Episode 28: Love versus duty

A knock came from the other side of the room. There was no door, but the candlelight in the hallway told him someone was waiting. "You can come in," Leos called out. Rune came in alongside Prem, but the latter looked pale with nervousness.

"You're awake. You didn't sleep at all, did you?" his Father asked. He shook his head. "Well, good morning, anyway. I wish you had told me that you had learnt the Z-Move when you jumped into the battle yesterday."

"You still would've told me to stay back," Leos turned away.

"No. The Z-Move is the very attack I wanted you to learn. It appears you're aware of more important things now, like the choices you have to make as this world's new leader. You've already acted on that path, but I have much to tell you," Rune began. He looked away and gave a huge sigh. "The Heavenly Execution… that's your Z-Move. The power to execute even a god with the onslaught of a thousand clones. With this power, you have the potential to kill the Tapu. But why—"

"But why would I want to kill the Tapu? Because they've grown mad with age, and their dictation of civilisation has grown twisted. I already know, Shaymin told me everything," Leos folded his arms. "I know everything. About how I'm a hybrid and how I have to uphold the legend of Etheria."

Rune hesitated and scratched his chin. He eventually folded his arms as well, and cleared his throat. "If this Shaymin is the one I'm thinking of, then that means you obeyed a god despite being aware that the gods are coming of age in our time."

Leos tensed up, but Rune ignored him. "Regardless, you've started what you need to start. I've spoken to your allies already, and we've gathered an army."

"This isn't a sustainable solution, though. The Tapu will just be reborn, and the same thing that's been happening will happen again, thousands of years later. We need to find a real, sustainable solution to the planets and their energy crisis!" Leos argued. "I'm not going to just play into this, 'legend' or not. I'm going to find a way for us to live without relying on the gods."

"Oh? Do you think that's possible?" Rune asked.

"Of course it is. It has to be. We just need to change our scientific approach," he replied, beginning to pace. "I believe Faernian research at the moment goes into the development of new technologies that make use of the Tapu terrains and their blessings. But if we change the direction of that research, to figure out how to actually grow plants and things, for example…"

"You've already killed Tapu Bulu, though. We don't have time for that," Rune said.

"What do you mean? I executed him because he attempted to start a war. We don't have to feed into that," he replied.

"The other Tapu are undoubtedly aware of his death. If Eris doesn't act, they will come to us, seeking revenge. That's why I gathered an army. We're to set off this afternoon," Rune informed. Leos let out a small gasp. "This is the path you chose when you decided to kill Tapu Bulu. If it's not the one you wanted, then you should have thought about it sooner. There's no going back, now."

Leos looked away. "The Pokémon won't stand for this, though. You're talking about starting a full-on war, here. Is that really what we're going to do?"

"It's the only thing we can do. There's no debating this now, Leos," Rune stated. He turned his back. "I suggest you prepare yourself. Rested or not, an even bigger battle will soon be upon us."

The poor Oshawott could only sigh in frustration as his father walked out. He was well rested, despite barely sleeping a wink. His mind stirred so quickly that he felt drained from just that conversation. He wanted to find solutions or excuses that could prevent a battle. Here and now it all felt hopeless, as he knew that he was now the cause of the war he wanted to prevent.

"Leos. Do you mind if we talk for a bit, please?" Prem asked. Leos gave him an angry glare. "It's not about- well it's sorta about Tapu Bulu, but-"

"What is it? You don't want to drill me for this too, do you?" he shook his head.

"No, not at all. I wanted to talk about us. Us and, well, you know…" Prem played with his paws and grew quiet. It took Leos a moment to realise what he was on about.

"Is now really the time?" he said.

"Yes. Yes it is. We have to make time. This is important," Prem closed his paws into fists.

"Go on, then," Leos put a paw on a hip.

"I felt it when the Z-Move wasn't working. Do you remember what Shaymin said? She said our thoughts and intentions needed to be in sync. At first, I was worried that you wouldn't like me after all that stuff that happened down in the Second Country… then I was worried that you didn't feel the same way I do about you when the move wasn't working," Prem explained. He sighed and became stern. "But when I saw Tapu Bulu hurt you that badly, where he could have killed you, I knew what I really felt. I realised what I had to do. Right there, in that moment, I knew I didn't want you to die. No matter what, I have to give it my all to make sure you don't die."

"So our success was a bit of a fluke. I desperately didn't want to fail, either. It only worked because in that moment, I didn't want to die a failure," Leos admitted.

"I don't think it's a fluke. I know just how fragile life is now. Seeing Shaymin just suddenly disappear like that, and then almost losing you not even a day later," Prem said. He clenched his paws together, looked Leos in the eyes, and became stern. "I have to be honest with my feelings. Something I want to say could never be said."

"Prem-" Leos shuddered.

"Leos, I was worried about how you'd react, but I can't hold back anymore. I l-love you. You're closer to me than anyone I've ever known. I want us to be able to live together," Prem leaned forward.

Leos breathed out quietly, shut his eyes and shook his head. "This is a bad time. I'm sorry Prem, but my response remains the same. I can't make a choice like that, especially not right now."

"Maybe you can't publicly. But as my closest friend, you can let me know how you really feel. And if it's still a no, will you at least let me harbour these feelings about you?" he asked.

"Prem, listen—" Leos began, but quickly paused. He blinked a few times, and his heart grew heavy thanks to Prem's desperate tone. However, Prem's confident and rigid look told him just how serious and honest he was being, and he was brought back to what Shaymin told him. He gave it another round of thought, and chose his words carefully.

"No. You know what, you're right. That's fine. Pokémon feel like that about other Pokémon all the time. Especially the famous ones, right? It shouldn't be a problem for you," he said.

Prem loosened up a little.

"No, wait, that's wrong. I don't want to give a solid yes or no because I don't know what's going to happen. But I'm not saying no, either. Because I really do want you around me. You made growing up bearable for me, you know," he said, looking down.

"Hold my hands," Prem said. Leos glanced at him in surprise, surprised at the fact that he wasn't blushing. Leos obeyed though, and slowly wrapped his paws in Prem's fingers.

"You just want things to go back to how they were before, don't you? When we were younger and life was simpler. Back when we'd spend hours sneaking away from Mother to explore Faernia, reading and learning to fight in secret. Those times when we didn't have to stress over what we're doing and how it affects other Pokémon," Leos explained. He could barely look Prem in the eyes.

"There's no point in harbouring the past. I'm happy working with you to try and save Etheria. It's not easy, but it's because you're working so hard that I look up to you so much," Prem replied, clenching tighter. "I just want to know how you honestly feel about me."

"I'm fine with how you feel. And I do want you in my life. I couldn't live without you. So I guess I'm saying yes? But also no, because I couldn't—"

A rhythmic knock on the side of the room's entrance silenced them both, and they both glanced at the hallway. Nier came in a moment later, waving happily.

"Oh good, you're awake. Mornin', you two!" she greeted. They glanced at each other and then quickly withdrew their paws, turning away from one another. Prem's face went bright red, while Leos laughed awkwardly, and had to look away to hide a small blush of his own.

"N-Nier, what br-brings you here so early?" Leos asked at a high pitch.

"Huh? What's with that look? What were you two up to?" she cocked her head.

"Nothing! We clearly weren't up to anything," Prem cried, still bright red. Nier giggled and gave him a half-lidded look.

"Fine then. Your little secret's safe with me, boys. I came in to tell you breakfast is ready, anyway. I'm not big on Erinian food, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't look like a feast. So you two better hurry or we'll eat your share," she said, skipping out. The duo shared a glance with one another and snickered when their stomachs growled.

"Oops! Guess I was so nervous I forgot about food. I haven't eaten in ages!" Prem giggled. "Let's go, Leos! Let's go see what everyone made for us."

Leos was left behind, but stopped in the doorway. … Thanks, Prem. If anyone's going to help me change, it's you.

He turned back to his room and blinked. "So this is my path… killing the Tapu, regardless of what the Pokémon say. This might generate more trouble than it prevents, but if I can get the Pokémon to listen and work together, we might just figure this out. If the Second Country can survive without the god's blessings, so can we. There just HAS to be a way. That's the priority: to find a way for us to survive without the mad gods."

…

Hours passed in the blink of eye after that. There were some disagreements over the meat dishes served at breakfast, but aside from that, nothing eventful happened even though Leos and his group were heading towards the next biggest battle of their lives. Routine supply checks, a run through of their plan to get to Faernia, a speech to the commoners around the castle, and then they were off in a swarm of manually operated airships.

It was only when they were in the airspace between the two planets that Leos started to feel his fear and nervousness kick in. Their army was bigger than any army he had ever seen, with countless airships not nearly in the condition of the Faernian ones he was used to. Each one was overcrowded with generic soldiers like the ones he'd seen in yesterday's battle, and each and every one of them did their best to hide their fear behind a soulless stare and pose.

The idea was to hit Faernia hard to draw out Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele. This meant attacking the capital with this oversized army, even though Ariala was there. She was obviously just as aware of what was going on as the Tapu were, and that was what scared Leos the most.

How would she react after learning what Leos had done? What were her thoughts on the Tapu's behaviour in general? If she agreed with them like the priestess she was, then would that mean she would fight to protect them?

That last thought made him physically shiver hard enough for Prem to notice. Leos' personal group were all stood around him at the front of their airship, with their army in formation behind him. The way they were positioned, they could dash right off the airship and go into battle at a moment's notice.

"The Tower of the Tapu should be coming into view in about three minutes, now. Descend through the clouds," Rune ordered, using his hands to signal to the soldiers in the back. Leos gulped.

"Well, this is it, everyone," Leos said.

"Remember, our aim is just either Tapu Koko or Lele. The less damage we deal, the better." Vincent glanced at him. "We don't have to do this violently."

"I know that, but still" he sighed. His attention was taken as the city came into view. Even from their height, everything looked different. "It looks like they've been expecting us."

The city was devoid of the upbeat life that made the planet's capital. Instead of crowds of harmless Pokémon going about their business, fairies equipped with armour or lances were positioned in clever formations throughout the city. It would be impossible for the Erinian airships to land without getting attacked.

Leos growled. Amongst the groups of enemies, he spotted Charle with his two elite Primarina guards, Tapu Koko at the foot of the castle, and about a hundred metres in front of him, Ariala. She had her own platoon of soldiers lined out in front of her, making a perfect wall to block the walkway to the castle. They weren't getting to Tapu Koko without dealing with her.

"Stop descending, we need a strategy," Leos called out.
"Erinians don't go by 'strategy', Leos. They go by cold, raw power. That's how we've survived for so long," Rune replied. He turned to the soldiers behind them. "To arms! Show no mercy. Tear those fairies to shreds!"

"What the- your wife is in that group!" Vincent said.

Before any argument could start, the airship shook with force, and then a blast echoed through the sky. Explosions went off in the distance, and a brief look at the windows showed many of the airships already under attack. The fairies special attacks caused the ship to quake, but the dragon type soldiers cheered, raised their weapons, and leapt off into the city anyway. Others charged up Flamethrower attacks and set the world below alight, aiming for buildings and other burnable targets.

"Wait, stop!" Leos cried.

"There's no time to wait. This is war, Leos!" Rune shouted and leapt off. Leos could only stick his arm out as his father disappeared into the flames below, followed by a group of chanting soldiers. Another Moonblast rocked the airship and he almost fell out, helped by Blossom.

"The ship's gonna come crashing down. We're gonna have to jump, too!" Nier cried. Bursts of fire ate away at the airship's wings and roof, and it soon began to nosedive.

"Aah, this is worse than when we had to jump!" Griselle cried and hugged Leos tightly.

"Griselle- gah! Let go. focus!" Leos coughed.

"I've got this. Everyone around me, now!" Blossom shouted as she pulled everyone close to her. As soon as they got into a huddle, she erected a large green Protect barrier around them all.

"I didn't know you could use Protect," Prem said, impressed with her work. His orb appeared in his arms and he used Protect to strengthen their barrier.

Even with all of that, the crash land into the city below shook them all hard enough to bring them to the floor. Noises of destruction deafened their ears as the airship skidded across the paved streets. The floor quaked constantly until the ship came to a sharp stop by crashing into a building. Thankfully their Protect barrier kept them safe, and they only felt pain from bumping into each other and the floor.

Once everything settled and all he could hear were flames, the barriers were dropped and Leos sprinted out of the wreckage. He immediately stopped at the magnitude of the battle around him, unable to do anything but gawk at the way the Pokémon fought each other.

The dragons were savage. They gave no care to the city around them, tearing into anything and everything in sight. Charizard bathed shops in flames, Salamence snapped streetlights and apparatus like twigs, and the Faernian soldiers were spared none of it. Even though the dragon type attacks should have had no affect on their divine bodies, Dragon Claw and Outrage attacks from Dragonite were being used with such physical force that the fairies were being crushed or even pierced. For those that could use the attacks, Iron Tail or Steel wing sliced whole bodies in half and painted the streets in blood and organs.

The fairies were no better in the ordeal, however. Their half of the city was difficult to look at thanks to continual use of Dazzling Gleam and Moonblast from several Sylveon and Aromatisse, while Mawile and Granbull took the front lines with their lengthy lances. Those weapons combined with Play Rough attacks, resulting in the dragons being ground to nothing but mounds of shredded flesh and blood. Barely a scream could come from the targets of these Play Rough attacks, silenced the moment a lance connected.

Leos slowly spun around. No matter where he looked, this level of extreme violence was all around him. Screams, flames, weapons clashing, roars of aggression, and splashes of red. The heat and pressure of the great battle all around him made him feel dizzy and lifeless, like he was falling into a void that would soon kill him. He had almost lost his mind when he saw the amount of death the battle on Eris caused, but now that he was here seeing how all the death came to be, he felt like he was being tortured.

He wanted to scream, but the thought that nobody would hear him in this chaos frightened him. He felt sick enough to throw up. He grabbed his ears and pulled at them as he curled himself up into a ball. His head hurt like explosions were going off inside it. He could feel his chest squeezing up, tightening as the contents of his stomach forced their way up his throat.

"Leos!" Prem squealed and dove into him.

The duo rolled along the cold ground, and Prem's body squeezed against Leos' so closely that it muffled the sound of a blast somewhere to the left. Leos snapped back to reality after that, spotting several Moonblast attacks the size Snorlax soar through the air. The fairies were using their Moonblast cannons to eradicate whole groups of dragons with each shot.

Although aware, Leos scrambled to sit up and then crawled backwards, heaving desperate breaths. The others stared at him in surprise, and he stared back, slowly shaking his head side to side. "T-take me away. Please, get it all away from me!"

"Leos?" Vincent said, trying to keep his eyes on the battle.

"I-I'm a scholar, not a fighter! Get me outta here!" he shrieked and curled up again.

"Leos, get a hold of yourself!" Vincent shouted. He glanced to his right and spun to kick away a Mawile that had approached him, then used his naginata to push against a Slurpuff that came a second later. "You're the only one that can stop this. So get a hold of yourself and get a move on!"

"I know it's gruesome and hard to look at. But this battle can't be won unless you reach Tapu Koko," Nier shouted. She used Light Screen to block a Dazzling Gleam, but a Hyper Beam shattered it a moment later and hit her head on.

Leos barely had time to fret for her as several more conflicts took over the spot where she just was, followed by another blast from the Moonblast cannon that swallowed all the combatants, fairies and dragons alike. Vincent and Nier weren't hit but disappeared into the battle, leaving Prem, Griselle, and Blossom as his only allies.

"I'm the only one?" he whispered with heavy breaths. He stumbled to his feet and was too light-headed to stand straight.

"Let everyone else do the fighting. That's what we decided, remember?" Blossom said. "We'll cut a path straight through. Me and Griselle can hit the enemies in front, then as we run past, Prem, you shock them with Thunder Wave to stop them from following us. Leos, you just stay in the centre of our group."

"U-uh, yes," He nodded. He was quieter than a Whismur.

Their plan was immediately put into practice. Still nervous, Leos prodded his paws together as he warily followed his allies, paying more attention to the stray attacks going off than what they were doing. Even though Blossom and Griselle did good with knocking enemies out of the way, he had to stumble and trip side to side to avoid Flamethrower and Hyper Beam alike, and frequently hesitated due to the smoke and rubble that rained after each attack.

As they weaved through the war in the streets, Leos began to focus a bit more. The way Blossom screamed with each use of Psychic and brought enemies to the ground groups at a time, told of just how much effort and desperation she put into this. Griselle was the same, bashing enemies with her shield and tackles, her voice full effort and emotion. Prem apologised with each Thunder Wave, and was soon out of breath even though he followed by floating with his orb.

They're all doing this together. Not for me, but for their own goals. All of them, even the soldiers fighting. Because the only way to put a stop to this is to kill Tapu Koko, Leos told himself. He could barely keep his eyes open. The effort everyone is putting in… I can't be selfish anymore. I can't just think about myself anymore. The only way to save all these Pokémon is to do what only I can do, with their help!

Before he knew it, he was approaching a grand, wide staircase. This area was quiet and somehow devoid of the war going on. The group stopped to catch their breaths, so Leos glanced back in disbelief – they had indeed reached the foot of the road leading to the castle, and the battle was at least fifty metres behind them.

"We're almost there. My lord, Prem, prepare yourselves," Blossom nodded at them. She and Griselle took the lead, where Leos' senses finally spiked, and he foresaw the danger they were running into.

"Girls!" he shouted, getting them to stop just in time.

A blast of dark energy struck the stairs and sent them both tumbling back to Leos' side. Neither psychic type was hit, thankfully.

"Ah. For a second there, I was about to complain that you were going to make this too easy," Charle laughed mockingly as he floated from beyond the top of the stairs. He was posed as if he was sat down, and scratched his chin with a nail. His sword floated beside him at an arm's reach, while his elite Primarina guards slithered to his left and right. An empty expression filled their gazes.

"St-step aside, Charle!" Leos demanded.

"Ha! Please. Telling the big baddie to step aside? When has that ever worked? Especially when you sound so unsure of yourself?" he said. He laughed under his breath. "Listen to me, prince. The Tapu know what's best for our world. What they want, we give them. In turn, they give us what we want. Is that so difficult a world to live by?"

"Do you think Pokémon should accept being killed for the sake of entertainment? Because that's what Tapu Bulu was doing on Eris!" Prem cried.

"Who the heck cares? Erinians eat each other anyway. He was just making their job easier, and looking for enjoyment at the same time. When you have overwhelming prowess over peasants, you tend to feel good about doing that kind of thing."

Leos' glare intensified. "We've been through this. There's no use reasoning with someone who thinks like that."

"Finally, you're getting' on my wavelength. Skip the bullshit and let's get to the fight," Charle said. He spun and stopped in a pose where he pointed at Leos. "I always get what I want."

He spun again, posing by pointing at himself. "And what I want, is your head hung up on my wall."

He spun again, this time not stopping. "And when I get that,"

He stopped, holding both arms out to his sides. They were surrounded by black flames, which pulled his sword into his right paw. "I'll be crowned champion. From paladin to champion of Faernia, that is to be my tale! And an anticlimactic one, since even the lot of you stand no chance against me."

Leos and his party didn't reply. They stretched their feet apart and tightened their grips on their weapons. Leos' heart raced and he still breathed through his mouth, but he was able to conjure a Razor Shell, so he had some hope of doing well.

"You're still going to fight back? Maybe you think you stand a chance after forcing us to retreat on Eris. But this is our home ground, this time. We can't afford not to put full effort into killing you. But think about it. Have you ever beaten me?" Charle crossed his arms. A golden aura appeared around him, and the Primarina copied his pose. "I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!"

"No, not this attack again," Leos gasped.

"Not gonna stand around and let you do it again!" Griselle cried as she rushed forward. She pulled back and thrust her lance with a roar of effort, but the fiery aura surrounding Charle blocked her attack completely. Her lance poked through the aura, but not nearly enough to harm the Meowth. He smiled at her snidely, and she hopped back with a gasp.

"Psychic still doesn't work. It's like he's a dark type!" Blossom cried, continuously trying to blast him with the move.

Seeing their failure to stop Charle's attack, Leos' panic came right back. He stood there and stared at the posing Meowth with shaky breaths. His eyesight blurred with the growth of the aura, and when the wind started to blow against him, he started crying out and covered his face.

"Your defeat is at hand. Black Hole Eclipse!" Charle shouted as he thrust a palm forward. Just as the black hole formed at the tip of his paw, a huge shuriken lodged itself into his head from above, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Although the shuriken visibly pierced him, it disintegrated and left no stab wound where it was. "Who dares?"

"S-someone… stopped him?" Leos whispered, daring to look up. One of the Faernian airships floated high above their battle, and a few sparkles from Pokémon attacks flew off its surface. Prem was quick to use Protect and defend the party from the moves, leaving Charle to dart about to avoid them. Leos recognised the attacks as more Water Shuriken, coupled with Fairy Wind and a ring of electricity, Zing Zap.

Charle defended against each one with growls and careful moves. Once the attacks ceased, the attackers made their move, and popped up behind him in a puff of smoke. The main attacker, a Greninja, didn't waste time in thrusting both arms forward to hit Charle with Water Pulse from point blank, sending him flying. He rolled across the ground before flipping back to his feet, where he came to a stop behind Leos and the others.

"What?" Charle shrieked. Leos was reluctant to look back at the new faces, but flinched when he realised who they were.

"Wait, you're- I can't believe it, you survived?" Leos gasped. There were four Pokémon: a Greninja, Sylveon, Togedemaru, and Purrloin.

"Of course we did. I'd ask what the heck you've been doing all this time, but it can wait. We're clearly in the right spot, anyway," Tundra replied, ready for battle. Shouta and Kelsith did the same, stood beside him.

"Long story short: I ran into these guys a little while ago," Ida took centre stage. Charle kissed his teeth and shifted back, so she glanced back. "We'll take care of this oaf. You kids hurry up and do your thing with Tapu Koko!"

"Wait… Ida?" Leos gasped.

"Didn't you hear me? Hurry up and kill Tapu Koko and end this mess. Me and the Deliverance have got this covered!" she raised her voice.

"I know you want to talk to them, but she's right. Let's hurry, Master Leos," Blossom said. He nodded at her, exchanged one final unsure glance with everyone, and then jogged up the stairs.

"No, wait, stop!" Charle pointed at them. The Deliverance closed the gap between them to stand in his way, making him tremble with fury. "Get outta the way! I can't afford to let 'em fight Tapu Koko!"

"What's gotten into you? You leave me for a few months and suddenly you seem like a whole different Pokémon. How could you come back and not say hi to me?" Ida shouted, paws on her hips.

"You have nothing to do with this. And as you know, I've been busy! Forgive me for letting war take priority. I planned to come back as soon as I was free," Charle explained. He folded his arms and turned away.

"Seriously?" Ida sighed. "Anyway, you're fighting for the wrong side. Let's not actually do this and go calm down the battle, alright?"

"Uh uh, can't do that. My whole life is on the line!" Charle shook his head and hands.

"I can already tell that you've changed. Dunno if it's for the worse or better, but so far it's looking bad," she commented. "The Charle I married took pride in being a paladin that put his all into everything he did, even if he was doing something stupid. The Charle in front of me now just seems to be brainwashed or something."

"No no, you don't understand! If the Tapu die, I'm gonna lose my powers, my powers that let me get anything I want. The powers that will make me a champion! Don't you want a champion for a husband?" he cried.

"You big oaf. I'm fine with you being you," she said, and put away her lance. She casually strode toward him and held out her paws. "Paladin, champion, or even just a Meowth that knows how to put up a fight. I don't care what you are, Charle. I'm happy to say I love you either way. But you must understand that what the Tapu have been doing is wrong."

"Bah, what do you understand, woman? You don't know what it's like getting what you want. Once you have that power, losing it is not worth it!" he shouted. He slapped her aside, but she stopped him from storming off by grabbing his arm.

"I've seen it all for myself, Charle. I've seen what Tapu Bulu has done on Eris. And I've seen what Leos' army is fighting for," she hissed, a desperate tone taking over her voice. "Please, fight with us. We can't rely on the Tapu's blessings when they act in these unjust ways."

"The Tapu do what they do for a reason. That's why they've given me these powers! I won't turn my back on smart gods like them."

"Hate to interrupt the passionate love troubles, but can we wrap this up? Pokémon are dying," Tundra spoke up, holding onto a Water Shuriken. Ida nodded at him.

"If your almighty 'powers' are more important to you than the peace that the Tapu are disturbing, then our marriage means nothing. I will fight you," Ida threatened as she readied her lance. "Pick wisely for once. 'Cos it's clear which side has the favourable odds, here."

"Really? The lot of you are gonna get in my way? Even my own wife?" Charle said, and drew his sword. His Primarina guards moved as well. "Well, you know what they say. True heroes must go through the biggest of hardships."

"I don't think that includes fighting your wife," Kelsith said.

"Like you'd ever know, you oversized hag!" he cried. "I'll push you all aside and save Tapu Koko. Then you'll see just how wrong you all are for ever disagreeing with them. You'll rue the day you challenged paladin Charle!"

"Sheesh. Do you ever not go on about yourself?" Shouta growled, sparkling with electricity. "We'll see about that, though. I tend to not regret things."