Lights in the Abyss

The ocean was still.

The light of the moon shone over a cloudless sky. Waves crashed and crested, spraying salt into the air.  They continued to roll, up and down, up and down, echoing in the calm of the night. The few flocks of Wingull, Wattrel, and Bomberdier still awake lazily glided over the tranquil waves, unaware of what lay beneath the surface.

Starlight cascaded over the ocean floor, with spectral patterns embossed over white sand and rugged stones. Plants lazily waved in the quiet currents. Across the vast expanses of the sunlight zone, not a single Pokémon could be seen out and about, let alone ones that weren’t ferals.

Unless, one knew where to find signs of life.

Hastily built structures of driftwood and clay stood in the distance. Lanterns with bioluminescent algae and spectral fires cast a soft glow over the camp. A forest of kelp blanketed its surroundings, growing denser as the ocean floor receded.

Tension hung over the Pokémon of the camp. Most appeared to wear light plate armor, and those with limbs held makeshift swords and spears. The soldiers continued to mill about, talking in hushed tones and looking out towards the direction of the beach far off from them. 

A Lanturn drifted idly in the camp’s center around a circle of stones and coral. Ringed chainmail lined his body, and a circlet of opal lay upon his head. He in particular seemed to be the most jittery, as if he wasn’t meant to be there. His eyes scanned the area as he looked for a certain Pokémon.

He swallowed a lump in his throat as his orbs gave a soft flash. A year ago, he’d never would’ve dreamed of being clad in armor, on his way to change the world. The future lay in his hands… no, not just him. The ones closest to him were in this, too.

A certain species caught his eye, and he swam over to an imposing Primarina adorned with pearls, barking out orders at a few weary looking Goldeen. She stood with the grace of a dancer, yet had the grit of a veteran.

     Lanturn began to speak up when the Primarina finished her tirade. “Margaret, uh, I mean, Colonel!”

     “Hm?!” She turned around, and her expression softened upon seeing Lanturn. “Ah, General, how may I be of assistance?” 

     Lanturn gave a frown and sighed. “Please, just use my name.” He paused for a second. “Have you seen Aoi anywhere? She went to camp a few hours earlier.”

     Margaret gave a curt nod. “General Aoi went into the kelp grove next to camp. The one with the clearing. I understand you two are-”

     “Yes… I… just want to talk with her before it starts.” Lanturn’s expression turned from moody to downcast.

     “I… understand.” Margaret’s face softened. “If you go now, you should have enough time. I must continue to rally the troops here and prepare the breathing bubbles. I will be honest, I’m worried about her too.” She gave a salute. “You know her the best out of all of us here, Lux. Good luck.”

     Lux returned with a salute of his own. “Thanks. May you bask in Kyogre’s glory.”

     “Likewise.”

Lux turned and headed for the walls of the camp. The Pokémon milling about looked up from their preparations to give him a salute in what ways they could as he passed. He returned them whenever he could, but it didn’t feel right. It happened so quickly. It was her idea. If it weren’t for that fateful day, maybe she wouldn’t have done this.

He exited the camp and followed a small path deeper into the kelp. His heart felt like a stone, like it would sink him into the ocean floor or beach him ashore. It yearned to see her, to calm the buzzing in his brain.

He pushed onward as moonlight dimmed through the tangles of kelp. Lux shone his own lights from his antenna, guiding him through what could only be called a labyrinth. It surprised him that this place hadn’t turned into a Mystery Dungeon yet. He wasn’t complaining, though, and shuddered at the thought of having to go through one alone.

He pushed aside a few more strands as the path ahead widened, and emerged in a quaint clearing. The moonlight shone a spotlight into its center, where a lone Pokémon floated alone, facing away.

The Lumineon stood still, lost in thought, eyes shut. She, too, was clad in chainmail, and wore a tiara adorned with aquamarines. In the light of the moon, she looked almost ethereal. Soft light ran through her upper fins, giving her an almost magical glow.

Lux’s heart jumped as he saw her. They’d gone on so many adventures together, yet it felt like he was meeting her for the first time. He stood at the edge of the clearing and called out to her.

     “Aoi?”

She gave a small gasp as she opened her eyes and turned around. The two stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, save for the rustling of the kelp around them.

     “Lux…”

     “Hey…”

Lux smiled at her. The two drifted toward each other, their gazes locked onto each other. They got closer, and held out their fins to each other.

     Aoi placed hers in Lux’s and beamed. “You look good.”

     “Me? Have you seen a mirror lately?” Lux smirked.

     Aoi gave a chuckle. “No, actually. I haven’t had the time.”

The two embraced in each other’s fins, pressing closer to each other as their foreheads touched. They felt lighter than air, as if the world stood still to give them their space. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Their worries washed away, thoughts and stress of a war ahead were lost to the forest around them.

     “It’s just us here, isn’t it?” Aoi nuzzled Lux on the cheek.

     “It’s just us…” Lux returned the gesture. “I don’t want this to end.”

     “I love you, Lux. I don’t want it to end, either.” Her eyes remained closed.

     “We don’t have time… if time could stand still… if I could, I’d do it for you…”

The two pulled in closer, and leaned into each other. The forest stood still around them as their lips met. Their warmth spread throughout their bodies as their fins wrapped around each other tighter. Lux’s bulbs and Aoi’s fins began to shower the clearing in a dazzling light, yet neither opened their eyes to see their radiance.

At last, they parted from each other, and their lights died down to match the moon’s. Both continued to gaze at each other, blushing a little redder than before. 

     A sheepish smile etched itself onto Lux. “This place is pretty… how’d you know about this? I didn’t think we went on many missions out here.”

     Aoi turned her head to the stars above. “I… this was where I woke up.”

     “Pardon?” Lux’s expression turned softer. “You mean, this is where-”

     Aoi nodded and smiled. “This is where I ended up in this world. When I got turned from a human…”

Human. She felt the word on her tongue. The word rang in her mind. It was supposed to feel familiar. That’s who she was. Yet, it felt almost wrong at times. How long had it been since she opened her eyes to clouded memories? A few months to a year? She felt like she’d lived as this fish in the open ocean for all her life, yet bit by bit, those clouds in her mind gave her a glimpse of what she left behind. A face, or a name, or a place. Strange how those memories were the ones that were alien to her now.

She was human, she’d told herself. And yet, she was a Lumineon, too. She’d made new friends. Done great deeds. Fell in love. Was the path she followed truly hers?

     “I woke up here as a Finneon. Confused and frightened. No idea what a Pokémon was, or why I had fins and gills, and why I was underwater. I didn’t know how to breathe right at first.” Aoi continued. “He found me here. Gareth found me here…”

     Lux’s voice softened. “Oh… so that’s how you two met…”

The two draped a fin across each other’s backs and watched the kelp dance. 

     Lux spoke up. “I miss him… I miss him so much…”

     “I don’t think I’d be swimming if it weren’t for him.” Aoi kicked at a pebble with her lower fins. “It’s not right…”

     “He’d love it here with us, I know it.” Lux held onto her tighter. “If only…” Tears fell from his eyes and floated to the surface like crystals.

     “Lux!” Aoi put a fin to his cheek.

     “They killed him… just like that… it wasn’t supposed to happen…” The tears flowed faster as memories flooded back. “Why? Why?”

     “Bastards, the lot of them…” Aoi’s expression turned stern.

Gareth. The three of them had been dating. It was the Vaporeon that found Aoi, and who brought up the idea of forming a rescue team. It was so simple back then. They signed up as a trio at the local guild, and delved into Mystery Dungeons for rescues and some treasure on the side. The hard work never left them: as soon as they got comfortable in Sunlight ranked dungeons, they’d be booted straight into Twilight, then again with Abyssal.

A fragment of pride welled up inside Aoi. The three of them felt like they could’ve taken on anything. Never before had there been a rescue team that advanced so rapidly. Most teams took years to reach Abyssal depths. Yet, the upstart team with the amnesiac human did it in months.

     “This spot was one of his. You remember the weekend before… that day?”

     Lux nodded. “He came here to clear his mind?”

     Aoi looked endearingly at him. “Yes. He said this place was the third most beautiful thing in the whole ocean.” 

     “Oh, he didn’t mean us for one and two, did he?” Lux’s face broke out into a new blush.

     Aoi chuckled. “It’s Gareth, of course he did.”

The two continued to laugh, before gazing back to the forest around them. The water around them began to flow in a weak current, kelp swaying even further.

     “Aoi…” Lux fidgeted with his armor as his voice dropped to a whisper. “You think we could’ve saved him?”

     “I… don’t know. I thought we were safe. Out of the depths. They all looked friendly enough at the meeting. Gareth… no, we all got too careless.” Aoi shut her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

     “Careless enough to kickstart a war?” Lux turned pleadingly to her.

     “It… it had to happen eventually.”

     Lux’s eyes widened “Wha… what?”

     “It was going to happen. I wanted to tell myself no, but they brought war upon us…” Aoi’s voice began to waver.

     “Aoi, what are you saying?! War was going to happen? That meeting was supposed to be a diplomatic one!” Lux started to panic.

     “Didn’t you see the signs, Lux?!” Aoi shouted. “It wasn’t going to work?!”

     “Hell you mean, it wasn’t gonna work?” Lux pleaded. “We were making progress!”

     “It wouldn’t have changed!” Aoi retorted. “You know what those land-dwellers are like! A piece of paper wouldn’t have changed anything! I’m sick of seeing our ocean tainted, spit on like we got banished here by the gods!”
 
     Lux swallowed before speaking. “Did Gareth die for nothing, then?!”

     “THEY killed him! They killed our boyfriend, Lux, how could you see anything in them?!” Aoi began to break down in sobs.

     “Was… was all that work for nothing? Everything we did? Every trip to the surface? Every conversation? Months of building those connections?”

     Aoi wiped away a tear and adjusted her tiara. “Those same bastards killed him… What did we ever do to them… Gareth’s dead…”

     “Did he ever want a war? I never wanted this. Aoi, you never wanted this!” Lux shook at one of her fins.

     Aoi tugged away. “I’m done talking.” Her voice turned gravelly. “They wanted a war, and we’re bringing it to them. They’re going to know the pain he felt… the pain we’re feeling…” She sunk her lower body fins into the sand.

     “You… you haven’t lost everything! We have the guild, our friends!” Lux took her fin with both of his own. “I’m still here. Please, I love you!”

Aoi clenched her jaw, then began to breathe. In through the gills, out through the mouth. In… and out. She counted to ten in her head as her blood continued to burn through her. Lux simply watched as his grip continued. He’d seen her do this before when stressed. Spitting out water through the mouth felt unpleasant whenever Aoi tried to show him. It was a human thing, she said. Humans did this on land without any gills. Her breathing steadied, and Lux helped her back into floating.

     “Thank you, Lux.” She took a final breath. “You… you understand, don’t you?”

     Lux shut his eyes. “I’d carve the ocean’s trenches for you. I loved him, too, and I love you. I just… I don’t want more pain in this world.”

     “Isn’t this a way to stop it?” Aoi said softly. “When they’re gone, the ocean can rest easy…”

     Lux paused for a second. “Is this truly what we want? More sacrifice?”

     “I won’t let Gareth die in vain.” She turned to Lux. “I… I honestly don’t know what he would do. But… I think he’d want us to keep living, right?”

     “…Did we do the right thing? Last week?”

     Aoi took another deep breath, and looked back up at the moon. “I don’t remember much about who I was. When I was a child, I was told that everyone had something special about them. They tell that to everyone. I didn’t feel special. But now… I’m here. I am a human. I am a Pokémon.”

     “But… even Kyogre didn’t know how you woke up here…” Lux whispered.

     Aoi continued. “There must be a reason why I’m here. I don’t know why I was brought here.” Another tear. “Gareth… and you… gave me a reason. I don’t want to lose that reason. We’ve done so much. We awoke a god. We’ve found a path to victory. Lux, won’t you follow it with me?” She extended a fin.

     He let the kelp around them sway for a second. “Aoi, you trust me, don’t you?”

     She shook her fin at him. “I love you. I always have.”

     Lux hesitated for a second, then took her fin. “Alright. We’ll get through it together. For Gareth, yeah?”

     Aoi came in closer and touched her forehead to his. “For who we loved, and for the whole ocean.”

     Lux looked into her eyes. “You’re just as beautiful as the day I first met you.” His eyes shut. “You’re not just a human or Pokémon to me.”

The two embraced again, though not as tight this time. Their feelings eased the stress that had fallen between them, with the occasional tear making its way from their eyes to the surface. Their lights shone again, brighter, this time with resolve. Yet, again, they did not see each other’s radiance until the ocean forced them too.

The once still waves above them began to crest. Dark, gray clouds shoved aside the shine of the moon and the stars. Above the surface, bird Pokémon began to cry out and rush to whatever land they could find. Raindrops drizzled, then showered, then poured as thunder rumbled far in the distance. To a normal Pokémon, it was just a surprise rainstorm. It would ruin a few plans, but the coastal port was used to such things. Vendors shut their night markets a bit earlier that night, and off duty workers groggily got themselves out of bed to get backup at the lighthouse.

For Aoi and Lux, they knew it was no ordinary storm.

At the first raindrops washed away the final traces of moonlight, the two broke apart. They simply looked at each other as the raging waves swished the kelp around them like a vortex. They turned to leave, and held each other’s fin. Aoi took the lead, and Lux glanced behind him at the now gloomy clearing. That time they had felt like a few years had passed.

Aoi began to let her fins glow, and tugged softly at Lux. He turned around, lit up his own antenna, and gave a nod. They delved back into the forest of kelp, and didn’t look back.

The two lit up the foliage around them as Aoi retraced her previous path. Her heart began to beat faster as the rain continued to echo above them. Memories of grasping the tail of a Vaporeon through the very same forest found their way back to her.

They emerged from the underbrush to small currents running toward shore. Even in the wide open sands, they didn’t let go of each other. Both of their bioluminescence died down as they followed the path back to camp.

The once calm waters now shook the walls of the outpost like wind chimes. Driftwood clattered against what clay structures could be rooted to the ground. Lanterns that shone brightly now contained muted flames and exhausted algae. It seemed like the ocean’s wrath could not even spare parts of itself at times.

     Aoi stopped and looked back at Lux. “Are we ready?”

     Lux nodded. “I’m more worried about you, honestly. You’re the one rallying the troops.”

     “Lux, come on, you’re more than just a guard to me. We’re generals, for goodness sake.” She smirked at him.

     Lux returned with one of his own. “Y’know I was never good with words.” He reached over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You’ll do great.”

     Aoi blushed and smiled. “Thanks. Let’s do it for Gareth.”

As they crossed the gates, they let go of each other. Both forced stern expressions onto themselves as the few straggling soldiers still preparing turned to them and gave hasty salutes. They swam closer to the camp’s center, where a horde of soldiers bunched up, waiting for their orders to be given. Weapons were raised as the storm picked up above them.

Margaret stood at the group’s edge, preparing breathing bubbles for Pokémon that needed them. Her eyes caught Aoi and Lux, and she turned to them and stood up straight with a salute.

     “Generals. It’s almost time. The forces await you.” She blew a bubble for Lux while speaking, enveloping his body in the special liquid.

     Aoi returned the salute. “Thank you, Colonel. I trust you have made necessary preparations?”

     “Yes, maam. We have almost everyone accounted for. And you?”

     Aoi didn’t flinch at all. “I was discussing strategy with Lux,” she stated. Her gaze turned to the surface above, covered in rippling, breaking water. “This is Lord Kyogre’s signal. They have kept their word. I believe victory is guaranteed now, as long as no unforeseen circumstances interfere.”

     “Perfect.” Margaret finished blowing Aoi’s bubble and enveloped her in it. She adjusted her hair. “General, if I may be unprofessional for a moment-”

     “Just say it, Margaret.”

     “…Be careful, Aoi. It’d hurt to see something happen to you.” She turned to her partner. “You too, Lux. Watch each other.”

     “Will do.” Lux spoke with a salute. “Aoi?”

     The Lumineon lined her own bubble with rings of reinforced water. “I’m ready. No turning back.”

She took a deep breath again. Gills, then mouth. With a nod at Lux, both swam above the edge of the crowd and hovered over it as Aoi waited for them. The chattering turned dead silent until only the sounds of rain and distant thunder could be heard.

Aoi began to clear her mind. Gareth’s smile appeared in her head, and she began to speak.

     “My friends of the sea! Lord Kyogre’s signal has reached us, and it is time for us to depart soon. We have the blessings of a god; it is our duty to push onward and fight for our future!”

     “The Pokémon of the surface have encroached on our homes. They have despoiled our waters and ruptured our ecosystems for their own callous greed. They spit on us, call us weak, and refuse to look us in the eyes. The conch we have extended to them has been rejected and insulted; they think themselves to be the ones in charge of our lives.”

     “The time for groveling at their feet is over. Kyogre has shown us a destiny to seize, and it is our duty as denizens of his domain to restore the natural order. This is what months of work has led to. This is the culmination of our efforts, of our unity, of the bonds that these land dwellers are too blind to see. Our moment is within our grasp, and all we need to do is claim it.”

     “As we speak, regiments across the continent’s shore, organized by our very own Guild, have also received Kyogre’s signal. The number among us is only a fraction of our might. Know that our merry group is not alone in our fight, and that our victory shall be an effort made by and for all Pokémon of the ocean. Our offensive is a combined force designed to overwhelm their settlements before they have a chance to retaliate.”

     “If any of you have any doubts, I ask you to cast them aside. Hesitate for a second, and you too could be swept away in an instant like the ones we have lost. Fight not for yourself, but for your friends, your family, and your homes. Fight so that we may lift these clouds and shine the sun on a day of peace. Fight so that no more blood shall stain our waters red. Fight to reclaim our place in this world.”

     “You may look upon me and wonder why I would tell you this. I am a human, and nothing will change that. I am also a Pokémon, and nothing will change that. Upon entering this world, you all have shown me the greatest love and care a lost soul could believe in. You welcomed a stranger in both mind and name with open fins, and now, I return the favor. I, too, have felt the same loss that many of you have felt. It is with my heart that I say that in the vested powers granted to me by the gods of this universe, I extend these blessings for all of us to stand as equals. Know that as your general, I have no intention of standing back and watching my comrades suffer. Let us restore order in both our own name and Kyogre’s!”

     “For the sake of our lives and our futures, we ride the waves onward to glory!”

The regiment remained silent for seconds. Thunder drowned out by Aoi’s words now raged above them. She took another deep breath, and waited. 

A Seel in the front began to clap their flippers. An Octillery followed. Then a Basculin. Then a pair of Spheal. The claps turned to murmurs. Then to cheers. Then to shouts. Kyogre’s storm was drowned out again as spears and swords raised skyward.

     Aoi let out a sigh of relief, and yelled over the crowd. “Now, we march!”

She turned and swam outside the camp with her fins alight, her army dutifully following. A few combined efforts of Lux and Margaret finally managed to set the troops into rank and file, and the march of their lives began. Aoi and Lux spearheaded the forces as morale ran high. Among the cheers and chatter, Lux turned to his fellow general.

     “Honestly, didn’t think you had it in you.” He gave her a wink.

     Aoi pushed down a blush forming. “…Thanks.”

     “You did it. No turning back. No more running, I guess.” Lux looked at the horizon ahead. The water grew murkier, dingier, with more debris scattered as they went. “I… don’t know if I can take it.”

     Aoi reached for his fin. “I’m here, Lux. I’m not losing you.”

     “…I don’t want to kill. I don’t want to take a life…” Lux’s voice rang hollow.

     “…Then I’ll do it for you.”

     “You…?” He looked into her eyes. The light he loved was gone. “You… you used to be afraid. You never wanted to hurt anyone back then…”

     Aoi remained stoic. “We are at war. It’s kill or be killed. I am not the girl I used to be. I found a purpose.” Her grip tightened on Lux’s fin through his bubble.

The storm reached its climax as lightning struck the water’s surface. Shock and awe erupted among the troops, yet they held firm, gripping their weapons and bubbles closer. The water sloshed and battered a few Pokémon as the waves crested higher. Trash piled around them, with loose boards and scraps breaking loose into the open sea. Rain and darkness brought the forces closer and closer until they could finally see docks, then boats, then buildings. Not even the now functioning lighthouse could pierce the deluge.

     Aoi took a final, deep breath. “Margaret, what’s the time?”

     The Primarina saluted and pulled out a luminescent dial. “Seconds to midnight, General.”

     Lux tugged at Aoi’s fin. “Aoi, what was the exact deal you made with Kyogre-”

     “I’m sorry, Lux. Gareth.” She shut her eyes. “Hang on to my hand.”

The roar of Kyogre erupted behind them as the water lit up in a sapphire glow. In an instant, the entire port shone brighter than a star, its luster emanating across both the sea and the forests beyond. Rumbling ran through the ground as a minor earthquake shook every Pokémon on the coast alive. Emergency bells rang from the lighthouse, clashing against the sounds of nature’s wrath.

Aoi’s eyes remained shut, her breathing steadfast. Like the ocean around her, her fins began to glow like a diamond in the rough. Lux’s adrenaline spiked as he looked around frantically, the rumbling behind him growing stronger and stronger, and yet, he couldn’t feel the ground moving anymore. He too, shut his eyes, and gave a prayer as his antennae lit up from stress.

He opened his eyes as the ocean’s glow dissipated, and looked up behind him in horror.

The water around them lifted them up above the seafloor. The rumbling grew louder than thunder. Aoi turned around, fin in Lux’s hand, and stared alongside him, both glowing in a sea of darkness.

A torrential wall of water towered over them, consuming the very sky in its wake. Lux could only estimate its height as taller than the lighthouse. The wave barrelled toward the port, catching unlucky bird Pokémon in its path. The soldiers around them erupted into chaos, as Margaret yelled above the din to bunker down for when the wave would pass above them. Aoi and Lux ducked as water and seafoam raged. Kyogre’s fury unleashed onto the town, as the ocean began to drown. Buildings splintered like a scythe to grain. Those of wood were crushed into dust, those of stone cracked and buckled against the earth. The lighthouse crumbled as its beacon was snuffed out, leaving only Lux and Aoi shining in the darkness.

Lux simply floated there in horror. His grip on Aoi loosened, and she let go of him with her eyes blazing. She didn’t speak as she pointed a fin toward the ruins of the port. The army behind them hesitated for a second, then charged with a weak and strangled battlecry.

Lux’s antenna began to flicker. Tears began to rise into the darkness.

     “Aoi… wh… why?”

     “This is the will of the world. This is for all the lives we lost. This is for him.”

Aoi shed her final tear, and charged forward into the fight. Lux slowly, yet reluctantly, followed.

<|>

     “I understand you wished to speak to us on behalf of your guildmaster?”

     “Yes, mayor. We’re here to discuss the rising tensions among both of our people.”

     “Really, now? They let a simple guild team dictate the diplomacy of the entire ocean?”

     “We prefer to be more independent. That’s just how we roll.”

     “I see. Well, let us get to business. But before we start, I’d like to learn your names.”

     “Call me Gareth. My colleagues in the bubbles back there are Aoi and Lux.”

     “Ah, you’re the rising stars of the ocean guilds, aren’t you?”

     “Heh, nice to see our reputation’s reached up here too!”

     “Very good. Now, the matter at hand. I understand that our towns on the mainland have tended to have been a bit… hostile towards your people lately.”

     “Mmhmm. We’ve seen a rise in unwarranted attacks and discrimination lately. I understand the control we’ve imposed over maritime routes has not been met with kindness, but it’s our home. Constant debris and disruption of ecosystems from land activities have made life a lot harder, not to mention the constant underwater mining operations.”

     “I understand your reason for imposing customs and tariffs, but this has been our way of life for years-”

     “If I may, sir, we’ve been the ones in the ocean far longer than anyone else. Each year, more and more scrap and junk drifts into our settlements. We don’t have soil to temper poison from runoff. Our lifestyle is fragile, what may not seem like consequences to you cause ripples across our entire community.”

     “Yes, but we simply can’t control it at that scale. We need to keep developing for our own world, our own people. We don’t have the time and investment to worry about others-”

     “Listen, sir, you made this problem, and we don’t expect ourselves to be cleaning up your messes. We’re seeing signs of downturn that could arise in the future, and I’m hoping we could just collaborate on something-”

     “Our people are angry that you’re supposedly getting in the way. What good is your guilds taxing every single ship that passes through your darn land-”

     “If you had any respect for us, you’d keep in touch with us and know we’re having trouble. I don’t like it, but we’re coming to you for a solution. You won’t take us seriously, will you?”

     “Look, I-”

     “Here’s a document from our guildmaster detailing our grievances and proposals-”

     “How did you even write underwater???”

     “It’s cloth. Skim that over, will you?”

     “…”

     “You understand? We’re not asking for much. I’m sure you could coordinate some form of effort to prevent further damages. While you’re at it, could you chill on the warning shots when crossing through our waters too?”

     “Warning shots?”

     “Surely you know your sailors have been acting a bit hostile toward us? Doesn’t look good when your merchant vessels are armed to the teeth.”

     “Look, I’ve read your terms. We need time to enact regulations and adjust to changes-”

     “Funny, the previous team sent half a year ago heard the same thing.”

     “Gareth, sir, could you think of what we would have to do? It’s hard to make entire towns think a certain way. Hard to set new standards. Stuff like that takes years!”

     “And if you don’t start at all, it won’t ever get finished. My team didn’t reach Abyssal without some risks, mayor.”

     “I- You know I don’t like risk-”

     “We’ve taken risks to come here. My team back there? One pop of their bubbles and they’re drowning in air. We’re putting effort in this, and we hope you’re going to do the same.”

     “…I see. I’ll need to discuss this with the other continent’s leaders. You understand, right? It’s common procedure.”

     “…Yes, mayor. Have a good night. Right, Lux, Aoi, let’s bounce.”

     “Gareth?”

     “Hmm? What is it, mayor?”

     “What’s that shuffling sound?”

     “What?”

     “…I heard it, too.”

     “Aoi? You did?”

     “Positive.”

     “Mayor, we should leave-”

     “AH! UGH-”

     “Mayor! Shit, Lux, we’re surrounded! Who are you people?”

     “Don’t worry, fishies. We wouldn’t want to kill one of our own.”

     “What Aoi said, who are you fiends?!”

     “Oh, you don’t need to know. Just saying that we just got a new paycheck.”

     “Damn, they’re mercenaries! Aoi, flush out that door, we gotta go!”

     “Right!… Ugh, there’s more incoming!”

     “Stick close! Watch your bubbles!”

     “Don’t let them escape! Silence them if you need to!”

     “Huuah! Keep pushing through!”

     “Gareth! Back me up on this one!”

     “Come on, get out of the damn building! How are there so many?!”

     “Ack!”

     “Lux! I got you, I got a ring!”

     “Ugh… Aoi, I don’t know if we’re gonna make it. Fuck, here, of all places?!”

     “Keep going! We’re coming up on the main hall!”

     “More of them?!”

     “Lux, I’m gonna soak them! Unleash a Discharge!”

     “Are you crazy, Gareth!? Aoi’s gonna get caught by it-”

     “I’ll be fine, just do it, Lux!”

     “But-”

     “Just do it! Gareth, Surf on them!”

     “Got it! Hahhh! Lux, NOW!”

     “Mn… Kyogre, forgive me! RAHHH!”

     “What the… AYO, WATCH THAT LANTURN-”

     “Shit! Duck, those bolts look nasty- YEOW!”

     “The fuck are these fishes’ problem?!”

     “Ugh… Aoi, you okay?”

     “I’m…, fine, Gareth! C’mon, Lux!”

     “Right!”

     “Halt, scourges!”

     “Ack! Get to the door, get out!”

     “Gareth, come on!”

     “…No, we can’t make it!”

     “Move it! It’s life or death!”

     “…It is.”

     “…Gareth, don’t you dare-”

     “Too late! You two, run! Let’s see how much time I can buy!”

     “WHAT?! You can’t-”

     “I know I’m not winning the fight! You two need to win your war!”

     “Gareth, please-!”

     “We can still make it! Come on, after all we’ve done!”

     “GARETH!”

     “Lux, Aoi. I love you. I love you both, so, so much. Please. Keep our love alive.”

     “No! Not like this!”

     “Please! Don’t go!”

     “Gareth, you- ah! Aoi!”

     “Watch your bubble!”

     “Please. Keep it alive. Win your war! Keep that light on!”

     “No! No, no no!”

     “We need more air, we can’t stay!”

     “Aoi, let me go! I’m not letting him die alone!”

     “No, I’m not losing you!”

     “NO!”

     “Run! Go! GO!”

     “Gareth! GARETH!”

     “…”

     “Shine bright, my beloved. I wish for a future as radiant as you…”

     “…”