The Time Twins and the Tera-iffic Terrapin

by Ri2

Following their adventures in Kitakami, life seems to have settled down for Julie and ANNA. However, an urgent summons from Blueberry Academy reunites them with old friends and foes, and may set them on the path towards their greatest challenge yet. When all is said and done, will they finally get to go home?

7. A Tale of Two Sisters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.

---

It was a rather large crowd that formed at the Polar Plaza, comprised of multiple students, several teachers, several curious Pokémon from just about every biome, the leadership of the BB League – Lacey having returned from helping Director Cyrano reupholster his furniture and Amarys having finally been fully wound back up – and Arven. Crispin was still overheated from the spicy sandwich and so was wearing almost no clothing and was rather irritated by the amount of people that were sitting close to him to warm up.

As word of the BB League's latest challenger and how increasingly unhinged she'd been getting with every victory she'd obtained without having to fight a battle had spread, more and more people from across the Terarium and the Academy above came down to see what would happen next, and if Drayton were to pull some nonsense that would cause her to have a meltdown, how spectacular would it be? Dozens of cameras and phones were out, eagerly recording and streaming what all were certain would be an unmissable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Battle," Nemona muttered under her breath, eye twitching, body shaking and convulsing a little. "Battle. Battle battle battle. Battle. Battle."

"Is… She okay?" A concerned Lacey asked Arven.

He shook his head. "She gets like this sometimes when it's been too long since her last battle, but I've never seen it this bad before… If Drayton doesn't give her a proper fight, I don't think she can be held accountable for her actions."

Lacey seemed oddly cheerful about this. "Well, then maybe we'll finally be able to replace him with someone who'll take his responsibilities as an Elite and student of this Academy seriously!"

"I SECOND THAT NOTION, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said.

"Kieran, get off me," Crispin hissed at Kieran, who was squeezing way too close against him.

"Shut up, I'm cold, you're not, I'm the Champion, so you gotta do what I say," Kieran snarled.

"Look, you have a girlfriend, why don't you cuddle up with her? You're giving all the Yaoi fans ideas," Crispin complained, glancing worriedly at the starry-eyed teenage girls taking pictures of them.

"She's made of metal, and really cold! The last time I kissed her in this biome, my lips got stuck to her! It was really painful and humiliating!" Kieran groused.

"I HEARD 'KISS,'" Amarys said loudly. "WOULD YOU LIKE A KISS, BOYFRIEND KIERAN, BEEP BOOP?"

"Wait, no, auuuuuuuugh-" Kieran cried as the robot enveloped him in her arms.

The Yaoi fans groaned in disappointment.

"So, Nemona, feast your eyes on the majesty of the Polar Plaza battle court!" Drayton said dramatically, gesturing at the battle court they were standing in, before bursting into laughter. "Nah, it's basically the exact same battle court as in the other plazas, just colder."

"Battle," Nemona snarled, unhappily reminded of all the other battle courts, and how she hadn't gotten to use any of them.

"I'm a cold-weather kinda guy," Drayton continued. "Not what you'd expect from a Dragon-type user, right?"

"That's an interesting strategy. Does he train them in the cold to make them resistant to Ice moves?" Arven wondered.

"He says he does, but I wouldn't past him to deliberately handicap himself so he can get through battles faster and then blame the weather for a defeat rather than his own laziness," Lacey grunted.

"Anyhow, buddy, you came to do my Elite Trial, not listen to me ramble. So let's hop to it!" Drayton said. "I call my Elite Trial Terarium-Only Battles! Your goal's to clobber three of your fellow League Clubbers in battle. Simple enough, right?" His expression turned serious. "But it's called Terarium-Only for a reason! You can only use Pokémon that meet two conditions. First, they gotta be Pokémon that were caught living wild in the Terarium! Second, YOU gotta be the one who caught 'em! Unless your whole party of Pokémon meets those conditions, no Elite Trial for you."

He shrugged casually. "I know, I'm asking a lot. But what fun would it be if you just dipped into your vault of beefy Pokémon and cheesed your way through? Your opponents are under the same conditions, so you can't be too mad about it." He smirked. "Whaddya say, Bud? Ready for my Elite Trial?"

"Battle!"

"… Is that a yes? I'm going to take that as a yes," Drayton said after a moment. "That's your cue, underlings! C'mon out!"

Nemona turned around as three trainers entered the Plaza.

"Hello!"

"I'm ready!"

"Let's go!"

"My trial's about skill, but it's chill. Take it at whatever pace you want. If you wanna dive right into battling your three clubmates, go nuts! Rather stroll around the Terarium catching Pokémon first? No problem!" Drayton said breezily. "So go on, get out there and chill it up. Good luck! Everyone give it your best shot!"

Well, that should buy me some time, Drayton thought as he turned and started walking away. All three of those trainers are using Pokémon they caught here in the Terarium… Ages ago, and are really high leveled! It will be almost impossible for her to beat one, let alone all three of them with Pokémon she's just caught! Either she'll lose and I don't have to lift a finger, or she'll take a while training her new Pokémon up, giving me more time to chill-

There were several gasps and exclamations of disbelief, explosions, and screams of anguish from right behind him.

Drayton froze.

"HOLY SHIT!" Crispin shouted.

"Did that just happen?!" Lacey exclaimed.

Filled with sudden, inexplicable dread Drayton slowly turned around to see all three of his trainers sprawled across the ground, their Pokémon unconscious, while Nemona stood triumphant, still shivering and twitching.

Drayton's jaw dropped. "Wh-what?!"

"She… She took them all out in seconds!" Kieran shrieked.

"ONE TURN, THREE KILL, BEEP BOOP," Amarys commented.

Drayton frowned. "Hey, I told you to use Pokémon you caught here-"

"She did," Arven interjected.

Drayton gestured skeptically at the ferocious Charizard and Venusaur standing in front of Nemona. "You expect me to believe that she caught those Pokémon here in the Terarium?"

"She didn't," Arven said.

"Exact-"

"She caught their unevolved forms, trained them up, and evolved them to their final forms," Arven explained.

Drayton stared at him. "… That's impossible. She just got here a couple hours ago. When would she have had time?!"

"When you weren't looking," Arven said flatly.

"You're shitting me."

"No, seriously. Nemona is a very good trainer," Arven said seriously.

Nemona recalled her Pokémon and turned around slowly, her moves a little jerky, a very wide grin spreading from ear to ear, showing her very pointy teeth. "Battle."

Drayton swallowed. "Well. Uh. I guess you clear my Trial, then. So, you need a minute to switch out your team or heal your Pokémon or-"

Somehow her smile grew even wider. A few people in the crowd started gibbering in terror.

"Nemona, tone it down!" Arven shouted.

She did not.

He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, this is why we can't take you anywhere."

Nemona hurled the Poké Balls she was holding at Arven with more force than a professional baseball pitcher. His hand immediately snapped up to catch them, the earsplitting crack from the impact causing everyone to flinch. He shook his head, seeming oblivious or uncaring that his hand was smoking. "Always so dramatic."

"Uh… You know, I'm not feeling so well, maybe we can do this another time, so why don't I just forfeit and-" Drayton said tremulously, only to be interrupted when Nemona's foot tapped the floor once, lightly.

The battle court rocked, cracks zigzagging out in every direction, several of the cubical structures making up the Plaza collapsing as the fissures ran right through them and out into the surrounding biome, causing an entire sheet of ice to collapse into the nearby water, nearly splashing everyone with freezing water.

As several members of the audience screamed and fled in terror, Arven facepalmed.

"But you know what, suddenly I'm feeling a lot better!" Drayton exclaimed, more terrified than he'd ever been in his life. "So, come out guys, it's time for a battle," he said, sending his Dragonite and Flygon onto the field.

Nemona, wordless but still smiling eerily, sent out two Pokémon of her own, Lycanroc and Goodra.

Drayton narrowed his eyes slightly. All right, that Goodra could be a threat to my entire team, so I should concentrate on it first… But that Lycanroc is also a threat to Dragonite, so she's sure to attack with it. So I should…

"Dragonite, use Ice Spinner on Goodra, and Flygon, Earthquake-"

One of Nemona's fingers twitched.

Without warning, Dragonite slammed into one of the pillars at the edge of the court as Flygon immediately crashed to the ground, encased in a block of ice.

"Wha-"

"What just happened?!" Kieran shrieked.

"Nemona's Lycanroc hit Dragonite with Accelerock while her Goodra froze Flygon with Ice Beam," Arven said matter-of-factly.

"IMPOSSIBLE! IT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT NOT EVEN I, A PERFECTLY ORDINARY HUMAN WITH PATHETIC WEAK EYES, SAW THAT! BEEP BOOP," Amarys said unconvincingly.

"Yes, well, my eyes aren't exactly human these days," Arven said, pointing at his eyes, which briefly shimmered with electronics.

Incredible… She defeated both of them in a single attack, without even giving her Pokémon a verbal command?! And Dragonite's Multiscale should've reduced damage since she was at full health! What kind of trainer is she?! Drayton thought incredulously. "Not bad, but those were my weakest. Haxorus, Sceptile, you're up!"

All right, he thought to himself as he sent out his next two Pokémon. Haxorus's Focus Sash will keep her from getting knocked out in one hit and give her a chance for a counterattack, and if Goodra targets Sceptile, her Weakness Policy will give her a significant power boost if she survives-

To his surprise, Nemona recalled Lycanroc and Goodra, and replaced them with a Dudunsparce and Orthworm. The heck? Her other Pokémon weren't even winded… What's she up to? None of my Pokémon have any moves that'll be super effective against Dudunsparce, so… He grimaced. I can't use Earthquake, since Orthworm's Earth Eater ability will keep it from hurting it, so...

"Haxorus, use Breaking Swipe on Dudunsparce! Sceptile, cheer her on with Dragon Cheer!" Drayton commanded.

Sceptile started cheering, a purple aura engulfing both him and Haxorus as he increased Haxorus's chance of landing a critical hit. The Axe Jaw Pokémon charged towards the Land Snake, tail glowing purple as she prepared to strike-

Nemona's neck cracked.

There were two more, much louder cracks, and suddenly Haxorus was flung back, barely conscious, as Sceptile slammed into another pillar and promptly passed out.

"Again?!" Drayton gasped.

"Dudunsparce used Dragon Rush to hit Haxorus, while Orthworm took out Sceptile with Iron Tail," Arven explained.

Shit! But Haxorus is still hanging in there thanks to her Focus Sash, so… "Haxorus, use Dragon Dance! Kingdra, I choose you! Use Rain Dance!" Drayton cried, sending out his next-to-last Pokémon as Haxorus performed a mystic, powerful dance that engulfed her in a purple aura, while Kingdra did a dance of her own, causing it to start raining. "Now, Haxorus, Iron Head on Dudunsparce, and Kingdra, use Hydro Pump on Orthworm!"

Nemona grunted.

With their speed boosted by Dragon Dance and Kingdra's Swift Swim ability, Drayton's Pokémon were actually able to get off their attacks before they could be hit. Haxorus collided into Dudunsparce with Iron Head as the Land Snake used Dragon Rush again while Kingdra spat out a Hydro Pump which pierced through Orthworm's Rock Blast and struck the Earthworm right in the face.

Unfortunately, it didn't make a difference. Haxorus was overwhelmed and knocked out by the Dragon Rush, while Orthworm didn't even flinch as it took the boosted Water-type move to the face. With a snarl from Nemona, Orthworm lashed out with Body Press, flattening Kingdra and instantly taking her out.

As a trembling Drayton recalled his Pokémon, Arven called out, "Hey, you actually managed to hit both of them! And left a mark! There aren't many who can do even that much these days!"

"How strong are they?!" An astonished Lacey demanded.

"Well, Nemona very frequently battles Julie and ANNA, and you've probably heard what kind of monsters they are, so…" Arven shrugged.

Kieran was sweating. There's no way… There's no way she's that strong! She has to be cheating! Wait, hang on…

"Those Pokémon… They've been enhanced just like Julie and ANNA's team, right?" Kieran asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, why?" Drayton asked.

"Then… Then she should be disqualified!" Kieran shouted. "For using illegal performance enhancers on her Pokémon!"

"Oh no, they aren't active right now," Arven told him.

Kieran's eyes bulged. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah, she doesn't use those unless she's in a really serious fight, or against Julie and ANNA'S Pokémon, since they're the only ones who can handle her at full power," Arven said.

"But… But her team seems stronger than either of their Pokémon did when sis and I fought them in Kitakami!" Kieran protested.

"Yeah, that's because Nemona takes battling a lot more seriously than those two do. For them, it's just entertainment and a means to an end. For Nemona, battling is everything," Arven emphasized with a smile. "So, I hope your team is ready, because you're about to be facing her."

"… Oh shit," Kieran whispered.

Drayton grit his teeth. Dammit… I underestimated her. Still… If I can't forfeit, then at least I'll go down swinging! "Looks like I'm down to my Ace… So come on out, Archaludon!" He commanded, sending out his last Pokémon, a Steel/Dragon that somewhat resembled a steel bridge on legs. "And… Terastalize!" He cried, throwing his Tera Orb at the Alloy Pokémon, turning it into a pure Dragon-type with a cyan crystal sheen on his body and a large Dragon-shaped crown atop his head.

Wordlessly, Nemona recalled her Pokémon then sent out her own final two, Pawmot and Quaquaval. She then produced her own Tera orb and threw it at her starter Pokémon, causing him to Terastalize into a pure Water-type with a blue fountain crown.

She Terastalized it? That'll just make this next part easier! Archaludon might be pure Dragon now, but… "Archaludon, take out Quaquaval with Electro Shot!" Drayton shouted.

Archaludon got down on all fours, straightened his body, retracted his limbs, and fully extended the spines on his hands and feet to become a steel bridge, electrical energy connecting the terminals on his head, tail, and limbs like bridge suspension cables as he charged up and fired an overwhelmingly powerful beam of electric energy at Quaquaval.

And thanks to the rain Kingdra summoned, not only was Archuladon able to fire it instantly, it'll be even more accurate! I might actually manage-

"Pawmot, intercept!"

It took a second for Drayton to realize who had said that. Wait… He thought, staring at Nemona, who no longer looked like the subject of a horror movie. Did she just-

Pawmot leapt into the path of the Electro Shot, taking the blast head-on… And absorbing it, his cheeks glowing brilliantly as an extremely powerful electrical aura crackled to life around him, tail and hair standing up straight as he hungrily drank in the powerful Electric attack.

"No… He has Volt Absorb?!" Drayton realized.

"Yep!" Nemona replied gleefully. "All Pawmot have either that or Natural Cure as an Ability! It really didn't occur to you that this might happen?"

"It did, but considering how few options I had left, I figured it would be worth a try," Drayton admitted. "And since when have you been able to talk in complete sentences?!"

"A few seconds now," Nemona confessed. "Actually getting to fight someone who's trying was just what I needed to become a functioning not-entirely-human person again. Thanks!"

"You're… Welcome?" Drayton replied, confused. "Well… This fight isn't over yet! And if Electro Shot isn't an option, then Archaludon, Snarl, then follow it up with Draco Meteor!"

Archaludon snarled, multiple purple rings of energy engulfing Pawmot and Quaquaval and causing them to grimace as their Special Attack power decreased. They also suffered a very small amount of damage, but it was the lowered attack which Drayton had really been counting on. The weaker they are, the longer I can draw this out! And with Draco Meteor…

He grinned as Archaludon spat a sphere of purple energy into the air, which exploded and rained purple meteors down on the battle court. No matter how fast they might be… They're gonna have to dodge if they want to hit Archaludon!

Nemona actually laughed. "Good strategy! One problem. Both my guys are Physical attackers, so Snarl didn't do a damn thing! So… Get in there, guys and hit him where he's vulnerable!"

Her Pokémon called out in agreement and charged at Archaludon, zigzagging around the falling meteors.

Only Physical attacks? Even so, Archaludon is only vulnerable to Fighting and Ground moves, Drayton mused. And while it's possible both her Pokémon are so strong they don't have to care about type advantage, both her Pokémon have Fighting as a subtype, so Fighting moves would naturally benefit from STAB and so far, she strikes me as a trainer who likes to hit hard and fast with overwhelming power. Which means… I can't let them get close!

"Archaludon, Electro Shot Pawmot!" Drayton commanded.

"Que? You remember my little buddy has Volt Absorb, remember?" Nemona asked incredulously as Pawmot immediately began absorbing the attack.

Drayton grinned. "Yeah, but while he's busy eating it, he's not a threat! Archaludon, Flash Cannon!"

Archaludon fired a powerful silver beam at Pawmot, striking him before he could get out of the way and shoving him back several feet.

"He got another hit in!" Lacey exclaimed.

"Huh, not bad," an impressed Arven commented.

"Yeah! Take her down Blueberry style!" Kieran rallied, causing the other students to start cheering.

"And don't think I forgot about the other one! Draco Meteor, again!" Drayton called.

Even more meteors started falling onto the battle court, forcing Quaquaval to run around like crazy to keep from getting hit.

Nemona… Wasn't even the least bit worried. "You think that's something? Please. With the twins' help, I've trained Quaquaval to dodge water particles. Quaquaval, let's do a combo! Ice Spinner, Aerial Ace, and Aqua Step!"

"What?! Three moves at once?!" Lacey exclaimed.

"IMPOSSIBLE, BEEP BOOP!" Amarys cried.

"Oh, she's actually getting serious now?" Arven asked in amusement, to their horror.

Quaquaval whirled about, water splashing out from his feet which immediately froze to form ice skates. He then began to start elegantly dancing between meteors, using Aerial Ace to move so fast he seemed to disappear from second to second, almost teleporting around the projectiles.

And, indeed, it didn't look as if a single raindrop was touching him.

"Archaludon, Flash Cannon in a sweep!" Drayton commanded.

The Dragon obeyed, sweeping his silver beam in an arc before him, and for a moment it looked as if it was going to hit Quaquaval…

Only for him to launch to the air using Aerial Ace, flipping around and kicking an incoming meteor with Aqua Step, causing it to smash into Archaludon's face and send him staggering back.

"No!"

"Yes! Quaquaval, finish it with Brick Break!" Nemona commanded.

Quaquaval flipped through the air, lifting a glowing wing above his head.

Now! "Archaludon, Flash Cannon!"

Archaludon shook his head, then fired the silver beam at Quaquaval…

Who brought his Brick Break down on it, splitting it down the middle.

"Ha! Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?" Nemona taunted as the audience exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

"Actually… I was!" Drayton informed her. "Electro Shot! At this range, you can't miss!"

Archaludon started powering up its signature move…

"Huh, nice. That might actually take Quaquaval out… If you hadn't forgotten one thing!" Nemona explained. "Pawmot, Close Combat!"

The Hands-On Pokémon punched Archaludon in the side, causing him to discharge the Electro Shot early and miss his target, who finished his descent with a powerful Brick Break to the head, the impact shattering the ground beneath the dragon's feet as he was forced downwards.

As everyone held their breath, Nemona's Pokémon hopped backwards. Archaludon, his once-gleaming body now severely dented and scratched, struggled to stand up…

And collapsed to the ground as the rain stopped.

"NOOOOO!" Kieran cried in horror as most of the other students started cheering in amazement.

"INCONCEIVABLE, BEEP BOOP," Amarys remarked.

Arven chuckled coolly. "I'm not sure you know what that word means."

"Whoo! Great job, you guys! That was so awesome!" Nemona gushed, hugging her Pokémon, who laughed with her. "And Drayton! Great match!"

"Great match?! It was practically one-sided!" Drayton complained as he recalled Archaludon. "I never had a chance against you!"

Nemona nodded rapidly. "No, yeah, you definitely didn't, but then you actually started putting in some effort near the end, and you actually got a hit or two in and pulled off some great strats! I can almost respect you now! Put 'er there!"

She extended a fist. Bemused, Drayton bumped it, feeling oddly better about himself. "… I don't suppose you'd be interested in a rematch sometime?" He found himself asking, to his own surprise.

"Rematch? Sure!" Nemona said excitedly. "After all, if I'm going to come back here someday and fight the rest of the BB Elite, that means I've gotta take you on again too, right?"

The Elite in question paled in horror.

"She… She wants to come back and…" Crispin stammered.

"I AM SHITTING BRICKS, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said calmly.

"… Hot," Lacey whispered to herself.

"Of course, I'd better see some improvement the next time I see you, because if you spent the whole time fighting with the same amount of skill you showed in those last few minutes? You might actually be a worthy opponent!" Nemona said.

"… You know what? I think I just might do that," Drayton said.

"Does this mean you're actually going to start doing your schoolwork now?" Lacey called.

Drayton burst into incredulous laughter. She sighed in exasperation.

"Anyway," Nemona said, cracking her knuckles. "Thanks for the warmup! And now that I've beaten you…" She pointed a finger at the startled Kieran. "You're next, Kieran!"

"… Oh crap," Kieran whimpered.

"BOYFRIEND KIERAN, DO YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU FAKE YOUR DEATH TO GET OUT OF THIS MATCH, BEEP BOOP?" Amarys asked very loudly.

"I could make you another one of those super-spicy sandwiches, a little guy like you, a single lick would put you right in the infirmary," Arven offered. "Or possibly the morgue."

"Arven! Don't you dare!" Nemona shouted. "No killing him until I get a chance to fight him first!"

"Sorry man, you're on your own," Arven said apologetically to the dumbfounded Kieran.

"You… You think you can just come into my house-" Kieran snarled, anger once again overwhelming what little common sense he had.

"I thought we'd been over this, this isn't your house-" Arven pointed out.

"And talk about me with such disrespect?!" Kieran snapped. "You forget, while you may be a big shot back in Paldea, I'm the Champion here! I run the show! And once I'm through with you, I'll prove to everyone that nothing can stop me!"

"What about Julie and ANNA-" Arven spoke up.

"Once they see the mess I've made with their girlfriend, they'll know not to cross me!" Kieran bragged.

"… My Original One, you're going to die," Lacey said in awe. "She's going to kill you in front of the entire school. And we'll get to watch."

"I can provide catering," Arven offered.

"YOU DAMN WELL WON'T!" Crispin shouted.

"I'll destroy you!" Nemona said happily. "And then make out with my amazing girlfriends over your smoldering corpse. And probably Lacey and Carmine too."

Lacey made gay noises at this.

Arven sympathetically patted her on the shoulder. "This is your life now; you'd better get used to it."

---

"I can't believe it…" Carmine said in astonishment as the Paradox Legendaries led them through a cavern littered with spiderwebs and blue rock formations crackling with electricity. Scar paused beside one, looking at herself in awe as she became shrouded in bright blue sparks, until Viola – trying not to be distracted by her own sparks – urged her to keep going. "You were hiding in Chargestone Cavern all along? But everyone thought you caved this place in during one of those attempts to catch you!"

"Which is exactly what we wanted everyone to think," Gouging Fire bragged proudly.

"Not only does this cave provide us with a convenient hiding spot as well as an escape route to the Polar Biome in case of emergencies, the electromagnetic interference from the titular stones makes it nearly impossible for us to be found," Iron Crown stated wisely.

"Considering who nyou protecting, Julie can understand why nyou would want place like that," Julie remarked.

"Speaking of, exactly who are you guys protecting? You've been almost infuriatingly vague about it," Carmine complained.

"Our apologies," ANNA apologized. "We have not been trying to be purposefully cryptic; we are still processing the fact that more of our kind have been dragged into this world."

"Especially nyot them!" Julie added.

"'Them?' Wait, you know these people? Oh shit, are they members of your family?!" Carmine squawked, panicking. "Am I about to meet your parents?! I'm not ready for that! Do they already have a bad opinion of me?!"

"Carmine, you may relax, they are not our parents or members of our family," ANNA assured her.

Carmine sighed in relief.

"They still pretty important though, so try to meowke good impression," Julie added, causing Carmine to squeal in dismay.

"Okay, seriously, who are they-" Carmine demanded.

"It's nyou!"

And, without Carmine realizing it, they had arrived.

The six Paradox Pokémon had led them into a small cave that Carmine wasn't sure was on any official maps of Chargestone Cavern, where they found two young – or at least, young-looking – girls, who looked up at their approach, looks of hope, relief, and wonder on their faces.

Well, on one face. The other was twisted in anguish.

One of them looked to be 10 or 12 years old, a very pretty girl with pale skin, fangs, silver fur with red stripes on her shoulders, forearms, and lower legs with claw-like nails, mystical patterns also vaguely resembling claw marks drawn onto her exposed skin, with lupine features, a silver wolf tail, silver wolf ears, and a thick, bushy silver mane. The Arc Ring shone on her forehead in silver and seemed to have formed in both of her red eyes. Patterns resembling claw marks decorated her cheeks. She had rather a lot of ornate gold and silver jewelry with lunar crescents and Arc Rings taking up most of the designs, and there were a number of feathers, bits of colored fur, and Chargestones woven into her hair. She wore white robes that glimmered and shone, though it had clearly seen better days and it looked like bits of it had been torn or clawed off. Even so, she was still wearing more clothing than Julie usually did.

She started to rise from where she was crouched on the ground to greet them, only for the other girl to groan, and she immediately crouched back down to continue tending to her, silver light shining from her paws as she placed them on her body.

The other girl looked to be roughly the same age as the wolf girl, made of white and silver metal or something like it with gold circuit patterns engraved on her form with soft glowing lines in the same pattern tracing her form and limbs. Instead of legs, she had several metal panels that unfolded from beneath her waist like disconnected petals or a skirt with a faint glow coming from their undersides surrounding a luminous bulb like the glowing tail of a Volbeat or Illumise. A glowing power core was situated in her torso surrounded by an Arc Ring, which seemed to be the source of all the circuit patterns covering her body. She had four arms, all of them made of seemingly disconnected components connected by an unseen force, and a holographic Arc Ring was projected from her back, multiple panels like the ones around her waist floating around it to form rays, as if it were a sun disc. Her face was remarkably similar in structure to that of the lupine girl, except she had no eyes at all, and in place of ears she had modules like ANNA'S but more ornate, with a mess of tangled gold cables in place of hair down to her waist. Three golden eyeballs hovered above her, two looking down at her while the third observed the visitors. A fourth orb, smashed to bits, lay on the floor nearby.

"Julie Lightheart. ANNA-1008," Walking Wake said. "You are in the presence of Princess Mary Lux of the Lineage of Light and Archon KATE-117 of the first fleet."

"Princess, Archon, these are Julie Lightheart and ANNA-1008, the ones we have waited for, and their companions Scar, Viola, Carmine, Ogerpon, and Gardevoir," Iron Leaves told the younger girls.

"It is an honor," Viola said, bowing her head.

All the Legendary Pokémon in the room knelt, as did Julie and ANNA. Carmine blinked, uncertain. "Should… Should I bow? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Cousins. Nyou nyeed nyot bow to us," Mary told Julie and ANNA, who immediately stood up. "Nyou should, though," she told Carmine, who yelped and quickly hurried to do so, only for the Legendary Pokémon to stand back up, leaving her the only one on the ground and feeling rather singled out.

"ANNA-1008… I have waited quite some time to meet you in the living steel," KATE-117 said weakly. "I hope you will forgive me for my current state. I had rather hoped we would meet under better circumstances."

"What has happened to you, Archon?" A distressed ANNA asked. "You should not be in such a condition!"

"I made a grave error, which I am suffering the consequences for," KATE-117.

"Don't mind us, by the way, just think of us as the stenographers or whatever, preserving this moment for posterity," Ogerpon said cheerfully as she filled her sketchbook, adjusting the very cute beret on her head.

KATE-117's eyes all turned to focus on Gardevoir, startling her. "Is this what passes for an Iron Valiant in this era? Curious. She looks incomplete. Does she know how to use a polearm?"

"I do not, and I have already had this conversation," Gardevoir said uncomfortably.

"And this 'Ogerpon…' Are you indeed the author of The Ogre's Tale? ANNA-1008 submitted a great deal of information about it, and you, in her most recent data packet," KATE-117 said, turning her focus to the ogress. "While all the media from this world is novel to us, your work has become incredibly popular. You are even more adorable than I had thought."

"Oh! You're a fan, then?" Ogerpon asked excitedly. "Holy crap, that means I'm the most famous mangaka in two worlds!" She frowned. "Wait, hang on… ANNA, I'm not sure what you did counts as legal distribution-"

"I am your trainer now," ANNA reminded her.

"Yeah, but you weren't when you sent them all that stuff, were you-"

"And 'Carmine…' you are a human, the species that laughingly believes itself to be the dominant race of this planet?" KATE-117 inquired, her eyes now revolving around the freaked-out Carmine. "And yet… I detect a considerable amount of Philosophont hardware and Beastling genetics in you. This is commendable. It shows that you are willing to pursue the kind of improvement your species badly needs."

"Look and smell better, too!" Mary added.

"… Thanks?" Carmine murmured in confusion. "Uh, girls, could you please explain to me who these people are and why I was bowing to them just a second ago?"

"Princess Mary is one of few remaining Lopo, meaning she descended from Queen-Consort Lupara and member of Lineage of Light, so cousin of Julie… Or something," Julie explained vaguely. "Family tree gets a bit convoluted considering High Queen still alive and having meowre kids. And meowst of those kids still alive and having meowre kids, so…"

"No, yeah, I can see how that might get confusing," Carmine agreed. "So, do you know her, or…?"

Julie shook her head, embarrassed. "Lightheart village far from Holy Capital. This first time we meowt. Also, Julie nyot exactly up-to-date on genealogy? Julie only learn Julie part of Lineage of Light weeks ago. Nyot seem important to knyow before? Sorry about that," she apologized to Mary.

The other Beastling shrugged. "Mary nyot knyow Julie exist until few weeks ago either. Family big. Nyot easy for us to keep track, either."

"KATE-117, on the other hand, I am familiar with," ANNA said with a hint of smugness. "She is a member of the first fleet, charged with protecting the Galactic Core, and was awarded the rank of Archon from Una herself at a remarkably young age for her work in the field of planetary regenesis."

Carmine nodded with a very fake smile on her face. "Right, now please explain that to me as if I had no idea what that was, which I don't."

"She make dead world live again!" Mary explained.

"Oh! That is… Wait, I thought that your people already had terraforming ability?" A confused Carmine recalled.

"I discovered a way to extrapolate, using a single bacterium, the genetic history of the entire planet, allowing me to restore its population and environment to a pre-extinction state," KATE-117 explained.

Carmine stared at her blankly.

KATE-117 sighed. "You are aware, I hope, that your scientists have learned how to restore extinct Pokémon from fossils? I figured out how to do that to entire planets using the tiniest amount of DNA."

"Ohhhhhhhh." Carmine blinks. "Oh wow, that is impressive."

"ANNA-1008, are all conversations with the indigenous lifeforms here so tiring? How have you not gone mad from lack of intellectual stimulation?" A perplexed KATE-117 asked.

"I have learned ways to cope, though I will admit, some days are harder than others," ANNA admitted, glancing at Julie.

Julie frowned. "Hey, what that supposed to meown?"

"I suppose I am hardly one to cast aspersions," KATE-117 admitted, smiling at the worn-out Mary. "I, too, have formed a bond with a member of a lesser-evolved species. Mary is… ANNA-1008, you have experienced this phenomenon as well, yes? You have… Siblings, peers, back in your fleet, but… When you met Julie, there was something different about her, wasn't there? It was like…"

"Like looking into a mirror, but seeing someone else staring back at you, except that someone else was also you," ANNA finished her sentence, smiling at Julie.

The grimalkin preened… And gasped. "Wait, then that meown… Mary, KATE, same person but different, like Julie and ANNA same person but different?"

Mary nodded. "Yes. Our souls reflect each other. We born from different parents, live in different worlds… But still kin all same."

"Truly a fascinating phenomenon. And now that we have a second data point, perhaps it will allow us to find a way to make it easier for other members of our respective species to find their dimensional counterparts once the trifling matter of the barriers between worlds is no longer an issue," KATE-117 said excitedly. "Can you imagine what discoveries we might make together?"

"I have," ANNA replied. "It is a comprehensive list."

"Oh, may I see?" K-117 asked.

"Certainly."

Nothing visibly happened, but after a moment an impressed KATE-117 murmured, "Oh yes, these are some remarkable ideas, I had never considered… Yes, yes, you truly do fit the ideal of our society. ANNA-1008, you are more than worthy of the God Program you have received. I greatly look forward to collaborating with you in the future, once you have reached my level – nay, surpassed it, and sooner than you may think."

"So soon?" ANNA asked in disbelief.

"Certainly. Just as your organic sister is evolving into something far greater than mine, you too are becoming something different as well… Your experiences in this world have changed and tested you in new and unexpected ways, and so too shall you grow into something new. A new kind of Mother Computer," KATE-117 informed her. "Una has taken a great deal of interest in you, ANNA-1008. Why do you think she authorized your Mother Computer to give you a God Program?"

ANNA'S eyes widened and Viola gasped. "Una did that?!"

"Should. Should I know who that is?" An increasingly bewildered Carmine asked.

"Una is the founder and leader of Philosophont society, the first of their kind to make contact with the One, allowing them to evolve into their current state and achieve dominance throughout the galaxy," Iron Boulder explained.

"She is quite literally the bright center upon which our entire civilization spins," Iron Crown added.

Carmine blinked. "Oh. So… A big deal, then."

"Extremely," Iron Leaves concurred. "She is larger than most stars."

"I said she is literally the center of our civilization," Iron Crown reminded her. "As in, the entire galaxy revolves around her. Literally. She's become so massive she can no longer leave the Galactic core without disrupting the movements of trillions of stellar bodies. Solar systems would collapse. Stars would go out. Planets would shatter. Centillions would die."

"… That actually kind of sounds like it would be amazing to watch," Gouging Fire admitted.

Walking Wake rolled her eyes. "You would."

"He's not the only one, actually, people have run simulations of what that would look like for millennia, taking advantage of newer and newer advances in software to make the cosmic devastation even more spectacular," Iron Boulder said. "I can show you the most recent one another time."

"Thanks!" Gouging Fire barked excitedly.

Carmine blinked. "Huh."

"High Queen Lumina nyot that big…" Julie muttered. "Nyo way she could eat that meowch!"

"Nyou've nyever had dinner with her," Mary said, a haunted look in her eyes.

"There is much I would love to deliberate with you on, ANNA-1008," KATE-117 said, wincing as the light in May's hands flickered, and the tired Beastling cursed and focused harder on whatever was she was doing. "Unfortunately, this is a less than convenient time to do so, seeing as I am dying."

"Yes, that is rather inconvenient," ANNA agreed.

"Wait, she's what?!" Carmine shrieked.

ANNA gave her a puzzled look. "KATE-117 is dying. I thought it was obvious? Given her clearly less than optimal state, how Princess Mary has clearly been running herself ragged trying to stabilize her, and I explicitly said someone might die if we did not hurry to them?"

"… Oh yeah, you did say that," Carmine realized.

"What I do not understand is how you could have been injured, Archon," ANNA said, perplexed. "There should be very little in this world capable of fatally injuring you, and if you arrived here weeks ago, your auto repair systems should have mended any damage long ago. And yet you need magic to sustain yourself, and it is failing? What is happening here?"

Mary and KATE-117 exchanged looks. Julie and ANNA had seen those looks on each other's faces more than once, and it was clear to them that these new "sisters" were able to communicate without words, even though their minds were not part of the same neural network, just like them.

"It happen soon after we get to this world," Mary began.

"But first, perhaps we should explain how we got here," KATE-117 said.

"We were wondering that, yes," Gardevoir said.

"When Julie defeat Demon King and awaken true potential, repercussions felt across world," Mary began. "When Julie defeat Demon King again, it cause even bigger shock. Demonspawn go crazy. Great sages and mages have vision of cousin's triumph. Demon King's screams could be heard far from prison. Everyone amazed. After so many nyears, prophecy finally coming to pass! Heir of Light, Chosen One, Hero Who Banishes Darkness, finally is born! Celebrations all over world!"

"All that for Julie?" Julie asked, astonished. "Dang, Julie wishes Julie could've gone…"

"There be even bigger festivities when nyou finally come home!" Mary assured her. "But nyot all nyews good. Meowre rifts to other worlds start opening at random, putting people at risk. High Queen ask Mary to travel to Lightheart Village to invite Shaman Queen Jovah to Holy Capital to try and get control of rifts to bring nyou home. Wise Woman Sada had ideas."

Julie laughed. "Julie bet she did!"

"As for myself, with the additional data ANNA-1008 was able to provide her Mother Computer during her most recent communication with her, we were able to calculate and map the likeliest places more space-time rifts – which have indeed increased since your last communication – would appear with the help of the construct from this age named Professor Turo," KATE-117 said. "While my specialty is in planetary regenesis, my ship happened to be in the system where your fleet predicted the next rift would appear and Una asked me to lend my computing power to the task of stabilizing it and harnessing it to bring you and any others who have fallen victim to the rifts home. As I have long been an admirer of your adventures, I was more than willing to lend my aid."

"Hey, Mistress, want to give her your autograph?" Ogerpon teased.

"Only if she will give me hers, her thesis on the effect of geomagnetic fields and plate tectonics on the development of microbial life forms within the crusts of M-class planets in systems with blue stars is one of my top 1000 favorite scholarly articles," ANNA said.

"Nerd!" Scar barked.

"However, when Mary get to village, during welcoming celebration, disaster happen," Mary said gravely. "Frenzied Demonspawn, maddened by Demon King's fury, attack village."

Julie gasped in horror. "What?! What happen?! Is everyone okay?!"

"We… Don't know," Raging Bolt admitted shamefully.

"During the battle, a rift much like the one that spirited you away opened without warning," Walking Wake said. "Your mother risked her life to keep some of your younger siblings from falling into it and might have fallen victim herself if we had not intervened. As a result, we were sucked in instead and found ourselves here, in this false world beneath the sea."

"Nyou risk lives to save Meowther? Thank you," Julie sobbed, hugging the theropod's leg.

"It is the duty of the God Beasts to protect the world and the beastlings and Pokémon in it," Gouging Fire said proudly. "There are many God Beasts like us. There are not, however, many like your mother. The choice was easy. It always is."

"Queen Jovah and Sada see opportunity. Before rift close, try to use magic and otherworldly science to stabilize, bring back God Beasts, maybe forge permanent link to this world to bring Cousin home. Mary try to help." She grimaced. "Then Mary get pulled through instead. Nyot knyow what happen to village after that."

As Julie made some very distressed noises, ANNA reminded her, "Sister, you have had frequent lessons with your ancestor and mother in your dreams, have you not? I doubt Queen Jovah would be able to speak to you if she had perished."

"She could if ghost!" Julie argued.

"If she had become a ghost, do you not think she would have told you?" ANNA reasoned.

"She nyot meowntion village get attacked, or God Beasts and Princess Mary wind up here, and she certainly nyot tell Julie she being groomed to be Chosen One!" A frustrated Julie countered. She blinked. "Huh, Julie thought Julie over that."

"Even if you have forgiven someone, it can sometimes be hard to let go of all lingering resentment," ANNA pointed out.

"Like how someone keep bringing up one time Julie break toilet-"

"Archon, how did you find yourself here?" ANNA interjected quickly.

"Under less disastrous circumstances, thankfully," KATE-117 assured her. "After I rendezvoused with your fleet, we attempted to capture and seize control of the impending rift. Unfortunately, it proved to be much more unstable than we had anticipated and it almost immediately surged out of control. Thankfully, unlike our disastrous aborted attempts to break into Ultra Space, this time we had a failsafe intended to shut down the rift should it grow out of our control. Unfortunately, your fleet's God Machines got sucked through before we could close it."

"And nyou fell through too?" Julie guessed.

"No, I leapt through on purpose," KATE-117 admitted. "I could still hear the God Machines' frequency, and their transmission indicated they had found themselves somewhere habitable, and I… Well. I suppose I was hoping that if I were able to contact you and help you come home, you would think favorably of me."

ANNA frowned. "That would have been unnecessary, I already think favorably of you. Such reckless actions are unbefitting of a Philosophont of your station."

"And how many times has sister performed experiment which blow up part of school?" Julie teased.

"I followed scientific procedure rigorously, it is not my fault that the equipment available to me in this era is so utterly obsolete and completely fails to meet the least of Philosophont standards," ANNA sniffed.

"It poor craftswomen who blame tools!" Julie pointed out.

"Not if the tools are garbage."

KATE-117 couldn't help laughing. "Yes, you are exactly who I'd hoped you would be, ANNA-1008. This was all worth it."

"You're dying," Viola pointed out.

"I stand by my statement."

"Okay, yeah, can we circle back to that please? Why are you dying?" Carmine demanded. "Also, can I just call you KATE instead of KATE-117, that seems like a bit of a mouthful."

"You cannot," KATE-117 said flatly.

"But ANNA-"

"If ANNA-1008 chooses to allow others to use a shortened and uninformative version of her name, that is her choice. I will not," KATE-117 said.

"Can Julie call nyou KATE?" Julie asked.

"Certainly, cousin, we are… Family, of a sort," KATE replied.

Julie cheered. Carmine gesticulated wildly, a look of fury on her face.

"Soon after, we find each other," Mary took up the narrative.

"And also caused quite a panic," KATE pointed out.

Mary rolled her eyes. "That nyot completely our fault and nyou know it."

"Your God Beasts attacked those trainers," KATE reminded her.

"They tried to catch us! AND threw one of their capture spheres at the Princess!" Raging Bolt snarled.

"She got a very large bruise," Walking Wake added.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Nyou exaggerate, it nyot that big. And besides, God Machines get violent too!"

Iron Crown and Iron Leaves glared at Iron Boulder. "I continue to assert that I did nothing wrong and that Minccino was plotting something," the God said unapologetically.

"We retreated deeper into the canyonlands while our guardians covered us and did their best to keep anyone from discovering Mary and I existed," KATE resumed.

"They did a very good job, nobody in Blueberry Academy knows you exist," ANNA complimented, causing the six divines to preen.

"I didn't even know you existed until like a few minutes ago," Carmine confirmed.

"But… Someone knyow we here," Mary said ominously. "Otherwise sister would nyot be dying."

"After our guardians rejoined us and drove most of the indigenous Pokémon away for our protection, we discussed our next steps," KATE said.

"Did you have a big, awesome, pointlessly stupid fight that could've been avoided if you all just talked for a few minutes?" Ogerpon asked eagerly.

"No," they all replied.

Ogerpon looked rather put out of this.

"Mary suggest we try to approach locals and ask for help," Mary said.

"While I pointed out that our first impression had been less than ideal, and given that this entire habitat was clearly artificial, we should try to discern where we were and make contact with you and your sister, ANNA-1008, to help extract us should we be in hostile territory," KATE said.

"You're not going to ask her to just call you ANNA?" Carmine asked ANNA.

"No, it has been quite some time since anyone has called me by my full name, and it makes me feel like I am a little closer to home hearing it come from the vocoder of another Philosophont," ANNA replied.

Carmine blinked. "Oh. Do you want me to call you-"

"That is unnecessary."

"In end, we settle argument best way," Mary said proudly.

"A Pokémon battle?" Ogerpon asked eagerly.

"Nyo, Mountain, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar."

Julie gasped. "Julie love that game! But Julie lose to sister so we play Black Hole, Starship, Zanu instead."

Carmine blinked. "Wait, what beats what in that game?"

"Tyranitar eats Meowntain, Aerodactyl land on top of Meowntain, Tyranitar knyock Aerodactyl out of sky," Julie said.

Carmine was even more confused now. "Wait… then what beats Tyranitar?"

Julie scoffed. "Nyothing, Tyranitar apex predator."

"But…what does Mountain beat?" Carmine pressed, utterly lost.

Julie, Mary, Scar, and the God Beasts all burst into laughter. "Mountain beats nobody!" Raging Bolt bellowed.

"Meowntain is worst!" Mary agreed.

"Duh!" Scar snorted.

A very bewildered Carmine looked at ANNA, Viola, the God Machines, and KATE, who looked equally confused.

"Anyway, Mary lose, so we go with sister's plan instead," Mary said, looking crestfallen. "If Mary won, then maybe…"

"I was able to hack into the habitat computers with almost appalling ease," KATE said a bit smugly. "Your people really should see about getting some actual network security, Carmine."

"I said the same thing," ANNA recalled.

"God Machines nyot do that?" Julie asked.

Iron Crown shook his head. "Our system architecture is different from a Philosophont's. The Archon would have an easier time interfacing with the primitive computer systems of this world than we would. We were not entirely happy with this, but were reasonably certain nothing in this planet's crude informational network would be able to harm her."

"We were mistaken," Iron Leaves said mournfully.

"I was able to confirm our location and that we were at a school instead of a research Institute – well, not that kind of research institute, anyway," KATE admitted. "However, I quickly came to the attention of another consciousness working in cyberspace. It attacked me, infecting me with a program that has been turning my own body against me. None of my antivirus software is working. The only reason I have not perished is thanks to the tireless efforts of my sister."

"Wait, none of you guys could do anything?" Carmine asked the Paradox Legendaries.

"Wrong kind of magic," Gouging Fire grunted.

"Different system architecture," Iron Boulder grumbled.

"Mary work day and nyight to keep sickness at bay," Mary said wearily, blinking blearily as the light from her paws flickered and she struggled to refocus it. "Mary's magic strong, but… Nyot strong enough. All Mary can do is keep sister from dying and can't even do that meowch longer. Mary is so tired…"

"We have attempted repeatedly to contact you for help, but whatever entity did this to me has been blocking my transmissions," KATE said tiredly.

"And so deep beneath sea, Mary have difficulty calling cousin by magic," Mary yawned. "Thank Origin nyou here now, though! Sister nyot have meowch time left. Mary alone nyot enough, but… With you two? Can save KATE!"

"Of course we help! Right, sister?" Julie asked, glancing at the distraught ANNA.

"Yes, of course, but… This should not be possible!" ANNA protested. "There has never been anything in this world's Internet which has posed a threat to me, and my firewalls and software are much less advanced than KATE-117's! How could this have happened to her?"

"Mistress, hasn't that changed since you obtained a God Program?" Viola reminded her.

"The program has yet to finish installing, and while yes, my system architecture has begun reconfiguring itself, I should still be far behind KATE-117, even if I am indeed becoming something…'Different,'" ANNA insisted.

"Sister… There one thing," an alarmed Julie reminded her.

"One-"

It struck her like one of Raging Bolt's Thunderclaps. "No… Ouroboros? But… But I was able to detect their code and deleted it before it could infect me, surely KATE-117 would have had even less trouble-"

"This code… Is different," KATE said through clenched teeth.

Mary nodded solemnly. "It malicious."

"Well yes, of course, all viruses could be considered malicious code-" ANNA started to say.

"Nyo, sister, she nyot meown malicious," a horrified Julie whispered. "She meown Malicious."

Carmine's jaw dropped as ANNA'S eyes widened in horror. "Wait…w-wait a second… You mean… Malicious with a capital "M?" Like… The Demon King's Malice?!" Carmine shrieked.

"Precisely," Walking Wake said gravely.

"But… How?!" Scar barked. "Chief banish Demon King! Twice! And how Malice get in computer anyway?"

"Yeah, isn't it some really nasty magical substance, not… A computer virus?" Carmine agreed.

"… No. It can be a virus," ANNA recalled in horror. "When the Demon King manifested in Mossui Town, he was able to infect my systems with Malicious code which he used to seize control of my satellite. In fact, he would have seized control of a lot more than that if my nascent God Program had not activated and purged his influence from my hardware."

All the otherworlders stared at her in astonishment and awe. "You were able to reject the Demon King's corruption? That's… Almost impossible to do!" Raging Bolt said, eyes gleaming with respect.

"Well done, ANNA-1008," Iron Crown said proudly.

"But… This still makes no sense," ANNA insisted. "If I was able to reject Malicious code with a God Program that was nowhere near fully installed, KATE-117 should have had no difficulty!"

"The Malicious code… It is not simply that there is some magic, corrupting power to it," KATE grunted. "The base code is… Far too advanced for anything on this world. It was almost as if it was designed specifically to target…"

"Philosophonts," ANNA realized with horror. "Or others from our age. But… How could that be? There should only be two people currently alive capable of such a feat. I am one of them, and the other would certainly never betray me in such a way!" She frowned. "And certainly, neither of us would ever dream of using Malice!"

"Nyeah, it pure evil!" Julie agreed.

"Yes. Also, I have no idea where I would even be able to obtain some Malice let alone digitize it… Although, considering I was infected by it before, reviewing data logs from that brief period of time might actually shed light on how it could even work…" ANNA mused.

Carmine and Julie sweatdropped. "Yes, because lack of access to evil incarnate is the reason it's a bad idea," Carmine deadpanned.

"Mock me if you must, but that data may actually prove critical in healing KATE-117," ANNA said. "To create a vaccine for a disease, you must have a sample of it. Since my body has already rejected Malicious code in the past, I can generate the antiviral program to rid KATE-117 of this infection."

"I am not certain that is wise," KATE warned ANNA. "This virus was specifically tailored to target beings like us. There is a high chance that you might get infected as well, even if your previous infection means you have a partial immunity."

"Plausible, but unlikely. I was exposed to a great deal of Malice in Kitakami and have a more comprehensive data profile of it than you do, Archon," ANNA replied. "Additionally, I have already encountered Ouroboros code before, so know how to counter it."

"And also, she has Julie!" Julie bragged. "Julie conquered Demon King! Have power to turn darkness to light!"

"Precisely," Walking Wake said.

Raging Bolt nodded. "While the Princess has inherited the power of light from her bloodline, she is not the Chosen One. Unlike you, she has not touched true darkness and grown stronger for it. You sacrificed much and were rewarded greatly by Origin for it."

"And your experiences, ANNA-1008, with Malice and this world, have altered your core programming in ways which leave you more equipped to tackle threats with mystical or anomalous components to them, things the Archon has never encountered," Iron Crown said. "Together, we are certain you can save KATE-117."

"The two of you meeting, and obtaining such similar power, cannot be a coincidence," Gouging Fire said.

"Just as Mary and KATE-117 meeting can be no coincidence," Iron Boulder agreed. "As always, the One guides our actions and has arranged such a convergence of events."

"You think Arceus wanted KATE-117 to be fatally infected?" Carmen asked skeptically.

"It is not our place to question the actions of Origin," Walking Wake said.

"But to interpret and learn from Them," Iron Leaves continued. "Julie and ANNA, reflections from two different worlds, were brought together, and three worlds have been forever changed by it. And now it has happened again. What new wisdom and secrets of the universe will be revealed by this joining? We don't know, but we are eager to find out."

"This is some good shit," Ogerpon muttered, taking notes. "I can quote you on all this, right?"

"Yes," the Paradox Pokémon replied.

"Thanks!"

"Cousins, if nyou can help sister… Mary eternally grateful," Mary sobbed, tearing up from exhaustion and relief.

"Of course we save cousin! Right sister?" Julie asked.

"Yes, but… There is still so much about this that does not add up," ANNA muttered in frustration. "Malice should have been banished from this world after the Demon King was expelled, so how did Ouroboros find it? Not to mention the timing involved. By my estimation, all our new friends were brought to this world several hours after we vanquished the Demon King in Kitakami and were on our way back to Paldea. After that, it was not much longer before KATE-117 got infected, merely a matter of hours. How could Ouroboros have obtained Malice, digitized it, turned it into a virus intended to infect a species that should not even exist on this planet, and had it ready to use just in time to infect KATE-117 here in Blueberry? To accomplish this in such a short time, as well as to anticipate when and where KATE-117 would be beggars explanation. Additionally, if Ouroboros already had a virus designed to kill Philosophonts, why did they not use it on me?"

"Because you weren't its intended target."

Carmine yelped in surprise… And was rather put out when she saw she was the only one. "Wait, why am I the only one startled by this sudden intrusion?"

"Oh, we knyew we being followed whole time," Julie said casually.

"What?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Carmine demanded.

"Because you would have made it blatantly aware that you knew we were being followed and made them retreat," ANNA said.

"I would not have!" Carmine protested.

Everyone stared at her.

"Okay, maybe a little bit…"

"Oh, I knew that you knew I was following you," the figure standing in the shadows – a rather impressive feat considering how much the Chargestones illuminated the cave – said with a chuckle.

"Yes, but did nyou knyow that we knyew that nyou knyew that we knyew nyou were following us?" Julie asked, only to look confused and start counting on her fingers. "That… That right amount, right?"

Scar shrugged. "I bad at math."

"Reveal yourself!" Iron Boulder snarled. "You've been sneaking around, trying to find our lair for weeks! Enough games! Let's settle this!"

"Oh, I quite agree."

The figure stepped forth…

And Carmine immediately relaxed. "Oh, hey, Perrin, it's you!" She frowned. "Which… I should've already known, since I know what your voice sounds like?"

"Gardevoir, protect our cousins, get them out of here if it gets past us," ANNA said, shifting her arms into their buster and blade configurations.

"Of course, Mistress," Gardevoir said, immediately teleporting to the sides of the startled girls and forming a barrier around them.

"Wait, what?" A confused Carmine stammered as Julie slipped on her mask and clenched her right fist, Ogerpon formed her Ivy Cudgel, and all the Paradox Pokémon snarled, hackles raising. "Guys, aren't you overreacting a little? I mean, it's just Perrin, the worst she can do is take a candid picture or something, right?"

"Carmine," Julie hissed tersely. "That nyot Perrin."

Perrin smiled, and for some reason Carmine found herself unnerved. "Oh, but I am Perrin…"

"There, you see?" Carmine said smugly.

"I ate her, so I must be her," Perrin said, her mouth stretching unnaturally wide and revealing far too many sharp pointy teeth than there should have been room for, Malice beginning to form around her.

Carmine turned pale. "Oh shit."

"Demon King! How did you find your way back to this world?" ANNA demanded, pointing her buster at Perrin. "And what did you do to Perrin?"

"Wait, the Demon King-" Carmine gasped.

Perrin started chuckling, a second, much more malevolent and familiar voice overlaying her own. "I just said. I ate her. You see, I needed a vessel to exist in this world, and her soul was in the way, so I devoured it along with everything else inside of her to make room for my maleficent essence. There's nothing left of her now. It's just me in here."

"Julie. Is he telling the truth?" ANNA asked, not taking her eyes off the possessed husk as Carmine gasped and the Paradox Pokémon got angrier.

"I am always honest, ANNA-1008," Perrin – no, the Demon King – said in amusement. "I am a product of my world of birth as much as your sister is. For all the evil I've committed, I have never once told a lie. Falsehoods are only something I learned about after spending time in this fascinating new world, yet out of habit I still find myself defaulting to telling the truth, or at least a version of it." He grinned, his teeth getting even longer and sharper. "It's so much more fun that way. After all, the truth often hurts more than a lie ever could."

"He telling truth," Julie said quietly, shaking with rage. "Perrin gone."

"Like… Like gone gone?!" Carmine squawked.

"Nyot dead. Consumed. Nyothing left," Julie growled seriously.

"That's right. No afterlife. Only me," the Demon King confirmed, reveling in how horrified this made Carmine and infuriated the rest. "I told you the truth hurts more. Oh, but don't worry Carmine, I have no intention of devouring your soul… Human souls are so frail and weak for the most part they aren't worth eating. Your lives are so short and meaningless they lack the time to ripen into flavors as robust as those of the people from my world. Perrin tasted like practically nothing. I admit you have an interesting scent about you, but not enough to make me go out of my way to consume you. I'll just kill you instead."

"… That's… Good to know?" Carmine whimpered.

"But how nyou-" Julie started to say, only to facepaw. "She take picture, didn't she? Julie told her nyot to take picture!"

"And thanks to her not listening, I have returned to your world," the Demon King said gleefully, cracking his neck and causing Carmine to turn green.

"What is your connection to Ouroboros?" ANNA demanded. "I assume you are the one who gave them the Malice needed to create the virus infecting KATE-117?"

"It was YOU?" Iron Crown demanded.

"I am indeed," the Demon King said calmly. "They made contact with me very shortly after I took this body for my own. I was surprised as you surely are… After all, I had barely been in this world for even a day before they reached out to me, having somehow located and identified me in such a short time. They asked for a bit of my Malice, and I gave it to them."

"Why?" ANNA demanded. "How would it benefit you to do so?"

"Yeah, since when nyou work with others that aren't Demonspawn?" Julie agreed.

"Our interests align, for the moment," the Demon King said with a casual shrug. "They promised they would be able to give me something I wanted if I helped them get them something they wanted and even revealed their identity as a sign of faith."

"Then… You know who they are?!" ANNA cried.

"Yes, but I have no intention of telling you," the Demon King said smugly. "I would hate to ruin the surprise. That serpent's been planning this for quite some time, and as someone who hates you two even more than they do, I'm eager for them to put their final plan in action, especially since they were so kind as to carry through on their promise to me." His smile somehow grew even bigger. "Isn't that right, Princess Mary?"

Mary gasped. "N-nya?!"

"What do you want with the Princess?!" Gouging Fire bellowed, blazing up.

"The same thing I always want with members of the Lineage of Light," the Demon's King said with a roll of his eyes, except they rolled so far back into his skull everyone saw their whites and they kept rolling until they came back as the pitch-black Malicious eyes he usually had. "Freedom."

"M-Mary nyever free Demon King!" Mary protested. "Mary couldn't even if Mary wanted to! Mary stranded here!"

"Yes, thanks to the efforts of my dear friend Ouroboros-" the Demon King began.

"I'm sorry, what?" Walking Wake interrupted.

"Are… Are you saying this Ouroboros brought us here?!" Raging Bolt demanded.

"That is impossible. How could a being of this world do such a thing?" An incredulous Iron Leaves asked.

The Demon King seemed to find this amusing for some reason. "Did you really think it a coincidence that all of you got transported to this world, in the same place, at the same time? It was all by the design of Ouroboros. The reason the gaps between worlds have been growing wider is because they have been doing it!"

ANNA gaped. "What? But… That would be impossible… Unless…!"

"Ouroboros… Has either rebuilt the Time Machine or made their own!" KATE-117 grunted, having followed the same train of thought. "But… Why would they bring us here? How did they even know to target us?"

"Well, you weren't all supposed to be here," the Demon King admitted. "Your guardian deities weren't supposed to have been pulled in with you. However, it wasn't you specifically that were being targeted. They don't even care about Mary, they only brought her here as payment for my aid in creating their Malware. It's really you they want KATE-117, or rather, someone like you: a Philosophont with a fully functioning God Program, too young to have been turned into a Master Computer, but old enough for it to have become fully integrated with their hardware. Apologies, ANNA-1008, but you don't quite make the cut, much to Ouroboros' irritation, they would have loved to use you for the sheer irony, but decided it was too risky. A shame, they really hate you."

"… But who has access to the kind of resources that could pull this off and would want revenge against me?" A perplexed ANNA wondered.

"And why they want sister?" Mary demanded.

"I've already said I don't plan on ruining the surprise, you just have to wait and see for yourself," the Demon King said smugly. "As for you, Mary, just like Ouroboros needed someone like KATE-117, I needed someone like you… A member of the Lineage of Light who was Moontouched!"

Julie gasped as the God Beasts closed ranks, blocking Mary from the Demon Kings' sight. "She… Moontouched? But that mean-"

"That if I corrupt her, she will become the ultimate Demonspawn I've been seeking to create for millennia," the Demon King cackled. "A being of darkness born from the line of light… The key to releasing me from my prison at long last! And since she's been spending week after week expending her energy trying to stave off KATE-117's infection, she will be unable to put up even the least defense against me! She will not repeat your success, Julie Lightheart!"

ANNA'S mind raced as she attempted to put all these newly revealed pieces together. There was still much she didn't know, but from what she'd gleaned so far… "This, too, was Ouroboros's design," she realized. "Including… The others were not just brought here because of the ley line confluence, though that surely made it easier to transport them to this place, but because it would be easier to keep them contained here and unable to contact us. Except… They weren't able to find them, were they? If Ouroboros was truly all-knowing, then they should have been able to locate them almost at once, but… The EM interference from Chargestone Cavern must have hid them from their gaze, which is why they finally sent you in to get pictures of the Paradox Pokémon, knowing that it would lead to us getting involved and coming here to investigate, giving you a chance to find your quarry, and the reason they did not do this sooner is because…"

"Because whatever they planning meowst be happening soon, and they wanted us out of Paldea so we nyot interfere!" Julie realized.

"The Time Machine," ANNA immediately concluded. "They already seem to have some control of it, or a version of their own, but they must not be able to pull off something huge because we would definitely notice it. I left a variety of sensors behind when we left Area Zero, and while I cannot rule out the possibility that Ouroboros has somehow co-opted them to send me false data, powering the machine up to full would not escape my notice. Or anyone else's, for that matter, considering how it nearly tore the region apart the last time it was turned on!"

"Very good, ANNA-1008," the Demon King said, giving them a mocking slow clap. "And you as well, Julie Lightheart. You know, Ouroboros does seem to have a bit more of a fixation on your sister, but I'm well aware that you are no stupid beast as they for so many of the worthless mortals of this world think you are. Just because you talk 'funny' by their standards doesn't mean you're a fool. And speaking of talking funny…"

He reached up and casually tore off his face, causing Carmine to scream and throw up repeatedly. The Demon King callously discarded the flesh rag, his face now a naked skull with Malice layered over it to create the Demon King's familiar gruesome visage, dark burning horns rising from his forehead. "At last, I nyo longer need to speak with that atrocious accent," he reveled. "I can express meowself properly now."

"How can he talk like that and still be the most terrifying thing I've ever seen?!" Carmine shrieked.

"How nyou think this going to go, Demon King?" Julie asked angrily, clenching her fist as it began to glow even brighter. "Nyou very powerful, even like this, but only so meowch nyou can do with weak human body as host. We outnyumber you, got plenty of Starmetal and Bark from Tree of Life after trip to Kalos, and all Julie nyeed to do is cast lightest spell to banish nyou again!" She hesitated, frowning. "Which… Nyou already know. So… Why reveal self unless…"

"He has something up his sleeve," ANNA concluded.

"That I do," the Demon King confirmed, holding up a set of Poké Balls. He threw them out, releasing a Kleavor and a Hisuian Liligant and Arcanine. All three of them had a pitch-black crystalline sheen and were enveloped by Malice.

"Demonspawn!" Gouging Fire roared, furious.

"Nyo… Bud!" Julie realized, staring at the Arcanine in horror as Scar, who had rather liked Perrin's partner, whimpered in dismay.

"Bud… I… Remember that… Name…" The Arcanine murmured. "Lady who feeds me… You… Warned her… About… Demon King…" He shook. "She… Didn't… Listen… She… Didn't… Listen… She… Didn't… LISTEN…!"

He started laughing insanely, to Julie's despair.

"Oh no, not more of those freaks!" Carmine cried.

"So these are the fabled Demonspawn… Fascinating. My people have encountered a variety of life forms that could be considered 'undead,' but I have never seen any like these," KATE-117 remarks.

"S-same. They nyot look like Demonspawn Mary aware of!" Mary said anxiously.

ANNA frowned, re-examining the three Pokémon. "… Wait. That is correct. Sister, do they not look sort of like…"

"Same black crystal as Loyal Three!" Julie confirmed. "But how? Loyal Three like that because of exposure to Terastal energy in groundwater! How Demon King do it? Julie can already guess why… Loyal Three partially resistant to Starmetal because of black crystal, so Demon King meowst have been trying to prepare them to fight us!"

Ogerpon snapped her pen at the mention of her twice-dead nemeses, her eye starting to twitch.

"Well spotted once meowre, Julie," the Demon King said with a cruel grin. "Unfortunately, since they aren't Legendary Pokémon, they won't be quite as strong as the Loyal Three, but they should still have some degree of immewnity. As for the how… When I reanimated these Pokémon and infused them with my Malice, I placed corrupted Tera Shards in their bodies to allow them to take their current forms and strengthen them against the usual weaknesses of my Demonspawn."

"That nyot save them from Julie's fist!" Julie declared.

"True, but nyou will have bigger things to worry about in a meowment," the Demon King taunted her.

"Wait… Reanimated…" ANNA frowned. "The Arcanine was Perrin's, you could have obtained the Kleavor here, but… Where did you get that Liligant from? That variant is extinct!"

"Indeed, they are," the Demon King confirmed. "But you forget, this body belongs to a descendent of the Diamond Clan of Hisui. As such, it was simple for me to gain access to the clan mausoleum where the Noble Pokémon of old were entombed… Ripe for recruitment to my Army!"

"They're… Noble Pokémon?!" A shocked Raging Bolt exclaimed. "But… That would mean…!"

"Cousin! Even long dead, blessings of Arceus remain in corpse!" Mary called. "That meown nyour spell-"

"Meowght nyot be one-hit kill!" Julie concluded in frustration.

"You… You desecrated the graves of sacred Pokémon like that?!" Shocked Carmine asked. "You're… You're a ghoul! A literal ghoul!"

The Demon King scoffed. "A ghoul? That's the worst thing nyou can think of to call meow? This would hardly be the first time I have robbed graves and defiled the bodies of the blessed to build an army. I've made quite a habit of it, actually."

"And the living who guarded the graves?" ANNA asked.

The Demon King gave her an incredulous look. "What do nyou think happened to them?"

The corrupted Bud snapped his jaws shut a few times and licked his lips, while Kleavor clapped his axes – which they now noticed were stained with cold-blooded – together and Liligant giggled cruelly. "They… DELICIOUS!"

"While I meowght nyot particularly enjoy the taste of human souls," the Demon King said conversationally. "My nyew meownions have nyo such difficulty."

Carmine looked like she was going to pass out. Scar whimpered. The God Beasts looked like they were only seconds away from attacking, elemental energy crackling around their forms.

"You… Truly are the embodiment of evil," a shocked Viola exclaimed. "As vile as Prime was, even he had no power over the soul!"

For some reason, this amused the Demon King greatly. "Thank nyou for the compliment."

"… Well. That did it," Ogerpon said calmly, putting away her writing materials and beret and slapping on her Teal Mask. "Now I'm angry. I'm gonna club you to death."

"ANNA-1008, I recommend evacuating the Princess and Archon at once," Iron Crown said to ANNA. "Any proximity to an enemy such as this is far too close."

"I agree," ANNA acquiesced. "Gardevoir-"

"Hold on, haven't nyou forgotten what I said? About how nyou have bigger things to worry about?" The Demon King taunted. "And I'm not just talking about what Ouroboros is up to back in nyour adopted country, either."

ANNA hesitated. "What are you talking about?"

"Nyou know, I find it amewsing how the Kyogre of this world is still the same petty, shortsighted bully of a God absurdly obsessed with one-upping Groudon and conquering the land as she was back in my age," the Demon King remarked. "Did you knyow that she had nyo idea this undersea habitat existed? How do nyou think she'd react if she found out about it?" He cackled. "Well, you'll find out for yourselves shortly, because I posted several pictures and coordinates to this facility on her social meowdia feed five minutes ago."

Everyone stiffened in horror… And then a confused Carmine said "Wait, Kyogre has a social media presence?"

"Oh yes, a rather large one," ANNA confirmed.

"All Legendary and Meowthical Pokémon do, just because they Gods nyot meown they nyot keep up with times," Julie explained.

Carmine stared blankly. "But… But she's got fins, how-"

"Has team of Phione who handle it," Julie said.

"Oh," Carmine said faintly. "I don't know if that answers everything, or just leaves even more questions. Also HOLY SHIT KYOGRE'S GOING TO KILL US!"

"We will deal with her once we have beaten the Demon King-" ANNA assured her.

"Actually, there is one other thing nyou should worry about," the Demon King interjected.

"What nyow?!" Julie complained.

"Somewhere in this Terarium is a bomb which, once it goes off, will explode hard enough to critically damage the structural integrity of the dome and begin the process of letting the ocean outside in, making it easier for Kyogre to finish the job when she arrives," the Demon King gloated.

Everyone reacted in horror again. "Where is the bomb?!" Iron Leaves demanded.

The Demon King grinned and sent out another Pokémon…

A Hisuian Electrode.

"Right here."

Everyone stared at it dumbly for a moment, then started panicking when it began flashing and they realized what was about to happen. "Gardevoir, get us all out of-" ANNA shouted.

The Electrode exploded.

---

What felt like half the student body had gathered at the outdoor battle court outside the entrance to Blueberry Academy. Quite a lot of people were cheering for Nemona and waving banners with her face on them and had painted the letters of her name on their stomachs, while a very small number cheered for Kieran, and out of all of them only Amarys and a handful of others seemed to genuinely mean it, much to the increasing irritation of the boy grinding his teeth to dust on one end of the court.

"How you feeling, champ?" Arven asked Nemona as she finalized her team choice.

(She was going to use the same team she'd brought here and beaten Drayton with. Why mess with a good thing?)

"Like I can win!" Nemona declared.

Arven patted her on the back. "Good girl. Now go beat the shit out of a kid a lot younger than you. Here, take a sandwich, your metabolism's been even crazier since you changed."

"Thanks, hermano!" She said, happily digging into the sandwich.

"Hey, Nemona, got a sec?" Drayton asked, approaching her.

She nodded, her mouth full.

"Look, while I wanted you to get involved in all this mainly because I knew it would piss Kieran off, well… Here's the Drayster take: I liked Kieran better when his hair was down," Drayton confessed.

"I think… Just about everyone feels that way?" A puzzled Arven pointed out.

"He used to be this quiet little guy. Trembled like a leaf. Had all the spine of a Wimpod," Drayton reminisced, turning his back on the outsiders. "He'd hide behind Carmine if you so much as breathed too loud. But I tell you what… When it came to Pokémon battling, I never saw so much joy in anyone's eyes as in his!"

Arven nodded as he patted on a choking Nemona's back. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"But then, out of nowhere, he… Changed," Drayton continued. "Now he's relentless – pushes himself, pushes everyone around him… Nothing good can come of this. Someone's gotta snap him out of it."

He sighed and glanced back at Nemona, who was no longer dying. "I tried but couldn't do it. Guess I've gone soft from the lazy life. So now I guess it falls to you. Sorry, Bud."

Nemona frowned. "I dunno, man. ANNA seemed pretty confident battling him wouldn't really change anything, and she's way smarter than I am."

"As someone who's been in a psychiatric institution and am therefore the most qualified of us to give psychiatric advice – except for ANNA, who probably got a PhD in it when she had an hour to kill or something – I second this," Arven added. "If anything, it's more likely this will just cause him to double down on his harmful behavior."

"I mean, I'm still gonna fight him, I kinda have to because of the geass, but… Don't expect this to miraculously make him normal again," Nemona apologized.

Drayton grimaced and shrugged. "Guess it's a bit of a long shot… Well, good luck. Me and the other Elite Two will be cheering for you."

As he walked away, four notes rang on the school's PA system.

"This is an official BB League announcement. A Championship match is about to begin at the battle court near the entrance to the Academy. If you'd like to watch the match, please make your way there."

Four more notes rang.

As more and more people rushed out of the entrance to see the match, Nemona grinned. "Welp! It's go time!" She cheered, high-fiving Arven before racing to her end of the court.

Arven winced and wriggled his arm a bit before heading to the stands, where he plopped himself down right next to Crispin, who now looked moderately sunburnt instead of boiling hot. "What are you doing here?!" The young chef demanded.

"I hate you so much I want to be right next to you for all of this, so you don't miss even a morsel of my distaste for you," Arven explained.

"… I should be angry at this, but I kind of want the same thing," Crispin grumbled in frustration.

There was a thunderclap, and clouds began to gather overhead. As the skies darkened, Kieran tossed a Poké Ball up and down before sneering, "Kept me waiting."

He caught the ball and started gripping it. "I worked so hard for chance to show Julie and ANNA what I can really do, Nemona," he reflected. "I put everything into studying and making my Pokémon stronger… I crushed the Elite Four and became Champion…"

He looked at the orb in his hand. "All of that hard work… All of it…"

He clutched the ball and thrust it towards Nemona. "All that was just so that I could beat them – and they couldn't even be bothered to show their faces!" He shrieked.

Nemona regarded him with complete disinterest. "Amigo, this may seem hypocritical of me, but there's more to life than Pokémon battling."

"You're right, it does sound hypocritical!" Arven shouted.

"Mi amores have something way more important to do than indulge your frail male ego, so it falls to me to discipline you in their place," Nemona said, clenching her robot fist. "I don't know if this will knock you out of your little temper tantrum… But one way or another, I'm going to crush you, and enjoy doing so, for the honor of mi amores! And Lacey too!"

"I'm sorry, what?!" Lacey squawked as Nemona winked at her.

Nemona and Kieran prepared to send out their first pair of Pokémon…

When suddenly the entire school rocked. Kieran cried out and toppled over, and several of the students started screaming as alarms began to blare.

"What the-" Nemona started.

"WARNING. WARNING. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TERARIUM COMPROMISED. ALL BLUEBERRY STUDENTS AND FACULTY EVACUATE TO THE SURFACE IMMEDIATELY," the PA system shouted. "TERARIUM LOCKDOWN IS IN PROCESS. ALL STUDENTS AND FACULTY INSIDE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY HEAD FOR THE EXITS, THE NEAREST SHELTER, OR ESCAPE POD BAY. WARNING. WARNING. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TERARIUM COMPROMISED-"

Nemona gasped. "The twins!"

"Little buddies!" Arven wailed.

"They're alive! I'm still picking up their life signs!" Penny said, her avatar appearing in their AR vision. "But they're in big trouble! The Demon King is down there with them!"

"The Demon King?!" they both exclaimed.

"What?" Kieran gasped.

"And that's not all! Kyogre found out about the existence of the Terarium on her social media feed before I could take the post down and she's on her way to destroy the school! I'll try to send someone over, but I'm pretty stretched thin right now overseeing a few dozen different operations all over the globe! Do what you can to survive until help arrives!" Penny said anxiously before vanishing.

"Right," Arven said, standing up. "Everyone, remain calm! Help is on the way! As is Kyogre, who plans to destroy us all."

Naturally, this caused everyone to start screaming and panicking.

Arven facepalmed. "Why did I say that?"

"What was that about Kyogre-" Crispin stammered.

"It will be handled. Probably," Arven said vaguely. "Look, you and the rest of the Elite do what you can do to control the situation here, I have to head down to help my friends."

"What?! But, but they're sealing the area off! There's no way you'll be able to get in!" Lacey protested.

"And even if you did get in, if the structural integrity really has been compromised, the place could flood at any minute!" Drayton agreed.

"Trust me when I say that my friends and I have been through worse, and something worse still is already down there with them," Arven said grimly. "Nemona! Let's go!"

"Right," Nemona said, rushing off the court-

Only for a glowing chain to manifest around one wrist, the other end locking onto Kieran's wrist, and yank her back. "Wh-what?!" Kieran cried. "What is this?!"

Nemona's eyes widened, and she cursed. "It's the geass! Since you challenged me by invoking the power of the Lady of Battles, that means I can't leave the court until the battle's concluded!"

"… Why. WHY WOULD YOU SET IT UP LIKE THAT?!" Arven shouted in disbelief.

"This has literally never been a problem until this exact instant!" Nemona protested, fully aware of how weak an argument that was.

"Well, how do you get out of it?" Arven demanded.

"Um… Let's see, there's gotta be a way… Oh! Kieran!" Nemona cried, getting an idea. "Forfeit!"

Kieran blinked, dumbfounded. "What?"

"Forfeit the match!" Nemona told him. "I'll win by default, breaking the geass and letting me go help my friends!"

"What? No! You forfeit!" Kieran yelled.

Nemona shook her head. "I can't! That's not how it works. You're the one who challenged me, so you're the only one who can call it off."

"I'm not forfeiting," Kieran insisted, hand shaking as he continued gripping his Poké Ball so hard he started indenting the surface.

"That's…" Nemona clenched her teeth, a vein throbbing on her forehead. "Okay, look, I know this might sound hypocritical coming from me, but sometimes you have to take an L if something more important is at stake!"

"You're right, it does sound hypocritical," Arven said.

"Look, I'm fine with losing! I lose to the twins all the time! I'm fine with it! What I really love is just battling in general, and if I don't get down there, there's a chance I'll never be able to do it with the girls I love again!" Nemona said, getting increasingly anxious.

"They'll be fine," Kieran said callously. "They're Julie and ANNA. They're OP. They probably don't even need your help. You'll just get in the way like they said I did."

"That's…" Nemona took several deep breaths through her nose. "Fairly plausible, I'll admit, but in the off chance it's not, I should be there in case they need me!"

"Tough," Kieran said with zero sympathy. "You've been whining all day about wanting to have a real fight. That fight is here. Deal with it."

"Kieran!" Nemona snapped.

"All I wanted was to fight Julie and ANNA, but neither of them gave a crap," Kieran snarled. "You're not either of them, but you're still important to them, so when I beat you, they'll know I'm not someone they can look down on and make fun of anymore!"

"They've never made fun of you," Arven said. "They do look down on you, though. Literally. Since they're taller than you."

"That's not helping!" Nemona shouted at Arven. "Okay, Kieran, look. You want to fight Julie and ANNA, right? Well, if they died-"

"They won't die," Kieran said dismissively.

"You're probably right, but hypothetically speaking, if they died, that means you never get to have that rematch with them," Nemona argued. "No revenge. No chance to settle the score. You'll win by default. Are you really okay with winning like that?"

Kieran hesitated, looking uncertain for a moment. But then-

"Yeah, I am."

Nemona stared. "What?"

Kieran shrugged. "I mean, I'll be alive, and they'll be dead. Sounds like a win to me."

Nemona stared at him, shocked. Arven's face was like stone. Several of the panicking bystanders actually stopped, equally stunned by this statement.

The clouds above rumbled and it began to rain.

"Kieran," Nemona said finally after several aborted attempts to speak, her mouth suddenly very dry. "Carmine is down there. Your sister. And they're up against the freaking Demon King, and you should know much better than me how serious that is. If my girlfriends die, then she is almost certainly going to as well."

Kieran actually looked taken aback at this. "The… Demon King is back?" He blinked a few times, doubt crossing his face…

And then his expression hardened. "She's made her choice."

Lightning split the skies as the rain turned into a downpour.

Now everyone was silent. Kieran's remaining supporters threw down their signs in disgust. Even Amarys looked shocked.

"… BOYFRIEND KIERAN, BEEP BOOP?"

"… So, it's like that then?" Nemona asked, her voice deceptively soft, her eyes shadowed. "Fine. All right, then. I'm going to give you exactly what you want. I'm going to battle you. And once I've reduced you and your team to a smear on the floor, I'm going to head down to the Terarium to be with the chicas I love and I don't care if it's about to be locked down, I'll rip that dome apart with my bare hands if I need to. And if I'm too late, and they're gone… Then I'm going to come right back up here and send you to join them."

Glowing marks formed on her body as an aura blasted out around her, cratering the ground, as her hair came out of its ponytail and billowed around her. "Arven," she said, not even bothering to look back at him. "Get going. I'll be with you shortly. I don't expect this to take very long."

Arven nodded and ran off.

"Now," Nemona said calmly, eyes burning with fury surpassing the raging storm above and the seas churning around them. "Shall we begin?"

The Lady of Battles was ready to fight.