Alola at last.
Drapion was conflicted about leaving Alola. On one hand, Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts were absolutely terrifying. He remembered standing in front of Marcus as the horde of titanic Legendaries loomed over the town square, trying to appear protective. He didn't like showing fear, but he couldn't deny that he'd been scared out of his mind by the Ultra Beasts and their insanely powerful master. And with their threat of invasion hanging overhead, Drapion would be quite happy never to have to go back to Alola.
But on the other hand, Drapion had known that coming back to Kalos would mean dealing with the Swarms again. It was something he'd known he'd have to handle eventually, now that they knew he wasn't dead. But that recognition didn't make it feel any better.
The thought crossed his mind as he lay in his Luxury Ball that he should just tell the rest of the team about it. Wouldn't it be better to reveal the truth now, himself, rather than have it be revealed by another? But he could not bring himself to, unable to let go of the faint hope that they would not encounter any Swarms, or that the Swarms they did encounter revealed no more than the Swarm from the forest near Coumarine.
The sound of Marcus stepping back into the room disturbed Drapion from his thoughts. He approached his Luxury Balls and, one by one, strapped them onto his waist. "All right, everyone," he said. "The rain's stopped for the moment, so we're going to chance a bit of training."
Fifteen minutes after Marcus's proclamation, the rain still had not resumed, and the team was situated on one of the many fields near the town. Apparently Vaniville was a bit of a hotspot for racing Gogoats and Rhyhorns, and so there were plenty of open areas that could be used as either racetracks or arenas for Pokemon battling. This particular area was near one of the forests surrounding Vaniville, a sparse forest dotted with quite a few large boulders and smaller rocky expanses.
Pangoro appreciated the openness, and did not care whether it rained or not. Rain had not stopped him from training in the wild. Why should it stop him here? For that matter, why should it stop any of them?
He'd headed off on his own to train, moving over to an empty section of field to practice throwing Fighting energy. When Medicham had first proposed that, he'd nearly laughed. But when he'd first tried it, he'd instantly realized it was possible. It hadn't yet worked, but when he flung his fist forward and thought about it hard enough, he could feel the pull as the Fighting energy yearned to leave his hand, to go flying at the target he'd set for it.
He simply didn't have enough control over it to actually do the launching yet. But he would learn, as he always did.
"Enjoying yourself?"
Pangoro did not turn to look at Liepard. "You should be training."
"I am training," Liepard retorted; Pangoro felt her fur brush the back of his legs, and held back a snarl. Does she have a death wish? "It is good to learn more about those who you will be fighting with, n'êtes-vous pas d'accord?"
"I don't understand native Kalosian," Pangoro growled. "Even if I did, I don't want to talk."
"Well, I do." Liepard stepped into view, strolling lightly across the field.
Pangoro clenched his fists. "You know I could squeeze you to death the instant I got my hands on you," he snarled.
"Oh, I have no doubt about that," said Liepard. "But you won't."
"What do you want?" Pangoro asked furiously.
"Merely to talk." Liepard sat down, tucking her tail over her paws. "I've noticed you seem to be settling in nicely. I will admit, I had my doubts when I first saw you."
Pangoro glared at Liepard. "And why's that?"
"My first impression of you was that you appeared to be a brutish, violent, and very independent sort," said Liepard. "And while the first two were indeed true-" Pangoro emitted a threatening snarl, which Liepard ignored. "-you have shown surprising aplomb at working as part of a team."
Pangoro sighed irritatedly. "I don't work with the team," he said. "I work with Drapion, and I work with Medicham. Drapion…he beat me in battle with one metaphorical hand tied behind his back. And Medicham getting out of Ultra Space alive…I'll admit that impressed me. They've earned my respect. You, on the other hand, have not."
"Ah." Liepard smiled widely. "So that's it. That's what you live by. Respect. Those who have proven themselves strong in your eyes earn your respect; anyone who hasn't you treat with scorn. They are beneath you. Do I have that right?"
"Why do you care about how I think?" Pangoro asked.
"Like I said, I just want to get to know those who I plan on fighting alongside," said Liepard. "Strengthening bonds, and all that. So, Pangoro. How, exactly, do I earn your respect?"
Pangoro leaned closer to Liepard. "You can start by not bothering me when I want to be alone."
"Very well, then." Liepard stood. "It was truly a pleasure speaking to you. I look forward to our later work together."
Pangoro snorted and turned his back on the slender Dark-type. He had not missed the scorn in her voice as she outlined his beliefs. And yet it had been of no help. He knew who he was. He didn't need his own beliefs parroted back at him by some idiot Liepard.
That entire conversation had been a waste of time. Time Pangoro could have spent training. With a last, deep-throated snarl, Pangoro resumed his practice, banishing Liepard's needless words from his mind.
The rest of the team had already split into groups and were practicing, but Kamado had asked to practice alone. The rest of the team had acquiesced, likely recognizing his turmoil. So Kamado had gone off to a spot near the forest with several boulders nearby, perfect for practicing his Rock Attack.
Kamado paid no heed to the rest of the team, or to the cloudy sky that constantly threatened a renewed downpour. His thoughts were focused entirely on training as he summoned several spheres of Rock energy and flung them forwards, pouring as much power as possible into them.
My first battle - my first opportunity to truly prove myself to the rest of the Pack - and I failed.
Kamado summoned and hurled more Rock energy at nowhere in particular, now focused on replaying the fight with Tub over and over again in his head. What could I have done differently? He ran through it again, recalling every move, every attack. Could he have done anything differently?
No matter how many times Kamado reviewed it, the result was the same. He'd done everything he could. Tub was simply stronger than he was.
But how do I get stronger?
Kamado let loose with a snarl of rage as he tossed a flurry of stony projectiles nowhere in particular.
A sharp gasp stirred Kamado from his thoughts. The Tyrunt turned to see another Pokemon; he recognized the species from his mother's stories. Since he understandably hadn't been able to see outside his eggshell, his mother had lovingly described the many Rock-types that populated Grant's gym, ensuring he knew practically everything about them, especially the most common varieties. And the elongated stony body of the Rock-type he was looking at now told Kamado everything he needed to know.
The Onix stared at Kamado. "Ow," it stated plaintively; Kamado realized with a jolt that his latest Rock Attack had left several marks in the Onix's skin.
"I'm…I'm so sorry," Kamado said quickly. "I swear, I didn't know you were there."
"Clearly," the Onix responded. It peered closer at Kamado. "Can't say I've seen your kind before. You new around here?"
"I'm with them." Kamado indicated the rest of his team, who were still practicing a little ways away.
"Oh, a Trained Pokemon," said Onix. "Well, that explains a lot. So I guess that gives you the right to blindly chuck rocks everywhere?"
"It was an accident!" Kamado protested.
"That's the problem," Onix retorted. "What if you accidentally hit someone else like that? I'm an Onix; I can take it. But there are some Bug-types in these woods. What if you'd hit one of them instead?"
Thoughts of a badly injured wild Bug-type writhing on the grass and crying out in pain filled Kamado's mind. "I…I…"
A shard of Rock energy slammed into Kamado's head, sending him stumbling. He turned to glare at Onix. "What was that?"
"Oops, I think I accidentally threw a rock at you." Onix was grinning now, a predatory grin that unnerved Kamado greatly.
"That was intentional!" Kamado cried. "You can't just-"
Onix moved a lot faster than Kamado had anticipated; his serpentine body wound tightly around the Tyrunt's body, enclosing him in Onix's coils. "Whoops, I think my tail slipped," he whispered menacingly into Kamado's ear.
Kamado struggled fruitlessly. "Let me go!"
"I don't think I will," Onix retorted. "You Trained Pokemon think the world revolves around you, huh? I think someone has to teach you how wrong you are."
Kamado could tell Onix was carrying him into the boulder patch, away from the sight and hearing of the rest of his team. He continued to struggle, but Onix's coils held him tightly.
"Clearly you don't care about us Wild Pokemon," Onix growled. "We don't matter to you, do we? Well, I'm going to make sure you remember me. And maybe next time you'll think twice before blindly tossing dangerous projectiles where Wild Pokemon are walking."
"I'll…I'll remember, I promise!" Kamado cried desperately.
"You're just saying that to spare yourself a beating," said Onix. "Yeah, not falling for that." Onix began to squeeze, constricting Kamado with his rocky body; Kamado felt an awful tightness in his lungs as breathing grew more and more difficult. "No, I'm going to make sure you learn your lesson."
Kamado attempted to scream for help, but was unable to draw in enough breath to manage more than a weak whimper. Onix chuckled, coiling even tighter around Kamado.
No one knows I'm here. No one's coming to help me.
Kamado gritted his teeth and strained against Onix's coils.
I have to get out.
Something was glowing at the edge of his vision.
I have to get out.
The glow intensified as Kamado felt a sudden surge of energy flow through his body as if responding to his will.
I…
Have…
To…
Get…
OUT!
The explosion of energy was deafening. Onix was completely unprepared for the omnidirectional blast; his head flew into a nearby boulder, and though he remained coiled around Kamado his grasp had weakened. Kamado gathered all his strength and hurled himself out of Onix's grip; he landed on the ground, where he lay, taking deep ragged breaths.
Someone had to have heard that.
"Get back here!" Onix had recovered quickly, his natural Rock-type enabling him to shrug off even that powerful hit. "Stony Strike!"
"Speed Enhancement," Kamado growled, recognizing that he couldn't beat Onix in a pound-for-pound battle. He'd have to evade. Swiftly, he rushed to the side, avoiding Onix's charge.
"Stony Tail!" Onix's tail lashed out at Kamado, who barely managed to avoid the swipe. "Rock Attack!" Kamado retorted, this time aiming the stones straight at Onix with clear intent. Onix twisted towards Kamado just in time to take a faceful of Rock energy; he staggered, snarling in rage.
Kamado could hear the pounding of feet and wingbeats coming from some distance away, growing steadily louder. "Stony Strike!" Onix roared, lunging again. Kamado darted behind a boulder; Onix narrowly missed him with his charge, and Kamado hurled himself around the boulder as Onix lashed out again.
"Rock Attack!" Again Onix lunged straight into the barrage, and this time he was too off-balance to stand strong against the attack. He fell to the ground, rolling with the impact. As he raised himself up again, Onix's eyes were narrowed in absolute fury.
"Stone Toss!" Onix materialized, and let fly with, a powerful-looking blast of Rock energy. "Rock Attack!" Kamado retorted, raising a barrier of Rock energy-formed spheres; Onix's blast impacted against the spheres, resulting in an explosion of Rock energy that sent Kamado stumbling backwards from the force.
Out of the dissipating explosion came Onix, face twisted in a wrathful snarl. "Stony Strike!"
"Sniper: Beam Impact!"
Kamado whirled just in time to see Kriesh rising over the top of the nearest boulder, glaring at Onix; her beak opened up, and a powerful Hyper Beam came streaming straight at Onix. Onix had no defense; he did his best impression of a Flying-type as the Beam Impact tossed him through the air with a startled squawk.
Onix landed hard some distance away as Marcus rushed around the side of the boulders, Medicham at his heels. "Kamado!" he cried. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," said Kamado. "Do you-"
"What are you doing?"
The new voice came from the direction Onix had flown; Kamado twisted to see two other, much larger Onix slithering into view. They looked a lot stronger than the first one, and Kamado tensed, preparing for a more difficult fight, before realizing they weren't looking at him.
"How many times must the Elder tell you?" one of the new arrivals was shouting at the smaller Onix. "You don't pick fights with Trained Pokemon! Is that really so difficult to understand?"
"He attacked me!" the smaller Onix protested.
"It was an accident!" Kamado cried as the two larger Onix glanced over at him.
"I don't care if it was an accident!" the smaller Onix growled. "Someone needs to teach him he can't randomly throw rocks around! He might hurt someone!"
"Oh, for Arceus's sake…" The third Onix was the one to speak, and unlike the first two her voice was more feminine, though it still had the same dull, gravelly tone as the voices of the other two. By now Marcus was moving closer to the trio of Onix; Kamado attempted to keep pace, cognizant of Kriesh hopping from boulder to boulder and Medicham moving in front of all of them.
"What's going on?" Medicham asked.
The female Onix turned towards Medicham. "What's going on is that our son owes your friend an apology." She glared at the smaller Onix. "Doesn't he?"
The smaller Onix glared mutinously at his mother, but when the third Onix - presumably his father - glared at him as well he turned his gaze to Kamado. "Sorry," he growled, voice barely audible.
"What are they saying?" Marcus asked Medicham.
"From what I can tell, the two larger Onix are the parents of the third one," Medicham responded telepathically. "The son attacked Kamado for…accidentally hitting him with a rock."
All three Onix were now staring at Medicham; after a moment they tore their gazes away. The father now spoke. "I do request you not capture my son for this," he said. "He may be a rock-head, but our family has been Wild for many generations."
Medicham swiftly communicated that to Marcus, who chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."
"Thank you. We're very sorry about all of this." The father turned back towards his son. "Come along, now. It seems you need another lecture from the Elder."
The smaller Onix followed his father reluctantly; he cast one last glare back at Kamado, but at Medicham and Kriesh's twin retaliatory glares he swiftly looked away. The mother followed last of all, glancing back at Kamado. "Please do refrain from throwing rocks randomly, okay? You could hurt someone."
"I will, I promise," said Kamado. The female Onix nodded and turned away, following the other two into the woods.
"Marcus, what are you doing?" Medicham asked telepathically; Kamado looked over at Marcus to see he was clutching a Pokeball thoughtfully.
"I don't have a Steel-type, or a Ground-type," he said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't actually mind having a Steelix on the team…"
"Not that one."
"Not that one, obviously," Marcus agreed. "But…y'know. Food for thought."
Thankfully, the adventure with the Onix family was the most eventful thing that the day presented, and eventually the rain resumed and drove the team inside. Medicham felt that dinner that night was delicious, more so than anything they'd had in Alola, as Professor Sycamore's wealth meant he did not skimp on food. Numerous conversations took place throughout the meal, and Medicham caught some highlights as she ate. Calem was not there, as he preferred to eat with his parents; Serena's parents were currently in Lumiose with a sick Skiddo, so she was eating with the rest of the group. Professor Sycamore had spent the time after the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament continuing to deal with the legal fiasco that was his attempted acquisition of Lysandre Labs, and Calem had been helping him out on Pokemon-related fronts while simultaneously taking care of his team. He'd been especially working with his newly evolved Alakazam, his newly hatched Eevee, and his Meowstic - something that brought a smile to Serena's face. For their part, Marcus and his group told Professor Sycamore an abbreviated version of the events in Alola, though word had already spread to the professor about the Ultra Beasts, and he seemed more interested in Pangoro's capture than anything Ultra Beast-related.
Professor Sycamore also shared a few tips. Pangoro, he said, was a prideful species and valued strength above all else. He also suggested that Liepard be groomed weekly (which brought a smug grin from the Pokemon in question), offered to teach Cloyster Toxic, which he could apparently learn by TM, and advised that Kriesh should be allowed a short flight daily to stretch her wings. Medicham also found the time to inform him telepathically about Cloyster's desire to learn Iron Defense, something Professor Sycamore said when asked that Cloyster could learn, but he would have to do it naturally, unlike Toxic. All this information Marcus digested readily.
Medicham also found time to have a few conversations with the Pokemon around her. Serena's newly evolved Umbreon was absolutely ecstatic, displaying her new pure black body with yellow rings as Sylveon and Jolteon looked on with pride, and plenty of time was spent talking with - and about - her. Medicham also conversed with Kamado; the Tyrunt had informed her that he'd used a new move during his fight with the Onix, a move that Medicham instantly recognized from his description as Bide. Medicham quickly informed him about the move and gave him several tips; in his usual, fairly literal way, Kamado quickly decided to call it Counter Attack.
At length, though, the food was all consumed, the conversations were all ended, and the Trainers said their goodbyes and headed up to bed for the night. As Marcus relaxed in his bed, Medicham leaned back in her Luxury Ball, but did not close her eyes, for her mind was awhirl with a sudden question.
What happens next?
Darkrai had said he wanted to make amends. Medicham wanted to believe him; after all, he'd revealed a lot of things that the Heralds would never have wanted revealed. And he'd seemed truly apologetic. But she couldn't discount the possibility that it was just another lie. That Darkrai was luring her in only to betray her again.
But she had to admit that she'd take training with Darkrai over her usual nightmares anytime. So she sighed and allowed her eyes to close. Besides, if he wants me to train with him, I'll probably wind up in the dojo anyway.
It actually took a while for Medicham to fall asleep, but when she did open her eyes, the familiar dojo walls indeed surrounded her - at least on three sides. As Medicham looked around, she realized one wall was erased, replaced with a pitch black void that she recognized as Oblivion.
And through that gaping hole she saw Bringer-Of-Visions, surrounded by a massive gathering of Heralds.
She never would have dreamed there were so many. Absols stood everywhere, ringed around Bringer-Of-Visions, watching her closely with their bright red eyes. Hundreds of red pinpricks dotted the darkness of Oblivion. Several of the many Heralds were staring right in Medicham's direction, but before she could do more than gasp quietly she felt Darkrai's presence beside her.
"Hush," said Darkrai. "They cannot see us. Listen."
Trembling slightly, Medicham remained calm and cast out her hearing, obeying Darkrai's instructions.
"I assume you all now understand the scale of the threat," Bringer-Of-Visions was saying. "In light of this, I am arranging for the transfer of as many Heralds as possible to Alola. If Necrozma succeeds in his endeavors, we will not have to worry about the prophesied apocalypse at all, so there is no need to hold anything back when dealing with the invasion."
"What of our Master?" one of the surrounding Heralds asked. "We know the Aberration will come for him. Should we not detach forces to defend him?"
"The forces to defend the Master need not be in Alola," Bringer-Of-Visions pointed out. "Those that do not transfer to Alola will be the ones in charge of defending the Master."
"And what of Marcus?" another Herald asked. "Without our Future Sight, how are we to defend him?"
"Do not forget, Dreamer-Of-Battles," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "that Betrayer-Of-Kin has lost her Sight as well. But that will only hinder her slightly. For as I have mentioned before, Marcus will still attempt to become a Gym Leader, and nothing about his journey will change - at least, nothing too important. So we will act under the impression that the Splinter Timeline does not even exist. Of course, said journey could go a number of different ways. Seeker-Of-Endings?"
"Yes, Bringer?" Even though Medicham knew, and had known for a long time, that Seeker-Of-Endings was a Herald, she still twitched slightly upon seeing him step forward from the audience.
"You are in charge of updating me on Marcus's goings-on," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "I want a nightly report. The last thing I want is to be following his path in the wrong timeline."
Seeker-Of-Endings bowed obediently and stepped back.
"We do not know when Necrozma and his forces will strike," said Bringer-Of-Visions, speaking to the full audience once more. "It could come tomorrow, or it could come next year. We must be prepared as soon as possible. All who are capable of Oblivion teleportation will be in charge of transporting forces to Alola. Decide amongst yourselves how many you feel should stay in each region."
"Bringer?"
"Yes, Teller-Of-Tales?" Bringer-Of-Visions asked.
"With all due respect, Bringer," said Teller-Of-Tales, "we are not equipped to fight Legendary-level adversaries. Even if we are able to get off Perish Songs, we would still take high casualties."
"You are correct," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "But the Heralds will not be fighting Legendary-level adversaries. No, that honor will be going to the actual Legendaries. The Tapus, the Dogs of War, the other Legendaries of Alola, and whoever else they can scrape up. We, along with the humans and their Pokemon, will be in charge of handling Necrozma's conventional forces. He has promised to return with an army; that army will not just be comprised of Legendaries." Bringer-Of-Visions' gaze hardened. "However, if circumstances call for us to engage a Legendary-level foe, I expect each and every Herald to do what they must to bring it down. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Bringer," the Heralds chorused.
"That is all," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "Return to your regions and begin transportation procedures. Dismissed."
The Heralds swiftly blinked out of Oblivion, pair after pair of blood red eyes disappearing, until only Bringer-Of-Visions was left. After a moment's hesitation she blinked out of existence as well, at which point the dojo wall reasserted itself and Oblivion was blocked from view.
Medicham continued to stare at the space where Oblivion had been. "The Heralds…don't have Future Sight anymore?" she asked disbelievingly.
"It is not that they do not have it," said Darkrai. "It is that Necrozma, the Ultra Beasts, and anyone from Ultra Space exists outside of our reality. Yggdrasil simply can't see them until they have already acted. Furthermore, Necrozma's actions have created a Splinter Timeline, and thanks to the aforementioned inability to see them, Yggdrasil quite literally has no idea what will happen next. It is developing the timeline as it goes; thus, we cannot see what will happen next in this timeline, and must guess via matching events in the Splinter Timeline to events in other timelines to ascertain which timeline the Splinter Timeline is roughly akin to…never mind, I can tell you're already confused."
"Yes, I am," said Medicham. "So…why show me all of that?"
"So that you could have an understanding of the situation we face," said Darkrai. "That meeting happened forty-five minutes ago, and since then the Heralds have been true to their word. At present there are over fifty Heralds stationed in Alola, and that number is expected to increase to at least a hundred."
"A hundred Heralds?" Medicham could hardly believe her ears. She'd seen with her own eyes what one Herald was capable of; she had no doubt that whatever conventional forces Necrozma brought, a hundred Heralds could probably defeat them all on their own.
"Do not underestimate Necrozma." Medicham had forgotten Darkrai could read minds. "He will be prepared, and he will adapt." Darkrai sighed. "Now. Do you wish to continue training?"
"Yes," said Medicham after only a moment's hesitation.
"That is good to hear," said Darkrai. His choice of words unnerved Medicham slightly; was it good to hear because she'd fallen into Darkrai's web of lies once more? But nonetheless, she readied herself.
"I seem to recall you had managed to manifest Blaze," said Darkrai. "That is good, but we must also focus on Mind…and Aura. Yes," he said as Medicham cocked her head, "Aura. It has occurred to me that alongside mastering Mind, you must also expand the horizons of your Ability. Tell me, Medicham, what does Pure Power do?"
"It gives me control over Aura," said Medicham.
"Precisely," said Darkrai. "Control over Aura. And with that control over Aura, you enhance speed, throw punches, and fire energy blasts. At present, you are treating it like a setup move, such as Dragon Dance. Control means control, Medicham. What do you imagine you can do with Aura?"
"…a lot," Medicham admitted.
"Overgrow. Blaze. Torrent. Gale Wings. Transistor. Dragon's Maw. Dark Aura. Fairy Aura. All of these are Abilities. Some are learned by many Pokemon, some only by one. All of them grant their user total control over the base form of a single type of energy. All are considered by experienced wielders to be some of the strongest Abilities in existence. There are other Abilities just like the ones I have listed. One for each type of energy. And Pure Power is on that list."
"So I have one of the strongest Abilities in existence?" Medicham asked.
"Note the word 'experienced'," said Darkrai. "You cannot harness that kind of power just yet. It will take years before you are able to access the limits of your Ability, and even more years for you to break those limits. That is the case for all Abilities. The only true limit is the user's imagination."
Darkrai shifted. "Take my Ability as an example. Bad Dreams allows me to create and control dreams. Doesn't seem all that strong, does it? After all, dreams don't actually affect the dreamer in reality. Except with my control over dreams, I can make them affect the dreamer in reality. Furthermore, Bad Dreams allows me total control over the Dream World, since it is a world made entirely of dreams. If anybody goes to sleep, I could snuff out their lives in an instant. And were I not confined to the Dream World, I could go out into the world and forcibly put others to sleep. There are other ways I could use my power, of course, but listing them would take time away from our training."
"If you can kill anybody in their dreams," said Medicham, "then why haven't you used that to kill Betrayer-Of-Kin? Or Cyrus?"
"Cyrus is impossible," said Darkrai. "One of the few defenses against my abilities is Dream Eater. It does exactly what you'd think it does; while the target is sleeping, the user prevents them from dreaming. It can be used peacefully, just to deprive the target of dreams, or it can be used violently, forcibly draining life force in addition to the dreams. One of the International Police's many security measures is a squadron of Psychic-types whose job is to utilize constant Dream Eater on the most dangerous prisoners, one of said prisoners being Cyrus. It was a measure implemented after three prisoners escaped Iron Island when an associate stole a C-Gear, transported himself into the Dream World, found the prisoners while they dreamed, and transported them out of the Dream World into another region entirely. They had implemented the measure about a year before the first visions of the apocalypse presented themselves; had they not, you are right that I would have had Cyrus killed in his dreams without a second thought."
"And Betrayer-Of-Kin?" Medicham asked.
"Betrayer-Of-Kin does not require sleep," said Darkrai. "One of the side effects of the abilities I myself gave her."
Again Darkrai shifted. "But enough about what might have been. Back on the subject of Abilities, your Ability is capable of a lot more than energy blasts and speed and strength boosts. So while you should continue to focus on Mind, you should also begin thinking about how else you can utilize your Ability. As with Mind and Blaze, it will not come eventually; only time and practice will do that."
The forms of a Sharpedo and a Qwilfish manifested across the arena. "Now let's see how you handle these," said Darkrai. At that, both the illusionary Water-types lunged, and Medicham rose to meet them, Aura flaring on her fists as she hurled herself into the kind of fight she hadn't realized until now she'd missed.
Unbeknownst to Marcus or any of his Pokemon, that same night, two female Trainers were conversing in one of the house's many side rooms.
"So what are you thinking?" Serena asked.
"I'm ready," said Connie. "I was ready from the start. What about you?"
"I don't know," Serena admitted. "On one hand, Umbreon just evolved, and it's going to take a long time for Inkay to evolve…on the other, I don't want to wait too long, because if I do and I beat him somehow, then it might just ruin his chance. What if he can't find another Gym Trainer in time?"
"I get it," said Connie. "Really, I do. But you've gotta make a choice. Wanna face him at full strength and risk crushing his dream? Or do you wanna give him an easy win?"
Serena groaned. "I mean…I know his dream means a lot to him. But…I have to wait. I'll see if Professor Sycamore knows anything about accelerating evolution, and I'll train Inkay some more. Maybe in a month or so, my team will be strong enough that I can take him on."
"All right, then," said Connie. "Good choice - I wouldn't be coming at him with a weeks-old Inkay, myself. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you," said Serena, a slight smile on her face.
The following morning dawned bright and clear, and Medicham was quite excited for the day. Aside from the mission with the Skorupi, which Medicham had no doubt Marcus would bring her on, it was shaping up to be a day of training - the first of many in the coming months.
Medicham enjoyed training days. It was fun working with the rest of the team, watching them learn new moves and master existing ones. It gave Medicham a feeling of accomplishment to watch them succeed.
But as Marcus stepped outside, Medicham instantly realized the day was going to be a little more complicated than standard training. For as she peered outside her Luxury Ball, she spotted Connie sitting on a bench outside. The Galarian Dark-type Trainer rose quickly and turned to Marcus, her face unsmiling.
Marcus got it immediately. "I suppose I should have seen this coming."
"You're ensconced," said Connie. "Recruitment's over. My free work's done. Time to see if you're really up to the challenge."
"Now?" Marcus asked.
Connie looked up at the bright blue sunny sky. "What better time?"
"All right, then." Marcus took a deep breath. "Let's do this."
What better way to kick off an unplanned break than with a good old-fashioned cliffhanger? Hey, if real life's going to make me delay chapters of my fanfiction, then I might as well make the most of said delays!