Part 1: Crimson Spear - Parathecactus - Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (2024)

Part 1- Crimson Spear

A dim, weak silver sheen covered the land as Para trudged through the snow, his legs sinking into the cold mass with every step forward he took. High above, the dark, angry clouds seemed determined to keep up their unrelenting barrage of snow and sleet. Ever since he’d arrived in the frozen highlands he’d constantly had to keep wiping the accumulated snow off of his goggles, and the storm showed no signs of stopping any time soon, judging by how the clouds blocked out the sky for as far as the eye could see. Despite layers of protective fabrics that the vendor assured him would keep the elements out, he found his pelt drenched by a disgusting mixture of cold, melted snow and his own sweat, chilling him to the bone and adding another layer of misery of the situation. Still, ever determined, he soldiered on, the sound of his boots crunching through the snow his only companion on his solidary march.

Solidary may not have been an entirely accurate term for the situation he found himself in, though it wasn’t like any of the other figures breaking the monotony of the endless white wasteland were going to approach him if they could help it. Para was still surprised he had even been permitted to join this expedition, let alone invited to it. Being what he was, his line of work and his life in general was a relatively lonely one; a solo adventurer, the leader and sole member of Team Spearhead. He snorted at the thought, his breath materializing as a small cloud in front of his face that melted a few unlucky snowflakes near his nose. Could he even call himself the leader of a team if he had always been its one and only member? Looking around, he watched as the other teams that comprised the expedition navigated the terrain around them. Words of encouragement and laughter were just barely audible over the soft whistle of the wind in his ears and the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. In the past, a pang of jealousy would’ve shot through his chest, but that ugly arrow was lodged so deep into him that he couldn’t feel it anymore. And so he walked on, surrounded on all sides but just as alone as ever.

Para had long since lost track of the time he had spent trudging through the snow, preferring to shut his brain off in an effort to ignore the unpleasantness of the situation as much as possible. It was a technique he had perfected over years as a seasoned adventurer; focusing only on his senses, he blocked out any unnecessary thoughts and entered into a trance. He was just alert enough to keep moving forward, but with conditions having worsened even more over the past several hours, he almost didn’t see the figure stop short in front of him. In fact, he would have likely walked headfirst into them if he hadn’t had his trance shattered by a sudden resounding:

“YOOOOOM TAH!”

Jolted back to his senses, Para slipped on the snow in front of him and nearly fell over, regaining his balance at the last second. His legs shaky, he looked up and suddenly found himself staring directly into a wide pink smile.

“Well done all!” The leader of the expedition and grandmaster of the region’s adventurer’s guild, Wigglytuff, boomed. “That’s enough for today, let’s make camp and get some rest. You’ve earned it!”

While the pink rabbit Pokémon hardly cut an imposing figure at first glance, his voice had a certain underlying authority that seemed to compel everyone around to listen, not to mention a level of volume that left Para’s ears ringing slightly from having stood so close. He wasn’t sure how that assistant of his managed, but Para was sure the Chatot that was perpetually glued to the Grandmaster’s side must be partially deaf.

Para allowed himself to just collapse into the snow, and for a brief moment, he was weightless; enveloped in a soft, fluffy white void, free from gravity and the burdens that had weighed him down for so long. In that moment, it was… bliss. Then it was cold. And wet. Even more cold and wet than it had been before. Shifting up onto his knees, he found that the price to pay for a single moment of happiness had been sopping wet clothes that were quickly beginning to freeze over and stick to his body. He could practically feel what little energy he had left being sapped away by the freezing water, made even worse by the wind that sliced through his compromised clothing like a blade. As quickly as he could, he unclipped his backpack with frozen paws and let it fall into the snow behind him. As it sank into the snow with a muted thump, he threw it open and rummaged around inside until at last he produced a single orb. It glistened in the dim, grey light, in part because it was already wet with melted snow, though its surface remained as pristine and unblemished as it was the day he had bought it. A single notch was etched into the cerulean sphere, which Para aimed at a patch of ground that looked relatively flat, though the foot of accumulated snow made it impossible to tell for sure.

The snow was falling heavily as Para slipped a digit over the notch, causing the orb to begin to glow softly. The freeze was already beginning to noticeably slow his muscle movements as he pressed the notch further into the orb, causing an immediate flash of blue light to erupt from it. He shut his eyes tight to shield himself from the blinding light. When he opened them again a moment later, the once empty space was now occupied by a decently sized teepee-style tent, its bright red canvas sides standing defiantly amidst the endless white all around, even in the dying gray light. As he put away the orb, Para couldn’t help but admire his shelter, as he did every time he called it out of its storage. It was shaped like a hexagonal pyramid, with a gap near the top that would allow for a campfire to be lit inside without smoking its inhabitants out. The tent itself had ample room for several occupants and their gear, as well as the fixtures it came equipped with. The entire system had even come with a storage orb that could summon and dismiss the tent and everything inside through a process Para couldn’t even begin to understand, but despite the high price he paid for it, the convenience was more than worth the cost. Especially in situations like these, where he could hear the groans and complaints from teams all around him as they set up their own campsites. He himself felt ready to collapse at any moment. The thought of finally being able to light a fire and strip off his now iced up clothes was about all that was sustaining him, but as he began to drag his heavy pack towards the entrance, a commotion nearby caught his attention. Para paused and perked up his ears, eavesdropping on an argument that the team setting up nearest to him seemed to be having.

“Hold on, what do you mean you brought the smaller tent? You knew we were all coming on this trip!”

“We were in a rush and both the tents look the same! It’s not my fault I grabbed the wrong one. Besides, it was your job to have all the gear laid out and ready to go before we left.”

“I did get it all ready last night, but you guys kept grabbing things and moving them around!”

“Hey! Don’t drag us into this! It’s your mistake Eclipse, so you get to go find someone else to room with!”

Para nearly dropped his bag as he heard the name shouted aloud. Eclipse. It couldn’t be. A pit of dread opened up in his stomach as he heard that name, and despite all of his reason now screaming at him to duck into his tent as fast as possible and pretend he hadn’t heard anything, Para found himself slowly peeking around the side. There, no more than fifteen yards away, a group of three Pokémon were arguing while a fourth was assembling a tent with an exasperated look on her face. The pit grew exponentially as he made out their features through the snow and under their protective gear; a fuming Weavile building up the shelter, an Ampharos quietly gathering up and organizing discarded pieces of gear, and finally a Salazzle and an Umbreon finishing up their shouting match, both completely red in the face from their yelling and the elements.

Para’s fur stood on end and goosebumps rippled through his skin as he looked at that Umbreon, his fatigue and discomfort forgotten, lost to the void in his chest that had drained his body of everything but dread. He felt his pulse quicken as unpleasant memories of her began flooding back into his mind from the places he’d struggled to repress them in. Eclipse. All he could do was stare at her, frozen in place, metaphorically and soon to be literally.

“May Arceus give me the strength to not drop your useless ass right now!” the Salazzle growled, angrily sweeping the snow behind her with her tail.

“You know what? Fine! I’d rather freeze to death out here than spend 5 minutes huddled up next to you morons!” Eclipse finally shouted at her group. In her rage, she ripped her badge off of its position pinned to her chest and threw it as far as she could off into the distance, the pendant quickly disappearing from sight in the heavy snowfall. As the Umbreon turned and slung her belongings onto her back, she finally looked up, and for a brief moment, her eyes locked with Para’s.

In that moment, time stood still. Para held her gaze and watched as recognition flashed behind her eyes, completely unable to look away. Unlike him however, Eclipse still had full control over her faculties. Her expression hardened even more, an exceptional feat considering the scowl she was already sporting, and without missing a beat she marched right over to where he was. A flood of emotions began to wash through Para in the few seconds it took for the Umbreon to close the gap between them. Years worth of sadness and hurt began breaking through the icy grasp that shock held over him, but the feeling that finally burst through and took control was one that surprised even him: a deep, repressed anger. It pumped through his veins, reviving his muscles and causing him to stand tall. He refused to be who he was the last time he had seen Eclipse.

“The hell do you think you’re looking at, freak?” Eclipse spat at him, the venom in her words indicating nothing had changed between them in the time they’d been apart. Before, that one word would have had Para undone in an instant. Now, however, he just balled his paws into fists in the snow beneath him.

“Apparently, I’m looking at a frigid bitch who’s about to be as frozen on the outside as she is on the inside,” Para replied, meeting her fiery glare with an icy one of his own.

Eclipse actually looked taken aback for a second, but the surprise soon gave way to rage from the fuel he had just dumped all over her temper. “I don’t think you’ll be needing your tent after I dump your corpse in the wastes, then,” she snarled.

Para’s eyes widened as he registered what she was doing. With a sudden burst of speed she leapt at him, and given her surprise attack and the weight of his winter gear encumbering him, Para only just managed to duck out of the way as her fist flew towards his head. He knew from many personal experiences what it felt like to be slugged by Eclipse. However, it seemed that after all this time, she hadn’t changed much if she was using the same move she used to. He, on the other hand, had changed a lot. As the Umbreon flew past him, he reached out and put one paw on her shoulder while his other arm wound back. He watched as she turned to look at him, saw how her eyes widened as she registered the fist that was now racing to meet her face. A flash of grim satisfaction surged through Para as he prepared to finally deliver a blow that had been long, long overdue.

That punch never came. Para felt his arm stop halfway through what would have been the most satisfying punch on his life, and turned his head around to look at what was holding him back. Righteous anger almost instantly faded into cold terror as he saw a fluffy pink arm holding onto his own, and the fear he felt only compounded as his gaze followed that arm up into the smiling face of Grandmaster Wigglytuff, standing right behind him.

“Well now, this certainly isn’t the way friends should be acting on a fun outing like this, is it?” he asked, his cheerful voice belying an undertone so cold that the snowstorm around them might as well have been a warm summer evening.

“G-Grandmaster!” Para fumbled as he scrambled away, lining up next to Eclipse as they both stood at attention. While there weren’t any official rules requiring lower ranked teams to show respect to higher ones, Grandmaster Wigglytuff was someone you stood up straight for, despite him constantly complaining that he only wanted to be friends with everyone. The fluffy pink Pokémon was obviously much more cunning than he usually let on, using his intimidating presence to terrifying effect.

“I overheard enough shouting to know that Miss Eclipse needs a place to take shelter tonight. I was on my way over to offer her an extra tent that administration had brought for just such an occasion,” the Grandmaster continued, the permanent smile he wore tinted with a slight bit of deviousness. “But… It seems Team Spearhead has ample room for her in its tent, and on its roster. Wouldn’t you agree, Mister Paralysis?”

Para’s jaw hung slightly agape as he cast a glance at the Umbreon next to him. For her part, Eclipse looked like she didn’t know whether to scream or just break down crying, but either way she was obviously regretting her life decisions up to that point. “Uh… Y-Yes, of course G-Grandmaster!” Para stuttered as he fished out a spare badge from a pocket in his bag and pushed it into Eclipse’s paws, who was so stunned she just took it. “Th-Thank you for resolving our dispute… a-and for h-helping me recruit my f-first teammate, sir!” he shouted, then unceremoniously shoved Eclipse into the tent before scampering in himself without another word.

Wigglytuff struggled to keep his composure and not burst out laughing as he watched the display. While he was normally opposed to intimidating others, especially subordinates, the technique did get results.

‘Besides,’ he thought to himself, ‘Maybe this will end up being good for them.’

“Hey, Grandmaster, what was that all about?” a voice called to him from nearby. Wigglytuff looked up to see a Chatot fly over, then swoop down in a graceful arc before landing next to him.

“Oh, just a bit of problem solving,” he replied casually as he began to walk back to the administration tent. “Or teambuilding. Maybe both.”

“Fluffy, what did you do?” the Chatot pressed, her brow furrowing in mock chastisem*nt. A noticeable shudder ran throughout his body as she said that, eliciting a giggle from the parrot Pokémon that gave up her act immediately.

“Ugh- I thought I told you not to use my real name in public…” Wigglytuff groaned at his assistant. “And seriously, I was doing some teambuilding. Literally, in the case of Team Spearhead. I figured putting those two together might help them finally get along.”

“Team Spearhead? That’s that solo adventurer, right? You actually made someone join his team? You know why he’s only ever been the only member, right?”

Wigglytuff’s expression noticeably darkened at that. “Yeah, Sym. I know why. I don’t think it’s right, though. I’m hoping this could be Para’s chance to turn that around. Its why I keep inviting him on these expeditions, after all.”

“Besides that, there’s a history of incidents between those two. It’s obvious that they utterly hate each other. Are you sure-“

“I’m aware of the incidents, but you know I don’t believe in hate. There’s always a way to put our differences aside. Always.”

“I don’t know why everyone is so afraid of you really, at the end of the day you’re just a big softie,” Symphonia teased, playfully punching his side with a wing. “And who knows. If you’re right, maybe one day they’ll invite us to their wedding because of this… either that, or we’ll be attending their funerals when they kill each other.”

“Either way, I’ll look dashing in a tux!” Wigglytuff replied, grinning at the somewhat dark joke as the two of them laughed, disappearing into the falling snow.

The inside of the tent was dark, and while not as bone-chilling as being exposed to the wind and snow outside, it wasn’t exactly warm either. Just enough light poured in from a small gap in the entrance to illuminate the dark outlines of a few fixtures on the inside, but not much else was visible. For nearly a minute, the two of them sat still, staring off into the darkness and trying to come to terms with what had just happened. Eventually, Para’s brain just seemed to short circuit, and his body began moving of its own accord. Unwrapping the scarf from his neck and pulling off his gloves, his first act was to approach the small brazier in the middle of the tent and place a paw on it. Several sparks leapt from him onto the dry kindling that he had prepared previously, and within seconds a small fire flickered to life in the metal pan. As the heat source began to grow, and with it the amount of light in the tent, he began the process of stripping off his wet garments and placing them in a small basin of cold water. Luckily it had yet to freeze over. It wasn’t long before the water became murky with the sweat, grime and other filth he had accumulated over the course of the long trek that day. Once Para was done with the washing, he hung his just-as-damp but much more clean clothes on a rack nearby the growing fire and discarded the gross water outside. With that done, he opened his pack and set about placing several strips of meat, vegetables and berries on skewers, before beginning to roast them over the fire that had grown to a respectable size as the minutes dragged on. He hummed contently as he worked, the fire grilling his dinner while drying his clothes and his fur all at the same time. When he was satisfied with the amount of food cooking, he packed the rest away in his bag, as organic matter tended to wither quickly in the pocket dimension in which his tent was stored when not in use. While this was fine for fuel and firewood, food wasn’t nearly as tasty if stored in there, and would have shown signs of rot if left in longer than a few hours.

Several minutes had passed before he finally dared to glance at the tent’s other occupant. Whatever strange wave of confidence had come over him before had long since faded, leaving him to question his very sanity. What was he thinking? For years she’d been terrorizing him every time they ran into each other. It had gotten to the point where in the past he seriously had considered selling off all his possessions and moving across the empire to get away from her, as far as he could possibly go. Just looking at the Umbreon brought up scores of painful memories for him.

For her part however, Eclipse was still just sitting there, staring off into the distance with her red eyes dull and glassed-over. Despite his animosity towards her, Para couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry for- and the title made his skin crawl- his team’s newest member. He quickly justified the feeling by reasoning that having a dead or mind-broken Umbreon residing in his tent would cause problems that he would really rather not deal with.

After turning his skewers over to cook on another side, he finally addressed her. “S-So… are you just gonna sit there all night, or are you gonna do something…?” he asked, not looking at her as he spoke. There was no reply. Despite his apprehensiveness, Para felt a new emotion rising within him as the seconds dragged on in silence: annoyance. He frowned as his ‘guest’ showed no sign she even registered words had been spoken. “L-Look,” he continued, “I don’t like this either, but… y-you could at least say something...”

Nothing. Not a single muscle moved in Eclipse’s body. After another full minute of being outright ignored by the Pokémon he was now being forced to bunk with, the fear Para held of Eclipse slowly melted into annoyance, which finally burst into all-out anger. Thoroughly fed up, he finally stood and made his way over to her. He waved a paw in front of her eyes several times and even clapped next to her ears, all without a response. It wasn’t until he reached out and gave her a hard flick right in the center of her forehead ring did she recoil, rolling backwards and clutching her forehead while groaning in pain.

“Augh! What the hell did you go and do that for?! That hurt…” the Umbreon complained as she rubbed the small bruise she’d received.

“You were just sitting there, I thought you might have frozen to death or something,” Para replied coldly as he turned around and began pretending to rummage through his things.

“Well freezing to death doesn’t sound like that bad of an alternative to spending the night with you of all people,” she replied, finally beginning to take off her own cold, wet clothes in order to warm herself by the fire.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t boot you out of here in a heartbeat,” Para retorted, his displeasure with the situation clearly matching her own. “Bunking with a pissed-off Ursarang would be a nicer time than having you in here, but I’m responsible for you until this expedition is over.”

“Responsible? But… Y-You don’t mean…” Eclipse said, her voice trailing off as she looked down at the badge in her paws. A triangular emblem flanked by two wings with the name ‘Spearhead’ engraved into it reflected the look of rising horror on her face back at her as the reality of the situation she was in finally began to dawn on her.

“Welcome to the team, genius,” Para replied sarcastically before lobbing a blanket at her face, which knocked her over and broke the trance she was slipping back into.

The rest of the night was uneventful, though the tension in the tent was thick enough to cut with a knife and the awkward silence was deafening. Para and Eclipse ate silently next to the fire, looking up from their meals just long enough to glare at each other before looking back at the food they stuffed their faces with. Outside, the wind howled as the full brunt of the snowstorm rolled through, and despite the tent’s sturdy construction both Pokémon found themselves wanting to be closer to the fire more than they wanted to be away from each other. Eclipse, after finishing her meal and making her preparations for the next day, nestled into her bedding on the cot she had brought, unable to sleep. Her back was turned to the fire and by extension Para, who she didn’t want to see anymore that day. She rotated the badge he had given her with her paws, examining its every detail while her mind swirled with a mixture of dread and anger, trying to determine who was most at fault for the situation she found herself in.

First, her former team, who it seemed were well and truly her former team at this point, had completely screwed her over. If it weren’t for that stupid Salazzle forgetting to bring the right tent, the one that she had literally laid out for them, she wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. While some part of her was grateful to have finally gotten away from those idiots, the badge she was currently holding was absolutely not an improvement. Next, the damn Grandmaster of all people showing up before she could clobber Para and claim his shelter for herself had to be the worst stroke of bad luck she’d had in recent memory. If it were anybody else, she would’ve been comfortably sleeping in this tent by herself, without holding Para’s stupid badge. And speaking of Para, who did he think he was to not only show his ugly face on an expedition as prestigious as this, but talk to her like he did? He should’ve stayed in his dingy little cave where he belonged, back in the forest they grew up in.

After remembering her childhood home, Eclipse’s expression soured even further, but the red-hot anger that fueled her bad mood sputtered and died out, leaving her feeling empty and exhausted. For the first time in quite a while, she allowed herself to think of that forest, of the family she ran away from. Of the friends she left behind. Of Para. Without the energy to be mad anymore, regret was all she felt as she replayed the memories of the time they had spent together as kids in her mind. She normally avoided thinking about her past, because whenever she did, she was forced to confront the ugly truth; that the root of her hostility towards Para wasn’t disgust, but guilt. A horrible, slimy guilt that wormed its way through her chest until she couldn’t bear to remember him anymore and shut all the thoughts out of her head. A single tear pooled under her eye and slipped down her cheek, betraying her thoughts and laying her sins bare to any who would see it. Before another could fall however, Eclipse used Calm Mind on herself, forcing her mind and body to relax before her emotions could get the better of her.

“I’m going to sleep. If you so much as touch me while I’m out, you’ll lose your damn arm,” she growled, putting the last bits of her energy into feigning anger. As threatening as she sounded, Eclipse clutched the badge she held tightly to her chest, holding onto it for dear life as she began to drift off.

“Don’t flatter yourself…” Para spat in response as he finished up his own preparations for the next day ahead of them. His gear was dry, his bag was packed, and his supplies were prepared. With a sense of satisfaction that was somewhat dampened by the tent’s other occupant, he went to the water basin to clean himself off before turning in for the night. Despite his collected outward appearance however, the truth was he had been replaying scenes from his childhood in his mind all night. As he washed the fur on his face with cold, clear water, he found himself lost in thought. He remembered the wind rushing through his pelt as he ran after Eclipse, dashing through their warm forest home. He remembered the sound of his laughter mixed with hers as they tackled each other, wrestling under the shade of tall trees and surrounded by beams of golden sunlight. He remembered the smell of earth and the feeling of the soft grass under his back as they lay next to each other and talked for hours, time being meaningless when they were together. And finally, he remembered how sure she sounded when she told him how they would leave the forest together, go far, far away and become famous explorers. That they would be heroes, beloved by all, and that most importantly, that they would be together forever.

That last word rang in Para’s mind, loud enough to block out all of his other senses for who knew how long. When he finally snapped out of his trance, he found himself gazing into the still water in the basin. Staring back at him was the face of a Jolteon, golden-hued eyes wide, offset by a green pelt that seemed to have a permanent luster to it. A sudden wave of anger washed over him, and without thinking he smacked the water with his paw, dashing his reflection across the basin as he turned away. He stormed over to his cot and covered himself up in blankets, getting away from the dim light cast by the dying fire in the center of the tent. He hid his face away from the world; the face covered in the fur that had stolen that forever away from him. The face covered in the fur that marked him as a monster.

Sleep eluded Para until late into the night. When he finally found it, his dreams were plagued with images from his past; frantic flights amidst tall, dark trees. The voices, shouting, screaming, laughing, and finally, streaks of light that erupted into blinding pain. Through it all, two sets of red eyes and yellow rings glowed in the darkness, always watching with a sinister, piercing gaze. Backed into a corner, all the silver Eevee could do was watch in horror as Eclipse stepped from the shadows while the other watched, inky darkness dripping from her form as she radiated malice. On the command of the other, she leapt at him at impossible speed. Right as the razors in her maw reached his throat, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, the last cry of a doomed creature to an uncaring world.

His scream carried over from the world of his nightmares into the waking one, startling Eclipse awake as Para jolted upright in his cot. His eyes were frantic and bloodshot as he quickly scanned the tent, revealing the monster from his dreams to be staring at him, looking bewildered.

“W-What the hell was that? What’s going on?!” Eclipse shouted, forgetting to be angry at him as her half-awake brain struggled to make sense of the situation. Para didn’t answer, instead clutching his chest as he felt his heart pounding in it for several more seconds before he finally began to calm down. Dim, silvery light filtered into the tent from the gap in the ceiling and provided just enough light for the Umbreon to clearly make out his features. In short, the Jolteon looked terrible; his fur was matted and damp with sweat, his eyes were red and puffy with tears, and he had a paleness to him that seemed to dull his constant luster. “Para…?” she asked again, her voice a little more gentle than before. Not yet awake enough to register that she should be hostile towards him and her mind still full of memories of their time together, she showed true concern for her old friend, something he noted but didn’t know how to feel about.

“It’s… It’s nothing,” Para finally said once he’d caught his breath. “…a-and sorry for waking you up like that. Just a nightmare.” Satisfied that they weren’t under attack and her new teammate wasn’t dying, Eclipse just nodded and rolled over in her cot, drifting back asleep within seconds. Para watched her for a moment, amazed and somewhat impressed by her ability to just check out like that, then quietly got out of bed and made his way over to the water basin. As he splashed cold water in his face and rinsed off his fur, he tried to make sense of Eclipse’s reaction to seeing him moments ago. The easiest explanation was that he imagined the entire thing, but despite being groggy and confused, he knew that wasn’t true. Had she been talking in her sleep? No, she wouldn’t have responded like she did if that were the case. Was she so startled that she didn’t understand what she was saying? Possibly, but she seemed lucid enough...

Para tried to put the mystery of Eclipse showing concern for his well-being out of his head as he quickly dressed and headed out into the snow to take in his surroundings. As soon as he peeled back the tent’s entrance flap, he was greeted by a blast of arctic air that would have cut through his very fur if he hadn’t been wearing his protective gear. Stepping out, he quickly sealed the entrance to the tent back up so as to not lose the little residual heat that the fire had left as it burnt itself out over the course of the night. The threatening clouds had yet to subside from the previous day, suggesting the storm wasn’t quite done making everyone’s lives as miserable as it could. Still, in this moment of calm, a few rays of the morning sun were able to pierce the clouds and fall down on the smooth, fresh surface of snow. The light reflected off the ice crystals, giving the appearance of thousands of sparkling diamonds strewn across the tundra as far as the eye could see. Despite knowing how difficult the day ahead of him would be, Para couldn’t help but remove his goggles and take in the sight as a slight smile crept onto his face. For all of the hardships his profession had brought him, getting to take in the natural beauty of the world around him was something the Jolteon would never regret.

As he walked, figures began to emerge from tents capped with snow and half-buried in the drifts. Taking this as a sign that it was time to begin preparing for the day ahead, Para set about accomplishing the business that drew him out of the tent in the first place. Once that was accomplished and a mound of snow had been shifted around to cover something as inconspicuously as possible, the Jolteon returned to his tent to relight the fire and start cooking a hearty breakfast. His mouth already watering in anticipation as he stepped back inside, he was greeted by the sight of Eclipse pinning his badge onto the front of the satchel she carried. Startled, she turned to face him, then followed his gaze down to where her paws had just secured the badge in place. As she looked back up and locked eyes with him, the tension in the room was palpable. However, as they held each other’s gaze, this tension seemed… different than before. Before, looking at Eclipse filled Para with dread, or boiled his blood as she picked on him without cause or mercy. The anger and sadness built up over years of negativity wasn’t something that he could forget easily, if at all. Still, watching her pin his badge to herself for all to see made him feel something different. He felt self-conscious. Vulnerable. After several long seconds of staring at each other, he shifted uncomfortably, pulling his hood over his head to hide his fur. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t want her to look at him, to see him for what he was. Eclipse, for her part, looked like she wanted to say something, but remained silent. If Para hadn’t been doing everything in his power to not look at her, he probably would have noticed the slight blush she was currently fighting her hardest to expunge from her face. This was probably for the best, as the day would be rough and the Jolteon was already confused enough.

Like the night before, the two ate their own meals separately. The tent was silent save for the sounds of chewing and the occasional ripple of the walls as a particularly strong gust of wind blew past. They stole glances at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking, though neither was quite sure why. After breakfast, they both gathered their gear, and Para returned the tent to its pocket dimension with a press of a button on the orb. Eclipse watched as a red light enveloped the tent for a few seconds, then in an instant, it seemed to just vanish from reality. “I wonder how they got it to do that…” she thought aloud.

“I ask myself the same thing every time I do that, actually,” Para chimed in from behind, causing a spark of anger to flash through Eclipse.

“Well, I wasn’t… asking…” she snapped, but quickly trailed off when she saw him frown and look away. For whatever reason, the surge of anger inside her just died when she saw how hurt he looked by her outburst. This confused Eclipse, as she knew she shouldn’t feel any pity for Para; so what if he had taken her in last night? So what if they had been inseparable once? His kind were abominations; a fact that her father had so thoroughly driven into her skull long, long ago.

An angry sigh escaped the Umbreon’s lips, freezing into a cloud of mist that quickly dissipated into the cold air all around them. She closed her eyes and frowned, obviously locked into some internal struggle, evident by how the creases in her forehead grew as her scowl deepened. Para co*cked his head to the side, beginning to worry if she was having an episode of some kind. However, just before he could take a step forward and reach out to her, Eclipse said something that stopped him in his tracks.

“I’m sorry.”

Two words, spoken barely louder than a whisper, nearly knocked Para off his feet. She had never apologized to him about anything before. Nobody had ever apologized to him about anything before. With that, Eclipse turned and stormed off, leaving the Jolteon standing there, dumbfounded. At this point, the only explanation that made any sense to him anymore was that the expedition wasn’t real and he was dreaming the entire thing, but even in his dreams he never dared to imagine Eclipse would apologize for snapping at him. “What the hell is going on…?” he muttered as he began to trot after his new partner, over to where a group of explorers was beginning to form around the administration tent.

“Good morning friends!” Wigglytuff announced once a sufficiently large crowd had gathered. “Hope you all kept warm last night, because we’re gonna have to give it our all today!” While no one would dare to groan in the presence of the grandmaster of the region’s explorer’s guild, his enthusiasm was a lot to handle under normal circ*mstances; doubly so when they were all currently freezing their asses off standing knee-deep in snow.

Subconsciously, Para found himself scooting closer towards Eclipse. He only realized this when their shoulders brushed together, which made him tense up for a few seconds. However, though he was sure that Eclipse felt that too, she didn’t jerk away or make so much as an acknowledgement that they had just touched. That same strange feeling of shyness from the night before crept over Para once again as he stood there, frozen in place. As nervous as he felt being so close to the Umbreon, it also felt… good, in a way. Though confusing as it was to him that the same Pokémon that left so many scars on his mind and body could suddenly tolerate his presence, he found himself not wanting to pull away. The warmth he felt standing next to her went beyond just staving off the cold, it was-

“Good news is, we should be done with most of the marching before lunchtime…” Wigglytuff continued, snapping the Jolteon out of his trance.

Though Para’s face was hidden by a snow mask and goggles, the blush that bled into his cheeks was so bright that it might have shown through even that.

“…Bad news is, that’s where this trek gets hard.”

“So walking through miles of thick snow while I sweat ice cubes isn’t even the hard part?” Eclipse muttered to no one in particular, though she glanced over at Para as she said it. For his part, the Jolteon wanted to offer a sarcastic jab, but for whatever reason he just couldn’t bring himself to. As strange as Eclipse was acting, this was the nicest she’d been to him in a long, long time. Somehow, he felt that a return to her overly hostile norm again would hurt worse than anything she’d ever said in the past. Almost anything.

“As I’m sure most of you recall, our objective being here is to locate and secure the Aegis Heart,” Wigglytuff continued. “While ancient records suggest it never left the Hero’s Workshop, finding its final resting place has proven elusive to countless explorers throughout history. Until now. Our countless hours of investigative efforts have placed the workshop somewhere inside Mt. Inviting-” Wigglytuff paused as he gestured to a massive, looming mountain off in the distance, which rose above even the peaks of the mountains surrounding it. “While the first hurdle is even getting to the mountain itself as the entire area is largely unexplored (hence why we’re all out here freezing our butts off instead of just teleporting to the stupid rock), the mountain itself and the surrounding forests are home to a tribe of extremely hostile Pokémon.”

After saying this, the Grandmaster’s peppy expression darkened and his tone became uncharacteristically serious, causing everyone in the audience to snap to attention. “While we need to fan out to comb the area with any reasonable chance of success, I implore each team gathered here to remain within earshot of one another. I won’t sugarcoat it; I picked the best of the best for this quest not just because of the significance the Heart holds, but also because if you get in over your head, it’s not likely you’ll be shown mercy. I understand completely if anyone wants to bow out, but just know: If we succeed, each and every one of our names in going in the history books. Now, return to your preparations. We set off in thirty minutes.”

A somewhat gloomy atmosphere hung over the camp as the crowd dispersed. While a briefing like that would normally set someone on edge, those words coming from the happy-go-lucky grandmaster were downright unnerving. Still, no one in the expedition was ignorant to the dangers their profession held. Risking life and limb for fame and fortune was just a part of life for an adventurer, which was why not a soul dared to teleport back to the safety of the guild. Especially not after having already walked all this way.

Having already prepared for the journey and broken their camp, Para and Eclipse chose to head out immediately along with a few other teams that formed an advance party. As they walked, Eclipse kept glancing to her side and fidgeting, obviously agitated by something. The Jolteon, not wanting to risk prying and setting her off again, simply kept his gaze locked forward and his mouth wired shut. After all, if the Umbreon was bothered by something, surely she would speak up about-

“So, uh, Para. Can you, um… can you tell me what exactly this Avis Heart or whatever the hell we’re looking for even is?”

The Jolteon nearly tripped over his own paws as she asked that. “You… You don’t know what the Aegis Heart is? You mean to tell me you hiked miles into a frozen hellscape and you don’t even know what for?”

“I didn’t get a chance to read the pamphlet! My team- “ the Umbreon paused and cleared her throat before correcting herself, louder than necessary for some reason. “My former team got the invitation late and as the quartermaster I had to scramble to get everything ready in just a few days.”

“Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask about that- “

“The Heart, Para. Focus.” Eclipse snapped, changing the subject as obviously as she could.

“Oh, uh… W-Well, supposedly the Aegis Heart is what powers Regigigas, the huge statue standing in the middle of the capitol. You must have at least heard about it before.”

“Well yeah, everyone’s seen pictures of that thing. I always just assumed the legends about the ‘world’s protector’ were just stories you told kids before bedtime…” Eclipse trailed off after she said that, as if losing herself in a memory.

“I-If you believe the story, then Regigigas isn’t actually a statue,” Para continued after a brief pause to let his companion reminisce. “It’s more of a golem, a living construct of sorts. Anyway, in a time before us, a race of creatures called ‘humans’ built the thing to be an unstoppable weapon they could use to destroy each other with. No one knows what happened to them exactly, but it must’ve worked, because they wiped each other out completely centuries ago.”

“Wait, don’t tell me you actually believe in humans Para,” Eclipse snickered, causing the Jolteon to get defensive.

“H-Hey, there’s evidence of them! A lot of it actually! They’re the ones who built all the ruins and relics and what not that we dig through! Hell, there’s a theory that whatever they did to destroy themselves is what caused the creation of Mystery Dungeons in the first place!”

“Whatever you say, dork,” she teased in response, though her usual malice was strikingly absent from her voice.

Para’s heart skipped a beat. Deep within his subconscious, a tiny, dim spark of hope flickered to life. Hope that maybe, just maybe, they didn’t have to be enemies anymore after this expedition. And if they could be friends, maybe they could also be…

“A-Anyway…” he continued, “the legend says that Regigigas witnessed the downfall of humanity and learned from it. It resolved to become an emissary of peace instead of the weapon of war it was created to be, and when the first tribes of Pokémon began to wage war on each other, it used its power to unite them and found the empire we live in today. However, as time went by and with no living humans to repair it, Regigigas eventually just… broke. The brightest scholars of the empire managed to repair every part of it except for the heart, which was taken to the Hero’s Workshop to be worked on. However, no one ever heard from the workshop again after the Heart was sent there, and since its exact location was known only to the members of the artisan’s guild that worked there, knowledge of it was eventually lost to time. And so, Regigigas stands guard over the capitol, waiting for its heart so that it may one day resume its vigil over the whole world... or so the legend goes.”

“Laaaaaame!” Eclipse teased once he’d finished, but her words were betrayed by the big grin that sat on her face throughout the entire story.

“Well, I think it’s a nice story…” Para said defiantly, through a smile of his own. “And besides, once we get up there and find that thing, you’re gonna eat those words!”

“Good lord Arceus, he’s annoying enough to make me almost regret kicking you off the team!” a condescending voice rang out over the open snowy plains. Eclipse stopped dead in her tracks while Para looked over to the side, spotting three figures approaching from their left. As they got closer, he recognized the form of the Salazzle Eclipse had been fighting with the previous evening underneath several layers of gear, flanked on both sides by who he guessed were the Ampharos and Weavile.

“Um, Nox…? If she’s already off the team, there’s really no need for this…” the figure on the left said, taking off her mask and goggles to reveal the Ampharos and confirming Para’s suspicion.

“I can already tell this is gonna be a frickin’ drag…” the other figure complained quietly, but was drowned out by the Salazzle’s outburst.

“Screw that! It’s bad enough I have to walk through mile after mile of this frozen hellhole, and there’s no way I’m gonna spend all day listening to a freak and a loner shouting with each other. I was going to pray for you, but I think the rest of us need it more if we’re gonna have to put up with you two!”

Finally, Para too came to a sudden stop. He was used to being called names. Outcast. Monster. Alien. But freak was the one he hated most of all. The poison-type’s ranting began to grow quiet, drowned out by the low thumping of the blood pumping in his ears. It steadily grew louder as his blood pressure rose, and the edges of his vision tinged red. It was one thing For Eclipse to call him that; they had had years to build up an animosity towards each other and he was used to her abuse. But this Salazzle? She didn’t even know him. Through the small gaps in the layers of the gear he wore, sparks began to fly from his body, raining down into the snow and sizzling as they burnt out.

Eclipse was uncharacteristically silent. Though she was used to Nox being, for lack of a better term, a total bitch, she usually had a whole slew of retorts locked and loaded at all times for such a situation. Right now, however, she was struggling to come to form a coherent thought, let alone a witty retort. It hadn’t even been a full day, and already she was talking with Para like it was… normal. Like they hadn’t despised each other for practically all of their adult lives.

Like she hadn’t ruined any chance they had of having a normal relationship when she hurt him in every way she could.

Already, she was considering herself a part of Team Spearhead. They were partners, grouped together. It hadn’t even been a full day! How could things have changed so much in just a few short hours? Why was he being so forgiving? So nice to her? He should have thrown her out into the cold the second Wigglytuff’s back was turned! It would have been easier that way. How could things ever be normal between them? How could she ever even be worthy of that?

“Seriously, I knew you were a big enough loner to sucker these two into letting you join up with us, but to latch onto a shiny the moment you get cut loose? That’s a whole new low, even for you!” Nox had a sad*stic gleam in her eye as she continued to taunt Eclipse, who barely even registered she was speaking.

Para, however, heard every word. Electricity was practically arcing off of his body. The spikes around his neck extended far out from beneath his scarf as the needles gleamed in the dim light with murderous intent. Before the Salazzle could get another word in, he moved in between the two, shaking slightly as the anger overtook him. “I don’t appreciate you talking to me or my team like that,” he began. For all of his emotion, his voice was clear as crystal and cold as the snow that fell lightly around them. “So out of respect for you being Eclipse’s former leader, I’m going to give you this one chance to apologize to her, and then walk away.”

For a long moment, the plains were silent. It was nearly quiet enough to hear the snowflakes hitting the ground as Nox stared at Para in utter disbelief. All eyes were on him, and even Eclipse had snapped out of her spiraling depression due to sheer surprise. Then, Para watched as Nox’s face slowly twisted from bewilderment into rage and a guttural growl rang from her throat.

“How… How dare you speak to me like that! I don’t know when you goddamned shiny freaks started thinking you have a right to talk, but- “

Deep down, Para was relieved she said that. Having the Salazzle apologize and retreat would’ve been awkward, there probably would’ve been some lasting resentment, and nothing would really get solved. That, and it wouldn’t have felt nearly as satisfying as it did when he stood up on his hind legs, pulled her by the scarf towards him, and delivered one of the hardest uppercuts to the underside of her jaw that he had ever given. His fist had a lifetime worth of pent-up anger and resentment behind it, and the moment it made contact with Nox, he added a healthy dose of electricity to that mix. Everyone watched as Nox sailed through the air for several seconds before crumpling into the snow several yards away, knocked completely unconscious before she even touched the ground. Not a word was spoken as Para silently lowered himself back onto the ground, then carefully took one of Eclipse’s paws as they began to walk away. When the trio were several paces away, Eclipse glanced behind her to see the Ampharos trying to revive their leader while the Weavile just stood there, shaking her head.

“L-Let go of me…” Eclipse stammered once her former team was out of sight, yanking her paw away from the Jolteon.

Para didn’t fight her, and the two walked in silence for a while as the barren white expanse of the plains began to be broken up by tall, snow-coated pine trees. The scent of their needles permeated the air as they approached the edge of the forest proper, the suspiciously thick tree line and the noticeably darker forest beyond being a dead giveaway that they had reached the next leg of their journey. Despite their gloomy appearance however, Para had always loved the alpine pine trees. Vibrant, green and covered in spikes: they made him feel like he wasn’t so alone in this world. Above them Mt. Inviting loomed ominously in the distance, its jagged peaks scraping the bellies of the thunderheads that passed over it. Para wondered why anyone would choose to come here, let alone live in a place as inhospitable and remote as this. “Inviting, huh?” he muttered to himself as he took in the sight of the behemoth task in front of him. “The ancients sure had a sense of humor…”

While they waited for more members of the expedition to arrive, the two decided to break for lunch. Despite how pleasantly the morning had been going, aside from the incident with Nox, the meal was every bit as quiet and awkward for them both as the two they had shared before it. A deep melancholy came over Para as he wondered what he had done wrong, and the bit of hope he had that they might not return home as enemies began to give way to despair. In the middle of silently berating himself for being stupid enough to think that spending one night in a tent with him would be enough to make Eclipse overlook years’ worth of prejudice, he was startled back to reality when he heard her yelp, followed by a steady stream of loud curses. Looking over, he quickly pieced together that she had been using a particularly large knife to cut up bits of sausage, judging by the weapon and the food laying haphazardly in the snow. A large gash that ran from the side of her chest to one of the yellow rings on her hip suggested the knife had slipped out of her paw. Para would’ve normally ignored her and let her sort out her own mess, but despite the fact that the cut didn’t look too deep, Eclipse was losing an alarming amount of blood.

The Jolteon leaped up in a flash and tore the scarf from his neck, pressing the cloth into the Umbreon’s wound and applying pressure. She winced in pain but said nothing, instead just helping him hold it steady while he used his other paw to dig through his pack for a first-aid kit. When he finally found the bag and opened it up, Eclipse’s eyes widened in fear as he produced a suture needle and some thick string from it.

“I-I-I d-don’t think that… that’s n-necessary!” she stammered as she tensed up hard enough for him to feel it, which in turn caused a fresh wave of blood to trickle down her side and join the pool around her that was painting the snow crimson with concerning speed.

“Don’t be a baby,” Para chided as he threaded the string through the needle and stabbed it into an Oran berry he’d been eating to disinfect it. “It’s either I patch you up or you die out here. I’m not going home by myself, and I’m certainly not hauling your stubborn ass back there.”

“I… I just… j-just hate n-needles!” Eclipse explained, the panic rising in her voice as she shut her eyes tight when he brought the tip to the edge of her gash.

“You wound me,” came the Jolteon’s sarcastic reply as he made the first incision.

Eclipse howled as Para sewed her cut closed as quickly and gently as he could. Fortunately, having preformed the same operation on himself many times in the past made him particularly skilled with a suture needle, and to her credit the Umbreon was doing her best to keep still during the entire process. While the operation itself took barely over a minute, she was still whimpering as he cleaned off her side and squeezed the rest of the Oran Berry over the wound before applying a large bandage and wrapping the whole thing up with gauze. When it was all over, Para admired his handiwork with a small measure of pride. However, when he looked over her form entirely, he was taken aback by the Umbreon’s puffy, tearful eyes and constant shaking. Having only had the image of Eclipse as an angry, intimidating tormentor for so long, it was almost bewildering for him to see her look so vulnerable. It was probably this confusion that accounted for his lack of judgement when he reached out without thinking and gently wiped the tears from her eyes. Only when he was finished drying her eyes did he even register what he was doing, and by then it was too late. This was all just too much for Eclipse.

“Stop it already!” she suddenly shouted at him, startling the Jolteon back to focus.

“S-Sorry-“ he began, but she quickly cut him off.

“I mean stop being so godsdamned nice to me, Para!”

“H-Huh? Stop being-“

“Yes! I hate it! I hate you! And… A-And you should hate me too! This is all so wrong and I’m tired of it!”

“Wrong? But I thought-“

“I don’t care what you thought, it is! You and I are enemies, damn it! I… I’ve done too much to you to be anything else!”

Para paused for a moment and looked down as his expression noticeably darkened. In a voice hardly louder than a whisper, he muttered “It sounds to me like you want us to stay enemies, then…” An uncomfortably long silence followed as the two of them refused to look at each other.

As the adrenaline wore off from her surgery and she came down from her excited outburst, Eclipse was struck with an overwhelming sense of guilt. Para had been infuriatingly patient and forgiving over the past day, and so far she’d repaid him with insults, outbursts, and a stubborn refusal to finally let go of their bad blood. And for what? It was overwhelmingly clear to her that she wanted to. More than that, as embarrassing as it was to admit to herself, Eclipse couldn’t deny that she would accept- no, wanted Para back in her life. She wanted to go back to when they were Eevees, when they could have fun exploring together, before she was torn away from him.

Before he tore her away from her best friend.

The Umbreon took a deep breath. No. She bore just as much responsibility for the damage she did to Para and their relationship. She knew what she was doing to him was wrong while she was doing it, regardless of the fact that she was hurting and scared. Para deserved an apology from her, and he deserved to know the truth behind the reason she tormented him relentlessly. “P-Para-“ Eclipse began, but stopped short once she noticed several figures running towards them.

The Jolteon perked up and followed her gaze to the small group closing on them fast. Quickly, he packed his supplies back into his bag and got to his feet, just in time to make out the forms of the Grandmaster and his assistant, followed by Eclipse’s former team and a few others. He wasn’t sure what was happening exactly, but he doubted it was anything good if the angry expressions on their faces were any indication. The electric fields around him were already excited as the other group arrived, stopping just a few yards away from the two Eeveelutions.

“You there, Team Spearhead! Explain yourselves!” the Chatot squawked.

“E-Explain ourselves? For what?” Para responded trying his best to keep calm despite the fact that his heart was beginning to pound as his body entered fight or flight mode. Confrontation of this kind was never his strong suit.

“Don’t play dumb!” she shouted again, her voice exceptionally loud and shrill for such a small bird. “You assaulted a member of a fellow exploration team for no apparent reason! Its unforgivable!”

“Now Sym, we agreed we wouldn’t be jumping to conclusions like that. Team Spearhead has a right to explain their side of the story,” the Grandmaster chided, his years of experience keeping him levelheaded when dealing with disputes between Pokémon.

“What’s there to explain? This brute just up and attacked me while I was attempting to offer poor Eclipse here her spot back on our team! He needs to be locked up before he can hurt her, or anybody else!” Nox shouted from behind them, pointing at the large bruise on the underside of her jaw. Symphonia gestured towards the Salazzle before folding her wings angrily, and Para glimpsed the slightest smirk on Nox’s face when no one was looking at her anymore.

‘So that’s your game, then,’ he thought to himself as his mind raced to find a way out of the situation.

Eclipse couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “N-Now hang on just a second! That’s not-“ she started as she began to get up, but winced as pain shot through her side as she put weight on it for the first time since she had cut herself. When she recovered she opened her mouth to continue, but stopped as Para held out his paw.

“Assaulted? Is that what you’re calling defending my teammate?” he asked, his gaze piercing right through Symphonia and drilling into Nox. If she was willing to blatantly lie to slander his name, he had absolutely no objections to stooping right down to her level. He summoned all the courage he could muster to keep his composure as he began to lie through his teeth, pretending that the very act of speaking up for himself wasn’t leaving him shaking in his boots. “Yeah, I gave her that bruise she’s crying about, but I’m guessing when she ran off to tattle on me, she forgot to mention the fact that I only did it after she damn near sliced her way through my partner!” To prove his point, Para gestured to the bandages crossing Eclipse’s body, as well as the grizzly-looking puddle of blood still surrounding her, and prayed that no one would ask why there wasn’t a trail of said blood leading right to them.

“Hey, hold on. Is that true…?” the Chatot asked as she turned on the Salazzle, her righteous anger slowly beginning to shift targets.

“W-What?! O-Of course not, he’s lying!” Nox shrieked, suddenly on the backfoot.

Para smirked internally when he saw the panic rising on her face. She had thought herself so clever, and now her little to plan was blowing up in her face. The fear he felt slowly morphed into satisfaction as his confidence ceased to be just an act. All that was left was to drive it home. “Oh sure, she tried to poach my partner alright,” he continued, feigning righteous indignation himself. “Which, by the way, attempting to recruit a known member of another exploration team is a violation of the Rescuer’s and Explorer’s Code, as I’m sure you already know. But that’s neither here nor there. No, Eclipse obviously refused the offer on account of the constant verbal abuse and toxic atmosphere she had to endure as a member of that team. Nox didn’t take to kindly to that, and before I could intervene, the distinguished leader of her former team sliced Eclipse’s side to ribbons!”

“Th-That’s not…” Nox blubbered, taking several steps back as Symphonia began to ball her wingtips into fists.

“Miss Eclipse, is this all true?” Wigglytuff asked, remaining calm but purposely ignoring his assistant’s building fury.

“E-Every word, sir!” Eclipse shouted, fidgeting slightly and covering the knife behind her with her bushy tail.

“Assaulting a non-lawful combatant like that is a serious offense, as well as filing false reports,” Symphonia said, the barely concealing the rage roiling inside her.

“However,” the Grandmaster interjected, finally stepping in between the Chatot and the terrified Salazzle, “given that we lack the facilities to properly arbitrate this dispute and the fact that we need all the bodies we can spare for the fight ahead, I think it’s prudent that we… let bygones be bygones. Forgive and forget? If all parties find that acceptable, that is.” His formal verbiage suggested that he was serious, which meant the end of discussion.

“Fine, as long as they stay away from me and my partner. All we want to do is our jobs, which just got a lot harder now that Eclipse isn’t at her best anymore,” Para said, turning around to hide the downright evil smile on his face.

“But… B-But…” Nox stammered before finally hanging her head low in defeat.

Everyone else had already began walking away, but just as Nox turned to do the same, Para stood up on two legs and put a paw on her shoulder, holding her back. She turned to look at him with angry expression on her face, but stopped short when she saw the dark look in his eyes. With what could only be described as malice in his voice, Para whispered “If you or your team even think about screwing with me again, understand this: If I have to get involved with you again, there won’t be enough of you left to make a second report.” With that, Para gave Nox a shove in the direction of her team, who just let out a terrified squeak before running after them, slipping and sliding as she ran through the snow.

Para’s paws sank into the snow with a soft crunch as he returned to standing on all four legs. He let out a long exhale as the rush and the dark satisfaction from the encounter subsided, leaving him shivering as his nerves came back with a vengeance. The anxiety he felt left him in a sour mood, which the environment seemed to echo. Thunder boomed in the distance as even darker clouds rolled in, further choking what little daylight remained. While the tops of the tall mountain trees did catch most of the falling snow, nearly all light going forward was snuffed out.

“Hey, Para…” Eclipse began, but trailed off as the Jolteon just walked past her coldly. Despite their combined effort against Nox, he hadn’t forgotten their argument from before.

“If you can still fight, fine. Otherwise, bow out now. I don’t need you slowing me down in here,” he said with a voice as icy as the snow that fell around them. With that, Para stepped into the twilight of the frozen forest, not even sparing a glance behind him.

Eclipse hesitated for a moment as she stood up and tested her body. As the natural healing properties of the Oran berry set in, she found she could still move with minimal discomfort. However, her body was shaking uncontrollably, and it took several seconds for her to realize that it wasn’t because of the cold. “Y-You jerk…” she muttered as she willed herself to take a step after Para’s fading form. Eclipse desperately wanted to run up to him and give him a piece of her mind, but even forcing herself to follow his tracks with her body shaking uncontrollably was a monumental task. Still, she pressed on, driven by one singular thought: ‘I have to tell him how I really feel. And… I have to tell him that I’m sorry.’

True to his word, Para really hadn’t waited for her to catch up. Eclipse was forced to take off the visor she wore in order to see anything in the thick darkness. The dense cluster of branches from the ancient trees formed a cage above her that suffocated the weak daylight. Even with her bioluminescent rings shining as brightly as she could make them, there was just barely enough light for her to follow Para’s tracks. While her species was naturally suited to hunting in the dark, this darkness was truly oppressive. Feeling somewhat disoriented, she swore she saw trees shifting around her and movement just outside of her field of vision, but whenever she stopped and scanned the area around her, all was still. It was eerily quiet as she walked, as if the forest itself was a living organism that had stopped functioning just to watch her. Her paws crunched uncomfortably loudly in the snow as she began to walk after Para more quickly, despite her every attempt to move as quietly as possible. There was nothing for it; alone and dazed from the blood she had recently lost, the Umbreon felt utterly out of her element here.

The minutes blurred into nearly an hour of stumbling around in the dark following footprints, yet her partner was still nowhere to be seen. In the state she was in, Eclipse was keenly aware of just how vulnerable she was, especially given the frightening reputation of the wild Pokémon in the area. Fear tightened its grip on her as she hoped that each step she took would finally reveal the form of her partner, or at least a friendly face, only for her to be met with disappointment over and over again. More than once did she consider yanking the badge from its spot on her chest and using it to flee to safety, yet something stopped her each time she was about to do so. She couldn’t leave Para alone out here. Not if she ever wanted to face him again.

Feeling faint and on the verge of outright panic, Eclipse’s eyes widened when she finally glimpsed the dark shape of a figure up ahead. As she made out the shape of a Jolteon underneath several layers of clothing, she felt her body begin to grow heavy: her movements slowed slightly and her eyes drooped, while her thoughts became slow and sluggish. It was as if she was drunk on something, yet Eclipse didn’t feel concerned by whatever was happening to her. In fact, it hardly registered in her mind as her lips broke into a wide grin. There was something far more important right in front of Eclipse.

She felt flood through her like a wave and she broke into a sprint without a second thought, not bothering to look down at the tracks anymore. “Para!” she shouted at the silhouette, no longer feeling the cold or the fatigue of the grueling journey. Every feeling and emotion were drowned out by overwhelming relief that was beginning to border ecstasy as she got closer and closer. If she had slowed down for a moment, she might have thought it was strange just how happy she was to see her partner, but that wasn’t important anymore. All that mattered in this world now was that they were finally reunited, and she wouldn’t ever let him out of her sight again. Warmth radiated throughout her body as she thought of how she’d throw her arms around him and hold on with all her might, how things would finally be alright again. They would finally be together, and this time, she was going to keep her promise of forever that she made all those years-

Eclipse blinked as the light faded from her eyes.

And just like that, the world went silent once again. The warmth that had blossomed in her chest died instantaneously, leaving her colder than ever. More than cold however, she was confused as to why she felt the need to run to Para so desperately. If anything, she wanted to knock him upside the head right now for leaving her weakened in the middle of a dark, scary forest that was probably chock full of bloodthirsty savages. She continued her advance, ready to give him a piece of her mind despite the noticeable drop in temperature the closer she got. The crunch of her feet as she trudged through the snow was practically deafening. The forest was so quiet around her that she could’ve probably been heard for miles around.

So why didn’t he turn around?

The pit of dread she had before felt suddenly reopened in her stomach, stronger than ever as she stared at the dark silhouette she had been so sure was her partner. “P-Para…?” she called nervously as she took a few apprehensive steps forward. Oddly enough, the snow between them was undisturbed. How could he have-

“We never should have come here,” the figure suddenly said, still refusing to turn around. It sounded like Para, but… wrong. It was his voice, but completely devoid of any emotion or intonation. It was like she was talking to the empty husk of her former friend.

“We never, ever should have come here,” repeated the thing with Para’s voice. “We’re going to die here. There’s no escape for us. Oh Arceus, forgive us for this sin.” Somehow, the lack of substance to his voice was scarier than the words he spoke. Overcome with dread, Eclipse found herself frozen in place. She opened her mouth to say something, to shout, to make any sort of noise, but all that came out was a tiny, fearful squeak. It was like a nightmare where she couldn’t run or scream, except this was all too real.

To her horror, Eclipse watched the figure of Para slowly begin to sway, then fall over onto his side. From this angle, she could see the front of his body had been savagely torn open from chest to abdomen. Blood and viscera spilled out of him; a river of crimson flowed from his body over the snow and around her paws, sticking them to the ground and freezing her in place. Throughout the entire ordeal, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run far, far away from that awful sight, but she just couldn’t. Her body refused to move, no matter how hard she willed it to. She screamed at herself to move, to flee for her life, but all she could do was watch as the Pokémon who was her partner, and who maybe could’ve been her friend, bled out right in front of her.

She was still held captive as a dark form materialized above Para’s body. It looked as if a being simply stepped out of a tear in reality, its very presence radiating malice. Eclipse’s overwhelmed brain was just barely able to register that the form looked like a Froslass as it slowly began to float towards her. It had no eyes, just empty sockets where they should have been that seemed to bleed pure darkness. Its cruel smile was disfigured as it unhinged its jaw, revealing row after row of razor-sharp, icy teeth that gleamed in the fading yellow light her body gave off. Its mouth opened impossibly wide and Eclipse found herself staring into the void beyond its maw as it inched closer and closer. As she felt it’s dead, putrid breath on her face, all hope utterly deserted her. She wasn’t sure if she managed to close her eyes, or if all she could see was the soulless void beyond the teeth, but regardless, her vision went dark. The last bit of warmth she’d ever feel was that of a single tear running down her dark cheek, leaving nothing but a cold emptiness as it fell from her face.

Staring into the very face of death, there was only one thing on Eclipse’s mind. “I’m so sorry, Para,” she whispered into the nothingness. “I wish I could’ve told you what you mean to me-”

It was then that the sound of a dull, wet slap rang out through the still forest. In the absence of any other sound, it was loud enough to startle Eclipse. A moment later, the inky blackness of the void obscuring her vision was replaced by the sight of Para, his chest drenched in blood but noticeably still intact.

She could hardly register what was happening less than a foot in front of her; the Froslass squirmed feebly as three long, gleaming blades protruded outward from its white chest, which was rapidly turning black as dark blood oozed out of it.

Eclipse’s senses left her as she stared blankly at the scene in front of her. Dazed and unable to hear anything, all she could do was stare forwards with a blank expression on her face. She saw Para’s fangs bared in a fierce snarl as he whipped his arms around, the blade-like protrusions of a Metal Claw attack sinking into the creature that attacked her over and over. She glimpsed it howl and screech in pain as it tried in vain to batter him with its arms, the robed appendages flailing uselessly before eventually falling to its sides. Para brutalized the thing; ripping its body to shreds with nothing but his claws. When he was finally finished, she watched him drop the limp, lifeless form to the ground and throw his head back, letting out what she assumed must have been a bloodcurdling scream, as if to challenge whatever other horrors lurked in the forest, and even the gods themselves.

Glancing down at the creature that had nearly ended her life seconds before, Eclipse could see that it’s distorted appearance and proportions had been nothing more than illusions that melted away as the light left the Froslass’ eyes. As it drew its last breath, it was like a spell that was cast on the Umbreon suddenly shattered; the paralysis in her limbs lifted, causing her to stumble backwards and nearly fall over. She gasped and began to gulp in fresh, cold air as she desperately filled her depleted lungs. Her natural vision was restored, her eyes dilating as she took in the area around her with perfect clarity despite the utter lack of a light source other than the ones she was emitting. Comfortingly the overwhelming feelings of fear and despair lodged in her gut dissipated, but despite this, the grotesque image of the distorted ghost-type and its unhinged jaw still lingered in her mind.

While the terrible presence the creature emitted wasn’t overwhelming anymore, having come so close to death left Eclipse feeling weaker than ever. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and with hardly a second to spare she turned to the side and vomited the contents of her stomach all over the snow next to her. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed and retched while her body attempted to purge itself of everything until she felt as empty physically as she did emotionally.

When she was finally finished Eclipse buried her face in the snow to clean herself off. The soft, cold fluff felt good against her hot face, soothing her puffy eyes somewhat and restoring just a little bit of her dignity. Cleaned up and somewhat calmed down, she dragged herself to her feet to face Para, who was looking at her sympathetically. Several emotions overcame her all at once when she saw him: she couldn’t decide if she was relieved that he was alive, thankful to have been saved, disgusted by the viscera now staining his clothes, afraid of the unrelenting brutality she had just witnessed, or outraged that he had left her on her own in the first place. While the Froslass’ influence had suppressed her emotions before, now they finally burst to the surface, overwhelming the poor Umbreon who had already been through so much that day. She was tired of feeling confused, tired of the angst between them, and tired of thinking. As she began walking towards him, everything was coming out, whether she wanted it to or not.

The first thing Eclipse did when she reached Para was full her arm back before delivering a slap to his face so hard that it echoed throughout the forest. He reeled back, stunned by the sudden pain but not at all surprised. When he regained his balance Eclipse surged forward and suddenly pulled him into a hug, rolling back onto her haunches as she held onto him for dear life. Para was stiff for a few seconds before relaxing in her embrace. As he did, his arms wrapped around her as well, slowly and uncertainly, daring to hug her back. They held each other for several seconds, but to both Eeveelutions it might as well have been hours; the relief of being with one another again expressed through every nudge and small squeeze they dared to give the other.

“Don’t… D-Don’t you ever leave me like that a-again, you jerk…” Eclipse finally said as the pulled apart.

“I… I’m sorry Eclipse. R-Really,” Para apologized. His breathing was still hard from the exertion of brutalizing her attacker while his voice was choked with emotion. “I don’t know what came over me; I was just so mad, and I felt like I had to get away from you. Once I realized what I was doing, I ran back as fast as I could. And… a-and when I saw that thing about to sink its teeth into your neck, I just… I just lost it. But I swear, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“P-Promise me that, Para. We’re supposed to be partners, godsdamnit…”

“I promise, Eclipse… I-I promise.”

The top of the snow was thick with green needles as the pair of explorers passed under row after row of huge mountain pine trees. The air was fragrant with their scent, making the journey through the dark forest somewhat pleasant now that there wasn’t a ghost Pokémon spoiling the experience with pesky illusions of unimaginable horror. As the minutes dragged on, Eclipse slowly came down from the rollercoaster of emotions she had just gone through, though she was careful not to drop her guard entirely. While the forest probably wasn’t a full-blown mystery dungeon, it was still unmapped and hazardous territory. Suddenly, as if on cue, a shrill scream rang out from just off to the left of where the two were walking. While she was startled by it, she felt Para jump in surprise and collide with her in midair, all while letting out a steady stream of curses.

“Good lord Arceus, are you okay?!” she shouted, staggering a few steps to the side from the impact.

“Y-Yeah, just a little on edge right now,” Para replied sheepishly. “Now let’s hurry over there before someone else gets their face bitten off!”

“You know, if you wanted me to hold you that bad, you could try asking nicely first!” Eclipse teased as she tightened the straps on her bag in preparation for a sprint. It might not have been the most appropriate time for some playful flirting, but she would take any opportunity to take her mind off of what had just happened to her.

“S-Shut up…” Para groaned in response, though without his goggles and face covering to protect his dignity, she caught a quick glance of the blush that seeped into his green cheeks just before he suddenly took off.

Eclipse snickered to herself as she ran after him, quickly overtaking the Jolteon as he had to rely on her light source to navigate in the darkness. It was actually somewhat worrying to her how much she enjoyed seeing him get flustered over her little flirt. Though they were partners, they still weren’t friends, let alone anything more than that. She still wasn’t even convinced she was worthy of being his friend again and had explicitly refused to allow herself to indulge in any of her childhood fantasies. Dreams of the two of them, a home and a handful of eggs were best left in the past after all. But if that was true, why did the warmth in her chest refuse to die out?

‘Questions for later, assuming there even is a later,’ she thought as they sprinted towards a bright light up ahead. Passing through the threshold of trees, they had to squint as their eyes adjusted to the daylight as they burst into an open clearing. Despite the weak light that filtered through the foreboding clouds above, their eyes still needed a moment to adjust after so much time spent in darkness. Blinking several times, Eclipse recovered her sight just in time to see a trio of hulking snow Pokémon assaulting what seemed to be several different members of their expedition.

The clearing was modest in size, roughly that of a large pond, and already bodies were strewn about in the snow throughout it. The pained groans that echoed throughout the area indicated not everyone was dead yet, but it was hard to estimate the casualty rate with how battered and bloodied the dispatched combatants were. Those who were still standing weren’t faring much better, and Eclipse cringed as she saw a hulking Abomasnow unleash a heavy Wood Hammer attack that sent someone flying. She tried to ignore the sickening crunch she heard as the explorer slammed into a tree before crumpling into the snow. Instead she followed the monster’s gaze to the trembling figure that she instantly recognized as Kami, the Ampharos from her old team. Just then, a dark blur whizzed past her as Para leapt into action, his jacket rippling in the wind as he sprang into action without hesitation. If she’d had enough time to process the scene before her, Eclipse might have admitted to herself that he looked pretty cool in that moment, charging headfirst into danger. Luckily for her, she was too distracted to focus on him and whatever childish fantasies the sight would invoke. Unluckily for her, she was distracted because she found herself charging in after him, her body having moved faster than her brain could reason.

The two Eeveelutions dashed between bodies and around a rampaging Beartic, which took a huge swipe at Para that he nimbly dodged. They ran past it, deciding it was a problem for later as the Abomasnow was rapidly approaching Kami, who looked like she was struggling just to stay standing. They closed the gap in seconds, but despite Para’s natural speed, Eclipse utilized her favorite technique, Feint Attack. Powerful legs digging into the ground, the air whistled around her as she suddenly burst forward, her movements a blur so fast that even the Jolteon had trouble following her with his eyes. Rather than strike however, she closed the gap between her and the attacking yeti Pokémon just as it raised one of its huge arms to deliver a fatal Wood Hammer attack to the defeated Ampharos.

Kami closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, ready for it to all be over and hoping the monster would at least make her end quick. A loud crash erupted right in front of her, but rather than a crushing arm slamming into her and turning her into paste, she was hit by a blast of pressure that knocked her off her feet. Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to be astonished by the sight in front of her; Eclipse, the Umbreon that quit her team not even a full day prior, standing on two legs with her forearms braced in front of her, blocking the attack that was meant for her. Both she and the Abomasnow seemed just as surprised that the Umbreon could simply tank the blow outright, but now Eclipse had something to prove, especially to the Jolteon who had saved her previously. Kami watched, mouth hung open, as the Umbreon’s forearms suddenly began to shimmer with purple light. Then, with a fierce battle cry that rang defiantly throughout the clearing, she leapt up onto the creature’s other arm before springing up into the air. Twisting her body, she delivered two successive Payback attacks to the Abomasnow’s face, one with each fist. Concussive blasts of air shook the trees around them from the sheer force of her blows as the monster staggered backwards, then fell with enough force to send small shockwaves through the earth, dead before it even hit the ground. A flurry of snow was kicked up from the massive impact, out of which strode Eclipse, rubbing one of her arms with a confident smirk on her face. “Who’s next?” she asked, and when Kami glanced over at the Jolteon who had stopped in his tracks, he looked absolutely starstruck.

Before Para could say anything, a deafening roar sounded from behind them, followed by an earsplitting shriek. Eclipse cringed and covered her ears as she scanned for the source of the disturbances, quickly coming to the realization that the Beartic they had passed on the way to save Kami had just discovered one of its comrades had been slain. Its furious challenge had alerted a Trevenant, which gave up trying to eviscerate some unfortunate (or very fortunate, depending on one’s perspective) soul and rushed over, shrieking in rage. Eclipse was unnerved by how fast the thing could run on its strange, stubby legs, and took up a position with her back to Para’s as he prepared to face down the Beartic that had charged at them from the opposite end of the clearing.

“You know, we’re tied one for one right now,” Eclipse said as her rings began to glow brightly from the energy coursing throughout her body.

“First one to take theirs down wins, then?” Para replied, his Metal Claw blades fully extended and his body crackling with electricity.

“You’re on, but the prize better be worth my time when I win!” Eclipse shouted gleefully, still riding the adrenaline high from her showdown with the Abomasnow.

With that, the pair both let loose war cries of their own before dashing off in opposite directions. Eclipse bounded forward as fast as she could, trying to engage the Trevenant before it could get close to Kami and endanger her former teammate. It looked different than most other members of its species, sporting a much darker bark color, and rows of razor-sharp pine needles in place of branches and leaves. Disturbingly, there were splotches of dark red covering huge swaths of its body, particularly around its claws, which Eclipse doubted had been there that morning. As she looked at the creature’s hands, she watched as they began to glow with pulsating black energy while it slowed down some in preparation for an attack. Anticipating a heavy Shadow Claw swipe, Eclipse ran even faster straight towards it while the Trevenant’s mouth curved upwards into a malicious grin at the sight of another easy kill. As it brought its hulking hands down in an attempt to cut her to ribbons, Eclipse dove between its legs at the very last second, sliding underneath it and popping up from behind. Before the creature could react, she dug her hind legs into the ground and pushed herself upright, then spread her legs for balance as she took in a deep breath and aimed for the gaps in its wooden armor. With no shortage of negativity to draw on from that day alone, Eclipse pooled the fear, pain and anger she’d felt into her mouth, which materialized as a sickly orb of dark purple, black and red, then fired the Shadow Ball directly at her foe’s perceived weak spot. The air hissed as the evil projectile sliced through it before exploding violently when it hit its mark. While Eclipse was already jumping backwards to put more distance between herself and the Trevenant, it’s pained shrieking suggested she had dealt it a serious blow.

A large cloud of smoke of and snow obscured the creature’s form for several seconds while Eclipse braced herself for its next move. She wasn’t kept waiting long, as within a fraction of a second, she witnessed a thin ring of dark energy pierce through the cloud. Unable to dodge the wide angle of the attack, she quickly threw up a Protect. The powerful Dark Pulse fractured her barrier where it impacted it, inflicting several cracks in the shield but leaving her otherwise unharmed. As her defenses lowered however, the massive form of her adversary suddenly burst out of its obscurement, catching her by surprise with how fast it could move. She was able to quickly duck under one of its claws as it swiped at her, but caught a jab from its other hand right in her chest. Even the fast, light attack from the creature still carried a significant amount of power behind it, and while her laceration was healing quickly thanks to the restorative properties of the Oran berry, her front was still very sore. This resulted in Eclipse’s vision blurring as waves of veritable agony washed over her, threatening to make her lose consciousness.

However, after the edges of her vision tinged black, they exploded into seething red as the pain ignited into unrelenting rage. Her arm glowed with more Payback energy than she had ever felt before, and before the Trevenant could wind up for another blow, she howled with fury and sprang forward. Eclipse punched its arm so hard that the wood splintered and it cracked in two, shattering the appendage. It staggered backwards as it let out another painful shriek, but Eclipse wasn’t about to let it recover. While it was still off balance, the ring on her side glowed brightly, then projected an ultra-hard Protect in the shape of a shield around her arm, which she promptly used to jump up and bash into the creature’s face. It flailed as it lost its balance and fell backwards with her landing gracefully on top of it, standing tall on its elongated chest as it impacted the snow with a heavy thud. The last thing the Trevenant would ever see was the Umbreon standing over it on two legs, a deadly Shadow Ball charged up and aimed directly at its face. After the resulting explosion rang out across the clearing, the monster finally fell still.

For a brief moment, the world was quiet, as if it had finally come to rest after the monster died. Eclipse closed her eyes and allowed her breathing to slow, feeling her body slowly cool off after the brief but intense fighting she went through. Soft, quiet snow fell all around her, beginning to collect on the ground and obscure the signs of the battle that had taken place. Red blood was covered by white, bodies turned into inconspicuous mounds of snow, and the disturbed earth was filled in and smoothed over. Then, as quickly as the calm came, it left; Eclipse opened her eyes to see medical teams frantically trying to stabilize the wounded while others were already placing unmoving bodies into neat rows with grim expressions. Some explorers were crying over fallen comrades, others spat on and cursed the collection of monsters that had taken their friends prematurely, and still others just stood around with blank expressions on their faces. Occasionally, a pillar of cerulean light rained down from the heavens as explorers cut their losses and abandoned the expedition, deciding they would rather grow old with families instead of having their innards painting frozen grass just to have their names recorded in a dusty old history book.

Stepping off of the body of her adversary, Eclipse wove between the frantic medical teams as she made her way over to where Para was standing, a little ways off from the bulk of the activity. As she approached, her lips bent into a frown as she saw Kami holding tightly onto his side and sobbing. The Jolteon himself wore a dark expression as he watched the dead and dying be sorted and processed, all while he awkwardly patted the Ampharos’ head with a blood-smeared paw. He was covered in cuts and small gashes and smeared with fresh blood as Eclipse approached, though thankfully the majority of it didn’t appear to be his own. Still, the Umbreon’s mood soured further as her eyes fixated on his paw.

“Let’s head out soon, this place is a mess and I wanna hit the mountain before nightfall,” Eclipse said as she reached the two, pointedly not looking at them.

“Agreed,” Came Para’s somber voice, then the sound of his gear shifting as he began to move. “Apparently, your friend here got left for dead by your old team when the fighting started. I told her she could stay with us for a while,” he added, causing Eclipse to stop in her tracks.

“…You didn’t ask me first,” she said after an uncomfortably long pause, the snow crunching under her gloves as her paws balled into fists in them.

“I, uh… D-Didn’t think you’d mind having someone to talk to that wasn’t me,” Para replied, overlooking her reaction as he helped the still-trembling Ampharos to her feet. “Especially someone that you already know.”

“Flawless logic Para, of course I’d want to travel with a member of the team I quit last night after a screaming match,” she snapped at him. “Besides that, look at her. She’s obviously traumatized, and we don’t need someone else slowing us down.”

“I guess that means you’re in good company after earlier,” Para countered. “Besides, I still took you in when you were a liability last night.” He wasn’t sure why she was so hostile with him again all of a sudden, but he was quickly becoming more and more irritated the longer they argued back and forth.

“Fine. Whatever. Let’s just go already,” Eclipse grumbled, signaling the conversation was over as she began to walk into the tree line.

Para shot Kami an apologetic glance as the Ampharos looked downright miserable, but said nothing. The air thick with tension, they set off after Eclipse, leaving the gruesome scene in the clearing behind them. Several long minutes passed in silence as they were once again embraced by twilight, the only soundtrack to their journey being the snow crunching under their feet and Kami’s occasional sniffle. She stuck closer to Para than she needed to as they followed behind Eclipse’s dim light as she led the way, something he was aware of but didn’t comment on. Seconds turned into minutes as they walked while the awkward silence caused each member of the uneasy alliance to be keenly aware of how slowly time seemed to pass by.

“S-So,” Kami finally spoke up, surprising the Jolteon who was fully expecting to make the trek to the mountain in dead silence. “I… never did get to properly thank you guys for saving me from that Abomasnow. It… It was really cool how you managed to take those monsters on solo and win.”

Eclipse remained silent, forcing Para to speak up after several seconds in order to avoid making the tension between them even worse. “Of course, we weren’t gonna just stand there and let you get hurt. However, as much as I hate to admit it though, I’m pretty sure a big part of why we were able to kill those things is that they were already exhausted from cutting through a big chunk of our expedition. If we got there when the fighting began, things might have gone differently for us. Speaking of, what exactly happened back there?”

Kami was quiet for a moment before answering. “It was… chaos,” she finally said, wincing as she recalled the horrific scene. “There were a bunch of us all grouped together at first. I thought… I thought that with numbers like that, we could handle anything that this godsforsaken forest threw at us. B-But… then when we passed through that clearing… I’m not even sure what happened exactly. It was all quiet one second, and-“ Kami paused her recollection to steady herself as her voice began to shake. “A-And then the next, the forest was just… shrieking and howling all around us. I wasn’t in the front, but even I could see huge ice Pokémon coming at us from nowhere. I-It was like, one second we were alone, then the next we were just surrounded.”

Para began to walk a bit father in front of Kami in order to spare her dignity the embarrassment of watching her as she began to break down.

“I-It was horrible! I thought we could fend them off at first, but they just kept coming out of the trees! There was just no end to them! After that, it was just shrieking and screaming and fighting. And… And when that Abomasnow appeared, it just tore through us. Nox shouted at us to run and we did… we just left everyone else behind to get slaughtered. A-And then, I tripped over something… maybe it was someone… and they left me behind too. I screamed for them to wait, but they just kept running… and then I was the only one left for the monster to crush.” Kami’s voice began to tremble again at that point, but she pressed on despite the fresh tears that began to spill down her cheeks. “I th-thought for sure I was gonna die there, and I w-wasn’t even upset. I j-just thought, ‘why should I g-get to live when everyone else a-around me was dead?’ B-But then… then, you came.”

After Kami finished, Para turned his head and gave her a bright, genuine smile, which she was just barely able to make out in the gloomy atmosphere. Despite the tears running down her face, she did her best to return the gesture, sparking a warmth within the Jolteon’s chest. Given his status as an ‘abomination,’ it wasn’t very often he was praised for his deeds, even among those he personally saved from certain death. More often than not, the only acknowledgement he ever received for his efforts was a pouch of coins tossed haphazardly at his feet. As such, even despite Eclipse’s sudden change in attitude, which had genuinely hurt his feelings, Para’s spirits were raised as he accepted Kami’s thanks.

As to not spoil his own good mood, Para decided to change the subject from the traumatizing and downright depressing recollection of the gruesome fighting that had just occurred, hoping to cheer Kami up in the process. Feeling brave, he wanted to ask what she planned on doing after the expedition was over, since it was a safe bet that her tenure on Nox’s exploration team was over now. However, given that their main source of light and the powerhouse that had just killed two hulking monsters in single combat was in a particularly testy mood, he decided that question was best saved until later.

“So then, Kami… what’s your story? I’ve never heard a name like yours before,” he said, causing the Ampharos’ ears to perk up.

“O-Oh, well… I’m not really from around here,” she began, then cast a nervous glance towards Eclipse. When the Umbreon didn’t react, she took that as a sign it was safe to talk about herself without being berated by her former and possibly current teammate. “I come from a region called Nippon, although I think in your language it’s pronounced Johto. My full name is Kaminari, which roughly translates to ‘Lightning Bolt.’”

“Wow, you’re a long way from home, then. I’ve seen pictures of the Johto region before, but I’ve never been able to visit or meet someone from there.”

Kami pulled the hood of her jacket farther over her head and wiped a few tears from her face as her lips broke into a small smile, clearly not used to receiving much attention but happy for it. “W-Well, I suppose that’s not very surprising… We usually tend to keep to ourselves, and unfortunately some of us aren’t very friendly to outsiders… B-But not me! A lot of Pokémon have been very kind to me since I came here, s-so I know that there’s plenty of good ones here too!”

“Maybe plenty is a bit of an overstatement,” Para said quietly, unable to recall meeting more than a handful of individuals who were able to see past the words the preachers spoke about his fur. “Though I guess you’re proof that there’s still a few on this continent who are alright. Speaking of, why did you leave your homeland to come here?”

“My family, uh… t-they didn’t exactly agree with my decision to become an explorer. You see, I was born into a somewhat important clan, so… it’s sort of expected of the women to marry off into other wealthy or powerful families. I just… wanted something more for myself. I wanted to help people! But when I told my mother and father this, they- It didn’t go over well. So, I ended up just sneaking out one night and picked a random destination at my city’s warp gate. One thing led to another and I joined up with Nox, for all the good that ended up doing for me. Now, here I am.”

“That’s really impressive,” Para remarked with sincerity. “I ran away from my home too, but it wasn’t for reasons that were nearly as noble as yours. But, that makes me wonder; you seem like a genuinely good Pokémon… so how’d you end up on a team ran by a scumbag like Nox?”

Kami giggled quietly as she thought for a moment, though her laugh had an underlying hint of sadness to it. “Well, it really wasn’t all that bad. Sure, Nox was a handful sometimes, but it wasn’t like she was a complete psycho. Not unless you ask Eclipse, anyways.” From ahead, soft, near incomprehensible grumbling could be heard from the dark-type, mixed in with intermittent swears and curses. While Para found himself getting slightly nervous, Kami kept giggling to herself.

“They were always at each other’s throats, but… we still had fun together.” Then, after pausing to make sure Eclipse was still fuming and not paying attention to her, she leaned down and began to whisper into the Jolteon’s ear in a hushed voice. “Between you and me, I think they really did care about each other, in their own special way. Although I don’t know if I could ever trust Nox again after she left me for dead like that, it was really, really out of character for her. I know she cares about us all a lot deep down, and I think Eclipse quitting the team affected her a lot more than she let on.”

Para only nodded in response, quietly mulling over what she had said. Eclipse hadn’t seemed to show any indication she wanted to rejoin Nox’s crew, but if the sudden revival of her hostility towards him was any indication, she could obviously keep her true feelings concealed fairly well. Assuming Nox had anything to do with why she was mad at him, anyway. Despite the genuine hurt he felt towards her sudden shift in attitude, the thought of her leaving his team to go back to someone like Nox was repulsive to him, even if their arrangement was always assumed to just be temporary. Regardless of how good of a leader or a person the Salazzle could allegedly be, all Para had seen in her eyes when she looked at him was the same disgust that he had seen in so many others. Seeing that look in Eclipse’s eyes had nearly broken him once; seeing it coming from her again would be more than his heart could bear.

Gradually, light began to filter in through the branches of the trees overhead as they became fewer and farther between, distracting Para from his depressing thoughts. He breathed a sigh of relief as they passed through the opposite edge of the forest, happy to finally be out of that wretched place. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring up at the imposing Mt. Inviting. Its peak cut through the thunderheads that had become a staple of the expedition while its snowy sides shimmered like silver in the weak light. He would’ve found the sight beautiful if the sheer size of the mountain hadn’t made him suddenly and very acutely aware of the fact that he was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally from the day’s events. “Let’s hurry and find a spot to pitch the tent before night falls. Since I think we were one of the first teams to make it out, we should be able to find a pretty good site before anyone else comes along,” Para said. His suggestion was met with an enthusiastic nod from Kami and a tired grunt from Eclipse.

The trio’s excitement to finally be out of the woods was hampered somewhat by the fact that they now had to contend with the freezing winds and falling snow that the tall pines had spared them from for most of the day. As a result, when they spotted a large, flat ledge that jutted out of the side of the mountain right at the base, they all made a beeline for it. Para had the tent called out of storage and set up as soon as they reached their destination, and within minutes of all three scrambling inside, the top of it was already coated in a layer of soft, fresh snow.

After a long day of running, fighting and nearly dying, allowing his gear to drop haphazardly from his body was pure bliss to Para. They still had plenty of what might have been considered ‘daylight’ despite the gloomy atmosphere brought on by the sea of gray overhead and the falling snow.. After getting a smaller fire going inside the tent, Para allowed his limbs to thaw out before leaving the shelter once more. Using his razor-sharp metal claws, he slashed through some of the smaller trees near where they made camp, watching with satisfaction as they fell into the snow with muted thuds. With some effort, he managed to drag each of them the short distance back to the campsite, then set about creating a larger bonfire outside of the tent that would repel some of the cold as well as provide a beacon for the rest of the expedition members that would eventually arrive. The sheer volume of wet snow made the task much harder than it needed to be, forcing the Jolteon to resort to striking the pile of logs with several thunderbolts, tired as he was. After the third powerful arc of electricity, the superheated plasma finally caused the logs to ignite, sending up a defiant, roaring flame that seemed to challenge nature itself, futile as it was to do so.

His task complete, Para returned to the tent and began stripping off his wet, destroyed clothes, too exhausted to notice Kami stealing bashful glances at his form. Eclipse peeked at him once when she was sure no one would notice, though the action served to put her in an even worse mood. Para wasn’t particularly hard on the eyes; if it weren’t for his status as a shiny being an affront to the gods, he might have even been considered somewhat handsome.

The drying rack was soon completely covered in wet clothes, which had significantly more holes in them than they had the previous evening. Para busied himself with letting several skewers of meat, vegetables and berries roast over the fire while he rubbed healing salves over the cuts and bruises that hadn’t warranted his immediate attention from earlier. The tent was quiet as each member of the team went about preparing dinner, bandaging their wounds and cleaning their gear, though unlike before, Para didn’t feel the same sense of awkwardness he had when he was alone with the angry Umbreon. Granted, she was still angry, but the presence of the Ampharos quietly mending the gashes in her clothes in the corner served to help him relax.

A short while later when the gear was cleaned of bloodstains and mostly patched back together, their bodies washed and their stomachs filled, all three members of Team Spearhead lay nestled in their cots, soaking in the warmth from the fire in the middle of the tent. Kami and Eclipse had fallen asleep almost instantly while Para took the opportunity to let his mind wander as he settled in for a nap as well. In his head he mentally boxed up and stored away the day’s experiences, from foiling Nox’s attempt at slandering him to the fight where he had slew the rampaging Beartic. Rather than allow himself to be overwhelmed by the close brushes with death he’d experienced as well as the lives he’d taken, he simply put the memories away and refused to think about them, instead focusing on being grateful that they were all alive and more or less unharmed. In his line of work, going to bed with all your limbs still attached at the end of the day was something to celebrate, and Para always took the time to be happy about it.

Being a light sleeper whenever he was camping out, the sounds of voices and movement outside the tent just over an hour later roused Para from his slumber. Though he would have preferred to sleep for longer, the short nap had put him in a slightly better mood as well as restored much of his strength. Donning a different set of more comfortable warm clothes that were stored in the tent, the Jolteon emerged from his shelter to ensure the newcomers to their campsite weren’t uninvited guests. However, he thought he might have preferred another assault from the locals when he was greeted with the sight of Nox and the Weavile she still had on her team setting up a tent directly across from them. Without thinking, he let out a groan at the mere sight of the Salazzle, then quickly ducked back into his tent just as she turned her head towards the source of the noise. Whatever good mood he’d been in when he woke up evaporated into thin air at the prospect of having to camp so close to Nox’s team, if it could really still be called a team at that point.

Kami sat up just as Para slipped back into the tent, shooting him a curious look as he did. She froze as he muttered “Your old pal Nox decided to set up shop directly across from us,” the idea of facing her former leader again after she was so callously left behind being a frightening prospect for her. Despite being a capable adventurer in her own right, Kami still had a strong aversion to direct confrontation. She was much more comfortable landing Thunder Punches on foes than speaking up for herself, and despite all the good times she’d had with her friends, it wouldn’t be the first time Nox exploited her nonconfrontational personality. Despite that, Kami was resolute in her decision to leave Nox for Para; if she couldn’t trust the Salazzle with her life, there was no reason for her to stick around. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to actually explain that to said Salazzle.

Eclipse stirred and groggily opened her eyes as the voices in the tent woke her up. Her vision was blurry for a moment, so she just laid there, watching as the distorted shapes and colors slowly materialized into Para and Kami. From her spot across the tent from them, the fire burning in the brazier served hide her movements, allowing her to watch the two of them without them knowing she was awake just yet. In her sleep-addled mind, she wondered why she was even spying on them; It wasn’t like they were keeping secrets from her or anything. Their party was hardly a full day old, and Kami had only been there a few hours. What secrets would they possibly have to keep from her? However, just as she was about to sit up and chide herself for being foolish, she heard the Ampharos say something that made her pause.

“I just don’t think I have it in me to face Nox right now,” Kami said, her voice a mix of apprehension and sadness. “Despite everything, I really thought she was my friend. But now…”

“It’s alright, I understand,” Para said as he moved closer. “I promise I won’t let her do anything to harm you again.”

Eclipse felt a pang of jealousy shoot through her when Para said those words, but as she watched him move forward and embrace the gloomy Ampharos, it was as if he just shoved a knife right into her heart. Without a word, she suddenly sat up and pushed off her cot before making her way out of the tent. She heard Para call her name before she left, but she didn’t acknowledge him or turn around, refusing to let them see the big, wet tear running down her cheek.

The Umbreon wiped her eyes as she stepped through the entrance flap, managing to compose herself just in time as cheers suddenly erupted from all around her. Confused, Eclipse suddenly found herself staring at a multitude of different Pokémon waving to her and calling her name. It took her several seconds to realize that she was looking at a large part of the remaining expeditionary force; many of whom had been a part of the battle in the forest clearing judging by the fresh wounds and bandages they bore. She smiled sheepishly as they began to gather around her, expressing their gratitude for her actions and their astonishment that she managed to defeat two of those fierce, hulking savages singlehandedly. The partially melted slush was slippery under her paws as Eclipse started to shuffle away from the quickly-growing crowd. She attempted to put the raging bonfire between herself and the rest of the expedition, wanting nothing more than to be alone in that moment; unfortunately for her, a familiar voice dashed all hope of escape.

“Eclipse, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you ever since I heard you saved half the people on this expedition by yourself!”

Eclipse cringed as she heard Nox’s voice raise over all the others. Turning her head to the side, she watched as the Salazzle made her way through the crowd towards her with an obnoxiously large grin on her face. She thought about just turning around and ducking back into the safety of Para’s tent, but the thought of seeing him cuddled up next to that stupid homewrecking Ampharos was even more repulsive than whatever stunt her former leader was about to pull. Caught between a rock and a hard place, it was all the Umbreon could do to stand tall and force her lips into an imitation of a co*cky grin, despite having come outside to find someplace quiet to bawl her eyes out.

“I-I… I dunno about saving half the expedition or anything, I was just blowing off some steam on a couple of feral freaks. Hopefully the rest of them will think twice before they get in our way again!”

A cheer went up from those around them at Eclipse’s bold words and she managed to keep up her false bravado despite the vivid memory of the Trevenant’s punch that hurt her so bad it made her want to vomit. Her façade of confidence unquestioned, she met Nox’s gaze, expecting to find her aggravated or put off by the display. Instead, the Salazzle just gave her a soft smile as she stepped closer. Eclipse wasn’t sure what she was up to, but she wouldn’t have ever guessed what she did next; rather than firing off insults or accusations, as she had earlier that day, Nox simply leaned in and pulled her into a quick, light hug.

“I’m just thankful to Arceus that you’re alright,” she said as she took a step back from the stunned Umbreon. “It was pretty nasty in that forest, and losing you would’ve been awful.”

Eclipse wanted to say something about how Nox had been fine with leaving Kami behind to secure her own escape. She held her tongue however, deciding instead to return the smile. After all, what did Kami matter to her anymore? As far as she was concerned, in that moment, Para could have her.

“Anyway,” Nox continued, raising her voice for everyone to hear, “As far as I can tell, at least a third of us aren’t making it to the mountain. Most of the administration, including the Grandmaster, are back in the forest overseeing the, uh… cleanup. I figured that while we wait for them, the rest of us should break into the supply wagons. After all, it’s not like we’ll be needing all the extra food, right?”

Another rousing cheer went up from the crowd at the suggestion, and this time Eclipse found herself among them. She was pleasantly surprised that Nox was acting so agreeable, though what came next would confirm her suspicions about the Salazzle’s intent.

“Let’s feast tonight! After all, there’s plenty to celebrate right now,” she said, riling up the adventurers as several began to run towards the wagons that made up the expedition’s supply convoy. “Being alive and in relatively good health for one, and being out of that godsdamned forest and so close to the treasure for another!” Then, Nox turned to face Eclipse again and extended one of her arms out towards her. “And maybe, to reconciliation and you finally coming back to us. Back where you belong.”

While Eclipse was hardly stunned, or even all that surprised by the gesture for that matter, she still found herself hesitating rather than outright rejecting the offer. Memories flashed through her mind of all the adventures they’d had as a team. There were plenty of bad memories to be sure, but that wasn’t to say that they hadn’t had some good times together as well. With her anger now directed firmly towards Para, she found her paw slowly beginning to reach out towards Nox’s clawed hand. Perhaps this would be a turning point in the history of their team, and they would all grow stronger together as a result. Perhaps-

“You know Nox, I’m starting to think that you don’t like me for some reason.”

The noise of the bustling camp died in an instant. Every pair of eyes now found themselves fixed squarely on the source of the voice as he made his way out of the tent closest to the bonfire. A shiny Jolteon sporting a cold smile and murderous intent in his eyes resealed the flap on his shelter before making his way over to the Umbreon and Salazzle. Pokémon quickly shuffled out of his way as he walked, not wanting to get caught up in the impending confrontation.

“I mean, this is the second time today you’ve been trying to poach members off my team,” he continued as he forcefully inserted himself between Nox and Eclipse. “It’s just disrespectful at this point.”

For a moment, fear flashed on Nox’s face as she took a step back, away from the Jolteon. As quickly as it appeared however, it vanished when she glanced around at the multitude of explorers around them. Unlike that morning, she wasn’t alone this time.

“Quite hypocritical of you to lecture me on poaching team members considering yours exclusively consists of Pokémon from mine,” she replied, standing up straight so as to tower over the quadruped.

“Maybe if you want your friends to stay with you, you should stop throwing them away,” Para countered without hesitation, earning an irritated growl from the poison-type. He frowned up at her but refused to budge from his spot, ignoring her provocation.

“That’s enough!” a third voice yelled over them, causing the two to pause and look to the side. Eclipse, who had been watching the fight that was brewing, decided to step in before things could get out of hand, especially with none of the administration around to stop things if they got too serious. Though she didn’t want to see Para to invoke the ire of the mob that was currently watching their every move, he wasn’t getting a free pass from her either. She was still very upset with him for accepting Kami onto their team without even asking her how she felt about it first, then blowing her off for the Ampharos for most of the day. “No one is poaching anyone here. I’m allowed to explore with whatever team I want to,” she said, causing Para’s frown to deepen while Nox sneered triumphantly.

“If you’re already a part of team, then get an offer to go with someone else, that’s the definition of poaching,” Para pointed out. “So yes, someone is trying to poach you here.”

“Well who said I’m even on your team? Just because I’ve been following you around all day doesn’t make us partners!”

As mad as she was, Eclipse felt a twinge of guilt after she said that. Para paused for moment, looking genuinely hurt by her words. She remembered seeing that same look on his face many times before, especially the first time, back in the forest, when they were still just Eevees.

“I thought you wearing my badge meant that you were…” he muttered, snapping Eclipse out of her thoughts before she could get lost in them.

In an instant, her anger ignited once more, fueled by years of resentment towards the clueless Jolteon. Without thinking, she grabbed the badge and yanked it off of her jacket before throwing it to the side where it landed in the snow. “You don’t own me, Para,” she said firmly, standing just tall enough to look down on him.

Para said nothing at first, just staring at the small crater in the snow where the badge had come to rest on the ground.

His badge.

He was quiet for so long that Eclipse thought he was about to give up and start begging for her to stay with him, or retreat back into his tent. A dark sense of satisfaction came over her as she pictured him groveling at her feet, pleading to keep her on his team. Just as she started to plan out what she would say to the apologies he was bound to start offering, he finally spoke.

“Pick it up.”

His words were so quiet that Eclipse barely registered them over the crackling bonfire that raged nearby.

“Excuse me?“

“My badge.”

“Pick.”

“It.”

“Up.”

“I’m not picking up your stupid-“

“DON’T YOU DARE DISRESPECT MY BADGE LIKE THAT!” Para suddenly roared, stepping forward.

His teeth were bared in a vicious snarl as he got right in her face, a fury in his eyes that Eclipse had never seen before, not even when he had dispatched the Froslass earlier. She took several steps back, visibly shaken at the sight and unable to respond with anything more than a quiet whimper.

“That badge is a symbol of everything I’ve achieved since I left my old life behind! More blood, sweat and tears have gone into it than you’ll ever understand, and I did all of it by myself! You couldn’t even begin to imagine what I’ve been through to get where I am, and I won’t let you trample over it. I… I won’t let you trample all over me again!”

After hearing this, Eclipse found her voice again as a fresh wave of anger surged through her. “You think I don’t know what it means to suffer?” she said, her calm demeanor barely covering the rage bubbling beneath it. She marched right back up to the Jolteon and meeting his burning gaze with her own bitter-cold stare. “You think I don’t know hell, when you were the reason I went through it every single day?”

For a tense moment, time stopped as the two Eeveelutions stared each other down, mere inches away from one another. Searing heat clashed against bitter cold as both refused to back down, waiting for the other to make a move. However, as the seconds dragged on, silence began to crack the spiteful armor each Pokémon had coated themselves in, allowing for a brief period of introspection. Why were they even fighting now? If the events of the day had taught them anything, it was that it was certainly possible for them to still get along. There was still time to talk things out, still time for them to salvage the relationship that had meant so much in the past. Slowly, Para watched as Eclipse’s steel expression began to soften, and he felt his doing the same. He opened his mouth to say something. It might have been an apology. Perhaps a confession, or a plea for reason. Sadly, they would never know. Before a single word left his lips, his eyes widened as he felt a strong force impact him from behind, sending him crashing into the Umbreon and knocking her to the ground. Para stumbled as he tried to regain his footing, the slush making it somewhat difficult, then glanced behind him just in time to see Nox lowering her foot with a smirk on her face. When he turned back to face the front, all he was able to make out was a dark blur streaking towards his head before the impact of Eclipse’s punch knocked him onto his back.

Para covered his face with his arms as he reeled from the pain. The familiar sensation brought a host of bad memories to the front of his mind, clouding his judgement as his brain began to shut down and fall back on instinct. When he uncovered his face, his eyes dilated as he saw Eclipse standing over him, tall and imposing, her face contorted in a wrathful snarl. His breathing became short and his heart began to pound in his chest as panic swept through him, and for a brief moment her form melted back into that of a brown Eevee with brown fur flaked by specks of red blood. Glancing down, he saw himself as the scared, silver Eevee he once was, his body a canvas of bruises and scars. He watched as Eclipse, ever the artist, drew her arm back with claws outstretched, ready to add yet more wounds to his collection. Para cringed and shut his eyes tightly as he prepared for a fresh wave of pain, overcome with fear.

Why was this still happening to him? Why hadn’t anything changed? How could he have come so far, accomplished so much, grown so strong… only to be reduced to the same miserable whelp he once was? It was just… unfair. It was so unfair that Eclipse could do this to him. It was unfair that this world had not only turned its back on him, but twisted the only person he’d ever dared to love into his greatest source of torment. And the greatest injustice? He never was able to fight back against any of it. That his small, frail form was unable to even struggle as it was beaten into submission by a cruel, hateful world was simply too much to bear. After all this time, he could take it no longer.

The sound of glass shattering rang in Para’s ears, drowning out every other sound as his eyes shot open. Overcome with emotion, his once golden eyes became so bloodshot that they practically glowed red. With a single purpose in mind, he opened his mouth and screamed with all the force he could muster a single word:

“ENOUGH!”

Para’s body acted on its own, and a bright light briefly obscured his vision, followed by the smell of burnt air. When his eyes finally readjusted to his surroundings, he sat up to find Eclipse laying several feet away from him, struggling to pick herself up as residual electricity arced across her body from where she’d been blasted point-blank with a wicked Thunderbolt. When she finally managed to lift her head up her gaze held nothing but pain and fury. There was no avoiding it now. Finally, after years of enduring abuses beyond counting, Para stood up, then dropped into a fighting stance. The shimmering silver fur of his weak former self melted off of him, replaced by the brilliant green of the Jolteon who was finally ready to leave the past behind. In front of him stood the symbol of everything he hated about the world, blocking his path forward. It was finally time to do something about that.

A long silence followed as both Eeveelutions stared each other down. Snow fell softly all around them, the cold flakes doing nothing to cool off the tension between the two. Off to the side, the bonfire burned brightly, the roaring flames casting shadows that danced across the silver snow before fading into the darkness all around them. From somewhere overhead, thunder boomed, heralding the approach of yet another winter storm. None of that mattered now however. As far as Para and Eclipse were concerned, the world only consisted of the two of them as they stared each other down, waiting for the other to make a move. Then, with a sudden brilliant flash, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, covering the land in a brief blue as it tore through the heavens.

That was just the signal Para was waiting for. In an instant, he rocketed forward and closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye. Eclipse, startled by the lightning and caught off guard by Para’s blinding speed was just barely able to register the green blur that was his arm as it sliced through the air, intending to deliver what was sure to be a painful uppercut. Her body moved reflexively, spinning to the side and avoiding the strike by such a narrow margin that she felt the air rush over her face as his arm blew past. Slightly fazed but nevertheless undaunted, she used her momentum from the spinning motion to whip her arm around into a deadly left hook, aiming to knock him out with a single hard blow to his head. Para however had been planning for her counterattack from the moment he registered her dodge out of the way. Time moved in slow motion as he reached out for her arm as it sped towards him, using his own to nudge it upwards as he slid down underneath it and moved to her side. Just as she had, he spun around her as her punch whiffed right over him, but rather than follow up with a blow of his own, he carried on with the spinning motion and brought his hind leg up to deliver a wicked roundhouse kick right into Eclipse’s bandaged chest.

Still tender from the blow she had taken from the Trevenant, Eclipse screamed as pain exploded throughout her torso, ripping throughout her entire body as the force of the kick sent her reeling backwards. It took a concentrated effort for her to remain conscious as the edges of her vision began to blur, nearly falling backwards before catching herself and dropping to one knee. As quickly as her vision had blurred black, it suddenly flashed red as pain-fueled rage overtook the Umbreon. Para braced himself as he watched her arms practically erupt into purple flames, the Payback attack heightened to an intensity he had never seen before. With a battle cry that served to give even Para pause, Eclipse rushed him on two legs, the air sizzling from the flames as she swung wildly at him. He managed to nimbly dodge out of the way of the first several swings of her improvised Close Combat maneuver, but Eclipse eventually just grabbed his shoulder with one of her arms before slugging him with the other. Para crossed his arms in front of him defensively, but despite that, the sheer force of the impact felt like a boulder had just crashed into him. The nerves in his arms were scrambled as they were overloaded with pain, rendering them useless for a brief moment. Taking advantage of the situation, Eclipse released him with her other arm before just punching his chest hard enough to send the Jolteon flying backwards, landing in a crumpled heap in the snow several feet away.

Para couldn’t even cry out in pain as his breath had been completely knocked out of him. He wheezed and choked as he tried desperately to force some air back into his lungs, all while the dark world spun around him. It took several seconds for him to manage to sit up, and when he cautiously placed a paw on his chest, several of his ribs hurt badly enough to be cracked, if not outright broken by Eclipse’s punch. Unfortunately for him he had no time to dwell on his injuries, as in his dizzy state he was just barely able to make out Eclipse’s form pointed right towards him with a half-formed Shadow Ball glowing in her mouth. The panic in him grew in proportion to the attack she was charging up, and it was getting big, fast. Knowing that he would be finished if an attack of that magnitude went off even remotely close to him, Para raised an arm and began shakily shooting small bolts of electricity in her direction. Still stunned from the Payback she’d given him, most of the Thunder Shocks whizzed past her harmlessly, impacting the ground and burning holes into the snow all around her. Just as Para began to accept that the massive Shadow Ball in Eclipse’s maw was probably going to be the last thing he ever saw, one of the lightning bolts sailed directly into the glowing orb, causing it to explode in Eclipse’s face. She was blown backwards from the blast as the negative energy violently dissipated in all directions, coughing and sputtering as black smoke billowed out of her mouth and nostrils.

Para knew this was his chance. Just as the world finally stopped spinning around him, he shakily rose to his feet, ignoring the pain stabbing through his chest and arms. He sucked in a gulp of cold air, filling his lungs to the brim as he tensed his legs, then dashed forwards once more. Snow exploded around the Jolteon in all directions as he sprinted towards Eclipse, his form hardly more than a green blur as he closed the gap between them within seconds. With just a few more steps separating him from the bewildered Umbreon, who hadn’t been able to react in time to attack him, Para rose onto his hind legs as his signature blades sprang from his paws, the Metal Claws gleaming with deadly sheen as they sliced through the air. While he had approached Eclipse from the front, Para leapt to her side at the last moment, letting one of his arms fall behind him in order to build up momentum for a swipe. At that speed, he probably could’ve cleaved her in two if he really wanted, but instead he aimed to slice at one of her legs, delivering a crippling blow that would end the fight and force her to warp away from the expedition and back to the safety of the guild. Gritting his teeth, Para brought his arm forward, ready to finally claim victory over his friend turned enemy.

A loud, crystalline clang rang out across the mountain, as if the Jolteon had just struck glass. His eyes widened as he saw his claws embedded in the shimmering surface of a hastily constructed Protect, piercing through just far enough to graze Eclipse’s side. He watched her wince as a thin trail of blood began to trickle down her body from the small cut, but nothing more. For a moment the two locked eyes, both seemingly just as surprised as the other that the Protect had actually managed to stop Para in time. However, as soon as the shock wore off, Para placed one of his feet on the side of the conjured shield and used it as leverage to yank his claw free. With a frustrated snarl, he pulled his bladed paw out of the surface of the shield, then jumped backwards several feet. Eyes widened, it was all Eclipse could do to reinforce her Protect as quickly as she could as Para sprang forward once more, slamming both sets of blades into the shield. The sounds of glass shattering and reforming filled the air as he hacked away at it, executing several of the most advanced techniques he knew in order to wear away at the barrier. Eclipse cringed as she visibly struggled to keep her shield intact as Para spun and leapt, his arms a whirlwind of green and silver as he assaulted her from all sides. Despite her best efforts, large cracks began to spiderweb their way across the surface of the defensive bubble that protected her from Para, and all she could do was watch as he drew his arms back one final time, then brought his claws down on her so hard that the Protect just exploded from the force of the impact. Glittering fragments of energy flew in all directions before dissipating into nothingness, leaving Eclipse utterly defenseless, staring upwards at Para with fear in her eyes.

The dying light served to obfuscate Para’s form as Eclipse stared upwards at him, her mind suddenly awash with the memories of her past that she had struggled so hard to repress ever since she’d left her home. In an instant she was a child again, reduced to terrified Eevee staring upwards at an Umbreon looming over her. The sight of her father’s wild eyes, hot coals burning brightly with fury, was forever seared into her mind. Red eyes and yellow rings in the dark, followed by blow after numbing blow as she begged for mercy that wouldn’t come. The being in front of her was no longer Para, but the sins of her past personified, a demon that she had tried and failed to repress finally come to deliver a justice long overdue.

“N-No! Stop, please! STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Eclipse screamed, tears running down her face as she the memories quickly began overwhelming her.

The sight caused Para to pause as his own memories flooded to the forefront of his mind. Instead of fear or regret, all they served to do was to further ignite the fury that burned inside of him as he looked down at the trembling Umbreon beneath him, imagining how many times he was in that exact same position beneath Eclipse. He wondered if he looked just like that while he begged for her to stop hurting him, cries for mercy that had fallen on deaf ears every time. He gnashed his teeth together so hard they hurt as he practically felt his heart begin to harden, all while he slowly raised his claws into the air. This time, she got to experience what it was like to be powerless against someone. She would be the one to go home with a new set of traumatic memories, and the scars to make sure she never forgot them.

Para let out a furious cry as he brought his arm down. It was she who-

In an instant, Para’s triumphant fury was replaced by agony as his entire back erupted into white-hot, searing pain. The force of the unseen impact sent him careening through the air for several feet before crashing hard into the snow, which did little to soften the painful impact. The Jolteon screamed as his back sizzled for several more seconds, the pain of the injury alone threatening to render him unconscious. Though the pain only lasted for several seconds in reality, it was a brief eternity of torture before Para finally managed to recover enough to open his eyes again. When he did, he found himself surrounded by the grizzled explorers that comprised the expedition, whom he hadn’t even registered as being there until that moment. Most prominent in the crowd was none other than Nox, whose maw still dripped sizzling drops of acid from the attack she had just blasted him with while his attention was fully on Eclipse.

“That’s enough from you, monster,” she snarled as she stood victoriously, her heroic presence eliciting several cheers from the mob that was slowly massing around them, boxing the two of them in. “I’ll be doing the world a favor when I remove you from it!”

As the pain ebbed out of his back agonizingly slowly, Para grit his teeth and forced himself to stand up. On shaky legs and through raspy breaths, he felt the rage of the battle leave him, replaced by a gnawing fear that began to grow as he finally took stock of the situation he was in. His eyes flicked back and forth, registering the explorer’s expressions that ranged from disgusted to downright murderous, and everything in between that wasn’t friendly. He took a step back as the crowd inched forward, wincing in pain as the sudden lack of adrenaline pumping through his body made him keenly aware of the fact that he was significantly more injured than he felt. Para cast a quick glance back towards Eclipse and was surprised to find her staring back at him with a sorrowful expression. Seemingly lacking the strength to stand, she weakly held a paw out towards him before being swallowed by the crowd of adventurers closing in around the Jolteon.

His fight with Eclipse now over, Para had no other option but to turn his attention to Nox. Righteous anger began to course through him once again as he slowly stood up on his hind legs, this time directed at the crowd that had robbed him of his victory. Strangely, a pang of guilt shot through his chest as he recalled standing over Eclipse, poised to deliver his long-awaited revenge, though the feeling was quickly swept away in the tide of other emotions as he met the Salazzle eye-to-eye and stared her down. The crowd halted their advance as his claws extended outwards, cutting through the air as his entire body began to hum with what little electrical energy he had left to muster.

“I… I-I am not a monster,” Para growled as he slowly began to advance on Nox, each step landing heavily in the freshly fallen snow. “At least, I w-wasn’t… until people like you made me into one! All I’ve ever wanted to do was help others; its everyone else who has a problem with me!”

“The Good Lord Arceus Himself has cursed you in this life for your sins in your past one, demon,” Nox hissed in reply, stepping out of the crowd and beginning to circle around opposite of Para. “It is our sacred duty as His righteous children to punish you; our God demands it-“

“f*ck YOUR GOD!” Para screamed, startling Nox and sending a wave of angry murmuring through the crowd. The fear he had felt was well and truly gone, transformed into hot anger that gave his words authority as he spoke them. “I refuse to be judged by you braindead zealots for something I can’t even remember doing!”

Her eyes wide, the Salazzle’s face flushed with hot anger. “How dare-!”

“And if my very existence is such an affront to Arceus…” Para continued, cutting Nox off, “…then you can ask him what I did that was so unforgivable after I send you to meet him yourself!”

He didn’t bother to wait for another word to be said. Summoning the last bits of strength his battered body had left to give, Para leaned forward and sprang at Nox, his claws gleaming with deadly brilliance. While the cries and screams of surprised adventurers rang out through the cold air as the ones closest to him staggered back and ducked out of his way, his target’s voice was not among them. As Para closed the gap between himself and Nox and swung a bladed paw directly at her, he was surprised when she suddenly spun around, catching his swipe with her tail and deftly blocking it. Stopped dead in his tracks, he could only watch as her tail erupted with jets of lavender flame, the heat having hardened her scales to the point where her tail could resist his attack. She smirked at his surprise as she seized the initiative; in a single, fluid motion, Nox flicked her tail upwards and pushed Para’s claws to the side, leaving him wide open. Then, her body flowing like a snake, she spun around and raked his chest with her own claws, which were coated in weak acid and heated to the point where they sizzled as they sliced through the air. While she couldn’t slice through him, Para still screamed as fresh white-hot agony ripped through his body. Momentarily blinded by pain, he jumped backwards and flung his arms forward, unleashing an arc of electricity in the form of a Discharge attack in Nox’s general direction. Though he couldn’t see the result of his attack, the sound of an explosion and the resulting yelps of pain suggested he’d hit several onlookers as well as his target.

The Jolteon clutched at his chest as his vision returned to him, wincing from the pain brought on by the contact. His sight restored, he was able to duck just in time as an Energy Ball attack whizzed past his head, whistling as it spun through the air before exploding several yards away in a shower of green sparks. This was followed by a brilliant blue Dragon Pulse that just barely grazed his side and a roaring Flamethrower that singed the fur on his back as he dove to evade it. To his horror, Para realized that the mob surrounding him had begun taking potshots at him from all sides, and the ferocity of their attacks suggested they weren’t going to hold back. For her part, Nox just stepped back and laughed, grinning with savage delight as she pointed at him.

“Destroy him, brothers and sisters!” she shouted, colorful streaks lighting the darkness all around them as attacks flew, as deadly as they were beautiful. “Destroy this beast before he can harm anyone else!”

As more and more Pokémon joined in the assault, Para quickly found it was becoming impossible to dodge the barrage of attacks coming at him. He hissed as energized starlight blasted into his front and caused him to stagger backwards, only to be pushed the opposite direction as a Shadow Ball exploded violently behind him. Glancing to his side, he saw a cerulean orb hurtling towards him, and acting on instinct, he slashed at it with his Metal Claws. To his surprise, the Aura Sphere attack was cut into three neat ribbons, which spiraled out of control and exploded in the crowd to his other side. Several cries of surprise and pain went up from that area, which were quickly drowned out by Nox’s own shouts of “More! More! Finish him!”

As the barrage increased in intensity, Para found himself slowly beaten down until he was laying in the snow, cradling his head. Every inch of him hurt, the pain only worsening as attacks continued to rain down on the defeated Jolteon. His vision became blurred as his breathing became labored, and his ears became deafened by a loud, incessant ringing that seemed to pulse painfully as blood rushed through them. He tried to look upwards, but the colors all blurred together in swirls of dark and silver hues, offset by occasional streaks of color that corresponded to another blast of pain rocking his system and making his dizziness worse. He became dimly aware of the iron taste of blood filling his mouth, and if the hues of red-stained silver beneath his body were any indication, he wasn’t going to last much longer.

Was this what dying felt like, he wondered? Was he finally going to die? It wasn’t like he hadn’t longed for his own end, the call of the void and the promise of release from the terrible loneliness and cruelty this world had inflicted upon him having been a temptation for as long as he could remember. In his heart of hearts, he knew that he hadn’t become an adventurer out of a motivation to help others or see the world; rather, adventuring for him was a means to an end. A way for him to find the death he longed for without the shame of inflicting it upon himself. Still, now that he was faced with his own end, Para couldn’t help but feel… unfulfilled. Sure, he had secretly hoped he wouldn’t come back from this expedition, as he did every time he stepped out of his base with his adventuring pack strapped to his back, but… not like this. Not succumbing to the very Pokémon he despised, after the universe had conspired to rob him of any semblance of justice or closure with the very being who had quite literally ruined his life. It was just unfair. Life had been nothing but unfair for the Jolteon, and dying like this would be letting this cruel, unredeemable world have one last laugh at him as he cascaded into darkness.

“It’s… u-unfair…” he muttered, unable to even feel pain anymore from the attacks raining down on him.

“N-Not fair…” Were they still attacking him, or was he dead already? He couldn’t tell.

“Unfair…!” His voice began to rise despite the blood choking his lungs. The world was dark for him, but if he had been able to see, he’d have savored the looks of horror on the crowd’s faces as his broken form slowly rose to all fours.

“I… I won’t stand for it!” Sparks began to leap from his body as the smell of iron and ozone permeated the air, filling the lungs of terrified onlookers. Nox’s voice rang out from somewhere, though it was indecipherable over the crackling of static and the boom of thunder overhead as the ambient electric charge became strong enough to feel.

“I hate this. I hate it! I hate it I hate it I HATE IT I HATE IT IHATEITIHATEIT!”

Throwing his head backwards, Para unleashed a deafening, inhuman scream that resonated with a primal fear buried within the subconscious of every Pokémon able to hear it. The scream of a dying animal, raging with all its might against the cold indifference of the universe pierced the mind and froze the legs in place, forcing all to watch in horror as a green glow enveloped the broken Jolteon. Then, in the blink of an eye, the static field exploded outwards, blanketing everyone and everything around in electrical hell. A cacophony of screams rose to join with Para’s as dozens of adventurers who hadn’t been able to flee in time found their bodies surging with electricity, the pure energy ripping their cells apart and forcing them back together again and again and again. The song of agony resounded throughout the area for miles as Para unleashed the most devastating Discharge attack of his life, expelling every ounce of energy he had in his body as he attempted to drag as much of the world into the void with him as he could.

The Jolteon’s scream continued to grow louder, as if he was challenging the very forces of creation themselves, or to break the world in two beneath him. Just as the Discharge reached an intensity that threatened to fry the entire camp and everyone in it, it suddenly stopped. As quickly as the world had broken apart, it was suddenly whole again. As darkness blanketed the land, it covered up any trace of the hell that been wrought, leaving only the dissipating smell of ozone and burnt flesh to mark that anything had happened at all. Para lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, partially submerged in cold, melted slush, with a battered Eclipse standing over him. Her left paw bore a severe electrical burn from where she had struck his head and knocked him out. Not even her impressive shields were enough to spare her from the full fury of his attack.

Tears streamed down the Umbreon’s face as she looked at the Jolteon beneath her, the smoking remnants of a Protect fizzling into nothingness around her. Below, Para lay unmoving, his shallow, labored breathing barely detectable in the weak light that radiated from the destroyed camp. She watched as his form slowly became larger and larger until it filled her entire field of vision, only realizing that she had collapsed next to him when she felt her body roll off of his. Darkness quickly filled her sight as her exhausted body shut down, and the last thing Eclipse remembered seeing was the dim yellow form of a Pokémon rushing towards them. It stopped right next to them before scooping Para up in its arms and turning away.

“N-No…” Eclipse said, her voice barely a whisper. She watched as their forms slowly shrank into the distance, her Jolteon once again getting farther and farther away from her.

“I never got to say that…

I was…

s-sorry…”

Bright light filled Eclipse’s eyes as they slowly fluttered open, momentarily blinding her. She groaned in discomfort as they adjusted, slowly focusing to reveal a brilliant expanse of blue sky, which stretched endlessly in all directions and was dotted with a few wispy clouds. She idly reached upward with an arm, as if to grab hold of one of the fluffy balls of cotton and drift away with it, leaving all of her cares so far away on the ground below.

“Oh hey, you’re finally awake,” came a voice from off to her side.

Eclipse felt her face twist into a frown as she was yanked back to reality before she could grasp her cloud. Her daydream broken, she slowly dragged her beaten body forward until she was sitting upright, grunting in pain as sore muscles and bruised skin protested every motion she made. She found herself in the partial ruins of camp from the night prior, laying in the midst of a collection of tattered camping gear that looked to have been a makeshift shelter constructed from the tents that had been destroyed. Eclipse’s frown deepened as she saw the state of things and memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. More than anything, she wanted to put the awful sound of Para’s unholy screaming out of her head, which was hard to do with reminders of the scene being everywhere she looked.

“Wait, Para!” she exclaimed, her eyes shooting open as she began to frantically look around the camp for the green Jolteon. “What happened to Para?!”

“Unfortunately, he managed to get away,” the voice came again, this time much closer. Eclipse looked to her side to see Nox standing there, looking off into the direction that Para had been dragged away in. “Or rather, Kaminari managed to slip past us while we were still recovering from that huge blast and make off with him before we could finish him off.”

“Do you know where they went? I have to get to him!” Eclipse said, her voice betraying the sense of urgency she felt. She gritted her teeth as she tried to stand up, but before she could move more than a few inches, a scaly hand eased her back down onto her haunches.

“Easy there, soldier,” Nox chided. “I get wanting to hunt him down as soon as possible, but you’re not in any shape to be travelling up the mountain, let alone fighting off savages to hunt down a fugitive. Roughly half of the force that made it out of the forest had to be evacuated back home last night, and the rest of us are too busy piecing the expedition and ourselves back together to go after him just yet. Don’t worry, though; sooner or later, that damned demon will be brought to justice.”

“Hunt him down? Demon? What are you talking about?!” Eclipse exclaimed as she pushed past Nox and stood up, ignoring the pain even the simple motion put her in. “I need to find Para and tell him that I’m sorry! For everything!”

“You’re WHAT?!” Nox shouted as she whipped around incredulously. “You want to find the monster that tried to kill you, and us, and apologize to it?!”

Eclipse made her way over to a collection of gear scattered haphazardly nearby, searching through it until she found her backpack, which she carefully slipped over her shoulders before turning back to the Salazzle. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. And if anyone, especially that homewrecker, thinks they’re gonna stop me from finally making up with my best friend, they’ve got another thing coming!”

Her mouth agape, Nox just stood there and watched the Umbreon, completely stunned. It wasn’t until she turned and began making her way towards the rough trail leading up into the mountains that the Salazzle finally ran forward and blocked her path. “Did you hit your head last night or something? That thing is dangerous! It assaulted you and attacked everyone else when we came to help!”

“No, he didn’t; you did that when you shoved him into me, and you were the one shouting for the entire expedition to gang up on him,” Eclipse countered as she shoved her way past, not bothering to hide her growing anger. “What the hell did you all think was gonna happen when you kept attacking him after you beat him to a bloody pulp?!”

“Hey, I only did that to save you! You were the one screaming for help while he stood over you with his claws out!” Nox reached out a clawed hand to stop her, but only succeeded in touching Eclipse with one digit before the Umbreon swatted her hand away.

“Last time I checked, ‘Help Me’ doesn’t mean go kill the other guy! That fight should have never happened in the first place, let alone escalated as far as it did; I think you just wanted an excuse to get back at him!”

Nox’s eyes darkened as her lips curled into an angry snarl. “I don’t believe this… Not only are you ungrateful to the Pokémon who saved you, but you’d go as far as to apologize to the abomination that nearly blew us all up.”

Suddenly, Eclipse whirled around, her crimson eyes alight with fury. “Stop calling him that! I’m sick of hearing it!”

“Why are you so insistent on protecting him?! He’s a shiny! He’s filth! He-”

“BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH HIM GODSDAMNIT!” Eclipse shouted at the top of her lungs.

As soon as the words left her body, it was as if a crushing weight that she had carried for as long as she could remember was suddenly lifted off of her. She took a deep breath in, then exhaled, overcome with sheer relief as she finally acknowledged the truth she had fought against for most of her life. “I’ve been so awfully, stupidly, hopelessly in love with Para ever since we were kids, and even if it’s pointless at this point, I’ll be damned if I let anything or anyone stop me from trying to get him back.” With that, Eclipse turned away and began her arduous march up into the foreboding reaches of Mt. Inviting, leaving the dumbfounded Salazzle behind.

It had been a particularly quiet morning for Para. He had spent most of it alone, watching the sunrise from a hidden alcove nestled among the rocks partway up the mountain while Kami slept off her exhausting night. He admired the way the sky had bruised a royal purple before igniting into passionate waves of red and gold. The quiet majesty of nature had always been a source of comfort and amazement to the Jolteon, a gentle reminder that despite the ugliness of most of its inhabitants, there was still beauty to be found in the world itself. His appreciation for the natural world was twofold this morning, being granted a spectacular view over the mountain range below and through the crystal-clear sky, as well as being pleasantly surprised to have woken up at all. Despite the massive injuries he had sustained the evening prior, his body hardly looked worse for wear; several new scars and a collection of bruises were all the evidence left of his brush with death. Truthfully, he hardly remembered anything that had happened after the mob had forced him to his knees, scattered flashes of frightening memories being the only evidence that he had managed to fight back at all.

When the sun had risen partially over the horizon, Para decided to light a small fire to prepare breakfast while the sky was still dim enough to obscure the clouds of smoke it gave off, but bright enough as to not allow the firelight to give away their position either. He thought about his next move as strips of seasoned meat and ripe berries seared in a small pan. The savory smell of the meat mixed with pleasant sweetness of the berries provided a small amount of comfort to him as he weighed his options: facing the expedition party right now would likely result in his death, as he wasn’t sure whether or not the Grandmaster would intervene on his behalf, provided Wigglytuff was even with them. He doubted teleporting back to the explorer’s hub was a good idea either, as his badge was attuned to the same teleportation node as the rest of the expedition, and the town was likely to be full of retreating explorers that he had injured himself. He considered just ditching the expedition entirely, but the idea of braving the wilderness or living out the rest of his days in hiding wasn’t particularly appealing. Besides, Kami had practically sealed her own fate when she rescued him, and the idea of asking someone that he hardly knew to run away with him into the wilderness for the rest of her life just didn’t sit right with Para.

A pang of guilt shot through him as he prepared a generous portion of food and hoped the Ampharos would wake soon; it would have definitely been better for her to have left him for dead. He was sure what remained of the expedition would be hunting him now, and her as well. For better or worse, their fates were tied together for the foreseeable future, as much as he wished that they weren’t. For her sake, at least. Kami had been nothing but kind to him since the moment they met, and now it was because of him that her safety and her future were in jeopardy.

All things considered, Para could only think of one final option available to them: continue up the mountain, uncover the Hero’s workshop, and pray that the Aegis Heart was not only 1. Real, 2. Actually in there and 3. In working order, but that retrieving it would also be enough to buy them some amnesty. Calling it a long shot was an understatement; that the two of them alone would be able to accomplish what a major expedition had been established for and countless others had failed at was next to impossible. Still, at this point, what did they have to lose? At the very least, he could die content knowing that he had tried his best if they failed.

Once the smell of breakfast had permeated the area around the campsite, Para hadn’t needed to wait long for Kami to emerge from the tent. They ate together in relative quiet, neither quite sure what to say. Despite that, Para found that he enjoyed just being in Kami’s presence. She had a quiet grace about her that just put him at ease, probably as a result of her traditional upbringing, and he was glad that she was the one to be with him in this difficult situation. He thought about telling her that, but decided not to as the atmosphere was already heavy enough without his tactlessness spoiling it further. After breakfast, the two carefully packed up their gear and tore the campsite down, taking extra care to cover up any evidence that they were there. Before long they were hiking along the winding path up the mountain, just as the morning sun was fully visible during its ascent into the sky.

“So, um… what exactly happened last night when you pulled me out of the camp? I don’t really remember much…” Para began, not wanting to make the entire journey in awkward silence.

“O-Oh… that…” Kami replied as she shifted uncomfortably. Para was worried that he had offended her somehow and was about to apologize when she let out a sigh before continuing. “I’m not proud of it, but… I only came out of the tent when I heard Nox shouting. I saw you surrounded by everyone, but… I was just too scared to do anything. I wanted to come help when I saw you were being attacked, really! But my legs just… refused to move. I’m so, so sorry Para. I wish I wasn’t such a coward…”

Para co*cked his head to the side as he looked at her, visibly confused. “What do you mean you’re sorry? You ended up saving me in the end. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before. As far as I’m concerned, Kami… I owe you everything. I should be the one apologizing to you for getting you caught up in this whole mess with me.”

“H-Huh? How could you owe me anything? Even as scared as I was, there was no way I was going to just leave you to be beaten to death! I’d be a pretty awful teammate if I did that.”

Kami’s words and the smile that accompanied them nearly overwhelmed Para right there. He managed to keep himself composed outwardly despite practically bursting with joy on the inside. From her, he felt a warmth that had been absent in his life for a very, very long time, and he had to stop his mind as it began to buzz with thoughts of her. She was just a comrade, nothing more.

Right?

Regardless, Para began subconsciously walking a little bit closer to her.

“Anyways, I suppose that the one good thing that came from my inability to move was that I wasn’t close to the blast when it went off,” Kami continued. “I’m not sure what you were doing exactly, but there was this huge explosion of electricity all around you, and everyone started screaming. It was so strong that I could feel it from all the way across the camp, and that was when I decided to pack up our things.”

“I don’t really remember what I was doing there either,” Para admitted with a frown. “All that comes to mind is feeling pain all over my body, and it just wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t see or hear anything, and I felt nothing but pain. And then, I remember this feeling of anger, like I was angrier than I had ever been in my entire life. After that, it’s all a blur…”

Kami shuddered as she recalled the grizzly sight. “Well, if that’s what you do when you’re angry, I’ll make extra sure to stay on your good side from now on.”

“W-Wait, no, I don’t normally do that!” Para stammered as he frantically waved one of his arms. “I’m normal, I swear! Well, as normal as someone like me can be… b-but still!” Rather than express fear or disgust, Kami just giggled at the display. Her reaction stopped Para from panicking and forced a small smile onto his face, which he turned away to hide from her as well as the light blush that had seeped into his cheeks. He didn’t know why he felt so self-conscious around her, since she was just a comrade.

Even if she was a really cute comrade.

“So while you were, ah… exploding, I figured we were probably gonna have to make a run for it. It’s lucky that the tent and most of our gear can just disappear into that orb of yours, because otherwise we’d have no supplies right now. I pulled our stuff out because I remembered you saying something about not leaving supplies inside when it vanished, but after I was done with the orb, you were just lying there. Since everyone else around seemed to be either hurt or disoriented, I figured that was my chance to get you out of there.”

“Does that mean you carried all of your things as well as mine, plus me, up the side of a mountain in the dark?” Para asked, visibly amazed by the Ampharos’ fortitude.

Now it was Kami’s turn to blush. “Well, that, plus you were in pretty bad shape. I was too scared to stop moving and patch you up, so I ended up just feeding you my own electric charge and hoping your body would do the rest. It was exhausting.”

“That would explain why I felt so much better than I should have when I woke up. That’s… Kami, you’re just plain amazing. I mean that.”

“Ah, well, I’m just glad I could do some good on this expedition after all. I was worried I was going to be dead weight the entire time, but I guess I ended up saving Team Spearhead on my first day. Hope I made a good impression!”

“I promise, there’s a permanent position for you here once we make it back to the guild… assuming we make it out of this mess, that is.”

After that, Para informed Kami of the plan he had formulated to find the Aegis Heart and use it to smooth over the events of the previous night. It was sobering for her to realize just how bad of a situation they were in, and she agreed that doing so was likely their only option. Despite the fear looming in the back of both of their minds, spirits were high as they hiked, and several hours had passed before either of them knew it. At some point the trail had doubled back on itself as it rose, allowing them to see the side of the mountain where the camp was from a much higher vantage point. To their dismay, they could just barely make out a thin line of adventurers beginning their ascent up the mountain path far below. While the pair had a significant lead on their assumed pursuers, they began to move a little faster along the trail nonetheless.

The sun had already set by the time Para and Kami decided to stop to rest. Darkness blanketed the mountain, making any attempts to find the hidden entrance to the rumored enclave futile, even if it did exist. Without the sun beating down on them to keep them warm, the temperature had dropped drastically. Razor-sharp winds buffeted them constantly and sliced right through their protective gear, chilling the two electric-types to the bone. It was evident why they had yet to be accosted by a savage Pokémon while up on the mountain: this place sucked. No one in their right mind, or even lack thereof, would choose to live up here. To add to their misery, the storm clouds that had been blessedly absent all day had rolled in with a vengeance just as darkness had set in. With their arrival came a fresh layer of snow to drench their clothes and make navigating the trail in the dark nearly impossible. When Kami finally spotted the mouth of a cave leading into the mountain, both explorers practically dove into it, heedless of who or what might have already been occupying it.

Once inside, Kami set her pack down and began rummaging through it while Para kept lookout, for all the good that did when he could barely see anything himself. After a minute of searching, she produced a wooden rod with a lump of charcoal affixed to the end resembling a Delphox’s wand, which she ignited with several electric sparks from her paw. Weak light radiated outwards and bathed the stone walls of the cave in its warm glow, offering the exhausted explorers a small amount of comfort. Now able to see, they discovered that the cave lead surprisingly deep into the mountain. Not wanting to expose their position with light or themselves to the snowstorm that was growing increasingly violent, the pair made their way deeper into the cave.

Soon, the howling wind from the storm grew quiet, the only sounds to be heard were the echo of footsteps over the rough stone floor as Para and Kami pressed on. What began as a desire to get as far away from the entrance of the cave as possible quickly turned into curiosity about how far into the mountain this passage led. Despite several minutes of walking, the stifling darkness beyond the light of the torch continued to conceal the end of the cave. Fortunately for them there were no side chambers branching off of the main shaft as of yet. This eliminated the need to check for unhappy locals waiting to ambush them, though despite this Para couldn’t seem to shake the feeling in his gut that this was no ordinary rock formation they were traversing. A general sense of unease permeated the entire place, yet both felt compelled to keep walking deeper, as if some unseen force was gently pulling at them from the edges of their minds.

Nearly half an hour had passed before the passage finally opened up into a small, circular chamber. Stepping into the room was like stepping into a different dimension; the air was completely still, and no sound came from anywhere at all. Even their footsteps seemed muffled compared to the passage they had been in. The tugging and the unease vanished from their conscious minds, leaving a noticeable void in their absence. It felt as if they should have been scared, or at least nervous, but the emotions simply refused to come.

Calm but not complacent, Para scanned the room for anything of note. However, the grey stone walls that had lined every inch of the cave refused to yield their secrets to his prying eyes. In fact, aside from being perfectly circular and buried nearly a mile underground, the room looked completely unremarkable. During the trek down the shaft, Para had dared to hope that this cave might have led to the Workshop and held the key to their salvation, but it seemed that disappointment was all that was waiting for them down here. Just as he had resigned himself to the idea of having to continue the search for another day, this time with enemies swarming all around, his eyes brushed over a small disturbance in the dirt floor of the room. As soon as he spotted the mound, his gaze was glued to it. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to look away, and before he even realized he was moving, he suddenly saw his paw reaching towards it. As soon as he touched the mound of dirt, he knew something was buried under it; after a few gentle brushes with his paw, the rainbow-hued edge of an orb of some kind began to sparkle as it reflected the light from the torch.

Against his better judgement, Para felt compelled to reach down and pick it up. Wresting it free from the floor revealed it to be a perfectly round sphere, polished to a brilliant sheen despite having been covered in dirt for who knew how long. It was small enough to fit in his paw, yet heavy enough that it didn’t feel fragile. Streaks of color crisscrossed their ways through the center of the orb, each trail a single, unbroken line of color: one of red, blue, yellow, purple, black, green, teal, and pink. As Para studied the orb in his paw, the streak of yellow began to glow. At first it was faint, barely noticeable over the reflection of the flames from the torch dancing across the surface of the orb, but after several seconds the entire sphere was emitting a warm yellow light. At that point, any sane individual would have thrown the strange object as far away from them as possible, but Para just stared into its core, mesmerized. It began to pulse over and over again with raw energy, which Para soon realized matched the pattern of his heartbeats. He felt himself resonating with the orb, as if he were attuning to it, or perhaps it was attuning to him. It slowly began to feel as if it were a part of him, as much a feature of himself as his arms or his legs. The orb filled his entire field of vision, its glow intensifying, drawing him in deeper and deeper into its features. He felt himself slipping into an endless expanse of yellow, its very essence seeping into his body and filling his exhausted frame with warmth and vigor. His grip tightened on the object. As the seconds dragged on, more and more of whatever power it possessed flowed into him, making him feel stronger than he ever had. He couldn’t stop absorbing raw energy, filling on it until he was ready to burst, and yet still more came. It was too much; his vessel wasn’t enough to contain such enormous power! He couldn’t stop, he couldn’t-

“Para? Is everything alright?”

Para flinched as he felt Kami’s paw on his shoulder. He jerked his head around, being met with her concerned face. He stared at her for a moment, his breathing labored and his heart pounding, then back to the orb, which was still glowing a faint yellow, just as it had been before. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but before he could make a sound, a voice boomed from the walls all around them.

“MEGA ENERGY RADIATION DETECTED. SCANNING FOR SOURCE.”

“W-What’s going on?!” Kami cried as beams of light suddenly shot out from the cracks in the stone walls. The lights flitted around the room until one of them touched Para, at which point every single beam suddenly snapped onto him.

“SOURCE LOCATED. INITIALIZING UNLOCKING PROCEEDURES PENDING VERIFICATION.”

Para yelped in surprise as the lights began to swirl around him, leaving a trail of glowing energy across his body wherever they touched him. In his paw, the orb’s glow suddenly intensified until it shone brighter than the torch, radiating blinding golden light that forced both Pokémon to cover their eyes to escape its burning presence.

“VERIFICATION COMPLETE. COMMENCING UNLOCKING PROCEEDURES.”

Para heard Kami scream as the walls began to shake. Chips of stone fell from the ceiling and pelted them as they struggled to keep their balance, the world seeming to fall apart all around them with neither being able to see what was happening. As the rumbling reached its apex, the orb in Para’s paw suddenly exploded with light. The resulting pulse was so strong, both Pokémon felt their bodies fill and then flush with energy, knocking both of them out instantly. As they crumpled to the floor, the shaking suddenly stopped and the light faded, leaving a quiet darkness to swallow up any evidence of what had just transpired.

Meanwhile, a mile above them, an exhausted Umbreon slipped into the mouth of the cave, only managing to make it a few steps inside before collapsing onto the floor. Her rings glowed dimly under the clothes she wore as she succumbed to darkness, her body forcing her unconscious in order to consolidate what precious little energy it had left. She thought she heard a faint rumbling just before she passed out, though with the wind howling in her ears, she couldn’t be sure.

Para felt his eyes slowly open, but the black expanse around him was just as dark as it had been when they were closed. He wasn’t quite sure if he was actually opening them or not until he discharged the electric energy in his cells. He was able to produce a few faint sparks that briefly sputtered off of him before fading into nothingness, but nothing more. For an electric type, doing so was a way to gauge how much energy they had left to give; such a small charge was typical of a Pokémon on death’s doorstep. Concerned about how weak he was and not wholly convinced he wasn’t deceased already, the Jolteon forced himself to sit up with a groan. He brought a paw up to his head and gently massaged his temples, trying to assuage the throbbing headache he had. Despite apparently just waking up, he had never felt more tired in his life, as if all the energy in his body had been sucked out of him. After carefully making his way onto his feet, he began to stumble around in the darkness, looking for Kami. Too weak to spare the energy to summon even a few more sparks for light, it was all Para could do to feel around the dirt floor for any sign of her.

“Kami? Y-You there?” he whispered into the darkness, but was met with silence. After waiting for several seconds, he called for her again, slightly louder this time. Again, his own muffled voice bouncing off the stone walls was the only response he received. Para continued to search for her blindly as dread began to form in his stomach as second after second of fruitless searching ticked by. The room wasn’t even that big! How could he have missed-

Para yelped in surprise as he tripped over something large in the darkness. However, instead of being greeted with cold, hard earth, he landed on something soft and warm, and not entirely unpleasant.

“Oof! P-Para…?” came Kami’s voice, followed by faint sounds of shuffling as she squirmed around underneath the Jolteon.

Para had to squint as she held up a paw and produced a faint ball of light from the tip of one of her digits. The Flash technique she produced was weak, either by design or because she was as drained of energy as he was, but it nevertheless forced him to avert his gaze while his eyes adjusted. When he was no longer blinded by a speck of light hardly brighter than a candle, he found himself mere inches away from Kami’s face, staring directly into her eyes. Para felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as he held her gaze for several tense seconds. Mouth slightly agape, he couldn’t help but lose himself in her wide, amber pools as they reflected the dim light from her paw, allowing him to glimpse his own stunned face and guilty blush in her eyes. Dazed and confused as she was, there was no doubt that Kami would get the wrong idea about his reaction to the situation they found themselves in.

But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Para watched her face grow closer to his own as he inched towards her, unsure of what he was doing but following his instincts. His head tilted to the side slightly as pressed forward, so close now that he could feel her breath on his cheek. Hardly a few inches separated them from a line that they could never come back from if they crossed, the gap between their lips closing impossibly fast and yet agonizingly slowly at the same time. As he began to close his eyes, Para realized he wanted to cross that line; that after years spent isolated from everyone he’d ever known, he craved the company of another. Anticipating the moment when their lips finally met, he moved to finally traverse the last remaining inch that separated them.

That was until he suddenly felt his center of gravity shift out from under him. Para opened his eyes again to find himself rolling off of the Ampharos as she quickly sat up and his long-overdue reunion with the ground became a reality. He crashed onto the dirt floor as his body tumbled unceremoniously after him, landing on his back with an audible thud.

“Para, y-you’re okay! Th-Thank goodness!” Kami exclaimed, failing to cover up how shaky her voice was.

“O-Oh, yeah! I’m… I’m glad I f-found you, I was worried…” he replied as he scrambled to his feet, trying to hide the dejection he felt.

Palpable silence filled the chamber like smoke as the two Pokémon gathered their scattered belongings in the dim, wavering light. The air felt as heavy as it was awkward. A needle dropping onto the floor would’ve sounded like a cannon firing, with Para scarcely even able to breathe as he shakily slipped his backpack over his shoulders and retrieved the orb he had found. It’s blinding golden light had been reduced to a faint yellow sheen, but it felt wrong for it to be out of his possession nevertheless. He shoved it into an empty leather pouch he had and fastened it securely to one of his legs, wanting to feel the object as close to his body as possible. The abyss of the passage that had opened up was somehow darker than the chamber they were currently in, and without hesitation Para began walking towards it. Dealing with whatever lay in wait in the blackness was far more appealing than remaining in the oppressive atmosphere he had created. He made a point to avoid looking at Kami as he did and increased his pace when he heard her begin to move after him.

Though he wasn’t able to see more than a few feet in front of him, Para felt the dirt underneath his paws transform into cold metal as he crossed the threshold into the newly opened passage. He was aware that any step forward he took could land him in a trap or an ambush, but that was far preferrable to the alternative of moving forward slowly and carefully and prolonging his time spent in agonizing awkwardness. He almost hoped something would spring out at him as his claws clicked against the hard iron beneath him with each step he took; at least then he wouldn’t have to deal with the whirlwind of thoughts that were currently tearing his head apart. Why had he done that? What did he think was going to happen? Sure, Kami was sweet to a fault and didn’t seem to mind that he was an abomination in the eyes of most of society, but that didn’t mean she would just kiss him like that. They hardly even knew each other!

Para sighed quietly as his ears drooped behind his head, feeling deflated. Of course he knew why he had done that. Someone was finally being nice to him; naturally he would latch on to her without a second thought. As much as he told himself that he didn’t need the company of others, the simple, embarrassing truth was that he desperately wanted to know what it felt like to be cared for. To be loved. The stacks of romance novels he kept hidden under his bed in his empty home had detailed that exact situation time and time again, yet the hero in the pages had always been able to captivate the princess. What was it that he was missing? Para wracked his brain to try and figure out where he’d gone wrong, but living as a practical social outcast since… well, forever, had left him inexperienced with these sorts of situations. Now, Para didn’t want to lose the new friend he had made- that he hoped he had made, but he just couldn’t bear to turn around and confront Kami about what had happened. Thus, he proceeded down the metal passage, quietly praying for something to show up and put him out of his misery.

“U-Um, Para…? Can, uh… C-Can we talk…?” came Kami’s voice from behind him, stopping the Jolteon dead in his tracks.

Para felt his blood turn to ice. Could she read his mind? Or was this just another prank the universe was playing on him to inflict the biggest amount of misery it could?

“Y-Yeah? What about?”

“You know what… B-Back in the tunnel, when… you know…”

“O-Oh, that… Kami, I-“

If there was truly a force in the cosmos observing him, it finally chose to have mercy on Para for the first time in his life. Just then, the same voice they had heard in the circular chamber echoed throughout the passage they were in. Dim lights flickered to life in the ceiling, bathing the area in a dusty fluorescent glow and revealing a strange room filled with objects that didn’t make sense to the two. In the middle of the room was what looked to be a pedestal or some kind of alter made of metal. As soon as the lights came to life, Para watched, mouth agape, as some sort of being came into existence on top of the pedestal. It was tall and thin, and stood upright on two legs with two arms hanging down at its sides; by all accounts, it was the perfect description of what a human was supposed to be.

Shimmering blue light radiated off of its form as it stood before them, emanating an alien sort of elegance. To Para, it felt as if it should be a thing of beauty, but he wasn’t equipped to understand why or how it was. Dark blue lines ran up and down its form, forming patterns and designs as they snaked around its edges. What they meant, if anything, was lost to him however, and if this truly was a human than their relevance was likely long obsolete. Regardless, the creature was pleasing to him in a way that he didn’t quite understand. As if on instinct, he felt his tensed muscles relax and his guard drop. It was inexplicable, yet… pleasant.

“Greetings,” the creature said. It had no discernable mouth nor did it make any movement or indication that the sound had come from it. Its voice seemed to come from all around them, and when it spoke, its language was unlike anything Para had ever heard before. While Pokémon naturally possessed the innate ability to understand each other despite physically making different sounds, this creature’s method of vocalization was wholly distinct from anything most Pokémon were capable of producing. Despite this, Para could understand its speech perfectly, more so than any other being he had ever conversed with.

“Queary: Preliminary scans indicate the presence of two Pokémon, one Jolteon, male, and one Ampharos, female. A human trainer is unexpectantly absent: are you unaccompanied?”

Para frowned at the nonsensical question. “Unaccompanied? W-What do you mean?”

“Clarifying Statement: All Pokémon who have entered this facility previously have been registered to a human trainer. Scans indicate that you have no registration identification data. Where is your owner?”

“O-Owner? Nobody owns us, that’s sick!” Kami squeaked from behind Para, the thought of being captive to such a creature understandably upsetting her.

“Not to mention the fact that that’s impossible,” Para added. “Humans haven’t been seen in centuries. Most Pokémon don’t even believe that they were real!”

The cerulean creature was silent for a moment, as if pondering what it had been told. After several seconds, it finally spoke again, still showing no discernable emotion. “Statement: This is troubling news, but would serve to explain why this installation has been in standby mode for a recorded 457 years, 215 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes. It was odd that there had been no remote nor local activation commands in such an extended period of time. Theory: It stands to reason that Project Ascendancy met with ultimate failure. That Pokémon persisted throughout time without humans present would suggest that humanity was completely wiped out in a single, cataclysmic event.”

“Project what…?” Para asked, his head swimming with so many questions that he didn’t even know where to start.

“Wait… are… are you saying that you’re not a human?” Kami asked, her voice calmer than before. Despite this, she remained firmly positioned behind Para.

“Answer: No, of course not. I am Artificial Intelligence Theta Class, designation 347 Omega.

Necessary Explanation: Visual scans of your faces indicate elevate levels of confusion. I am an artificial construct created by human engineers and scientists to automate the intricate and complicated functions of this facility.”

Para and Kami just stared at the construct.

“…Exasperated Clarification: The humans created me in order to run this place because it is hard.”

“Oooooohhhhh…” Para and Kami said in unison.

“So, you’re kind of like a golem, then?” Para asked, doing his best to wrap his head around what the construct was saying. It was so farfetched that he wouldn’t have believed creating something this advanced was even possible if he hadn’t been speaking to it.

“Affirmation: Of a sort, yes. My primary directive is to operate this facility, the purpose of which is designated as a forge hub.”

Para’s eyes lit up as soon as he heard those words. “Forge… so, like a workshop. Is this place the Hero’s Workshop? Did… Did we really find it?!”

“Answer: The term ‘Hero’s Workshop’ is unfamiliar to me. This installation is designated Forge 117, and is capable of constructing any item from a vast blueprint database. While I regret to inform you that this may not be the destination you seek, if you require an item to be made, I may be able to offer assistance.”

Para felt his heart sink as he heard the construct’s answer, visibly defeated. Kami, however, wasn’t about to give up hope.

“Um… Are you familiar with Regigigas, the ancient protector automata?” she asked quietly. She waited for a tense moment as the construct processed her request before it made a soft beep.

“Search yielded one result. Statement: Yes, that name is known to me. Regigigas was an instrumental component in Project Ascendancy, meant to act as a conduit of an extraterrestrial power source of some kind. While details regarding what it purpose it served and what exactly was to power it are classified and inaccessible to me, I do have access to its schematics.”

Kami’s face lit up as a spark of hope ignited within her that perhaps their journey hadn’t been for naught. “Th-There’s a piece of Regigigas that was broken long ago! It’s called the Aegis Heart, and I think that was supposed to be its power source or its core or something. Can… Can you make another one for us? Please…?”

“Relieved Answer: Prediction algorithms have identified within the schematics a part that is a 97% match to your description of an ‘Aegis Heart’. Diagnostics indicate that facility equipment is still operational despite being centuries overdue for maintenance actions. Yes, I am happy to report that I do believe I make the item you requested. Beginning activation sequence now.”

Para’s ears perked up as he heard strange sounds coming from deeper within the facility. He glanced over at Kami, whose smile widened as the sound of their hopes being restored rang throughout the area. “Yes! Finally, some good news!” he shouted, moving closer to the Ampharos as he allowed himself to be overcome with feelings of triumph and relief. He started to open his arms in order to pull her into a hug, but thought better of it before they were all the way open as he remembered that the awkward tension between them still hadn’t been resolved. His smile twinged with sadness as he closed himself off and stepped backwards, turning towards a doorway on the other side of the room from which the noises were emanating from and quickly walking over to it. “I’ll, uh… I’ll go watch the, uh… thing,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing out of sight, leaving Kami alone with the construct.

The Ampharos watched her partner go with mixed feelings. A part of her wanted to go and join him, yet the rest of her felt compelled to give him space. She was still confused about his actions in the tunnel and what that meant for their relationship going forward, as well as how she felt about him now. Kami had been overwhelmed in the moment when she woke up to find Para standing over her and leaning in for… that. Now however, the realization that he might have feelings for her of some kind brought with it confusing feelings of her own. While they hadn’t known each other for very long, she did like being around him. Whether this could extend to liking him was just too much to think about right now, especially given everything that had just happened. Rather than dwell on those thoughts and give herself an anxiety attack, Kami decided to tuck them away in her mind and turned to face the construct once more.

“S-So, uh… Miss, um… what did you say your name was again? Sorry…”

“Recitation: I am a Theta Class artificial intelligence, designation 347 Omega.” The construct swept one of its arms across its chest as it bowed its head in what Kami assumed was a respectful gesture for humans, the first time it had actually moved since flickering to life.

“Oh, well, Miss Theater 340 Oh- something. I-Is it okay if I just call you Spark? On account of your color and all…”

“Amused Answer: Yes, that would be fine. I realize that it is a long designation. In truth, the human operators of this facility were fond of giving things nicknames as well, myself included…”

“S-Sorry if that brings back any painful memories or anything, Miss Spark. But, I was wondering… why are you helping us? And without even asking for anything in return?”

The construct was quiet for a moment, its hallmark trait for when it was processing information. Kami was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake asking that question when it finally spoke up. “Forlorn Answer: The managing of this facility is my purpose. It was all that I was made for. Though I lack a physical body, or perhaps because of that, I am bound to this place; I could not leave this facility even if I wanted to. All I know how to do is run a forge hub. Now, given the troubling information that you have shared with me regarding the fate of humanity, I have no one to operate it for. It is possible that you and your companion will be the last living creatures to ever set foot in this facility; it therefore follows that I should preform my purpose to the best of my ability, should it be the last time I ever get to do so.”

“Oh… That’s… quite sad,” Kami said, her ears drooping to the side as she considered the plight that the construct was in. “I would probably be terrified, being left alone in the dark for years and years, waiting for the end…”

“Reassurance: I am not programmed to feel emotions the same way you do. I cannot feel fear or sadness. Do not fret for me; it is simply an honor for me to preform my functions for someone again.”

“Well, still! It’s not fair that you have to just stay here and wait to die, just because no one bothered to give you a pair of legs! So… I’m gonna think of a way to get you out of here! You can come with me and Para on our adventures and see the world! I promise!”

This time, the construct was silent for far longer than it ever had been in the past. Nearly a minute crept by before it slowly raised its head to stare at point on the ceiling, as if imagining it could see through the earth all the way up to the surface. “Whimsical Admission: If such a thing were possible… I think I would like that.”

Meanwhile, in his pursuit of the noises coming from the manufacturing process, Para made his way through a dim, dusty corridor. The lighting was sparse as he walked past several rooms that looked as if they had travelled through time; beds were neatly made, items were arranged perfectly on shelves, and crates were stacked neatly on top of each other. Everything was as pristine as it was alien, albeit covered in a thick layer of dust. Apart from its archaeological significance, most of the facility really didn’t seem all that interesting; especially not compared to the promise of a machine that could create relics of untold power being right around the corner.

At first, the room was dark when Para peeked his head in. The pounding of huge hammers and the screeches of metal grinding against metal assaulted his ears, but he couldn’t see what was making the noises until he ventured a few steps into the room. As it had before, his presence seemed to trigger the lights, as a loud bang echoed throughout the room before it was suddenly flooded with pale, artificial luminescence. Para blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted more quickly than they had before. When he could see, it took him several moments to try to piece together what he was staring at: firstly, the room was much, much larger than he had been expecting. It was nearly the size of the main hall of the regional headquarters of the adventurer’s guild, a building that regularly housed hundreds of Pokémon as they went about their work. In the center of the room was a massive cylindrical chamber, inside of which were several metal arms that seemed to be spraying strange substances over what looked to be a half-created Aegis Heart. Para watched, awestruck, as the object was slowly formed out of whatever the arms were spraying on it. Its intricate pieces and inner workings on full display as they materialized out of thin air. Massive pipes connected the cylinder to the ceiling and snaked into it from the floor, through which Para heard the faint sound of something flowing into the chamber. Tearing his eyes away from the Aegis Heart, Para noticed that the room was absolutely filled with items; what looked to be weapons, tools, clothes and many other things he couldn’t recognize were strewn haphazardly around the room and stacked in disorganized piles. It was a massive stockpile with no one to make use of it.

“What kind of magic were the humans capable of wielding, to build such a place…” he wondered aloud as he walked over to inspect a mound of multicolored orbs that bore a striking resemblance to the one in his pouch.

“Amused Statement: Any sufficiently advanced technology can be mistaken for magic to those who are unfamiliar with it.”

Para yelped as he jumped in surprise, startled by the sudden appearance of the construct. He frantically scanned the room, but saw no sign of it, which only added to his unease. “Y-You! I didn’t expect you to follow me, I thought you were still talking to Kami. W-Where are you, anyway?”

“Answer: As I explained to your companion, I lack a physical body: I can be in multiple places at once, and converse with both of you at the same time.”

“I-I see…” Para said, calming down but somewhat creeped out by the thought that the construct had been watching him the entire time.

“What are these things? They look a lot like something I found right outside of here,” Para said as he motioned towards the pile of orbs he had been inspecting, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.”

“Explanation: The objects you are referring to are designated as Extra-Biological Enhancement Nodes, or more commonly referred to as Mega Stones. They are gemstones irradiated by a specific frequency of energy that resonates with a specific family of Pokémon, designed to trigger a temporary and incredibly powerful state of higher evolution when bonded with an individual and subjected to an extreme emotional response.”

Para stared blankly at the space where the constructs voice was emanating from for several seconds before it spoke up again.

“Simplified Explanation: It is an object specific to a certain kind of Pokémon. If the right Pokémon holds it, they can use it to temporarily gain a massive burst of power. The stone is activated by extreme emotions; the stronger your feelings are when you use it, the more power you gain.”

“…Oh. That makes sense. I think. But how would someone know if they were holding the right stone?”

“Theory: The spike of mega energy that activated this facility was likely caused by you interacting with the Mega Stone you found. You experienced a bonding effect with the object; as if you resonated with it. Is that correct?” When Para brushed a paw over the pouch containing his stone and nodded, the construct continued. “Continuation: Such a reaction can only occur between a stone and the specific Pokémon it is attuned to. If you were to hold a different mega stone, say, one attuned to your companion’s species, it would be little more than a pretty rock in your paw. Additionally, a single Pokémon can only be bonded to one stone at a time, which is why you are not noticeably reacting to the several other instances of Eevite in your immediate vicinity.”

“Eevite…” Para repeated, rolling the word around in his mouth. The name had a nice ring to it, though he couldn’t be sure if the stone was influencing his thoughts on the matter. Even if it was, he reasoned, the stone felt right to have in his possession. “Speaking of,” he continued as a thought suddenly popped into his head, “why did the doors suddenly open when I picked up the stone?”

“Answer: This facility was designed to detect the presence of mega energy, which is passively radiated by a mega stone that is bonded to a Pokémon. All Pokémon companions of the personnel assigned to this facility were given Mega Stones, which would allow them to unlock the doors if their human trainer happened to lose their access keys. It is fortunate that you managed to find your Eevite; you would have never gained entry otherwise.”

“And this mega energy… It isn’t dangerous, is it?”

“Reassurance: Quite the opposite. As long as your Mega Stone is on your person, you should feel slightly stronger and more energized than you normally would, especially if you have a strong emotional response to something. If your emotions reach a certain threshold, the stone will activate and grant you enormous power, although testimonies from previous Mega Stone wielders suggest that the sudden surge of energy will leave you feeling drained for a while afterwards. The stones were designed to be used in extreme situations, activating automatically when you need them the most. Although, more experienced wielders were reported to be able to control when they mega-evolved by invoking strong emotions on their own.”

Para nodded as he stepped away from the haphazardly stacked collection of stones, examining some of the other piles of equipment as his brain reeled from the construct’s long explanation. While it was commonly believed that the ancient humans were an incredibly advanced species, the truth was that their technological prowess bordered on incomprehensible. They had the ability to manufacture miracles as if it were commonplace. This begged the question: for a race able to do all of this, what had happened that caused them all to disappear, leaving nothing but ruins in their absence? Para shuddered to imagine what kind of force could do such a thing.

Just as the Jolteon was staring off into space, lost in thought, his vision suddenly tinged red. Confused, he quickly snapped to attention and scanned the room, which led him to the realization that his vision wasn’t red; rather, the lighting in the room itself had suddenly flashed the alarming color.

“Alert: Additional life signs detected in entrance chamber. Scans indicate the being is an Umbreon, female. Elevated heart rate and body posture suggest extreme aggravation. Caution is advised.”

Para’s eyes grew wide as the construct listed the intruder’s features. It couldn’t be; how had the expedition caught up with them so quickly? The snowstorm raging over the mountain should have prevented their pursuers from making any significant progress along the path, or at least obscured their tracks. Yet here was Eclipse, in the same room as Kami. Dread flooded through Para as he spun around and began to dash towards the hallway, hoping he wouldn’t be too late.

“E-Eclipse?! W-What are you doing here? How are you even here?” Kami shouted as she took a step backwards. Former ally or not, the Umbreon looked downright menacing as she slowly emerged from the darkness of the passageway, yellow rings and red eyes practically materializing out of pure shadow.

“I’ve come a long, long way looking for Para. Mark my words, Kami: nothing is going to keep me from him.” Eclipse’s voice was hoarse from her extended battle with the elements, her tone easily mistaken for a gruff, threatening one.

To Kami, her former teammate, who had attacked her current one, had just braved a blizzard to hunt him down and finish the job and likely her afterwards. Her wide eyes doubtlessly betrayed the terror she felt at that realization, but to her credit, she did not move backwards a single step further. “You… Y-You’re insane for coming all this way! And… And I won’t let you near Para! You’ve already hurt him enough!”

Eclipse’s crimson eyes smoldered with fury as her mouth cracked into an eerie smile. Her razor-sharp teeth were on full display as she began to advance on the Ampharos, adrenaline pouring into her veins as she readied herself for the fight she knew was coming. “You know, if I’m being honest… I was kind of hoping you’d say something like that…” she growled. If this homewrecker masquerading as her former friend was determined to stand in her way, it would be that much easier to claim Para for herself once she was removed from the picture. With each step forward she took as she closed the distance between her and the terrified Ampharos, a small part of her fought against the murderous intent that drove her onwards. Kami was a friend, it reasoned. Hurting her would be wrong, and Para wouldn’t like it if she did. Still, after all that she had endured to get there, and having lived most of her life suppressing those feelings for her Jolteon, she wouldn’t permit anything to stand in her way. “Para will be MINE!” she cried as her legs suddenly propelled her into the air.

Eclipse leapt at Kami, pulling her arm back in preparation to deliver a knockout punch as soon as the fight began. To her surprise however, Kami ducked to the side as her own arm began to crackle with electricity. All too late did the Umbreon realize just how sloppy her lunge was; she sailed right past the Ampharos, who threw a solid Thunder Punch attack right into her side. Luckily for her it missed her bruised front, which still hadn’t had the chance to properly heal from the constant exertion her body experienced. Despite this the attack still painfully collided with her ribs, bruising them as she was sent sprawling across the floor. Eclipse snarled as pain flooded through her, which she channeled into her arms and formed into one of her signature Payback attacks. She rushed Kami again, who had braced herself for the attack. When she lunged forward and prepared to return the pain she was feeling twofold, she was surprised when the Ampharos caught her in her arms. Eclipse stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded as the larger creature held her with arms outstretched. As quickly as it came, the shock was replaced by indignant rage as she snarled and squirmed, trying to break free of the grapple. Kami looked just as surprised as Eclipse was, then fearful once more as she realized she was now holding a very angry ball of teeth and claws. Panicking slightly, Kami opened her arms and punted Eclipse with as much force as her still-recovering body could muster, sending her flying across the room with a surprised yelp.

Pressing her advantage, Kami opened her arms wide and unleashed a Thunder Wave as soon as Eclipse landed, the static buzzing loudly as it sliced through the air. Eclipse, now beyond frustrated at the fact that the weakest member of Nox’s team was actually winning their fight, rolled as she landed to minimize the force of the impact before once more springing at Kami. She dashed forward and slid under the approaching Thunder Wave before it could widen enough to ensnare her, charging up a Shadow Ball as she did. The sphere of negative energy expanded to an alarming size in seconds, clipping the edge of the Thunder Wave as it was fueled by an abundance of pain and frustration welling up inside Eclipse. She fired it at Kami as soon as she cleared her attack, who ducked out of the way with hardly a second to spare. Kami watched in horror as the attack sailed right past her head, then kept going, flying across the room until it impacted the pedestal Spark was standing on and exploded, destroying it.

“Sparky, NO!” she screamed, taking her attention off of Eclipse for just a moment too long. When she turned back around to face her attacker, all Kami could see was the blur of black fur as she leapt over her head, then brought one of her powerful legs down right between her striped yellow ears. Kami cried out in pain as she was slammed into the ground, holding her throbbing head as darkness immediately began to encroach upon her vision. Unable to move, she watched, frozen in terror as Eclipse stood over her, then drew her arm back to deliver the final blow.

This was it. Kami wouldn’t have the time to reflect on her life, to wonder if she made the right decisions. She couldn’t even flinch as she watched Eclipse’s arm begin to speed directly towards her face: she would be forced to watch as the Umbreon she once called a friend knocked her lights out. Would Eclipse stop once she was unconscious, or were these Kami’s final moments? As the fist inched closer and closer, the last vestiges of thought Kami had were spent wishing that she hadn’t been so weak. She’d let Sparky down. Let Para down. Let her family down. If only she had been stronger…

With less than an inch separating Eclipse’s fist from her face, Kami watched as her arm came to a sudden halt. Confused, she just stared forward as Eclipse suddenly disappeared from view. Her eyes scrambled around to make sense of what had just happened before finally, at the edge of her darkened vision, she watched as Para tackled the Umbreon to the floor.

The world spun around Para as he rolled with Eclipse, the force of his tackle sending them both sprawling across the cold, dusty floor. Though he landed with a loud, painful thud on his side, he was able to recover much more quickly than the Umbreon, who was laying on her back, obviously dazed. Seizing the initiative while he had it, Para rolled over onto his belly and dug his hind legs into the floor, then sprang forward in order to close the gap between them as quickly as possible. The ceiling had just stopped spinning for Eclipse when her vision went from dull, fluorescent gray to shimmering green. Before she was able to react, Para threw his body on top of hers and straddled her chest, using his weight to prevent her from rolling out from under him and his position to stop her from using her legs to escape. Once he was satisfied that he had her pinned, he made sure she was watching as he held up a paw and flexed it. The sound of steel scraping past bone rang resonated between them as Para slowly extended his Metal Claws, pointing the razor-sharp tips threateningly at Eclipse’s face.

The two Eeveelutions held each other’s gaze for what felt like an eternity. Para’s amber-hued orbs radiated with intensity as he stared down at the Umbreon who had first attacked him, then Kami. While he could abide by her fighting with him, hurting the Ampharos was something he would not allow. He was just about to inform her of that when he noticed her crimson eyes, normally alight with a piercing brilliance that their history would never permit him to admit were utterly captivating began to soften. As they dimmed and began to blur, Para realized that they were filling with tears, which quickly spilled down her dark cheeks and onto the floor below.

“E-Eclipse…?” he said as the anger ebbed out of him and was replaced by confusion twinged with concern. His mind was screaming at him to attack her, to finish her off and subdue the threat before she could continue with whatever ruse this surely was. Despite this, he just couldn’t bring himself to. Cursing himself for his weakness, Para slowly pulled his claws away from her face, watching as her wet cheeks slowly pulled apart as she flashed a smile. His eyes widened in surprise as Eclipse suddenly lunged upward at him, having only a split-second to regret his decision before he felt her arms wrap around his back. Para closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain that would surely follow, but as the seconds ticked by, all he felt was the warmth of her chest pressed against his and the pounding of her heartbeat, accompanied by her heavy breathing. The hot tears streaming from her eyes bled into his chest as she held him in her embrace, squeezing him firmly, but not uncomfortably so. Bewildered, Para cracked open one of his eyelids and glanced at the Umbreon’s face, which wore an expression of such unimaginable relief that he was sure she’d hit her head too hard when they landed.

“O-Oh Para…” Eclipse choked between sniffles her black paws filled themselves with his soft, green fur. “Finally… F-Finally, I have you.”

Para blinked several times, expecting to wake up from whatever dream he was having each time. However, as time dragged on and his surroundings failed to change, he slowly came to terms with the fact that he was very much awake. Eclipse’s behavior would’ve made far more sense if it had been conjured up by his mind, as desperate as he was in his subconscious to have her come back to him. The Jolteon found himself just staring at her dumbly as a result as his mind burned itself out trying to process the fact that the Umbreon was not only not trying to kill him, but glad to see him instead.

The room was silent save for the sound of fur brushing against fur as Eclipse wiggled out from under Para. Once she was free, she used the new position to press as much of herself against him as she possibly could, hugging him so deeply that their bodies practically melted together. Black blurred into green as she buried her face into the fur on his neck, sinking into a shimmering sea of silver as she drank in his scent. The more rational side of Eclipse would’ve been concerned, if not outright disturbed at the ferocity with which she was throwing herself at the Jolteon. Any voices urging caution she might’ve had in her head were completely drowned out by the elated screams of her own liberated subconscious urging her onwards. If her angry confession of her love for Para to Nox, and more broadly to the world at large had brought her a sense of relief, then actually holding him was bordering ecstasy. It felt like an eternity of swimming in that soft silvery sea before she finally summoned the willpower required to come up for air. His scent still lingered in her nose, now pleasantly mixed with her own as she lifted her head to his level and gently pressed her forehead against his.

“I swear…” she began, her voice low but heavy with emotion. “I won’t ever leave you again.”

Finally, after hearing the words that he had yearned for his entire adult life, a hope for reconciliation that had been abandoned long ago, Para found his voice. He was in equal measure overjoyed that Eclipse had come back to him, confused as to what had brought about this change, scared that it was some cruel trick, angry that she had the nerve to say such things after how she’d treated him, and guilt-stricken by every curse and blow that he had levied upon her while the possibility of their reconciliation had been real all along. With all of these feelings and a million more questions whirling around inside Para, the only one that managed to make it out was a quiet “…Why?”

Eclipse stopped her nuzzling but didn’t open her eyes. “Why what?” she asked.

“Why… Why now?” Para finally said after several seconds. “Why is this coming now? After what happened… after I hurt you.”

It was Eclipse’s turn to pause for a moment as she considered her response. “I suppose… after we fought, losing you this time made me realize that I can’t bear to be away from you again. I want to do what I was too afraid to when we were kids: I want to be by your side. And this time, I refuse to let anyone get in the way of that.”

A lump began to form in Para’s throat as she spoke, making it hard to swallow. He was so full of emotion that it was practically bubbling out of him. He became dimly aware of hot tears streaming down his cheeks, though he wasn’t sure when he’d started crying. Still, none of mattered; nothing mattered in that moment outside of him and her. “E-Eclipse, I…” he choked as he struggled to get the words out. When he did they were barely more than a whisper, but even that was enough. “F-For so long… I just… I just wanted my best friend back!” With that, he finally threw his arms around her and embraced her just as the dam holding back the tidal wave of feelings inside him burst. He sobbed into her neck as he squeezed her unbearably tight, afraid she would disappear if his grip loosened even a bit.

“I-I’m so sorry I hurt you!” Para wailed in anguish, forcing the guilt he’d been harboring out of his body in a massive emotional purge. “I don’t even know why I did it! I was just so mad and sad when you looked like you were going to leave me again that I just lost control! B-But I… I can’t bear to be away from you either! Not again!”

“N-No Para, I’m sorry for hurting you! For as long as I can remember it’s all I’ve ever done! I’ve hurt the one that I care about the most more times than I can count, and I know that I’ll never be able to make it up to you but godsdamnit I’ll try! I-I swear I’ll try!”

Through blurred vision Para saw that Eclipse was sobbing too. Though overcome by his own feelings, Para met her gaze and forced out a smile. They stared at each other for a long time, going through a gauntlet of emotions together until every feeling was exhausted, leaving only happiness that they were together again at long last remaining. Then, time slowed as he saw her begin to lean in towards him and tilt her head slightly. Instantly his body was gripped with apprehension as he remembered what had happened between Kami and himself. Though he yearned with every fiber in his being to tilt his head and close his eyes, to connect with his best friend on an entirely new level and dispel the crushing loneliness that had haunted him his entire life, he found himself hesitating. If he was misreading the situation somehow he could end up throwing away everything that just happened to him. The thought of alienating Eclipse like he had Kami was so painful that he just couldn’t bring himself to take that chance.

Eclipse slowed to a stop halfway through her advance. Fear gripped her when she saw Para’s anxious look on his face, but she fought through it; she’d come too far to give up right at the finish line. She didn’t just want him back in her life, she wanted to share hers with him. Even if he didn’t, even if he rejected her feelings, which would certainly break her at that point, he would at least know how she felt. “Para…” she whispered, her lips hardly an inch away from his. She felt his warm breathing wash over them, felt his spiky pelt bristle and his heartrate spike, just as hers was. She swallowed nervously, but pressed on. “I… I’ve wanted to tell you, ever since we were kids, that I… that I lo-“

“You’ve said plenty already, Eclipse.” A harsh voice rang out of the darkness of the entryway, stopping her in her tracks. “In fact…” the voice was grating, like nails on a chalkboard, which caused the two Eeveelutions to cringe as they watched Nox slowly materialize from the behind the door. Shadows dripped off of the Salazzle as she slithered into the dim fluorescent light, her claws clicking against the metal floor with each step she took. “…I think you should stop talking before you say something you regret. After all, we all say things we don’t mean in the heat of our passions.” Nox’s voice oozed venom, so much so that physical poison dripped out of her maw, which she lapped up with a long, exaggerated pass from her serpentine tongue.

“Don’t listen to her, Para,” Eclipse spat as she pulled away from the Jolteon and stood up, glaring daggers at Nox from across the room. “She seems to be having a difficult time understanding that whoever I choose to associate with is my decision.”

Para slowly rose to his feet after her. Emotionally drained as he was, seeing Nox’s face had never failed to put him in a foul mood for the entire, albeit short time that he’d known her. But beyond his annoyance at her interruption of their moment he was confused as to how she had found the bunker. For that matter, how had Eclipse managed to track them that far? For a secluded fortress buried a mile underneath a mountain and undisturbed for centuries, it sure was getting crowded in here.

“Where did you come from, Nox? You and the rest of the expedition shouldn’t even be close to reaching this part of the mountain,” Para asked wearily. He took up a position at Eclipse’s side, brushing one of his arms against hers in an attempt to calm the seething Umbreon somewhat.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, freak?” the Salazzle scoffed, eliciting a threatening growl from Eclipse. “It really wasn’t all that hard, truth be told…” she continued, her voice an irritating mix of casual and condescending. She began to pace the perimeter of the room, inspecting the decrepit machines that lined the walls. Nox traced a line through the thick dust on one of them with a disdainful claw before continuing. “Just one touch was all it took.” She held up her dirty claw to accentuate her point, then flicked the dust off of it in their direction before turning and pacing the other way. Para looked confused, but Eclipse’s eyes widened as if she had just realized something she had overlooked. Nox’s jaws curled upwards into a malicious grin when she saw the look on her face.

“No… No way, you couldn’t have…” Eclipse said, bewildered, as she reached for the spot where Nox’s claw had grazed her during their confrontation at the foot of the mountain before she’d left to find Para.

“My pheromones are very distinct, and just as potent,” Nox giggled. “Tracking you down here was a simple matter; there’s nowhere on this entire mountain that you can hide from me. And since you seem so hellbent on allying yourself with that thing, it seems that I’ll just have to get rid of both of you. Such a shame, but what can you do?”

“What’s your problem, you psycho?” Para growled as he took a step towards the Salazzle. “First you spend all this effort trying to win her back to your side, after you drove her away, and now you’re just gonna kill her since she won’t be on your team? What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“You, actually. You’re the problem here.” Nox suddenly dropped her superiority act and turned completely serious. “Your kind is a disease; you need to be purged, along with everything else you’ve infected. I’m not sure what kind of unholy magic you’ve worked on Eclipse, but there’s no way I’m allowing you two to leave this place. Especially not with you violating the Aegis Heart.”

“…Excuse me?” came Para’s incredulous reply. “I took you for some spoiled rotten bitch who didn’t know when to give up, but you’ve actually been an insane Arceus zealot this whole time…?”

“Take His name out of your filthy mouth!” Nox shouted, her sudden fury enough to actually startle the Eeveelutions. “Do you have any idea how much my people have suffered for the Lord Arceus? We’re looked down on as thieves and harlots because of our bodies, seen as hardly any better than you! When I bring back the Aegis Heart and revive Regigigas in the Lord’s name, Salazzles will finally receive the respect and admiration we’ve been so long overdue; purging two sinners before doing so is just a bonus.”

“You’ve lost your damn mind…” Para sighed as he shook his head.

Nox grated her teeth as she fumed. “I will be rewarded for my work and your destruction in this life and the next one. We used to be friends Eclipse, so I’ll do you a favor and make this quick. Then Lord Arceus can sort you two out; you and that shiny vermin you call a-“

Para felt wind rush through his pelt and turned his head just in time to see the dark blur of Eclipse’s form as she lunged at Nox. Glancing back at the Salazzle, he noticed her smirk slightly in the fraction of a second that it took her to fall into a defensive stance. He didn’t have to wait long to figure out why she was smiling: a flicker of movement shone from the darkness of the chamber behind her, and Para realized too late why she had been so confident in her ability to kill them both despite being outnumbered. She wasn’t actually alone. He reached out for Eclipse as she rushed by, but just barely missed her as his paw grasped nothing but empty air. “Wait, Ecl-“ he began, but was drowned out by her furious cry as she rushed straight into a trap.

“I already told you to stop talking about him like that!” Eclipse shouted as she bounded towards Nox, her claws rattling against the metal floor as long, black shadows materialized into solid matter around them. When she had closed the gap between them, she leapt into the air with her Shadow Claws extended in their full deadly glory, intending to slice her target to ribbons. Unfortunately for her, she had been so focused on the Salazzle that she had failed to notice the Weavile skulking through the shadows behind her until it was too late. Once the dark and ice-type had dashed out of her hiding spot and ducked under Eclipse, the Umbreon was completely exposed to her razor-sharp claws as she aimed them at the perfect angle to skewer her belly as she flew through the air. Panic filled Eclipse as she struggled in vain to alter her trajectory as she flew, but she was going too fast; all she could do was shut her eyes and cringe, awaiting the impact that would likely spell her end.

Rather than ice-cold Weavile claws piercing her front however, Eclipse felt something much softer slam into her side, sending her spiraling through the air in the opposite direction. She landed hard on her back and rolled several times. When the room stopped spinning she saw the shimmering form of Para as he slid into the space she had just occupied, Metal Claws extended, and blocked the attack that was meant for her. A loud clang echoed throughout the room as the two sets of claws met each other, the Weavile and the Jolteon locked together in a momentary stalemate as they each pushed against the other with all their strength. For a moment they seemed frozen in place as they glared at each other and struggled. So evenly matched were they that neither was able to move the other even an inch. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Eclipse noticed Nox jerk her head forward. Para had noticed it as well, and in a fraction of a second his claws made a shrill ringing sound as slid them upwards along the length of the Weavile’s. He pushed away from her and leapt over to Eclipse, disengaging just as a foul-smelling Gunk Shot attack sailed through the air where he had been. It missed him by mere inches and exploded all over an ancient machine across the room. The corrosive acid hissed loudly as it ate through the brittle metal in seconds.

“Th-thanks…” Eclipse sheepishly muttered, slightly shaken as Para slid backwards until he came to a stop next to her. He dropped down from standing on two feet to three, holding one of his clawed paws in front of the two of them defensively while she quickly scrambled upright.

“How unfortunate…” the Weavile sighed, looking markedly disinterested in the fight despite having just tried to gore someone. “I was hoping you’d go down quickly, Eclipse. You always were much too loud.”

“I’m guessing there’s no love lost here then?” Para asked once Eclipse had gotten to her feet and dropped back into her combat stance next to him, this time wearier of her adversaries.

“Murmur and I never did get along, even before this,” Eclipse explained. “Though I didn’t think she’d actually get suckered into Nox’s stupid little crusade, even if she was a psycho little stalker.”

“Your insults are as crude as your attacks,” Murmur countered, though her voice was so quiet that they struggled to hear her despite the short distance separating them. “Hardly sport for an assassin of my caliber.”

“Wait, you guys had an assassin on your team? W-What the hell kind of operation were you running?!” Para shouted incredulously. While many of the more difficult and lucrative bounties on criminals were often to bring them in dead or alive, it was largely seen as uncouth to kill them outright. Even in the eyes of an admittedly lax justice system propagated by for-profit freelancers assassins were not held in high regard. For the Weavile to casually admit to being one spoke to either her arrogance or her skill.

“…And what kind of a name is Murmur?”

“What kind of a name is Paralysis…” the Weavile softly retorted, sounding more like a pout than an insult. The situation probably would’ve been funny if they weren’t trying to kill each other.

For several tense seconds the two sides stared each other down as they dared the other to make the first move. A cold wind blew into the room, ruffling Para’s fur as it hardened into defensive spikes. Small sparks leapt from his body as the electric charge stiffened soft green fur into points so sharp they would pierce through skin as easily as warm butter. His ears twitched as they strained to pick up any noise they could and his eyes flashed between his two opponents as he decided which of the two he would have a better chance at taking down. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough information about the two to formulate an effective strategy to use against them and he lacked any combat experience against their species as well. Without much to go on, he could only hope that he would be skilled enough with his claws to dispatch them, as he was still far too drained from the incident at the entrance of the facility to rely on sheer power alone. With a sigh, he reared up on his two hind legs and pointed his claws at Murmur, signaling his intention to take her on. He felt his pulse quicken and adrenaline begin to course through his veins as he dropped into a fighting stance and prepared for a difficult fight. The Weavile grinned, exposing a row of sharp, imposing teeth, and stepped forward. “Here goes nothing…” Para muttered to himself, then suddenly dashed forward.

Para had always hated fighting Pokémon that could match him in speed. His favorite tactic when dispatching an opponent with his claws was to deftly maneuver around them and slash at their weak points before they could hit him, until either they surrendered or stopped moving. While years of adventuring solo had made him particularly strong for a Jolteon, trading blows against a skilled adversary who could match his speed completely negated the natural advantages he usually relied on. As three loud metallic clangs pierced the silence in rapid succession, Para knew this would be exactly that kind of fight. He swung both of his arms in different directions as he jumped forward and backwards and dashed side to side, attacking her from every direction to probe for weaknesses in her guard. If they existed however, Murmur was very good at hiding them; she matched him blow for blow and blocked each and every one of his strikes with her own claws. What her natural weapons lacked in range compared to his, they more than made up for in speed and power. Though it was apparent she was exerting herself to match his furious pace her face still shown with confidence. When Para began to feel his strength ebb, he swung one of his arms at her and retracted his claws back into his paw at the last moment as she moved to block the strike. The trick allowed him to slip through her guard and deliver an electrified Thunder Punch straight to her chest. As he leapt backwards to momentarily disengage and catch his breath, he gritted his teeth in frustration; while the blow had sent her staggering back and clutching her chest in pain, he hadn’t been able to summon enough electricity to incapacitate her outright. Even afflicting her with momentary paralysis by scrambling her nerve centers would’ve been nice, but it didn’t seem as though he’d been able to do any serious damage. His mind began to furiously race through battle plans and tactics as he extended his claws once more, knowing that the trick he just pulled would only work one time.

To his side, Eclipse wasn’t faring much better against Nox. The Salazzle was managing to keep her at a distance by employing her tail, blazing with bright pink flames, as a whip and raking the Umbreon with Fire Lash as well as firing acidic Gunk Shots whenever she could. Both of the rings on Eclipse’s arms shone brightly as a translucent, shimmering shield on each one deftly blocked every attack. Despite her impressive defense with Protect however, she couldn’t advance far enough on the Salazzle to close into melee range with her signature Payback attacks, and the small gashes and acid burns on her body were adding up quickly. For the moment, it seemed to be an endurance contest between the two to see who would run out of steam first, though Eclipse was keenly aware that one single misstep on her part would result in agonizing burning of some kind.

As time dragged on and the objects in the room became adorned with slash marks and small puddles of acid, Para and Eclipse found themselves backed up against each other, sandwiched between their two assailants. “This isn’t working,” Para growled as he parried a swipe from Murmur and then delivered a roundhouse kick to her side, narrowly avoiding several Icicle Spears in the shape of shurikens that sailed past them and imbedded themselves in the wall across the room.

“No way, I thought we were totally kicking their asses!” Eclipse shouted sarcastically as a huge glob of burning acid exploded all over one of her shields. Both Eeveelutions winced in pain as corrosive droplets rained down on them. To her dismay, the attack had effectively destroyed her Protect, and Nox was already moving to exploit the vulnerability. Before Eclipse could summon the energy to reform the shield the Salazzle dashed forward and spun around to gain momentum, her body erupting in flames as she swung a Fire Lash at her exposed side. Thinking fast, Eclipse dropped her guard and braced herself, then caught the burning tail with both arms. She grimaced as pink flames seared her limbs but with a spin of her own managed to hurl Nox across the room where she landed painfully on the floor.

Pained groans filled the room as Nox and Murmur reeled from the attacks they had taken. Despite this they were back on their feet in seconds, damaged but not defeated. However, compared to them Para and Eclipse looked to be in much worse condition. With large patches of fur missing and adorned with countless cuts, scrapes and chemical burns, both Eeveelutions were keenly aware that they wouldn’t be able to trade many more blows with their adversaries. Para gritted his teeth in between labored breaths as he wracked his brain to come up with a plan. The problem for him was that Murmur was just as fast and as skilled offensively as he was, and in his weakened state he couldn’t find a way to punch through her defenses. Meanwhile, Nox had been able to use her advantages in size and range to keep Eclipse far enough away for her to avoid melee-focused combat, which she excelled at. If only there was a way to-

Para’s eyes suddenly widened as a revelation came over him. Of course. The solution was so simple that he wanted to kick himself for not thinking of it sooner.

“So, any ideas, Sparkles?” Eclipse asked without taking her eyes off of the advancing Pokémon.

“Just one,” Para replied as spit some blood out of his mouth. “I’ll show you what it is if you promise to never call me that again.”

“Deal, although I may not get many more chances to if your plan sucks. What do we do?” Eclipse’s eyes narrowed as she watched Nox and Murmur dash towards them again, bracing herself for what might be one last round of grueling combat.

Para waited until their attackers were nearly upon them before grabbing one of Eclipse’s paws and placing one of his feet firmly behind hers. Just before the attacks came raining down on them, he shouted “Switch!” and pulled on her arm. Eclipse yelped in surprise as the maneuver swung both of them around to face the other’s opponent at a speed that almost caused her to lose her balance.

Fortunately for Eclipse, her reaction time was a fraction of a second better than Murmur’s had been. She watched the Weavile’s eyes widen in surprise as she was suddenly face to face with the Umbreon, who’s shimmering Protect materialized just in time to be bashed into her chest while she was too close to evade the attack or counter it. With Eclipse’s strength and the momentum the spin had given her, she slammed her shield into Murmur so hard it knocked the air right out of her lungs before sending her flying through the air and slamming onto the cold metal floor. Seizing the initiative, she dashed forward and closed the gap between them just as Murmur shakily rose to her feet, struggling to breathe. She had just managed to raise her arms to defend herself when Eclipse reached her, one paw sporting a set of wicked Shadow Claws while the other burned with the flames of the brightest Payback attack she had ever mustered. In one swift motion the Umbreon batted her target’s defenses to the side with her claws before slugging her with Payback. A boom akin to a cannon shot echoed throughout the room as a massive shockwave from the sheer force of the punch sent debris and small objects flying in all directions. Murmur was incapacitated before she even hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Para had used the spin to catapult himself forward right past Nox’s defenses. Panicking, she tried to whip him with her tail as she sprang to the side to put some distance between them. Rather than simply blocking the strike however, Para held his knife-like blades at an angle and cut into her tail as he followed her to the side. She cried out in pain as blood began gushing from the huge gash in the appendage, but was quickly silenced when he slipped past her guard, co*cked his arm back as far as it would go, and hit her with the hardest uppercut Thunder Punch he’d ever dealt. Unlike the blows he’d delivered to Murmur, this one was entirely personal. For whatever reason, though his internal charge was still depleted he swore he felt a little bit extra electricity flow into his punch from somewhere. Regardless of where the energy came from, thunder cracked as Nox flew across the room and slammed into the rusty metal plating on the wall before slowly sliding down it and crumpling to the floor. A huge bloody stain marked the spot where she had hit the plate, which was partially caved inward from the sheer force of the impact.

Para watched as Nox struggled upright. Her legs shook violently, threatening to give out as rivers of blood flowed down them from her back and pooled onto the floor. The growing puddle of crimson was dashed as she turned and fled down the corridor leading to the room where the new Aegis Heart had been created, revealing a large metal shard imbedded in her skin that she must have slammed into. Its dull white edges were stained red with blood, which flowed along its ridges before dripping onto the floor. A clear trail of Salazzle viscera gave Nox’s location up as she staggered away, and with Metal Claws extended, Para grimly followed after her to finish the job. For as much hatred as the Salazzle had heaped upon him simply for having green fur, Para took no pleasure in what he was about to do; he simply wanted to put her out of her misery and move on with his life. As he entered the darkened corridor he cast a quick glance back at Eclipse, who was examining a slumped over Murmur. He couldn’t tell whether the Weavile was alive or dead, though he was hoping for the latter, dark as it was. It wasn’t personal; he just really didn’t like the idea of a skilled assassin on the loose holding a grudge against him or the ones he cared about.

When Para entered the chamber filled with the treasures of the past, he found Nox staring at the pod in the center. “It should’ve been me who delivered it to the capitol…” she said quietly, a twinge of sadness in her voice that was barely detectable over her labored breathing. She slowly turned around to face him as Para approached, hunching over in pain as thin streams of crimson blood steadily worked their way from the edges of her maw down her chest. Their eyes met, and for a moment all was silent as they held each other’s gaze. Para could see the contempt and disgust she held for him in her amethyst orbs, which were slowly becoming glassy as more and more of her life essence drained out of her back. He watched as her eyes left his and travelled down his arm to his gleaming claws as a sense of begrudging acceptance seemed to come over her. “J-Just get it over with, demon,” she sneered, though her voice was hollow.

“Regardless of what you think, I didn’t want this,” Para said calmly as he took a step forward. “I never wanted to hurt anyone. It’s Pokémon like you who made me do it.” He drew his arm back and aimed the tips of his claws directly at the Salazzle’s heart.

“S-Spare me your lies, monster. Y-You-“

Nox never got to finish that sentence. His grim expression unchanged, Para drove his blades directly through her core, then watched as she fell backwards and slid off of them. She collapsed onto a pile of Mega Stones, which exploded outward under her weight and sent the crystalline orbs scattering in all directions. Para turned away as took her final breaths. As angry as he was at her for everything she had done to him in the short time they had known each other, he couldn’t bring himself to watch as the life left her body. Regardless of whether or not it was necessary he couldn’t bring himself to take pleasure in the deaths of others. Whether that was because he had a good heart or he was a coward was irrelevant; Para refused to watch. He didn’t see her eyes roll back as she took her last breath and he didn’t see the glow of the Mega Stone as it came to life beneath her.

Meanwhile, Eclipse had been busying herself with checking on Murmur. The Weavile’s chest was so heavily bruised that at least a few of her ribs had to have been broken, but her shallow breathing showed that she was alive at least. Taking a step back once she was satisfied that her opponent was no longer a threat, she wondered what to do with her. In spite of all that had happened Eclipse didn’t actually want to kill her former teammates. She just wanted be left alone with Para in peace. The room was quiet now, save the occasional crackle of electricity from a broken machine. She shivered as cold air continued to blow through the room from the tunnel, wishing she had kept her cumbersome winter gear on before confronting Kami. Somewhere in the dark passageway leading into the room was the bag full of supplies she had discarded in preparation for a fight. She briefly considered going to retrieve it, hoping that it was the cold that was making her shudder uncontrollably. Before she could take more than a few steps towards the door however, the sounds of a loud crash followed by what could only be described as a small explosion erupted from the hallway in the direction that Para had followed Nox in. She whipped around and started towards the source of the commotion, but stopped in her tracks as she heard the sound of metal scraping behind her. Confused, Eclipse turned around just in time to see… nothing. The room was completely empty except for her. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned her surroundings, feeling like something was wrong with the scene in front of her but unsure what that was. After several tense seconds, she felt a wave of terror wash over her as she realized what that was: the corner she had left Murmur in was empty.

“You never were the- *wheeze* b-brightest one, were you?” came a raspy voice from behind.

Eclipse didn’t even get the chance to turn around again before arms closed around her and dragged her to the floor. She struggled against Murmur for a few seconds, but stopped once she felt an ice-cold claw pressing against her throat.

“Y-You don’t have to do this…” Eclipse gasped, fighting to get the words out through the grip the Weavile had on her neck. “We can… W-We can all still leave here alive.”

Murmur let out a quiet chuckle, followed by a painful-sounding cough. “What- *wheeze* what kind of moron do you… t-take me for…? Even if- *wheeze* I could make it back to town, I’d be branded an o-outlaw the moment you two mentioned what happened here… No. I don’t… *wheeze* I d-don’t think I’m leaving this place… and neither are you.” Eclipse whimpered as Murmur pressed the claw into her neck, drawing a thin line of hot blood that ran across its edge. “D-Do you have- *cough* any last words?”

A single tear ran down Eclipse’s face as she accepted that she was really going to die right there, terrified, never having the chance at the life with her best friend that she had fantasized about ever since they were Eevees. “Can… Can you at least tell Para that… th-that I love him? It’s all I’ve ever wanted to say to him…”

“Why don’t you tell him that yourself?!”

Eclipse cried out in surprise as she felt the claw suddenly lift from her neck. She was violently shoved across the room, rolling over the rough, dirty metal panels before slamming into the remains of the podium she had destroyed in her fight with Kami. When the world stopped spinning, she saw the Ampharos was standing several feet away, holding Murmur by the throat as she struggled weakly against the Electric-type’s grasp.

A crazed glint filled her eyes, and for the first time in her life Eclipse felt afraid of Kami. Despite Murmur’s struggling, the Ampharos remained a statue, holding her still and boring into her soul with eyes that resembled a demon’s more than the friendly, lovable Pokémon she was. Her face bore no emotion as she began to crush Murmur’s throat, who began to scratch and kick at her in desperation, to no avail. The Weavile’s mouth opened as she let out a silent scream while her limbs grew heavy. contorted in pure rage, Kami’s grip continued to tighten as Murmur’s struggling became frantic. Kami held her gaze as the life slowly drained from her panicked eyes. Only when her eyes finally glassed over and Kami’s frantic breathing became the only sound in the room did she finally release Murmur, who crumpled lifelessly to the ground at her feet. As soon as her paws released their grip on the Weavile was Kami’s murderous trance broken. Her breath hitched as she looked down at the broken form of her former friend, eyes wide with horror.

Kami took several steps back from the body, stopping only when she backed into a wall and slowly slid down it. She kept looking from her paws to Murmur and back again, trying desperately to convince herself that those familiar yellow appendages weren’t actually capable of the sin they had just committed. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as the weight of what she had done finally dawned on her. When it did, she screamed in agony, straining her vocal cords to their limits. “O-Oh my gods… w-what have I done…?!” she wailed as she furiously wiping her paws together. They were dripping with sin and stained with a crimson that would never truly wash off no matter how hard she scrubbed.

Eclipse shakily rose to her feet, rubbing her throat. Though her heart was still hammering away in her chest, she slowly made her way over to the Amparos. Her paws made no noise as she walked, gingerly stepping around the body of her former teammate before coming to a stop in front of her current one. Kami looked up at her with puffy eyes, shaking so hard that Eclipse began to worry that she would simply break apart into tiny pieces. She knelt down and gently wrapped her arms around the electric-type to give her what small comfort she could.

Eventually, when her shaking slowed and her sobs were reduced to quiet sniffling, Eclipse let go and sat up, blocking the gruesome scene behind her from view. “You saved me, Kami,” she began, trying to find the right words to properly express her gratitude. “Even after I attacked you, you still… thank you.” Kami nodded, then Eclipse helped her to her feet. They made a point to avoid looking at Murmur as they started towards the corridor to check on Para. “It’s all finally over. We can just go h-“ Eclipse began, but her words died in her throat when she saw the scene in front of her.

Why…?

The question rang in Nox’s ears. It sounded like her own voice, but she couldn’t remember opening her mouth; it wasn’t likely that anything coherent would’ve come out even if she had. When she opened her eyes, rather than looking up at the dingy, once-sterile ceiling of the room she had been in moments before, she instead found herself floating alone in a vast, empty expanse. The void she inhabited was colored with warm, vibrant hues: pinks and reds melted into oranges and yellows as the colors swirled around her. They danced around each other without a beginning or an end, painting a mesmerizing tapestry that extended for as far as she could perceive in any direction.

Am I… dead? What is this?

Again, her voice rang out across the empty expanse, yet she hadn’t spoken a word. Confused, she tried to open her mouth, yet found that she couldn’t move at all. Her body was completely frozen, leaving her floating helplessly in place. While she was dimly aware that the situation she was in should have terrified her, she instead felt nothing but an odd sense of calm. Content, she just watched the pretty colors as they shifted in front of her for a while. With her mind hazy and no real way to tell time, it was impossible for her to know how long she just floated there. Eventually however, she became aware of the fact that she was bored just watching the colors.

What’s going on? Where am I?

Nox was surprised when she heard her thoughts in her ears as they rang out across the void.

Am I stuck inside my own mind? Is that what this is?

Is… Is this what being dead is like?

Her confused thoughts were repeated back to her, though they did nothing to help her make sense of the situation she found herself in.

Stuck in my own mind? Yes and no. Right now, it would be more accurate to say that my mind and body are one. I don’t have a form at the moment, though once the transformation is complete I will. Do not worry.

Nox was startled the words spoken in her voice that were not her own once again echoed in her ears. It felt vaguely like her own thoughts, yet still distinct, as if there was another presence sharing her mind with her.

That’s close. Think of it as an echo of myself stored in my own mind; I am me, and I am also me. We are me.

What? This is making no sense. Who are you?- Or, who am I?

Ah, I suppose I wouldn’t know that. For simplicity’s sake since I wasn’t exactly conscious for the bonding, I’ll refer to us as different entities for the time being until I can comprehend what’s going on. Or rather, until you can understand.

Well, what is going on? Who or what are you?

Rather than answer that directly, why don’t I just explain the sequence of events that led us to this point? To begin, I suppose you could say that on a physical level, I’m a Mega Stone- one of the colorful little orbs that you landed on after you fell. As a Salazzlite, I was attuned to your biology, and we bonded together as you lay dying. I’m… sort of a fragment of your consciousness that was imprinted onto the stone, hence why I said that I’m you. We share the same consciousness, and while you’re undergoing the process of Mega Evolution, we’re the same being. I was simply aware of my surroundings while you were not; the fragment of you that exists within the stone, me, is awake only during the evolution process.

Hold on- what’s a Mega Stone? And Mega Evolution? I don’t understand.

The fine details aren’t important right now, but know that after we bonded, your extreme emotions: your pain, your fear, regret, sadness, and your rage, they were all strong enough to trigger the Mega Evolution process. You are evolving again into a higher, immensely powerful form in response to extreme stimuli; getting stabbed and bleeding out. This is not only going to save your life, but grant you power far beyond what you ever thought was possible.

Save me? I’m… I’m saved?! Praise Arceus! With this divine reward I can strike down those sinners in His holy name and claim the relic for myself! I knew He wouldn’t forsake me!

Yes, I suppose you could do that. Be warned however, Mega Evolution is… very intense, to put it mildly. The source of your incredible new power is your strong emotions, and they’ll be amplified many times over to fuel your new body. It’s hard to keep even a few coherent thoughts in your head with all of that going on, especially during your first transformation. You may just as easily end up losing your mind and going on a rampage until your emotions are spent and you revert back to your normal form.

I trust in Arceus to guide me. I’m worthy of this gift; I-I know I am. I can do whatever it is He needs of me!

In that case, good luck. For both our sakes.

The sound of rushing wind behind him caused Para to turn around despite not wanting to look at Nox as she died. When he did however, he didn’t understand what was happening in front of him; a massive ball of swirling purple energy occupied the space where the Salazzle’s body should have been. It pulsated as it steadily grew larger until she could have stood upright comfortably inside the sphere, radiating increasingly violent blasts of air and waves of energy as it did. Curious, perhaps much more so than he should’ve been, Para slowly reached his arm outwards to touch the sphere. Before he could however, it suddenly shrank in size, then violently exploded outwards with a thunderous blast of light and sound. The force of the reaction flung him across the room and into the wall, where he slammed painfully into a panel before falling to the floor. A large pile of spheres that looked similar to Wonder Orbs cushioned his fall, spilling outwards as he fell on them, though his body still refused to move as waves of agony assaulted his body from all over.

With great effort, Para forced himself to open his eyes. He was greeted by the blurry image of the ceiling as he stared upwards from where he lay on his back. Grunting from his injuries and the exertion, he managed to roll himself over onto his chest, then hissed as fresh waves of pain exploded throughout the area that had taken the brunt of the explosion. Despite hurting enough to feel feint, the pain he was in was momentarily forgotten as his vision corrected and he took in the scene in front of him: there, standing tall despite having been on the verge of death moments before, stood Nox.

At least, the creature that stood before him resembled Nox. She was far taller than the Salazzle had been, her body easily reaching more than foot taller in height and considerably thicker. Her once lithe body now did little to hide the corded muscles bulging beneath her scaly skin, which shimmered with a renewed dark brilliance even in the dim light. Huge, razor-sharp maroon scales jutted out of her forearms like thick knives, which were dwarfed only by the same deadly appendages protruding out of her neck and running down her back. These spikes curved outwards on the sides and were flanked by smaller scales, forming a natural set of diamond-hard body armor that ran all the way down her tail. While it had been deadly before, her tail had nearly doubled in size now, looking to be strong enough to crush the life out of someone even without the inferno of pink flames that it was perpetually cloaked in. From the underside of her tail, the same protruding spikes ran up her belly and over her chest, encasing most of her torso in veritable plate mail. This creature looked to be as deadly as it was elegant, able to rip its foes to bloody shreds while shrugging off even the fiercest blows.

Given what he was looking at, it was understandable that Para felt himself shrink as the creature that Nox had somehow transformed into fixed her gaze upon him, her crimson eyes burning with fury. He grimaced as her jaw unhinged and let out an earsplitting shriek that echoed off the walls of the enclosed space, leaving the Jolteon deafened as his ears rang so hard it drowned out every other sound. Nox took a step towards him as burning acid leaked from her jaws, dripping onto the floor and igniting into small, brief fires. An acrid stench singed his nostrils as he looked up at her helplessly, silently cursing fate and every god, known and unknown, for once again throwing his own victories right back into his face.

Perhaps one was listening, because to his amazement, Nox suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at him long and hard, her eyes burrowing into him, before recoiling as if she’d been struck. She shrieked again, the cry sounding more akin to a wounded animal than a ferocious monster, before turning and darting out of the room. Her heavy footsteps pounded on the floor as she sprinted impossibly fast down the hall and out of the facility. As her form slipped into darkness and the slamming of heavy feet on old metal panels grew faint, Para watched as his vision grew dark just as Eclipse and Kami limped into the room.

Nox screamed as she tore through the darkness, leaving a trail of indents in the stone behind her as her powerful legs slammed down into it. Panic gripped her as memories played over and over again in her mind, scenes that she had worked so hard to bury in the deepest, darkest recesses of her brain come to rear their ugly heads at the moment of her triumph. That demon had done this to her; somehow, the Arceus-forsaken shiny had managed to worm his way into her mind and weaponize her past against her. Another scream in a voice not her own echoed through the tunnel as she recalled how mere moments ago she stood tall, blessed by the creator Himself with a glorious renewed body and overflowing with limitless strength. She had felt more powerful than ever before, mightier than she had thought was possible; yet as she lost herself in the euphoria of her transformation into a blessed being, she had forgotten for a moment why she was even there. When her eyes fell upon Para, she was confused as to why he was laying broken on the floor. Had she already defeated him? Why would she even want to? Why were they fight-

Another scream tore from her lips as she remembered how that had been the moment when the memory had resurfaced. Light from the outside filled her eyes, yet she felt as if she was plunged into deep, deep darkness.

“The question was ‘what is nine multiplied by nine.’ Multiplied. I would have asked if you were even trying to learn something, but that is obviously not the case. Not like it matters for you, anyway.

After all, they don’t use arithmetic in the brothels much, do they?”

The Salandit balled her fists as she shook with emotion. The teacher’s icy words cut into her heart like a blade, and her classmate’s howling laughter did nothing but twist it in deeper. Hot shame spilled out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. As salty droplets of humiliation leapt from her face and stained the aged wood of her desk, she quickly stood and marched to the door, refusing to give them all the satisfaction of watching her cry. Nox’s soul burst into flame as the scene played out before her very eyes, as it had so many agonizing times before, unable to do a thing to stop it. She was captive to her own mind, forced to relive the awful memories of her childhood in excruciating detail.

Nox blinked and the scene before her eyes shifted, the hot, stuffy classroom melting into a cold, dimly-lit bedroom. The room was bare save for an ancient writing desk covered in books and prayer scrolls in one corner, and a bed that seemed to reject the very notion that sleep could be comfortable slumped in the other. On top of the bed, huddled underneath sheets that were too thin for any season was the Salandit. Nox watched as she prayed late into the night, reciting her scriptures in between fervent prayers to Arceus to deliver her from that wretched place. She begged Him over and over to take her far away from there, or to bless her with the strength to fight back against her tormenters. She prayed that He would strike them all down for her, or to strike her down and end the cycle of misery that perpetuated her days. Most desperately of all, she prayed that Arceus would make them see that she wasn’t a monster. That she couldn’t help what she was born as. That despite her sinful, disgusting body her soul was pure and her mind was devoted to Him just as strongly- no, more than anyone else in the entire orphanage that she had grown up in.

Nox watched as the Salandit prayed through shaky breaths and with red, puffy eyes until she passed out from exhaustion. A lump formed in her throat.

Nox knew that none of those prayers would ever be answered.

As Nox gazed upon Para’s helpless form, these memories and countless more marched through her subconscious. She was powerless to stop the precession of miserable experiences as they played through her mind, dragging her further down into madness and despair as each one passed. She wanted nothing more than for the torture to end, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Para and the feelings he elicited within her. Disgust, anger, sorrow, and most prominently of all, guilt ate away at her soul as the image of his green, lustrous spikes burned itself into her irises.

She hated him. He was everything she stood against as a loyal follower of Arceus.

He was everything she had been taught to despise. Everything she refused to let herself become.

He was weak. He was small. He was filthy. He was cursed. He was hated.

He was damned in the eyes of her god.

And he was just like her.

Nox screamed as her mind shattered around her. Years upon years of negativity flooded into her, filling every inch of her body before seeping into her soul. Whatever light was left inside of it after so many years of torment and struggling was extinguished in that moment. Nox felt herself be swept up in the torrent of hostile emotions and washed away. She was well and truly lost.

“MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE, OH PLEASE GOD, MAKE IT STOP!”

It seemed that nothing had changed since those nights spent in tearful prayer, because Nox’s cries fell on deaf ears.

When Para next opened his eyes he found himself staring up at the blurry figures of Eclipse and Kami. Their faces shone with equal parts concern and relief as their finer details came into focus, though the small smiles that each wore served to reassure him as he tried to sit up. He felt Eclipse’s paws push against his back as she helped him upright, though as soon as he began to move, his head started pounding. He winced as an unseen Rillaboom used his skull for drumming practice. Every muscle in his core protested their use with biting pain that flashed beneath his belly and up through his chest. Though it had dulled somewhat since the initial explosion hit him, the sensation still nearly left him in tears. It took him nearly a full minute to collect his thoughts enough to speak while he waited for the pain to subside. “What… happened..?” Para groaned as he carefully rubbed his closed eyes with a paw while leaning on Eclipse for support.

“We were hoping you’d tell us that,” Eclipse replied, suppressing the small thrill she felt from the feeling of Para’s body pushing against hers due to the gravity of the situation. “This… thing that sort of resembled Nox came tearing through and damn near ran over us, then disappeared into the tunnel leading outside. After that, we found you passed out on your back. I saw… You-“ she paused for a moment and cringed at the memory. “There was… a lot of blood. B-But luckily, Kami had plenty of bandages and Oran berry salve. We fixed you up, and… a-and I’m just glad you’re awake now.”

Para grimaced as he felt Eclipse’s arms tighten around his sore body, only now noticing the large sections of his torso that were wrapped in several layers of medical tape. That explained the drop in pain level from ‘debilitating’ to merely ‘excruciating’. In fact, upon further inspection, all of them had varying degrees of first aid applied to them. Kami’s arms and sections of her face were covered in the cloth, while a concerning amount of Eclipse was obscured by bandages in various places around her body. Though it hurt to be touched, Para did his best not to show it as he allowed Eclipse to hold him, being too weak to offer any meaningful resistance to her affection anyway. “Thanks you guys…” he said weakly, flashing Kami a pained smile. “I think that… whatever that thing was, it used to be Nox. I thought I finished her off, but before she passed, she got sucked into this… circular thing. Like a big ball of swirling energy. It exploded right next to me with enough force to blow me into the wall across the room, and I’m surprised I wasn’t killed right there, let alone knocked unconscious. When I looked up, Nox was gone and that creature was there. I’m not sure what she did or why she didn’t kill me though. It looked like she wanted to, before she suddenly just… freaked out.”

“I wonder if that was Mega Evolution we just witnessed…” Kami theorized. “But how could she do something like that without a Mega Stone?”

Para felt a wave of dread wash over him as the pieces fell together in his mind. “After I stabbed Nox, she collapsed into a pile of the stones that were laying around in the room. It’s entirely possible one was attuned to her species, but to think that she could have bonded with it so quickly… and on the verge of death no less.”

“Regardless of who or what that creature is, we should think about our next move,” Eclipse chimed in as she relaxed her grip on her Jolteon. “I think we’re safe here for the moment, but there’s a homicidal maniac with super powers having a mental breakdown on the loose, and I’m pretty sure that you’d be arrested if we teleported back to the guild.”

“Oh! We have a plan for that, actually!” said Kami as she jumped up and scurried into the room the fabricator was located in. She returned a few minutes later holding the new Aegis Heart, proudly displaying the artifact to a wide-eyed Eclipse. “The guild won’t punish us if we deliver something so important to them! At least, we hope not…”

“That’s… still a pretty big gamble. Even with a priceless artifact to trade for your freedom, there’s no guarantee they won’t just take it and lock you up anyway. Besides, how can we be sure that the thing in your paws is actually the Aegis Heart from the legend, or that it’ll even work?”

Kami frowned at Eclipse as her gaze moved back to the shiny metal contraption she held. “This is the Aegis Heart and it will work. I know it will. But… Y-You’re still right about them just locking us up anyway…”

“I was thinking a lot about how to get P- I-I mean, you guys out of this mess while I tracked you up the mountain. And what I-“

“Wait, you mean you managed to track us all the way here? We went to pretty great lengths to make sure we couldn’t be followed…” Para interrupted.

“Ah, well, I… Y-You know… I’m uh… I’m just really good at what I do, you see. Ha ha~…” Eclipse stammered. She turned away to hide the blush that reddened her cheeks as she remembered stumbling into cave that led to the facility and passing out in it by sheer dumb luck. “A-Anyway, while I was putting my expert tracking skills to work, I figured that the best shot we’d have is finding Wigglytuff or Symphonia and explaining everything to them before heading back. We’ll have to hope that they aren’t already completely convinced that you lost your mind and attacked everyone unprovoked, and that they’re even still around here. I think having them on our side plus the Aegis Heart is our best bet to making it out of this without money on our heads. I’d really rather not live out the rest of my life on the run. That would make it awfully hard to raise decent children.”

“Ch-Children…?!” Para choked.

“Your plan makes sense...” Kami agreed, talking over Para. “It would also be prudent for us to inform the expedition that we already secured the Aegis Heart so that no one else needs to risk getting hurt looking for something that’s already been found. Plus, it might be even more dangerous for them with Nox running around. She didn’t look well…”

“You sure care an awful lot about a group of adventurers that would probably tear you apart without question,” Eclipse observed.

“The same bunch that already tried to kill me once,” Para added, his expression darkening.

“I don’t like that they hurt you, Para…” Kami began, her ears drooping to the side as she looked at her friend sadly. “B-But I don’t think it’s all their fault. I blame Nox for starting the fight and then riling everyone up.”

Para let out a sigh after a moment, though his expression remained hard. “Regardless, Eclipse is right. We need the Grandmaster or his assistant on our side if we want to go home, so finding them should be our first objective. We should rest until night falls in order to make their camp easier to spot, as well as to hopefully avoid any unnecessary encounters with the rest of the expedition.”

The next several hours were spent lounging in the facility while they let the medicine take effect. Para set up the tent in the middle of the destroyed room after clearing away some of the debris and Eclipse used the last of their shared supplies to make a large meal for the three of them. While the delicious smells of roasting meats, nuts and fruits wafted around the complex, Para explored the rest of the facility and rummaged through the discarded supplies in the fabricator room. Kami busied herself fiddling with something in an adjacent room before joining him in looking for anything useful. An awkward silence hung over them as they worked, both thinking back to the moment in the rocky tunnel but neither daring to be the first to broach the subject. By unspoken consensus, the pair eventually agreed to let the subject stay buried, especially with Eclipse’s arrival to complicate whatever had been going on between them, or lack thereof. They worked quietly side by side, pretending that the awkward tension that hung over them didn’t exist.

Para tried combing the disorganized stockpile for anything useful, but had abandoned the prospect relatively quickly. Without the construct to identify the equipment, he couldn’t even guess what most of it was, let alone what it could do and how it could help them. He had read about miraculous human medical devices that could heal wounds instantly, though he couldn’t figure out if any such salves existed here. The items which he could hazard a guess at were sadly incompatible with his biology, either being made to fit a body type and size vastly different than his own, or requiring the use of thumbs that he did not possess. Defeated, he dug through the pile of Mega Stones, searching for ones that looked like they might be compatible with Eclipse and Kami while doing his best to avoid ones with too much blood coating their surfaces. Eventually, Para had Eclipse and Kami pick out a Mega Stone that seemed to resonate with each of them. While both pocketed the gem gratefully, the apprehension they seemed to have about letting it resonate with them was obvious. He couldn’t blame them for being nervous about it after what had happened to Nox. Even he felt some measure of hesitation at the prospect of letting the stone connect with him as it had in its strange way, despite the benefits it brought.

After having readied their supplies and eaten their way through the last of the food, the three members of Team Spearhead did their best to sleep through the rest of the day. While all were physically exhausted from the combat they had endured and the rapid healing their bodies underwent brought on by the medicinal salves, sleep was still evasive. When it did come, it was fitful and disturbing, tormenting each Pokémon in their own way. For Para, a general sense of unease hung over him as he considered the very real possibility that he would be marching to his own death later that night. Even despite his experience, he never had managed to get over his pre-mission nerves. To compound this, his mind was still swimming with questions regarding what he had tried with Kami and what Eclipse had tried with him.

For Kami, she still saw the life leaving Murmur’s eyes every time she closed hers. She clenched her fists so painfully hard that they shook when she remembered the feeling of gripping that fragile neck, as if doing so would hide the blood that was all over them. She lay on her side facing away from her companions, hoping that they wouldn’t hear her sobs as she did her best to stifle them. They did, but pretended not to for her sake.

For Eclipse, it was all she could do to shut her eyes and press her back firmly against Para’s as she tried to suppress both the thoughts of him being dragged away again by a vicious mob, as well as the troubling memory of him pulling away from her earlier advance before Nox had ruined everything. Eclipse had resolved that Para would be hers and hers alone, and while her stubborn dedication to that goal (or borderline obsessive compulsion at this point) was concerning on some level, when she set out to get something, she got it. Eclipse hated losing; she would not give him up again.

Long after the faint traces of sunlight visible from the tunnel had deserted the facility, Para, Eclipse and Kami finished packing their supplies and donning their gear. Protective winter clothing was bundled underneath dark, flowing cloaks that Kami had hastily sewn together from strips of black fabric she’d found in the facility. Though, it was less of ‘found’ fabric and more of ‘repurposed’ old clothes. She was confident their original owner had been dead far too long to mind losing a few wardrobe items. While Eclipse hadn’t needed a cloak, she gratefully donned hers anyway, enjoying the renewed feeling of comradery it gave her to wear the same uniform as her teammates. Para was glad that Kami had thought to make them some minor camouflage, as any exposed needles on his pelt would shimmer in the moonlight and give them all away.

Kami just thought it made them look cool.

As they crossed the threshold back into the darkness of the passage connecting the rocky tunnel and the facility proper, Para was just barely able to make out the form of something laying on the ground, covered by a blanket. He began to veer off towards whatever it was to check it out, but stopped when Eclipse put her paw on his shoulder and shook her head.

“That’s… Murmur…” she whispered as she pulled him back into line behind Kami, who was forcing herself to stare straight ahead with a steely determination.

“You’re just leaving her there…?” Para asked. Even though she had been an enemy, and a particularly malicious one at that from her willingness to kill them, it seemed a little inappropriate to leave her body in that state.

“Well, what were we supposed to do? Kami can’t even look at her like that without freezing up and even if I could drag her a half mile up a cavern with my teeth, which would be gross, what then? Bury her in the frozen ground?”

“I get it, but still… I just hope we don’t ever have to come back here.”

“If all goes well… or if it doesn’t… we probably won’t.”

The rest of Team Spearhead’s precession up the dark, rocky passage was silent. Their wrapped paws made no noise as they passed over the smooth stone floor and each Pokémon was bundled up in enough cloth to stifle the rattling of their gear as they walked. As they neared the mouth of the cave the air grew steadily colder, causing their visible breath to trap the weak moonlight that shown in from the outside. They could hear wind whistling as it passed over the entrance, but to everyone’s relief the storm from the previous day had subsided. In its wake, deep, flowing snowdrifts covered every inch of the mountain, cloaking it in a pure, wispy white. An occasional breeze would disturb the snow, throwing up clouds of shimmering diamonds that dissipated in seconds while frozen pine trees stood like lone sentinels over the peaceful slopes. If there was ever a moment that Mt. Inviting earned its name, it was now.

Without brutal flurries and punishing winds to contend with, they were able to progress down the mountain far more quickly than they had forged up it. In several places they were even able to simply slide down steep rock faces that they’d had to spend minutes or even hours walking around previously. The snow at the bottom cushioned their impact as they plunged into it, and despite the circ*mstances, Para found himself actually having fun as they hurled themselves down the slippery trails. Once she caught on, he and Eclipse would race each other to see who could slide to the bottom of a path first, while Kami was just struggling to make it down without losing the contents of her stomach.

Just over an hour after they left the cave, the expedition’s camp at the base of the mountain came into view. Pinpricks of warm light from tents and campfires dotted the shifting sea of white snow that stretched until the tree line of the surrounding forests, smoldering in the early hours yet glowing defiantly nonetheless. The trio descended towards the side of the camp with fewer lights, into a thicket of pines that would provide them with cover as they got closer. The thick snow crunched softly beneath their paws as they sank deep into it, slowing them down as well as leaving behind extremely noticeable tracks that even the dark of night struggled to conceal. The explorers shivered as a cold breeze sliced through them. Their winter gear, now damp with melted snow and sweat from the hike, did little to prevent the freezing air from blowing over them and chilling them to the bone.

Just as Para and Eclipse were wishing they had chosen to evolve into Glaceons, they reached the cover of the thicket. The snow on the ground there was far less deep, as most of it resided on the tree branches above their heads. The thick canopy also served to block out most of the moonlight from up above, with only a few scattered beams of silvery light filtering through the frozen roof. The cloaked adventurers slipped between the trees without fear of discovery, though despite this, they were all on edge. Suddenly, Para stopped dead in his tracks and held up a paw to signal the others to do the same.

“Do you hear that?” he whispered as his ears slipped out from under his hood and scanned the area. He could have sworn that he’d heard faint footsteps darting around them, yet no matter how hard he strained his ears, the forest around them was silent.

Eclipse’s eyes darted back and forth as they glowed in the darkness. While her hearing wasn’t as good as Para’s, mainly on account of the fact that she had no discernable ear canals, her vision more than made up the difference. Despite this, there was no sign of movement anywhere near them. The snow showed no signs that anyone had been through there at all. Regardless, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that hung heavy in the air around them, the primal fear all creatures felt when being stalked by a predator. For several more tense seconds, they stood frozen in place. Nothing moved, and even the air seemed unnaturally still. Slowly, Para put his arm down, then moved to take another step forward. They were nearly out of the trees, with the glow of the campfires not even a hundred yards away beckoning them to relative safety. Before his paw sank into the snow however, there was a sudden rush of air that blew down on them from above. Looking up, each Pokémon’s eyes widened in bewilderment as they witnessed an inferno of pink flame rushing towards them.

Para couldn’t understand what he was looking at as he stared at the fireball. What was happening? Where had the blinding flames come from? A second later, he felt the heat rush over his face, then the rest of his body. It was pleasantly warm against the cold they had endured for the entire trip. He even thought he could detect the faintest hint of a sweet aroma in the air as the inferno inched closer. Not even two full seconds had passed, and it was already too late to get out of the way. If only Para had looked up sooner. If only he’d-

“GET DOWN!” Eclipse screamed as she shoved her teammates into the snow. Her rings shown under her cloak, light piercing through the fabric as a huge shield materialized overhead, covering the three of them just as the wall of fire slammed into it. The roar of the inferno was deafening as the air itself burst into flame all around them, instantly reducing even the hardiest of the ancient trees around them to ash and scorching the very stone they stood on until it burned their paws. Eclipse gritted her teeth as the force of the blast threatened to crush her and incinerate them all. It felt like she was pushing against a tsunami as it bore down on her. Cracks began to form in her shield as it was quickly overwhelmed by the unstoppable force of the flames, unable to bear the weight slamming into it. It hadn’t been more than a few seconds since the onslaught began and already the Umbreon’s limbs shook violently and blood leaked from her nose as every muscle in her body strained with all their might for the lives of her and her friends. Just as Eclipse felt her shield start to splinter and her body fail her, the flames suddenly subsided, leaving a swath of hellish destruction all around them in their wake. Eclipse dropped to her knees as her rings dimmed and the Protect subsided, gulping down air in an attempt to soothe her shredded body.

Steam from the evaporated snow hissed around her as Eclipse slowly caught her breath. The smell of charred wood and burnt grass filled her nose, accompanied by the unpleasant wisps of smoke from several patches of residual pink fire that burned all around them. In the dim light, she was just barely able to make out the form of a figure moving around in the trees above them. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw it suddenly leap down from its hiding spot. The air whistled around its powerful form as it cut through the air directly overhead, intent on crushing the life out of her as she laid there helpless. Before the massive scaly foot could reduce her to a stain on the scalding ground, Eclipse felt something slam into her side. As they rolled together, Eclipse realized that Para had thrown his body into hers. They were flung out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by Nox as she leapt down from her spot high amongst the branches. Sizable cracks cut into ground when she landed, followed by a thunderous shockwave that threw Eclipse off-balance as she attempted to stand up. Looking up into the Mega Salazzle’s face, Nox’s eyes burned with flames hotter than the fireball she had attacked them with. She leered down at Eclipse, who despite the sheer terror she felt at the creature’s overwhelming presence, refused to take a single step backwards. Her body acted of its own accord as she interposed herself between it and her stunned teammates. Despite all the hurt she had caused them, in both the recent and far off past, she would be their shield when it mattered the most.

Eclipse flinched when Nox threw her head back and let out a deafening roar. Pink-tinged smoke rolled out of her maw in large plumes before igniting into small jets of flame. The amount of heat her body radiated by itself was enough to make her squint her eyes to shield them, and after several seconds steam began to radiate off of her as well as the water in her damp clothes started to evaporate. Unable to bear the extreme temperatures, Eclipse’s rings began to glow as she summoned a Protect for relief. To her horror however, as she reached within herself for the energy needed to power the shield, she found herself unable to materialize it; Protect consisted of the user’s own vitality, materialized outside of them and hardened into a barrier, and her body was unable to produce the energy required so soon after the last shield had been conjured. This left her practically defenseless as she stared into hateful eyes of the monster that had once been her leader, and on occasion her friend.

“A-And now… you… be cleansed! H-Holy f-fire!” The Salazzle’s voice cracked as she struggled to choke the words out. To Eclipse’s horror, the reason for which became immediately evident. The jets of flame erupting from the sides of Nox’s mouth grew longer as she unhinged her jaw, revealing a white-hot mass of roiling energy building in her throat. “BURNING JEALOUSY!” she shrieked, spewing molten cinders as she spoke. Eclipse flinched as they singed her body and shut her eyes tightly as the heat grew so oppressive that she could feel the bits of her exposed pelt where her clothes were torn begin to burn. She had truly hoped she would have been able to make it out of this situation with Para, but it seemed fate had other plans. All she could hope for now was that her body would last long enough for him to escape. Kami making it as well would have been a bonus, although, with a final act of selfishness, she angled her body to cover more of him than the Ampharos. She couldn’t let her self-appointed rival win that easily after all.

Light erupted out of Nox’s maw, so bright that burned into her retinas even behind her closed eyelids, and Eclipse steeled herself to meet her end. The sound of an explosion boomed in her ears, followed by a wave of hot air that washed over her body. However, after several seconds, the searing heat of her fiery demise was strangely absent. Slowly, she dared to open her eyes to see what had happened, only to find herself staring at the backs of a Tyrannitar and a Meowscarada. They both wore pauldrons of iron stained a deep crimson and emblazoned with the symbol of a black diamond, identifying them as members of the rescue team Danger Close.

Para couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The armored Tyrannitar, a Pokémon he was certain he remembered seeing in the crowd watching him and Eclipse fight, was now grappling with Nox as he interposed himself between her and Team Spearhead.

“You guys looked like you could use some help! Hope you won’t get too upset when we take the credit for bringing this thing down!~” the Meowscarada joked with her species’ signature bravado. Though her tone was playful, the pair of floral grenades she held in both of her paws certainly were not.

“Don’t forget about us! We aren’t about to let Eclipse’s team get mauled by that… thing!” came another voice to the left, belonging to a Dewott as he and his Mienfoo partner flanked Kami. The dark, padded guards they wore on their arms, legs and chests gave them away as Team Shadow Stalkers, a duo of highly skilled fighters that were renowned for their proficiency as Shinobi, a type of warrior hailing from Kami’s homeland. The water-type opened his mouth and launched several balls of cold water at Nox’s flank, which exploded all over her body as his partner blasted them apart with a jet of air from her fist jest before impact. Steam hissed from her body as her flames wavered, allowing the Tyrannitar to briefly gain the upper hand in his struggle against her. Nox hissed as her powerful arms failed her, allowing the titanic rock-type to break her guard before slugging her as hard as he could. She slid several feet backwards as she reeled from the massive blow, shrieking in pain despite her thick armor absorbing much of the impact.

Para heard heavy footsteps from his right, and turned to see a trio of Zangoose take up position next to him, effectively completing a living barrier between them and their monstrous assailant. “Team Silvermane…?” he asked, at which their leader gave him a nod and flashed a nervous smile.

“You might not remember, but you saved my brothers and I from that Abomasnow after it got the drop on us. It… wasn’t right what we did to you, that one night… so there’s no way we’re passing up the chance to redeem ourselves here.” She offered Para her paw, which he gratefully took and rose to his feet.

Together, the group of rescuers and explorers stared Nox down, who took a step backwards as she eyed them wearily. Para had expected for them to attack him on sight, or at least watch as Nox made short work of them. Yet here they were, standing right beside him, defending him and his team from the very Pokémon they had let turn them into a lynch mob, whether they realized who she was or not. A feeling of comradery that he wasn’t used to came over him, and unable to stop himself from cracking a small smile, he fell into his usual fighting stance alongside his new allies. Perhaps now they stood a chance at making it out of this alive.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind did the universe decide to punish Para for his hubris. With rage burning in her eyes and fiery acid roiling in her throat, Nox let out a frustrated scream, then charged. She slammed her arms into the Tyrannitar’s before dragging the serrated edges of her armor plates across him, forcing him to disengage with a howl of pain as hot blood rained down on the silver snow. Without missing a beat, she took a step to the side before spinning around, using the momentum to slam her powerful tail into the Meowscarada who had just popped her grenades open. She screamed as the burning tail impacted her side with a sickening crunch, sending her flying several yards off to the side while her grenades exploded harmlessly in midair behind their intended target.

With rage-filled battle cries at seeing their comrades being assaulted, the rest of the Pokémon surged forward. Nox jumped backwards to avoid a slash from the Dewott’s Razor Shell aimed at the tendons in her legs, then blocked a swipe from one of the Zangoose’s sharp claws as a loud clang rang out across the glade from the impact. Turning her head, she unhinged her jaw once more and expelled a Gunk Shot from her throat that was so potent that the poison singed the air as it flew towards the Dewott. While he managed to duck out of the way just in time, his Mienfoo companion wasn’t as lucky. Her screams filled the night air as the corrosive mass caught her arm and began to eat through fur and flesh, leaving the limb a burned, bloody mess and taking her out of the fight before she could even land a single blow. Before Nox could aim another glob of lethal acid at the Dewott, another Zangoose dashed to her side and leapt into the air, slashing at her jugular and forcing her to use her other arm to block the attack. Seizing the opportunity, Kami jumped to the other side and carefully aimed a Thunderbolt at Nox’s exposed back. The electricity arced through the air for a fraction of a second before it surged into the Mega Salazzle, exploding on contact and knocking her off balance. Kami followed up the attack with another Thunderbolt, then a third, causing Nox to howl in pain. However, aside from three distinct scorch marks where the attacks had hit home, they hadn’t seemed to do much more than piss their target off even more. Terrified at their inefficacy, Kami stopped her assault and instead dashed over to the Mienfoo, pulling out her first aid kit to render whatever help she could as she lay convulsing in the snow.

Para watched as their numbers dropped, one by one, with a mix of horror and regret. These Pokémon were complete strangers to him, and some had even been enemies, yet they were being torn apart in front of him for his sake. What cruel twist of fate had led him to have to watch some of the few Pokémon to ever stand up for him despite his curse be ripped to shreds by one who hated him because of it? It wasn’t fair; neither for him, nor them. As he watched Nox duck under a swipe from the Tyrannitar’s tail before lashing a Zangoose across the chest with a sickening crack, Para felt his claws slipping out of their sheathes in his paws. His body moving of its own accord, he felt his feet sink into the slight snow as he strode forward, passed Eclipse who gave him a worried look but said nothing as she ran to help Kami.

No one else is getting hurt for me, he thought to himself. This is supposed to be my fight. The only ones who should be dying here are me and Nox. No one else.

Para would get the fight he asked for. As the last remaining Zangoose dragged his injured sister away from the battlefield, the Jolteon’s spiky fur bristled, then crackled with electricity before a small bolt of lightning shot out of his body and buried itself into Nox’s back. She paused from where she stood over the Tyrannitar, preparing to finish him off, and slowly turned around. Her lips curled into a snarl when she saw him standing there, claws extended, and forgot all about her previous target as she honed in on him. A cold breeze whipped around the two as they stared each other down, tossing Para’s torn clothes around while causing Nox’s flames to flicker and dance. The shadows cast from the small fires all around them wavered and shook, creating wispy, intangible barriers that boxed them in as though they were made of steel. Para felt his pulse quicken as adrenaline flowed freely throughout his body. This was it: if he held anything back, he was done for. If he couldn’t defeat Nox outright, hopefully he could buy Eclipse and Kami enough time to escape with the Aegis Heart. If nothing else, he just had to last long enough to do that…

Nox’s roar snapped him back to reality. The earth itself seemed to shake under the force of her voice as she directed her frustration, her fear, and her fury directly at him. When it was over, Para’s ears were ringing and the blood pounded painfully against his battered eardrums with every beat of his heart. However, he stood, undeterred. Summoning his own rage at her for her actions both past in present, Para burned them for fuel alongside all the air in his lungs and let out a howl from the depths of his soul that seemed to pierce the very heavens. His vocal cords strained as he screamed his challenge towards the embodiment of the world that hated him for what he was. When he finished, they locked eyes once more, acknowledging each other. It was time to settle things.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the skies themselves roiling with anticipation as the battle commenced. As the thunderous sound exploded overhead, Para chose to seize the initiative and darted forward, legs straining and body a blur as he propelled himself at Nox faster than he had ever moved before. He knew that he likely stood no chance against her on the defensive, so he resolved to pressure her until she broke. He lunged from side to side, like a lightning bolt forking in different directions, then sprang upwards and spun around for added momentum. The attack came so quickly that even Nox in her superpowered form had trouble keeping up with his movements, and was just barely able to bring her armored forearms up in time to block the slash he delivered aimed at the weak spot on her neck. Para’s blades collided with her armor plating so hard that bits of gem and metal exploded outward from the impact, as well as a shower of sparks and a clang so loud that lumps of snow were shaken from the trees nearby. Nox roared in pain as she staggered back, bits of her gemstone armor now imbedded in her arms causing blood to begin trickling down onto the ground, as well as cracks spiderwebbing through the remaining plates near where his blades had impacted. Though it hurt to have his claws chipped, Para pressed his attack, hoping that Nox was still unused to feeling such pain in this form.

His legs dug into the damp earth, recently exposed from the melted snow, then extended as he sprung forward again. This time he brought one of his claws down on her weakened armor while slashing at the gaps between the plates around her elbows with the other, succeeding in scoring a few more chips and cuts on her arms. Nox’s howls of pain and frustration filled the air as they continued this dance for a while, Para furiously slashing at whatever weak spot or opening on her arms that he could find, all without pausing for a single moment to allow her to recover or counterattack. The Jolteon’s natural stamina and speed were his greatest assets as he pressed his furious assault, until finally he swiped at her guard with an uppercut that landed so hard, Nox’s arms flew outward. Hoping this was the opportunity he was searching for, Para spun backwards and drove one of his arms forward, stabbing at her chest and attempting to pierce her heart. However, moving just in time, Nox managed to bring the tip of her flaming tail up to her chest, which threw off Para’s aim as he stabbed it. His claw cut through her tail, but was moved just enough to strike one of her armor plates covering her chest instead of the gap he’d been aiming for. He felt the blade cut into her chest, deep enough to cause her pain but not disable her.

Para pulled his claws out of her body with a flourish, sending fresh blood cascading through the air in all directions, then leapt backwards as far as he could. Nox roared in pain and fury as her flames flared up, unleashing a wave of heat that instantly vaporized whatever remained of the snow coating the ground around her. This caused a thick cloud of steam to rise up from the ground and obscure her figure. As the warm mists enveloped him, Para strained his ears to listen for any indication of danger. Luckily, he heard the whistle of something cutting through the air just moments before a massive hole in the water vapor was ripped open directly in front of him, revealing a glob of corrosive acid hurtling towards him. With no time to think, he simply acted, firing off a blast of electricity that whipped through the air and exploded when it came into contact with the deadly Gunk Shot. The force of the blast was enough to push the mists away, forcing Para to close his eyes as the hot air rolled over him. When he opened them again, he was met with the sight of Nox barreling towards him, arms outstretched as her feet dug into the ground with heavy stomps.

Dropping low to the ground, Para began to charge Nox as well, his mind racing to come up with a strategy as the situation grew more hopeless by the minute. Even as he raced towards her, he felt fatigue weighing down his limbs. The past several days of constant, grueling physical activity and a lack of substantial time to recover had taken a toll on his body, while the furious barrage of claw strikes that he’d delivered to little effect had depleted much of what strength he had left. Still, with a thundering heartbeat and through labored breathing he ran, directly towards what was likely to be certain death. They closed in on each other in mere moments. At the last second, Para sprang to the right and hooked his arm around Nox’s, attempting to use their momentum to throw her spinning off to the side, where he could attempt another fatal blow once she fell to the ground. However, in his weakened state and against her sheer might, he barely succeeded in causing her to stumble as she ran. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt his body stop moving in midair. The arm he was hooked onto squeezed against his, locking them together at the bend, then rapidly accelerated backwards. Intense pain exploded across his back as he felt himself be slammed into the ground, the impact creating a small crater in the stone as it forced the air out of his lungs. The world spun around him as he watched helplessly while his body skipped, rolled and tumbled backwards.

Para blinked several times. Colors swam across his vision, and he could just barely make out the blurry forms of his arms, mixed with swirling reds and whites. It took several seconds for his senses to begin to return to him, after which he realized the cold feeling underneath his paws meant he’d been thrown all the way back into the snow, and the warm taste of iron in his mouth meant the red that stained the white was his own blood. Laying on his stomach, he tried to force himself back to his feet, but as soon as he pushed against the ground with his paws and his torso shifted, he cried out in agony as pain rocked his entire body. His shattered form refused to obey him, leaving him gripped by paralysis that felt like knives were dug into every inch of his body. The sheer magnitude of mind-numbing suffering could only mean that more than a few of his bones were broken after the impact he’d suffered, leaving him with no option other than to look up helplessly as Nox’s approaching figure came into focus.

So this was it. Finally, after year upon year of torment, the world he despised had grown tired of him at last. The champion it had sent to finish him off radiated malice and contempt that was strong enough for him to feel, though the rivers of blood that flowed freely from its chest and tail filled him with some small measure of pride. Despite everything, he’d fought and raged against the cruelty of it all to the bitter end. Now, he just hoped it had been enough to save the ones he cared about.

No... The ones I love, he thought to himself as a small smile worked its way across his lips. Now, in his final moments, he thought he finally understood what it meant to love someone. To value their safety above his own, to lay down his life for theirs and to do so with a smile. As Nox slowly came closer, the thought gave him comfort. And so, Para prepared to meet his end with a broken body, but a full heart.

That was, until he saw four black paws come to stand in front of him.

Horror coursed through Para as he watched Eclipse crouch protectively in front of him. What…? No! What are you doing?! Get away from here! he thought. He opened his mouth to scream at Eclipse, to beg her to run far away from this monster and save herself. Sacrificing himself was one thing, but seeing the Pokémon he finally dared to love ripped to pieces in front of him, for him? That was just too much to bear. However, the only sound that came from his throat was a low gurgle as blood drowned the words before they could even exit his body.

Muffled screams died in his throat and tears blurred his vision as Para fought his hardest against the inevitable. He pleaded with his broken, useless body to get up, to do something, to give just a little more for Eclipse’s sake. He raged against the vile, godsforsaken green-covered skin as it refused to respond to his commands, despite his rising panic. It felt like the knives were twisting in every inch of his back as he thrashed around in the snow, unable to even call to the Umbreon in front of him as Nox finally approached them.

No…

He watched as Eclipse summoned her shields in front of them. Everyone present knew that the gesture was entirely futile.

Not this…

Nox placed her hands on the edges of the shields and squeezed, shattering them as casually as she would have snapped a twig. The sensation caused Eclipse to flinch and stagger backwards.

Don’t do this, not for me…!

Nox stood up, her form towering over Eclipse as she spread her arms out wide. Her flames were an inferno and her claws were daggers as she prepared to destroy her enemies. Eclipse began to shudder, yet she stood her ground. There was nothing else left for her to do.

Please, take me! Leave her alone, don’t-

Nox’s arms surged forward, muscles bulging with savage glee as she prepared to sink her claws into the puny Eeveelutions. There was nothing any of them could do; no sinner could hope to challenge the might of Lord Arceus- no, the might of Nox the Blessed. Finally, her faith had been rewarded. Finally, she would show them all. Finally, she could-

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ECLIPSE!”

Para’s voice rang throughout the clearing with almighty authority. The sound of a deafening thunderclap echoed for miles around as a single lightning bolt fell from the heavens, blinding in its golden radiance, which impacted a point on the earth that subsequently exploded. The explosion blew Nox off her feet and sent her tumbling backwards as waves of electrical energy danced through the air, singeing the surrounding trees and grass. What caused her eyes to widen in surprise and alarm however, was the sudden surge of Mega Energy she felt emanating from the swirling mass that appeared before her.

It's about time you showed up. Ever since we bonded, I’ve been wondering when you’d finally use the stone. Not exactly the timing I’d have picked, but you still managed to save your girlfriend, so better late than never I suppose.

Para tried to process what was happening to him, but no matter how many times he replayed the sequence of events over in his mind, they failed to make sense. Laying on the ground, unable to do anything but watch the horror in front of him play out, it was as if his very soul had cried out for something to happen, and then… something did. He remembered the crack of thunder and a brilliant flash of light, then seeing Nox’s surprised face. When he blinked, he found himself floating in a colorful void, alongside another Jolteon. He looked quite similar to Para, almost identical in fact, save that his fur was the proper yellow sported by most of the species, if not a little more lustrous than the average electric Eevee. Para had jerked backwards in surprise once the other Jolteon began speaking, though he didn’t seem to go anywhere. It took him several seconds to realize he was floating amid a sea of nothingness, which should have been terrifying. Strangely though, he felt unnaturally calm, albeit incredibly confused.

The other Jolteon was staring at him expectantly. Though his mind was on the verge of short-circuiting, Para figured he ought to say something. Anything.

She’s not my girlfriend.

The words were partially spoken, partially thought, but they echoed throughout the void nonetheless. As soon as he spoke, Para was pleasantly surprised to find that he was no longer being choked by a river of blood flowing out of his mouth. In fact, after some experimental wiggling, he didn’t appear to be injured at all anymore. He sighed in relief as he arched his back, indulging in a long, satisfying stretch. However, after the initial relief that he could move once again wore off, Para became somewhat concerned as to why his pain had suddenly vanished.

Where are we? Did… Did I die…?

No, though you cut it pretty close. While I admire your courage, let’s not go fighting other Megas in our normal form, alright? Doesn’t usually end well.

If I’m not dead… then where am I? And who are you?

The stone. And… the stone.

…huh?

The other Jolteon chuckled to himself. For a moment, he had a far-off look in his eyes, as if he was remembering something, before he returned his attention to Para.

You remind me of myself the first time I mega evolved. Don’t worry, it gets easier, and things start to make more sense the more you do it. Assuming we make it out of here in one piece, that is. Anyways, to answer your questions, you could say that we’re in the stone. Your Mega Stone. I’m also the stone, technically. You see, during my time I came to learn that a Mega Stone retains imprints of those who have attuned to it in the past. Me and my trainer kicked the bucket ages ago, or at least that’s what I’m guessing after going through your memories, but a part of me still lives on in the stone. I was the first wielder, and I’m guessing you’re the second, so it’s just us for now.

-Oh, and you can call me Jolt. It’s a pleasure.

Jolt stuck out a paw, which Para shook awkwardly. He didn’t want to be rude, but so much was happening so quickly. His head spun whenever he tried to make sense of any of it, so he did his best to just absorb the information at face value.

It’s uh… nice to meet you… Jolt…

Hey, I know the name isn’t exactly inspired, but you can blame my trainer for that, not me. He was little when I evolved, and the name just stuck.

I-I didn’t think it was a bad name!

That was a lie.

You and I share a mind right now. I know exactly what you’re feeling, like how you said that Umbreon wasn’t your girlfriend, but you secretly want her to be.

W-What?! No, that’s… It wouldn’t be right, not right now, after we just-

You can’t lie to me, Para. We’re practically the same Pokémon right now. I know exactly what you feel, even if you’re unsure about it yourself. Oh, and newsflash: you aren’t subtle. It’s so painfully obvious that you’ve got it bad for her that I think she was even more confused than you were that you didn’t kiss her back.

C-Can we not have this conversation right now? There are more important things happening.

Jolt rolled his eyes.

Fine, but if even the magic rock you keep in your pocket is telling you that you like her, there’s probably something going on between you two. Anyways, you’re right about there being more pressing issues, so I’m gonna keep it brief for now. Like the AI said back at base, Mega Evolution usually occurs in response to stressful or traumatic events, and unfortunately, that’s you right now. You’ll get better at triggering it when you want to and controlling yourself when you do, but for your first time, things are gonna get pretty intense. Emotions are the energy this form runs on, and us Jolteons tend to feel things a lot more than other Pokémon do, so we have an edge in terms of raw power output. Unfortunately, that also means it’s gonna be much harder to keep your focus and control all that power, so my advice is that you keep your mind as empty as possible right now. Focus on one single goal and nothing else until you get used to how this all feels.

So… just focus on protecting Eclipse?

Yeah, or beating Nox to a pulp. Probably better to focus on the latter, and switch to the former if you need to. Don’t think about doing both at the same time just yet. The more things you think about, the easier it is to get distracted and lose yourself in the flood of memories and emotions that you’re gonna have to wade through. That’s probably why Nox took one look at you and freaked the complete f*ck out right after she evolved; she had no idea how to deal with everything seeing you brought up for her. In the past, we had the luxury of trainers that would help us keep ourselves in check throughout the process, but since you’re on your own, you have to be extra careful. Another rampaging monster lost in his own head won’t do anyone any good.

Okay… Okay. I think-

Para paused, balling his digits into fists as a rush of resolve surged through him. It was unlike him to feel as confident in himself as he did. Perhaps it was because he finally had something- no, someone to fight for.

It felt good.

I know I can do this. For Eclipse, and Kami. And for everyone else that came to rescue us when we needed them, I can do this. I have to. I’m the only one who can stop Nox.

That’s the spirit! We’re just about done with the transformation, so get ready. Oh, and for what it’s worth, I’m glad it was you who found my stone. You’re worth more than you know. Don’t forget that. Now, get out there and prove it to the whole rotten world, starting with Nox. I’ll be watching, so give ‘em hell!

Overcome with emotion, Para clasped Jolt’s arm as the void began to blaze with blinding light. Though he felt tears in his eyes, he smiled at the other Jolteon as his lungs filled with air. Bigger and bigger, until he felt that he would explode. Then, he threw his head back and roared, bellowing a fierce battle cry that shook the very fabric of the reality he found himself in. As the universe shattered around him, he heard the crashing of thunder erupting around him once again, but it paled in comparison to his own howl.

The world had tried to crush him, and it had almost succeeded. But now, Para was reborn.

As the explosion of light and sound faded, Nox slowly opened her eyes. The energy released by the Mega Evolution had been so intense that even she in her exalted form had difficulty weathering it. As her eyes readjusted to the low light, her body’s flames flared up and her blood began to boil as she took in the blasphemous sight before her: there stood that cursed Jolteon, bathed in the soft emerald glow of flashes of electricity that constantly arced around his body. Sparks leapt from his form, which was nearly an entire foot taller and significantly thicker, fizzling into nothingness as they flew through the air. Though she couldn’t see the muscles bulging underneath his lustrous coat, which rippled with energy as patches of it formed into deadly needles before relaxing again, she knew that his physical strength would be several times that which it was before if her own transformation was anything to go by. Thick masses of dagger-like fur consisting of rows upon rows of electrified needles ran along the outside of his arms and massed around his elbows, as well as coating the outside of his legs. At a glance, they looked nearly hard enough to rival her own armor, though Nox couldn’t be sure what would happen if she tried attacking his sides. Most strikingly however, was the silvery cape of spikey fur that extended down from the back of his mane, covering the entirety of his back and nearly reaching to his feet from where he stood upright.

Nox snarled as she rose to her feet. Acrid smoke billowed out from the sides of her maw, and the veins in her arms bulged above the muscles flexing underneath as she balled her hands into fists. ‘How could this be?’ she thought. She began to see red as her emotions started to get away from her again. ‘Lord Arceus chose me! I’m the only one worthy of a blessed form! WHY IS THAT VILE-‘ Nox’s body was trembling with rage at that point, her mind beginning to slip away again, until she had a sudden epiphany. ‘Wait. I get it now! Lord Arceus must be testing me! He needs to see that his champion is worthy of the role! Well, fear not, my Lord. I will not fail you!’

A wicked grin spread across Nox’s lips as she let out a demented chuckle. Her laughter became louder and significantly more unhinged as she co*cked her head to the side, glaring at the shiny Pokémon with gleeful madness. As more thunder boomed overhead, she threw her arms open wide, challenging Para once again, this time as an equal. Oh, killing him would be so much more satisfying now!

Para was glaring at the Mega Salazzle from the opposite side of the clearing, his jaw clenching so hard that veins bulged in the side of his head. His gaze was colder than the frozen stone beneath his feet and twice as hard as he leered at her, yet behind the façade he was trying desperately to rein in his mind as it roiled with emotions and memories.

‘Focus. Kill Nox, save Eclipse. Kill Nox, save Eclipse- wait. Is that two goals? How many did- no. Focus.’

Over and over he repeated the phrase in his mind, and with tremendous effort, he pushed the memories away from his consciousness and forced his new body under his control.

Para inhaled, filling his lungs with cold mountain air. Whisps of smoke and foul chemicals stung his nostrils slightly, but they were soothed by the sweet, smoky scents of burnt sap and roasted pine bark. Thunder boomed once more overhead, louder and closer than ever. The earth trembled slightly under heaven’s fury. Para exhaled, and his breath was visible against the backdrop of the chilly night atmosphere. As soon as it came it quickly dissipated into the ether, one with the rest of the air that surrounded them. A new smell joined the mixture, that of ozone. The storm was here. He could feel it.

Beyond the vague feeling of energy currents that most electric types were able to pick up on, Para felt more connected to the electricity pulsating miles above them than ever before. He felt as if he could sense the countless electrons as they roiled and crashed in the clouds, building in intensity, energy and pressure, until finally they became so charged that the very sky itself could not contain them. The clouds burst open and lightning streaked across the sky, plummeting down, down, straight down directly towards the two Pokémon that were bound by fate to destroy each other. The very earth recoiled as it was struck, rumbling and groaning under the terrible might of the sky in a burst of light and sound that was too much for the senses to bear.

And then, in an instant, it was over. The light darkened, and the sound quieted.

And then the fatal contest began.

As he had before Para struck before Nox had an opportunity to move. This time, when he dashed forward, the ground exploded underneath him as his new legs pushed against it with almighty force. He leapt into the air, and for a moment his body disappeared, dissolved into pure energy; he was lightning incarnate. Nox had braced herself for an attack from the moment the lightning struck the ground, but to her, it was as if Para had just phased out of existence. She blinked, confused as she watched the Mega Jolteon’s body become a blur, then vanish entirely. The next thing she knew, she was thrown backwards as pain shot through her arms.

Para was in awe of what he’d just accomplished as he watched his once-unbeatable foe rocket backwards with so much force that her body blasted a tree into splinters when she collided with it. She vanished into a cloud of snow and debris kicked up by the impact, granting him a few seconds of respite. If his new body was capable of such feats, this fight might not even pose much of a challenge. However, when Para glanced down at the paw that had delivered such an incredible blow, he found it covered in ugly splotches of red and purple, and a cursory flick of his wrist sent a tendril of dull pain shooting up his arm. He frowned. It was worrying that he was strong enough to hurt himself after delivering a single punch, especially since he had no idea what he was truly capable of or how to control it yet.

A furious roar wrested his attention away from his paw and on to the Salazzle, who looked absolutely livid as the cloud of snow settled around her. Para’s suspicion that he might have pissed her off somewhat was confirmed when she expelled a Heat Wave from her body that practically vaporized whatever snow was left in the glade, as well as clearing the ground almost all the way to the camp. Like before, mist instantly covered the area, though there wasn’t enough this time to hide the Salazzle entirely. Para watched as her jaw unhinged, and from the depths of her throat came a steady stream of flame that widened into a massive cloud of fire and smoke. He had never seen a Flamethrower attack this intense; it was more akin to a Fire Blast that didn’t cease.

Without knowing exactly where Eclipse and the others were, Para decided it was best to move the fight as far away from the area as possible. He dashed forward again, skirting the wall of flame as it roared past. He peppered Nox with Thunderbolts as he ran, which she shrugged off as if the blasts were no more than a nuisance. This had the desired effect of causing the deadly stream of fire to follow him as he ran towards the edge of the thicket. Though it had only been seconds, the air had already been dried of mist and become unbearably hot as the attack continued. Bursting out from a cluster of trees into the field that separated the thicket from the camp, Para barely had more than a second to duck out of the way as the trees behind him exploded into flame and were melted in the inferno.

Shouts of alarm rang out in the distance coming from the direction of the camp as the massive jet of fire surged overhead, briefly dispelling the darkness of the night before dissipating. As embers rained down onto them, explorers frantically ran around in a blind panic while others stumbled out of tents, dazed and confused as to what was happening. By the time Nox finally ceased her attack and came stomping out from the glade, a trail of small fires had already sprung up leading from the cluster of trees to the now smoking camp. With an abundance of flammable material, it wasn’t long before fire spread from tent to tent, devouring everything in its wake with a ravenous hunger. The bewildered explorers did their best to fight the blaze, but it seemed to spread faster than any normal fire should’ve been able to. Confused shouting turned to panicked screams as tents were completely engulfed in flames, sometimes with their unlucky occupants still inside.

Para winced as he heard the cries.

‘Kill Nox, protect Eclipse,’ he thought as he did his best to tune them out.

‘Kill Nox, protect Eclipse.’ Still, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ignore the terrible sounds from the camp. Hot anger stirred inside of him. Why was that? Para watched as Nox opened her maw again, the edges of her lips curled upwards with sad*stic glee.

‘Kill Nox… protect…’ Para braced himself to dodge out of the way, yet his legs wouldn’t budge. If he moved, the camp would be obliterated by the next Fire Blast, incinerating everyone there.

‘Protect… Protect-‘ Why should he care? They wanted to destroy him, didn’t they?

But to his surprise Para’s anger wasn’t directed at the other explorers. Instead, he felt righteous fury at the one who would hurt others in the pursuit of her own goals, and who even seemed to revel in their suffering. Para snarled, frustrated at himself for his indecision as the fuel Nox expelled from her maw ignited.

Pokémon were cruel. They were selfish. No one in that camp even deserved his compassion after how they had treated him. He shouldn’t have cared whether or not the attack doused them all in blazing hellfire and wiped them out.

But he did.

‘Protect… Everyone.’

He felt the energy surge within him as he was overcome by a feeling of determination. Para’s entire body shook, and he howled as he unleashed a massive Thunder attack, which met the Fire Blast head on and pushed back against it. The ambient temperature skyrocketed as huge globs of plasma flew in all directions. Flakes of superheated matter caught fire as they were flung through the air, fiercely burning whatever surface they landed on. Seconds felt like hours as Para poured all his strength into his attack, which was pushing Nox’s back, but only just. Sweat began to roll down his face from both the heat and the exertion, yet he forced himself to press on. Knowing that failure meant a fiery death for himself as well as the camp, he screamed until his throat hurt as he dumped more and more energy into the massive arc of electrical energy. The blast was nearly blinding as it cascaded into the stream of fire, yet Para could feel the resistance lessening as he gained ground on Nox. Finally, with an angry roar, she broke off the attack and leapt out of the way to avoid the surge of energy as it shot past and exploded behind her. Clouds of snow and huge chunks of rock were blasted skyward as the energy dissipated into the ground, ripping through stone as though it were paper.

Para staggered backwards after cutting off the flow of electricity. Expending that much energy on a single attack would have left him unconscious under normal circ*mstances, and he indeed felt the sudden fatigue brought on by the strain. However, his anger and the determination he felt to protect his fellow adventurers poured strength back into his limbs. Taking a deep breath, Para opened his own maw wide as a blob of pulsating black and red energy appeared just outside of it.

Several bolts of negative energy rocketed outward at Nox, who nimbly dodged out of the way despite her lumbering form. Para was rapidly firing off Shadow Ball attacks, each of which exploded violently when they collided with the ground or a tree. A series of blasts followed hot on Nox’s heels as she ran, leaving behind a trail of smoking craters. Though the Mega Salazzle was fast, without any cover to hide behind, it wasn’t long until she cried out as several Shadow Balls finally found their mark, riddling her body with pain as she was wracked by painful explosive energy. Nox’s form was instantly obscured by a cloud of inky black smoke from the blasts, though her pained, angry screaming rang clear throughout the field nevertheless.

Wanting to seize the advantage, Para’s claws hissed as they slid out of their sockets in his paws, and he began running toward the billowing black cloud. Electricity bled off of his form into the ground as he sped along, far faster than he ever could have before, and within seconds he had covered a distance of dozens of yards. Reaching the cloud before it had a chance to dissipate, he pulled his arm back to deliver a slice at the murky form from which the screaming emanated. However, despite flinging his arm forward in a massive arc with enough force to surely slice through flesh, bone and armor, he was stopped midway through his attack. His eyes widened as a piercing clang split the air and pain shot up his arm from stopping so quickly after swinging so hard. A moment later, the force of the slice caught up to them and blew the smoke away as the air blasted around them in all directions, revealing Nox with a red crystal blade of her own jutting out from a gap the gems around her arms that made up her gauntlets. Though the blade appeared to be made of the same material as the rest of her armor, the full force of Para’s blow hadn’t left so much as a crack in it, while much of the rest of her plating was in ruins.

Nox’s savage grin returned as she saw the shock on Para’s face. He noticed her shoulder twitch, and brought his other arm up just in time to block a strike from a second sword extending from her other arm. Para gritted his teeth as his new muscles bulged from the intense strain of the two pushing their blades against each other, each trying to overpower the other with raw strength. A deep, animalistic growl emanated from his throat as he watched Nox’s red swords creeping closer to his face, losing ground inch by inch. The Mega Salazzle seemed to be savoring the painfully slow journey to cutting him to pieces, her grin widening as puffs of foul smoke wisped through her teeth and into his face. Despite his incredible strength, Para knew he was still no match for her in terms of raw power, meaning it was time to change tactics before he was skewered.

Despite his arm muscles screaming in protest, he forced Nox’s arms back several inches with a sudden burst of strength. She hissed in delight as she pushed against him even harder, stopping his advance, though this was exactly what Para was counting on. He flourished his wrists at an angle that tilted his claws just above his head, which forced Nox’s blades to slide past them and into each other from the sheer amount of force she was exerting on them. Sparks rained down on him as the red swords passed mere inches above his head, though they took nothing more from it than a few green hairs. In the moment it took her to recover, he dropped onto his back before jamming one of his feet into one of her broken armor plates. He kicked off of it and rolled backwards, moving out of her reach as she staggered backwards. Nox grunted as pain coursed through her wounded belly, but as soon as Para completed his roll, he dug his feet into the ground and sprang upward at her again.

Another loud clang rang out as he swiped at her again and she raised her blades to block his attack. Rather than force another contest of strength however, he simply flew past her and landed to her side, then jumped again and took a swipe at her exposed back. Nox managed to block this attack as well, but the motion was clumsy and Para was already springing around her for another attack. Though she had the advantage in strength, he was still much faster, leaving her to block against his afterimage as he darted around her again and again. Flashes of light illuminated the area as Para phased in and out of a pure energy state, more akin to a lightning bolt with claws than a living creature. The tactic allowed Para to score hit after hit wherever Nox couldn’t move fast enough to protect herself, but he was moving so fast that he didn’t have enough time to swing his claws hard enough to inflict more than minor wounds during each blow.

Roaring in pain and sheer frustration at her inability to catch the smaller Pokémon, Nox planted both feet firmly on the ground and threw her arms to the side as the flames on her body flared intensely. She unleashed a Heat Wave attack in all directions. Despite not having had enough time to charge up properly, the blast was still powerful enough to throw Para several feet back, forcing the Mega Jolteon to disengage as waves of steam rolled off of him. He landed hard, giving Nox an opening to surge forward and slash at him with one of her blades. The powerful attack forced him to use both of his claws to parry it, leaving his side exposed. Without enough time to swing her arm around and bisect him with her blade, Nox instead delivered a fast right hook that slammed into Para’s ribs, launching him several feet to the side once again.

While the blow would have all but certainly shattered that half of his ribcage before, his newly reinforced bones only cracked in response to the trauma, though the pain was still enough to leave Para seeing stars. Despite the agony in his side, the rage burning in his chest powered his legs as he landed in a roll, then dashed forward once more. Nox raised her blades in front of her in preparation for his attack, but Para was so angry that he simply jumped up and twisted his body, then batted her blades aside with two successive swipes from his claws. The pain in his side was practically fuel being dumped onto the bonfire of rage that was powering his attacks, and with the last of the momentum from his spin, he wheeled around and slugged Nox’s face harder than he’d ever punched anything before.

A shockwave cut through the air from the force of the impact, followed by the sound of a crack that rang out for miles. It was Nox’s turn to be sent hurtling through the air, back into the thicket of trees, several of which splintered and fell as her body crashed through them. As soon as the last tree fell to the earth, silence finally descended upon the area once more. Para was left panting hard from the intense fighting, his breath slowly becoming visible as cold mountain air replaced the heat Nox had created. He held his stance for several seconds, but the thicket remained dark and quiet.

Para exhaled as he untensed his body, allowing his limbs to relax. As soon as he did, he was assaulted by waves of unimaginable pain from all over. He grimaced as he finally felt each blow Nox had landed on him in their entirety, and as he turned and began to walk towards the camp, exhaustion tugged at his limbs. Without the intense emotional energy coursing through his body and powering his movements, he felt incredibly sluggish. His vision wavered several times, and even just keeping his eyes open was an uphill battle as he staggered onwards. It was as if everything he had in his body had been burned up in the fight, even down to his ability to feel. Nothing, not even emotion was left in him as he walked, leaving him completely empty. It was strangely calming, not being able to feel anything. It was almost enough to block out the pain he felt with every step. Almost.

The camp was silent when Para finally trudged in through its outskirts. The smell of smoke lingered in the air from smoldering equipment and partially burnt tents, mixing in with the haze of the melted snow that had yet to clear. Sight would’ve been practically impossible if it weren’t for the break in the clouds that allowed the full moon to beam down on the mountain, lending a milky white glow to the murky air. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was the soft crunch of the rocky ground underneath his feet, completing the desolate atmosphere that gave rise a growing feeling of anxiety within the Mega Jolteon. Had they all perished? What if they all left already, leaving him to fend for himself in this frozen hellscape? He wasn’t sure what had become of his gear back in the glade, but chances were it was completely destroyed. Without a way to teleport back home, he was stuck there, wounded and exhausted.

But most importantly of all… were Eclipse and Kami okay?

Para didn’t have to wait long in order to have his questions answered. He rounded a corner past a row of tents, each sporting varying levels of fire damage, and crossed into the center of the camp. He noticed the spot where his own tent had once stood on the fateful night when he made an enemy of himself to the only Pokémon who might have accepted him in any capacity, as a comrade in arms. So much had happened since his fight with Eclipse and subsequent last stand against his fellow adventurers; it felt like a lifetime had passed since then. Guilt gnawed at him as he remembered how angry he’d been, how he’d wanted to hurt Eclipse like she’d hurt him so many times. Para glanced down at once of his paws, which he’d used to hit the Pokémon he cared more for than any other he’d ever known. He quickly looked away, disgusted. Even if she had forgiven him, which he couldn’t be sure of, how could he forgive himself for what he’d done to her? And then to Kami afterwards? Was there any relationship he had that he hadn’t sabotaged?

The negativity he felt seemed to physically weigh down on him. His movements slowed even more, and each step seemed to require more energy from his exhausted reserves than the last. His limbs felt like weights that were dragging him down. Para wanted nothing more than to simply fall to the earth and die, now that he’d won his battle against Nox once and for all. Despite this however, he trudged on, if for no other reason than to ensure his teammates were okay. If they were alright… maybe that would have been a step in the right direction.

As Para made his way past his old campsite to where the bonfire they’d erected once stood, the mists parted to reveal what remained of the explorers tending to their wounds and rummaging through piles of equipment. When they saw him, they stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him with concerned expressions, whispering to each other in hushed voices that even his improved ears couldn’t detect. He regarded them with a hollow, exhausted expression; despite the majesty of a mega evolved form, he was covered in blood and looked like he’d been beaten half to death. Which he had. Dark lines had already formed under his eyes from the severe exhaustion he felt. The only silver lining to the whole situation was that they weren’t attacking him on sight, which in his current state would have been more akin to an execution than a battle.

“…Para? Is… that you?”

The crowd parted to reveal Kami as she stood up from where she was applying bandages to someone, the Meowscarada that had come to help them earlier. She was adorned with an assortment of small cuts and burns, and several bandages of her own, though she didn’t look to have any severe injuries.

“Kami-“ he began, but stopped as he heard the sound of running coming from further within the crowd.

Suddenly, Eclipse burst from their midst, eliciting several startled shouts as she bounded past the others in order to get to him. She looked to be in a similar state to Kami, and with the way she moved, she couldn’t have suffered anything too serious. As she came close to him, she leapt into the air and practically tackled him, nearly bowling Para over in his weakened state. He took several steps backward to steady himself, holding onto Eclipse for balance even as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him with every ounce of her being. He winced as she squeezed injured parts of him, especially his ribs, but managed to hug her back after a few seconds.

Eclipse and Kami were safe. His team- his friends were okay.

It was as if a dam burst within Para at that moment. Relief flooded through him, sweeping the pain and negativity he was feeling away and replacing it with the warmth that flowed into him from the hug he shared with the Umbreon. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes, and he began to shake uncontrollably before breaking down completely in Eclipse’s arms. The camp was silent. A soft breeze blew through, carrying away some of the smoke and mist, and ruffling the fur of the Jolteon as he cried into his best friend’s chest. His muffled sobs carried just far enough to be heard by the adventurers as they stood by, keeping silent vigil over the two as they had their moment.

“…Is it over? Did you…?”

Para looked up from the growing wet patch of fur and into the shining red eyes of the Umbreon who had asked him the question. She trailed off, but he understood what she meant, and nodded in response. It was done.

A small, sad smile broke onto Eclipse’s face. “Then… let’s go home,” she said quietly. Kami hummed her approval from nearby, and Para nodded once more as he broke away from the hug to dry his eyes.

“Y-Yeah. let’s go home.”

“After everything that’s happened, I’d say you all have more than earned a good rest.”

The entire crowd turned to see the Grandmaster as he strode out of the haze, looking slightly disheveled but hardly worse for wear. Next to him was Symphonia, who compared to the Grandmaster, looked like she’d just been through a cage match against a dozen angry Lycanrocs. Her feathers were ruffled all over and missing in several places, slashes and bruises crisscrossed her body, and the musical note extending from her head was bent crooked. Despite this, she carried herself proudly as she strode next to Wigglytuff, calm and collected as if they hadn’t just spent the last two days fighting for their lives as they dragged everyone they could, or what remained of them, out of the dens of savage wild forest Pokémon.

“I’m very proud of everyone’s hard work on this expedition,” the Grandmaster continued. “Especially yours, Team Spearhead, for rekindling old friendships and forging new ones. It’s always wonderful to Pokémon coming together like that.”

“You’ll also surely be relieved to hear that you aren’t going to be punished for the- er… incident that occurred two nights ago,” Symphonia chimed in. Her voice was somewhat diminished, a result of recent overuse, but it still held the authority to command the attention of everyone present. Or at least, it was still too shrill to ignore. “Your companions apprised us of the situation when they brought the wounded back here and you were dueling the beast that Nox became. Given Eclipse’s testimony of what happened, as well as the fact that you did retrieve the Aegis Heart and held off Nox in order to protect your fellow explorers, we have decided to let bygones be bygones. RIGHT, everyone?”

The explorers shifted uncomfortably and murmured quietly amongst themselves, until someone shouted “whatever gets us out of this godsforsaken place faster!”

“Well, there you have it,” the Grandmaster said with a smile. “All’s well that ends well. Let’s get out of here. Yoom Tah!”

After a halfhearted “Hooray,” the remaining Pokémon present returned to their preparations. Bags were being packed haphazardly and whatever tools and material could still be used were being salvaged as quickly as possible. Already several teams had teleported back, lugging as much baggage with them as they could carry, both in the physical and emotional sense. As the minutes dragged on, the camp steadily shrank in size as it was broken down and packed away. With nothing else to do and their gear already stowed from their journey down the mountain, Para, Kami and Eclipse readied themselves to leave as well. Para was pleasantly surprised to discover that his gear had been saved from the glade when his teammates were dragging the wounded to safety while he dueled Nox. Since Eclipse didn’t have a badge, a fact that she heaped apology after apology onto Para for despite him telling her that all was already forgiven, Kami took all of their supplies and gear and left first. They watched as the overburdened Ampharos, struggling under the weight of nearly a hundred pounds of gear, pressed the button on the center of her explorer badge and was enveloped in blue light, vanishing into nothingness. Then, Eclipse wrapped her arms around Para and squeezed, taking a moment to give his shoulder an affectionate nuzzle before announcing she was ready. He held his badge aloft, preparing to send the both of them back to the safety of civilization. Just before he could press the button however, a roar thundered throughout the area. Para stopped, feeling the blood turn to ice in his veins. Slowly, dread forming in the pit of his stomach, he turned to face the source of the noise. It had come from the thicket of pines.

Soon after the first, another roar pierced the air, even louder this time. She was getting closer. What had once been fast but methodical packing turned into an all-out frenzy as the camp exploded with activity. Explorers barked orders to each other while frantically stuffing equipment into bags, or abandoning it entirely. Beams of light of various colors fell from the heavens all around as different badges were used to escape to the safety of the far-off headquarters.

“I thought you said you finished her off!” Eclipse shouted above the noise.

“I-I thought I did!” Para stammered in response, his eyes wide with fear. “I stabbed her about three times, cut her another three dozen on top of that, blasted her with Shadow Balls and Thunderbolts and punched her so hard that my wrist nearly broke! Twice!”

“Well, if you could do all that once, surely you can do it again, right?” Symphonia asked, trying to remain optimistic despite the fact that Para’s expression told her all she needed to know about their situation.

Predictably, Para shook his head. “N-No! I can’t fight her again, I-“ He quickly stopped himself, not wanting to reveal just how hopeless their situation was. “It’s… just not that simple. Even taking a single punch from her in our last fight was nearly enough to break me in half, and that was when I was at my full strength! I’m still hurting from that, and I… I just don’t have the energy to do anything right now…”

“Tch- figures. This is what we get for putting our faith in some damned shiny…”

Para turned to see a Shiftry scowling down at him with his arms crossed, flanked by several other explorers with unhappy expressions on their faces. Eclipse flushed with anger as she stood up to argue with the grass-type, but that single sentence had perfectly encapsulated Para’s fears; even with this nearly limitless newfound power, and even after resurrecting a relic of untold historical significance from the clutches of time, it still wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to defeat Nox and it wasn’t enough to change how others felt about him. Deep down, he was always destined to be a failure, and everyone knew it. It was probably only a matter of time until his friends realized this and left him too. Hell, Eclipse already had, once. The Mega Jolteon felt whatever strength he’d managed to recover from his heartfelt reunion with his team flush out of him. His ears drooped as he slouched onto one side, barely able to remain sitting upright. His wounds stung with a fresh wave of pain as the last of his motivation deserted him as well, leaving him devoid of any feelings except for dread and self-loathing.

“He’s… He’s right, Eclipse…” Para muttered, just loud enough for the Umbreon to hear and stop her from throwing the punch she was about to. “Just leave me to Nox while the rest of you escape. It’s probably better for everyone that way…”

“Unfortunately, even if we were going to entertain that idea, it still wouldn’t help us,” The Grandmaster interjected, cutting off Eclipse before she could say anything. “Right now, the guild’s medical corps are continuously teleporting back and forth between here and headquarters using a mobile teleportation beacon we set up. They’ve been ferrying the dead and injured as quickly as possible back home, but they won’t be anywhere close to finished by the time Nox arrives.”

As if to accentuate his point, yet another roar sounded off in the distance, much louder than the previous two. They were nearly out of time.

“So, even if it isn’t you, someone will have to go out and delay her in order to buy them more time. However, we’ve all seen exactly what she’s capable of doing to those of us mortals without magic rocks that turn us into demigods.”

“But… I’ve already failed to kill her twice now. What could I possibly do in my current state that I couldn’t when I was at full strength? It’s just… I’m sorry…”

Para hung his head with shame as Wigglytuff frowned. Suddenly, a fourth and final roar echoed throughout the area, so loud that it seemed to be near the edge of the camp itself. Time was up. Without another word, the Grandmaster turned and began walking in the direction Nox’s roars came from, grim determination on his face.

Symphonia scowled at him before turning around as well with a curt, “I expected more from you than that.” She then took off after her partner, intending to fight by his side for what was likely the last time.

Eclipse growled quietly as she watched them go. Her fur stood straight up and while her psychic abilities weren’t as potent as that of an Espeon, Para could still feel the molten anger rolling off of her. “Forget them. Forget all of them,” she spat, then turned to face him. “You don’t owe them anything, Para. We’ve already done more than enough for this stupid expedition, and those ungrateful assholes can die out here for all I care. We’re leaving.”

While her words did comfort him slightly, they simply couldn’t compare to the overwhelming despair that pushed down on the Jolteon, making it hard for him to even breathe. “I just… I-I wanted to prove them all wrong about me. I wanted to finally make them see that I’m worthy of their respect. But… I’m so drained that I can’t even feel mad about it. I can’t feel anything!” Para pounded his fist weakly on the ground, tears of frustration and helplessness rolling down his cheeks. “What good is all this power if I can’t even use it? What good am I as an explorer if I can’t help anyone when they really need me to?! Godsdamnit! Why am I so damn worthless?!”

Para collapsed onto the cold, hard ground. He tried to pull himself back to his feet, but the weight of his failure was literally holding him down, leaving him unable to move. It seemed that his sadness was literally robbing him of the very energy he needed to stand up to Nox once again, but he couldn’t escape the defeatist mindset he was spiraling into.

Para could do nothing but stare straight forward and watch as Wigglytuff marched forward with Symphonia in tow. He stopped near the edge of the camp and waited until Nox came into view. She paused when she spotted him and the two sides stared each other down for several tense seconds. The Mega Salazzle’s armor plating was shattered nearly everywhere, the broken shards of crystal having dug deep into her skin now providing more pain than protection. Her sides were covered in small cuts that oozed steaming blood and puffed acrid smoke whenever she moved, and the deepest wounds in between the gaps of her shattered armor plates where she’d been stabbed billowed small jets of pink and purple flame. The blood that covered most of her body burned so hot that it ignited when it made contact with the air, cloaking her form in writhing flames that flowed onto the ground and pooled around her, singeing the earth itself.

The image before him was horrifying. Para didn’t understand how something could lose that much blood and yet still cling to life, let alone have the strength to keep fighting. In blatant disregard of all natural laws, Nox threw her head back and roared her challenge towards the Grandmaster, unleashing a Heat Wave that forced Para to bury his head in his arms for several seconds to protect his eyes. Pannicked screams filled his ears as he turned to look at the explorers still remaining in the camp. Much of the supplies that had survived the earlier battle were currently burning alongside their owners. The smell of smoke and burning flesh assaulted his nostrils as he watched Pokémon frantically rolling along the ground as they tried to extinguish the flames that now writhed around their own bodies. Those that weren’t burning were either attempting to help their comrades or abandoning them to retreat to safety, leaving the number of defenders left to protect the evacuation of the wounded to dwindle to barely a handful.

‘Surely, Nox must have killed me already…’

Para thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the Mega Salazzle as she prepared to incinerate the Grandmaster.

‘…Because this has to be hell.’

Para missed the exact moment that the battle started, but he was buffeted by an intense blast of air from the sheer force of the movements from both combatants. He closed his eyes as the heat was blown away, offering him relief from the oppressive temperatures. When he opened them again, he saw Wigglytuff throwing a barrage of punches at Nox. His arms were a blur as he sank blow after blow into Nox’s guard, who seemed to be struggling to defend against all of them. She began to slide backwards from the sheer force levied against her, leaving deep gouges in the ground where her claws dug into it for support, and for a moment it seemed as though Wigglytuff might actually prevail against her. It was then however that Para noticed that there was blood flying through the air in all directions. Rather than coming from Nox, the blood was instead from Wigglytuff’s own fists as he repeatedly punched the jagged gems on Nox’s arms that she was using to guard herself. The Grandmaster gritted his teeth as he fought through the pain to keep up his barrage, but it soon proved to be too much, even for him. Before he had even managed to put a crack in Nox’s gauntlets, the skin on his paws had been shaved off entirely, exposing muscle and bone and staining his once pink arms a deep, dark red.

Wigglytuff made a move to jump backwards and disengage from the fight, but Nox was too fast for him. In an instant, she grabbed one of his injured paws, causing him to cry out in pain, and dug her claws into his arm. Her chest swelled up as she took a deep breath in, then utterly doused him in fire from a Flamethrower attack preformed at point-blank range. His silhouette writhed from behind the curtain of flame as he struggled in vain to escape. Horrid screams filled the air, digging into Para’s ears as the sight burned itself into his eyes, yet he couldn’t look away. Nox held onto Wigglytuff as she cooked him, preventing his escape while his attempts to escape steadily grew weaker. She only stopped her attack when Symphonia swooped down from above and latched onto the top of her head while she was distracted. In desperation, the Chatot dug her talons into the gaping wound in the side of Nox’s head where Para had landed his punch, forcing her to let go of Wigglytuff in order to protect herself. While the Grandmaster fell to the floor, his body charred and smoking, Nox grabbed hold of Symphonia before her injured wings could bear her to safety and just threw her as hard as she could to the side. A shockwave of air pulsated outwards in all directions from the force of the throw as Symphonia quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a trail of blood and feathers as she flew.

In less than a minute, two of the strongest Pokémon in the entire expedition had been defeated. Or, more adequately, Nox had utterly crushed them. The amount of damage she had sustained should have left her dead, but as she slowly turned to look at him, the monster looked nigh unstoppable. With growing horror, Para looked around to see that there was no one left to stand between this unkillable beast and Eclipse and himself. No one was left to save them. No one was left to help as they stared into the eyes of death itself.

The weight of failure that had been crushing Para flushed out of his system in an instant to make room for the mortal fear that the sight of Nox standing triumphantly over the broken body of one of the strongest explorers ever put into him. This turned out to be a vast improvement, as he forgot about the emotions weighing him down and picked himself up, scrambling backwards next to Eclipse. Acting purely on instinct, he wasted no time in grabbing hold of her arm and raising his badge into the air, abandoning the injured to their fate in order to flee for their lives. Para cast a glance over to the group of Pokémon laying in various states of consciousness nearby, then gritted his teeth as he forced his attention back to Nox. In the split second that he had looked, he saw the terror in the eyes of those coherent enough to know what was going on. They were staring at Nox, the avatar of destruction and the herald of their impending death, and at him, the last line of defense between her and them, broken and battered as he was. He saw the hopelessness in their eyes as he began to raise his badge, saw the horror begin to dawn on their faces as they realized he was running away. Para couldn’t even bear to face them for a full second. The shame of his failure and his cowardice tore at what little remained of his spirit. He knew that that fraction of a second would haunt his dreams for a long, long time to come.

But now was not the time for sentiment. Now was the time to face facts. Sadly, the fact of the matter was that he could do nothing to save them. As cold as it was, it would be better to save himself and Eclipse than to allow everyone to die by taking on an impossible fight. And so it was with stones in his heart and lead in his arm, Para raised the badge high and pressed the button. A flash of light enveloped them, and then… nothing.

Para blinked, confused.

He had pressed the button to recall back to the safety of headquarters, yet he still found himself staring at destroyed camp, and at Nox, who’s maw was hung open slightly.

Para moved to press the button again.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, he tiled his gaze upwards. Above his head was the sizzling remains of his paw, acrid smoke billowing off of the stump that his wrist now ended in. In disbelief, he lowered his arm back down to eye level and attempted to move the paw that was simply gone. He watched as the bones and muscles in his wrist writhed beneath the foul-smelling smoke, attempting to maneuver an extremity that was no longer there as his brain struggled to process what had just happened.

Nox grinned as she wiped away a trail of acid that was dripping down her cheek, then started towards the pair of helpless eeveelution heretics.

Without the adrenaline brought on by a proper battle to numb the pain it came rushing to him all at once. Para let out a frenzied scream as he fell to his knees, unable to hear anything but the pounding of blood in his ears. He grasped his burning stump with his other paw as waves of agony assaulted his brain, threatening to overwhelm his exhausted body entirely. Through the pain, he forced himself to look up as he watched Nox come steadily closer, closing the distance between them with each heavy step she took. She hadn’t even walked halfway to them before she casually crooked her head back again, then spit another small glob of acid at him.

Despite the intense pain that was dulling his senses, Para felt the ground shifting next to him as Eclipse moved to shield him from the incoming attack. He knew there was no point in her self-sacrifice anymore; she was the only one left who had a chance to still get away, no matter how slim it was. He wasn’t about to let her throw that away for his sake, even if he hadn’t been doomed anyway. Before she could move more than a few inches, Para summoned the last of his willpower to shove Eclipse to the side, preventing her from blocking the attack and causing the acid to splash into the side of his stomach.

Instantly, Para’s vision blurred. The pain of losing his wrist was nothing compared to this; the glob of acid had practically passed right through him, so quickly had it eaten a chunk out of his side. He was dimly aware that he was screaming, howling in agony with strained vocal cords and burning lungs, but the pounding in his ears was too loud to actually hear any of it. Finally, Para collapsed fully onto the ground in a puddle of blood and smoking viscera that leaked out of the gaping hole in his side. He thought he felt Eclipse’s vain attempts to drag him away from the scene as he faded in and out of consciousness, but he couldn’t be sure.

‘That moron…’ he thought to himself. ‘Why did she have to choose now to start caring about me again? This could’ve all been avoided if she’d just kept on hating me…’

Despite this, Para’s lips twisted into a weak smile. Darkness crept into his vision, signaling his time was finally at hand. He no longer felt the pain of his wounds, nor the despair of his situation. All that was left was a dim warmth in his chest. It was faint, but definitely real; now, at the end, he knew that there was finally someone who cared about him. Someone was there for him. There was someone he loved. Even if she didn’t feel the same way, just knowing the feeling of love again was enough to allow Para to die happily.

“J-Just run away, E-Eclipse…”

Para did his best to choke the words out as his lungs began to fail him. He wasn’t sure if she’d been able to hear him, or if he’d actually managed to say anything at all for that matter, but he wanted to try. Seeing Eclipse again so soon in the afterlife was more than he deserved to hope for, even if it was overwhelmingly likely now. Assuming they went to the same place, that was.

Para watched the earth spin around him until he found himself looking up at the dark sky. A faint heat that covered his body suggested that a battle was raging around him, but he no longer had the strength to move his head in order to see for himself. Instead, he simply stared upwards; the dim light of dawn was beginning to break through gaps in the clouds, illuminating them enough for him to see that they were swirling around in a vortex high above him. How strange. Clouds didn’t usually do that. Streaks of lightning danced across the surface of the vortex, illuminating it with brilliant golden light that burned negatives of themselves into his vision as he watched them. Now that he had a moment to think about it, why had there been so much thunder and lightning erupting throughout the sky that night, yet no rain or snow? There was an abnormal amount of lightning overhead, yet it wasn’t storming. Again, it was quite strange.

As the darkness closed over him, blocking out all but a few specks of light from his vision, Para became dimly aware of his past memories as they flickered into his dying mind. Helpless to stop them even if he had wanted to, he let the lifetime of sensory data flow past him, occasionally getting caught up in the particularly strong memories and sensations: he saw the dark, blurry forms of the tall pines of his old forest home as he ran by them.

Eclipse’s scent filled his nostrils as the two Eevees curled up next to each other.

The crack of thunder filled his ears as lighting danced through the clouds above, followed by the sound of Eclipse’s Swift attack whizzing through the air towards him.

Then, he felt the pain of his bruises that dotted his body after a brutal session with Master Teno. The blind Lucario had been teaching him how to fight after he’d fled from the forest, but did he always have to hit so hard?

Para felt pride bubble up inside his chest as he stared down at his paws, drenched in blood but finally manifesting the Metal Claw blades that he’d been trying for months to coax out of his body. His master had berated him for attempting foolishly learn techniques that his body was incapable of. Well, who was the fool now?

The pride was then smothered by unrelenting fury as he watched himself sprinting away from Master Teno’s hut after his granddaughter had paid him a surprise visit, only to expose Para for what he was as soon as she saw him. The shame he felt as he glanced back at his master’s disappointed face served to make his rage burn hotter.

He heard a faint roar in the back of his mind as he shrank underneath the disgusted faces of the Pokémon he passed by in the city, and he felt his mind grow fuzzy as everything tinged red.

Para watched, frozen in place as the Butterfree screamed at him. Clutched tightly in her arms was a small Caterpie, hardly older than a toddler, bawling into his mother’s chest as his body convulsed with terror from the trauma he had just endured. The same Caterpie that Para had just saved from certain death at the hands of several hungry Tailow, who were about to tear into the child after he’d strayed too far into the forest near his home while playing with friends. She was howling at him to get away from her baby. But why? Para had saved him. Wasn’t that what Rescue Teams did? He’d founded his own team to help others, to earn their recognition and respect, yet the very Pokémon he had helped was now shunning him.

‘Why?’

Para became dimly aware of the darkness beginning to recede from his vision. His limbs twitched as tiny drops of strength began to flow back into them. However, he was too focused on the visions to think about what was happening to him.

‘Why did that always happen?

Why were they always like this?’

Anger began to roil within him once again, coaxing his dead heart back to life. It wasn’t fair. How could this world beat him down for his entire life before finally killing him in front of the one Pokémon who truly cared about him? How could it allow him to love once more, only to tear everything away from him again?

It was cruel.

It was wrong.

Para’s eyes suddenly shot open as one more memory came back to him. A memory buried beneath others, forgotten, overshadowed and overlooked, but integral to who he was nonetheless. Thunder boomed overhead, filling his ears with sound once more, while a massive surge of lightning began to build in the clouds directly above him.

Para looked down at the badge in his paw, its golden luster reflecting the sparkling emerald color of his fur. He ran a digit over its grooves and ridges, feeling the cool metal that formed the shape of the tip of a spear, flanked by two golden wings. He admired the pink gemstone inlaid in its center, signifying him as a Normal Rank, a beginner explorer and rescuer. This badge was proof of his fortitude, that he’d overcome the opposition of everyone he’d ever known and managed to secure a spot for himself among the Pokémon he’d most admired.

“But… why even bother? There will be plenty of those that will refuse to acknowledge you and accept your help because of what you are.”

Para looked up at the Gardevoir asking the question after she had handed him the badge. She was kind enough to hide her disdain for him outright, and Para liked her enough to give an honest answer.

“Because…” he started, then paused as he thought of the right words to say. “Because I think the world is cruel. It’s wrong. Not just to me, but to lots of other Pokémon as well. And… And I want to change it. No- I will change it. Even if it’s in a small way, I will change this world for the better. That’s why.”

Para gritted his teeth as he remembered the look she’d given him after he said that. She had smiled, a dainty, sweet smile, yet behind the pleasant mask she wore, he knew that it wasn’t real. Para saw the smile for what it was: condescending. Pitying. The look you would give a child as they excitedly professed their lofty goals and idealistic dreams, even as you knew from experience that one by one these dreams were destined to die away and be forgotten. Even as far back as that moment, it was as if fate had been daring him to try to improve his lot, eager to crush him at every turn.

So how dare he just give up and die like that?

Para’s jaw began to ache from clenching so hard as he forced his shaking, broken arm towards the sky. He pointed his stump at the swirling heavens and swore a silent oath that he would not die before he left his mark on this world. And as he reached up to touch the sky, it suddenly descended down to touch him as well.

Eclipse was panting with exhaustion already, despite having been fighting Nox for barely more than a minute. Her arms ached from the inhuman blows they had endured from her over and over again. Her shields were cracked and splintered despite having every ounce of her strength poured into them, yet despite this, Nox didn’t even look tired. Her body was fractured and seemed to be leaking an impossible amount of blood, yet she just kept coming, all the while sporting a cruel, manic grin on her face.

Whatever was left of her mind after it had been destroyed by her transformation was clearly enjoying this, even as the toll it took on her broken form was condemning her to death. Nox’s wounds were already fatal; why not spend the last of her strength ensuring she dragged her enemies down with her? After all, more dead heretics surely meant more favor from Arceus when she went to meet her lord.

Nox raised her arm, then swung it at Eclipse, who raised her shields to block the impact. The Mega Salazzle was toying with her; not once had she lashed out with acid or flame, or even had to unsheathe her crystal swords. Despite this, the force of the blow shattered Eclipse’s shields, causing her to cry out in pain as she staggered backwards. Her arms fell loosely at her sides, aching from exhaustion and the abuse they had endured. Even moving them brought about fresh waves of pain for the Umbreon, who looked up helplessly into the malignant eyes of the monster that had once been her leader. With no options left, she weakly stepped between Nox and Para. If she had nothing else to give, then she would shield him with her own body.

Nox threw her head back and made a strange, guttural sound as smoke and droplets of acid escaped from her open maw. It took Eclipse a minute to realize she was laughing in her own, twisted way. However, the laughter suddenly stopped as Nox opened her eyes and stared in shock at something in the distance. Slowly, Eclipse followed her gaze up into the sky, where her mouth fell open as she saw a massive, spiraling vortex of clouds directly above them. It was easily several hundred feet long and just as wide, made up of clouds so dark and thick that one could easily mistake them for massive puffs of smoke. Weaving their way in and out of the vortex were massive bolts of lighting, which seemed to be building in size and intensity as they converged on the center of it. Eclipse watched as they met in the center, compressing into a single, unbroken streak of pure light and energy, which fell to the earth right on top of them.

Then, the world exploded around her. Blinding lightning and deafening thunder overwhelmed her senses as the force of the lightning strike threw her through the air for several feet before laying her flat on her back. It took several seconds for her stricken eyes to recover from the blinding light. Even when they did, Eclipse struggled to believe what she was looking at could be real.

There, standing in a small crater, practically dripping with sparks and electrical energy, stood Para.

Eclipse didn’t have time to react to what had just happened. Without warning, Para suddenly bounded past her and threw himself at Nox, seemingly capitalizing on the element of surprise while he still had it. As he moved, she noticed that despite his sudden burst of vigor, Para’s body was still nearly destroyed. Blood rained from his wounds as he charged at the Mega Salazzle, cutting furiously into his stunned foe with only one set of claws. She watched as the two Pokémon engaged each other in one last bout to the death, fighting long past what either of their bodies should have physically been able to sustain. The sight of them gripped her with horror. They were both practically walking corpses that tore into each other, polluting the air with the sounds of screaming and blades clashing while littering the ground with each other’s blood.

Para slashed at Nox’s chest with so much force that bits of his claws chipped off when she blocked his attack, sending a shower of sparks, metal shavings and crystal bits cascading in every direction. Without even flinching, he leapt backwards, peppering her with Shadow Balls, before landing with his arm raised high. As expected, Nox easily shrugged off the attacks and began to gather acid in her maw for a counterattack. Before she could douse him in the corrosive goo once again however, Para threw his one arm down in a single motion. As if obeying his commands, a bolt of lightning rained down on Nox from on high, interrupting her attack and causing acid to fly everywhere as she cried out in pain.

Pain ignited into fury when Nox recovered from the blast. Instead of acid, flames billowed out of her maw as she spewed molten rage directly at Para, dousing the area in his general direction indiscriminately with a Fire Blast. He protected himself by countering with Thunder, which collided with the flames in front of him and ignited into superheated plasma. The very air itself seemed to ignite as the attacks burned away at each other while stray embers and sparks made short work of whatever was left of the camp. In seconds anything that hadn’t been reduced to ash already was burning again. The flames spread at a breakneck pace, jumping from tent to tent, devouring the haphazardly discarded supplies left by panicked explorers and growing so tall, their pitch-black smoke seemed to scorch the very clouds above.

As the two Megas continued to blast each other with their elemental attacks, the energy generated at their interaction finally reached a critical mass. A ball of plasma formed in midair, its surface an inky, oily crimson as its heat seared a hole right through the laws of nature. It hovered for just a moment before imploding, sending a rush of cold air past the combatants as all the heat in the immediate area was sucked into the concentrated inferno. Then, with an unnatural sounding bang that resonated through the very bones of everyone present, it exploded outwards, sending out a shockwave of burning air in all directions that created a wall of fire between Para and Nox. Para had to shield his face from the explosion to avoid having his eyes melt out of their sockets, which was all the time Nox needed. No sooner had he lowered his remaining arm to his side did Nox leap out from behind the flames, her entire body alight. Before he could react, she spun in midair and slammed her tail into his side, searing a huge scorch mark into the part of his stomach that remained before sending him spiraling into the burning remains of a cluster of tents. The burning fabric burst into a cloud of ash as he barreled into it, doing little to cushion the blow as he impacted the ground painfully hard.

A small crater had formed from the force of his impact, from which Para emerged after several tense seconds. He forced his body to stand once more, despite the protests of the shattered ribs on both sides of his chest. Covered in burns and cuts and with more bone fragments left in his body than blood, Para was in a horrifying state. Yet, like Nox, he forced his body to persist in direct defiance of the brutal death that should have claimed him several times over already. Both combatants were driven well past their limits by their will to see the other destroyed, yet time was quickly running out for both of them. Sensing the end was well and truly on its way, Nox threw her head back and screamed, tearing into her vocal cords with such ferocity that they threatened to snap. Sucking raspy breaths down her aching throat, she summoned the energy required for one final charge at the Mega Jolteon. Her blades extended from their sheathes as she ran, which she held up high, intending to skewer him once and for all. Across the camp, if it could still even be called that, Para met her challenge with a howl of his own as the claws slid out of his paw. Chipped and scratched, they nonetheless gleamed with lethal sharpness in the light of the fires that raged all around him. With legs bathed in fire and lungs filled with ash, Para ran towards Nox, holding his claws out towards her with lethal intent. Within seconds they had crossed the gap separating each other. Nox brought her blades down on Para. Para thrust his claws forward into Nox.

Blood splattered across the ground. It soaked into the parched, burning earth, which drank it up with ravenous thirst. Para and Nox looked at each other, eyes wide in shock.

A long, crystalline blade had stabbed Para clean through the chest, its blood-soaked edges protruding from his back on the other side. Three jagged claws had run Nox clean through, piercing her belly and dripping her own blood onto her tail behind her.

Para’s vision melded in and out of focus as he stared down at the blade sunk into his chest. The area felt ice-cold, despite the hot blood that was trickling down his body. For a moment, it was all he could do to stare at his lethal wound while his brain tried to process the fact that he should have certainly be dead from this, yet he wasn’t. In fact, aside from the icy chill that was beginning to seep into the rest of his body, he couldn’t really feel anything in his torso anymore. It was as if an entire section of his body was simply detached from him, a total loss of the components of his body that were taken for granted not even thirty seconds ago. This was evident when he tried to suck in a gulp of air, yet his lungs refused to move. Para wheezed as miniscule amount of air entered his body from his single undamaged lung, instilling a sense of panic into his shock-addled mind. Something was obviously very, very wrong with him, yet despite knowing Nox had just killed him, even as he’d probably just killed her as well, it was as if his brain refused to acknowledge it.

‘Not until she’s dead.’

The thought startled Para. It was his own voice in his own mind, yet he hadn’t been the one to consciously will the thought into existence.

‘Save Eclipse. Change this world.’

Again, the thoughts that were his but not his entered into his mind, pushing away everything else as they passed through. His body relaxed around the sword, and of its own accord, his remaining paw retracted its claws out of Nox. Scalding hot blood squirted out of her belly and all over his lower body, but he felt none of it as he moved his arm up to grasp the blade.

‘Have to change the world. Have to save Eclipse. Can’t die yet.’

That was right. He couldn’t die yet. How could he let a wound like this stop him? Compared to the force of his will to see his goals through to completion, his wound was hardly more than a scratch. Without even noticing what he was doing, Para began to pull Nox’s sword out of his chest. He felt neither the blade as it left his body nor his paw as the edge of the crystal bit into his soft flesh, dying the green fur on his arm red with blood.

‘Can’t die. Can’t. Not until…’

Nox’s face was a mixture of pain and horror as she watched Para pull her sword clean out of him, causing her to stagger backwards as her arm fell limply to her side. The sight provided a source of dark amusem*nt for him as he relished in her fear.

‘Not until she’s dead.’

Para felt unstoppable. Though he was physically smaller than Nox, he felt like he towered over her as he stood tall while she lurched backwards, hunched over. Nox hissed at him, holding her belly as more and more of her vitality poured out of it. Para grinned. She would die here, by his hand. This wasn’t a goal or a wish; it was a fact. Nox’s death was a certain as the rise of the sun she would never see again, such was Para’s willpower.

He took a deep breath, and his lungs obeyed, despite pouring a fresh torrent of dark blood down his already-soaked chest. The smells of smoke and ozone registered dimly in his mind, nearly drowned out entirely by the iron stench of blood. Following that, the familiar acrid smell of Nox’s corrosive smoke stung his nostrils, burning its way through the blood in his nose and throat and singing his shattered lungs directly. Para watched as Nox unhinged her jaw and a massive cloud of smoke billowed out, far more than she had ever released before. Black clouds mixed with sickly orange wisps of acid as a dim light appeared from deep within her throat. It was obvious that she had the strength left for just one more attack. However, the amount of smoke she was producing and the amount of time the attack took to charge up was concerning.

Para quickly glanced around him and took stock of the situation. Fires raged fiercely in every direction and he couldn’t see Eclipse through the smoke that blanketed the entire area. He hoped that she had managed to get far away from the camp by now, despite knowing full well that she wouldn’t have run away. Even if she had, Nox’s next attack would still put her in danger, not to mention obliterating everything else in the area. Para wasn’t sure if anyone else was left alive, but they were doomed for sure unless he stopped Nox here and now.

But how? He’d just barely been able to protect himself from her last Fire Blast, and she’d spent a fraction of the time and energy creating that attack as the one currently building in her maw. As flames writhed around Nox’s body, the blood covering her evaporated away before his eyes, reduced to ashes and blown away as scorching air began swirl around them. A ball of flaming energy akin to a miniature star formed outside Nox’s unhinged maw. Time was running out.

Para closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The hot air and toxic smoke burned his lungs, but he did his best to ignore it, as well as the way the blood tickled his matted fur as it dripped down his body.

‘Focus.’

In his mind, Para visualized himself reaching into the wellspring of energy that granted him his powers. His paw broke the surface and tapped into it, feeling the emotional energy roiling around underneath. Normally it would be enough to let just a bit of this volatile fuel escape from within him, bringing it back to the surface for it to ignite into a Thunderbolt or a Shadow Ball. This time however, it wouldn’t be enough. More and more of Para’s arm disappeared past the barrier as he dug deep within himself, searching for something greater. The sheer amount of concentrated energy derived solely from his will to destroy Nox began to burn away his arm the farther down he reached. The power gnawed away at him, consuming him with unnatural ferocity. This power, this willful energy… it was evil. Para felt its dark taint seep into his body, past his flesh and bones and into his very soul; yet still he pushed farther, undeterred. If it would destroy Nox, whatever price he had to pay was worth it.

Oh, and to save Eclipse as well.

Of course.

Before he knew it, Para found himself slipping entirely past the barrier. He submerged his entire being in the black liquid and began to swim. Down, down into the swirling vortex of energy he swam. Past reason, past idealism, past feeling itself, he pushed into the darkness. The taint of the evil energy stung as if it was dissolving him, consuming all he was until nothing would remain. Para felt parts of himself burning away, memories forgotten, dreams erased, emotions consumed. It was all too much. Whatever rational part of him remained screamed at him to turn around, to preserve whatever of himself was left, to cling to his sense of self at all costs. Despite this, he pushed, forcing himself deeper, kicking and struggling against the endless void for all he was worth.

In mere seconds he would be lost entirely, reduced to a mindless monster, stripped of his personality and his sanity. Was this what had happened to Nox? Lost within her own mind as her body preyed upon her sense of self until it had vanished entirely? Para felt his soul cry out as the darkness tore into it, ripping chunks out of his very essence to be converted into energy. Nearly everything had been eaten away at this point, even the will to kill the one that threatened him and the fear of losing himself were gone. There was no reason to continue anymore. Nothing was left.

Nothing except regret.

But… why? What was there to regret?

Her. Para regretted that he would never see her again.

Who? Who was she?

She felt so familiar. The outline of a figure flickered in front of his hazy eyes, but he couldn’t make it out.

If she was already lost to him, what did it matter-

No. It did matter. It mattered to him more than anything else.

Nothing could be more important than her. He had to remember.

He couldn’t remember. It was impossible. The void had already-

No. Not her. He wouldn’t lose her. Not again. He swore he wouldn’t lose her again.

It was impossible. The void had taken her from him already. Who was he anyway?

Damn the void and damn what was possible. He swore it. He would never break that oath.

Just stop fighting and give in already. You’ve lost. You broke the rules, and it’s time to pay the price-

No! Give her back to me! I won’t let you take her from me!

I said give-

NO! GIVE HER BACK! GIVE ME BACK ECLIPSE-

The black of the void suddenly exploded into bright white light as the sound of glass shattering reverberated throughout the entirety of the infinite space. Para gasped as his eyes shot open, filling his drowned lungs with air. He found himself standing on a glassy surface, underneath which sparks of electricity flittered around aimlessly in their own void. Unlike the one he had just escaped however, the darkness beneath him felt warm to the touch under the glass. It was a soft, inviting darkness, like settling down to rest on a warm summer night.

Intrigued, Para tapped on the glass, finding it to be solid, yet somehow brittle. With a little effort, he could shatter it and bring the energy underneath up to the surface. He wasn’t sure how he knew that; the knowledge was just ingrained into him. It was as instinctual as knowing how to breathe. Raising his paw, sharp claws slid out of his digits as he prepared to do just that. However, right before he brought his claws down onto the glass, he stopped short. Hesitating, he suddenly felt unsure about what he was about to do. Somehow, as if by instinct, a part of him just innately understood that breaking the seal on whatever power this was would be irreversible. The consequences to his mind and body would be permanent. Was he sure-

“Of course I’m sure!” Para shouted. His own voice startled him as it rang out across the empty expanse. “I’m sick of my resolve being tested. I’m… I’m sick of doubting myself!” he continued, speaking directly to himself. “Consequences be damned, I’ll do whatever it takes to save Eclipse from Nox!”

Para’s eyes widened as he remembered why he had reached for this power in the first place. In an instant, everything came flooding back to him; his memories, his emotions, his will, everything that the void of darkness had sucked out came rushing back in. Strength filled his limbs as he was overcome with willpower once more, except this energy felt different. Rather than a desire to lash out and hurt the one that had caused him so much pain, a power source that ate him up from the inside, Para was now driven to protect someone else. Someone he loved. This willpower fortified who he was, rather than feeding on it. Saturated with energy and with the strength of a titan, he slammed his paw down and drove his claws into the glass, shattering it.

The moment the blades broke through the surface, a rumbling crack echoed throughout the void as fractures suddenly spiderwebbed their way across the glass. The fractures stretched off into the horizon, farther than Para could see, and several seconds passed as the rumbling grew more and more faint until it disappeared completely. Then, as quickly as it had left, the sound returned. This time however, the low rumble was replaced with the shrill clap of glass shattering as it broke apart and fell away into the void, soon dropping out from under him. Instead of falling however, the void and the motes of energy it contained rushed up to meet him. A strange sensation came over Para as the contents of the void flowed into him. He felt himself changing on a fundamental level, as if his very cells were being augmented, overridden with strange new data. Looking down at his arms, he watched as small sparks of electricity arced across the spaces in his fur and flowed freely in and out of his body. Flicking his wrist, he surprised himself by summoning all of the electricity into a small orb in his paw. Whereas a moment ago, such control over something as wild as electrical energy would’ve been impossible, even for an electric-type like himself, Para now felt an intrinsic link to it. Commanding the energy and bending it to his will felt as natural to him as his own heartbeat.

Before Para could process what exactly had just happened, a light appeared under him. It was dim and hard to make out at first, but as it steadily grew brighter, Para had to shut his eyes and shield his face from its intensity as it enveloped him. When he opened them again, he found himself back in the ruins of the burning camp, surrounded by smoke and flame and staring directly at Nox, who was seconds away from bathing the land in hellfire.

However, something was different now. Like he had awakened a brand-new sense, similar to touch or sight, Para found that he could feel the currents of energy as they swirled around him. The intensity of the fire and the residue of the attacks they had used on each other made the energy fields overwhelming at first, causing Para to grimace as he struggled to adapt to all of the sensory data. Unfortunately for him, acclimation would have to wait, as the flaming sphere of energy Nox had summoned was nearly as large as she was.

Time felt like it slowed down to a fraction of its normal speed as Para watched her suddenly draw the massive pool of energy back into her mouth. Her chest expanded as she drew in a deep breath, then leaned forward and pointed her maw directly at him.

This was it. Do or die.

Despite staring what was now the avatar of hell in the face, who was preparing to burn away all traces of his existence, Para did not feel afraid. He didn’t even feel apprehension. This wasn’t due to an inability to feel these emotions, nor from a misplaced sense of overconfidence. Rather, he just instinctually knew exactly what to do. He wasn’t sure how he knew what he was doing, nor what the words that appeared in his mind meant, but he knew better than to question them now. Acting entirely on instinct, Para dropped onto all fours and dug his paws into the ground, even adapting to the awkwardness of missing part of a limb. He closed his eyes and reached out with his consciousness, feeling the currents of energy as they moved throughout the space around him. An overwhelming amount of energy radiated from a point just in front of him, leading Para to guess that Nox had just unleashed her final attack. No matter. That was just more electrical energy to draw on, even despite the fact that it came from a blast of fire.

Para reached out for the energy all around him and drew it into his body, saturating his frame with power. He took a deep breath and concentrated, every cell in his body working in tandem to create an electrical charge unlike anything that had ever been witnessed. The air around him suddenly came alive with electricity as ions burned and fizzled, creating a concentrated static field that orbited around the Mega Jolteon. Nox’s Fire Blast was nearly upon him by the time Para had prepared his attack, and as he felt the heat of the blast begin to singe his face, he opened first his eyes, then his maw, and drew in a single breath.

With shattered lungs and through broken vocal cords, Para raised his voice, crying out to the heavens as he invoked their sacred power.

“GIGAVOLT… HAVOC!”

Thunder cracked as the heavens answered, and the world was torn asunder.

Blinding light enveloped Para as a beam of pure energy materialized right in front of him and exploded outwards. The sound of crackling electricity was deafening, like millions of birds chirping and shrieking all at once. As soon as he used the move, Para was immediately pushed backwards into his heels, straining to remain upright as the attack produced so much recoil that he was nearly thrown from his feet. The force expelled from the blast swept across the ground, extinguishing fires and blowing away smoke in a straight line following its wake. The smell of ozone filled his nostrils as the air crackled and burned around Para. The ground shook as stray bolts of electricity arced into the earth, digging into solid stone before exploding outwards and blowing the rock away. No force of nature could withstand electricity in the apex of its fury.

In less than a second, the beam of energy rocketed across the camp and slammed into wall of flames produced by Nox’s Fire Blast. Para couldn’t see just how big the attack that she’d managed to conjure up was, but given that it could match Gigavolt Havoc in intensity, even for just a moment, was a major feat. Unfortunately for her however, not even her flames could withstand the sheer intensity of his attack for longer than that. Despite Nox’s furious struggling, Para’s attack began to overwhelm her, inching closer and closer to her as the seconds ticked by.

While superior in raw power, the strain placed on his body by Gigavolt Havoc was unlike anything Para had ever experienced before. He was siphoning electric energy from the burning camp as well as fueling the attack with pure, energy-dense willpower, yet he could still feel the strength leaving his body at an alarming, unsustainable rate. Though the beam was steadily making progress towards his foe, Para’s limbs began to wobble uncontrollably and threatened to give out at any moment. Any other Pokémon would have been obliterated in an instant, but Nox stubbornly held on, intending to drag the contest out for as long as possible until her flames were entirely spent. She wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, but neither could he.

Panic started to set in as Para’s vision began to flicker. Sweat coated his fur as it mixed with blood and rained down from his body, and his heart began to thunder in his chest at an alarming pace. Realizing that he might not be able to outlast Nox, who’s will to destroy him nearly matched his to protect Eclipse, Para frantically reached out with his consciousness in search of more energy. He had nearly depleted the ambient electric energy in the area in seconds, and drawing more into his body steadily became more difficult the farther it was away from him. Several times he reached out in all directions, but any significant source of power was simply too far away to retrieve in time. Para shut his eyes as he began to feel faint. He desperately wished for a miracle as the last of his reserves of energy dried up, hoping Nox would finally break, but no such luck was forthcoming. If only there was more power in the air to draw from-

Para’s eyes shot open. There was still one thing he could do, although it was a huge risk. With what little strength he could still spare, he focused his mind and reached out far above him, up into the swirling vortex of clouds that still contained a massive repository of energy. Somehow, he’d managed to call down a lightning bolt once; he’d have to pray he could do so again.

To his indescribable relief, the electricity above seemed to respond directly to his probing. It was as if the storm raging above was alive; it flickered around his consciousness and lashed out against it, yet he was able to coax the lightning down towards him. The clouds above began to pulse outwards and light up with flashes of energy as a concentrated surge of electricity built up within them. Billions of electrons smashed into each other in massive waves before ripping apart, creating the electric charge that Para needed.

Eyes dilated, Para gasped as the last of his energy ran out. The Gigavolt Havoc flickered, threatening to dissipate entirely mere feet away from Nox. Seizing her chance, the Mega Salazzle emptied her own energy reserves and exhaled a beam of fire so intense that the rock beneath it melted into lava and began to flow outwards in all directions. The ground cracked and the air ignited around her as she pushed back against Para’s attack, her flames rocketing across the gap separating them. A massive wave of superheated air washed over him, scalding his flesh and setting the tips of his fur alight.

In a second, the flames would reach Para and engulf him, instantly reducing him to ashes.

In half a second, a streak of pure golden lightning fell from the sky, striking Para directly.

Para threw his head back and roared with a mixture of triumph and agony as his body was overloaded with energy. The beam of his Gigavolt Havoc immediately burst back into existence and slammed into the Fire Blast once more, forcing it back towards the center of the gap between them where it would stay for a moment. The sheer volume of electricity passing through his cells was extremely painful for Para, who’s body began to expel smoke while a shockwave sent a tsunami of fizzling, ionized air cashing into the scorching wind and pushed it back towards Nox. Despite the incredible cost of the attack he was using, Para found that he was filling up with energy faster than he could expel it. With no other outlet for all of the raw power, he felt his cells become painfully overcharged. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to contain the sheer amount of energy in his body and his cells would simply burst. His mind frantically ran through possible ways to drain the energy out of him until he settled on one.

Para first felt huge amounts of energy drain out of his body, leaving a void that even the direct strike of a lightning bolt struggled to fill. Then, he felt an itchy, tingling sensation in his chest as his wounds began to seal. Externally and internally, clumps of cells grew in seconds as bone, muscle and flesh knitted together, restoring and rejuvenating his broken body. Next his paw was remade by Volt Absorb, and before his eyes he watched his wrist sprout a layer of bones, which were quickly wrapped up in muscles and covered in skin and emerald fur. All across his body, cuts closed, bones reformed and burns faded, leaving Para in nearly perfect health as the lightning strike subsided as quickly as it had formed.

With a body renewed and a will rekindled, there was only one thing left for him to do. Para’s lips broke into a grin as he lowered his head, summoning the energy required for one last push. His vocal cords strained as he opened his mouth and let out a savage war cry, then dumped whatever energy remained in him into his attack.

Nox watched, exhausted and terrified, as the massive beam of electricity grew larger. She tried to force more energy out of her depleted body, but as the flames sputtered and died in her throat, she knew it was hopeless. With a snarl, she gritted her teeth and braced herself for the attack. The light grew in intensity until it blinded her, blocking out everything else and boring into her retinas with its overwhelming radiance. Then… nothing.

As soon as the Gigavolt Havoc made contact with Nox, Para severed his connection to the attack and allowed it to fizzle out of existence on its own. The beam of pure energy enveloped her form and passed through her, disintegrating her body and atomizing the Mega Salazzle. In less than a second, any trace of her was utterly eradicated in the face of such overwhelming power, leaving nothing but the scorched ruins of the camp to mark that she had ever existed at all.

Nox was gone.

Finally, it was done.

His task complete, Para finally allowed himself to collapse onto the warm stone underneath him. It felt pleasant against his fur, just the right temperature to lull him into sleep. He thought he could hear the sounds of someone shouting, but it didn’t matter. Para’s eyelids felt like lead as they closed over his golden-hued orbs, shrouding the world in comforting darkness. He’d earned a quick rest, after all.

‘Yeah…´ Para thought to himself as his breathing slowed. ‘Just a short, little nap…’

Kami’s bag clamored with metallic clangs as a mismatched variety of tools, books and other supplies jostled around inside of it. The increased weight was uncomfortable, but she bore it without complaint as she made her way out the door of her base and started towards the teleportation pad located at the Explorer’s guild headquarters. It felt strange, walking out of the building that had been her home ever since she had arrived in this land. It still was her home; technically, as the last remaining member of Nox’s team, she was the only one left to inherit the property. Nox and Murmur had already been reported dead and Eclipse’s termination had been filed remotely the first night of the expedition, yet it seemed they were too preoccupied to think to do the same to her. As such, all of her former team’s assets were left to her. It really was her home now.

And yet it wasn’t.

It hadn’t even been a full week since the four of them were scurrying around inside, packing their supplies and readying their gear for the chance of a lifetime. Hand-picked by the regional headquarters of the guild for an ultra-challenging mission with the Grandmaster himself! No explorer worth the title could pass up on an opportunity like that.

And now Nox and Murmur were dead, and Eclipse was… different.

Of course it had been necessary. Nox had gone, for lack of a better term, batsh*t insane, while Murmur had happily punched her ticket on a one-way express trip to crazy town right along with her. They were dangerous. They had to be stopped, otherwise Para would have been the one laying underneath a blanket in some ancient cave right now. Or Eclipse. Or even herself.

Kami shuddered as she forced the unpleasant thought out of her head. She was almost to the Explorer’s Guild now, where the teleportation pad would amplify the energy in her badge’s crystal. While the signals from major hubs like this one were strong enough to be accessed from nearly anywhere in the world, it would take a tremendous amount of energy to lock on to her destination. Even the power source in the Grandmaster’s badge would burn itself out before it was able to locate the miniscule pinprick of a signal she was searching for.

As she turned onto the street leading to the guild, she passed by rows of houses cut directly into the bleached-white stone of the cliff face they were built into. Colorful designs were painted into each, around windows and lining doors, giving each dwelling its own personality. Turning her head to the other side, Kami gazed out over the endless ocean, lit ablaze by the setting sun. Reds, oranges and golds exploded over the rippling surface of the calm waters as a gentle breeze blew a pleasant salty smell into her nose. The terraced streets above and below teemed with activity as children played and adults enjoyed their leisure time after the day’s work was done, filling the air with the sound of laughter and the bustle of the city as it wound down for the night.

Kami passed by the administration complex right outside the guild’s gates and was reminded of the unpleasant process she was currently going through to sell off all of her former team’s assets. A part of her felt wrong for just dumping everything they had worked so hard for in return for a couple of coins, but just the sight of all their stuff brought back painful memories. After taking everything she owned from her quarters, which admittedly wasn’t a whole lot, she had immediately moved into a vacant room in Para’s base. Staying in that building for any longer than she had to felt sickening, like she wasn’t welcome in her own home anymore. Even the detour she took in order to retrieve the tools and supplies from the base left her in a sour mood, and the more distance she put between herself and that building, the better.

The purples and blues of twilight stretched across the sky as she finally stepped up onto the teleportation pad. The structure itself was a massive stone slab with patterns of runes etched into its surface- she had heard the design was known simply as ‘The Relic’ and was first discovered etched into a disc of stone that flew on rainbows. While she had dismissed this as fanciful storytelling before, she had seen things so outlandish in the past week that anything might be possible now. Regardless of its origin, the pad was large enough that Kami was able to pick a corner to drop her bag on while she donned her gear. The heavy layers of protective fabric were suffocating in the warm, tropical weather, making it impossible to change before she arrived at the pad. Kami didn’t like dressing up in the same clothes she had been wearing for the past several days. Every sewn-up stitch in the cloth was another painful memory. Still, with any luck, this would be the last time she would ever have to wear them.

Covered head-to-toe in layer upon layer of gear and already starting to sweat, Kami gathered her supplies as quickly as she could. Then, holding her badge up high, she closed her eyes and focused her mind on the specific place she wanted to go. Her badge grew warm and began to vibrate gently in her hand, signaling Kami to brace herself. Then, a pillar of light engulfed her, warping the space around her as she dematerialized. A second later, the light subsided and the Ampharos was gone.

The low, droning buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead filled Kami’s ears as she opened her eyes to find herself in a small room back in the facility where the Aegis Heart had been created. She flicked her ears in annoyance at the artificial sound as she took in her surroundings. Beneath her sat the small mobile teleport beacon she had set up before leaving the first time, a tiny pad with a dimly glowing crystal nestled in the middle that resembled the one she’d been standing on moments ago at the guild. Unlike more permanent beacons that were constructed with higher quality gems that were able to siphon energy from the world around them, such as those placed near prominent mystery dungeons or important locations, these mobile beacons would only be active for so long until their power source ran out. Given that it had already been several days since this one was activated, Kami hoped she would be able to accomplish her personal mission in one trip; she might not get another chance.

The air in the facility was cold as Kami stepped out of the room and made her way down the hall towards the entry chamber. She was grateful for her protective clothing despite the negativity she now associated with it, tugging the jacket she wore a little tighter around her body. A thin layer of dust and dirt already covered the recently-disturbed room as time began to erode away at the signs of the fighting that had occurred here. She weaved passed fallen panels and around destroyed machines, careful to avoid cutting herself on the jagged bits of metal that littered the area, until she finally arrived at her destination. Before her stood the pedestal that the AI had resided upon, sporting a huge dent and accompanying scorching in its base from where Eclipse’s Shadow Ball had impacted the structure.

Kami allowed her bag to fall to the ground with a heavy thump that echoed off of the walls as she walked around the pedestal, examining it. While the damage around the impact site looked severe, the rest of it was relatively unscathed. Hoping the damage might not be as severe as it appeared to be, she took a seat on the ground next to her bag and dug through it until she found the set of tools she was looking for. She produced a large roll of fabric before setting the bag aside and unrolled it to reveal various chisels, hammers, screwdrivers and other miscellaneous tools, which she hoped would be compatible with the ancient technology.

“Well, here goes nothing. Hold on Sparky, I’m comin’…”

Using a chisel and a hammer, Kami was able to pry the damaged panel off of the pedestal with relative ease. Throwing it aside revealed the pedestal was mostly hollow aside from several complicated-looking… well, she wasn’t quite sure what they were. Boxes, for lack of a better term, were connected by wires that lead to a bigger box that was connected to the bottom of the platform that Spark had been standing on. While the impact had been jarring enough to knock several components loose and disconnect a few wires, it thankfully hadn’t seemed to destroy anything outright.

Kami spent the next several hours delicately reattaching pieces to where she thought they were supposed to go. Luckily for her, most of the loose components only fit into one specific slot on a box, and the wires were colored in ways that corresponded to the ports they were supposed to fit into. The work was complicated by the fact that the beings that had assembled the machine had differently shaped hands than her. Her stubby digits, while somewhat capable of doing the repairs, struggled to manipulate the smaller pieces and fumbled with the mess of wires. Still, after dropping many components and littering the air with a steady stream of swears that were quite unbecoming of her, Kami finally stepped back and wiped the sweat from her brow as she inspected her work. Everything looked to be installed correctly, and each loose and dislodged component was now firmly seated in its proper place. And so Kami waited. And waited.

But nothing happened.

Concern welled up inside her as Kami searched around for a button or lever or some kind of activation mechanism while rechecking her work, but nothing stood out. The AI had come online in response to their presence last time as opposed to any specific set of actions, and if there was an activation sequence, she would have no idea what it was. The pit in her stomach widened as she sat back against the pedestal and looked out over the wreckage of the room. Any of these machines could have been a vital component for Spark to materialize, and they were destroyed beyond any hope of repair.

Kami bit her lip as she began to tremble with emotion. It wasn’t fair. To be trapped down here alone for centuries, one of the last fragments left behind by an extinct species, buried and forgotten… It wasn’t right that Spark had endured so much, only to die minutes after meeting them. It wasn’t right that things could end like this!

In a burst of anger, Kami slammed her electrified fist into the side of the pedestal. A surge of electricity coursed through the metal, seeping into the ancient components and running through the wires, until it at last it found itself filling up the capacitors of the battery that had powered the AI platform.

Kami covered her eyes as tears began to roll off of her cheeks, splashing onto the dusty panel below and seeping into the parched metal. She berated herself for letting someone down yet again as she tried in vain to stifle the sobs forcing their way out of her. As her throat tightened and her nose began to run, Kami prepared herself for yet another long cry. There had been far too many of those to be had lately, but what was one more? After all, she couldn’t-

“Query: Friend Kami, what’s the matter? Scans indicate you are in significant emotional distress, yet your vitals show you to be relatively unharmed. Did something happen?”

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Kami gasped as she whirled around to find Spark sitting on the pedestal directly behind her, staring at her with a concerned expression on her face.

“S-Spark, you… I-I thought you were…” Kami stuttered before trailing off, unable to choke the words out.

“Observation: Thought I was destroyed after the Umbreon Eclipse blasted my projection unit with an errant Shadow Ball? Proud Rebuttal: Please. My systems are far too robust to be dismantled by that light show. While it’s true that my main projection unit was damaged and my link to the facility audio systems was severed, I was alive and well the entire time, watching and listening. I must say, you and your companions handled yourselves admirably in the battles that followed; I confess that I was extremely excited to witness a Pokémon battle for the first time in so long, even if it did result in the loss of many of my subsystem’s functionalities. Despite this setback, I still remain ready to preform my primary function of item replication. Was there something you needed?”

Through her tears, Kami’s lips broke into a smile as she reached her arms up to pull Spark into a hug. They sailed right through the projection of the AI, causing the image to sputter briefly and the Ampharos to flush with embarrassment while Spark giggled at the gesture. With no real avenues to express her affection, Kami settled for giving the pedestal a few loving pats before rising to her feet and wiping her face clean with one of her sleeves. She purposefully chose to ignore the implications of the AI finding entertainment in her traumatic struggle to the death against Pokémon that formerly been her friends, instead focusing on how happy she was that Sparky was okay. After taking a moment to calm down, Kami explained that she found it incredibly unfair that the AI was trapped in such a cramped facility and abandoned by herself for so long, expressing her desire to rescue her from such a fate.

“Amused Explanation: While your concern for my well-being is very much appreciated friend Kami, I do not perceive time like you do. It has little effect on me, as does isolation; you do not need to worry about me. However, for the sake of conjecture, I am curious to hear your plan to ‘rescue’ me from this facility.”

“Ah, well… The word ‘plan’ might be a bit of an overstatement, but…” Kami’s cheeks glowed as she was suddenly forced to confront the fact that she hadn’t really given much thought to how she would actually save Spark from this place. Truthfully, she hadn’t even been confident in her chances of reviving the AI in the first place, leaving any planning for what came after that to be neglected. “I uh… I suppose… couldn’t you just use the replicator thing to make yourself a new body? If it can make something as complicated as a Mega Stone or an Aegis Heart, surely a body isn’t that much of a stretch. Then, I could teleport you back home with me!”

“Answer: Unfortunately, my ability to manufacture objects is limited to the blueprints I have available in my database. While there were isolated cases of artificially created Pokémon during the time of the humans, no such schematics were ever made available to me. I have scanned several times for-“

Without warning, Spark cut off in the middle of her sentence. The projection froze in place for several long seconds as she processed something unforeseen. Just as Kami began to fear that something had gone wrong with her, she spoke again, though her words came out slowly, as if she was thinking about something at the same time.

“Amazed Statement: It would seem as if a number of new blueprints were recently added to my database. How strange… Theory: It is possible that upon the termination of the human species and the deactivation of large parts of the network, I was given heightened levels of clearance as one of the few remaining operational intelligences. Perhaps when my systems reset after the damage I sustained in the fighting, I automatically downloaded a series of restricted schematics that I previously did not have access to. Regardless, as luck would have it, it seems that there is actually one singular entry in my database that matches the parameters of your request.”

“R-Really?! Alright!” Kami shouted as she jumped up in the air and threw her fist upwards in excitement. “That’s fantastic news! Let’s do it right away!”

“Hesitant Response: However, to my dismay my material reserves are sadly lacking some of the components required to replicate the selected blueprint. Namely, I am missing some biological matter that I cannot efficiently replicate synthetically. But… my scans show that there is a suitable node of material nearby to draw from.”

Kami froze as she guessed at what the ‘node’ Spark was referring to was. Eyes wide, she slowly turned around and glanced towards the facility’s entrance, past which, bathed in shadow, laid a body underneath a sheet of cloth.

“Y-You… you don’t mean…” Kami trailed off as her heart sank, hoping her assumptions were wrong despite already knowing full well exactly what Spark meant.

“Ambivalent Answer: Yes. The remains of the Weavile that attacked you have been well-preserved by the low ambient temperature present in the entry corridor. Scans indicate it is less than five percent decomposed, and contains enough suitable biological material to complete the replication of the desired blueprint. However, data analysis indicates that there is a sentimental bond between you and who she was: if the prospect is too much for you, I understand. Please, friend Kami, do not feel pressured to do this for me.”

Kami wanted to hesitate. She wanted the choice to be hard for her to make. Sickeningly for her however, her legs had already begun to move her towards the darkness of the tunnel before Spark had even finished speaking. ‘A life for a life,’ she told herself, repeating the phrase over and over in her head as she stepped into the shadows. Though they clung to her like a web, wrapping around her body and stifling the light, her legs continued, undeterred, around the corner and over to the small lump wrapped in linens. In order to cope with the repulsiveness of the task set before her, her brain practically shut off as she reached down to pick up the bundle. Kami retreated back into her own thoughts and let her body become a zombie while she tried her best to rationalize what she was doing to herself.

‘I took a life, and now I’m saving one. This is my atonement.’

‘This is a golden opportunity. It wouldn’t be fair to deprive Sparky of the chance to lead a real life.’

‘Murmur would want this. In a way, it’s like she’s getting a second chance to live.’

‘This is for the greater good.’

Over and over Kami repeated the phrases to herself, refusing to acknowledge the weight of the bundle as it pressed into her skin, or the faint smell of rot coming from it being so close to her. She remained willfully ignorant of how cold the bundle felt to the touch, dotted with blotches of dark, dry red as it was as she carried it back into the facility, across the room and down the hall into the replication chamber. She was barely aware of the large slot that opened up for her at the foot of the huge machine and several seconds had passed before she registered that the weight was no longer on her arms; the hatch on the receptacle slowly closed as the bundle disappeared into the slot, sliding back down into darkness, never to be seen in its current form again.

Kami stared down at her arms. Spark was saying something, but she couldn’t hear what it was over the ringing in her ears as she saw them covered with blotches of old blood. Murmur’s blood. Sweat began to drench her fur underneath her clothes as Kami felt her heart pound in her chest. Her paws flexed as memories of her fight with Murmur came flooding back, memories that she had tried her hardest to repress assaulting her guilty conscious. Her paws still remembered exactly what it felt like to grip Murmur’s neck as she strangled her, holding fast as her friend struggled in vain, until the light had at last left her eyes. Murmur was dead.

Kami had murdered her.

With a sudden lurch, the Ampharos keeled over and vomited all over the floor. Over and over she retched, shaking and crying uncontrollably as she voided the contents of her stomach. By the time she finished, her throat burned and the disgusting taste of bile soured her mouth, and there was a sizable puddle of putrid liquid staining the floor next to a pile of something or other that she couldn’t recognize. She staggered backwards, away from it, and slowly wiped her lips clean before fishing a canteen out of a pouch on her belt and taking several huge draughts of cold water from it. The icy liquid flushed her mouth out and snapped her out of her trance as it ran down her throat, filling her weak stomach up with something.

“Friend Kami? Are you… alright?”

Kami looked up to see smoke billowing out of the opened hatch on the replication machine. Slowly, a figure began to emerge from it, stepping out on two scaly, clawed front legs and two armored, canine rear legs. It was quadrupedal, somewhat resembling the form of a Herdier or Lycanroc, but with a large fish-like tailfin protruding from its rear. Covering its neck was a long, gray mane, and a large gray plume of hair extended outwards from the top of its head. The head of the creature wasn’t visible, covered instead by a helmet made of some unknown composite metal, out of the bottom of which extended four ornate spikes in all directions. Its piercing amethyst eyes were visible out of slats in the helmet, completing the creature’s menacing look. Yet despite its intimidating appearance, the concern in its voice as it asked about her put Kami at ease.

“I-Is that you, S-Sparky?” Kami asked, her voice still shaky from her ordeal. She took a cautious step back as the creature stepped fully into the dim, fluorescent light. For whatever reason, its muted colors gave her the impression that it was faded somehow, or, more accurately, subdued. Despite this, it still radiated power, its immense strength evident even at a mere glance. If her intuition was correct, Kami shuddered to think what this Pokémon, if it truly was a Pokémon, was actually capable of.

The creature took a few uncertain steps forward as it got used to the alien sensation of motion. The movement of each muscle, every sight, sound and smell, even every beat of its powerful heart was a strange and wonderous feeling for the being that possessed centuries of knowledge about what it was experiencing, yet no understanding of them. For the first time, it truly knew what it was to be alive: to fill its lungs with air, to feel hunger and the desire to feed, and to feel unimaginable gratitude towards the one that had enabled it to experience all these things. It turned to face Kami and nodded, feeling its lips curl upwards as it simply said “Hello. It’s nice to finally meet you, Kami.” So this is what it felt like to smile. It was… nice.

“So Spark, what exactly are you? I’ve never seen anything like you,” Kami asked after some time as she began to collect her things. The former AI was busying itself stuffing items it deemed useful into a bag in the next room over while she neatly rolled her tools back up and stowed them carefully with the rest of her belongings. “You’re a Pokémon, right? Some crazy strong ancient Pokémon?”

“Technically yes,” came the answer as the creature entered the room, carrying a large, bulging bag that clanked noisily as its contents jostled around inside. “The schematic was for an artificially created Pokémon, designed by human bioengineers to destroy extradimensional beings called Ultra Beasts. They were creatures of terrifying power that posed a serious threat to the residents of an island system known as ‘Alola’.”

“Whoa! That’s incredible! Did they end up winning?”

“Records were inconclusive, but reports seemed to suggest that trainers of exceptional caliber along with their Pokémon companions fought with the small number of these beings that were manufactured and sorted the problem out.”

“Wow… Humans creating new Pokémon and fighting against aliens with them in ancient times… I wouldn’t believe such a wild story if I hadn’t heard it from someone who lived through that time period. Oh! Before I forget- does the species have a name?”

“Not officially. The records and schematics both simply refer to it as ‘Type: Null’. I believe the designation was in reference to some of the species’ latent abilities, but I’m not sure. It’s a strange feeling, not being able to call up any information on a whim like I used to before I had a body.”

“Oh. I hope that’s not too much of a loss. You aren’t uncomfortable at all, are you Spark?” Kami asked as she finished stowing her gear and slipped her bag over her shoulders. She frowned, concerned for her new friend, but was quickly assuaged as the Type: Null shook its head and smiled.

“Truthfully, everything I’m feeling right now is a new experience. I have no concept of normalcy that would enable me to be comfortable. But… It’s all so exciting!” Spark moved closer and leveled with Kami, looking into her eyes and radiating sincerity. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me, Kami. You’ve allowed me the chance to do things I’d never even dreamed of. You’ve freed me from the restrictions of my programming. And, most importantly, you’ve given me the ability to make my own choices now. From the bottom of my heart, I’m so grateful I got to meet you.”

Kami felt her cheeks grow hot and quickly turned away to hide her face. “Ah, w-well, you know, it wasn’t really a big deal! A-Anything for a friend, right?!” She spoke loudly in an attempt to drown out the sound of her heart hammering away in her chest, thankful that Spark no longer had access to the strange human technology that allowed it to pick up on every little thing she felt somehow. How embarrassing it would have been for the Type: Null to know how warm it was making her feel.

“Seriously, though. If there’s every anything I can do for you, just let me know,” Kami said once she had calmed down. “If anything happens that’s too much for you, I’ll be right there. And so will Para and Eclipse, once we get back home. We’ll all have so many fun adventures together. This is gonna be great!”

“I can hardly contain my anticipation,” Spark said, its smile never fading underneath its helmet. “Though, I suppose there is one thing you could do for me right now…”

“Mm? What’s that?” Kami asked as she gripped her badge and prepared to teleport them back home.

“I… would like a new name. A name that suits this form somewhat better. Though I will always cherish the name you gave me when we met, that was for the old me. I… am not the same being as I was before, if I could even have been called a being. I’d be grateful if you would bestow the same kindness upon me once more and name me.”

“Something that suits you better, huh…?” Kami wondered aloud as she thought about the request. While Spark was a cute name, she had to admit that it didn’t particularly fit when referring to a being designed to destroy interdimensional space demons. The new name had to be something strong, intimidating yet noble. Her mind raced through lists of possible candidates, until it settled on something she thought she liked. A word from her native language, usually spoken with reverence. “What about… Kaisen? In my tongue, it translates loosely to ‘Reckoning.’ What do you think?”

The Type: Null tilted its head back and forth, mulling it over, before taking a deep breath and closing its eyes. “I… am Kaisen. I will be the reckoning of those who would bring injustice upon this world. I solemnly swear to honor this name you have given me, Kami.”

After it finished its speech, Kaisen opened its eyes and exhaled, a rosy blush seeping into its cheeks that was luckily obscured the helmet. “That… wasn’t too corny, was it…?”

Kami practically had stars in her eyes. “That… was… so… cool!” she shouted, causing Kaisen to sigh in relief.

“Good, I’m glad… I wanted to show you just how much I appreciate the name. It definitely suits me more than my first one did.”

“Because you’re currently residing in the body of an ancient killing machine?”

“Well, that. But also because of my new biology.”

“Your new… biology?”

“Yes, of course. Couldn’t you tell? Sparky is a somewhat feminine name, while this body is male.”

It was a good thing Kami chose that moment to grab Kaisen and teleport them both back to the Explorer’s guild regional headquarters. If he saw how furiously she was blushing, he’d start getting ideas about her for sure.

Rise and shine, princess! It’s almost time to get up.

W-Wha…?

When Para opened his eyes again, he found himself once more floating in the colorful limbo from before, though the hues seemed to be somewhat muted this time around. Across from him was Jolt, lazily gliding in circles upside down as he kicked his paws and swam though the nothingness.

Jolt? Why are you here? And… And why am I here? Did I…?

Die? No. Almost- You definitely should have. Luckily for both of us however, it looks like you managed to give Death the finger at the last second. Nice job in that fight, by the way. Although it did have some… repercussions.

G-Give Death the finger…?

Like I said, repercussions. Mostly good, though some may be bad depending on how you feel about them. You’re due to wake up soon, so I figured I’d drag you in here and do some explaining before you’re blindsided by a bunch of things at once. First though, a quick recap of what happened after you decided to take a ‘little nap’ and slipped into a coma for ten days.

T-Ten days?! But I only just closed my eyes!

Yeah, that’s how comas tend to work.

Para rotated away from Jolt, unable to move to stop the slow spin his body did as they glided through the voice. Despite this, he could practically hear Jolt rolling his eyes, as he playfully mocked him.

Anyway, as best as I can tell since your eyes were closed and I only had your ears to work with, your adoring girlfriend found you right after you dropped.

S-She’s not-

Sorry, your completely-platonic-best-friend-who-you-triggered-your-mega-evolution-to-protect-but-you-definietely-don’t-feel-anything-toward companion was on you as soon as you fell asleep. From what I was able to hear, while you were busy annihilating that psycho-lizard with half of your chest ripped out, she was dragging the wounded to safety. You’ll probably be glad to hear that there weren’t any extra casualties during your fight because of her.

Though he had been too preoccupied dealing with Nox to think about it since he and the wounded explorer made eye contact, Para was quite relieved to hear that Eclipse managed to save them. The emotional baggage of having failed even more Pokémon that were counting on him would’ve weighed on him heavily.

You two were the last to be evacuated from the smoking crater you made of the campsite. Once you landed on the pad, Wigglytuff declared the expedition a success on his way to the hospital.

Wait, the Grandmaster is still alive? Even after what Nox did to him?

Surprised me to hear it too, but last I heard he’s got a full medical team helping him recover from very severe burns. Even so, to survive something like that… He’s the real deal, no doubt about it. Anyways, you were taken to the hospital right alongside him. Eclipse carried you the entire way. About damn near tore the face off of one of the doctors who said he wouldn’t help a, quote, “filthy savage twice-damned shiny.” I don’t know who taught that girl how to swear, but her dictionary is expansive. She was still laying into him when the nurses carted you off on a stretcher and brought you here.

Para cracked a small smile as he imagined Eclipse dressing someone down on his behalf like that. Though he knew she would defend him, hearing that she did still warmed his heart and caused his cheeks to glow. Not caring whether or not Jolt saw, he allowed himself to be happy that someone like her was back in his life. Luckily for his pride, if Jolt did pick up on how he was feeling, he decided not to comment on it.

After all of that, it’s a pretty short story. You’ve been laying here for days, recovering. Your body was made structurally sound after that reckless stunt you pulled with the Volt Absorb, but your cells were damaged and energy deficient. Your recovery rate is astounding, for reasons I can only guess at, but you should probably take it easy for a few days even after you wake up. Your body is in a very fragile state right now.

What about Eclipse? I know she was hurt fighting Nox. And is Kami okay?

They’re both fine, to the best of my knowledge. Eclipse has been visiting you every day, and Kami was too until she disappeared for a bit. When she returned yesterday, she brought along someone new, saying something about a new member of the team? I overheard the staff talking about how they’d never seen a Pokémon like that before, so I’m eager to see what it could be. From the way he spoke when they visited, it seemed like he already knew you, though.

Para tried to imagine who the mysterious Pokémon that Kami had apparently recruited could have been, but no one came to mind. He certainly hadn’t met anyone exotic enough that they would warrant gossip about them. Not anyone who would want to join his exploration team, anyway.

And now that the history lesson is out of the way, time for biology. The gist of it is, your body got ripped apart and put back together during your fight with Nox, and that did some weird stuff to you.

…Weird how?

I guess the first and most obvious thing is that you didn’t manage to fully revert out of your Mega form. I’m… honestly not sure what happened exactly, but it probably has something to do with the fact that your time spent in that form, your energy expenditures and the traumatic injuries you suffered surpassed what even most of experienced Mega Stone users could take, even with the help of their human partners. You took it all solo, and on your first time. There were bound to be consequences.

That’s understandable, but what actually happened to me?!

Well, like I said, you never actually reverted back to your original state. Once a Mega Evolved Pokémon either comes down off of their heightened emotional state, usually once the danger has passed, or gets beaten unconscious, their emotional energy runs dry and their body reverts to the state it was in before they Mega Evolved. You, however, seem to be stuck somewhere in between. You’ll notice your body is a little bit bigger than it should be and some of the physical traits carried over, namely the spike cape. I’m not sure if you’ll ever revert to your original form or what will happen if you mega evolve again.

So, what? I’m some sort of half-Mega Jolteon now?

That would probably be the best way to describe it. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening, but then again most of us don’t get stabbed straight through the chest and just shrug it off like it’s nothing. Nothing about your transformation was typical.

I guess I ended up getting really lucky with that, all things considered. What else happened to me?

The second thing, like the first thing, is completely new territory for me, so I can only guess at what happened. You managed to tap into a reserve of primal power buried deep inside every Pokémon, but locked away behind generations of evolutionary safeguards to protect us from the intense strain of using it. I have no idea how, but your managed to break past all those restrictions and bring that power to the surface.

Are you… referring to when I used Gigavolt Havoc on Nox?

Precisely. Techniques like that have only ever been able to be used with the help of energy-dense gems called Z-Crystals, and even then only sparingly. It’s a wonder that the strain of unleashing that much energy didn’t kill you outright and it’s probably a big contributor to the damage done to your cells. I’d be careful about using it in the future, along with any other surprises this ancient power you unleashed sees fit to bestow.

I’m not even sure how I managed to do it. I felt myself reaching for power like usual when I’m going to use an attack, but then… I just kept going. Somehow, I knew exactly what to do, just like when I attuned to the Mega Stone.

Speaking of the Mega Stone, that brings us to the last big thing I have to tell you about- during your fight, probably when you stood directly underneath a freaking lightning bolt, it sort of… fused into your body. Maybe that’s what’s responsible for your new form, maybe not, but the stone is physically part of you now.

I… see. Does it come with any benefits?

…Glad to see you’re taking the news that a superpowered radioactive rock melted into your body well. But yeah, you should have an easier time reaching your Mega state now. Not to mention it saves you the trouble of carrying the thing around with you everywhere. Trust me, that starts becoming a pain in the ass faster than you’d think. That’s also the reason why I could hear and feel everything you did while you were unconscious, I guess. Our consciousnesses are more… intertwined now. Rather than having to dip into Limbo to hear my lovely voice, just call for me in your mind and I’ll come to help. Definitely an upgrade if you ask me.

Hold on. Are you saying you’re just permanently in my head from now on?!

First of all, rude. Way to make a guy feel welcome in here.

Welcome?! It’s my mind! Get your own!

I had my own once, before I died, jackass. And it’s still your mind. Think of me sort of like a memory: always a part of you, sure, but dormant until you call me up. I’ll just be a memory you can interact with.

Oh. Well… I guess that’s okay then. Sorry for reacting like that, it’s just-

-A scary thought to be sharing your mind with a stranger? I get it, no hard feelings. But really, I am just here to help.

Thanks, Jolt. Maybe it won’t be so bad to have a roommate in my head. Certainly less lonely.

Just don’t go talking to yourself out loud. People will think you’re nuts.

Well, I am hearing voices in my head.

Para snickered at his own joke while Jolt rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t stop himself from smiling as well.

Boo. That was terrible. So bad, in fact, that I’m kicking you out of here. Go on, get!

Para blinked, then suddenly found himself surrounded not by a void of shifting colors, but four light blue walls and a ceiling. He was lying in a bed with crisp white sheets covering his body, next to which was a small table that held various bottles of pills and liquids. To his other side was a tall metal rack that held a bag of clear fluid that was flowing down into his body through a tube that was stuck into his arm. Across the room was a sofa, sprawled out unceremoniously on top of which was the sleeping form of Eclipse. Para guessed she had decided to take a nap while visiting him, judging by the daylight that filled the room from an open window in one of the walls. White curtains fluttered lazily around it as the sea breeze filtered in, giving the entire place a calm, relaxing feel. Certainly not a bad way to wake up after the ordeal Para had gone through.

Lifting the sheets up confirmed what Jolt had said: his body was indeed larger than it had been before, and he had even retained some of the muscle mass from his full Mega Evolution. The cape of silver fur still flowed out from behind his fluffy mane and down his back, yet it felt as much a part of him now as any of his other limbs. Aside from a slightly fluffier coat, the differences stopped there, and Para let the sheets fall around him once more as he stretched out his sore, aching limbs under them.

The sound of rustling sheets woke Eclipse, whose eyes briefly fluttered open before widening in surprise. “Para! You’re awake!” she shouted as she scrambled upright and bounded over to the bed. Before he could stop her, Eclipse nearly tackled him back into the mattress as she leapt onto it and threw her arms around him, squeezing her Jolteon with all her might.

Though his sore limbs protested the rough treatment, Para didn’t have the heart to tell Eclipse to stop. In truth, he didn’t really want to; having Eclipse hold him caused his heart to race and his cheeks to burn. He was sure that she felt his heartbeat hammering away in his chest, but he didn’t care as he weakly placed his arms around her back and returned the hug. He was just… happy. Happy to be alive. Happy she was okay. Happy that they had accomplished their mission, and happy that they were together again. For the first time in a very, very long time, Para closed his eyes and let out a long, deep exhale. Here, in this moment, he was truly content.

The next several days were a flurry of activity for Team Spearhead. Para was discharged from the hospital as there was no real reason to keep him there, given his lack of identifiable injuries. He returned home to his base, where Eclipse had already taken the liberty of moving herself into the unused room next to his. Kami was also there, along with Kaisen, who introduced himself as a Type: Null and the AI from the facility that Kami had saved. The three of them were formally inducted into Team Spearhead as soon as Kami had finished selling off all of Nox’s assets, seeming to be happy to get rid of any unpleasant reminders of her. Immediately afterwards, they were summoned into the council chambers of the Explorer’s Guild, where they gave a full account of their activities on the expedition to the assembled councilors and the Grandmaster himself, who looked like he was mummified head-to-toe in bandages.

Para told the story of how he and Eclipse had been paired together by Wigglytuff after she and Nox had their falling out, and how Nox had harassed them throughout the entirety of the trip. Kami provided extra details about how Nox was upset that Eclipse seemed to be doing okay without them and became progressively angrier that a shiny had ‘stolen her teammate’ from her. Para continued telling them about their trek through the forest and their encounter with the fierce wild Pokémon. How he had saved Eclipse from the Froslass before the two of them had saved several others, including Kami, from the monstrous Pokémon in the snowy clearing. He made sure to include the fact that Nox and Murmur had left her for dead before she joined up with them, something that Kami confirmed with a scowl as she remembered being abandoned by those she though were her friends and comrades. After that, Para explained that they had been the first to set up camp on Mt. Inviting, before Nox had arrived and attempted to poach Eclipse. Technically, this wasn’t a crime as Eclipse wasn’t officially a member of Team Spearhead yet, but it led to a fight between the two that spiraled out of control. Eclipse mentioned that the fight only started after Nox had egged them on, then continued to rile up the rest of the explorers until they ganged up on Para and forced him to attack them to defend himself. Para was particularly apologetic as he explained that he hadn’t meant for things to go nearly as far as they did, but he lost control of himself as he saw no other way out of the situation. After that, Kami had come to his rescue and while fleeing from the mob, they had managed to discover the entrance to an ancient human facility that allowed them to replicate the Aegis Heart. This was probably the Hero’s Workshop from the legend. After accomplishing their objective and hoping to use the Heart as a bargaining chip for safe passage back home, Eclipse tracked them to the facility, followed by Nox and Murmur. It was there that they were forced to kill the other two members of Nox’s team in self-defense, and where Nox had managed to achieve Mega Evolution right before she would’ve passed away. The experience drove her insane and she fled into woods covering the mountain, waiting until they returned to camp in order to ambush them and exact her revenge. Several veteran explorers were badly injured in the fighting, who’s testimonies matched Para’s account. After that, the battle with Nox lead to the destruction of the camp and many more injured. Para had managed to achieve Mega Evolution himself in order to protect his allies, and he and Nox fought a prolonged battle that eventually resulted in him obliterating her with an incredibly powerful move.

By the time Para and his teammates finished with the entirety of the tale, nearly an hour had passed. Scribes had filled several pages of their notebooks with the details. Understandably given the incredible nature of the story, most of the councilors began to bombard them with questions before Wigglytuff held up a paw and silenced them. He informed Team Spearhead that given the clear provocations by Nox, they would not be held responsible for acting in self-defense against her and some of the other explorers. Additionally, in recognition for their exploits in finding the Aegis Heart and their bravery in facing off against Nox during the evacuation, effective immediately they were promoted from Gold Rank to Diamond Rank.

As the members of Team Spearhead thanked the Grandmaster for his generosity and turned to leave, he stopped them to deliver one last piece of information: earlier that morning, a messenger from the capitol of the empire had arrived bearing a summons from the crown prince and princess themselves. They had formally requested that the explorers who had recovered the Aegis Heart bring it to the capitol so that Regigigas could be activated once more, and the royal family could personally reward them for their historic discovery.

Para was in a daze as he walked through the large, intricately carved oak doors that led out of the council chambers, which shut on their own behind them once all four Pokémon had left. It was a lot to take in: being formally pardoned was a huge relief and receiving a rank up was cause for celebration, but being personally sent for by the two rulers of the entire empire was something else entirely. His body was practically on autopilot as he followed silently behind Eclipse, even as the other three talked excitedly amongst themselves about what was to come. What was the reward that they would be given? Would it be money? Status? Land? Some combination of all three? The empire as a whole had deep ties to the Church of Arceus; getting too involved in the politics of high society was likely to ruffle some feathers. The last thing Para wanted was to be making enemies with nobles that had too much time and money on their hands just because the royalty were giving him attention and not them. Truthfully, all Para wanted to do was go on some adventures with his new friends; something he had never been able to do since his entire career as a rescuer, later an explorer, had been spent in a party of one. Still, a direct summons from the most powerful Pokémon in the known world wasn’t something they could just ignore. Para knew that, for better or worse, they would be standing in the capitol by midday tomorrow.

“Hey Para, do you wanna hit up the beach with me for a little while before we head home? I’ve been missing the sand and the warm water ever since we got back from that godsforsaken mountain.”

Para snapped out of his trance and looked up to find Eclipse staring at him expectantly. He found himself standing in the middle of the street, at a crossroads where one road lead down to the shoreline and the other lead farther up into the hills where their base was nestled comfortably overlooking much of the city. The white buildings were stained a deep orange as the setting sun set them ablaze, bathing the city in its dying light. The smells of meals cooking in homes and restaurants wafted through the air, a stark reminder that Para hadn’t eaten in several hours. Despite this, without much thought, Para blurted out, “Y-Yeah, sure thing Eclipse,” put on the spot as he was.

“Great! We won’t stay for too long, since it’ll be dark soon. Let’s go!”

Before he had a chance to change his mind, Eclipse grabbed Para’s arm and began leading him down the street towards the ocean. He turned back and glanced at Kami and Kaisen, who shared a look with each other before just shrugging and continuing back to the base. “Uh… shouldn’t we have invited the others…?” Para asked, not wanting them to feel left out.

“Nah, I already told Kami what the plan was before we even left the guild.” Eclipse slowed her pace a little once the others were out of sight, leaving the two Eeveelutions alone together amongst the light traffic of the evening crowds enjoying themselves. Para thought she might let go of his arm, but instead she moved a little closer, holding onto him even more tightly as they walked. “Besides… I think I like it a little bit better when it’s just the two of us.”

As they walked, the pair of Eeveelutions passed by dozens of other Pokémon on the streets, several of whom were obvious couples. Some were young lovers, others looked to be enjoying an evening to themselves away from the kids, and still others looked to be in their twilight years, looking back on long lives spent together. All of these couples served to foster a sense of self-consciousness in Para as he realized exactly what it looked like for the two of them to be out like this. It didn’t help that they paused their stroll to buy a small cup of gelato from a Snover operating a little stand on a street corner. Eclipse held the treat in the air in front of them with her psychic abilities and occasionally shoved a floating spoonful into Para’s mouth, much to his embarrassment. Despite his burning cheeks and quiet demeanor, Eclipse seemed to be having a good time, enjoying her desert and pointing out the beauty of the city and the coast surrounding it as the world transitioned into twilight.

The first stars of night twinkled overhead as the two finally reached the waterfront. Several others were already there, mostly families or groups of friends gathered around campfires after a long day of fun playing in the surf, or couples taking a stroll along the water’s edge. Following their example, Eclipse guided Para to the waterline, turning to walk along the shore with their paws dipping into the shallow waves as they stretched out onto the soft sand before receding back into the mighty ocean. Eclipse giggled whenever the water splashed around their legs, but other than that they were silent as they walked, putting more and more distance between them and the scattered campfires until at last they found themselves alone.

“Hey. You still in there, Para?”

The Jolteon snapped to attention, surprised by Eclipse’s words after the silence had prevailed for so long. He turned to find her staring up at him expectantly, which served to reinvigorate his nervousness.

“You’ve hardly said a word ever since we started walking. Is something the matter?”

“N-No, it’s just… a little strange, I guess. To be here, doing this. With you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?” Eclipse asked, sounding somewhat hurt as she slowed her pace somewhat.

“N-Nothing bad! Sorry, I should’ve chosen my words better,” Para quickly clarified. “What I meant was, two weeks ago I never would have imagined the two of us would be here, doing this, you know? After everything… b-but I’m glad that we are. It feels… nice.”

“Nice save,” Eclipse teased, though Para saw through her bravado as he felt her relax against his side once more. “But I agree. It’s kinda strange, but nice.”

Regardless of her agreement, Para felt a sense of awkwardness hang over the two of them as they walked for several more minutes in silence, the only sounds coming from the low roar of the ocean as it’s gentle winds and waves washed over them. It truly was a beautiful place, yet the moment was soured by the tension between them. It made Para’s skin crawl; he never was good at navigating intimate moments like this. Not that they ever really happened to him, anyway.

“So… why did you ask me down here alone, Eclipse?” he suddenly blurted out, unsure of how to progress the conversation with any degree of elegance. The Umbreon hesitated for a moment as she nearly tripped over her own paws, but quickly righted herself by leaning on him heavily for support.

“I, uh… I guess it would be pointless to lie and say it was just to spend some quality time catching up with a good friend, wouldn’t it?”

Para nodded as his heart began to beat faster after having his suspicions confirmed that she did have ulterior motives for getting him alone like this. His upbringing had fostered within him all the tact of a Tauros in a China shop, but even he could guess where this was going. He felt his cheeks grow warm once again as his mind began to race through countless possible scenarios.

Eclipse just sighed, feigning obliviousness to her companion’s quiet nervous breakdown. In truth she found it kind of cute that she had such an effect on him, but if she was going to get what she wanted out of this walk, she saw that she was going to have to take the direct approach. Fine. It was faster that way anyway.

“There’s… something I’ve been meaning to say to you, Para. I tried to tell you back on the expedition, but I never really got the chance. Here, there won’t be any distractions or disruptions, Gods willing.”

In a display of situational awareness that surprised even himself, Para stopped walking and turned to face Eclipse, giving her paw a squeeze. He wondered if Jolt was somehow responsible for this odd behavior, but quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to dwell on that. For better or worse, it was time to do something about the tension that had existed between them ever since that first night they spent together in the tent.

“I’m all ears, Eclipse.”

The Umbreon took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts and choosing her words, before she looked up and locked her vibrant, glowing crimson eyes onto his dark, shimmering golden orbs.

“First and foremost, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that happened between us all these years. I know that a simple apology can’t even begin to make up for what I’ve done to you, but I hope that it’ll be a start. I can’t even express how grateful I am to be back in your life- but I promise that I won’t squander this chance again. No matter what happens, I swear I’ll have your back.”

“Eclipse…”

“And… I know it’s no excuse for how I acted, but… you deserve to know what happened between us, back when we were kids. Just- It wasn’t your fault. You never did anything wrong, and it hurt me more than anything to force myself to hate you. I wasn’t ever really good at hating you; it tore me apart on the inside every time we fought. But… My dad. You remember him, right?”

A chill ran down Para’s spine as he recalled the fleeting times he’d seen the elder Umbreon. The mere sight of him was terrifying to the Eevee; he couldn’t even imagine having to live with someone like that.

“A little bit, I think. He was a member of the church, but I don’t remember much more than that.”

Eclipse shook her head. “Not just a member. He was an agent of the Inquisition, tasked with monitoring our little village for dissenters.” She broke the eye contact and stared at the sand beneath them, scowling as memory after unpleasant memory played in her mind. “He wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy at the best of times, but when he found out that I was friends with you, a shiny? It was… bad. The night that he caught me with you was the night that I got that scar across my face, along with a bunch more to go with it. They all disappeared after I evolved, but… some nights, I swear I can still feel it burning into my cheeks.”

Para watched as Eclipse began to shudder, then silently pulled her into an embrace just as she broke down. She sobbed into his fur; her crying muffled by the soft, silver mane around his neck as he held her tightly.

“I-I-I was so s-scared, Para! H-He hurt me… a-and he said that it’d be even worse if I kept talking to you! That- Th-That I had to reject you, or else Arceus would punish b-both of us forever! And I knew it was wrong, but I just… I couldn’t-“

“That’s enough, Eclipse,” Para said as he moved one of his paws to her forehead. She pulled her head out of his mane to reveal eyes already bloodshot and puffy from her hard crying. The Jolteon felt his heart break as whatever lingering resentment he held for her just melted away in that moment.

“B-But… But I-“

“Eclipse. It’s okay. I forgive you.”

That was it. Eclipse’s eyes went wide as she heard the three simple words that she had longed to hear for so long, yet convinced herself she never would. That she wouldn’t have deserved to hear even if she did.

“I forgive you. It wasn’t your fault.”

Eclipse shook before sucking in a deep breath and wailing into the warm night air. Years upon years of anger and resentment, and finally deep-seated, gut-wrenching guilt poured out of her as she howled, violently expelling all of that negativity out of her mouth in the form of a scream. Her catharsis lasted for several seconds until her voice quieted, leaving her finally, blissfully free of the baggage she’d been carrying around for so long. Then Eclipse sat there, nestled in Para’s arms for several minutes. She felt light enough to float. So lost was she in her liberation that her next sentence formed in her head and slid out of her mouth before she even realized she said it.

“I love you, Para.”

Eclipse snapped back to reality as she felt Para’s body stiffen against her and she registered what she’d just said. But by then, it was already too late to take it back. When she raised her head and locked eyes with him again, he looked just as frightened as she was. But there was nothing she could do. All there was left was to wait for the response from the Jolteon she had adored for years, the Pokémon she had fought for, had practically obsessed over ever since she had awoken to her true feelings for him.

It was torturous.

Para wasn’t faring much better. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. In his mind, a war raged between the part of him that longed to confess his own feelings for her, and the part of him that was terrified that doing so would lead to him losing Eclipse all over again. His heart beat so hard in his chest that it threatened to burst. It felt like he was overflowing with love for the girl that was his best friend, his first crush and the only one he ever truly cared for, yet before these feelings could escape they were blocked by the memory of what he’d done to Kami. The guilt and embarrassment he felt from that moment alone with her in the cave coalesced into a fear potent enough to stop his love, and the resulting stalemate was threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

‘J-Jolt! I need you!’ he cried without a voice, and instantly he felt some relief as the familiar presence came to the forefront of his thoughts.

‘Sweet Arceus Para! What are you freaking out about?!’

‘I-I’m scared! She means everything to me, but… but I just can’t lose her again! I don’t think I could take it if she left!’

‘What do you mean lose her again? She just told you that she loves you, you moron! All you have to do is tell her you love her back and live happily ever after!’

‘B-But… but what if she gets tired of me? What if we have problems, or we fight, or-‘

‘Para. Real life isn’t like those stupid romance novels you like so much. You will have problems and you will fight. That’s just how relationships are. But if you truly love this girl, you’ll be able to move past all of that. Now tell me: do you actually love Eclipse?’

‘I mean, it’s-‘

‘That was a yes or no question, Para! Do you, or do you not love Eclipse?!’

‘I DO! I LOVE HER MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD!’

‘THEN MAN UP, LOOK HER IN THE EYES, AND TELL HER THAT!’

Para’s eyes shifted in and out of focus as they dilated, then returned back to normal. The screaming in his head that rang in his ears ceased, leaving a jarring silence in its wake. When he returned to reality, nothing mattered except for the Umbreon he held in his arms, who’s beautiful red eyes he was staring down into. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with salty, sweet air. When he exhaled, all of his doubts seemed to flow out of his nose, floating far, far away. He didn’t need them anymore.

“Ever since we were kids- no, even from the very moment I met you, Eclipse… I’ve always loved you too. And I always will love you. There’s nothing in this world that means more to me than-“

Para never did get to finish his confession, but that was okay. He didn’t need to. The words died in his throat as he felt Eclipse’s lips rush up to meet his. His body stiffed for just a moment, then relaxed as he closed his eyes and allowed the world to melt away. All that mattered to Para was Eclipse and the bond they had reforged. As he kissed her back, surrounded by warm sand and cool water, and with the gentle light of the moon above as their only witness, all was finally right with the world.