The empty soup bowl clattered on the small foot-tall foldout table for the fourth time that afternoon. Not even a day had passed since he had technically died and become one of the undead, yet his appetite seemed to only increase.
Cynthia groaned in despair, looking down at Longwei from the camping chair she was seated on just outside his tent with an expression that was begging for mercy. "Please don't tell me you want fifths."
"How fortunate for you then, junior." Longwei said with a chuckle, jovially patting his robe'd belly. He and the robe had been washed of blood already and the demonic disguise had been removed. "This elder is stuffed like a naive pig that coveted his brother's oats. I can eat no more."
Longwei opened his eyes once more, relieved that his eyesight was nearly back to its full strength. He could fairly clearly see the massive tree whose shaded canopy they were camping under. He could also see the many kleavor, scyther, and scizor present about the tree and the area surrounding it, each of them giving their camp a respectably wide berth. They seemed to be on alert. As for the noble kleavor, it was presently absent and Longwei had yet to witness it.
'Such is the power of the Dao of Nutrition, to recover so much so fast.'
"Anyways, about this… child," Longwei resumed picking apart the details provided by Cynthia's quick rundown, "she said nothing?"
He hadn't paid much attention to the fleeing child before their fight, certainly not enough to check her with spirit sense. It was something he was now regretting. Had he checked, he might have possibly known whether their true form were human or latias.
His reason for suspecting this was threefold.
Firstly, Cynthia claimed to have been rescued by a human psychic master. When he pressed this point, she claimed she had never even heard of human psychics becoming so powerful.
Secondly, when he had woken up he sensed a lati stalking about their camp through spirit sense. The instant he asked Cynthia to introduce them they had Teleported away. Apparently the lati had been under an optical invisibility technique—something Longwei hadn't noticed due to relying on spirit sense—and was averse to being discovered.
Thirdly, Lucario, the only other among them who he knew could sense others, was under a Hypnosis-induced sleep. Cynthia had been unaware of this fact and presumed they were still recovering from the battle.
He kept this suspicion to himself, however. It would do no good to draw a powerful being's ire by outing their true nature.
"Well, she did bow in thanks if that counts?" Cynthia answered.
Longwei scoffed. If she were a latias as he suspected then it would have been her illusion that bowed — it hardly counts unless the gesture is made physically.
Cynthia looked at him like he had just insulted the emperor's robes at an imperial feast.
Longwei coughed into his fist. "Eherm. Apologies, but considering they had intercepted our Teleport and left us to fight a dangerous battle for them, I had expected more than a simple bow."
Evidently she disapproved of that response as well. "The psychic master thanked us enough by providing expert medical care and even promised he would repay the debt properly once he's spoken with the others of his clan. We'd already been thanked enough."
"Medical care that was only needed because of their actions," Longwei retorted, "and further payment that is purely speculative."
"That…" Cynthia began to reply but stopped as the words sunk in. They haven't really been compensated, have they?
Longwei continued. "The potential that our involvement is discovered should be considered as well, even in spite of this psychic master's complete destruction of the evidence. We might have both gained enemies of unknown reach. Is one-time medical care and an uncertain promise of future payment enough to make up for this? Enough to make up for how close several of us came to death?"
He shook his head. "I would say not. However, this is not a debt we can enforce. They clearly hold more power than us, plus we know not who they are. There is nothing we can do but content ourselves with being allowed mere survival at the whims of those mightier than us."
The harsh reality that she had been subconsciously ignoring finally set in with Cynthia.
They had been ripped from their Teleport and left behind as a distraction. If she hadn't decided to Teleport with Longwei, then he, his pokémon, and Mr Mime would have died. If she and her team weren't strong enough to be on the verge of officially declaring their Elite Four challenge, they wouldn't have lasted long enough for the psychic master to arrive.
A harsh stare overcame her and she balled her fists.
"I need to make a call." Cynthia said with conviction. She hadn't reported this to anyone because the psychic master advised her to keep the matter a secret for her own protection, an idea that even Mr Mime and later Longwei agreed with. Her grandma had been rather upset that she was clearly keeping something secret when asking for a pickup, but surely letting them know a few things would be fine?
Longwei watched as Cynthia got up and walked away from his tent. He had wished to ask her more about these 'psychics' that existed among humankind and how they were different from 'aura wielders', but he could clearly see that now was not the time for further questions.
With Cynthia gone, his disciples quickly began making their way over from where the rest of their pokémon were gathered around the campfire. Well, other than gabite who was currently in a semi-stasis state within their pokéball.
'It will be a few hours more before Cynthia's family arrive to provide transport…'
Luxio and Poochyena stopped in front of him and accepted his headpats, the former happily and the latter with resignation.
'I should use this time wisely. The martial Fighting Dao is rather straightforward, but the other is not. I could use guidance.'
"Luxio," he said, withdrawing his hands from both and gaining their full attention. "Ask Spiritomb if she would be willing to provide me her insight into the nature of the Ghostly Dao."
Luxio mreow'd an affirmative and went off to get Spiritomb.
Longwei then looked at his remaining disciple.
"Poochyena."
Poochyena went stiff. Longwei smiled with sympathy and gently ran a hand through their fur, somewhat easing their nerves.
"You are still so very young. There is no reason to blame yourself for not taking part in battles beyond your means."
Poochyena looked away and their ears folded back.
Longwei sighed. "I understand. The desire to do more, even if it is impossible, is unavoidable for those with righteous hearts."
He picked up the pup and placed them within his lap, taking care to not lower them over his injured feet.
While most of Longwei's troublesome damage had been healed, the shattered bones within his feet had yet to fully mend. There was also lingering scarring where each Shadow Claw had struck, but that was something which wouldn't go away for months or possibly years due to the ghostly nature of the injury.
Ghosts and demons were a nuisance like that, tending to inflict lasting curse-like damage that existed on the physical, spiritual, and even conceptual level. Longwei was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of all three this time.
"If it bothers you so, then you can only devote yourself to becoming stronger so that you may never be helpless in the face of injustice again." Longwei said with a forlorn stare as memories of those he couldn't save resurfaced. After a moment's pause to process these memories, he resumed gently brushing Poochyena's naturally unkempt fur. "But for now, rest, and content yourself with being spoiled as the youngest ought. Attempting to improve with a troubled heart will only destabilize your foundations and lead you further astray."
Poochyena huffed, letting themselves sink into Longwei's lap.
The sound of skittering drew Longwei's attention, and he looked to see Luxio returning with a spider-like Spiritomb. The skittering was a completely unnatural noise being produced artificially by Spiritomb purely for enhancing their aesthetics, something Cynthia had mentioned during their talks.
Spiritomb withdrew her ghostly spider legs and let her keystone plop to the floor, looking at Longwei with a big jagged smile.
"I presume Luxio has explained, but allow me to do so myself." Spiritomb cackled patiently. "I seek your aid in understanding the Ghostly Dao. As you are aligned with that—"
Spiritomb interrupted him by reaching out a ghostly gripper and clamping it around Longwei's lefthand. Then, in one quick motion and before Longwei could protest, she yanked his hand to the side and shoved it into the ground.
Longwei was expecting pain, but his hand hit no solid surface. Instead, it simply tingled as if he had stuck his hand into some sort of alchemical liquid.
Looking down, he saw both their hands were sunk into the tent floor as if phasing through matter.
Spiritomb cackled hysterically as she removed her hand, leaving Longwei's own stuck in the ground. He tried yanking his arm to pull his hand free, but it wouldn't budge.
Longwei was speechless. She was teaching him a Ghostly phase technique? Something so profound, so soon?
Spiritomb hopped into the air and reformed her spider legs, skittering away while still cackling madly.
Longwei and his disciples watched in disbelief as Spiritomb left just like that without providing any further input.
"… So," he said with a grunt, trying to free himself by channeling Qi and failing once more, "trial by fire it is, then."
(~)
A few hours passed, and some progress had been made. Unfortunately, that progress happened to be in the wrong direction, and Longwei was now half-submerged into the ground like a plastic figure that partially melted into the floor.
Cynthia tried asking Spiritomb to pull him out, but the ghost was rather insistent that Longwei figure this out on his own. As for whether that was for her own entertainment or as a genuine means of education, nobody but Spiritomb knew.
In the end, Longwei was still stuck when Cynthia's familly arrived.
An old garchomp with two impressive honchkrow swooped down into the clearing, touching down just outside their camp. Three individuals began to dismount: one was a somewhat old lady with slightly-graying blond hair and wearing a white coat, while the others were two adult men wearing black and sandy gray uniforms. All three of them looked to be on edge.
Cynthia was already making her way over. "Grandma!" She reached them just as they finished dismounting, which is when Cynthia noticed their troubled expressions. "What's wrong? Is it about my call?"
Cynthia's grandma, who Longwei had been told was known as Professor Carolina, shook her head. "No. I'll explain later." Carolina turned around and clapped her hands twice. "You two! Help them pack camp, make it quick!"
The two Celestic Gym gym trainers saluted. "Yes ma'am!" They then quickly got to work taking down the camp and putting out the campfire.
Carolina turned her gaze towards Longwei. "He's the injured man then? What is…" she looked baffled for a brief moment before returning to a serious demeanor, "why is he in the ground?"
"Spiritomb wouldn't help him get out."
Carolina frowned. "Only young ghosts need help getting out of ghostly submersion, why is—" she shook her head and unclipped a pokéball from her belt, "we don't have time for this. Palossand, get him out, gently, and bring him to the honchkrow."
A large, crumbling sandcastle pokémon materialized and slid over to Longwei, then slowly pulled him out of the ground with a sand-formed hand and carried him away to the two honchkrow with Poochyena and Luxio following close behind.
"Cynthia." she commanded in an authoritative tone. "Pack your camp. We are leaving immediately."
"But—"
"No buts, missy!" The old garchomp huffed by Carolina's side in support. "I said I'll explain later. We're leaving immediately."
Carolina then turned and walked away towards the honchkrow, ending their conversation there. Cynthia, seeing the futility in arguing and the urgency her grandma was carrying herself with, resigned to helping pack up her and Longwei's campsite.
Back to Longwei, he was carefully lowered on the back of one of the honchkrow courtesy of palossand. Their intention was obvious, so Longwei complied as the ghostly sand castle strapped Longwei in on the large crow's back. He returned his two disciples once the straps were secured.
Carolina came to a stop by his side, checking if the straps were secure as she spoke. "Longwei Sun, was it?"
Longwei nodded. "Yes, that is I."
"My granddaughter withheld the details from me, so I'll be expecting you to tell me the truth once we've arrived at Pastoria."
She looked back at Cynthia with the kind of disappointed fondness that a parental figure would give a child who'd rebelliously hurt their feelings. "You'd think after everything she'd trust me more…"
Carolina shook her head and sighed. "No matter. I'll discover the truth soon enough. As for you, Mr. Sun, I'll tell you what happened on our way here…"
Longwei listened and quickly understood the severity of the situation.
It was never a good omen when a major sect shattered itself and its survivors formed a rogue band.
Two men walked through the dimly lit back halls of the Michina Gym in silence.
One, the younger, was a man named Masayo Gishin. A tall man with a muscled body, he'd crimson red hair that stuck out like thick hooks at several points and had matching red eyes that shone with a steeled determination. His garb colored with blues, whites, and blacks accentuated his thick set of armored clothing that looked almost like something a firefighter or soldier would wear. At the insistence of his own pokémon, he'd been wearing his battle gear at nearly all times as of the last few months.
The older one was the current leader of the Michina Gym and the father of Masayo. An old man known by the name of Donyo Gishin, he was shorter than his son even when not hunched over. His hair and eyes were all but gray at this point with only faint hues of red still shining through, while his thick hooks of hair had been entirely lost long ago, leaving his hair to fall lamely by his shoulders. He wore a traditional garb of grays, reds, blacks, and yellows along with a red shoulder drape that wrapped down to his legs.
Both of their outfits held a hidden message that neither had missed. Masayo bore the colors of the ancient Lord Damos, while his protective clothing implied a heavy distrust. Donyo bore the likeness of the ancient Lord Marcus, who was their ancestor and the one who usurped Damos' power, while his light clothing implied he felt himself in complete control.
Both knew the truth of what had happened between Damos, Marcus, and Arceus. It was a secret passed down through their family for ages. Only one, however, cared.
They continued in silence for some time until they finally reached the Gym Leader's main office.
Donyo walked in and held the door open. "Step in, son."
Masayo paused outside, a deep sense of foreboding worming its way through his connection within his shadow. He subtly readied himself to escape, but spoke as calm and sternly as a member of the Michina dragon clan always does. "Why have you brought me here, father."
It was not a question. Masayo could see the seat attached to the machine inside, the same one that he knew some of their gym trainers had been made to sit in. None who got the chips had ever returned the same.
"Are you questioning your father, child?" Donyo asked with venom. "A son should know his place and obey his father's orders!"
Donyo narrowed his eyes maliciously. "You know well why I have brought you here. My flame is sputtering its final embers, and so it is finally time for you to replace me as Gym Leader."
He than raised his free hand and directed it towards the chair. "But you know what must be done first. The Collective demands that each of its flocks be lead by one of its own."
"I will not join this blasted cult of yours!" Masayo said fiercely.
"I know you covet my position, son of mine. Is this not what you've always wanted?" his father said manipulatively, wringing his hands as he tried to play to Masayo's inherent greed as a dragon specialist. "You could be both the gym and the flock's new leader! With your position as leader of both, the stubborn many would convert willingly and bolster your influence a hundredfold!"
Masayo sneered angrily at his father's brazen attempt at conversion. "If that is all you have brought me here for, then this conversation is finished."
He turned, and in the corner of his eye he saw the beginnings of a smirk grace his father's normally distant and hostile visage. "So be it then." his father said coldly.
A loud crash clamored Masayo's eardrums as the ceiling over him was suddenly smashed through. His father's drudiggon was visible through the falling rubble, it's scarred purple-glowing fist the clear culprit and headed straight for Masayo!
The ghostly dragon hidden within Masayo's shadow didn't need a better signal, pulling Masayo into his own shadow just before the calamitous fist sailed through the air where he just was. The Phantom then Forced the taken form of Masayo away at incredible speed, avoiding getting caught within the veritable crater that had just formed within the hallway by slipping through a between realm.
Dragapult reappeared outside the gym and shot Masayo back out on his two feet before shooting back into his shadow, leaving Masayo standing right in the middle of the hallowed grounds where their gym and clan held their ceremonies. It looked somewhat like a gladiatorial arena that was carved into the ground rather than built upwards. There were seating and stairs chiseled from the stone itself and a large clearing in its center where various ceremonies were held.
The gathered gym trainers who were seated about the stone bleachers watched his sudden arrival with mixed expressions: most were confused, but some were furious. They had been gathered here for a special occasion that only a few of them knew of.
Masayo didn't wait even a second to release his dragons around himself. "Rally!" he roared out, his deep voice echoing through the gym's property with the strength of a dragon. "Rally to me! It has come!"
Another crash came from the gym building's direction, signifying yet more structural carnage. A furious Roar came from the gym leader's druddigon immediately after, something unseen yet clearly heard by everyone present. Loose pebbles and dirt within the arena shook from the sheer power being released by the gym leader's lifelong ace.
Alarmed understanding dawned on many of the confused faces, while the few confused grew more confused and the few furious grew more furious.
At once hundreds of pokémon were released, almost every dragon trainer present releasing their full team in one go. At the same time, dragons from further beyond in the dragon pastures Roared in fury, some from understanding and others from simply being triggered by the many Roars.
On that day, a bloody battle of a scale that hadn't been seen in Sinnoh for decades had begun. On that day, the Michina Gym was no more.
AN: A key divergence between this world and canon begins to show itself. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Bit late on this upload. Had to redo it a few times to get it to feel good enough, which was made worse when I got sucked into a couple grindy games and lost most of my free time to them. No I did not enjoy the time spent on those games, yes I will probably get suckered into playing one again at a later date. I'm sure most of us know this feel.