"All right," Diyem cut through the chatter, his booming voice a little more forceful. "Enough leading us around." Diyem glared at Bean the moment he started to go for his second sandwich. "Why are we out in the middle of nowhere?"
"Now, it's not nowhere," Bean said with another cheerful smile. "This just happened to be the safest entry point for the arrivals! They're just ahead, you know."
"Is this not where I had summoned Owen at first?" Diyem remarked, glancing around. Over the months, the place had been repaired handily, aside from a few new trees and hills thanks to local Pokemon fixing up the land. "This is... suspicious. And don't think I'm not aware you're a training Overseer. What is this?"
"Yes, it's where you brought Owen! In fact, that may be why it was such an easy summoning location. Ah!" His ears flicked and he glanced back. "There they are! There!"
"There they are," Diyem repeated, standing. The others followed, at least temporarily, to walk over the nearby hill to see what he meant. There was, indeed, a presence there, but... "Answer, now. Who from the Overseers had you summoned here, Zygarde?"
"Well, er, you know how I mentioned some time ago that I'd sent for information from the Overseers about a situation... similar to ours? Well, they finally got back to us--and with quite a delivery! Unfortunately, their power is not properly in sync with Cibus... so they won't be able to fight alongside us very easily, or at all, against The Eternal Blacklight in the Null World.
"But... they can help train you in preparation! Pop also seemed to have some sort of idea on how to make use of that, too, but he's been very hush-hush about it..."
"You found a group that has experience with Blacklight?" Diyem pressed, skeptical. "I thought this was a one-of-a-kind event."
"Yes!" Bean said. "In fact, I found... well. You should see for yourself!"
Diyem growled lowly and stomped forward. From over the hill, however, Diyem heard... another voice. One that stopped him in his tracks. Those with more sensitive ears would hear it, too--chatter and murmuring from a whole squadron of Pokemon. But most striking...
". . . pointless show of it all. I'm tired. I would rather take a nap, but that Zygarde insisted we wait here for--mm. They're here."
That sounded... like Diyem.
"I," Diyem of Team Spectrum said, "hate you, Bean."
"O-oh, I'm sorry..."
And then, just ahead...
--
Charizard waved cheerfully, first with his hand and then with the corresponding wing.
"Hi!" He thumped his tail on the ground. He looked... surprisingly normal, but the way he spoke, those mannerisms, that gold tinge in his flame...
"My name's Charizard Owen. I'm from a world called Kilo, part of an organization called the Thousand Hearts! It's good to meet you!"
Rehearsed, friendly, professional, perhaps a little childish, even. But he certainly had enthusiasm.
--
(
@Fusion)
Floating alongside the group, swimming backstrokes through the air and humming blissfully, was a Zoroark. He seemed to be in his own little world, until the group stopped walking, and he suddenly dropped to the ground with a dull thud.
"Oh, we're here!
Finally!" he chirped, sitting up and putting on a friendly, jagged grin. "Howdy! I'm Kora! Nice to finally meet you all!"
Some of Team Spectrum could swear his eyes were darting between them... "I was wonderin' if y'all were any strong on the way here, and it looks like I was right~!" the fox snickered.
Kora sprung up off the ground, little black and red sparks dancing excitedly off of him, and floated on his back, relaxed. "I know this ain't a
vacation vacation, but I feel like it's gonna be a
blast anyway!"
--