Chapter 39: Demons In The Mind

Summary:

Zeryph and Lexie return from their day together, and resume the training for the tournament. Mewtwo, Zeryph, and Melanie also begin their first steps to harnessing the other side.


"Hey, big guy." Her soft voice broke up the muffled roar of heavy rainfall.

"Hey Lexie. Did you sleep well?" I asked her.

"Yes, I did. Like a newly hatched Scorbunny." I'll take that to mean that she slept like a baby. Which, makes sense, as we were exhausted last night, after everything we did.

"Glad to hear it." I began to sat up, and she pulled herself up with me. "Go ahead, get dressed. I've gotta set you back to normal, I mean, unless you really want to stay like that." Course, goes without saying I'll have to change her back in a hurry if anyone comes up the route from the gate to Victory Road.

"I'm gonna stay." Lexie put her hands together and reached her arms up over her head, moaning softly as she stretched. Then she got up as she brought her arms down, and began to redress. "I really think we should start getting more comfortable with these forms. I mean, we are already, but I don't think hiding the ability is really that necessary. But, only because the world's gonna know about your magic abilities."

"Maybe so, but at the same time, there are those who are gonna make a fuss about it." Lexie handed me some stuff to get dressed in, which, didn't take long. "Especially in the case of ones like Kaorah, who, unlike you and Melanie, doesn't get anything to wear. Even if she did, it would be uncomfortable for her."

"Yeah, that's a fair point. But at the very least, we can stay like this while we're up at the mountain, or here in the base portal." Lexie held out a hand, helping me to pull myself up from the bed. Then, I opened our exit portal and we stepped through. Once on the other side, we could hear rain once more, just not as heavy as in the base.

"Guess we're not running, today."

"No, guess not. Wanna start on breakfast, early?" I answered with a nod. As we headed for the kitchen, I had to switch the lights on. Only because Liz hadn't come down from her room, yet. The scent of breakfast was what brought her down.

"Good morning, you two." She said as she entered the kitchen. "I…still can't believe you can do that. The…form shift, I mean."

"Yeah, I picked it up very early on. I don't know what its limits are, though." I was scrambling some eggs, only looking up for a moment to see who it was.

"Well, how was last night? I'm assuming it was great, because you are both glowing." Liz joined in on helping us, wherever she could.

"Oh, it was fantastic. The other girls on the team were right. He's-"

"Lexie." I interrupted.

"Ahem…sorry. But, yes, fantastic night. I've never slept so well, before." I didn't have to translate, as Lexie did the same as what Mewtwo and Melanie did- using Libero and Psychic-Type to pick up English. It won't be long until Kalina does, either.

"I wonder how he keeps up with all of you." Liz had taken over the eggs for me, while I moved over to handle the pancakes I was making. Lexie was working on sausage and bacon.

"We have a rotation schedule set up, switching who's with him every night. Although…I've had him more than once over the past few nights. Might even see if we can get it set up to rotating each week." Lexie said.

"Rotating weekly wouldn't be a bad idea." Liz's Audino and Serperior joined us. "Gives all of you more time to spend with him, each, rather than being one night every few days."

"That's not a bad idea." We heard Melanie's voice from the door. She quietly walked over, wrapping me up in her arms and gently pressing her chest against my back. She was careful about her chest spike, of course, as to avoid an incident with it.

"I was wondering, by the way. How did you get your hair to be that shade of red?" Liz asked her.

"Ah, same as how Zeryph changes us into the form like what Lexie is. Magic. It's a simple spell that lets me change the colors of stuff that I'm wearing. But, it also happens to work on my hair, too." I readied Anthrofy with my left hand, and gently tapped one of Melanie's arms. I felt her form shift, and she tightened the embrace as it did. "Hey, here's a question. Since I'm doing medical training, do I get a nurse outfit? I can change what I'm wearing, in this form."

I had to close my eyes and take a slow breath in order to keep focused, causing Melanie to giggle.

"Melanie, please, don't distract him while he's working." Thanks, Lexie. Seriously though, the mental image of Melanie in a nurse outfit is…ehem. Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see that for real, of course.

"Now, cosplay…that's an idea. Hm…maybe I could get a maid outfit, too. What do you think?" She was mostly talking to herself, but that last bit was directed at me. That mental image made begin to feel my face heat up. "Ah, master! I've been a bad girl…are you going to punish me?" I had to step away from the stove, as to not let any blood drip into the pans as my nose began to bleed lightly.

"MELANIE!" Lexie shouted, only for Melanie to respond with a series of muffled giggles, placing a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Even Liz had a small blush.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Melanie gave me a kiss on the cheek. "See you when breakfast is ready." She then headed for the dining room to wait for us. I guess the others had heard Lexie, as they soon appeared in the dining room, themselves.

Once I got my issue under control, and stopped, I returned to working on the pancakes.

"Has she always been like that?" Liz asked me.

"Not at first. However, I think she's been experimenting when she's not with me." I said, and there's some truth to that. Her holding down, and topping, Kaorah. As well as what advice she'd given to Mewtwo before he and I had our night. I wouldn't be surprise to hear that she's been with Solais, too. Course, Kaorah complained about that, and I do agree on gravity powers being a major cheat. But it makes things interesting, so there's not really a reason to get onto her for it.

"You seem surprisingly comfortable talking about being together with the girls, and guy, like that." Liz said.

"Well, we were originally just going to keep it hidden, period. However, things changed as a result of my first date with Lexie. Our first kiss was captured, as this." I pulled out what Burgh had given us, that night, and showed her.

"Oh my, that's beautiful. Is that one of Burgh's works?" Liz walked over for a closer look. I already know why she would recognize the art style, considering where she's from.

"It is. He happened to see us on the Nimbasa City wheel. He decided to capture the moment, and gave this to us to keep." I stashed it away once again, making a note to get it framed so I can hang it up in the cabin.

"I'd love to see what he could do if he went up on that observation tower." Lexie commented.

"Oh, for sure. I'd also really like to see what he could do with a view like that." It's definitely the sort of view that deserves to be captured as art. Although, it's nothing like what can be seen from orbit, on the back of Rayquaza. Speaking of which, I still need to see if he might know anything about that storm that hit Fuchsia a while back. I highly doubt it, since he generally stays around Hoenn, but who knows for sure. Except, maybe Dialga and Celebi, but they haven't said anything.

It didn't take us too much longer to finish preparing breakfast. Like before, we had some extra help with serving it. We all sat down, and dug in. I'd already decided on what my plan for training is going to be. It's going to focus on Kalina's RKS system, and helping her learn how to use it properly.

Following breakfast, and the cleanup, we went for the cave like we had before. While the others settled into the routine I had set up, I took Kalina and Lexie to somewhere out of the way of the others. Liz had turned the TVs on while we were having breakfast. Mostly stuff talking about the league, along with a program known for putting the spotlight on exceptional trainers. Honestly, I'm not surprised that it's me they've brought attention to. Eight gyms, in a row, without losing a single challenge. That's definitely a good way to get the spotlight.

Fortunately, nothing in there about New Island. I guess one of Giovanni's last orders was to cover that up. Still, from what the show says- I'm the favorite to win this year's Indigo League, already. I dunno if there's any gambling in this world, far as battles go. But if there is, I'm sure there are gonna be a lot of people betting on me. So, no pressure, really. Honestly though, my two biggest competitors, are Ritchie, and my cousin.

If the tournament is set up right, then I'll be set to face Ritchie, myself. Ash lost to him in the original timeline. With me being here though, it's likely Ash might be up against trainers he can win against. Honestly, anything could happen. Ash and I could even end up as first round opponents. Won't know until we get there, of course.

Then there's the Orange Islands, between Kanto and Johto. I might do some side games or even one of the Mystery Dungeon games during that time. Could even do Legends Arceus, but I think I want to save that for the lead-up to Sinnoh. Back to the topic of training, I found a spot to sit down. Lexie and Kalina both sat down with me.

"So, what are we working on, today?" Lexie asked.

"Kalina's RKS System. I want to help her learn how to use it. And if it's possible, get it to the same level as you are with Libero. It doesn't seem like she has to use memory disks, unlike the normal versions of it." I remembered as well- the Aether Foundation aren't the only ones to create a Type: Null. And Silvally, by extension. Macro Cosmos did the same in Galar, with stolen research. Bringing into question who exactly it was that created Kalina. Could've been either, but we won't know for a while.

We soon began to learn how it worked, as we settled into training. Unlike the normal variant, Kalina's seemed to be based on programming to adapt to the battle going on. Shifting her type to one that resists attacks, but also to one matching whatever move she uses. It also even seemed to adjust accordingly for Multi-Attack. The surprised reaction to her first use of it was to be expected. After all, she didn't even know it a few days prior.

I wonder if this adaptation capability is a sort of RKS Mk. II. Perhaps based on the nineteenth Plate. If that's the case, then it's going to easily carry Kalina into the higher ranking for who's strongest. Maybe. Because even if she can switch types pretty much at-will, it won't do her much good if she can't hit hard enough or take any hits. On top of that, she'll have to adjust to every single type, individually. I think for that, the best option is to have her focus on a different type, each day.


[Break]


Apart from focusing on the RKS system, training went as usual for the day. We stopped for lunch when Lexie gave us the signal, then went back to work once we'd finished. There was one surprise to go along with it. A Larvitar, drawn by the scent of food. When we offered him some, he happily accepted, before running off. It wasn't long before he returned, either. With a pair of Tyranitar in tow.

While they seemed hostile at first, the realization I could understand what they said, and the scent of food, took care of that issue. I personally invited them to join us for lunch, and they accepted. We talked for a bit, and I informed them of the reason we were up here. They were fine with it, so long as we didn't disturb them. The pair also warned us of others who will not be as…welcoming.

Liz had also decided that she wanted to get her team involved with training, as well. This was actually a big help, as it gave my team some extras to work with. Even if they're nowhere near the same level as we are. It'll help hers even more than mine, though.

I'd even given her the option of starting them on weights like what my team uses. Even offering to get her a set of weighted bands for herself, like the ones I wear. She declined, since she wasn't a fighter like I plan to be. Her team had also declined, although, they did see some potential benefits. Especially since it could potentially help one day if they have to search for someone like we did with Kalina.

As training for the day came to an end, I was to be the last one in for the day. Lexie and I prepared supper for everyone as we always did. Liz brought up the idea of getting pizza, one night. The one thing that Lexie and I don't know how to fix from scratch. We'll have to order it, and it'll likely be more expensive due to where we are, but that's fine.

Wouldn't be as bad if Kanto had the same sort of flight crews as Galar and Paldea have. Maybe they do and my team just hasn't made use of it. I dunno, but, I guess we'll see. At the very least, we know that cars exist. Both from what Gary has, and from the Skyarrow Bridge having a roadway. Maybe they'll drive it up here as far as they can get it.

Kaorah was the one who got a night with me, tonight. She and the other girls, as well as Mewtwo, had started discussions on how to switch things up, based on Lexie's ideas. And from how it seems, they all agreed on it. We won't be switching it up just yet, but at the start of next week, we're gonna start weekly rotations. Kaorah gets it first, then we go in order of who I've been with. Melanie, Solais, Mewtwo, Lexie, then repeat. Anyone else will go on the list after Lexie.

"I wonder how you even manage all this." Suicune commented on it. She still wasn't used to us being together. Granted, she's only known all of us for a few days now, so that's fair. "Especially with how big Kaorah is."

"Generally, Zeryph snuggles against me, rather than everyone being up against him." Kaorah said. "There has been one major issue though, Solais has nightmares sometimes, over an incident in our past."

"I know, I've seen the scars from that. Must've been pretty bad." Suicune laid her head down on her pillow, after adjusting to make herself comfortable.

"It was a serious slash, but not bad enough to need stitches. Melanie healed it the following morning, but left the scars. And, you've also seen the bite mark that Kaorah left me." I said.

"I have. Surprised that you don't-" she paused, interrupted by a yawn, "have a matching scar from any of the others." Suicune commented.

"Well, Kaorah's is a mate mark, ultimately claiming me as hers. And, Solais, was just an accident. The others don't have any reason to do something like that." I reached over to the lamp next to the table, and turned it off. "Well, anyway, get some sleep. We've got more work ahead of us, tomorrow." It wasn't too much longer before we all drifted off to sleep.


[04:00 Hours]


I sat up and stretched as the early hours rolled around. Kaorah woke up just after I did, unusually early for her. That's not a problem, though. She sat up and began to stretch, with quiet pops and a low growl.

"Ugh…these beds just aren't the same, after sleeping in the ones the base has." Kaorah shifted into a position that allowed her to sit comfortably.

"You're right about that. Doesn't really matter when we're tired from training." These beds could really do with a bit more leg room though, at least. Something which both Mewtwo and Kaorah definitely agree on. One of the issues that comes with being tall, which all three of us have to deal with.

"What's-" Suicune was interrupted by a yawn. "Sorry, what's better about those, compared to these?"

"The material, mainly. It's gel foam, which, makes the stuff always cool and super comfortable. Plus, the beds are bigger than these are. So, makes them way more comfortable than what we have here." Kaorah got up from the bed, then began to properly stretch her legs and her tail. "It's tough, going back to these beds, but we'll manage."

A soft knock drew our attention to the door. When I answered, I found myself wrapped up in Lexie's arms. We shared a short kiss, and a soft nuzzle.

"Hey big guy." She said softly. I felt her gently rub my lower back with her hands.

"Hey gorgeous." Lexie let out a soft hum when I began to gently scratch with my fingers.

"I thought Melanie was the gorgeous one." Kaorah commented, causing Lexie to giggle. I shot her a smile over my left shoulder.

"Ah, you're all gorgeous. I can call any one of you the same thing, if I want to." I said.

"Fair point." Kaorah wrapped her arms around me from behind, just as Lexie pulled away.

"Wanna join us for our morning run?" Lexie asked her.

"Sure. Might as well, since I'm up early." Kaorah let me go, then squeezed past, stepping into the hallway.

"C'mon, we'll stretch outside. I'll walk you through it. Did the same for Liz when she first joined us." I let the girls go on ahead, as I'd catch up shortly.

"So, that's where you've been going, every morning." Suicune walked up next to me. "A morning run? Doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"It's a great way to wake up. Doesn't hurt to have some morning exercise, either. Lexie used to run on her own, but she got me involved eventually. Been in the habit ever since." Suicune pulled the door shut as we left the room, having decided she was going to walk along with me. "After we set up the base portal, remind me to show you later, she and I got access to a much more intense run. A mountain trail, which…I'll say this, running up is a lot harder than running down is."

"I understand. Even hopping up the side of a mountain can be tiring…if I do it enough. I've got more than enough energy to cross the ocean between some Regions without tiring. Goes to show how tough your training is, because that's the first time I was ever left exhausted. As far as I can remember, anyway." I heard someone hurry to catch up, and Kalina fell into step beside me. I reached up, gently scratching the top of her head with my fingers. Earning a soft purr in response.

"Evan and I can fly between Regions in a short time, ourselves. He, and Kaorah, are capable of very high speeds. They can break the sound barrier, even." Both of the ladies shot me a surprised look.

"They're that fast? …Wow…" Kalina said.

"It's true. A while back, Lexie, Melanie, Kaorah, and myself- we took part in the Laramie Ranch race. Kaorah and I absolutely blasted past the competition. Lexie and Melanie finished just behind us. I'm pretty sure we actually set a new record, too." I placed my hands on their heads, sharing my perspective from the race that day.

"That's…impressive. So, when the weights come off, it lets you do things like that?" Suicune was the first to say anything.

"It does. Had flight been allowed, Kaorah and I would've finished that race even faster." We reached the foyer, and saw that Lexie and Kaorah were already into their stretches. I started to head over to join in, while Suicune and Kalina found themselves a place to sit. Liz was the next to join us, starting on her own stretches once she had. She was surprised to see that Kaorah had joined us, but wasn't complaining.

Suicune and Kalina walked out with us, but the pair decided to lay down by the door and watch, rather than join in. Like with the previous days, Liz was the first to bow out. Although, she did last longer this time than she had before. Kaorah made it through the full workout, which, isn't a surprise. At the end of the two hours, we all headed back inside to clean up, then headed for the kitchen for breakfast. While Lexie and I got started, Kaorah went to gather everyone else.

As we were working on breakfast, I heard the others begin to gather in the dining room. As we started to serve everything, Liz informed me that I had a call waiting. So, I headed for the phone terminals, while her Serperior and Audino took over for me. Ash was on screen when I walked up to the terminal.

"Hey Zeryph, good morning." My cousin greeted me.

"Morning Kiddo. What's up?" I sat down by the terminal. Lexie decided to bring my breakfast to me, which I thanked her for.

"Aw, man. That looks so good." He commented. "Anyway, I need your help with something. Or, rather, someone."

"Charizard?" I guessed.

"Huh? How did you know?" Ash was genuinely surprised.

"Because, he's the only one who belonged to someone else before you got him. By that logic, he's a trade." I said. "And, you didn't exactly get all of your badges by winning. He might just feel that you aren't worthy of his respect. Not yet, anyway. Bring him out for me." There was a flash as he appeared. He let out a grunt, crossing his arms. He would've turned away, had he not seen me on screen.

My presence seemed to be enough to gain his interest, as he began to pay attention right away.

"You. You're strong, very strong. Even over this…thing, I can tell." Charizard said.

"That's the most I've ever heard him say." Charizard huffed at what Ash said.

"Yeah? Well, your cousin is what I consider to be worthy." I translated for him, even if it seemed a little harsh.

"Easy, big guy, we're just having a talk. No need to get rough." I said. "Besides, all of Ash's knowledge of being a trainer, came from me. With some improvisations of his own."

"Is that so?" Charizard seemed even more interested, now. Lowering his arms to his sides instead of keeping them crossed.

"It is. Right now, the reason he's training all of you, is for the big tournament in two months. I fully believe that you are currently the strongest one on his team. If not one of the strongest. He needs you, big man, more than anyone else." I said. "Because, he has a goal in that tournament. He wants to make it to the semifinals."

"Yeah, just like Zeryph will. If we both make it, it'll be our first battle against each other. And, we want it to be a great one." Ash added.

"I…think I'm starting to understand." Charizard said.

"Even if you don't want to work with him overall, then at the very least, do it for us. For the tournament, so that you may get the chance to face some truly strong opponents." I said.

"So," Charizard growled softly, "if I work with him, you're saying that I'll get to face your team in battle for myself?" I nodded. "Mmm, alright. I'll do it. On the condition that I am the first one he sends out against you on that day, and no one else."

"Sounds fair to me. Ash, what do you think?" I told him what Charizard had said.

"Yeah, that'll work." He was quick to agree of course. Especially since I'd just helped him secure one of his strongest fighters for the tournament.

"Then we have work to do. Let's get to it, right away." I allowed a grin to appear on my face. Suicune then made her presence known, walking into view. She'd wanted to see who I was talking to, I guess. Charizard's reaction made it worth it. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "…What?!"

"Who is that? I've never seen any Pokemon like her, before." Ash was surprised, just, not to the same level as Charizard was. Likely because Pokemon tend to know their own Legends better than humans do, in most cases.

"Oh, that's Suicune. She's training with us during the next couple months. My team met with her and her brothers on the way up to where we're staying." I said. Suicune sat, and raised her right paw in a wave. Ash grinned, and waved back. "She, as well as her brothers, are a trio of Legendaries from over in Johto. They were pretty much waiting for us." Suicune nodded, confirming what I just said.

"Sorry kiddo, gotta cut this short." My senses spiked, warning me that Giratina was about to pull open a rift. That's why I suddenly decided to end the call. "Be seeing you guys for the tournament. Tell the others that I said 'hi'." I cut the call out just as Ash waved, then I heard the sound of Giratina's rift tearing open. He's gotten better at opening them in thin air.

"Thought you could've used a warning, first." Even though I'm used to working with the sons, I still get chills from hearing their voices. Don't think I ever mentioned before, but it's true. "I would like to bring you through for today. Bring Mewtwo and Melanie along, as well."

"If I may ask, why do you need us, specifically?" I was only curious, and it doesn't seem like it's a problem.

"It's related to the incident a few days ago. I think I might be able to help them not only unlock that power, but actually use it, too. Without losing control, that is." Now, that is interesting. Having members of the team able to shift into Shadow-mode at will, and control it at full power…well, there are going to be some drawbacks, of course. Firstly, and this is the main one- it's likely to be very addictive.

There's also the questions it's going to raise, too. Course, once my work with Giratina becomes public knowledge…I think people will be a lot more understanding about it.

"I'll let them know what's going on. No guarantee that they'll go for it, but we'll see." Giratina nodded, then closed the rift. I took a few minutes, writing down what I wanted the others to work on for the day, then I asked Liz to take them out to the mountain cave for today. I made sure to give her the list.

She was slightly unnerved by the list, but she took it anyway. As the others gathered for the day, I took Mewtwo and Melanie outside. Giratina pulled open another Rift, and I began to fill them in on what we were doing. They were both, understandably, uncomfortable with the idea. So, it took a fair bit of convincing. Once that was out of the way, Giratina opened the rift properly, allowing us to step through.

[Warning!]

[This area is extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution.]

The System throwing a warning was interesting, but something to be expected. I felt the very world itself shift. Like even the laws of physics forgot how they were supposed to work. Just stepping through made it feel like I'd removed my weights. I slowly floated to the ground, landing quietly on contact.

Mewtwo and Melanie both had similar reactions to my own as they stepped through. We had landed on a floating island. It had a smaller mountain on it, one similar in shape to Mt. Silver. It wasn't the highest island, but wasn't the lowest either. There were numerous islands, facing every direction possible. All floating in a deep blue void. Dim light left the islands tinted with a faint red glow.

The dark feeling from here was almost suffocating. Without "Gamer's Mind", I'm certain that I likely would've been sent into a panic. If I didn't pass out, that is. This marks the first proper face-to-face with Giratina, and I can't really put into words the feeling just from being this close. Shrouded in shadows, with a red glow from his eyes. Black tendrils waving in nonexistent wind.

Even the meeting in the mindscape, when Arceus made contact, didn't feel anywhere near like this. I can imagine that Arceus will feel even stronger when we meet Him in person.

"It's impressive that you're all still standing. Had I not been limiting myself, this meeting would've gone differently." I felt the island shake just from Giratina's voice alone. The chill down my spine and the goosebumps definitely went along with what I was feeling.

"Do…the others know about this?" I asked, genuinely curious if he'd asked his brothers, first."

"Bah!" Giratina shook his head. "Even if they DID, it wouldn't stop me. I'm known as the Renegade, after all." From the way he said it, he actually seemed to take pride in that moniker. I would've thought he didn't like to be called that, personally. But he did stand against Arceus, after all. Resulting in his banishment to this place.

"Now then, take a seat, all of you. We have work to do." He'd even set us up a spot, using some of the stones that were floating freely. Giratina's form began to shift, changing shape into something more humanoid. His face in this form remained obscured, save for his bright red eyes. His body was covered by a cloak of shadow. His shadowy wings remained, and golden armor was placed on his chest.

His hands were a pale gray color, and golden claws stuck out from his fingers. Each movement of his fingers left dark red energy in their wake. He reached up to his hood, brushing it backwards. Black hair shifted as the hood was brushed away. A golden helmet formed, taking its place. His mouth and nose were covered, and the skin around his eyes was black. His slitted red eyes met my own, and he tilted his head to the right, slightly.

"Not bad, right? I got the idea from Dialga." His voice wasn't as loud as before, but it still brought the same feeling of dread. I'm not sure how, but his helmet doesn't muffle it. Then again, I can't question it, considering who it is.

"Honestly? Looks great. You definitely look like you'd be a great villain character. With a voice to match." Giratina chuckled at what I said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now then, I want you all to take a position as if you're meditating. I'm going to help you each, one at a time. At least for now." Giratina began to walk over to Mewtwo, first. His steps were completely silent, but I knew he was actually walking. The movement he was making was proof of that.

"Zeryph, you're last. I have something…special…in mind for you." Giratina reached out with his right hand, slowly. Mewtwo is trying to stay calm, but he's shaking. I can see it from where I am. This is the first time I've seen him be genuinely afraid of someone. "Be still, relax. Take a deep breath, and count backwards from ten." There was a faint flash as Giratina made contact. He closed his eyes, bowing his head.

Feeling the mind link disconnect was a shock, and I felt my breathing catch for a moment. Melanie wasn't hit as hard as I was, fortunately. If not for the dimension shift we did, the shock would've hit the others, too.


[Mewtwo]


Mewtwo opened his eyes, to a large chamber. Half of the room, where he was standing, was dimly lit by torchlight. The other half of the room, was black as night.

"To wield the powers of a Shadow form, you must face the darkness within yourself. You will not win by fighting it. Instead, you must learn to accept it." Giratina's voice echoed within the room. Then, a form began to take shape. Dark gray skin, glowing red eyes. If not for the colors, Mewtwo would've thought he was looking into a mirror.

The copy flicked his arms outward, blades of crimson energy flaring to life. A flash of crimson, and he powered up into his Mega form. Cloaked in crimson light, he began to prepare himself to attack.

"Remember, do not attack. Only guard yourself if you must, but you must not be the aggressor. You must accept this part of yourself. Then, we can continue." Giratina's voice echoed again.

Mewtwo brought out his power, just barely raising a shield in time to defend himself from an attack. He felt the shock from the impact, and saw the rapid cracking of the hastily raised Protect. As the shadow prepared to strike again, Mewtwo teleported away from the swing.

His shadow growled, and began to slowly walk after him. It became clear Mewtwo that this shadow saw him, as if he were his…their? Sister. The shadow's power spiked, and he growled even louder. The fact he was a manifestation of Mewtwo's darker side, meant their minds were connected. His thoughts, were the Shadow's to read. The darkness in the room had also rapidly grown, the light from the torches dimming, and burning out one by one.

This was what Mewtwo needed to come to a realization. He reigned in his power, and let it go, returning to his base form. The shadow stopped, tilting his head to the side. Then, Mewtwo began to focus on a different feeling. One that he only held for one person above all else. The light in the room began to rise once more.

Slowly, he held out his arms, as if offering a hug. Braving the risk of failure, he began to walk forward, even closing his eyes as he went. He continued forward until he felt himself bump into something. Without hesitating, he wrapped his arms around it, not daring to open his eyes. In case things were to go wrong. He felt the icy coldness from the other side, then…the feeling of it warming up. Until he felt the shift as he returned to the outside.

When he opened his eyes, he could see the faint, crimson glow. His skin had turned the same dark gray as that day. Yet…there was no anger, no coldness, only warmth. It only lasted for a moment before it faded. As he looked up, he saw as Giratina was beginning the same process with Melanie.


[Melanie]


Melanie's mindscape had taken a different form. Instead of the chamber Mewtwo saw, she was greeted with a garden. Standing in a small patch of healthy grass, surrounded by lifeless plants. Giratina repeated what he'd said to Mewtwo, before. And from there, the shadows began to shift.

What Melanie was facing had a battle-damaged gown. Cracks split the surface of the spike within her chest, and her eyes had taken on a deep red glow. Dark shadows slowly leaked from her tear ducts, turning into small wisps of smoke in the air. Blended in with faint signs of tears which, lightly burned the skin on her face.

Blood dripped from her fingers, tied to what had triggered the transformation that day. Melanie's heart skipped a beat, and she let out a hiss. She placed a hand on her chest, and closed her eyes. Images flashed in her mind. First with Tommy, then all the people in Fuchsia who she couldn't save, then…Zeryph.

Her eyes caught another drop as she opened them, and she watched it fall all the way to the floor. Though she had shifted into what Zeryph taught her in order to help her calm herself…she felt as though it wasn't working. She heard her shadow approaching, saw her reach out with her bloody hands. The memories from the day began to resurface. Although Dialga had tried to erase them, it seems that they had another way back.

Flashes of images, herself, the same staining on her own hands. Her breathing began to pick up, her eyes started to lose focus. The shadow touched her cheek, a mix of warm and cold. A flash back to the exact moment when Zeryph died in her arms. Melanie reacted, the ground cracking as her powers flared, the room shaking as she let it all out at once.


[Zeryph]


I cringed when I felt the burst of power from Melanie. A hastily raised barrier of shadows between her and myself, was all that stopped her from blasting me off the side of the island. The scream she let out was absolutely horrid. For a moment her eyes took on a deep, bloody red color, before returning to normal. Moments after, she broke down into a fit of sobs. Almost descending into hysterics. I quickly got to my feet, hurrying over in order to wrap her up in my arms.

As for Mewtwo, I had seen the shift in his appearance, felt the surge of power. It seems that he'd had…much more success with his. As I felt Melanie squeeze me with her arms, I began to rub her back, whispering calming words into her left ear. Her sobs became muffled as she pressed her face into my shoulder.

"Giratina looked like he wanted to say something, but I motioned for him to stay silent, so he did. I don't know what Melanie saw, but it must've been horrific. Her violent reaction all but confirmed it. I kept her in my arms, holding her until she finally settled down. Even after she became silent, she didn't want to let go.

"Would you rather wait, until tomorrow, for your own part of training?" Giratina asked quietly.

"Please. I think Melanie needs some time with me." I said. I felt the air shift as a portal was opened. Although we'd only been in here for several minutes, the same wasn't true outside. The sun had already begun to set.

I gently shifted my arms and lifted Melanie into a bridal carry, feeling her snuggle against my chest. Then I started to head back outside. Mewtwo helped us through the rift, then stepped out himself. For a moment, he stopped to stare back through, likely glaring at Giratina for a moment. I don't know why, personally, but based on what just happened, it must've been bad.

"Where have you all been?" Liz asked. She hurried over to check on Melanie when she noticed what was going on.

"Uh…Distortion World." I didn't have to keep it secret from Liz, at least. I do with Ash, since he's not supposed to meet Giratina yet.

"W-what?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Liz's tone suddenly shifted, from concerned to unhappy.

"Giratina personally invited us, actually." I said. I shifted how I was holding Melanie in order to make her more comfortable.

"Well, whatever you did, it caused an avalanche up on the mountain." Liz said.

"That…might've been…me." Melanie said quietly. "Please…don't ask. I…don't wanna talk about it."

"Go on, take her to the rooms. I'll explain it." Mewtwo said. "She needs some rest, and she needs you, too. In case she has nightmares."

"I know. I'll stay with her." I started to carry Melanie back to the rooms. "Have Lexie bring our supper to us."

"I will. See you both tomorrow." Mewtwo said to us, then he started to head for the kitchen while talking with Liz. I heard her reaction to the information that Giratina wanted to train him and Melanie on how to use their shadow powers. I'm gonna be getting an earful in the morning, I'm sure.

As I reached my room, Melanie opened the door for us. I carried her to the bed then gently set her down, before going to change. Lexie came in with our supper while I was in the bathroom. Melanie tried to wave hers away. She didn't feel like eating after…whatever happened.

I heard the pair get into a discussion, Lexie trying to convince her to eat at least a little something. And Melanie continuing to deny that she needed to. I stepped in when it started to heat up, calming them both down before promising Lexie that I'd explained what happened, in the morning. Once she left the room, I sat down with Melanie before starting on my own supper.

Lexie had made lasagna, tonight, and she did an amazing job, too. My quiet reaction to how good it was, was what finally got Melanie to try hers. I smiled at her when she started to quietly dig in. And it wasn't long before her mind was taken off whatever she'd gone through. At least for now, anyway.

When we finally finished, Melanie wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me down before snuggling up against my side. She rested her head on my chest, not moving to look when Suicune entered the room. It wasn't much longer after that I fell asleep.


[Melanie]


Melanie heard Zeryph's breathing getting quieter. Eventually, she could tell that he was sound asleep. She slowly pulled herself away from him, then she sat up. Quietly, she slowly got out of bed. Even with him there, she knew she wasn't going to be able to get to sleep. She quietly left the room, making sure not to wake either of the others.

She shut the door as she left, then began to walk to the stairs. Heading up to the rooftop patio. The cool night air met her as she opened the door. She sat down on one of the lounge chairs, before laying on her back. The sky was mostly clear, apart for some clouds to the west.

"Hey Melanie, you feeling OK?" Lexie's accented voice broke the silence. She had been heading to her room after helping to clean up in the kitchen. And, happened to see where Melanie was headed.

"No…not really." Melanie sat up, crossing her legs as she did. Lexie sat down next to her.

"What's wrong? Is it about…" Melanie nodded. "Gotcha. I…don't know the details, but it must've been pretty bad." Lexie reached out, gently placing her right hand on Melanie's back. "You can tell me whenever you're ready, or just let Zeryph explain it in the morning."

"I'll let him tell you. It…won't be as hard on me, that way." Melanie let herself be pulled into a side hug.

"Well, he doesn't know the full details, either. The only one who really does, is you. Ya can't just bottle it up in here." Lexie tapped the side of her head.

"I know…just…" Melanie sighed. "It's hard to…even try to explain what I went through. All I can really tell you was that it was supposed to be starting the training Giratina wants to do with us." She let out a soft hum, when she felt Lexie start to rub her back. It wasn't anything like what Zeryph could do, for sure, but at least it was still soothing.

"I know that much, Mewtwo told me. I…guess he handled it better than you did." Melanie only answered with a small nod. Lexie shifted, crossing her legs. She saw the clouds moving in from the west. And felt the breeze brush through her fur. It was cold, but that didn't bother her at all. She could smell the rain on the breeze. Melanie seemed to have also noticed it, turning her head to look at the clouds.

"We should get back inside, before that gets here." Lexie shifted, then got up. She offered Melanie a hand, pulling her up and then into a hug. Smiling softly when she felt Melanie return it. "Hey, just remember, we're all here for you. Any time you want to talk with someone, just say so. I'm sure the others would be just as happy to sit with you as I am."

"Thanks, Lexie." Melanie was smiling when she pulled away. Hearing that the team would care for her just like she'd do for all of them, made her happy.

"Now, let's go get some sleep. We've got more training to do, tomorrow. Hey, why don't you get up early, join us for the morning run?" Lexie was first to the door, pulling it open and waiting for Melanie to walk through, first.

"Sure. I don't normally get up that early, but I'd be glad to." Melanie heard the roof door shut behind her as she walked through.

"Great. I'll see you and Zeryph in the morning, then." The girls faded into silence as they walked back to the rooms. They stopped briefly when they got to where they were going. They shared a short hug, wishing each other good night, before returning to bed.

Melanie smiled when she saw that Zeryph was still asleep. She quietly shifted into the bed next to him, snuggling up against his side once more. She gently rested her head on his chest, and it wasn't long before sleep finally claimed her. And, she wouldn't have to worry about any nightmares, either. The rooftop talk with Lexie, although it wasn't that long, had really helped her.