Chapter 71 – Leaders and Followers
The Fighting Realm always amused Star. It was comprised of several, gigantic rooms, each one big enough to fly in for even the largest Pokémon. Luminous Orbs dotted the ceiling to keep things bright and several strange machines lined the room. Similar strange devices filled Kilo Village in certain areas to help Pokémon train—extra-durable sandbags, treadmills, heavy weights, metal bars, even stairways that seemed to go on forever.
Manny called it his personal fitness center.
With Manny, Azu, Verd, Roh, and Yen out, though, Star had to look for another familiar face instead. The only ones that she could think of were Doll or Elbee. Where did they usually work out?
Countless Pokémon utilized the machines, all of them muscular, lithe, or fit as any Pokémon that Star could ever see. Mutant spirits and normal spirits alike exercised together, and for just a moment, Star smiled slightly. If there was one thing she could appreciate, it was their attention to fitness.
…Even if, as spirits, it hardly mattered. The most it would have was an effect on their perseverance, Star figured; somehow, this helped them, though she never asked Manny how, or why. Perhaps it was just one of those odd things he liked to do.
Rectangular screens hung from the ceiling near the corners for easy viewing, depicting another part of the Fighting Realm—an arena, where two Pokémon sparred with one another.
A wistful sigh was all that accompanied her vacant expression for a moment, lasting long enough for one of the nearby Pokémon to tap her on the shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"A-ah! Oh! Hi! Sorry." Star shook her head, turning around. "I'm actually looking for—oh! I was looking for you!"
Standing behind Star was a Cacturne, frowning with concern. "Is something going on? Where's Manny?"
"He should be fine. But I've come here to warn the others. I went over to try to see Owen, first, but some things came up, and—look, I just need to take over Manny's body for a second. That alright? He can pull me out when he's back, but I need to take over the way Yen usually does."
"Hrmm… well, alright." She still didn't seem convinced, but Star couldn't blame her. Their Guardian was gone for longer than he should have been. A pang of anger surged through her—she told them not to leave their realms. Not only did it weaken their bodies, but Hecto might have had trouble bringing them back. Just like Amia… whatever happened to her.
Star, getting distracted again, earned a worried prod from Doll.
"H-huh? Oh, sorry. I think I'll head to his Core now, so—"
"Doll!" a Samurott called, marching over. "What's Star doing over?" A flash of concern, and then she drew from her foreleg one of her blades. "Is Manny okay? Who do I have to fight?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Star quickly said, raising her paws.
She reluctantly sheathed her blade.
"Good to see you. Yeah, I just need to go to Manny's Core for a second and take over. I gotta relay a message to the others, and fast."
By now, various other fitness enthusiasts of the realm had taken a break on their exercise regimen to listen in on the conversation. Star, realizing that if she took any longer, there'd be a danger of Step and the others getting to them first, flew past both of them. "Core's in the same spot, right?"
"W-wait, hang on!" Doll shouted; the Cacturne and Samurott ran after, and then beside Star. "What exactly is happening? Manny said for us to guard the place, so what for?"
"Probably from the wraiths," Star said.
"The—w-wait, those things are back?" Doll's thorns glowed. "But I thought Anam sealed them off from appearing in Dungeons again?"
"They're appearing in Aether Forest, now."
Elbee looked ready to draw her blades again as if one could be right around the corner. "But Aether Forest can go right to here."
"Exactly. That's why I need to warn the others, and I kinda want to minimize my connections or time. I knew you guys would let me through quick, alright? The others are kinda flakey."
"Yeah, a little, but to be fair…"
"I know, I know, look, I'm trying to fix things, alright? Didn't think Eon would go nuts like this and actually make this move to take Owen."
Even more turns, Star passing by mutant after mutant. She shuddered slightly at the sight—at least they were behaving normally here. "How has the adjustment to having a bunch of Synthetics here gone?"
"Oh, they're wonderful. Most of them are like kids." Doll sighed. "If I wasn't so prickly, I'd hug them."
"You could always try a different body," Elbee said.
"Well, maybe I like my original body. I don't see you changing, hmm?"
"Hmph!"
The next room was devoid of exercise equipment; instead, amid the wooden floor and concrete walls, there was a glowing ball of light floating in the middle.
"Thanks, guys. If this goes well, I'll just be in and out, alright?"
Star flew toward the Core, its radiance bright enough that she had to squint. But before she could enter it, she sensed a new presence behind her. Curiosity got the better of her and she glanced back, only to see a blue ember fly past her and into the Core.
"Eh?"
"Must have been the loser of one of the arena matches," Elbee said, raising her blade. "I have one of the best win-lose ratios out of all the spirits here! …Second to Yen."
"I thought Roh, Azu, and Verd were the strongest spirits?" Star said.
"They're the strongest to summon at full power, but in here, the three of us are way better, if you want my opinion."
"Right, forgot…" But something still troubled Star—and her worries were confirmed when a second ember came flying by her, and then a third. "Is… is that normal?"
Elbee and Doll both shook their heads. "We'll check it out."
"Be careful," Star said. She desperately hoped it wasn't the wraiths—cold terror gripped her heart—but that just meant she had to warn the others even faster. Star dove into the Core.
Manny's body's eyes shot open. It took its first breath in quite a while, moved stiff muscles, and finally struggled to its feet.
"Wh-whoa, whoa—!"
Star fell on her back, glad that her tail at least turned sideways to keep from bending badly. "Ugh—tall body, not used to that. Can't I just float?"
The Mew, possessing Manny's empty body, wobbled forward, taking a few seconds to get used to it. Oh, come on, I know Transform! This shouldn't be a problem! Then again, being alive was also something she wasn't used to, even if this was just some ghostly imitation of it. To suddenly have to worry about gravity instead of allowing it to affect her in the spirit realm, let alone how big and bulky Manny's body was… If she hadn't been busy trying to take down the Hunters, she would have appreciated it more while she had inhabited Owen's body.
Thankfully, her Lucario instincts took over, and walking settled into a basic routine. She took a few tentative steps through Manny's room and into the main caverns. Now, she was trying to get used to the feeling of her new set of teeth, her differently-shaped mouth, her fur, her spikes… It was one thing to transform, but it was another to wake up in a different body.
A small smirk curled at the corner of her muzzle at that thought and she looked at her paws. That was ironic.
Star shook her head—she had to focus. Where were the others? And why was it so dark? The answer immediately crossed her mind—if Manny was meditating in Hot Spot, and Amia was missing, and the mushrooms glowed…
The pit in her stomach grew. Hopefully Hecto just missed her—she's probably waiting across the aura sea, right? That would've ended Amia's influence, too. They just had to be more careful.
"Hey!" Star shouted. "How's everything going?" She walked toward the only light left in Hot Spot. The golden glow in the center of town suggested it was usually where Valle stood, but since when could he glow? She supposed if he needed to see something in his old cave, he'd probably need that power, though; Valle didn't seem particularly skilled at aura sight.
It was indeed Valle, the Shiftry statue glowing brighter than the mushrooms that usually speckled the caverns. "Hey, uh, nice fashion statement."
"Why is it so surprising that I can glow? I can. It is not remarkable."
Star held up her paws noncombatively, then squinted to see that most of the others gathered when she had called for them. "Hey, so, what's going on?"
"Amia's influence over Hot Spot has faded. I fear the worst."
Willow hopped several feet into the air. "Everything went dark and then Anam started to freak out!"
Star's suspicions confirmed, she could only hope that Hecto would find Amia across the aura sea soon. But whether it was some sort of Psychic premonition or just a gut feeling, she had a feeling he wouldn't. "What? Anam? Is he afraid of the dark?"
"He kept saying, dark, dark, oooh." Willow growled, making her voice as deep as possible, which was just barely enough to match Anam's childish cheer.
The crowd of Hot Spot slowly gathered. Jerry and Enet left the former's building; Willow hopped onto Star's forehead, prodding her skull inquisitively.
"Manny, where did Rhys go? Will he be back soon?" Elder asked, resting his shell next to Valle.
"Eh—he'll be back soon. There was a real bad fight against… yeah."
"Manny's speech patterns are irregular," ADAM reported.
"Oh—no, no, sorry, I'm Star. Manny is still coming back. I wanted to get over here to warn you guys about something going on—listen. Keep a close eye on your spirit realms, alright? There are these weird, black creatures—kinda blob-shaped, but sometimes they take other forms—we call them wraiths. They used to show up a long time ago in Dungeons before Anam blessed them, but for some reason they're showing up again."
"Wraiths…" Elder shuddered, looking down. "That can't be."
"What are they?" Willow asked.
"I don't know," Star said. "They just… appear. I don't know how—"
"How can you not know?" Jerry spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "You literally created life. How can you not know something that lives in—"
"I don't know, okay?!" Star hissed, squeezing her paws. Her aura sensors sprang up; she closed her eyes and tried to breathe. "Sorry, sorry. I… I really don't know. I wish I did."
If she knew what these wraiths were, it would be a lot easier to take them down. Instead, they had to deal with the Hunters, these wraiths, and now Step!
Ah, Step! "R-right, um, about that. So, I found out that you guys decided to go on a little rescue mission for Owen through the spirit realm, right?"
"Yeah, we sent Step, Rhys, Manny—"
"Yeah, I know, I know. So, here's the—"
"Why is it so dark?!"
The thundering voice could only be the mate of the former Electric Guardian. And in an instant, that icy pit in Star's stomach became colder than the realm that Aggron now controlled. She ran out of time.
"Step! You're back!" Willow hopped off of Star's head and landed on Valle, waving her tiny arm to get her attention. "How about the others?"
The icy Aggron huffed irritably. "They will be back soon, but I need to warn you about the wraiths. They are invading our world. The Fire Realm is already overrun; I had to take Alex to ours instead." She pushed her hand forward, hurling a blue ember.
It coalesced into a Hydreigon, shivering and wrapping his arms around his body. "S-so… c-cold…"
"He is staying temporarily until we can sort this. Amia was defeated, and I doubt Star would be merciful toward her."
"W-wait, what?" Star spoke up. "I wouldn't—"
Star realized her mistake too late and wished she had the ability to turn back time. Step's eyes widened in silence. The air became cold, frost forming on the tips of Star's fur. A thin layer of ice masked Valle's face, making his glowing body glisten. Step held a palm out, cold energy concentrating at the center. "You possess Owen, and now you steal Manny's body next?!"
"W-wait! Wait, wait, no, that's not—"
The icy sphere flashed.
"HEY!"
Step blinked, glancing to the voice. Step's gathered energy faltered, just short of firing.
Jerry crossed his wings and tapped his foot on the ground. "Quit it. I thought you were supposed to be the sane one. And then you go off attacking everyone you see the second they don't behave the right way. First that Espurr, then Owen, and now the stupid god. And you know what? You keep making it more messed up! Let her talk. We can beat her up after."
Step glared icily at the Aerodactyl. The energy in her palm shifted; instead, she lobbed three more embers, forming her family of frozen Kommo-o. She puffed a bit of frost in the air, some of the resulting mist collecting on top of Willow. "When we arrived at the Grass realm, Hecto and Star were there. We had to battle them to free Owen from Star's control; she stole his body."
Star shook her head immediately. "Now, h-hang on, that's not what happened. When I showed up there, Owen and Eon were talking, yeah, but Eon could've brainwashed him at any second. Do you have any idea how susceptible he is to the guy?"
"We know," Step said. "But we never said that we would want Owen to be under the control of a suspicious god, either. We should have known that Star would take advantage of how easily his mind sways to command. Of course a mutant would want to take commands from a leader."
"I was literally just trying to end this Hunter war!" Star shouted, slamming her fist in the air. ADAM nervously twitched and hid behind Valle, muttering something about fear levels rising. "If you guys just let me control Owen, I would have taken Eon's Orbs, then Rim's Orb, and then we'd be done."
"You never considered telling us this plan?" Step said. "It's quite obvious that you kept it hidden because you knew we wouldn't be very happy with you controlling us."
"No, I never said anything because Owen is fiercely loyal to Eon and doesn't want to admit it!" Star rubbed her head. "Look—Owen was supposed to be the key to all of this. He's the one person on our side that Eon can't fight, even before that flimsy wishy-washy Promise. If we could just get him strong enough, it'd be a sure shot to beating him."
"Oh? And what of the rest of Team Alloy, hm?" Step said. "Why is Owen always the one guarded so specifically?"
Star hesitated. "Owen's—special to Eon. He was his first. If we could just use that to our advantage…"
Jerry snorted. "And yet Owen wants to do this peacefully, so that's why you tried to pull a fast one on him."
"Step!" Star clutched her forehead, ignoring Jerry. "I thought you of all people would've been fine with this. Isn't this what you always wanted?"
Step glared. "Secrecy only brings distrust, especially from you. What if you kept Owen's body after Eon was down? What if you stole all of their Hands?"
"If I wanted your Hands, and I could do that, I'd've done it already. Seriously? I've already been over this with you; we can't get the Orbs by design. I can't truly claim anything; it'd go to Owen, or something, and—"
"And then you'd control him."
"NO!" Star roared, paws crackling with an unstable mixture of blue aura and gold light. She took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.
Step didn't stop her glare, nor did the rest of her family. Alex meekly floated near Valle, drawn to the light, and mumbled. "Amia… where are you…?"
That snapped Star out of her fervor. She blinked for a moment, the crackling of her paws subsiding. "Alex… I—I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Hecto's searching for her now, alright? In all the chaos, we must've lost her and she drifted across the aura sea. That'd explain why her influence here died out; she just left our plane completely. It's—er—it's fine! Cent, Kana, you know it's fine, right?"
The two Kommo-o sisters slackened their crossed arms. Kana nodded reluctantly. "I guess if she just wound up there, it's fine."
"I'll believe it when she actually follows through on her words." Step glanced at Ra. "What do you think?"
"As far as I'm concerned," the largest Kommo-o stated, "I don't want to feel even an iota of Star's presence until Amia is returned."
"O-okay, okay. I'll get her back." Hecto, did you find her yet? …Oh, right, he'd be across the aura sea…
She couldn't contact someone directly if they were beyond the sea—not without going there herself, and she couldn't afford to do that.
Another Hecto responded instead. I have not received word from my fragments across the sea, no. And I have not seen any sign of her in any other realms. Patience.
Okay, thanks.
Star shook her head. "Sorry. No word yet."
"Then we will not speak." Step glared at the others. "Are we in agreement?"
"Pff, like I care." Jerry shrugged, looking off. "If she wants to talk, fine. But I'm going back to my room."
"I'm going back to Rhys." Elder wobbled away, puffing a small plume of smoke. "When he wakes up, I want him to have some warm comfort."
"I'm going to inspect my realm and make sure we are ready for any strange wraith attacks," Step said. "I recommend you all do the same."
"You guys should probably lock your Orb realms if you haven't already," Star said. "It'll cut you off from Aether Forest, but at least nothing outside can force their way in if they don't have any Hands to try. In other words, wraiths."
"Hmph. Finally, something sensible."
"But—but—but it's terribly cold in there," Alex protested weakly. "I—I'd rather not go back there."
"You can temporarily become an Ice spirit, if you wish," Step offered. "Otherwise, remain summoned. It is no trouble to me." She looked to her family next.
"We're gonna scout the realm and make sure no wraiths sneaked in while we were away," Ra said. "Cent, Kana? Would you like to help, or would you like to return home?"
"Like I'm stepping across the sea after that?" Kana shook her head. "I'll wait until this clears up before I go back."
"Me, too. My mate'll understand. I already filled him in, so maybe he'll just think it's a big fight or something."
"I mean, it kinda is," Star said, but the Ice spirits and Guardian completely ignored her.
Slowly, the group departed, leaving Star in the middle of the cave with Valle and ADAM. She sighed, sitting down with her knees to her chest. The silence was uncomfortable, but what else could she do? What was she going to do? They never trusted her. She was just fooling herself into thinking they'd listen to—what did Eon call it—her silver tongue? As if. All they ever did was glare at her when she wasn't looking; she knew it. This only confirmed it.
"I guess I'll just wait for everyone to come back." She looked up. "Hey, Valle? Where's Nevren and Anam?"
"Anam wandered outside to get some air. Nevren followed."
"Oh, okay."
"I sense darkness in Anam."
Star nodded idly, playing with a bit of fur on her knees. Wait. "Uh, what?" She glanced at the glowing statue.
ADAM buzzed, twirling his head. "Walking patterns irregular: Anam demonstrated agitated behavior shortly after the lights of Hot Spot dimmed. Conclusion: he is afraid of the dark."
"No, no, Valle, what did you say? Darkness in Anam? What're you even talking about? I mean, he's a little weird, and he has the Ghost Orb and all their, uh, quirks, but—"
"I do not know. But his aura… of what I can feel when he walked past me. It was not normal."
Star watched the ground, eyeing her own shadow. "Anam…" She sighed, unsure what it meant, but… Hecto, can you send one of your copies to find Anam and Nevren? Tell them to come to me. I want to see something.
And with that, Star sat next to Valle again, looking up at the Shiftry statue. For being the weakest Guardian, Valle seemed very composed in all of this. She was surprised he could sense Anam's aura at all. Compared to everyone else, Valle's energy was incredibly weak. Yet… "You're… you come off as wiser than you let on, sometimes."
"There is a lot to learn when you stand still and observe."
Star suppressed a laugh. "That kinda sounds like Hecto. He's sort of an observer by nature, likes to oversee things."
"A fine philosophy for a god, or her disciple."
Star blinked, looking up. "What?"
"It is of my opinion that the divine need not interfere with mortals on a daily basis for grand miracles. We should be away and let them forge their own path. Do you not agree?"
"I—I don't, sorry," Star said automatically. "I've saved way too many people in the past with my power to say it isn't worth it."
"Mm. In the past."
Star tensed, squeezing her paw pads. Where was this talk coming from—Valle, of all people?! The guy didn't even move. Could he even move? Barely. And now she was getting a lecture from him about how to use divine power—like he knew. Star snorted, looking down.
"You're defiant."
Star growled, tucking her knees against her chest. "I just want to help."
"We all do. But you should not fill a bowl with a waterfall."
Nothing came from the possessed Lucario but a little grunt. "Just go into your Realm already, make sure the wraiths aren't coming your way."
"They are not."
To that, Star uncurled her legs and leaned back on a pillow of Psychic energy, wincing at the odd feeling it had against her Fighter body. She used her arms instead, but then accidentally jabbed one of her spikes into her other palm. "Gah—Why did I give these guys those spikes?"
"Your design choices are questionable."
"Oh, shove it." Star puffed out her cheeks, looking away.
Thunder boomed outside. Star furrowed her brow; it had been a while since this part of Kilo had a thunderstorm. As a god, it was silly for her to be superstitious… but by the time the second boom shook the cave, though, the sinking feeling in her chest became too powerful to ignore.
"Wow. We missed a lot." Brandon let out an amused snort.
Owen sat in the middle of the factory, finishing his recital of everything he knew about what had happened. He had started with Eon's promise, explaining his ability to stop time—something that Brandon had been very curious about.
So, a bit of Dialga's blessing had remained after all, did it? Brandon had wondered if anything had been left behind. Did Eon know what happened to him? What about Palkia and the others? Still, with how quickly Owen had gone over it, it didn't seem like he knew anything more.
Then, Owen went over his trip into Quartz HQ, his trip through the halls, dinner, and then Star abruptly taking over. Brandon's metallic brows raised at that one. It didn't sound like Star at all… Then again, getting so close to Eon when he was so vulnerable was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Owen would have a much easier time getting rid of Star the next time she tried that, if she was ever allowed back in the realm in the first place. Was she really that impatient and desperate to take Eon out that she didn't even want to risk Owen falling in line with him?
…No, that was reasonable. After all, Eon and Owen used to be partners. That was a bond that might not have been broken, even after all this time.
Finally, Owen went over her defeat, what happened afterward between himself and Amelia, and then what Klent had informed him of Eon and the aftermath of the mutants. When he was finally finished, Owen let out a slow sigh. His hands trembled and Brandon had a good idea why. It sounded like a lot to happen over only a few hours; no doubt, it had finally crashed down onto him the gravity of what had happened. They were working under Star, tenuous as their relationship was, and perhaps they thought that they'd be able to break things off with her later, rather than have Star get the jump on them.
"I just… I don't get it. Eon wasn't going to control me. The second he even hesitated to try, I saw it coming, and he immediately felt horrible for it. He wouldn't have… He made that Promise!"
Brandon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that definitely seems like something Eon would do."
"What do you mean?" Owen raised his voice defensively.
"Hey, hey, calm down." Brandon raised a hand. "I'm saying that I think your call on Eon was right. Trust me, the last thing Eon would want to do in the long term is control you."
"Controls everyone else…"
"Does he, though?" Brandon asked, tilting his head. "Sounds to me more like he just has a bunch of mutant Pokémon that he raised as family. Sure, he doesn't control them, but they definitely, you know…"
"Obey his every command willingly. Yeah, I think that's worse." Owen crossed his arms, staring at Brandon with a steely glare.
Brandon locked eyes with him, but then finally broke it to rub his forehead. "Alright, kid. Lay it out for me. I know you didn't just come here to give me the full report on how Star destroyed every iota of your trust. Why did you come here, to me, of all people, instead of home where your folks are?"
Brandon continued to stare at the ceiling, waiting for some sentimental reason. After all, what else would there be? 'Oh, Brandon, I just don't know how Eon could have done this!' Or perhaps, 'Oh, Brandon, Star is such a jerk, I'm never inviting her again!' Another possibility, 'Oh, Brandon, I'm sorry for disobeying Arceus!' Brandon hummed, wondering if that really was the reason he was here. Boss definitely would want to hear about that.
You listening to all this, right? Brandon called.
I am.
By the way, how's Rhys?
I sent him on his way. Aramé is escorting him back to his tiny pocket in the spirit world. He should be fine; wraiths cannot reach him like they can with an Orb realm.
All this time, Brandon listened for Owen to say something, but nothing came. With a mild burst of concern, Brandon tilted his head forward to get a look at Owen again.
"Uh—you alright?"
Owen's face was screwed up in a deep, terrified frown, tears streaming off of his leafy cheeks and onto the ground.
"H-hey, hey, c'mon, what's going on?" Brandon's trainer instincts flared up. It had been ages since he'd been one, yet they were front and center instantly; he sprang to his feet and knelt by Owen, holding his shoulder.
"Wh-who d-do I trust anymore?" Owen blubbered, sniffling loudly.
"What do you mean, who do you trust? C'mon, don't talk crazy. You've got a whole family at home." Frantically, Brandon rubbed at Owen's shoulders, taking slow, steady breaths so his anxiety didn't transfer into Owen.
"D-do I, though?" Owen squeaked. "Or is that just my instincts? M-my—my need to f-follow someone? Th-they never listen to me. They just t-tell me what to do, and they think they know what's best f-for me, and… a-and I thought they were right! But look where it got me! L-look at… look at all of this…!"
He hiccupped, swallowing spit. The Charizard sniffled again and rubbed his eyes, then his nose, and then hiccupped again.
This kid was a total mess, but Brandon couldn't blame him for a second. He shook Owen's shoulder. "Hey, hey, let it out." He went from a kneel to a sitting position beside him. Owen immediately took advantage of it, leaning against Brandon—the floral Charizard seemed a lot larger than he was with their current stances, but Brandon worked with what he could. He wrapped an arm around Owen's back, rubbing near the base of his wings.
Owen whimpered and moaned for a while, trembling.
From what he knew, Owen was usually talkative. To see him completely wordless and shaking… This one must have really pushed him over the edge. The Machoke squeezed his fists, trying to think of a way that he could help; did Charizard behavioral knowledge help here? He wasn't familiar enough with the species to find out anyway.
Brandon let Owen calm himself for a bit longer. "Hey, buddy, do you need anything?"
"N-no, I'm okay."
"Sure, sure." Brandon wound up rubbing Owen's nearest shoulder anyway. Despite everything, it seemed to calm him down, though Brandon was careful not to squeeze too hard thanks to his Steel body.
Oh, he should probably change that.
Like little metal flakes fluttering in the wind, Brandon's body lost its sheen and went to its normal, purple colors. Owen either didn't notice or didn't mind.
"It's like I'm just… supposed to be following somebody. It's in my gut. I can't get rid of that feeling. I—I hate it. I'm s-sick of people leading me somewhere, but I don't… I don't know where to go if they don't point me somewhere!"
Brandon said nothing, instead taking the time to pat his shoulder and press near the top of where Owen's wings met his back. It seemed to help calm the Charizard down enough to speak coherently again, so he kept going.
It sounds like he needs new leadership, Barky said to Brandon. Brandon's left eye twitched. Really, now? Was he really focused on trying to win Owen over, now? Sure, maybe it was opportune, but… This could be the perfect opportunity to get him on our side.
Hey, you know what? Lay off. Brandon glanced up, hoping Owen didn't notice, and then returned to massaging Owen's tense shoulders next. By now Brandon was on his feet to do so, thinking back to when his Salamence needed similar relaxation after a tough loss.
Excuse me? Barky growled. Are you forgetting who you're talking to?
No, because you just reminded me. Lay off. Owen doesn't need that right now when he's so vulnerable.
We can give him exactly the sort of direction that—
No. I don't think you get it. I'm doing what I know, and you aren't going to tell me otherwise. If you want to know why, go ask Star. At least she knows how her creations tick.
Brandon felt Barky's rage at that last remark, but he didn't apologize. Instead, he refocused on Owen, who was talking again.
"Even now, what's the first thing I did, even after all that? I started thinking about who to see again, or who to see instead. I went right to you, thinking you'd be able to tell me about how to pick a good leader, or something. And not if I could've just… done what I wanted." Owen rubbed his forehead, laughing. "I can't fight it, can I?"
Hey! Let me out!
Brandon blinked, looking up. Zeke? Still, he complied, holding his hand forward.
Owen gave Brandon a curious look through his tears, sniffling. "What're you doing?"
"One of my partners wants to talk to you. We go way back—his name's Zeke."
The ember coalesced from blue to red, standing above the two of them. "Hey," the Blaziken said. He took a single stride with his long legs before going to a squat, resting his two hands between them. He tilted his head, letting out a curious chirp.
Owen just sniffed, returning his chirp with a chirp of his own.
Zeke nodded, sitting down and crossing his legs. He paused—Brandon figured he was trying to remember how to speak, since Zeke wasn't a native speaker of their language. "I know how you feel, if you want any help. It's actually something that Pokémon like us can really relate to."
Brandon blinked, but then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ohh, of course!" he shouted, but then suddenly lowered his hand. He should have known that Eon would… "Owen… you're… oh, why didn't I realize he'd've—yeah. Yeah, that makes sense, Zeke. Good call."
Zeke chirped again, puffing out his chest. "I did it!"
Owen laughed, breaking into a little smile, but Brandon wasn't sure why. All they did was say they knew what was wrong with him.
"So, it's normal? Or it's known? Is it something that you can treat?" Owen asked.
"Well, it's something you can understand, at least," Brandon said. He took a few seconds to decide what the best mode of delivery would be, but eventually settled on the direct route. Owen was probably sick of riddles. He deserved the truth, or at least as much as he could hear. "Owen… you have a feral brain."
He let that one sink in, first. Owen blinked several times at it, processing the concept. Brandon squeezed his arm, thinking about how to go about this.
Barky's voice echoed in a growl. Brandon… tread lightly. You know that this line of questioning is bumping up against a Decree.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I don't want him to just forget what I say. But he deserves to at least come to terms with it. Maybe he'll work it out better, get us some brownie points.
Are you sure this is the right thing to do?
Owen was mistreated. No matter how smart he is, he's still…
Just be careful. One day, he might remember; I don't know what happened when Star took over his body. She could have made him immune to the Decree.
Immune to the…?
And, very briefly, Brandon's eyes widened. It was enough that Owen glanced at him, squinting. "Something wrong? Oh—you must be talking to Barky."
"Oh—yeah, sorry."
"What's he telling you?"
"Uh—" Curse that Perceive of his. "Nothing important."
Everything I say is importan—
"He's just blowing steam from his big head, is all." Brandon shrugged.
You are treading on thin ice.
Go have a candy bar.
"Are you guys… fighting?" Owen said. "But he's… Arceus."
Zeke chirped again. "Brandon and Arceus butt heads sometimes, but that's because Arceus still respects Brandon enough to understand when he doesn't agree."
Brandon clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Yeah, which is sorta something you should think about, Owen."
The Charizard scratched his chin, letting out a confused growl. "I'm still trying to think about what you mean by calling me feral. I'm… not feral. I'm nothing like Enet. I—I mean, no offense to Enet, but… she and I don't act the same at all."
"Yeah, you don't. You were raised civilized for a long time. But at your core… the way Eon made you… you've got a feral mind. And there are some instincts that come with it."
"Not just feral," Zeke said, looking at Brandon. "Feral Charizard aren't the way he is. It's something else. He's like me."
"Yeah." Brandon sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Owen, you're… domesticated."
"I'm… what?" Owen said, wings drooping already. "Domesticated… but that's… those are the things that you do to ferals in farms…"
"Not always," Brandon said. "But a domestic mind like you—you have a tendency to be docile, and you're happy to follow orders, and maybe you have trouble… doing things on your own. Like there's a nagging feeling that you might not be doing something right if you step out and do something you want. You looked up to Amia, or Eon, or even Anam. That's natural. But then… I dunno. Does that make sense? Maybe it was how you were raised, or maybe it's just an instinct, but… that's how you are."
Owen's eyes were glazed over, lost in his own head. Brandon hummed, hoping he didn't say too much all at once.
But then, Owen smiled, though there was a hint of bitterness in it. "So, Eon made me this way because he wanted me to be obedient."
There it was. Brandon knew that he could've easily said nothing here. And if he said nothing, there would be no chance that Owen would want to be with Eon again, ever. Eon made Owen domestic. Eon wanted a follower and a soldier. A living weapon, happy to do as Eon commanded. That was the narrative.
Brandon, don't do it.
He could say nothing. But that wasn't the truth. And seeing Owen there, sniffling, alone, confused, without any idea what he was supposed to do with himself—in over his head, way over his head. And he was supposed to lie?
…Screw off.
"No," Brandon said. "I don't think that's what Eon wanted."
Brandon. Do NOT.
This is the hill that I'm gonna die on, Boss. Don't push me, or I'll tell him even more.
Barky growled—no, he was seething, now—but his silence meant that Brandon had won. And he should at least hold up his own side of the bargain.
"Eon still cares deeply about you."
And to this, Owen looked up at Brandon with stunned, wide eyes.
The Steel Guardian continued. "If you just talked to him, maybe when things have calmed down, you might still be able to convince him to give this all up peacefully. We can end the Hunters, we can figure out what to do with the Orbs, and then we can just live in peace. It's not too late. Besides, you know what? We have bigger problems to look into right now. Do you know about the wraiths?"
Brandon figured the pause that came after was from Owen still trying to process the fact that a member of the Trinity just defended Eon. But eventually, the domesticated Charizard replied. "The wraiths… I know a little bit, kinda. I heard some of Star's thoughts while I was, uh, under her control, sorta. But it was all frantic and scrambled, so…"
"That's something we need to put our heads together for. The Trinity, Star's minions, and even the Hunters. I don't think any of us want to deal with that, so maybe if we cooperate, we'll be able to work out our differences along the way. Fair?"
Zeke chirped again. "Yeah! Let's make a little vow about it." The Blaziken spat an ember onto his talons and held it forward.
Owen tilted his head again. "What's this?"
"I dunno! It's something Brandon does! He calls it a fist-bump!"
"Oh, I know about those!" Owen perked up. "Sure!" He breathed a flame onto his fist. Then, the Blaziken and Charizard punched together, just a little knock, where the two flames intertwined and spun into a tiny tornado above their arms. Brandon saw the embers' lights reflect off of their eyes.
"Are you gonna do the vow, too?" Zeke asked Brandon.
"Uhh—" Brandon glanced worriedly at their fists. "Let's say I did but without the fire stuff. I think I've been Steel for too long to want to actually, you know, do that."
Owen smiled, but then looked down. "Yeah…"
Brandon tilted his head. "Something bothering you still, I take it."
The feral-minded Charizard winced. "Was it that obvious?"
"C'mon, Owen. I used to be a trainer. Being in tune with Pokémon is kinda my thing."
That earned a weak smile, but he looked down again, tapping his claws together in thought. Brandon couldn't hide his small grin. He was already trying to think for himself, in a way. Good.
"I… I just wanted to talk about one last thing, actually. But—But I don't know if you'd be any help or not, you know?"
Brandon puffed out his chest. "I bet I'll be a help. C'mon, tell me what you've got. I can take anything!"
"I just wanted to talk about Zena."
After a short, delayed reaction, Brandon's shouldered barely sagged. Despite everything, after all this philosophy, the existential crises, the various factions and truths and narratives, this was somehow the most difficult subject that kid could have thought of.
Relationships.
