Pokémon Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Path of Valor

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, just sliding right in before the Saturday update later today, since it felt like as good an occasion as any to try and get caught up with this story.

Chapter 49

High above the Eterna City skyline, in the thick, black and purple clouds, Gene turned to Jade and her orange zapdos passenger.

"It's going to be quick." The mewtwo snapped his fingers. "Once the rift opens, I shoot a Fire Blast into the fueling console and light the spa up like an oversized candle. Then we go charging in and you'd best be ready for Troopers to swarm us."

Words do not begin to describe how poorly planned this all sounds right now.

I do wonder if this would've worked better with the description and dialogue separated, though.

Quetzal puffed out his feathers. "I still cannot believe nobody told me we were having a strategy meeting! I didn't even have any time to prepare for this!"

So I'm not the only one who's having red flags tripped about how this entire mission is being organized, huh?

"You were napping. I didn't want to be rude." Jade laughed nervously.

"I just forgot." Gene shrugged.

"You're a powerful psychic!" Quetzal huffed.

... I'm frankly going to be more surprised if this mission ends well than if it results in a massive fail right about now. Since Gene has been consistently one step behind Paradox up to this point, and this just screams "not gonna end well".

"Oh, gee, look at the time." Gene glanced at a wristwatch he didn't have. "Mission's a go." He flicked his right wrist, opening a jagged rift. The mewtwo had looked over images of the place to know exactly where to aim his Fire Blast. The five-pronged flame struck a metal tower. Gene threw up a pink barrier, shielding himself and his allies from a fiery explosion while the sounds of mechanical shouts and cries filled his ears.

Quetzal: "Oh boy, here goes nothing."

"Now!" Gene flew into his rift. Through thick black smoke and tiny red embers he saw a huge crater in what was once some sort of pool. Lounge chairs and the remnants of a rooftop bar lay scattered about like big metal pretzels. The blimp was unharmed, displaying weather footage while a castform meteorologist gestured at the weather map.

"It's the rebel mewtwo!"

Jade: "Wait, they just have blimps going around displaying the weather forecast?"

Quetzal: "Look, freaky lizard-bird-lady, can we focus on not dying from the massive salvo of attacks that's going to be coming our way in about two seconds?!" OvO;

Right on cue, Dark Pulses and Signal Beams punched through the wall of smoke. Gene Phantom Warped to his right, the attacks passing harmlessly through numerous mewtwo-shaped afterimages. At least a dozen Eternatus Gunners hovered a few meters away from him and more were floating up from behind.

Jade: "What are we, chopped liver?"

Gene gathered a large Aura Sphere over his head and... bowled it through midair toward the Gunners in front of him. He quickly Phantom Warped back into the smoke to dodge a fresh volley of Dark Pulses.

"Despicable rebels!" a Gunner shouted. "First they loiter on our rooftops without an approved permit and now they assault our day spa! Is nothing sacred to them?"

Gene: "Nope!" ^^
Quetzal: "I swear, you all need to get your priorities adjusted." >v>;

Gene surged out from the smoke, flames gathering in his hands. "Sacred? Ha! Do I look like an entei to you?" He tossed a Fire Blast toward several of the Gunners below him. Their Dark Pulses sailed wide of stopping the Fire Blast, which blew five of them up. Their unown pilots careened through the air before disappearing in purple smoke puffs. A pity Gene didn't have a way of stopping that. Then he could keep Paradox from reinforcing his ranks so quickly.

There's... a story behind that comment, isn't there? Though wait, are these Unown effectively immortal if their robot suits get wiped? Since I'm not sure if the smoke puffs are meant to be emergency teleports or if they died and got sent to a soul recycler or something like that.

"No, you look like a disobedient cat that needs a good spritzing!" a much larger, gray Eternatus Trooper with giant cannons for arms boasted. Gene couldn't fully Phantom Warp away from two Hydro Cannons. A deluge of water blasted him toward the propaganda blimp, but the mewtwo caught himself, wringing his arms out.

Oh, great. Bombardiers, Gene mentally hissed.

... Wait, where are Jade and Quetzal in all of this? Since now I'm starting to get worried.

"Now! Freeze the rebel!"

"Hey, where's my backup?!" Gene growled, forming a large pink barrier that barely held against a slew of hail and ice chunks from three Bombardiers.

"Sorry! Sorry! Still getting used to the flying thi—eeeeeeeeeeek!"

Jade crashed into the Bombardier on Gene's left. "Ah, hello!" the salugia chirped. "Come here often?"

Oh, there they are. Or at least Jade anyways.

"Every Friday, actually," the Bombardier responded, before the unown inside narrowed its eye. "Hey, wait a second!"

Quetzal: "Again, priorities!" >v<;
Jade: "No! No! I was pretty good with the freaky robot guy not thinking about killing me here!" OvO;

Jade's mouth was bright orange. The resulting orange beam effortlessly tore through the Bombardier and both of his companions.

So, that's Aeroblast. Gene had to admit it was even more impressive up close.

I... did not know that's how Aeroblast was originally depicted in the anime. I thought the Smash-style wind vortex o' doom was just a consistent depiction. TIL.

No, wait, this wasn't the time for that! Not with ten Gunners trained on both of them! "Duck!" he cried.

"Duck?" Jade blinked. "No, salug— aah!"

Quetzal: "Again. Priorities!" >v<;
Jade: "Yes, yes, I get the point!"

Gene used Hurricane. Jade barely got out of the way of the ensuing vortex. It sucked up the Gunners like dirt through a vacuum hose, shredding through their bodies and blowing the unown pilots away.

"Cool trick!" The salugia clapped her feet together. "When can I learn?"

Gene: "... How do you not already know this again?"

Jade: "I've been asleep in a crystal needle for 1100 years? That probably helps, right?"

"Later!" Gene growled. More Gunners and Bombardiers had taken to the skies. There must have been teleporters nearby. C'mon, Cyril! How much longer do you need, huh?

This... was happening in the middle of Cyril hitting on Seifer last chapter, wasn't it?

As if the zoroark somehow heard Gene, the weather report abruptly cut out replaced with footage of Cyril standing in front of a camera. Gene turned and hurled two dozen Psystrike orbs toward some newly arrived Gunners. They unleashed their own volley of Dark Pulses and Shadow Balls. Though Gene's onslaught won out, none of the Gunners went down. Some of them ejected their UFO-like cockpits and flew after Gene.

Not that this isn't a good show, but I'm surprised that the Eternabot gang isn't just camping from some overlooking windows and opting to snipe from above right now while distracting Gene with suppressive fire from another direction.

"Attention Eterna City! This is the voice of the resistance," Cyril said, the prerecorded message amplified by the blimp's speakers. They were... a lot louder than Gene remembered. Maybe because he was used to hearing the blimp from a distance?

Can't tell if that's going to be significant or not.

Jade: "My ears!"

Quetzal: "Was it really too much to ask for decent earpro for this mission?" @v@

"For the emperor!" a Trooper shouted, her cockpit glowing brightly. Sensing what was coming, Gene summoned his spoon and whacked the Trooper back into several others. Explosions lit up the sky like orange fireworks.

Gene: "Boy am I glad that Paradox hasn't gotten around to teaching his grunts to shoot before bantering." ^^;

"This is the voice of the truth. And the truth is... we need to talk."

"Guuuuuuys, I could really use some help down here!"

Gene looked down. An orange bolt streaked across the cratered ground, narrowly dodging the spiky maces of a dozen Eternatus Brawlers.

Oh, there's Quetzal right now. Yeah, I kinda had a bad feeling about him just fading to the background there in the midst of the massive zerg rush of Troopers.

"Hey! Even if it's been blown up, running on a pool deck is hazardous!" one Brawler shouted.

"And illegal!" A second wound up and launched his right mace at Quetzal. Ice swirled around the spikes. Quetzal was running out of room, so Gene dove down and tossed a Fire Blast in the middle of the Brawlers. The five-pronged explosion knocked them off their feet.

Gene: "... I did remember to aim away from Quetzal in the middle of all that, right?"
Quetzal: "You're supposed to ask yourself that before attacking!" >v<;
Gene: "Hey, no time to question my moves."

"Your so-called emperor is lying to you! First off... those new uPhones you got? They're full of gizmos to hypnotize you whenever Paradox wants! And the rifts you see in the sky are dangerous! They're a sign that space and time are collapsing... in a way that not even Eternatus can protect us from!"

Why do I get the suspicion that the reaction from the locals on the street is basically going to be a variation of?:

Since the civvies in this story writ large have come off as pretty apathetic. Not that mass brainwashing wouldn't help with that.

One of the Brawlers leaped back to his feet and pointed a mace skyward. "It's a trick! Attack the blimp! The revolution must not be telivi—"

Quetzal charged forward and delivered a tremendous kick to the Brawler. With a thundering boom, the cockpit dislodged from the robotic torso and skipped across the charred ground, crashing into a second Brawler. Both bots and their unown vanished in a small blue blast.

Quetzal: "Whew, that bought us some time."

Gene: "Guess we should be thankful that Paradox didn't think of rolling out vehicle killswitches just yet." ^^
Jade: "Wait, those exist here?!"

Gene: "I'm frankly more surprised that they apparently don't yet given how 'Black Mirror with Magitech' Eterna City is in general." ^^;

"Birdbrain, help out Drumstick! I got things up here!" Gene ordered, shooting back up and sniping a pair of Bombardiers' cockpits with well-aimed Psybeams. "Pool Noodle, you read me? We're just about done here! Got anything from the drone yet?"

He Phantom Warped left past three Signal Beams, which bounced off one of the blimp's screens.

"Yeah. Bad news. I, uh, think Paradox might've persuaded his captives to join his cause?"

I'm not sure how on earth he managed that, though that's gonna be a sight to behold.

Paradox made Sticky's instructions perfectly clear: stay offstage in the auditorium until the promotional video finished. So the naganadel hid behind a stage right curtain, glancing between the giant projector screen and the rows of dark, unfilled seats.

A sliver of white light appeared at the far end of the room. Sticky adjusted his headset. "Please take your seats. The program will begin momentarily."

>Paradox has a promotional video for the QN

I'm surprised and yet considering the overall tone of this story, I suppose that I really, really shouldn't be right now.

It was too dark to make out anything other than silhouettes, but Sticky heard the murmurs of uncertainty. Young adults questioning where they were and what would happen to them and why the elevator that brought them here played smooth jazz. A few kept begging someone called Vincenzo to do something.

Sticky wasn't sure what the emperor saw in this lot. They sounded terrified out of their wits. Why not assimilate them into Eternatus Troopers?

The naganadel shook his head. His Excellency knew what he was doing.

Whether it's rational is another thing entirely, but hey. Paradox has had a good batting average thus far, so let's see where this goes.

Enough time passed. Sticky drifted toward a control panel in the backstage wall and flicked a switch. He was too far from the rear of the auditorium to hear the projector whirr to life, but he clearly saw the screen light up. And the captives fell quiet. A good start as bright, colorful words appeared on the screen.

Paradox Pictures Presents

An Emperor Paradox Production

Written, Narrated, Produced, and Directed by Emperor Paradox

ETERNATUS AND YOU: LEARNING TO LOVE OUR BENEFACTOR

This... is a brainwashing video, isn't it?

A tiny dot appeared on screen along with a soft, gentle violin piece. "In the beginning, our universe was a singularity. Unified and in perfect harmony." Hearts and rainbows peppered the singularity on screen. "But those wonderful times sadly wouldn't last."

Oh, so Paradox/Eternatus' goal is basically an assimilation plot of the whole universe. I guess that would explain why he's so hellbent on breaking free of Etherium to keep Natus doing its thing.

The color drained from the rainbows and the hearts shattered. The singularity rippled, then an explosion filled the screen with streaks of static and bright colors. Sticky made a mental note to consider a photosensitivity warning for future iterations of this broadcast.

"A cataclysmic event shattered the singularity and flung life and matter to the furthest reaches imaginable! Our universe, it seemed, was doomed to a state of disarray and fragmentation."

I'm guessing that this universe was basically formed from a mainline world getting DPPt BAD ENDed considering those visions of the Timespace Trio gathering around Mt. Coronet like 15 chapters ago—oh wait, there were Time Gears in that sequence, huh?

Wait. So is this some fork of Guiding Light having gotten BAD ENDed then? Since it’d certainly explain a couple things about some of those other visions that were very strongly vibing after it.

Then the camera zoomed in toward purple scales. "But what's this drifting aimlessly where the singularity once sat? Could it be... a remnant of some sort?"

"It's just a big hand!" one captive crooned.

Sticky fought the urge to reveal himself and scold the heckler. The Benefactor only looked like a giant hand to the unenlightened, after all.

At first I thought that was Master Hand, but I'm guessing that's supposed to be G-Max Natus there.

"Yes, it is! Behold: Eternatus! Our universe's last hope at reunification!" On the screen, Eternatus began to slowly drift through the cosmos. "This is where you now find yourselves within. And I'm sure that sounds rather frightening."

Yeah, I figured.

A few terrified eevee walked across the screen and nodded as if the narrator addressed them directly.

"But worry not, friends. Eternatus is not something to fear." Eternatus drifted over to the eevee and pet them all. Their fluffy tails wagged in unison. "Eternatus, you see, is our Benefactor. He provides us all with a single home and unlimited energy with which we can live our best lives."

More like "best unlives", but minor details there.

In a whoosh of blurry special effects, the footage shifted to a flyover of Eterna City, showcasing all the neon buildings, holographic displays, and flying vehicles moving in organized fashion.

"Impressive, isn't it?" the narrator said. The eevee reappeared in one of the flying cars, all wearing sunglasses. One tilted them down slightly to look at the camera and nod. "Unfortunately, however, our Benefactor is suffering."

I'm snerking at these propaganda Eevee here. I wonder how many takes it took to get this scenario drawn up, since this entire sequence with them has been gold thus far.

The hovercar screeched to a halt as sinister black crystals emerged from the shadows. "Ages ago, Eternatus came to your planet to welcome it back like an old friend... only to find a vicious monster waiting for it."

Ah yes, Bahamut doing his thing and trapping Natus inside his adoptive planet.

While the eevee all puffed their fur out in terror, silhouettes of dragons appeared around the crystal creature. "That monster — worshipped blindly by the dragons of your world — sent his minions to seal our beloved Eternatus within your planet."

I... am beginning to see how Paradox managed to talk everyone onboard with this cheesy propaganda video. Since sheltered, naive upper-class twits meeting information that feeds into confirmation bias about 'mons they don't particularly like... .-.

That earned reactions from the crowd. Sticky dared not peer out from behind the curtain, but there were scattered mentions of things like World Ender, Prince Shimmer, and... a dreepy?

... Right. Cassius had informed Paradox of some sort of dragon exchange student, but the records given by Guile Hideout suggested she wasn't among the captives. Neither was the ponyta prince.

This is a really bad omen for where things are going to go with these guys.

Back on screen, the eevee stood beside their destroyed car, shivering in terror.

"To make matters worse, your people have magnified our suffering by stealing our Benefactor's energy and claiming it as your own." Giant straws emerged from the ground around the eevee, who all scattered in a panic. "Do you want to know what's in the 'ether' you boast of using to power your land?

Given that Ether is basically "Mako, but somehow worse", my money's on Eternatus' lifeblood.

"Yes, that's right: our citizens." Straws captured two of the eevee and sucked them off screen. "And the souls of those who have passed away here." Straws sucked up the remaining eevee, leaving the streets empty.

... Wow, that was somehow even worse than what I was expecting.

"So, what does this mean for you?" the narrator asked as a giant hand pointed its index finger out at the auditorium. "Well, we're not interested in revenge, if that's what you're afraid of. Oh no..."

The camera pulled back toward a building rooftop with an array of different pokémon looking into it. "All we ask is that you consider the wrongs your people have committed... and join us in helping Eternatus claim his freedom. Help us make a better future... for everyone."

I like how nobody's questioning anything they've heard from this video thus far. Though I suppose that if it runs off the same bad juju as Starlene's music... it might not occur to them to question things.

With the rooftop crowd smiling and waving at the camera a large THE END scrawled across the screen, followed by rapidly moving credits listing Emperor Paradox under everything... including the "special thanks" section at the end.

The screen shut off and the projector rolled back into the ceiling, signaling Sticky's cue. "And now, please welcome our beloved leader: Emperor Paradox!" The naganadel threw another switch on the control panel and spotlights shined on the middle of the stage, where the deoxys had appeared in a flash of light. A dramatic orchestral piece carried through the auditorium speakers.

"Laaaa laaaaa la la la la la la la la laaaaa laaaaa!"

Huh. I didn't realize that's what Emperor Nefarious sounded like. I wonder what the story is behind him sounding so different from the vanilla Doctor in R&C.

Paradox confidently strode toward the front of the stage.

"So here you are.
A step from the top.
A better life
Your kingdom has not.
Our lengthy story to achieve success
Is a tiring affair
So I've one request..."

Wow, it actually works with the melody of Emperor Nefarious' song. How long did it take you to make everything fit just right anyways?

Paradox dropped to one knee and extended his right tentacles like he was ready to propose to the audience.

"Join me at the top
Why don't you?
Join me
Where the worlds align."

The deoxys stood up.

"Yes, join me at top.
Why won't you?
Join me
And let our powers combine!"

Okay, I'm beginning to understand how the kids wind up making cause with Paradox, since this song is "Death to Squishies"-tier in terms of catchiness.

He kicked his triangular legs out.

"I'll even dance and sing a ditty!
So, join me.
While I extend you pity.
Cause there's one bit I forgot."

Sticky threw the final switch and the Eterna Empire's sigil appeared behind Paradox. He gestured behind him.

"We're everything you're not!"

... So wait, is there also some sort of Epic Fail version of Paradox in another universe that's terrible at singing like vanilla Dr. Nefarious is? Because given how hard Paradox mainlines Emperor Nefarious here and it being established that PoV's in a multiverse within the past couple chapters...

The naganadel flew out onstage. "Ha!"

"Aha!" Paradox clapped. "Pretty good, eh?"

"It's wonderful, sir!" Sticky chirped, remembering the script Paradox gave him earlier.

"Then shall I continue?"

- Cue the entire class of Horizon Gardens bopping along with the music in the background -
Sticky: "Yeah, sounds like as good a time as any, really." ^^

"Of course!"

Paradox folded his tentacles behind his back and paced at the front of the stage. "Forget about your worthless cities.
Streets littered with panic and frenzied screams.
You've all struck great fortune now that you're here!"

Well that got dark fast, but given how the average Radiant noble's attitude towards commoners is downright sociopathic... I would be wholly unsurprised that this wasn't at least a net wash in terms of sentiment for the audience.

Paradox gestured to the gemstone in his chest.

"Guided by your flawless emperor right heeeere."

He again dropped to one knee.

You really need to make a commission of this scene at one point, since it's absolutely hilarious to play out mentally.

"Join me at the top.
Why don't you?
Join me
Where the worlds align."

Paradox stood up and stomped his right foot down.

"Since I will never stop.
No I won't!
So join me.
Go on, fall in line!

... I just realized that Sticky is Paradox's Lawrence in this story, just with less passive-aggressive snark. Now I'm really curious as to if there's an AU where Paradox and Sticky have more stock R&C personalities, since I can already tell that they'd be even more of a riot than these two.

Sticky: "(My Emperor, was the song supposed to take on a threatening undertone right there?)" ^^;
Paradox: "(Yes, now quiet, Sticky.)"

"You've sat and listened to my reason
To stop your kingdom's power seizing
So join me at this spot
Because we're everything you're not!"

Paradox looked at Sticky. "Who are we?"

"Evolved greatness!"

He pointed out to the audience. "And who are they?"

Sticky frowned. "Oof, I'm not going to say it."

Cue the chorus of annoyed if somewhat muted 'Hey!'s in the audience.

Paradox stomped his right food down again. "They're no good without me!"

"Right!"

"How dare they ever doubt me!"

"Yes!"

"Take the final chorus and seal the case!"

I kinda wonder given that this song and dance has been going on for a while if there ought to have been more body language described during this back and forth bit with Sticky, and more of a glimpse of how the audience is reacting, especially if their reactions have some funny moments here and there.

Sticky nodded vigorously. "They'll join you at the top!"

"Yes they will!"

Goodness, Sticky thought his singing voice awful. "They'll join you where the worlds align!"

"And boy I'm so freaking hot!"

Sticky laughed nervously. "You're scalding."

... Wait, I might need to walk that 'Sticky is Lawrence' back given that he's filling in for Dr. Nefarious down to the terribad singing talent. There's a story to be told there if that's what he really is role-wise, though.

Paradox pointed back to the audience. "I should burn them up!"

Sticky shook his head. "But you will not!"

Paradox nodded. "It makes me oh so glad."

"And magnanimous!" Sticky flew right beside Paradox.

"To serve a cause so rad!"

Okay, it's official. I need to buy and play Rift Apart at some point.

"Great Eternatus!" Sticky slung his arm over Paradox's shoulder.

The deoxys looked back out at the crowd. "So, join me in my plot!"

"Because..." He glanced at Paradox and they proceeded to the final line in unison.

"We're everything you're nooooooot!"

"Eternatus on top!" Sticky added, raising his free arm in celebration.

Paradox: "So? How'd it go? You all love it, I can already tell. Because of course you'd love my singing talent." ^^

"Ah, that was even more delightful than when I wrote it out." Paradox's tentacles coiled into hands for him to clap approvingly. "Lights, please." He snapped his right fingers and the auditorium lights finally came on... to reveal a barraskewda charging right for the deoxys!

Paradox: "Tch, there's always an uncultured type in groups like these."

"Sir!" Sticky aimed his needles forward, but Paradox was on top of it. He held up his right hand and Barraskewda suddenly stopped. The weird metal backpack on his torso compressed around his body.

"What's this?" Paradox tilted his head. "Were you... trying to attack me? And after I rolled out the figurative red carpet for you and your precious students?"

Cue Vicenzo blurting out his involvement with producing Ether and then dying in painful, horrible fashion in about 10 seconds.

Barraskewda struggled in the emperor's psychic grip, but managed a defiant glare. "Send us... home."

The deoxys sighed. "A pity. I really tried being reasonable." He stepped toward Barraskewda. "But I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from your ilk."

... Wait, how are the students reacting to all of this right now anyways?

Sticky thought he knew what was coming when Paradox unfurled his blue and orange tentacles unfurled and grabbed hold of Barraskewda. But, no, the deoxys didn't turn Barraskewda into an unown. Instead, his scales pulsated. Brown, crusty masses sprouted up all over his torso, inside his mouth, and across his tail.

The naganadel briefly saw the pain and panic in Barraskewda's eyes before those, too, were crusted over with bloody scar tissue.

Well that went places fast.

"Minister!" A sirfetch'd raised his leek. "What did you do to him?"

"Riddled his body with cancer, of course." Paradox stepped forward once again and released his grip on Barraskewda, who dropped to the carpeted ground in front of the stage, twitching. "His heart should stop beating right around..."

Barraskewda went still.

Though Paradox can do that?

"... now." Paradox hovered into the air, his tentacles rippling at his sides. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Deoxys Paradox, emperor of Eternatus. I am a pokémon like you... but one forged from a mutated virus."

Ah, so you're rolling with that take of Deoxys for this story.

His right tentacles coiled into an arm that he thumped against his chest. "For organic pokémon, cells are your building blocks. Viruses rewrite your DNA to mutate your cells. Which means that I am the essence of evolution itself!"

"You sound like an absolute nutter!" a weavile spat.

And sounds like someone's going to be an ex-Weavile shortly.

I suppose you're entitled to your opinion no matter how wrong it is," Paradox said, chuckling into his hand. "It doesn't change your situation. Your planet has oppressed Eternatus and His people long enough. We will not sit idly by while you turn us into electricity for your filthy cities."

"It's not like any of us are responsible for that!" a luxray growled.

Sticky: "No, no. You kinda are given that you're next in line to run Etherium's government and institutions after your parents die off and presumably have an ability to influence their decision making."

Luxray: "B-But we haven't run anything yet!"

"Really now?" Paradox folded his tentacles behind his back. "Show of hands, class, how many of you have parents or siblings with important positions in your school chancellor's company?"

At first no one responded. Then an aromatisse's hand shot up, followed by the right leg of the dodrio standing next to her. Soon there were at least a dozen hesitant limbs raised.

... How is that Dodrio still standing in that pose anyways? Or is it doing that while seated?

"Top marks for honesty," Paradox said. He landed back on the edge of the stage. "So then, your choice is simple. Join the Eterna Empire willingly and help Eternatus reunite our universe. Or resist us... and suffer the same fate as your minister."

... Well that would explain a lot about how Artie saw them joining cause with Paradox there.

Sticky tensed. Barraskewda's tumor-ridden body pulsated with sickly purple energy. Light streamed out of his body, leaving behind a dark husk that quickly became shrouded in shadows. The newly formed Phantom screeched and lunged toward a bug-eyed sylveon. Paradox blasted it with a pink beam and it exploded in a burst of black smoke.

... Oh right, that happens when you die down here. .-.

The students all shared panicked expressions and muttered amongst one another. While they did, Sticky's fanny pack buzzed. The naganadel back away from the emperor, whispering an apology. He produced his uPhone and clicked the green button on screen to accept the call. "Sticky here."

"Finally! We've been calling for the last five minutes!" a frenzied voice cried. "The resistance has hijacked the propaganda blimp by the Paradox Day Spa. They spilled the beans on the uPhone project and are linking the emperor to the rifts!"

Sticky: "(Could you have picked a worse time to bring this up right now?! And you haven't shot the blimp out of the sky five minutes ago why?!)" >_>;
Phone Trooper: "... Because then I'd have to explain why we shot a blimp out of the sky? They're not exactly cheap, you know."

Sticky stiffened. That was bad. Like, the emperor would assimilate poipole out of anger bad. "What are our Troopers doing?" he whispered.

"The rebel Gene has new allies. Strong allies. They can't get to the blimp. You have to do something!"

Sticky: "(Dammit, of all the times to put off rolling out those vehicle killswitches.)" >.<

"Hang on." Sticky hovered forward, where Paradox was watching Sirfetch'd argue with a sylveon.

"... seriously considering this?!"

"I am!" Sylveon stepped toward the stage. "And I suggest everyone else does the same. I'm not getting turned into some ugly monster!"

And of course Xander would be a complete, spineless POS like this.

"Your Excellency?" Sticky tapped Paradox on the shoulder. "The resistance hijacked one of your propaganda blimps."

"What?" Paradox turned, barely staying composed. Sticky hastily relayed what the poipole analyst on the other end of the line told him. The deoxys' tentacles curled and uncurled. Then he grabbed the uPhone from Sticky's hands.

"S-Sir?"

Sticky: "(I-I'm beginning to get the distinct sense that I should get out of dodge quickly right about now.)"

"Ready the Seekerskorch," he hissed into the phone. "A pilot? Yes, I actually have the perfect one in mind. Just prepare the device." The deoxys hung up and shoved the uPhone into Sticky's chest.

"Oomph!" The naganadel opted not to question Paradox's decision. Because he likely knew the pilot Paradox had in mind: a certain type: full who was itching to prove himself.

Oh, so we're going to see W1DG3T's first deployment, huh?

"Once the sylveon stepped forward, most of the rest of the class joined him," Artemis explained. "There was a sirfetch'd and a weavile who resisted. The emperor decided to have some Troopers arrest them."

I'm... guessing that that's the end of Robin in that case, since that definitely isn't a good omen for his life expectancy.

Gene weaved around three midair Dark Pulses and sliced the nearest Gunner with his spoon. The unown pilot yelped as he tumbled out of his mechanical body. Gene then flung the empty robot into the other two Gunners, who blew apart in a flurry of pink and blue sparks.

"Anything else?" the mewtwo asked.

"No. The emperor teleported away. I've got the drone back," Artemis responded.

Artemis: "So... uh... are we going to rescue those two? Or...? Since I'm pretty sure that they're going to get cancer'd to death within the hour." .-.
Gene: "Look, bring it up sometime when I don't have my hands full!" >_>;

"Then lay low. We'll pick you up shortly." Gene took a moment to scan for Jade and Quetzal's auras. Fortunately, they were close together in the ruined spa. Unfortunately, Brawlers swarmed them from all sides.

"Hey!" Jade blasted one Brawler into several others. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to hit a lady?! I wanna speak to your supervisor!"

... And you've just been leaving those two to fend for themselves in this mission that had less than 30 minutes of planning why, Gene?

"Eternatus Troopers do not discriminate on the basis of species or gender!" a Brawler countered. "We are equal opportunity subjugators!" He wound an electrified mace up and launched it at Jade.

"Ahh!" The salugia took the mace directly to her face... and her body melted into a purple puddle. Gene froze in the midst of readying a Fire Blast.

"The hell?"

Did. Did Jade just die?

Like on one level, it'd be really shocking given that she's been around for less than 10 chapters, but...

The puddle hastily reformed into Jade, who looked around in confusion. "Huh? What happened? Why's everyone looking at me funny?"

"She's cheating!" the Brawler that attacked Jade shouted. "I'll have to punch her harder!"

Oh, well nevermind then. Even if I'm not sure what on earth just happened.

An orange streak rushed by, knocking the Brawlers back and destroying them in a flurry of loud kicks. Quetzal skidded to a halt beside Jade. "You turned into liquid poison," he squawked.

Jade blinked. "I did what?"

"You didn't intend to do that?!" Quetzal's feathers puffed out.

"No!" Jade looked back at her tail. "I don't wanna be some goopy monster! I can't snuggle with Cece that way!"

Quetzal: "Jade, priorities here!" >v<;

"Save the bickering for later," Gene interrupted, pinching his brow. Startling or not, Jade's unwanted skill could prove useful. He'd have to remember it. "Our broadcast is finished, so it's time we took our leave."

"Yes! You need to get out of there right away!"

Gene: "Wait, Cyril? Is that you? Why do you suddenly sound so wound up right now?"

Gene's tail crinkled. That was Cid's voice. "Something the matter?"

"The scanners are picking up a massive Malice energy signature!" the orbeetle cried. "It was so big it shorted out Cyril's machine!"

"What?! That's impossible!" Cyril growled.

Oh, so that was Cid he was hearing. I kinda wonder if there could've been more to make that obvious since I didn't pick up on that right away.

The air above the team brightened. A loud hum reverberated in Gene's ears. The mewtwo looked up in time to see the largest Hyper Beam he had ever laid eyes on utterly decimate the propaganda blimp and bathe the surrounding buildings in blinding white light.

"Shit! Everyone into the rift!" Gene shouted, his Malice Crystal glowing purple as he threw open a rift on the ground. Quetzal shoved a squawking Jade through and jumped in after her. Gene quickly followed, glimpsing burning debris raining down on what remained of the day spa.

That... was W1DG3T in action, wasn't it? Though boy that kid has some punch to him if that's so. .-.

He stumbled across the rooftop Cyril and Seifer were waiting on. Neither of them acknowledged Gene's return, and the mewtwo quickly figured out why.

A gigantic mechanical mega centiskorch flew over Eterna City, blanking out what little light the purple and black sky overhead offered. It slithered and undulated away from the team's rooftop position.

Oh, well scratch that about W1DG3T. It's his toy that did that.

"Wh... what is that thing?" Quetzal stumbled backward. "It reminds me of a trance centiskorch, but they're not that big!"

"I have zero desire to be squashed by a bug," Jade said, tail flaps curling up in fright. "I'm a flying-type now. I should be doing the squashing!"

Seifer: "Um, Gene? If you could Phantom Warp right about now that'd be really nice-" O_O;
Gene: "Hang on a second, I need to see what we're dealing with here."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Cid said. "Cyril, do you have any idea what that could be?"

The zoroark stood in front of his laptop, slouched over in disbelief. "No," he muttered. "Whatever that is... I have nothing to go off of. We're flying blind."

Seifer: "All I heard was a lot of words saying 'let's Phantom Warp the hell out of here right now'-" O.O
Gene: "Chill, Horseface! We don't even know if it's safe for me to do that at the moment!"

"And it looks like it's heading away from the city." Seifer hesitantly approached the edge of the rooftop. "What do we do? What can we do?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Gene, but the mewtwo had nothing. The emperor had pulled a giant battleship out of nowhere. He wasn't about to try charging after it.

"Nothing right now," Gene said, gripping his right shoulder. The Malice Crystal pulsated weakly. "Let's get Artemis... and regroup back on Outpost R3X."

He heard no objections, so Gene raised his right hand a threw a rift open in the middle of the group.

Oh, so they are playing the "time to go" card. Smart. Even if that basically leaves like a chapter for them to do anything about Robin or that one random Weavile who are otherwise going to die painful, horrible deaths.

CDL-201B: Eternatus Gunner
The standard Eternatus Trooper model. Because every evil army needs its grunt-level soldiers, right? Their blasters are augmented through Hidden Power mechanisms, so no matter who they face in battle, they'll always fire off the most effective attacks to harm their opponents. And the blasters have some sort of security mechanism in them, since even when Boss Kitty's made off with one in the past, I haven't gotten it to fire or work. And I can't replicate the technology either.

Sure, they're not terribly powerful on their own, but when you can surround a lawbreaker with two dozen of 'em, they'll fold like a poker player in an unlucky streak.

... Wait, is that photo from Rift Apart, or from an earlier R&C game? Though so that's what they look like.

CDL-201C: Eternatus Bombardier
The physical embodiment of "death from above." These units sacrifice Hidden Power augmentation for quad-barreled blasters capable of firing off devastating attacks like Hyper Beam and its various elemental cousins without the need for recharging! It's hard for anyone to think straight when they're trying to dodge Hydro Cannons and Blast Burns raining down on them.

I hoped I could repurpose their blasters and sell them to other lawbreakers, but the recoil is far too strong for any average human or pokémon to deal with. The Bombardiers' arms must have shock absorbers in them.

Uh, yeah. I can see why Gene was freaking out after running into these guys, since that's definitely something you don't want to face down with some heavy weaponry. (Though now I'm curious if Cyril's got a prototype RYNO sitting on his workbench that's going to come out at some point.)

Path of Valor Almanac
Paradox's song is spoofing "Join Me at the Top," with music by Mark Mothersbaugh and Wataru Hokoyama, lyrics by Lauren Mee and Nick Folkman, and vocals by Robin Atkin Downes and Armin Shimmerman.

>spoofing

I mean, is it a spoof if it captures almost exactly the same vibe as the original, just adapted for the particulars of another setting? Though I for one am looking forward to the Otherworld cover at some point.

Though onto the postmortem:

Well that chapter got dark as hell. Certainly been a while since anything like that has happened on-screen and the Mood Whiplash was out in force, even if everything wound up shaking out in a fairly believable fashion for the various characters involved. Though boy was that a suspenseful note to end on, since if anything goes wrong with that attempt to extract Artie and maybe Robin (and the rando Weavile, I guess), there's going to be a body (or more properly, Phantom) count from Operation Follow Me on the heroes' side.

As for things that could've been a bit better, while the propaganda movie sequence and cover of Join Me at the Top were funny and peak PoV, I did wonder if a couple bits of it were a bit "wall-of-dialogue"-y and would've worked with more description. Also, the audience almost completely vanished from view during the entire thing when checking up on them here and there would've both acknowledged their existence and better given the audience an idea of how they were parsing everything that was playing out. You also had a couple stray typos here and there. Nothing major, but still stuff you want to smooth out.

Though altogether, this was definitely a wilder ride than I was expecting for a chapter @Ambyssin , and it managed to make me at once

and

harder than most other chapters of this story have up to this point. Congrats, and we'll see where things shake out from here in about 12 hours.

 

[Ambyssin]

Chapter 50: Overseer and Out​

Your flagrant disregard for our protocols cannot go unpunished.

Between letting you live undisturbed in your home dimension for numerous generations of descendants, tending to your type: full compatriot's desire to join his mate in the afterlife, and fixing the countless space-time anomalies your reckless actions generated, we have more than accommodated your wishes.

So, you must understand your actions come as an egregious betrayal of trust. You have served as an Overseer long enough to understand our policies. POV-2020 is far too dangerous. The focus must be on containment until we either figure out how to safely extract the stranded agent or she escapes of her own volition.

Cast aside whatever foolish sentiments you have over POV-2020 and focus on your assignments. You are not an explorer anymore. You have not been one for eons.

Consider this a notice of probation. We will monitor your every action and movement for as long as we feel is necessary.

XxX​

Yuna was initially skeptical over the monks' claims they grew meat in a garden like it was some sort of plant. The sandwiches she had for dinner, however, put that skepticism to rest. At first, the drakloak wondered why sandwiches, in particular, but a couple of monks mentioned they were Koraidon's favorite thing to eat. Yuna wasn't complaining, even though the monks all responded "Yes," when she asked what Koraidon's favorite sandwich was.

It all reminded her of home. Of evenings long past where she lay in her mother's horn while the dragapult leaned over a boiling pot stirring meat and veggies around as a stew boiled on a stovetop.

A yawning Leo asked Yuna if he could get some fresh air, so the drakloak led him out of the metal-walled dining room and out onto the rocky plateau. The cosmic arceus walked up to a mound of dirt and sat down on it, gazing up at the aurora that rippled out between the planet's three moons. A pretty sight, compared to Aeon's ash-choked sky.

"Are you upset, Mom?"

Leo's question caught Yuna off guard. "No?" There wasn't anything for her to be upset over right now.

"About the anomalies." The cosmic arceus looked over his shoulder. "You feel... sad. And I don't want you to be sad."

Yuna winced. Leo could float, so she should've expected he'd have other psychic powers. "Well, um..." She rubbed her right shoulder. "It's not the best news to hear, yeah. But sometimes, like, adults have to do things even when they don't want to."

"Oh." Leo's starcloud mane dimmed. "That sounds bad."

It was. And, for a moment, Yuna was tempted to say that. Instead, she focused on her Soul Dew and a tiny Reshiram materialized at the base of the dirt mound so Yuna could give him a disapproving look.

"It's important, Leo." The drakloak kept her tone as soft as possible. "And you shouldn't have to deal with it on your own."

"But I have Mr. Alder and the monks!" Leo's wheel glowed dimly. "They can help me while you look for your Needle thingies!"

Yuna bit her lip. Although Leo's maturity impressed her, it wasn't so simple. "Leo, you heard Koraidon, right? The monks... don't actually battle. Only Archie and Maxie do." The drakloak shook her head. "It's not safe for you to stay with them while looking for anomalies."

Leo looked down. He poked the dirt with a forehoof. "Right."

Sighing, Yuna floated next to him and gently rubbed his shoulders. "I appreciate you wanting to make things better for me, but I don't think this is something I can avoid." She glanced at Reshiram. "Besides, the state of the Needles won't matter if the omniverse collapses on itself, right?"

"Yeah." Reshiram bobbed his head. His fluffy hair fluttered in the evening breeze. "It's why I didn't say anything. Because it's the truth."

Yuna squinted. "But your truth is that you want to help the other Sages."

Shuffling in place, Reshiram looked down guiltily. "Can you blame me? After what happened to Lugia, I'm afraid for the others." He took a deep breath. "But it won't mean much if Leo doesn't seal the anomalies, will it? We could rescue them from the Needles... but also not rescue them if the omniverse collapses."

He clasped locks of white hair in his claws and tugged. "Ugh, it's so confusing. Why can't the Needles and the anomalies be linked together? We found the first one on Outpost R3X after you yanked the nearby Needle. Maybe that's the key?"

"Then why did nothing happen when I pulled the other two Needles?" Yuna pointed out.

"Because of, y'know, whatever happened out in Venish?" Reshiram was grasping at straws. They both knew it.

... Yet Yuna couldn't deny it sounded plausible. Unlikely, yes, but not impossible.

"Well, Koraidon and Alder said they'd put their heads together and give us a next step." The drakloak lay down on the ground, looking up at the closest and largest of Chakran's moons as it bathed the night sky in faint purple. "So, it's not worth trying to plan for anything."

Reshiram voiced no objections. Silence overtook the trio, save for Leo shuffling closer to Yuna. Though the cosmic arceus tried to lie on his side, the best he could do was digging his wheel slightly into the ground, leaving him several centimeters off the ground with his legs dangling.

Yuna stifled a giggle. Was this what it was like for her mother when she was a hatchling?

"So, this is where you ran off to."

The drakloak tilted her head slightly and saw Nikki approaching with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets.

"I wouldn't fall asleep out here if I were you." The toxtricity smirked. "Air's pretty dusty here. Can't be good for the little guy." She tilted her head in Leo's direction.

The cosmic arceus sniffed the air. "Oh, is this what dusty smells like? I thought it was a stinky smell." His starcloud tail wagged a bit. "Like your funny jacket!"

"What?!" Nikki's mohawk crackled. "My jacket's not—" Her nostrils twitched. Nikki pulled her right arm out of its sleeve and pulled her jacket back to take a big whiff of it. Scowling, she pulled it back on. "That's just sweat from the impromptu workout. Nothing wrong with it!"

"It's still stinky," Leo chirped. "But I guess poison-types don't mind stinky, huh?"

Nikki cracked her knuckles. "Oi, Princess, tell Squirt to treat us adults with a bit of respect!"

"Um, treat Nikki with respect, Leo," Yuna said, though she knew it wasn't convincing.

"Okay." Leo tapped a forehoof in the dirt. "Sorry I called you stinky."

The toxtricity pinched her brow. "We have to take him with us, don't we?"

"Yes?" Yuna frowned. What sort of question was that?

"What's got your butt chafed?" Reshiram asked. "You seemed like you enjoyed your dinner."

"Pfbt." Nikki flicked her right wrist dismissively. "It was a sandwich. Do you have any idea how many sandwiches I've made in my lifetime?"

Reshiram stroked his chin. "I'm going to guess... a four-digit number."

"I—" Nikki abruptly went silent. She pivoted, muttering, "Stupid truth dragon."

Reshiram puffed his chest out while Leo giggled his approval.

"I guess it was a decent sandwich," Nikki admitted, tugging at her jacket collar. "Usually I just make peanut butter and jelly. Cheap and ready in seconds." The toxtricity scratched her chin. "I don't know whether to be impressed or concerned about how... into sandwich making Koraidon got."

Yuna shrugged. "Is it any weirder than your obsession with your jackets?"

"Totally!" Nikki huffed. "Collecting cool jackets is a genuine thing! Sandwiches are sandwiches!"

"I can't believe you're even having this conversation," Reshiram said, chuckling and shaking his head. "Though maybe it is a welcome reprieve from the more serious subject matter." He twiddled his hair. "Zekky would preach the importance of taking time to appreciate the little things. 'Stop and smell the strawberries!'" Reshiram pretended to sniff at the air... only to break down into a coughing fit.

"Gah!" He threw his wings over his snout. "Dust! In my nose!"

"Zekky?" Smirking, Nikki raised a brow. "Does Jade know you have a pet name for someone else?"

Reshiram's face reddened. "I-It's not a pet name! Zekky's my counterpart, the Sage of Ideals! That's all!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

A content sigh escaped Yuna. As silly as it was, this made the trip to Chakran feel more like a vacation and less like some sort of important mission.

Too bad it couldn't last. The drakloak kept glancing toward the tall metal building, expecting to see a shadow emerge from it and beckon them back.

"Was there something you wanted from us, Nikki?" Reshiram asked. Yuna kept looking at the building, but no one popped up. The drakloak was hesitant to lower her guard at all.

"Not really," Nikki replied. "You already got the good news about our mega evolutions. If we get into trouble again, I'll really be able to pack a punch."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary, but I'm sure Gene will be happy at least," Yuna said, scratching the side of her rectangular head.

"Ah, there you lot are!"

The drakloak flinched, then sighed at Archie's booming voice. The samurott bounded toward them, waving one of his jagged seamitars around.

"You'd better get inside to Brother Kora! Something wild's happening!"

Yuna resisted the urge to facepalm. It really was too much to ask for a quiet evening.

XxX​

When dinner finished, Noctum offered to help the monks wash their dishes. Although they had large sinks comparable to the kitchens at Horizon Academy, they didn't use the automated soap dispensers or electric power washers, opting to do everything by hand with soap and washcloths. In some ways, Noctum found it therapeutic after the day's exhaustive events. The warm, sudsy water was nice against his dry, black scales.

But with a dozen monks at the charizard's side, dishwashing didn't take more than ten minutes. Noctum returned to the dining room to find it empty. His first instinct was to go find Yuna and see how the drakloak was doing, but he had no idea where she went. Figuring she went outside, Noctum lumbered through the metal hallway until he was outside the repurposed observatory, where he found Valkyrie crouched atop a rock several meters to his left.

Noctum hesitated, figuring the garchomp wanted nothing to do with him right now. Still, his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly approached. "Hey," the charizard said. Valkyrie didn't respond, but by that logic she wasn't shooing him away, so he continued forward until he was beside Valkyrie. "I, uh—" He stopped, scratching the back of his head.

"If you're here to apologize, don't."

He winced. I guess I was considering it. After all, Noctum had lost it. If Maxie hadn't intervened, he would have seriously hurt her. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." Valkyrie avoided looking at Noctum. "Only my pride that's hurt."

Noctum looked down. "I see. Because of what I said?"

"No, idiot." Valkyrie traced her right claw along the rock. "Do you have any idea how hard I've trained under the Ryujin? I had to be ready for anything, after all." She finally looked at him. "So imagine my surprise when, after all the training I've gone through, I get beaten to the mega evolution punch by a butler."

"Ah." Noctum rubbed his shoulder. "Well, uh, you weren't that far behind. Aha ha... ha..."

Valkyrie scooped up some dirt in her right arm and threw it at Noctum. The black charizard raised his arms. "Okay, yeah, I deserved that." He laughed nervously.

"Make whatever bad jokes you want," Valkyrie growled. "It's not going to win me over."

The black charizard shuffled uneasily. "You're right. I had no idea you'd gone through such ordeals. You have every right to be upset."

Valkyrie continued looking out across the mesa. "All throughout dinner, I kept asking myself if you were right."

"About?"

"Wanting what you have," Valkyrie replied. She crossed one leg over the other and braced her arms on either side of her. "If I had found some warm, loving nobles to take me in and treat me like family to some degree, would I be a different person? Brighter? More approachable?"

Noctum wasn't sure whether to answer. He shrugged, knowing Valkyrie wasn't watching, and said nothing.

"Heh." Valkyrie huffed out violet embers. "You kept your trap shut for once. Maybe you are learning."

The black charizard's violet flame dimmed a bit. Did Valkyrie even know how to give genuine compliments?

"Sorry." The garchomp sighed. "Didn't mean for that to sound so backhanded." Vakyrie shook her head, like she was berating herself. "Been a long day. Surprised how beat I am." She held her right arm up and turned it back and forth. "I guess... there's a drawback to mega evolving. The fatigue that follows might make it hard on us."

Noctum looked down and traced a claw around his Malice Crystal. His fatigue was more mental than physical, but he thought it best not to dispute Valkyrie. "Meaning, what?"

"Gotta be judicious with mega evolving." Valkyrie got to her feet, grunting. "Can't just use it every fight."

The two shared a knowing look. "So, we have to keep an eye on Nikki?" Noctum said.

"Maybe." Valkyrie smirked. "Unless you've got a thing for shoulder spikes and blue flames in your mouth all the time." She walked toward him, shrugging. "Seriously. How do you even manage to speak like that? Wouldn't you just douse someone in fire?"

"I figure it's like haxorus' cheeks." Noctum held his hands on either side of his jaw and wiggled his fingers. "They can use those blades to attack, but they can get on fine without 'em."

"Maybe." Valkyrie's brow furrowed. "If some magical being like Bahamut really did create life on Etherium, what were they thinking giving haxorus a giant axe face?"

"The same thing they were thinking when they gave garchomp bladed arms?" Noctum mused.

"I guess Bahamut has a secret spike fetish," Valkyrie said with a snorting laugh. She reached the black charizard's side and crossed her arms.

"Thanks," she said. "For coming to check on me."

Noctum's tail flame brightened. "You're wel—"

"Don't make a big deal of it," Valkyrie growled, jabbing Noctum's Malice Crystal with her claw. "You're still a total dweeb. Just not an insufferable one."

"O-Okay." Noctum nodded politely. Baby steps, I s'pose.

"I'm hitting the hay." The garchomp yawned into her right arm. "I suggest you do the same. That dumb cat could swing by to rope us into something at any moment."

Noctum briefly thought about Gene and the others back in Eternatus. Was everything okay? Hopefully, seeing as no one had reached out to them.

"Ah, good. It wasn't hard to find you at all."

Maxie approached the duo, adjusting his goggles. "I suggest you follow me inside."

Valkyrie raised a brow. "You showing us to the sleeping quarters? I'm bushed."

"No." The typhlosion's purple flames flickered around his neck. "It's Brother Kora. I believe he's... made contact with someone beyond this dimension."

XxX​

Yuna hardly had time to process Koraidon's... bizarre color change when Noctum and Valkyrie burst through the door into the study.

"What the hell?" Valkyrie walked forward, arms at her sides. "What's with the white, orange, and neon purple dye job? Can he mega evolve?"

"There is an extra set of purple horns," Noctum said, scratching his chin. "But even Nikki's mega evolution looks more impressive."

"Hey, screw you!" Nikki growled. "I happen to think that color scheme's pretty boss. He's even got, like, speaker level bars around his big ol' wheel thingy." She cupped her hands in front of her chest gills.

"Dewlap," Leo reminded her.

"Whatever." Nikki rolled her eyes. "Everyone's here, so give us the dumb, monkish explanation already."

"Easy, ladies." Koraidon raised his hands and flashed a toothy grin at Nikki and Yuna. To the drakloak's surprise, his fangs glistened. And did he sound... higher pitched than before? "No need to fight over yours truly. Even if I'm only here in spirit."

Leo tilted his starcloud head. "You're... not Mr. Brother Kora, are you?"

"Hot dang, the kid's the quickest one of the bunch." Not-Koraidon laughed into his right hand. "Guess that tracks. Wouldn't be a mystery dungeon-filled calamity if there wasn't a child stuck in the middle of it."

Nikki's knuckles and mane crackled. "I suggest you start talking or I'm liable to punch that pretty boy face of yours."

Not-Koraidon shook his head. "Sheesh, tough crowd." He took a deep breath. "Junior Overseer Koraidon Vincent, at your service." He thumped his dewlap. "I'm, uh, 'borrowing' my counterpart so I can talk to you guys."

(Art by Sylfeanne.)

Yuna's brow furrowed in thought. That name sounded awfully familiar.

"I see that look in your eyes, Drakloak." Vincent cupped his hands around his eyes, pantomiming goggles. "Lemme guess, you know another Vincent?"

"We do, yeah. An inteleon. Smug jackass," Nikki said, jogging Yuna's memory of the unpleasant lunch Shimmer dragged her to back at Horizon Academy. "You about to tell us that was a disguise?"

"What? No way." Vincent scratched his chin. "I like my guys with a bit more meat on their bones. Like ninetales!"

"Uh-huh." Nikki didn't sound convinced. Yuna's tail crinkled. She thought Vincent was talking about eating, and there certainly weren't any ferals among the group.

"If it's easier, you can call me Vince. Or Vin. Just not Vinnie!"

"N-Now hang on a sec." Noctum waved his arms around to get Vince's attention. "Did you... hijack Brother Kora's body?!"

"What? Noooo! 'Hijack' sounds so uncool." Vince ran his right hand through his white, feathery mane. "It's more like... he's sharing it." He turned to Alder. "You get it, right! When you probe Ginnungagap—"

"Ginnuwhosap?" Leo tilted his head. "Did you sneeze? Should we look for a tissue?"

"Ginnungagap, the cosmic mystery dungeon," Vince elaborated. "It's got a bunch of different names, but it represents the space between dimensions. It's the fabric of reality itself. And it's punching holes into your universe. Which is why I've been a-knocking on your back door for a while, now."

Nikki's sniggers filled the room. Yuna shot the toxtricity a confused look. "I'll tell you later," Nikki said, waving her off.

Alder cleared his throat. "Is this like... how I found Leo and the anomaly on Bogdan?"

"You betcha." Vince snapped his fingers in approval. "I sensed Koraidon's meditation and made contact. Now, I'm borrowing his energy to manifest here." He grinned. "Trust me, it's as cool as it sounds."

Yuna still thought it sounded like bodysnatching, but given she currently housed two big dragons of her own, she wasn't about to play semantics with this newcomer. It was the other stuff that had her attention.

"So, you're an Overseer?" The drakloak crossed her arms. "The group that abandoned this place?" If she remembered Koraidon's explanation correctly, she wasn't keen on trusting this apparent newcomer.

"Ah. You, uh, know about that, huh?" Vince laughed nervously. "That was before my time. And way above my paygrade. It's why I'm here!" He spread his arms out. "Those old idiots thought sealing this dimension off would keep everyone safe, but they're wrong." The purple and white koraidon glanced around nervously. "And, uh, we gotta talk fast. I don't know how much more time I can spend here before Big S gets wind of what I'm doing."

Yuna frowned. "Big S?"

"My boss. Big, bright fella!" Vincent locked eyes with Yuna. "You might recognize the type." He held his index finger up. It sparked with purple energy and the purple and white koraidon traced a familiar eight-pointed star in the air.

"Bahamut?!" Noctum blurted out.

"If that's what you call those big ol' crystal lugs here." Vince waved his hands and the drawing disappeared. "I, uh, might've already gotten Big S torn a new asshole trying to circumvent policy. Which is bad cuz, y'know, their asses are made of light, so—"

Valkyrie stomped toward him. "So, you're making up for that... by doubling down on going behind everyone's backs?" She raised a claw at him. "Do all you so-called Overseers have the common sense of feral magikarp?"

"Oh-ho, ouch!" Vince cringed. "Guess I don't need to be psychic to tell who the resident edgelord is here." He gave Valkyrie a thumbs up. "Way to play up the species stereotypes."

"... I'm taking his head off his shoulders," Valkyrie growled, blue-purple dragon energy gathering around her claws.

"W-wait, wait!" Alder shot between the garchomp and purple koraidon. "That's still our Kora!"

Valkyrie froze in front of the braviary, then slowly lowered her arms. "He's got sixty seconds to say something useful."

While Yuna didn't approve of Valkyrie's death threats, she had to admit she was skeptical of this, too. "You have to look it from our vantage point." The drakloak gestured to the group. "We've already had a lot of craziness shoved down our throats. I have magical Needles I'm looking to pull out of the ground and dimensional anomalies to track down. If you need something done, find someone else or do it yourself."

"Ah, but that's it!" Vince pointed at Yuna. "What if I told you there's a way to deal with both those problems in one fell swoop?"

"I'd say stop beating around the bush and tell us," Nikki scoffed.

"Forty-five seconds," Valkyrie added.

"Man, this is good. Do we have any popcorn?" Archie whispered, to which Maxie shoved the samurott away.

"All you need to do is reassemble the Red Chain," Vince explained. "It's literally a red freaking chain. But it has the power to fix all the dimensional instabilities, including Eternatus!" He grinned broadly. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

Silence greeted Vince's explanation. "Sounds too good to be true," Valkyrie said, shaking her head. "Why should we believe you? Especially if you're part of a group that abandoned this world in the first place!"

"Because I'm sticking my neck out, here." Vince gave them puppy dog eyes. "D'ya know what'll happen if Big S finds out what I'm doing? The higher ups could unmake me with a snap!"

"Big deal." Nikki rolled her eyes. "We've been staring death in the face for a while now."

"No, this is worse than death." Vince's expression finally sharpened. "The higher ups could make it so that I never existed in the first place. Not a soul would even remember me."

Nikki yawned into her hand. "Sounds fake to me. I say we let Chompy kick his teeth in."

"Best idea I've heard all night," Valkyrie said, licking her lips eagerly.

"Wait!" Leo hopped onto Yuna's head. The drakloak flinched. "I... think we should listen to him. He sounds sincere to me."

"Leo." Yuna frowned. She didn't want to chastise him for being too trusting but the cosmic arceus was just a kid. And this was a bit too important to simply leave to blind faith.

"When he mentioned a Red Chain, I... felt something funny in my belly," Leo admitted, gently tapping his forehooves on Yuna's head. "Like it's something I'm supposed to know all about, but don't."

"You cannot be serious." Nikki facepalmed. "No way there's a freaking chain that can fix space and time. That sounds so... stupid!"

"No more stupid than using giant needles to seal away a planet-sized monster shaped like a hand, am I right?" Vince smirked when silence fell over the group.

"Okay, maybe that dolt does know a thing or two," Nikki muttered.

"Ha, yes!" Vince triumphantly fist-pumped, then immediately winced. His whites and purples flickered like static. "Shit! I'm running out of time here." He looked around frantically. "Okay, look. If you want to fix this whole Needle and anomaly issue, then you need to go Centropolis on Quasar Prime."

Yuna raised a brow. "And that's... inside Eternatus?"

Vince nodded. "Once there, find the branch office of the Devon Corporation and look for a man named Sigurd Stone. He'll know what to do."

"Wait, but how?" Noctum's wings fluttered nervously. "If our world is sealed off, no one should know anything about this."

Vince's purple and white flickered again. "There's another Overseer there. She's been trapped in your dimension for a long time." He looked around. "That's all I can give you right now. I'll try to reach out again soon."

Yuna still had questions, but the moment Vince stopped speaking, his colors faded and Koraidon was back, balancing on his tail with his eyes shut. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"That was... quite the out of body experience." He chuckled nervously.

The room fell into silence yet again as Yuna chewed on this. First the Needles, then the anomalies, and now Yuna was supposed to believe there was a way to handle both of those issues... without chasing them directly?

It sounded too good to be true. But Leo believed Vince. And that was going to be enough to get her to go with him to this Quasar Prime place.

Another Overseer. Yuna gently lifted Leo off her head. "So, uh, what's the next step here? Do we call Gene?" Could they even call Gene?

"I, uh, think that's for the best," Noctum said, pulling an X-transceiver out of his satchel. His face lit up when it beeped to life. "Oh, hey! I think I have reception! I— hello?" His purple tail flame doubled. "Wait, Cid? Is that you? H-Hang on, slow down. What's happening to Vellguarde?!"

The black charizard shuffled nervously. "O-Okay, we'll get ready." Noctum nodded quickly. "He's already on his way? G-Got it! We'll be out in a second." He lowered the X-transceiver and looked at Koraidon.

"We, um... have to go. Like... right now." Noctum met Yuna's gaze and added, "Seems the emperor decided to attack Vellguarde. With a giant battleship. That Gene's never seen before."

The drakloak's tail crinkled. Clearly, a quiet night to prepare for Quasar Prime was off the table.

XxX​

Path of Valor Almanac
Ginnungagap ("gaping abyss" is old Norse) is the primordial void described in the Norse creation mythos, the Gylfaginning.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, I felt like trying to get caught up a bit sooner post-release this chapter, so let's just jump straight into things:

Chapter 50

Your flagrant disregard for our protocols cannot go unpunished.

Between letting you live undisturbed in your home dimension for numerous generations of descendants, tending to your type: full compatriot's desire to join his mate in the afterlife, and fixing the countless space-time anomalies your reckless actions generated, we have more than accommodated your wishes.

This... is Bahamut on the receiving end again, isn't it?

So, you must understand your actions come as an egregious betrayal of trust. You have served as an Overseer long enough to understand our policies. POV-2020 is far too dangerous. The focus must be on containment until we either figure out how to safely extract the stranded agent or she escapes of her own volition.

Cast aside whatever foolish sentiments you have over POV-2020 and focus on your assignments. You are not an explorer anymore. You have not been one for eons.

Consider this a notice of probation. We will monitor your every action and movement for as long as we feel is necessary.

... Wait a minute. This is Shane on the receiving end, isn't it?

>talking about POV-2020 from the outside looking in
>"type:full" companion with a mate
>background as an explorer

Like that's literally the note that GL left off on, just far enough along time-wise that Selene would've kicked the bucket. Can't say I ever saw something like this coming back when PoV started.

Yuna was initially skeptical over the monks' claims they grew meat in a garden like it was some sort of plant. The sandwiches she had for dinner, however, put that skepticism to rest. At first, the drakloak wondered why sandwiches, in particular, but a couple of monks mentioned they were Koraidon's favorite thing to eat. Yuna wasn't complaining, even though the monks all responded "Yes," when she asked what Koraidon's favorite sandwich was.

Wait, so cultured meat, or is said meat literally growing off a plant here?

It all reminded her of home. Of evenings long past where she lay in her mother's horn while the dragapult leaned over a boiling pot stirring meat and veggies around as a stew boiled on a stovetop.

Well, Yiazmat was definitely more hands-on than I was expecting a queen to be in terms of managing her daily life.

A yawning Leo asked Yuna if he could get some fresh air, so the drakloak led him out of the metal-walled dining room and out onto the rocky plateau. The cosmic arceus walked up to a mound of dirt and sat down on it, gazing up at the aurora that rippled out between the planet's three moons. A pretty sight, compared to Aeon's ash-choked sky.

... Wait, did Yuna ever see the moon and the stars prior to leaving the Aeon Kingdom? Since if not, boy has that got to mess with their perspective and culture something fierce. .-.

"Are you upset, Mom?"

Leo's question caught Yuna off guard. "No?" There wasn't anything for her to be upset over right now.

"About the anomalies." The cosmic arceus looked over his shoulder. "You feel... sad. And I don't want you to be sad."

Yuna: "More like stressed, since good God I am not prepared to deal with any of this right now."

Yuna winced. Leo could float, so she should've expected he'd have other psychic powers. "Well, um..." She rubbed her right shoulder. "It's not the best news to hear, yeah. But sometimes, like, adults have to do things even when they don't want to."

Oh hey, it's literally the note that Yuna starts off on as a character in FF10. Even if I don't think "screw this, I'm doing my own thing" to Alder will turn out well. ^^;

"Oh." Leo's starcloud mane dimmed. "That sounds bad."

It was. And, for a moment, Yuna was tempted to say that. Instead, she focused on her Soul Dew and a tiny Reshiram materialized at the base of the dirt mound so Yuna could give him a disapproving look.

Cecil: "H-Huh?! What did I have to do with-?!" O_O;
Yuna: "Your stunt in the Qliphoth literally tipped me off that my entire belief system I've had since childhood was a lie." >_>;
Cecil: "... Right, that's a thing. But... uh... isn't it better that you know the truth now rather than going around under misguided assumptions?" ^^;

"It's important, Leo." The drakloak kept her tone as soft as possible. "And you shouldn't have to deal with it on your own."

"But I have Mr. Alder and the monks!" Leo's wheel glowed dimly. "They can help me while you look for your Needle thingies!"

Oh, so that's why Yuna's upset right now. Guess it makes sense that her mom subconscious is kicking in about her child that's technically already died once.

Yuna bit her lip. Although Leo's maturity impressed her, it wasn't so simple. "Leo, you heard Koraidon, right? The monks... don't actually battle. Only Archie and Maxie do." The drakloak shook her head. "It's not safe for you to stay with them while looking for anomalies."

Leo looked down. He poked the dirt with a forehoof. "Right."

Yuna: "I'm not fully sure how they've been able to survive all this time when there's apparently hostile powers capable of space travel, buuuut..." >_>;

Sighing, Yuna floated next to him and gently rubbed his shoulders. "I appreciate you wanting to make things better for me, but I don't think this is something I can avoid." She glanced at Reshiram. "Besides, the state of the Needles won't matter if the omniverse collapses on itself, right?"

"Yeah." Reshiram bobbed his head. His fluffy hair fluttered in the evening breeze. "It's why I didn't say anything. Because it's the truth."

Yuna: "... Doesn't that count as lying by omission there?"

Cecil: "I mean, if you already figured out the truth on your own... no, not really?"

Yuna squinted. "But your truth is that you want to help the other Sages."

I mean, that's technically more "Jade" there from what we've seen, buuuut...

Shuffling in place, Reshiram looked down guiltily. "Can you blame me? After what happened to Lugia, I'm afraid for the others." He took a deep breath. "But it won't mean much if Leo doesn't seal the anomalies, will it? We could rescue them from the Needles... but also not rescue them if the omniverse collapses."

I am not convinced that those two things aren't directly related with one another. Like it just feels so Squaresoft/Squeenix in plot for "pulling the needles will actively destabilize POV-2020's barrier to the the rest of the multiverse".

He clasped locks of white hair in his claws and tugged. "Ugh, it's so confusing. Why can't the Needles and the anomalies be linked together? We found the first one on Outpost R3X after you yanked the nearby Needle. Maybe that's the key?"

See, I was onto something there. Cecil agrees with me.

"Then why did nothing happen when I pulled the other two Needles?" Yuna pointed out.

"Because of, y'know, whatever happened out in Venish?" Reshiram was grasping at straws. They both knew it.

... Yet Yuna couldn't deny it sounded plausible. Unlikely, yes, but not impossible.

Yuna, you're in a story that takes influence from PSX FF games. "Unlikely events that come back to bite you hard" are literally part and parcel of those games' plots.

"Well, Koraidon and Alder said they'd put their heads together and give us a next step." The drakloak lay down on the ground, looking up at the closest and largest of Chakran's moons as it bathed the night sky in faint purple. "So, it's not worth trying to plan for anything."

I'm not sure how wise that assumption is, though I suppose it makes sense to not go out on a limb only for Koraidon and Alder to cut it out from under oneself.

Reshiram voiced no objections. Silence overtook the trio, save for Leo shuffling closer to Yuna. Though the cosmic arceus tried to lie on his side, the best he could do was digging his wheel slightly into the ground, leaving him several centimeters off the ground with his legs dangling.

Yuna stifled a giggle. Was this what it was like for her mother when she was a hatchling?

I mean, if you have to ask the question, Yuna... :V

Leo: "... Wait, I can get myself unstuck from this position easily, right?" ^^;

"So, this is where you ran off to."

The drakloak tilted her head slightly and saw Nikki approaching with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets.

"I wouldn't fall asleep out here if I were you." The toxtricity smirked. "Air's pretty dusty here. Can't be good for the little guy." She tilted her head in Leo's direction.

Yuna: "... Wait, weren't you just at a Gauntlet of Peril and/or Doom? Are you alright, Nikki?" .-.
Nikki: "(Wait, were you even there when I got dragged along for that?) And meh, could be worse, I suppose."

The cosmic arceus sniffed the air. "Oh, is this what dusty smells like? I thought it was a stinky smell." His starcloud tail wagged a bit. "Like your funny jacket!"

"What?!" Nikki's mohawk crackled. "My jacket's not—" Her nostrils twitched. Nikki pulled her right arm out of its sleeve and pulled her jacket back to take a big whiff of it. Scowling, she pulled it back on. "That's just sweat from the impromptu workout. Nothing wrong with it!"

Yuna: "I'm... just gonna scoot a few feet over this way."

"It's still stinky," Leo chirped. "But I guess poison-types don't mind stinky, huh?"

Nikki cracked her knuckles. "Oi, Princess, tell Squirt to treat us adults with a bit of respect!"

This feels ever-so-slightly ill-advised given that a part of Yuna still subconsciously knows that Leo is her child.

"Um, treat Nikki with respect, Leo," Yuna said, though she knew it wasn't convincing.

"Okay." Leo tapped a forehoof in the dirt. "Sorry I called you stinky."

Cecil: "Technically, he never actually said-"
Yuna: "(Reshiram, pipe down!)" >_>;

The toxtricity pinched her brow. "We have to take him with us, don't we?"

"Yes?" Yuna frowned. What sort of question was that?

"What's got your butt chafed?" Reshiram asked. "You seemed like you enjoyed your dinner."

Discovering what her G-Max form looked like in a mirror.

"Pfbt." Nikki flicked her right wrist dismissively. "It was a sandwich. Do you have any idea how many sandwiches I've made in my lifetime?"

Reshiram stroked his chin. "I'm going to guess... a four-digit number."

"I—" Nikki abruptly went silent. She pivoted, muttering, "Stupid truth dragon."

Cecil: "Wait, you actually kept track?" .-.
Nikki: "No, more like you're comically missing the point I was trying to make." >_>;

Reshiram puffed his chest out while Leo giggled his approval.

"I guess it was a decent sandwich," Nikki admitted, tugging at her jacket collar. "Usually I just make peanut butter and jelly. Cheap and ready in seconds." The toxtricity scratched her chin. "I don't know whether to be impressed or concerned about how... into sandwich making Koraidon got."

... Wait, so is Koraidon just flatly the Scarlet Koraidon? Or is the sandwich thing just a mythology gag?

Yuna shrugged. "Is it any weirder than your obsession with your jackets?"

"Totally!" Nikki huffed. "Collecting cool jackets is a genuine thing! Sandwiches are sandwiches!"

I think you're grossly underestimating the sorts of things that people can form obsessions over, Nikki. :V

"I can't believe you're even having this conversation," Reshiram said, chuckling and shaking his head. "Though maybe it is a welcome reprieve from the more serious subject matter." He twiddled his hair. "Zekky would preach the importance of taking time to appreciate the little things. 'Stop and smell the strawberries!'" Reshiram pretended to sniff at the air... only to break down into a coughing fit.

Oh, so Zekrom who may or may not be Theodore/Golbez is going to become important in this story in a little bit, huh?

"Gah!" He threw his wings over his snout. "Dust! In my nose!"

Leo: "So it is stinky..."

"Zekky?" Smirking, Nikki raised a brow. "Does Jade know you have a pet name for someone else?"

Reshiram's face reddened. "I-It's not a pet name! Zekky's my counterpart, the Sage of Ideals! That's all!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

Wow, somebody's not able to tell convincing fibs there. Since that was totally a pet name there.

A content sigh escaped Yuna. As silly as it was, this made the trip to Chakran feel more like a vacation and less like some sort of important mission.

Too bad it couldn't last. The drakloak kept glancing toward the tall metal building, expecting to see a shadow emerge from it and beckon them back.

"Was there something you wanted from us, Nikki?" Reshiram asked. Yuna kept looking at the building, but no one popped up. The drakloak was hesitant to lower her guard at all.

Yuna: "... I swear, the second I turn away from this place, something's going to happen, won't it?" >_>;

"Not really," Nikki replied. "You already got the good news about our mega evolutions. If we get into trouble again, I'll really be able to pack a punch."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary, but I'm sure Gene will be happy at least," Yuna said, scratching the side of her rectangular head.

"Ah, there you lot are!"

The drakloak flinched, then sighed at Archie's booming voice. The samurott bounded toward them, waving one of his jagged seamitars around.

Yuna: "Oh boy, here we go."

"You'd better get inside to Brother Kora! Something wild's happening!"

Yuna resisted the urge to facepalm. It really was too much to ask for a quiet evening.

I mean, considering the batting average of the story you're in... yeah, you should probably know better by now than to expect a lasting break from your author, Yuna.

When dinner finished, Noctum offered to help the monks wash their dishes. Although they had large sinks comparable to the kitchens at Horizon Academy, they didn't use the automated soap dispensers or electric power washers, opting to do everything by hand with soap and washcloths. In some ways, Noctum found it therapeutic after the day's exhaustive events. The warm, sudsy water was nice against his dry, black scales.

Wouldn't have expected to hear that from a Charizard, though I suppose the warmth is carrying it heavily for him.

But with a dozen monks at the charizard's side, dishwashing didn't take more than ten minutes. Noctum returned to the dining room to find it empty. His first instinct was to go find Yuna and see how the drakloak was doing, but he had no idea where she went. Figuring she went outside, Noctum lumbered through the metal hallway until he was outside the repurposed observatory, where he found Valkyrie crouched atop a rock several meters to his left.

Noctum hesitated, figuring the garchomp wanted nothing to do with him right now. Still, his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly approached. "Hey," the charizard said. Valkyrie didn't respond, but by that logic she wasn't shooing him away, so he continued forward until he was beside Valkyrie. "I, uh—" He stopped, scratching the back of his head.

Noctum: "I'm going to regret this in about 5 seconds, aren't I?" ^^;

"If you're here to apologize, don't."

He winced. I guess I was considering it. After all, Noctum had lost it. If Maxie hadn't intervened, he would have seriously hurt her. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Noctum: "I mean, you did kinda unload years of emotional baggage on me in front of a spectated battlefield earlier, so..."

"I'm fine." Valkyrie avoided looking at Noctum. "Only my pride that's hurt."

Noctum looked down. "I see. Because of what I said?"

Noctum: "Since knowing dragons, uh... I'm not sure if that's really all that fine."

"No, idiot." Valkyrie traced her right claw along the rock. "Do you have any idea how hard I've trained under the Ryujin? I had to be ready for anything, after all." She finally looked at him. "So imagine my surprise when, after all the training I've gone through, I get beaten to the mega evolution punch by a butler."

Noctum: "Again, I'm a bodyguard."

Valkyrie: "Whatever!" >.<

"Ah." Noctum rubbed his shoulder. "Well, uh, you weren't that far behind. Aha ha... ha..."

Valkyrie scooped up some dirt in her right arm and threw it at Noctum. The black charizard raised his arms. "Okay, yeah, I deserved that." He laughed nervously.

No, he really didn't. But I don't think Val's mood would've improved much if Noctum got testy and explicitly made that argument to her.

"Make whatever bad jokes you want," Valkyrie growled. "It's not going to win me over."

The black charizard shuffled uneasily. "You're right. I had no idea you'd gone through such ordeals. You have every right to be upset."

You see, I would be more inclined to not just go "now we're even" with Val if she hadn't just blown off your own life troubles. Since even if it's not quite being a test subject and getting Delta'd, uh... yeah, Noctum's own backstory isn't exactly enviable.

Valkyrie continued looking out across the mesa. "All throughout dinner, I kept asking myself if you were right."

"About?"

"Wanting what you have," Valkyrie replied. She crossed one leg over the other and braced her arms on either side of her. "If I had found some warm, loving nobles to take me in and treat me like family to some degree, would I be a different person? Brighter? More approachable?"

... I'm now curious about what the universe would look like had Val and Noctum been switched around while they were young by some cosmic accident. Since given how Noctum almost went off the deep end right after Megazarding... .-.

Noctum wasn't sure whether to answer. He shrugged, knowing Valkyrie wasn't watching, and said nothing.

"Heh." Valkyrie huffed out violet embers. "You kept your trap shut for once. Maybe you are learning."

The black charizard's violet flame dimmed a bit. Did Valkyrie even know how to give genuine compliments?

Noctum, if you have to ask...

"Sorry." The garchomp sighed. "Didn't mean for that to sound so backhanded." Vakyrie shook her head, like she was berating herself. "Been a long day. Surprised how beat I am." She held her right arm up and turned it back and forth. "I guess... there's a drawback to mega evolving. The fatigue that follows might make it hard on us."

... Well, she can at least express genuine contrition, at least. Was a little surprised there given how stand-offish Val has been the entire story.

Noctum looked down and traced a claw around his Malice Crystal. His fatigue was more mental than physical, but he thought it best not to dispute Valkyrie. "Meaning, what?"

"Gotta be judicious with mega evolving." Valkyrie got to her feet, grunting. "Can't just use it every fight."

Noctum: "Wait, how do we know this if Archie and Maxie didn't tell-"
Valkyrie: "Because if you're feeling anything like me right now, you're about ready to crash into bed for the night? How long do you think we're going to last if we go into a boss rush like this?" >_>;

The two shared a knowing look. "So, we have to keep an eye on Nikki?" Noctum said.

"Maybe." Valkyrie smirked. "Unless you've got a thing for shoulder spikes and blue flames in your mouth all the time." She walked toward him, shrugging. "Seriously. How do you even manage to speak like that? Wouldn't you just douse someone in fire?"

... Wait, but I could've sworn that Noctum spoke fine with that while Megazard-Xed two chapters ago unless I was forgetting something.

"I figure it's like haxorus' cheeks." Noctum held his hands on either side of his jaw and wiggled his fingers. "They can use those blades to attack, but they can get on fine without 'em."

Ah yes, just casually calling back to what happened to the Gates partner in GL.

"Maybe." Valkyrie's brow furrowed. "If some magical being like Bahamut really did create life on Etherium, what were they thinking giving haxorus a giant axe face?"

He was lazy and wanted a handy-dandy way to always have a can opener nearby? :V

"The same thing they were thinking when they gave garchomp bladed arms?" Noctum mused.

"I guess Bahamut has a secret spike fetish," Valkyrie said with a snorting laugh. She reached the black charizard's side and crossed her arms.

I mean, considering Necrozma's various designs...

"Thanks," she said. "For coming to check on me."

Noctum's tail flame brightened. "You're wel—"

"Don't make a big deal of it," Valkyrie growled, jabbing Noctum's Malice Crystal with her claw. "You're still a total dweeb. Just not an insufferable one."

Oh, so she does like him. Even if she's not ready to admit it just yet. o<o

"O-Okay." Noctum nodded politely. Baby steps, I s'pose.

"I'm hitting the hay." The garchomp yawned into her right arm. "I suggest you do the same. That dumb cat could swing by to rope us into something at any moment."

That's... exactly what happens and the incident that called Yuna in, isn't it?

Noctum briefly thought about Gene and the others back in Eternatus. Was everything okay? Hopefully, seeing as no one had reached out to them.

"Ah, good. It wasn't hard to find you at all."

Maxie approached the duo, adjusting his goggles. "I suggest you follow me inside."

Oh, well never mind then. The incident is something else.

Valkyrie raised a brow. "You showing us to the sleeping quarters? I'm bushed."

"No." The typhlosion's purple flames flickered around his neck. "It's Brother Kora. I believe he's... made contact with someone beyond this dimension."

- Peeks up at first scene flashback -

... Did he make contact with Shane? .-.

Yuna hardly had time to process Koraidon's... bizarre color change when Noctum and Valkyrie burst through the door into the study.

"What the hell?" Valkyrie walked forward, arms at her sides. "What's with the white, orange, and neon purple dye job? Can he mega evolve?"

"There is an extra set of purple horns," Noctum said, scratching his chin. "But even Nikki's mega evolution looks more impressive."

Oh, so this is where that character you've been making all those commissions of recently is going to pop up, huh?

"Hey, screw you!" Nikki growled. "I happen to think that color scheme's pretty boss. He's even got, like, speaker level bars around his big ol' wheel thingy." She cupped her hands in front of her chest gills.

"Dewlap," Leo reminded her.

"Whatever." Nikki rolled her eyes. "Everyone's here, so give us the dumb, monkish explanation already."

Yuna: "Um, this change in appearance is just superficial, right?" .-.

"Easy, ladies." Koraidon raised his hands and flashed a toothy grin at Nikki and Yuna. To the drakloak's surprise, his fangs glistened. And did he sound... higher pitched than before? "No need to fight over yours truly. Even if I'm only here in spirit."

Leo tilted his starcloud head. "You're... not Mr. Brother Kora, are you?"

I mean, he certainly sounds different enough to be someone completely different, so...

"Hot dang, the kid's the quickest one of the bunch." Not-Koraidon laughed into his right hand. "Guess that tracks. Wouldn't be a mystery dungeon-filled calamity if there wasn't a child stuck in the middle of it."

Nikki's knuckles and mane crackled. "I suggest you start talking or I'm liable to punch that pretty boy face of yours."

Not-Koraidon shook his head. "Sheesh, tough crowd." He took a deep breath. "Junior Overseer Koraidon Vincent, at your service." He thumped his dewlap. "I'm, uh, 'borrowing' my counterpart so I can talk to you guys."

Oh, so he's possessing Brother Kora right now. Though I have to wonder what on earth Vincent is normally, especially with those looks.

Yuna's brow furrowed in thought. That name sounded awfully familiar.

"I see that look in your eyes, Drakloak." Vincent cupped his hands around his eyes, pantomiming goggles. "Lemme guess, you know another Vincent?"

Nikki: "Isn't he that one jackass from Team Turks or whatever it's called from school?"
Yuna: "Now that you mention it, the name does sound like one I've heard from there, yes..."

"We do, yeah. An inteleon. Smug jackass," Nikki said, jogging Yuna's memory of the unpleasant lunch Shimmer dragged her to back at Horizon Academy. "You about to tell us that was a disguise?"

Oh wow, I was right on the money for how Nikki parsed him.

"What? No way." Vincent scratched his chin. "I like my guys with a bit more meat on their bones. Like ninetales!"

"Uh-huh." Nikki didn't sound convinced. Yuna's tail crinkled. She thought Vincent was talking about eating, and there certainly weren't any ferals among the group.

Yuna: "I'm... just gonna float away quietly right now-" O_O;
Vincent: "Chill, lady. It's a figure of speech."

"If it's easier, you can call me Vince. Or Vin. Just not Vinnie!"

"N-Now hang on a sec." Noctum waved his arms around to get Vince's attention. "Did you... hijack Brother Kora's body?!"

Vincent:

Yuna: "Well that's not totally weird and creepy at all-" O.O
Vincent: "Relax, I'll give it back to him when I'm done."

"What? Noooo! 'Hijack' sounds so uncool." Vince ran his right hand through his white, feathery mane. "It's more like... he's sharing it." He turned to Alder. "You get it, right! When you probe Ginnungagap—"

"Ginnuwhosap?" Leo tilted his head. "Did you sneeze? Should we look for a tissue?"

"Ginnungagap, the cosmic mystery dungeon," Vince elaborated. "It's got a bunch of different names, but it represents the space between dimensions. It's the fabric of reality itself. And it's punching holes into your universe. Which is why I've been a-knocking on your back door for a while, now."

The what now-?

- Fires up Wikipedia -

Oh. Oh. Somehow I should've seen it coming that you'd have pulled from Norse mythology again given your mention that the Overseers are "Aesir" and they chill in a "Valhalla" but TIL.

Nikki's sniggers filled the room. Yuna shot the toxtricity a confused look. "I'll tell you later," Nikki said, waving her off.

Alder cleared his throat. "Is this like... how I found Leo and the anomaly on Bogdan?"

"You betcha." Vince snapped his fingers in approval. "I sensed Koraidon's meditation and made contact. Now, I'm borrowing his energy to manifest here." He grinned. "Trust me, it's as cool as it sounds."

Yuna: "... Wait, but who are you really? And can we even trust you?" .-.
Vincent: "I mean, would you really rather face all of this on your own in the dark?"

Yuna still thought it sounded like bodysnatching, but given she currently housed two big dragons of her own, she wasn't about to play semantics with this newcomer. It was the other stuff that had her attention.

"So, you're an Overseer?" The drakloak crossed her arms. "The group that abandoned this place?" If she remembered Koraidon's explanation correctly, she wasn't keen on trusting this apparent newcomer.

So I'm not the only one that finds Vincent a bit shifty and dubious right now.

"Ah. You, uh, know about that, huh?" Vince laughed nervously. "That was before my time. And way above my paygrade. It's why I'm here!" He spread his arms out. "Those old idiots thought sealing this dimension off would keep everyone safe, but they're wrong." The purple and white koraidon glanced around nervously. "And, uh, we gotta talk fast. I don't know how much more time I can spend here before Big S gets wind of what I'm doing."

Yuna frowned. "Big S?"

It's Shane, isn't it?

"My boss. Big, bright fella!" Vincent locked eyes with Yuna. "You might recognize the type." He held his index finger up. It sparked with purple energy and the purple and white koraidon traced a familiar eight-pointed star in the air.

"Bahamut?!" Noctum blurted out.

Yeah, it's Shane.

"If that's what you call those big ol' crystal lugs here." Vince waved his hands and the drawing disappeared. "I, uh, might've already gotten Big S torn a new asshole trying to circumvent policy. Which is bad cuz, y'know, their asses are made of light, so—"

Valkyrie stomped toward him. "So, you're making up for that... by doubling down on going behind everyone's backs?" She raised a claw at him. "Do all you so-called Overseers have the common sense of feral magikarp?"

Well, this one obviously does. Though I'm not terribly convinced that "Big S" is fully in the dark here, since I'm pretty sure he's the party who was being addressed in the opening flashback.

"Oh-ho, ouch!" Vince cringed. "Guess I don't need to be psychic to tell who the resident edgelord is here." He gave Valkyrie a thumbs up. "Way to play up the species stereotypes."

"... I'm taking his head off his shoulders," Valkyrie growled, blue-purple dragon energy gathering around her claws.

"W-wait, wait!" Alder shot between the garchomp and purple koraidon. "That's still our Kora!"

Vincent: "Also, you do realize that I can just body-hop if you cut down my current one, right?"

Valkyrie: "If I kill you enough times, then maybe you'll get the message-!" >:|
Noctum: "Val, no!"

Valkyrie froze in front of the braviary, then slowly lowered her arms. "He's got sixty seconds to say something useful."

While Yuna didn't approve of Valkyrie's death threats, she had to admit she was skeptical of this, too. "You have to look it from our vantage point." The drakloak gestured to the group. "We've already had a lot of craziness shoved down our throats. I have magical Needles I'm looking to pull out of the ground and dimensional anomalies to track down. If you need something done, find someone else or do it yourself."

They are absolutely interrelated and Vincent is here to spell that out, isn't he?

"Ah, but that's it!" Vince pointed at Yuna. "What if I told you there's a way to deal with both those problems in one fell swoop?"

- Beat moment -
Yuna: "Wait, you mean that Reshiram was right about those two things being related to each other?!"

Nikki: "Pretty sure that's where this is going, so we might as well listen to what Vince has to say here. (Besides, I think I like the cut of his jib!)" ^^

"I'd say stop beating around the bush and tell us," Nikki scoffed.

"Forty-five seconds," Valkyrie added.

"Man, this is good. Do we have any popcorn?" Archie whispered, to which Maxie shoved the samurott away.

Well Archie is certainly a barrel of laughs in this continuity.

"All you need to do is reassemble the Red Chain," Vince explained. "It's literally a red freaking chain. But it has the power to fix all the dimensional instabilities, including Eternatus!" He grinned broadly. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

Yeah, okay there, Vincent. I've seen what that thing does in mainline, and the fact that you're just bandying this around this glibly right now is setting off major red flags at the moment.

Silence greeted Vince's explanation. "Sounds too good to be true," Valkyrie said, shaking her head. "Why should we believe you? Especially if you're part of a group that abandoned this world in the first place!"

"Because I'm sticking my neck out, here." Vince gave them puppy dog eyes. "D'ya know what'll happen if Big S finds out what I'm doing? The higher ups could unmake me with a snap!"

Yeah, I don't trust this guy. Since someone acting in good faith who needed this thing would explain very soberly to be careful while putting it together since it's canonically a tool that give its wielder the power to boss at least one Timespace Dragon around into rebooting the universe.

"Big deal." Nikki rolled her eyes. "We've been staring death in the face for a while now."

"No, this is worse than death." Vince's expression finally sharpened. "The higher ups could make it so that I never existed in the first place. Not a soul would even remember me."

Nikki:

Vincent: "Look, it's worse than it sounds, okay? Hasn't anyone told you that being forgotten is a much worse fate than death?" >_>;
Yuna: "That's a Xenoblade thing, though-"
Vincent: "Yeah, and the dragoon rat from FF9 was of the same school herself. It's a premise a whole lot of stories agree upon, alright?"

Nikki yawned into her hand. "Sounds fake to me. I say we let Chompy kick his teeth in."

"Best idea I've heard all night," Valkyrie said, licking her lips eagerly.

Wow, I was joking about Nikki "oh no, anyway"-ing as a reaction. Guess that's a sign I'm getting a decent feel for how she ticks.

"Wait!" Leo hopped onto Yuna's head. The drakloak flinched. "I... think we should listen to him. He sounds sincere to me."

Ah yes, childlike naivete in action right now. Since I honestly am in Camp Nikki right at the moment.

"Leo." Yuna frowned. She didn't want to chastise him for being too trusting but the cosmic arceus was just a kid. And this was a bit too important to simply leave to blind faith.

"When he mentioned a Red Chain, I... felt something funny in my belly," Leo admitted, gently tapping his forehooves on Yuna's head. "Like it's something I'm supposed to know all about, but don't."

Yes, and there's a good reason for that. And not because it's a super happy fun accessory to keep around on you.

"You cannot be serious." Nikki facepalmed. "No way there's a freaking chain that can fix space and time. That sounds so... stupid!"

Bring it up with Game Freak, Nikki. Since not too many chains allow you to reboot the universe if you please.

"No more stupid than using giant needles to seal away a planet-sized monster shaped like a hand, am I right?" Vince smirked when silence fell over the group.

"Okay, maybe that dolt does know a thing or two," Nikki muttered.

I mean, I played a game where "needles holding back a world-wrecking entity" was a major plot point, so yeah. That admittedly sounds a bit less stupid to me and more like "you really, really don't want to do this unless if you're absolutely sure you know what you're doing or else just that desperate".

"Ha, yes!" Vince triumphantly fist-pumped, then immediately winced. His whites and purples flickered like static. "Shit! I'm running out of time here." He looked around frantically. "Okay, look. If you want to fix this whole Needle and anomaly issue, then you need to go Centropolis on Quasar Prime."

Yuna raised a brow. "And that's... inside Eternatus?" Vince nodded.

"Once there, find the branch office of the Devon Corporation and look for a man named Sigurd Stone. He'll know what to do."

Wow, didn't think I'd ever be seeing those terms slung around in a PMD story.

"Wait, but how?" Noctum's wings fluttered nervously. "If our world is sealed off, no one should know anything about this."

Vince's purple and white flickered again. "There's another Overseer there. She's been trapped in your dimension for a long time." He looked around. "That's all I can give you right now. I'll try to reach out again soon."

Oh well that's ominous and not dodgy and sus at all.

Yuna still had questions, but the moment Vince stopped speaking, his colors faded and Koraidon was back, balancing on his tail with his eyes shut. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"That was... quite the out of body experience." He chuckled nervously.

Oh right, Kora was technically conscious for all of that. .-.

The room fell into silence yet again as Yuna chewed on this. First the Needles, then the anomalies, and now Yuna was supposed to believe there was a way to handle both of those issues... without chasing them directly?

Nikki: "I mean, yeah it's more than a little sus, but hey. These chapters are on a pretty strict word budget, so..."

It sounded too good to be true. But Leo believed Vince. And that was going to be enough to get her to go with him to this Quasar Prime place.

This... is going to wind up coming back to bite them all in the ass at some point, isn't it?

Another Overseer. Yuna gently lifted Leo off her head. "So, uh, what's the next step here? Do we call Gene?" Could they even call Gene?

"I, uh, think that's for the best," Noctum said, pulling an X-transceiver out of his satchel. His face lit up when it beeped to life. "Oh, hey! I think I have reception! I— hello?" His purple tail flame doubled. "Wait, Cid? Is that you? H-Hang on, slow down. What's happening to Vellguarde?!"

Wow, this team (and setting) really just can't catch a break, huh?

The black charizard shuffled nervously. "O-Okay, we'll get ready." Noctum nodded quickly. "He's already on his way? G-Got it! We'll be out in a second." He lowered the X-transceiver and looked at Koraidon.

"We, um... have to go. Like... right now." Noctum met Yuna's gaze and added, "Seems the emperor decided to attack Vellguarde. With a giant battleship. That Gene's never seen before."

The drakloak's tail crinkled. Clearly, a quiet night to prepare for Quasar Prime was off the table.

Wait, that thing can leave the Qliphoth?!

I... wasn't expecting that, but I suppose the next few chapters are going to be quite the fireworks show.

Path of Valor Almanac
Ginnungagap ("gaping abyss" is old Norse) is the primordial void described in the Norse creation mythos, the Gylfaginning.

And ah yes, there's the explanation of what 'Ginnungagap' is for the general readerbase. I take it that you've been coming down harder on Norse theming for the stuff further up the totem pole in this setting.

Okay, onto the recap:

I see we've gone straight back to flooring the accelerator in this story, since boy did a lot escalate in short order. Also, maybe it's just a side effect of me playing Bravely Default, but I just do not trust Vince(nt) right about now, since his general demeanor and what he presents as a solution to the gang's problems raises some questions, to put it lightly. I'm not sure how I feel about the strong implication that Shane is the Overseer from the opening + Vince(nt)'s boss. Since... uh... that implies he's considerably less happy than we last saw him in GL. Though I suppose one thing at a time for the future.

For stuff I didn't like... I honestly don't have a whole lot to complain about. The chapter kept my attention for the full ride, it did a decent mix of character development and exposition while teeing up things to get right back into action in the very next chapter, which makes sense balance-wise given that the last chapter was very action-heavy. We'll see how things shake out next chapter, but things seem really promising.

Kudos, and till next time, @Ambyssin ^^

 

[Ambyssin]

Chapter 51: Rubrum Caelum​

Crimson skies marked the start of the Darkest Day. The heavens bled as World Ender set its sights upon our sacred lands, its size without compare. The people, gripped by fear and horror, turned their plights upon Bahamut, our God.

"Save us, please! You must drive the invader back and restore the light!"

Bahamut recognized their pleas. For this land was His home as well. And all were His people, whether they followed His teachings or not. Thus did He summon His Sages and face down the great daemon blotting out the heavens.

But even with the hope of the land behind Him, victory would not be His to take.

From the Book of Aeon

XxX​

Getting back to the surface required taking a different waypoint that would put the newly-established bureau in Vellguarde. Igneous was surprised his father hadn't shut down all the waypoints leading directly into cities in the wake of Venish's ongoing crisis. Was that waypoint in danger? Had Kyoko shut it down when she entered the safe house?

... Feh. Not even worth asking her, Igneous thought, leaning against the glass door of the small building that housed the Ryujin's Vellguarde waypoint. He stared at the wooden desk and cabinets of the rundown lobby across from him, tapping a claw impatiently.

How long did Yiazmat and Scarlett need? They had already watched news footage back at Ryujin HQ showing the baccer stadium in the southeast now served as a temporary staging area for those who fled Venish. And Igneous knew he would have to take them there. The longer they waited, the closer sunrise got.

Finally, he spotted a shadow amidst the dark lobby. Then another, narrower shadow. Yiazmat opened the building's inner door and held it for Scarlett. She had a long, tattered cloak draped over her. It made her look bulkier and hid her facial features, sure, but it didn't exactly hide her entire figure.

"Sorry," Scarlett muttered. "Had trouble finding a good cloak."

"A pity your kind can't learn Minimize," Yiazmat said, shaking her head solemnly. "Then you could shrink down and hide in one of my horns."

"The same horn your kind shoots your offspring out of?" Igneous said, a brow raised.

"Dragapult haven't done that in battle since the days of Bahamut," Yiazmat retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Save the snark for after we find my daughter."

"Fine." Igneous shoved the front door open with his shoulder and held it for the ladies. They headed out onto the smoothly paved street. The grovlazzle shut the door, revealing it was actually one-way glass. "Stay close to me and follow my directions. Got it?"

"As long as you're polite with those directions, dearie," Yiazmat replied, an eerily sweet smile on her face.

A chill ran down Igneous' spine. Is she really Yuna's mom?

XxX​

As it turned out, a quiet walk made it easy for Igneous to give polite directions. Vellguarde's well-paved roads, though cold against his scaly feet, were deserted. None of the stone buildings with their pointed spires had lights on. Sure, people were probably sleeping, but the grovlazzle expected to see something other than streetlights in a supposedly busy city.

Yet the further they went, the more nothing they encountered. Even streetside bars boasting business hours late into the night had their doors locked and their lights off.

"Does this city not have anything for nocturnal pokémon?" Yiazmat looked around. "I was told such accommodations existed the last time I visited."

"It does." Igneous crossed his arms, eyes darting from their sidewalk to the one opposite them. "The baccer stadium's pretty new and there wasn't enough space to build it up in the commercial district. So, they made it near a residential district. Still..."

"Maybe there's a curfew in effect?" Scarlett whispered, a slight tremble to her voice. "Because of what happened in Venish?"

So, the grovlazzle wasn't the only one unnerved. "Where's the Radiant Guard, then?" he said. "Someone would have to enforce the curfew. And they'd have been on us by now."

At that point, Yiazmat stopped floating ahead of them. "Valid points." She backed underneath an awning, clasping her hands together. "As much as I want to find Yuna, walking into some sort of trap accomplishes nothing." She glanced up. "Perhaps a quick bit of aerial surveillance?"

The ground rumbled. Red light flashed in the distance. Igneous tensed, but instead of screams, he heard... applause?

"What was that?" Scarlett squeaked, coiling up under the same awning as Yiazmat.

"It looked like an energy surge," Yiazmat said, narrowing her eyes. "Can you fly?"

"Me?" Scarlett pointed her tail at her face. "I, well, yes, but it's been quite some time." She pulled her cloak back to show her dulled scales. "They gave me some vitamins and minerals, but I'm not sure if that gives me my full strength back."

"I see. One moment." Yiazmat reached into a pocket and produced a few tiny blue gelatin pieces.

"Are those... gummy candies?" Scarlett's rounded snout twitched.

"They're energy gummies," the dragapult explained. "We grow them for times when we have to venture deep into the mountains and can't take food stores with us." She leaned forward. "Open up."

Scarlett tensed. "I'm not so sure I should e—"

Yiazmat shoved the gummies in while Scarlett was speaking. The dragonair's eyes widened incredulously but she chewed and swallowed them. Igneous wanted to give Yiazmat the business for that move, but that desire evaporated the moment Scarlett's tiny wings unfurled to their full sizes and flapped in place.

"I... huh?" Scarlett blinked in surprise. "What the hell's in those gummies?!"

"Aeon secret. Now follow me." The dragapult scooped Igneous up, ignoring his protests, and carried him into the air. They soared over the pointed rooftops in a matter of seconds and headed further south. Wingbeats behind them confirmed that, even out of practice, Scarlett could follow them. Guess there really was something special in those gummies.

"Slow down!" the dragonair pleaded. "This is... harder than it used to be!"

With a large, metal dome looming in front of them, Yiazmat landed on one of the rooftops, dropping Igneous on its stone tiles. The grovlazzle surveyed the baccer stadium. Though it had lights on, they were yellow and blue. The energy came from elsewhere. But where?

A sudden pain gripped his head. "Nngrk." Igneous clutched his right temple. Warm. No, hot! Like back in the hospital?

He kept his eyes open and looked right. There were people. Small specks walking to his left.

"Who's that?"

The grovlazzle turned left. Yiazmat stared at a wooden podium in the distance. Though too far for Igneous to properly make out who was standing atop it, he instinctively tensed up. The hot pain flashed through his head again.

"The ether you believe in will betray you! Rain fury upon your city! But Natus can shield you from it. Accept His love and build something greater as one."

As one.

As one.

AS ONE.

Igneous doubled over in pain. His back burned. The volcarona wings he spawned at the hospital burst out of his back in surges of orange fire.

"It's him."

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Scarlett cried. "What about keeping a low profile?!"

But Igneous had already leapt from the roof, surging forward on his fiery wings. The figure atop the podium came into view with gray, beady eyes sparkling through the heavy, stone helmet encasing them.

Flames shrouded Igneous as he slammed into Xeromus. The grovlazzle continued forward, the momentum of the blow carrying Xeromus as far away from the assembled crowd as possible. When the attack at last fizzled out, Xeromus dropped down in the middle of a barren field while Igneous remained airborne. The burning under his scales hadn't gone away. And that was on purpose.

Now Igneous was sure Xeromus and Ahsen were working together. Why else would the powers he got from the glitch react this way?

"Heh. Keh heh." Xeromus broke down coughing. "Amazing. That you would treat a lowly omen like me to the powers born of your metamorphosis."

"Shut up!" Igneous summoned flaming leaf blades at his sides. "I've had enough of your garbage. I'm not letting you hurt anyone else!"

"Hurt?" Xeromus seemed genuinely shocked. "Think nothing of the sort. I only seek to spread the joy of Natus' love! To let it blanket the world in a protective cloak!"

Igneous lunged for Xeromus in a burst of fiery speed. He stood his ground, however, erupting in a crimson glow. The grovlazzle's leaf blades clanged off something hard.

An espeon's small, pink form melted into a white cloud with a pink figure riding atop it.

The flames died down around Igneous' arms he staggered back, taking in the view of a crimson, shield-shaped canine head. It fixed empty yellow eyes on him before dissolving into chains that wrapped around Xeromus' legs.

"You see the rifts in the sky, don't you? A grand union is upon us!" Xeromus declared, holding his helmeted head up. "Where Natus' love will shower everyone. No matter how big or small. Weak or strong. Poor or rich. Human or pokémon."

Human? Igneous tried to reignite his leef blades to no avail. Had that barrier sapped some of his strength?

"Natus offers the same love for everyone. A love brimming with equality," Xeromus continued. "Yet too many sides want to twist that love into something horrid! I only want people to see the truth with their own eyes and ears!"

"No, you want to poison people with deluded thoughts!" Igneous surprised himself when he spat out a mixture of flames and Bullet Seeds. Bright orbs surrounded Xeromus. Fireballs, ice shards, and small lightning bolts canceled out Igneous' strike. Tri Attack? The grovlazzle hopped back, trying to look for an opening.

"The only poison comes from the ether and those whose minds it has warped," Xeromus countered, thrashing his head back and forth. "That's why I'm not striking back at you, even as you press your attack. Because I'm walking the path set out for me."

"Not striking back?" Igneous spewed more flames and Bullet Seeds. "Then what the hell do you call that stunt back at Herbrides?!"

Xeromus couldn't react fast enough and staggered backward, tucking his head down to take the attack on his helmet. "A regretful, shortsighted attempt... at bestowing choice upon you and your friends."

"Stop speaking in riddles, damn it!" Igneous took to the air again, his volcarona wings quickly carrying him up. He spewed flames at Xeromus' backside, but the chimera's cloak rippled. The crimson shield dog emerged in shadowy ripples and swallowed his flamethrower like a beverage sucked through an oversized straw. It lingered, empty eyes fixed on Igneous as the grovlazzle's arc took him past Xeromus and back onto the ground.

"Return, Guardian!" Xeromus called. The shield dog sank back into Xeromus' cloak. Wheezing, the chimera struggled to turn around and face Igneous. "I bear no ill will. Attacking you serves no purpose. My choices, as those of many others, do not matter."

"Then why bother doing any of this?" Igneous hissed.

Xeromus simply looked up in response. Purple light bathed Igneous. The grovlazzle threw an arm over his head while looking up. A giant rift had opened over the city and out popped... the head of some sort of giant, robotic trance centiskorch?!

"What the—"

[Attention evildoers! I have come to make an announcement!] An unfamiliar robotic voice boomed throughout the sky. [It is time to bring you all to JUSTICE! Hell yeah! Eat my giant justice laser!]

Red streaked across the night sky. The centiskorch mecha's face opened, unleashing a giant blue laser that headed right for the baccer stadium.

"No!" Igneous could only look on in horror as it drew closer and closer...

... And banked off a purple, domed barrier. The laser pierced through the red sky until it had died down into nothing.

XxX​

"Sticky."

Sitting at a computer terminal, the naganadel jumped to attention. He spun his chair around to find Paradox watching a feed from the Seekerskorch's cockpit. "Yes, Your Excellency?"

"Did my eyes deceive me... or did the Max Hyper Beam just get deflected by a barrier?"

The deoxys' chilling tone made Sticky gulped. "That, um, appears to be the case, sir."

[You were right, Father!] W1-DG3T's voice crackled through the office speakers. [Our enemies are truly despicable! Using the Benefactor's power in such an awful way!]

Paradox's upper right tentacle slammed against his desk. "Then charge ahead already!" he barked. "Tear that barrier apart and bring His captors to their knees!"

Sticky hastily turned back to his computer. Even if W1-DG3T was right, there was no way the Etherians could forge a barrier that strong using Eterna energy... right?

XxX​

Igneous stood there, arms and jaw slackened, utterly unsure which was more terrifying: the Hyper Beam to end all Hyper Beams or the shield that appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly parried it. The grovlazzle looked over his shoulder, but only saw Xeromus standing there, a twinkle in his gray eyes.

He couldn't have... could he? Igneous tensed up, ready to strike again.

"Do you understand now?" Xeromus rasped. "Even with the ether sinking its teeth into your planet's hide, Natus still believes in you all. He shields you with his love!"

"Oh, shut up!" Igneous spat. Xeromus made even less sense than before. "If Eternatus wants free of its prison, why the hell would it block an attack from its innards?!" He brought his fiery leaf blades out and sped toward Xeromus. This time, he feinted left, then banked right and swung to strike Xeromus' left foreleg.

But even though Xeromus was too slow to move himself away, the shield dog's red face emerged from his knee and crunched down on Igneous' leaf blades.

The pink cloud rider summoned a tornado full of hearts and sent it toward a small starcloud while a starry, oversized crobat shot toward it, tears streaming from three eyes.

Igneous' flames again died down. He staggered back, trying to get the feeling back in his arms. A thunderous boom sounded behind him. By the time Igneous looked over his shoulder, more light had died down and small specs flew around the giant centiskorch robot.

"What are you playing at?" he said to Xeromus. "Enough riddles. I want answers!"

Xeromus thrashed his helmeted head back and forth, staving off a coughing fit. "I see. So, you don't have a path forward yet. Unfortunate. Perhaps... you need more time."

Igneous spat another mix of bullet seeds and fireballs at Xeromus. The chimera's cloak glowed and, in a blink, he reappears a few yards left of Igneous. "It's as I said before. My choices, like so many others, do not matter." Xeromus wheezed a few times. "All because of the single truth uniting all worlds no matter how far apart.

"But Natus' love can rewrite that truth. The truth of stagnation," Xeromus continued. "My choices are set in stone. A lowly omen like me can only watch and wait. But you... you can lay your own path forward. To forge the new singular truth."

Yeah, I'm done with this. Igneous turned away. "My path forward will be getting rid of you and your stupid floating disc crony. Consider yourself lucky there are bigger fish to fry right now."

"Keh heh." Xeromus staggered backward. "I do look forward to seeing what happens next."

Igneous glanced over his shoulder. Spectral hands emerged from the ground, enveloping Xeromus. He was gone the moment the grovlazzle took to the air again. Igneous hovered there, squinting at the small figures flying around the robot centiskorch.

[I should have known the despicable rebel would show his face!] the voice boomed. [It does not matter how many people you trick into working for you. I will defeat you in the name of JUSTICE!]

Rebels? Oh, shit, it's Gene?! Igneous focused and, sure enough, he could barely make out the mewtwo charging some sort of attack alongside Reshiram. Yes, Igneous would recognize that fuzzball of a dragon anywhere. So, was Yuna here, too? And is Valkyrie with her?

XxX​

"What are we supposed to do against this thing? It's the size of a damn skyscraper!" Nikki shouted from atop Reshiram's back.

Yuna was plenty used to things outsizing her from all her years as a dreepy, sure, but she was so not prepared for this. And all of its red and yellow segments shot fireballs into the air independent of one another. The drakloak stayed out of range of it all, thankfully, but none of her piddly little attacks would make so much as a scratch against the machine.

"I don't get it either." Gene zipped between flaming pillars, tossing strange pink orbs that harmlessly plinked off the metallic exoskeleton. "If this thing's some kinda battleship, there's no way that many blasters could fire independently! Not without a bunch of people working different controls and coordinating in unison. The empire isn't capable of that."

"Then how do you explain this, huh?" Valkyrie snarled as a gout of fire swallowed her and Noctum's tandem Dragon Pulses whole.

"I'd rather not!" Jade squawked, stopping in midair and yanking her tail out of the way of a steam burst. Probably a Heat Wave. "I might've liked it hot back in the day, but this thing's too spicy for the pepper!"

Reshiram paused beside her. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, but I'm confident this is too spicy for the pep— GAH!"

Reshiram shoved Jade aside, taking the brunt of a second Heat Wave. Nikki hollered atop his back, struggling to cling to his neck. "Hey, Crotch Fuzz! Don't forget your very squishy passenger who could fall to her death up here!"

"Sorry! I— back!" Reshiram's tail revved up. A gout of Blue Flare barely managed to hold off a massive fireball.

Yuna bit her lower lip. "Cyril? Professor Cid? Is there anything you can give us? We're in a serious bind here!"

XxX​

"They have to fall back!" Seifer paced nervously in front of multiple monitors, stealing panicked looks at Cyril and Cid. The orbeetle sat on stacked milk crates, with several electrodes connected to his head spots and hooked up to Cyril's monitors. "They're hopelessly outgunned!"

He was conflicted between their wellbeing and that of Vellguarde's, but the mystery barrier made the keldeo's priorities clear. "Tell Gene to retreat! We need an actual plan here!"

Cyril's spots glowed blue. "I think it's coming into focus for me." He pinched his brow. "That thing is called the Seekerskorch. Gene's right about it not being organic." The orbeetle squinted. "But he's wrong about how it's being controlled."

Artemis quirked a brow. "In what way?"

"There's a single pilot."

XxX​

"You're kidding!" Gene flummoxed, then shot in front of Yuna and managed to turn away a spiraling Heat Wave with a burst of pink energy. "No Paradigm lieutenant can handle something like this! Their brains are just little togedemaru running around on tiny rodent wheels!"

[Give up, evil rebel!] the pilot said. Yuna winced from the volume, ectoplasm rippling. Leaving Leo back on Bogdan was the right decision. [Your days of terrorizing the brave souls of Eternatus are over!]

The Seekerskorch's head coiled back toward Team Bastion. Its fiery face split apart, revealing flames and electricity gathering within it.

"Holy shit!" Gene threw his right arm out. A rift appeared in front of him. Yuna darted in behind him. They reappeared beside Reshiram, Jade, and Nikki. Seconds later, plasma surged through the air. The crimson sky briefly lit up as blue as daytime.

What do we do? What do we do? I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! Yuna's entire body trembled. Was this what it was like for the Sages when they faced down Eternatus on the Darkest Day?

How was she supposed to help Leo save the omniverse like this?

"Cid! Can your freaky-deaky scan tell us how warm that machine's back is?" Gene wondered.

"What's that supposed to do?" Cid responded.

"Taking potshots at a distance isn't getting us anywhere," Gene growled, tail lashing the air. Seekerskorch's head slowly turned toward him and Yuna. The drakloak opted to fly away, recognizing the mewtwo was the primary target. "I'm thinking we have to try percussive maintenance."

"You can't be serious, Boss Kitty," Cyril said.

Another plasma beam split the air. If Yuna had hair, it would have undoubtedly stood on end. And sure enough, a prickly Reshiram flew toward her, his hair puffed out like a pom-pom oricorio's wings. "That sure sounded like his serious voice to me," Reshiram squeaked.

"The hell you on, Crotch Fuzz? He doesn't have a serious voice!" Nikki huffed.

"If I may interject?" Cid said. "My analysis suggests that the Seekerskorch's cannons are mounted on the edges of its segments, where a normal centiskorch's legs would be. Its exoskeleton is heat resistant, so you should be able to land on it safely."

"Works for me!" Gene shot forward in a pink blur. "Crotch Fuzz, follow me!"

"Stop calling me that! It's a beauty tuft!" Reshiram whined, flying after the mewtwo. Yuna shielded her face from the heat given off by his tail turbine. The drakloak had no idea what Gene wanted, but she needed to give him a better opening, right?

She waved her arms around, hoping Noctum and Jade would pick up on it. Or maybe Valkyrie. Yuna then shouted, "You're wrong! We're not doing anything evil! We're trying to help people!"

The Seekerskorch head paused. [Ha! Funny joke, but I knew you would say something like that. Your mind games will not work on me, captor. I am a paragon of justice!]

Three huge Flamethrowers cut through the air. Yuna was far enough away to weave between them. "You keep using that word, but we don't even know what you mean by it!" she called back.

[Then that makes you stupid!] the pilot countered. [You trapped Eternatus against His will. And now I am going to free Him so everyone living inside Him can be happy.]

Yuna frowned. The pilot spoke with a childishness that reminded her of Leo. It couldn't be an actual child, though. Probably someone whose mind was messed up by the emperor. But he wasn't attacking Gene or Reshiram, so Yuna's distraction was working!

"How is that justice?" Yuna shook her head. "If you free Eternatus, then you destroy our planet!"

[No, Eternatus will absorb you guys. And you will learn to be happy like all of His citizens.]

XxX​

Paradox hunched over the communicator on his desk. "What do you think you're doing, W1-DG3T?! The rebel is on your ship! Attack!" He smacked the desk with his tentacles. "Fire everything!"

XxX​

The Seekerskorch's many cannons crackled with fire and lightning. And the fiery antennae on its metal face darkened with ectoplasm. [That was a mean trick!] the pilot growled. [And I am going to make you all pay for it!]

Yuna braced herself for the worst when the Seekerskorch violently lurched to its left. Its head spewed giant spectral... pieces of furniture? Regardless how stupid it looked, the attack sailed higher into the red sky until it faded away. The drakloak cautiously flew closer and saw Nikki's electric guitar planted squarely into the middle of one of the Seekerskorch's segments. Purple sparks danced around it.

"No tricks or gimmicks here, tin can!" Nikki sneered. "Just a good old fashioned drum line, baby!" She stuck her tongue out and made metal horns with her fingers while a yelping Reshiram flew away. Gene shot down from the air and whacked the lightning guitar as hard as he could with his psychic spoon, driving it fully inside the Seekerskorch's middle segment. Purple sparks spread across the metal exoskeleton.

[What the— that is impossible!]

Smirking, Gene saluted the Seekerskorch's head and hopped back into a rift, transporting him over Yuna's head. Seconds later, the middle segment exploded in a massive cloud of purple, red, and yellow. The segments behind the destroyed one plummeted from the sky. Jade and Noctum flew further from the rest of Team Bastion in tandem.

"Ahh, I love me a good fireworks show," Gene said, applauding his handiwork. "Now if we can just replicate that at the head of what's left, we might have a shot at this."

"Uh, Gene?" Cid interjected. "I think whoever's piloting is in the head. You'll have a much tougher time getting there."

"Got any other ideas, then, Professor?" Gene scoffed.

"I do, actually," Cyril said. "If you can open rifts like that, why not turn its own attacks back on it?"

Yuna's tail crinkled. That sounded difficult to pull off, but potentially effective. Too bad the remaining part of the Seekerskorch had chosen to switch tactics. Instead of Flamethrowers and Heat Waves, it launched bundles of flaming webs... that were homing in on their position!

"Gotta go!" the drakloak squeak, diving toward the ground. No good; the web missile kept giving chase. "You can't be serious!" she groaned. Yuna tried opening her mouth and spewing some dragonfire, but the web missile barreled right through her Dragon Breath.

Do what Cid suggested, dummy! she told herself. Concentrating, Yuna tore a rift open between her and the fireball. It was too small to fully redirect the web missile, but large enough to break the attack. Unfortunately for the drakloak, the missile's remnants rained over her. Strands of fiery webbing covered her rectangular head. Hissing, Yuna frantically rubbed her head, but that spread the flames onto her hands.

With no other recourse, Yuna dove onto the grass and rolled around. That put the flames out, but left the webs — and plenty of grass blades — stuck to her head.

[You really think that was clever, huh?] the pilot sneered. [Well, enjoy your little victory while it lasts, because you will not pull the wool over my eyes again. For great justice! For Eternatus!]

The Seekerskorch unleashed another missile barrage and... either Yuna was crazy or she really did see sound effects like "BAMF" and "KABOOM" project themselves over the Seekerskorch while it fired.

Either way, she figured the ground was the safest spot to stay to deal with this. So, the drakloak prepared herself to dodge... only for a sharp, stabbing pain to grip her head. Yuna sucked in a sharp breath. She had to focus on the fight. On staying in one piece.

Dark, shadowy tendrils wrapped themselves around a golden Needle planted firmly in the ground.

A Needle? No, that didn't make any sense. What was happen— oh, God, her head hurt.

And, wait, why was her Soul Dew glowing brighter? Was Reshiram at his limit or something? He hadn't been out that long!

"Return to me..."

Right as two web missiles homed in on her, the pain grew to be too much. Vision blinded by the Soul Dew's light, Yuna could only muster a single scream.

XxX​

Crystal tendrils sliced through Eternatus Bombardiers, sending their pilots careening off the stone rooftop. Off in the distance, more Bombardiers pressed their advance. Necrozma didn't care, however. His prize was right in front of him. There was nothing these weak, insignificant machines could do to him. No matter how many the dumb, metallic midnight lycanroc standing in front of his Needle summoned, he'd destroy them.

Necrozma strode forward on his large, misshapen crystal legs. The shadows swirling around him gave him a strange, humanoid appearance.

"Don't you dare!" Lycanroc hissed. He dug his hands into the ground, tearing up chunks of the metal roof and hurling them forward.

"Pointless," Necrozma said. He flicked his right wrist. Two orbs of distorted light raced to meet the metal shards, blowing them apart. Necrozma turned and stomped the ground. Electric geysers raced behind him, catching the charging Bombardiers off guard and blowing them apart.

Lycanroc thought Necrozma was distracted. He thought wrong. A crystal tentacle lurched out of Necrozma's shadows and coiled around a charging Lycanroc.

Necrozma turned back around. He hefted Lycanroc up to eye level. "Weak. Pathetic," he growled. "You guard power that isn't yours. Power you don't understand."

Lycanroc squirmed in Necrozma's grasp, but he tightened his grip. Shadows covered Lycanroc's mouth before he could retort.

"No words." Necrozma strode closer to the Needle. To his power. "You only delay the inevitable. I will destroy this realm..."

The tentacle unfurled, whipping Lycanroc back toward more oncoming Eternatus troopers. He hurled a distorted light ball after them, bathing them in a rainbow geyser. Necrozma reached forward with his right arm and grabbed the needle. An emerald flash pushed his shadows apart briefly.

"Return to me... Zygarde."

Necrozma pulled the needle. A burst of emerald light shot up, then a thousand glistening spears rained down all around him. The roof crumbled to dust while Necrozma floated where the Needle once sat. He glimpsed a fresh wave of Eternatus Troopers approaching.

As nice it would be to give them all a taste of the power he just reclaimed, his efforts were better spent elsewhere. He slashed the air in front of him with his left arm and vanished into a jagged rift.

 

[K_S]

Hi, as promised the mass review... per time constraints I would up writing reviews/replies starting at the prologue to chapter 9 ( a total of 10 chapters). Hope it makes an acceptable belated birthday present.

PROJECT COMPLETE!

PROLOGUE: COMPLETE

Spoiler: Prologue review

An articuno named shiva... does she dance?

That would scratch a "happy feet" and a mythology itch at the same time if she does...

I doubt it's that type of fic but it's the first thing that popped into my mind...

It's an interesting scene with her patrol... though with her being still I get more of a lookout feel from it... still, she's a pretty picture silvered by the moon and redundant in the false crystals of hoar frost lit up from on high with minimal risk of melting...

And the majesty of both mon and scene turns into a wry "are we there yet?" snorts. Is Que' a Zapdos because that would fit Aztec mythology but only if he rain dances!

Called it!

It's odd to imagine a 'mon in clothing, I'm imagining since he's a jagged lightning bird that there's some very epic static cling keeping things together for him... pink ribbons on his chest? hm wonder at the symbolism is it like a purple heart thing or a repurposed focus slash?

and the title of "eminence" held over a Legend jingles both the alarm bell and the curiosity bell all at once.

So the needles are a tamer less flambe-happy "eye of sauromon" sort of thing hm. I don't blame Shiva for being creeped out by it. when paintings do that I get this urge to take them down and bin them... or burn... A statue/artifact would be creepier and harder to bin/burn/ake stop staring as well.

So I'm feeling Shiva's discomfort and am tempted to suggest a paper bag?

So question, did you draw the Legend's names from mythology or the final fantasy summons master list? at least the Weezing wasn't named alexander. No no don't give up the soda... just switch to a flavor that doesn't match Douglas' 'stache and you can persevere... though how talons can deal with cans... ah well. To each their own trauma? shrugs. So what pair of eyes/face do you face when talking to mr. fizzle 'stache? the etiquette must be a nightmare and I'm wondering about dodrio politeness practices now...

I'm getting both a mystery dungeon vibe and a mad Galar vibe considering there's a whole nobility caste system in place (I've also skipped the summary/warning to give this reply a bit of a raw/legit feel to it so my speculations are really off the cuff here).

Hm Ifrits is poking towards genre savvy and mistrusting the advisor... if this were a Pratchett-inspired work I'd say he was right on the money.

So Shiva's throwing ifriit under the bus and making him fess up his unease first. smart. if a bit backstabby.

There's more of these things... I'm getting evil artifact vibes from them and would utterly sympathize if thinking about seeing more of them would inspire Shiva into a molt. escpeically if there were more than one in a room and in close proximity. So Demerzel is the advisor and the queen Isola?

I'll try to keep that straight as this goes... wonder if Dem's a psychic type?

Hm Douglas' complaints are making me think of a number of insurrections... and with the classest vibes tabbed in too, I'm remembering how a certain monarch was assaulted in his bathtub to get the gears of democracy started back in the day... But considering the setting, I wonder if the downcast/oppressed beggars wouldn't pull a cult of evil feral legend of some sort or other with Galar's starring doomsday device being the focus...

and the politics deepen. The princess being a dragon type I suppose that's an inversion of the classic princess getting abducted by a dragon (type). I wonder how deep and nasty the conflict was for feelings to get this hostile between faction one and faction dragon.

I'm going to have to make a flow chart for all these people and their factions... aren't I?

Huh the fact that the needle and the mask match make me think one made the other... or perhaps is drawing one to the other (like compass' and iron) poor Douglas is going to get butchered if three of the toughest legends were stuffed and filleted in seconds... also I'm surprised the giaganta max and attacks made by it didn't flatten the area around the needle... but then it wasn't quite as drastic as canon sword/shield is in size growth from what I understand...

so phantom speaks, I take back the feral assumption. also, I am getting shadow pokemon/cypher vibes off of this thing... perhaps a sort of bitter frost sentience thing? ah well, time will tell.

Huh, I suppose it must be a nostalgia thing though being used as a missile from dear old dragon mom for Yuna... and I wonder if she isn't the princess a certain avian trio were maligning. Luna's comfort method is a bit hard to wrap my brain around... I suppose it's similar to how a kaun' would feel chilling in its mother's pouch during battles though....

Her situation is serious social anxiety on steroids due to outside circumstances here and I'm feeling her pain.

Welp hopefully a good night's sleep helps her out. We'll see how her following days go.

Chapter 1 REVIEW. COMPLETE!
I can only imagine how blitzed out she's looking from coming off of her sleep seed drop that her advisor/guard is overtly kicking themselves for not bringing the five-hour energy drink along as a pick me up. I'm somewhat fond of Baraz being both pragmatic and emotionally approachable, I have a hunch Yuna's going to be needing the support considering how back bite-y the guardians in power seemed to be I hate to think how nasty the masses are going to be.

And per personal experience, the academia/social fields are going to be as thorny as any other place.

Of course, first day out could be intercepted by the criminal element... I suspect she's not going to be having to just deal with first-day jitters.

Snorts, in which the Rookie is smarter than the boss, and the boss might as well be passing out his address and a map. Also, dark against dragon... when dark notoriously is usually a lightweight in the defense (Umbreon being a remembered exception), yeah I suspect he's a tiny bit outclassed here. Especially recalling from my dex readings.. dragons tend to be big, and heavy, and foxes tend to be small and very squishable in comparison.

So if this Nicit's traveling with a partner is he carpooling or... never mind I couldn't resist.

Way to avoid the call Yuna... I can think of nine stories off the top of my head where pulling the see no evil card goes bad... And it's Bar' t o the sorta rescue with his archaic sense of right wrong and "did you just insult my esteemed employer" vibe.

During the seed shot I got a haired confused as to who he was it cleared up with the next action mind, but for just a moment I got a hair lost.

Well I suppose after charing off the residue of their escapades through the vents via lightning bolt Baraz gets free dragging rights... bragging rights.... meh it works both ways.

Oh, Yuna you're not going to not get attention... Bar' is utterly not going to let it go down like that. And the charming social commentary and internalized and externalized racism... typism... is now off the leash and frolicking around... Yuna's in for a rough time starting.. right.. about... now.

Bar' you are not helping... so not helping yon young introverted hatchling getting a paw through the door... granted Yuna's timidity would have had her going a totally different direction.... I suspect there's some friction between Arianna the ghost type and Vortex's more hot-headed manners. I shudder to think of what types of classes both hold (if they are that hands-on, I'm getting executive vibes off of them even if I don't quite understand their ranking...)

I wondered how Yuna had met a charizard... makes sense for one of her escorts to be a dragon-evolved variant perhaps... Noctum seems friendly enough if a bit inattentive... a less bombastic companion from Bar;
which has got to be a break for poor Yuna in a way.

So what triggers evolution in this verse? Mental and physical changes. Battling? These mon seem a bit too
human to be brawling for a power boost...

Wasn't quite expecting the shadow mon to be quite literally a doomsday cult but ah well here we are and yunas getting cultural 101 thrown at her poor thing. Still, she's got some guts to take on a crazed cultist. They tend to dig deep and be stubborn when thwarted...

Well with all that self-inflicted bad tape in your head I don't think yuna's got a leg to stand on here...

I'm getting an ansom.. Xemnas vibe off our cray cray cultist and the organization.. We will see how it goes. Glad the orbeetle Cid had some manners to at least say hi. I kinda figured he'd chill in the tall grass indefinitely...

And we go from late first day... Accidental shenighighed heroics... to disapproving folks... yuna's catching no breaks today[/SPOILER]

Chapter 2. COMPLETE!

Spoiler: Chapter 2 line by line

Chapter 2 review

With a title like that.. Yeah, that's ominous...

My gods impatience thy name is shimmer... And please tell me that's not a mlp reference... Please?

Seriously I kinda wanna know how clothes work here. Is it a norm? A mark of station? Is everyone just milking static cling to make this work?

Love how the farfetched line just uses their leek for everything. Battle tool... Pool stick... Wonder what the stakes the game were set for?

In which xander is both an eeveelution and a gossip hound... And from the reaction of his news poor Yuna shes going to be hated for ages at this rate... Though how they can call a charizard names but have their own head honcho via Vortex be one is a bit mind-boggling.

Ah, politics. I can imagine shimmers meeting to get that news was marked with hoof scuffs from aborted bolts/bounces and whined "I don't wannas!" He seems the type.

Alright we've been told the crowne cups important but the "why" hasn't been spelled out yet... I'm getting Hogwarts house cup vibes though that's end of year and this seems like events related to it are threaded through the whole curriculum...

Huh, glee as in the musical or glee as in something else... Autograph line has me suspecting it's a mon musical thingie...

Snorts "calcifer" someone has slipped in a Miyazaki reference perhaps? And id say vortex's grin is scarier. Who knows what thoughts are hiding under it? Not friendliness by a long shot and I am glad Yunas canny enough to get that..

And the hole in yiazmauts defense of "home of the army" indicates that servailence is needed even if it isn't just all from Yunas homeland...

Though as a dean vortex could very well have pulled the "not my department" card with a referral aka run around to whose department it might be... it would sound much more legit than his "don't know" card since as part of the education system (possible royalty) he is supposed to know.

And as a Slytherin vortex's dumbledore mind games are really getting my hackles up... Lovely backhanded insult about the servailence btw.

So Yunas situation went from "new girl going to racially tension-ridden academy" to "hey the ground can literally open up at any time and eat me. Everyone around me. And drop us into hell on earth and the people and power know about it".

Followed by a "mom... Dad... How long did you know about the mystery dungeons spontaneously sprouting /before\ you dropped me off at a possible myst dungeon spawn point?"

I'd be like... Ah, I am out. and will take your remote learning opportunities only, please and thanks.

Joy so powers that be are unavailable...

And the crowne sounds like a mix match of a business-sponsored trainers journey with a side of hard-core propaganda...

No vortex you're hearing an outside perspective and protective mother that really wants to poke a hole in your "grand adventure" speech and is only not being scathing for diplomatic reasons.

Ah, blackmail 101 charizard style... With a side of diplomatic crash and burn. Fun.

And it's working... Ung poor thing.. Yunas going to be in for it rough. I'd say the only innocent party (besides Yuna who's getting so used) is that poor battered table at this point. And I am shocked the school isn't thrilled to pull her because she's going to get so much info on the hoof than their fly-by servailence is...

I'm suspecting vortex and crew have ulterior motives from that alone...

Also, cid chilling through the whole meeting when it's really not his place is jingling alarm bells.

And I really hope they aren't going to throw rebel nikki at yuna forcefully to "get rid of two problems at once" because I can see that going badly.

Also, I suspect hope is this place's catchphrase to cover a slew of problems. Social and otherwise... Like a business buzzword to brush real issues under the carpet. Dumble dragon is a walking alarm bell stand at this point.

And my inner teen is suggesting a number of profane h.o.p.e signs at this point.

Granted a bewear would defang that for me much less a hugy one...

Cid why are you surprised that the liar is lying... His political moves were broad hints enough and sabotage is also up his alley I'd be leery of going down said alley unless I wanted a shiny knife in the back.

Well, this is going to be interesting to put it mildly.

Chapter 3. COMPLETE!

Spoiler: chapter 3 review

Chapter 3 review

Considering it's got to be built to deal with mon and their attacks it makes sense that the gym would be ginormous... while dragons are huge an onyx, for example, could clock as bigger. I can imagine rule one is... no hyper beams straight up or you'll be on glass replacement duty for the rest of your lives...

I notice that a common trait for her guard dragons and for her parents to a degree is this enthusiasm for running Yuna over... verbally speaking. Nocturn in his odd quirky interests, Baz with his old-timey chivalry, her parents in their protectiveness. I'm guessing this is going to be an issue with her... and that it's been a long-running one at that. Perhaps flagrant extroversion is a dragon-type subtyping?

I think Noc' missed his calling as a chef he's super enthused with the cuisine and has clearly been taking notes...

Hm I wondered about the grovyle in the file and I suspect this is him.. a bit of a riddle-happy grim sort and that's going to go so well... granted most people would be a bit weirded out if you were wearing a stylized cadaver of an ancestor or something on your person and they noticed I while they were talking to you... so Yuna's mild freak-out's more than fair.

And mystery Grov' is digging... for what reason I wonder. Yuna's guesses seem fair but the lack of flagrant hostility (he's a troll more than a stalker here as he hasn't dug into anything super sensitive and he's feeling out her skill set rather than pounding on those weaknesses to knock her down) kinda points she's barking up the wrong tree... in the wrong forest...

Grov' pot call kettle...

I wager Grov's got "thief" on his skill set with his stealthing... wonder if he has any ties with a carpooling nickit... well that might be a bit too far afield... oh, not nikki... they're both doomed and Yuna's gotta know it too... It's an almost grim dark "i know you know I know...". I hope Yuna's got some antiacids to go with those sleep seeds of hers she's going to need it.

You know I'd be raising an eyebrow and point out that if Nikki doesn't care, and mystery Grov' doesn't care.. she could probably safely bail out though I doubt that's going to cross her mind... but if she pens that in a note and sends it home it might be proof later of dumbledragon's conniving nature.

So chiaki's business is none of her business... wonderful..

We interrupt your request for divine intervention by old flamethrowers and their machiavellian plots... please try again at a later time....

Huh wonder if douglas was meant to be their team leader before he got offed by the shadowification ninja mon earlier.. poor Cid if that's the case... also if it was kudos for making potential two facedness into a literal pun on a visual level.


In which Shimmer immediately sics the whole class and their parents on the unsuspecting dragon type...

Also, I like all the nods to the baseline game sword and shield I'm picking up...

So we're getting some proof positive that the cultist and his Ex. obsession wasn't all metaphorical, there is something either on her or about her that puts her in conflict with the energies... perhaps the either... used in the technology or performers of this region.. bare min. There was a hinting of it with Yuna's reaction to the light and the speaker before the performer came up.. but that happened in front of the masses after Shimmer's power play... yeah that's going to spell disaster at best and riot at worst.

Huh so our omens got enough of a punch to take a punch that plays against his type weakness and still cackle about it.. yeah that's going to go bad with the military... how they are being so blase before is kind of mind-boggling since they're getting mopped right now...

Chapter 4. COMPLETE

Spoiler: chapter 4 review

Yeah as accidents tend not to leave you spread into three different pastes due to overexposure from three elemental damages in a tri mile radius.... I don't blame parliament for not believing a thing they're being fed.

Well optimistically.

I mean I've seen some real royal idiots in my local government...

So I'm being optimistic that mon parliament has more than one collective brain cell and it isn't out to lunch.

I vote Yuna and Ash share a dream encounter where they get a fair chance to moan about their trouble-magnet status... Well, maybe couch's version since he's taken that crown and it flaunts it... but that's just my humble opinion...

I will give Vortex one adult point... skipping the whole "why don't you just psychic the evidence..." And it's a strong hinting that typeism isn't just dragon vs everyone else.

But then it's never everyone against one set of persons if history means anything....

I vote if Vortex ever does literally dig his own grave the shovel has to have "isolated incident" on the handle, engraved on the grip. I also call bids on beaning him with it.

Hm well if either is fairy-type personified as a dragon type she's gotta be allergic, bare min, right?

granted if they go to war I suppose the dragon nation is going to have to put up with the expectation that one platoon of enemy mon is going to be led by a glitz rock band leader...

Really Vortex is just plugging from the Natzi ran sanctions during their Olympic run... if she wins, it's going to be a history-echoed slap in his face that I vindictively hope pans out... even if the odds look really bad.


"fainted" might be the understatement of the century... did no one else see the psychedelic shadow dragon that split off of her or is it being kept that suppressed?

Hmm if she can't shift then she can't really dodge can she.. that's going to put another crimp on their team that they don't need.

Chia's I don't care line seems to be falling a bit flat when his go-to excuse is "yeah din't wanna flunk out before I could enter". The chiapets facade is holding up badly... And yes my nicknames are worse than nikkis.

Nah gender bent mon verse eddie munson nikki is not. Wow, say that five times fast.

Trade secret in competition anything usually boils down to

A) insane strategy no one else would ever think of.

B) cheating

C) I am a mole and will hold you down so you lose before me and I by default don't lose first.

My spider sense goes with cheating as not sharing jack means not sharing the illegal item and thus the blame or chance to squeel goes down.

Can nikki learn explosion? Because protect and ghost type might work well with that idea. And with the rules or all three must and most ghost being ectoplasm and unable to carry much, much less the comatose bodies of their co-athletes... Granted nikki making them carry him a bit cruel...

Well as long as she isn't getting in front of it and getting hit instead...

I have to admit I would trust bar' before noc' since the latter's a bit of a scatterbrain to put it nicely.

Hm it seems screamingly unfair that they paired friends like trouble clip-clop and his underling troope together but i guess unbiased and fair would be beyond dragonbore.

Yeah, Yuna is definitely not ok with the local power source...

You know if shes allergic it might explain the root cause of the base mon frictions. After all if you were to say get deathly sick... Siezurey at say every light bulb and pass put by every electric socket that could cause serious issues. And if it were more low-key.. Like mood imbalances for say long-term low-level exposure... Might explain some of the attitudes between the factions.

Oh, gods it's devolving into a pep rally. Excuse me my adolescent id is taking my adult self away for sanity preservation I will be back.. Eventually.

No this is Leon's spirit mon from another life... But only if cinderance flounces across that field.

You don't know Mr impatience clip clop Ms. Yuna. And for sanity's sake you probably don't want to. Prancy horse is giving off gaston/narcistic vibes.

And Tutor summed up so much wrong with the educational system in one line...

And so it begins... Nice cut-off point well I'll leave my response to the cliffhanger in its proper spot.

Chapter 5. Complete

Spoiler: chapter 5 review

Such love and care in the organization distortion's underlings' names. I half suspect there's going to be someone named something mildly pleasant and thats how you tell an executive/top cultist from the lesser of the herd.

So affirmed and confirmed needles are bad. We've had it affirmed three times each less subtly than the last.

Well, that was a half-hearted motive rant. Fix what I wonder? Turning the world to primordial goop really isn't constructive to rebuilding anything when you think about it.... Though since they all are masked and possibly shadowified how much they legit are thinking vs being thought through is a bit of a question.

He could toss a less powerful minion let them serve as bait and then either acquire more via ambush or just offing a weaker one and those sent to save them as a distraction later down the line.

So I wouldn't say worthless...

And if the control is only lost in the dungeon but re-established (or re-establishable out of it..) Insta spy plant.

The dragon heads remind me of Tiamat from dnd and she's not a benign force at all.. The rest is possible foreshadowing... Though the arm makes me think of eternatus.... or yami from the okami series...

The fact that Frauds turning a ten of spades seems like an invitation to dig your own hole deeper. Or perhaps a ten of swords substitute?

Three guesses as to which business is either hosting the first event or the last one for the crowne cup and the first two don't count...

While I get phantom sins is probably meant to be intimidating I gotta say Rime flying solo so long has left a hole in his nominative producing abilities. As phantoms are either not there or literally a trick of the light and thus have no weight...

Back to the kiddie battle. As nikki basically is breaking every rule they can get their hands on... Yeah, I am not surprised for them to have an op move. Also with Nikki being a bit of a scraper, it gives her more motivation her to be a bit higher leveled too.

Heh well at least yunas paying attention. Nikkis smugness may have lost them the competition. And no one said a word about dragging downed allies after you once you cross. Granted no one may have thought of that yet.

And of course mr. Paranoia was paranoid just enough to save everyone's bacon.

And yuna despite being perhaps the most innocent of her shady allies is also smart enough to know from her taste of typeism (racism? How would you term it?) That they really aren't safe despite nikkis bragacatto.

So boomburst plus punk nature equals insta death on the field... More than fair per its powers and that hints at either very powerful folks or illegal hacking...

Those arms speak of an extra player in the field and the mode of attack and immunities ring a bell for the attacked soldiers in the earlier chapters... I think the kiddie squad is going to be chewed up and spit out unless they book it and Nikki's not the type to bale.

Well, that;'s a way to meet a professor being caught red-handed... really you think nikki should have known better having experienced the ghost before.... though I imagine there's a hair of mercy being employed since Yuna has zero clue and it clearly showing it in spades. Granted like his humor his compassion needs some decades of work.. I mean really they're going to die of fright well Yuna might. Chi'pet seems a bit more sturdy.

chapter6. Complete!

Spoiler: chapter 6 review

I can see Noct utterly distracted by a lazer pointer with a rainbow setting... the man's a hair distractable at times. and I think this trait might bite him in his flaming tail if it isn't toned back some.

Though why Bar' and Noc' are taking orders from Vortex is a bit baffling I thought their obligation/superior was Yuna and Yuna's folks?

Laughs love how old chivalry lightning bolt is like "drugs? yeah, drugs?" as his first knee-jerk reaction to Vortex showing his real colors under the cheery front.

No Bar' don't ask you'll get misleading information since Vortex and Dem' couldn't keep their snark and fangs off of each other during that one-minute convo earlier... though how Noc got some rather basis less data is interesting. I await either Vortex's whole body shudder or barely suppressed explosion in five... four.. three...

or a light show... it could be a light show/teleport intro I guess. though how Dem is having issues when Rime is as well I wonder if distortion kills psychic effects... might be true if it is typed "dark" being chaos incarnate and psychics tend to be ordered and stuff...

And we got a culture clash instead... I imagine Siefer not knowing that part of his "heritage" is going to be a blow for Bar' I can feel the secondhand pain from here. Though considering Seifer just went through heck and back last chapter I feel a tiny bit sympathetic for his briskness...

And after that slap down and insult I take it back. No empathy points for the critter... just low-grade irritation... even a "subject closed" would have been kinder and more diplomatic. how long ago was that last conflict between the two of them? Because hostility this raw and overt seem like the last war between them had to have been a generation ago max.


love how Dem' all like "I can be diplomatic, smooth ruffled scales, and stab someone in one set of lines..." and Vortex's response is to oh so suavely... sulk. then rudely poke someone on his way out to build himself up again because he's that much a petty backbiter.

(out of curiosity did any of the other readers even like Vortex? it feels like there should be a club for sentiments going the other direction)

or maybe Noc's saint's kindness skipped a few generations, it'd been known to happen.

So distorted mon particularly this snorlax kinda put me to mind of a horror-inspired terastalisation? I kinda wonder if all the "bad" guys are going to be warped into facsimiles of old/new game mechanics with a bit of a horror spin attached. If so the possibilities are varied and I shudder at what z moves are going to look like.

I'm with garchomp, focus on the hole in the plan, and do not ignore the water/mystery dungeon/monsters rushing in...

We'll see how that goes down probably next chapter from the perspective swap back to Mr Rime.

Um, I wouldn't be bragging on that "pot" too much considering.. though how did they break in yet again we're they jailed?

Never mind that explanation definitely holds water...

Lovely how they get told to their faces they're going to be mince meated. I would still check their pockets for school goods and their personal goods though before sending them anywhere... Car's the type...

chapter 7. COMPLETE

Spoiler: chapter 7 review

Chapter 7: Grim and Bear It

Huh well she gets to experience medical from the other side... I suspect the new stuff is either based if she has a reaction my hypothesis will be affirmed... so dragon nation uses more holistic healing where anti-dragon factions very... western. Fun... Though I imagine the usual tests for BP and the like would be kinda moot on a ghost type... I can see her sitting on a number of "what's this do" "whys this like that"... I'm a little surprised she's keeping that locked in and wonder with her earlier aspirations of "learn everything" if she isn't going to cram a few medical classes in where she can to get those answers.

so out of curiosity how does feral work in this 'verse? Because one mon owning another is... morally dodgy at best.. and reeks of slavery at worst. Also since we've got proof up to and including the "trainer" mon that mon can be brought up to civilized levels... how does ferality even work? Some form of mental disease/disorder/side effect of blunt head trauma... and if so that sorta makes the whole training thing a lot worse all of a sudden? I'm hoping you'll expand on that at some point.

In which Cia' realized and dies on the inside for realizing it... that Yuna is so sheltered or dragon culture is so old, that they don't have the same baseline for non-hetero sexual relationships and someone's going to have to explain. Preferably before Nikki does and puts all sorts of ideas in Yuna's head for giggles. If Venga was a mind reader... or at least very skilled at body language and the rather base slant of the average adolescent mind he might of had a hunch things were going to go this way... that'd add a bit of speed to his exit I'm sure.

Well despite being literally archaic Bar's soothed some concerns about the Dragon's being bigited in that format...

Hmm so Venga's got quite the rumor mill and perchance for "accidents".

And now we know why there's a garchomp knocking around.. so the "business" is noble based, bare minimum... more than Nikki's getting an examination than isn't she?

And of course, the nidoking's a roundabout shout out to Giovanni's Japanese/Manga verse name... I'm surprised this "interpretation" is so tame seeming at first glance.

I suspect that's not going to hold at a second glance but call me paranoid.
No Bar', do not encourage the snarky sarcastic poison type to give life lessons... it's not going to go well.. not for anyone.


I suspect Yuna's first-day with proper student duties" are going to go badly, especially with the setting and companion she's with. and the teacher, let's not forget mr grim and dark here...

While the formatting is interesting it's going to leave poor Yuna in the dust since she's so new she's probably not going to know how the processes work... and everyone present is probably going to be staring at the ceiling wondering if V's curse is going to kick in even though it's a pseudo trial the night before and possibly after their first run prosecuting and/or defending.

Also using live cases Yuna's got a point as it borders on cruel and unusual, especially if Venga's curse actually kicks in, then the kiddies are going to be dealing with the horror of survivor's guilt on top of finals/academia stresses.

Then you got her partner and I kinda wanna nip on her anti-anxiety/acid stash because sheesh... Working with mr. Shimmer stick up his hindquarters is going to be a nightmare.

chapter 8. COMPLETE

Spoiler: chapter 8 review

Chapter 8: All That Shimmers is Gold

Yuna is having so much preformance anxiety... so much.... I'm feeling her pains and getting sympathy gitters...

The fact she's sinking down to hunt down people that are still baseline hostile towards her.. ouch... granted her present company is worse... I fear either hazing, grilling or racism, or all three at this point.

Unfortunately, I worry that if the "no synthetic" thing gets out too far people are going to whip up horrifying tales about mass murder or something, some of these antagonistic souls seem base enough for it.

Yeah consdiering how well "don't worry" went last time and Venga is notorious for slapping down those seeking to influence things with thier power I see a small army of elephants moseying through Shimmers assurance,.. and the first one's named "common sense".

And with Shimmer knowing one of the parties involved... yeah I believe the second elephant is named "Conflict of interest" and it's got bells and a whistle on...

considering the prince is a horse I love how that saying gets a double-edged quality neatly surpassing its status as cliche by hinting about it...

Honestly, I'd be putting the trial on the bottom of the worry pile and focusing on the global state more or less...

Granted a knife to the gut is pretty darn bad... huh well Yuna's getting a glimpse into Shimmers character, guilded by assumptions and refusing to even get to the truth, winning at any cost. I mean probably standard for the field but really he's a sea of red flags.

huh so Nikki (if telling the truth) was pulling a harder gambit to defraud the established power... if he'd succeeded that would have gone bad. And it does make sense for him to cheat since he expects everything to be easy peasy and sets things up to do so.. and is only getting thwarted by one untouchable source (venga) it seems. I don't know if Nikki's reasoning puts her as brave or incredibly stupid.

Though fessing in front of Venga's talonflame's also a type of stupid too. hopefully, it isn't near a recording device and trained to tap it...

oh no... yuna no, nope ouy, do not...
she did... oh boy... bad life choice there.

Although the choice of game show is rather funny... even if it's not ah... accidental.

Well, if taken at first glance Nikki's words probably are the most honest and candid... hopefully Yuna figures that out before things get worse and that her reality check's a gentle one

With her luck I suspect it's not.

And again with Noc' and the cooking, the dragon needs to retire and open a chief's joint perhaps after he's done. Hey if he can't get state secrets he can get cooking skills and expand the Aeon's cultural cuisine bare minimum.

chapter 9. COMPLETE

Spoiler: chapter 9 review

Chapter 9: Dude, What a Trip!

My inner adolescent is going "yes it was shaken down to the last cookie and sweet. We had to do some in-depth sampling... to make sure there were no primordial/distortion contaminants, but all the used ovens and cookware checked out clean. You'll be getting a summary/review/"pay me now" forum at the appropriate time and I'll be filing for extra credit on my taxes for my "brave" risk to life and limb."

I imagine Siefer would have hated me very much.

and if it failed once then known sciences probably aren't keeping this wavelength out. perhaps a time to announce a "recess" for maintenance of the field... or a "plumbing" issue if you don't want to be candid?

Of course not...

He's just going to dig in deeper and per greek mythology, you don't want to hinge anything based off of Icarus unless you were running a barbeque. AND only a morbid one of flying types/birds.

Seriously Vortex has probably got the 'mon version of nuclear power up his sleeve and since eiher's bad enough on its own (as it seems probable to kill a segment of a population/dragon types) he's going to keep harping until everything fails then try to whip out his new fangled thing and wonder why everything dissolving form the fall out at the rate he's going.

I wondered at Arianna's culpability... training Vortex against psychic types... yeah that's pretty red-handed.

yeah until collection/compost update day rolls around and the trash ect is left to build up... still it's a fit analogy all things considered..

Well, Noct' is kinda scattered mother hen sort so its a fair mistake... Granted Noc' was nicer than most parent figures in fiction I can imagine many of them getting her up a heck of a lot earlier than he did.

I suppose Nikki might be looking for entertainment... and Yuna's in grabbing range so why not. Well, at least it's not likely to be a plasma voice amplification stick that'd be bad for Yuna.

And for Noct now that I think about it... though I'm surprised the dragon hasn't shoveled his own head in thier for kicks, he seems the type to do it anyway... I can imagine Seifer losing his mind if Noct actually did so though.... hm so her upbringing is making this a bit of a warning sign, wonder if the locals will recognize it as such...

You know with how she folds and crinkles not being totally solid would Yuna literally fold up in a literally cringe moment? I suspect her question might lead to that being answered... though yeah, why is a rapidash being rep'ed by a dog.. I can only imagine the conversation at the genealogical slant over the table if Shimmer was a literal ancestor...

Huh either Cid to the rescue or Cid playing a hand of his own. wonder how it'll go...

Alright so I'm curious how something so low-brow seeming corv knight would get along with mr. grim teacher... their relationship must be interesting and perhaps a less toxic version of Ariana and Vortex's own dynamic....

Now the last time this happened Yuna got blitzed by ether and spooky dark matter stuff happened.. I wonder if this is a relapse or an attack. and if it's tied to discussing mystery dungeon matters if she gets stuck in one she's in so much trouble. With a possible chance of literally imploding.

Yeah Nikki needs to learn how to lie a little bit better... Chia' tossing his companion under the bus to save his own bacon might work, might not... even odds. Through Nikki's follow up line of getting away from "the swell" well I could get behind that. and preferably behind because getting in front would lead to having to dodge the boulder a la Indiana jones.

oh boy evil cackling.. I suspect a cultist.

Wow, Yuna rolled a one on perception and luck at the same time....

seems normal at this point. Really the Couch Ash and your Yuna having that meeting/support group seem a good idea at this point...

Though Chia's ah loss of limb and the lack of reaction definitely were not.. I'm hoping it's a prosthetic at this point.

huh, so it seems either her talisman is allowing her to twist things about to make an attack or the suggestion of Nat's power is enough or she just leveled up per stress. Per the blackout, I suspect it's the other two options but I suppose other chapters will reveal it later down the line.

So overall I found this fic a fun ride. Part romp through expected troupes and part subversion of them. The many many call outs to the grene, games, and systems that have hosted the mon series were fun to find (though I missed a ton I'm sure), the cast is relatable, and understandable, even if the main pov character still hasn't quite put together a clue yet. Thanks for sharing and I'll drop lines with the other chapters.. though at a saner pace...

Till next review

KS

 

[Arukona]

Right. Didn’t read the most recent chapter upon its release, but what better time to get caught up than the Review Blitz?

(And as a certain blue horned alien said: “You scratch our back? We’ll scratch yours!”)

My thoughts forthcoming.

—

Chapter 51 Review

So Dragapult don’t think infants are the ideal ammunition in this world? For the better - the image of Yuna being yeeted at enemies by her mom is a tad unnerving.

And in recent times, thanks to the anime, we have seen how dangerous this can be for the Dreepy:





Yeah. Definitely for the better that Yuna didn't spend her childhood as a living projectile.

I love the interaction between Igneous and Yiazmat. Particularly this part:

["Stay close to me and follow my directions. Got it?"

"As long as you're polite with those directions, dearie," Yiazmat replied, an eerily sweet smile on her face.

A chill ran down Igneous' spine. Is she really Yuna's mom?]

Heh, don’t mess with Yiazmat. (Yuna probably won’t be the same when she herself becomes a Dragapult, whenever that happens.)

The voices in Igneous’ head telling him to side with Eternatus makes me wonder if we’ll have an arc later on where he’s overcome by the sensations of his new state and becomes brainwashed, forcing Yuna and co. to face off against him.

[Hell yeah! Eat my giant justice laser!]

The comedy of the villains strikes again. I laughed out loud at this. Good job!

The italicised parts are a source of intrigue, describing an Espeon melting into a pink cloud rider (Enamorus, if I had to guess), and a starry, oversized Crobat (Lunala, I realise as I’m writing this). I’m guessing they’re flashbacks to a time when Necrozma was still around.

The scene where Yuna and co. join the fray is exciting. Just one slight nitpick, though - twice in the same paragraph, we see “a gout of fire” and “a gout of Blue Flare.” Feel like one of these could’ve used a different description.

I love the shade thrown at Reshiram with the ‘Crotch Fuzz’ nickname. More embarrassment for ol’ Resh, and good banter between him, Gene and Nikki.

I also love the goofiness of the visible sound effects. Even in this rather serious scene where the party is under fire, there’s still that humorous edge to it all.

Also, seems Zygarde is Yuna’s next ally? Cool. Wonder what they’ll be like.

The last scene with Necrozma is another source of intrigue. This is probably the most villainous we’ve seen him, the way he’s depicted as being covered in shadows, and reclaiming what’s rightfully his all scream ‘villain’. But given that Eternatus also seems to be a major villain, who will become the greater scope villain in the end? Both seem larger-than-life villainous figures. Will Yuna end up having to fight them both? And how will he come back, if he does?

All intriguing mysteries to be resolved in time, and that in turn makes me excited for what’s coming next. Another excellent chapter, Amby; keep up the good work!

 

[Ambyssin]

Chapter 52: Ordo Totalis​

"I've brought it up before, but in light of those complaints you got yesterday, I think it's worth revisiting."

Chiron sat against a tree, red eyes fixed on the setting sun in the distance. Leo slumbered in the lunala's curled up, crescent moon tail. She gently draped her right wing over the cosmog.

A flicker of gold light drew her attention right, where Bahamut coiled around a large boulder, tapping his right upper wing against it in irritation. "It's about Zygarde, isn't it?"

"Ever the astute psychic," Chiron teased, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Bahamut's rainbow eyes bubbled with red and orange. "His work is instrumental in maintaining order. He's a big reason why Sages can intervene before things escalate."

"It might be important, but it's wrong." Chiron had to keep her voice steady to avoid disturbing Leo's slumber. "Zygarde's power is remarkable, yes, but splitting him into his cells to monitor every corner of the planet is... an invasion of privacy."

"It's a necessary precaution," Bahamut countered. "For the safety of—"

Chiron frowned. "If you really love this world and want it to flourish, then you have to trust the people living here and let them live their lives without wondering if they're being watched." She was dancing around the issue as best she could. The lunala didn't want to compare Zygarde to Matriarch and her type: full army out loud. Her husband had good intentions, but his past experiences clouded them.

"How did you even know to create Zygarde in the first place?" she wondered. Eternatus had absorbed planets with them in the past, but she couldn't recall if Bahamut visited any of them. "Earth was the planet you spent the longest on and it didn't—"

Bahamut tensed. "I can't answer that."

"You can't answer?" Chiron tilted her head. "Or you won't?"

The light dragon dimmed. "I—" His rainbow eyes swirled around like small twisters. After a protracted silence, Bahamut whispered, "It's complicated."

Chiron wanted to float over to him but still had Leo wrapped in her tail. She instead opened a tiny wormhole and stuck her head into it. Her head appeared at Bahamut's side and brushed his gold, crystal cheek. "We made vows, remember? I'll never turn my back on you. If it's a secret... you can trust me with it."

"I want to," Bahamut said. "But what if something happens to you? This secret... can't afford to get out."

Chiron pondered that for a second. Then it clicked. "It's something about Chakran, right? You said you spent a long time there."

Bahamut's light rippled. Chiron knew she hit her mark. He sighed. "Yes. There were numerous zygarde on Chakran. They were part of the Overseers."

"Overseers?" Chiron pulled her head back through the wormhole and cautiously pet Leo's forehead.

"A group that is, essentially, the eyes of all worlds," Bahamut explained. "They watch over the omniverse to maintain its stability."

"Omniverse?" Chiron sucked in a sharp breath. There really were other universes out there, then. She couldn't fault Bahamut's caution. If Matriarch ever learned of that... there was no telling the consequences.

"I actually asked them to deal with Eternatus," Bahamut admitted. "They refused... and abandoned the planet — and our universe — instead."

"I see." Chiron looked down at Leo. The cosmog still slumbered peacefully, his pom-pom arms glowing and dimming with every breath he took. "Why would you use your light to craft zygarde Sages, then? Isn't it just a painful reminder of your time on Chakran?"

"Perhaps. But, again, I saw their zygarde in action," Bahamut replied, lowering his head onto the top of the rock. "Splitting themselves into cells to observe a hundred places at once. A powerful tool."

"Powerful, but unsettling," Chiron countered. She gestured with her left wing. "Try to look at it from a different perspective. How would you feel if you learned that someone was constantly spying on your every move?"

Bahamut didn't respond at first. The rippling through his body and wings told Chiron enough, however. He clenched his jaw and looked away. "I suppose... I'd feel hurt. Upset."

Chiron offered a small smile. "Like some of the sermon attendees, perhaps?"

A loud sigh. Bahamut lowered his head onto the rock again. "Yes, you're right. As usual. I'm too reckless and paranoid."

"I didn't say that," Chiron cut in. "There's no need to beat yourself up over this."

"Then what do you suggest?" Pleading greens and yellows pooled in Bahamut's eyes.

"Perhaps you should scale back Zygarde's duties," Chiron offered. "Gradually, if it will ease your mind. And then, in the future..." Her voice trailed off as she twirled a tiny claw around in the circle.

"... Zygarde should be the last Sage of Order," Bahamut whispered.

"Read my mind again, I see." Chiron chuckled. "I love it when you're in sync with me."

Bahamut's body and eyes reddened. "Yes, well... perhaps it is for the best. After all, I'm getting old." He rolled off the rock and onto the grass, looking up at the sky. "I have to start trusting the world to keep turning without me."

"Wise words." Chiron bobbed her head. "But you'll hang on until Leo's all grown up, right?"

At that, Bahamut laughed. "Which of us called me stubborn to a fault, again?"

XxX​

"... na! Yu... ere?"

The drakloak heard... someone. But the ringing in her ears and the stars in her vision were too loud and too bright. She sucked in a sharp breath, furiously rubbing her eyes and begging the light to fade.

Why a vision now? She hadn't pulled a Needle! Her Soul Dew couldn't have reacted to the Seekerskorch, else she would've conked out right when she saw it.

Did that mean...

"Princess, are you okay? Yuna, please answer me!"

She finally picked up on Noctum's voice. The black charizard picked her up off the ground and cradled her in his arms. Relief flooded his face when Yuna made proper eye contact. "Oh, thank God. Are you hurt?"

Arms trembling, Yuna grabbed his right shoulder. "N... Needle..."

"Hmm?" Noctum frowned. "Do you think a Needle's nearby?"

"No. I—" She took a few breaths to steady herself. "A Needle got pulled. By someone else." Yuna squeezed her eyes shut. "Someone else is pulling Needles!"

"Are you serious?" Valkyrie growled. Yuna couldn't see the garchomp.

"I'm sure." Yuna managed to collect herself enough to float out of Noctum's grasp. "Every Needle I've pulled so far, I've had a... vision from the past about the Sage sealed inside. And I just had one where Bahamut was talking with his wife about Zygarde."

Thunderous explosions rang out. Bright blue fireballs filled up the sky. Meeping, Yuna darted away from Noctum and Valkyrie on reflex.

"Tch." Valkyrie kicked up some grass and dirt. "There's no point discussing this here. Either you rejoin the fight or rift yourself over to Venish and then Bogdan. You're a liability like this."

"Valkyrie," Noctum growled, purple tail flame sparking.

The garchomp bit her lip. "Sorry. Gene's just struggling to redirect any of that bolt bucket's attacks. Even with half the mech trashed, too many things are happening at once."

Yuna looked down guiltily. "I tried to do that... but my rifts are too small to swallow up its attacks." She looked up and saw Reshiram struggling to escape a dozen web missiles. Though he shot bright blue Dragon Pulses and Nikki hurled poisonous globs from her fingers, they weren't enough to stop the missiles.

"I can't leave." The drakloak flew to Noctum's side. "Reshiram would disappear with me. I'm not doing that to Nikki."

"Oh, right. Good point." Valkyrie stomped up to Noctum. "Guess we'd better get back to it." She hopped onto the black charizard's back. "Onward, less-than-noble steed!" Valkyrie shouted, kicking Noctum's rear.

"Yow! Hey!" His Malice Crystal and tail flame sparked. "Rude!"

XxX​

Igneous had opted to fall back and relocate Scarlett and Yiazmat, which didn't prove challenging. The two of them had found their way to the baccer stadium and, apparently, offered to help the Radiant Guard with crowd control as they got people to evacuate. A fairy rapidash officer had proposed summoning flying taxis to get people away from the area, but the constant appearance of the mystery barrier to ward off any attacks was enough to get him to hold off on the order.

Though the grovlazzle had no idea how long the barrier would hold, it soon stopped being an issue. An explosion rocked the sky and half the robot broke apart and plummeted to the ground. After that, it solely focused on its airborne assailants. But that didn't stop the sky from filling with a bevy of orange and blue explosions.

"The brigade captain said everyone's outside the stadium," Scarlett said, gliding in for a landing beside Igneous, whose gaze remained fixed in the distance. "Um, is everything okay?"

"Whoever's fighting that thing isn't making any more progress," Igneous said, arms crossed and right foot tapping the paved ground impatiently. "It's shooting a whole bunch of attacks that can track them."

[You really think I will let you turn my attacks against me? As if!] the pilot said. [I am just getting started!]

More orange cones filled the skies. The grovlazzle could barely make out who was actually fighting the machine anymore, losing them amidst orange explosions and red smoke. "If there's nothing else for me to do here, then I should try to help them."

"Are you crazy?" Scarlett gasped. "Even with whatever creepy powers let you fly and light stuff on fire, you can't stand up to that."

"What would you rather me do?" Igneous growled, whirling on Scarlett. "Stand here gawking like all of them." He gestured behind them both, to the fairy rapidash from before and a much larger granbull whose magenta uniform had several bars and badges on it.

"Only fools charge in when defeat is a certainty," Yiazmat chided, hovering toward the duo. "Warriors know their limits and plan accordingly."

"Tch. That another Aeonism?" Igneous scoffed.

"One of Saint Urshifu's teachings," Yiazmat said. "We all saw half that machine break apart. Whoever's already there is clearly operating with more information than we have. If any of us try to approach, we may become a liability for our unknown allies."

More explosions thundered behind them. Igneous turned around, biting his lower lip. The giant robot wasn't going down. How could it keep firing so many attacks without having to recharge or anything? It was totally ridiculous.

"Igneous," Yiazmat growled. "Do not go charging off again."

The grovlazzle's claws balled into fists. "I think I know who's fighting that battleship and I'm not turning my back on them."

Yiazmat raised a brow, but then her eyes slowly widened. "Wait. What are you implying?"

On the one hand, Igneous was glad the dragpult caught on quickly. On the other hand, Yiazmat catching on meant he had to come clean about Yuna. Something he was pretty sure she wouldn't want anyone to do, least of all to her mother.

Igneous curled and uncurled his claws. "It's Yuna and Noctum. They're part of that group in the sky."

That one got a reaction from Yiazmat. Her tail whipped at the air. Scarlett tensed. "How do you know that?"

"Because she's already fought multiple battles inside of World Ender," Igneous hastily responded. "Some of which I was there for."

"What?" Yiazmat blinked several times. "You... and Yuna... but..." Her eyes darted around. "She can't really defend herself! Why?!" The dragapult looked up in horror. "Oh, God. Yuna!" Yiazmat looked ready to bolt.

"Whoa, hang on." Scarlett waved her tail in front of Yiazmat's face. "What happened to warriors planning accordingly?"

Yiazmat's horns bristled with dragonfire. Scarlett shrank back. "I know what I said," Yiazmat growled. "But if that's really my daughter up there, I can't leave her fending for herself."

"She's not alone," Igneous said, resisting the temptation for a snide remark about her sudden attitude shift. "There are a lot of powerful pokémon with her." He wasn't about to say she was carrying a few Sages around with her. That would really set the dragpult off.

"Still. I want to support her." Yiazmat balled up her fists. "But not even Cosmic Blessing can deal with something that big."

Another flurry of orange explosions lit up the sky.

XxX​

"Agggggh!"

Yuna pinwheeled through the air, covered in even more webbing than before. It was getting hard to move her body the way she wanted. She looked down at her Soul Dew. "C'mon, stupid shadow wing thingies! You've shown up every other time our backs are against the wall. Do something!"

"Princess, from above!" Noctum cried.

The drakloak looked up and shrieked. She shot toward the ground, but the heat behind her grew stronger. Was the attack getting closer? No, it was a second web missile joining the one already giving chase to her.

"I can't get a good opening," Gene hissed, but Yuna wasn't sure from where.

[And it will stay that way until you rebels surrender!] the pilot said.

XxX​

"Well?" Igneous looked at Yiazmat. "Do we have a plan or not?"

Yiazmat turned to Scarlett. "It's up to you."

"Me?" The dragonair pointed her tail at her head. "Oh no. I haven't fought a battle in... in..."

"Not to fight," Yiazmat drifted closer. "That siren song of yours. You have to put it to use to help them." She pointed back toward the battle with her tail.

"H-Huh?" Scarlett shrank back. "I—" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "I've never tried to direct my songs toward specific people. I'm not even sure it would work like that! I could end up powering up the battleship... or whipping the crowd back there into a frenzy!"

More explosions bathed the sky in blue and orange. The crowd several meters away grew more restless.

"Try it anyway," Yiazmat ordered. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Scarlett looked down at the ground. "I can't," she whispered. "Not after last time."

Igneous squinted. In the distance, he saw Nikki clinging to Reshiram for dear life as he flew midair loops to get two fireballs to crash into each other.

"Then don't do it for our sakes," the grovlazzle said. "Do it for Nikki's."

The dragonair stiffened. "What did you just say?"

"Nikki's up there, too!" Igneous jerked his head in the machine's direction. "Fighting for her life... because she wants to see you again." He pointed a claw at Scarlett's cloak-covered torso. "She doesn't know the truth yet. She still believes you're like a sister to her."

He let those words hang in the air. Scarlett's eyes darted around. She opened and closed her mouth several times. Whatever Igneous thought she'd say, she couldn't muster it.

The grovlazzle was going to continue when Scarlett finally whispered, "She really said that?"

"Yes." Igneous stepped toward Scarlett. "The whole reason she came to Horizon was because she was worried about you. She knows you're a good person at heart. Now you have a chance to prove her right. And show your Dynamuse can be used for good."

Scarlett trembled underneath her tattered cloak. More explosions thundered in the distance. Wincing, the dragonair slithered forward.

"Okay! I... I'll try."

She looked over her shoulder again. "Um... I can move farther away from them, right? I don't want anyone to see."

Igneous nodded. He and Yiazmat formed a wall of sorts, blocking Scarlett from seeing the crowd. They moved forward cautiously. Most of the attacks remained in the air, but a few stray fireballs struck trees and dirt mounds in the distance, setting them ablaze.

"Do it for Nikki. Do it for Nikki."

Igneous didn't respond to Scarlett's whispers. She was trying to psych herself up. They were asking a lot of her. Unfairly so, now that Igneous chewed on it longer. Scarlett had been through a lot. Maybe I should say something different to her?

The grovlazzle hesitantly stepped toward Scarlett, whose head was bowed. Before Igneous could say anything, however, the dragonair's neck bauble glowed bright pink. A burst of pink light erupted from Scarlett. Igneous stumbled back in a daze, eyes screwed shut.

"What the... you summoned Starlene?!"

"Starlene?" Yiazmat's voice was full of awe. "No. It's... it's Saint Latias!"

XxX​

"Reshiram!" Yuna cried, corkscrewing away from a web missile that blew up not too far behind her. "Get Nikki to Jade!" She brushed her hand over the Soul Dew, whose glow had faded. "Someone cover them!"

Gene zipped over, whipping up a Hurricane. The intense winds proved enough to turn away a pair of web missiles and let Nikki hop safely onto Gene's back. However, the salugia squawked and suddenly lost altitude. Gene pointed his right hand down and caught her.

"It's no good. Birdbrain ain't used to having a passenger," Gene called back. "I'm grounding you two."

"What?! But we need the extra help!" Valkyrie growled.

"This isn't up for debate," Gene hissed, opening a rift underneath him and dropping Jade and Nikki straight through it.

"Then we need a new plan," Valkyrie hissed. She and Noctum rolled right. A web missile sailed past and Gene vaporized it with a burst of psychic energy before it could loop around and follow them.

The garchomp was right, though. Making the Seekerskorch smaller made it harder to get close and try anything. They couldn't keep dodging these seemingly endless volleys.

[How is this for a plan? You give up now, and your evil flunkies can get rehabilitated!] the pilot declared, before another volley of fireballs lit up the sky.

XxX​

Paradox almost slammed his headset down on his desk. "What are you blabbering about, fool?! There's no rehabilitation. They're monsters. Destroy them!"

Sticky winced. How was calling his son a fool supposed to keep him following orders?

XxX​

"Gene, this is hopeless!" Yuna flew after the mewtwo to stay clear of all the homing fireballs. "I'm tapped out. Your redirecting plan failed. We can't get close to the Seekerskorch." Her shoulders sagged. "How are we supposed to get out of this?"

"I'm thinking!" Gene hissed. "You eggheads are welcome to butt in anytime, by the way!"

"I wish I had something, but I'm lost, too," Cid said. "The Seekerskorch must have some sort of mechanism to prevent overheating. It's the only explanation I can think of for why it can unleash so many attacks without that happening."

"Delightful!" Gene's voice brimmed with mock enthusiasm.

Yuna was ready to give the mewtwo another earful when a bright crimson light erupted in the distance. "Oh, now what?!" She gripped the sides of her rectangular head.

"Dost thou not hear it?" Rayquaza asked. "Music! Of the, err, guitar variety, I believe? That is what Miss Nikki called it, correct?"

"What?" Yuna looked around. "I don't hear any—"

"Let my song... give you strength!"

"Eek!" Yuna's torso retreated into her head. That voice wasn't familiar, but it was in her head like the Sages'. "What's going on?" She looked at Gene, but the mewtwo was fixated on the crimson light in the distance.

"You hear it too, don't you?" he mumbled.

"Don't ignore the writing on the wall, yeaaaah
It's up to you, you can't let it fall
We've come too far
We're on the cusp
So don't back down
Keep the pressure on!"

Up ahead, the Seekerskorch unleashed a fresh volley of flaming web missiles. This time, however, it brought its head around to charge up another monstrous Hyper Beam in its open mouth.

"Gene! Move!" Yuna shouted. When she flew away, it was faster than she thought possible as a drakloak. It didn't make sense, wasn't she supposed to be exhausted?

"We're not gonna fade away and
Become a footnote in history.
Our hearts beating together as one
Fangs and claws ready and waiting to take you down!"

The Hyper Beam filled the crimson sky with brilliant blue... only for surging purple to split right through it.

Yuna blinked and rubbed her eyes.

No, she wasn't imagining it. A bulkier Gene with longer limbs and a Malice Crystal in each shoulder surged through the Hyper Beam, a barrier of psychic energy in front of him.

[Huh?! What the—]

"To take— to take you down!
To take— to take you dooooo-oooooo-oooown!
To take you down!"

The transformed mewtwo kept up his charge until he forced the Hyper Beam back on its attacker. The Seekerskorch flailed about in midair. Huge chunks of its face plates burst off, tumbling to the ground as flaming debris.

XxX​

"Whoa!" Jade's jaw slackened. "Did you see that?! The weird kitty got big! And grew another crystal!" She had her hands cupped over her eyes.

Nikki wasn't paying attention, however. She stared at red and white light in the distance, blinking slowly.

Spoiler

Nikki by @Chibi Pika, gifted by @Virgil134 and @Spiteful Murkrow

"That song," she whispered, looking down at her gills.

"Time ticks away like grains of sand
Our lives sealed, cruel fate slips right through our hands"

"I... I know this song!" Nikki instinctively thrust her hands out. Her lightning guitar appeared in a burst of yellow and pink. "Scarlett and I made it! She'd sing it during battle clubs in Blightsmuth while I played guitar!"

"We'll stare fate back in its ugly face, screaming our creed:
'You won't forget me! You won't forget me!'"

Before Nikki even realized it, she was moving her hands across her lightning guitar as if she was playing a real one.

She wasn't standing in a field anymore, but sitting on a stack of cardboard boxes against a grimy brick wall. Nikki held a small pink guitar in her tiny toxel hands, slowly strumming chords while an obstagoon deflected an attack from an scrafty with an X-shaped barrier. Several other dark-types whooped and thumped their limbs, cheering the name Shredder.

Beside Nikki, a dratini wriggled in delight, belting out lyrics while waving a tattered, black and white flag with her tiny tail.

Snapping back to the present, Nikki spoke without realizing it. "We're gonna be strong like him one day, right, sis?"

XxX​

"What is the meaning of this?!" Paradox darted back and forth in front of his monitor array. "Where's the footage? Why have we lost our signals?!" He whirled on Sticky. "Answer me!"

The nagandel looked down at his own console, which was a mess of static. "I... I don't know, sir. There appears to be some sort of interference."

"I can see that, you blithering numbskull!" Paradox gripped his headset tightly with his right tentacles. "W1-DG3T, status report... now!"

XxX​

Gene was a purple bullet darting around the Seekerskorch, leaving smoldering dents behind on its metallic exoskeleton.

[No! Stop! This is impossible!] Every attempt the pilot made at striking Gene with an attack from one of the remaining cannons ended with the cannon cleaved off the Seekerskorch by Gene's psychic spoon. [Y... you are the bad guy! You are not allowed to win! I have to stop you! I have to save the universe!]

Yuna's gut squirmed, but it wasn't a bad feeling. More like... something or someone calling out to her from within.

"We're not gonna fade away and
Become a footnote in history.
All this spite grows inside of us
These memories we'll throw back at you—"

The drakloak darted toward the Seekeskorch as it coiled around Gene. Its body glowed. It was clearly up to something and she needed to stop it. Even if a small voice was telling her to turn back. Even though her rational self knew that was a bad idea.

She could do this! She could make a difference!

"Cuz we are the ones
Who shape our destiny
Fighting to be free
We'll claim victory!"

Yuna punched the air with her right arm. A giant gray leg appeared in front of her and stamped the Seekerskorch. Mechanical screeching filled the air.

She punched again. Another giant gray leg appeared, denting one of the Seekerskorch's segments.

With a loud roar, Yuna kept punching. More and more gray legs pummeled the Seekerskorch's exoskeleton... until its segments began to break apart.

[No... no! I cannot— I must not— I— Father!]

XxX​

"Still no response. Still no signal," Sticky reported, frantically typing at his keyboard. The console monitor suddenly sparked. Yelping, the nagandel barely managed to duck in time to avoid shrapnel as his monitor shattered and a flurry of sparks raced across the room.

"That's enough!" Paradox removed his headset and held it in front of his face like it was a living thing he intended to strangle. "Computer, execute Type: Zodiark 0.0.1 self-destruct sequence!"

[Command acknowledged,] a feminine voice responded. [Password?]

Paradox's right eye twitched. He gripped the headset even tighter. "Why do I need a password? I'm the emperor! How about I just obliterate you instead?!"

[Password accepted. Initializing self-destruct sequence.]

XxX​

"Something's happening, Gene!" Yuna cried, noticing the Seekerskorch's head segment glowing while the rest of them fell to the ground in a massive, flaming wreckage.

"Way ahead of you!" the mewtwo responded, surging in front of the Seekerskorch's head. "Sorry, kid, but the real good guys are coming out on top this time."

He pointed his arm forward and a giant pink energy beam. It shattered the top of the Seekerskorch.

"I see the pilot!" Cid cried. "It's... Xeromus?!"

"What?!" Yuna shot forward. A purple and red blur fell toward the ground, faster than she could fly.

"No, wait, it's not quite the same. There's no mask or cloak," Cid said. "But whoever they are, they're falling fast!"

"I can see that!" Sucking in a sharp breath, Yuna instinctively stuck her right hand out. A giant, shadowy wing appeared and caught the falling pilot between three red spikes.

XxX​

"Okay, stop! Stop!" Igneous sprinted toward Scarlett and the spectral latias hovering above her. "It's over! You can stop!"

Scarlett and Latias turned to Igneous in unison. The latter evaporated in red and white mist. Igneous saw Scarlett's eyes rolling back in her head and dove forward, barely catching her before she would've struck the ground.

The dragonair blinked blearily. "D... did I do good?" she whispered.

"More than good." Igneous nodded slowly. "You did great."

As her eyes closed, a smile spread over Scarlett's face.

A sudden gust brushed the grovlazzle's backside. By the time he turned around, Yiazmat was already halfway toward the wreckage.

XxX​

Paradox stared at his static-filled monitors, still gripping the headset. "Well? What happened? Sticky, give me something!"

The naganadel had nothing. His computer was a smoldering wreck. "Sir, my terminal is—"

"I don't want excuses," the deoxys hissed. Paradox looked at the ceiling. "Computer? Status on the self-destruct sequence?"

[Loading. Loading. Please stand by.]

Paradox was ready to throw his headset at the ceiling.

[Self-destruct sequence completed successfully, Your Excellency.]

Silence. After a solid minute, Paradox turned and placed the headset on his desk. His tentacles coiled into hands that he braced on either side of his headset.

"Sticky. Call Uroboros," he said. "I want the Paradigm fully mobilized."

Without hesitation, Sticky vigorously nodded and sped toward the door.

XxX​

As the drakloak gently lowered the creature to the ground, she acknowledged its body shape was a lot like Xeromus'. But its entire torso was red and translucent, like it was made of glass.

Gene landed at the same time Yuna placed the pilot on the ground, then turned back to normal in a flash of orange and blue light. Noctum and Valkyrie landed beside him.

"What the hell was that?" Valkyrie rubbed her head. "You guys heard a rock song, too, right? It was like... if Starlene turned punk."

"I don't feel tired at all." Noctum tapped the top of his Malice Crystal. "And you!" He pointed to Gene. "I didn't know you could mega evolve!"

Gene's tail swished back and forth. "Uh, neither could I." He held his right hand up and turned it back and forth. "I wish I had an explanation, but I don't." The mewtwo shook his head. "We can talk about it later. How's that pilot?"

When he looked left, his tail abruptly stiffened. The panic was clear in his eyes. "Impossible," he whispered.

"What's impossible?" Valkyrie said, quirking a brow.

"Nothing." Gene waved her off. He knelt beside the pilot.

"Is it dead?" the garchomp wondered.

"No. Just unconscious." Gene ran a hand across the pilot's red torso. His Malice Crystal sparked and he pulled his hand back. "Yeah, we're gonna have to dig deeper into this."

"Let's gather up, first," Noctum suggested, slowly flapping his wings in place. "We need to get Jade and Nik—"

"Yuna? Yunavresca!"

The drakloak stiffened. She glanced over her shoulder.

A dragapult in sleek black armor surged toward her, a mix of shock and worry on her face.

"The hell?" Valkyrie tugged Noctum's wing. "Is that—"

Yuna managed to find her voice.

"Mom?!"

XxX​

CDL347: Giga Pursuit Unit, Seekerskorch
A prototype flying battleship for the Eternatus Troopers, fashioned to appear like a mega evolved centiskorch. With a psorexium exoskeleton and dozens of side-mounted cannons, it can unleash a devastating rain of destruction on its target. The only issue is that the battleship is presently designed for a single pilot. Controlling all the weapons has proven to be too difficult for any Eternatus Troopers, so the prototype was shelved.

Why did the emperor suddenly deploy it now? And who did he scrounge up to pilot it? Its appearance is seriously concerning...

XxX​

Path of Valor Almanac
Scarlett's battle song spoofs GH()ST (pronounced "ghost"), the battle theme of Viola from Bayonetta 3, with music by Tomoki Kameyama and vocals by Mikaila Delgado.

 

[JFought]

Time to get Review Blitz’d! This isn’t the first of your work I’ve read: I was there on Serebii when you first started posting Guiding Light, and managed to keep up with it for a while… until about halfway through when I took a long fanfiction break. Getting caught up on that is really daunting, so here I am instead ^^;. Going in, I know that apparently this story is absolutely insane, and also it has Final Fantasy references, and also sci-fi multiverse shenanigans. And probably 50 other things. While this isn’t the first time I’ve read your work, it is the first time I’ve reviewed it, so let’s get this show on the road!

Thoughts from the Prologue to Chapter 5

• Articuno Shiva stretched her wings out as she walked a straight line across the field.

  holy shit this really is final fantasy
  
  
• It’s a bit of a nitpick but Douglas really kind of came out of nowhere in this intro scene. It was already pointed out in a review, though, so I won't harp on it too much.
  
  
• The prologue bit works well as an “ominous villain” introduction. Obviously we don’t understand everything yet, but it introduces us to our villain and his goal of pulling the Needles, which is pretty much all that needs to be established to hook us into the plot.
  
  

• "Nyek nyek! What'd I tell ya, Rookie? The air vents would be our ticket into this hoity-toity place." Nickit turned and grinned at his apparent partner. "Now all we've gotta do is find us something worth nicking! And then the whole kingdom will know of the terror that is the Crimson Zephyr!"

  what the fuck is popple doing here
  
  

• Yuna gulped, knowing that was far from the truth. Arianna tugged at a sleeve on her red-and-white suit. Her expression hadn't wavered from the icy look she'd popped in with. Vortex, however, raised an amused brow. He adjusted his white cravat, tucked the cane under his elbow, and threw his head back in a hearty laugh while issuing applause.
  
  "Marvelous! Splendid! Quite a way to make an entrance," he declared, drawing surprised gasps from the students. "I daresay you won't have any trouble settling in with that kind of ingenuity, Princess."

  is that fucking damon gant i’m sorry i can’t stop myself
  
  

• "Yes." He adjusted his grip on his bag. "Where are my manners? Professor Orbeetle Cid." He extended a hand to Yuna. "I'm, err, new to Horizon Academy. I teach history."

  ITS CID FINAL FANTASY IX (not literally but like, orbeetle is the closest you can get to an oglop)
  
  
• We have a crazy Type:Null character here! He’s clearly talking about Eternatus, which raises some questions for what their role in the plot will be. He also talks about ether. Across these six chapters, it hasn’t quite become clear what it is yet, though it seems like it might be an energy source? Only time will tell. I've also noticed in this chapter that twice Yuna has tried to take a Normal-type hit for someone else. Which gives us a bit of an early hint towards how she'll work in combat, maybe?
  
  

• Nikki wanted to retort, but Vortex held up his hand. "And, of course, I'll have Professor Monokuma supervise you… just to make sure everything goes smoothly."
  
  The color drained from Nikki's face. A brief image of a hulking bewear flashed through Cid's mind. He hovered back, fidgeting nervously. The poor girl. If she stepped out of line, she'd probably get one of his awful hugs.

  “literally monokuma” was not on my reference bingo card.
  
  
• This story has a lot of charm to it. This was true in Guiding Light too, but I really have to compliment it here. I think what it really comes down to is the characters and their interactions with each other. They all have such colorful personalities, and the way they all bounce off each other is fun and carried with a great sense of humor. I very much sense some underlying Mario and Luigi and Ace Attorney influences; you really manage to capture a zany vibe that still knows how to take itself seriously when it needs to.
  
  
• Speaking of characters, we have a lot, I’m going to need multiple bullet points for this! Yuna is our meek and very adorable protagonist trying to prove herself in a hostile environment. Her character comes across very well: even in just the prologue I felt I got enough from her to have a rough idea of what she was about. The story has been roughing her up the entire time so far, but I can see a lot of potential for an arc, and I want to see where she continues to go (also I see what you did there with Yunavresca). Baraz hasn’t gotten a lot of time to shine, but he seems pretty wholesome so far (I am interested in his origins though). Noctum is super wholesome too, I really adore his enthusiasm for smaller things. I think both of her retainers have a good dynamic with her so far, it’s clear that she depends on them a lot. And I'm interested to see where that continues to go: I can feel potential there.
  
  
• We also have Nikki and Chiaki! Nikki’s the resident troublemaker: I like her artistic inclinations, the emphasis on her strumming her gills adds a lot to her vibe, and she’s also a cheater, as it happens! Chiaki is fun right off the bat, I really like the first interaction he has with Yuna. It establishes his character and their dynamic so incredibly well so incredibly quickly that I’m honestly left really impressed by it. He’s the somewhat edgy loner archetype, which is the kind that ultimately shines off of the characters surrounding them. And his dynamics with both Yuna and Nikki have allowed for that so far. A small nitpick I have is that their names are a bit similar, which does make the action a little weird to read at times, but I suppose I’ll just have to get used to it.
  
  
• When it comes to the rest of the cast, there are a few standouts. I think you capture Vortex’s two-faced nature quite well, and I anticipate the role he’s going to play in the wider plot. He's very concerned with Hope, and considering the villain is called "Despair" and Monokuma is also here... As for Shimmer, he's the jerk rival character, and I do wonder what kind of role he’s going to play in the future, as you’ve focused on him a lot but he’s very much connected to the context of the school so far. This story’s resident Cid is in a similar airship. He seems pretty likable, and I hope to see more of his dynamic with Yuna going forward.
  
  
• I do feel like the school setting hasn’t been used to its potential yet. From what I know, it isn’t meant to be the main setting, and is more so meant to be the launching point for the rest of the story, and if so it’s understandable why we wouldn’t focus on it too much. Though I was kind of hoping we'd at least get a sense for what school life is like before being thrown into the Crowne Cup. The pacing has definitely been very fast, and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet, but I think I need to read more to form an opinion on how it’s been handled.
  
  
• Regarding the greater setting, I am interested in learning more about its politics and greater world. Stuff like the two kingdoms and descrepencies between them, the level of civilization at play (it looks fairly mid-to-high tech, which I was expecting though it's still interesting to see), the way this fairy society works and how that connects to main conflict with Despair, etc. We only have vague ideas so far, so I hope to learn more about the scope and character of this setting going forward.
  
  
• Dyna-Force is an interesting way to adapt Dynamaxing into a PMD setting. I’d imagine regular Dynamaxing still exists, but as a more wieldy, easier-to-implement-into-a-fight-scene version of the mechanic, it’s a good idea. I’m interested in learning more about its mechanics, but I’m assuming that won’t be for a while.
  
  
• Okay, I’m starting to realize that Vortex isn’t just Damon Gant/Mael Strongheart, he’s also Chairman Rose, and Ariana is his Oleana. The connection is pretty clear once you introduce the energy crisis, though you do seem to be taking a bit of a different approach, with Demerzel implying that he’s causing it for some reason. Presumably this ties back to Eternatus somehow. Also we’re introduced to a Leon expy, just in case we didn’t notice the parallels yet :P.
  
  
• One criticism I have with these early parts is that I do think you’re introducing too many concepts too quickly. The prologue is fine, I don’t expect to have any idea what’s going on there, but you continue to throw us into a bunch of scenes that really feel like they lack context. I can appreciate a good “what are the villains up to” scene, but this early in the story I’m still trying to get bearings with understanding this world, so being exposed to scenes like Zeromus Final Fantasy IV being evil, or Vortex talking with Demerzel about politics, or Despair contemplating his next move: it’s all just kind of going over my head. I understand that it’s setup, and to be fair to the latter two scenes, they do serve purposes more immediately relevant to Yuna and the current main plot, but at this point those are the only things I can really take away from them. With a lot of the things we’re learning, I get the feeling that it will be important eventually, but not for a long time, and since so many things are being thrown at me my brain is just getting overloaded and only latching on to the stuff that’s relevant to what’s happening with Yuna right now. I know this probably isn’t the most useful critique since you’re forty chapters past this by now, but I feel like in forty chapters I’m probably going to forget about at least half of these details and will have to go back to remind myself. To give some more specific thoughts on each scene, the Xeromus scene I really don’t get the point of having at all this early, it just kind of feels like a distraction. The Vortex scene is probably the most justified, as it directly concerns Yuna, builds up Vortex a bit more, and gives us a better idea of what the Needles are. The Despair scene feels like it’s setting up something more immediate, but it’s also a bit of a pace breaker for a binge read with where it’s placed in the story, and might’ve been better suited for at least a tiny bit later.
  
  
• I like the presentation surrounding the Crowne Cup so far. You’ve done well to make it feel like a big, coordinated event, even this early into our understanding of the school. The Rotom monitor explaining the rules was really charming and stuck out to me. I think you did a good job of getting me to visualize the graphics playing on the screen. The “Path of Valor” song was a cheeky way to drop the title too, and I’m curious to see how both it and Selene will become relevant in the future.
  
  

• With a flick of his left index finger, the book opened and the pages turned themselves. Vegna kept his eye fixed on Team Bastion. "A loan sharpedo I met in the gaol once told me, 'Those who seek to con their fellow liars sign their tickets to the Twilight Realm.'" He paused. "This was said, of course, as I dragged him to the executioner's table."
  
  Yuna tilted her head. What sort of a platitude was that? None of the sayings she knew from back home were remotely as morbid. This guy was supposed to be a professor here, so why was he spouting something so dark?
  
  Vegna snapped his fingers and a loud, shrieking caw sounded from above. Gills quivering, Yuna looked up in time to see a talonflame descend toward the group, wings flapping frantically. "The hell?" Nikki ducked and swatted at the air, but Talonflame landed on Vegna's right gauntlet. He stuck out a foot to reveal Nikki's broken goggles. Vegna took it in his free hand and looked at it for all of a second before slamming his book shut. It disappeared in a plume of shadowfire.
  
  "… disqualified."
  
  "I beg your pardon?" Yuna looked at Vegna in confusion, only to get doused in spittle as Talonflame angrily squawked at her. "Meep!" She drifted back, throwing her arms over her face.
  
  Vegna raised his left hand and scratched at the side of Talonflame's face. He settled down and leaned into Vegna's hand. "For the impudence of my feral compatriot causing a scene, I beg your forgiveness." He pulled his hand back and bowed to Yuna. Talonflame mimicked Vegna as best he could while staying perched on the dusknoir's shoulder bangle.

  oh my god it’s Blackquill Van Zieks. I feel like I should’ve seen this coming, he’s literally called the Reaper.
  
  
• The prelim round did not go very well! If there is one thing I think the Despair scene did do well with where it’s placed, it does create some tension in this scene as we try to figure out who's attacking them, as there is the possibility that Despair is making good on his threat here. It seems like Vegna knew what was going to happen before it did, and warned Shimmer and his team so that they wouldn’t be affected, (though if that is the case it raises the question of why he didn’t stop Nikki before the round started, so my theory isn’t completely sound).

There were only a few typos:

Spoiler: Typos and Formatting Errors

He stood atop wavy, red and white music bars with sapphire eight notes spread across them.

She settled for clutching her blanked with her free hand.

The time and power and pooled into them would go to waste.

As I said, I found this story very charming so far! I knew there where going to be a lot of references going in, but I did not expect some of these (popple's just randomly in here like what. i'm hoping that he just randomly pops up out of nowhere every now and then with absolutely zero explanation). My FF knowledge will only let me recognize so many of those, though, since I never played about half the games (including FF8, which I know Seifer is referencing). I left off at a pretty interesting spot considering the current plight of our protagonists, and I'm interested in the wider world that all of this seems to be taking place in, so my hope right now is that I get to see more of that from the future chapters. I think I'll probably try and tackle another set of chapters later in the blitz, I would like to try and get caught up since I'm interested in the ideas you're playing with here and where you plan to take them. So until then, I'll leave by saying that I enjoyed this and will be back with an actual proper reference bingo card. Take care!

(oh yeah and apparently I got this out on your birthday, happy birthday!)

 

[Phoenixsong]

Hello, Amby! I've been putting this off checking PoV out for entirely too long, so what better time than a li'l birthday blitz to get started? (I'll toss in the disclaimer that I don't know the first thing about Final Fantasy Anything beyond "some prettyboy named Sephiroth exists, apparently", so I probably won't pick up on anything that's a reference to that series, but as I'm given to understand that it's enjoyable without that context I'm still eager to give this a shot!)

This'll just be the prologue for now, unfort; I wanted to get in more for the first review but time conspired against me, alas. I'll jump to the bottom line up front and say that I am definitely curious to see more, though!

Spoiler: Prologue

I know this fic contains lots of legendaries doing lots of different things, but it's still kinda to open with the legendary bird trio doing something so... mundane. :V Just a set of uniform-bedecked guards, getting ordered around by a weezing of all things, pining for soda pop. Makes me wonder what the actual status of a lot of these non-Eternatus/Deoxys/etc. legendaries is going to be—probably pretty varied, I'd expect!

"The standing orders from Her Eminence said we're to keep guard of the Needle until dawn." Quetzal gestured in front of him. There, planted in the middle of the garden, was a purple needle standing a head taller than Shiva and Quetzal. A red gem, carved to look like an eye, sat atop it.

(I also know this part was written well before SV came out so there's almost no chance it's related, but /treasures of ruin music intensifies)

"Careful, Captain, lest you sound like some of those haggard beggars proclaiming the end of days are upon us." Douglas chuckled, releasing more vapors from his head. Shiva thought back to the previous week, when she had threatened some wretched, rag-covered, helmet-wearing mishmash of a homeless mutt with arrest for parading around the town square of Horizon Gardens with a poorly-drawn sign around his neck.

Ooh, ooh, that guy, I know that guy! /points excitedly Wonder what Demerzel's been foreseeing that ties into all this apparent gloom-and-doom?

I know about there being a general conflict between the fairy kingdom (queendom?) and the Aeon Kingdom, but these guys aren't fairies. :V Not that they can't have picked up their prejudices from others in their community, of course. Does get me wondering how common fairies and dragons are respectively, though. (And are there other kingdoms for other types? That'd be the default assumption, but of course there's no reason there'd need to be.)

"I don't understand." Douglas' gaseous beards shriveled.

Ha, I love that as body language for a G-weezing.

I enjoyed the banter between the birbs! Ifrit's talk of training was a bit type-charty and silly, but still amusing. (Also you'll what, Ifrit, she jus' a tiny lil dreepling and you a whole ass moltres, calm down bro.) And also quite informative. We're getting rapid-fire introductions to a lot of groups and individuals who sound really important at the start here: Radiant Guard, Crowne Ministers, Queen Isola... I assume it'll be a good while before we learn the significance of all of these, as well as what caused the apparent rift between the dragons and the fairies, but so far this has been pretty good at raising questions without raising so many as to be completely overwhelming.

The Phantom fight was quick and pretty brutal! I don't feel like we got a great sense of what the three Radiant Guard birds could really bring to the table in a fight, for how fancy their title seems and the fact that they're taking orders directly from a queen, but I guess the Phantom was just that overwhelmingly powerful. I wonder what it was? I wonder why Become Galarbirb means having "true power"—what will we see them pull off when they inevitably return?

Meanwhile, it looks like Yuna's already at Horizon! Aww, wrapping up in a blankets being similar to sitting inside a dragapult canon is sweet. Big angular duraludon in fancy voluminous royal robes is a great image, too.

I wonder what being a "ghost" means here, btw? Are ghosts alive but just attuned to "ghost energy", however that works in this world, or are they more closely related to deceased spirits in some way?

Yuna let her arm wander toward the stained-glass window in the background of the photo. She pressed down, covering up the golden, four-winged dragon depicted in the window.
"Bahamut, give me strength," she whispered. "Help me find some friends… or at least survive until I can return home."

/more pointing And that guy, ooh, I know him! Asking Bahamut of all people for the strength to find friends sounds pretty rich, haha. 'Course, I'm sure Yuna has no idea about any of that backstory at this juncture (assuming she ever finds out at all), and maybe all that hasn't happened to him yet anyway!

 

[K_S]

So heres a crack at chapter 10.. Lets see how it goes..

Yeah not a good place to wake.. In an imrpomptu gravel pit after getting attacked. Glad chia' got out alright and that the loss of the prosthetic didnt do any other harm beyond ego...

I mean its a shame to lose it (and as it passed for normal that is a piece of art) but the way things were going they could have gone so much worse. And i am glad he didnt relive any trauma for losing the spare... It seems more the loss of a tool rather than a vital part of him.

And i feel because breaking a new one. Especially one if lower quality... Is going to suck. You get used to what you had after all. Callouses if nothing else and adjuatment can range from literal pain to agony...

Huh so were in a mytery dungeon. Seifer is lovely... At putting his foot in his mouth and still talking. He should rent himself as a circus act on his off days for extra clout.

Nice blaming the clueless scared kid. Is the whole class trapped with them of just thier immediate companions?

Huh so does chia' see the school uniform as the holloween costume or the street clothes? Because how hed answer would be telling.

In which yuna is like mysteries.. Must dig but refrains.... And is adult enough to encourage those who wont to do so anyways because survival is a higher priority than figuring where chia got his homemade tech from...

And really Yunas utter cofusion about mystery everything should be affirmation that her ghoatly ectoplasm is clean.

And in which yuna uses her eyes and is thus better than a point totting vetren if a dungeon. Wonder if looking back chai is proud...

Or wondering if chia is just abduction happy... we'll have to learn motives later i suppose.

Honeatly i thoguht noctum's list would be longer.... And the last is more personal opinion since mon females are near indistinguishable from males except for a few cosmtetic touches...

He could have carried the look if he wanted to.

I suspect its less concussion and the brain failing to conseptualize darkness/quiphoth/raw mystery dungeon matter into somwthing that isnt a cirus for his occular sensors.

I agree with cor' ere. You do not anuse the rescue unless the act is for ulterior motives and gunna land you worse than you started. Airborn rescue especially.

Im with grif here. And i vote we switch nationalities to get away from mlp spite is magic before he gets crowned. Think if i bribe noxt with cooking lessons from my culture i could hitch a ride on yunas entourage and make a break for it with them before things get bad?

And teach/darth judge/ judge dread mon verse knows about this... How. Feels too state secret even for his ghastly mits.

I think griffs got motive wrong. Less pride and more guilt compkex.

And can someone please gag shimmer.

Please?

Well i guess a death might turn the trick...

And hes talking again at least shimmer's mom is using some means ti being him up short before damage occures still this seems ominous that its got to this point...

Though her method or rather source if methology... Ung.​

Tips head... Perhaos the kiddie squad found a secret side enterence to a bosses lair?. The pompus glass windows kinda are a hint as well as the oversized nature of place. And mark a few checks off the master list...

Hm amd isnt that chant familiar? When a world rearanges psuedo stars to spell something it might be important.. Glad yunas paying it mind...

Seems like cids sense... A tame sort of precog... might make him a killer companion in say a puzzle/escape room.

She is paying attention to the mon of disease/genetic manipulation. I hope deox isnt going to be released when they pull the lever that would be bad.

Hm so trade off or tained bait... I call the latter. After all they corrupted the cook... why not a student and make a political stew of it with a scandals assault at best and at worse a broadening of the pawns owned due to nikkis friends coming to the rescue.

Well will be able to weigh compassion to practicality next chapter i suppose with how the cast react.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, running a bit late. But when I first started putting things together for this review it was still technically your birthday for -checks notes- an hour and 48 minutes, so that seemed like as good a time as any to stop falling behind further with this story since it sounded like things were about to get really, really lit from where I left off.

So picking right up with…

Chapter 51

Crimson skies marked the start of the Darkest Day. The heavens bled as World Ender set its sights upon our sacred lands, its size without compare. The people, gripped by fear and horror, turned their plights upon Bahamut, our God.

"Save us, please! You must drive the invader back and restore the light!"

Knowing Bahamut, there's a nonzero chance that he summoned Eternatus to Etherium in the first place.

Bahamut recognized their pleas. For this land was His home as well. And all were His people, whether they followed His teachings or not. Thus did He summon His Sages and face down the great daemon blotting out the heavens.

But even with the hope of the land behind Him, victory would not be His to take.

From the Book of Aeon

Oh, so we really are going to have the BD1 boss music play at some point in this story, huh? Since it certainly would've been fitting for that moment in the Book of Aeon, even if it's obviously not a reliable account there.

Getting back to the surface required taking a different waypoint that would put the newly-established bureau in Vellguarde. Igneous was surprised his father hadn't shut down all the waypoints leading directly into cities in the wake of Venish's ongoing crisis. Was that waypoint in danger? Had Kyoko shut it down when she entered the safe house?

Narrator:

... Feh. Not even worth asking her, Igneous thought, leaning against the glass door of the small building that housed the Ryujin's Vellguarde waypoint. He stared at the wooden desk and cabinets of the rundown lobby across from him, tapping a claw impatiently.

No, it was really, really worth asking her.

Though now I have the mental image of these Waypoint lobbies playing elevator music in them.

How long did Yiazmat and Scarlett need? They had already watched news footage back at Ryujin HQ showing the baccer stadium in the southeast now served as a temporary staging area for those who fled Venish. And Igneous knew he would have to take them there. The longer they waited, the closer sunrise got.

Wait, is Igneous not able to just wear the holowear equivalent of a bedsheet ghost outfit so that way he looks like a normal Grovyle again? Since you'd think that he'd default to trying to do something like that if at all possible.

Finally, he spotted a shadow amidst the dark lobby. Then another, narrower shadow. Yiazmat opened the building's inner door and held it for Scarlett. She had a long, tattered cloak draped over her. It made her look bulkier and hid her facial features, sure, but it didn't exactly hide her entire figure.

"Sorry," Scarlett muttered. "Had trouble finding a good cloak."

Igneous: "How is that not going to make her stand out even more?" >.<
Kyoko: "Look, clothing is the norm in Radiance, she'll at least stand out less than going around as a draconic dart-thrower." >_>;

"A pity your kind can't learn Minimize," Yiazmat said, shaking her head solemnly. "Then you could shrink down and hide in one of my horns."

... Wait, just how much does Minimize shrink a Pokémon in this setting anyways?

"The same horn your kind shoots your offspring out of?" Igneous said, a brow raised.

"Dragapult haven't done that in battle since the days of Bahamut," Yiazmat retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Save the snark for after we find my daughter."

Wouldn't have guessed that, though I suppose that would help with cutting down childhood mortality among Dreepy line 'mons in this setting and explains why the kids stayed home in that sequence of Yiazmat gearing up to head out.

"Fine." Igneous shoved the front door open with his shoulder and held it for the ladies. They headed out onto the smoothly paved street. The grovlazzle shut the door, revealing it was actually one-way glass. "Stay close to me and follow my directions. Got it?"

Since, you know. Your decision-making kinda got you turned into a quadraplegic and then into a fusion by an evil sword. But you do you, Igneous.

"As long as you're polite with those directions, dearie," Yiazmat replied, an eerily sweet smile on her face.

A chill ran down Igneous' spine. Is she really Yuna's mom?

I'm pretty sure that she's not, but you don't know that at this point in time, Igneous.

As it turned out, a quiet walk made it easy for Igneous to give polite directions. Vellguarde's well-paved roads, though cold against his scaly feet, were deserted. None of the stone buildings with their pointed spires had lights on. Sure, people were probably sleeping, but the grovlazzle expected to see something other than streetlights in a supposedly busy city.

Nice Bayo3 song drop there.

Igneous: "Oh yeah, that's not ominous and foreboding at all there."

Yet the further they went, the more nothing they encountered. Even streetside bars boasting business hours late into the night had their doors locked and their lights off.

"Does this city not have anything for nocturnal pokémon?" Yiazmat looked around. "I was told such accommodations existed the last time I visited."

Scarlett: "Maybe there's a curfew in effect right now? Things have been going kinda crazy in Radiance since... well, everything in Venish happened."
Kyoko: "Wouldn't that have shown up on the news broadcasts earlier, though?"

"It does." Igneous crossed his arms, eyes darting from their sidewalk to the one opposite them. "The baccer stadium's pretty new and there wasn't enough space to build it up in the commercial district. So, they made it near a residential district. Still..."

"Maybe there's a curfew in effect?" Scarlett whispered, a slight tremble to her voice. "Because of what happened in Venish?"

Man, can I call 'em or what? :V

So, the grovlazzle wasn't the only one unnerved. "Where's the Radiant Guard, then?" he said. "Someone would have to enforce the curfew. And they'd have been on us by now."

Igneous: "... Is it just me, or is everyone getting a bad feeling about all this at the moment?"

Scarlett: "No, no. This is creepy and weird for me, too." ._.

At that point, Yiazmat stopped floating ahead of them. "Valid points." She backed underneath an awning, clasping her hands together. "As much as I want to find Yuna, walking into some sort of trap accomplishes nothing." She glanced up. "Perhaps a quick bit of aerial surveillance?"

Kyoko: "Queenie, the entire point of you going around in that cloak is to avoid drawing attention to yourself. How does flying up into the middle of the sky not do that?" >_>;
Yiazmat: "Look, I don't see you making any other suggestions right now!"

The ground rumbled. Red light flashed in the distance. Igneous tensed, but instead of screams, he heard... applause?

The town's been brainwashed, hasn't it?

"What was that?" Scarlett squeaked, coiling up under the same awning as Yiazmat.

"It looked like an energy surge," Yiazmat said, narrowing her eyes. "Can you fly?"

"Me?" Scarlett pointed her tail at her face. "I, well, yes, but it's been quite some time." She pulled her cloak back to show her dulled scales. "They gave me some vitamins and minerals, but I'm not sure if that gives me my full strength back."

Oh, so Scarlett has "Alice Problems", huh?

"I see. One moment." Yiazmat reached into a pocket and produced a few tiny blue gelatin pieces.

"Are those... gummy candies?" Scarlett's rounded snout twitched.

At first, I thought those were Exp Candies from their design. Though considering this story's penchant for having franchise concepts under alt-names, I guess they could still be Exp Candies.

"They're energy gummies," the dragapult explained. "We grow them for times when we have to venture deep into the mountains and can't take food stores with us." She leaned forward. "Open up."

Wait, you can grow gummis in this world? Like off a plant? .-.

Scarlett tensed. "I'm not so sure I should e—"

Yiazmat shoved the gummies in while Scarlett was speaking. The dragonair's eyes widened incredulously but she chewed and swallowed them. Igneous wanted to give Yiazmat the business for that move, but that desire evaporated the moment Scarlett's tiny wings unfurled to their full sizes and flapped in place.

"I... huh?" Scarlett blinked in surprise. "What the hell's in those gummies?!"

Narrator:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AuSdjrDG2c

"Aeon secret. Now follow me."

The dragapult scooped Igneous up, ignoring his protests, and carried him into the air. They soared over the pointed rooftops in a matter of seconds and headed further south. Wingbeats behind them confirmed that, even out of practice, Scarlett could follow them. Guess there really was something special in those gummies.

Would recommend splitting the dialogue off from the rest of the paragraph. Though boy am I feeling pretty confident in my prediction that those gummis are basically packed full of drugs, since it's giving off some major "just popped some amphetamines" vibes right now.

"Slow down!" the dragonair pleaded. "This is... harder than it used to be!"

With a large, metal dome looming in front of them, Yiazmat landed on one of the rooftops, dropping Igneous on its stone tiles. The grovlazzle surveyed the baccer stadium. Though it had lights on, they were yellow and blue. The energy came from elsewhere. But where?

Scarlett: "We're going to regret finding out the answer in like 5 seconds, aren't we?"

A sudden pain gripped his head. "Nngrk." Igneous clutched his right temple. Warm. No, hot! Like back in the hospital?

Ah, so Ahsen's calling in a favor now, huh?

He kept his eyes open and looked right. There were people. Small specks walking to his left.

"Who's that?"

The grovlazzle turned left. Yiazmat stared at a wooden podium in the distance. Though too far for Igneous to properly make out who was standing atop it, he instinctively tensed up. The hot pain flashed through his head again.

Kyoko: "Um, Chiaki. Are you doing alright right now?"

Igneous: "P-Perfectly fine at the moment!"

"The ether you believe in will betray you! Rain fury upon your city! But Natus can shield you from it. Accept His love and build something greater as one."

As one.

As one.

AS ONE.

Oh, so the city is being brainwashed at the moment. By Xeromus, no less.

Igneous doubled over in pain. His back burned. The volcarona wings he spawned at the hospital burst out of his back in surges of orange fire.

"It's him."

Kyoko: "'Perfectly fine', my ass! Chiaki, what the hell?!"

Igneous: "Look, I'll explain later, alright? Point is that we've got a fight inbound right now!"

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Scarlett cried. "What about keeping a low profile?!"

Yeah, that plan's thoroughly dead and buried now even if the Bayo3 music isn't just casually blaring from out of nowhere at the moment. Hope you're a good improviser, Scarlett.

But Igneous had already leapt from the roof, surging forward on his fiery wings. The figure atop the podium came into view with gray, beady eyes sparkling through the heavy, stone helmet encasing them.

Mood music:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLs3CoxBvVc

Xeromus: "You flatter me, but I am a mere omen. Even if that will be all that is necessary to stop your interference."

Flames shrouded Igneous as he slammed into Xeromus. The grovlazzle continued forward, the momentum of the blow carrying Xeromus as far away from the assembled crowd as possible. When the attack at last fizzled out, Xeromus dropped down in the middle of a barren field while Igneous remained airborne. The burning under his scales hadn't gone away. And that was on purpose.

Now Igneous was sure Xeromus and Ahsen were working together. Why else would the powers he got from the glitch react this way?

Igneous: "... I'm suddenly starting to feel really worried about what on earth I signed up for from that whole obvious 'deal with the devil' back at the hospital."

"Heh. Keh heh." Xeromus broke down coughing. "Amazing. That you would treat a lowly omen like me to the powers born of your metamorphosis."

"Shut up!" Igneous summoned flaming leaf blades at his sides. "I've had enough of your garbage. I'm not letting you hurt anyone else!"

Xeromus: "One: it's liberation from this sorry state of affairs. Two: are you really going to pull this on me when it was you that destroyed-"

Igneous: "Shut. UP!"

"Hurt?" Xeromus seemed genuinely shocked. "Think nothing of the sort. I only seek to spread the joy of Natus' love! To let it blanket the world in a protective cloak!"

Ah yes. How "joyful" there.

Igneous lunged for Xeromus in a burst of fiery speed. He stood his ground, however, erupting in a crimson glow. The grovlazzle's leaf blades clanged off something hard.

An espeon's small, pink form melted into a white cloud with a pink figure riding atop it.

Oh, this is Nova's stalker lover and Xeromus really is Nova, but brainwashed, isn't he?

The flames died down around Igneous' arms he staggered back, taking in the view of a crimson, shield-shaped canine head. It fixed empty yellow eyes on him before dissolving into chains that wrapped around Xeromus' legs.

Oh, so Xeromus is just casually slinging around Zamazenta's spirit, huh? Or at least I assume that's the implication based off the Espeon from earlier.

"You see the rifts in the sky, don't you? A grand union is upon us!" Xeromus declared, holding his helmeted head up. "Where Natus' love will shower everyone. No matter how big or small. Weak or strong. Poor or rich. Human or pokémon."

... I just realized, but if Xeromus weren't a guy, this would be scarily alike a few moments with Jena in Astral Chain right now. Helps that it's also a game made by PG.

Human? Igneous tried to reignite his leaf blades to no avail. Had that barrier sapped some of his strength?

Igneous: "Now you're just making words up here!"
Xeromus: "Oh, you poor deluded soul. Don't worry, after embracing Natus' love, you too will be lifted out of ignorant darkness."

"Natus offers the same love for everyone. A love brimming with equality," Xeromus continued. "Yet too many sides want to twist that love into something horrid! I only want people to see the truth with their own eyes and ears!"

Ah yes, the equality of the grave. Only the best equality out there. /s

"No, you want to poison people with deluded thoughts!" Igneous surprised himself when he spat out a mixture of flames and Bullet Seeds. Bright orbs surrounded Xeromus. Fireballs, ice shards, and small lightning bolts canceled out Igneous' strike. Tri Attack? The grovlazzle hopped back, trying to look for an opening.

Igneous: "(Seriously, the hell is this guy? What else does he sling around?)"

"The only poison comes from the ether and those whose minds it has warped," Xeromus countered, thrashing his head back and forth. "That's why I'm not striking back at you, even as you press your attack. Because I'm walking the path set out for me."

"Not striking back?" Igneous spewed more flames and Bullet Seeds. "Then what the hell do you call that stunt back at Herbrides?!"

Xeromus: "An enlightening experience."

Xeromus couldn't react fast enough and staggered backward, tucking his head down to take the attack on his helmet. "A regretful, shortsighted attempt... at bestowing choice upon you and your friends."

Oh, so now he's just gone into "you will accept Natus' love" mode, huh?

"Stop speaking in riddles, damn it!" Igneous took to the air again, his volcarona wings quickly carrying him up. He spewed flames at Xeromus' backside, but the chimera's cloak rippled. The crimson shield dog emerged in shadowy ripples and swallowed his flamethrower like a beverage sucked through an oversized straw. It lingered, empty eyes fixed on Igneous as the grovlazzle's arc took him past Xeromus and back onto the ground.

... Wait, so is Xeromus himself also a necromancer? Or is this closer to what Nero had going on with the souls that were used to rebuild his body in GL?

"Return, Guardian!" Xeromus called. The shield dog sank back into Xeromus' cloak. Wheezing, the chimera struggled to turn around and face Igneous. "I bear no ill will. Attacking you serves no purpose. My choices, as those of many others, do not matter."

"Then why bother doing any of this?" Igneous hissed.

Xeromus simply looked up in response. Purple light bathed Igneous. The grovlazzle threw an arm over his head while looking up. A giant rift had opened over the city and out popped... the head of some sort of giant, robotic trance centiskorch?! "What the—"

Xeromus: "To tell you of things to come. I am an omen, after all."

[Attention evildoers! I have come to make an announcement!] An unfamiliar robotic voice boomed throughout the sky. [It is time to bring you all to JUSTICE! Hell yeah! Eat my giant justice laser!]

Ah yes, W1DG3T has entered the chat. I'm a little surprised that he doesn't have a QN-themed version of the Team America: World Police theme song blaring in his cockpit right now, but that might be a little outside his thematic age bracket.

Red streaked across the night sky. The centiskorch mecha's face opened, unleashing a giant blue laser that headed right for the baccer stadium.

"No!" Igneous could only look on in horror as it drew closer and closer...

... And banked off a purple, domed barrier. The laser pierced through the red sky until it had died down into nothing.

W1DG3T: "Hey what the-?! Th-That should've fried that evildoer base like it was nothing!"

"Sticky."

Sitting at a computer terminal, the naganadel jumped to attention. He spun his chair around to find Paradox watching a feed from the Seekerskorch's cockpit. "Yes, Your Excellency?"

"Did my eyes deceive me... or did the Max Hyper Beam just get deflected by a barrier?"

Sticky: "M-Maybe? I-Is that a problem?"

Paradox: "..."

Sticky: "... Yeah, of course it would be a problem."

The deoxys' chilling tone made Sticky gulped. "That, um, appears to be the case, sir."

[You were right, Father!] W1-DG3T's voice crackled through the office speakers. [Our enemies are truly despicable! Using the Benefactor's power in such an awful way!]

Oh, this is one of those Distortion shields that was mentioned in passing like 30 chapters ago, isn't it?

Paradox's upper right tentacle slammed against his desk. "Then charge ahead already!" he barked. "Tear that barrier apart and bring His captors to their knees!"

Sticky hastily turned back to his computer. Even if W1-DG3T was right, there was no way the Etherians could forge a barrier that strong using Eterna energy... right?

Sticky: "... Though the fact that I have to ask myself this is making me really unnerved right now."

Igneous stood there, arms and jaw slackened, utterly unsure which was more terrifying: the Hyper Beam to end all Hyper Beams or the shield that appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly parried it. The grovlazzle looked over his shoulder, but only saw Xeromus standing there, a twinkle in his gray eyes.

He couldn't have... could he? Igneous tensed up, ready to strike again.

... Wait, so Xeromus did that? I wouldn't have pegged that if that's really what happened.

"Do you understand now?" Xeromus rasped. "Even with the ether sinking its teeth into your planet's hide, Natus still believes in you all. He shields you with his love!"

inb4 that's really Gene who did that.

"Oh, shut up!" Igneous spat. Xeromus made even less sense than before. "If Eternatus wants free of its prison, why the hell would it block an attack from its innards?!" He brought his fiery leaf blades out and sped toward Xeromus. This time, he feinted left, then banked right and swung to strike Xeromus' left foreleg.

The same principle behind not sheltering behind a car door in a gunfight. The attack could carry on and hit an unwanted target. Possibly. It's a little hard to tell how powerful W1DG3T's laser really is since we didn't see it impact anything.

But even though Xeromus was too slow to move himself away, the shield dog's red face emerged from his knee and crunched down on Igneous' leaf blades.

The pink cloud rider summoned a tornado full of hearts and sent it toward a small starcloud while a starry, oversized crobat shot toward it, tears streaming from three eyes.

... Actually, wait, why is the bit with Xeromus' Espeon familiar in italics anyways? What's the significance there?

Igneous' flames again died down. He staggered back, trying to get the feeling back in his arms. A thunderous boom sounded behind him. By the time Igneous looked over his shoulder, more light had died down and small specs flew around the giant centiskorch robot.

"What are you playing at?" he said to Xeromus. "Enough riddles. I want answers!"

Xeromus:

Igneous: "Oh come on, it's been two years in this story already! Out with it!"

Xeromus thrashed his helmeted head back and forth, staving off a coughing fit. "I see. So, you don't have a path forward yet. Unfortunate. Perhaps... you need more time."

Igneous: "... I'm sorry, but are you talking about helping me here, or...? Since now you're really confusing me." ._.;

Igneous spat another mix of bullet seeds and fireballs at Xeromus. The chimera's cloak glowed and, in a blink, he reappears a few yards left of Igneous. "It's as I said before. My choices, like so many others, do not matter." Xeromus wheezed a few times. "All because of the single truth uniting all worlds no matter how far apart.

"42"?

Xeromus: "Does this look like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? No? Then no, the answer's not '42'!" >_>;

"But Natus' love can rewrite that truth. The truth of stagnation," Xeromus continued. "My choices are set in stone. A lowly omen like me can only watch and wait. But you... you can lay your own path forward. To forge the new singular truth."

... I have to wonder how much of what Xeromus is saying here is really true and how much of it is fatalism on his own part.

Yeah, I'm done with this. Igneous turned away. "My path forward will be getting rid of you and your stupid floating disc crony. Consider yourself lucky there are bigger fish to fry right now."

"Keh heh." Xeromus staggered backward. "I do look forward to seeing what happens next."

Which is a terrible omen (har har) for where things will wind up going this chapter.

Igneous glanced over his shoulder. Spectral hands emerged from the ground, enveloping Xeromus. He was gone the moment the grovlazzle took to the air again. Igneous hovered there, squinting at the small figures flying around the robot centiskorch.

Igneous: "Wait... is he supposed to do that? Since I'm pretty sure that he's not supposed to be able to do that."

[I should have known the despicable rebel would show his face!] the voice boomed. [It does not matter how many people you trick into working for you. I will defeat you in the name of JUSTICE!]

Rebels? Oh, shit, it's Gene?! Igneous focused and, sure enough, he could barely make out the mewtwo charging some sort of attack alongside Reshiram. Yes, Igneous would recognize that fuzzball of a dragon anywhere. So, was Yuna here, too? And is Valkyrie with her?

Nice mix of the FF7 battle theme there. Though sounds like a decent advertisement to play FF7R sometime. After FF7 since FF7R goes off in its own direction plot-wise at the 1/3 mark.

"What are we supposed to do against this thing? It's the size of a damn skyscraper!" Nikki shouted from atop Reshiram's back.

Beat it up and yeet it into the sun? It is a bit of a Bayo series tradition.

Yuna was plenty used to things outsizing her from all her years as a dreepy, sure, but she was so not prepared for this. And all of its red and yellow segments shot fireballs into the air independent of one another. The drakloak stayed out of range of it all, thankfully, but none of her piddly little attacks would make so much as a scratch against the machine.

Nikki: "Maybe we'll get some ideas if we tee up some fight music?"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdmWtzNP8aw

Nikki: "Ah yeah, that gets the noggin' joggin'." ^^
Yuna: "We are so dead right now."

"I don't get it either." Gene zipped between flaming pillars, tossing strange pink orbs that harmlessly plinked off the metallic exoskeleton. "If this thing's some kinda battleship, there's no way that many blasters could fire independently! Not without a bunch of people working different controls and coordinating in unison. The empire isn't capable of that."

... Isn't that literally just the equivalent of having that command center full of drone pilots that GotG2 had going on? Like that shouldn't be impossible with the QN's established tech level.

"Then how do you explain this, huh?" Valkyrie snarled as a gout of fire swallowed her and Noctum's tandem Dragon Pulses whole.

"I'd rather not!" Jade squawked, stopping in midair and yanking her tail out of the way of a steam burst. Probably a Heat Wave. "I might've liked it hot back in the day, but this thing's too spicy for the pepper!"

Nikki: "Okay, seriously! Isn't there some sort of exhaust port we can exploit to blow this thing up or-?"
Valkyrie: "Kid, does this look like Star Wars to you?!" >.<
Nikki: "Hey! You were the one who said the author dumped a bunch of jokes about that series in that one scene like 20 chapters ago!" >_>;

Reshiram paused beside her. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, but I'm confident this is too spicy for the pep— GAH!"

Reshiram shoved Jade aside, taking the brunt of a second Heat Wave. Nikki hollered atop his back, struggling to cling to his neck. "Hey, Crotch Fuzz! Don't forget your very squishy passenger who could fall to her death up here!"

Cecil: "Right, uh... sorry?" ^^;
Nikki: "I need to pick a better mount next time." >.<

"Sorry! I— back!" Reshiram's tail revved up. A gout of Blue Flare barely managed to hold off a massive fireball.

Yuna bit her lower lip. "Cyril? Professor Cid? Is there anything you can give us? We're in a serious bind here!"

- Cue getting static as a response -
Yuna: "... Professor Cid?"

"They have to fall back!" Seifer paced nervously in front of multiple monitors, stealing panicked looks at Cyril and Cid. The orbeetle sat on stacked milk crates, with several electrodes connected to his head spots and hooked up to Cyril's monitors. "They're hopelessly outgunned!"

Cyril: "So... just another Tuesday for us?"

Seifer: "For you maybe, but this doesn't happen on my Tuesdays!" O_O;

He was conflicted between their wellbeing and that of Vellguarde's, but the mystery barrier made the keldeo's priorities clear. "Tell Gene to retreat! We need an actual plan here!"

Cyril's spots glowed blue. "I think it's coming into focus for me." He pinched his brow. "That thing is called the Seekerskorch. Gene's right about it not being organic." The orbeetle squinted. "But he's wrong about how it's being controlled."

... Wait, does that thing have a bunch of onboard pilots or something in that case?

Artemis quirked a brow. "In what way?"

"There's a single pilot."

... Wait W1DG3T can do that?! O_O;

"You're kidding!" Gene flummoxed, then shot in front of Yuna and managed to turn away a spiraling Heat Wave with a burst of pink energy. "No Paradigm lieutenant can handle something like this! Their brains are just little togedemaru running around on tiny rodent wheels!"

Bold of you to assume that it's a Paradigm operative running the show right now, Gene.

[Give up, evil rebel!] the pilot said. Yuna winced from the volume, ectoplasm rippling. Leaving Leo back on Bogdan was the right decision. [Your days of terrorizing the brave souls of Eternatus are over!]

Nikki: "Y'know, that rock track with the ominous Latin chanting isn't really helping me think of something right now."
Yuna: "Gee, you think?!" >_>;
Nikki: "Guess that's a sign to try a new one, huh?"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPwGWpBz5Q0

Yuna: "That's just a remix of the last song!"

The Seekerskorch's head coiled back toward Team Bastion. Its fiery face split apart, revealing flames and electricity gathering within it.

"Holy shit!" Gene threw his right arm out. A rift appeared in front of him. Yuna darted in behind him. They reappeared beside Reshiram, Jade, and Nikki. Seconds later, plasma surged through the air. The crimson sky briefly lit up as blue as daytime.

All:

What do we do? What do we do? I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! Yuna's entire body trembled. Was this what it was like for the Sages when they faced down Eternatus on the Darkest Day?

Cecil: "Kinda, except for the part where we. Uh... died." ^^;
Yuna: "Not helping, Reshiram!" >.<

How was she supposed to help Leo save the omniverse like this?

"Cid! Can your freaky-deaky scan tell us how warm that machine's back is?" Gene wondered.

"What's that supposed to do?" Cid responded.

Oh, so they are going to attempt to Death Star it. And probably take out half of Vellguarde in the process if they succeed. ^^;

"Taking potshots at a distance isn't getting us anywhere," Gene growled, tail lashing the air. Seekerskorch's head slowly turned toward him and Yuna. The drakloak opted to fly away, recognizing the mewtwo was the primary target. "I'm thinking we have to try percussive maintenance."

"You can't be serious, Boss Kitty," Cyril said.

Oh no, he's perfectly serious, Cyril. You of all 'mons should know that by now.

Another plasma beam split the air. If Yuna had hair, it would have undoubtedly stood on end. And sure enough, a prickly Reshiram flew toward her, his hair puffed out like a pom-pom oricorio's wings. "That sure sounded like his serious voice to me," Reshiram squeaked.

"The hell you on, Crotch Fuzz? He doesn't have a serious voice!" Nikki huffed.

"If I may interject?" Cid said. "My analysis suggests that the Seekerskorch's cannons are mounted on the edges of its segments, where a normal centiskorch's legs would be. Its exoskeleton is heat resistant, so you should be able to land on it safely."

Valkyrie: "And if your analysis is wrong?"

Cid: "Then you get vaporized in short order."
Noctum: "Oh great, no pressure at all."

"Works for me!" Gene shot forward in a pink blur. "Crotch Fuzz, follow me!"

"Stop calling me that! It's a beauty tuft!" Reshiram whined, flying after the mewtwo. Yuna shielded her face from the heat given off by his tail turbine. The drakloak had no idea what Gene wanted, but she needed to give him a better opening, right?

Narrator: "It is not a beauty tuft-"
Cecil: "Stop. Talking!"

She waved her arms around, hoping Noctum and Jade would pick up on it. Or maybe Valkyrie. Yuna then shouted, "You're wrong! We're not doing anything evil! We're trying to help people!"

Now would probably be a bad time to point out to Yuna what the track record of that ending terribly in Squaresoft games is, wouldn't it? ^^;

The Seekerskorch head paused. [Ha! Funny joke, but I knew you would say something like that. Your mind games will not work on me, captor. I am a paragon of justice!]

Nikki: "Citation needed."
Yuna: "Didn't we just use that joke earlier?"

Nikki: "No, no, that was with an image macro. That's me saying it-"
Yuna: "But you- And- Wh-Whatever! I need to stay focused here!" >.<

Three huge Flamethrowers cut through the air. Yuna was far enough away to weave between them. "You keep using that word, but we don't even know what you mean by it!" she called back.

[Then that makes you stupid!] the pilot countered. [You trapped Eternatus against His will. And now I am going to free Him so everyone living inside Him can be happy.]

Oh, so Yuna really is Chiron either reincarnated or transmigrated into her present body, huh?

Yuna frowned. The pilot spoke with a childishness that reminded her of Leo. It couldn't be an actual child, though. Probably someone whose mind was messed up by the emperor. But he wasn't attacking Gene or Reshiram, so Yuna's distraction was working!

No, he's an actual child. Or at least mentally.

Also 12 words thought seconds from disaster there.

"How is that justice?" Yuna shook her head. "If you free Eternatus, then you destroy our planet!"

[No, Eternatus will absorb you guys. And you will learn to be happy like all of His citizens.]

"""happy"""

Though yeah, kinda doing anti-advertisement in live time there, W1DG3T.

Paradox hunched over the communicator on his desk. "What do you think you're doing, W1-DG3T?! The rebel is on your ship! Attack!" He smacked the desk with his tentacles. "Fire everything!"

Whelp, somebody's going to get 'retired' in short order at this rate. Or else is going to go through Kahr's character arc from Xenogears all over again.

The Seekerskorch's many cannons crackled with fire and lightning. And the fiery antennae on its metal face darkened with ectoplasm. [That was a mean trick!] the pilot growled. [And I am going to make you all pay for it!]

Yuna: "... Cid, you're sure he can't hit us in this position right now, right?"

Yuna braced herself for the worst when the Seekerskorch violently lurched to its left. Its head spewed giant spectral... pieces of furniture? Regardless how stupid it looked, the attack sailed higher into the red sky until it faded away. The drakloak cautiously flew closer and saw Nikki's electric guitar planted squarely into the middle of one of the Seekerskorch's segments. Purple sparks danced around it.

"No tricks or gimmicks here, tin can!" Nikki sneered. "Just a good old fashioned drum line, baby!"

She stuck her tongue out and made metal horns with her fingers while a yelping Reshiram flew away. Gene shot down from the air and whacked the lightning guitar as hard as he could with his psychic spoon, driving it fully inside the Seekerskorch's middle segment. Purple sparks spread across the metal exoskeleton.

Would suggest splitting Nikki's line off from the rest of paragraph there to make both parts stand out a bit more.

[What the— that is impossible!]

Smirking, Gene saluted the Seekerskorch's head and hopped back into a rift, transporting him over Yuna's head. Seconds later, the middle segment exploded in a massive cloud of purple, red, and yellow. The segments behind the destroyed one plummeted from the sky. Jade and Noctum flew further from the rest of Team Bastion in tandem.

This... does not bode well for how W1DG3T's going to be dealt with by Paradox. ^^;

"Ahh, I love me a good fireworks show," Gene said, applauding his handiwork. "Now if we can just replicate that at the head of what's left, we might have a shot at this."

"Uh, Gene?" Cid interjected. "I think whoever's piloting is in the head. You'll have a much tougher time getting there."

Gene: "Oh come on, seriously?!"

Cid: "I mean, my analysis could be wrong, but... uh. These readouts are what they are." ^^;

"Got any other ideas, then, Professor?" Gene scoffed.

"I do, actually," Cyril said. "If you can open rifts like that, why not turn its own attacks back on it?"

Don't make me break out Bubsy again, since if it was really that painless to open up portals with Malice shenanigans, I'm sure Gene would already be doing it on a regular basis.

Yuna's tail crinkled. That sounded difficult to pull off, but potentially effective. Too bad the remaining part of the Seekerskorch had chosen to switch tactics. Instead of Flamethrowers and Heat Waves, it launched bundles of flaming webs... that were homing in on their position!

"Gotta go!" the drakloak squeak, diving toward the ground. No good; the web missile kept giving chase. "You can't be serious!" she groaned. Yuna tried opening her mouth and spewing some dragonfire, but the web missile barreled right through her Dragon Breath.

Ah yes. A missile launcher dying to a missile. Talk about an ironic way to go out there.

Do what Cid suggested, dummy! she told herself. Concentrating, Yuna tore a rift open between her and the fireball. It was too small to fully redirect the web missile, but large enough to break the attack. Unfortunately for the drakloak, the missile's remnants rained over her. Strands of fiery webbing covered her rectangular head. Hissing, Yuna frantically rubbed her head, but that spread the flames onto her hands.

Never mind, it's just String Shot in a fast-moving can. That fortunately didn't spew a ton of shrapnel everywhere.

With no other recourse, Yuna dove onto the grass and rolled around. That put the flames out, but left the webs — and plenty of grass blades — stuck to her head.

[You really think that was clever, huh?] the pilot sneered. [Well, enjoy your little victory while it lasts, because you will not pull the wool over my eyes again. For great justice! For Eternatus!]

Yuna: "Boy, could things get any worse right now?"

The Seekerskorch unleashed another missile barrage and... either Yuna was crazy or she really did see sound effects like "BAMF" and "KABOOM" project themselves over the Seekerskorch while it fired.

-snerk-

Of course. :V

Either way, she figured the ground was the safest spot to stay to deal with this. So, the drakloak prepared herself to dodge... only for a sharp, stabbing pain to grip her head. Yuna sucked in a sharp breath. She had to focus on the fight. On staying in one piece.

Dark, shadowy tendrils wrapped themselves around a golden Needle planted firmly in the ground.

This... was all being used as a distraction by Xeromus, wasn't it?

A Needle? No, that didn't make any sense. What was happen— oh, God, her head hurt.

And, wait, why was her Soul Dew glowing brighter? Was Reshiram at his limit or something? He hadn't been out that long!

"Return to me..."

Scratch that, by Bahamut. Though boy are things going to go sideways in short order.

Right as two web missiles homed in on her, the pain grew to be too much. Vision blinded by the Soul Dew's light, Yuna could only muster a single scream.

Cid: "Yuna? Y-Yuna?! Are you okay?! Say something!"

Crystal tendrils sliced through Eternatus Bombardiers, sending their pilots careening off the stone rooftop. Off in the distance, more Bombardiers pressed their advance. Necrozma didn't care, however. His prize was right in front of him. There was nothing these weak, insignificant machines could do to him. No matter how many the dumb, metallic midnight lycanroc standing in front of his Needle summoned, he'd destroy them.

Oh, so Bahamut has indeed entered the chat for the race for the Needles.

Necrozma strode forward on his large, misshapen crystal legs. The shadows swirling around him gave him a strange, humanoid appearance.

"Don't you dare!" Lycanroc hissed. He dug his hands into the ground, tearing up chunks of the metal roof and hurling them forward.

Let's see here. One Lycanroc, or a crystal light dragon well known in canon fluff for its power and flying into violent rages? Yeah, I know who my money is on for this fight.

"Pointless," Necrozma said. He flicked his right wrist. Two orbs of distorted light raced to meet the metal shards, blowing them apart. Necrozma turned and stomped the ground. Electric geysers raced behind him, catching the charging Bombardiers off guard and blowing them apart.

Lycanroc thought Necrozma was distracted. He thought wrong. A crystal tentacle lurched out of Necrozma's shadows and coiled around a charging Lycanroc.

Whelp, it was nice knowing you, Lycanroc.

Necrozma turned back around. He hefted Lycanroc up to eye level. "Weak. Pathetic," he growled. "You guard power that isn't yours. Power you don't understand."

Lycanroc squirmed in Necrozma's grasp, but he tightened his grip. Shadows covered Lycanroc's mouth before he could retort.

... Wait, are we going to see Bahamut do that same party trick as Necky from GL? Since boy would that be a creepy callback if he did that.

"No words." Necrozma strode closer to the Needle. To his power. "You only delay the inevitable. I will destroy this realm..."

The tentacle unfurled, whipping Lycanroc back toward more oncoming Eternatus troopers. He hurled a distorted light ball after them, bathing them in a rainbow geyser. Necrozma reached forward with his right arm and grabbed the needle. An emerald flash pushed his shadows apart briefly.

Well nevermind, Bahamut's just vaporizing him.

"Return to me... Zygarde."

Welp.

Necrozma pulled the needle. A burst of emerald light shot up, then a thousand glistening spears rained down all around him. The roof crumbled to dust while Necrozma floated where the Needle once sat. He glimpsed a fresh wave of Eternatus Troopers approaching.

WELP

As nice it would be to give them all a taste of the power he just reclaimed, his efforts were better spent elsewhere. He slashed the air in front of him with his left arm and vanished into a jagged rift.

I can already tell that Yuna is going to have a normal one after she comes to and realizes what on earth just happened here.

Though a little late for your birthday here, but I suppose that it's time for my thoughts of this chapter and my last one of 2022:

Altogether, I thought that it was a nice change of pace. It was a lot more active than I remember a lot of PoV chapters being in the past, and the scene structure reflected it since I don't think there's been a PoV chapter with this many scene cuts in the past. It seemed to sell the sense of things unfolding in rapid-fire across multiple places pretty well.

As for things that I felt could've been done better. I'm honestly unsure. Maybe it'd have been nice to get Igneous and Yuna's groups back together formally, but eh. They and Seekerscorch haven't gone anywhere, and I assume that's what Chapter 52 will be all about. Other than that and a couple typos... I don't really have a whole lot to complain about since I was honestly too busy just enjoying watching events playing out, especially that ending and what it portends for the future.

Kudos on the chapter @Ambyssin , and happy belated birthday. Here's to another year of adventures in your story, and I'll be all there for it. ^^

 

[Negrek]

Happy late birthday, Ambyssin! I will make every attempt to show up here more than once per year, but for now this is what I've got--the next six chapters of Path of Valor (through 15).

This is a nice section of the fic, and one that feels like it's really moving the plot into a new phase. We conclude the first proper encounter with a Mystery Dungeon, Yuna's Soul Dew acquires an occupant who gives us the low-down on the extremely dire implications of recent events, Yuna also starts manifesting weird ghost (Giratina?) powers, and we get what I think is our first Bahamut POV of the fic(?). The stakes are clearly, at minimum, "the fate of the world," and the characters are finally starting to wise up to that fact. I also enjoyed a bit more exploration of Nikki's backstory and what her whole deal is. There's a huge amount of information that's conveyed in this section, spanning across multiple plotlines, but I thought it was well done; you kept things rolling along, but we nevertheless get a little bit of a break after the field trip to the Herbrides Lines, and I like that you used that downtime for some more character-focused scenes.

I thought that you did a really nice job of the mystery dungeon in this section--I love it when dungeons feel like truly bizarre, alien places, and you nailed that atmosphere for sure. I'm not totally sure what to expect out of the "mystery dungeon" element of this fic--given the nature of the Everything, I imagine characters are going to have to brave dungeons a fair amount; on the other hand, I don't know what prolonged dungeon sequences would really offer to this story. I think you strike a good balance here of indulging in some weird Qlipoth bullshit but not spending an overly long time on the group actually having to traverse this place. Certainly this is one area where I'm grateful for how this story deviates from the typical PMD plot structure--no pointless Tiny Woods tutorial crawl here! I thought this sequence did a good job of moving the plot along, showing off some weird and wacky dungeon nonsense, and getting in a couple character moments, without overstaying its welcome.

I enjoy the obvious disconnect between the various histories we see of Ethereum--Yuna and Reshiram's stories of the world being clearly at odds, Radiance and Aeon recounting events differently, some people being actual Darkest Day deniers, and so on. In some cases, such as the absence of Zamazenta in Radiance's lore, there's an obvious benefit to one group or other who might have changed it, but in others it's less clear who may have the right of things, or why accounts would differ in the first place. It's going to be fun to see how everything shakes out as the truth becomes clearer over time, what actually happened and what it means for our heroes. Probably nothing good! I also like how you use some of the historical disagreements to give the audience some hints that the characters don't necessarily have. For example, while Yuna's pretty suspicious of Shimmer's claim of being descended from one of the legendary heroes when he's a horse, not a dog, the audience knows who Zacian's counterpart is supposed to be and that there's definitely something hinky here--and now we can look out for any clue of what's up with Zamazenta.

Reshiram's comments about Sages not being able to reproduce, in particular, is intriguing... Almost suggests that this is actually a different iteration of Etherium than the one he's from, somehow. If not, then clearly its rules have changed in a dramatic way... How and why? One of the most interesting tidbits, to me, in a section with a lot of interesting tidbits. I think that these sorts of things, as well as the cutaways to Bahamut, Lunala, etc., illustrate something that I think you generally do well throughout the story, which is make use of dramatic irony and suspense. You do a good job of pulling readers along through the story by setting up mysteries that make them want to read on as well as by keeping the readers much better informed than the main characters so that we anticipate future revelations and want to read ahead to see how they play out.

Pehaps oddly enough, one of my favorite scenes in this section was the one where Seifer got fired. I'm curious what he'll be driven to do, now that he's lost the station that his life probably revolved around, and how his perspective might change... Now that he's unemployed, he's in the perfect position to properly join our ragtag gang of misfits and outcasts! I also found the part where Yuna tries to call him for backup but can't because his work phone's been deactivated outsizedly funny.

With everything going on with the end of the world, Shimmer's uncle's trial feels subsantially less important--though of course, it's been made clear that something big and plot-relevant is planning to interrupt that particular scene! In light of that, I'm guessing we won't actually get too much of the trial itself. I don't get many of the references in this fic, but I do at least know what's going on there. There's no way you could reasonably go through the entire omnibus trial in

I was kind of surprised that none of the people Yuna told about Reshiram seemed to have much of a reaction to the news. Like, she's telling what sounds like a fairly-insane story about her amulet being possessed by the spirit of a legendary sage, which sure, nobody takes at face value. But then said spirit bursts out of Yuna's chest and the response from the room is to get indignant at it? Nikki and Chiaki are both the kind to at least downplay any surprise or alarm they might feel at something like that happening, but it was strange to me that Seifer didn't seem to have much reaction to Reshiram showing up, either. Reshiram, as Yuna's commented repeatedly, isn't much like his depiction in legend--is anyone else disturbed by this, or think it's evidence that this is all some kind of elaborate trick? As readers we have the experience of Reshiram being a bit of a blustery guy who mostly sits in Yuna's head and makes bad jokes, not anyone awe-inspiring or majestic, or even, from the way he acts, much worth paying attention to... but someone living in Radiance would have rather different expectations of him, wouldn't they? Nikki's immediately calling him "fuzzball," and no one else seems to have much thought for him at all; it just strikes me as an odd response to "spirit of dead hero figure returns and insists that Awful Shit Boutta Go Down."

I will admit that I sometimes have difficulty remembering what species the non-major characters are. You do a pretty good job of including species names now and again to point that out for most of them, but at this point I really have no idea what Demerzel is, aside from some kind of psychic-type. I know we're going to end up with a pretty sizable cast by the end of things, so I'm probably going to need even more signposts later in the fic than I do now!

No major complaints, though; I think this run of chapters has been my favorite in the story so far. I'm definitely excited to see what kind of horrible thing interrupts the trial (sounds like a corrupted Rayquaza, probably?) and how that throws things into even greater confusion. Surely Vortex's Project Icarus will end the distortion issue once and for all and not make everything dramatically worse! (Vortex seriously needs to fire whoever came up with that name, especially if it was himself, as I suspect.) I am in particular curious to see what's going on with Bahamut. Can't make any promises about when I'll be back, but I enjoyed this, and I hope the writing in the later parts of the fic has been going well.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, dropping in for another chapter of PoV since it's been long enough since I picked up from last time. Featuring another title with ominous Latin phrases that totally aren't bad portents for the cast. Let's get straight into…

Chapter 52

"I've brought it up before, but in light of those complaints you got yesterday, I think it's worth revisiting."

Chiron sat against a tree, red eyes fixed on the setting sun in the distance. Leo slumbered in the lunala's curled up, crescent moon tail. She gently draped her right wing over the cosmog.

A flicker of gold light drew her attention right, where Bahamut coiled around a large boulder, tapping his right upper wing against it in irritation. "It's about Zygarde, isn't it?"

I... didn't think that he was going to become plot important this soon after appearing, though I suppose I ought to have known better considering the note 51 ended on.

"Ever the astute psychic," Chiron teased, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Bahamut's rainbow eyes bubbled with red and orange. "His work is instrumental in maintaining order. He's a big reason why Sages can intervene before things escalate."

That... doesn't sound good at all for the gang given that Bahamut has Squishy's power back for himself.

"It might be important, but it's wrong." Chiron had to keep her voice steady to avoid disturbing Leo's slumber. "Zygarde's power is remarkable, yes, but splitting him into his cells to monitor every corner of the planet is... an invasion of privacy."

Bahamut: "Chiron, of all of the problems facing this planet right now, you're seriously hung up over a lack of privacy?"

"It's a necessary precaution," Bahamut countered. "For the safety of—"

Chiron frowned. "If you really love this world and want it to flourish, then you have to trust the people living here and let them live their lives without wondering if they're being watched." She was dancing around the issue as best she could. The lunala didn't want to compare Zygarde to Matriarch and her type: full army out loud. Her husband had good intentions, but his past experiences clouded them.

To say nothing about your good intentions there, Chiron. Since I'm not convinced that pulling Zygarde back would've been a flatly good thing there even if you've got a point.

"How did you even know to create Zygarde in the first place?" she wondered. Eternatus had absorbed planets with them in the past, but she couldn't recall if Bahamut visited any of them. "Earth was the planet you spent the longest on and it didn't—"

Bahamut tensed. "I can't answer that."

Translation: "I was on another planet with a Zygarde before this one, which may or may not be inside Eternatus right now."

"You can't answer?" Chiron tilted her head. "Or you won't?"

The light dragon dimmed. "I—" His rainbow eyes swirled around like small twisters. After a protracted silence, Bahamut whispered, "It's complicated."

Chiron: "... I'll just take that as an 'I won't'."

Chiron wanted to float over to him but still had Leo wrapped in her tail. She instead opened a tiny wormhole and stuck her head into it. Her head appeared at Bahamut's side and brushed his gold, crystal cheek. "We made vows, remember? I'll never turn my back on you. If it's a secret... you can trust me with it."

... I actually can't tell how Chiron would've ever reacted to Bahamut coming clean about his past deeds to her and if she'd have ultimately forgiven them, or if it would've been a wedge that they just never got past.

"I want to," Bahamut said. "But what if something happens to you? This secret... can't afford to get out."

I mean, it can, it would just completely destroy the order you were painstakingly working to create 1100 years ago.

Chiron pondered that for a second. Then it clicked. "It's something about Chakran, right? You said you spent a long time there."

Bahamut's light rippled. Chiron knew she hit her mark. He sighed. "Yes. There were numerous zygarde on Chakran. They were part of the Overseers."

That is not a good omen at all of what became of them.

"Overseers?" Chiron pulled her head back through the wormhole and cautiously pet Leo's forehead.

"A group that is, essentially, the eyes of all worlds," Bahamut explained. "They watch over the omniverse to maintain its stability."

And they've been doing a bang-up job at that, truly. /s

"Omniverse?" Chiron sucked in a sharp breath. There really were other universes out there, then. She couldn't fault Bahamut's caution. If Matriarch ever learned of that... there was no telling the consequences.

"I actually asked them to deal with Eternatus," Bahamut admitted. "They refused... and abandoned the planet — and our universe — instead."

Chiron: "I'm sorry, what?" ._.
Bahamut: "More accurately, they wrote us off as being so much of a threat to the rest of the Omniverse that we were better off being sealed off and abandoned. Is that what you wanted to hear?" >_>;

"I see." Chiron looked down at Leo. The cosmog still slumbered peacefully, his pom-pom arms glowing and dimming with every breath he took. "Why would you use your light to craft zygarde Sages, then? Isn't it just a painful reminder of your time on Chakran?"

"Perhaps. But, again, I saw their zygarde in action," Bahamut replied, lowering his head onto the top of the rock. "Splitting themselves into cells to observe a hundred places at once. A powerful tool."

Oh, I see you're taking after Gen 7's distribution of Cells, since Anime!Zygarde sure felt like he had a lot more than a hundred of those buggers crawling around.

"Powerful, but unsettling," Chiron countered. She gestured with her left wing. "Try to look at it from a different perspective. How would you feel if you learned that someone was constantly spying on your every move?"

Bahamut didn't respond at first. The rippling through his body and wings told Chiron enough, however. He clenched his jaw and looked away. "I suppose... I'd feel hurt. Upset."

inb4 someone wound up doing just that to Bahamut. Chiron: "I figured. Do you see the point that I'm getting at, Bahamut?"

Chiron offered a small smile. "Like some of the sermon attendees, perhaps?"

A loud sigh. Bahamut lowered his head onto the rock again. "Yes, you're right. As usual. I'm too reckless and paranoid."

Wow. Bahamut's actually being reasonable for once? Guess love really does conquer all.

"I didn't say that," Chiron cut in. "There's no need to beat yourself up over this."

"Then what do you suggest?" Pleading greens and yellows pooled in Bahamut's eyes.

"Perhaps you should scale back Zygarde's duties," Chiron offered. "Gradually, if it will ease your mind. And then, in the future..." Her voice trailed off as she twirled a tiny claw around in the circle.

Bahamut: "... This is still going to involve there still being a Zygarde at the end, right?" ^^;
- Cue long, awkward pause -
Bahamut: "... Right?" ._.;

"... Zygarde should be the last Sage of Order," Bahamut whispered.

"Read my mind again, I see." Chiron chuckled. "I love it when you're in sync with me."

Zygarde wasn't the last Sage of Order, was he?

Bahamut's body and eyes reddened. "Yes, well... perhaps it is for the best. After all, I'm getting old." He rolled off the rock and onto the grass, looking up at the sky. "I have to start trusting the world to keep turning without me."

Yeah, fantastic job Bahamut's been doing with that lately. Even if I'm not fully sure if he's in his right mind right now.

"Wise words." Chiron bobbed her head. "But you'll hang on until Leo's all grown up, right?"

At that, Bahamut laughed. "Which of us called me stubborn to a fault, again?"

D'aww... even if everything obviously went to pot not long after all this.

"... na! Yu... ere?"

Yuna: "... Ow. Though who on earth is-?" @.@

The drakloak heard... someone. But the ringing in her ears and the stars in her vision were too loud and too bright. She sucked in a sharp breath, furiously rubbing her eyes and begging the light to fade.

Why a vision now? She hadn't pulled a Needle! Her Soul Dew couldn't have reacted to the Seekerskorch, else she would've conked out right when she saw it.

- Yuna beat moment -

Yuna: "Oh my god. Tell me that doesn't mean that someone else pulled a-"

(Though I'm just realizing that this is also what happened to Yuna during Starlene's concert at Horizon Gardens. I think, anyways.)

Did that mean...

"Princess, are you okay? Yuna, please answer me!"

She finally picked up on Noctum's voice. The black charizard picked her up off the ground and cradled her in his arms. Relief flooded his face when Yuna made proper eye contact. "Oh, thank God. Are you hurt?"

Ah yes, Yuna's bodyguard to the rescue. Though I wonder how fast she's connected the dots in-setting? Since I can't imagine that she will take that well at all.

Arms trembling, Yuna grabbed his right shoulder. "N... Needle..."

"Hmm?" Noctum frowned. "Do you think a Needle's nearby?"

Yuna: "Noctum, s-someone else just pulled one!"

Noctum: "... I'm sorry, come again?"

"No. I—" She took a few breaths to steady herself. "A Needle got pulled. By someone else." Yuna squeezed her eyes shut. "Someone else is pulling Needles!"

"Are you serious?" Valkyrie growled. Yuna couldn't see the garchomp.

Oh, so Val's here for this, too, huh? Guess she really is growing close to Noctum in live-time.

"I'm sure." Yuna managed to collect herself enough to float out of Noctum's grasp. "Every Needle I've pulled so far, I've had a... vision from the past about the Sage sealed inside. And I just had one where Bahamut was talking with his wife about Zygarde."

Val: "Couldn't you have had this sometime where there wasn't a giant metal bug trying to goosh us?" >_>;
Yuna: "No, I can't! Because these things literally come whenever a Needle gets pulled out!"

Thunderous explosions rang out. Bright blue fireballs filled up the sky. Meeping, Yuna darted away from Noctum and Valkyrie on reflex.

"Tch." Valkyrie kicked up some grass and dirt. "There's no point discussing this here. Either you rejoin the fight or rift yourself over to Venish and then Bogdan. You're a liability like this."

Harsh, but she's not wrong there. Since... uh, yeah. Sitting around mentally BSODing sounds like a fast way to die in these circumstances.

"Valkyrie," Noctum growled, purple tail flame sparking.

The garchomp bit her lip. "Sorry. Gene's just struggling to redirect any of that bolt bucket's attacks. Even with half the mech trashed, too many things are happening at once."

Wow, Val displaying contrition? Sure don't see that often.

Yuna looked down guiltily. "I tried to do that... but my rifts are too small to swallow up its attacks." She looked up and saw Reshiram struggling to escape a dozen web missiles. Though he shot bright blue Dragon Pulses and Nikki hurled poisonous globs from her fingers, they weren't enough to stop the missiles.

- Cue the web missiles blowing up in unison and a disgusted cry ringing out -
Cecil: "Ew! It's all in my fur! Get it out! Get it out!"
- On the ground, Val shakes her head -
Val: "So, er... any brilliant ideas here that don't involve waiting around to die, then?"

"I can't leave." The drakloak flew to Noctum's side. "Reshiram would disappear with me. I'm not doing that to Nikki."

Val: "Why on earth is that even a thing?!" >_>;
Yuna: "Look, I don't have an explanation for why the Soul Dew does that, okay? It just does!" >.<

"Oh, right. Good point." Valkyrie stomped up to Noctum. "Guess we'd better get back to it." She hopped onto the black charizard's back. "Onward, less-than-noble steed!" Valkyrie shouted, kicking Noctum's rear.

"Yow! Hey!" His Malice Crystal and tail flame sparked. "Rude!"

Noctum: "Val, seriously! Show a little respect to the 'mon you're counting on to fly you around!"

Igneous had opted to fall back and relocate Scarlett and Yiazmat, which didn't prove challenging. The two of them had found their way to the baccer stadium and, apparently, offered to help the Radiant Guard with crowd control as they got people to evacuate. A fairy rapidash officer had proposed summoning flying taxis to get people away from the area, but the constant appearance of the mystery barrier to ward off any attacks was enough to get him to hold off on the order.

Igneous: "I... don't suppose that you have Teleport Gems lying around, do you?"

Radiant Guard #1: "What is this, one of your children's stories? Why don't you just go ahead and suggest we use a stoneship like in Shaymin the Wanderer: Sky Explorers?" >_>;

Though the grovlazzle had no idea how long the barrier would hold, it soon stopped being an issue. An explosion rocked the sky and half the robot broke apart and plummeted to the ground. After that, it solely focused on its airborne assailants. But that didn't stop the sky from filling with a bevy of orange and blue explosions.

Igneous: "... Are you sure that you don't have any Teleport Gems? Since this would be a really good time to use them-"

Radiant Guard #2: "We don't have them, okay?" >.<

"The brigade captain said everyone's outside the stadium," Scarlett said, gliding in for a landing beside Igneous, whose gaze remained fixed in the distance. "Um, is everything okay?"

"Whoever's fighting that thing isn't making any more progress," Igneous said, arms crossed and right foot tapping the paved ground impatiently. "It's shooting a whole bunch of attacks that can track them."

Yiazmat: "Grov... lazzle, is it? You do realize that's exactly the sort of thing one would say right before the giant steel bug of doom would start making progress, right?"

[You really think I will let you turn my attacks against me? As if!] the pilot said. [I am just getting started!]

Kyoko: "You just had to run your trap, didn't you, Chiaki?" >.<

More orange cones filled the skies. The grovlazzle could barely make out who was actually fighting the machine anymore, losing them amidst orange explosions and red smoke. "If there's nothing else for me to do here, then I should try to help them."

"Are you crazy?" Scarlett gasped. "Even with whatever creepy powers let you fly and light stuff on fire, you can't stand up to that."

Igneous: "Considering how whatever gave me this power had freaky reality-warping abilities... I wouldn't be too sure about that, Scarlett." ^^;

"What would you rather me do?" Igneous growled, whirling on Scarlett. "Stand here gawking like all of them?" He gestured behind them both, to the fairy rapidash from before and a much larger granbull whose magenta uniform had several bars and badges on it.

"Only fools charge in when defeat is a certainty," Yiazmat chided, hovering toward the duo. "Warriors know their limits and plan accordingly."

Well, smart ones, anyways. History is littered with the bones of warriors who picked dumb fights and paid the ultimate price for it.

"Tch. That another Aeonism?" Igneous scoffed.

"One of Saint Urshifu's teachings," Yiazmat said. "We all saw half that machine break apart. Whoever's already there is clearly operating with more information than we have. If any of us try to approach, we may become a liability for our unknown allies."

That actually makes me curious now as to how Aeons generally feel about the likes of Seifer or the Minister twins who are progeny rocking the forms of their saints, but wielding that power to keep them penned up in the mountains. I presume various shades of "not well".

More explosions thundered behind them. Igneous turned around, biting his lower lip. The giant robot wasn't going down. How could it keep firing so many attacks without having to recharge or anything? It was totally ridiculous.

inb4 it's being powered by energy that's being transmitted to it from a giant, glowy- oh right, wrong series to draw reference from, huh?

"Igneous," Yiazmat growled. "Do not go charging off again."

The grovlazzle's claws balled into fists. "I think I know who's fighting that battleship and I'm not turning my back on them."

Kyoko: "Chiaki, need I remind you that the last time you went charging into a situation, you wound up becoming a quadruplegic and getting stuck like you are now?" >_>;
Igneous: "

My last last one brought me to Scale City along with Scarlett. So it didn't end that badly."

Yiazmat raised a brow, but then her eyes slowly widened. "Wait. What are you implying?"

On the one hand, Igneous was glad the dragpult caught on quickly. On the other hand, Yiazmat catching on meant he had to come clean about Yuna. Something he was pretty sure she wouldn't want anyone to do, least of all to her mother.

Because there's strong odds she'd promptly go "yeah no, screw this, you are going straight back to Aeon while Radiance can have fun getting eaten by Distortion"

Igneous curled and uncurled his claws. "It's Yuna and Noctum. They're part of that group in the sky."

That one got a reaction from Yiazmat. Her tail whipped at the air. Scarlett tensed. "How do you know that?"

Igneous: "... Do you want the short version or the long version?" ^^;
Yiazmat: "Look, just answer the question right now!"

"Because she's already fought multiple battles inside of World Ender," Igneous hastily responded. "Some of which I was there for."

"What?" Yiazmat blinked several times. "You... and Yuna... but..." Her eyes darted around. "She can't really defend herself! Why?!" The dragapult looked up in horror. "Oh, God. Yuna!" Yiazmat looked ready to bolt.

Igneous: "What was that about warriors not charging in earlier?" >_>;
Yiazmat: "This isn't a 'warrior' thing, this is a 'mother and my baby's out there about to get blown to bits' thing!"

"Whoa, hang on." Scarlett waved her tail in front of Yiazmat's face. "What happened to warriors planning accordingly?"

Yiazmat's horns bristled with dragonfire. Scarlett shrank back. "I know what I said," Yiazmat growled. "But if that's really my daughter up there, I can't leave her fending for herself."

Yeah, I called it, if a bit less formal than the real deal.

"She's not alone," Igneous said, resisting the temptation for a snide remark about her sudden attitude shift. "There are a lot of powerful pokémon with her." He wasn't about to say she was carrying a few Sages around with her. That would really set the dragpult off.

... That actually makes me wonder if Dragapult can retract their tails/bodies into their heads like Dreepy to become stress boomerangs as well.

"Still. I want to support her." Yiazmat balled up her fists. "But not even Cosmic Blessing can deal with something that big."

Another flurry of orange explosions lit up the sky.

Yiazmat: "Alright, that's it, we're going-!"
Scarlett: "Oi! Let's at least try to plan out our entrance first!" O_O;

"Agggggh!"

Yuna pinwheeled through the air, covered in even more webbing than before. It was getting hard to move her body the way she wanted. She looked down at her Soul Dew. "C'mon, stupid shadow wing thingies! You've shown up every other time our backs were against the wall. Do something!"

Small verb tense error.

Yuna's Giratina Powers:

"Princess, from above!" Noctum cried.

The drakloak looked up and shrieked. She shot toward the ground, but the heat behind her grew stronger. Was the attack getting closer? No, it was a second web missile joining the one already giving chase to her.

Yuna: "Oh for god's sakes! Any day would be nice now, powers!"

"I can't get a good opening," Gene hissed, but Yuna wasn't sure from where.

[And it will stay that way until you rebels surrender!] the pilot said.

Probably a good thing that Yuna isn't aware that her mom is here right now. Since I'm not fully convinced Yiazmat's going to make it through the entire chapter. ^^;

"Well?" Igneous looked at Yiazmat. "Do we have a plan or not?"

Yiazmat turned to Scarlett. "It's up to you."

"Me?" The dragonair pointed her tail at her head. "Oh no. I haven't fought a battle in... in..."

Yiazmat: "Alternatively, you let me come up with the plan, which is going to be some variation of 'go in with horns blazing-'"
Scarlett: "Alright! Alright! I'll come up with something!" O_O;

"Not to fight," Yiazmat drifted closer. "That siren song of yours. You have to put it to use to help them." She pointed back toward the battle with her tail.

"H-Huh?" Scarlett shrank back. "I—" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "I've never tried to direct my songs toward specific people. I'm not even sure it would work like that! I could end up powering up the battleship... or whipping the crowd back there into a frenzy!"

... That actually makes me wonder if Scarlett's discography has a cover of 'Death to Squishies' buried somewhere in it.

More explosions bathed the sky in blue and orange. The crowd several meters away grew more restless.

"Try it anyway," Yiazmat ordered. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Wow, Yiazmat really does lose her sobriety once family gets on the line. That's... a terrible sign for how she would handle crises with that as a complicating factor.

Scarlett looked down at the ground. "I can't," she whispered. "Not after last time."

Igneous squinted. In the distance, he saw Nikki clinging to Reshiram for dear life as he flew midair loops to get two fireballs to crash into each other.

"Then don't do it for our sakes," the grovlazzle said. "Do it for Nikki's."

Scarlett: "... You do realize that Nikki in all likelihood would wish that I was dead if she found out that I was stealing songs from her, right?"

Igneous: "You do realize that Nikki's right there and going to fall to her death if something about this equation doesn't change fast, right?" >_>;

The dragonair stiffened. "What did you just say?"

"Nikki's up there, too!" Igneous jerked his head in the machine's direction. "Fighting for her life... because she wants to see you again." He pointed a claw at Scarlett's cloak-covered torso. "She doesn't know the truth yet. She still believes you're like a sister to her."

Which will last approximately all of five seconds once she finds out that Scarlett is Starlene since she saw that bit with the stolen lyrics in Venish.

He let those words hang in the air. Scarlett's eyes darted around. She opened and closed her mouth several times. Whatever Igneous thought she'd say, she couldn't muster it.

The grovlazzle was going to continue when Scarlett finally whispered, "She really said that?"

"Yes." Igneous stepped toward Scarlett. "The whole reason she came to Horizon was because she was worried about you. She knows you're a good person at heart. Now you have a chance to prove her right. And show your Dynamuse can be used for good."

Igneous: "Look, what else is it going to take to get you to belt something out? Do I need to fire up background music here?" >_>;

Scarlett trembled underneath her tattered cloak. More explosions thundered in the distance. Wincing, the dragonair slithered forward.

"Okay! I... I'll try."

Scarlett: "I just want to emphasize that if anything bad happens, that this wasn't my idea." ._.;

She looked over her shoulder again. "Um... I can move farther away from them, right? I don't want anyone to see."

Igneous nodded. He and Yiazmat formed a wall of sorts, blocking Scarlett from seeing the crowd. They moved forward cautiously. Most of the attacks remained in the air, but a few stray fireballs struck trees and dirt mounds in the distance, setting them ablaze.

Scarlett: "Do you have any better way of blocking me off from-?" O_O;
All:

Yiazmat: "Now hop to it and start singing, Dragonair."

"Do it for Nikki. Do it for Nikki."

Igneous didn't respond to Scarlett's whispers. She was trying to psych herself up. They were asking a lot of her. Unfairly so, now that Igneous chewed on it longer. Scarlett had been through a lot. Maybe I should say something different to her?

Oh, so you are shipping these two, huh? :V

The grovlazzle hesitantly stepped toward Scarlett, whose head was bowed. Before Igneous could say anything, however, the dragonair's neck bauble glowed bright pink. A burst of pink light erupted from Scarlett. Igneous stumbled back in a daze, eyes screwed shut.

"What the... you summoned Starlene?!"

Igneous:

"Starlene?" Yiazmat's voice was full of awe. "No. It's... it's Saint Latias!"

... She can do that?!

"Reshiram!" Yuna cried, corkscrewing away from a web missile that blew up not too far behind her. "Get Nikki to Jade!" She brushed her hand over the Soul Dew, whose glow had faded. "Someone cover them!"

Gene zipped over, whipping up a Hurricane. The intense winds proved enough to turn away a pair of web missiles and let Nikki hop safely onto Gene's back. However, the salugia squawked and suddenly lost altitude. Gene pointed his right hand down and caught her.

"It's no good. Birdbrain ain't used to having a passenger," Gene called back. "I'm grounding you two."

Jade: "Was the 'Birdbrain' really necessary?"

Gene: "Is that seriously your hangup right now?" >_>;

"What?! But we need the extra help!" Valkyrie growled.

"This isn't up for debate," Gene hissed, opening a rift underneath him and dropping Jade and Nikki straight through it.

inb4 this messes things up by making Scarlett panic on the ground or something like that.

"Then we need a new plan," Valkyrie hissed. She and Noctum rolled right. A web missile sailed past and Gene vaporized it with a burst of psychic energy before it could loop around and follow them.

The garchomp was right, though. Making the Seekerskorch smaller made it harder to get close and try anything. They couldn't keep dodging these seemingly endless volleys.

Yuna: "I don't suppose we could do something like try and make Protect walls to slowly advance-?"

Val: "Yuna, there's like 6 of us to work with here!"

[How is this for a plan? You give up now, and your evil flunkies can get rehabilitated!] the pilot declared, before another volley of fireballs lit up the sky.

Noctum: "Wait, how can he even hear us in between all of this stuff blowing up around us?!" O_O;

Paradox almost slammed his headset down on his desk. "What are you blabbering about, fool?! There's no rehabilitation. They're monsters. Destroy them!"

Sticky winced. How was calling his son a fool supposed to keep him following orders?

Oh, so W1DG3T really is going to wind up going full Kahr, isn't he?

"Gene, this is hopeless!" Yuna flew after the mewtwo to stay clear of all the homing fireballs. "I'm tapped out. Your redirecting plan failed. We can't get close to the Seekerskorch." Her shoulders sagged. "How are we supposed to get out of this?"

"I'm thinking!" Gene hissed. "You eggheads are welcome to butt in anytime, by the way!"

Noctum: "Technically, Yuna's more of a 'boomerang'-head-" ^^;
Gene: "Whatever!" >.<

"I wish I had something, but I'm lost, too," Cid said. "The Seekerskorch must have some sort of mechanism to prevent overheating. It's the only explanation I can think of for why it can unleash so many attacks without that happening."

Oh, so they really are going to pull a Death Star on this thing, huh?

"Delightful!" Gene's voice brimmed with mock enthusiasm.

Yuna was ready to give the mewtwo another earful when a bright crimson light erupted in the distance. "Oh, now what?!" She gripped the sides of her rectangular head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTHgZjVO-x0
Yuna: "Wait, wha-? Where on earth did that come fro-?"

"Dost thou not hear it?" Rayquaza asked. "Music! Of the, err, guitar variety, I believe? That is what Miss Nikki called it, correct?"

"What?" Yuna looked around. "I don't hear any—"

"Let my song... give you strength!"

Oh, so we really are getting BGM fired up in the background, even if I was off on what it'd be.

"Eek!" Yuna's torso retreated into her head. That voice wasn't familiar, but it was in her head like the Sages'. "What's going on?" She looked at Gene, but the mewtwo was fixated on the crimson light in the distance.

"You hear it too, don't you?" he mumbled.

"Don't ignore the writing on the wall, yeaaaah
It's up to you, you can't let it fall
We've come too far
We're on the cusp
So don't back down
Keep the pressure on!"

Yuna: "You know, for some weird reason I was expecting something with lyrics about the moon or something like that-"
- Cue a voice from far, far below -
Scarlett: "Hey! Stop complaining about a good thing and just roll with it already!" >.<

Up ahead, the Seekerskorch unleashed a fresh volley of flaming web missiles. This time, however, it brought its head around to charge up another monstrous Hyper Beam in its open mouth.

"Gene! Move!" Yuna shouted. When she flew away, it was faster than she thought possible as a drakloak. It didn't make sense, wasn't she supposed to be exhausted?

"We're not gonna fade away and
Become a footnote in history.
Our hearts beating together as one
Fangs and claws ready and waiting to take you down!"

That actually makes me wonder if Nikki would find these lyrics recognizable or not, or if this was something Scarlett cooked up after they parted ways.

The Hyper Beam filled the crimson sky with brilliant blue... only for surging purple to split right through it.

Yuna blinked and rubbed her eyes.

Yuna: "Wait, was that a Dragon Pulse?!"

No, she wasn't imagining it. A bulkier Gene with longer limbs and a Malice Crystal in each shoulder surged through the Hyper Beam, a barrier of psychic energy in front of him.

[Huh?! What the—]

Gene: "Nope, it's just me! Your friendly Rebel Leader at your service!" ^_^
Yuna: "You can do that?! Why on earth did you wait this long?!" O_O;

"To take— to take you down!
To take— to take you dooooo-oooooo-oooown!
To take you down!"

The transformed mewtwo kept up his charge until he forced the Hyper Beam back on its attacker. The Seekerskorch flailed about in midair. Huge chunks of its face plates burst off, tumbling to the ground as flaming debris.

Oh, so Scarlett's song tranced Gene into Gene-X, huh? Since after firing up a reference page, it basically reads like a Shadow Mewtwo version of that.

"Whoa!" Jade's jaw slackened. "Did you see that?! The weird kitty got big! And grew another crystal!" She had her hands cupped over her eyes.

Nikki wasn't paying attention, however. She stared at red and white light in the distance, blinking slowly.

Oh, so Nikki does recognize these lyrics. And nice use of that birthday art there.

"That song," she whispered, looking down at her gills.

"Time ticks away like grains of sand
Our lives sealed, cruel fate slips right through our hands"

Nikki: "That's one that I worked on with..."

"I... I know this song!" Nikki instinctively thrust her hands out. Her lightning guitar appeared in a burst of yellow and pink. "Scarlett and I made it! She'd sing it during battle clubs in Blightsmuth while I played guitar!"

Nikki: "S-So she's there?! Scarlett's out there right now?!" O_O;

"We'll stare fate back in its ugly face, screaming our creed:
'You won't forget me! You won't forget me!'"

Before Nikki even realized it, she was moving her hands across her lightning guitar as if she was playing a real one.

Oh, so Scarlett's song is going to be able to make more than just Gene Trance, huh?

She wasn't standing in a field anymore, but sitting on a stack of cardboard boxes against a grimy brick wall. Nikki held a small pink guitar in her tiny toxel hands, slowly strumming chords while an obstagoon deflected an attack from an scrafty with an X-shaped barrier. Several other dark-types whooped and thumped their limbs, cheering the name Shredder.

Wait, a real one, or a toy one? Though the image is a cute one to think of, even if it makes me wonder how on earth instrument sizes would ever be able to be standardized in PoV's setting.

Beside Nikki, a dratini wriggled in delight, belting out lyrics while waving a tattered, black and white flag with her tiny tail.

Snapping back to the present, Nikki spoke without realizing it. "We're gonna be strong like him one day, right, sis?"

Blightsmuth's or is this something else?

"What is the meaning of this?!" Paradox darted back and forth in front of his monitor array. "Where's the footage? Why have we lost our signals?!" He whirled on Sticky. "Answer me!"

The nagandel looked down at his own console, which was a mess of static. "I... I don't know, sir. There appears to be some sort of interference."

"I can see that, you blithering numbskull!" Paradox gripped his headset tightly with his right tentacles. "W1-DG3T, status report... now!"

inb4 he gets answered with an earful of rock music and throws the headset aside in a rage.

Gene was a purple bullet darting around the Seekerskorch, leaving smoldering dents behind on its metallic exoskeleton.

[No! Stop! This is impossible!] Every attempt the pilot made at striking Gene with an attack from one of the remaining cannons ended with the cannon cleaved off the Seekerskorch by Gene's psychic spoon. [Y... you are the bad guy! You are not allowed to win! I have to stop you! I have to save the universe!]

Gene: "Okay, one: You're the bad guy. Two: Our story takes after Final Fantasy games, bad guys taking Ws in their plots and making the good guys miserable literally happens all the time!"
Noctum: "Um, Gene, maybe you could not point this out to the obvious bad guy right here?"

Yuna's gut squirmed, but it wasn't a bad feeling. More like... something or someone calling out to her from within.

"We're not gonna fade away and
Become a footnote in history.
All this spite grows inside of us
These memories we'll throw back at you—"

Oh, so now her Giratina powers are going to kick in, huh?

The drakloak darted toward the Seekeskorch as it coiled around Gene. Its body glowed. It was clearly up to something and she needed to stop it. Even if a small voice was telling her to turn back. Even though her rational self knew that was a bad idea.

She could do this! She could make a difference!

Yup, I called it.

"Cuz we are the ones
Who shape our destiny
Fighting to be free
We'll claim victory!"

Yuna punched the air with her right arm. A giant gray leg appeared in front of her and stamped the Seekerskorch. Mechanical screeching filled the air.

Oh, so Yuna used an Up Smash there. :V

She punched again. Another giant gray leg appeared, denting one of the Seekerskorch's segments.

With a loud roar, Yuna kept punching. More and more gray legs pummeled the Seekerskorch's exoskeleton... until its segments began to break apart.

[No... no! I cannot— I must not— I— Father!]

Paradox: "... Sticky, please tell me we have the Amnesia Ray ready to go? I can already tell we're going to need to put it to use. Possibly also on myself so that way I can forget about this debacle."

"Still no response. Still no signal," Sticky reported, frantically typing at his keyboard. The console monitor suddenly sparked. Yelping, the nagandel barely managed to duck in time to avoid shrapnel as his monitor shattered and a flurry of sparks raced across the room.

"That's enough!" Paradox removed his headset and held it in front of his face like it was a living thing he intended to strangle. "Computer, execute Type: Zodiark 0.0.1 self-destruct sequence!"

Well, nevermind then.

[Command acknowledged,] a feminine voice responded. [Password?]

Paradox's right eye twitched. He gripped the headset even tighter. "Why do I need a password? I'm the emperor! How about I just obliterate you instead?!"

[Password accepted. Initializing self-destruct sequence.]

Boy is Paradox lucky nobody captured an audio recording of that, since that feels like such a potential exploit in the waiting there.

"Something's happening, Gene!" Yuna cried, noticing the Seekerskorch's head segment glowing while the rest of them fell to the ground in a massive, flaming wreckage.

"Way ahead of you!" the mewtwo responded, surging in front of the Seekerskorch's head. "Sorry, kid, but the real good guys are coming out on top this time."

Oh, so W1DG3T's just going to bite it here, huh? Though I suppose Paradox did say he was a beta product, implying that he has other W1DG3Ts queued up just waiting to go with a few finishing touches.

He pointed his arm forward and a giant pink energy beam. It shattered the top of the Seekerskorch.

"I see the pilot!" Cid cried. "It's... Xeromus?!"

W1DG3T: "H-Huh?! Who's Xeromus?! One of your rebel allies?!"
Yuna: "Cid, I don't think that that's-"

"What?!" Yuna shot forward. A purple and red blur fell toward the ground, faster than she could fly.

"No, wait, it's not quite the same. There's no mask or cloak," Cid said. "But whoever they are, they're falling fast!"

Val:

Noctum: "Um, Val? Considering how the pilot had a speech pattern that really sounded like a 12-year old, I think we might not want to just let him fall to his death here." .-.

"I can see that!" Sucking in a sharp breath, Yuna instinctively stuck her right hand out. A giant, shadowy wing appeared and caught the falling pilot between three red spikes.

... I sure hope that self-destruct mechanism isn't integrated into W1DG3T directly, since otherwise boy is that gonna hurt.

"Okay, stop! Stop!" Igneous sprinted toward Scarlett and the spectral latias hovering above her. "It's over! You can stop!"

Scarlett and Latias turned to Igneous in unison. The latter evaporated in red and white mist. Igneous saw Scarlett's eyes rolling back in her head and dove forward, barely catching her before she would've struck the ground.

... Wait, so Latias was the one who sang that song there? It was a little unclear to me, but I'm guessing that's the implication from her dispelling like that.

The dragonair blinked blearily. "D... did I do good?" she whispered.

"More than good." Igneous nodded slowly. "You did great."

As her eyes closed, a smile spread over Scarlett's face.

Igneous: "Uh... she is just exhausted, right?" ._.

A sudden gust brushed the grovlazzle's backside. By the time he turned around, Yiazmat was already halfway toward the wreckage.

Oh that's not a good sign there. .-.

Paradox stared at his static-filled monitors, still gripping the headset. "Well? What happened? Sticky, give me something!"

The naganadel had nothing. His computer was a smoldering wreck. "Sir, my terminal is—"

"I don't want excuses," the deoxys hissed. Paradox looked at the ceiling. "Computer? Status on the self-destruct sequence?"

[Loading. Loading. Please stand by.]

... W1DG3T's going to blow up in delayed fashion and take out members of the party, isn't he?

Paradox was ready to throw his headset at the ceiling.

[Self-destruct sequence completed successfully, Your Excellency.]

... Well then, time to see how much of an unholy mess that turns out to be.

Silence. After a solid minute, Paradox turned and placed the headset on his desk. His tentacles coiled into hands that he braced on either side of his headset.

"Sticky. Call Uroboros," he said. "I want the Paradigm fully mobilized."

Without hesitation, Sticky vigorously nodded and sped toward the door.

Wait, so no explosion through the line there? Though I suppose it was a bit soon to be getting rid of Paradigm story-wise.

As the drakloak gently lowered the creature to the ground, she acknowledged its body shape was a lot like Xeromus'. But its entire torso was red and translucent, like it was made of glass.

Oh, that is not a good sign for the note this chapter's going to end on.

Gene landed at the same time Yuna placed the pilot on the ground, then turned back to normal in a flash of orange and blue light. Noctum and Valkyrie landed beside him.

"What the hell was that?" Valkyrie rubbed her head. "You guys heard a rock song, too, right? It was like... if Starlene turned punk."

... Waaaaait, so how many phases as musicians did Nikki and Scarlett go through? Since Chiaki definitely remembered them for their Bubblegum Pop...

"I don't feel tired at all." Noctum tapped the top of his Malice Crystal. "And you!" He pointed to Gene. "I didn't know you could mega evolve!"

Oh, so Gene did Trance from Scarlett's song.

Gene's tail swished back and forth. "Uh, neither could I." He held his right hand up and turned it back and forth. "I wish I had an explanation, but I don't." The mewtwo shook his head. "We can talk about it later. How's that pilot?"

When he looked left, his tail abruptly stiffened. The panic was clear in his eyes. "Impossible," he whispered.

Gene: "What, you getting your tail whipped? No, that's just Tuesday for me-"
W1DG3T: "B-But you're the bad guys, I'm not supposed to lose to you!"

"What's impossible?" Valkyrie said, quirking a brow.

"Nothing." Gene waved her off. He knelt beside the pilot.

"Is it dead?" the garchomp wondered.

Not yet, anyways.

"No. Just unconscious." Gene ran a hand across the pilot's red torso. His Malice Crystal sparked and he pulled his hand back. "Yeah, we're gonna have to dig deeper into this."

"Let's gather up, first," Noctum suggested, slowly flapping his wings in place. "We need to get Jade and Nik—"

"Yuna? Yunavresca!"

Yuna: "... That voice. Oh my god."

The drakloak stiffened. She glanced over her shoulder.

A dragapult in sleek black armor surged toward her, a mix of shock and worry on her face.

"The hell?" Valkyrie tugged Noctum's wing. "Is that—"

Yuna managed to find her voice.

"Mom?!"

Well, I can already tell that these two have quite the reunion ahead of them. Even if I'm a little surprised that W1DG3T hasn't blown up on the gang just yet. Either that self-destruct sequence takes care of him another way, something got interrupted with it, or he's going to blow up next chapter.

CDL347: Giga Pursuit Unit, Seekerskorch

A prototype flying battleship for the Eternatus Troopers, fashioned to appear like a mega evolved centiskorch. With a psorexium exoskeleton and dozens of side-mounted cannons, it can unleash a devastating rain of destruction on its target. The only issue is that the battleship is presently designed for a single pilot. Controlling all the weapons has proven to be too difficult for any Eternatus Troopers, so the prototype was shelved.

Why did the emperor suddenly deploy it now? And who did he scrounge up to pilot it? Its appearance is seriously concerning...

Oh right, Cyril is the one who writes these logs. I forgot about that little detail, but it's a nice touch there.

Path of Valor Almanac

Scarlett's battle song spoofs GH()ST (pronounced "ghost"), the battle theme of Viola from Bayonetta 3, with music by Tomoki Kameyama and vocals by Mikaila Delgado.

And there's the blurb about the song drop in-story. For reference, if you ever branch out to other Platinum Games songs for Scarlett's playlist, I'd recommend the female version of 'Dark Hero' from Astral Chain as a solid contender for a genre and thematic fit.

Alright, time for that post-mortem: Another actiony chapter, since this and the prior chapter's structuring is really different from just about every chapter of PoV prior to them. So it did a good job at keeping things feeling fresh... even if I'm just a little

at the possibility of things taking an explosive turn right off the bat next time. I also liked how we're finally getting all the main branches of the protagonist party all together in one place, even if I'm not fully convinced they're all going to start sortieing together right here and now since there must be a voice in Yiazmat's head going "yeah, no, my baby girl's going home and away from this mess" right now.

As for weaknesses. I honestly don't have that much to complain about. Maybe being a bit more explicit about how it's Latias doing the singing that's buffing Gene and the party there? Other than that, everything seemed pretty put together well if under an obvious constraint of "the chapter needs to be about 5000 words", which you've made obvious isn't going anywhere for normal chapters.

Kudos on the chapter @Ambyssin , and at long last, I'm caught up on your story again, and eagerly awaiting whatever comes to pass in 53 this coming weekend. ^^

 

[Arukona]

Well, back again for another review! And since this week’s Review Blitz theme is of unsung chapters, I thought I’d seize on reviewing this new chapter that I haven’t read yet.

So let’s get into it. This is mostly me noting down things that stick out to me as I read.

—

Hmm…there’s less of an antagonistic feel from Bahamut in the flashback scene. But he still comes off as stern and controlling, and it’s only with the assuaging of Chiron that he backs down on going full surveillance mode with Zygarde. This makes me wonder, then; did something happen to Chiron that would turn Bahamut villainous?

The Needle’s being pulled by someone else? Hm. Could it be Necrozma, based on the end of the last chapter?

Nice to see the friendly rivalry Valkyrie and Noctum have is still going on. The mental image of a Garchomp riding a Charizard like a steed is quite humorous in my mind

And yes! The pieces for Igneous coming back into the fold with Yuna and Nikki are falling into place. Yiazmat, too, looks to be reuniting with her daughter. Though given all that’s happened, there’s going to be a lot of explaining to do…

Oh, Scarlett’s a saint? I can’t say I saw that coming. (Also, how fitting that she’s Saint Latias. The image meshes together quite well with them as a pop singer.) And now she and Nikki’ll reunite as well!

Also, the Bayonetta references are cool, with the Cl()ck soundtrack and Yuna opening portals for giant grey legs (aka Giratina) to attack the Centiskorch with. Can’t say I’m too knowledgeable of the franchise myself, but the shoutout’s a nice touch.

Paradox being his comedic villainous self as usual.

Oh, so Latias is more like a spectre around Scarlett. Hmm, so…not quite the same relation as with Yuna and her dragons?

And yep, I’m becoming more convinced that Igneous and Scarlett are gonna be a couple. They just work so well together, and the way Igneous assured her that she did great definitely feels couple-like.

And now Paradox is sending in a fully mobilised Paradigm. So the gang might be facing a full onslaught next. Guess that’ll be keeping them busy for the next while.

Aww, we’re gonna wait till next time to see the Yuna and Yiazmat reunion? Ah well. Such is the nature of cliffhangers. At least the threat’s been eradicated, for now.

—

So all in all, this was another fun chapter! I like the way the characters all played their roles in this chapter, and I really liked Scarlett’s moment of redemption, of putting her songs to use for our heroes. It was action-packed and the takedown of the Centiskorch was a satisfying goal of this chapter. Plus, the gang’s getting back together, and Yuna’s reuniting with her mom for the first time since the early chapters. I’m looking forward to the next chapter where we can see this all play out.

Great work!

 

[Ambyssin]

Chapter 53: Queenly Majesties​

It is unfortunate to hear about Beowolf's defeat at Necrozma's hands. But let's face it, sir, he's far from the most productive Paradigm lieutenant of the bunch. He's a five or a six in a hand where you have royals, after all. Maybe you can come up with something unimportant for him to do when he finishes regenerating.

That aside, I've done some digging based on the reports you passed along to me. I believe I can draw two conclusions. The first is rather simple: there are no records of any "Zacian" present on Etherium prior to our Benefactor's arrival. The so-called Luminous Sages did not have a Zacian in their ranks. Yet Radiant history is full of mentions of one who co-founded the kingdom and served alongside a rapidash as its first queen... and continued to serve as a figurehead for countless generations, far exceeding any realistic pokémon lifespan.

The second conclusion deals with the aforementioned Sages. Comparing the reports you provided me with Aeon scriptures and this foolish minister's knowledge of certain... legendary species returning to Etherium despite sacrificing themselves to seal our Benefactor, the math doesn't add up.

Between the original number of seals and the Sage descendants living in Etherium, one is unaccounted for. And I think it's a fairy-type, to boot.

Could it be possible the so-called Zacian these Radiants speak of is actually the missing Sage? I'll have to keep digging, but I suspect our Benefactor's energy is involved in this.

XxX​

Things passed by in a blur for Yuna. One moment her mother had her wrapped up in a hug filling the drakloak's ear frills with murmurs of "big" and "proud" and other things Yuna couldn't recall. Then the next thing she knew, she sat on a leather office chair far too big for her wispy body. A few small circular tables littered the carpeted floor in front of her. One had small water bottles. Another had a plate of berries. A third bore bars wrapped in silver foil.

Where am I? Yuna looked around, finding landscape paintings staring at her... and two more office chairs occupied by a dragapult and a black charizard. The former stared intently at the latter's belly.

"Did you black out?" Reshiram whispered in the back of her head.

Yeah. Seeing Mom... I guess it shocked me so much I blanked.

"Gene gathered everyone up and said he needed to bring the pilot we captured to Cyril right away," Reshiram explained. "Nikki was holding a dragonair — I think the one she was looking for all this time? — and your edgy grovyle friend is now half-salzzle, too. Noctum suggested we go somewhere to recuperate, and your mother demanded we be sent to a specific building in Scale City. So, that's where we are."

Yuna stared at the floor, blinking slowly. She supposed that made sense. But Scale City? The name was... vaguely familiar. Her mother had mentioned it before, back when she lived at home. Did that mean they were in Aeon?

"The group kinda split up after that," Reshiram continued. "Valkyrie went off on her own, Nikki took the dragonair away, and Noctum brought you here. Which just about covers everything."

The drakloak silently thanked Reshiram for the recap. She remained slouched in her chair, unsure of what to say to her mother. It hadn't been that long since she bid the dragapult farewell, and yet it felt like an eternity had passed.

"Noctum told me what happened."

Squeaking, Yuna squirmed in her chair, struggling to sit upright. Her bulkier, rectangular head was harder to prop up than she was used to. "W-What do you mean?"

"That you were both sucked inside World Ender— sorry, Eternatus." Yiazmat slowly sat up in her seat. "That you are releasing Sages from their seals and gathering them in our family heirloom." She locked eyes with the Soul Dew. Yuna couldn't tell if she was upset.

"Ah." Yuna subconsciously pawed at the Soul Dew. "It's... complicated."

"I can tell." Yiazmat looked away, biting her lower lip. "Though that explains one thing."

Noctum leaned forward. "Which is?"

"When your grandmother gave that to me, she told me, 'One day, its purpose will become clear.'" Yiazmat rose from her chair and floated toward the cabinet on Yuna's left. "She said she heard it from her mother who heard it from her mother who heard it from her mother." She put her hands on the top of the cabinet, sighing. "That one line percolated through our family for God only knows how long. Certainly long before we assumed control of Aeon."

"Wait, so you knew this was important?" Yuna's Soul Dew had regained some of its luster, but it was still recharging from its prolonged use.

"I honestly thought your grandmother was being superstitious," Yiazmat admitted. She opened the cabinet's glass door and pulled out a tray with a couple of glasses and a green bottle. It hissed when she opened it. The dragapult poured herself a glass of fizzy water. She paused with her right hand wrapped around the glass. "Can you summon Saint Reshiram right now?"

"Uhh... not exactly?" Yuna ran her left hand across the gem's cool glass. "It has a limit. And that battle kinda reached it. Maybe I can... do a tiny version." Her face scrunched up in concentration. That fiery blaze in the back of her mind was as slippery as boiling noodles. She managed to latch on and tug.

A small, translucent Reshiram formed on the arm of her office chair. He looked around. "Hello." Reshiram waved awkwardly. "I, uh, guess you're Yuna's mom?"

A croak got caught in Yiazmat's throat. She put a hand to her mouth, then hastily sipped some sparkling water. "Goodness. Is that nasally voice... because of his size?"

"No? I always sound like this." Reshiram puffed his cheeks out.

"I see." Yiazmat set the glass down. "Very well. I want you and Yuna to listen carefully to me."

The drakloak tensed. This didn't sound good.

"Your father and I went back and forth on whether to share this... but it's too pressing to discuss this matter with him." Sighing, Yiazmat tucked her head down. "Yuna, you're not my daughter by blood."

It didn't sink in for Yuna at first. She saw Noctum slump back in his chair, jaw open in disbelief, but didn't acknowledge him. Yuna shook her head. "No. You told me my twin was a bad egg. Which was probably related to why I was so sick when I was younger."

"We lied," Yiazmat flatly said. She took another sip of sparkling water. "Your father... found you while leading a construction team building a trench to divert magma flow from one of the volcanoes. You were not an egg... but rather a silhouette encased in a crystal." The dragapult hesitantly glanced over her shoulder. "Much like the one in Noctum's gut."

Yuna glanced at Noctum, who stared at his Malice Crystal in disbelief. He didn't know either. No way the black charizard could put on such a convincing act for all these years. She met Reshiram's gaze. He didn't have to say anything to her. The look in his eyes made it clear: Yiazmat spoke the truth.

It had to be the truth. Why else would she say that? It made no sense for her to craft such a bizarre lie. So, why did Yiazmat lie about it all these years? Did she really have that little faith in Yuna's ability to handle the truth? Why make her believe she had a twin sibling she would never meet?

Too many thoughts twisted themselves around in Yuna's head. It didn't make sense to her. "Why?" was all the drakloak could manage.

"You'd already had such a rough time of things," Yiazmat whispered, tracing a claw along the rim of her glass. "With how sick you had been... I thought it would just hurt you more to hear that we weren't your real parents." She shut her eyes. "Your father disagreed with me, but ultimately ceded the subject."

Of course he did. Her parents were good partners, but Calcifer often deferred to Yiazmat. Yuna wished he had tried asserting himself more on this subject. "I don't... understand," the drakloak muttered. "Avoid hurting me? You had me convinced my sibling died before they could hatch! How is that—"

She gripped the sides of her head. That same feeling from the battle was back. Something— no, someone trying to push themselves through her ectoplasm. It wasn't a Sage, that was for sure. Yuna ignored Reshiram's concerned look and turned away from them.

"In hindsight... I made the wrong decision," Yiazmat said. "And I am deeply sorry for that, Yunavresca."

The dragapult sounded sincere. But sorry was just a word. It didn't change anything. Yuna curled her hands into the leather armrest. "What about the throne?" she said. "Everyone thinks I'm next in line. That's why you sent me here." Yuna dug her hands deeper into the leather. "Is that a lie, too?"

"No."

"What?" That made even less sense. Why would Yuna ascend to the throne if she wasn't truly the queen's daughter?

"I couldn't care less about a bloodline," Yiazmat said. "You remember your history lessons, yes? Our family has only ruled Aeon for five generations. You're still my eldest daughter. The throne is yours."

Was that supposed to comfort Yuna? She glanced over her shoulder. Her mother stared remorsefully at the autumn hill landscape hanging above the drink cabinet.

"I completely understand if you need time and space," the dragapult said. She finished the glass of sparkling water. "As Bahamut says: 'time may not heal all wounds, but it can at least begin to close them.'"

Yuna smacked her hands against the armrest without realizing it. Noctum sat up straight in his chair, Malice Crystal flickering nervously.

"Don't drag him into this," Yuna growled.

Yiazmat blinked slowly. "What?"

"Don't fall back on those worthless, two-faced platitudes," Yuna hissed. A tiny, rational voice in the back of her head told her this wasn't worth getting upset over, but Yuna ignored it. After all, Yiazmat piled on another lie, even if she wasn't aware of it. "Guess Noctum didn't give you the whole story."

The dragapult turned away from the cabinet, tilting her large, triangular head. "Come again? What whole story?"

"Bahamut's a sham!" Yuna smacked the armrest and floated off her chair. "Aeonism is a sham. A bunch of lies and half-truths cobbled together with paste and rope!" She saw her mother ready to retort and her tail lashed at the air. That inky black bubbled in her leg nubs. "Every Needle I've pulled... has shown me visions of the past. When Bahamut and the Sages were alive.

"They're not gods. They were average pokémon like you and me who took jobs working for Bahamut," Yuna continued while the darkness spread to her torso. "And when they were tired of it, Bahamut found replacements and passed on their powers. There is no Saint Reshiram... because there's been a bunch of 'em!"

Yiazmat looked down. Reshiram shrank even smaller. "G... guilty," he said, laughing nervously.

"And Bahamut himself? He was a terrible person! Spiteful, temperamental, and paranoid." Yuna gripped the sides of her rectangular head and shook it. "Those other worlds the Book of Aeon mentions? He ravaged cities! Sank islands!"

The drakloak's breathing finally slowed. Her body trembled. "We... we worship a lie. We worship a monster." She sank back onto the chair and turned on her side.

Silence permeated the room. Slowly, the darkness retreated down her torso and leg nubs, like water draining out of a bathtub. Yuna expected Yiazmat to say something. Anything. But she stayed quiet. So did Noctum and Reshiram.

The tiny voice from before told her she blew up over nothing. Yiazmat still loved her and she was trying to show her that.

Yuna pushed those thoughts away. She didn't want to acknowledge them. She wanted... privacy. Privacy she couldn't get because of that infernal Soul Dew binding two souls to her.

... Maybe it was a good thing someone else was pulling Needles. She wouldn't have to deal with any other voices in her head that could pop out of her chest at a moment's notice.

And what about Leo? Yuna still had him to worry about. What was he even doing, stuck waiting on Bogdan with the others? She wasn't really going to introduce him as her son to Yiazmat, was she?

"Go," Yuna whispered.

"Princess?" Noctum leaned forward.

"Just go. Both of you." Yuna curled up tighter. "I can't. Not right now."

She couldn't see them with her face pressed firmly against the corner of the giant leather chair. But she heard shuffling, then a door creaking open.

"I'm sorry I hid the truth from you, Yuna. I still love you, though. That will never change."

Yuna picked her head up. Yiazmat looked back at her, tail crinkled with worry. She smiled weakly at the drakloak, but Yuna lowered her head back on the arm rest and closed her eyes.

Deep down, Yuna believed her mother loved her. But it didn't leave her feeling any less empty inside.

XxX​

Vortex knew Dazzels had holding cells. Rarely used holding cells, judging by the dust clinging to the walls of the sterile gray interrogation room the charizard found himself in. He squirmed in his cold, metal chair. Vortex's gray jumpsuit itched something fierce and the shackles around his wrists and ankles were no better.

"You should count your blessings," the dusknoir floating toward the opposite end of the gray table said. Vegna turned a file over repeatedly in his hand. "Under normal circumstances, we'd jam a fire ring in that snout of yours to stop any funny business. I've heard it described as uncomfortable. Suffocating, even."

Vortex curled his fingers — the Radiant Guard applied adhesive padding to his claws before tossing him in his cell — around the jumpsuit's rough fabric. Vegna was saying that to get under his scales. Because he knew the reason why Vortex didn't need a fire ring. He wouldn't suffer the indignity of getting toyed with. "We both know what you want to say, so say it."

"Very well." Vegna opened the file, his red eye flickering in amusement. "A genuine case of imprisonerre. Never thought I'd live to see the day." He paused to chuckle. "Or unlive, depending on your definition of ghost-types." The dusknoir set the file on the table. "It certainly explains a few things.

"Forgive the discourtesy of my attempts at playing armchair psychologist." Vegna drifted down until he was right next to the table's edge. "Your drive to build Polaris into what it is today... I'm quite sure you were compensating for your inability to use attacks. To succeed in business where you failed at the elements. To have society see you as a success. After all... it wouldn't matter if you were influential enough, would it? Money can make the world go 'round, and all that jazz."

There. Vegna put it out in the open. Vortex drew his lips back in a snarl. "Trying to dig up a motive for my 'crimes,' I see." The charizard leaned forward. "We both know it's pointless. This is a farce. Her Em— Isola is scapegoating me for all of this. Conjuring up charges out of thin air to suit her narrative."

He placed his shackled hands on the table. "You're an intelligent 'mon. Surely you realize that if I'm truly guilty of high treason, High Inquisitor Justine would handle the case." Vortex's own words echoed in his head. He had plenty of time to draw his conclusions. Even if they terrified him, it did Vortex no good to keep them to himself. "The only reason you're here... is because you're the Grim Reaper."

Vegna stayed silent. His eye pulsated with red light. Another intimidation tactic.

"She wants me dead," Vortex said, a bitterness to his words. "And while she could easily find me guilty and drag me off to get the needle, that takes time. Time I could use to talk." He tapped his fingers against the table. "It would be far easier for her if I were to... suddenly suffer an unfortunate accident. Just like Benedict. Just like every defendant who steps foot in the Reaper's court. That's the real reason you're here, isn't it?"

The dusknoir's expression didn't change. He eventually pivoted to his right. "Rage, fury, intense indignation in cataracts of fire, blood and gall. In whirlwinds of sulfurous smoke and enormous forms of energy; all the seven deadly sins of the soul."

Vortex rolled his eyes. He knew Vegna's fondness for strange crypticisms. Supposedly they were poem stanzas, but they read like nothing one could find on Etherium. The charizard wasn't outwardly impressed, but his heart was hammering. It sure sounded like the Reaper was here to kill him. There were no cameras. Vortex hadn't seen any Radiant Guard in what felt like hours.

"You truly have no remorse for your actions, do you?" Vegna said, still looking at the dust-covered wall to his right.

"I did nothing wrong," Vortex growled. His tail flame would have sparked, but it was covered by a special cone. "You said it yourself: what good is a charizard that can't breathe fire? Or curry the wind to their favor?" He leaned forward further. "I built myself up from nothing using my wits and cunning. There's nothing criminal about that. I saw a way to make Radiance better and I seized the opportunity. The wealth and notoriety that came with it were what I deserved."

"Nothing criminal." Vegna turned back to the table, flipping through pages. "Even as the pollution from your energy production wiped entire cities off the map, you knowingly hid the true source of ether from Parliament, the public, and the crown."

"No. No, you stop right there." Vortex held up his shackled hands. "Who do you think it was who told me about World Ender still being inside the planet in the first place?" His nostrils flared. "Why, Her Eminence, Queen Isola, of course."

"Really?" Vegna crossed his arms. "That's your defense?"

"It's the truth," Vortex countered. "The original ether plants used supplies of crystals I had gathered. Isola took notice. I saw an opportunity to spread my ideas to all of Radiance. She recognized the potential... and then assured me there would be ways to counter any repercussions from tapping into the distortion."

"And when this wasn't the case?" Vegna's red eye crackled. "You chose to stay silent?"

"When it wasn't the case... the idea for Icarus came about," Vortex said, tensing up. Vegna was losing his patience. The end was coming, so the charizard had to finish saying his piece quickly. "A promise of unlimited energy... and an end to the distortion. Isola was the one who discovered the Icarus specimen and had Tesla locate it. We were confident in its capabilities."

He sat up straight in his chair. "It all goes back to Isola. I'm sure of it. I chose to sit on that information as my insurance policy. You need to have a good insurance policy to succeed in business. I can't expect a lawyer to understand that." Vortex gripped the edge of the table with his padded fingers. "But it's the truth! I combed through Horizon Academy's records after becoming Chancellor. Isola... is not the same person she was as a student.

"Princess Isola loved painting and gardening... a-and she braided her hair and her tail in the most childish way one could think of." Vortex could hear his nerves showing through. Vegna's stoicism had finally cracked his facade. "But most importantly... she was due to get engaged to a male primarina. It was going to happen at the conclusion of the Crowne Cup. The previous chancellor was helping to plan the engagement with Isola in secret."

Vortex looked down and shook his head. "But it never happened. Instead, she dumps the primarina and, a few weeks later, all the tabloids are reporting she's taken Justine as a consort and offered her the position of High Inquisitor when she'd never shown the slightest interest in ladies! And those hobbies I mentioned? Tell me, have you ever heard of her engaging in them at all?" The charizard scooched himself to the edge of his seat. "No! They're not even mentioned in media interviews! Doesn't that strike you as the least bit suspicious?"

He had nearly slid off his seat. Vortex propped himself against the edge of the table. "It's not just her, either. Don't you find it strange Radiance has only ever had queens sit upon the throne? Not a single king in the entire lineage!" He would've thrown his arms apart in exaggeration if they weren't shackled.

"You're an inquisitor, for pity's sake!" Vortex exclaimed. "You can't seriously believe Shimmer is the first male to be born in the royal family's history, can you? You have no idea how much I've had to bend over backwards for him at his mothers' orders." He began counting on his fingers. "Fixing grades. Sweeping misconduct allegations under the rug thanks to his... poor choice of behavior in public settings with and without that sylveon by his side. Rigging the Crowne Cup challenges to ensure his team would cruise to victory. But I went through with it all because I believed in my vision for the future of this kingdom— no, the future of the planet! And Isola returns that favor by stabbing me in the back?!"

Vortex slouched over, panting heavily. Somehow, he'd gotten his entire spiel out there. Vegna had not once interrupted him. The dusknoir merely floated there, bathing Vortex in red light from his eye. The charizard slid himself back into his seat. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he muttered. "The wealthiest 'mon in all of Radiance ranting like a raving mad lunatic before the Grim Reaper."

More silence.

"Say something, damn it!" Vortex stomped his shackled feet against the metal floor.

"In fierce anguish and qunchless flames, to the deserts and rocks He ran raging to hide, but He could not."

Vortex tensed. Vegna's eye... had shifted blue as the spoke. The dusknoir closed up his folder. "Before you conspired with the crown to open Citadark Isle, I worked my way up the penal ranks to become an executioner." He picked the folder up and returned to turning it over and back in his right hand. "But after learning about the... changing political landscape, I chose to attend law school and later join the Ministry of Justice. Tell me... why do you think that is?"

The charizard tensed up. He... he knows? He knows there's something wrong? But then why would he willingly work for a broken system? Unless... he was benefitting from that broken system, too! Just like Vortex!

He had to make one last plea. One final attempt to sway the Reaper to his side and—

The interrogation room door slammed open. "That will be enough, Mister Vegna."

Vegna and Vortex looked over in unison. Demerzel floated in the doorway, but that wasn't his voice they'd heard. No, instead he floated to the side... and an icy chill entered the room. Vegna's eye sparked. "What manner of trickery is this, Clown Prince?"

Vortex tilted his head. That can't be right. Vegna addressed someone that looked vaguely like Shimmer, but too many things were wrong. His horn was far longer, with streaks of icy white along it. He had a flowing, sparkling white mane and several glittery white tails where his puffy pink one was supposed to be.

(Art by Zoeoie)

"That's Prince Shimmer, Inquisitor." The ponyta narrowed his eyes. "I suggest you address me as such if you value your job."

He never spoke with such conviction. And Shimmer was practically at eye level with Vortex's standing height! What had happened to him?

"You're dismissed, Vegna." Demerzel gestured to the open doorway.

Vegna's eye darkened. He tensed up and Vortex noticed a sudden ripple in his ectoplasm. "I'm not finished questioning the accused."

"You are now." Shimmer leveled his long horn at Vegna. The room grew even colder. "On my authority."

The dusknoir floated in silence, then tucked his folder underneath his right arm. A right arm that Vortex swore look different than it did a mere minute ago. The charizard squinted. Were those faint white lines in his ectoplasm? Almost like tiny fissures Vortex would get between his scales when they got chafed after a night of entertainment.

... No, Vortex had to be seeing things. A ghost couldn't have anything like that.

"Am I to be escorted out, then?" Vegna asked.

"You are." Shimmer walked behind Vegna, keeping his horn levied. "Move. Now." He followed Vegna out of the room. The door slammed shut behind the two. Demerzel folded his nubby arms under his robe and turned to Vortex.

"Here to gloat, are you?" the charizard growled. "You did something to Shimmer, didn't you?" There was no way someone could undergo a change like that.

"Actually, you did." A slight smile tugged at Demerzel's lips. "Your company and its lovely pollution." He crossed his lanky legs. "The good prince, distraught over the loss of his dear friends and having learned that he, like you, is nothing but a runt, chose to subject himself to a full course of World Ender's distortion." Demerzel shook his obnoxiously large head. "I figured you, of all people, would admire such conviction."

Vortex wasn't believing that for a second. "I don't know if you're some sleeper agent for Aeon... or you have your own agenda. Whatever it is, you'll never achieve it." He raised his shaking, shackled hands and rested them on his chest. "Look at me. I'm the proof. You've risen political ranks quickly because you did something to curry Isola's favor... and now she's just stringing you along. And when she has no further use for you," he dropped his hands onto his lap, wincing from the heavy shackles, "she'll get rid of you. Like she's doing to me."

Demerzel stroked his chin with his right hand. "I suppose that's not an... unreasonable conclusion to draw from this. But really now..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head, sighing. "If you are truly such a skilled entrepreneur, you should have planned for such an occurrence." He floated back and forth at the other end of the table. "You were playing the long game. Introducing all these 'conveniences' into the world designed to make your company and, by extension, you beloved by the people. To the point where the crown could never do anything to touch you lest they risk massive public outcry."

The charizard looked down at his lap, blinking slowly. He gripped the fabric of his jumpsuit again, brow furrowing. Demerzel repeatedly claimed he was a mutant whimsicott. Exposed to the distortion. Did that mean...

"You're working for them," he whispered, unable to look back up at Demerzel. "You're not an agent for Aeon, you're an agent for World Ender!"

Demerzel sighed again. "You're entitled to think whatever you want. But I'm not interested in power or public admiration. I truly believe it's long past time for Radiance and Aeon to bury the hatchet. Unite against a shared enemy. Consider it... a parting gift for this sad, sorry little rock."

Parting gift? What did Demerzel even mean by that?

"Your friend Tesla had some positively fascinating memories rattling around in that swollen head of his," Demerzel continued. "These genesect you two planned to replace the Radiant Guard with? Quite interesting. I do hope you don't mind if I activate them."

Vortex's eyes barely had time to widen before an invisible force gripped his head and pulled it up to look Demerzel in the eyes.

"In fact, I hope you don't mind if I comb over all of Tesla's... facilities," he said, a cheerful smile on his face. "There's a lot of value sitting there, after all. I'd hate for it to waste away because Isola decided to throw you both under the bus."

This was bad. The charizard struggled to even get his mouth open an issue a retort. Demerzel's psychic grasp was too strong. Had the mutant... really gone through Tesla's memories and seen all the boltund's projects? There had to be ones Vortex knew nothing about! But why bother admitting that out loud?

Did... did Demerzel know the Reaper was coming for Vortex? Is that why he was here? To make sure he could get his paws on Vortex before the Reaper could claim him as his next victim?!

"Now then." Demerzel cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"

The pressure on Vortex's head intensified. Even without any attacks, Vortex could tolerate heat. But this pressure quickly turned to an unbearable burning pain. The charizard couldn't even scream. Demerzel had complete control of his whole head.

The burning pain grew and receded in waves. No doubt from Demerzel delving deeper into the recesses of Vortex's mind. His vision grew blurry. There was nothing the charizard could do. No way to fight back or cry for help.

Then, for a few brief seconds, the blurriness gave way to something else entirely.

A golden dragon of light looked around at multiple smaller brown and emerald creatures that looked like they were made entirely of hexagons. They trained arm cannons and strips of multicolored hexagonal scales on the dragon. All the while, a few riolu and lucario with white and gold fur looked at him. Some with tears in their eyes. Others with fangs bared as they hurled their frustrations at him. Begging them to see all the good their grandfather had done for them. That he had made a mistake calling in these zygarde.

With a sharp gasp, Vortex fell forward. His head smacked against the cold metal of the interrogation room's table. Vortex's heart hammered in his chest, his breath ragged.

"Y... you..." Vortex struggled to blink away his double vision. Get two Demerzels back into one. "Wh... o are..."

"Shhh." Demerzel leaned in and pressed a nubby paw to Vortex's snout. "I have what I need." A pleasant smile spread across his face. "And since you were so cooperative, I'll leave you with a special gift. I know how frustrated your impresonerre makes you. I did just sift through your memories, after all. So, how about... I give you that fire you've so desperately desired?"

Vortex's eyes suddenly widened. A psychic grip forced his head up once again. Demerzel placed a strange red square against his snout. Vortex crossed his eyes and, for a brief second, saw a message carved into it.

The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate.

Then the square disappeared in a flicker of orange light. Vortex's nostrils tingled, like he'd huffed some bright powder. His head slammed back on the desk as Demerzel released his psychic grip.

"The changes won't happen instantaneously. But when they do begin, you'll know." Demerzel turned to the door, opening it with a flick of his wrist. "In the meantime, I would advise you not to think too hard on, well, anything. Your mind's in a fragile place right now. And I'd hate to see you end up a vegetable like the good doctor."

Vortex heard hoofbeats.

"We're leaving," Shimmer said.

"And Vegna?"

"I saw something interesting," Shimmer replied. "When he thought he was safely away from me... he braced himself against the side of the front staircase, talking about being on a timer and having to 'find that mewtwo.'"

"Oh? Did something happen?" Demerzel's voice grew distant, but Vortex could make out one final thing.

"Part of his body dissolved away... leaving holes in his arms and hands."

 

[Arukona]

A new chapter of one of my favourite fics on here and a chance to get extra points for Review Blitz? Hell yes.

So let’s get right into it!

—-

Seems to be a report in the opening. And Zacian might be the missing Sage? That sounds interesting, picturing Sword Doggo potentially fighting with Yuna. (I suppose if Jade was anything to go by, Sages seem to not be limited to dragons.)

…So Yuna’s not related to Yiazmat and Calcifer. That does beg the question, though; who is she, then? Sealed within a Malice Crystal…Perhaps she’s from the distant past? Or - possible theory of mine - could she be what one of the legends of old transformed into and was preserved within that crystal? (If it’s the latter, then, wow, does that open up possibilities…)

And this is where the whole truth is blown wide open for Yiazmat to hear. That’s going to take some processing for the people back at Aeon, when they figure out the truth. We might even get some antagonists from them at some point in the future. (It’s occurred to me that we’ve barely seen much of Aeon at this point in the story. Will that change in the future, I wonder?)

And we’re back to Vortex. It’s been a few chapters since we last saw him, and a lot happened in between. Little wonder he was forgotten.

"Your drive to build Polaris into what it is today... I'm quite sure you were compensating for your inability to use attacks.

Wait, what? This is news. Vortex can’t use attacks? So much for all that pomp and swagger: he really didn’t turn out to be much in the end. Indeed, perhaps the reason for that grandiose image of his was to disguise the frail ‘mon that lay beneath.

Intriguing how the way the Grim Reaper imagery is used here, to kill off Vortex because he’s a threat to leadership. This wasn’t done in the Great Ace Attorney (the evident basis - Vegna and Van Zieks draw many parallels, especially on the Grim Reaper image) where the Reaper’s victims didn’t really matter and that was all to drum up an image of Van Zieks. It’s put to better use here, I feel. That, I applaud.

And now the mask is coming off over Queen Isola. Although by the sounds of it, she was a kinder sort at one point, before a twist in her personality suddenly came about. I’m beginning to think Justine might have something to do with that. Is Justine associated with World Ender? Or did World Ender replace kind Isola with a puppet? (Also, Vortex mentions a male Primarina as well - I wonder if we’ll see him eventually?)

As I predicted back in Chapter 45. Shimmer did indeed take on the powers of a Glastrier. (On a side note, that art’s very pretty! Kudos to the artist!)

The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate.

That’s the Fire Plate text. So Vortex will finally have fire attacks now. Though plainly it’ll be much more than that, if Shimmer’s transformation was anything to go by.

Intriguing how these mutant transformations have been used to instil an ability inside people who have been deficient in some way. There’s Igneous when he had all his limbs torn off him, there was Shimmer when he discovered he had eviolitis, and now there’s Vortex who cannot use attacks. Coincidence, or...?

"I saw something interesting," Shimmer replied. "When he thought he was safely away from me... he braced himself against the side of the front staircase, talking about being on a timer and having to 'find that mewtwo.'"

"Oh? Did something happen?" Demerzel's voice grew distant, but Vortex could make out one final thing.

"Part of his body dissolved away... leaving holes in his arms and hands."

Hmmm. I’m racking my brains for what this could mean, but I can’t come up with anything. But the association with ‘that mewtwo’ - Gene, obviously - makes an interesting question: who is Vegna associated with? Because ‘finding’ Gene could be interpreted as rendezvousing with him or hunting him down. He’s certainly been a strange one over the course of this story. Bit of a grey character, with no clearly defined allegiance.

Funny. Just like Barok van Zieks…

—

Once again, high praise and kudos from me! Solid job with each of the characters, and it’s fun to see the plot thicken once again and leave me wondering where things are going to go next!

 

[JFought]

i am prepared

Spoiler: bingo

Thoughts on Chapters 6 to 11

• So Demerzel is a Calyrex! The story so far has built up "evil chancellor" vibes for him, but now that he's appeared he seems much more benign than we've been led to believe. He's definitely still shady: he's technically in on a few conspiracies, and this might be a crazy prediction but I think he might be lying about being a mutant Whimsicott.
  
  
• We get our first battle against a Gigantamax Pokémon! I do think some of the action in this scene is a bit disorienting. When Noctum took to the air, I didn't really feel I had a sense of where he was relative to the Snorlax, so I kind of had to roll with the punches and take the prose at its word for the actions that were happening.
  
  

• "It wasn't a complete loss." Fraud tipped the bridge of his cap down. "I was able to make off with a small side pot." He gestured behind him toward the wall of black and gray distortion. A life-sized playing card with a plague mask appeared. It spun around, then spat out a nickit and a greedent.
  
  "Oomph! Hey, easy on the merchandise," Nickit grumbled, trying to dust off his tail with his stubby legs. He looked over at Fraud. "What's the big idea, grabbing onto us without any warning?"

  There he is! And it looks like he and Rookie might become something of a recurring miniboss in the future, too!
  
  
• At the start of Chapter 7 I was a bit confused for a moment because I assumed we were dealing with the aftermath of Chapter 5. I didn’t realize Noctum got injured badly enough to get taken here, so I assumed that Yuna was being examined until suddenly it was about him and the aftermath of Chapter 6 a few paragraphs in. I think it could have been established a bit earlier that’s what they were here for.
  
  
• oooh i didn’t realize this was the very start of the year. I assumed classes had already started by the time the Crowne Cup came around. I guessed I missed that, oops.
  
  

• "Please forgive my impudence at entering the classroom via the chalkboard," Vegna declared.

  i'm counting this. (i didn't take into account that this was written pre-chronicles)
  
  

• "Right. So, back to your uncle." Yuna finished her sandwich. "What's the issue?"
  
  "He's being accused of assaulting some magmar peasant on board an omnibus," Shimmer explained. "You know what those are, right?"
  
  "Um, yes. They're kind of like coaches, but bigger." Yuna had seen a couple when she was traveling to Horizon Gardens. "Did your uncle say anything?"
  
  Shimmer nodded. "Uncle Benedict was sleeping in the omnibus the whole time. He was woken up by shouting and saw the magmar slouched over next to him with a knife in his gut."

  Now that's an Ace Attorney reference if I've ever seen one! You even made the victim a Magmar as a play on "Thrice-Fired Mortar!" It's later established that this was some kind of setup by Vegna, but I do wonder if Yuna and Shimmer will somehow find themselves taking part in the trial anyway.
  
  

• "Every Crowne Minister can lobby to send someone to this school. Nikki is one of those lucky few," Chiaki said. "Minister Shredder's footing the bill for you to be here, isn't he?"

  TMNT was quite literally not on my reference bingo card.
  
  
• Shimmer and Yuna team up for once! It's honestly nice to see some school stuff, especially when it's developing the apparent rivalry between these two. Shimmer is a character where I'm not quite sure where you're going with him yet, but he's clearly important, and these couple of chapters where we get to see him form a somewhat strained dynamic with Yuna and hear rumors about the possibility of him being a cheat have been fun to read through. There are a lot of things that are up in the air with him, and it makes me want to see him more to see where it all goes. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for the school shenanigans :P.
  
  
• We see more Demerzel, and this is where his role in the plot starts becoming more interesting. We learn that he's trying to investigate Vortex and his plans, suggesting that Vortex is something of a rogue element in the plot right now. It seems as if he's mostly in the dark regarding what's going on with the distortions, yet he also knows more than he probably should, and it seems like his desire to make a treaty with the Aeon Kingdom is directly tied to that. Which is interesting because it basically means his role in this plot is either "secret all knowing good guy" or "Despair's true identity" with little in between. Ultimately what it comes down to is what exactly he wants the dragons for; is it for their ability to deal with this crisis, or is there something deeper, perhaps tied to Bahamut and the Darkest Day?
  
  
• At first I thought Vortex would be playing second fiddle to other villains, but after getting a glimpse of his plan here he actually does seem like he might be a major threat. He might not be Despair or Xeromus, but he's pulling quite a few strings here, and given the Gen 8 allusions it wouldn't be surprising at all to find out that him messing with Eternatus is partially responsible for the distortions.
  
  
• Also random aside, but Arianna has been giving me slight Nastasia Super Paper Mario vibes, but I haven't felt confident enough to complete the connection and say it's intentional. Either way it's what I've been thinking.
  
  
• Chapter 9 in general seems to revolve around pitting these two different legends of what exactly happened on the Darkest Day against each other. Obviously, both are some degree of wrong, as there's clearly more going on than what the fairies believe and we learn at multiple points that the Luminous Sages aren't quite what the dragons built them up to be. Also poor Zamazenta, just straight up getting written out of all the legends. That poor doggo is destined to always be overshadowed by Zacian, huh?
  
  
• Seifer is also becoming more and more involved in the story. I feel like I might have missed why he's here in the field trip, but I dunno, I like Keldeo, so I like seeing him around. It's kind of hard for me to have thoughts on him, since it very much feels like he's only around to be "the competent battler who can contribute a lot to a fight," and is otherwise just along for the ride. Though he has consistently been the one most involved in the distortion investigations so far, which does give him a unique role in the plot to fill as "the protagonist-aligned character with the most idea of what is going on," so maybe I'm not being completely fair to him.
  
  
• That was certainly a shocking way to reveal Chiaki's prosthetic arm! The "Hooker" that he replaces it with a pretty cool weapon for him, though I am left wanting on a description for it, as I have no idea what it's supposed to look like (is it, like, a clawshot?).
  
  
• Xeromus really feels like a wild card villain so far. We have vague ideas on what Vortex and Despair are planning, but we have yet to really understand how Xeromus connects to the grander picture or what exactly he's going for. I think that quality of his is part of what makes him intriguing, since Vortex and Despair are comparatively straightforward as antagonists, while also having less presence. Like, Xeromus is the only antagonist currently acting, and he's also the only antagonist with unclear goals and allegiances. I feel like he's tied to Despair somehow, since his goals, as far as I can tell, seem to have some relations to his, but Despair hasn't actually acknowledged his existence yet. So a lot of things are still up in the air at this point in the story.
  
  
• We get our first glimpses of Mystery Dungeons! The church dungeon "Naotun" was a cool setpiece, and the battle was pretty creative in making use of it. There were a few points where I felt I had a hard time following the action, specifically Nikki's Sludge Wave and the part where Runerigus drops from the ceiling (I think he drops down piece by piece?), though overall I liked the battle and the way it went down. And it is then revealed that Runerigus is actually Rune from that one scene. It's interesting how it seems like all the Galar forms are corruptions of their base forms, especially considering what it implies with Fraud's existence. Though I guess Robin is an exception (or is he????). Also, this was the first time Phantoms made a proper appearance after Despair in the Prologue, though surprisingly I still don't really know what they are. Everyone else seems to, but it hasn't really been explained yet, though I assume that might be fixed sometime soon?
  
  
• god dammit i knew i should have put ff4 on there. So Cecil is here! I like the interpretation of Reshiram being super awkward and anxious. He's the paragon of truth because he just does not have it in him to lie about anything ever. He has no idea what "World Ender" is, either because he knows it as Eternatus... or the possible bombshell of him genuinely not knowing, which would change a lot of things regarding our understanding of the Darkest Day. The way he seemingly got absorbed into her pendant, it makes me wonder if he's going to be a "summon" for Yuna in the future. And maybe we'll meet the other sages too?
  
  
• Speaking of, Yuna has a lot of mysteries surrounding her right now. She seems to have some kind of connection to Eternatus, though what that connection is exactly isn't yet clear. Is it something innate to her, or maybe it has something to do with her Soul Dew?
  
  
• There seems to be a direct connection between the needle in the "overworld" and the needle in the Qliphoth dungeon. Though Chapter 11 didn't mention what happened to the Herbrides needle after Yuna touched it, which makes me assume it's still there. The implication seems to be that Cecil was sealed with the needle, and the needle's purpose is to keep the Qliphoth separate from the main world (which gives me Tales of the Abyss vibes). Though that raises a few questions of its own if the needle is still there. It does give me a bit more insight into what Despair is planning though, and I do feel more confident in thinking that Xeromus is somehow tied to him, if not directly then at least indirectly.

I only noticed one typo this time around, so we don't need a spoiler tag for it:

Yuna saw an audino nurse produce a vile with some sort of clear liquid.

so what i learned is that i'm bad at making bingo cards. I only got like, four. There was a lot of "learning things" in this set of chapters. I learned more about Chiaki and Nikki circumstances, about Demerzel, about Vortex's plan, about the general direction this plot is taking, etc. Also poor Noctum just couldn't take a break in these chapters, huh? Poor guy got decked hard twice. I ended off in a weird place again, but I guess it kinda works? It does put me in a place of wanting to read more, though I probably will ditch the bingo card next time (or maybe I'll just keep it in the background. i want to fill in chiaki ultimate gamer dammit.) There's still a lot to catch up on, but maybe this can work as a pretty good blitz-induced head start. I do want to keep reading this fic, though it'll probably be at my own pace in the future, so I might end up being a bit slow about it. If my plot musings weren't any indication, I am pretty invested in this story so far, it feels like things are starting to come together a bit more and it makes me excited to seewhere things will go next. So, yeah! Until next time!

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, took a couple attempts, but I'm back to catch up with PoV's latest and greatest:

Chapter 53

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

It is unfortunate to hear about Beowolf's defeat at Necrozma's hands. But let's face it, sir, he's far from the most productive Paradigm lieutenant of the bunch. He's a five or a six in a hand where you have royals, after all. Maybe you can come up with something unimportant for him to do when he finishes regenerating.

Wait, that Lycanroc survived getting lazored by Bahamut two chapters ago? .-.

That aside, I've done some digging based on the reports you passed along to me. I believe I can draw two conclusions. The first is rather simple: there are no records of any "Zacian" present on Etherium prior to our Benefactor's arrival. The so-called Luminous Sages did not have a Zacian in their ranks. Yet Radiant history is full of mentions of one who co-founded the kingdom and served alongside a rapidash as its first queen... and continued to serve as a figurehead for countless generations, far exceeding any realistic pokémon lifespan.

... Is Zacian also a defector from the QN or something? Since that seems like quite a coinky-dink there that there'd be a Zacian only after the Benefactor first arrived to Etherium.

The second conclusion deals with the aforementioned Sages. Comparing the reports you provided me with Aeon scriptures and this foolish minister's knowledge of certain... legendary species returning to Etherium despite sacrificing themselves to seal our Benefactor, the math doesn't add up.

Between the original number of seals and the Sage descendants living in Etherium, one is unaccounted for. And I think it's a fairy-type, to boot.

... Wait, how many seals are there on Natus anyways? At first I thought it was like 7-10, but if living descendants of Sages count as well, now I can't tell. .-.

Could it be possible the so-called Zacian these Radiants speak of is actually the missing Sage? I'll have to keep digging, but I suspect our Benefactor's energy is involved in this.

inb4 Zacian is a red herring.

Things passed by in a blur for Yuna. One moment her mother had her wrapped up in a hug filling the drakloak's ear frills with murmurs of "big" and "proud" and other things Yuna couldn't recall. Then the next thing she knew, she sat on a leather office chair far too big for her wispy body. A few small circular tables littered the carpeted floor in front of her. One had small water bottles. Another had a plate of berries. A third bore bars wrapped in silver foil.

At first I thought those were literal silver ingots, but then I realized that that's more likely just candy. So Yuna and/or her family have a sweet tooth, huh?

Where am I? Yuna looked around, finding landscape paintings staring at her... and two more office chairs occupied by a dragapult and a black charizard. The former stared intently at the latter's belly.

Yuna: "Seriously, how do I not have any recollection of getting here right now?"

"Did you black out?" Reshiram whispered in the back of her head.

Yeah. Seeing Mom... I guess it shocked me so much I blanked.

Well, I guess that would do it on the "reason for not having any recollection of getting here" front.

"Gene gathered everyone up and said he needed to bring the pilot we captured to Cyril right away," Reshiram explained. "Nikki was holding a dragonair — I think the one she was looking for all this time? — and your edgy grovyle friend is now half-salzzle, too. Noctum suggested we go somewhere to recuperate, and your mother demanded we be sent to a specific building in Scale City. So, that's where we are."

So wait, was the computer BSing Paradox about that self-destruct sequence? Since I was kinda expecting that W1DG3T would've blown up by now. ^^;

Yuna stared at the floor, blinking slowly. She supposed that made sense. But Scale City? The name was... vaguely familiar. Her mother had mentioned it before, back when she lived at home. Did that mean they were in Aeon?

Yiazmat: "Er... not quite, honey. Just try and pace yourself. This could take a while." ^^;

"The group kinda split up after that," Reshiram continued. "Valkyrie went off on her own, Nikki took the dragonair away, and Noctum brought you here. Which just about covers everything."

Well, I suppose that would save a few thousand words' worth of just cutting to the chase for a story. Even if I kinda wonder if there were moments worth showing depicting the gang reuniting over the smoking wreckage of W1DG3T's ride, especially if Nikki and Scarlett were both there for it.

The drakloak silently thanked Reshiram for the recap. She remained slouched in her chair, unsure of what to say to her mother. It hadn't been that long since she bid the dragapult farewell, and yet it felt like an eternity had passed.

Yuna: "Um... so... how much do you know about the past... uh... what's it been by now? A month?"

"Noctum told me what happened."

Squeaking, Yuna squirmed in her chair, struggling to sit upright. Her bulkier, rectangular head was harder to prop up than she was used to. "W-What do you mean?"

Yuna: "Noctum, why would you do that?!"

Noctum: "Sorry, Princess. But your parents are kinda the ones who took me under their wings and gave me my present job, so..." ^^;

"That you were both sucked inside World Ender— sorry, Eternatus." Yiazmat slowly sat up in her seat. "That you are releasing Sages from their seals and gathering them in our family heirloom." She locked eyes with the Soul Dew. Yuna couldn't tell if she was upset.

Yuna: "Mom, I swear. It's for a good reason!" O_O;

"Ah." Yuna subconsciously pawed at the Soul Dew. "It's... complicated."

"I can tell." Yiazmat looked away, biting her lower lip. "Though that explains one thing."

Wait, it... does?

Noctum leaned forward. "Which is?"

"When your grandmother gave that to me, she told me, 'One day, its purpose will become clear.'" Yiazmat rose from her chair and floated toward the cabinet on Yuna's left. "She said she heard it from her mother who heard it from her mother who heard it from her mother."

She put her hands on the top of the cabinet, sighing. "That one line percolated through our family for God only knows how long. Certainly long before we assumed control of Aeon."

Would suggest a split of this paragraph. Though I can't tell if Yiazmat's family has just been fated to one day host a wielder of the Soul Dew, or if this is Garnet from FF9 all over again, but without the motherly queen being a power-tripping psychopath.

"Wait, so you knew this was important?" Yuna's Soul Dew had regained some of its luster, but it was still recharging from its prolonged use.

Yiazmat:

Yuna: "Sounds more like that statement's completely backwards if you ask me." >_>;

"I honestly thought your grandmother was being superstitious," Yiazmat admitted.

She opened the cabinet's glass door and pulled out a tray with a couple of glasses and a green bottle. It hissed when she opened it. The dragapult poured herself a glass of fizzy water. She paused with her right hand wrapped around the glass.

"Can you summon Saint Reshiram right now?"

Oh, well never mind. Guess the reaction image was onto something after all.

Though would suggest hacking this paragraph up into pieces between its dialogue and non-dialogue parts.

"Uhh... not exactly?" Yuna ran her left hand across the gem's cool glass. "It has a limit. And that battle kinda reached it. Maybe I can... do a tiny version." Her face scrunched up in concentration. That fiery blaze in the back of her mind was as slippery as boiling noodles. She managed to latch on and tug.

A small, translucent Reshiram formed on the arm of her office chair. He looked around. "Hello." Reshiram waved awkwardly. "I, uh, guess you're Yuna's mom?"

Yiazmat: "... I was expecting something a bit more than this, really." ._.
Cecil: "I've got my powers whenever we're in Eternatus, at least?" ^^;

A croak got caught in Yiazmat's throat. She put a hand to her mouth, then hastily sipped some sparkling water. "Goodness. Is that nasally voice... because of his size?"

Oh, so Yiazmat almost had that one moment with Violet Parr from TI2 happen to her, huh? :V

"No? I always sound like this." Reshiram puffed his cheeks out.

"I see." Yiazmat set the glass down. "Very well. I want you and Yuna to listen carefully to me."

The drakloak tensed. This didn't sound good.

Yuna: "Y-Yes?"

"Your father and I went back and forth on whether to share this... but it's too pressing to discuss this matter with him." Sighing, Yiazmat tucked her head down. "Yuna, you're not my daughter by blood."

Holy crap, it really is Garnet from FF9 all over again.

I was saying that as a joke, but I suppose something about that 'twin egg going bad' thing a while back did feel a bit sus. Also, I now find it kinda hilarious that 'Garnet' was the name that @Virgil134 rolled for the blink-and-miss cameo of Yuna from Birbtales, since boy did that turn out to be fitting right about now.

It didn't sink in for Yuna at first. She saw Noctum slump back in his chair, jaw open in disbelief, but didn't acknowledge him. Yuna shook her head. "No. You told me my twin was a bad egg. Which was probably related to why I was so sick when I was younger."

So, is Yuna going to roll a rename for herself on the spot here too? Or did she have one prior to adoption similar to how Garnet/Dagger did in FF9?

"We lied," Yiazmat flatly said. She took another sip of sparkling water. "Your father... found you while leading a construction team building a trench to divert magma flow from one of the volcanoes. You were not an egg... but rather a silhouette encased in a crystal." The dragapult hesitantly glanced over her shoulder. "Much like the one in Noctum's gut."

... Wait, then what on earth is Yuna if that's how she was found? .-.

Yuna glanced at Noctum, who stared at his Malice Crystal in disbelief. He didn't know either. No way the black charizard could put on such a convincing act for all these years. She met Reshiram's gaze. He didn't have to say anything to her. The look in his eyes made it clear: Yiazmat spoke the truth.

Yuna's... going to have trouble trusting anyone from the Aeon royal family again after this, isn't she?

It had to be the truth. Why else would she say that? It made no sense for her to craft such a bizarre lie. So, why did Yiazmat lie about it all these years? Did she really have that little faith in Yuna's ability to handle the truth? Why make her believe she had a twin sibling she would never meet?

Yuna: "Seriously, mom. What the hell?!"

Too many thoughts twisted themselves around in Yuna's head. It didn't make sense to her. "Why?" was all the drakloak could manage.

"You'd already had such a rough time of things," Yiazmat whispered, tracing a claw along the rim of her glass. "With how sick you had been... I thought it would just hurt you more to hear that we weren't your real parents." She shut her eyes. "Your father disagreed with me, but ultimately ceded the subject."

Yiazmat: "In retrospect, I... probably should've paid him more heed, huh?" ._.;

Of course he did. Her parents were good partners, but Calcifer often deferred to Yiazmat. Yuna wished he had tried asserting himself more on this subject. "I don't... understand," the drakloak muttered. "Avoid hurting me? You had me convinced my sibling died before they could hatch! How is that—"

Live view of Yuna right now:

She gripped the sides of her head. That same feeling from the battle was back. Something— no, someone trying to push themselves through her ectoplasm. It wasn't a Sage, that was for sure. Yuna ignored Reshiram's concerned look and turned away from them.

Totally a good sign there, I'm sure.

"In hindsight... I made the wrong decision," Yiazmat said. "And I am deeply sorry for that, Yunavresca."

The dragapult sounded sincere. But sorry was just a word. It didn't change anything. Yuna curled her hands into the leather armrest. "What about the throne?" she said. "Everyone thinks I'm next in line. That's why you sent me here." Yuna dug her hands deeper into the leather. "Is that a lie, too?"

"No."

Yuna: "What- but- you just told me that I'm not your biological daughter! How on earth does that not mean-?!"

"What?" That made even less sense. Why would Yuna ascend to the throne if she wasn't truly the queen's daughter?

"I couldn't care less about a bloodline," Yiazmat said. "You remember your history lessons, yes? Our family has only ruled Aeon for five generations. You're still my eldest daughter. The throne is yours."

Not sure how the other kids are going to feel about that, but you can't say that it's not without historical precedent.

Was that supposed to comfort Yuna? She glanced over her shoulder. Her mother stared remorsefully at the autumn hill landscape hanging above the drink cabinet.

"I completely understand if you need time and space," the dragapult said. She finished the glass of sparkling water. "As Bahamut says: 'time may not heal all wounds, but it can at least begin to close them.'"

Yuna:

Yiazmat: "... Fortunately, you're of a long-lived species, since I can tell that you're going to need a decent amount of it to come to terms with things."

Yuna smacked her hands against the armrest without realizing it. Noctum sat up straight in his chair, Malice Crystal flickering nervously.

"Don't drag him into this," Yuna growled.

Yiazmat blinked slowly. "What?"

Yiazmat: "Are you talking about Noctum? Since I didn't even mention-" ._.;

"Don't fall back on those worthless, two-faced platitudes," Yuna hissed. A tiny, rational voice in the back of her head told her this wasn't worth getting upset over, but Yuna ignored it. After all, Yiazmat piled on another lie, even if she wasn't aware of it. "Guess Noctum didn't give you the whole story."

Noctum: "Yuna, what are you doing?!"

Yuna: "Look, if we're just ripping off the bandages here, we might as well go all the way." >_>;

The dragapult turned away from the cabinet, tilting her large, triangular head. "Come again? What whole story?"

"Bahamut's a sham!" Yuna smacked the armrest and floated off her chair. "Aeonism is a sham. A bunch of lies and half-truths cobbled together with paste and rope!" She saw her mother ready to retort and her tail lashed at the air. That inky black bubbled in her leg nubs. "Every Needle I've pulled... has shown me visions of the past. When Bahamut and the Sages were alive.

But what if the true Aeonism was the friends you made along the way?

Yuna: "That's not how any of this works!"

"They're not gods. They were average pokémon like you and me who took jobs working for Bahamut," Yuna continued while the darkness spread to her torso. "And when they were tired of it, Bahamut found replacements and passed on their powers. There is no Saint Reshiram... because there's been a bunch of 'em!"

>dat bit in underline

Yiazmat looked down. Reshiram shrank even smaller. "G... guilty," he said, laughing nervously.

"And Bahamut himself? He was a terrible person! Spiteful, temperamental, and paranoid." Yuna gripped the sides of her rectangular head and shook it. "Those other worlds the Book of Aeon mentions? He ravaged cities! Sank islands!"

Yiazmat: "B-But for all you know those visions weren't accurate, and-" O_O;
Noctum: "Um, Your Majesty? Thus far, everything that we've been coming across has been corroborating them more and not really disproving them, so I wouldn't get your hopes up." ._.

The drakloak's breathing finally slowed. Her body trembled. "We... we worship a lie. We worship a monster." She sank back onto the chair and turned on her side.

Which I'm sure is going to do wonders for the legitimacy of Aeon's crown and the stability of its society and politics.

Silence permeated the room. Slowly, the darkness retreated down her torso and leg nubs, like water draining out of a bathtub. Yuna expected Yiazmat to say something. Anything. But she stayed quiet. So did Noctum and Reshiram.

Cecil: "Er... what were we supposed to say here again? Since... uh... you kinda just smashed your mother's worldview to pieces in live time here."
Yuna: "I don't know? Shock? Vehement denial? Anything?!"

The tiny voice from before told her she blew up over nothing. Yiazmat still loved her and she was trying to show her that.

Yuna pushed those thoughts away. She didn't want to acknowledge them. She wanted... privacy. Privacy she couldn't get because of that infernal Soul Dew binding two souls to her.

Yuna's going to leave the room and go and cry into a corner for a while, isn't she?

... Maybe it was a good thing someone else was pulling Needles. She wouldn't have to deal with any other voices in her head that could pop out of her chest at a moment's notice.

No, it's really... not, to say the least. Especially if they work like the ones in M3 did. .-.

And what about Leo? Yuna still had him to worry about. What was he even doing, stuck waiting on Bogdan with the others? She wasn't really going to introduce him as her son to Yiazmat, was she?

Yuna: "Look, I'm sorry, I can't deal with this right now!"

"Go," Yuna whispered.

"Princess?" Noctum leaned forward.

"Just go. Both of you." Yuna curled up tighter. "I can't. Not right now."

Yeah, I figured. So she really is going to curl up and cry for a while, huh?

She couldn't see them with her face pressed firmly against the corner of the giant leather chair. But she heard shuffling, then a door creaking open.

"I'm sorry I hid the truth from you, Yuna. I still love you, though. That will never change."

That... doesn't bode well for Yiazmat's long-term lifespan there. Since meta-wise this is the sort of thing that gets said not long before a character gets killed off. .-.

Yuna picked her head up. Yiazmat looked back at her, tail crinkled with worry. She smiled weakly at the drakloak, but Yuna lowered her head back on the arm rest and closed her eyes.

Deep down, Yuna believed her mother loved her. But it didn't leave her feeling any less empty inside.

I mean, at least she's keeping her eyes dry for now? Things could've gone worse, right? ^^;

Vortex knew Dazzels had holding cells. Rarely used holding cells, judging by the dust clinging to the walls of the sterile gray interrogation room the charizard found himself in. He squirmed in his cold, metal chair. Vortex's gray jumpsuit itched something fierce and the shackles around his wrists and ankles were no better.

Ah yes, it's this scene that's been teased a couple of times on some Discord servers.

"You should count your blessings," the dusknoir floating toward the opposite end of the gray table said. Vegna turned a file over repeatedly in his hand. "Under normal circumstances, we'd jam a fire ring in that snout of yours to stop any funny business. I've heard it described as uncomfortable. Suffocating, even."

Wait, what does that track from DMC5 play in anyways such that you picked it for this moment?

Vortex curled his fingers — the Radiant Guard applied adhesive padding to his claws before tossing him in his cell — around the jumpsuit's rough fabric. Vegna was saying that to get under his scales. Because he knew the reason why Vortex didn't need a fire ring. He wouldn't suffer the indignity of getting toyed with. "We both know what you want to say, so say it."

Oh, that's different from the draft I saw teased, since in that one Vortex just flatly had his claws clipped. I'm curious as to what the story behind the change was internally.

"Very well." Vegna opened the file, his red eye flickering in amusement. "A genuine case of imprisonerre. Never thought I'd live to see the day." He paused to chuckle. "Or unlive, depending on your definition of ghost-types." The dusknoir set the file on the table. "It certainly explains a few things.

Wait, is that a term from something / misspelling of one? Since when I try to run it through a search engine, it turns up nothing other than your chapter text.

"Forgive the discourtesy of my attempts at playing armchair psychologist." Vegna drifted down until he was right next to the table's edge. "Your drive to build Polaris into what it is today... I'm quite sure you were compensating for your inability to use attacks. To succeed in business where you failed at the elements. To have society see you as a success. After all... it wouldn't matter if you were influential enough, would it? Money can make the world go 'round, and all that jazz."

You know, I should have suspected that something was up with Vortex from the way that he was just casually being a dick and lording it over Noctum, but even then, I wasn't expecting this. Also, I see that Vegna knows a thing or two about getting under the skin of perps brought before him.

There. Vegna put it out in the open. Vortex drew his lips back in a snarl. "Trying to dig up a motive for my 'crimes,' I see." The charizard leaned forward. "We both know it's pointless. This is a farce. Her Em— Isola is scapegoating me for all of this. Conjuring up charges out of thin air to suit her narrative."

Vegna: "You do realize that you're not exactly making it hard for her and even in normal times the crown would have a solid case for making sure you never saw the light of day again for untold counts of criminal negligence, right?"

He placed his shackled hands on the table. "You're an intelligent 'mon. Surely you realize that if I'm truly guilty of high treason, High Inquisitor Justine would handle the case." Vortex's own words echoed in his head. He had plenty of time to draw his conclusions. Even if they terrified him, it did Vortex no good to keep them to himself. "The only reason you're here... is because you're the Grim Reaper."

Allow me to fetch the appropriate image for this moment, Vortex:

Vegna stayed silent. His eye pulsated with red light. Another intimidation tactic.

"She wants me dead," Vortex said, a bitterness to his words. "And while she could easily find me guilty and drag me off to get the needle, that takes time. Time I could use to talk." He tapped his fingers against the table. "It would be far easier for her if I were to... suddenly suffer an unfortunate accident. Just like Benedict. Just like every defendant who steps foot in the Reaper's court. That's the real reason you're here, isn't it?"

Can't tell if Vortex is onto something here or if Vegna's going to offer to cut him a deal he can't refuse.

The dusknoir's expression didn't change. He eventually pivoted to his right. "Rage, fury, intense indignation in cataracts of fire, blood and gall. In whirlwinds of sulfurous smoke and enormous forms of energy; all the seven deadly sins of the soul."

Vortex rolled his eyes. He knew Vegna's fondness for strange crypticisms. Supposedly they were poem stanzas, but they read like nothing one could find on Etherium. The charizard wasn't outwardly impressed, but his heart was hammering. It sure sounded like the Reaper was here to kill him. There were no cameras. Vortex hadn't seen any Radiant Guard in what felt like hours.

I honestly can't tell whether or not Vegna's going to ice Vortex myself. Even if I wonder what he'd gain from not doing that at the moment.

"You truly have no remorse for your actions, do you?" Vegna said, still looking at the dust-covered wall to his right.

"I did nothing wrong," Vortex growled. His tail flame would have sparked, but it was covered by a special cone. "You said it yourself: what good is a charizard that can't breathe fire? Or curry the wind to their favor?" He leaned forward further. "I built myself up from nothing using my wits and cunning. There's nothing criminal about that. I saw a way to make Radiance better and I seized the opportunity. The wealth and notoriety that came with it were what I deserved."

Vortex, you do realize that if you're trying to survive past the next five minutes, it generally helps if you don't try and tank your sympathy with the audience, right?

"Nothing criminal." Vegna turned back to the table, flipping through pages. "Even as the pollution from your energy production wiped entire cities off the map, you knowingly hid the true source of ether from Parliament, the public, and the crown."

"No. No, you stop right there." Vortex held up his shackled hands. "Who do you think it was who told me about World Ender still being inside the planet in the first place?" His nostrils flared. "Why, Her Eminence, Queen Isola, of course."

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqgW-2orQQg


I'm sorry, what?

"Really?" Vegna crossed his arms. "That's your defense?"

"It's the truth," Vortex countered. "The original ether plants used supplies of crystals I had gathered. Isola took notice. I saw an opportunity to spread my ideas to all of Radiance. She recognized the potential... and then assured me there would be ways to counter any repercussions from tapping into the distortion."

Vegna:

"So are you going to offer some evidence? Or keep blowing hot air in my face?"

"And when this wasn't the case?" Vegna's red eye crackled. "You chose to stay silent?"

"When it wasn't the case... the idea for Icarus came about," Vortex said, tensing up. Vegna was losing his patience. The end was coming, so the charizard had to finish saying his piece quickly. "A promise of unlimited energy... and an end to the distortion. Isola was the one who discovered the Icarus specimen and had Tesla locate it. We were confident in its capabilities."

The 'Icarus specimen'? The hell is that thing?

He sat up straight in his chair. "It all goes back to Isola. I'm sure of it. I chose to sit on that information as my insurance policy. You need to have a good insurance policy to succeed in business. I can't expect a lawyer to understand that." Vortex gripped the edge of the table with his padded fingers. "But it's the truth! I combed through Horizon Academy's records after becoming Chancellor. Isola... is not the same person she was as a student.

Oh, so Isola really is the Queen Brahne of this story, huh?

"Princess Isola loved painting and gardening... a-and she braided her hair and her tail in the most childish way one could think of." Vortex could hear his nerves showing through. Vegna's stoicism had finally cracked his facade. "But most importantly... she was due to get engaged to a male primarina. It was going to happen at the conclusion of the Crowne Cup. The previous chancellor was helping to plan the engagement with Isola in secret."

Vegna: "And how is Isola's old love life relevant to any of this again?"

Vortex looked down and shook his head. "But it never happened. Instead, she dumps the primarina and, a few weeks later, all the tabloids are reporting she's taken Justine as a consort and offered her the position of High Inquisitor when she'd never shown the slightest interest in ladies! And those hobbies I mentioned? Tell me, have you ever heard of her engaging in them at all?" The charizard scooched himself to the edge of his seat. "No! They're not even mentioned in media interviews! Doesn't that strike you as the least bit suspicious?"

... Starting to get the vibe that Isola got killed and replaced right about now, or else brainwashed. Can't tell which of the two seems more plausible right now. .-.

He had nearly slid off his seat. Vortex propped himself against the edge of the table. "It's not just her, either. Don't you find it strange Radiance has only ever had queens sit upon the throne? Not a single king in the entire lineage!" He would've thrown his arms apart in exaggeration if they weren't shackled.

Vegna: "If you're done, Charizard, I think that we can just move right along to the-" -;
Vortex: "That's not all I have to say here!"

"You're an inquisitor, for pity's sake!" Vortex exclaimed. "You can't seriously believe Shimmer is the first male to be born in the royal family's history, can you? You have no idea how much I've had to bend over backwards for him at his mothers' orders." He began counting on his fingers. "Fixing grades. Sweeping misconduct allegations under the rug thanks to his... poor choice of behavior in public settings with and without that sylveon by his side. Rigging the Crowne Cup challenges to ensure his team would cruise to victory. But I went through with it all because I believed in my vision for the future of this kingdom— no, the future of the planet! And Isola returns that favor by stabbing me in the back?!"

Wow, you really did model Shimmer after Sebastian DeBeste from AAI2. Though considering what that implies about Isola as a parent considering what his dad was like...

Vortex slouched over, panting heavily. Somehow, he'd gotten his entire spiel out there. Vegna had not once interrupted him. The dusknoir merely floated there, bathing Vortex in red light from his eye. The charizard slid himself back into his seat. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he muttered. "The wealthiest 'mon in all of Radiance ranting like a raving mad lunatic before the Grim Reaper."

Vegna already knows about all of this dirty laundry, doesn't he?

More silence.

"Say something, damn it!" Vortex stomped his shackled feet against the metal floor.

Vegna:

"In fierce anguish and qunchless flames, to the deserts and rocks He ran raging to hide, but He could not."

Vortex tensed. Vegna's eye... had shifted blue as the spoke. The dusknoir closed up his folder. "Before you conspired with the crown to open Citadark Isle, I worked my way up the penal ranks to become an executioner." He picked the folder up and returned to turning it over and back in his right hand. "But after learning about the... changing political landscape, I chose to attend law school and later join the Ministry of Justice. Tell me... why do you think that is?"

Vortex: "I'm... not gonna like the answer to this question, am I?"

The charizard tensed up. He... he knows? He knows there's something wrong? But then why would he willingly work for a broken system? Unless... he was benefitting from that broken system, too! Just like Vortex!

I mean, he is a necromancer, and being an executioner would by nature give him access to a steady stream of dead people, so...

He had to make one last plea. One final attempt to sway the Reaper to his side and—

The interrogation room door slammed open. "That will be enough, Mister Vegna."

Well, sounds like the axe won't be falling on Vortex just yet.

Vegna and Vortex looked over in unison. Demerzel floated in the doorway, but that wasn't his voice they'd heard. No, instead he floated to the side... and an icy chill entered the room. Vegna's eye sparked. "What manner of trickery is this, Clown Prince?"

Vortex tilted his head. That can't be right. Vegna addressed someone that looked vaguely like Shimmer, but too many things were wrong. His horn was far longer, with streaks of icy white along it. He had a flowing, sparkling white mane and several glittery white tails where his puffy pink one was supposed to be.

Oh, so that's what that Rapitales you commissioned art of is. Shimmer from what's probably 20-30 chapters into the future from this point in time.

"That's Prince Shimmer, Inquisitor." The ponyta narrowed his eyes. "I suggest you address me as such if you value your job."

He never spoke with such conviction. And Shimmer was practically at eye level with Vortex's standing height! What had happened to him?

His offscreen makeover from like 4-5 chapters ago, obviously.

"You're dismissed, Vegna." Demerzel gestured to the open doorway.

Vegna's eye darkened. He tensed up and Vortex noticed a sudden ripple in his ectoplasm. "I'm not finished questioning the accused."

Vegna: "Back off, egghead! He's mine!"

"You are now." Shimmer leveled his long horn at Vegna. The room grew even colder. "On my authority."

The dusknoir floated in silence, then tucked his folder underneath his right arm. A right arm that Vortex swore looked different than it did a mere minute ago. The charizard squinted. Were those faint white lines in his ectoplasm? Almost like tiny fissures Vortex would get between his scales when they got chafed after a night of entertainment.

Can't tell what that's supposed to be a sign of, but the 'mon is clearly not just a normal Dusknoir.

... No, Vortex had to be seeing things. A ghost couldn't have anything like that.

"Am I to be escorted out, then?" Vegna asked.

"You are." Shimmer walked behind Vegna, keeping his horn levied. "Move. Now." He followed Vegna out of the room. The door slammed shut behind the two. Demerzel folded his nubby arms under his robe and turned to Vortex.

Ah yes, only good things can come of this since you've pretty much confirmed elsewhere that Dermezel is the 'Kuja' of this story.

"Here to gloat, are you?" the charizard growled. "You did something to Shimmer, didn't you?" There was no way someone could undergo a change like that.

"Actually, you did." A slight smile tugged at Demerzel's lips. "Your company and its lovely pollution." He crossed his lanky legs. "The good prince, distraught over the loss of his dear friends and having learned that he, like you, is nothing but a runt, chose to subject himself to a full course of World Ender's distortion." Demerzel shook his obnoxiously large head. "I figured you, of all people, would admire such conviction."

Oh, so Ether pollution can cause eviolitis, huh?

That... sounds like a pretty serious side effect there, though I'd expect no less from 'Mako, but somehow worse' as a power source.

Vortex wasn't believing that for a second. "I don't know if you're some sleeper agent for Aeon... or you have your own agenda. Whatever it is, you'll never achieve it." He raised his shaking, shackled hands and rested them on his chest. "Look at me. I'm the proof. You've risen political ranks quickly because you did something to curry Isola's favor... and now she's just stringing you along. And when she has no further use for you," he dropped his hands onto his lap, wincing from the heavy shackles, "she'll get rid of you. Like she's doing to me."

Dermezel: "Oh you poor, sweet, summer child. You really think that it's Isola who's stringing me along?"

Demerzel stroked his chin with his right hand. "I suppose that's not an... unreasonable conclusion to draw from this. But really now..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head, sighing. "If you are truly such a skilled entrepreneur, you should have planned for such an occurrence." He floated back and forth at the other end of the table. "You were playing the long game. Introducing all these 'conveniences' into the world designed to make your company and, by extension, you beloved by the people. To the point where the crown could never do anything to touch you lest they risk massive public outcry."

I mean, there were those Genesect that Polaris was sitting on. Was honestly a bit surprised that they didn't get trotted out as a dead man's switch sort of thing.

The charizard looked down at his lap, blinking slowly. He gripped the fabric of his jumpsuit again, brow furrowing. Demerzel repeatedly claimed he was a mutant whimsicott. Exposed to the distortion. Did that mean...

"You're working for them," he whispered, unable to look back up at Demerzel. "You're not an agent for Aeon, you're an agent for World Ender!"

Ah yes, the part where the story just throws it out onto the table that Dermezel is this story's 'Kuja'. Down to having his same character theme.

Demerzel sighed again. "You're entitled to think whatever you want. But I'm not interested in power or public admiration. I truly believe it's long past time for Radiance and Aeon to bury the hatchet. Unite against a shared enemy. Consider it... a parting gift for this sad, sorry little rock."

Parting gift? What did Demerzel even mean by that?

Translation: "Your world's going to get eaten up and then Natus is off to go and munch more planets."

"Your friend Tesla had some positively fascinating memories rattling around in that swollen head of his," Demerzel continued. "These genesect you two planned to replace the Radiant Guard with? Quite interesting. I do hope you don't mind if I activate them."

Oh, so those things are going to come into play. I just didn't get who'd be pushing the buttons at the control right.

Vortex's eyes barely had time to widen before an invisible force gripped his head and pulled it up to look Demerzel in the eyes.

"In fact, I hope you don't mind if I comb over all of Tesla's... facilities," he said, a cheerful smile on his face. "There's a lot of value sitting there, after all. I'd hate for it to waste away because Isola decided to throw you both under the bus."

Wait, is Tesla even alive right now? Since from the way that Dermezel was talking a couple paragraphs ago...

This was bad. The charizard struggled to even get his mouth open an issue a retort. Demerzel's psychic grasp was too strong. Had the mutant... really gone through Tesla's memories and seen all the boltund's projects? There had to be ones Vortex knew nothing about! But why bother admitting that out loud?

Dermezel: "Again, who do you think is the one stringing the other along here, Vortex?"

Vortex: "N-Not Isola?"

Dermezel: "Good answer. I always liked perceptive types."

Did... did Demerzel know the Reaper was coming for Vortex? Is that why he was here? To make sure he could get his paws on Vortex before the Reaper could claim him as his next victim?!

I'm not fully convinced that that's what's happening since Vegna's kills wind up in the front yard of Dermezel's buddies, buuuut...

"Now then." Demerzel cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"

The pressure on Vortex's head intensified. Even without any attacks, Vortex could tolerate heat. But this pressure quickly turned to an unbearable burning pain. The charizard couldn't even scream. Demerzel had complete control of his whole head.

Vortex is getting a one-way trip to the QN by the end of this scene, isn't he?

The burning pain grew and receded in waves. No doubt from Demerzel delving deeper into the recesses of Vortex's mind. His vision grew blurry. There was nothing the charizard could do. No way to fight back or cry for help.

Then, for a few brief seconds, the blurriness gave way to something else entirely.

Vortex: "H-Huh? Wh-Wha-?"

A golden dragon of light looked around at multiple smaller brown and emerald creatures that looked like they were made entirely of hexagons. They trained arm cannons and strips of multicolored hexagonal scales on the dragon. All the while, a few riolu and lucario with white and gold fur looked at him. Some with tears in their eyes. Others with fangs bared as they hurled their frustrations at him. Begging them to see all the good their grandfather had done for them. That he had made a mistake calling in these zygarde.

Wait, this is Shane from after the events of some version of GL, isn’t it? Since white-and-gold-furred Riolu and Lucario? After the note GL ended on?

With a sharp gasp, Vortex fell forward. His head smacked against the cold metal of the interrogation room's table. Vortex's heart hammered in his chest, his breath ragged.

"Y... you..." Vortex struggled to blink away his double vision. Get two Demerzels back into one. "Wh... o are..."

Dermezel: "The 'Kuja' of this story? I thought the background music made it fairly obvious-"

Vortex: "No, what you are for our world. What did you just show me and how the hell did you know about it?!"

"Shhh." Demerzel leaned in and pressed a nubby paw to Vortex's snout. "I have what I need." A pleasant smile spread across his face. "And since you were so cooperative, I'll leave you with a special gift. I know how frustrated your impresonerre makes you. I did just sift through your memories, after all. So, how about... I give you that fire you've so desperately desired?"

Oh, so Vortex isn't leaving this story just yet.

Dermezel: "Alternatively, I turn and leave and let Vegna have his way with you. Your choice, really, since I can work with either outcome."

Vortex's eyes suddenly widened. A psychic grip forced his head up once again. Demerzel placed a strange red square against his snout. Vortex crossed his eyes and, for a brief second, saw a message carved into it.

The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate.

Wait, Dermezel just casually has Arceus' elemental plates lying around?! O_O;

Then the square disappeared in a flicker of orange light. Vortex's nostrils tingled, like he'd huffed some bright powder. His head slammed back on the desk as Demerzel released his psychic grip.

"The changes won't happen instantaneously. But when they do begin, you'll know." Demerzel turned to the door, opening it with a flick of his wrist. "In the meantime, I would advise you not to think too hard on, well, anything. Your mind's in a fragile place right now. And I'd hate to see you end up a vegetable like the good doctor."

Oh, so that's what happened to Tesla after Dermezel was done with him.

So wait, given that Dermezel exposed Vortex to the Fire Plate, does that mean he's going to become a Megazard-Y, or...?

Vortex heard hoofbeats.

"We're leaving," Shimmer said.

"And Vegna?"

"I saw something interesting," Shimmer replied. "When he thought he was safely away from me... he braced himself against the side of the front staircase, talking about being on a timer and having to 'find that mewtwo.'"

... Can't tell if Vegna and Dermezel are in cahoots or if he's a loose cannon as a character right now. I can see arguments either way, really.

"Oh? Did something happen?" Demerzel's voice grew distant, but Vortex could make out one final thing.

"Part of his body dissolved away... leaving holes in his arms and hands."

Well then.

Alright, onto the summary:

Since in no particular order, we got a reveal that Yuna's entire life has been a lie, Dermezel outs himself as Kuja, but with a bigger head that new member of the Paradigm who's manipulating events in Radiance to his bidding to free Natus and now is about to start up those Genesect from like 20 chapters ago, at least 2 major characters have been recruited onto the side of Team Eternatus, and Vegna's body is starting to disappear on him and he needs to track down Gene before then for reasons™️. Like it genuinely feels like a lot just happened within the span of two scenes and 5300 words, in ways that are setting a new paradigm (har har) that's going to affect the rest of the story's run. I'm not sure what the secret sauce you use for making PoV feel twisty and earth-shattering with every other update is, but it was out in force this chapter, much to its benefit.

The one real complaint that I have is that it might have been worth showing off some of the gang's meetup in the wake of defeating W1DG3T to show how some of the groups that are now split up again reacted to each other, but eh. I suppose that's also perfectly doable in future chapters, and I understand the meta argument for speeding things along on a tight wordcount budget.

But glad to be caught up again, and kudos with the chapter @Ambyssin . You've definitely given me a lot to look forward to in about a week and a half. ^^

 

[Negrek]

Hey, Ambyssin! Back again for Catnip, chapters 16-18. Another needle, more evil plotting, and more chaos back at the school--good times!

Certainly some interesting lore getting revealed in our second Mystery Dungeon excursion, here. iirc Bahamut kept visiting various planets ahead of Eternatus to try and save them, which would explain why it showed up shortly after he arrived in the desert world. I can't remember whether he was actively corrupted by Eternatus at any point or not--that could explain his erratic behavior here, or perhaps it was all just a big misunderstanding! It's definitely strange reading through some of this fic with half-remembered Blacklight trivia floating around in my head. I did appreciate the call out that nothing is supposed to be able to escape the Qliphoth, and yet Yuna and company have traveled back and forth through it without a problem so far. Definitely pretty suspicious... somewhere between "another example of the rules being odd on Etherium" and "actually Etherium's been swallowed up by the Qliphoth already and no one's realized it yet" to me, I guess.

Citadark's presence here makes me raise an eyebrow, too. I can't imagine that name is a coincidence! Vortex has been quite strongly portrayed as a parallel Chairman Rose up until now, and from what Tesla has cooking, it seems like his plan is indeed startlingly similar to Chairman Rose's, right down to the sleepy eternatus egg and what seems likely to happen with that. I'll be curious to see whether Vortex does pull a literal Chairman Rose or whether that will end up subverted or taken in some kind of different direction. Also curious whether the presence of Citadark means we'll be seeing some sort of literal shadowfication happening--perhaps that's related to what's going on with Despair etc.? There are multiple intriguing things a reference to XD could indicate; not sure what seems most likely to me yet.

I will admit that the bits with Fraud tend to be my least favorite thus far; there always seems to be a lot portended by them, but in such a vague way that I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be getting out of them besides the fact that there's this other group working to gather the needles' power for no-doubt-terrible ends. They do play well into your use of suspense--much more interesting to know that the Malice Crystals are on their way to the school ahead of time than to have Zapdos simply show up with them as a surprise; it works well with the cliffhanger at the end of 18. As far as how they tie into the broader storyline, though, I've found them a little opaque thus far.

On the flip side, the scenes with Noctum and Seifer were my favorites in this section. Like I said earlier, having Seifer lose his plum position in the guard makes him a lot more interesting to me, and you kept the hurt coming for him in this section, from a fight with an old friend, to encountering another old friend who's been corrupted and enslaved by Despair, to having to sleep on the floor in Baraz and Noctum's tiny room. I thought the bit of backstory presented in Chapter 18 was interesting; I'm guessing we'll be hearing more about the Ryujin as time goes on, especially if Vortex's plans for Citadark end up with a bunch of former members escaping, getting dynamaxed, shadowed, or whatever's going to go on there. Regardless, I'm still looking forward to seeing where Seifer's story goes from here and whether he eventually ends up at "fuck the nobles, Radiance has huge problems" or not. I'm curious to what extent we might see more of his family; he's mentioned that they'll totally disown him when they find out about him losing his job, so I guess we can probably at least look forward to that happening at some point in the future, heh. All in all I like what you've done with his character over the course of the last few chapters.

Noctum also continues to be the biggest sweetheart of the fic, which of course is why the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 18 is such a huge NOCTUM, NO!! moment. You sure do like to dunk on the guy; it definitely feels like not a single thing has gone right for him since he's been in Radiance, and he not-infrequently ends up literally injured as a result. To be fair, I don't think anyone's having a particularly good time in this fic--even Vortex, who's just had a big windfall in getting his dumb evil plan approved, is no doubt going to long-term come to realize that that wasn't actually a good thing (assuming he doesn't die/get reprogrammed/whatever before then). Nevertheless Noctum seems to serve as the butt monkey an outsized amount despite being a cinnamon roll too good, too pure for this world. I hope he doesn't end up too permanently corrupted, or whatever's going to happen with that crystal; it's nice to have a straightforwardly kind, gentle, doing-his-best sort of character around to counterbalance the more gruff and cynical types, not to mention the abundance of villains. I'm certainly invested in what happens next with him!

With so many plot threads going on, three chapters doesn't feel like it provides enough time to really appreciate the forward movement in this fic, but I enjoyed what we got here. I hope to be able to return for more relatively soon.

 

[Flyg0n]

hello Amby! I'm doing your review of PoV, and I'll cover primarily chapters 2-4, since it looks like I read the prologue and 1 already. Since this is an in-depth review, I'll be doing a slightly different style.

First I'll go chapter by chapter to give impressions. Then I'll try to analyze a few broad aspects of writing and give some thoughts of them. These are as follows: Characters, Antagonists, Prose, World, Plot. There will be a mix of both personal opinions, and semi-objective ones. Then I'll give a summary and further thoughts at the end.

Chapter 2

First we get an introduction to a few side characters in the school, namely Shimmer, Robin and Xander, who seem like they will be important. Shimmer is clearly the leader of the the little band, with the others feeling a bit like his personal lackeys. Xander strikes me as a busybody suck-up just bit, arriving with information to try and impress Shimmer or seem cool, or maybe he's just a gossip.

Robin is a touch harder to get a specific read-on, though he seems like a more serious and levelheaded type. Also they all seem like stuck up jerks, lol. I wonder if we'll keep seeing them, I'd be curious to know if they end up changing... I like the uses of dialogue and words to to highlight the casual typism (racism?) they are doing.

Then we finally get to meet Yuna's parents, a Duraludon and Dragapult. I think the discussion and dialogue here flows very cleanly for the most part, and I like seeing Yuna's reactions to everything, and her making a choice to still participate in the Tournament:tm:. I always find active protagonists to be enjoyable.

Of course, its then revealed that there's machinations going on behind the scenes by the Chancellor, trying to set them up to fail to cover his own hide. I do enjoy stories where everyone is making their own moves. I guess this big Crown Cup is ultra important, I wonder why? I see that more than a couple characters mention this, and its definitely treated as a big deal in universe, but I wonder why. Like why in-universe it became so important. Although I guess I can't squint too hard, given football and the Superbowl is a huge deal too lol. Also maybe this is probably talked about more later, so tis not a crit or anything.

A couple of quick notes:

Xander shook his head. "Wasn't that, Your Highness. It was the new girl— the little wyrm thingy." He wiggled his ribbons around. "I saw her getting walked up to Chancellor Vortex's office with a filthy-looking charizard and an orbeetle."

"So? I'm not her babysitter," Xander sneered. "You gonna tear up the school halls every time she sneezes?"

"That's not it. Not too long before that, I saw her parents go into the Chancellor's office." Xander grinned. "I bet she's in trouble."

I'm assuming the middle use of Xander is a typo? It sounds like Shimmer is what's meant to be there,otherwise Xander is snapping at himself.

As he back away from Arianna, Vortex turned to her.

Backed away?

As a final aside, although this is about chapter 1, I did not know that Xeromus is a Type: Null. I thought maybe its entirely a made up creation. In hindsight, a couple clues helped, like the mask and chains, but A) I would describe at as a helmet, and B) I feel like we could have described it more? Type: Null is a bizzare looking thing so I think that Yuna might notice how weird it is. Unless the robe is meant to 100% hide everything about it, in which case I feel like description could point this out more.

Anyways, just minor quirk I observed as I skimmed the previous chapters to refresh my memory.

Chapter 3

First, a couple line notes.

Otherwise, someone would swoop the lone empty table.

swoop in on?

Chapter 3: Banquet While You're Ahead

Love the chapter title lol

The unfamiliar voice caught her mid-bite. Yuna spat the bit of quiche out onto her plate and coughed loudly. Even though she didn't have lungs, the food must've gotten tangled within a stretch of her inner ectoplasm.

I like this bit, its a fun xeno-esque look at Dreepy biology

"Eh?" She turned back and screamed. A grovyle now stood opposite her, leaning against the wall. "W-What— can I help you?"

Edgelord.

"Clearly not." Grovyle nudged the brim of his pokébase cap down to cover his eyes. "If you can't even keep a good eye on your surroundings, how can you expect to focus on what lies ahead?"

Obfuscating edgelord

He'd swapped his earlier suit out for a ruby-encrusted tuxedo and a bowtie sporting flame patterns. Even with her limited wardrobe, Yuna found it tacky.

Oh gosh this sounds hideous

Rune floating forward, having finally found his voice.

*floated forward?

So this chapter shows the big banquet we've been talking about for a couple chapters, as well as another piece of the mystery from Ch 1.

We also properly meet Chiaki and get another mention of Nikki, who judging by the summary and title, are sure to be very important characters. Chiaki gives off big 'playing up the edgy cool guy' vibes but is probably like, putting on at least a tiny bit of a show. But in a fun way, honestly.

Then we get the extremely weird Meloetta, who gives gigantic sus vibes. Clearly her song is like... idk, my first thought was that its hypnotizing somehow, or maybe like, attack based? But it affected Yuna bizzarely and then there's what I assume is a vision of Rayquaza and she blacks out. Definitely layering in a lot of mysteries here!

The second part seems to follow a Captain of a Royal guard, a Keldeo, investigating the strange being/person heading to a distortion outside town.
I'll say off bat that the one thing that caught me about the second part with Seifer is that I struggled a bit to figure out a sense of place. I know they're on a hillside. I think this hillside is outside a town, presumably the same town from chapter 1? To be fair, its very possible I'm forgetting some details from from ch 1. I just felt a tad confused. There was a park... i guess? But now its been consumed by distortion (which I guess is the gate to a mystery dungeon?) and its near the town?

This wasn't immersion destroying but it did trip me up. My initial thought is to describe it as a specific hill outside town, and name the town. Also given its a park I think something like "Hillsidepark, outside of X town" etc. I think an extra line or two of exposition won't hurt here, before the skirmish starts.

That aside, we have our second appearance of Xeromus, ranting and raving pleasantly. And maybe trying to murder a mon? Unless the distortion just means you get sucked into a dungeon. Also, Seifer seems a tad callous, there's not a ton of concern for Rune or his fate. I'm not sure if its "Well, it hurts but I can't think about it now" or "I don't really care if he dies(?) or goes missing as long as I'm safe". Leaning slightly towards the latter, if his fancy robes and medals suggest someone obsessed with medals, or if maybe he's just well-decorated.

Unrelated, RIP Rune I guess. We'll see, heh.

Chapter 4

Starlene's songs are supposed to pacify anyone who listens while strengthening their spirit so they can work harder.

Ahhhh I see. Sounds like bordering on mind control, or at least that was my assumption. To kind of put pokemon into a 'hyped up state' but without their knowledge to really foster that uh. Good vibes.

Vortex put the glass on the coaster. "We intercept any and all mail to or from Yuna and her entourage."

This sounds like a dangerous plan that won't last forever. What if her parents return? Although its not an unreasonable one, just subjectively I was thinking "wow thats gonna backfire"

His black-furred hands held a clipboard and a pen, which he looked down at with his large, red-and-yellow eyes while he scribbled away.

Yuna squinted, then blinked a few times. Was this some sort of Radiant-native evolution for Shiftry? It was the only explanation she could think of.

So I personally find Shiftry a weird comparison for Zarude... I mean I guess if you squint? I'd much sooner understand Rillaboom, because they're both monkeys, or even Infernape? Unless I guess she's somehow never seen either of those? I also think the narration can use an extra line or two about Zarude, Black-furred hands and red eyes is hard to paint a full mental image of (although I guess since it's revealed to be Zarude immediately after its not a huge deal). Could alude to fur patterns or vines on the wrists.

Wouldn't something like 'Team Diversity' make more sense, then?

Yuna I'm sorry but this name is horrible

"But that's got nothing to do with this race. Drop the subject."

Sus.... What's his gripe?

Nikki smirked. "I'm surprised you'd even know about that kind of clothing, Princess. I thought you dragons liked doing things au naturel."

You know, for some reason this whole time I assumed everyone was wearing shirts and jackets only, no pants? But I guess everyone is wearing full clothing like Zootopia, heh

So chapter 4 follows up on the aftermath of Yuna's mysterious fainting spell, and also shows us a meeting between Vortex and Demerzel... very interesting. Vortex seems to be manufacturing an energy crises,which sounds like Chairman Rose but more interestingly done tbh. There's also the Icarus project he wants funding for but isn't getting because the MP's(?) are getting in the way.

It could be me but I genuinely forget if it was ever said what MP stands for? Military Police?

And we also see that there's a lot of tampering and other shady dealings happening, like mind wipes and such, to keep the supposed peace. I wonder how these things are gonna turn out...

Then we have Yuna properly meeting Nikki for the first time, and Nikki teasing her Super Special Attack, which i assumed would be some kind of sound thing, probably Boomburst if its didn't affect Yuna. Also a bit of tension between their merry band.
Naturally I was delightfully correct, as once the time came she did indeed blow everyone away it seems (although knowing how plans go, I bet it wasn't guranteed.) Lo and behold, I did briefly 'peek ahead' and it seems not everything goes off without a hitch. Nice.

Also I forgot to mention earlier but bonus points for having an Orbeetle, they are a superior pokemon. However I'm docking a point if there's no good Flygon characters. Especially for a Dragon Kingdom :squint:

Summary

So I have covered my individual chapter thoughts, and will try to give some vibes about other aspects, broadly.

Characters - I think characters is generally really stand out and solid. You have a pretty big starting cast due to the school setting. The teachers/headmasters of the school, other students and the main cast, and several side characters. While some of them feel very anime-tropey, I don't think its in a bad way. I think relying on classic tropes as a building block gives everyone an extremely distinct feel so far, and I don't have too much trouble remembering anyone and they all feel unique. Except uh. Demerzel? For a second I couldn't recall if we meet him before ch 4, before i realized we'd had him mentioned as an advisor in the prologue I believe. But thats kind of my fault I think bc I skimmed the first two, heh.
Otherwise I think this is a very solid start, each character has personality and intrigue, and they are engaging enough to read about.

Antagonists - So far, it seems the antagonist forces are Shimmer's group, and Vortex too. Shimmer seems to have a semi school rivalry and trying to cause some troubles because of the dragon-hatred. Vortex seems to have much more sinister plans in motion, although we don't exactly know what yet. And finally, I know the prologue and ensuing chapter introduce Xeromus and the Phantom. There's a lot of unanswered questions and intrigue around them, and nothing yet is clear, but I think enough has been teased that they feel interesting.

Prose - I know you wanted to know if this part in particular worked, and honestly for most of it I have no qualms with it. I think it accomplishes its purpose and there were pleasantly few times I felt confused. It's nice and simple and doesn't try to be overly complex or feel super stiff to me.The only standout parts that gave me a hiccup are a few mon descriptions or place settings I'd prefer extra details woven in or a bit longer descriptions. Parts like battles, a new place, or a new mon are the spots I think could be developed a little more. There were the couple spots I mentioned where I struggled a bit to paint a mental picture (like Seifers part), but other sections I think you did nicely, like the gymnasium/ball part. Describing the shining of the floor because of the glass dome letting in starlight was very nice. A couple times in general, movements in battle were hard to parse, so might be worth trying to be more flavorful and explicit there. Otherwise, prose is fine.

World - Not gonna lie, there's a lot of extremely unfamiliar elements and setups compared to traditional PMD settings and fics. I don't think new or inventive is inherently bad, but in fanfic, unfamiliar can mean readers feeling confused when the expected formula shifts. In these first 4 chapters, we have: Phantoms (an original element that doesn't exist in PMD afaik), A whole new governmental system (partially based on britain maybe?), a school setting, new lore for the galar birds, a whole new town and school and region(?), and politics currently in a degree of focus PMD fare usually doesn't have (Dragon Kingdom, Fairy Kingdom, kings/queens and ministers and etc). And whatever Xeromus is raving about with Natus and distortions/ether and different specific dungeon lore & new worldbuilding.

I don't think you handled it badly but it is still a bit overwhelming. Without a map and combined with other factors, I do find it occasionally a bit of a struggle to connect the way I normally might with a PMD fic. It's very close to feeling like an entirely original setting, so there's a bit of an adjustment period to sink into as opposed to say, GL which is as far as I recall, more classic PMD fare, or other fics that stay in their same setting.

I think all these brand new elements are handled about as well as can be done. Yuna's POV is a good choice, since she's new to the school and can give readers a good intro. Moving to other POVs also helps build mystery and establish new areas. So its not bad altogether. However I think its worth being aware that in the realm of fanfic, the unfamiliar or very different can be a tunroff for some readers on a personal level. This is not your fault but just a neutral observation.

Plot - The plot according to the summary is about getting sucked into some kind of other realm ruled by a crazy Deoxys apparently, which hasn't happened as of yet but I imagine will happen soon. I have no negative qualms here, I think these early chapters are a good foundation so far. Each one seems to add something, build the mystery, or further the characters and relationships in some way. The pacing feels good to me tbh, not too little or too much, depending on your planned length. I do say I definitely expect that within some few more chapter's I'd hope that they kick off the Big Boy plot with this dimensional crises and Deoxys.

Naturally its hard to judge without seeing the entire picture of the fic, but you've got a good start and like... 50 chapters so thats good.

My final verdict is.... Very good! The biggest qualms I have on a personal level are just the little prose quirks I mentioned, and then the bit about the world. It's quite possible some of the things I bring up will be addressed, improved or further developed in later chapters so this definitely isn't the end all. Its a story I could see myself continuing possibly, (RIP my reading list) and is generally well constructed for what it is.

I can see why it has over a hundred favs and follows on FFN! Congrats, and good luck writing!