Chapter 15 – Blossoming

After the dream I’m lost and alone.

Quickly falling right through the unknown.

So I will fly and be free.

Escape this awful wasteland.

I will not worry!

---

Shiron thought the day started like any other. Waking up, having breakfast with Nick, and then heading out to their base. On the way there, the two talked a little. Most of it was Nick complaining about the heat.

“It’s not easy being this fluffy…” Nick panted, rubbing the sweat off his face. “You’re lucky, Shiron! Always moisturized…”

“Well, as a human, I had fur too. Kinda.” Shiron shrugged. “I lived somewhere hot, so I’m used to it.”

“Lucky…”

I wouldn’t consider my human life “lucky”, but sure. Shiron tugged on his scarf slightly. “Also, I’m not moisturized all the time. It feels a little weird.”

“Lucky!” Nick managed a chuckle, but it was momentary, and he was panting afterwards. “Hey, can you use that fin of yours to see if it’s gonna rain anytime soon? I kinda miss it.”

Shiron only winced. “I remember how you smell with wet fur… sorry, buddy, but I don’t miss it.”

In response, Nick stuck his tongue out. The blep was incredibly smug, and a little menacing. “Hey! I’ll have you know once I’m dry, I smell good, like flowers! I know Audrey says that all the time! Maybe you’ll find a lady—or guy—that tells you smell nice, too!”

“Ew…” Shiron cringed like he never did before. Something about a girl doing… that sounded weird to him. Not that he didn’t like them—girls—but that idea was… strange and undesired. Except his brain replaced the mental image with Magnus, and that was suddenly a lot more desirable.

Shiron was quick to ignore it. “Let’s not talk about this. I’m still wrapping my head around being…”

He touched his belly with both arms, jiggling it around. “Y’know?”

“I… don’t. And I don’t think I want to.” Nick was the one to wince this time. “…Whatever, we gotta get to HQ.”

Thank God.

Shiron sighed in relief, walking alongside his friend. Unlike the previous days that week, they weren’t met with the loud buzzing of moves and fighting. Strangely, the place was empty, with no sign of anyone but them around.

“Okay… I think this is weird.” Nick said, looking around the immediate areas. No flower, no prince, nothing. Deciding to check it out for himself, Nick stopped and focused all his senses, thinking about his girlfriend.

It was slightly easier this time around, but focusing on his aura senses was still a work in progress. With his eyes closed, he didn’t see anything, other than a few waves wobbling around. They were next to him; Shiron.

“…Nothing. I dunno if it’s my senses being stupid or if they’re not here.”

“You’ll get the hang of it eventually, Nick.” Shiron sighed, opening the door to their headquarters.

Like he thought, the inside was just as empty. However, there were no signs of struggle, nothing was broken or missing, and by all intents and purposes, the base was just how it was left.

…Except for that large piece of paper in the central table. It got Shiron’s attention, and he quickly tapped Nick’s arm to bring him back.

“What?” The Riolu didn’t react at first, but soon set his eyes on the prize. “Oh fu—please tell me they didn’t bail on us!”

Shiron picked up the paper, reading it out loud. “Dear friends, it’s me, Terry. Me and Onyx found out Liz is planning on doing something incredibly stupid. Perhaps we’re doing something similar, because we will be going after her.”

He took a pause to breathe. “…What the—”

“She’s after Zero.” Nick added, putting a paw in his head and groaning. “That idiot… we don’t do these things on our own!”

“There’s more, hold on,” Shiron said, before continuing to read. “…If I don’t show up soon, it means we haven’t convinced her to retreat. It’s likely we’re going with her.”

“She’s going… to that swampy town.” Nick deapanned, rubbing his paw on his face once again. “That’s where Zero is, as far as I know. Maybe he’s not there anymore, maybe he is. What are we going to do?!”

“That town’s… pretty far away, isn’t it?” Shiron put down the paper, tugging on his scarf. What choice was there? “Even if we go there running, we won’t reach it before them. By the time we catch up… it’s gonna be too late.”

“I know, I know!” Nick kicked the air, panting again. Why was this happening? “They can be killed if we don’t do anything!”

Hearing those words made Shiron’s heart sink. “I-I know, Nick. B-But…”

“But what?!”

“…Maybe we need to trust them. That they’ll come back safe and sound.”

“Trust them?”

Nick repeated it, and slowly let out a sigh. Of course, they were on the same team, it was natural for there to be trust. Yet, he didn’t. Not before, but maybe now…

“…I guess that’s the only option.”

And maybe a prayer, while they were at it.

---

Liz ventured forward, leaving the campsite she and the others prepared. In front of her was the road leading to Egovale. She could see the landscape changing right before her eyes, even from far away, transitioning to a murky and ominous realm.

“Hm… I never thought I would go to such a place.”

Grass patches turned sparse and wiry, struggling to thrive amidst the dampness that permeated the air. Even the earth seemed to swallow her footsteps with each stride.

“I sure don’t like this place…” Onyx appeared from behind, adjusting her hat. Towering trees with gnarled branches and thick, twisted roots loomed in the distance. “Did we get to the right one?”

“Look at the place.” Liz bit a lip. “Clearly, we did. We could not see this while it was nighttime, but now…”

Terry was the next one, rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Good morning! Are we close—”

Just as he said it, Terry saw whatever Liz did. Yes, they could see the town from this position, but at the same time, there was something else. A gust erupting from atop the town, though it was no ordinary wind—it carried with it a swirling tempest of sand. In vast quantities, the grains engulfed the area, creating an incredible veil that obscured vision and disoriented anyone caught within its grasp.

“…This isn’t natural, is it?” Terry gulped, his tail flopping down. “I’ll be fine with it, rock-type and all, but what about you two?”

Onyx sighed, then grumbled to herself. “This is where I wish I brought goggles along the way. Would make things a lot easier for us.”

“Hm… indeed, that poses an issue.” Liz muttered to herself. “In hindsight, you two coming with me was a blessing in disguise. Terry can take the lead, and I shall wrap vines around both of you. That way, we can stick together through the storm.”

For her to say that, she really does trust us… enough to let go of her pride, even if only a little. Terry smiled, walking forward until Liz was behind him. “Sounds good to me! I don’t think we’ll take too long, but let’s start now, just in case!”

Liz smiled, creating two vines. The first, she wrapped around Onyx’s waist. The second, around Terry’s tail. All three of them were connected now.

“T-Thanks.” Onyx muttered, watching the vine rope around her. It felt odd, like how she expected a plant to feel, but at the same time, it was good. “…Now, let’s get inside the town!”

Terry nodded, leading the way. With each step, the familiar field faded behind them, gradually giving way to the swampy terrain. Undeterred, even by the small specks of sand making their way to him, Terry moved forward.

During the trip there, Onyx didn’t say much, mostly because she didn’t want to accidentally eat sand. That, and there was nothing really out there to discuss. Clearly, Liz would take the lead on this mission, and if things got bad, the others would have to take care of her.

Eh, I’m not a fan of this, but we’ll make it work. I hope.

It was a slow trek. Terry had to make sure the others were still behind him, that he could clearly see ahead before making much progress, and overall, not get distracted. That last part was particularly hard, all because of, well…

“Sire, please hurry up! We cannot afford to be so slow! If we take too long, Zero might have left already!”

Liz shouted. Shouted in a way she never had before, when talking to Terry. Even he had to stop and look behind, blinking repeatedly.

“I don’t think that’s a very good thing to do, Liz…” Terry muttered, his tail drooping. “It’s not like you to be this worked up.”

She didn’t notice how harsh it sounded, not until the others gave her a nasty look. “Hmph. Perhaps, but I still think we need to hurry.”

Unintentionally, she began to tug on the vines harder, and Terry hissed at the sensation.

“L-Liz…”

“…Apologies, sire.” Liz looked away, and everything about what she did dawned on her. Why? Because she wanted to fight this… Zero?

I-It is worth it. I have to tell myself that

“That was awful of you.” Onyx sighed, and then felt the taste of sand in her mouth, coughing a bit. She didn’t talk much after that.

Minutes passed, and the trio ventured closer into the swamp. As they did, the storm got thicker to the point even Terry was having trouble moving forward, and had to slow down.

“A-Almost there, everyone! Just—hold on!”

Terry pushed through, using every ounce of strength he had to overcome the sandstorm. With one last roar, he got inside, panting and looking back to check if the girls were with him.

“Congratulations, Sire. You are getting stronger every day.” Liz said with a smile, retreating the vines back into herself.

“Thank the Gods we got out of there, but…” Onyx coughed. Even inside the town, the storm still raged on. “…W-What’s the plan now?”

“Well, obviously we need to gather information first. I doubt Zero is just… walking around this town.” Liz smirked, flicking her cape.”

“Visitors, visitors!” A buzzing voice proclaimed, coming from the sky. A Yanmega flew towards them, flapping her wings. “Oh, visitors! Please, are you here to deal with the sand?!”

Terry opened his mouth to say something, but then Liz cut him off.

“Hm, you can say that. First, there is someone here we must locate.” Liz explained, then stopped to wonder how she would describe Zero. If she didn’t know what species he was, certainly neither would that villager. “A… bipedal Pokémon. He has yellow fur, and is electric too.”

Onyx crossed her arms. “Goes by “Zero”. Know the guy?”

Yanmega buzzed a little longer. “Hm… Zero, Zero. Name’s familiar, but not the description. What species is him?”

“I—we do not know.” Liz shook her head. “I am not aware of what he is, it is part of why we are searching for him.”

Yanmega did her best impression of a shrug. “Sorry, I’ve got no idea. You can try someone else.”

Realizing they wouldn’t be helping out much, she flew away.

“…Fine.” Liz looked at the other two. “We will just have to search for ourselves.”

---

It didn’t go as well. The trio walked around, asking whoever was available for information about the mysterious Pokémon. However, most of the citizens were inside their houses, taking shelter from the storm, rendering their search moot. Despite this, Liz didn’t feel like giving up.

“He has to be here! I just know it…”

Terry walked behind her, keeping an eye on Onyx to make sure the Charmeleon was alright.

“Liz, maybe he left!”

“Not to feed your friend’s… obsession,” Onyx’s words were received with a glare. “…No offense.”

“Hmph. None taken. To the untrained eye, I might look obsessed. But really, I need to prove to myself I am strong.”

“Always with that attitude…” Terry muttered. Maybe there was something he could do, but he didn’t think of anything. Instead, he looked up, seeing the large tree trunks. They covered the sky, at least partially, so the storm didn’t get to them nearly as much as it could.

But… there was something he heard. A noise. Almost like something cracking. Something powerful. Thunder? Was he hearing actual thunder, in the middle of a sandstorm?

…It’s probably nothing. If Shiron was here, he could help.

“Doesn’t seem like anyone’s listening to us.” Onyx shrugged. “So maybe he isn’t here.”

“No, wait.” Liz hissed, then started walking around. “Zero does not live here. For all we know, he is only here to deal with the Cracks. But I doubt he would just stay on the streets. He must be inside a hotel.”

Terry snapped a finger. “You’re right! But this town isn’t that big, surely they don’t have that many hotels?”

“One sec!”

The Charmeleon ran ahead, looking around. If he was inside a hotel, then the building—or tree it was built on—would be bigger than the others.

“Tch. I wish I could fly right now—” Onyx grumbled. The storm had grown heavier, and seeing anything was getting increasingly hard. “…Any more ideas?”

“We can’t waste time here! This thing will get worse at any second!” Terry pleaded. His vision wasn’t as bad as the others, so it came down to him to solve things.

Stepping forward, the prince focused all his attention on his surroundings. Buildings with closed doors, a few lakes to the left and right—with sand starting to pile up on them—and, off in the distance, a bigger building. There was even a sign on it, but he wasn’t able to read. Not from that distance.

“…I might have found something. That—” Terry’s words were cut off by a deafening roar, so loud it shattered the sandstorm, tearing the swirling sands with nothing but a wild surge of energy.

“Uh…” Onyx watched the thunder fall down, and before she could react properly, felt droplets of water fall down on her, while the sand did the same. “What the—what’s going on?!”

“We do not have the time to find out! Follow Terry!” Liz urged, and as her words echoed in the air amidst all the thunder, Terry darted forward.

As they raced, the ominous echoes of thunder continued to reverberate, each boom accompanied by the shattering of trees and the splintering of wood that littered the ground. Liz slowed down as she heard distant screams and witnessed Pokémon scrambling, running inside the buildings to escape the impending devastation.

“Liz! Don’t you think we should be doing something to help them—” Terry protested just as another bolt struck, again on the lake.

“He’s got a point, you know!” Onyx ran, holding on to her hat. “This is more important!”

Liz ignored their pleas. Amid the chaos and destruction, she didn’t find any signs of Zero. The one who was supposed to prevent such a catastrophe, where could he be? Doubt crept into Liz’s mind, intertwining with her growing concern. Had she been mistaken? Had Zero abandoned them and his duty?

…No. I doubt it. I need to be right. I need to.

Onyx was doing something else. She scanned her surroundings, checking to see if any of the town’s inhabitants were there. Sherealized that most managed to hide within the trees, but some were still on the run. Seeing that made Terry’s heart sink. If only he could convince her to help…

Their momentary relief was shattered by the encroaching thunder, each strike more frequent and powerful than the last. Burning logs crashed to the ground, and the wind howled with an unsettling ferocity.

Terry stopped in front of the hotel, finally managing to read the sign. “I-It’s here! But Liz, don’t you think we have other priorities? Like, I don’t know… helping them out?”

“I will deal with them when I have to!” Liz sprouted two vines, scowling as hard as she could. “My priority is Zero!”

“But you can’t!” Terry snarled, biting into her vine and trying to pull her away from the building.

“You’re a little weirder than usual, Liz.” Onyx crossed her arms. In times like this, she needed to show some sort of responsibility. “You hurt Terry before, and even yelled. Are you sure that’s what you wanna do?”

To that, Liz hissed again, sprouting another vine. “I know that! But we need to focus on what is important right now!”

“And what’s that? Some petty revenge? Or your friend? Hell, there’s a storm at the top of the sky, and here you are, thinking about how you’re gonna beat up that guy!”

Onyx stepped forward, facing Liz. She was taller than the Roselia, so Onyx had to lower her head. “Shouldn’t you be thinking about, I dunno, savin’ all these ‘mons around here?”

“Y-You… you do not understand… a single thing!”

Liz shouted again, her left flower coated in the same poison. She raised it, aiming at Onyx’s head, and then…

“STOP!” Terry was the one to scream this time, so loud he was left panting afterwards. “Look, we can all stay here and argue against each other, or we can do what we came here for!”

Liz stepped back, gulping. Once again, realization hit her. She trembled, looking at the flower—still full of poison, and still close to Onyx’s face.

“Sheesh… I didn’t think you would go that far.” Onyx grumbled. “…For the record, I was looking around all this time. I don’t think the ‘mons around here are harmed. At least not yet.”

“Liz, I’m going to have a talk with you when we’re back, because I don’t like this kind of attitude, especially towards someone that doesn’t need it.” Terry shouted, focusing on Liz once more. “…Okay, I said what I needed to. Do you get it now?”

“Really…?” Liz let out a sigh of relief, but chose to ignore all the guilt over what she did, and finally focus on the mission.

While the two were arguing, Onyx was hissing. The water in her tail, while not fatal, was getting annoying. With the deafening echoes of thunder persisting, she wanted to assess the situation. And so, she cast her gaze upward, discerning a large and unstable log precariously perched above them.

Onyx looked at the log again, just as a set of thunders hit it. She could hear the structure cracking, barely able to sustain itself.

“Guys, I need your attention right now!”

Terry looked back, getting distracted long enough to loosen his hold on the vine. “Not now—”

Another thunderous impact struck the log, sending it plummeting downward. Despite its immense size, it was incredibly fast. Were they quick enough to avert disaster?

“Guys!” Onyx urged them to pay attention, and they did, looking up to see the log coming.

In that split second, where they were filled with nothing but panic, a bolt of lightning appeared in the air, running past the three just in time to catch them, moving them away from the log. They barely had enough time to notice until they were out of harm’s way.

---

Liz was the first to regain consciousness, taking a look at her surroundings, and at the log that nearly hit them. There were a few sparks of electricity left in the air, leaving a trail that led her eyes to another tree nearby, and to the figure leaning against it.

“Heh.” Zero put his hat on, grinning at them. “Howdy, howdy! Now, where have I seen y’all before…?”

“Oh, have you forgotten already?!” Liz hissed, her flowers dripping with venom. “I have not! I will never forget!”

Zero just grinned, slowly walking towards the two, touching his chin with a paw, trying to remember their faces. First, he looked at Onyx; the Charmeleon didn’t look very familiar. Next, Terry. While he was a little more recognizable—that cape was, at least—he didn’t quite remember.

Finally, he stopped at Liz, standing taller than her, so much that he needed to get on his feet just to take a better look.

“Easy there, darlin’. I ain’t one to remember folks that aren’t worth my time, but I gotta admit, you’re lookin’ mighty fine. Once we settle this business, you and I could have—”

Liz tried to jab at him with one of her arms, but Zero simply moved out of the way in time, his hat nearly falling off.

“Oops! Can’t have that now, can we?” Zero grabbed it, putting it back on his head. “Phew, nice! Now… I think I’m startin’ to remember y’all.”

“We went through all the trouble of finding you!” Terry hissed, taking a fighting stance.

“Well, if that darlin’ didn’t work out for me…” Zero turned to the prince, grinning. “How’s about you, ray of sunshine? Care to have some fun with me?”

“…No, thanks!” Terry hissed.

And lastly, Zero glared at Onyx, but he didn’t even have time to talk.

“Don’t you dare!” She huffed. “We’re here for you! Talkin’ or fightin’, whatever you wanna pick, dumbass!”

“Feisty. I like it.” Zero continued to grin, walking towards the tree again. But before continuing the chat, he looked up. For the moment, the storm had calmed down. “Ah, that’s good, that’s good. Now… where were we?”

He clapped his paws together. “Well, well, well! It’s comin’ back to me now! That lil fight with the Infernape, wasn’t it? Dang, can’t believe y’all stuck with me all the way here… I gotta admit, that takes some real commitment.”

“It is ingrained in my memory, so yes, we did.” Liz said, trying another jab. Once more, Zero moved out of the way in time.

“Well, as much as I’d love to have a good ol’ time with you three—believe me, I’ve been there!” Zero chuckled, adjusting his hat with a sly grin. “…But we’ve got ourselves a bit of a situation here. Already called for backup, but they’re gonna take their sweet time. How ’bout lendin’ me a hand? Or a paw, or a flower in that darlin’s case!”

Terry approached the large… electric-type with a faint smile. “Help? Of course! I’d be happy to!”

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. What’d you think, Liz?” Onyx turned back. Liz had been quiet, processing what Zero was offering them.

“I… believe…” Liz squinted her eyes, whipping at the ground with a vine. She had a scowl on her face. “No! I will have my comeback! You cannot stop me!”

“Tch, darlin’, you’re gettin’ a little too feisty for my likin’, not gonna lie…” Zero shrugged, his playful grin vanishing as he closed the distance, undeterred by her attack. “Whatever grudge you have against me, it’s kinda pointless when you take that into consideration.”

He extended a finger towards the sky, directing their attention to the eye of the storm. Despite the dwindling thunder, remnants of crackling sparks danced in the air. Yet, that was not the biggest detail. The entire expanse was enveloped in an eerie, pitch-black aura, tinged with outlines of pulsating orange and sky blue. Sinister tentacle-like appendages tried to crawl out of the shroud, as if trying to grasp the earth beneath.

Terry was left dumbstruck, and didn’t take his eyes off of the aura. “W-What… what is that thing? The Crack you mentioned?”

“You could say that. It’s the step before the Crack appears.” Zero focused on Liz again. “It’s lookin’ like it’ll hold steady for the moment, but I know it ain’t gonna last. Once it unleashes its fury, this whole darn town will be wiped clean off the map. What are y’all gonna do, then?”

Onyx grit her teeth, but she had a pretty good idea of what her answer was. As did Terry—there was not any doubt in his fierce eyes.

“I want to help.” Terry said, looking at Onyx. She nodded at him. “And Liz?”

“Tch…”

Liz walked forward, sprouting more vines. Her eyes were fixed on Zero, and though she didn’t say anything, her intentions were crystal clear. With an arm raised, she prepared to strike him with the vine.

That was, until the Yanmega from before flew, landing between the two, and forcing Liz to stand down. The bug glared at her, wings bussing.

“D-Don’t hurt him! He’s only here to help!”

“Huh? What is the meaning of this?!”

Terry walked beside Liz, touching her arm. “Stop. We don’t have time for this. Listen, if that thing is really going to destroy this town… I don’t want to—I can’t let it happen.”

“He’s got a point, y’know.” Zero shrugged. “Listen here, sunshine. Y’all can stand here and try to fight me, but I ain’t in the mood. I’m here to do my job, which includes savin’ all of ’em.”

“Z-Zero’s been here for a week, instructing us…” Yanmega muttered. She flew towards the electric-type. “R-Right?”

“Right!” Zero clapped his paws again. His tail swished. “Now, if y’all wanna help out, I’m more than happy to accept it!”

Liz raised her arm once again, but even she realized that they were right. All of them, except for her. She took her obsession too far… but why? Why was it so hard to let go of it? Maybe she wasn’t strong enough for it.

It is… always about strength. Without it, I am… nothing.

Zero adjusted his vest, along with his hat. “Alright, so! We don’t have much time until the meteors come crashin’ down. We need to evacuate the town as soon as possible. Then, the Crack will arrive.”

“What happens when it arrives?” Terry asked, tilting his head.

“…We’ll have to deal with it, I’m afraid.” Zero sighed. “It’s very likely it’ll latch onto whoever’s near, so for now, our main concern is makin’ sure ain’t nobody caught in that predicament.”

Liz hissed, looking at him again. “Is that so?

“Y’all can stay and fight me, ooor you can help me out with this thing…” Zero shrugged. His eyes were focused on Liz. “What’s it gonna be, Petal?”

“I say…” Liz jumped forward, ignoring every bit of strategy to try a jab at Zero, aiming at his stomach.

“Tch. Predictable, ain’t it?”

Zero moved out of the way, and his own fist started crackling with energy. He hit her on the back, forcing Liz to the ground. She ended up with her face on the muddy floor, but soon stood up, coughing a bit of soil.

Three times. Three times she let her obsession get the best of her, and for what? All three times she was met with nothing but pain, in various different ways.

“Tell you what… help me with this, and I’ll let you fight me.” Zero said, shrugging again.

“T-That is… acceptable.” Liz panted, rubbing some soil off her cape.

“Oh, let’s go!” Onyx cheered, jumping at the Roselia for a hug. Liz moved to the side to dodge.

“Hm… I apologize, but we are not that close. Yet.” Liz looked at Zero again. “What do we need to do?”

Zero fiddled with his bag, checking if something was there. “Sorry, y’all, but I ain’t allowed to show off everythin’ just yet. I’m gonna be checkin’ the radius, how big of an impact the meteors will have. Your job is gettin’ everyone outta here!”

“M-Mister Zero, can I help them too?” Yanmega asked, buzzing her wings again.

“That does not sound hard…” Liz muttered, taking a deep breath. “Very well, if they are inside their houses, then this makes searching for them less arduous.

Taking her teammates into consideration, Liz quickly came up with a plan. “Terrence, you will lead them away, since your vision is not impaired with all the sand. Onyx, I need you to reach all the burning trees and check for anyone trapped inside. Are you strong—”

“Oh, you know it!” Onyx flexed an arm. “I can get ’em out, no problem!”

That left two Pokémon to deal with. Herself… and this Yanmega. “Please, ma’am, I need you to talk to whoever you can, let them know we are coming to help. After that, find Terry, and lead them away.”

Yanmega smiled. “I can do that!”

Good, so now only she was left. Liz looked at the sky, seeing more of the sparks. At the same time, the sand began to gather once more, into a nasty cloud.

Those tentacles… why do they feel so… inviting? And what is this power I feel? I… want to see for myself…

“Y’ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Zero said to her. “I’m gonna go do my thing. What about you?”

“I… want to ask so many questions. We have been looking for you for a while. But I suppose we can talk once this is over.”

“She’ll be with me!” Onyx wrapped her arm around Liz’s torso, grinning. “We’ll handle any stragglers we find our way.”

“For what’s worth, darlin’, I ain’t a bad guy. Not at all.” Zero tilted his head, his body sparkling with electricity. “Oh, and by the way… it’s Zeraora. That’s what I’m called. At least, that’s what I can remember.”

He ran off, leaving a trail of thunder behind him.

“Zeraora…?”

Liz didn’t remember hearing that name before.

---

They had a mission to fulfill. It wasn’t an easy mission, not at all. But Onyx knew she had to keep going. Taking the ground path, she dodged logs and twigs, while searching for the trees that were still up in flames.

It proved to be hard, the rain became heavier, dowsing out any fires. From the top of the trees, Liz used her vines to swing around the logs, allowing her to check other areas.

“Have you found anything yet?!”

“Nope! Sorry!” Onyx said, looking around. Maybe she needed to raise her voice a little. And by that, she shouted. “OI! ANYONE AROUND?! WE’RE WITH ZERO, COME OUT ALREADY! IT’S NOT SAFE!”

Reshiram almighty, she can scream so loud… Liz thought, though it wasn’t a complaint; just an observation. And as the thought went away, she managed to see two Pokémon—a Spidops and a Galvantula—crawl away from a hole in a nearby tree. “Onyx, there!”

The Charmeleon stopped, checking to see the tree, and ran in that direction, offering both her paws. “Hey! We’re here to help! Please, leave the town!”

“W-What’s happening?!” The Galvantula asked, their body twitching. “Is Zero really here…?”

“Yeah, he’s checking to see how big the impact will be,” she replied, watching Liz land next to her.

“Indeed. Please, flee this town. On the outskirts of it, you will find a Tyrunt. He is my… friend.”

Calling Terry her friend felt right.

“…He will lead you out, through the sandstorm.”

“B-But…”

“Zero’s orders.” Onyx added.

Hearing the words made the two bugs more interested in the idea. They looked at each other, then at the sky. The eye of the storm was still very active.

“Go! We do not have that much time!” Liz urged them, and the two ran away.

She was left panting. Taking another look at the sky, Liz didn’t see anything different from how it looked a few minutes ago.

“What even is this all about…” she muttered. “It is hard to believe something this powerful exists.”

“Boy, you wouldn’t believe a few of the things I know.” Onyx shrugged. “But c’mon, we still have to find more of them! These can’t be the only ones!”

“…You are correct. A rarity these days.” Liz couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come on, now.”

---

The duo moved as quickly as they could. On their way across the town, they managed to locate another tree, and were now on the process of transporting the citizens to the edge.

“Come on, now! We’ll get there in a minute!” Onyx urged the two she and Liz found, a Sprigatito and a Smoliv, who stuck together, guided by her.

“Please, there is no need for panic. You will live to fight another day.” Liz tried her best to reassure them, but judging by the confused look on their faces, she didn’t succeed.

“…Let’s go! Let’s go!” Liz tried a different approach, smiling and trying to be less formal. It only made them get more confused.

“Aw, you’re adorable like that.” Onyx teased, grinning at her.

A flash of lightning appeared before them, dissipating to reveal Zero, one of his paws closed as if he was holding something inside. He still had his signature toothy grin.

“Howdy, ladies! Good job! I had time to do some searchin’ by my own, but you did most of the work. That means these two—” he pointed to the Sprigatito and Smoliv duo. “—Should be the last ones. Now, c’mon! Get to the exit already!”

“Really? That’s great!” Onyx shouted, really wanting to get out of that rain and sand. Neither of those felt good against her skin.

‘You are… surprisingly efficient.” Liz muttered to herself, but it was louder than intended, and made Zero laugh. “Hmph. Where is Terry?”

“I’ll lead y’all to ‘im.” Zero adjusted his hat, turning around. “And I’ll even slow down so y’all can catch up! Maybe even get a look at my bu—”

“Nobody here is interested.” Liz rolled her eyes. “Drop it. Just tell us where to go.”

“Aw…” Zero had the last laugh and began to run, not as fast as he wanted to go, and there weren’t even any sparks surrounding his body. He was running like everyone else.

Liz did this last part of the journey in silence, contemplating her decision. For the moment, she wasn’t sure if it would help with evolving, and now she also wondered what her true reason for fighting was. If not for Terry, not for herself… then for whom? Or for what?

They stopped at the entrance, where the majority of the citizens were. And in the middle of them was Terry, doing his best to maintain the peace around that area.

Oh… Liz looked at all of the Pokémon she helped rescue, all their smiling faces, the gratitude in their eyes… it was nice to see. She didn’t have a heart—not like other Pokémon—but if she did, it would be beating happily.

…Maybe it is not for gratitude, either. For them… to live happy lives. Has mine been happy?

She didn’t know what to answer. But there was no opportunity for contemplation, as the storm intensified with renewed force, unleashing a turbulent blend of water and sand that engulfed the entire vicinity, while the resounding thunder reverberated once more.

“W-Whoa!” Terry held onto his cape, but still trembled, looking up at the massive black void. “T-This can’t be natural…”

Onyx instinctively stood close to Liz, her tail swishing. “…You’ve got a point. What in the world is that?”

“It means we don’t have enough time to stand around, doin’ nothin’. Which means it’s time for my part.” Zero sighed, grasping the object in his paw a little tighter. “Stand back, y’all.”

“B-But mister Zero!” Yanmega cried out, floating next to him. “What’re we going to do?!”

“Sit tight.”

This time, the sparkles surrounded his body, and Zero bolted forward. He opened the paw, revealing a small cube-shaped object, with a visor full of circles inside, and an arrow. It seemed to be pointing towards the black void in the sky.

Lemme check… Will said this thing would do most of the work. Nice, ’cause I ain’t good with tech!

The circles pulsated, becoming more wobbly by the second, while the arrow started to flash.

Tch… wouldn’t it be nice if, for once in my life, I didn’t have to deal with this crap?

He started running around the town, checking his device every now and then. In a few spots, the arrow flashed brighter. In others, it barely did. Zero grumbled something to himself while doing this process.

I hate math… so much.

Zero turned back to meet up with the others, but not before he put the device back into his satchel.

“You returned.” Liz put an arm in her hips, quirking a brow. “…What did you find?”

“Somethin’ really bad. I ain’t ever seen an event this big before…” Zero admitted. His body was pouring, and not from the rain. Pure sweat. “We have to run now! Or we’ll get caught in the middle!”

Terry gulped again, turning back. “Everyone, follow me! I’ll guide us through the sand!”

Without a moment of hesitation, they sprinted away, heeding Zero’s warnings. It didn’t take long for the grim reality to unfold. The eye of the storm crackled with an overwhelming surge of power, straining under the weight of the contained energy, on the verge of collapsing.

And then, it occurred. The first meteor hurtled down from the heavens, striking the ground with a thunderous impact. It was quickly followed by another, and then another, until a total of four meteors rained down relentlessly. There was no force capable of halting this onslaught, leaving them with no choice but to keep on running.

There was a bright flash of light, enveloping the entire area.

---

Nothing. Not a single sound was heard. Terry groaned, his earholes too busy ringing to discern what was going on. Even his vision wasn’t working right, as the flash didn’t vanish just yet.

“W-What…” he coughed, moving around. The ringing continued, but there was another sound; a cry. No, a call? Yes, a call. Someone was calling him.

“Pr… T…”

“Prin… Ter…”

“Prince Terry!”

His vision cleared and he realized who it was, Liz, standing so close to his face that he could make out all the details. She was shaking, trembling, moving her arms around slightly, like she wanted to shake him.

“By the almighty Reshiram…” Liz sighed in relief. “You are awake. I prayed for your safety…”

“Told ya he was alright.” Onyx said, rubbing some sand off her hat. “Everyone is. We did it.”

“We… did it?” Terry muttered, groaning as he stood up. His eyes widened at the sight.

In place of the once-thriving town, a colossal crater loomed, a vast void that stretched into the depths beyond sight. Everything that had once existed in that spot had been obliterated, leaving no trace behind. The storm itself had dissipated, leaving no remnants of rain or sand in its wake.

“W-What’s gonna happen to us?!” Asked Yanmega, flying towards Zero. “Our homes, our lives! They’re all gone!”

Tch… always the hardest part of this job. Zero looked up and sighed. One thing at a time. “When my backup arrives, y’all will be reallocated, sent somewhere else. You won’t be homeless, I promise that.”

“B-But…” Yanmega frowned, slowly descending to the ground. “I… don’t like this.”

Zero looked at the citizens, and all their frowning faces. “None of y’all do. That, I know. But… y’all are alive. Ain’t that worth somethin’?”

Liz watched them talk, looking down. She felt the droplets fall on her, and wondered what she was doing wrong. For all her life, she focused on getting stronger for someone else. Recently, she was doing it for her own sake. That was some improvement, but now there was a situation that needed more than just strength.

Compared to this situation, a grudge seems meaningless. Liz told herself, sighing. But she still wasn’t convinced. One time, she chose her own pride over helping someone else, and it… led to meeting Terry, becoming his bodyguard.

What he said to her resonated deep within. That he thought she should have helped, and that she had potential. During that day, she did so many wrong things. Things that hurt others, and herself.

I… I was wrong. I was wrong today. But… I can still make it right. Maybe, just maybe… I can do the right thing, from now on.

A loud screech filled the air, coming from the bottom of the crater. It was incomprehensible. It sounded nothing like a voice, instead, it was more of a feral scream. But it wasn’t the only thing. From the crater, more tentacles sprouted, grabbing at the corners of the hole.

“…Fuck. It ain’t over yet!” Zero shouted, sparks covering his body again. “But what’s goin’ on?! Nobody was there to be taken over!”

Tremors shook the ground, and the eerie sight of writhing tentacles emerging from the gaping hole sent a chill down Liz’s spine, instilling a primal reaction that froze her in place. It wasn’t over, no. Something big was coming, something powerful. She knew it, everyone knew it.

“Zero! Explain what this is!” Liz forced herself to move, taking a battle stance.

“I-I dunno! I ain’t seen anythin’ like this before!”

Terry walked closer to the edge, gritting his teeth. “Whatever it is, we’ll fight it off! We’ve come too far to give up!”

“Yeah, the prince’s right!” Onyx puffed out smoke, taking her own stance.

Meanwhile, most of the citizens remained in shock, not moving forward, and trying to run away instead. Zero noticed this, looking back.

“Stay put! We’ll deal with this!”

As the tremors intensified, so did the energy. The tentacles screamed, before retreating back into the hole. It seemed to cause a chain reaction, and imbue the coming shockwave with even more energy. Then, in the blink of an eye, it exploded.

Something was launched high into the air, enveloped in a blue and orange aura. It was… a strange Pokémon. Rocky, like a Geodude, but it had no mouth, no limbs and no eyes. Instead, it was much more rock-like, with four large plates separated by two large cracks. They encircled its body horizontally and vertically.

“W-What is that?!” Onyx asked nobody in particular, hoping at least one Pokémon there would be able to answer her question. “There’s… some spikes on that thing!”

“I-I’ve seen this… this Pokémon before. I-In a book!” Terry blurted out, panting. Words failed him, and so did his memory. “I-I don’t remember the name. It’s… M-Minor?”

“Minior.” Liz explained, her voice sounding less panicked. “…I remember reading about them as well. A rare species, often thought to reside in the sky.”

“Y’all gotta take it down.” Zero pointed a finger at the Minior. “See that aura? It’s pure energy, comin’ from the Crack. It might spread if we leave it like this.”

“Hmph. I suppose I will fight after all.”

Liz smirked, jumping ahead, as high as she could, trying to reach the Minior. And she was close to her target, arms raised and coated with poison.

“You will submit!” With a single swipe—

Minior was faster. It moved in the blink of an eye, hitting Liz with an acrobatic move, sending her crashing down at the edge of the hole, raising a large cloud of smoke.

“Y’all…” Zero stepped forward, tipping his hat. “I don’t think you’re qualified to face somethin’ like that. Leave it to the professionals.”

To his surprise, Onyx walked in front of him, sticking out her tongue. “Sorry about that, big boy, but we’re in this to win! We’ll fight that… Minior thing and win! Isn’t that right, Liz?!”

“You took the words… o-out of my mouth.” Liz stood up slowly, panting, but with a grin on her face. “At the very least, it was a good warmup.”

Terry tapped Zero’s arm and shrugged—or his version of it. “We’ll handle this.”

“…Y’know what? Fine. Take this. But if things get rough, I’m comin’ in.” Zero crossed his arms. And… maybe this’ll prove if they’re worthy enough to join the organization. Maybe.

“Come on, now.” Liz grinned wider, jumping again. She saw the others joining in each of her sides.

First, assessing the situation. That Minior was incredibly fast, and packed a powerful punch.

Metaphorically. It does not have hands.

During that particular moment, the Minior was static. It floated in the air, but didn’t appear to move at all.

“Maybe it’s waiting for something!” Onyx declared, preparing her claws. “I’ll try to go for a clean hit! If that thing’s made of rock, I got just the metal for it!”

After her words, Minior moved… an inch. But it moved. Liz watched that with her brows raised.

What does it mean?

“Terry! I need your help! Give me some rocks for impulse!” Onyx said, charging ahead.

“On it!”

The prince kicked the ground, aiming a few feet in front of him. A burst of energy sprouted, and chunks of rock were launched upwards. Onyx jumped in one of them, and was propelled even further into the sky.

At the same time, Minior twitched again, except it did this for a few more seconds than before. Not enough to attack, but it definitely wasn’t as static as before.

“Hiyah!” Onyx shouted, her claws taking on a metallic sheen. She could see herself getting closer to her opponent.

But something happened. Minior reacted, moving again and rolling around, hitting Onyx directly on her stomach. The Charmeleon yelped in paid, her own attack nearly dissipating.

“Fuuu—I can’t—can’t let this opportunity pass!” Onyx focused her strength on keeping the Metal Claw active, sinking it into Minior.

As expected, it was a clean shot, and Minior screeched again, a high-pitched shout that tore through the air. In response, it continued its assault on Onyx, but this time, moving her towards the other side of the crater.

“Terrence, keep me grounded!” Liz marched forward, sprouting vines from both her arms. With the left, she launched it towards Terry—the prince caught it with his teeth. With the right arm, she extended it as far as possible, wrapping the vine around Onyx’s waist.

“They… ain’t so bad, after all.” Zero’s ears twitched. He kept a close look, but remained in position. “But I wonder if that’s all they can do…”

Liz began to pull, trying to get Onyx off Minior’s grasp. It was working, somewhat, but the rocky creature moved away, leaving only a gust of wind. “Did we—”

“Argh!”

Terry screamed from behind; Minior had struck him, but didn’t stop there. It continued the attack, lifting Terry towards Liz, and making both of them crash against each other.

“What the—” Liz could only react by screaming, and yet, it wasn’t over.

Minior chirped with a distorted voice, before raising itself in the air. Terry and Liz were both in front of it, being taken by the high-speed attack. And there was still one victim to claim.

Onyx. She had barely reacted to the entire situation, as it happened too fast, but then she saw them approaching, and couldn’t do much: Minior ram through them all with incredible force.

The vines connecting the three were their undoing, sending all to the other edge, but at least, onto solid ground. Not that it made the pain in them hurt any less.

“W-We are not… we have not been defeated—” Liz said just as her head hit the ground, screaming again. It didn’t help that Terry was beneath her, and that Onyx was above her.

Soon, the trio flopped to the sides, separating them from one another. And Minior, once again, remained in the air, static.

W-Why… is it not attacking us? Liz thought, struggling to move. Everything in her body was heavy, and the mere act of standing up took a lot out of her. It reacted just fine when Onyx attacked, and when I did, so why—

Then, it hit her. Minior only moved when someone made a sound, when someone made their existence known to it. As long as they didn’t move, or make any sounds, it would remain inert.

It cannot be any noise. After all, we talked and it did not attack. It has to be loud enough.

She found a weakness. “T-Terrence, Onyx. I… think I have a plan.”

“Really? Boy, I’d love to hear it.” Onyx groaned, standing up. Her hat was miraculously still in her head, but was flattened, and she had to adjust it.

“W-What is it?” Terry asked, remaining on the ground.

“It reacts to sound. If we make one loud enough, we can trick it into attacking. Then, we take that opportunity.”

Terry opened his mouth to gasp. “O-Oh! That makes sense… I… whoa, you’re a natural at this!”

“Huh, how about that?” Onyx flexed her claws. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’ll send my petals into the air, and you burn them to a crisp. That should get its attention. Then, we all attack at once.”

Just like she suspected, Minior didn’t react to all their chatter. It remained static.

“Alright, on one, two…” Liz focused her energies and extended both her arms. Petals began to fly from her flowers, standing in the air. “Now!”

Onyx took a deep breath in and roared, unleashing a stream of flames that hit the petals and burnt them in a matter of seconds. During that moment… Minior finally reacted. It zipped straight into the direction of the flames, ignoring that its true enemies were down below.

“Strike!” Liz jabbed the rock with her arms. Afterwards, Onyx got her turn, jumping and slashing at it with her metallic claws.

And finally, Terry. He unleashed three chunks of rock that hit Minior at point-blank. All three attacks served to propel it upwards, and the surface of its body began to crack.

“Yes! We hit it!” Onyx started to celebrate, raising her arms to cheer.

“…Wait.” Liz pointed out, frowning. “There is something… else about them. Be careful.”

Minior continued to fly up, until it stopped, out of nowhere. Its entire body began to crack, and part of it split apart, falling to the ground. Finally, its inside was revealed. A bright, pink body, with energy that gathered to form eyes and a mouth. Lastly, the aura on it dissipated.

And it came crashing down, aiming at Liz. It was even faster than before.

“It cast off its shell!” Terry blurted out, grimacing.

Its shell is completely smashed… Liz thought. It made the thing faster, but lowered its defenses at the same time.

Terry ran ahead, almost getting to the edge, and his claws began to shine, imbued with a draconic aura. “I’m not letting it hurt you!”

That got a reaction out of Minior, stopping on its tracks and moving its “face” until it saw Terry. Then, it’s body began to glow pink, and a powerful gleam was launched towards the prince.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Onyx moved to the right, bumping into Terry and sending him aside, putting herself in the way of the gleam. And it hit her. Though the fairy move wouldn’t normally hurt her this much.

The fact it did indicated something was very strange about this Minior. Onyx fell on the ground, screaming and contorting. Her body burned—not like one would assume from her typing.

Zero wanted to shout, but it’d draw the Minior’s attention. And besides, I’m sure they’ll figure it out.

And Minior remained static once more. Liz panted, watching the creature. What did this all mean? How could that Minior be under the influence of a Crack, if it didn’t evolve?

This is… strange. But she’d need to think about that later. Liz came rushing to Onyx’s aid, helping the Charmeleon stand.

“We can’t afford to be hit by it…” Terry said. “S-Sorry, Onyx. You had to protect me.”

“In my defense, I didn’t think it’d hurt me that much…” she spit a bit of blood on the ground. “Why is it so strong?!”

“Perhaps… the Crack is empowering it. Since there is no evolution, all that energy is making it stronger.” Liz said. It made sense to her, giving what she knew about the Cracks.

“Heh. I like smart women.” Onyx smirked. “…Cool and all, but what’re we gonna do about it?”

“I-I guess we can try putting more pressure on it.”

“Correct, Terry.” Liz sprouted more vines. “Our plan has not changed. Lure it to us, then hit it as much as possible. If I remember correctly, the fact it does not have its shell means it is low on energy.”

“So we just gotta hit it really hard?” Onyx cracked her fists, a metallic glow overtaking her claws. “I can do that!”

“Alright. Let’s go!” Terry said with a shout, intentionally trying to be as loud as possible.

While Onyx punched the ground with her claws. The two combined moves got the attention of Minior, who began to roll towards that area, wind gathering around its body.

“I will hold it off! You focus on attacking!” Liz prepared to use her vines.

All three of them watched as the Minior flew down, getting as ready as they could to strike. Closer, closer and closer. Each second, the distance between them got shorter.

Until… it was close enough. Liz immediately swiped her right arm, covering Minior with the vines. Her whip held it in the ari, though not without struggle. The acrobatic maneuver of Minior was its effort to break free, only restrained by Liz creating more of her whips to contain it.

“I-I… will hold it off as much as I can! Strike now!” Liz shouted.

Just as she did… the aura flared up again, orange and blue, but something was odd. Liz trembled, unable to take her eyes off of that creature.

And she felt… someone. An unknown presence, along with emotions. Nobody talked to her, it was the emotions themselves being transmitted to her body. Loneliness, despair, rage, sadness.

It… wanted her to join. If she joined, it could make her evolve, it could make her stronger. It wouldn’t be as lonely if she was with it.

What… the… what is this…

She could be stronger if she just accepted it. Better yet, she could evolve! All of its friends were going through evolution, and it wanted her to do the same. Why the hesitation? It wanted to know. Liz had a feeling this wasn’t the Minior. It was someone else.

So lonely. So very alone.

But she refused to give in. Liz scowled, taking a deep breath. “We will strike it together!”

Her vines began to glow, changing, shifting. No longer vines, but instead… blades.

“I do not know who or what you are, but none of us will fall prey to you. Begone!”

Liz rushed forward, slashing Minior with her newly-acquired grass blades. Onyx smirked, jumping to punch at it with the same metal claws, while Terry used his own draconic ones.

The combined onslaught proved too much for Minior to handle. It let out a glass-shattering scream, and fell to the ground. The aura began to coat its entire body, and it melted into a pile of goo.

On the other side, Zero grinned proudly, clapping his paws. “Hah… I’m impressed, I gotta admit.”

Liz watched the blades fade into her flowers, and kept looking at the place, unable to find the words to describe it.

“Congrats, by the way.” Onyx grinned at her, wrapping her arm around Liz’s back. “You got a new move! Now you gotta practice!”

“You’re right!” Terry went to Liz’s side, his tail wagging. “Congratulations! I always knew you could do it!”

“I-I suppose so… I feel very drained. For once, I would like to rest.”

There was a clap coming from behind him, and as he turned to see what was happening, the crowd erupted into cheers. Zero’s ears twitched, and he soon smiled.

“Whoa, guess I ain’t the only one doin’ congratulations ’round here.” Zero smiled at that. He cleared his throat, preparing to shout. “Oi! Y’all! Get back in here! Can y’all walk or do I need to go there?!”

It was a little hard to hear from the other side, and the trio only really heard all the cheers. To Liz, it was a tad embarrassing.

“I-I… should I thank them?”

Onyx grinned. “Think they’re thanking you instead. It’s good for morale!”

Zero didn’t wait for them to answer, simply jumping down the hole and running. Lightning sparked around his body, and he soon climbed to the other side.

“Sheesh. Didn’t bother answerin’ me, didja?” Zero grinned. He opened his satchel again, taking… a small card out. “Here, a reward for all your efforts. It’s an entercard.”

Liz grabbed it, raising a brow. “Excuse me? Why are you giving us this?”

“Pretty sure my bosses are gonna kill me for this, but… y’ain’t so bad, after all. Maybe we’ll cross paths again, if you choose to use that card.” Zero smirked. “Well, guess it’s time to fulfill my part of the deal, ain’t it? Y’all can fight me.”

“…No. I no longer wish to.” Liz shook her head.

“Really? That’s great!” Terry sighed in relief. The fight was over, and they won. “Thank almighty Reshiram…”

“You did well too, prince.” Onyx stuck out her tongue. “We should rest, and then we can start going home. I’m sure the others are worried about us.”

Prince? That Tyrunt is a prince? Zero smiled. Such information could be very helpful to him, if he wanted to use it.

Or… he was required to talk all about this trip once he got back to the headquarters. It was obvious now that, once he did, his superiors would never let him hear the end of it.

Fuck… I kinda know what they’re gonna say. You exposed yourself too much, Zero! You involved civilians, Zero! This ain’t gonna be fun… not at all.

But still, they weren’t so bad. Not as strong as they could be, and Zero didn’t know if the other members of his organization would approve of them joining, but all in due time.

Guess I should at least be thankful we dealt with this. One less threat to this world.

Liz crossed her arms, finally allowing herself a moment to relax. All things considered, the day wasn’t all that bad, and they even got useful information.

One question still remained in her mind, however.

…What in the world is a Zeraora?