Seeker-Of-Endings stepped back, raising his horn-blade, and caught Finder-Of-Knowledge's own horn on his. Taking advantage of his grounded position, he shoved forwards, forcing Finder-Of-Knowledge to leap off, then fired a Pursuit at her descending form. She landed on the ground and instantly retaliated with her own, intercepting the barrage before it could strike her.
"What is the role of Razor Wind in our arsenal?" Seeker-Of-Endings abruptly asked.
"A weak attack," Finder-Of-Knowledge answered promptly. "Used to make us seem less experienced than we actually are."
"And the secondary role?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked, lunging forwards with a swipe of his horn.
"It can also substitute for Pursuit," said Finder-Of-Knowledge as she dodged with a Detect, "if up against a type disadvantage. Though stronger Heralds have enough practice with Pursuit that it outclasses Razor Wind even against resistances."
"Good," said Seeker-Of-Endings. In the next second he hurled himself forwards once again, horn-blade glistening. Finder-Of-Knowledge backpedaled, parrying each strike with expert timing. "You've been trained well," Seeker-Of-Endings noted.
"I'm glad…you're not…disappointed!" Finder-Of-Knowledge gasped between parries.
"How should you approach your Trainer when you first find him?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked, coming in for another swing from the right.
"Um…" Finder-Of-Knowledge was caught off-guard by the sudden question; she barely managed to bring up her horn to block once again. "Pretend to be a normal wild Absol…interested in…" As she stumbled over her words, Seeker-Of-Endings whirled, lashing out with his bladelike tail. Destabilized both physically and mentally, Finder-Of-Knowledge couldn't dodge or counter in time, and the tail scored a cut across her cheek as she ducked away.
"Ow!" Finder-Of-Knowledge glared reproachfully at Seeker-Of-Endings. "Why do I have to answer these questions while we're fighting? Is that something that is necessary?"
"It is in order to practice your concentration," Seeker-Of-Endings replied. "Think about it. In a battle alongside your Trainer, you must fight to a satisfactory degree, but you must also constantly be holding back, ensuring you don't use strength or techniques beyond what your power level is supposed to be. Furthermore, during those battles, you must also be using Future Sight, as Heralds must scan the timelines constantly. If you let your concentration slip on any of those three actions during a battle, the results may be catastrophic."
"Right." Finder-Of-Knowledge nodded, looking away.
Seeker-Of-Endings sighed. "Are you all right?"
"It's just a cut," said Finder-Of-Knowledge. "Heralds need to be able to endure far more."
"That's no excuse to torture yourself," said Seeker-Of-Endings. "I've had cuts before, I can tell that stings. Here." He stepped over to a small pile of Oran Berries he'd gathered earlier, grasped one in one paw, and stepped over to Finder-Of-Knowledge. Crushing it beneath his claws, he raised his paw to Finder-Of-Knowledge's cheek and dribbled some juice on the cut.
The female Herald sighed with relief. "Thanks."
"No problem," said Seeker-Of-Endings.
Finder-Of-Knowledge glanced up at him. "So…I've been meaning to ask you. I've heard a lot from other Heralds about how life is meant to go with a Trainer…but no one's ever said how it actually is. So how is life with your Trainer? Is she good to you?"
Seeker-Of-Endings nodded. "Serena is the best kind of Trainer one can have. She's patient, she's kind, and at the same time she's driven to succeed, and she drives us to succeed the same way."
Finder-Of-Knowledge smiled. "I hope Emil is the same way. From what I've heard about him, he's kind too, and he's just going to be starting his journey, so he'll be really driven to succeed as well."
Seeker-Of-Endings nodded. Is that why Bringer-Of-Visions chose me to mentor her? Because Serena was also just starting out when I joined her?
He snapped out of his thoughts as he realized Finder-Of-Knowledge was frowning. "What is it?" he asked.
The female Herald bowed her head. "I'm scared," she confessed. "Emil seems like such a nice Trainer, and yet…I know that with me assigned to him, he'll be at risk. If…if Betrayer-Of-Kin comes for him…"
She trailed off. Seeker-Of-Endings felt a pang of sadness strike his heart and stepped closer, ensuring that his fur touched hers. "Listen," he said. "There will be other Heralds in the area. Betrayer-Of-Kin is a known problem we all have to face."
"I know you fought her in Geosenge," Finder-Of-Knowledge murmured. "And…you must be so brave to have faced her down like that."
"Brave?" Seeker-Of-Endings snorted, but there was no mirth in it. "I was terrified," he admitted. "From the moment we started fighting, I knew there was no way I was going to win. That I was almost certain to die right then and there. And when she trapped me in Oblivion…" He stopped, the memory flooding back. The memory of the countless darkness-formed chains pulling him apart, of the agony ravaging his body, of his mind breaking before Betrayer-Of-Kin's torture…
"Are you all right, Seeker?" Finder-Of-Knowledge asked.
"I…" It was Seeker-Of-Endings to turn away. "I broke," he said. "She tortured me, tried to force me to release my Perish Song and let her back in the world…and I broke. I should have remained resolute. I should have kept her trapped there until my mind gave out. But I let her go. And if Marcus hadn't been able to get away in time, I would have been responsible for that."
He looked back at Finder-Of-Knowledge and saw her watching him with tears in her eyes. "You say the other Heralds hail me as a hero for that day," Seeker-Of-Endings continued. "But…they don't know the full story. They don't know that after that day, I feared death for a long time. So much so that a Hypno nearly managed to beat me by forcing me to live out my own death. So, Finder, what I'm saying is that it's okay to be scared. Most people and Pokemon are. The important thing is to not fight it, but instead accept that fear as part of yourself, and learn to surpass it. Betrayer-Of-Kin need not rule your life. If you spend your entire time with Emil looking over your shoulder, then you won't have any time to actually, you know, be a Trained Pokemon."
"Seeker," said Finder-Of-Knowledge, "do you really feel all right? I mean, all right with telling me something like that…it's a lot, and it must've been hard for you to say…"
"It was," Seeker-Of-Endings admitted.
Finder-Of-Knowledge shrugged. "You know, it's a little funny, actually. You're saying all this, and I'm just remembering Bringer-Of-Visions telling me that I should always be looking over my shoulder."
"Bringer-Of-Visions is wrong." Seeker-Of-Endings nearly clapped a paw over his mouth as Finder-Of-Knowledge looked at him strangely. Did I seriously just say that? And so easily, too…
He coughed. "I mean…" He fumbled his next words, trying to find a statement that didn't feel treasonous to him. "You can't always look over your shoulder," he said. "You need to sleep. You need to eat. You need to socialize. And, of course, you need to battle. Looking over your shoulder is what Future Sight is for, and with any luck that'll let you know where and when you need to watch out for something."
"I guess," said Finder-Of-Knowledge. "Um…should we continue?"
Seeker-Of-Endings nodded, then promptly sprang forwards. Finder-Of-Knowledge responded in kind, and deep in the forests surrounding Laverre City, a new round of clashes rose over the trees.
"Connie!" Serena flung open the door to her apartment. "What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd ask how Tangrowth's doin'," said the Galarian native. "If I ain't welcome-"
"You're entirely welcome," said Serena. "And Tangrowth's doing much better. Isn't that right, Tangrowth?"
"Yeah," Tangrowth replied from where he was standing in the corner. "Though I still don't feel 100-percent." He punctuated the statement by forming his vines into a somewhat shaky diagonal thumbs-up.
Serena nodded, a relieved smile on her face. "The Professor's medicine definitely did its work well. I'll definitely be thanking Calem next time I see him."
Umbreon smiled as well as she watched the much healthier Tangrowth. It had been two weeks since he'd fallen ill, two weeks that had clearly been miserable for the poor Grass-type. But now, thanks to a combination of special medicine from Professor Sycamore and supplemental items from the Pokemon Center, Tangrowth was nearly well again.
"And thank you, Connie, for arranging that," Serena added.
"Oh, you've thanked me for that more times than I can count," Connie retorted. "I was just helpin' a friend out, that's all."
Serena reached for a bottle on a nearby shelf, opened it up, and peered inside. She frowned. "Looks like we'll need one more top-up before you're all better. Ugh, this stuff's expensive…not that I mind, of course," she added hastily to the worried-looking Tangrowth, who immediately brightened up again.
"I can foot the bill if you need it," Connie offered.
"No, thank you, I've got plenty of money to afford it," Serena replied. "It's just a fairly hefty price, that's all. Let's see…Seeker's still out…oh, who am I kidding, he'll be fine if he comes back before I do. Hey, Connie?"
"Yeah?" Connie asked.
"I'm heading out," said Serena. "Gonna get to the Pokemon Center and grab that medicinal top-up."
"Don't you think it's a little late?" Connie asked. "I just came to say hi on the way to bed. I know the Pokemon Center's still open, but don't you think it'd be better to wait until morning?"
"I don't want Tangrowth to be without his medicine," Serena replied. "I know he'll probably be fine, but with how sick he's been for the last couple weeks, I don't want to take any chances."
Connie nodded. "All right, fair. Guess that's my cue to leave, then."
"Thanks for stopping by," said Serena.
"Anytime," said Connie, stepping through the door to Serena's apartment and shutting it behind her.
Serena turned to Tangrowth and Umbreon, the only two members of her team currently out of their Pokeballs. "All right, Tangrowth, back in your ball," she said. "Umbreon, you okay with staying out? I'd like to have a Pokemon beside me just in case."
Umbreon nodded understandingly.
The night was still young, and there were still faint traces of sunlight yearning for influence in the night sky as Serena stepped out of the apartment block and into the street. It wasn't that long of a walk to the Pokemon Center, but the barren street still made Umbreon nervous. At this time of day, most people in Laverre would be either getting ready for bed or already falling asleep.
Umbreon knew Laverre was safe, and she knew Serena knew as well. But she also knew that Serena felt more safe with a Pokemon by her side, and so followed Serena closely as she stepped down the cobbled street, her paws hitting the ground in sync with Serena's feet. It took about five minutes before the two reached the entrance to the Pokemon Center. All the lights were off, which immediately worried Umbreon. Pokemon Centers were meant to remain operational at all hours of the day, and as such their lights were always supposed to be on.
Must be some sort of malfunction, Umbreon thought. Or they're in the middle of a shift change. Those thoughts danced around her head as Serena threw open the door to the Pokemon Center and stepped inside, Umbreon close behind.
"Hi, Nurse…" Serena's cheery greeting died on her lips as she and Umbreon both froze in place.
Before them, the form of the local nurse was slumped on her desk, not moving. Behind the desk, a figure was standing, in the process of scooping medicine bottles from the area behind the desk into a large backpack. The figure looked humanoid, but was encased in some sort of suit, colored black and gold with a large golden E emblazoned where its face would be. It, too, was frozen, gazing at Serena; beside it stood a Malamar, larger than Serena's own. For several moments all four beings stared at one another stupidly, shock stilling their movements.
And then all four exploded into action at the same time.
"Stop where you are!" Serena cried. "Umbreon, Confuse Ray!" Umbreon was already charging forwards; swiftly, she unleashed a burst of Ghost energy at the enemy Malamar. The Malamar raised one of its long tentacle-arms, emblazoned with Normal energy, and slashed through the Confuse Ray, dissipating it into nothingness; the other tentacle-arm rose as well, glinting with Bug energy. "Langis Maeb," the Malamar stated, firing off a Signal Beam at Umbreon, who was quick to raise a Protect to block it.
In the meantime, two more Pokemon - a grinning Gengar and a snarling Crobat - appeared around the mysterious Trainer; all three enemy Pokemon swiftly lunged over the desk. "No fire!" Serena cried as she sent out Delphox, who promptly fired a Psychic at the oncoming Crobat with a cry of "Mind Spike!" The Crobat dodged to the side, evading the blast of Mind; from behind Umbreon came a loud shriek as Altaria soared overhead. "Dragon's Song!"
"Sludge Spit!" the Crobat hissed; the two attacks exploded against one another, and the two Flying-types came together in a blur of whirling wings. "Cursed Body: Distortion Orb!" the Gengar growled, its left arm dissolving into a swirl of pure Distortion as it launched a Shadow Ball like a cannon at Delphox. Umbreon sprang in front of it, tapping into Moonlight to counteract the pain of being struck by the resisted attack, and Delphox swiftly retaliated with a yell of "Phantasmal Force!", tossing a Shadow Ball of her own at the Gengar. Gengar dissolved into pure Distortional energy, evading Delphox's Shadow Ball; as he did so, Malamar charged. "Yrartnoc: Rewoprepus," the Dark/Psychic-type gurgled, surging towards Umbreon with Fighting energy radiating from its form.
"Lightning Quills!"
"Ribbon Shot!"
A barrage of Lightning-infused quills slammed into Malamar, stopping his charge cold; a second later a powerful blast of Life sent him reeling back. Sylveon and Jolteon stepped to either side of Umbreon, eyes narrowed. "Stay away from our daughter," Jolteon growled, her eyes lighting up with flame as she tapped into her Flame Orb to activate her Quick Feet Ability.
Sylveon remained silent, but her entire body glowed with Life, perfectly punctuating Jolteon's warning.
Malamar raised his tendrils. "Ohcysp Tuc." Mind flared across both tentacles as he rushed Sylveon and Jolteon, flinging out one tendril towards each. "Quick Feet: Lightning Dash!" Jolteon cried, blurring out of the way. "Lightning Blast!" A Thunderbolt arced out from Jolteon's body, forcing Malamar to twist and deflect it with his Psycho Cut-emblazoned tendril; as a result, his other tentacle missed Sylveon completely, something the Fairy-type Eeveelution took full advantage of. "Cute Charm!" Malamar staggered as his mind was assailed by Sylveon's Ability; Jolteon, seeing the opportunity, lunged with another Quick Feet-boosted Lightning Dash and hurled Malamar bodily away.
Above, Crobat fired another Sludge Bomb at the charging Altaria. Altaria twisted, splaying one wing out in front of her. "Cloud Nine: Cumulus Wing!" Her wing swelled to twice its size in an instant, and Crobat's Sludge Bomb splattered uselessly against it. "Cloud Nine: Cumulonimbus Wing!" Altaria cried; her wing changed color, going from white to dark gray, and from it flew a barrage of hailstones that Crobat was forced to dive away from. He wasn't quite fast enough; one caught the edge of one wing, sending him into an uncontrolled spin. Altaria was quick to take advantage, lunging forwards with an application of Agility spurring her onwards; she twisted and slammed her massive wing into the spinning Crobat, and a loud crash sounded as Altaria's strike blasted Crobat into a table, knocking the whole thing over.
We're winning, Umbreon thought. And then she heard a cackle as Gengar finally reformed on top of the desk, next to the suited Trainer.
The Trainer glanced over at Gengar and raised one gauntlet. A panel flipped open on the back of their hand, exposing a glowing rainbow gem that at once began to flare with light. Umbreon's eyes widened as Gengar's shape began to morph. "Mega Evolution!" Serena cried. "Delphox, Umbreon, stop him!"
"Mind Spike!" Delphox cried again; Umbreon joined her with a call of "Moon Wave!" following up Delphox's Psychic with a Dark Pulse. But before either attack could hit, Gengar's form erupted in an explosion of shadowy energies, blasting the Psychic and even the Dark Pulse away. Altaria was sent flying backwards, her cloudlike winds flailing desperately; Delphox only avoided the same fate via a massive blast of Mind to counter the assault; Umbreon sprang in front of Sylveon and Jolteon, raising a Protect to shield herself and her mothers.
And from the center of the shadowy explosion emerged a Mega Gengar, laughing horrifically as it surged forwards. Its body dissolved in a Shadow Sneak; Umbreon heard a rush of wind behind her and spun just in time to see Mega Gengar reach out with both hands and touch Sylveon and Jolteon before anyone could stop him. "Spectral Thief: Distortional Puppeteer!"
In an instant, their shadows erupted upwards, tendrils of darkness wrapping around both of them, wreathing their bodies in pure shadow. Mega Gengar's red eyes flashed, and on both Sylveon and Jolteon's darkness-covered bodies, identical red eyes opened where their eyes would normally be.
Mega Gengar laughed maniacally as he faded back into the shadows, dodging a furious Psychic from Delphox. Umbreon was too shocked to launch her own attack; she was stuck in place, staring at the red-eyed forms of Jolteon and Sylveon as they laughed in perfect synchronization with Mega Gengar. Mega Gengar reappeared next to his Trainer, grinning, his hands raised, little strings of shadow suspended from them and melting into the floor. "You fight for me now," Mega Gengar snarled.
"Yes, Master," Jolteon and Sylveon replied, and in the next moment both lunged for Umbreon.
Delphox raised her stick, only for the enemy Malamar to leap in from the side - "Thgin Hsals." - and slam an Oblivion-infused tendril into her torso, sending the Fire/Psychic-type reeling. Umbreon barely managed to find her legs in time to leap away from Jolteon and Sylveon, already racking her brain for what she remembered of Shadow Tag. She'd heard about the Ability before - it was meant to be a tracking-based Ability, allowing the user to latch onto someone's shadow and automatically know where they were at any time. Wobbuffet and Wynaut were the most noted users of the Ability, and experienced members of the line could use it to anticipate an opponent's moves via their position and movements, enabling them to ready the appropriate Counter, Mirror Coat, or Safeguard - it was one of the primary reasons the line was so feared in the hands of any Psychic master patient enough to train one, most notably Kanto/Johto Elite Four member Will.
But Umbreon had never known it could be used to take control of a Pokemon's shadow the way Mega Gengar was using it. This thing must be really powerful, she realized as she backpedaled away from Jolteon's leap. She didn't see the blast of Life from Sylveon coming; it struck her in the side, knocking her to the floor, and Jolteon whirled and leaped towards her once again, red eyes flaring in the darkness.
And then the Electric-type Eeveelution's entire body was seized in a Psychic grip.
Glancing up, Umbreon saw Meowstic standing in front of Serena, eyes narrowed and body trembling as she held Jolteon in midair. "Enough," she snarled, and with a grunt of effort she hurled Jolteon into Sylveon, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Umbreon looked up in time to see Serena's own Malamar knocking the enemy Malamar off the stumbling Delphox. Swiftly, Umbreon rolled to her feet, stepping backwards until she was between Delphox and Meowstic. Malamar rose on Delphox's right, Altaria landed on a collapsed small table to Meowstic's left, and the five stood ready as their adversaries, too, regrouped.
Mega Gengar's grin did not leave his face as Jolteon and Sylveon walked jerkily to his side, their enshrouded bodies turning to face Serena's team. Crobat remained airborne, eyes narrowed, and the enemy Malamar rose from where Serena's Malamar had knocked him down, swaying slightly. Umbreon swallowed. We're all involved now except Tangrowth, and of course Seeker. And yet…because of Shadow Tag, we don't even have the numbers advantage.
Serena tapped Jolteon and Sylveon's Pokeballs, but neither one was recalled; evidently the enfilading of their bodies was interfering with their Pokeballs. Serena glared at the enemy Trainer. "Let them go."
The enemy Trainer cocked their head. "Surrender this fight, and I will." Their voice was robotic but distinctly female, their tone cold and emotionless.
"Why are you doing this?" Serena demanded, eyeing the medicine-filled backpack slung across the enemy Trainer's back. "There are people and Pokemon who need that medicine!"
"Do I look like I care?" The enemy Trainer took a step forwards. "I am Essentia. And I require this medicine as well. So I will give you an offer, Serena. Either I take the medicine…or I take your Pokemon."
Umbreon bared her teeth at Essentia. Mega Gengar chuckled again. "I get the sense that they're important to you," the Ghost/Poison-type growled. "So this shouldn't be that hard of a decision, should it?"
An idea popped into Umbreon's head. She glanced back at Serena, whose face was twisted into worry, and gave her a slight nod. Then she turned her head once again towards Mega Gengar. "You're right," she said. "It's not a hard decision at all." Grimacing, Umbreon called upon Substitute. "Synchronize: Pain Split!"
A scream tore itself from Umbreon's throat as she forced the energy required for a Substitute out of her body at a rapid pace, ensuring that the use of the technique was as painful to her as it could possibly be. At the same time, she called upon her Synchronize Ability, and all the agony she was feeling struck Mega Gengar full force. Mega Gengar hadn't braced himself in any way; he reared back, howling in pain, and his control over Sylveon and Jolteon's shadows slacked. The red eyes faded, and while the shadows did not dissipate completely, they retracted just enough so that Umbreon could see their faces through her tear-stained eyes.
"Forwards!" Serena ordered her team.
Meowstic and Delphox charged, firing a twin blast of Mind at Crobat, who couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying backwards. The others followed. Mega Gengar snarled as he rose to meet them. "Distortion Orbs!" he bellowed, launching a hail of Shadow Balls at the oncoming Pokemon, but Altaria swooped down in front of them. "Cloud Nine: Stratus Shield!" Her wings turned dark gray once more even as they expanded, forming a solid wall of gray cloud-wing that intercepted all of the incoming Shadow Balls. Altaria swept the wings away just in time for Umbreon and Serena's Malamar to charge through where they'd been, the former racing alongside her Substitute towards Mega Gengar and the latter rushing Essentia's Malamar. Essentia's Malamar tried another Signal Beam, but Serena's Malamar countered with a Flamethrower fired from the tip of one tendril, and the two Malamar came together in a melee duel, tendrils flailing wildly.
Umbreon left them behind, focusing only on Mega Gengar, on Altaria next to her, and on the struggling forms of Sylveon and Jolteon standing between her and the Ghost/Poison-type. "Moon Wave!" she cried, blasting a Dark Pulse at Mega Gengar, only for him to form a pair of Focus Blasts in his fingers and toss them forwards; one ripped through the Substitute, while the other tore the Dark Pulse to shreds in an explosion of energy. Out of the explosion Mega Gengar sprang, leaping between the still-struggling Jolteon and Sylveon, his grin strained as he drew one shadowy arm back. Umbreon raised a Protect just in time to deflect the Aura-enhanced blow he swung at her; in the next moment, Mega Gengar dematerialized.
"Behind you!" Altaria cried. "Ghost's Song - ah!"
Umbreon spun in time to see Altaria tumble backwards, propelled by a wave of Toxic, as Mega Gengar rose out of Umbreon's shadow. "Shadow Tag: Distortional Fist!" Mega Gengar snarled; Umbreon's eyes widened as Mega Gengar's fist flew out of Umbreon's shadow and slammed into her forehead, sending her reeling.
"Umbreon, Synchronize!" Serena's cry barely reached Umbreon's ears. Umbreon reacted instantly, calling upon her Ability, and was rewarded with a cry of pain from Mega Gengar as the pain from his punch struck him as well. Umbreon recovered in time to see Mega Gengar staggering, once again caught off guard by Synchronize. In a flash she hurled herself forwards. "Moon's Strike!" she cried, plunging an Oblivion-enhanced paw-strike into Mega Gengar's body before he could regain his footing.
Mega Gengar cried out in agony; a second later, Altaria came in from the air, landing an Astonish that bowled Mega Gengar over. Umbreon heard a battle cry behind her and turned to see Jolteon rushing forwards, Sylveon at her side - Mega Gengar had finally completely lost control over their shadows, and now was backpedaling frantically as Altaria and all three of Serena's Eeveelutions charged him, firing off another Sludge Wave that Jolteon countered with a rapid Discharge.
But before any of them could strike him, he disappeared, recalled by the beam of a Pokeball; Umbreon twisted in time to see Essentia release Mega Gengar again, this time next to her. At the very least the Ghost/Poison-type was no longer smiling. Not only were Jolteon and Sylveon free, but his teammates were losing badly; as Umbreon watched, Crobat managed to strike Delphox with a Brave Bird, sending the Fire/Psychic-type stumbling backwards, only for Meowstic to retaliate with a Psyshock that knocked Crobat out of the sky. On the other side of the Pokemon Center, the two Malamars were still brawling; Essentia's seemed stronger, but Serena's was more than holding his own, his tentacles flashing with Oblivion and Fighting energy as they clashed with the tendrils of Essentia's Malamar in a fast-paced brawl.
Essentia shifted. "Gengar," she ordered, "cover me with Dazzling Gleam."
Mega Gengar lunged forwards, one hand upraised, and unleashed a blinding flash of Life, forcing Umbreon to raise a Protect in response. As the light cleared, Umbreon saw Essentia dashing forwards, her feet moving faster than any human Umbreon had seen. She was charging straight towards Delphox, one gauntleted fist drawn back.
Wait, what?
Delphox seemed to be similarly surprised; she barely managed to parry Essentia's punch with her stick, and even so the force of it sent her staggering backwards. A small panel atop Essentia's other gauntlet flipped open, and out sprang a wicked-looking silvery blade, one which Essentia swung at Delphox. "Block with your own!" Serena cried.
"Blaze: Flame Blade!" Delphox cried; from the tip of her stick emerged a giant fiery sword, one which Delphox swiftly raised to deflect Essentia's blade. But Essentia maneuvered the deflection into a spin and lashed out with a roundhouse kick that caught Delphox across the face. Delphox crumpled, momentarily stunned, and Essentia, her path unhindered, lunged straight for Serena.
"No!" Umbreon cried, spinning to try and leap between the two.
But it was too late. Essentia's hand slammed into Serena's throat, and with what looked like barely any effort, Essentia lifted Serena by the neck and slammed her bodily into a wall. Serena gasped, instinctively reaching up with both hands to try and tear Essentia off, but the suited Trainer's grip held firm. From how Serena's eyes were beginning to bug out of her head, Essentia was squeezing her throat hard. Essentia raised her other arm, pointing the blade still extending from it right between Serena's eyes, and glanced over towards Serena's Pokemon, all of whom had stopped fighting."I'd advise you all to stand down," she warned, "unless you want-"
In the blink of an eye, one of Serena's hands dropped to her belt and triggered the release function on her final Pokeball.
"Get off my Trainer!" Tangrowth lashed out with a flurry of vines, wrapping them around Essentia's limbs, torso, and neck and pulling as hard as he could. Unprepared, Essentia was hurled backwards; Tangrowth tossed Essentia straight into the opposite wall, the impact hard enough to leave a crater as Essentia tumbled to the floor. She recovered almost instantly, lashing out with a swipe from her blade that slashed through several of Tangrowth's vines, but the Grass-type held firm, his arms extended protectively to cover Serena, who had fallen to the ground, gasping for air.
"Shadow Tag: Umbral Shift!" Before any of Serena's Pokemon could move, Mega Gengar appeared in Essentia's shadow and dragged her down into it as if pulling her underwater. The two reappeared back behind the desk; swiftly, Essentia grabbed the backpack containing the stolen medicine, slung it across her back, then raised her Pokeballs and recalled all three of her Pokemon.
"We will meet again, Serena," she promised. "ER Device, activate." A flash of light momentarily blinded all of Serena's Pokemon just like Mega Gengar's Dazzling Gleam had done, and when it cleared Essentia was gone, the Pokemon Center completely silent save for Serena's raspy breathing.
"Serena!" Tangrowth swiftly touched a vine to her throat. "Regenerator!" Serena's breathing began to ease slightly, though there was still clear pain in every breath she took. "Thanks, Tangrowth," she managed.
Umbreon could now hear footsteps coming from outside - the sound of multiple people running towards the Pokemon Center, evidently roused from their sleep by the sounds of battle. Thank Arceus, she thought as she gazed around at the team, wounded but victorious. It's over.
"And you're sure you're okay?" Connie asked. She and Theo had come running as fast as they could the instant they'd heard of the battle in the Pokemon Center.
"I'm fine," Serena replied raspily.
"You don't sound fine," Theo said worriedly.
"Excuse me?" A new voice broke into the conversation. Serena, Connie, and Theo glanced over to see a male League official standing over them. "My apologies, but I would like to ask this young woman some questions, if that's all right."
"Of course," said Serena.
The man winced at the rasp in her voice. "I'll make it quick," he promised as Connie and Theo stepped away, leaving Serena alone with the League official.
Serena, agreeing, wasted no time in giving the man an account of the battle. When she finished, the man frowned. "The thief called herself Essentia?"
Serena nodded. "Do you know the name?"
"No," said the man. "I've never heard it before. Which is strange, considering the Mega Gengar. Nearly every user of Mega Evolution is well documented, and Gengarites have outright been outlawed in Pokemon Leagues due to their Distortional abilities enhancing Shadow Tag to the point a Mega Gengar can fairly easily take outright control of opposing Pokemon - as you have now had experience with."
Serena shuddered. "You mean that kind of thing is something any Mega Gengar can do?"
The man nodded. "Which, again, is why Gengarites are illegal. The fact that this 'Essentia' has one makes her exceedingly dangerous. Thank you for your assistance here tonight, but I'll have to advise against attempting to pursue Essentia. With a Gengarite involved, any engagement of Essentia must be restricted to League-affiliated Trainers."
"I don't see how that doesn't apply to me," said Serena. "I'm a Laverre City Gym Trainer."
"You are?" The man's frown deepened. He pulled out a small device and clicked a few buttons on it. His eyes widened. "I must apologize - I meant no offense."
"None taken," Serena said. "I assume we're cleared to engage Essentia if we see her, then?"
"Of course," said the man. "Though, in my personal opinion, you should take a day or two to let your throat heal before making any attempt to do so."
Serena nodded. "Any idea what that teleportation thing she did was?"
"From what you told me, it sounds like she has an Escape Rope installed in that suit of hers," the man said. "ER Devices were invented by a Silph Co. researcher named Eiko Ryoukai - meant as a personal, one-use emergency teleporter for League officials. She named it after herself, but Trainers started calling them Escape Ropes and the name caught on."
"One-use?" Serena asked. "Does that mean Essentia won't be able to do that again?"
"Not exactly," said the man. "You see, about two years ago, Macro Cosmos over in Galar managed to get their hands on an Escape Rope. They promptly altered the design to be infinite-use with only a small two-hour recharge requirement, and then started selling them off for a hefty profit. Now any criminal can just pay a large sum of money and get their own personal teleporter. I've heard the International Police are tearing their hair out over it. And I'll bet you anything that's what Essentia's got stored in her suit."
"Perfect," Serena remarked drily.
"Yeah," said the man. "You'd best be prepared with something that can shut it down. Electrical interference, maybe - that Jolteon of yours might be able to do the trick."
"I'll try that," said Serena. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," said the many. "Anyway, once again, thank you for your help. I know Essentia was able to get away with some of the inventory, but it could have been far worse. And with the plague down south, we'll take anything we can get."
Serena gave the man another nod as he turned and stepped briskly away. As he left earshot, Serena let out a sigh of relief and looked over towards Connie and Theo. "Let's head back to the apartments," said Serena. "After that, I'm dying for some rest."
"I should have been there," Seeker-Of-Endings growled.
"You couldn't have known," Delphox replied. "We were all caught off guard. But hey, we won, and none of us were taken. That has to count for something."
"But if I had been there, maybe Serena wouldn't have gotten hurt," Seeker-Of-Endings retorted.
"Come on, Seeker, stop blaming yourself." Delphox folded her arms. "You think I don't feel guilty, too? I was the one standing in between Serena and Essentia. It was my duty to fend her off, and I failed. And you can bet I'm going to train like mad to better handle things like that for next time. But I'm not going to waste time feeling sorry for myself, and you shouldn't either. Now, we'd better get some sleep. It's late."
With that, Delphox retreated into the other room, where the sounds of movement could be heard as Serena settled down for the night. Seeker-Of-Endings sighed. She's right, he thought. My duty is to the Heralds first and foremost. I was only doing my job. And besides, Serena and the rest of the team all got out alive. She can handle herself without me watching over her.
Seeker-Of-Endings allowed himself an amused smile. It's just like I told Finder-Of-Knowledge. I don't have to be looking over my shoulder at all times. I should just get some rest.
But as he was about to turn and follow Delphox, the telltale notes of a Perish Song began to play in his mind.
Seeker-Of-Endings heaved a sigh. Never mind…guess my rest will have to wait a bit. Swiftly, he ducked behind a chair, nestling into the gap between the chair and the wall, and allowed himself to be drawn into Oblivion.
It was immediately evident that something was wrong. Bringer-Of-Visions was giving orders to a couple other Heralds, her voice rapid, her eyes betraying clear nervousness. As the other Heralds turned and stepped away, Bringer-Of-Visions turned towards Seeker-Of-Endings. "There you are," she growled.
"Bringer, what's going on?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
"I thought you were keeping up with affairs in Galar," Bringer-Of-Visions replied.
Seeker-Of-Endings felt a chill run through him. What happened? Is Marcus in danger? "My apologies, Bringer," said Seeker-Of-Endings, bowing his head. "I have become preoccupied with training Finder-Of-Knowledge. My watch over Galar has slipped. It will not happen again."
"See that it doesn't," Bringer-Of-Visions ordered. "As I believe your previous lesson was meant to demonstrate, a Herald must be able to keep concentration on multiple tasks simultaneously at all times."
"You're watching me?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
Bringer-Of-Visions nodded. "But enough. There has been an attack. It seems the renegades caught wind of Marcus's arrival in Galar, and tried to have him assassinated on a train about a week and a half ago."
Seeker-Of-Endings felt sick. So long ago…how did I not see this? "Is he all right?"
"I would be a lot more angry if he wasn't," Bringer-Of-Visions growled. "Yes, he's all right. But that doesn't change the fact that the renegades learned about his arrival very quickly. Too quickly."
"We weren't exactly able to provide adequate Psychic shielding," Seeker-Of-Endings pointed out. "With their concentration, they could've easily punched through-"
"Only if they knew what they were looking for," Bringer-Of-Visions pointed out. "And there's only one way they could've known that. They must have someone on the inside." She turned, fully gazing into Seeker-Of-Endings' eyes. "Seeker, there is a traitor in our ranks."
"Who?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
"I would be a lot less angry if I knew," Bringer-Of-Visions growled. "But the fact of the matter is that I cannot trust anyone." Her eyes narrowed. "Not even you, Seeker."
"But then…why tell me?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
Bringer-Of-Visions stepped closer. "Because," she murmured, "I want you to know that I will be continuing to watch you. And I will know if you commit any sort of treasonous act. Everything you do, everything you say…I will know. So…" She was standing right in front of Seeker-Of-Endings now, her eyes boring into his. "…if you are the traitor, now's the time to give yourself up."
"I would never betray you," said Seeker-Of-Endings.
"We shall see," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "You may go. It's late. Get some rest." With that, she whirled and stalked away, leaving Seeker-Of-Endings to dematerialize back into the real world.
Alone again, Seeker-Of-Endings realized he was trembling. What I said earlier today, about Bringer-Of-Visions being wrong…does she know about that? And my admittance of my fear of death to Finder-Of-Knowledge…does she know about that, too? Not to mention years ago, when Teller-Of-Tales approached me…Seeker-Of-Endings squeezed his eyes shut. Damn it…I have so much to hide. I may not be the traitor, but I sure as Distortion feel like one.
Trying to force those thoughts from his mind, Seeker-Of-Endings stepped out into the room, turning his pawsteps towards Serena's room. I can't deal with this now. Right now, I need some sleep. But once again, his movement was interrupted as Altaria burst through the door right in front of him, her wings ruffled, her eyes wild.
Her gaze locked on Seeker-Of-Endings immediately and she skidded to a halt. "There you are," she said swiftly, her voice filled with urgency.
Seeker-Of-Endings heaved a sigh. "What's wrong, Altaria?"
"I need you to translate for me," said Altaria. "I need to tell Serena something."
"What?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
"In the Pokemon Center," said Altaria, "we were fighting a Mega Gengar, a Malamar, and a Crobat. And I know that Crobat. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out, but I've met that Crobat before. I've fought that Crobat before."
Seeker-Of-Endings felt all traces of tiredness leave his mind. "Are you sure?"
"I don't forget a fighting style," Altaria affirmed.
"Where did you fight that Crobat before?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
"At Aether," said Altaria. "Alongside Kriesh." Seeker-Of-Endings knew instantly what Altaria was talking about, and his heart sank even before Altaria grimly pronounced the rest of her words.
"That's Faba's Crobat."
The Escape Rope bit is simply my headcanon on why the Escape Rope went from a single-use item to an infinite-use Key Item in Sword and Shield. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this interlude! Since I took a break for finals, I see no reason to take a break here. So I'm two for two on interludes without breaks immediately afterwards, when I planned on taking a break after every interlude. Whoops.
Anyway, as always, please drop a review if you have the time, and I'll see you in two weeks for the start of the next arc, otherwise known as the "First Steps Arc"!