PMD: R&D

by Jusmove

The Absol guild isn't known for amazing expeditions, ace bounty hunters, or even adequate rescue operations. No, Absol's is known for the loud explosions and mad laughter echoing from behind closed doors.

34. Diamonds

Chapter 31: Diamonds

With hurried steps, Nook ducked into a nearby alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. They grimaced when their paws jostled some trash on the ground, but shook it off and peeked their head out just enough to get a glimpse of the moving crowd outside. When they confirmed that nobody seemed to be on their tail, they sighed, then took out the pamtre berry they had snagged off a fruit stand.

The Thievul grumbled to themselves as they bit into the juicy fruit.

"Follow the plan...just lay low for one night, and we'll get you in the morning. Feh, probably got distracted at a party or something..."

It had been at least four days since they had led the Haxorus guild straight towards Absol. When Boon proposed that they kill two Pidgey with one stone and go for the Leyline while also bagging the biggest thorn in their side, Nook jumped at the opportunity. Someone of their talents was perfect for a little deception, and by handling a solo mission, hopefully they could redeem themselves for their failure at Moonlit Manor.

To their (slight) surprise, everything had gone off without a hitch. All it took was a little fur makeover to make sure nobody could immediately profile them from that time they knocked out a few guards, staying in as many shadows as possible, and being absolutely hysterical about the insane criminal guild they found hiding in a warehouse.

After that, they just had to slip away unnoticed and watch the fireworks. For how gullible they were, the Haxorus apprentices were awfully swift in getting everyone detained and teleported out, although Nook didn't envy the ones that had to handle the Whimisicott. Nook swore the Drapion that carried her out had a black eye.

Unfortunately, that had been the most exciting part of their week, as their team failed to arrive at the agreed upon extraction point the day after. Nook had been forced to dart around Verdant Port, hiding behind buildings, shipping containers, and now in alleyways, all in the name of keeping a low profile.

It had all been incredibly inconvenient. And the worst part? Their fur had started to become matted.

"I swear when I get back, they better buy me five star meals for a week. No, five star meals for a week and a stylist. This grime will take forever to get out..."

"Are you a feral?" came a squeaky voice. Nook's ears flicked up and they shot their head to look around, only to frown a second later as their sights set on a little Chikorita child. She tilted her head at them as if they were some sort of natural wonder. Which, while flattering, was not the attention they wanted right now.

"Excuse you? How dare you insinuate such a thing?" they said, an affronted paw on their chest.

"Cuz you aint got a house," replied Chikorita. Nook rolled their eyes.

"A true thespian, an artist such as myself, has no need of a home, when the world is my stage. Take a good long look, for I am still in the rising action of my story, a diamond in the rough, waiting for-"

Stifled giggles interrupted them. Chikorita pressed her leaf over her mouth as she sat down and tittered in glee.

"You're funny!"

"...Funny, huh?" Nook grumbled and reached into their travel satchel, pulled out a Poké, and flicked it over to the kid who caught it with wide eyes.

"Remember this face. I'll make the world acknowledge all I can be, and it'll love me for it. Mark my words," they declared. "Now take that and scram, you grubby thing."

Chikorita had stars in her eyes. She nodded eagerly, took the coin in her mouth, and jogged off. Nook watched her go before they realized something and pinched the bridge of their snout.

"…That was my last Poké," they murmured. "I have got to stop doing that…"

Grumbling to themselves, Nook stood up to head further into the alleyway, but their nose bumped into something cold and furry.

"GAH, who's-…Mauve!?"

Nook's hackles lowered as they got a good look at the Weavile, who stood in the shadows with her arms crossed. She wore a pensive frown, and looked Nook up and down.

"That was awfully generous of you," she said.

"What, the kid? A rich soul like mine can't help but spread the wealth every once in a while."

"Not just that one. That Simipour looked very surprised to find a pawful of Poké for a single pamtre, as did the Floette waiting in line for a smoothie an hour before, and the Pancham even before then." One of her brows raised in surprise. "No wonder you're so bad with money. You come up with ways to give it away."

"Spreading the wealth is a hard habit to break…Wait a minute, you've been watching me hide in trash for hours and just choose now to show yourself?"

"It's a hard habit to break," she replied. The grin on her face almost made Nook launch into another argument, but they stopped themselves and shook their head.

"Nevermind that Mauve, where the hell have you been?" They jabbed a digit into her chest. "I've been dumpster diving for the past week because my team doesn't know how to keep a solid schedule."

"Yes, you certainly smell like you have." She grabbed Nook's paw and yanked the big fox forward, further into the alley and the shadows to ensure they wouldn't be seen. The Thievul grumbled as she pulled them along.

"Ugh, what's with you? Where's all this sass coming from? I did my part, we won't have to worry about Absol's for the foreseeable future, and I've even sacrificed some of my dignity! Yet this is the thanks I get? You've been nothing but rude, you know."

Mauve continued in silence, turning left at an intersection in between the buildings, and further on until she found a secluded spot between a dumpster and tall piles of trash. She crouched low in between them, and motioned for Nook to do the same.

They did so, but only after using the flared tip of their tail to sweep away some of the more unsavory detritus.

"So, Absol's is really out of the picture?" asked Mauve.

"I watched them get tied up and shipped off myself. Probably in a Hole somewhere." Nook stuck their nose up and held a paw to their chest. "But of course, you should have expected nothing less from moi."

"I never had any doubt. You did well." The genuine praise in her voice caught Nook off guard, but any pride dampened as the Weavile looked down and sighed.

"I'm glad at least one of us has good news to share."

"Would I be correct in assuming things didn't go quite to plan at Hollow Garden?" they ventured.

"Yes you would. There were several...complications that came up. One of those being that we were inside for much longer than expected, which is why we're just now retrieving you."

Mauve dragged a claw through her crown of feathers, and only now did Nook catch how unkempt they looked, as well as the red in her eyes. It looked like she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a while.

"Long story short, we're behind in the race to the Keystones," she continued. "A squad of Absol apprentices, led by a pair of unexpectedly strong bodyguards, were able to successfully prevent us from breaking the one in the Leyline. We were forced to retreat and lick our wounds."

"Truly?" The news came as a shock to Nook. "But...how? All of you, including the boss, went on that mission. Were they really that strong?"

"If it were just them, we probably would have still succeeded. But most of the plan went out the window as soon as Xerneas showed up."

"...Come again?"

"Not to mention our Master apparently has a bit of a history with those bodyguards I mentioned. That caused a few wrinkles as well." Discontent slipped through her words, and she slumped against a bag of trash, one claw on her forehead. "That mission was...a learning experience. To say the least."

"I feel like I missed a lot," murmured Nook, ears folded back. "And I don't think I envy you."

"The team will have a full debriefing as soon as you're back at base. We'll need to determine next steps."

"Well then let's head back. I'm tired of slumming around here," agreed Nook. They glanced down in confusion as Mauve held out a claw and motioned expectantly.

"...What?"

"A pearl. Give me one."

"A p-what? Why can't you just use your own?"

"I did. My last one. The portal I made to get here dissipated, so now I need to make a new one," she said, voice level.

"But-"

"We're out, Nook. All of us. Master is working on getting us more," her eyes creased in frustration. "Now do you want to sit here in the trash and whine, or do you want to hurry up and give me a pearl so we can get out of here?"

Nook grumbled under their breath, but did as requested and fished a spatial pearl out of their satchel. Even in the dim light, the white lines on its pink surface still shone with a strange luster. The way its form seemed to simultaneously expand and retract, yet never breach the established confines the naked eye had created for it, would be enough to give a normal mon nausea.

Both of them were long used to the sight of these pearls however, so the Thievul simply tossed it to Mauve, who caught and crushed it without a glance. Power, glimmering and pink, coated her claws. The Weavile stood up, faced the wall, and closed her eyes to concentrate.

Nook studied as she raised her right claw up. Out of all of them, Mauve had the most aptitude for getting the most mileage for the power that the pearls bestowed on her. So far, Nook's power had manifested in being able to manipulate their surroundings, most notably the rotation of rooms and the alteration of their own center of gravity, although they'd be the first to admit that their execution could be...unrefined. They knew they had potential, but reaching it might involve a more thoughtful approach, and observing how one more skilled, like Mauve, used it may be a good step in reaching that potential.

If they had to suck up their pride and ask for assistance or, Arceus forbid, tutoring in how to control their power, then so be it. Let it never be said that they were above personal sacrifice.

Mauve held her claw up, eyes closed in concentration as the pink glow grew stronger. After a few moments she swung her arm down to gouge the space in front of her. A sound like torn fabric ripped through the air and set their fur on end, but the end result floated in front of them; a swirling, miasmic pool of pink and purple within the jagged confines of the portal Mauve created.

"Close enough..." she breathed out, and massaged her right claw with the other as the pink glow bled away mere seconds after. Nook didn't miss how that claw trembled slightly, but Mauve's face didn't betray a hint of discomfort.

"We found a place near the Rain Continent to touch down. The ship needed time to recharge, and we wanted a place where we could lay low."

"The Rain Continent? That's rather far. Impressive," complimented Nook. "But, just for my own curiosity, how exactly do you know when one of your portals is…close enough?"

"Just a feeling," she shrugged. Not exactly the in depth answer Nook expected, but before they could ask a follow up question, Mauve had already jumped through. Nook clicked their tongue at her curtness, but nonetheless hopped in after her. They didn't flinch at the brief moment of disorientation that came with this method of travel.

The five foot drop and subsequent splash into the ocean on the other end? That threw them off.

"MAU-*cough*-Ma-oh god I can't-"

Nook sputtered and coughed up water as they resurfaced, their legs flailing in a desperate doggy paddle to stay above water. Through the wet fur in their eyes and panicked searching for land, they only saw blue as far as their eyes could see.

Hardly a foot next to them, Mauve treaded the water easily with an unimpressed frown.

"Stop being so dramatic. I was just a little off tar-grrk!"

Nook heard her voice and lunged to wrap their arms around her. She cringed as the extra fifty-ish pounds of wet dog made it a bit harder to keep her head above the water.

"Let…go of…me," she pushed out.

"Eeek! I can't swim! Oh, my fur, my fur, salt water is horrible for my fur, damn you!"

Mauve's cries for them to calm down went unheeded as Nook continued to panic and berate her for daring to bring them in the water. It went on for so long, her legs started to get tired and she felt herself sinking lower. For a brief moment, Mauve thought the Thievul would actually drown them both before a large, scaly hand lifted her out of the water.

She latched on out of instinct, and opened her eyes to see the wide eyes of a Swampert staring down at her, large head-fins backlit by the sun. On his other arm, Nook held tight with all four limbs.

"Pads! Oh thank Arceus! Did you see? She tried to kill me!" They pointed an accusatory paw at Mauve.

"I could say the same to you." The Weavile rolled her eyes, but gave a grateful, if gentle pat on Pad's bandaged shoulder as she climbed over him to sit on his back. "What are you doing out? You need to rest your body, it's still recuperating," she said, and placed a ginger claw over the bandages wrapped around his shoulder and part of his torso, thankfully waterproof. He gave a nonchalant shrug, and she frowned.

Pads had the most swift and violent ejection from the dungeon courtesy of Xerneas' horns, requiring some prompt stabilizing and rest once they regrouped afterward. However, despite the bruising still present along his scales, his pride didn't seem too wounded from the one sided beating, nor whatever else that kept him in such good spirits. Mauve often wondered what went through the silent Swampert's head. Maybe she needed some of that, herself.

"If you think you're able, can you give us a ride to the cove?" Mauve pointed about thirty meters ahead, where a decently large island stood out amidst the ocean, one that Nook missed in their frantic searching. Dense foliage and a thick tropical canopy lay behind a beach of white sand. The tips of a rocky outcropping further beyond could be seen through the tops of the trees.

The Swampert smiled at her and nodded. With one hand, he swam over towards the island, while the other held Nook high above the water. They had stopped complaining, and instead focused on keeping their grip tight to avoid falling.

Pads glided through the water despite the added weight. The wind that rushed through their fur, combined with the warm noon sun above their heads, worked wonders in drying Mauve and Nook off. As he pulled past the beach and kited around the side of the island, Nook took the chance to glance out at the deep blue all around them, not another island in sight. A clear blue sky hung above, but if they squinted, a wall of clouds gathered at the horizon, and they could just make out the edge of the Rain Continent landmass. They'd never stepped foot there personally, but from what they understood, it boasted the densest jungle and wettest tropical environments in the world. Just the thought made them shudder; humidity and fur never mixed well.

As they swam, the rocky section of the island opened up to the mouth of a cave. Pads turned into it, which revealed a spacious beach cove nestled within. His splashes bounced off the cool rock walls as he made his way towards the shore further in.

A quick look over Pads' shoulder showed that the team had managed to guide the whole ship into this cave, nestled far back in the shadows. Nook's eyes locked on that massive piece of technology, so far beyond anything they'd ever seen that it seemed out of place, and they couldn't prevent the awe that sent chills down their spine.

Given that they spent most of their time inside the vessel, and it was often cloaked, Nook couldn't actually remember the last time they saw it unveiled in all its glory. A sleek, powerful hull shaped like a wide arrow tip rested on the ground, a ramp extended from its front that led to the inside. A coat of azure blue covered its metal surface that still gleamed even in the shade, and the right wing had an insignia emblazoned proudly on its front; a stylized shooting star shot upward, and two words were written in bold next to the vertical trail it left:

NOVA CO.

Pads finally reached the shore, and Nook abandoned their fixation on the ship in favor of hopping onto soft sand. Undignified though it may be, their fur became a blur as they shook as much excess water off as they could. Next to them, Pads didn't seem to mind the shower, but Mauve held a claw up to block the droplets with a grimace.

"Do you mind?" she grumbled when they stopped shaking. Nook settled after a few more seconds, fur a bit poofier.

"Not at all," they replied. "And I can't help but be impressed. I didn't think Boon had the delicate touch required to maneuver something this big in here."

"He doesn't," came a smooth, if exerted, voice from the right. Nook looked over, and saw Cole doing pushups with one set of arms on the sand. With the other set, he held a book up to his head that he read intently as he went up and down. A pile of books were at his side as he did his workout.

"Thankfully our Shade was able to navigate us in while boss was indisposed." The Machamp set the book down for a moment and glanced up, sending Nook a quick salute.

"Good to see you return to us, Nook."

"Same to you, Cole." Nook flicked their tail in acknowledgment. They walked closer, saw some bruisings along Cole's muscles, and winced slightly.

"It seems everyone has their share of battle scars. I'm to understand things could have gone better on your end?"

"That's an understatement. We were unprepared," he grumbled, and tsked. "Mawile aren't even supposed to move like that..."

He squinted back at his book, which Nook now saw read "Matchups and Movesets: The Comprehensive Compendium."

"Cole, now that all of us are accounted for, I wanted to have a debriefing to discuss everything that happened. Can you meet us on the deck?" asked Mauve, who walked up.

"Isn't Boon still busy? Are you sure you want to have a meeting without him?"

"I'd rather get us all up to speed as soon as possible, and give Master a possible plan of action when he has concluded his business. Plus, sitting around waiting isn't exactly what I would consider a productive use of time."

"Maybe you should take a nap instead. You look like you could use one."

Mauve folded her arms and frowned down at Cole, who continued to do push ups while holding her glare. Nook wondered how long the staredown would happen, before a large form exited the shadows from beneath one of the ship wings, and shuffled forward.

"...Should rest," whispered Vox as she approached. "No sleep in the Dungeon. Spent all night piloting the ship. You've worked hard."

"A few nights without sleep isn't the end of the world. I've been trained for worse."

"Lack of sleep will make you miss key details." She bent down and gently bumped Mauve with a horn. "...and be cranky."

"Ooh, even crankier than normal?" Nook tutted, a cheeky grin on their face. "I don't know Mauve, maybe you shouldn't take that risk- okay, okay, claws down..."

Nook backed off when Mauve took a threatening step forward with a raised claw, an unamused look on her face. She glanced at the three Pokemon around her, and her expression gradually shifted to one of frustration, before she exhaled roughly.

"Fine. I will see you all on the bridge in thirty minutes. Is that acceptable?" she ground out.

"Works for me. That's about how much longer I have on my set," replied Cole. Mauve rolled her eyes, then trudged her way up into the ship. Nook made sure she was out of earshot before they sighed in exasperation.

"My goodness, it's like putting a kit to bed. And Boon makes it look so easy..." he told Vox. She blinked and tilted her head.

"Speaking of..."

Vox turned to face Pads, who looked to be trying to tiptoe their large frame to pass behind the group silently. He froze on a dime, eyes wide.

"Who said you could leave?" her words didn't come out any louder than normal, yet even Nook took a step back from their weight. From how Pads seemed to wilt, they could only wonder as to the strength of Vox's stare.

"Inside. Now." She didn't give him any time to complain, and walked over to press her horns against the Swampert's back to firmly corral him up into the ship. Nook watched them go with a bemused smirk.

"She's been on medical duty since we got back," explained Cole, still doing push-ups. "We're not supposed to do anything strenuous, doctor's orders, but apparently Pads didn't get the memo."

"From the looks of it, neither did you."

"What, this? This is light work, just a little something to get the blood flowing while I do a little research. Now, if you excuse me." He switched which pair of arms held his book and continued with the other pair..

"641. 642. 643…"

"I'll leave you to it, then," murmured Nook, who made their way up the ramp and into the ship. They decided they'd gone long enough without a nice, proper bath, and so made a beeline for their favorite part of this ship.

Their paws pattered on the metal floor as they hurried past the main deck and into the side hallways, the ambient thrum of electronics and lines of pink light all around. They stopped in front of a sliding door, and rubbed their paws in anticipation of bliss. While they didn't understand most of the things here, they had become intimately familiar with the glorious amenities afforded in the washroom; A full 360 degree shower and bath combination with adjustable jet strength, a variety of shampoos and soaps they made sure to keep well stocked, all complete with an open air dryer that left them feeling like a new Thievul every time.

It even came with mood lighting. Sometimes they'd come in, dim the lights, light up a few scented candles they had splurged on, and imagine they were inside their own personal vista.

The only thing in between them and that sweet fantasy was the little button on the side that would cause the doors of heaven to slide right open. Nook did so, a giddy grin on their face. It died instantly when a harsh buzzing blared from the door, and a voice from inside yelled out.

"Aurum in! Occupied!" they called. At this point Nook finally registered the light sounds of water streaming from the other side.

"Aurum do not do this to me, I need this more than you!" They slammed a paw on the door's surface.

"No! This Aurum time! Self care."

Desperate, Nook pressed their full body up against the door with a whine, and weakly beat at the door to open in vain.

Meanwhile, Mauve paced a circle in her room, an agitated grimace on her face that not even the sounds of Nook's torment in the distance could alleviate. She glanced at the straw training dummy to the side, one of the few features in her otherwise spartan sleeping quarters, and glared at its well worn form. Straw and frayed rope had fallen to the floor from extensive use. Feeling defiant, she sidled up in front of it and grunted as she struck out with a roundhouse kick.

The limp impact barely ruffled it. Mauve released a frustrated sigh and rubbed a claw through her feather crest. She tried a few more strikes, but her frazzled mind rendered them uncoordinated, and she stumbled over herself more than she would ever normally allow.

One arm on the dummy, she bent over and caught her breath, winded. She closed her eyes and breathed deep.

Was she upset that her team didn't want to meet right at this moment? Not quite, and the reasonable part of her understood that they did have a point, a spot of rest would do her well. Vox wasn't exaggerating, she hadn't stopped to sleep, even during the night cycle in the Dungeon, instead opting to keep on the move.

No, in truth her agitation stemmed from a variety of factors, not the least of which being their defeat. The amount of things that came out of nowhere were almost too much to list, and gave her a headache just to think about. More than that, this entire operation had been a year in the making. All the preparation, training, and patience was supposed to lead up to knocking down the one pivotal domino that would cause everything else to fall into place, giving their team the momentum necessary to complete their mission.

But now? With the Leyline paused, who knew when the next opportunity would be? For all they knew, they could be waiting months for another Keystone to appear, it's not like they exactly had a rulebook for how all of this Aether manipulation played out on a global scale. This setback could be massive, and at the heart of this whole mess was the infuriating, troublesome, frustratingly laid-back, impossible variable that was Lumi.

The Meowstic's wide smile flashed in her head and she groaned. Damn it. His face had invaded her mind since the incident more times than she would admit to anyone, and no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't get him out of her head. He was just so...so...!

"You...UGH!" a warbly yell escaped her lips and she started to smack the dummy's head with the palm of her claws, imagining his smug little face on it.

"You dumb!" Smack. "Stupid!" Smack. "Dummy!" Smack. "Idiot!" Smack. "Smartass!" Smack. "Annoying!" Smack. "Cute!" Smack. "Dumb!" Smack. "Reckless!" Smack. "Soft!" Smack. "Little!" Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack...Smack...Smack.

Her eyes started to get heavy, but her imagination continued to run rampant with images of the fight they should have had. The next time she saw him, she'd make sure she'd claw his stupid...

...Well, maybe not his face. That would mean he couldn't flash that stupid grin of his at her anymore. No, she would wrap her arms around him and...squeeze him until he almost choked and tapped out and...then they would...

Some unknown time later, Mauve heard a harsh knocking sound that interrupted her snoring. She gradually blinked her eyes open, wiped the drool off her face, and realized she had somehow ended up on the ground, legs and arms wrapped around the training dummy.

Right before she could comprehend how she got in this position, she heard her door slide open, and turned to see Cole in her doorway, two arms raised in a frozen greeting and mouth wide open.

They stared at each other for a hot minute until the Machamp awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Erm...um, you didn't answer your door for a while, so I..." he shuffled his feet and pointed to the side. "We're...everyone is on the deck for that meeting you talked about so you can..."

With gravid slowness, Mauve extracted herself from the fallen dummy and pushed herself to her feet, not once breaking eye contact with Cole. His eyes widened, arms a blur as he not-so-subtly smashed a button on the side of the door before it closed shut.

"R-right! Yes, so just take your time, we'll go on your lead, er, no rush, really! I didn't see anything, don't worry about it..."

His voice faded away. By the rapid stomps of his footsteps he seemed to do so with great speed. Mauve shambled towards the door like a lost specter before she slammed her forehead against it and stayed there.

"...What is wrong with me?" she murmured. No answers came to her despite her best wishes, so she settled for slapping her best brooding frown on her face to deter anyone from thinking she was anything other than composed. She took a few moments to mentally prepare herself, then stepped out into the hall to make a beeline for the deck, back rigid.

Her team sat on cushions around the map table, a hologram of the world already projected on its surface. Each of them (except for Cole) glanced her way as she approached, and she took her spot at the head of the table. She bowed her head a bit once she got comfortable.

"Apologies for being late," she said. "I overslept."

"No worries at all. Everyone was just filling me in on all that transpired at Hollow Garden while we waited," replied Nook. "Terrible luck, really. Truly a shame." They waved a lackadaisical paw, but then leaned forward with a devious grin on their face.

"Now, tell me all the juicy details of these mysterious bodyguards that had our unflappable boss freak out. I'm just dying to know!"

"Before we get into any of that," said Cole with a raised brow. "I think we should focus on the most pertinent issue. Namely, the consequences of a Leyline being paused as opposed to destabilized, as was the original goal. And what that means for us in the meantime.

"To start things off, I suppose we should begin with a breakdown of what exactly happened," he continued, and looked between the table at Mauve and Vox. "Most of us weren't exactly there to witness what that Absol apprentice did to the Keystone, on account of getting KO'd early. I know we've heard bits and pieces, but I think it would be helpful for the group if you two could tell us what actually went down."

Mauve nodded, appreciative of Cole's ability to stay on task and mediate. She opened her mouth to respond, but to everyone's surprise, Vox beat her to it. Her low voice held an ominous weight.

"Xerneas itself held our quarry. The Keystone, it's terrible, pulsating burden, burst from its flesh in the final moments, cradled in branches of bone. Undeniably the source of its madness, its pain quelled at the Meowstic's touch, until its face became frozen in tranquility. The surroundings followed suit, overtaken by a tidal wave of nothing, color and form rendered moot, little more than stone. Mauve, Boon, and I absconded before the encroaching petrification entombed us all.

"In short, I believe he left that place even more hollow than we found it," she finished, eyes squinted in thoughtfulness.

The table became silent as her words hung in the air, everyone doing their best to parse through everything she said. Across from her, all of the Aurum platoon blinked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"Aurum does not understand your pretty words." All six of them looked at Mauve. "Speak!"

"It's as Vox said. It turns out that the Keystone was inside of Xerneas. Meowstic got a hold of it, then seemed to freeze Xerneas and everything around it in a stony gray. And the whole situation gives us a few things to think about," she said, claw to her chin in thought. "Namely, perhaps we can assume that each Leyline, in addition to being much more involved than a typical Dungeon, also houses a Legendary guarding its Keystone in a similar manner. We'll have to be prepared for this scenario moving forward."

Nook raised one of their paws with a concerned look on their face.

"If I might interject, how exactly are we to prepare to fight Legendaries? I can't help but feel that we are understating a massive point in this whole operation, I mean, this makes our goal exponentially more difficult!" they put a paw to their head, eyes wide. "That's not even considering the obvious question of why Legendaries have these blasted stones in them to begin with! From the way you talk about it, it sounds like it was sustaining Xerneas in some way, or perhaps Xerneas was sustaining it...in any case, do we actually know what the consequences are to the Legendary in question should we mess with those stones?"

"Consequences, what do you mean?" Mauve folded her arms, gaze sharpened as Nook tried to find their words.

"If Meowstic pausing a Keystone...petrified Xerneas you say? Then who's to say that one of us breaking one wouldn't just kill the Legendary altogether? Do we even know the ramifications of such a thing? I didn't exactly sign up to be responsible for the death of a force of nature."

"You're worried about the consequences now? When we've already come this far?" asked Mauve. "How do we prepare for a Legendary? We train. Simple. And what's with the sudden sympathy? it's not like it was in a state to do anything other than try to eradicate us anyway. It was hardly the Xerneas we learned about in stories, it was just a brainless monster. We would probably be doing the world a favor in getting rid of it anyway. Mew knows what happened when the last powerful Legendary went insane."

"This is untrue," cut in Vox. "There was a glimmer of thought left, remember? The Spinda, she was able to speak with it, even convince it to lay down its guard."

"Yes, and she did so at great risk to herself and everyone around her. We can't risk sympathy clouding our better judgment, especially in a fight like that. Our Master made it clear that we would need to take drastic measures in order to save this world from itself, and if that means the Legendaries need to fall by our actions, then that's what needs to happen."

"Ah, of course. I'm sure it was very easy for you to arrive at that conclusion," Nook scoffed and looked at her with a scorn that she had never seen from them before. It made her narrow her eyes defensively.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I shouldn't be surprised that the Shade here wouldn't have any qualms about taking the life of another," shot back Nook. "You'll have to forgive me for at least considering to maintain what little self-respect I've managed to cultivate, even as an outlaw."

"Nook..." Cole warned, but Mauve barely heard it. Her breath hitched as everyone's eyes on her made her heart rate quicken.

"I...I haven't-" she slammed her claws on the table and shot up. "I won't hear any of it Nook! Don't try to twist what I'm saying into something that it isn't. I'm just trying to-"

"I believe you were very clear with what you just said!" Nook matched her, teeth bared. "And unlike you, I'm actually trying to help us think things through. If Legendaries are fair game, who else are we willing to end in the name of saving this world, hmm? Do you want to start killing Haxorous guildies if they make things difficult? Perhaps now we should consider offing other outlaws if they get in the way. Hell, maybe we should have just slit the throats of those Absol apprentices once we found their location instead of going through the trouble of just getting them arrested.

"That would have been so much easier for you, wouldn't it?"

"That's not-I'm not saying any of that!"

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm just trying to keep things realistic! We can't just stop now."

"And I'm trying to make sure you're thinking as our teammate, and not as a murderer!"

"Both of you sit down!"

Cole slammed all four of his arms on the table and stared hard at both of them.

"We have gotten way off topic!" The Machamp shook his head and turned to Nook with a withering glare.

"Nook, where is this coming from? You've been good with Mauve this whole time, so what's with the attack?"

"I'm not attacking her. It's just…w-well, you know!"

"Yes. I know. We all know." Cole gestured out to the rest of the table, where each person averted their eyes to the ground. Mauve pursed her lips and stared at her claws.

"At the very least, we all know someone who knows someone who suddenly disappeared by what could only have been a Shade. It's not exactly a secret, and if that happened to you, then that's your business to work through.

"But you can't let that impact how you see Mauve, who in case you forgot, had been with us for the better part of two years and has managed to resist the urge to strangle you to death, despite your attempts at making that sound really tempting. So please, for the sake of all of us here, do not attack the wrong people."

Nook opened and closed their mouth a few times, but eventually leaned back and threw their paws up to yield, ears folded back and head lowered.

They yipped when one of the Aurum platoon turned to kick them in a leg.

"Apologize!"

"…Sorry," they bit out, rubbing their leg, both due to pain and contrition.

"It's fine. I get it." Mauve replied, hoping to keep the dejection out of her voice. While perhaps unwarranted, Nook's words were founded on a kernel of truth, and caused some unwanted feelings to surface at the reminder of her origins.

"And Mauve." Cole brought her back to focus. "The Legendaries are a problem, but let's not get ahead of ourselves by focusing on fighting them right now. That's later down the line, and we're currently in phase negative one of our plans."

"Right. Of course," she said after a deep breath. "So, do you have any suggestions for what we should do in the meantime while we wait for another Dungeon to destabilize?"

Cole nodded and gestured to Pads. The Swampert pressed a few buttons on the console, causing the projection to zoom in on the four continents. A few more button presses and red dots appeared on various parts of the world. Cole leaned over and pointed at them.

"I suggest that if we can't assist with the world's Aether situation, then we can make ourselves useful by learning more about whatever Queen has got planned. Pads and I noted some strange movements while we were scouting out the Bright Continent Borderlands while preparing for our mission. We marked the ones we saw, but knowing Queen's reach, it's possible that more could be going on around the world."

"So the queen prepares her move? Might her ambition be tempered by recent events?" Vox pondered for a moment. "Hampering her plans would go a long way to mitigating a malicious third party from taking advantage of the chaos we might cause with the Dungeons."

Cole nodded in agreement. "That's the idea. We knew going into this that breaking Keystones would cause the world some grief. There's no avoiding that, but we can at least try and stop those who would take advantage of it further. Maybe do some good while we wait."

Doing good. Right. No matter what, they only ever meant to do good. Mauve could still do that, even despite herself.

At least, she really wanted to believe that. Aurum spoke up next.

"Oh, Aurum sees! This good. We're not only ones upset with what happened with Keystone." the Aurum platoon chuckled. "If Aurum is Queen, Aurum rely on Aether spread as cover for nasty plans. If Aether paused, would need to rethink plans. Gives us chance to see what she does, and fight! Aurum like plan. Remind of when we all first work together."

"But maybe with a better strategy than what we did when we were first starting together." Nook chimed in.

"How do you mean?" asked Vox.

"The stray outlaws in dungeons were good targets when we were learning how to coordinate and use our powers, but that may not be what an operation of this scale needs," they said. When they had everyone's attention, they cleared their throat and continued.

"If the boss accepts it, then I think the best course of action would be to get in touch with any contacts still willing to speak with us, and keep our eyes and ears pinned for any hint of supplies or Poké. The main way Queen exerts her influence is by strategically incentivizing outlaws to do what she wants, so if we follow the candy trail, it should enlighten us as to her motives."

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement at their words. Nook glanced across at Mauve, a careful look on their face.

"And what do you think?" they asked. Mauve crossed her arms and sat back.

"...I support it. Keep going."

She stayed silent as the rest of them hashed out a plan of action, not feeling the need to speak up.

---

The dream manifested from the mishmash soup of Boon's mind, but things were different.

Dark, roiling clouds churned above. Thunder rumbled and clapped within them, threatening to unleash a deluge onto the rocky, uneven ground below, instead of the serene plainlands from before. Rough wind howled through mountains and pieces from unstable pillars of stone crashed to the ground below.

Boon saw the crossroads sign in the distance, unbending and firm despite the chaos around it, and walked forward. The ground quaked at his every step, but he paid it no heed.

He had something to discuss with his patron. Something long overdue.

As he approached, a spot next to the sign grew a shade darker, until Darkrai materialized next to it. His one eye locked onto Boon with a delighted gleam, and he glanced around at the dismal surroundings like a child in a candy store.

"My my...what have we here?" purred Darkrai as he got close."I sensed something was amiss, but this?"

Darkrai pushed off the sign and floated towards Boon, who laid a talon on his hip. His tail beat the ground once in agitation.

"This should prove interesting," he finished. Boon resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Need to talk to her. Set it up?" he asked, the usual levity absent from his voice. Darkrai's eye sparkled once more, and he started to float around Boon, an appraising glint in his eye, like one who would scrutinize a fine meal.

"Curt speech. Rigid posture. Antsy claws. And...what's this?" A puff of smoke, and he popped in Boon's face a second later. Darkrai gasped like he'd struck gold.

"I don't think I've ever seen such turmoil in your eyes before. Something troubling you, Beloved One?" If Darkrai had a visible mouth, it would be a wide, cheshire grin based on how much his eye squinted. The Mythical gestured out to the rest of the dreamscape.

"Mayhaps you're feeling a bit under the weather?"

A humorless, angry sound poorly veiled as a laugh left Boon's mouth, and he pinched the bridge of his snout.

"Darkrai. Buddy..."

"Yours is such a resilient mind as well, bolstered by your sense of duty and purpose. Truly, what could possibly trouble you so? Unless..."

His smoky form materialized right next to Boon's ear, and whispered:

"Meet any old friends, perha-?"

Boon's claw clamped around the area that would be Darkrai's throat. He wrenched him backward and, in half a second, slammed him into the side of a cliff a mile away with enough force to embed him within, not even bothering with a snap to teleport. Lightning struck when he impacted. The land trembled as he growled.

"Shut up," snarled Boon. Purple danced at the tips of his talons as he bore his full weight against Darkrai. "Take me to her now."

"Hah! Hahahahaha!" Despite his position, Darkrai howled with laughter. "Yes! A revelation encroaches upon you! A proper response to a truth long buried. Closer, closer now!"

Boom bared his fangs, nowhere near in the mood for any of Darkrai's word games.

"If you know something, SAY IT!" he roared. Darkrai chuckled again, then dissipated like smoke from his grip. Boon cursed loudly and pushed off the wall to enter freefall. In anger, he swung out with his claw. A blade of spatial energy sliced forward to rend the cliff face and the space around it in two. The air shattered as an entire section of the cliff slid down to crash on the ground. He threw his wings out at the last possible moment to land heavily on the rubble.

He glanced around to look for Darkrai for a moment, before a dark presence made him look up. Darkrai floated above him, and idly tossed a dark ball of energy back and forth between his hands. Boon narrowed his eyes at him to no effect.

"You are fortunate. She slumbers in anticipation for you. Will you rage at your dear mother, I wonder?"

"Hey buddy? Shut up."

Darkrai released one last throaty chuckle, before he smashed the dark ball in his hands. The energy pulsed throughout the dreamscape and started to change the surroundings. The rocks and mountains began to recede from view, thunderous clouds dissipating overhead, and soon most of the ground began to disappear.

His dream started to meld with his patron's, and their domain began to take shape.

A starry void started to fill in most of the empty space below and around him, with only intermittent chunks of floating rocks to be used as platforms. Purple light streamed from what looked like multicolored rifts in space that shimmered as asteroids and shooting stars zoomed in and out of them. The tall, rocky cliffs began to warp their form around them. They thinned and stretched like dough, before solidifying to create long, interlocking frames that slowly rotated all around him. It was like being inside of a celestial globe.

Speaking of globes, if he squinted out into the vast space out in the distance, he could even make out planets, like small marbles that drifted along a tapestry of stars.

Of course, he'd been here enough times to get used to the way their dream manifested. Instead of these fantastic sights, Boon looked ahead at the massive draconic figure, more than four times his height, who stood on a central floating stone. Great white claws hung limp at its side, and its long neck hung low. Two circular pauldrons attached to its shoulders, inlaid with large, dull-pink pearls, rose in tandem with every mighty breath the creature took.

The pauldrons shook as the breath got interrupted by a snore.

Boon rolled his eyes and clapped his claws together. Every time, he swore...

"Alright Palkia, rise and shine."

Palkia's rhythmic breathing hitched as the sound snapped throughout the space. Its massive tail swished behind it, and the pink pearls in the pauldrons, along with the pink lines on its claws, gradually lit up with brilliance. Shining fuschia eyes blinked open from behind protective tusks, and that long neck rose up to release a yawn that made the very air quake from its reverberations.

When Palkia had shaken off the lingering traces of slumber, it rose up to its full height, and floated a few meters off the ground. Boon stopped his approach when its eyes locked onto him with full intensity, shimmering wild and violet.

The strength of its gaze softened for a brief moment as it beheld him, but sharpened once again. It snapped its head to some point up, towards one of the myriad floating rocks all around them. It's jaw opened as if to growl, yet a guttural sound of displeasure seemed to emanate from all around him instead.

It spoke.

Reveal yourself, Shadow.

An interweave of masculine and feminine tones resounded from Palkia, but the higher pitch of the feminine eked out a bit more. A few seconds passed in silence before Boon saw Darkrai's white head peek out from a rock up above.

Boon groaned and shook his fist up at the shadow.

"Darkrai, you're gettin' on my last nerve. Since when do you think you can spy on us for some free entertainment?"

Darkrai floated away from the rock, arms held up in surrender as he came down. Palkia's gaze weighed heavy on him, even as he alighted on the rock Boon stood on and dropped to some approximation of a kneel.

"A thousand pardons, my Lady. It was never my intention to intrude, I was merely on standby to ensure the strength of the connection of your dreams. I know how much you enjoy speaking with your Bonded, so it would be a shame to-"

"More than vain flattery, attempts to hide in my presence are a great offense to me, Darkrai. Or do you believe yourself to be..."

Palkia held out a claw and idly clenched their fist. Immediately, the space between the rock Boon stood on and Palkia's disappeared, and in half a second, Darkrai now stood only a few feet away. He wilted as Palkia leaned their head down, close enough for their breath to make his form billow.

"...out of my reach?" Displeasure dripped from Palkia's sonorous voice.

Darkrai started to stumble out some sort of apology, and Boon couldn't hold the throaty chuckle at the Mythical's plight. It wasn't often that he got put in his place, so he relished in his discomfort while he could.

"The terms of our agreement are that you enable completely untraceable communication between me and my Bonded. In exchange, not only do we guarantee an increase in nightmares across the world by virtue of our actions, but we will also work towards alleviating your counterpart of her burden and returning her back to you.

"Remind me, where in that agreement did it outline that you would be privy to our conversations?" continued Palkia. When Darkrai failed to utter a response, they waved another claw. This time, a pink bubble materialized around Darkrai, sturdy enough that when it jerked upwards, he was sent tumbling around inside.

At the same time, Palkia lifted a claw digit, and one of the many portals that spewed out spatial debris rose from its position and moved so its entrance sat directly next to the bubble. Darkrai looked at it in extreme discomfort.

"S-surely this isn't necessary..."

"Let this be a reminder that though you may have mastery over dreams, you do not rule the dreamer's will. My will is my own."

Palkia clenched their fist. Their pearls began to glow.

"I will not give it up again."

The spatial portal surged forward and swallowed the orb that contained Darkrai whole, guided by a gentle claw movement from Palkia. Boon watched as the rift began to shrink in on itself, becoming no more than the size of a ring one would wear on a finger or claw. Sure enough, the tiny rift rose in the air and zoomed towards Palkia's outstretched claw to hang around one of its digits.

Boon crossed his arms and whistled, a grin on his face.

"Something tells me he got the message," he said, and rubbed the back of his head. "Seriously, that guy doesn't know when to leave well enough alone sometimes."

"It is in its nature to goad and prod. All in the name of arriving at one's truth." Palkia floated further and twisted on their back. As if carried by an unseen current, Palkia coasted down from their platform to hover only a few paces from Boon. They looked at him in interest as they idly twirled the spatial rift around a digit.

"I don't begrudge the shadow, or else I wouldn't have enlisted his services. However I won't tolerate infractions on our conversations."

Their large, magenta eyes squinted in something akin to smug satisfaction.

"Floating in an asteroid field a thousand miles from here should serve as a suitable timeout, until we are finished. Maybe that will teach him a lesson."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

A windy sound, like wheezing brass instruments, left Palkia's mouth. Their version of a laugh. The sight of Palkia slowly drifting on their back, smiling with their large and imposing body relaxed in this surreal space, almost made Boon forget his earlier consternation. He quickly spun around and put his claws on his hips to put on a show of being entranced by the surroundings.

"You know I gotta be honest. I always get a little jealous when we have these chats. Your dreams blow mine out the water. They're never this interesting." He looked out past the rotating frames above into the stars.

"Not to mention the view."

"I find it a bit uninspired, if I'm honest. The breadth and depth of existence as it is resides within my mind, so what you see is what simply is. But..."

Palkia drifted back into view. Their eyes never left him as their body slowly encircled his own.

"You did not come here to talk about the view. It's not like you to beat around the bush, beloved."

"Yeah, well. It ain't exactly easy to be the bearer of bad news, you know? I got alot to report, and not alot of it good," he said. A deep hum vibrated from Palkia, but they stayed silent, eyes expectant. Boon sighed and massaged his forehead.

"Well, long story short, we fucked up. A whole lotta unexpected variables popped up, and we weren't able to destroy the Leyline's Keystone. So the plan is on hold for a little bit."

"Do you mind elaborating on what kinds of unexpected variables could have caused you so much trouble? You're rather proficient at dealing with those."

"How about the part where Xerneas wasn't asleep like you said she'd be?"

Palkia stopped dead in their tracks, expression blank.

"...Oh."

"Bringer of Life my ass. She was out for blood." Boon rubbed his eyes and groaned. "And now I feel like a prick for not giving my team any heads up that I knew there would be a Legendary waiting for us."

"You were operating under information I gave you. It would be difficult to convince anyone to follow you if they were aware you planned to come into contact with any of the higher Legendaries, indisposed or not."

Boon blinked. Palkia no longer floated serenely around him, but instead stood in the air about thirty meters away, claw pressed under their chin in thought.

"But, apparently I overestimated how long we had before the ones assigned to the Leylines gave way to their madness. They were supposed to be in suspended hibernation during this time. How unfortunate..."

"Well, let's be honest, maybe we shoulda seen this coming. I mean, if you managed to lose it, it's really only a matter of time before everyone else cracks too, right?"

Boon snapped his talon and teleported to lean on Palkia's shoulder.

"Which I guess begs the question, how've they managed to hold out even this long, huh?"

Palkia released an agitated rumble. They drifted past the surrounding collection of rocks and out into the greater void, stars and asteroids all around them. Boon hung tight, but studied the contemplative look on their face.

"…Did…did she say anything? When you encountered her?" they asked.

"Besides all the angry yelling? Mostly just shouts for us to get out. Little hard to have a conversation when someone's trying to destroy you," he said. "But, from what I could make out, every word hurt just to say. Hurt, and hopeless."

"Oh…Xerneas…" The strength in their voice warbled and waned. Boon felt their shoulders shake, and he slid off to drift in front of Palkia.

He'd come here ready to confront Palkia over a few burning questions, but whatever frustration he'd been trying to harbor wavered at the sight of their large, seemingly invincible body trembling with their claws over their eyes.

Tears started to float aimlessly around them, and Boon tilted forward to put his claws on theirs.

"Hey…" he murmured, and gently pulled their claws away. The Palkia that looked back at him seemed much more vulnerable than just a few minutes ago, and they released a deep, heavy sigh.

"Hopeless…but I don't blame her. I don't blame any of them," they whispered. Their large claws held onto Boon's.

"They lasted this long because they had hope. They had hope in me, and my solution with the Keystones. That if we just endured long enough, we would find a true answer to the Distortion that has plagued the world for so long…and yet I was the first to give in to hopelessness…"

"C'mon, don't be too hard on yourself," said Boon with an encouraging smile. "You've said before, all this Aether stuff has basically had you working overtime for the past millennia."

"While it is true that the alternate realms created by channeled Distortion puts undue strain on spatial boundaries, it is no excuse. Maintaining the boundaries of reality is my duty, dear one, yet in the face of a potential eternity of what seemed like endless toil, I faltered and almost doomed this world to a calamity. But…"

Palkia's claw lifted to cup the underside of Boon's chin. They bumped their forehead with his, and the vibrations of her contented purr made him close his eyes in bliss.

"You saved me from that hopelessness, my Boon. And now you can save the rest of our kin, trapped in their Dungeons, and in the process rid the world of Distortion once and for all. I am confident that, once you recover, you will be able to return to Xerneas and alleviate her burden."

His eyes snapped open. The bliss went away.

"Uh, yeah that ain't gonna happen."

"...What?"

"So there's this kid right? Meowstic, works for Absol's, you know the research guild? Well turns out, this guy has the power to pause Keystones. Like, completely stop 'em cold and halt any Aether they give off. I saw him do it once and set up his guild to take a fall, but he still managed to catch up to us in Hollow Garden. In all the chaos, he got the upper hand for a split second and, well..."

"You're saying someone froze the-" Palkia blinked and shook their head. "But, what of Xerneas, then?"

"Still as a statue. Along with the whole rest of the Dungeon." Boon chuckled and rubbed his chin. "Even the kid himself looked surprised when it happened...wait, but that's got me thinking. Say we did manage to destroy the Leyline. What would have happened to Xerneas? Would she have been fine after a little r&r, or is your idea of alleviating burdens a little more extreme?"

"Does the construct beget the concept, or the other way around? As long as life remains, so too would Xerneas, or any of the other higher legendaries for that matter. Destroying their Keystones would result in the destruction of their bodies, having been intractably linked to them, but they would reform in time," explained Palkia, who soon returned to thinking.

"Now how could a mortal...unless..." Palkia seemed to grimace and floated backward. Their pensive expression contorted into frustration, and a low growl rumbled from their chest. Boon caught how the space around Palkia seemed to ripple as if in response to their growing agitation. He decided floating back a few feet wouldn't hurt.

"This Meowstic. Apart from his abilities, did you notice anything... strange, about them?" Gravity had returned to Palkia's words, along with a piercing glare that only gave a glimpse into the storm within.

"Now that you mention it, I did see that his eyes would change sometimes. Would switch to a cool blue whenever he would pause something. Actually, I've been thinking for a while that the kid felt a little too odd to just be a coincidence. You don't think he could be another Bonded, could y-"

DAMN IT!

The force of Palkia's roar sent Boon tumbling backward. All of space spun around him as a cacophonous sound slammed into his body. He tucked his wings tight around himself, teeth clenched, yet the sound of glass shattering still penetrated deep into his core. After a few moments of incessant ringing in his skull, the Noivern tepidly opened his wings to look out.

He'd been sent hurtling at least half a mile away from Palkia, who floated in the void with their arms and legs fully extended. Pink lines like scars had been torn into the space around them, and Boon couldn't tell if the way the planets, stars, and asteroids vibrated was their doing, or because his head was still ringing.

Either way, that wasn't exactly the reaction he expected out of them.

"Woah!" he exclaimed, and snapped over to close the distance. He held an arm out towards it, not quite keen on losing a limb to some spatial outlash, even if this was just a dream.

"Calm! Down! God damn big momma, it can't be that serious, can it?"

"What...what could they possibly be planning!?" Palkia growled in exasperation at nothing in particular. The grating sound of their claws against the sides of their head made Boon wince. "They don't act, there's only one scenario where they would ever deign to do anything, but it's much too early for...and a Bonded no less?"

"You mind slowing down and explaining who 'they' is?" Boon closed the distance again once he was sure Palkia wouldn't shred the immediate space around them to pieces. A very undignified huff left their mouth at his question.

"My counterpart Dialga has seen fit to break his eternal policy of voluntary inaction. If I did not know better, I would say it is doing it purely to spite me, but that would imply it cared. No, if things are as you say, then it would rather petrify the whole world than find any meaningful alternative to its current plight. And because it has employed the use of its Bonded, that makes our goal of untethering the world of Distortion that much more difficult…"

They growled one more time, and fixed Boon with a powerful stare.

"The key to ridding this world of its Distortion lies behind a mire of tangled roots. The only way to open the door is to disrupt the hold the Keystones have on the world, do you understand Boon? This Bonded cannot be allowed to continue."

"I already set it up to where he won't be a problem. If his guild does get jailed, I don't anticipate them getting free reign anytime soon. Or…" Boon cocked his head to the side and studied Palkia.

"Are you thinking of a more permanent solution?"

"If we were up against just any mortal, I would tell you to do what must be done, however there are certain nuances when dealing with the Bonded of Legendaries. Any slight you make against them is a slight against their Legendary, which sanctions certain acts of retribution when normally we are bound by rules. If you were to slay this Bonded, that would be akin to a declaration of war against one of the few creatures in existence that pose a threat to me. And neither I nor the world are in a state to contend with such a wrath.

"No, unfortunately the situation is delicate. You'll have to outsmart and out maneuver this Bonded and his forces if you are to-"

A round of laughter interrupted Palkia. Boon held a claw to his chest as he fought down the chuckles that bubbled up.

"Hah! heh…Sorry, it's just…" He cleared his throat. "Look, the kid's a little clever, I'll give him that, but him and his little team barely know their left from their right. I would say there's only one reason why he even got as far as he did in that Dungeon. And uh…"

He looked out into the greater void and folded his wings against himself.

"That 'reason' is somethin' else I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What is it?" asked Palkia. Boon breathed in deep and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"…What's my name, Palkia?"

"What an odd question. Your name is Boon."

"Yeah? That the name my parents gave me?"

"It is the name I gave you." Palkia's rigid stance started to loosen, and they dove forward to glide towards him as if through water.

He turned his back on them as they approached.

"...You know what I'm getting at," he murmured, inner turmoil beginning to rise. "There's something you're not telling me."

Palkia drifted from behind to float in front of him, and used two claw digits to raise his chin to face them. The look on their face just confused him more. He expected, almost wanted there to be some kind of deception, or dismissal of his concerns. It would have made this whole thing with 'Lucent' much more straightforward, if they kept it from him out of some kind of malice.

Yet somehow their face showed something even worse that made his stomach churn:

Patience.

"I've told you what pertains to you, and left the rest with the dead. In oblivion, where it belongs."

"What...what the hell does that mean?" he blurted. "I-Lucent! Who the hell is that, huh!?"

"The name of someone who is no longer with us." The words hit him like a punch to the gut, despite their gentle speech.

"But I saw them! I saw them, damn it! Clement and...and Opal! They said they know me!"

Surprise painted Palkia's features, but it soon retreated into pity as a low croon left their mouth. Boon jolted as their arms actually wrapped around his form to pull him in close against their front.

"I had not thought your paths would ever cross again. If this is the case, then I apologize, my beloved. I had hoped to spare all of you that pain."

"I don't-No!" he yelled, and teleported out of their grasp. He pointed at them in anger. "Why the hell didn't I know? You never told me about them or...Palkia I could have gone to them and-"

"You do not know them," they said. At a flash, Boon recalled those fleeting impressions he got from looking at Clement's earnest face. The vague familiarity from witnessing Opal kick ass. He reared up and raised his voice.

"That's a lie! I...I remember them!"

"Then tell me, dearest. What do you remember? In detail." Boon hated how Palkia's tone sounded like how a parent would speak to their child, as if they already knew the answer and was just waiting for him to arrive at the same conclusion. He balled his claws into fists as he dredged up everything he could from his mind.

"I remember that Clement is...was my...friend. We fought outlaws together, and..." He took a second to think harder. "...Opal is really fierce and was with us...too?"

"Good, dearest. What else?" asked Palkia. The question made him blink. "Can you recall any places you've been? Can you tell me a warm memory you have? A secret you may have shared?"

"I uh...gimmie a sec, I can..."

"Can you remember the first outlaw you faced together? What were some of their hobbies? Tell me a time where they lifted you up when you were weak, and you did the same for them. Can you tell me these things or anything like them?"

Every question they asked dug just a little deeper, and they did so with a growing pain to own its voice. Palkia came closer and looked at him with a true plea to recall, as if they too wished desperately if he could bring forth a tangible memory.

But...he just floated there. Nothing came. Just faces and names.

"I don't..." he closed his eyes, claws clawed at his forehead. "H-hang on, just..."

"Please, listen to me," said Palkia. "You struggle because you reach for things that aren't there. Those memories are gone. Destroyed. A final sacrifice you made when you saved me. Do you understand?

"There is nothing of that life you lived because you gave it up, your body broken and scattered across the expanse of dimensions. Through the strength of my Bond with you, it was all I could to locate and reclaim what lingering remnants there were, and to have your body and mind repaired. All that remains of that life are mere traces, a final testament to my failure to reclaim all of you. And I am sorry."

"But-"

"I can see the grief my words cause you, but please understand. Can you imagine the heartache of seeing someone you believed dead, only for them to not truly remember you? To be in arms reach of someone you used to know, but at one look in their eyes, realize that you can never have them back again? I did not return you to your past life because it is not yours. Not anymore. For everyone involved, it would be easier to treat the past like it ended, rather than to keep the pain of loss fresh every time you looked at each other."

Boon stared at nothing as Palkia's words washed over him. Their explanation made sense; he couldn't deny how much it hurt just being near those two. But their words stung more and only heightened the sense of loss he'd had since the Dungeon.

A picture of what could have been flashed through his mind and made his blood boil.

"I hear what you're saying, but that still ain't for you to decide! That was my life. If anyone is gonna decide whether I go through pain or not, it should be me. Besides, I still got some memories, right? I'm sure if I at least go somewhere familiar, it'll jog my noggin. I don't know how many years I lost, but there's gotta be more in here somewhere," he said, and knocked on his own head for emphasis.

"I never wanted to burden you further, both for your own sake, and for your charged duty. However," they said right as Boon opened his mouth. "I will not deny you this, if this is the choice you make. The full measure of reality is laid bare in my dream. Anywhere you desire I can take you, right at this moment. Do you have a location in mind?"

"Yeah! Yeah just uh, let me think..." he murmured. Palkia allowed him a few moments to ponder, before they held out a claw.

"How about a beach?"

Boon looked at their offered claw, a bit confused by the suggestion, but took it anyway. The void of space blurred around them. A split second later, his feet touched soft sand, and he looked up to see calm waves lap at a beach shore and water tinged orange by the dusk sun.

Palkia's form cast a shadow over him as they looked down in curiosity. Boon stepped away from them. Large bubbles floated over the water, and he followed their trail to a group of dream Krabby who blew them out. The way the sun glimmered off their surface over the sparkling water, and the sound of the wind and waves, enraptured him in its beauty.

Try as he might though, he couldn't draw any significance from this place.

"It's...nice," he murmured, and glanced back. "A good vacation spot, for sure. But I'm not sure why you brought me here."

Palkia released a low, contemplative sound, and closed their eyes for a moment. The Noivern got the distinct impression he may have missed something.

"...Another location, then," they said. "In my physical form, I am not recovered enough to visit this place again, however here it should be a different matter."

"What do you-"

The world blurred again. Endless noise and bright lights assaulted his senses and rendered him speeches.

Boon stood stock still with his mouth open as the sensory overload short circuited his brain. The first thing that stood out to him in this new environment were the tall, concrete buildings that reached up towards the night sky, their surfaces covered in windows. They looked similar to the commercial districts of Lumbell City, but on overdrive. Billboards and signs with moving pictures exploded with color, and what looked like words in another language entirely flashed over the screens.

"What the-hey, watch it!" he yelled and jumped back as a figure phased straight through his body.

Its appearance instantly confused him.

It looked like a cross between an emaciated Machamp and a hairless Infernape, wearing more clothing than he would ever see on a Pokemon. As he turned in a circle, he could swear there were hundreds of these creatures wherever he looked; on the street, inside side buildings and stores, riding in those strange carriage devices in the middle of the road. The air filled with the unintelligible babble of a million voices in a tongue he couldn't even begin to understand, made worse by his large ears that amplified everything.

"Times Square. New York. At least, I believe that is the correct pronunciation, from what I could gather."

Palkia's sonorous voice rang out amidst the clamor. Boon glanced up at them, still slack jawed. The sight of the Spatial Legendary leaned up on the side of the nearest building, looking around at the brand new reality like it was just a Tuesday, while creatures he had never seen walked right past them like they didn't exist was a little much, even for him.

Palkia caught his eye, and they seemed to perk up, as if excited to share this with him.

"A fascinating universe this is. Older than ours, in fact. Much older. I discovered it some millenia or so ago, and became enraptured first with its dimensional properties, and then later with how volatile the creatures who call this place home can be," they said in a wistful tone.

"Perhaps I should dream of this place more often. The sights of this world are something to behold."

"I…uh…what the fu…" words continued to fail him, so he just pointed at the nearest creature that strolled past.

"These are humans. This is their world, the one that you came from before I brought you to ours. Long ago, you had a form like these ones, before you were reborn and given the form of the Noibat you began as."

Boon watched as a group of humans sat at what looked like a bar counter, and threw back drinks while laughing. He observed their different clothing, and it fascinated him how different each of them looked even without things like tails, fur, or anything else.

"…Was I hot?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Palkia's chest heaved with a tinkling laugh.

"You tell me. Does any of this feel familiar to you?"

"I don't think I can feel much of anything right now and-wait a damn minute…"

Boon narrowed his eyes on one human who wore a hat that seemed to be in the shape of a Pikachu.

"Okay what the hell even is that!?"

"The distractions here are plentiful. Here, come. There is one spot in particular that may be useful."

Palkia bade him forward with a claw, and he stumbled over. He closed his eyes as they touched his shoulder, and immediately the endless noise lessened substantially. He opened his eyes and saw that they both stood in front of a nondescript alleyway, nestled in between run down buildings with hardly anyone around. The only things of note were bits of trash in a puddle of water, and a dumpster up against the side.

The dull light of a flickering street lamp illuminated the Noivern and the Spatial Legendary just beside him, the only ones on this lonely sidewalk.

Boon stepped forward and put his claw on the side of the brick building. He scanned the inside of the alleyway for anything of note, even opened up the dumpster to check for anything significant, but his mind drew a blank. He looked back at Palkia, a question in his eyes, but they slowly shook their head.

"If even this place does not spur any recollection, I am afraid there is no place else to turn."

Boon frowned at them, but glanced down at the trash filled puddle. The face of a very lost Noivern stared back, and he touched his cheek. He had the strangest sensation of feeling like an alien in his own body.

"...Where are we?" he asked, voice uncharacteristically soft. Palkia crouched onto one knee at the entrance to the alleyway.

"We are at the end of a beautiful, if tragically short story. Of a diamond that shone brightest in the rough," they started. "I watched you for many years, you see. You were a wanderer, without a home. Or perhaps you simply found home wherever your steps took you. Regardless, no matter what, you always sought the better of those around you, and held firm to your sense of what was right with a smile on your face, despite your own personal destitution. It gave me hope in my own struggle."

They glanced further back in the alleyway, and their tone became solemn.

"I needed someone like you, Boon. I could feel myself slipping, the weight of the world and the inevitability of its collapse heavy on my shoulders. Only someone with my power would be able to reach me and save me from my madness, but there were no candidates. The strength of a Legendary's blessing is directly correlated with how young the receiver is when they are bestowed it. A child would suffice, but we are forbidden from taking a Bonded for power alone, even if it would mean salvation.

"So I glimpsed beyond, and remembered the brave wanderer of the human world." They gently brushed the side of his face with a claw. "Imagine my despondency then, when I found him bleeding out alone in an alley, the knife still fresh in his chest. Hardly more than a teenager."

"I…really?" he asked, eyes wide. "In a place like this, seriously?"

"I did not witness the events leading up to it, but if I had to guess, your penchant for getting involved in the affairs of others, along with your big mouth, caught the wrong kind of attention," they explained. "This alley would have been your grave, an ignoble end, if I had not pulled you from this place and begged Mew to provide you a new body."

Palkia glanced to the side and inhaled deeply. "I still have not been able to repay her properly…"

Boon absorbed all of their words, face blank. Rather than respond, he stood up, took one last glance at the puddle, and stumbled past Palkia, out onto the sidewalk. He glanced left and right, saw a nearby bench, and made his way over to it, hardly cognizant of the steps he took.

He fell onto the bench and leaned his head back to stare at the stars, not really registering them. Palkia's heavy bulk settled next to him, but he didn't look their way.

"So…I died. And then got reborn. And then I died. And then got reborn. And now I'm so fucked up, I don't remember any of it," he murmured, then rubbed his forehead with a claw. After another deep breath, he finally rolled his head at the side to look at his patron, savior, mother, handler, and whatever other title apparently applied to this creature who, by their own admission, had been integral to his continued existence this entire time.

"…I got that right?"

"In a manner of speaking," they responded.

"And were you planning on telling me any of this?" Palkia took a moment to think.

"I never ruled out the possibility you would grow curious. But I saw no reason to volunteer this information if you were content with your situation. It is not exactly a pleasant story."

"You got that right."

"Do you resent me?" they asked. He furrowed his eyes and gave them his full attention at the sudden question, and this time Palkia was the one with their eyes on the stars.

"I would understand if you would. I have done nothing but burden you with responsibility because of my own shortcomings. I have not been forthcoming with information, and am difficult to reach, besides. I say you are my Bonded, and yet I have hardly shown you the beauty of my domain."

They bowed their head low. Regret tinged their voice.

"If only present circumstances were not so, and we could both indulge in the inclination to wander we both share. What worlds we could see…I have not made the best home for you, dear one."

Home. Boon closed his eyes one more time and thought hard, hard, about that word. He never had a home here, though that was fine. He believed Palkia when they said that was the case, settling down was hardly his style anyway.

He had a home on the ship, with the ragtag bunch of outlaws he somehow convinced to help him save the world. And even though he didn't try to play favorites, the brooding Weavile who believed in him even despite himself filled him with determination.

And somehow, the image of a Mawile, Espeon, and even a Meowstic appeared when he thought of home as well. How he would deal with that, he had no clue, but the thought didn't seem as painful as before.

"You know, I wouldn't really say that." Boon hopped off the bench and walked to face Palkia. This time, he lifted their chin, and fixed them with the first genuine smile in what felt like forever.

"You made it a little more complicated, but what else is new, am I right?" he said. Their eyes widened in surprise. "And listen, I couldn't resent you Palkia. Honestly, I feel way better after seeing all this. So, thanks. Really."

They gave a pleased croon, his words leaving them speechless. He stepped back before things could get any more sappy.

"Anyway. You proved your point. I don't remember anything. No point in worrying about a life I had if it's long gone." He glanced over his shoulder. "Won't stop me from trying though. It might turn out that my goals and theirs mean we'll have to fight, but that's fine. As long as I'm fighting to ensure we still have a home at the end of this, then that's all the reason I need. Even if it's hard."

"Truly, all my power and responsibility lies with you, Boon. As long as you keep the future of our world at the forefront of your mind, do whatever you wish. I trust in your sense of purpose."

The sincerity in their voice bolstered his confidence, and his ears twitched when he remembered one last thing.

"Ooh, right. Almost forgot." He snapped his talons and pointed at her. "I'll need a resupply of the pearls. Think you could spare a few?"

"Mmm, it has been quite long since you have asked for more. Your group is becoming more proficient in their usage. Very well, they shall appear in your dwelling upon your wake," theysaid. "Be aware that the energy I siphon off to create them will force me to recuperate. You will not be able to reach me for some time."

"Not a problem. I think we had a good chat."

"Indeed. Now, if you would like to return to the waking world…"

Palkia held out their claw and plucked off the spatial ring from their talon. They flicked it out into the middle of the road, where it expanded to open up in the air that spat out chunks of asteroids to hurtle down the street, as well as a disheveled Darkrai who fell to the ground.

Screaming.

"AAAAAHH-" It cut off as he landed roughly on his front. He peeled his face off the ground, thoroughly unamused.

"I have been dodging space rocks…for THIRTY MINUTES!"

"I can make it thirty more, if you'd like," chimed Palkia. Boon chuckled at Darkrai's grumbling, and reached down to yank him off the ground.

"Good news buddy, you're off the clock. Now let me get home for some actual shut eye."

"Oh, thank God…" murmured Darkrai as darkness pooled in his grip. He glanced up at Palkia.

"My Lady, it has been a…pleasure…"

"Don't be a poor sport, Darkrai. You will receive your recompense in due time."

He sighed as the darkness in his palms became pitch black. When he slammed them together, the buildings and sidewalk started to waver. Palkia's shining eyes were the last thing Boon saw before everything faded to black.

---

The sound of the rippling water bounced off the cove's walls in a rhythmic echo. Mauve held her knees to her chest as she let it wash over her, and looked out at the pale moon reflected off the water's surface.

She sat on the top of the ship. Sleep had not come, so it seemed better to get some air to clear her head, and this seemed like a good spot to do so.

Several clanks behind interrupted her solitude. She turned around, and almost jolted as Boon hopped onto the top alongside her. He looked surprised to see her, but calmed with an easy smile on his face.

"And here I was thinking this spot was open."

"I can leave, if you need." She made to get up, but Boon waved her down and walked forward. He sat down heavily to her side. Warmth spread along her back as his wings came to rest behind her.

So much for some time alone. Although, she found herself more curious than annoyed. Mauve shuffled her position and cleared her throat.

"Did you rest well? You've been in your room for the past day, so we weren't sure when you would come out," she asked.

"Didn't get too much rest necessarily, but it wasn't for nothing. Look."

Boon reached into his neck fluff and pulled out something that gave Mauve pause. It looked like a glowing, pink rip in space that somehow floated right above his claw. He reached a claw in and widened the rift, then pointed at it for Mauve to look inside, which she did.

She saw a veritable boatload of spatial pearls all stacked on top of eachother, within a strange rift much larger than the tear would suggest. Her mouth stayed open in a show of awe.

"Eh? You like? Courtesy of our patron, free of charge." He closed the tear and put it back in his fluff. "I'll divvy em' up in the morning and give the rest to Pads to hold on to, but I thought you'd like to see."

"There's enough to last us a long time. Your patron is quite generous." He nodded in eager agreement, and Mauve leaned back with an interested hum. She had wondered who this mysterious 'patron' might be, and had her suspicions, but until her Master thought it pertinent to share, she would not press the issue.

Besides, she was more interested in the loosness of his shoulders and the authenticity of his smile. Things that had been missing for a while.

"You seem to be in a better mood," she commented.

"Whatcha mean?"

"Just, you seem back to your normal self." She took a moment to find her words. "You've been...off, ever since the Dungeon. And even a bit before then, now that I think about it. Hardly speaking, spacing out, and looking like you were thinking hard about something. All things that are outside your usual. Especially the 'thinking hard' part."

"Guilty," he said with a claw on his chest, causing Mauve to smile.

"At first I thought you were simply disappointed in our performance, I know I was. But typically you simply throw us at difficult training if that is the case. But then I remembered your episode with that Mawile, and figured there must be something else."

Her eyes widened as she caught herself, and she shook her head hard enough to make her feathers blur.

"N-not that I mean to pry. Your business is your own. I just..."

"Nah, you got it right on the money. I had some things to work through," he replied, and glanced out at the water. "I'll come clean. That Mawile and Espeon? We were close, had a history. I had a whole life before this, but they know more about it than I ever will, and I wasn't ready to come face to face with that so soon. It got in my head."

Mauve listened with rapt attention, but before long some pieces started falling into place in her head, and she glanced at the floor.

"But...if you know Mawile and...then that also means..." she clenched her teeth and looked up at him. He shrugged in response.

"Yeah, I know. Funny how life works out, huh?"

"...I would never doubt your resolve, but it is worth pointing out that our goal pits us directly against your former friends, and the biggest roadblock to our progress happens to be their son," she stated with narrowed eyes in a careful tone.

"And you're...alright with this?"

"Eh, might be a little hard. But I'll never shy away from doing the hard things," he said with a lopsided grin. "What about you? What're you doing out here? Need your sleep, you know."

"Me? Oh, well..." Mauve scooched her legs closer, and tucked her chin beneath them. "The team had a meeting while you were asleep, about what to do moving forward. The general consensus seems to be we should go after outlaws while we wait for another Keystone. Learn more about what Queen has planned."

"Ah, that bitch! Yeah, would probably be a good idea to get a read on what she's got going on. But-"

He poked her on the forehead and squinted his eyes at her good naturedly.

"Doesn't explain why you look so down, kid."

She pushed away his talon, a reproach on the tip of her tongue, but something stopped her. Nook's words from earlier, along with the scent of failure, came back to bite her again. A weight pushed her shoulders down.

"I suppose I am just…evaluating myself. With my performance, and my role on the team. It's clear that I still have a ways to go before I fully earn their trust."

"What gives you that idea? Don't know if you've noticed, but you got a way of getting everyone in line."

"Don't be coy, you already know why," she murmured, eyes on the water. "My background is still a point of contention. The others are reliable teammates, and respectful enough to never pry, but it is difficult to ignore that even among outlaws, I am a pariah."

"Did something happen today?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"Nothing that wasn't already communicated with hushed whisperes and concerned looks for the past couple years. You don't need to concern yourself with it, really."

Boon raised an eyebrow, very much concerned with it, and she sighed.

"I just…there are times when I wonder if all of this is really for someone like me. Trying to safeguard the world and…help people. I wasn't born for this, and none of my conditioning really prepared me for it. I was taught how to devalue and take life, not-"

"But that's not what you want to do, right? Even if someone taught you that all you're good for is killing, your heart just couldn't sit by and let that be the case, yeah?"

"...I suppose so, yes."

"Then there you go! As long as that's the case, you never have to question if you can be a good person. Sure, maybe you'll make a mistake and need some guidance, but so does everyone. What matters is that the circumstances of your past don't define everything you can be. Believe me, I know."

Her breath hitched when he reached over to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You got a good heart, kid. You just have to believe it for yourself."

Mauve's thoughtful hum joined the sound of the water, gaze fixated on the reflection of the bright moon in the ensuing silence.

For a split second, a shooting star sped along its surface.