Happy Halloween!

I whipped up this small chapter to celebrate the holiday, as well as to try and flesh out two of the characters I feel like we haven't gotten much insight on yet.

This chapter focuses solely on those two characters and, more specifically, what they fear.

Veraloe found herself situated in a black void. While one may find this situation unusual and may be put on edge, she curiously felt no danger. She knew this was not right, yet she felt that it was not wrong either.

She scratched her head. "Where am I?" She asked to the void, racking her brain to see what she remembered. They had been on the road for about a week, Prism City drawing ever closer. The last thing she remembered was the group settling down for the night.

So this is a dreamscape, then.

But then, why could she even remember everything? Usually, one would forget everything outside of the dreamscape and not even realize that they were dreaming in the first place. This is a most unusual circumstance, indeed.

Just then, a small light lit up in the distance. Vera squinted her eyes, making out two figures in the center of the light. She moved towards it. As she approached, the figures grew larger and were filled in with more detail.

She was only a few steps away now, but that was all she needed to identify the figures. It was also a Gardevoir, a little shorter than herself, and a Gallade, both with their backs turned to her. Vera tried to take another step forward but felt rooted to the spot, her body seemingly uninterested in listening to her any further. No matter, she had other ways to gain their attention.

"Excuse me," she called out to the Gardevoir. "Who are you two?"

The Gardevoir did nothing to her heed her call, they simply stood still with their back turned to her. The Gallade, however, turned his head and glared at her. Vera stared into his eye and was suddenly taken by many feelings at once. Anger, resentment, pain, hopefulness, love. Her mind was hit with some external force, and all those feelings came together in one realization.

"Father… " Vera said breathlessly. The Gallade turned to face Vera fully now, his glare only sharpening. "You're my… father. Then… " She looked to the Gardevoir, who now took the Gallade's lead and started turning to face Vera. "Mother."

Vera did not know how, but she knew that these two were her parents. All pretense that this was just a dream left her mind, now being filled with joy and hope. She stared the two Pokémon down, tears filling her vision and her heart beating a million miles per minute.

"I've been searching… so long." She clenched her teeth as the tears started to flow down her face. "I've wanted to meet you two for so long now. I… I wanted to see your faces, to know you existed… to see if you cared. But you're here now. I can finally talk with you and share my adventures and eat together with you and… "

Vera wiped her face with her arm. The tears she wiped were only replaced with more tears. She gave a wobbly smile, happiness overflowing from her chest. If only her friends could see her now, losing her composure like this.

Her father clenched his fist, hardening his glare. "Who are you? What do you want?" He spat with animosity.

Vera froze, her heart waning just a bit. "W-what?"

Her mother turned her head upwards, now looking down on Vera. "Relax, husband, it's just another beggar. Honestly, this country gets worse by the day."

Vera put her hands forward, trying to reach for her mother's. "No, I am not a beggar! I'm your daughter, Veraloe!"

Just as Vera was about to grab her mother's hands, her father quickly smacked Vera's hands out of the way. Vera quickly retracted her hands, ignoring the searing sting from the hit. "Do not touch her, peasant!"

Her mother scrunched her face in disgust. "Daughter?" She covered herself with her arms. "I would not have a daughter as disgusting as you." She spat venomously at Vera.

Vera felt as though she was shot in the heart. Her knees gave out, heartfelt tears turned to sorrow-filled sobs. She fell to the ground, looking up at the two Pokémon. "Please, do you not remember me? I-I am your daughter. You have to remember… "

Her mother turned away. "I think I would at least remember laying something as pitiful as you." With that said, her mother started to walk away. "Come, husband, let us leave this thing to where she belongs." With one last glare, the Gallade followed the Gradevoir and they both started to walk away from Vera.

"Please!" Vera cried out in desperation, racing her hands once more. "Don't leave me! Not again!" But they did not stop, and Vera could not chase. They grew further and further, leaving the crying Gardevoir to herself.

Vera watched the two walk away, leaving her behind once again. She sat down and hugged her knees, her sobs still coming through. She shook with sorrow. Her once joyous heart had been filled with immense coldness and sorrow.

"Veraloe… "

The sudden voice caused Vera to cease her sobs. She slowly looked up from her knees, cautious as to what was awaiting her when she did. What she had found, however, made her wish she hadn't looked up at all.

Xerneas was sprawled out in front of the Gardevoir. Her slender legs were entangled and broken, her beautiful antlers were broken off at the roots. Her regal blue fur was splattered red with blood from an excessive amount of slash and stab wounds across her whole body. Her eyes were closed tightly as if she was unable to open them anymore.

Around the two, the Hidden Grotto burned. The center tree was ash, the river was stalled and dry, and the beautiful grass was burning with insatiable orange fire. But Vera didn't have time to care about the Grotto.

"Master!" She rushed to the legendary's side, gently feeling the ruined pelt. "Master, what happened?" Vera tried to use her power, but it wouldn't come out.

Xerneas took a shaky breath. "You left us." She strained, gritting her teeth. "I needed you… and you abandoned me!"

"I would never!" She tried again to heal her master. Yet again, the power refused.

"You did! After everything I've done for you and this is how you repay me?" Xerneas retorted.

"Please… " Vera stuttered, pressing her hands in once again. The power was not present.

"You're useless." Xerneas then said. Vera's eyes widened and her hands froze in place. "As I thought, you were never worthy of my power. I should have never saved you. I should have left you to die!"

Vera fell back and looked at her master in shock. "No… please… you don't mean that."

Even as the scene faded from her vision and she was placed back in the void, Vera could still not move from her spot. She stared down at her bloody hands.

"I'm useless. I don't deserve it." She laid down on her back, hands now at her sides.

And she cried.

Joltier was absolutely living the life.

She had made it to Prism City, she had passed the certification exam, and now she was living her dream of being a Prism City Guard. Sure, she had to move away from her family, but she could always visit in her free time.

She smirked as she drove a Volt Tackle into the Timburr she was currently facing off against. The Timburr was blown back into the alleyway wall, seemingly unconscious. Joltier chuckled to herself in her apparent victory.

"That makes me the winner." She said to herself. She then turned to a Granbull that was on the ground behind her. "Are you alright, sir?"

The Granbull looked up at her graciously. "Thank you so much, miss! I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here!"

"You don't have to thank me, citizen." She gave him a confident smile and a thumbs up. "I'm just doing my job, that's all."

"You're job, eh?" Joltier looked back to the wall in shock, seeing the Timburr stand back up. "Guess this will be a little harder than I thought."

Joltier clenched her teeth. "Granbull, go find some more guards, they'll take care of you." Joltier punched her fists together. "I'll take care of this joker."

Without missing a beat, Timburr sprinted towards Joltier in an effort to catch the Pikachu off guard. Such an attempt was ultimately wasted as Joltier was already ducking under the Timburr's Hammer Arm. She then planted her right foot down and sideswiped the criminal's ribcage with an Iron Tail.

The Timburr slid back from the pressure but stayed on his feet. Glaring at the recovering Pikachu, he quickly jumped forwards with a Low Kick. Sensing the immediate danger, Joltier leaped straight into the air and fired an Electro Ball right under her.

The timing was absolutely perfect as the Electro Ball connected with the Timburr as soon as he passed under Joltier. He yelled out in pain as the momentum of his failed attack made him continue forwards in a tumble before ramming against the opposite wall.

"Surrender now, criminal." She smirked cockily at the downed Pokémon. "Face your charges like a real man."

The Timburr visibly struggled to rise to his feet, but still returned the smirk with one of his own. "You giving up? The guard force has been getting weaker over the years if they let someone like you in."

Joltier's smirk faltered and her eyes darkened. "Oh, you are so going to regret saying that."

Joltier opened with a Thunderbolt aimed directly at the criminal. The Timburr tried to evade, but a pain in his ribs kept him in his place. He widened his eyes and crossed his arms, taking the full force of the Thunderbolt.

Joltier only smiled as she heard the pain her opponent was in. A rational part of her still felt disgusted with the joy she felt. But who did this Pokémon think he was, insulting her and the integrity of the Guard Force? She had worked her ass off in passing those certification exams and now she had the badge to show for it. He deserved everything she was giving him.

She stopped her attack after a few seconds, thinking the Timburr had enough. Her opponent was struggling to stay on two feet, skin blackened and charred. He was breathing slowly but heavily as if every breath pained him to make. And yet, he still found it within himself to chuckle at the Pikachu.

"Is that… " he struggled to even form a sentence. "All you got?"

Joltier bared her fangs and snarled. This Timburr was somehow pissing her off more than she had ever been before. Her fur stood on end and her glare formed daggers. "Fine," she spat with audible malice. "Have it your way."

Ignoring the fact that this Timburr was clearly egging her on and couldn't fight anymore, Joltier gathered the Electric energy within herself and coated herself in it. She sprinted at the charred Timburr, seeing only red as she smashed him with a Volt Tackle.

CRACK

The audible sound of the Timburr's ribs smashing to pieces permeated the air. The Pokémon was thrown into the wall, making a crater into the stone bricks. Joltier recoiled from the attack and stood a few steps away, admiring her work.

He was broken and battered, more so than any other Pokémon Joltier had fought before. Blood was dripping from his mouth and his eyes were rolled up into his head. His arms and legs fell limply to his sides and his head hung down to his chest.

Despite panting and still out of breath, Joltier smiled at her victory. She had put this criminal in his place. Who cares how roughed up he had gotten in the process? He deserved it.

But as the red was disappearing from her vision, allowing her to see and think more rationally, the proud smile turned into a horrific expression. She took a step back, her heart beating against her chest. Her breathing accelerated and was threatening to hyperventilate if she wasn't careful.

She slowly moved in and lightly touched the Timburr's chest.

He's not breathing.

She moved her paw up to his neck and pressed in.

No pulse.

She quickly backed away, tripping on her own feet. The Timburr hung above her like a monument to the sin she had just unknowingly committed. She had been so caught up in her rage, so blind in her malice, that she didn't give a second thought as to what she was doing.

She brought her paws up to her face and looked at them. They were also blackened and bloodied. Her body shook and her head was light.

What had she done?

A searing pain on her left arm caused Joltier to flinch. The armband and badge she had worked so hard for, that she abandoned her family and everything she knew to get, was slowly ripping itself off of her. "No… please."

As soon as she touched the badge with her right paw, it burst into blue flames. It was searing hot, scalding her arm and tearing her pelt as it ripped itself free of her. Tears from the pain were now falling down her face.

She fell to the cold ground of the alleyway. Her arm was now burned and bloody. She felt all of her energy leave her as she planted her face onto the stone. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… " She repeated to no one but herself, trying to apologize to anything and anyone she could.

But no one was there, and she was alone.