Intermission – Intruder

“Abomination.”

Uxie’s whole body trembles in place, their eyes wide open, glowing brightly as they exert themselves farther beyond than they’ve ever done before, trying to focus all their effort and power into getting this… Thing, this monster in front of them, this Grovyle lookalike to forget all about Fogbound Lake, to drive them away like they did with all the others.

So why wasn’t it being affected?

“You come here before me, invading the lake I guard so preciously, wiping out my Groudon illusion as if it were a mere toy in your hands.” Their voice is shaky and strained, exerting with effort, the gem in their forehead glowing bright along with their eyes, but it seems to be flickering. “Few have managed to get past, but none have ever withstood the memory wiping.”

The machine scoffs, its optics narrowed as it simply takes a step forward towards Uxie. “It seems your powers don’t have the same effects on circuitry that it does on the brain. All you’re doing is wasting your energy.” The machine steps closer, its gaze narrowing. “I don’t have any quarrel with you, and I’d like to keep this brief. Step out of the way so I can claim what I came here for.”

Uxie steels their resolve, their eyes glowing brighter as their body tenses up, their gem glowing brighter than it ever has before. It’d be blinding if the machine’s eyes were to actually be real. “The Time Gear is not yours to take! I will not allow you to leave with it!”

A burst of energy suddenly erupts from Uxie’s body, sending ripples across the surface of the lake, and for the Grovyle-like to be pushed back a fair distance away from Uxie, their eyes closing once again, panting heavily as they float in place. “Would it be any other Pokemon, I’d have suspected my last visitors. But you, no… You’re something more, aren’t you?”

The machine’s feet dig into the ground as it’s knocked away, using its sharp, metallic fingers to keep itself from being knocked back any further, staring down at Uxie as its head lifts up. “Nobody told me about this place, I’ve known about the Time Gear here for a long, long time. If you’re going to try to stop me, I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”

“As if I ever would have given you one.” Uxie’s expression turns into a determined frown, their psychic energies tapping into some sort of advanced Swift attack, dozens upon dozens, if not hundreds of stars forming around them. “Begone!” Swiping their hand forward, the stars begin to quickly launch one after the other at the machine.

The Grovyle-like’s arms seem to detach from its elbows, floating in place as it begins to near effortlessly dodge through the barrage with seemingly little effort, quickly making its way closer and closer towards Uxie, its palm stretch out, launching a synthetic vine out.

Uxie barely manages to see this coming, narrowly dodging out of the way just in time as stars keep launching from behind them, channeling deeper into their psychic powers and firing an extrasensory blast at the machine.

To which the machine is grazed by, a searing mark left just on the side of its body, but it seems to pay little to no mind to its sustained injuries, closing in the gap between it and Uxie. Its detached arm reaches out towards Uxie, grabbing them by the face and thrusting them down into the ground.

“Hmph. Exerted yourself too much mentally, couldn’t focus, it seems.” The machine says coldly, staring down at Uxie, who is peering through their slightly opened eyes, as if trying in one last vain attempt to wipe the creature’s memory.

“I-I don’t understand, how could a creature like you possibly exist?” Uxie manages to mutter, their body quaking and trembling weakly against the ground, their vision dimming around the edges, trying their hardest to stay awake, even if the mental exertion is taking an enormous toll on them. “What… Are you?”

The machine’s eyes stare down at Uxie, and it can be heard letting out a huff. “Glyph.” Its hand slowly lifts off of Uxie’s face, before swinging and striking right down upon them.

And then everything went dark.