I have to keep fighting, that's all there is to it. I'll keep fighting so that we can live today. That's what's most important right now, that's why I fight. Money, and glory, are just the supporting reasons. In the end, it's all about survival, but not just mine.
Aiden stumbled into the main room of their hidden base, clutching his arm as the door closed behind him.
"Everything's gone to hell out there! Pokémon are destroying the entire city, the Gloom Organization is trying to fight back, and the city hasn't been evacuated, it's chaos!"
"What about Lewis, Galena, and Aaron?" asked Seth, looking up from a tablet displaying the news channel.
"They're fine," said Aiden. "But based on Orion's current findings, that may not hold for very long. The Gloom Organization is holding back on purpose, they're using this Pokémon invasion for some long-term goal."
"And what could that be?"
"We don't know yet," said Aiden, taking a seat on the couch. "But until then, the only thing we can do now is to try and repel the invasion."
They were both silent for a moment, the sound of a child's cartoon playing throughout the room as Aaron's younger twin siblings watched.
"You have to let me fight," said Seth. "I may not have powers, but I've been training with the weapons we salvaged. Even if I can't be on the front lines, I can still do something! I'm tired of sitting here and twiddling my thumbs as everyone else fights for their lives."
Aiden hesitated a moment. They've had this argument multiple times since Seth arrived a week ago. He had to admit that the kid put effort into training. From going on weapon runs to begging Aaron to teach him basics, he did what he could.
Yet, he'd only been training for a week. No matter how hard he tried, there simply wasn't enough time for him to convince Aiden that he was ready.
Fortunately, or maybe not, Aiden didn't have to break that news to Seth once again.
"You're not fighting," said Ava, walking into the room.
Ava was a tall, well-built woman with piercing black eyes and long, flowing bronze hair. She wore a maroon sweater and long pants, and her multiple bandages were covered by long clothing.
Seth turned around. "Why not? Aiden said-"
"I don't care what Aiden said, you're not fighting. You're not a Chosen-"
"Oh, so that means I'm useless now?" challenged Seth.
Ava held his gaze. "Yes, it does mean that. You've only trained for about a week, which does not make you fit to fight anyone. You are to stay here until we find a way to get you home. Listen, this isn't a game. One wrong move could-"
"Oh please, I'm not an idiot. I understand that there's real danger out there, I lived in the Calzei Region back in my world- but that doesn't matter. I can help, I can do something."
"No, you can't," said Ava, her impatience growing. "Just because you fell through an Ultra Wormhole into a new world doesn't mean you're destined to be some hero. Stop having illusions of grandeur, Seth. You're a normal kid."
"Not that way I would put it," said Aiden, albeit carefully. "But Ava is right, partially. Personally, I think your heart's in the right place, but you're aiming for something unattainable."
"Don't lie to him," said Ava. "It's clear he's a wannabe hero, among other things. Don't feed into his fantasies."
Before Seth could react, Aiden held up a hand. "Do you have to be so harsh all the time, Ava?"
"It's not a matter of being harsh, it's a matter of being realistic. You need to stop lying to yourself, Aiden. And you need to stop lying to those around you."
Aiden bristled at her words, tension rising in the air. "How so?"
"We know the Gloom Organization is planning something, and we know that whatever they're planning, it's something that'll be devastating. Yet, you still insist there's nothing we can do about it until we know exactly what they're up to."
"Is that not-"
Ava shushed him. "Let me finish. All we have to do is strike back at the Gloom Organization. They're using this invasion as a way to keep us busy, so why should we let them?"
Aiden stared at her, slightly shocked. "Are you saying we abandon the people?"
"Yes! Yes, I am suggesting we abandon them!" shouted Ava. "When will you let go of this stupid idea that we're meant to save everyone? You know full well we cannot be there for everyone! You know full well that no matter our actions will mean nothing to those we save! You know full well that the only way to truly end this is by defeating the Gloom Organization and ending The Consumer. Yet you still hold on to this stupid idea that everyone must be saved. We. Can't. Do. That. You of all people should know the pain that comes from this mentality. You couldn't save William. Yet you tried. And what came out of that? The Consumer's still alive and with Necrozma's power as well."
Seth's eyes widened. Was Ava telling the truth? Was the fact that The Consumer is alive and a major threat to this world's existence because of Aiden?
Unfortunately, this was all but confirmed by Aiden's reaction.
"Don't you mention his name!" shouted Aiden, almost losing himself as he activated his power. "I'm tired of you, Ava! You always see others as a liability! Always blaming me for this! Well, you know what? It was my fault! Maybe I shouldn't have tried to save William! Maybe I should've killed The Consumer while he was still a sorcerer and left William to die! But at least I still have some sense of humanity! I care about others, whether they're close or not! And even if we're all going to die one day, it's worth it to preserve the lives of others. Because at the end of the day, what use is our power if we're only going to be thinking of ourselves? Maybe you should stop lying to yourself, Ava. You need to look inward and realize that if you're so ready to give up on helping others, then maybe you're not fit to be Latias' Chosen.
Ava looked as if she wanted to say something, but Aiden turned around and stormed out of the base. The hydraulics on the doors snapped shut.
"Damned bastard," said Ava, her fury radiating off of her. "He'll get us all killed."
Lewis, Aaron, and Galena were currently trapped within a residential district of Lilac Town, facing off against the multiple hordes of Pokémon that were set on destroying as many homes as possible.
Aaron wrestled with an Octillery on a rooftop, throwing it to the ground after a brief scuffle. He summoned his sword as a Pidgeot came flying towards him, fending off its talons and sending it plummeting to the ground with a follow-up quick.
He looked down at the district from his vantage point, shaking his head. This wasn't right. These Pokémon were attacking strategic locations in organized groups, with the intention of killing. Places with high populations were bad enough, but there had been news about Pokémon attacking a power plant, one that provided a large amount of energy to the entire region. The Pokémon had a strategic leader at play here. Could they be a fellow Pokémon? Or maybe even a human.
"There's too many of them!" shouted Lewis from below as he used his shield to throw back a charging Lairon. "What's the evacuation status? I can't drive them back for too long!"
"It's barely gotten off its feet," said Galena through their new communication devices. "No one even knew an attack was coming. And the sheer number of Pokémon makes it difficult for anyone to escape."
Lewis shook his head, bringing his barrier up as a Magmortar attacked with Fire Blast. Their situation was grim, they could hope to hold out against all these Pokémon. The worst part was, that he could understand what they were saying, all of them could. Their words of anger, stories of betrayal, hatred of humanity and its Chosen. All of what they said rang deep within his heart. He could be a protector of humanity or a beacon of hope for the Pokémon, but he could only choose one side.
He pulled down his barrier as the Magmortar stopped its attack. He swung his arm in a wide arm, the heavy shield strapped to it knocking the Magmortar backwards. Aaron leaped in and delivered multiple slashes with his sword, taking the Pokémon down.
"Why?" asked Lewis, more to himself. "We're supposed to bridge the gap between Pokémon and humanity. Yet here we are, hated by both sides. Why do we fight?"
Aaron looked at him. "For survival, that's why I fight. I'm no hero, I can tell that much. You? That's for you to decide. Everyone has different reasons for why they do something. Wrong or right doesn't matter in the face of conviction. I fight with the intention of giving everyone another chance at life, that's what fighting has always been for me."
Galena voiced her agreement over the comms. "That's right. Loved or hated, we stand for what we believe in, for our own purpose, even if we're not a hundred percent sure. The Legendary Guardians believed we can do what we need to do for a reason. And until we discover that reason, we'll always be by each other's sides, ready to support each other."
Lewis looked up, a determined look on his face now. "Right, thank you. I won't forget it, that's a promise."
Aaron cleared his throat. "Don't forget, we're on a battlefield. We don't have the time for long speeches of encouragement. They're more Pokémon up north from what I saw. You alright back there Galena?"
"Yes," said Galena, crystals surrounding her as she fought off multiple avian Pokémon. Around her, multiple other Pokémon were encased within crystals. Safe, but trapped all the same.
A Braviary swopped down for an attack, rallying the two Ferow behind it. Galena slid to the side creating a crystalline surface beneath her, dodging the three Pokémon's attacks as their talons scraped uselessly against the smooth surface.
Using this opportunity, Galena converted half of her fifty crystals into electric ones, targeting the Pokémon's weaknesses as she fired the crystals. She closed her eyes, silently apologizing as she listened to their verbal cries of pain. This wasn't the same as fighting Shadow Pokémon, these Pokémon could communicate with her, and she could understand them.
And what she heard were calls for humanity's destruction.
But, could she blame them? Humanity had been the one to break their long-standing truce, their sacred contract. But the Pokémon couldn't blame all of humanity for the actions of the Gloom Organization. If only they knew if only Pokémon and humanity could come together against their common enemy.
Galena was pulled out of her thoughts as a foot came flying towards her. Unable to dodge, she took inspiration from Lewis and created a shield. The attack was still strong enough to break through, but less damage was done to her.
"You will pay, traitor." said the Pokémon, appearing to be a Hitmonlee as the rest of its body caught up with its leg.
Galena knew the Pokémon wouldn't listen to reason, not at this point. "Stand down, I don't wish to harm you. I understand-"
"Don't lie to me! You don't understand anything! I will fight you, even if I'm guaranteed to lose!"
The Hitmonlee shot its leg forward, barely missing as Galena jumped out of the way. Landing on the ground, she conjured more crystals as she fired her remaining twenty-five, the Hitmonlee smashing through them with a kick.
Galena slid across the ground, sailing past the Hitmonlee and circling it as she fired her crystals one by one. The Hitmonlee tried defending against them but was quickly overwhelmed as crystals began to seal it within a prison.
"I will never yield!" shouted the Hitmonlee right as the prison closed up.
"This destruction cannot go on any longer," said Galena, sadness filling her voice. "One day, a day I know will come soon, we can all gather our senses and come together as friends and allies. I know it."
With a final look at the enclosed Pokémon, she ran down the street, this area having been taken care of. Her next move was to meet up with Aaron and Lewis to try and divert more attacks.
Suddenly, she froze. She looked around her, trying to register a noise that had stopped her in her tracks.
She followed the sound, recognizing it to be the crying of a young girl. Finding the source, her heart turned cold at the sight before her.
A man? A woman? She couldn't tell, the corpse of the body was too mutilated to make out any details. The body lay half buried beneath a fallen house, in front of it, a weeping girl calling for her dead father.
A flood of memories and emotions washed through Galena, overpowering her and causing her to drop to her knees. In that moment, she saw herself in the little girl, partly, after all.
She tried to look away from the grizzly slightly, struggling to rise to her feet. It was too much. The painful memories that came with it attacked her, threatening to rip her from the inside. There was nothing she could do about the girl's father. There was nothing she could've done about her own father. She had to focus on her mission, on why she was a Chosen. She could prevent this, she would prevent this.
But the self-doubt creeping in her mind told her otherwise.
Aaron slashed wildly at the Ceruledge in front of him, his attacks clashing with the Pokémon's blades.
He'd gotten separated from Lewis, sometime after the Salamence flew in and landed in between them, specifically targeting the armored man. Aaron knew he would be fine. Unobservant as the man was, he could hold himself in a fight.
As for Aaron however, he was in a small amount of trouble. No stranger to the Pokémon's words, he knew that they'd planned for this. The Salamence was meant to attack Lewis, using its raw strength to overpower his defenses. As for Aaron, that's what the weaker ones were for.
Aaron dodged a Shadow Ball from a Sabeleye, kicking away a Minun as it leaped at him. He barely had time to recover as the Ceruledge leaped for him again, both of its blades clashing against Aaron's sword.
He drew back a few paces before delivering a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at the Ceruledge's midsection, his steel-toed boots dealing severe damage. Moving steadily, he dodged a few more attacks from various Pokémon, blocking others when he needed to.
A Lycanroc-dusk bounded towards him, using Accelrock to pick u[ speed before smashing head-first into him. Aaron took the blow and fought back with multiple slashes, causing the Lycanroc to leap back.
As it did so, Aaron heard the call for attack by a Cherrim. Moving into a sprint, he dodged a Seed Bomb from a Skiploom, hefting his sword like a javelin and throwing it at the Pokémon, taking it out as he leaped and rolled away from two Solar Beams.
He looked around, assessing his situation as he launched multiple punches at the Lycanroc as it came in for another attack. He was outnumbered and outranged. Throwing his sword had been an effective move, but the number of ranged attackers was still too great for his liking. If he could close the distance between them, he'd stand a much better chance.
He closed his eyes, focusing his power. He'd taken plenty of damage already, and his current situation called for more offensive measures.
His body glowed as his aura glowed and surged around him. Running forward, he grabbed a piece of asphalt from the ground. With one fluid motion, he threw the debris at the Cherrim, knocking it off balance.
He dodged a Solar Beam from a Sunflora and ran for his sword, kicking an Electabuzz as he closed his hand around the hilt, cutting through a Power Gem summoned by a Carbink.
Picking the nearest target, his sword glowed in power, and he slashed the Pokémon, taking it down in a single hit. Blocking an attack from the Sabeleye, he returned a counter slash to his opponent. Delivering a powerful kick that sent them flying into the Sunflora.
At the same time, Lewis appeared, smashing into the Carbink his with shield. His armor was damaged, and he was bleeding in a few places, but he still looked prepared for a fight.
"Sorry I took so long," said Lewis, standing back-to-back with Lewis as they faced the remaining few Pokémon.
Aaron scoffed. "Not a problem. The rest are just fodder anyways, easily taken care of."
"Oh really?" boomed a voice as a large Orthworm tunneled into view. "Arrogant little traitors. You will rue the day you broke the contract. Oathbreakers, murderers, all of you! Prepare, to face judgment!"
Seth skulked down the empty, ruined streets, constantly asking himself what he was doing.
Ava was right, maybe he was just trying to play the hero. But he had to prove it to them, prove that he wasn't so useless as they thought he was. He really did care about these people, about their fates.
Or maybe he was just tired of being useless.
He cursed himself for being weak, angrily kicking a rock down the street. He'd always felt powerless in his life. Events would unfold the way they did, no matter how hard he tried to get what he wanted. So many times, he'd screw up, meaning well but not doing well. For once in his life, he just wanted to change that.
Now here it was, his opportunity to start over. No one knew him here, no one knew him as Seth the Failure. The one whose parents almost wanted nothing to do with him.
That day, he'd practically ruined his life. Not just his life, but the lives of so many others. Their reputations, their opportunities, everything.
He shook his head, refusing to let himself dwell on the past. Instead, he tried to distract himself by focusing on what he had and what he needed to do.
First off, he had plenty of food, water, and first aid. He had one cyber sword, a blaster with four extra capsules of ammo, and ten pokéballs hidden away in his pockets. One thing he had over everyone else was the fact he knew how to use these. Even though he had been banned from ever becoming a Pokémon trainer, he still knew how to use these.
Wait, he almost forgot. He had Ava's communication device, just in case. Like the pokéballs, this was meant to be used as a last resort. There was no telling which danger would be greater, having to confront Ava, or being attacked by Pokémon while completely defenseless.
His mind wandered to her words, leading him to desperately try to block out the thoughts. He wasn't trying to be in denial, even if her words weren't true. He had to focus. Based on the reports, he would be entering a Red Zone soon.
A Red Zone was the newly created term for areas known to have a high amount of Pokémon located in them. These Red Zones were tracked and monitored in real-time, each with its own rating based on the amount of danger each area presented. The Gloom Organization was typically round the high-danger areas, which left a lot of gaps that needed to be filled.
Seth readied his blaster, the barrel of the weapon glowing as aimed it around. He definitely heard something coming from the buildings down the street, he had to be ready.
A screech from the sky snapped Seth to attention as a Talonflame dove towards him, its wings tucked as it gathered speed.
Seth pointed his blaster at the charging Pokémon, firing multiple shots before leaping out of the way of the Pokémon's outstretched talons. With a curse, he realized he'd only landed two shots, his aim clearly being something he needed more practice with.
The Talonflame landed on the ground as Seth fired again, his shots getting drowned out by a powerful Heat Wave as the Pokémon took flight once more, circling around.
Seth started running as he shot at the Talonflame, his shots going wide. He strapped the blaster to his back and pulled out his sword, waiting for the Talonflame to dive.
He didn't have to wait long. The Talonflame flew upwards and dove for him, its wings glowing as it used Brave Bird. Seth increased his speed, throwing a look over his shoulder as the Talonflame approached.
He thrust his sword into the ground, leaping to the side. Unfortunately, he was too slow, the Talonflame's wing clipping his side as it smashed into the sword, an explosion of energy sending it tumbling backward.
Seth hit the ground hard, the air exploding from his lungs as his body dragged across the ground. He got to his feet, his clothes damaged as blood dripped from a wound on his side.
The Talonflame got off its back, flapping its wings as it rebalanced. Seth removed the blaster strapped to his back and fired multiple shots, every charge hitting the Pokémon.
Running out of ammo, he pulled out another capsule. But there was no need, the Pokémon had fainted.
Seth cursed, reloading his blaster and setting it down as he pulled a first-aid kit from the bag strapped around his chest. He wiped off some crushed berry remnants and opened the kit, pulling out the cloth bandages and dressing his wounds as best as he could.
He hadn't expected to run into such a powerful Pokémon early on. Already, he was down one canister of ammo and his entire sword. He couldn't continue wasting resources like this.
Building debris flew into the air around the buildings across the street, the sound of an explosion echoing through the air.
Multiple Rattata ran for him, escaping whatever they'd been fighting before. Seth readied his blaster, firing multiple shots among the horde of Pokémon.
Registering him as a threat, they doubled their effort in running. One of them leaped at him, getting thrown to the side as Seth swung his blaster in an arc. He kicked another Rattata away as it jumped at him, firing away at another group of three.
Seth expended yet another capsule, using his weapon for melee instead. Against such a large number of enemies, wild swings were surprisingly efficient. Pokémon went flying around him as adrenaline pushed him to fight.
Suddenly, a Pokémon plowed into him from behind. He hit the ground and rolled to his feet, pointing his blaster at his attacker.
A large and angry Raticate snarled at him, baring its teeth as the surrounding Rattata scattered. Seth backed up nervously, his gun blanking as he pressed the fire button.
"Moon Splitter!"
Seth was caught by surprise as a girl came flying down from the air. There was a flash of blue and gold as the girl slashed the Raticate as she landed on the ground, a cloud of dust exploding around her.
The Raticate didn't stand a chance. Before any more harm could befall it, it tore down the street, shrieking all the way.
The girl rose to her feet, spinning a glowing blue sword before miming a sheathing motion, causing it to disappear. She turned to Seth, who stood, completely surprised.
"Have no fear, brave lad! I, Cynthia of the Intrepid Sword, have come to save you from your desperate plight!"
Seth stared at her, her words registering in his head. She was Chosen by Zacian, which made perfect sense looking at her.
Cynthia had long, salmon-colored hair that went past her chest, as well as black eyes. She was currently wearing blue and gold armor with two wing-like protrusions near the back. Unlike Lewis' armor, it looked to be lighter and more streamlined, which only made sense.
"-coming from the line of the original Galarian Nobles who fought against Eternatus, and then Chosen by Zacian herself, I was destined to become a legendary hero like those before me. I will not rest until-"
"Sorry," interrupted Seth. "But I don't think we have the time for a monologue."
He reloaded his blaster as more Pokémon approached, ready to defend himself. However, Cynthia pushed his weapon down, summoning her sword.
"Your bravery is admirable, young man-"
Seth looked at her. "You're definitely not much older than me."
"-but you're injured. Have faith, I shall defend you at all costs, for that's the quality of a hero! Now, stand back, I wouldn't wish you to be caught up in the battle."
Before Seth could protest, she dashed forward, moving at a pace that rivaled Lewis' speed. An Absol rushed forward to attack, its horn glowing as it growled at her.
Cynthia moved gracefully, dodging a Psycho Cut and knocking the Absol back with a sweep of her sword. "I understand your rage, but attacking human settlements and causing destruction is not the way!"
She blocked another attack from the Absol and leaped away from a blast of fire that came from a Quilava.
"You're only causing casualties to both sides! I am no traitor, and neither are the Legendary Guardians. You must listen to me, this attack will only cause more pain, more sorrow! It is my calling to bridge the gap between our kinds, and I will fight for that!"
Seth realized that she was directly communicating with the Pokémon. It made sense that being a Chosen would give you the ability to speak to Pokémon. Unfortunately, he wasn't a Chosen.
The two Pokémon leaped at Cynthia, fury in their eyes. Cynthia stood her ground, bringing her sword to her hip as she crouched down.
"I gave you a choice."
As the Pokémon flew in mid-air, she whipped out her sword, catching both Pokémon in one strike. The Pokémon crashed to the ground, fainting.
Cynthia stood to her feet, her blade disappearing.
"I have yet to ask you any questions," she said casually, as if nothing just happened. "What's your name?"
"Seth Cohen."
"The way you fight, you're not a Chosen."
Despite her objective tone, Seth looked away. The last thing he needed was another person looking down on him.
"No, I'm not," said Seth after a moment.
Cynthia smiled. "There's no need to be ashamed, Seth. What you're doing is more admirable than many people. Despite having no abilities, you chose to fight. That takes bravery."
Seth didn't feel better. "But I don't even know why I'm fighting."
Cynthia laughed, brandishing her sword. "That's the mark of a hero! Putting yourself in danger to save others on sheer instinct. You should become my disciple. Together, we can defeat the Gloom Organization and all they stand for!"
Seth laughed nervously. This girl was strange for sure, being stuck in her own hero fantasy. Still, though, she'd be very helpful.
Before he could tell her about the other Chosen, his communication device buzzed to life within his bag.
"I know you're out there, Seth."
It was Aiden's voice. However, he didn't sound mad, just resigned.
Seth pulled out the communication device. "Listen-"
"It's fine Seth, I'm not mad. Just don't die alright?"
"What happened?" asked Lewis.
"It doesn't matter," said Aiden. "But I have something else I need to tell you. We've received new intel from Orion, the Gloom Organization is hunting the Legendary Guardians."
"Let them try," said Aaron. "Even if they could find them, defeating them is another matter."
However, Aiden's voice was very grave. "Finding them is not a problem. Due to the current invasion, the Legendary Guardians are being pushed to act. As for holding them, the Gloom Organization has two Ultra Beasts under their control."
"What's an Ultra Beast?" asked Lewis.
Seth spoke up this time. "They're powerful Pokémon from another world found in Ultra Space. While they're dangerous, I don't see them being able to rival a Legendary Pokémon."
"I wish you were right Seth," said Aiden. "But Ultra Beasts are a lot more powerful in this world than they are in others. Something about this world increases their aura by massive amounts, which in turn increases their strength. The only caveat is once they sustain enough damage, their auras disappear."
"And now they have two of them," said Aaron. "Big deal. If we have to fight, we fight. The three of us, plus another Legendary, we can take the Ultra Beast and the Gloom Organization."
"Who're they?" whispered Cynthia, intrigued.
Seth turned off his end of the communication device. "Other Chosen I met some time ago."
Cynthia nodded. "Must be tough being the only one without powers."
"You have no idea."
"What are we going to do about the Gloom Organization?" asked Lewis. "We can't go after them while trying to protect people."
Aiden was silent for a moment. "We can't do both, we'll have to fight the Gloom Organization."
"But-"
"I've thought about this," said Aiden. "We're only delaying things by trying to push back the forces of Pokémon. By letting the Gloom Organization get away with capturing Legendaries, we're letting more calamities happen down the line."
Seth forcefully turned his mic back on. "You can't just let Ava bully you into doing things you know aren't right! What good is having beliefs if you're not going to stand up for them!"
"Seth-"
"Ava was dissing me too, but I didn't let her stop me! Whatever happened back then doesn't matter now, what do you think the right thing to do is?"
"This isn't up for discussion," said Aiden. "And that goes for all of you. We don't have a choice-"
"Go ahead and fight the Gloom Organization," said Cynthia, taking Seth's communication device. "I'll handle things."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, Aaron speaking up. "Who're you?"
"I am Cynthia of the Intrepid Sword! I come from the line of the original Galarian Nobles who fought against Eternatus and then Chosen by Zacian herself, I was destined-"
"I'm going to stop you right there," said Aiden. "I'm guessing Seth ran into you."
"Indeed, he did. As I was saying before, I can assist you in driving back the Pokémon invasion while you fight the Gloom Organization. It's true that we are lacking in manpower, so I shall devote myself to the cause of holding the line and aiding you in our desperate times."
"It will be dangerous to fight alone, are you sure you can handle this?"
Cynthia scoffed. "The life of a hero is always dangerous, but I shall never waver! Also, who said I'd be fighting alone? You can believe in me, valiant Chosen, I will not fail!"
"Thank you, Cynthia," said Aiden, his voice sounding much lighter. "Hopefully, we can meet you in person after everything's over."
"Of course. Now, let us tarry no longer. I can sense the desperation of unfortunate victims around me. Let's be off, Seth!"
She shut off the communication device and tossed it to Seth, running forward with her sword drawn. Caught by surprise, Seth fumbled the device and picked it off the ground, sprinting to keep up with her.
Aaron was driving the pickup truck they used on their last mission with Lewis in the backseat, heading towards the base.
"What do you think about Cynthia?" asked Lewis. "I realize now we probably should've introduced ourselves."
Aaron laughed. "She probably would've gone on a whole spiel about you and her being destined to be rivals if you mentioned being chosen by Zamazenta. I think she's taking this whole Chosen thing way too seriously."
Lewis was silent, thinking to himself. "She seems like a nice person, purpose-driven as well."
"Hmm. What do you think happened between Aiden, Ava, and Seth?"
Lewis shrugged. "They probably had an argument or something."
"Haven't you noticed the growing tension between them after our first mission?"
"No."
Aaron opened his mouth, but then closed it and shook his head. "You really need to start noticing these types of things. It'll do you good, trust me."
Lewis gave him a smile. "As long as it isn't threatening my life, I think leaving things unnoticed is perfectly fine."
"Social cues are important as well."
"Not if there's not a lot of people around to interact with."
Aaron fell silent. Lewis could make a good point sometimes.
"Wait a minute," said Lewis hesitantly. "Where's Galena?"
Aaron's eyes widened. With everything that had been going on, he'd completely forgotten about the girl. She was supposed to meet them in the residential district long before Aiden had recalled them.
"I didn't hear her voice when we had all been discussing. Maybe she's headed to the base?"
Lewis was unsure. "Let's check in with Aiden at the base and decide from there."
Aaron nodded. "Makes sense. We're going to need everyone we can spare to fight the Gloom Organization. While I don't want to admit it, the Ultra Beasts sound like a real challenge."