Tell the stars (you won) - Praazlwurm (2023)

Chapter 1: careful

The body of the chapter

Take Ingo home.

No reaction.

Transport Ingo where he wants to go.

All.

...where it needs to be.

All.

...Where is he from.

All.

Use known and hidden powers to transport Ingo safely and completely to his time and place...

When?forwardCertainly not enough to continue. not soEllaHe didn't know where it came from. She exhaled sharply, and Volo roared from the other side of the house.

"Stop talking."

Take me to where Ingo lived before Hisui.

Isn't that vibrato?understanding-ability-complianceA voice he would never get used to.

Suddenly, but all the time, a huge oval of white light appeared in the sky, like an upright vanity mirror. There's a wave and a little bell, and Volo (isn't that Volo?) looks on with a shocked expression. Technology, the sound of moving parts and the howl of fans seeped through the mirrors.

Then Volo-no-Volo spoke with a blank stare, the tone of the usual response to an unexpected call without a plan.

"You... how are you," he said, "does Cynthia talk about it?"

"Uh," Magpie replies, then also goes into muscle memory. "Hi, I'm Magpie and..."The e-x-e script point was not found"I'm afraid you were part of my experiment. Sorry?"

"I don't care," replied Cynthia andVerySuddenly her shock turned to curiosity. "In fact, I'd like to be able to be a part of what comes out of this window..."

- Magazines? asked Uro from the doorway.

She's stationed in her office in New Castle because she's been there for nearly four hours, and her consent (against the fixation edict) would have taken her off the shelf more than an hour ago. When they moved in, they found that they sometimes needed to study separately, both to avoid distractions (talking about themselves) and to remind themselves to take a break from time to time.

After a moment of worrying that the window would disappear when he looked away, the magpie chirped, "I think I've got something! It's weird though!"

"I will remind youscalpThe contract clearly states that, as you say, there are no exceptions for "big ones," he said dismissively, though his hands were still in his pockets; he looked commanding because he looked like a father questioning his kids. It was fun." video game. However, as he got closer, his only visible eye widened.

Urraca's mind swirled with questions about what he was thinking;It's not a mirror, the background is different, what is in the background, but who is it and why does it look like that–

He paused because seeing them face to face was enough to tell Cynthia apart. His face is slightly narrower and his eyes are slanted, giving him an incredibly focused look that could be the color of his shirt, but his eyes are blue, making him look a bit grumpy.

However, the clink of a smoky wig and dull silver pendant, the hum of a machine, a missing chew toy, and a disassembled Ultraball can only say so much. And the poor fellow has been exposed to such appropriate nonsense that he is perfectly capable of making such logical leaps.

"I'm trying to figure out how to send Ingo back, but I used 'show me' and I may have confused them," she stammered as he staggered into the office where she sat cross-legged at the table. “But none of them blew up anything, so my science wins today! Is that even Cynthia?

"I... you," he shook his head. He blinked hard once to clear it out and looked out the window. Hello Cynthia.

Cynthia didn't answer right away.

Instead, that expression of curiosity and confusion turned into a frantic remark that Urraca immediately recognizes as Volo: "That's all I'll be thinking about for the next seven days." 10 working days.the theshe thought with a shudder,scares meSohorny.

Is it morally questionable, she thought silently, to make me feel attracted to someone you may no longer be related to? Despite the spatio-temporal "age gap".

"In the name of Arceus, stopexplainVolo said it like a sentence and couldn't help but chuckle.

Then Cynthia found her word.

"you speakHisuian's?

Uraka looked at her, her eyebrows twitching. "Aren't we talking about Hisuiana?"

Volo seems to have started speaking Latin.

"This is notChina""I mean Hisuian," she explained.

Magpie crinkles her nose, already circling "Fucking Arceus again" in her head, and after a moment Volo says, "Your tone is so antiquated."

For some reason, this made Cynthia laugh out loud.

"I don't know what's going on," she said, almost in hysterical tears, "but I know it's not a joke! NobodyHereLaugh at my grammar.

As he uttered the last words, there was a slight smile on his face, and in his eyes there was a characteristic flash of a shark, Urakareturnunderstand

All right,Think about it gently but with a lot of feeling.I'm going to close this closet of thoughts for a while.

Your mental space analogy has always intrigued me.

Damn, let's see who decides to show up! You'll never guess who we just met.

The extent and accuracy of my guesses may surprise you, man.

"It's Arceus's business," said the Magpie, then "In order not to disturb our home, can you see to it that the eredar don't come here before?"

Volo's face is clearly constipated. It was cute, the way he pursed his lips and frowned, and if it wasn't so cute, maybe she'd have less sex. After thinking about it for a moment, only seeing it from this angle under her bangs, with a crimson light shining in her other eye, she sighed.

"Yes, that's fine, but wewill beI need to… get back to myself,” he gasped, pressing his lips together at her smile and lifting his little finger. Then he sniffled.Tyexplain to herAstuteThe palette why stews are slow cooked on the rubbery side.

He ran away and called his alakazam to help him settle down.

The magpie turned around, shrugged, and demanded, "You really can't tell anyone about this, okay? I'll do the same tomorrow before dawn so we can find out what's wrong, otherwise!" so yes?

He got up from his desk in a flash, and when Cynthia protested, his black-marked arm was already waving to slide open the window, “Couldn't it be later? I need to see..."

"Thanks, friend!" she screamed, and in the flickering light the space above the table was empty again.

This is the problem,he thought sadly.Nice question, but it's still a serial interrupt question. I hope it's harder to break space-time accidentally than to do it intentionally, right?

Giratina just chuckled inwardly.

• • • •

"What part is attractive to her?"

As a large bowl of stew and bread was brought to the table, followed by fruit and wine, a question was asked, and Magpie frowned at her usual sounds of sensual pleasure, then turned her attention away.

"If you mean the part about the weather and not the part about the pretty lady," he snorted, "I have to wonder if ours or mine ... well, I interfered with what was supposed to happen here." It has been fixed? Keeping Cynthia alive because she's definitely a descendant, right?

When she stuttered, his hand rested on her elbow. He smiled, a little softly but with detachment.

"As you usually say, we have very little data," he replied, motioning for her to follow him. “When we run the experiment again, we can worry. Or,' he tapped his temple with his knuckles, 'someone will show up.

As she drove to the lobby to meet Irida, Urraka's mind ran along her path, amazed at how oftenthis road.

It was only after the sky was torn and bleeding that Volo was especially resourceful, holding her arm outside the entrance to the old hermitage as she hesitated. He considered it, decided not to oppose the move, just toned down everything else, and has been following him closely ever since. You may not realize it, but when you want to influence someone's opinion, you do it - manipulation is a harsh word, but when it comes down to it, it means "manipulate".

However, in recent monthsduvetSomanagerTake turns, usually with the same breath. It's probably a control offer, and she didn't mean it like anyone who shares space with someone like thatSoYou are forced to fight for it.

Does it bother you?

He considered the question of the Cursed God. HeThenWhat he was getting from Giratina is like a sharp nerve, and sometimes he has to dance with it in the common space above his head. They do not measure curiosity, disgust, or insult; separating these things from each other is a developmental practice.

at last,If that's what you mean, I'm not going to challenge him to a Pokémon match that will decide the fate of the world.

There was another chuckle, and when Volo opened the door for Irida and Ingo, he rushed to get them.

"We're on time!" the man growled, barely caring about the echoes in the corridor. "I'm getting offeternal castle”

"Hi, you two," Irida said quietly, dragging the basket behind herIn the case of Arceus, it is best to fill the pop pods.

"Welcome, boss, warden," Volo greeted warmly, nonchalant surprise in his voice. One thing about her: although she sometimes closes and becomes unreadable to anyone (even him), she is never able to hide behind anything that matches her dealer mask. “Thank you again for accepting our invitation. I'm glad you got here safely, though I doubt any of you will have any trouble in the woods.

"Our route was only intercepted by a handful of unfamiliar Pokémon, dark colors and in packs," Ingo said, lowering his stance and solemnly adjusting his hat. "My gliscor handles it perfectly."

"Dogs!" a magpie chirped, already signaling them to move forward, and Volo closed the door behind them. She led them up the stairs, and when he unsuccessfully offered to take their coats, she thanked her alakazam and continued, "They and their higher form, the Houndoom, are definitely hunting terrorists, but this would make an excellent ranger and tracker. Like any Pokémon, it will take some getting used to as long as we respect them at the same time.

As he led them to the dining room, he was shocked to discover a terrible thing.

I absorbed the movements of Uolo's fingers.

Urraca spread her arms out to the sides and sat down in the chair she had reserved for herself. The dining room is very long, as is the entire castle, due to mathematical errors and the space taken up by an unknown code entered to protect the structure from decay and rooms that outsiders cannot draw. Instead of maintaining an air of grandeur with an extra-long banquet table, Volo divides the room into three sections (excluding the kitchen and pantry), with two six-seat tables and a central set of lounges and stools surrounding a suitable space. . Hexagonal bar.

"Gentlemen, Urraca," exclaimed Irida as she entered, her eyes already widening from the hall's winding and ascending stairs, and she was dazzled by the frescoes of wood and iron and the firelight surrounding them. “How on earth were you or both buildingall those?”

"That's it," he began, paused, sat down, and started again, "that's what we wanted to talk to you about. And don't you know that actually proves that Ingo knows it too."

Ingo nodded solemnly as the three sat down to serve. Once his food was in the bowl, wallowing in all its splendor suddenly didn't feel so weird - until he spoke. "As Irida leaves, Guardian Sabi joins us and says, 'Her clairvoyance says to take Ingo to eternity.'

The magpie blinked. She glanced at Volo, who shrugged, then looked more closely at the part of his face that was mostly hidden, significantly. He stopped, looked down, and shrugged again.

Ignore shaky foundations of thought -Damn, is she legal? saber - Take a breath to refresh yourself. She took a bite of the sweet bread, busy pretending it didn't taste like grits.

"The Eredar know...

'And explained,' interrupted Irida in a low voice. When a magpie looks, its eyes are made of steel wire. Ingo was silent. overwhelming.

“…then I explained it to him,” Magpie continued, her heart in her throat, but she insisted, “what happened last summer. But” she hurried to see the look of reproach on their faces as if they were saying somethingCertain knowledge is beyond the reach of manOr equally stupid: "There have been some changes since then."

Between inconsistent descriptions of where he comes from and what the unknowns can do, Ingo builds his ownbelly fat

Not a rattle, not a twitch, not a single drop of broth spilled right next to his bowl of stew.

"Miss Uraka, you are not my own space station." He made it very clear.

"No," she nodded, and they wouldn't have noticed if she had folded her arms under the table, and that's the beauty of not eating by the fire. Then, "But... I think I might have found someone like that."

Volo looks surprised. It's been her stoic support so far, but it's not the leap she could make with the Mirror. She, in her eager data-gathering, learns about future bad-luck berry-chewing Pokémon, the metallic makeup of high-level Pokeballs, and, until recently, what relatives might look like.

"So the Stranger," he began again, his stew cooling as he waved his arms back and forth, drawing lines from "A" to "B" in the air, "he is able... to create things and knowledge that can be shared by allCoIt was created, I got it after I had a prophetic experience myself and visited the ruins of Solaceon. Oh well,The”

With her right arm parallel to the table, she pulled up a patterned flannel sleeve and tugged at the cuff so they could watch. Half a season later, the marks have not faded; if anything, they are more obscure, with little strings he has not yet dared to delve into. It doesn't hurt, but Arceus, it hurts to look at him for too long.

"Arzeus is, above all, the name of the Lord," Uro said after a moment of silence. “It is said that he created the universe and shaped it with about a thousand arms. We… well, I'm still not sure how it all fits together, but…

"You're the damn Arceus?!!" Irida growled, then covered her mouth with her hands.

They froze, at least for Urraka, and the thought process went like this:This? No, unless you mean... maybe? I hope not.

"Excuse me," the patriarch said after a moment, breathing and calming down as he wiped the stew off his chin with a cloth. “I…there are so manyweird shitI think it appeared last year... it fell from the sky, your abilities became unknownexistYour arm could... jump.

"No," said the magpie after a moment, nodding her head and looking atMore on that later."I'm not. But I met him," he rolled his eyes slightly, "apparently he gave it to me to help me find all the Pokémon. When used correctly, it's almost like owning a pet. Fire-Fire: You know how rocks, whirlpools, and disturbing amounts of water summon in battle, but then everything disappears? I think the Unknown is behind all this. So the one with my pet Among the Elves...

"Her Little Alpha Army".

“… we were able not only to build this place, but also to eliminate the guards in it. Most of it was a learning experience that we were able to share with the clan and Jubilife."

"God help me?" Ingo asked, then turned to Volo, who just nodded. The person has nervousness andshitwent back to-

"Oh, but what's going on is... I'm trying to find a way to get you home," he finishes, struggling to put the words together. “Sometimes it works, but most of the time I need to have a good idea of, say, what I'm doing or what effect something has had. This time they only showed me a woman, but she was in some kind of laboratory. Inside there are a lot of machines and pokeballs made of metal and electronics…

"Electronics", Ingo ends with a not very metaphorical moment of lightning. “Did they use electronic equipment to mine? Digital... They used technology on pokeballs instead of shrinking the pokemon."

He looked pale in the candlelight. always has; fair hair and eyes like cloudy noon; scattered and bright. If the lines on his wrinkled face were satisfactory, his mind must be working at full capacity, clinging to memories and failing.

Uraka stood up in an instant, jumping around the table and kneeling beside her without thinking. He felt as if his chest had been grabbed by someone strong and creaking and filling with his own insides, because although Ingo looked a lot like her,Is not.

Following him through the winding darkness of that day on the plateau, it was hard not to feel bitter. The more she talked, the more she understood that this wasn't the first time she had heard of a soul mate someone had dared to count on when they were resettled in Emerald. Rolling up the pillowcase to dull the pain, she channeled that feeling of unhappiness into her determination to take her up the hill to guide her aim as she threw apricot chips at some madman.

Hesitating to touch it, he puts his hand on the arm of the dining room chair and watches out of the corner of his eye as Ingo regains his composure. He adjusted his hat again and didn't realize he wasn't going to fall for it until he saw her there.

It's damn sad to look at, damn it, Arceus.

Giratina stirred, was silent.

“The one who looks like me,” Ingo whispers after a moment, his voice coming out of his throat like sandpaper. "He is my brother".

After a century and a heartbeat, he reached out and helped her up. She hugged him for a moment.

"I will continue to work hardBecause"I'm going to fix it. Cynthia said…

"Sinnoh Champion?" he asked, blinking as if subconsciously, his eyebrows twitching at his own words. “This… Champion of Sinnoh. Yes Sir…diseaseAnd the competition, strongest in any region, is becoming…”

he has gone. She let go of his loose hand and let him think for himself, then looked at Erida and Wolo. The latter looked tired while the former was deep in thought.

"We need to investigate further," he said after a moment, leaning against the table. Their food has long been forgotten, but fortunately for them, a handful of Rotom is a real godsend for modern devices. Oh, and never use a grater with pink cubes again. “In the meantime, I convinced the professor to hire Ray for training on the condition that he continue the investigation for some time. Between this and some leads from other big guns, I don't want to lose any leads, so... I'll let you guys know. You Adaman, Lavington…

- The oven door? asked Irida, tilting her head. It was a carefully apolitical, even tone.

"No," she replied with a snort. "Fuck the Kamado team for life."

• • • •

"Mags," Irida said, clasping her hands together. thought-avoiding magpieat least he's not afraid to touch me"The protection you mentioned I think can help lords avoid disasters and it can also help people avoid any accidents."

lord of the people,It occurred to her that a small alarm sounded, signifying the addition of the item to Sinnoh Master Cynthia's list of questions about the future.

"Do you think-"

"I'll be on tour this month," she chimes in, laughing, a bit dazed because Irida, the cautious one of all, has already confided. I got a little dizzy on the next task.Home life is not for us.

Giratina repeated in a low voice, she had to lower her head quickly, her heart beating faster.You forgot to cover it up, huh?

"I hope to see you," Irida said, still squeezing his arm briefly. She leaned back with a sly smile. "You need to set a pop-t-you-drop threshold for Volo, the family won't let him go without two tries."

"Oh," he said with a smile, "you."saberI can. "

Episode 2: stagecoach

The body of the chapter

"Who is this little one?"

stream, The Pokémon responded, and Volo tossed it into the air again, ecstatic.

"What if you are!"

Z-rill！

A newly found baby (scientific name: Azurill) falls back into the water, sending a string of sparkling droplets into the air at sunset on the coast. Volo sits in the sun in the shallow sea while Magpie floats lazily on his back, trying too hard to relax.

"You know, it's so disgusting," he thinks of the pale coral-pink Pokémon lying on its belly, "and it's really cute again. There's some space-time shenanigan going on here."

Corsola, seen in these very shallow waters and timidly backing away, let out a soft trill. Urraca recalls long-forgotten trips to barbers who hummed noncommittally for half an hour and were tipped twice for their troubles.

She threw her head back so that the waves caressed her hair, and closed her eyes so they wouldn't become stained if she stared at the sky for too long. The ocean was warm, floating around them, and perhaps counting the few new beasts they found would ease the static in their skin.

Between islands and shores, they now track at least one specimen every time they discover something new, and now that an eternity of Sisyphus's doomed investigations has come to an end, you may rightfully marvel at a new wonder.

Staryu, horse, golden and sea; azurill and corsola, not to mention a handful of freaks picked up from the snow at the first stop. She's starting to regain the glow she once lost during routine examinations, even if she hasn't fallen in love with anything yet.

stream, With a strange creaking sound, he pulled her away from the rolling waves. Zurill?

"You mentioned you wanted to do something before dark," said Volo i Cable, If the rat water guy called him, he must have been calling for a while.

"Oh, yes," he said, spinning upright in the water. Corsola hovered beside her as she drifted toward the shore. When he gets back on his feet, Sroka goes to the trails and speaks up. "I received this request from a professor a few weeks ago and at that point I already knew where we had to go."

She stepped out of the water, letting her skin absorb the last rays of the sun. The dark fabric of her bra and the old shorts she had come in were frayed and probably water damaged. Salty, but still good for storage. Will is watching.

"Come on, king," he teased, placing one hand on his hip, enjoying the feeling of his eyes following the sparkling water down his leg. "Let's go find our Neptune."

By the time they reached the bottom of the cliff, the sun had set and the soft blue glow inside was eerie. Despite Volo's incredulous screams, he submerged the last 20 feet of water and swam.

The hole in the stone goes up and she holds two Poke Balls in her pocket before she sees them.

Or rather, they saw it.

Because the moment they do, they're on the offensive. The four (albeit small) legendary behemoths unleashed an energetic mist attack, and the entire cave turned into a minefield that couldn't be cleared one by one.

Nuaszeq, his cute soft alpha misagius, deals damage while his espeon, unusually Alpha Ib is rarely seen in the dimensional rift - he puts them to sleep through constant hypnosis he taught him especially for the occasion. He catches all three fions and makes a second attempt to catch the manafia before Volo reaches shore.

He disappeared in a cloud of steam and sparks, his cries of success piercing the enclosed space.

"Mana spells, eh?" he said, taking the ball in his hand and examining it in the dim purple light of his team. "They're definitely rare in these places, so I understand why the last people who saw it thought it was on par with other legendaries."

“I think of phione as a kind of guardian, not just a companion,” he muses, remembering his Pokemon. In the dark, he smiles and corrects, “Oh maybe they are harems

Volo laughed, low enough to let him know he got it. However, you are thinking about your own thoughts. "They're very migratory, you know."

- oh? There are some notes on their history in this old compendium, but nothing concrete.

He was silent for a moment.

"I started to wonder what if Celestica's reason for leaving wasn't tragic or apocalyptic," he concluded. She listened quietly with joy. "The little knowledge of my background suggests it was a voluntary relocation, and with so few conflicting records here, I have to think... abandoned Your country. let it grow wild, sow, be invade ”

In silence, Uraka tries to find a way to express it yes, sometimes people leave really can Version As the weight of Giratina settled in his mind, a red light appeared on Uol's face.

This is not done lightly. At first they thought they had been abandoned.

At first she just wanted to leave, but hot sparks shot up from inside her. She stretched, brushed back her bangs, and looked at him.

“ Arceus" He said he was trying to find steel wire. No flash of red, but maybe the wrinkles on his forehead... - We need to talk.

• • • •

After nearly five weeks of letting the gods into their heads, the Sons of the Rift and the Usurper finally had the courage to talk to their strange headmaster.

"I'm sorry," was the first sentence Uolo said to Giratina.

"I'm not," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest, and then, "Neither are they." You were reckless, but it was forced. So thousand. "

With her fringe tied back, she could tell when the Supreme Lord finally joined them. You can't confuse it with the light of their fires or get lost in the darkness behind them.

"I was still using you," he said after a moment, "we were using both of them." He felt it too.

- What exactly is he talking about? he asked emphatically. Giratina curled up like a wary snake, absorbing the primal scent of their shared space like a loose block of ice.

"It...he thought leaving himself was the right thing to do," he whispered, eyes so far apart she thought it was the closest thing to hearing Arceus's voice directly. "That he country Removal takes so long that any tampering is risky…how to say? ah- The upcoming singularity. "

It's... it's just God, eh. It's not his inaudible deafening voice, but it's definitely unmistakable.

What the hell does he know This results in a spiritual taunt that is more than just "what does it mean?"

Cascading Rift grunts loudly instead of pushing Three other participants rather than sprinkle your own assumptions to describe, “If he stops you, others will have the evidence and the same willpower that you lack. It will be harder to prevent the next iteration and its side effects will be more severe.” destructive. But it'll work out, my lineage, won't it?

Cable, She mentally barked and swayed, not recognizing Volo's gaze. not very well. Basic rules, remember? Maybe a warning.

…Apologise.

"They say," he said after a moment, "that the waterfall will end eventually." I think it makes sense because Giratina...would like that. It's much simpler. Easier ".

But we can't have easy things, beast.

…I know.

"He didn't want it to end," Volo said. He was alone now; the red has faded. "You're very human in this place."

"Well," he replied, feeling Giratina gone as well, though he had to wonder if the two of them had considered different distances. “Is it something he gave us or is he imitating it? I've always wondered about the role of the Lake Keeper in his mental development...

"I'm going to bed," he snorted, and she on how It's a joke, but irritating. He saw it, smiled, extended his hand and said, "Honey, can't you just stop annoying God during the day?"

"female dog," she snorted, but took his hand anyway, letting the warmth of their shared sleeping bag drown out the noise in her head.

Room change and painting in the morning.

Manafi woke up with his head buried in Volo's backpack, terrifying Volo, who immediately jumped into action to retrieve his Poké Ball from Pokkiss. He reappears with his loot - a spare chest - and stares wide-eyed at the man. He immediately screamed and grabbed his arm, waving motionlessly, losing his balance.

Urraca laughed, trying not to smudge the carbon outlines of her long antennae, and wrote a final note on her head before putting her hands down.

"Wow," she sang sweetly, "you're about to love another baby!"

"Azurill at least gave me time to wake up, and the togepi was kind enough to prepare me when it was just the two of us," he muttered as he tossed the prince of the sea over his shoulder. The magpie threw her a ball, which she caught, but as soon as she held it at eye level, Manafi deflected it from her hand with a delicate air ball. He frowned. "Yes".

"Oh," she smiled approvingly.

The little legend stayed with him for the rest of the morning, hovering around while they changed and packed, watching in ecstasy as Volo combed his hair. Inspired, Uraka stopped me from tying him up as usual.

"Let me braid your hair," she demanded, standing behind him, who was sitting, agreeing. Yellow-rimmed eyes glanced back and forth across the intersection as he worked, and he mused, You know, I wonder if Fione evolves into spell magic. Or even in special cases like combee and vespiquen. You think there's only one… Prince?” "?

Volo shrugged. Once the job was done and the fish tails got a little dirty, they put on their rucksacks and began their descent down the north face of the cape. Sam leads Basculegion to Firespit, then meets him at the end of Sand's Reach around noon and finds him holding a sleeping mage and answering Professor Laventon's questions.

"Good morning, sir!" she cried, jumping off Lord Baskerguin and wading through the shallows. As you'd expect, the clogs and cut-outs make traveling along the coast a breeze. He waves at her, already excited about her newest addition.

"I didn't expect such a rare theme to come out at the beginning of the year," he said, looking at the Pokemon's long tentacles but afraid to touch them. "They don't have to migrate until the colder season because I presume they follow the warmer waters south to breed and then head back north."

The magpie slyly smiles at Volo, who rolls his eyes but hardly blushes. “First, you must undo Volo's mania, Professor; he adopts everything 'small child Knowledge! "

"It'll be fine," he assured the professor, slyly pulling out a Poké Ball and returning its mana while he slept. "We can also pass on other discoveries before we head inland."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard about your new target, Magpie," he said, glancing absently at the added sheet in his PokeDex as they headed back to camp. "I'd love to see it, but I can't help but ask about the momentum."

"I can tell you we'll call tonight anyway," she replied. When they had sent their notes and the last one captured, he summoned Panos to his guard and led them to the great stone spiers that rose from the sea like a pair of ribs. She stopped at the farthest inland because it was the only one she could imagine carving, and even then she was knee-deep in seawater as she pulled out the bone awl.

{ show us Cynthia }

The stranger blinked, then the mirror began to spin, and Laventon gasped after them. The woman at the "other end" emerges from six piles of paperwork, actively carrying the intrigue.

"Hi! I've been reading the regional variants you describe, and it gives me a clearer picture of everything I've discovered about the lord himself. Dear Arceus!

Cynthia looked at Lavington, and Lavington looked at Cynthia, and the magpie jumped before the beam between their gazes reached critical mass.

"Professor, this is Master of Sinnoh, Cynthia, I assure you that she will not be a threat to our space-time continuum, nor will we be a threat to your space-time continuum."

"Hello, Miss Cynthia," Lavington objected, looking around the world as if ready to vibrate from within his skin as an immortal being of light. "I'm afraid you're working against me."

"Nice to meet you," she said, her eyes blank as if she was already on her way to the universe. “You are much younger than what is recorded in history. Unless there is a representative to reassure me, I dare not say more."

His fists are clenched over his chest, tense: he looks like he just caught his first wild Pokémon (I mean, he doesn't doubt it).

“That said, I am very excited to meet the father of the pre-modern illustrated book and literally I can't thank you enough for your work," he finished, every word strained as if it took a lot of effort not to turn into a curse.

Lavington blush The spell was broken, and he said amazingly, "I... thank you for your desperate efforts. But tell me, the origin of the Galar variant is…”

"I'm going to buy you kids a laptop," Magpie told them, and when they did To Possibilities, fast forward. “We have confirmed, let's say, a dramatic change in the landscape will not carry over to your present, so we figured that as long as our timelines remain comparable, we can also be a resource for each other. All in all, Cynthia was very informative and the two of you can catch up!"

She smiled at Valo while his eyes were half-closed, and set to work in front of the stone pillar. No bone blade is built to last on rock, but hers always stays sharp and needs no hammer, and she can chalk or dig as easily as any hoe.

Somewhere between the moment the trio realize Cynthia's timeline is conspicuously missing Lordly Pokémon and clearly Advantage Starting with the alpha pokemon on itself, he lunges at the rock for the last few hits and hits the line with the hilt of his fist. For longer commands, the symbols do not flash simultaneously, but rather a sweeping light that emits a faint trill when it reaches the end, as long as nothing misses or explodes.

"I don't know if I'll ever worry about that," Volo said, smiling smugly at her as she splashed water on his wound. He once described a wave of anxiety overtaking observers as reality shifted across the brain's full field of vision. How hard it is to hold on to the truth that was before.

"Panos did it," she replied, refusing to dwell on a feeling she didn't share, didn't want to share, never shared in the same situation. She and her works have a lot in common: none of them are particularly out of this world, even if she tries to match them.

When he returned to her, she greeted her umbrella, not moving within an arm's length of the remoraids and the feathered fish. Her fur is slick, her tail curls cutely into a muscular whip, and she smiles at the water splashed by her tail as they wade back to shore.

"I suppose," Lavington mused, rubbing the back of his neck, "that with so many people welcoming Pokémon into their lives, the lord's role of protection is no longer needed, nor is their role as go-between. Is required. I told Miss Urraca about my theory of eco-competition between alphas, so I... ah, are you done?

Magpie nodded, twirling the stylus around her finger like a fountain pen, thinking: I should put some rope on it, it would look great.

"We need to track this as the Lord Basculegion doesn't have a closed territory like others but it should help prevent attacks and In theory Let us know if you need help faster than Iscan can talk. She looked at Cynthia. "I'm not sure I covered the process, but I think I can do it with you and the professor." "

She shook her head unexpectedly, letting the ornaments in her hair clink. "Honestly, I don't know if this knowledge can be applied to my timeline," he explained before delving into the accordion-like file manager Actually Throw the Magpie into the memory lane and pull out a stack of honest microfiches for Arceus. “The only similar case is a brief history of a local MIA investigator and an anomaly disrupting his property. The daughter claims that this was the cause of the box with mosaics depicting the unknown, but if this box ever existed, it has long since disappeared. existed."

"I think," says Volo sotto voce, "that the researcher or his heirs will hide or destroy them as soon as they know they are capable of it. Bad hands and all that.

Urraca snorted, twisted his wet hair with his fists and pinned it down with the awl. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about doing something after much thought."

"Anyway, I'd rather use some of the lost journal entries I discovered to poke around in your head, Professor, and maybe ask you about the rumors going around in the community about regional variants?"

"Oh, about what?" he asked, a little surprised, and Uraka bit her finger as Cynthia listed them all.

"Well I'm sure I have goodra, decidueye and zoroark, just need to send my honchkrow to get them," he said, pulling out two pokeballs before continuing. "But we'll be busy for a while, so all I can show you is my seasler, Hollyhock. It's a bit arrogant.

Cynthia smiled and the professor left to take notes and give her the little apprentice he once sent to her care when they were ready to evolve. The hollyhocks were in the spotlight too long until the sun went down again.

"Time for us to go," he said, yawning and stretching. "I want to be around the Firelands before sunrise, even if it means starting the day in the mud."

"It was nice talking to you," Cynthia said, waking up from writing and looking at Volo. "Safe to travel the same time next week?"

"If not before," she nodded, dispelling the mirage. As they pass the camp, Hollyhock pleads for freedom, and she uses the distractions of the strange coastal dwellers to lure Uro out of her contemplation. "What's on your mind, V?"

He hummed and waited until they were behind the camp with the wind before speaking. "I thought and thought what happened to me, either Other Me -- in Cynthia's timeline. If I succeed or go crazy or both. If still standing; still a failure. "

"Well, you probably have really bad offspring anyway," she said.

It's a promise of comfort that seems to fail.

Chapter 3: Discord

The body of the chapter

"I used to try to recreate the world in my own image," Volo gasped downstairs, finally crawling around the cave and lying on his stomach for a while, "apparently not so much climb up , You know. "

She fought between laughing and holding her breath as she came to stand next to him and sat on her lap, watching him gasp. "You're the one who doesn't want to catch the hollyhock and force it to do the job."

"Ms. Snesler..."

"I wouldn't tell her to run forty feet!" When you're laughing all the time, your second chances aren't easy. Up to this point, the trek to the northernmost point of the swamp had been easy: a memory error led her to believe that the rocky ridge that easily bypasses Lake Valor connects to the ridge where the hidden ruins were located. At Carabar's insistence, so much time was spent protecting Ursaluna's lair and the area of ​​Ursa Major's Ring south of the marshes that it did little to help with nighttime air infiltration.

"20 pounds of rock and iron between us doesn't help," he complains, and it's not something he can argue with.

Since leaving the coast, they've found forests, valleys, swamps, and every major body of water full of new species along the way, and unfortunately for their backbone, Lavington's ideal sample size is between three and thirty. He would keep some for himself, two serpentine beasts, ekans and dratini; unfortunately he was missing in the dragon category and it's weird to see one like that now bonito.

Then, in support of the accusation against him, came a shrill voice from the trees at the top of the hill. Urraca steeled himself, ignoring Volo's exaggerated groans.

In the fading light, squinting up at the canopy, he stood still for a long time and saw a pair of red irises staring back.

there is no August The squeak sounded again, and at wonderfully odd moments, the Pokémon's face began to contort, not like the face of any normal owl, but like a clock face that had broken away from its shell. Red and black eyes stared at them.

"Fuck yeah," he growled as he jumped down the hill, "now that's my favorite bird!"

Night Owl took the fight, but his worries were temporarily assuaged as Panos' attack landed normally and unopposed by the other dark types. Once intercepted, your ArcPhone will ring to tell you the basics.

"Oh! Here's what this little beauty has evolved from!" she squealed as Volo finally met her. "It almost makes up for having to grab that pair of spinach."

"Hey, I think they're cute," he protested, making a small motion with his hand as if to remind her of the small size of arachnids.

If I had known that the two-handed spider was an aberration against nature, He thought bitterly, then pretended to approach. “As for the types of worms, they are cute,” she says.

He pulled out his backpack and fell to the ground, lying on the dry ground they had seen for the first time in hours. She took off her backpack and walked over to him, taking the time to greet and outline the normal flight crew who watched her as closely as she did, even as darkness fell.

After a long period of scratching, the owl returned to its Pokeball, and Volo breathed a sigh of relief, as if he hadn't fully relaxed in months.

When she looked, he was something gilded with starlight. Her golden hair was like a halo in the grass, and her silver eyes sparkled as she looked out at the vast, mottled sea above.

She stared with her elbows crossed on her knees, trying to figure out if what she was feeling was sadness or just the pain of being so small in the world. After a moment, she asked in a low voice to drown out the trembling notes, "You think there's something there?"

- Why not? Arceus is above it all," she replied, unable to hide the pain on her face the moment he looked at her.

“ God He took a deep breath, rubbed his face vigorously, then looked up. - Even in this world you are lucky. There,' he explained, his face looking worried, 'we... terrifying Just. So far, our study of the stars has made progress. We even stood on the moon a few times recording the sounds of the planets and stars; we counted the end of the universe when we can't find it...

“We just can't be the only living thing. Believe it must be something, But our science, our truth, takes that away from us as well. If we can't hear anything, can't see anything, there can't be anyone there," he finished, resting his temples on his blackened shoulders and holding his breath. “I always thought it was good. nature so well that we've been isolated for so long it's driving us crazy. "

For the first time, Volo didn't answer. She frowns at the stars and has always hated to hear what other people think (because what if they are as strong, tenacious and brutal as she is?), but she gave me a lot for it. Do you know. What's going on in your head.

She exhaled and forced a smile. "Come on, I have one more thing to do in the swamp before we finish securing Lilygant and hit the road.

• • • •

"Hi Visa. I'm sorry to keep you."

The girl looked up from her office, in the flickering light of the Diamond Settlement torch in the distance, her half-smile unchanged from the day they met. In fact, everything is in it, and this is what convinces Urraca the most.

"Oh, don't worry, like you said," she said, standing up and patting the front of her fuchsia bathrobe. She tilted her head, her dark eyes shining from within. "Then I guess you've guessed us already."

"Yes," he gasped, clutching his elbow. I do not feel well Sorry just rudely say something like go easy Instead, he spat out a question he'd never dared ask since he'd arrived here: here are spirits and gods, there's the power of soulfire, but there's also the passage of painful years. "How?"

Vessa glanced at her, her smile vulnerable.

"I know. Make me laugh?"

“For us… there is peace. Time goes by, but there is so much less of it in the world, as if ten years have passed overnight,” he said with a shrug. "Others, I can't say. But I think it's…”

forget?

"It's nothing, really. No peace, no sleep. Absence.

The hole in his intestines had rotted a little more, and he couldn't bear to see the man around him. Someone who wants to change everything, perhaps even death.

"Thank you," he said finally, and Vessa smiled, one last sincere smile, slightly mischievous but not entirely artificial.

"We're looking forward to traveling with you," she said, her eyes brighter and purple like spring violets. "you two."

After her hand-sized stone was emptied and filled with a Pokeball, Magpie fell asleep again. The Giratina in the back of his head curled and curled into something solid but soundless, the weight of which he felt in the morning on his way to the Brava Arena.

Two blue-haired heads were waiting for them, coming down the stairs like their own children.

"Hi, cookie," Adaman greeted.

'Oh my gosh,' Merry muttered, 'the soldiers have turned to vagabonds. My, my, how disgraceful!

Before she could really panic, Volo touched her hip lightly and, as usual, walked past the warden without a word and began carving into the stone pillar. Melli is caught up in the hustle and bustle of the shop, but Adaman is heard to get to the point; my tone becomes reserved and cautious as I listen to Worro's explanation.

Immediately after, he saw two members of the Vajra clan out of the corner of his eye, and they all recoiled in shock.

How, They're probably asking by them?

The latter is more like something Melli would say, hiding her mind under a surveillance "mask" so she doesn't have to voice her complaints.

I was thinking about other Pokémon's abilities, Think out loud, everywhere. Aside from being able to summon potential help like water, I think using something more like Blissey's healing ability would be revolutionary.

You like the revolution very much, Giratina replied. Their weight was isolated in his mind and he could relax no matter what cold Volo was talking about. Would it be helpful to understand how these abilities work?

So! Urraca stopped, abandoning the carving and staring into space, awl in hand.

Twenty steps away, you hear Volo say a word Arceus, Soon after; Giratina.

Write these words in the ether in front of you man They said, completely ignoring the sounds rising behind her, even as she flinched from them. She followed her, feeling Adaman's sharp gaze, listening...

"But of course," Meili smiled at Volo. It was a miracle that her voice escaped her grimace and didn't turn into a growl. "It's logical that such a black-hearted monster would choose someone like him." Ty. "

Now half of Urrac knows something is wrong. You know, according to Adaman's admission, Meila's first weapon in a stressful moment is her words, whether intentional or not, facing the gods can only make people feel under pressure. He knows that not only does he (probably) not think that way, he doesn't think that way either. So.

But the other half has already been dragged by the hand Ella I want to go anywhere but here. To Halfway there, it would never say that Volo's silence is the most damaging, just like it wouldn't show the pain of being ignored the day before; I wouldn't protest superficially being labeled too strong, too weird For every partner, teacher, parent.

Too bad it's the first half of his mind. clench fist.

Giratina's last instructions flickered in the air ahead of her, dispersing in the moon mist. Then the shell of the world burst open, spilling its insides like a half-rotten egg, slimy and suffocating, into his eyes, ears, and mind.

Each wall of rock sucks up the wind like a passing train, each grain of sand is a stone falling from the slope, each circle of a growing leaf is a piece of its own skin, the fabric of its being. Ahead of her were billions of lines of code with a faint white light covering all surfaces and choking the air.

Your breath is stolen, your heartbeat has stopped in every sense of the word, migraines hit the inner walls of your skull like solar flares, and you don't even realize you've dropped the bone-carving awl until its tip sinks into the ground and breaks up the spatial structure of the skull in all dimensions. for each direction.

rupture, That was his last thought for a long time, he thought.

• • • •

Giratina is the weighted blanket that holds it all together.

Ideally, she would come into their shared mental space with them, calm and composed until all those Blow both. But now nothing stands out. There is no solid ground under their feet, because their synapses stretch like candies that can dry and stick together at any moment. Finally, he could think, solve. at last, lost.

You don't, Rift, There was a voice that she could express guilt, even sympathy for. So partner-enemy-lose-semi-equal coming.

I would like to know, It takes light years for one thought to merge with the next, all entangled in a mix of unknowns and desperate attempts at tracking. letters-word-concept-i Together, If I stuck them here. When our hearts are like this, it's hard to find a way out.

Giratina snorted. Fortunately, it was easier to listen to them than to think for yourself. I think you misunderstand our purpose. We've always wanted to experience your experience and now I'm not stuck here as I chose.

you choose She asked for a thousand years Stay with me?

Yes, it's not as difficult as you think. Neither for me nor for those around you - the only thing that blocks the mind is inside, almost here smile, In addition to any physical needs.

Urraca made her sit next to her, only to realize later that she had found her name again. As you rearrange your various thoughts, you begin to wonder if the words, the letters, seem foreign to you.

Someone is describing a container there.

cracks will tear you apart they say Put it in a box or even a window and I'll find you.

leave them? He did almost nothing to stop them. She hasn't moved in ages, and her universe-twisting device is rolling around somewhere. She lay motionless, barely hiding.

now I see you, They screamed, their voices drowning out the howl of the wind. A thunderbolt preceded the words, "Here I am, Uraka."

Suddenly, hands were placed on her shoulders, Oh, she has arms, doesn't she? What a strange thing to forget. The touch of his right shoulder was like ice, almost almost She flinched as the skin boiled and writhed beneath her. The abyss beyond, the warp they're in, if there is one, can take it.

I don't blame him She lied. So,

I think. If I could find myself again, I would hate anyone who couldn't catch me.

The thought shook her like knees as they hit the ground, and in a searing flash her senses returned. water water water In her lungs, a cold stone hung on her cheek.

"Hello," a loud voice boomed out. I almost lost you.

After three, ten, thirty deep breaths, he finally lifted his hand to his robe stained with the familiar black ink. If he had anything like verbal skills, he'd probably be laughing.

I need to stop throwing things.

• • • •

Adam won't stop let you Follow them.

no, not them So, Because Volo was walking at his own pace, wading through the swamp. For the first time in a year, maybe even two years, it occurred to her that she could easily live alone, no. need Everyone can accomplish what is entrusted to him.

Yet every soft, animal thing in her groaned at the thought of being alone. Under the stars or by the fire, painting, fighting, helping others, all without anyone to lean on, talk to or just be around.

she did it for Goodbye z.

The place where she stood was supposed to freeze over. It's a killer thing, the tension of not moving your fingers, moving your wrists, and flapping your skin to get rid of the nervous worms. He started forward, his feet stuck in the mud of another slope (he didn't know where the hell he was, he just knew he was going west, which was all he needed) and shook himself out of his long-buried thought process.

How I wish I wasn't human.

Otherwise who would you be?

It's a boring question, but it has a solid answer anyway.

jellyfish, He thought and imagined a crystal sea for reference, ghosts on the waves, drifting with the currents. Inadvertently lost.

You know what the conclusion is.

And indeed, because it was the same canned answer from several therapists and at least one ER nurse.

What's the difference between being mindless and being dead?

She froze, turned to Volo and Adaman, and pushed her thoughts away. Far.

"They are NO Evil," he growled, and they all stopped.

Worrow, who had been about to fall a foot from Merri only an hour earlier, still kept his expression stoic. Adaman's face, ready to wrap itself in irony, tenderness and warmth, is distorted by fits of sympathy and even pity. She doesn't want it either, she does anger

"We know," said Uro, preemptively retorting as his contempt deepened, "but we don't know Affairs what others believe."

This is wealth from you.

"Means?" and on how she means it useless He argued, but the acid vomited out of his mouth so fast his brain couldn't stop it.

"You said it yourself," she hissed and moved forward, happy to be standing on the slope so she wouldn't have to look at him as usual. “You took advantage of us when you could have ordered these stupid dishes. You could help me and ox Arceus has been visited and you have slipped away. you were before shake , right, when you think about people finding out?

"I'm scared," he retorted, squinting at her with watery eyes before continuing. "I was afraid that I would be fired, that I would be alone."

and speechless just like you he is angry

"Okay," he grinned, animalistic, "get used to it." capable Sam, I can do it alone. "

It spins backwards, pulling down the slope with an energy that only fear can generate. You can grab a broken heart, shove it in your leg and start running. Never stop until a hundred years pass and no one knows his face, his name. Then she is alone.

Volo grabs her bicep and she almost nabs it, barely flinching. When her hand moved to the arch of her shoulder, the grip was firm, but she wanted him to. contusion.

"Look, you can't do that," he shouted, and then So That look burned enough to make you wonder if it was real. "you do not get change the world, change I, and leave. "

"You can't stop me," he spat.

"No, I can't," she replies, only a blush flickers through her bangs as she asks, "but then what makes you special?" On? "

To on arrest Anger, almost shame; consent is shameful and That's it.

Go away She screamed, shaking the hills around her, and knocked him down with her body.

Bit of a mistake as they are still up the hill. The steep, muddy slope won't crack any skulls, but when Volo's ridge hits the ground, they'll roll. She scratched and he struggled for her arms, and at one point they slowed, but she wrapped one leg around his, causing them to drop even further.

He managed to make her lips bleed on her forehead as they reached the ground, and though the force of the blow left her stunned, at least she managed to break it. Fool In the face of so many.

"Almighty Lord", Eerie cries came from above. There was movement, Adaman must have stumbled behind them, but now Volo managed to put one forearm to the ground and slide his fingers over the other. Her weight was crushing her, and the ground was cold against her back.

"You're stuck with me," he said, his doggy grin turning red. There was mud everywhere, stuck to his elbows, stuck to his stupid blond hair, and the leg that was pressing him started to shrink.

"close more than," She snorted and he went downstairs.

This kiss has the weight and taste of iron Cable. His pressure, half-ridden on her immobile legs, the warmth of his hands, the way his cloak blocked out the light, held them together. that's all.

She received it not indifferently, craning her neck, chasing every retreat until she understood the picture. He swings his legs together, which is stupid, but he realizes that all he needs right now is to be squeezed, held, held back. He remembers the reassuring weight of Giratina in the center of the breach, not a convincing idea, but one that leads to a coherent conclusion.

"You…" Adaman growled angrily as he stopped. At one point he lost his backpack.your research, yourPokemonsBut no, Adaman must have caught it because he dropped it to the floor and groaned. can spit a hand, it can be stare at "Madness, you two! God".

Volo leaned back, resting fully on his hips, licking the red stain from his mouth. "Yes," he whispered, "both ways."

Chapter 4: Sorry

The body of the chapter

"Don't tell Maddy I kidnapped his guardian angel."

"It's not a kidnapping unless you plan to keep it," Volo assures, agreeing to the Gracidea grass hedgehog and flower's request. "Do Are you going to give up? "

"Perhaps," Magpie replied, shifting the little beast over her shoulder and starting taking notes. So she snorted. "Catch and release the kidnappers: pack them up, tag them and go!"

Wolo smiled and pulled at the scab on his lips that would not heal and said: We should leave more traces, more reminders.

If that's not the sexiest way to prove a blood draw, hit it.

Once you've completed the initial markings, go through your Explosion Pokédex again to find where Shaymin is placed.

OK, Been here when Medi was young so before any new additions.She reached out a hand and scratched her chin. "Look at him, is he the first of the new era or the last of the old."

"Is it strange," Volo asked, emerging from the valley leading to the Fragrant Gardens, "to see new things emerge?" From what you've told me...

"You can say 'criticize God.'

"All right. From your curse on the sky, I deduced that "evolution" meant something completely different... at the time.

Yes and no, he thought. The grass beneath her feet was dry and the sun was scorching on a cloudless day, so she could take a luxio here and take a nap for a few hours. “I had previously concluded that it was the Arceus thing, the way things turned out, and to be honest, I want to leave that theory to the experts. I am an itinerant explorer, a nomadic generalist.

- Generalist? - he laughed. "Try to confirm it when you don't have the whole black team.

The magpie is maomao, there is no way to refute. her yet Actually I love the feeling of shooting jet bullets at the unsuspecting inhabitants of Bibarel, like...

She snapped her fingers and smiled. "I'm the guardian, baby! I should make a macguiver out of a crossbow pokeball harness."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Exactly."

They walked leisurely to the central "island" of the field, meeting at the bridge where the magpie first met centuries ago. Mai must have told him that Lord Whiteell had no lair or any other usual place. But, like Lord Basculegion, his work is even more important to Pokémon forms, as the evolutionary forms of those forms simply decay over time.

We can do something on the other side of the spectrum, which is the opposite of the sea, she muses aloud as Mai throws her head back. The sun was really starting to go down, so they took shelter in the shadow of a boulder rising above the high camp. Mai combs her collar as the master lies beside her while Magpie calms the big jealous face on her lap. "What we're doing there, I'm not talking about a room facing in, but projecting out? But it's important that something like this can be done, and not a room with an area of ​​\u200b\u200b.

She pulled the leather thong from around her neck and undid it as she continued.

“I made these amulets, like shrines,” he explained as he handed them over. The length of the rope was equipped with jade rods; she wouldn't say it was for Maia and her protection. "Thanks to resistant materials, we can assemble things like amulets?"

Mai snorted, then pulled off her Clan sweatshirt and stood up. “I only have what you need,” he said, and leaned forward.

He touched Urrac's amulet with the dull-nailed fingers of one hand, bending down to eye level. Stripes of leather and ink patterns adorn a white T-shirt, and when her eyes meet Urraka's, her eyes are a swirling cobalt blue. she laughed.

"Make me something like this, three slits around the outer edge," he said, and: God In such hot weather, the heat shouldn't make you feel cold. "Be right back".

A magpie may make a sound similar to "yes" or it may just be a squeak. His brain lit up, blindly recalculating previous encounters, and a series of short circuits ensued. And and and and!

Munchlax frees himself to follow his mate, and she becomes herself again. the weight of her hair NO Once you get the punch out and use it, everything helps.

move on bitch Barking mentally, she began to draw a circle on the ground in front of her. The process, while almost the same for the first few beats, benefits from precision. Jade is an excellent material, soft enough to be carved even without artifacts, and has one of the hardest internal structures, so it is very difficult to break or split.

Once you have a palm-length plate, uncut but almost transparent, you start building proven protection and maintenance.

He uses known and hidden powers to protect the lives of creatures near the medium. Protect yourself from attacks, disease, circumstances and disasters, and double that protection when you voluntarily give it to others.

The affected area changes, but the goal remains the same. Protection that can be delegated and extended to another person as needed. Cynthia said that while there are no Chosen Lords anymore, many of them have adapted to the changing conditions over time, but some such as the Wyrdeer and the Basculegion have fallen due to selection pressures and the inevitable actions of humans.

"It's the least I can do," she whispered, and the Wyddeer continued to watch her with that ancient eye and wise face. When Mai returned, he calmly crossed his legs.

"Great," she chirps, sitting down again. She took the plate, felt the groove, and put it on her lap. From the shallow basket she took out a ball of cotton thread, much denser than the silky thread she usually prefers.

With skillful hands and a contemplative disposition, she begins to draw the yard in her lap, twisting and knotting before starting to weave.

As Uraka worked, he fidgeted, not knowing how or if he could fill the silence. He looks over to the camp, where Volo showed some of his latest work from the last hour, comparing Laventon, some of which was shot outside of Emerald and which seem exceptional. From what he's collected over the years, most areas have something like this compendium rather than a decent manuscript.

He thought about it for a moment before Maya spoke up.

"You've been traveling together for a while and I heard you also have a home in the Northwest."

It doesn't make sense, he stumbled over the word in his head Dom .

Maya noticed.

“We do,” the gambler says a second later. "It's a great place for our Pokemon, and because of this..." he pointed down, "...we have a safe place to store many ancient texts."

"Sounds like a great place to visit," Mak said casually. - But... isn't this a home?

Uraka sighed, resting her head on the stone, looking at the first ancient carving she had shown him.

"Dom It's hard for me to say," he admits. He closes his eyes and listens to the conversation in the distance, the wind blowing the grass, the cotton slipping. “I never felt that home was what it used to be. . Emerald and Jubilee... wherever we end up, I feel better with him. "

“Very well,” she replied. There was a screech, a bang, and then everything went silent again. "The only thing better than feeling at home with someone is that that person is you."

"Christo," She laughed, and Maya didn't seem to mind that it was supposed to calm her cold. "Will you give this little nugget to all the diamond children?"

"Adam, at least. Arezu took a moment to learn it." A thud made her look up, pulled into three flat lengths of braid pulled into a strong rope. Mai guides them through stone troughs and dangerous zones. - Meli too.

Urraca tries very hard not to shut up.

"Was he prettier when he was a kid?" she went

Sweeter Mai nodded and smiled knowingly. You'll want to apologize.

Their negotiating eyes hit a dead end without giving up their sincere gift.

"It's not a bridle, is it?"

“No, a chest strap,” Mai said. She clicked and the Lord next to her woke up. He sniffed the rag, looked at the stone, and finally agreed. The color is one or two shades lighter than the antlers, making them appear golden in sunlight. The platelets are gone, but protected under the folds where the strings on the shoulder blades meet, it will stick better than leather.

"Thank you," Maya finally said. “Our lords are like family to each other. It's… he sighed. ".

Uraka looked away to see the sun go down behind a man who in another life might have defeated God or died trying.

"I'll have to look anyway," she replies, hiding her blush as Mai exaggeratedly leans in beside her. "So I thought I'd give it a try."

• • • •

"We'll take those four with us too and keep working on them," Marie said sternly, though Volo's smug gaze hung over his back. his kid Azurill evolved after fighting a shinx on Aspiration Hill, and marrill has front paws that he can grab onto.

"Of course," Mary replied sympathetically, even as she picked up a box containing three dozen cool Pokeballs of various designs. It was a subtle change, and coupled with the perfect confidence with which she took on new assignments, Magpie did not regret showing the lady the utmost respect.

"But this one," he held the rest in one arm and handed the fifth to the professor, who was so engrossed in the box he didn't notice at once, "this one is yours, Professor."

He blinked, long and slow, as if he'd just woken up from a study-induced reverie. He smiles as he looks at her.

“I found a lot of them, but I thought you might like this one in particular. But they can be cunning,” he laughs, remembering their first meeting. When he didn't catch the ball, she turned it on, and in the blink of an eye, a strange little pink Pokémon appeared.

ups, Welcome

If her predilection for water and substrate types was anything more than a coincidence, she might have kept a shiny suitor because Just look at that face. Poor cutie has no thoughts behind those eyes. God, I wish it was me.

Holding the (admittedly slimy) child, Lavington went from fear to dizziness and almost to tears.

"Thank you, Miss Urraca," he chirped hopefully, and the suitor collapsed, sharing his upturned smile. - I'm already in love with him.

"Me too," she replied, also bursting into tears. Keep the rest and discard the water sample.

"They're all adorable," Volo whispers as if he's a talking head. "Anyway The last place we need to protect is the Highlands, and then…

- So? asked Lavington, cheering up. He swung the wooper over his shoulders, not caring a bit about his slippery coat.

"So I want to study abroad?" She offered, then stepped back with a nonchalant expression on her face.

"Oh, very pleased," the professor nodded, leading them back to the Galactic Hall. "I want to point out that since our last discussion on this topic, I've learned that several regions have launched their own PokeDexes."

"Well, perfect actually," he said. "We're planning a multi-faceted foray between surveys, research, to see if anyone is starting to develop a computer. I figured I'd either lend a helping hand, offer money, or try... uh... - Her Unclear He made a gesture to himself: "Develop your own? This is the perfect national plan, you understand?

"Yes," he nodded wisely. They were almost at the gate, and he paused between Gingko and Beauregard's stalls. "I don't think it's something you've green lighted."

"I'm not asking for permission, no," he snapped, smirking as he looked up at the third floor.

"Where are you at least planning to go?"

"Cynthia described an area isolated by the ocean," she shrugged, "and in her, uh, time, there wasn't much research." I thought we'd make it this time.

Lavington frowned, then looked up at the sky, tilting his head as he searched. On his shoulder, the suitor also bowed his head. Then it fades.

"Couldn't you be from the Alola region?" He was breathing hard. Seeing their matching squints, he began to reproduce nervous movements he hadn't seen since his first few months at Emerald. He seemed to channel that energy to dash down the corridor, and they whispered after him. "It is said that this place has the shadow of a thousand years."

"Well, has anyone in this millennium ever come to verify that?" Volo asked the question as they passed through the bustling lobby foyer and a team of security recruits descended the east stairs.

"None of the people who left came back to talk about it."

"So it could be heaven," Magpie laughed, "we just don't know. In fact," he clapped as they entered Laventon's office, "it would be best to get my Dark Crow mail off the ground." Place."

"Yes, he hired a dark emissary of the base who is said to be cursed in the dark," Volo growled, and before he could answer they saw someone waiting for them.

An ordinary man in PearlClan robes seemed to have been standing near the appeals committee for some time, and Lavington, ashamed of keeping "company" waiting, hurried off for a snack while Magpie told her story. history.

A dark apparition straight from fireplace tales, a plague of nightmares and, most disturbingly, people unable to fall asleep or fully awake for weeks. When there are less than a dozen people in your camp, any number of helpers can threaten the whole. Fortunately, the man, Kyle, recognized the chosen void as well-known to the Magpies, and the new moon was only a week away. Volo stays with Cael, partly to calm his gibberish and partly to ask if he has any other stories.

However, Lavington stopped her from leaving.

"Does this derailment have anything to do with what happened in Mireland?" she asked bluntly, and the part of her that wasn't self-reflective commented in amazement that news always travels so fast around here.

I bet the security forces are secret gossips She thought sarcastically as she crossed her arms, it didn't seem like she was holding them. I bet he pays more.

His tongue turned to lead as his instincts twisted. by her I have no idea Despite all his thinking about thoughts and his own strict categorization of what passes through each filter or subfilter, distinguishing anger absolutely not and the weakest maybe? escape.

After a moment, she had no doubt that she was fighting the urge to apologize and the conviction that she was asking for the right thing, and she relented.

"Or at least how do you plan to get there safely?"

"Oh," Magpie murmured, and she could smile at the thought of Volo's smile. "Volo knows someone he knows."

• • • •

- Don't you feel it? he hissed, trying to hold back a laugh as his breath ruffled his hair and made it quiver. "The ability to freeze your heart exists?"

"Oh my God," he replied, head thrown back and jaw open in an exaggerated image such that damn wild thing Take on this "villain from the past". "was once. "

Urraca couldn't help but laugh so hard it unnerved her on the ridge where she was stationed at dusk. She wobbles, then gives in, rolls down the hill like she hasn't done since she was a child, and pulls her fingers from his back.

The swirl of purple shadows that had triggered his comment solidified a dozen paces away, and he put aside the surprise factor as he spun around with the poker ball in his hand.

The ghost disappears after the first, second, and third throws, so you switch to the previous staple: rotten apricots.

Slowly, startled by a dark pulse and a new attack that nearly sent her dozing, she pushed the Nightmare Herald out of the gap into the narrow throat of the cliff path.

He almost followed her, and it was a miracle he didn't sprain his ankle during the feint. The beast angrily stopped in perfect position, and as it began to growl, it barked, "Now!"

In a spectacular flash, his Pokkiss caught the Wraith behind him with a double powerful Moon Blast and he immediately fell down.

"Shit," she snorted, and Volo carefully slid down the hill to join her in examining Pokémon that were so unconscious they were hard to catch. He took out his mobile phone and flute and put them to his mouth, thinking about it. "His name is Darkrai. You see, if I had known, I might have suspected I was a fairy-type weakling.

"We can't leave him," Volo said without a trace of question in his voice. "Can we heal him enough to wake him up and capture him?"

"I don't, and I say it with great humility, and I hope you know it," he sighed, "and I have nothing but a bottle of super potion." disappear when you wake up."

With folded arms, no longer feeling the pressure of the cool night air, Pokkisi floated freely above the ground.

Volo reached out and scratched his chin, then gasped. "Ingo is next, he must have something, right?"

The magpie kicked the ground. “It never occurred to me to ask where he lives. I thought…' Then her thoughts swirled, 'Wait, if I call Mrs. Sneasler, she and Togekiss can bring Ingo to you so we can catch him. If we just send 'kiss', Ingo might not know what to do.

- And you? he asked, frowning.

"That's very kind of you," she said, half sincere and half insincere, with a flash of a smile on her face. Then, shrugging, "None of my staff can pick me up, and we haven't been to Bolderoll yet. I'll go on foot, with a bunch of bodyguards, Mr. Helicopter, and check it out, and then I'll see you at... you.

"Okay," he admits, and she cries all night on Celestica's flute. "However, if you don't show up by noon, I'll send someone to look for you."

"Uh, okay. tata," She purred, smiling at him as he raised his hands. With the distinct sound of paws approaching, she took out her backpack and handed it to him. "I'm going to old school," she explained upon seeing her look, "just me and my purse against the world."

"And your four deadly alpha gods," he said slowly. He helped drag Darkbringer's crumpled body onto Pogkiss's back, and she could still fly, but she was getting closer. It will be slow.

“Look at my camp in front of you, unhindered, feisty, cunning,” he laughs. He rolled his eyes.

- Yes, same as before.

• • • •

Panos is a few steps behind him, and when Irony, a deceptively unknown alpha with an exclamation point shape and a comical-looking environment, hovers nearby, he manages to glide past impressively.

"Nice to see you here, Grunt," said a grimace from the front.

The morning light made him look sick, dyed him a pale green, and his hair was mud black, and she wished she had a Dagero handheld camera to capture the perfect shot of his worst. I'm sorry I'm crying.

Instead, she didn't even recognize Mella as she continued to pass him along the canyon, welcoming the chill that united her to remain calm.

"I hear you're meddling in noble causes again," he said, and then Arceus, I blame you His pace is good enough to keep up. His eyes matched Irony's, just looking her up and down with a hint of curiosity. At least she couldn't blame him; the unknown was almost twice as large as any other and as mysterious to the common man as his own god.

ordinary people, He repeated it in his mind, chuckling, and immediately sensed the disapproval of the older half of his leech. fuck she says

The canyon changes direction, and at the other end is an alpha golem that does not hesitate to attack passers-by.

So she attacks first.

It's so fucking nice to see Melli open her mouth, okay? Once he surprises walking stones, another time when Irony uses a water pump, and then on a whim he switches to Flash Cannon. The puppet falls, continues, and he can't stop it.

"What's Sinnoh's name, why does she use these moves?" he growled. He only needs two steps to catch up with him, but he's not one to push away shock and insult. For example, really dude, why is everything an affront to nature to you?

Outwardly she smiled at him.

"Tell me!" demanded and in God Stop, stop. She walked a few steps away, and he replied sharply, "Pawn, if you hide it, you will hurt the diamond family!"

“Gentlemen, Mel, have you ever relaxed one day?” she sings, her head dropping dramatically as she turns to reveal everything.

wrong move.

her ankle NO Roll had decided hours earlier that now was the time, the pain in his spine making him grind his teeth. As soon as he stumbled Panos was there, but he could still see Mellie shivering as if trying to keep her from falling.

Straightening up, she didn't look away, staring at the man with confusion in her chest.

He stiffened, his spine straightened, and then just as quickly fell into a state of inattention. this is perfect He strikes a pose with his arms crossed, his head just tossing his funny hair like that, his jaw sticking out but most of all his stupid chubby bottom lip giving it away.

"So sulk," She snorted and he shrugged to argue, but she flattened him, "like a real pout, don't you..." and took in the appropriate moan from memory: "— Adamawa sulk. Don't tell me you really care?

Admittedly, it was not an atmosphere of confusion. Still, he gets angry.

"Looks like you died and dragged yourself down the hill," he growled.

The magpie looked down at herself, a little bruised from the first fall, with more than a bit of grass and debris stuck to her as she rolled surreptitiously to grab something new. Worst of all, perhaps, was the bloody knuckles on his arm with a black mark, and he didn't even bother to think how he got there.

use a little What the hell Reaching out her arms, she replied, “Well, you Behavior like something happened to you krupon Then die. Honestly, is he a carnivore? I know they wilt quickly, which would explain the friction when you don't leave my di...

"How can you expect people to believe you've been chosen by some god when you talk like that?" he demanded.

"Oh, we suddenly got to it," he said, spreading his arms and turning away. I don't need to explain fuck everything Save yourself, Mary.

"I'm a Guardian," he growled, his stupidly long legs momentarily blocking his path.

At his feet, Panos spat, ears thrown back.

Mellie turned pale and staggered away from where they had stopped, almost leaving her back against the rock.

"Because of…" she made a disgusted sound, remembering both without thinking. Anyway, it was the day. "They won't hurt you, you bastard," he sneered, moving forward again with uninterrupted nervous strides.

"How do I know?" he purrs, then, as if he's decided that's his sticking point, "How should I know?" someone Should you know what's not dangerous or know when you're lying?

"Relax," she repeated calmly. - I'm not lying.

"Ty-"

"nas He kept a lot of secrets because he didn't entrust Nobody else knows,” he continued. She's doing quite a lot of stuff in the canyon now. from it." I want. "

"expression Internal calm Does that make sense to you, motherfucker?

I'll tell you what I think Riding a horse is too childish, she thought. At the same time, she growled mentally, I've never had peace in my life.

Instead of either, she said, "Do you do what other people do? Feel Does it have anything to do with whether An is full?

"Probably not," he said, "Sinnoh knows I don't have a leg to stand on."

First of all, Lord, these are probably the closest words to humility that will ever come from Your lips. Adam robi, Ola decides.

"But what are you doing," he continued, and now that they're even, he gestures vaguely to his arms and to the world at large, "especially if you don't mind being disturbing, it will pay off in the long run." run away." Look, this will kill any positives he has now.

She couldn't parse the sentence at all, or did you just think that, negating all the pros and cons? Idiot, he'd think if he didn't know who he grew up with.

“Disturbing,” he repeats, dropping the second half of the episode. "Find me Bow?

He fell silent, and the longer the silence lasted, the angrier she became.

decades minimize Pack things in a box; years of adhering to the rules, one of which is This year and fuck Decamated standard.

- You know what's gonna happen? he growled and... oh, Welcome to your party, Your Holiness, "When do we succumb to the opinions of others, people like us?"

She looked at him, her right iris glowing crimson.

"We died in peace," she replied. "We survived, we were silenced, we were given medicine, we were kept out of the public eye because deep down we wondered why we couldn't Accommodate Be happy at the same time. For those who die in silence, there is no place for the long-term perspective that worries you so much, and we know it. We can realize or let ourselves be forgotten. we do not get Internal calm. "

"But you'll be safe," Melli replied weakly, wincing at her withering gaze but still standing alone with emotion. "You don't care about people who want everyone to be safe? Who would Ty confirm? "

The magpie stopped. Her tension dissipated, and for a moment she found herself staring at him.

- How do I know who's who? she asked after a moment. She'd never liked the face-to-face conversations people had, but it was better than arguing, better than violence.

Melli straightened, sighed, and smoothed her hair with one finger, smoothing the curls. He took an exasperated breath, then, "I don't think you want to ask, egocentric like you."

In fact, Freeze-dried again, he thought. I choose violence.

- Egocentric? she screamed, and this time as she turned and lay inside him, her ankles felt out of place. Her leg was exhausted and she tried to turn it into a tackle. It does not The mature brain sighed, but Melli had enough weight and reaction time to grab her forearms and shoulders and push her away.

At least they don't fall into a ravine, but she's too angry to leave.

"You think you, of all people," she exclaimed, and the credit for pulling her hair honestly propelled him up the canyon wall, "can you tell me?"

hit a little currency Her cheeks flushed with anger, she clenched her fists on her tunic.

"When we met at Jubilife, you had no respect whatsoever," she growls and he grabs her hair but she pushes back and grabs her wrist. "I always dying I let you down, you know, look who a small error This is-"

"Magpies," Uro said from the top.

She looked up, feeling a part of herself stuck in place. He crossed his arms like stupid dad Yes, but the atmosphere is not angry or worried. puja, she thinks, When did you take command here?

"...Is that so, V?"

He really laughed, and she had to change her mind. Frowning and looking around: this look is 100% You're drunk, a little tragedy.

When the canyon was empty, she looked up again, and his eyebrows twitched, pointing directly at Merry.

A magpie had also been seen, and there was nothing new about its stiff body, staring eyes, or red, rapid breathing.

Oh.

"let you asshole," She snarled and literally felt herself tremble. She tentatively dug her blunt nails into the skin of his hands, her pupils dilated. - At least let me enjoy it.

Chapter 5: Urania

The body of the chapter

“Look, this is information I could have used two years ago,” he murmurs over the railing as his houseboat docks. One elbow rests on his head.

- What information? Uro asked, his forehead tickling. She hit him.

"There are no infectious viruses in this universe." Subconsciously, he nodded and waited. "I already told you what it was!"

"You've said things like that before, but I'd even say you've carefully avoided the subject."

"She's good at it," said a third voice behind her.

There are too many magpies and they don't turn around. "Viruses and bacteria are small organisms that, once inside the body, try to multiply there and can cause fever and other extreme symptoms as the body tries to clear the infection. Once Li told me that someone in the village was seriously injured. I asked her if during the examination, she should be worried about a wound infection, and she looked at me as if I let her eat her Pikachu.

"It's specific. Did you ask to eat his Pikachu before?"

"No!" she barks, turning around.

"The Lady protested," Oona said with a laugh. Maybe too much?

Urraca completes it and looks like she's wearing a hood as Una's smile turns psi. Then look at the woman's partner.

"Here, I'm very interested in regional Meow variations," she said stiffly, crossing her arms with a disappointed expression. "But the choice of a woman to be Yuna... Well, taste is not taken into account."

Crouched on the captain's bench beside his guide, Periwinkle opened one eye and gave him a languid look.

Emitted bass kick The voice, the calm smile, his burgundy eyes sliding over Volo to match Urraca's gaze.

"Actually, regardless of taste."

"Well, now I just don't know who to offend," Volo muttered.

"despite," The magpie roared, hardly crouched down or lunged for the pale-throated post: "We're paying you to take us to Pony Island, Oona. Nonstop naughty. "

"you two They didn't pay me anything," he laughs, leaning back with his hands behind his head. The bench and steering wheel are mounted behind the windshield of Una's shed, handcrafted "in tradition" with fiery red gold lobsters. "The Ginkgo Guild is here. "

"We pay them," Volo put in, scratching his cheek as if remembering about Galactic sponsorship.

- oh? Una asked, raising thick black eyebrows under her messy black hair. "Mr. Merchant, don't you have something to visit?"

"Oh my God," magpie bellows i So She just checked it out, but she's not going to assume it's the same, ah, situation. "You know, you can use this time to let us know what we're dealing with so we don't start an international conflict…"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ate at the same tone, turning her head on her shoulders in two full circles, running one hand over her bangs, exposing the first silver strands at her temples, and placing her feet on the steering wheel. "Don't count on me. "

The magpie raised her arms, lost her dignity, and crawled toward the deep slope on the tail of a small dragon boat. He leans against the railing, concentrating on drawing a drawing of a sharp knife until Volo comes back too.

"Then why are you worried about the virus?"

"You sweet summer child," she sighed as he crouched cross-legged beside her. I can't begin to tell you how fuck deep My old world is sick. But specifically, it occurred to me that even if neither of us were hurt, we might be able to bring terrible things to Alora. Secluded places never develop immunity, that is, they risk being deeply screwed.

- You're not worried now because...?

- Oh, Giratina told me.

Tsk, He said looking up with his arms crossed.

The houseboat had been sailing for several days now, and she realized that if she wasn't used to traveling with Lord Wyrdeer or Lord Basculegion, she might past dizziness.

"How are you?"

"I haven't been on a boat since I was 13," he says dryly, "but strange old memories aside, I'm beautiful."

"ty i, oh fuck I should have asked "You came to Emerald from somewhere else?"

"Near Joto," he agreed, "a place that is now known as Blackthorn. It was only a small town when my family arrived, and as far as I remember they settled south of the river. I... After reading a lot of books, I found out that they came from the far north and took the first boat, which turned out to be one of Ginkgo's.

"So they hired you?"

"I... could have hidden," he said, touching his cheek again with a puzzled expression.

"You? No," she puffed playfully, "although I think there's some historic hunting going on."

Volo's face went from puzzled to surprised and landed on something cute.

"Of course it is," he said. “During this trip, I came across a place called New Town. It was full of archaeologists who named it after two groups of people who used to gather here and share objects and stories. But there is a group of people who have never given themselves a name, only for where they come from: Sinnoh. I'm starting to think it might be Celestica as the ruins bear an uncanny resemblance to the carvings handed down to me from my hometown.

print?

“I…can't save them. Uh, take them, that's all."

snowing, She thought, studying his face as he tucked the edges of his mask back.

"Hey," she swung it over her shoulders and handed it an illustrated book. "I'd rather not ask you for ink right now, but can you staple those newer pages? I need to solve my problem.

"Yeah, you do," he joked, making the delivery anyway. She folded her backpack into a quick-dryer bag and clipped her gear to her belt while he carefully unzipped, flipped through the pages, and put on new ones.

Inspired by Adaman and Irida, and knowing that if the Alola region is as hot as Keaka described it, she commissioned Anthe to order a custom pair of kilts that she could drape directly over the bandages, which would be outrageous. but at least cover Compared to Uolo's bathrobe, his chest tightened involuntarily, barely adhering to his shoulders.

She ended up showing her black marked arms, but with any luck the symbols either went unrecognized or were dismissed as a purely aesthetic obsession as she was no longer held in high esteem. He avoids summoning in any way.

As soon as she got her latest additions, night owl and altar, in the memorized position, Oona leaned against the wall at the front of the boat. nod? still sharp... Ah, I don't need to know.

"Come on, little luvdisks, we'll be moving soon and we can't absorb you broken said Una with a mischievous smile.

"I'll charm her," the magpie snarled without thinking. Volo snorted, then laughed. "shut up!"

• • • •

Don't blame Yuna.

"I Blame Yuna" She growled at the thick grass below her.

"You can't…" and he couldn't resist a voice that was both laughter and exhaustion, more easily classified as hysterical. "You can't blame her for the death of an heirless king and the coming tropical storm, So An interdimensional rocket falling from Urraca's moon.

"...arguments could be made," she said, but there were none. Instead, he turned his head to the side, studying his new partner.

After a tense but neutral introduction to the sailors of Poni Island, the settlement of traders and vagabonds failed to keep their arrival a secret. The next morning after disembarking into a cozy rented cabin, four Alola natives in their proprietary colors insisted on welcoming the three kings. Fourth, in a very esoteric way, invite them to the memorial service for the late king, and if in the next twenty-four years the great camp of stone soldiers doesn't rise up and resign their posts, they will probably miss the festival. Time.

They discovered they were Golurks very good Maintains the girth; he even barely reacts to ongoing attacks and closes ranks when a companion seems threatened. The only thing holding the perimeter is their own four Guardian Pokemon (their opponents don't know that Nightdream's regular round shadow won't hurt them).

"I'd call it overreacting," he sighed, waving the thin, drooping leaves of the bamboo forest around them, "but I suspect my threshold for weird things is a little off."

Volo growled, and after another throw Magpie got up off the ground to check on her.

Es Unexpected Cosmic, look at you Archie, after weeks of meticulously compiling notes on the anatomy, types and abilities, evolution and mutations of Pokemon in the region, the result was the night they rested on a secluded hillside, this Dimension written on the hillside - will be the invader. Togekiss does its job by porting the admittedly overly detailed material needed to update the dex from said source of all the bad stuff in the world.

Una's notes might have been mistaken for fear had they not been amused by the amount of nonsense they found.

Magpie turned to look at the objects: three thirty-foot-tall metal pinnacles, buried ten feet deep in the ground at the base of her hill. In the early hours of the morning, he interrupted several painful caresses as he plummeted from the sky, kicking up a cloud of earth and stones, sending them half-naked to the canopy of the bamboo grove.

The Golurks are here in a few hours and it's a frantic hour of vigilance to stop them from advancing and potentially destroying Which This is - strong evidence of it very rare Pokemons

Then, just an hour after dawn, a hunted-looking caller told them to expect more company.

“Honestly, that's what we're trying to be owner he declared. "

"Yes but arena," said Wu Luo, looking at her with pain on his face. After being confined for so long, he curls up to entertain his little Mariel.

Urraca raised an eyebrow at the intruder, but said nothing more. Instead, she took off her cloak and hung it around her waist, then began weaving delicate shrouds in the air, allowing her team to breathe.

stay away Read before it disappears like mist. Don't be afraid, stay calm, stay away.

When can we calm down through mental manipulation? she wants to know.

excusable, Ironic answer. Moreover, saying that she was crazy, there was a trace of discomfort in the deity's breath.

How are you, Beast?

... the intruder is unfamiliar ill-familiar He shocked us all.

There's a lot to unpack He thought and hoped his face wasn't as pale as he thought. Shall we discuss it again tonight?

Talk to your master first.

She dazzled him for a moment, then realized they weren't having any old-fashioned intimacy, cynthia

Well, bet.

Then her new altar, Khione, uttered a shrill, throbbing song from where she sat atop one of the metal spiers.

Magpie gathered on the way down, encouraging the absol Panos and Volo to stay behind while keeping Gwydion within race distance. After an impressive display of combat moves, the Arranian loves what his (variant? primitive? basic?) Chain Rowlet doesn't have.

At the edge of the forest, four familiar faces emerged from the shadows of the morning light and approached cautiously.

"Alora, traveler," said the first one to arrive.

"Alola, Hokulani," Magpie greeted with a genuine smile.

Hokulani handed it back to her with a pink stain on his cheek. As the island's youngest leader, she became a helper in reducing the risk of events; it doesn't help that the senior leaders refuse to speak "the hawkers' tongue," a near-universal language propagated by the guilds of Seafolk and the Gingko common tongue.

She was a little creature, no more than 19 years old, with dark blue hair and matching eyes, and served as the ruler of Poni Island Kahuna. As far as they know, she is a local Pokémon priestess with legendary powers known as Patronus or Patronus. Every king employed them, but with the death of a ruler without an heir to the throne, she went with the flow.

"I don't think you have good news for us," she asked, disappointment in the doe's eyes.

"Well, no news is good news," Magpie replied, trying to reassure her. “This... thing hasn't moved since it crashed. Outside the crater, there is no negative impact on Earth."

"But you don't know what it is," she said, then shrugged and sighed. "Well, I think so. Kekoa is the closest he's ever come to sanity, and if we can convince him, he's just another weirdo..."

She disappeared, and Uraka couldn't help feeling something for her. The Kekoa people reach middle age, inheriting major powers from King Hokulani, who aside from what he says is a general contempt for women, seems obviously trying to unite the island under his rule against the outsiders. they are the last rulers, twin kings of indeterminate age who against all odds took Urraka like a burning house.

Urraca looked at the three men, all dressed in the golden robes of kings, with the expressions of politicians and the colors of their islands. So I had an idea.

"Are they going to be at the festival tonight?"

Hokulani blinked, then realized. "Yes! In fact, they'll have a committee and then a public forum to discuss... well," he breathed, "to discuss what to do with Pony Island.

"Don't worry," he begged. "We'll fix it soon, and when we do, you'll have a lot of grateful Melemele people on your side."

"My side?"

"You...if you want," he hesitated mentally, "you still rule, is that it?"

"Doesn't want line, Hokulani gratefully replied with a friendly and sympathetic nod. "Kahuna helps islanders and Pokémon and advises their king."

"However, it's a good state of mind for those in charge."

Hokulani blushed again, damn it, but Magpie understood why Volo liked this Marilla so much. As he turned to leave, the kahuna jumped as if having an epiphany. "You should," he swallowed hard, "you should bring your Pokémon with you tonight."

Urraca nodded slowly, her thoughts swirling. As he watches them leave, he laments Volo: "In particular, I ask you to avoid two things: surprises and politics."

"Variety is the spice of life," he growled, spreading his hands harmlessly over her half-wrinkled forehead. "So how do you plan to solve this problem?"

"Well, I'd like to give you a chance," he began, looking up, shaking off a worried shrug, "but I'd more likely ask Cynthia." I imagine something like that even if Alola in your timeline is isolated and has some kind of historical record."

"Ah," he nodded, and as he considered the question, they retreated from the golurk ranks.

She couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, equally intrigued by and disturbed by the types and powers of Pokémon. remind me clearly she thought with a shudder, Some armor in this anime where the guy lives, you know, I'm just not going to think about it.

"Oh," he paused, blinking at his colorful irises as Volo turned around. "Giratina mentioned something, can you ask Arceus as well?"

He nodded, though he shook his head at her delight, and after a moment the four of them looked around.

"Let me try," he said, spreading his hands. Bursts of white stars moved up and down in his collection of unknown inks, and then...

{ To listen }

It was the first attempt he hoped would fail due to the ambiguity, but a moment later the silence was broken by a rumbling whisper.

Always fun, human employment.

"Thank you, Beast," he smiled, took Volo's hand, and walked up the slope to sit on the height of the spire. Gwydion, Khione, and Absol slowly continued their patrol, but Panos trotted on to monopolize his encirclement. He looked at him carefully and said, "So. You keep calling it an intruder, or am I right in thinking it's some sort of Pokémon?"

you really are.

“We talked about it,” Volo mumbles, as if careful to ignore the wild nature of the sentence.

Apologise. You're right, Magpie. Arceus said. He can't hear her thoughts (?) Damn it, because when he hears it aloud again, his scar is already open. This... creature is as related to Pokemon as you are to people in this world. Inaccurate but bearable.

"Wow, thank you, God."

Comes from space beyond our realm Giratina added and saw Uolo tremble.

Same ship he asked with an expression on his face. Volo nodded, straightened his bangs, then continued with the sleeping Marill. Oh, must have missed it when Pokkiss was little. damn cute.

We don't need a vocabulary for these places or these beasts, but the champions of another world will call them the ultimate beasts, They continued, almost on purpose, even as she thought: It's a pretty cool name, I won't lie.

- Should we be ready to destroy it? Worro asked quietly. She watched as her gaze wandered to the ground, her gray eyes bulging and her mouth shut. Stiff again: "Is there any risk if I don't?"

they are not bad Arceus replied, and it was probably the strangest thing she'd ever heard him hesitate. but they are error distortion interference to the field and let them risk-

"Cascade failure," Magpie interjected, as if a guitar string had snapped in the air.

will you let me finish

His jaw dropped and he went pale, but he laughed anyway. "Sorry?"

Their presence threatens to break the laws of your kingdom, he said and suddenly stopped, Your help is needed to protect it.

Volo's eyes were bright red except for that white scar on the cornea, and they sat dazed and silent.

"Leave him," he said dryly. "He hates it."

"Don't tell me," he said, laughing for a minute before compensating himself. "So," he stammered, "they're not dangerous...

Ham.

“…but they can be a problem,” he finished, saving Giratina's cheers for later. She snapped her fingers, "Like a virus! Probably. Not enough data. Can we call future friends?"

Volo smiled like he couldn't help it, nodded, then woke up his gold diamond to go back to his pokeball.

Urraca stood up and brushed the dust from the back of his trousers, belatedly remembering to throw his cloak over his shoulders. She cringes as she realizes she is nearly naked in front of the ruler, but pushes away Hokulani's embarrassing note. She is so adorable that I dare not even think about it, it's unbelievable.

She took a bone carving awl out of her hair and stuck it between her teeth. mmmm bad breath Tie it again. Alola has a pleasant climate where the tropical heat does not heat up, but when the hair sweats, it turns into an insurmountable mass of curly and semi-curly hair. As he began to write in the air, Volo cleared his throat.

Urraca looked at him, his naked eyes turned to the right, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, yes," she chirped, then Honey, I can't scare my college friends.

Giratina rumbles, and there is a note of surprise and warmth as she loses weight.

Your windows flicker with presence. empty.

"That's the first," she murmured, tilting her head, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Worro tilt his head at the same angle as hers. Snorting, he remembered some phone chat etiquette. - Cynthia? Can you hear us?

There is a heartbeat, silence filled with the hum of machines and subtle buzzing, like an alarm clock. Then the sound of approaching footsteps Dare I say it, cat heels?

Door? Apparently, on the opposite wall, it ends atWhoosh, Like some Star Trek shitCynthia entered in her clothes.

He thinks the black suit is just that because the collar and cuffs are as cool as the coat. I can't Comfortable to wear for a long time. The woman gasped and let out a triumphant exclamation, her cheeks blushing.

"It worked! Oh Grandma, I owe you so much for this, Syk! sings and poses strongly It resembles a growling garchomp. Then she hurriedly pulled out the usual desk and chair and pushed aside the sundries that must have been out of the frame.

On one side of the mirror, Uraka and Uoro looked at each other as if enchanted by their own embarrassment.

Cynthia smiled. "I can't tell you exactly, but by the way, since we last spoke, thanks at last I'm calling again! “My lab has developed a series of sensors that can alert us to small changes in the structure of space-time and in me,” she is very pleased with this; the handcuffs suddenly make more sense, "I've developed a method to magnetize and bind Small gravitational field...anchor isn't the right word, pull? insulation? "

- Catch? suggested Magpie, bewildered. He's trying to create a black hole. I can respect that.

"OK To Sounds rude, Cynthia sulked.

“Good fucking God,” Magpie mumbled, “I swear everyone in this universe is at least fifteen percent more attractive than they should be. Yes bad. "

“In general, I found a way to not only know where, but also When These little calls are coming,” he continued, grinning like a shark. "Which means I can make calls." Ty Interrogate him at any time of the day to find the main source. "

"It's not my fault the weather is weird," the magpie protested, then faltered, "Oh shit, I gave the historian the key to the kingdom. I created a monster!"

"Or at least one," Volo growled, punching her in the ribs. He ignored her betrayed expression and looked at Cynthia instead. So, Rezumando He said tartly, "Don't go crazy with power. Do you have something to say about Ultra Beasts?

• • • •

There's a lot of fire and a lot of food, and it's hard to keep proportions because she's so focused on fire.

The Poney Island festival has never been dark since it started to get dark, with good wine, music and a few bonfires that sometimes jump up to ten or twenty feet high. Islanders in costumes of feathers and intertwined leaves toss wood and bone from humans to Pokemon and back, indifferent or brave enough to fight their own flammability.

One of his main pastimes is feverishly evaluating a new site painter , a complete variant that the original species has not even seen. This isn't the first time she laments the lack of color access, writing a note: Financing/accelerating camera development? Pokemon selfies :)

Sometime after midnight, the island was silent for a while. In a gloomy atmosphere, Hokulani delivered a short eulogy in honor of the king, "who was above all impartial and open to change." convenient way to send them to bed before it's time. really jumped

So? Do, The music progresses to roars, drums, rattles and stomps until the vibrations seem to rise from the volcanic soil below. She can only eat a limited amount of starches, near-sacred fat, and root vegetables, but she and Volo engage in a "Who Can Lose Your Mind Fastest" round hosted by the most die-hard Pokémon trainers.

Volo suffocates, causing Urraca to explode, and his cosmic punishment is swift and brutal: a fruity drink gushes from his mouth and nose, and when he finally catches his breath, he has an epiphany.

"Oh shit," she found herself saying aloud, "Hisui no almost So much wine at hand. "

"So OK," Volo gasped, a bright blush appearing on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. "The furnace door..."

"Cursed mojigato."

“…everything is in rations, and Pearls only have the worst Wine for this damn pop-pod game.

"I should bring some!" she exclaimed, distracting the party crowd, and stammered, "Aren't these sour Small plant pods that accumulate sugar and gas to disperse their seeds, but if you put them in your mouth, life...

Volo stopped her before she yawned the most disgusting sloth and finished, "The last person to open it must drink water and be the last one standing. Do you have many people.

“Well, even the most enthusiastic outsiders are welcome here,” the man interrupts, and they all look up in unison from their places on the bed of leaves. The red-haired Rex smiled and looked at him, who had to work hard not to lose his train of thought among the vivid squiggles and colorful tassels spilling like silk from his shoulders.

"Narani!" She giggled and pulled herself up. A long, deep voice of reason came from the darkness, and she corrected, "I mean, Your Majesty. Sorry".

"Come on," he said with dimples in his cheeks and Oh great, Volo only has eyes tattooed on his buttocks and we are amazing. "I thought I'd let you know that Kekoa…"

A piercing scream cut him off, silencing the crowd, but even that wasn't enough to silence the drums completely. From the greatest of fires one— It's literally a toucan, uh- He barked again and landed on the trainer's shoulder.

Kekoa announced that the committee would meet tomorrow at noon and hold a forum to consider its findings. Volo jumped to his feet, patting his cheek to wake himself up.

"What's Worse?" Magpie growled as Narani led them to a solid pub, "drunk politics or hangover politics?"

"Drinking makes a man honest," said Narani, looking back with a smile. He and his twin were bloody giants among their people, with swimmer bodies and eyes like coal, though Narani had the shocking crimson hair she wore and her brother had short black curly hair as a child.

"You've never seen Captain Cyllene drunk," he says, which is obvious but true. "From having the best poker face in the world, she has become a master of fake faces."

"So This is Why does she always beat me at Zorua games?" Volo muttered and she patted him on the shoulder.

"Of course."

The interior of the longhouse is even cooler than the night air, which is almost like a slap in the face to calm the heat in your cheeks, especially when Giratina gives you a solid body and gives you chills in the hallways. Pillar.

All right, She let a slight shock pass through her and found her pulse beating normally again, You can make the best wing... mon, beast.

Even before the glow of the fire, he saw the soft glow of the same Pokémon on stage and a pair of scaly Pokémon that were largely discreet. They slept huddled together, becoming a spiral of black and crimson light.

In the dim light of the open fireplace, Kekoa, Hokulani, and the last king, Aouli, lie on woven cushions. Admittedly, even Kekoa wears a gorgeous coat that resembles a sunset coat. His expression is less colorful.

"Alora, traveler," Hokulani whispered, and Aouli waved.

"Yeah, thanks for joining us tonight," Kekoa said, seeing Volo pick at the seams before Magpie realized he was speaking Alor.

He had an idea.

"Frankly, we didn't order the attack on the ramp out of courtesy," Kekoa said as the other leaders hardened, trembling under the pressure.

Magpie barely opened her eyes and slipped her hand into Volo's. Then, as the king continued, she surreptitiously began spelling softly: A.S.K.--A.R.C.E.U.S.--T.O.--T.R.A.N.S--

He answered halfway, and she tried not to laugh.

Fortunately, Kekoa thinks he can smell blood in the water.

"You don't have to worry," he said, pretending to be gentle. "Of course we'll give you the opportunity to bring your teammates back, but there's this thing... whatever it is, we can't allow it."

"We know what it is," he began, and Nanali shook her head.

"All right," he said, "we just need to know how to destroy it."

"We have reason to believe you can't," Uro said, and the four of Alora began.

But now that I think about it, there's a good chance they thought I was rude or stupid before. Then he mentally shrugged.

Before they panic, he begins to explain.

"We've studied it long enough to come to the conclusion that every attack not only fails to destroy it, but has the potential to..." She paused, realizing she was a bit ahead, but Nanali was caught.

"No, go ahead," he said, his teeth gleaming and his mouth curved in the dim light.

"To…" technically "Pokemon. The fight it offers could be catastrophic."

"I'm sure we'll survive," Kekoa snorted, then "You may have noticed our faithful protector."

"Unless it's something else?" asked Aouli, and she saw the soft sharpness in his dark eyes and weighed her options.

"Yes," she said, taking a long breath. Then it clicks.

I hid it because I'm afraid to believe them Think about it, grab Volo's hand a little tighter. I'll tell Lavington and the captain immediately. Shit, Kamado will find out at this point, and they deserve it too.

"What landed here... wasn't from this Earth, not even from our own celestial sphere," he said coldly, his face relaxing. “He came from somewhere beyond time and space as we understand him, and waking him up to fight or trying to move him won't make him go away. We have the power... and," she looked at Hokulani to soften the blow, "to be honest, the Parts are a bit confusing, whether she's giving them or sending them back."

"What the hell do you mean?" Kekoa yelled, and the twins seemed more wary of her now. Nanala's eyes flicked to her right shoulder, then back to her face, and she nodded.

'These signs,' she stood up cautiously, 'are an ancient form of writing used by a group of people who had contact with the Lord of Time and Space. These gentlemen had conflicts, but they resolved them by talking to the symbol of the Emerald Patriarch" No magic, no magic; his only points of reference are cursed and ghost pokemons, "A channel of the same power that a Pokémon can use in battle, and if used correctly, can wipe that Pokémon off the spire as if it never existed."

for that He thought, letting go of Volo's surprisingly sweaty hand with a hint of complacency, He covered all the bases, didn't invoke secret gods, and instilled the idea that trying to, say, kidnap and enslave me would end badly.

He hadn't expected Hokulani to ask:

"take a test".

"NO." He fled before I could stop him, and at least the kings were as surprised at his words as the Hokulani. Nanali actually looked more relaxed as everything seemed to have crossed a ridiculous threshold and he was ready to go. Aouli looked extremely thoughtful. "I mean, I could easily test it, but if you need it, can you come over and have a look? Sure, I'm sure they're all busy, so once To have The plan, we'll let you know when we put it into action, but then you can gain the same understanding by watching it on your own island...

Uolo put his hand on her shoulder, and she didn't realize how hot the black mark became as she spoke. Arceus, it's better not to have a hidden no-tell clause, because I will fight you, Pokemon or whatever.

"After the forum, we'd be happy to have him back in place to keep his people safe," Volo said in the cautious tone he often uses when haggling villagers get too excited. "Then what can we do to gain your trust?"

Oli looked at Nunnally, who still couldn't help but smile unbelievably, the twins looked at Kaikoya again, and Kaikoa was already staring strangely at Hokulani with her blue-gray eyes.

"Go to the forum," he said slowly, his tone betraying nothing. "Then we will present our judgment."

Chapter 6: Concordia

The body of the chapter

- Can you hear me, Arceus? idiot.

His voice was muffled by the weight of his rolled-up cloak and arms, and nothing could keep his skull intact as he felt it swell from the inside out.

"How can you blame him, huh?"

“He could have created a hangover-free world,” he says slyly.

"But what's the point of choosing a drink?" Volo answered, and she knew he was doing it by the slow gliding of his feet across the straw-strewn floor. shit He praised yoga as a form of therapy. He couldn't imagine holding a tree pose in that state.

"Haha, you're funny. Let me tell you, drinking and forgetting is a perfectly valid reason.

"...Did you forget?" He fell silent and sighed, and she lay down on her back.

"I was trying to avoid that," he said, meeting her gaze before looking away. He studied the corner of the roof where the thatched roof met the clapboard wall, then got up on his elbows. “Trying to figure out how to send something through time and space started with all this fuss. And I doubt a Skype call to Ultrabeast's house would be enough.

“Do you really have to?” he asks, and though he tries to sound understanding, a raised eyebrow is enough to make him tell the truth. "Actually," she began with her arms folded, she was far enough away from what was in front that, for example, remembering that it was a log cabin, which wouldn't annoy her, "why would you pour everything on them?" "How? Emerald people don't..."

"Because they need to know," he said, standing up and temporarily throwing the duvet over the bed. "It's like clan leaders have to make good decisions even when they're bad. Plus, you know how it works: we lay the groundwork for honesty so that the house of cards doesn't end when we're forced to lie later collapse.

Volo stared at her, surprise dissipated as he ran his stupidly long fingers across her forehead and released the smaller ones. Tsk. No wonder you found me. You're a smooth liar, aren't you?

She placed her hands on her hips and lifted one to meet her dark gaze. "By trying not to sound provocative, it could change the way I live."

“I never dreamed of this,” he laughs, before the sharp, somehow pleasant trio knocks on the door.

"Hello to you!" shouted Hokulani less than a second before opening the door.

we are luckier than her thought Urraca, hissing from the sun; Ruining his innocence made me feel worse than hitting him hard again.

“Alola, kahuna,” Volo replied, coughing. Then when he tries to at least zip up the back cover aspect As an able adult, we encourage you to ask, "Tell me, on my way back last night, I heard some snacks were being served down the aisle."

“First of all, how do you remember the walk? cut back, Secondly, I, typical. "

The mark on his cheek is his only gift. "As aliens, can we know more?"

"Of course," said Hokulani. Then she bites the inside of her cheek. "If all goes well, so will it be today."

"Ah," Magpie sighed, finally looking good, and put her arm around her in exaggerated disgust. “I know we must teach you the art of avoiding unwanted prophecies.

Oddly enough, this forum was more like a particularly busy lunch than any "Kamado speaking to the citizens on the third floor of Galaxy Hall" gathering. The previous night it had been surrounded by a dozen small fires and a squad of drummers standing on the looming stone platform of the city. The podium now also has four long, low tables that can seat eight people on each side, and four stools supported by four carved pillars.

Three of them entered last, and Hokulani motioned them to the farthest western end of the table, then trotted to the end of the podium to join his Arquanid, not on a stool he realized, but from behind. next to him, making the place noticeably empty. The food was relatively light compared to a festive meal of lean meat and fruit, but Magpie disgracefully refused anything but a sitrus berry smoothie from One Who Knows All. She was too sad to be disgusted.

They ate and talked about curious islands and slayers, mentioned her moulting, and she stole a glance at the seated king, trying to locate her companion from her cursory knowledge of the area.

It's unlikely you'll forget Kekoa the toucan, but the curled-tailed reptilian Pokemon Aouli and Nalani rest in the Far East. Between the colors that resembled them (black, red, red and black), he felt his brain finally beginning to understand the riddle.

Salazzle was first in line and recognized his bent face, one of the few caught lagging behind; Salandite evolution, yes... very talented. This makes the crocodile fit the other party's description, if it evolved from a sand crocodile...

"Shit," she said, taking a bite of grilled fish. "A black guy! That would fix a hole like that in my team," then grimacing, "but I need to fix it, and last time I was working with pre-vee..."

"They had a bad time," Volo concluded implacably, drawing laughter from the neighbors. "Really, if you don't have that terribly powerful alpha espeon, my moon kiss could take your whole t-"

"Alora, Brothers and Sisters!" Kekoa was stunned. He smiled, making his pale features warm in the sun. “We are delighted to join you in this rewarding and enjoyable time, even if our responsibilities remain serious.

"Today, in a spirit of peace and testimony, I appeal to my brethren on the island and beyond. It is our job as a nation to address the grief of the king's death and the question of his throne." Hokulani looked at him expectantly as his body stiffened as he approached. seemingly without warning. “Last night we honored his name. Today: his island.

"I've come to propose," she said, her arms folded behind her back and her arms straight, adorned only with glittering jewelry chains and tassels of thread. The image of a king among kings. "Not to replace kings or disregard divine blessings, but to unite the worlds beyond our shores after and in the face of constant invasion."

"This is kikutowa mowa, Uraka muttered to himself, guided by principled vigilance. He then detailed the location of the sovereign face of the islands, where the courts of the four kahunas were located, who in turn were to allocate governed lands and administer the areas of home affairs and agricultural development. As he did so, she felt an iron weight begin to form, like a pearl in a shell, and she calmly told Volo, "I feel a lot of energy now, 'I'll carry this weight.'

Volo snorted, and the islanders at every table around him showed a mixture of skepticism and stoicism, all thanks to his people.

But damn, instead of being ashamed, Kekoa spread her hands as if accepting her rejection. Platt: "I know it sounds harsh, really, but fortunately we were sent to serve as intermediaries of providence."

The cholera

"We received a woman from the sea," Kekoa said, looking at her. The islanders were generally amazed too: "I have seen them in the light of the blind."

“ What the hell he hissed, staggering as his disgust and fear gave way to a wave of panic. "No... when can I...?"

"Mags," Volo said sharply, then focused again and saw Kekoa's open hand stretched out towards them. So.

Amazingly, he got up without even trying to argue, and continued walking down the runway. when when

over the beast Her brain finally came to life, leaving her breathless. He stayed to watch her call Cynthia, and though he couldn't understand it, it was still supernatural.

iodine

She was already standing in front of the dais, and Kekoa watched her carefully, then pointed to the stone arena where the largest bonfire was lit. There are still traces of soot on the compacted earth, which looks unsightly, as if there was already a great war going on there.

"Daughter of the Emerald, may I ask for the influence of the heavens on the future of the isles."

she almost screamed How? But not only would it go wrong, it would bolster his efforts to seize power. You feel the weight of dozens of stares behind you, and sweat trickles down your spine in disgusting cold.

I can't, She screamed inside, fear crackling under her skin in a way she hadn't felt since the foam had fallen over the swamp, leaving her cold and weak and sick. scared. Scared enough to carve an amulet that contained any great magic or knock him down if he couldn't stop it.

reject it

To, She shouted back no careful If your iris is bleeding red. If I don't have it -

You won't lose control anymore. Please trust me, Then Giratina calms her down This is Enough to bring her out of her free-fall mental state. Draw tools and inscriptions as I tell you.

Her hair was pinned to her neck, but the bone carving awl was cool in her hand, its weight and curves familiar. It helps to hold your breath and calm your heart rate down to just a few pounds.

The magpie lifted him into the air, met Kekoa's fiery gaze for a second, then stopped in the air in front of her. and start typing.

Line by line, not just a request, but something binding was drawn up depending on the success and general will of the islanders. will be It was a difficult thing to do, something he wouldn't normally do because of his natural skepticism, but the Void God was leading him by the hand.

with white light Unknown He filled the air on the tablet in front of her, and in the distance she heard a murmur of commotion. Even more clearly, you can hear the wind begin to move around you, swirling under your feet, kicking the soot-stained earth.

"We pray to the Patronus," he said and met Kekoa's eyes again.

He was pale and pale, and if she had been herself, she might have laughed.

"Aloran spirits, guardians of the unborn, act quickly. Appear and declare your will," she spat out the last words, "for it will be known from now until a greater will disowns it."

Some will think it was about Arceus, she warned.

This error will be theirs. This is not an easy agreement.

The wind became gusty, then died down with a knot in the stomach. Strangely, the usually noisy forest outside the city has become quiet.

When the flash faded, he slid the awl into the flat strip of his belt. Then she met the eyes of the other rulers and was surprised to see concern on their faces, not shock or fear. I must look a little battered, hmm. Hey, will you stay for a while? I don't know how it will work, maybe I need a backup.

Pleased, Riftborne.

In the arena, four creatures jump from above and float above the ground, dressed in bright colors and thick black threads.

"Tap!" Hokulani gasped as he neared the edge of the podium. She was shaking like an electric shock, her knees were weak, and she asked in a low voice, "Do you want to ... fight?"

And that's it, the threshold has been reached, the level of astonishment has officially been exceeded.

OK Last time you asked for a warning.

"They, why are they fighting?" Kekoa stammered, " Operations Management System Do you want to go for it?

“ those who want to serve people Uraka said her voice wasn't strong enough to make the assembled kings shudder.

To be honest, Kekoa seems close to death. Can't really blame him, even if he ordered it, because the king, at least On – not attuned to a guardian like his kahuna. At least he seems to be rethinking the whole "only me" thing.

"I…it's just me," Hokulani said with a hint of steel in his pallor. "tapu wants to fight me..." He looked at Magpie. After a moment's hesitation, Magpie nodded. "—— and magpies."

• • • •

"I'm going to have some fucking fun," he muttered as they walked to the arena. Hokulani looked up anxiously, taking a breath through his teeth. "They're fairy-type, aren't they?"

Hokulani nodded, understanding the dilemma.

"After this, Volo will laugh," he said with a sigh, in his mind, Right after I handcuffed us so I wouldn't get into this shit again.

“I only have Spider-Man,” Hokulani ventured. Bubblegum followed them carefully, trusting his trainer completely.

"I have a team of six, but only one is not weaker than Fairy, and only two can do real damage."

"All right".

"Yes." They stopped as they approached the center of the arena, four taps forming a semicircle, and she held her breath. "We'll find a way." Go to Taplele first, in case he heals others. Then listen to me.

"OK."

Uraka unhooked two spheres from his waist, then took a vial from his bag no longer than his thumb. Her sniper, Hollyhock, was watching her with a cunning she couldn't ignore, but Panos snorted reassuringly. She smiled and handed him the vial. "I want you to stay out of range for as long as possible, but do an accidental quick attack? This should help.

He took a drop from the turquoise Aux Evasion and immediately his jet black fur bristled from tail to nose. Scarlet eyes flashed and she moved in place, which excited her.

"Fool, seize every opportunity, attack with terrible claws and poison, cover everyone," he straightened. "And nobody died. Now, I. "

His umbrella soars like a rocket, followed by arachnids, each launching all four with sparkling stars and popping bubbles. The circle broke, separating Lele and Finny from their colleagues, and Magpie shouted, "Stinger, Hock-Pan, put in the Shadow Orb."

"Spider-Man, Use the Bug Sting on Tapfini!"

Sneasler attacked, stepping back in time to push Spider-Man out of Koko's beam and out of the line of fire. His fur was bristling, but he only hissed and bared his teeth.

Blue attacks Panos with a corner, but Panos jumps back and charges at Tapulele. Lele's face contorted maliciously, Panos instantly froze, his voice hoarse, then he shouted, "There's a dark pulse in the barrel!"

Panos swung his flail, twisting his arched back into a terrifying pose, and shot a wave of shadows. Lele staggered and screamed as Hollyhock lunged forward for the finishing blow.

Feeney recovered and sprayed the couple with sea salt brine, but barely caught them and just slid them across the floor, out of reach.

"Spider-Man," yelled Hokulani, getting the idea, "Use the Bug Sting on Tapu Fini, get close to them!"

It succeeded as Fini attacked like he was furious as Koko fired another earth-shattering lightning bolt. The spider then veered to Finny's right, and a jolt hit the crack in his swordfish-like shell.

Finny let out a piercing groan, and Koko let out a sound of shock and pain, but one swipe of his poison-soaked claws was enough to finish off Tap.

Bulu growled and attacked again, Panos flew across the ground towards his trainer, and Koko released a wave of energy.

A fiery pink wave rolled across the field, swirling curlews and spiders, but also knocking lizards off their feet and tumbling over.

"Do it!" she screamed with her heart in her throat. He pulled himself up, gasped, and let out a quiet little cry, and this time ran under the floating Tappa, out of the way.

Arceus, I should bring irony He thought jokingly, then held out his hand for the hollyhock to continue scratching. Then, catching a glimpse of a black spiral spreading over her skin, she froze.

The mind spins, shuffles like cards, thinks for a while, Am I for this... cheating?

"Fuck No I'm Not" She spat and said under Hokulani's gaze, "Keep on hitting Bulu, will you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, and moments later his partner was running around Tapu, spewing out a near-continuous stream of bubbles.

Relying on mallow as her own device, Magpie thinks of herself again long enough to find an electrifying sensation under her skin. When he looked back at Panos, all he heard was his own breathing.

{ getting back }

Blink like that bit of darkness your brain ignores when you blink. Between one paw leaving the ground and the other falling, Panos's rough skin was faded with trauma, his eyes red with pain.

He was flying again, his muscles back to full strength, and if it happened again, she would probably choke to see him barely blink at the feeling.

When Hollyhock grabs the taut Tapburu with his scary claws, he distracts her and Koko gets up and starts throwing herself down let you daring maneuver of the bird

"Hawk, Retract the Rock Breaker!" she screamed, twirling her sneakers. A bolder figure protruded from the ground in front of her, and as Tapu Koko lunged down, Hollyhock landed behind him, using her claws as a fulcrum.

The rock shattered and she didn't come out unscathed, but it pinned Coco to her side. what is a bad female dog , maintaining the momentum of the renewed momentum towards Bruce.

Admittedly, the Warden lowered his horns at the last second, and his invisibility seemed breathless even though his claws knocked them off his feet.

"Pam, shadow ball," she snarled as her partner made the final hit on the target during her long period of convalescence. as soon as it moves, it moves again Quick, I landed one, two poisons hit in rapid succession; it was a bad third attempt.

Tapu Koko deflected blows with his massive ornate armor, and with a headbutt-like move, he unleashed a close range attack that matched the first wave.

Hollyhocks fall like a stone.

"Shit," the magpie snapped back, summoning her Alpha Istra. "Conquer him with a barrage of Iron Tails, will you?"

one, Tweets and uploads. However, it is slower than Tap, and after one, two or three hits the Magpie will rethink its strategy.

"Hokulani," he said softly, "do what you can to protect Umbreon, okay?"

Her battle partner nodded, remaining focused, and Magpie turned her attention back inside.

She watched as Koko effortlessly dodged quick attacks and bubble beams, striking with her shield and unleashing beam after beam, leaving no room for error or escape.

space, she thinks, or time?

Her skin tingled, her own nervous voice ringing in her head before she fell silent.

Dialga, don't blame me.

One breath, two breaths, close your eyes.

{ Ten }

And measured in inches and centuries, the Tapu Shield cuts through the air like a blow through water. Not impossible, not even difficult, but Sufficiently.

Istra managed to let out a loud scream and grabbed the iron tail, which jumped up, and Koko made a sharp movement with the edge of her shell.

Tapu looked at Urraca.

Shivers ran down her spine, and his green eyes narrowed in disapproval.

She flashed an almost maniacal smile in response.

touch They bite off and lift both halves of the shell at the same time, precipitating them in a burst of pink sun.

"¡Spider-Man, use Guardian Zoom!"

A golden blur appeared around Tap, and the attack disappeared harmlessly into the air.

have so many feelings Is not Excited, more like being flooded with flames, Uraka leaned forward screaming,

"Panos - speak loud!"

His umbrella swung into a brawny position, howling in the heat of the air and the light of the pool of hyperbeams in front of him.

The last thing Tapu Koko saw was a look at her, her eyes wide open, bright, and she was standing there, reflected in them, surrounded by a halo.

So the beam tore through the air, spraying soot and dirt into the sand, landing straight on the Guardian's bare chest.

The resulting drafts, noise, and raucous cheers from the crowd nearly knocked her and Hokulani down. this girl - no, that one next kahuna They gave a shout of victory with smiles like the sun.

When he ran to his umbrella in the air, grabbed it and spun it around, he didn't immediately notice Volo running. When everyone had stopped, she stopped panting, her face flushed, eyes shining, and her voice hoarse.

"W-when", he asked, still smiling with feigned concern, "when did he learn hyperbeam?"

"Oh," he laughed, returning Panos's headbutt with his cheek, giving him a mischievous look, " Bueno Before Mount Corona.

• • • •

"I don't believe it, no," growled Kekoa, whose pale face and hooded gaze gave him the appearance of a skull. "I don't allow Pokémon to choose our leaders. fickle, misanthropic creatures and ... I don't trust them to make the right decisions."

Magpie blinked, realizing in the heat of the fight (and the actual takeover) that he had no good reason to. After the forum was announced and Hokulani took office, the four were directed to meet at the same pub to witness the signing of the new deal.

"I...understand," he began, looking shocked not only from Kekoa but also from the other three leaders. With a resigned shrug, she continued, "I'm sure one thing we'll never know about Pokémon is how intelligent they are, which means we can only judge by their behavior. That being said, it will be determined by posterity, the future kahuna to explain it."

Still, Kekoa frowned and shook his head. - Such a future ... leaves very little room for someone like me. But" - he crossed his arms and looked at her with familiar madness in his eyes - "a man like me wouldn't be so easy. We will remain a thorn in the side of stupid and short-sighted rulers until the day they see the truth from an outsider like you. No matter how many years, decades, years age need. "

With that said, he rose to leave, and the three leaders mumbled curses: Nanali laughed and crumpled the letter while the others shouted.

Tapu Koko will happily balance this out. She sighed, then noticed that Volo next to her was stiff as a board.

She was on the wrong side and couldn't see his face.

"Hey," he said softly, taking his limp elbow in his hand and lifting them up, "come on." We should get back to our beast.

He greets the leader and leaves the village again.

"What is a thought?" The hand holding the arm clenched into a fist and stopped at the edge of the forest. - Is that... Kekoa?

His stiffness turned to tremors. She turned her head and saw her striking eyes sparkle under the blinding glare.

"Since Cynthia," he said, shaking his fists at his sides, "all I've really thought about was a world where I'd failed." But what if it worked?

Urraca raised his hand to his face and accidentally touched his other eye, which was tinted red. She froze.

- All right? - Bites, but not her. "All you're looking for is my utter failure. What makes people like me, what makes Pokemon like you Know more? ! "

"I don't think so," Magpie interrupted just enough to refocus her eyes. Red is still there, but the rest of the time he only talks to Volo. She let her hands move to her chest and took a deep breath. “I've tried... I've really tried not to think about it, but here's my theory. Instead of one Pokémon and a billion unknowns, I think knowing if they can pull anything. It's hard to say, but I think the Stranger is a manifestation of power and Arceus is an avatar. Although they... wield Time and space, I don't think, Dialga and Palkiya they alone these things

"Everything is messed up," he sighs, running his hand through his bangs to focus on that feeling, "but I think Pokémon themselves are like an anchor to something we are unique considered reality. And - he looked up as the approaching twilight began to reveal the brightest stars in the sky - all the stars, especially Arceus, were together ... andHow- the will of the universe. "

"It... makes no sense," he said in a low voice and bowed his head. It's less like he's talking or listening internally, and more like he's looking at something else that's preventing him from thinking. "How could anything have happened become The thing and the action of the thing's will, and also... everything else?

Urraca smiled, the strangest sympathy she could find in him. Sharing the confusion, this sense of dislocation is both overwhelming and destructive. "There was a thought I was just beginning to learn before all this," she said excitedly, stepping back, waving her arms comically, returning to her smile. "That as conscious beings we are the 'universe experiencing itself.' That's why I'm so disappointed with this little fix."

Here he raises one hand to his right temple and gently taps it. In response, he reached out and took her hand, pressing his hand to her cheek.

"Well, if I had to have this particular experience here and now, there would be worse people to share it with," he sighed. Then he touched his temple, but a smile appeared on his cheek. "Very few, but they are."

Chapter 7: wisdom

The body of the chapter

"UB Symbiote?" The magpie looked into the mirror again, leaning against the cold inner wall of the Ultra Beast's central spire. "Like half a symbiotic couple?"

"Yes, although people outside the lab really just call him Nihili," Cynthia replied. One page was almost engrossed in texts and volumes, and the other was folders full of loose pages. In the hour or two they shared the "phone", Urraca seemed, if Urraca had to guess, a 30-minute/30-minute gap between scary paperwork and more interesting research.

Ella One in response and overthrown Hey, why Latin, best friend? He can only assume it's a translation problem, and asking about it just frustrates both of them. Instead, ask, "How do you know it's a parasite?"

"She kidnaps humans and Pokémon by grabbing them and brainwashing them," Cynthia said, looking at her and raising an eyebrow visibly. "What else could it be?"

"I don't mind," she said angrily, reaching for her hair and retying it, ready for her next move. “But I wonder if this is actually mutualism, or even symbiotic, the inefficient end of the spectrum, or not worth investigating. Like mantine and remoraid." He turns around, his legs hooking on the edge, and he begins to move his head, arms, and torso through the metal layers. "Did any hosts talk during…?"

- Kidnapping? No - her voice now sounded like a public figure. Only female presenters are registered. Well, another man in the area claimed he was, but he didn't want to sit down and tell his story.

"My lady, what is your name?"

"Play."

"How does Lusamine describe it?"

"Lusamine i ten facet, Guzma," You all have the craziest names, God bless “Report loss of physical and mental fitness. They are aware and aware of their actions, but they are not I It was... well, eyewitnesses described Lusamine's behavior as childish and Guzma angry, which, while not unusual for the two of them, was greatly exaggerated. Everyone just describes the event in terms of extreme fear and lack of control. "

"Sounds like an identification problem," Magpie murmured. It's between the outer panels and the inner body which... let's just say it's a weird texture, let's just leave it at that. Pushing, pushing what is moving, slowly following the curves and grooves of the internal structure; she didn't expect to understand, she was just collecting data to pass on to her fellow researchers. Aloud, he said, “If this thing, um, these things were completely separate consciousnesses, the host would just be a suit. He was probably trying to create a more mutually beneficial relationship by giving them what they deep down wanted. "

"That's the problem," insists Cynthia, who might try to make eye contact with another woman and show understanding if she weren't so stubborn. "Lu Shamin was chased to the limit by her daughter and son and lost control..." What the hell “… and he convinced her. His friends almost had to use brute force to bring down the UB, just as Guzma escaped."

"These... friends of the children?" the magpie asked, then emerged from its shell and looked out the "window."

Cynthia nodded, actually looking like she was just starting to get excited that she wanted him to understand. - Yes. Guardians…

"They're kids?!!" she snarled, trying to hold on to the central white post to avoid falling 20 feet.

Cynthia speaks extensively about the Ultra Guardians, apparently knowing both from their place in the quasi-alora of modern Alola in her timeline. Judging by the tone of his voice, Magpie sensed that this was a well-armed force that seemed desperately needed on the island in the face of a lack of understanding of hyperspace phenomena and the sudden increase in raids. NO kids.

- They went into hyperspace? - She turned pale. And the fight with the mother...

"Ash has the knowledge and experience to lead them well."

„… Xiaozhi”.

"Yes. He tried to become the champion of the island, but he helped save the Lake Guardian, witnessed the battle with Reshiram, and…

"Yeah yeah, and I beat up a guy who almost blew up the world, you didn't tell me he was Nino" Magpies bite. Then, in one fell swoop, through a complete existential crisis, it was emptied. The inner shell is cold against the shoulder blades. "Fate picks its damn favorite, doesn't it? Poor boy".

"Don't worry too much about him," Cynthia said, giving him a creepy, calm smile. - He can draw with Arceus if it means saving someone he's known all day.

"Seems fine to me." Urraca shook her head and resumed her previous digging mission. - Come on. I'm starting to think it might be a goddamn rocket.

- What? Cynthia screamed, followed by the unmistakable sound of falling books and papers.

"Rock bird... do you know how to travel in space?"

"trip? Not that I knew about it. However, the Moss Deep Space Center keeps everything a secret. She seemed to think for a moment, then continued, "What about SU?" "

"From what I can see," you lift the panel and lengthen the corners as if you were zooming in on your phone. Reminds me of Giratina training old crappy MMOs She played in high school and they were sometimes ridiculed for relying on countless heads-up screens. The dashboard can only do so much, but it can tell you what strangers have witnessed over time.

Is God the reason they have eyes?

"Not only is this beast able to pick up material and transform it into… something else," he continued, "but it also uses a magnetized shell…"

"Are you really chasing this?" Volo's voice came from above, sticking out her tongue if her head wasn't stuck in the apron of the alien ship.

"Yes! I can focus on history, but on us NO A decent mastery of all the basic sciences is possible after leaving school altogether. "

"Basic?" repeated Uro.

"Arzeus, I'm not even sure I can tell you this, but what he means is…"

Fuck yeah queen, take that bitch to school she thought with a wicked, choked laugh. He was too clumsy to disturb her, like when I tried to tell him about the wonders of modernity.

In complete uninterrupted time, the magpie slid over the edge of the fence, dangling over her knees. Her hood was on a hill somewhere, and the hot air trapped her around as the sun began to heat the metal.

Beneath the metal canopy, the layers are made of what you might think is some sort of sturdy material. And if over a year of pre-modern times hasn't erased your memory, the interlocking pattern in gold could be solar cells. However, in all the sci-fi movies you've seen and read, no one has thought of an all-solar boat, which is probably not practical when traveling. between soles

She walked away from the panel annoyed, starting to feel the blood in her head throbbing wildly, but...

"Talk to me, Beast," he whispered, resting his forehead against the hull. Then, like putting your ear to a boiling pot, the sound of liquid flowing and bubbles rising reaches the surface of the water.

"—so if all the positively charged faces are facing left, the negatively charged faces will be dragged until... oh, Gentlemen- ”

Uraka emerged from his helmet, flushed and sweaty, smiling wildly.

"Honey," Volo sighed, even blushing, "you're embarrassing a great-great-great-grandson who isn't our grandson."

"Never mind! They may not understand how fucking crazy it is, but it's a living spaceship!” he sings as he descends to meet them. "It has the ability to absorb solar energy, but I think the real ability is to take the original elements and turn them into something else and then use the released energy to get out of the earth."

"Oh, fission," Cynthia said, not looking at her but still nodding, "not magnetization, ionization?"

"All right! Well, he can just turn it into gaseous fuel, but either way, this baby is going to warm up, and fast."

"It's fascist..." Cynthia paled, her already pale face looking completely bloody.

"Xin Si?" The magpie was in danger, and the sweat on his back was terribly cold.

She flew up and nearly tripped over a loose piece of paper as she flew out the door.

A minute later, Uraka raised his hand and slid the window open.

"I'm sure he's fine," said Wolo, who shared her worried expression. “Okay,” he puts his hands on his hips and nods towards the UB, “this one's not going anywhere. How's the fishing going?"

"Fruit," he reported, going from indifferent to excited. From the lower fold of the belt she took a sheaf of smooth leather, only two dozen sheets thick, and turned the pages. She moved closer, trying not to look taller, but she still had to read above her elbow. "Our youngest kahuna gave me instructions on how to find the altar and a list of interviewees to look for first."

"This is How are you walking for so long? He pretended to be sulking, but frantically looked through his sketches and scribbles. The little nerd made up his own shortcut, which he didn't expect to learn. But the X at Poni A point is marked on , and the outline of the island and cliff tower fills the page. On the opposite side is ... not quite a figurine, but an impressionistic depiction of two winged figures and a lion that reads to write inside the room Many times surrounded.

"In fact, the Elders had an unusual system of oral history, preserved in the most peculiar way," he traced back to a page with about a dozen columnar figures. “These carved wooden towers are not mere ornaments, but great people and important events are recorded through stylized symbols. They are so old that when the elders tell these stories, they admit that they do not know the meaning of the words. exact meaning."

"Sounds like a dead end," he said, looking up and damn his smile Raise one hand at the same time and move your fingers.

"Not if the tower was built by the same generation that built the Sunne and Moone altars."

• • • •

“No comparison,” Volo said seriously, shaking his head.

prank, Your partner agrees.

Urraca refused to move and grabbed the creature by the armpits. "Kid!"

Which, Volo looks at him, says yangmo-o, with the same suspicion he once had for his charlatans. Slightly sour and resigned, but tender.

"You know, you have your type," he finally sighed. jangmo-o imitates a dangling cat, with both his and her heads bowed. "Your definition of cute is usually... smug."

It was her averting her gaze that revealed what she meant, and she snorted.

"That makes you the sweetest person," he murmurs before turning to the exit of the enemy's gauntlet, with a red stripe across his nose.

Jumping after him, he maneuvers the smaller dragon once In the cradle, her scales rattled on the sides of her forearms as she gently scratched her belly; it was hard to believe that it had landed in their throats less than ten minutes earlier. Alora, who warned his guards, described them as excellent warriors, so perhaps they only knew when they were defeated.

"I think it's because I'm a cat!" She laughed and without thinking she lowered her head and gave her the usual headbutt that many of her men loved. Not that yangmo-oh no when he leans in to greet her, but huge armor plate He made her number in his mind.

The magpie closes its eyes and hisses from the sting hhhhaachi-machi, But he's not going to stop walking completely and run into Volo's back. She staggered back, disoriented, and I could barely hear his high-pitched, excited voice.

"Exactly scream? he asked, rubbing something that would surely cause a bruise.

Volo didn't answer, opened one eye and looked at him. action forward. It's kind of funny because he knows that learning it in the art of quick combos allows him to get out of the mess and become a more chaotic version of himself.

So he tries to move on.

The altar was so large she would have thought it had been carved from the table it stood on, were it not for the hard-edged blocks of stone the color of storm clouds and the rusty iron top. Interlocking blocky layers that in another world might be called brutalist are tiled with bright blues that capture the slowly setting sun.

When she finally caught up with him at the top of the third flight of stairs, she looked curiously around the dais.

"This is not the place to commemorate Tapu," he said half-asked as he watched him scribble in his field notebook, a simple leather spread with pre-stitched pages. He nodded absently, and she insisted, "So who are San and Muen in the starting lineup?"

"The names of these two beasts are very old and now they are called Solgaleo and Lunala," he concluded, pointing to the left and right halves of the altar. “The oldest tales say that stars were born on this table, brought light and life to Alola, and then soared into the sky. However, modern history calls these creatures the Trio of Light: Solgaleo, Luna La, and the blind man."

"Could it be...Could it be Arceus?" She took the opportunity, and when he finally looked at her, her fringe had pulled back, revealing a red circle. Magpie blinked, getting used to being a bit more pompous in the presence of the gods, but Volo continued.

"No, he actually thinks they might be some of the first Super Beasts," he explained, motioning for her to follow him toward the cliff.

A majestic mosaic of gray stones forms a huge circle surrounded by rings and an X in the shape of a cross. She told herself she was more likely to think of her family's favorite Stargate series than the old doomsday calendar. Below, however, is an arch almost a hundred feet high and three feet wide. After a few steps, it turned into a dim corridor that smelled of dust and a bit of moss. Behind the cliffs, the sun barely gets in and suddenly feels cavernous and claustrophobic.

"Like Solaceon," he panted, the thin whisper still piercing the stone.

"Exactly what I thought," Volo said, completely ignoring the echo. She releases her spirit again mbspirit, but with her own mind, she calls her umbrella.

The two Pokémon look around wide-eyed as their partners, Magpie puts a jangmo-o on her shoulder, and they set off into the dark depths. Panos turned and followed the flashlight, surprised to see that it was actually an empty room, some thirty feet high, covered with the same rust deposits as the layers of the plateau and canyons beyond.

"The altar was built after this cave?" she asked with a grateful look on her face.

"Probably!" he said, treading without a trace of caution as he walked towards the opposite wall, the only thing with any decoration. His soul followed him silently, and the sound of stone scraping against the step was cold. “The elders say no one ventures in after queuing high priest It was discontinued and never resumed. There was no ban, they left the victims only on the pillars and on the platform outside. If your description is correct, the beasts are too big to enter here. It's more of an archive than... ah, here! Spiritomb, light a fire for us, will you?

Acid greens and purples illuminate the back wall, highlighting first a black diamond, then two rows of people surrounded by a dozen Pokémon. Then, gigantic in comparison, a man with crescent-shaped wings, a lion with a star-shaped mane, and…

"Criminey, that's huge," Magpie said, leaning back so close that the dragon fell off her shoulder. He has four wings, a silver torso, and matte black, razor-sharp crystal limbs. A mural can be several feet high and twice as tall, with dark lines drawn in dark paint that feels like rubber, with a texture less smooth than a carefully painted grout.

"He said he's always been curious about this place," Volo said, sending shivers down his spine. Castle, curious?

"altar?"

"Hi," he replied. He was drawing furiously and she felt she should too, but one of them had to be aware of his surroundings. “He said it was nothing more than a series of volcanoes pumping black soil from the ocean floor something It's coming... It somehow amplifies the energy that attracts Pokémon and humans, bringing life where there is none. I think, that this-"

He paused, and she finally touched his forehead and saw that he wasn't looking at the numbers, but at the letter-shaped grooves in the background. No wonder, and she herself is not fully aware of how she feels: good, because the effects of falsifying reality can be ruled out, bad in the sense that it cannot be analyzed. until -

"female dog," Volo gasps, unable to hold back an almost hysterical laugh. Her face was expressionless, but there was a glimmer of understanding in her eyes, a kind of destructive hope. "You gave me the whole package, didn't you?"

Uraka looked at the wall painting again, then at him, trembling all over as if he had been electrocuted. "he-"

"I can read it," he confirmed, and the tension in his body seemed to ease into a slight intoxication. He smiled, not a sneer, not a wild smile, not the one with loving curls, but the smile of someone showing genuine sympathy for you after a long drought. Sad pain but inspiring. "He didn't translate, he made me read it... damn old language - maybe something else. "

He read it, and she picked up her notebook and wrote down what it was: things that had inherited life, sown and harvested as needed, but she was mulling over an idea that would take her a while to articulate.

"It's... it's not Celestica," he choked out, his voice so low it wouldn't have echoed off the stone. She turned eagerly to follow Panos, who had been sniffing around, looked up at the twilight sky, and came back to her, dusting his paws. It was the rhythm and process of her meditation that made her refocus on continuing. "If you're disappointed or even frustrated, I understand and I'm sorry. I know you're looking forward to…”

"Come on," he said, turning to retrieve his notebook and placing his hands on either side of her face, drawing her eyes to his. "When I was looking for the altar, I had a feeling that there would be no, there couldn't be a connection." He laughed. “I barely fit the phenotype. AND…"

Ignoring jangmo-o's humming, he kisses her on the lips, wraps his arms around her waist, and turns to look at the second clearest night sky she's ever seen.

"Knowing the ancient travelers who, like my people, have learned as much and lost themselves in their knowledge as my people, I Do …… It helps me feel less alone in the universe. "

Magpie stared at it all the way back to her hill and her beast, staring at the stars and trying to turn that grain of sand into a pearl in a matter of hours.

She didn't realize it until he fell asleep and buried her face in his neck. then - go back For that - Surrounded by friends, family, and even lovers who are her redeemed pagan counterpart, she often feels at home in your DNA, in the space between atoms, once you've experienced that existential isolation of loneliness in the But.

Whether partner or lover, human or god, she hasn't felt lonely in a while.

• • • •

After two weeks of radio silence, Magpie moved the "video call screen" to the side of her Ultra Beast to get out instead of trying again every few days.

After three, Cynthia returned.

"So it's...Necrozma,"Seriously, what cool names you guys have, cheeky guys„……comePeople - Pokemon Z-energy

"Z-Force, yes," sighed the Master, leaning his lead against a pile of books. She looked tired but recovering, her hair pulled back into two bows and adorned with a ruffled halo. "This is" eat Z-power, if we're not lucky, will come back for another kick. "

The magpie smiled, carved the last few letters into the ring of stone around her superbeast, and stretched out into the sun. "I have to say you say 'our world has been seeded by an interdimensional beast of light, better than most.'

"Strange things are happening," he muttered, not even opening his eyes so as not to see Magpie's dramatic double reaction. After a snort, he changed tracks. "I have some Sinnoh Historical Society events I need to prepare for, and world coronations and title fights, so I'll be going in and out for the next few years... I'll be very optimistic, say a few months."

"Take care of yourself," he reminds her, trying to be funny even if his eyes are serious. Cynthia gave him a crooked smile, then nodded and walked away from the 'phone'. The magpie sighed and said with emotion, "Impossible."

"Unless I'm fully aware of the opposite, I'll start to think you don't please me," Volo growled from the shadow of his beast. He stopped working and saw her pouting, her light gray eyes amusing. "Should we go back to the Nunnally and Ollie quote, baby?"

“Actually, yes,” she replied cheekily, putting down her pickaxe and motioning for him to get up. "It's impractical at this point."

"I've never slowed you down before," he joked. She turned the bird over.

Once you're on the stone line, pick up the "HUD" and start the command. This part is always tense because it can go one of three ways: success, "fake" failure leaving only a puff of ozone in the air, and evil, really evil, no false failure causing him to only use static explosion to describe. There was no fire or smoke, just shock waves and an eerie tingling sensation that sometimes lasted for days.

Arceus once told him, after a failed glitch, that fake glitches are the ones that can rip apart space-time.

In a relaxed and happy mood, watch as the sculptures ignite at a leisurely pace, only to breathe a sigh of relief as the ground begins to shake. What a strange thing to feel relieved.

An earth platform about ten meters wide slid up at snail's speed, first excavating the earth from the hollow slope, then the surrounding earth, and finally the ether from which his other creations arose. It is programmed to ascend and then surround the podium and the beast with stone walls before finally activating a self-healing repulsive barrier that ideally lasts for around two centuries. Cynthia said the other side needs to gather the necessary material.

"It's like baking," he declared nonsensically and smiled at Volo's antics. “Carve it, solidify it and let it grow, then leave it for hundreds of years before eating it. In this case, as a launch pad for a living spacecraft. God, I love it here."

This prompted laughter and kisses on the cheek before they packed up their supplies and removed the camp sign. They then quietly retreated back to civilization without ceremony.

"That's actually a very good idea," he announces as they head back into the familiar jungle. The air is always suffocatingly humid, but the thought of finally being able to relax with your partner on an island paradise is worth it. Volo snorted and continued, “This quasi-god has enough trust in this realm, and even in this universe, to fill it with the energy he originally stored in case of a catastrophe at home. Believe that one day it will be returned.

"You know, he may be planning to harvest energy with or without our permission," he ventured, and she shrugged without objection.

"But you'd better not think that way," he said finally, slipping under her arms even as they hugged. “And share that belief; sow the seeds of future mutual aid.”

He seemed to resonate, and his eyes lit up as he dove down to plant a kiss on her hair.

"Let's go home, honey."

Chapter 8: Constant

The body of the chapter

"What's wrong with you, giving away a rare Pokémon?" Volo laughed, almost falling off the pier, and after exchanging menacing looks and smug smiles, she gave him a hard shove.

The Pokemon in question is a shimmering shadow, a striking amethyst hue that now perches on Una's forearm as she sends heartfelt adoration. Magpie shrugged, acting as nonchalant as possible while his face melted from his skull in shame.

"Maybe now I really want to hear from her," she replied gruffly, ignoring his eloquent chuckle.

On the penultimate day of Poni Island, a woman very compromised Position y - from Voloto watch ——For this he tortured her mercilessly. Considering all her excitement at the time, it was still enough to make her embarrassingly angry.

On the last day of her life, Una wakes her (the bitch) up before dawn and takes her to Melemele. There, he not only made a deal with the man to trade the black dragon egg for a freshly caught hakama, but took it through the graveyard as night fell.

Here, shortly after confessing her affection for crows and reflecting on her thoughts on crows, Oona points out a rare specimen: a pair of inseparable but easy-to-catch Livi.

So when they get off the crab-shaped houseboat, he throws the ball into the cold-spinning Una, ruined by Worro's insistence.

"So this man knows where you live," Oona said, giving him one look, calming down, then slowly leaning in, "There's a little hole in the fence, huh?"

"Anyway," he snorted, meeting her gaze, "I followed the bird across untamed, unfamiliar lands to our bed, Uno.

Here she's smiling, not giggling, but her full breasts roll over her from bass to alto. He bared his teeth and wrinkled his eyes, tears glistening as he calmed down and opened them again.

"You're sweet," he said finally, and then This is Enough to rinse Urraca clean.

"Write!" she barks, turning on her heel and stomping like a frog back to Prelude Beach.

He was almost at the door when Volo caught up with her, his face buried in his wrists as if it were new information. However, he must have been lenient when she went straight to Xinghe Palace, he just said hello.

But when he stepped inside, the heat of resentment turned sour.

"Bonsly or chimecho is one thing, Commander, but this is... terrible Co-"

"Don't call him that!"

"Bones and skulls," growled Beni, "what else can you call it if not morbid?"

"What if you're so damn sad?" A magpie bite, and the three men and the cube turned to face her. Outside the office, Cyllene noticed Kamado's usual grimace. Most disturbingly, the cube companion wears the sigil of the island of Mele-Mele resembling an eagle on the back of a shawl tied around the waist. He looked back at Beni and said, "God man, you know that skull belongs to this little guy's mother, right?"

The chef was pale, but he straightened his shoulders. “You proved my point, girl. We have enough newcomers passing through the city, we don't need their beasts roaming around us...

"Beni," she and Kamado muttered at the same time and exchanged glances. His fist clenched at his side, the sight of it making his throat ache, and he looked down at his black-stained shoulder. When the commander finally looked away from her, Penny dodged his gaze and left.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as he passed her, but she didn't deign to watch him walk away.

The man from Alora nodded toward her, fiddling with the straps of a large rucksack. His short-cropped hair and odd beard are pretty much the only hair he has. He is tanned, but not as dark as Nanali or Mani and the Supply Corps below, and throws his arms across his chest as if suddenly frightened by his own bare chest.

She noticed this because after so long her perception shifted to the appearance of the skin and even especially His dark marks seemed to finally settle on his skin.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Alora," she replied with a smile, then leaned forward and extended her knuckles towards the skinny Pokémon. After a moment his eyes widened, he tapped the knuckles of his stick and seemed to be smiling at him too. - It's a pleasure to have both of them.

He got up, nodded, and walked through Lavington's office without looking back. She counted the man's steps as he followed the commander up the stairs to the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Laventon got up from his desk, laid down his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and had a smear of black mascara on his nose when he smiled at her. But her brow remained frowned, and she looked the way they had come and said, "It wasn't the hottest party, dear girl, but I'm glad to see you back safe and sound."

"Of course," he muttered as he took out his backpack and sat on the back of his battered couch. "Has Alora been passing this way lately?"

"Actually, since you first wrote from the island," he said, leaning back in the creaking chair. "They seem to be interested not only in discovering new continents, but in dispelling our misconceptions about the current state of the island."

Wolo sank back into the pillows with a crooked smile, running his fingers over the freckles on his cheeks and nose caused by excessive sunburn. "Alora did not know the dark curse for many years, and now we assure you."

"Speaking of which," Magpie chirped, losing her balance as she reached for something in her backpack. Near the bottom, under the shelter of the mountains, lay an egg for Melle Melle took a moment to open it as she spoke. "I am blessed to have changed because of this, but I must ask you to guide me through the incubation process."

Laventon looked at her as if she was handing him a ring or a computerized PokeDex. When she handed it to him, he stood up with a slight grimace on his face and gently took the egg from her hand.

"Luckily, there aren't many," she said, leading him to rest by the kottsu in search of a stethoscope. Nodding happily as she listened, she continued: “In nature, eggs only need a bright ray of sunlight, and often even that. However, a combination of facts and common knowledge suggests that traveling with eggs creates stronger bonds." incubation Did the merchant say what it is?

"Demon," he chirped. He put the egg back in his lap with a 'pause' gesture and headed for the escalator. She marveled at the man's comparison of this species to the jangmo-o of the region, and couldn't help but return to the old worry stone in her mind.

Even considering his own breakdown, he doesn't think Volo realized the extent of his panic a few months ago. After all, he comes from the impossible world, and judging by his listless reaction to Cogita's longevity, he didn't think much of immortality in the first place, even by world standards.

But for Urraka, it was the worst. She once believed that immortality is the highest desire to know all the knowledge of the world forever. Then, when she was well past sixteen, she began to think that eternal life, the survival of every loved one and empire, the survival of every conscious mind, should be but a curse.

(This was the driving force behind his entire philosophy, the belief that anyone who lived to see this view forever must go mad.)

Now, seeing the lines and lines of the first face he'd seen in that wondrous foreign land, seeing her body slowly corroding beneath him, he remembered it.

At the top of the stairs, Laventon dropped the boxy, leather-wrapped thing, and it was hard not to get up and see it fall.

“In fact, even in the areas I know, there are rare finds,” he says absently as he places the bulging bag on Volo's lap. "Old man, can you pass me your notes?"

Volo slid the open bag over to her, then reached into her backpack. At the same time, he re-wrapped the eggs in the hood and scarf of his old uniform. The bag reminded him of a scene he'd seen in an old movie: a doctor takes out old glass syringes and fills them with various tinctures. However, for an egg that is almost the same size as its own head, its shape is perfect. He won't think about it.

"Sorry if the graphics are bad," she said as he handed her a stack of parchment the size of his hand's thickness. "Neither charcoal nor ink mixed well with moisture."

"Oh!" Laventon yelled, racing across the room toward the tank where this little oshawott had once lived before accidentally evolving it, finding the second tier unsuitable for novice trainers. "I can't tell you how many times I forgot to remember to give you this in the last few months. Since you mentioned that you are moving out of Jubilife completely, I've been trying to pass it on."

He turned away, holding a handbag-sized leather bag underneath, containing a paperback novel.

Urraca stiffened as Volo stared at her.

NO, She wanted to sob. From the outside, she could feel her features tightening, a cold stillness beneath her skin that she hadn't felt in weeks.

It was such a sudden change of mood that he felt Giratina swirl in his mind.

"I've even written to my old friends in Galar asking me to send another video, although that may come someday because shipping across the ocean is much more difficult," he laughs as he hands her the box.

Her hand automatically reached out to grab it, but when she finally met his eyes, she was on the verge of tears.

Lavington blinked.

"You're…" She paused and tightened her throat. So: "...you don't need a camera?"

After a moment, he seemed to understand. And he was really good at it, not better than Volo, but in a different way. When she woke up, she tanned, and slowly listening to him, she realized that she still wanted to help others. Fix something as far as possible under his control; understands enough to give you simple and clear options that will make you feel like you are back in control of your life.

On get How difficult it is to interact with people on a daily basis when Volo has only recently become alienated and misanthropic. Keep trying and hold on to the world.

Now…

"I'll be forever grateful for what you've done for me," he assures her, running his hands over his skin, his eyes sparkling as he smiles. "But it's time to help other people."

• • • •

"Rye", an overly distraught Magpie, "neither are you!"

The man smiled a half-smile and touched the brim of his hat, almost ashamed.

When Lucille surprised them and they left the Great Hall to convince them to move the old temple, then offered to put the old sage next to it, one of the town's children apparently overheard the deal. A boy named Xiao ran away. In the short half hour they spent at Jubilife after their appointment, at least five people approached them asking about "that city they're building in the north" before Magpie or Volo had time to think about it.

"I thought I could set up this place with Ag Corpsman, and the highlands are home to a lovely steel-type Hisui," Rye explained, nodding stoically with his lucario hands folded at his hunched side.

"We didn't start anywhere," he exclaimed, watching his depressed expression as he rushed to qualifying, "until about five minutes ago. We welcomed Edith and Ida, and Ichiki won't say no. It's no big deal, though," she says. Then, equally sarcastically and warningly, "We're not escorting anyone, the old man's family is helping them. We're already dating.

"Apparently to build some huts," added Volo, equally embarrassed. However, when the elders said they would give way to Zhu Bisheng's "fresh blood", he took it very seriously. He was especially uplifted when Lucille and Ada explicitly mentioned finding a place for the old way of life, took out their notebooks and started planning.

"We'll do it our way," assures Rye, who doesn't like the stern look he gives Galaxy Hall, but leaves before he suspects anything.

When Xiang returned, they went to replenish supplies and discussed buying a used-looking cart.

"It won't take the temple," Magpie said dryly, and Uro thought she was about to punch him in the face.

"We don't take Roca" He groaned and she put her hands up in defense.

“How do I know this stone is not…

"Lady Magpie!" Sinon called after his son.

Uraka shuddered. Very Suddenly, a lot of Cogit's comments about the title popped up.

"We heard that you are building an enemy city!" Sho crows and That `s bad.

- NO! No, she replied too hastily, but um, politics. We're helping Lucille...

“…and a few others,” Volo whispered.

“… move the old temple to where we collected artifacts and historical documents to make sure they were safe,” he explained, noting that his mother didn't seem concerned about the boy's discouragement.

"We also want to move," Shinon said calmly, "but there is no place other than ethnic settlements. Even with a family, older people need more people to support them as they get older."

The magpie shuddered, Laventon's thoughts still unclear, and he gave in weakly. "Well, Rye will come to the rescue, but he'll appreciate a little extra help."

"Actually?!!" Xiao shouted with his eyes full of stars. "He's so cool! I saw him and his Lucario one day doing some poses and practicing at the ranch and they were so in sync hitting the ball like I i! "

She proves that even though Magpie doesn't have kids, she likes cool shit.

"They'll be happy for your help," he told the boy, his jaw dropping as he added, "We're going to have a lot of Pokémon around us to build and protect people."

"The alphas?" he sighed.

"Yes," she said, half laughing, half grimacing. He hoped Ada wouldn't lose her spirit. This woman has been working hard at this resident chimecho, but she seems to have changed now. It doesn't help that he lives very close to the ranch and occasionally sees a 12-meter rhyperior or a 1-meter raichu. She shook off that thought, looked at Shino and said, "If we expect more people, we must move forward and build a shelter." "

"Don't worry," Shinon said, his dark eyes crinkling as he waved.

The magpie blinked. When did people start adopting? Rice way? I thought it was a one-way street.

Sinon left her son with her blessings, frowning as she watched them go.

“Are we going to build a city?” she asked, and Volo looked up from his test, kicking the steering wheel. "For example, the social part of historical society?"

He smiled, perhaps happier than he looked. "Come," he said absently, "we will see a man in a chariot and a woman in an army."

It's weird to collect your favorite Pokemon and then pick from the rest of the treasure, not for combat or research purposes, but for the utility of settlement. she doesn't want to drink All He collected Alphas mainly because he didn't like having them on his balls for too long and there was no room for them.

Counting his crew in the castle, he saved more than two dozen monsters for situational battles, and of the few legendary beasts, only heatran was saved. Not much muscle but a great mix of psychic types and elemental beasts, she thought, stunned by the absurd intrusion... I bet Regigigas would be fucking priceless.

“Great, could Palkia put on a roof? Would Dialga care to till the land?" Volo wondered, choking on a laugh, panting at the incredible humor. She smiled as she saw him speak easily of the divine duo after avoiding them for so long, and her chest filled with warmth.

Proserpine is used to helping carry things, and although the wheelchair doesn't suit her, she struggles with the weight. Inside the box-shaped temple is an ancient sigil of Arceus (metal? stone?), a chest, a box of pokeballs, and as much dry goods and woodworking materials as the supply corps can sell, and al Rapidash can't be blamed for it.

"You may summon Lord Wydill," she told Warrow as he folded his hands at the gate leading to the field.

“We can all…” he begins, then rolls his eyes as she throws him away with a look that is both determined and a little bewildered. - Well, God knows you'll have something handy.

When Sanqua called her back at the last minute, she knew it and was even more excited about the chance to surprise him. Urraca waved at him, then met the woman in the doorway.

"I'm glad I caught you," the corpse's head chirped, tiredness evident in its usually ethereal eyes. "Rye, tell me about your plan ! I'd be happy, maybe even honored, to help and... maybe join? But I need to think it over. But now...

He was holding a stiff sheet of matte paper that Uraka recognized as one of Dagro's small engravings. With one glance, you can place it where you shoot from the foot of Crown Hill, or maybe even from the campsite, looking at the disintegrating bruises at the top of the hill.

All right, He thought, suddenly glad Volo wasn't around. The rift had almost disappeared a year ago, but capturing the moment with such clarity in time could do her damage, as did the demands of the three.

"Lavington took it when he first split the sky and wrote it down as history," he explained, before paraphrasing the professor's (incredibly insightful!) theory, then condemning it all as nonsense. . Can't really fault the woman but it was still rude. "But," he tweeted, "this photo sparked my creativity so I wanted to borrow it thinking I could make a painting out of it."

Sanque painting he thought, hiding his embarrassment long enough to connect the dots and nod. His eyes fell on the roof of the Xinghe Palace. By the way, little Ceci mentioned statues...

She must have caught Uraki's gaze as a blush spread across her cheeks. Like any artist, she is a bit shy about her work, but Sroka couldn't help but think about commissioning it for the archives in the future.

"You've talked about it several times," continued Sanqua (i Damn, I thought I finally crushed those Wallflower teachers) “You described it as eerie and terrifying, like under a storm cloud without rain. As hard as it is to understand, the idea that cracks form in all directions, not just flat as glass, is fascinating. Add to that the description given by members of the security team last summer, well, he's basically painting himself!

"Is this the end?" he asked hesitantly, snapping a photo and pulling out his dex to make sure it wasn't wrinkled. Sanqua seemed to appreciate the gesture, though he shook his head at the question.

"Not really, it's the biggest canvas I've ever worked on other than a statue, you see."

"Will you show it in the living room?"

"This is it..." She sighed, running a strand of her light blue hair back into place. "All .

It's a rating that's been pulsating on her radar, but this woman sheds weight pretty quickly as she gets in shape.

"However, when I heard about his plans, I realized that the historic library could be the perfect place for it."

Magpie sighed inwardly, her eyelids barely moving. Ah... woman.

"There is no question that our collective memory of space-time rifts fades over time," she said. “I hope this photo and my painting will somehow inspire people in the future. Even if they don't know much about the events behind this painting, I think it captures…”

zeitgeist, Magpie Supplies has suppressed this feeling severely since she traveled through time. Not only do people sometimes not like it, but often the words don't translate, which confuses everyone even more.

"... the environment," concludes Sanqua, "of that period. Lavington said to hand over the painting itself, and when it's ready, I want to take it to your archives and entrust it to both of you.

"Of course," Uraka said, her mind already working. Thanks to Cynthia's prescience, she can try to record more things that are likely to pass in time, and capture things that they can't have. He greets San Que and returns to the hallway with the intention of taking some pictures of his favorite faces, but without conviction.

Photographs require film, and film is hard to come by except for magpies that have it trap

how does it sound "Metaphysics screwed up!" Trumpet on the back of the head, thought ahead,

Hehehehe, copy failed oops brrrrr.

• • • •

The first task is to shape the terrain according to your will.

Cogita is completely self-sufficient with a small farm, facilities and source. But according to his statistics, it is predicted that at least temporarily it will be a dozen people. That means rebuilding.

Now the magpie is what it should be in a city maker: her simulation city, her animal crossing. But none of them really built anything from scratch like they do now, so she ended up writing to Sanqua every day. After three days of hesitation, the woman in the first letter encouraged her to use her Pokemon's skills, saying that the two-headed bird she had caught long ago had proven invaluable in chopping trees and crushing rocks.

So To It's something he knows how to do.

Its slopes at the Steelix and Rhyperior levels and the presence of a diligent tunneller meant that the sewer system could be excavated without compromising springs or groundwater. Arcanine and garchomp Volo do minor earthworks, prepare acres for cultivation, and compact soil and rock for house foundations. Her kleavor meticulously clears forests, while her gallada, gardevoir, and alakazam turn wood into finished building materials. When Rye and Sanqua arrive, alongside Ichika and the stunning Belamy, the old shelter is filled with beams and planks, fire pits and fields, and even has a shelter over a spring to protect them from Impact's natural disasters.

Rye's Lucario joins Volo's Roserade in preparing the fields while they still have sufficient food supplies, while Sanqua leads the people in building walls and thatched roofs.

In a few weeks, just in time for the old man's arrival and the autumn chill, they had built the skeleton of a small town.

In the morning after the first frost, Ingo came to visit.

He trains his alpha bronze using a modified psionic move possessed by alakazam - which Magpie recognizes as telekinesis but otherwise doesn't seem too familiar. He paired Zong with his pair of Alora lamps and is responsible for lighting the city with layered stone lamps built by Sanqua and his fancy ligant.

"Bronze, that's it Kid Please don't turn it upside down. Oh hello Inga! She turned to him and waved happily. They are in the northernmost part of the city, bounded by a gentle square slope, and the night fog has not completely dissipated. As usual, a small part of her brain distracts her from the Super Egg, wraps it up, tucks it away, and pins it to her backpack instead of her sleeping bag. The man didn't comment, more interested in the largest house in the city, which was intended for the upcoming old man.

"Good morning, Miss Uraka! We have arrived…” Ingo paused, looking first at Lady Sneasler, who sat next to him, then at Magpie.

- Oh, we... er, we don't have a name yet?

Ingo One After that, he seemed to shrug. He was about to continue, but his pale eyes fell on his companion over her shoulder.

His often stooped posture became erect.

I cry .

Not moans or sobs, but cruel, silent tears that he recognized not only in his breakdown, but also in Volo. Tears full of anxiety but held back; low.

Beside him, Mrs. Sneasler seemed more nervous than Magpie had ever seen her, even crawling along the edge of the Fiery Core. She moved closer, brushing his shoulder blades with the blunt curl of her claws, Arceus, that explains the coat.

- I... Inga? she asked, instinctively trying to grab his sleeve but stopping when he took a step back.

Chandelure gasped as if speaking a swamp word. Every word, sucking the mud but still pushing forward. His eyes closed intensely. “My partner in the subway is – I raised her from Lithuania. She's scary, caring, like… like…

"Emmet," he whispered, and when he finally looked back at them, his eyes were bright and pale as the moon. So "... subway? How's the subway?

"Yes," he said in a softer tone, but less trembling. Slowly, as Sneasler's paws rose and fell, he caught his breath again. Then he looked at her. "How do you know about them?"

"That's where I stumble," she shrugged sadly and smiled genuinely. "It's good to know that there is a strong public transport system in the future."

"Actually!" he said, regaining his composure. He tipped his hat to the side, and pride shone in his eyes. "Renowned for its efficiency and reliability, Battle Subway accepts only the most talented coaches and..."

How?He has a focused smile on his face, even as he tries not to flinch, scream or succumb to the perfect moment of frenzy.

She shook her head, shook her head vigorously, as if waking up from a dream, a thought had popped into her head.

"Hi," she said, and Ingo cut short the supersystem's single-double-many flattery to meet her sudden gaze.

He turned and carefully picked up a handful of Bronze Zong's flat wicks. Another, once attached to his hip, waved its tiny waxed arms without hesitation. Honestly, she was glad he was gone so easily; more than one ghost guy meant mischief.

She lifted the little mon to him, enjoying its warmth as she decided to ask. "Are you going to take it?"

Ingo blinked at her and the ghostly flame. Although his face was pale, he couldn't tell he was an old man, but a few lines on his brows and cheeks deepened as he frowned. "I'm not sure what…"

"Wait until you get back," he said firmly. Before she could look away, he seemed to feel the weight of her gaze. She waited until he took his hand to soften it, then put the wick in hers and said, "I hope you'll have something to remember about this place before we send you home."

Ingo holds the baby Pokémon like a plucked flower, and when he wraps his little arms around his thumb to hug him, his smile is small, gentle, and sweet.

As much as she tried not to scream, she also tried not to sing when she saw it. There was such a kind expression on such a stern face that it took her breath away.

He was smiling, Magpie realized, until he looked up just in time to catch Volo's gaze over Ingo's shoulder.

Despite their great experiments, despite their busy, fledgling population, the combination of freedom and home building...

His face was limp, his shoulders hunched in guilt.

Chapter 9: maniacal

The body of the chapter

Eight days later, Volo's first words to him were:

"It's been over seven years.

It rests on the cliff face of one of the Clamberclaws, on the easternmost shore, overlooking the water; looking south you may accidentally point and still see the cobblestone combination known as Nudist City.

God not a cliff The magpie thought for a moment and without hesitation sprang from Lord Braviary's slingshot. There's a 10-foot drop, and you can slide down the last 6 feet at an angle, but the maneuver will still make you squeal and raise some anxieties from the lords of the sky.

Nothing annoys Volo.

Urraca made his way through the vast undergrowth without stopping at his words, continuing toward the flat outcrop he had chosen (or fall, fate). Dusk was approaching, and the nearby pines and maples cast long shadows, sucking away the last of the heat that had held the highlands.

He barely had time to look up before she lowered herself to his level. Even as she knelt on his lap, her arms remained at her sides, wrapped around his waist, her forehead pressed against his collarbone so stiffly she could have successfully connected his marrow.

Volo said nothing, and Urraca dared not do anything more than breathe.

She tried to contact him before he left. Every day when they woke up, he greeted her softly, humming unanswered, nodding his head approvingly at the latest news from the city and its people. I don't even get that much every night. One morning she wakes up to find her bed empty and has to wake up from a near catastrophic panic attack...was it Rai? she's not sure. No image or sound remained in his mind.

She's weighing on him now and all he has, refusing to budge because they're in Cliff he is withered with her You won't lose it, not like this.

She couldn't cry, she couldn't release the carbon dioxide that had accumulated in her body and the fear of black tar. She didn't even breathe a sigh of relief. Until he comes home, until his mind clears; maybe never.

The shadows stretched with the silence, but her head was buried under his chin, and only her own breath was the measure of time.

Finally, Uro remembered his train of thought.

"The first friend I made in Emerald was Togpi," he said. Ordinary, distant, dead, nothing is stronger than melancholy. “When the ginkgo boat docked, I plucked up my courage and walked across the beach. Gent must have pulled me out of the sandy cove. I found her somewhere between the mountains. We've been together ever since. We're never separated again.

"Seven years ago, however, I found this place." He pointed west, and it occurred to him that they weren't far from the ruins of Celestica. Almost a kilometer of half-buried houses and crumbling marble houses. That's where she was looking when she saw him. "I know, I do Know Who owned this place before I knew their names and languages. It's in those prints, it's... instinctive. House. and was rotten Thousand years.

"But her story went on," he said, and there was enough trembling in his laugh to betray him. “Their myths, their rites, the names of their gods. I found Giratina and with the chains of my soul's destiny I fed them death and pain in the shadows. I saw the sky tear apart, the Light weeping. I heard..."

His voice rose.

She couldn't see it, but her mind offered twitches, changes to her beautiful features. The way they close their eyes is to ward off the rising, sinking tide of emotion, which is what everyone else is doing. In the blink of an eye, she wonders if loving someone you have such a deep connection with is narcissism or the only way to find and heal a withered part of your soul.

“I've heard horrific stories of mutilations, of riots. I heard about a man who was found near death in a snowdrift on a mountain,” he continued finally. With the slightest movement, she felt his hands rise and wrap behind her cloak. "A woman, confused and alone, dragged across the sea. But... as if you could hear a storm approaching on a distant shore. The inevitable price. I thought: Look? It was the poor little god who let it happen. I thought I could only fix the world standard What if I break them. If I destroy everything.

Her throat went rough, and when he stood still long enough to find him again, she didn't move.

It is hard to say that this is a sunk cost error. She had been with him so long, watched the ebb and flow of his self-destruction; he couldn't believe that she would be with him, that she would think he would be accepted back into the world. Pushes and pushes Press they test the durability of their gear in the temple, their patience in the woods, their faith every time they come face to face with someone they know before he tries to destroy the world.

He wants punishment. He wanted to be defeated by her, by the law, by Arceus. Because even failure means the end.

He didn't want it to end.

He said something about Arceus, and she erased it without thinking about what it meant to him. How one can feel the vivisection of the mind when one is both a spectator and a subject.

"I can't." His voice was hoarse, his throat wet, his whole body shaking. He curled up next to her, resting his face on her shoulder. You can feel tears and tremors, but not your breath.

The magpie took a deep breath. His hands pressed against her ribs until hot, wet breath reached the nape of her neck, and she exhaled through her nose.

In her next breath, she felt him following her.

It is very important to know exactly what is wrong and what is needed because you are often on the other side. It's easier to be with regular people stable even if they don't understand rain and wind, they can be a stone in every storm. But he doesn't think it will be the same. Sedentary, static people will not be able to stand it indefinitely.

Shadows cast a shadow over them when he breathed normally. The quivering and wriggling motion turned to shivers beneath her skin, and she felt the aftershocks moving through her limbs.

“No matter how bad I feel,” she whispers at the end, “I don't think I can stand the test of an apology. People I've hurt. It's easier…

"We can't have simple things," he interrupted. A dead voice left her, repeating the words of a man whose face she had almost forgotten. Ease is relative; the path that seems easiest to you may lead someone else to the hardest path in life. You can't choose who loses you.

This is not something from which he can draw some trivial tropes or empty platitudes. it's not lonely keep trying o Hold on one more day. Moving on with life is a choice, a choice made every day, every minute, every breath, and sometimes it's the hardest choice in the world. So.

But we can't choose those who will miss us.

- I can't make it easy for you. No one can, not even God. Since it won't be real, it won't matter," he said against his chest, and the words felt like thatweak,It does not matter at this point. But that's not the point of those words, the point is that he's still here. with her. “But we can make it easier for each other. Bear each other's weight. We will wake up together, we will work together, we will face together. We'll have a lot to do, but now is the time.

There is no such string of words that would be able to express joy and fear at the same time:

nas.

Together. not only.

His breath was as warm as the wind blowing over the sea cliffs, caressing her neck. The twisting muscles began to expand from his chest, legs and arms, like a steel cable coiling under the pressure of a weight. His hands didn't hang from her back, but he relaxed on her as the sun dipped completely behind the cliff.

Uraka remembered how tactile it felt as his jaw dropped and the line of his nose brushed her temple. She's always been a bit averse to being touched because that's what happens when she gets it. It swarms, it colonizes, it clings, and it's always afraid it's going to cost it too much this time.

But he melted into her, and she melted into him inch by inch, as if she were drowning in a bed of moss. He was a little thin, too warm, and the raw intimacy made her heart leap to her throat, but...

It took twenty-six years and the fall of one dimension to find " nas "I'd rather die than lose.

• • • •

"allow!"

Joy washed over Magpie and Volo like a tide as they left the valley and headed for Hideaway Bay. Among a dozen or so vertically arranged torches, lanterns and accompanying kindling, it even blocked the darkness of the approaching winter night.

Not that the coast could in any way be interpreted as cold. The sea breeze trapped by the southern mountains keeps both the beaches and the southern marshes warm and stuffy.

Seeing about fifty people milling about on the grass and sand, everyone tried not to flinch, Uraka especially tried not to remember the last time he had a drink with Alola. Many of them visit and patronize their booths, talk loudly with Latinos, and even show off their relatively exotic sidekick Pokémon. Regardless of the topic, everyone retains the same energy and joy, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an infectious vibe.

He realizes it's not just Alora, but according to Uro, the strange faces are probably from the Hoenn Mountains.

In addition, there are some very acquaintance face.

Walking between the ginkgo cart and the awning of the food stand, he saw a group of people surrounded by a familiar red uniform with a mess of curly red hair. Zisu's laugh was unusual, echoing in the mountains, with one hand around the black-haired man and the other around the blond man, both seemed to touch something in their hearts. He also sees a glowing turquoise head that leads Volo to the beach without much effort.

The man looks up from what appears to be a hollow citrus berry (probably filled with spirit) and points at the two. The circle of people around her interrupted the heated conversation and simply tilted their heads, following her gaze.

"She! She's…” he began, the alcohol seeming to hit him as soon as he inhaled it. Admittedly, he managed to say with a sigh, "She fought our sacred Tapu! AND ox! "

In moments of panic, she wasn't sure which was the worst option: affirmation, denial, or running away.

"Yeah, he tends to get into incredible trouble!"

Secret fourth worst pick: perilla.

She and Volo were leaning in opposite directions, and she tried not to tilt her head to look at the woman in her body as if she were a trapped homeless person. The woman slipped between them with a smile on her face, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was hidden suspicion, anger, or hurt.

"Her what?!!" Alora yelled, and now the Hornians were cheering.

Zi Su showed her trademark smile, folded her hands and nodded. "Yes! The Magpies here have not only suppressed the violent Royal Pokémon in our region, but also suppressed Pokémon that were once considered gods by the ethnic group!"

"Gods," the man repeated, and Uraka looked at him with a stony expression. He met her eyes. Behind the blush, his features were fairly simple, though his hair was much paler than the common sorrel of the islanders. He looked at her seriously, which was an enormous effort for someone afflicted, and seemed to nod after a nervous stretch. "I'm guessing that means you've had previous experience. Besides," he pointed to his companions, "they seem more interested in ancient cannon ruins than anything else."

Zisu smiled and patted Wolo's shoulder. Though he felt sorry for him, he was relieved that he was avoiding attention. "Looks like there are two of them!"

"Oh, so if you come to Hoenn, you should go to the Mirage Realm," said one of the women, half rolling her eyes as she waved her glass of beer. “My grandfather talks about it all the time. That and baby Balto Pokémon that appear from time to time. I never liked them, dusty and empty and so scary.

"Yes!" Another young man, wearing a Ginkgo Guild T-shirt tied around his waist, shouted. "And Claydol, with so many eyes?!

At first his words were gibberish, and a plan to distance himself from any fairy tale appeared in his mind.

"I don't remember if you were at the dead king's feast," he said suddenly, and the Arolane blinked and shrugged. "At one point I tried to describe the challenges faced by the clans here, it's an old tradition, especially when they welcome newcomers."

He held out his hands to the others, smiling triumphantly even as he saw Volo's shoulders drop in annoyance.

"Zisu, have you ever played pop-til-you-drop?"

Panting with delight, the orderlies raised their fists to their sides, signaling that the other men and women were waiting for her. Then he went to look for a supply of pop capsules. Magpie grabs Volo's arm and walks away as if he wants a drink.

"Brilliant," laughed Volo, pinching the skin on his bare forearm in retaliation.

After so long in the Highlands, they were dressed again (no wonder Alola recognized her), and she couldn't help but wonder if Irida felt like this when she was traveling.

The two grab their drinks and skewers, leaning forward each time they recognize Jubilife's face.

"I wonder what they're doing here," he muttered, worrying so much about the piece of fried meat he could barely get enough of it. "You don't think Kamado…"

The hip brace stops her and she looks at Volo's right side grimace. Walking down the sandy slope, she recognized the fancy uniform and hunched posture as she passed him.

Ginter sat beside her cart while Tuli sold her latest wares, fine fabrics and exotic gems, but on her knees she was fighting a shinx cloaked like raw pyrite.

Urraca gasped, then looked at his companion after a moment's hesitation.

"Go ahead," he smiled, pointing to where they had come with their kebabs. "I prefer to host energetic gossips."

She nodded, stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, and walked over to the cart.

Gentle looked up as she approached, ready to redirect it to the image with an amused expression on her face, but stopped when she crouched at his level. His eyes were a deep, flat azure, and he seemed surprised to see her, enough that he hadn't returned to Jubilife since late summer.

"Maybe?" he asks, not having to fake an adoring grin as he slaps the Pokemon.

"Of course," he growled, his voice low and muffled like a blacksmith's bellows. Glittering bumps rolled down his legs and back, and he looked up at her, gently sniffing her hand, then went back to his war with muffled ginkgo fur fists.

"When she grows up, she'll be very beautiful, the light is always like that," she said cheerfully, stifling a cooing as she leaned back and scratched behind her ears.

"I doubt if he will fight," replied Gent. He shrugged, always evasive and uninterested. "Little travel time."

“Traveling is the best time,” she said, then pushed herself back into a squat position. She tilted her head and asked, "Wait, isn't the guild planning to post on Happy Life?"

He shrugged, but his eyes moved with a slight strain in his shoulders. "It does not matter".

Urraca paused, considering this, and folded down to sit beside him. It might be worth the discomfort of a bit of sand.

"And you two?" he said, redirecting. He seemed to risk a glance at her as she hummed, though his reaction was far from avoiding.

"I think our reasons are obvious," she said, meeting his eyes. "I wonder if ours is the same as yours, though."

He leaned back with a grunt, drawing his arms back and crossing them, closing them. The little lizard rolled over and stretched, but looked down at the ground in disgust before snuggling into the merchant's lap.

- Where did you find this? he asked mockingly, returning to a neutral position.

"Fields," he said. It wasn't a bite, but he sighed as she nodded expectantly. "During the trip."

She remained silent, her deep eyes fixed on the sleepy little lizard that seemed ready to throw up her arms and disappear into her trailer as the silence lengthened.

“We're buying a base of operations,” he growled angrily. "We've been here since the guild landed here."

"It seemed like a good place to settle down," she said. "Even though storm season makes landing more dangerous."

“For such an atmosphere, I would endure any bad weather,” she complains, the most in her life, so she has to try.

So what does Jubilife look like today?

"Just so we can go," Cyllene replied above her head, and Magpie looked up, not bothering to confuse her question. This woman never liked lies.

Instead, she stood up, shaking the sand in a more stable, expectant pose. Cyllene met her eyes, and Magpie pressed, "What could be so terrible as scaring off not only your deputy, but also the head of security?"

She glanced over the captain's shoulder, and although she couldn't see Shisu from here, Cyllene's furrowed expression became more weary.

"The galaxy isn't what it used to be," he muttered, trying to relax before crossing the road and leaning on Gent's wheelchair as well. Talking about it exhausts both of you, which is not a good sign. “Having stabilized after last year, we are expanding. Seeing this, there is a push to end this strict rationing and replicate Corps facilities for general use. Commanders dismiss this as a temporary request and too expensive. put pressure on the supply and agricultural corps to suppress dissent and…

she's gone, Uraka has something no way I know yes. She was grinding her teeth, but she forced herself to relax and looked more concerned than depressed.

bitter, He once said to embody emotions. He wanted to say they pulled him out, but word got around easier than most at the time.

"The inspection team joins the security team," Cyllene ends abruptly, repeating the expression. “The commander wanted to explore less and began to consolidate the foothold that Jubilife had already established. He felt that in the city he built, it was necessary to use ... a steady hand. An approach that some of us are beginning to find disgusting. "

He goes on to describe state servitudes, taxes and background checks on newcomers, refusal of entry, border security and more, but at the same time Magpie's chest starts pounding with panic and some kind of rage.

"Captain," she paused, a title that was customary, though neither of them had a badge on their chests.

Cyllene fell silent, matching her gaze and expression.

Did you leave Lavington there?

• • • •

"Commander," muttered old Tomma from the bottom of the stairs with a grim face, "that step is too much."

She met him there as he waited for his legionaries to rise from below. His old friend's face was wrinkled with lines, not the healer's concern but the matriarch's disappointment. As they passed him from the hall, his bright eyes filled with storm, and Kamado turned as the two guards and their ward approached.

“To achieve greatness,” he murmurs in his reciting voice, “you have to take drastic action. Jubilife's future depends on law and order in the face of chaos."

With these words, he strode stiffly towards the double doors to the hall, opening them with the ease of an experienced warrior. He watched his men descend the stairs, his dark eyes scanning the hastily gathered crowd.

The sky above is clear and clear, but since there is no cloud cover, there is no trace of heat below, keeping the air fresh. The first frosts appeared earlier this week.

The commander demanded silence and addressed his men, something he hadn't done in years until two weeks ago.

"The man in front of you has been accused of robbery," he shouted, his bushy beard and eyebrows furrowed in an incessant grimace. “Not only from goods, not from strangers or competitors, but from our families, our children's food. He confessed to destroying some of the crops that Colza entrusted to him in the name of paying homage to the pious Pokémon.

"Three!" Lyris said with confusion in her sharp features and dark eyes. “Rayquaza's memory protects All Heavenly destruction. I don't-"

"That's why you was burned They," Kamado growled, and before Lyris could even flinch, the medic grabbed his arm and pulled him forward onto his knees. However, your skills are required and your Colza contract is worth staying in town. Therefore, according to our scripture, his punishment will be corporal. Ress, member of Dorian's medical team charged with killing 13...

Dongmen shouted.

Kamado stood still, maintaining order as confusion seized the vantage point above the massive wood and iron gate. From 50 paces away, it's impossible to make out what's written on it, but the tone clearly matches his recent edict on background checks.

It was also clear that there was a sudden exclamation of horror and gasps of surprise among the townspeople.

Jump, brick red and volcano black sail on the door And it landed in prime orbit with the weight of a meteorite.

After a few steps, the beast was on the level of the Xinghe Temple, only inches from the conspicuous position of the ginkgo cart.

She quickly recognized him as an alpha and a mysterious one, tall as history, with black hair and a tail. He could be mistaken for the Lord of the Isles if it weren't for the much less misleading figure sitting on his back.

Crowds rushed south, flocking to the Canara Bridge to watch events unfold amidst the growing tumult.

On the beast's back, leaning more on the stirrups than on the leather saddle pads, the Emerald Hero sprang to his feet, casting his dark shadow and darkest gaze upon him.

"A member of the Urraca Corps," Kamado admitted in a tone that sounded like a mockery of Canyon Bridges.

- I am? he asked quietly, then swung one leg over the saddle and all four fell to the ground like nothing. "I heard we were disbanded.

The clothes she wears may have once closely resembled her uniform, except that the black thermal pants were sleeveless turtlenecks and the kimono hung around her waist. A black stain ran down his arm. She walked up the living room stairs, thumbs on her belt, and surveyed the line of men in front of her.

"I also heard that you have some controversial practices," he said calmly and tactfully, without an icy note. Then, in a gesture reminiscent of the Diamond Clan leader, he said, "I'd be careful in any other situation, but well, I know where the end of the road is. For the two of us."

She stopped a step from the stairs and looked at him. Not anger, hatred or willingness of the coach. It was naked contempt, and a storm rolled over the mountain; the certainty of being on par with the opponent.

The commander stood by and accepted the challenge.

"This man," said Kamado firmly, trying not to move his bushy eyebrows and beard, keeping a calm but authoritative expression, "burned the crops as winter came and our villages were threatened with shortages. Mila miles away. "

"God!" blurted out Lyris, "those who have crossed the sky, who have calmed earthquakes and floods." He looked at Uraka, pleadingly at her, finding relief in her questioning face. "Rayquaza patrolled our celestial realm long before the age of man, and my clan is responsible for ensuring that the Aether is nourished, for they can never risk a moment's rest."

"Oh my," he nodded, feigning hilarity, "Commander, does that sound familiar?"

But Kamado disobeyed him, his hair bristling with joy and his hands free to pinch his sides.

"Lord of heaven, Lord of space, Lord of time," he cried, "what makes each of them God? They are beasts, raw and primitive," he cried uncontrollably, "regardless of our will or our desires! Why should we not hate their power but bow to them to keep us safe?

For the first time in two years, Uraka looked at him in surprise.

And, disturbingly, recognition.

"Christo," He muttered to himself, straightened up, and crossed his arms, not in disgust but in stoic understanding. "Oven door, Ty You don't have to either. In another life, of course I wouldn't." His tone was so heavy it surprised him. Seeing this, she met his eyes with bitter pity, a kind of exhausted feeling. "But people around you should be free to choose." "

"It's my duty to lead them," he scolds, reaching to the waist where he once carried a sword in another life; a loyal companion than any Pokemon. However, despite this attitude, she could not completely hide the coldness in her voice, pleading: "People in the Jubilee believe that I will protect them, how have I face them- ”

She stopped him from joining her and climbed the first two steps to meet his gaze where he fell. He had seen decades of pain, he had seen future unrest; a burden that can bring you down to earth if you don't bear it fully and consciously at all times.

"You care about them, a lot," he said ruefully, as if finally agreeing to something he was denying. “But you can't get any closer to fear than to compassion. Because when you raise your hand against another human or even a Pokémon, you are choosing absolute control over true good."

It took tremendous effort, aided by his inky hand resting on his bicep, a rift in space unlike anything since he had thrown it violently in an attempt of will to break the memory. It will always be there. The pungent smell of smoke and ancient blood burned his throat. When his eyes finally found her, her face was no longer the face he recognized.

He was gaunt and pale, with dark circles under his eyes and a clenched jaw. There was a dam against pain in her gaze, as thin as his, as cracked.

"You asked me the other day," she said before lowering her voice to realize they had almost screamed at one point. He felt his jaw tremble, the hardest as he allowed himself to shudder at the reminder. "If your faith in me and the gods is despised, how can you live with your accusations?" That's all…

Then she stepped aside, waving an unmarked arm, glanced at the townspeople, and motioned for the guards to help Lyris to her feet. He looked at the gathered faces and realized the difference between the various fears he saw there.

At one point, all he saw was anxiety and despair, thinking it was fear of survival, of the future. sees a lot now So Away from his quivering, authoritative vigilance. Fear of him and his actions was never something I wanted to see.

"That's how you treat them. Ask and listen with empathy and humility. Share the burden of leadership with them and respect their choices," Magpie continued before squeezing her arm to get her attention.

Being so young makes her back and joints ache, but she's kind enough not to make her worry about the future. He still couldn't laugh, but he nodded slightly. She handed it back and finished on a reassuring note.

“Don't believe in gods, but in people and their will to grow and change; being better."

Chapter 10: friendship

The body of the chapter

"Why don't you build your lab in Celestic City?" The magpie chirped suspiciously, standing on the log, looking apologetically at Lavington, and brutally smashing the newfound "mare" for research.

"Although they have adapted, I don't think the good people of Jubilife will ever get used to the presence of less tame Pokémon," he replied, carefully lifting one hoof and then the other to check. Then moving on to honey baubles on sheep's tails, "in fact, no place with a significant population would probably be suitable for such an endeavor."

"What do you want to study, Steelix and houndooms?" She laughed, which turned into a laugh as he paled.

"Jesus, no!" he protested as the little electric sheep patted his hand with one of its slimy horns in a reassuring gesture. He smiled at her, hiding a grimace at the small lump, and made a note in his handwritten note. "No, I think you've given me enough data on the whole region for a lifetime or two, baby."

Urraca's chest throbbed twice, and this time she didn't fight the bittersweet tightness in her stomach. This time he didn't cry.

"Well," she said, her voice trembling, "as long as you can choose a site and build it, you can stay in the Eternal City." And when the professor got up too, he jumped down and smiled - in our You can choose any copy from the Volo collection before you move the rest to the archives."

"Really?"

"Of course," she replied, heading towards the forest so as not to have to worry about the expression on her face. She did the same a few months ago when she directed Volo, even though she had Panos and Bacchus at the time. just in case.

Less than a week away from coastal revelry and just over two weeks before something less festive at COSCO's Clamberclaws. Ironically, he fears she will worry about him for a while, but Giratina offers him an ingenious solution of spying on each other via the extension (instead of his nightly proposal to merge Urraka and Volo's minds). It's a relief not to have to wait for the next addition, maybe two to your head. )

By then, he had reconciled with Kamado and even Beni, as they reconciled over a very nice bottle of sake at Wallflower. She didn't get to the point where she would say everything, but she bonded with him on an agnostic and willing level, able to respect his stance on fighting Pokémon. Namely, that information is scarce and risks cannot be calculated; he openly supported Lavington's plans to settle elsewhere, and did not outright reject her suggestion to reconnect him with Shireen and Shisu.

small steps.

Volo had sent word that he too would be coming home, and now he had finally managed to convince the Celestic Town elders that they were not claiming to be "in power" or that they were formalizing power at all. Sanqua has put all of her construction online and she and Rye are gearing up to troubleshoot. The previous few failures were due to people not realizing how passionate she and Volo were about the Pokémon archives and growing inventory.

The turning point was the seemingly controversial transfer of the crumbling remains of the Celestic statue to Giratina.

They spent several days dealing with the logistics while Magpie gathered a horde of cadabra (vowing to release them later and tended to the eggs they couldn't hold) and Volo laboriously and quickly dug up the gravel from the layer of earth. Succumb to the rising permafrost on the mountain. The actual shift was accomplished in less than two days, as the willpower of the thirty shifts easily blazed a trail and charted a course in the center of the globe. Quick So hard to fuck

So when the sun rises over the salvaged monument and the salvaged painting, the furious screams of the crowd of morning onlookers react… not very well.

In fact, she knew they had come to occupy a sort of theological echo chamber. But I heard another bitter old man call him the head of the house, the root of all evil shelf When Adaman shows up and then offers a fair seminar with Arceus about her sponsor later in the season, she engages in a five-minute tirade about destiny.

"I need your help with something," he said, deliberately screwing things up from Laventon's point of view, but continued. “It's actually a cliché for that jerk from Jubilife. We've been trying to figure out how to reconcile the divinity of the Big Four with their nature as Pokémon, especially in the ways we can communicate with humans. Whether it's here now or in the future."

The road deep into Eterna's forest is less traveled, but has been cleared of dangers and obstacles over the months, so you can lean in and listen carefully as Lavington ponders his answers.

"It's no small matter, Miss Urraca," he said, rubbing a bit of charcoal thoughtfully along the line of his beard.

In that moment, forever frozen in his memory, he realized: Poor Galarian wore that clumsy hat because he was It was cold all the time. She considers the possibility of starting knitting while he continues.

"From what you've told me, and from my own observations, I gather you're struggling with the category itself," he said, scanning a twisting gap in the screens' path. "Would it be inaccurate to say that you think humans and Pokémon are fundamentally separate?"

Eventually Magpie backs off, inevitably facing a major existential question she's been avoiding ever since she woke up in Prelude Beach and fought the animal Usually on fire.

"No… physically," he decided to insist. "You let me know we're the same..."

"Your theory of the relationship between unknown abilities and individual psychology is a great framework," he said, and he put a few things into it to gain conviction. He felt as if he was back in college, where despite his setbacks he had good support.

"But I can't grasp the same metaphysical hierarchy…"

Lavington deliberately cleared her throat, and she followed his arm with her gaze.

She furrowed her brow, thinking. From the beginning, he feared that the powers he was given would be do evil Bring real hell to this world. it means she's sure fabricated Others can at least score points. There is also the obvious possibility that Celestica, Sinjoh, and who knows how many others have access to this power, and like so many other things, it has been lost over time.

"Okay," she panted, slowing to keep up with him, amusing at first but not giving in to the sarcasm. “We put them together and it made it easier for people to accept the idea that Pokémon is divine and powerful. I accepted it. How can I… how can we tell people that their god is fickle, fickle, and extremely capable of suffering?

He looked up and frowned, and she found herself scratching the back of her neck. What does it mean to wander through the forest to open a gate?

"Ever since Volo and I started sharing the headspace with these two," he sighs, tapping his knuckles against his temples, "we've been aware of something written about ancient myths. nas. All creation. And I can say from experience that Giratina carries a lot of baggage throughout the "rebellion". They... don't understand why people hate them.

Laventon snorted and tucked his picture book into his coat pocket, a real felt coat, not the hideous concoction he had apparently brought from Hisui. "You know, I think you probably have all the answers you need, dear girl. Instead of trying to reconcile the balance of power, it's better to share the minds of these deified Pokémon on a very human level. At the end of the day, it's about us The effort to understand Pokémon is exactly the same; you document their lives, you write their stories...

"Take them through the crucible of fame," he finished, his grim expression turning into a crooked grin. Lavington reciprocated it with genuine joy.

"We're already trying to do that, aren't we?"

They continued through the forest, not bivouacking until Panos, bathed in golden light in the middle of the night, sprang from his sphere, effectively leading them off the wrong tangent. Not least of the blame, because the distraction was a whole maze of weasel Pokémon, which Laventon recognized from Galar as Guardians and furries. In the light of the fire they were both cooing and paying great attention to their show group. The magpie was especially delighted when Sable passed the old "lazy pasta" test with flying colors.

In the morning she examined her alien eggs in a jagged nest, and when she found shells as hot as a salamander's back, she screamed for the professor's attention. She confirms that this means it can hatch at any time, and amidst her enthusiasm, she refuses to tie the bag to her backpack and instead holds it open in her arms.

"For example, I did not Kid Little animals in a few years, he excused himself. With his umbrella, seasler, and newest arcane alpha, Kostheus focused only on the subtlest quivering of the egg upon its safe arrival. ..' he hesitated, his insides twisted hard, lake Buried memories. Among the dozens of thoughts that ran through her mind, she pressed her hand against the warm bowl and decided, I want to be too.

Lavington hushed the air, hushed the air, quickened his heart rate, and asked, "Foster?"

'Temporary accommodation,' he added, 'well, best. Yes Actually Even if you call kittens garbage bags, meatballs, and whoops, it's hard not to be attached. "

He throws his head back with a smile, and as always, it's better to be funny than helpless. She kept that thought to herself as he calmed down and said, "I think a Pokémon adoption system would be a great addition to... a network from any region.

A quarter of a mile before the scream, he was still strong enough to overtake them, three screams met with angry screams.

Magpie and Lavington stopped and she motioned for Hollyhock and Coscius to let them run ahead. When they finally catch up to him and witness his team hastily beat up the three would-be robbers and prevent them from escaping, he only regrets it a little.

"Hocks, Kosth, wait," he called, and all three turned their heads to look at them. The arm above the abomasum was now disconcertingly trying to back out of Kostheus' line of fire.

"You!!" Clover howled, pointing an accusing finger at her, curling the other in the air as if she could conjure her own cold wind. - Why is it always you?!

"Either my happiness or yours," Magpie replied dryly, momentarily handing Lavington her crib/bag. He surveyed the clearing that connected the old cottage to the new castle, quickly crossing about two dozen black lines as they fled toward the forest. Miss Fortune has a few claw and beak scratches, but nothing worth looking at. She couldn't help blushing as she announced, "I'm beginning to think you're losing your fortune."

“Oh fuck you,” Coin growled as he watched Magpie back away, poking his own Pokeball. His sour expression was masked by a sharp, nervous recognition as his eyes changed from Magpie to Charm.

The older one stood a few paces outside the door of the converted aviary hut, probably a voice of reason tinged with frustration, her elbow resting on her elbow in thought. "Is this your property?"

With his permission, Clover paled. "Galaxy can't pay you enough to build all this," he sneered as he straightened his arms for battle. It may be out of character, but between that and his last body punch...

“No,” Magpie laughs, watching with interest as the sarcasm in her tone eases some irritation. "Volo and my Pokémon helped me build it, including the hut here and the castle once we got used to it."

"Castillo?" Coin growled, frowning as Magpie smiled instead of anger.

"So far," Charm pointed pointedly, "whether from Jubilife or the clan settlements." Are modern heroes discredited?

"That's debatable." Magpie shrugged. She took off running, ignoring her roar, and began calling out to her pack as they retreated. It's easy to find the gloomy ones who always complain about leaving so close to noon. There are several barriers to incorporating them into the idea of ​​establishing a co-operative house or appointing their alpha misagius as guardian. The windows that used to absorb light were replaced with curtains and opened at dusk to let the flocks roam, and three meals a day were enough to make each Pokemon an alert co-resident.

Once inside, they try to find their favorite spots among the rafters and old bookshelves. She waited long enough to make sure they weren't asking for a "midnight" meal as a reward, then closed the door and motioned for the sisters and the professor to follow her.

- Will you come to lunch with us? she asked, letting her doubts evaporate with a genuine smile. I have three suggestions for you.

• • • •

- Did you go back to them after that? Charm asked softly but not cruelly, stirring the wine in her stemmed glass. Clover and Coin make a fuss that they can't drink and fall asleep on the couches around the bar before the seal is broken. She ran her fingers through Cohen's hair, considering Magpie's account of the events around Crown Hill. In a rare display of vulnerability, the youngest of the trio rests his head in Cham's lap, having been lulled by countless stories.

"Not exactly," Magpie replied, straddling Volo with her own leg. The man returned to her and was preparing a large portion of garlic noodles for a total of four unexpected guests. The boredom of documenting transfers between the Celestic statue and other relics left him exhausted and admirable.

Lavington withdrew shortly after their arrival and took one of the vacant rooms, which was empty except for bookshelves. He hadn't thought of turning them into bedrooms until now, mostly because of the word itself stay It sent shivers down her spine.

“When I recovered, I turned surveying into positional recognition,” he continued, feeling Volo twitch. She looked at him and saw him caressing her face with one hand, and when he saw him tilt his head, the smile on his lips was more like a grimace.

"Honestly, I think it's because of me," he explained in a low tone due to his habit of surrounding the subject. Something Charm bites.

"What did you do to deserve such a thing?" she asked, her mother's protective letter enough to make the magpie faint.

“The whole blackmailer,” he laughs, poking his body with his foot. He groaned, relaxing in the back of the living room. "Your children are here to unleash everything from rifts to fanatical nobility."

Charm's eyes were keen, but she took a thoughtful sip of her drink, waiting for further explanation before passing judgment. We have incredible energy, really.

"I pitted the gods against each other," he said at last. “I took a wronged man and persuaded him to take revenge on Dialga and Palkya. Their collapse opened a chasm… In fact, everything else was a consequence. The greater sin was that I used Chaos, manipulating dozens of people, my own attack on God."

"I guess you failed," said Charms, clearly determined to jump on the bandwagon. According to Magpie, adaptability remains the greatest feature of survival.

"He broke my nose and charmed the god of the upside down world," he said firmly, blocking her half-hearted attacks on his words. "We've been fixing everything ever since and..."

It disappeared as it searched, and Uraka replied, "Perform the task divinely appointed. In the end, all the heroes end up with them.

Charm nodded, set his wine down on the table, and pressed a fist to his temple. "So you offered to open the door for the three of us," he began, the gears turning behind his eyes, "isn't this from a galaxy or a clan?"

"Or any god," Magpie adds, wondering if Chaum thinks trapping all three of them behind another wall is a trick. She kicked her legs back and turned to look at the woman, desperately hoping her emotions weren't mistaken for pity. “When I first heard the three of you, you joined because you don't belong to any of your gangs. The first thing I saw was that you supported each other."

Charm let out a slow breath, her hand resting on the spot on her belly where blood had spilled on the charred grass only a few months ago. The magpie watched and nodded endlessly. They care for each other more than they hate each other.

"We want you to have ours," she said instead. “You are all great trainers and I think an environment like ours, base but not wanting to be sedentary gives you peace of mind. That' he smiled, 'and you're an expert on soil types, one of the few people who haunted my nights for fear of a premature earthquake.'

Charm smiled and just exhaled loudly through his nose, but it was still a victory.

• • • •

“This is the part where they are totally crazy,” Meli whispered to the audience.

"Melli," Magpie warned, "don't ask me to teach you what the word biopsy means."

The man was pale and posed a sharp threat. Since they tinkered with something, one of his best oral argument weapons taught him terrifying new concepts. A useless form of psychological warfare against Volo, but less provocative than actual Pokemon battles.

With that out of the way, he refocused on the audience and controlled the trembling of his voice and limbs. Out of over thirty people gathered, only four knew the whole truth. Saying what's left is like peeling away layers, cutting through a vital scar; as something that can be recovered.

"This," he said, pointing to a bust made of three parts basalt and one part raw marble, "is Giratina."

"Some elders may recognize the name now, but many more will recognize its echoes in the legends, stories and personal narratives we cover on today's tour."

Such folk tales have been the focus of his collection in recent weeks as Sanqua and Shinon helped set up the monument and restore the engravings. After traveling all day, Volo shows up one night, strangely elated by his experience with the old man of the Pearl Clan. What began as another sober confession and apology quickly turned into an oral history of an elderly family who were among the first to arrive in Emerald.

The old woman, though leaning on the shoulder of a burly young man, is among the crowd now, but she shares with them a rare memory of sitting with her parents around the fire, like a rebel, talking about the Cold land blessed by the heavenly quartet.

"It was called Forsaken, Exiled, and Shadow of Arceus," he continued, greeting a few people with bowed heads, "and we'll talk to them later." Giratina is the third of the trio of Dialgi, the rulers, and Palkia, the ruler of the cosmos. All three were created by the Lord, and their abilities are second only to all things.

"It should be Arceus," replied Uro. He passed her and in the great hall, which split into two wings on either side, he stood next to another marble bust recovered from the wreckage of the Sinnoh Temple.

Tracking him down was the most difficult task they faced in this operation. During the battle between Dialga and Palkya more than two years ago, the roof of the temple was blown off in three main sections. But before that, he had barely noticed the metal and stone similarity between the cross symbol on the ArcPhone and the Jubilife.

And like the roof of the ship, the great lump of marble miraculously survived the collapse of Crown Hill, falling between the rows of stone teeth. In a way, it's poetic.

Their book was much larger than they thought, and the two long corridors were paved with limestone and basalt floors. As soon as you walk in the door, the first thing you see is the San Que fresco between the busts. Sanqua's insistence made Urraca nod for hours, agreeing with the accuracy of his re-creation, since he could only work with the curve of his jaw. Of course, there are hours of skinning as the artist (and architect) squeezes more emotional detail out of it than he plans to discuss here.

“ Before the Universe, the Primordials Breathed Alone Volo recites, and as he learned last year, his voice is perfect for speaking and reading. He hesitates on makeshift things and she doesn't quite shine, but she treats it like a Pokémon battle. On Ton is always fluid, never sharp like Melli or deep enough to get lost in a crowd like Adaman. Two beings released from primordial time and space, three in one; The other side of the world gave him an angry third person ”

"Many of the beliefs and customs of the Celestica people have passed over time," Magpie continued, "but the inscription on the back of the plaque has not, and we have had the privilege of collecting and documenting it."

He was ready to sink his teeth into his newfound flesh. Everything about it suggests that the world isn't so dull and nuanced as to not know Volo's actions on Spear Pillar or turn them against him.

And yet, as she looked at her audience, she didn't see the wave after wave of whispers, or the flashes of hatred or rejection she'd been waiting for. There were some wrinkles, some looks, but... For that.

Widziała go w akcji. Nastolatka z prawie ufarbowanymi na rudo włosami wydawała się zaraz krzyczeć, a Adaman położył jej dłoń na ramieniu.

The two patriarchs brought their guardians, the elders, but two young men stood in the crowd. This girl and boy and their storyteller. Only a hair shorter than Elida when Magpie first came to Emerald.

The layout of the patriarch.

Adaman and perhaps Irida, Kamado and Sanqua reached out, made an impact, spread the word and kept their heads.

“These passages also stand in stark contrast to the few legends that have survived the centuries,” she continues, more confident than ever, even as she wrestles with the most exhausting philosophical concepts. If taken into account, is the key word here, not her understanding of Giratina's exile. You see, if we keep the last paragraph a secret, the connection between Arceus and Giratina is pretty clear.

"Everything Has a Source" She recited: “However The originals are nowhere to be found. In all creation, and above all in creation, the Firstborn looks. understand Arceus as the creator and avatar existence of the universe, we can deduce that it is Giratina absent for example” she held out an ink-stained hand, most of the unknowns hidden in the unbuttoned sleeve of her kimono. She held a simple bad luck berry in her hand and continued, “Let it be in your mind. The mind represents every object that we perceive in space and time. If I take it off - the other hand tucked the berries behind her back - will it really go away? No, it's just moved, but I don't have anything in my hand? years because there is air, dust and technically even light.

Here it points to an elaborate overhead atrium. Putting the glass cover on the frame was a semi-challenge, even with psionic Pokemon, but the design stress was still worth it. The sun was just beyond the zenith, illuminating the marble and basalt surrounding them with a soft golden light.

It's all still part of the cosmic whole, she thought, tired of hearing herself say it for so long. Urraca also worries that all this philosophizing is getting in the way of his goal, so he adds one more point before refocusing. “The real opposite is Co It's separate, one whole, different honest he himself. And for Arceus, that absence - he pointed to his empty hand - was worth embodying all of himself... I do! "

Bad luck berry is nothing more than a juicy stalk in her hands and she looks down reproachfully to see her week-old navy blue deino munching on a stolen snack.

The silence of the atrium was broken in an instant, and there were giggles and gasps of surprise among his friends and countrymen at the sight of such an oddity. The magpie, frustrated with him, couldn't resist picking up the little black-and-black visitor and feeding him the remaining berries. It just doesn't care about the difference between a fruit and a stem (or a finger, for that matter).

"I think I got a little lost in the weeds," he finally said, wrinkling his nose at the angry faces of Volo, Adaman, and Irida (and Melli, Cyllene, and...). "Ultimately we say: Giratina, no matter what age, couldn't be more evil than this little guy. I do not say jargon, It's just that all beings can do harm, some can be cruel, but nothing in this world or anything else can just be ignored devil. "

After all, it was one of the basic aspects of what he had embraced when he came to Emerald.

During her first week of walking through the fields, despite being sure it was all a very lucid dream, she caught Eevee, a little-known little brown fox. Zi Su once expressed his fascination with this creature because it is the only one that can evolve Hachijo Various ways; the woman met them at Lavington's office and talked to the professor about the possibility that there were more ways.

However, a month later, when her beloved chaotic Panos joined her for another terrible night, transformed into a form of soot and saffron, Shisu He frowned.

Relatively rare in the grand scheme of things, dark types are considered dishonest and ruthless. They are weak against noble warrior types but strong against ghosts, and the people of Emerald especially consider ghosts to be wandering human souls and the greatest tragedy. For many people, translated directly in some contexts, darkness means evil.

dark meaning cheat.

And she's not lying.

"How can you say it's true?" There was a sharp, sharp, questioning voice. The Diamond Maiden looked at Uraka defiantly and perhaps with a hint of curiosity in her eyes; next to him, Adaman shoved his hands into his pockets.

Looking at her, the patriarch smiled and shrugged as if to say:

Can you ask for a better chance?

Chapter 11: luck

The body of the chapter

"maybe you To have Include Almighty Arceus in my protégé's rebuke? Adaman asked as the last old man staggered into the courtyard of the historic center. It was an interesting question, despite the genuine shock and surprise on her face.

Uro looked up, one eye still glowing red, his smile twisted and his hands were raised in defense. "It was his idea!"

'Gentlemen,' sighed Irida. The two patriarchs seemed to be sneering, as if waiting for someone to jump up and shout. cutting!

Not this time, Magpie thought sarcastically. Giratina's presence should weigh more than ever, but it doesn't, vanishing into a cloak that wraps around her shoulders but doesn't pull away completely from her. So leave it for now.

The sun was approaching forty-five degrees, and an hour had passed since the rising patriarch had asked for and received proof. He took the form of Giratina and Arceus, breathing respectively the numbing cold and searing heat from their mouths, their proclamations shattering the glass above his head.

First heroes, then pagans, now...

pioneer. Symbiosis on both sides of the relationship of relative reciprocity.

Maybe the actual qualifications of the deities are just dramatic.

"He...has another idea," Volo said more seriously. Urraca winced at what was coming and turned toward the entrance. He continued behind his back: "Our... Preparation Can be adopted by others. "

“Other…gods,” Irida concludes, her gaze determined despite the uncertainty surrounding her. Much better than Adaman's reaction, which paled. "and others".

The four of them paused for a moment, as if a lifetime had passed, and the surrounding silence spread throughout the atrium. Worrow seems to swallow the words of the speech and plucks up the courage to take it back completely. Magpie felt a sharp pain in his stomach and knew that any answer would only add to the patriarch's burden and burden. friends' - Arm.

"Everyone," he chirped, turning her back to the door and spreading his arms happily. Laventon wants us to visit the lab next week, then he'll be here Here Visiting the sanctuary, so I should think about getting ready to leave...

„Minato!”

His name resounds with two voices simultaneously, separated in time and space.

From the living room, where the gathered crowd staggers down, Ingo circles the maroon-accented walls, carrying her baby Litwick on one shoulder and the new Lady Sneasler on the other. It must have come down Clamberclaws, not exactly a hike, but unexpected nonetheless.

Feel the electricity from the entrance, now past Urraca evil Volo was pacing back and forth, getting goosebumps all over his body.

"Cynthia!" she said, staggering a little on the sharp turn in the opposite direction. Panic seized her; five pots were cooking on four separate stoves, and despite his efforts to keep lids on each, all pots were cooking. He felt as if he had fallen off the leash and smiled at the sheer absurdity. "I see you figured it out...

"Ingo?"

Due to his pallor (which is rapidly worsening) and the set of his white shirt, white pants, and white lab coat, the second character blends into the lab's white walls as he stares through a dimensional window at his own spitting image. .

There was a rhythm, many things coming together: the twins and the clan chief; Volo, with his pained face, undoubtedly their chief companions; last but by no means least counted by Cynthia.

"It's…" the woman gasped, her voice trembling so intensely it sounded painful. "Will that be the motivation for your first experiment?"

"Yes," Uraka said weakly. Then, shaking off the feeling of being caught in the harshest headlights, she took a few steps toward Ingo. "Do you recognize it?"

"Why not!" the man shouted, his voice loud but with the same quivering wild note as Cynthia's. "I'm Emmet!"

"You are... To! " shouted the eredar proficient Uraka then raised his hands with his two index fingers pointing upwards.

What's especially fascinating is that the first one to stare at her is... That's right, the subway boss had the same idea.

“Presentation!” he shouts, pointing to each face in turn. - Cynthia and Emmett, from another dimension! Irida and Adaman, the patriarchs of the Houses of Pearls and Diamonds, respectively! And - he shrugged at Volo's simple face, insisted in his heart - I should mention that Arceus and Giratina are also, um, here."

Another blow. Ioke stood up again, tugging at the hem of his jacket.

That can happen too.

“After the incident with the Ultrabeasts,” Cynthia began to collect herself, clasping her hands together and placing her knuckles on the bridge of her nose, “I became much closer to our friends at the International Police Department. suggestion of a lost Kalosian medium It was then reopened. In short, the same medium pointed Agent Looker, Emmet and me to herself.

"Is there a time limit?" Ingo asked, clapping Urraca's elbow. She shook her head, pushed herself away from the frame, and watched the torn twins finally face each other. "I'm Inga. I've been at Emerald for about six years. I'm Mrs. Sneisler's warden. I had - he lost his bravado for matter-of-fact simplicity - a bit of my life before I moved here. But not everything."

Uraka doesn't quite understand what she's saying; it's a cliché, but while you can empathize with the emotions, the way other people think is still beyond your comprehension.

Once, at the beginning of their acquaintance, they talked about Mrs. Sneasler's claws. He began to marvel at organometallic structures and began to wonder if these toxic secretions were not just by-products or lubricants for climbing cliffs. Ingo had rants like "You're changing track. I'm getting more and more confused," and she was still hurt, thinking he was teasing her or really mad at her. what he wanted to say Do not do this.

After being separated for a whole week, Zisu forces them to duel, resulting in Ingo declaring his "change of track" a godsend to their wrestling. She asked him suspiciously if he still disliked her, and he was surprised too. Just because I can't keep up with your engine he once said It doesn't mean you're going in the wrong direction.

Look around, neither do Irida, Adaman, Volo and Cynthia; but that's okay because ant clearly

The other twin turned directly around, and though his smiling face didn't change, he replied emphatically, "I'm Emmet. I am your twin brother and I have I miss you. I miss you very much.

Ingo's shoulders are wrinkled, but he's completely free of the weight he's been carrying. It was more like something that had held him up for so long finally rusted and he stood up on shaky legs for the first time. Emmet was there, listing Pokémon's names and traits, entertaining him with several stories of subway-conquering battles, in a series called "He's A.

Filling the space lost to time and divinity, rebuilding in your self-awareness the support structure of your twin, like digging a collapsed tunnel.

The magpie took a few steps back, not knowing why her breath was stuck in her lungs. Ingo vigorously gestures to his clan leader and Mrs. Sneasler as he announces his arrival. She stepped back and watched the past and the future collide.

A warm, calloused hand slid into her from behind. She looked up and saw that Volo's eyes weren't crimson, he hadn't even had a chance to disguise his expression with something innocent.

She tightened her throat and picked up her latest addition to get something.

• • • •

"I could call you Phobos," he told his little deino that night.

It's a complete relief that Volo stopped doing something like putting you to sleep at night not too long ago. She deals with insomnia and watching him nap makes her feel worse, and when she finds a way to express it, he understands. Now she can just wrap herself and the baby in a cozy duvet and hide in the armchair by the window in the study.

The moon was hazy and moody, almost lost in layers of clouds and snow. Emerald winters are a nightmare for the unprepared, but magpies once lived in similar temperate regions and learned to cope better with winter.

The thought stuck in her throat.

"Obviously Deimos is not a starter," he continued. The little beast paid no attention to their chatter as it gnawed at the globular acetabulum Lord Ursaluna had unearthed. Lavington had warned her of the species' tendency to wantonly destroy property, but she found it hard to argue against their unique way of interacting with the world. "Thanatos is too strong, but he dare not speak your name, whether he is afraid or afraid.

"I think I like the idea that you're all mine Aegis" she thinks. "He didn't exactly ask me to protect anyone, but when I realized the dangers and powers possessed by Pokémon and how OK You can…"

When the Magpie took the bone from him, Ioke chased after it with fitting fury, smiling and keeping it out of the little boy's reach.

Panos was the one who offered him favors, and after meeting him, he faced swift and long-range attacks to protect Iskan. She didn't ask him to, and she didn't even notice Buizel, who was pissed and still is.

"Ioke" he whispered, "Go and bite."

Newly hatched chicks make a hoarse, clicking sound that clearly resembles the cry of a bird of prey from the Jurassic movie. The hair on his collar paused for a moment, rising upward, transforming the mysterious force into a violent upward bite.

Points of violet light spread out of his reach, and the bone nearly ripped out of his hand.

Ioke caught it, remaining on its hind legs for a winning moment before staggering backwards. Then, like a cat, she just grabs the femur with her tiny foot and gnaws it in a comfortable reclining position.

"How could they think you were angry?" she thought, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her temples on the soft flannel pajamas. “Given a chance, you will learn well if you have someone who knows how to support you in the areas you already know. This is about what you already…know…”

In the darkness of her office, surrounded by collected texts and months, if not years, of researching her thoughts swirl For the first time since meeting the slant-shouldered sober man in the darkness of the winding road, the guilt she had held for so long, buried so deep it was unwavering, was undone.

In seconds, she threw off the covers and ran up the stairs, bursting through the bedroom door long after midnight.

"Lie down! My God!

Transport Ingo to Cynthia's lab. Their task is to arrange everything, as well as to meet certain conditions of happiness and fulfillment.

Encouraged by Arceus' immediate assurance that it would work, in a rare display, the magpie summoned Lord Braviary before dawn to hunt down her displaced caretaker. Waking up like this, Ingo still holds her in his arms and they both linger between tears of joy and sadness.

Within a few days, with the help of another eureka moment, Pokeballs from the Dark Rank next to the first circled its tired wings and summoned the clan chiefs, professors, and Lady Snaissler came to see him off again.

The heartbeat between the activation of one rune sequence and the next acknowledgment of her arrival was thunderous, and she nearly crushed Volo's hand with her own.

Cynthia anchored the wormhole in the empty square in the center of her lab, using the "gravity trough" she had perfected the previous day. In addition to her and Emmett, there is another man and woman from the perfect fashion dichotomy within a healthy distance.

She tried to focus on them, their desire to be ordinary people, their extraordinary stars and silver cloaks, but she was forced to choose between that and holding her breath.

They were then joined by a man in a faded black overcoat and a fur-lined uniform that was neither ostentatious nor dignified.

Emmett knocked him out in the blink of an eye, sobbing openly with a seemingly rare outburst of emotion. Ingo and Magpie join in and he laughs wetly as he hugs his twin sister and she hugs Volo in turn.

"Thank God," She clung to his neck, feeling the chill and laughter echoing in her chest.

"He said 'You're welcome,' Volo snapped, and she couldn't help but say:

"Seems fine to me."

• • • •

As an open gateway to future timelines, it does not replace the Gatekeeper.

But instead of waiting, Ms. Sneasler communicated via alpha alakazam to a Celestic Town resident that she would prefer to stay in what is fast becoming a nature reserve halfway up a mountain of hundreds of square miles. Her puppies have grown, and the growing snails are much more territorial than she can tolerate; indeed her motherly tendencies and her protection are a blessing to the sanctuary.

Just like Kamado and Cyllene's interest in the new wave of Galarian arrivals and their proposal to start building a railway network. Steam can manifest at breakneck speed, fueled by growth stones and the fire of Hisui dogs, not coal or natural gas. Magpie is doubly relieved that this timeline will not go to waste, and both species are credited with loyalty to a destructive force.

Equally enthusiastic is Laventon, who finally fulfills his dream of crossing the continent every few months in a horse-drawn carriage, dividing his time between the sanctuary and the laboratory he has set up in his apartment in Sandgem.

Even at dusk, when the obsidian field was covered with snow, it wasn't cold enough to wear a flannel coat. He uses it anyway to wrap himself around Ioke, who doesn't like the cold (and doesn't insist he's cold-blooded). , whose group is known to spread species in the wild.

Tucked away in the rolling hills near the Lake of Truth, the lab was a small crooked building of white brick and blue tiles, with smoking chimneys.

She knocked on the door, putting her feet on the snow on the steps, listening to the sounds of the man coming inside and noticing the gentle click of the china, her heart pounding.

"Good morning, Miss Uraka!" he greeted, a wide grin curling his cheeks under the chin of the good Arceus, the straps of his hat hanging loosely. The honey-sweet aroma of heat, wood smoke, and tea spread around him as he invited her inside. "Your happiness is absolutely delightful, dear girl."

The lab takes up three-fifths of the house, and of course six bookshelves surround a series of mismatched desks and chairs, and a fireplace marks the passage between the lab and the living area. The same couch in the Milky Way Hall stood in front of the fireplace, and next to it that bliss soaked in heat, the professor's suitor lay in curls on top of his head.

She took off her shoes and coat, sat cross-legged on the sofa, snuggled into the threadbare leather, and wrapped her coat around her body. Blissey writhes as she sits, gently stroking the tops, whispering; wooper doesn't even squirm in his sleep.

Lavington handed her the familiar cup, warming the lingering chill on her fingers, and she took a grateful sip, a sour and sweet bloom on her tongue. Your secret weapon, put to good use: A spoonful of brown sugar sits at the bottom of the cup and loses its flavor over time. When Laventon joins her, she immediately strikes up a conversation, presumably over her morning cup of tea.

"Sorry, I can't fire Guardian Ingo," he said, "but his description of this proposal requires careful communication with the Joy clan elders in each area. Did you know that they are second only to the Draconids in terms of lifespan? with a blissful evolutionary line?

"No," she gasped, rightly surprised. “Volo talks a lot about the former. How it's working?"

He hummed over the rim of his glass and thoughtfully watched the snow fall outside the window. There was never any prolonged eye contact. "Well, as long as they choose to follow the clan's creed," he said, "they either inherit the egg or get their own, and their mates tend to evolve as they train."

"Do either of us have to worry about outliving the other?" she asked quietly.

“Not generally; normal life expectancy is about the same as ours,” he replied, luckily he had apparently forgotten his caffeinated black tea. “Now the hardest part is, of course, to use the 'soft' effect in the most effective way possible. Pokeballs are rapidly gaining in popularity, and not only do trainers want their growing teams to heal, but their passion for travel drives them to rush."

“Here we come in,” he says with a sly smile.

When the sun is shining, they return to the lab. Laventon organizes his notes and resources while Sroka sits at an architect-like desk. She draws a "HUD" and asks Blissey to heal her as she pricks her thumb, repeating the process three times before she is sure she can rewrite the unfamiliar script before her.

Over the course of a few hours, with the angle of the sun changing, her main ally helped her sort out the sequence and put it together to recreate and channel the healing energy into the steam valves in the center of her team's Pokeballs. As the first signs of success began to show, Lavington rushed to another table and took out a crumpled set of plans.

His theory was outlined on the back of the article, and he recreated a machine already based on an old staple: the incubator. The first machine was a form of storage that could be modified with a panel engraved with a sequence resembling a noble protective shield.

At lunch, he worried that such a process might take decades to reach the scale the world needed.

She didn't reassure him that they all "don't have time."

Instead, Uraka reminded her that she on how What potential does humanity have? He wanted so much to show her.

He took a seat at the other table, a table as experienced as himself; from Galar, through Jubilive, and here. He sighed, took off his hat, ran his hands over the waves of salt and pepper, and smiled.

"I think it's the biggest leap of faith," he admits, "believing in something as nebulous as the future."

• • • •

"Mage," he whispered. I found it.

She wakes up slowly, rolls over without thinking and cuddles up to him while Uro goes back to bed. Amidst her seductive purr he continued, curling up in his thunderous tenor.

"Heavenly Man".

Uraka jumped to his feet, risking his scalp breaking away from the partition, and watched him with renewed attention. "Yes?"

"Yes," he said with a smile.

He wrapped his arms around her, resisting her instinct to run for the office, and placed his other hand behind her head. A gaze smooth and clear as a gal slid over the rafters above them, flitting carelessly over the knots in the wood as his fingers stroked her skin. As he continued, she activated the touch.

"Arceus and I talked about what people do when they're hurt," he said. “I told him that our boys can make mistakes and they can have a fear attack. I told him how people sometimes deal with injuries. He asked me how I was dealing with it, and I… well, it's kind of frustrating. Confused, right?

“We isolate ourselves,” she said, feeling the warmth of her own breath against her skin.

"We have. Sometimes it looks like anger,” he strokes her biceps; she remembers how her lips parted once. "Sometimes I feel ... apathetic."

She remembered the lost thought of the sunset, with his back to the cliff. When it sticks into it like a tick or a fishing hook; anchor. This means that in front of your reflection, you can see more clearly what is broken and what wounds can be sewn up, even if you are looking back. Loving this reflection helps; whether it's a soul mate, God or yourself.

"Looks like we're psychoanalyzing God," he joked, causing a chuckle.

"I think so," he softened.

"Mai once told me that the clan thought he had "sneaked" out of the Emerald, he said, tracing an irregular rhythm across his chest as he rolled backwards. "And... Giratina said Tianhong thought they were abandoned first."

"Then they came for him," he replied, sweeping his hand over his head and calmly combing the air. “They traveled far across the seas, looking for a place where they could reunite with him. They made their own stories, they studied others. They settled elsewhere. Shinjo to Johto, Kanto and Hoen; known and unknown everywhere.

"You see," he mumbled, as if sharing a secret, as if swearing, "before I met Cogita, I thought my blood obligations were absolute. However, when I revisited them, I began to believe that Celestica's blessing was... "

He paused, running his fingers through his hair, thin, dry strands brushing his scalp. They bind to it, move and move away from it, as if they were solving the problem with their own minds.

"I - nas Our longevity is preserved as long as we have what we most desire. Cogita conveys the weight of our stories, the desire to learn or discover something.

Maybe they didn't find it exactly, but maybe they found happiness meaning in these new lands, with these new people. Perhaps, learning as much as possible about the world he created, they discovered more than anyone else. "

Urraca felt a terrifying static build up on her skin, strange to be stimulated by such an old memory.

Look for all Pokémon and you will find me again.

For a moment, she tried to figure out if the darkness around her felt like yawning and abyss or suffocating and suffocating. He could feel his heartbeat echoing off the beats of his skull.

He believes that it is impossible to know everything in the world, in the universe and beyond dimensions.

I remember that night, that first night, when she could look him in the eye for the first time and she didn't want to leave this world (this world and the one before), he said that God is All So really unfathomable.

Maybe it can only be discussed in groups, witnessing love for others, maybe life itself in this world will come as close as possible.

"It's going to take a while," Volo whispered. Her breathing slowed, held back again by his warmth and weight.

"I can't wait," she said.

He kissed the top of her head, and she let the last of the tension subside, her soul soothed, and finally, at last Nadal.

"as I".