Dungeon 63 – Knowledge

Sheets were torn apart by ragged claws, chairs were blasted into bits by a powerful attack, and the glass windows shattered by psychic blades. If Necrozma had anything else inside his room, it would probably be destroyed as well. In fact, the only thing remaining was his bed, and only because he still needed it. Nothing stood in his way. Nothing could stand in his way.

“I… can’t—I didn’t lose to that stupid mortal!” Necrozma muttered, closing his two fists. Aura began to seep from them, covering most of his arm. “I am Necrozma! A legend, a God! This… didn’t happen! It was a simple stroke of luck! Haha! That’s all! I’m still stronger!”

A groan came from the ground. Necrozma mumbled, looking at where the sound came from. Laying in the ground was a Golbat… or what was left of it, drained into a husk. It wasn’t the only one, as a Sealeo and Dragonair stood next to it.

“Hah… that’s all the use you have. Being a sacrifice for the greater good,” he said, and then sat in his bed, groaning. “This should be enough to replace all I lost during all the squabbles. Damn mortals…”

Necrozma didn’t notice it, but his eyes had moved, looking at the corpses. While his thoughts were elsewhere, he wasn’t the only one inside that body. Lance knew it was slow, but he had more access to his body. Right now, he could see, as well as feel .

Tears rolled down at the sight. Lance—Necrozma did it, not him. It wasn’t his fault, and yet… yet the sight twisted his stomach into uncountable knots, and sickened him.

“Tch… I was distracted.” Necrozma grumbled, rubbing the tears off. “Crying, vessel? For a pathetic life like theirs?”

I… don’t think their life is pathetic. They’re criminals, yes, but—

“But what, they can redeem themselves? No. They’ll fall back into old habits as soon as they’re released. If you truly believe that, then you’re naive.” Necrozma closed his eyes, and lay in bed. “Not to mention… I know you liked serving justice.”

I—this isn’t justice! This is just cruelty! Lance said. Or rather, screamed. Necrozma’s only reaction was a chuckle.

“Oh, please . I’ve seen your memories. Deny it as you want, but there’s a part of you, oh… a beautiful part, that is so. Much. Like.”

Me. Lance gasped, and Necrozma heard him gulp. No! I’m nothing like you! I killed before, and I thought I was doing the right thing—

He sat on the bed, clapping both hands and laughing again. “Oh, but you were! You showed the world you did what was necessary! You weren’t afraid! You ignored how this would affect your bonds, and that led you to me!”

My bonds… do they even exist anymore?

“I dunno. But they’ve only held you back, vessel. Luckily for you… I don’t have them. They will serve their part well, in the new world.”

Your new world isn’t necessary. And I doubt anyone will even agree to it! Scar is insane. I’m glad Lilith walkes away, maybe there is some good in her left. 

“…You think I don’t know it’ll be hard for anyone to join me? I don’t mind the resistance. If I have to be a martyr to save the world, I will .”

Lance stopped for a while, but Necrozma heard him sigh.

I still believe in my friends. They’ll let me out of here… and we’ll stop you.

To that, another chuckle. “Oh, let them try! By all means… it almost makes me not want to create my world of light. But—”

Someone knocked on the door. No doubt another subordinate trying to check on him.

---

This isn’t over. 

“Hush, vessel. Your opinion doesn’t matter. I am not flawed, and I will bring salvation.” 

Necrozma lazily waved an arm, laying in bed again. “Just come on in already!”

“On it,” it was Max’s voice, and the Electivire opened the door slowly, but left it open. “Okay. Heya, Boss.”

“…Y’know, I won’t complain about being called Boss.” He groaned. “Alright, what’s up? I thought you left already.”

“Didn’t have time, and Scar asked me to check how you were doing,” Max shrugged, leaning against a wall. He whistled, seeing all the destruction inside. “Huh. Bad day?”

Necrozma almost said “what do you know?”, but Max was the last person to hear it. “No. The fight two days ago left me tired, but I’ve already replenished all the lost energy. Hence… we might need a cleanup.”

“Right, the husks…” Max sniffed the air. Thankfully, nothing was rotten yet. Still, he’d have to ask for a janitor later, once Necrozma stopped being so cranky.

“As you can see, I am just fine . Seriously, what is it with you all?”

Max shrugged again, looking away. This time, at the window. “See… it’s called camaraderie. Besides, we gotta have you in perfect condition to the plan, right? I’ve read about your power. A powerful dragon of pure light… I really wanna see it.”

“That was… what I used to be,” he said, flicking an ear and clawing at the bedsheet, managing to rip it just a little before stopping himself. Vessel, drop it.

“Used to be, huh? So even you can change… guess we’re alike—”

“I am nothing like mortals.” Necrozma quirked a brow. “Why’d you even know so much about me? I get it, you’re some kinda teacher, but this feels like an obsession.”

“Hm… call me excitable, but the wonders of the world are yet to be explored!” Max grinned, and for a moment, Necrozma saw his eyes sparkle. “You legends are history incarnate! And yet, some walk among us. You’ve heard of Zeraora?”

Necrozma shook his head.

“…Huh, weird. Well, he’s a real show-off! I’ve heard he’s friends with the Swords. Do you know them ?”

“Only saw them in some meetings. Cobalion never liked joining them. Something about us being “arrogant”. Considering what my fellow legends did to me, I can see his point.”

He mumbled. “So what? I was here thinking you lost a parent or significant other. Guess you’re just a regular ‘mon, huh?”

“We don’t need loss to be interested in history. But I do admit, it was kinda messed up how I joined Scar and his daughter.”

“This again…?” Necrozma whispered to himself. “By all means, go ahead. As long as you don’t take all day, even if our schedule isn’t that tight.”

“Hah! Guess we are alike. You like hearing about us… to help make our world better, right?” Max continued to grin. “Though all I really want is to know more. Anyway… we all lived in Post Town back then. I was there as a substitute teacher.”

---

“I’m gonna be late!”

Lilith finished a sandwich right after she closed the door to her house, running and hopping as fast as she could. Being a Lopunny, she was able to jump quickly, even with her bag full of books.

Passing through the main plaza and waving to everyone that saw her did slow her down a bit. However, she was quick. With more hops than she cared to count, Lilith continued, setting her sights on a large and wide building with a purple roof; her college.

“Sorry, sorry!” Lilith said as she passed next to teachers and other employees, following a long hall to its end, where a door awaited her. 

Opening it as fast as possible, Lilith found herself inside a lecture hall. This was, apparently, the first class with a new teacher… who hadn’t arrived yet. Thankfully, this meant she wasn’t (the only one) late!

“Phew… who would’ve thought?”

She sat in one of the chairs, hearing whispers from her classmates. Most of them were just chatter, and she couldn’t be bothered to pay attention, setting down a notebook and a pencil, which she twirled in-between her fingers.

Hm, lemme see… this one should be about history. Or maybe it’s human mythology? Actually, these two can be the same, I guess.

“Physics! Physics, physics, physics… physics! Try saying that out loud a few times, you’re gonna lose track of it.”

The chatter between students stopped after the door opened again, and an Electabuzz walked out of it, holding a wide book in his arms. His tail flicked.

“No, seriously. If you say a word enough times, it loses its meaning. Funny how that works, ain’t it?” Max said, climbing down the stairs. “There’s studies about it, and—”

He entered the center of the hall, opening the book. “—When we repeat a word, we focus simply on the sound it makes, not on the idea . We can’t have that, can we?”

Max was met with total silence, save for the occasional repressed chuckle. But even that was noticeable.

“Anyone wants to know why we must focus on ideas ? Any takers? I might increase your grades if someone replies!”

This time, the chatter continued, but nobody got his attention. Max walked in circles, opening and closing the book. “C’mon! Someone has to have a theory!”

Lilith bit her lip and raised an arm. “I have a theory, mister…”

“Maxwell, or Max,” he answered. “And what would that be?”

“Interpreting said ideas is a way of knowing we are sapient.” Lilith said, still twirling the pencil. “Feral Pokémon aren’t capable of speech like us, and though this has yet to be investigated, I think—”

“I have a theory of my own regarding ferals… but let’s take it slow.” Max smiled. “Indeed, we can share ideas between one another. It’s what makes us this smart. They’ve been shared since ancient times… and it’s fascinating to see how far communication has gone!”

Max put the book on a nearby pedestal, clapping his hands. “And this is what I want to share with you. Together, we’re able to evolve—pardon the pun—like never before!”

Lilith gasped, and her eyes began to sparkle. This teacher… he was like her. He wanted to learn , didn’t he? That was the impression she got.

---

“The first known exploration to the Sea of Wonders took place, reportedly, three to four centuries ago! It was said the Pokémon of old had help from spirits, or perhaps guardians of the sea? Who knows! This isn’t very well-documented, but—”

Lilith took notes from every single thing her teacher said, giggling all the time. So many things! It was a shame Max was a substitute, he could teach her many, many more things. If only…

Hm. There’s no chapter on the sand continent yet. That’s Scar’s home, I think. Maybe I should ask…

A bell rang, bringing her attention back. It seemed Lilith was the only one really into the class, as the second the bell made any semblance of a noise, the other students had already left.

“Okay, then… class dismissed! Even if you already dismissed yourselves.” Max sighed, picking his book up again. He only noticed Lilith after raising his head. “Oh? It’s the lady from before! Class’ over already, you can go home.”

“My bad, I was, uh… doing things.” Lilith hurried, shoving her notebook inside her bag and putting it on. “Your class was amazing, though! I didn’t know there were that many explorers long ago.”

“Yeah, right? I’m not that interested in the content, but in their achievements.” Max scratched his chin. “Tell you what, maybe next time I’ll talk about the professor that discovered dungeon sickness! And hopefully this time, the class will actually pay attention to my lecture.”

“Hm, dungeon sickness… I don’t know much, but, uh, will that be on the exam?”

“Who knows?” Max chuckled, walking upstairs again.

‘Course he doesn’t tell me. But heh… gotta tell Scar about this, it’s so fun!

Without wasting any more time, Lilith ran out of the classroom, and out of there. She needed to go home .

---

Their dinner table was very simple, with only two chairs. But for the two of them, it was more than enough. Scar put two plates down. The majority of the content was a salad, with two pieces of meat that dripped with sauce.

“I do hope this is to your liking… I have acquired a taste for salad over the years,” he sat down, smiling.

Lilith put her bag down as the took a seat. “Nah, don’t worry, Scar.”

Whether it was her intention or not, Lilith kept tapping the ground with a foot, getting faster each time, and her face had a big , toothy smile.

“Hm. Are you alright? I heard there was a new teacher today. I take it his class was to your liking?” Scar asked, picking a fork and a knife to cut the meat.

“Oh, it was great ! He was smart, talked about old explorers, about the history behind some move nomenclatures, all kinds of stuff! I can’t wait for his next lecture!”

Lilith said it all without touching her food; she was too hyper to. Scar smiled as well, though his was more subdued. 

“That is great to hear.”

“Ah, sorry! Almost forgot to eat…” Lilith munched some of the leaves in the salad, and the crunchiness was well enjoyed by her. “Still got the hands of a farmer, right?”

“Indeed, it seems I do.” Scar’s smile faltered for a second, turning into a frown. “Ever since you joined me, life has been… better. But there is much we must do.”

“Like finishing my studies, and you gotta work for the local guild, right?”

“Yes. We are far from reaching our goal, just the two of us. Even if my mentor’s resources are far and wide, there is something good about accomplishing it ourselves.”

Just the two of us, eh? Hm… what if the teach could join us? 

Lilith continued to eat, her smile only growing wider.

---

“Hold on.”

Necrozma interrupted the story to groan. “How’d you know the things that happened when you weren’t there? Are you a stalker or something?”

Max raised a finger, and then chuckled slightly. “Y’know, that’s a good question. Lilith told me all about it. She was very excited to have me visit. Granted, that did sound a little creepy, now that I think about it… but hey. I’m not gonna complain! I got a hell of a job now!”

“Hm.” Necrozma raised one of his arms and looked at it, frowning. For now, it seemed Lance stopped talking. Good, he was getting sick of it.

Back to Max, he did seem to have a good relationship with the others, but did this mean he wouldn’t betray them, like Lilith did? Necrozma scoffed; if that happened, he would end Max himself.

“No, no, I’m tellin’ the truth! Lilith kept talking to me, and I learned more about her.” Max added, but now he also had a frown. She wasn’t with them anymore, and to think Lilith was the one who recruited him. It would be ironic, if not tragic. “…Anyway, I accepted a visit, and we kinda hit it off. Scar said he could let me learn more and more, so I ended up—”

“Continue the story.” Necrozma said, closing his eyes and sighing. At the very least, this made for good entertainment. Perhaps now that they tasted the feeling of betrayal, the two would take this entire thing more seriously. He was so, so close , after all…

Max rubbed his arm, and kept looking at the window. He wondered why Lilith left them; if it was in pursuit of freedom, if maybe there was something wrong—no. Even if there was, he was too deep to quit.

“You… you’re asking about this so you can know more and see if I’m giving up too, aren’tcha?”

“Congratulations.” Necrozma waved him off. “I’m a God. You have to understand I see things differently… did you know the vessel called me flawed ? Me, Necrozma? It’s stupid, I know… but it’s different with you mortals.”

“I suppose we’re all flawed,” Max muttered. That was obvious, and not just him, but Scar and Lilith knew it. “…That’s why we wanted to free you. Because, in return, you’d free us from our flaws.”

“Hm. That is true. I am on an entirely different level than any of you, it’s only natural…” Necrozma paused, smiling. “Yes, I understand. By all means, do go on about your story. It intrigues me.”

“Right! Sorry, I got a little distracted. Well, I don’t know much of what they talked about before asking me to go with them, but… ahem . I kept teaching there, eventually becoming a full-time teacher. The next part is where I found out about… you.”

---

The college had an office room for most of its teachers, where they took some time between classes to organize homework, essays and take breaks. Max sat on a chair, and in his table there were multiple sheets of paper, books, a calendar, pencils scattered everywhere.

Not that he minded the mess, or the mess on the ground, with crumbled paper between his feet. It only meant he had lots of things to do in his line of work. 

Max raised a mug and sipped the coffee inside, sighing and sticking out his tongue. “Too bitter, I don’t like this one bit.”

Footsteps creeped behind him and a Cinderace knocked on his table with two paws. “Hey. You got a visitor. Some Lopunny.”

“Some Lo—Lilith!” Max stood up, swallowing the rest of his coffee and hurrying to the door, passing through more tables, and more teachers.

He opened the door and… there she was. Lilith held a book in her paws and gave him a soft smile.

“Heya, Teach!”

“What’re you doing here? It’s the weekend, shouldn’t you be at home?”

“Scar’s off to a meeting. Gotta figure out more about the Blinding One…” she shrugged. “Anyway, I was reading some books he gave me, and—”

“I’m sorry, Blinding One ? What’s that? Or… who’s that?”

Lilith bit a lip. Oh boy… maybe I said too much.

“Lilly?” Max raised a brow. “I know you like ancient history, and I’m curious, because I don’t know anything about a Blinding One.”

“Oh, well, I do have one book about it, just myths and stories from ancient times. If you’d like, I can let you borrow.”

Max rubbed his chin, considering the option. Did he have the time to invest in this? Could he make an exam out of the contents?

“Hm… I don’t see why not.”

“Ah, alright!” Lilith handed the book to him, keeping the smile. “Gosh, I almost forgot what I came here to talk about! I wanna know more about your theories on ferals, are there any books you’d recommend to me?”

“Hm…” Max took his time to reply, checking the book. It was thick, with a black cover. In the middle, there was a white sigil with the shape of an eight-pointed star. Curious. “Ask the librarian, he’s an Accelgor, just say Max sent you. I’m gonna take a look at this. Don’t worry, though. I’ll give you back next class.”

“Alright! Thanks, Teach!”

Lilith was gone. Max chuckled, walking back inside the room.

“That’s a rubbish book,” Cinderace walked past Max, then took a look, raising a brow. “Hm, yup. Rubbish. I wouldn’t waste my time with it, if I were you. I’ve heard crazy things about the adepts of this… movement.”

“Movement? It’s not a cult .” Max rolled his eyes. At least, I don’t think it is…?

“It’s a rubbish book.” Cinderace said, and walked to his desk.

“Nobody asked for your opinion.” Max scoffed, sitting in his chair again. “Guess I’ll take a read after I’m done grading these exams…”

---

“Pah! Cult?! I would never use such a… vilified word to describe you or Scar.” Necrozma shook his head, and grumbled again, louder. “Indeed, this word is so… misused. Besides, if a king has no subordinates, is he really a king?”

“Err… you did refuse to wear the crown.” Max shrugged. “But you are a king! A leader, a God! Doubt we’d even be here if it wasn’t for you. You tied us together, y’know?”

Necrozma crossed his arms. Perhaps his influence was bigger than he thought. But how big? To answer that question, he needed another question.

“Hmph. That Cinderace… what happened to him?”

“Uh, nothing? All he did was tell me that I should stop pursuing you. But once I read the book, whoa. I felt, sorry for the pun, enlightened! There were feats, stories and things I’ve never heard of before!” Max raised two closed fists and grinned. “For example, wrestling against Giratina! Is that true?”

“What kind of book were you reading…?” Necrozma blinked, shaking his head. “Nah, that never happened. If anything, Tina was my closest friend. Sadly, we went our separate ways when he was called to watch over another realm.”

Max didn’t know whether to be disappointed by that or not. “Oh… well, that’s alright. I figured there’d be some historical discrepancies. But I don’t really care about him. I’m more intrigued by you.”

“Intrigued by me. How… fascinating. Well, it’s not unusual, even before, mortals worshiped me, that was only natural. But—” Necrozma cringed. “Some of their ways of worship were odd, to say the least.”

“Care to elaborate, or do I need to fill in the blanks myself?”

“Filling the blanks does sound more fun, do that.”

Dang. Max nodded. “Well, I obviously kept reading, and I got more intrigued. I had to find out more. Call it curiosity.”

“Curiosity killed the Delcatty, but satisfaction brought it back,” Necrozma muttered. When Max stared at him, the legendary simply shrugged. “Old saying Xerneas used to talk about all the time. I assume it was a joke, considering she controls life.”

Xerneas has jokes…? Whoa, must be different, considering how holier than thou she acted last time. Max scratched the back of his head. Now he really wanted a chair to sit on, and asking Necrozma to move a little so he could sit in his bed? Preposterous. “Honestly, I could spend my day hearing about your pantheon. They sound… fun. If you take away the part where they trapped you inside that prison for millenia.”

“…The good part is that they’re mostly gone. I shouldn’t have too much opposition, if they even know I’m back.” Necrozma winced, he’d still have some opposition, but he could squash them with little to no effort. “By the way, when I’m satisfied with your story, you will go to that town. My ascension is near. I’ll make sure nobody wants to escape my world.”

“Like a true hero!” Max grinned once more, cheering with a raised arm. “And… well, there’s only one part of the story left. It’s pretty short, to be honest. Lilith talked with me again…”

---

Once again, Max remained in the office, reading the book Lilith let him borrow. It was fascinating. Some of the stories in it sounded like they were exaggerated, sure, but they were interesting nonetheless. If this was true… then how did such a young lady like her get involved in this?

“Still reading that?” Cinderace put a cup of coffee next to Max, dangerously close to the book.

Max rolled his eyes, picking up the mug to sip the drink. “I have natural curiosity! It’s one of my best qualities.”

“And yet you still can’t find a date. Sounds like poor decision making to me.” Cinderace shrugged. “Lemme know when you find better uses for your time.”

“Shut up…” Max sipped more of the coffee.

“By the way, she’s here to see you again. Y’know, at this point you could try convincing me she isn’t your favorite and I’d have a hard time believing you.”

Max swallowed the coffee and tossed the mug; Cinderace barely caught it before he saw the Electabuzz walk off towards the door.

“Hey!” Lilith waited, her feet tapping the ground so fast there was a large noise coming from them.

“…Huh. What’s gotten you this excited?”

“Well, I talked to the librarian and managed to find some of your sources! Very interesting, I might book a trip to Lively Town to check them. I wanna specialize in archeology, so…”

“You wanna be a grave robber.” Max chuckled.

“I’m not—that’s not what an archeologist is!” Lilith instantly pouted. “See, we investigate the history nobody bothers to! We check every inch and corner, we see through the eyes of Pokémon long dead! That’s… super exciting!”

“Essentially, a grave robber,” he insisted. “But seriously, that was it? You came all the way here for this? Or is there something else?”

Lilith stopped, and flashed a toothy smile.

“Scar’s back from his trip, I talked about you, the book, and… well, he wants to see you! He’s preparing a very fancy dinner for the three of us. Do you wanna come, or…?”

Dinner. With a student. His favorite student, yes, but still… Max sighed. If Scar was the one that gave her this book, he could ask a few things himself. That was a big part of his thought process.

“I dunno, what does he usually make?”

“Hm… he’s been trying some berry salad? But usually, it’s some kinda meat!” Lilith licked her lips, giggling.

“I like meat,” he chuckled. “Guess that’s something to look forward to, huh?”

“Oh, so you’re coming?” Lilith’s eyes sparkled, and the tapping intensified. Tap, tap tap.

“Most likely, yes. Once I got a break. Do you have an address or do I just ask around?”

“I gotta study a little, so I’ll be at the library,” she pointed towards the exit. “Just wanted to ask you this.”

“Meet you there, then you walk me to your place?”

Lilith couldn’t contain her excitement any longer, somehow smiling even wider. “Yup!”

Max nodded. “Alright, sounds fun.”

---

“Hm.”

Necrozma kept a toothy grin even after Max stopped talking. “That was it, huh? Honestly, expected something else.”

“Eh, what can I say?” Max shrugged. “…There’s not that much tragedy with me. Unless you count all my failed dates.”

“I will not.”

“Ouch. Wait, question. Did you ever date any of the Legends—”

“…” Necrozma refused to answer, but tendrils came to mind. Very cuddly tendrils, with red spikes at the tip. Then, a large, metallic mane that was still very fluffy to the touch. “None of your business.”

Okay what… what was that about? I saw it.

Hush, vessel. Necrozma groaned. “Ahem, was that all? Did you have anything else you wanted to mention?”

“No, I mean…” Max wondered, but then he shrugged. “Nope. After the dinner, which was great by the way, seriously, ask him to cook for you, you won’t regret it. Anyway, after the dinner, I kept coming back. Scar’s wise, more than he lets on, which I guess it’s from all the suffering he’s been through. Losing your family… it changes things, Boss.”

“Still calling me boss.” Necrozma sighed. “But I understand. Don’t worry, when I’m done, there’ll be no more suffering.”

Necrozma closed his eyes, smiling. “Fascinating, actually. Even with a life one would consider normal, you still follow me. It’s fascinating, indeed… do you have any particular reason? Or is it simply… a thirst?” 

A pause.

“The need to quench it so overwhelming you’d join up with what your colleague described as rubbish?”

“For starters, calling something “rubbish” sounds so dumb . Just say it sucks like a normal ‘mon,” he grimaced. “Anyway, the book was fine. Hell, even the stories that had no way of being true were fun to read.”

“Suit yourself.” Necrozma hopped out of the bed, stretching his arms. “I’ll be honest, it was more fun than I expected. But now… we need to do business here.”

“Right.” Max saluted. “Guess this means head there, grab the emeras and come back?”

“And I’ll pay a visit to my dear Xerneas…” Necrozma smirked. His crystals even rattled. “It has been far too long since we last met. If the circumstances were different, I’d visit her to catch up on lost time.”

“She’s nice, if only a little too full of herself.”

“You could say that about them all. Except maybe the Swords.” Necrozma paused again. “…And Tina.”

I sense he likes Tina. Max thought, keeping it as just a thought amongst many. “I was going to ask if you could give me a ride there? I should have the entercard ready, but it’d make things easier.”

“You want me to open a wormhole…? Well, I don’t see why not.” Necrozma extended an arm. “Ready—”

“Wait.” Max shook his head, pointing to the door. “I gotta get my stuff ready. Shouldn’t take too long, I think? Like, ten minutes tops.”

“Hmph. Very well. Don’t make me wait too long.”

Max hurried out of the room. As for Necrozma, he crossed his arms once more, looking out t he window.

“…Xerneas is arrogant, eh? Guess a millenia can change you. I’m not sure if it’s for the best, though.”

You keep thinking weird things. It was Lance again. I don’t like them. And I will get my body back.

“Keep saying that, vessel. I’m the one in charge here. Though, since you’re behaving like this, I’m reconsidering your place in my world.”

…Your world. It’s unnecessary, we may be flawed, but we can grow and change—

“Shut up.” 

Necrozma groaned, laying in bed once more. Nobody respected his opinions. That was the one thing that didn’t change after so many centuries. Why didn’t they realize that? He knew better, he saw the disastrous consequences the mortals did. 

Sure, there were developments, like factories, food, and technology. But the thing he warned his fellow Legends about still happened. There was still criminal activity, and sorrow remained. All because of their free will. And yet, only him and his followers noticed it. 

“It’s like I’m surrounded by idiots .”

He sighed once more. At least Scar and Max would remain by his side. He’d still need to ask Max what exactly he wanted, since Scar wanted his family back. Perhaps he could even extend that courtesy to Lilith. But Max… he was still an unknown variable. If anything were to happen, Necrozma would deal with it himself.

---

Max entered his room. Just like his old office, it was a mess… for everyone else but him. See, he devised a system to organize everything, being prone to forgetting things.

First, he went to the table. There was a large bedsheet on top, definitely not in the place it should be.

Alright, it’s not here, so… this means I deliberately put it there, so I could remember the actual place. Which is… Max rubbed his chin, and snapped a finger. Of course! 

He got on his knees, checking under his bed. Like he suspected, there was a giant bag inside, which he pulled, rubbing the dust off and putting the bag on. It looked too big on him.

Fits perfectly for the job. Now, I’m not sure how many of them He’ll need, which means I might need to grab all of ‘em. That sheriff won’t like it, but… eh. I’ll just zap the dude if he tries anything funny.

After thinking, Max’s hands crackled with electricity, and he chuckled. Alright, that was pretty cool.

Then, he let out a sigh of relief. It was a shame Lilith wasn’t there with them, especially because she was so excited about the entire thing for as long as he knew her. She changed, and so drastically, too.

Part of him wondered if it was just a ploy to backstab Brian and friends. There was the possibility of it being her leaving for good. Max let another sigh, but this one was tainted with sadness.

Max was nothing like her. He looked at the bed, picking a fedora to put on and then walked towards the window, opening it to let the wind enter his room. With how messy it was, there was a rancid smell all around.

So many Pokémon were walking on the streets, too many to bother counting. But Max focused on two: a pair of Rapidash and Ponyta, likely a parent and child.

You’ll never have her back, Lilly. That was your decision, so I’m not gonna bother trying to change your mind. However… more sparks flew. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna sit around and watch you ruin this for all of us. So be ready… I won’t hold back.

Max turned back, adjusting the fedora and groaning. Y’know, I should probably pick a cape too, that town has a shitton of sand. And sand sucks.

With that in mind, he opened a drawer, putting a cape on. In hindsight, combining that with the bag made him look hideous. Max didn’t really care about that, though. What mattered was getting the job done.

Yeah, no doubts for me. Sorry Lilly, guess I’ll just have to do your job for ya. Anyway… entercard’s inside the bag, so I can warp home, it’s big enough that I can hold the emeras, so it’s all good.

After stretching his arms, Max opened the door and left into the hallway, walking all the way to Necrozma’s room. 

---

Once inside, he saw his leader on the bed, again . Necrozma waved an arm and hopped off once more.

“Yo.”

“Heya, Boss.” Max saluted him again. “Guess the time’s now, huh?”

“Indeed.” 

Necrozma cracked his knuckles and slowly flexed his fingers, before aiming towards the wall. With his other arm, he offered a hand. “Touch it. I’ll probe through your memories to find the city.”

“Aye.” Max didn’t flinch, grabbing Necrozma’s hand.

His feelers twitched, cloaked in purple. Necrozma focused only on the city, and soon enough, a portal revealed itself, cracking open the air.

“Your turn.”

Max tipped his hat to Necrozma, before putting it back and grinning. “See you later!”

He stepped back and ran, jumping into the portal while unleashing a loud cackle.

Necrozma rubbed the back of his head, watching the wormhole close.

“Now… I doubt I’ll need to probe through my wonderful vessel’s memories to get to the Tree, however…”

You’re attacking Xerneas. She… nobody here deserves this. And I—

Lance managed to move his arm before Necrozma opened a portal again, and his body shook.

I can still… hold you back!

“Tch. Y’know, I’m really starting to get annoyed by all of this!” Necrozma moved his other arm, but then Lance took control of it as well, stopping.

“Drop it! This body is mine !”

Necrozma roared, and he was able to move again, though he ended up panting a little. 

“What an ungrateful vessel… seriously, you should really stop trying,” he sighed, finally opening the wormhole, not even needing to think too hard about Xerneas. The little that he did made his heart pump from excitement, and then he frowned. “I truly wish… my reasons for going to you were different, Xerneas. But sometimes, you must make sacrifices for the greater good of the world. And sadly, none of you understood that.”

I… don’t want to make any more sacrifices. Lance sighed again, trying to take control, but all he was able to was sigh. Brian, Meggie, Dex, and Dad. I hope they’ll stop you. And I… I’ll keep fighting.

“Suit yourself, vessel.” Necrozma looked through the window, before shaking his head. “But again, be grateful I chose you. Like I said… you and I are not so different.”

And like I said, I’m nothing like you! You’re… you’re a killer!

“You say that, but… I spared Lilith, didn’t I? I never took her light. Not to mention I can see how you were excited about it, every time I absorbed my light, you reacted too.”

You spared her, but that means nothing. Sometimes you spare because the time was right, because they begged , because you happened to have a moment of consciousness. But it doesn’t change who—what you are.

Necrozma stopped, scoffing. “…Only a killer would know that. I might be one, but so are you. Don’t try to stand on the moral high ground. I know your sins.”

And Lance had no answers to that, keeping himself quiet, wondering if his friends would indeed save him, but the truth was he had no other option aside from trusting and putting all his faith in them.

Finally, he wondered how they were doing, right before Necrozma grinned as wide as he could, and ran into the portal. They had to be alright, they just had to.

---

Now that Necrozma and his goons had left the city, Brian could return to his own apartment. 

Brian turned around on the couch, groaning and rubbing his eyes, then yawned. He was so, so tired from all of this.

I at least hope Lance’s fine inside that… thing.

His father opened the door, coming inside with Lilith next to him, and then closed, humming. “Hello, everyone—or just Brian?”

“Mmm…” Brian groaned again, and in a flash, Dex came from the kitchen, munching on a piece of raw meat.

“Okay, hello there!” Dex said, waving, though he snarled at Lilith. She ignored him. “What’s up?”

“You guys are loud and I was sleeping…” Meggie came from the inside, also rubbing her eyes. “But, err, hello, mister Nick!”

“I’m mostly here to help you guys deal with her ,” he pointed towards Lilith.

Rude. Lilith sighed. Granted, it was to be expected, but couldn’t they at least be as friendly as they were during the fight against Morgan? Apparently not.

“Alright, y’all. I have something to say.”

Nick huffed. “For the record, I don’t believe what she’s going to say.”

“Dad, it’s alright. We need her, even if I wish we didn’t,” Brian sat, waiting for her to tell them already. Meggie instinctively floated to him and leaned close, for emotional support.

“Yeah, Carrots. Spill it!” Dex pouted, looking over at his friends.

“First things first.” Lilith started, taking a pause to breathe. “…Nec mentioned he was gonna use some of the awakening emeras to absorb their power into himself, and asked Max to grab them for him. ‘Course, that’s not all.”

She stopped then to let them properly react to this. It wasn’t that shocking yet, but taking the moment for the team to process would do them better during the second part of the news.

“Well, it’s nice to hear what they wanna do, but like… how do we stop it?” Brian crossed his arms and huffed. “I guess we can try destroying the emeras.”

Dex looked at the bracelet in his arm next. “Hm, somethin’ tells me we could use the crystals from them temples.”

“The z-crystals, yes.” Lilith had none with her, but she knew they didn’t trust her enough to carry one. “Our best bet is me teaching y’all how to perform the z-moves, considering we’ll have a bad time fighting those three.”

“Z…moves?” Dex tilted his head. “Now that just sounds dumb. Who named them?”

“…Me.” Lilith groaned, facepalming. “The z-moves involve using the energy stored in those crystals as a catalyst to convert your aura into powerful moves. I dunno if it’s obvious, but they’re typed.”

She stopped and pointed at Brian. “For example, that vortex he did? I decided to call it Blackhole Eclipse.”

Nick raised his arm next. “Essentially, you three will be performing the ritual to seal Necrozma again. As for me… wife asked to help defend the town, because—”

“We know Necrozma will try to reach for the entire world, so defending those we love is our best choice of action.” Lilith interrupted, finishing the sentence for Nick. “Got it?”

Brian looked at his teammates, opening his mouth to say, but instead, he just nodded. “…I think that’s fine. We separate him from Lance, and then we seal him. Problem solved.”

It was then Lilith began to shiver. “See… that’s the plan, but we don’t know how strong he’ll be, we’ll have resistance all the way.”

The Zoroark glared at her straight in the eyes. “I don’t care, I’m saving my brother, no matter what.”

---

As the trio went outside to buy some supplies, Lilith was left on the couch, alone with her thoughts… and her doubts.

Could she redeem herself? Why did she even defect in the first place? How to gain back their trust? And was it the right choice? Lilith had no idea how to answer any of her questions, getting more of them the longer she thought about it.

There had to be someone that knew about redemption; about ways of working towards it. But who? Who could she talk to?

Nick knocked on the wall next to her, getting her attention. She noticed his sensors were twitching slightly. Was Nick sensing her doubts? Could she hide them? He wasn’t the one to talk to.

“Hey,” he said, sitting next to her. “I could feel this from the other room, aura or no aura. How are you holding up?”

Lilith turned away, but then turned back to face him. “…Why are you talking to me? I thought you wanted me gone because of the whole “helped indoctrinate your son” thing.”

“Hmph.” Nick’s face soured, but he never broke eye contact. “Because I know what’s going through your mind. You’re questioning everything you’ve ever known. It’s been ingrained since you were young, right? So it’s no wonder that you still doubt.”

“That… doesn’t exactly answer me. I want to help, but—”

“You don’t know how.” Nick answered before she could even finish. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not your friend, and I’m tolerating you for the sake of my son. But… if you truly want redemption, you’re starting already.”

“How? I-I… I left without thinking straight! And now I’m trying to prevent the thing that I craved for so long . It feels… wrong.” Lilith clutched her chest tight, trembling. Her own words tasted like venom.

“Like I said, you’re working on it.” Nick sighed, staring at the ceiling. “You started the process. You noticed there was something wrong with the thing, and now you’re here. That’s enough. That should be enough.”

“My doubts keep returning. If I did the right thing… shouldn’t they be gone by now?”

Nick shook his head. “Nah. That’s the thing, sometimes you don’t know. Even if you stayed, it’s likely the doubts would still be there.”

“My… doubts.”

“Let me tell you about this dumbass I know. He’s my best friend.” Nick said with a hearty chuckle. “Always seeing the good in everyone, even his enemies. Even when faced against someone that hurt his friends, he looked at the enemy and tried to empathize, to understand them.”

Nick kept the smile, but then tapped his badge. “Now, that’s a nice mentality, and it’s sad that it doesn’t always work. But the point is… if you want to, you can change. But now, here’s the question: will you?”

“Change…” Lilith looked at herself, opening and closing her fists. “I… dunno if I can.”

“Here’s a hint: you changed already. You found the resolve to step aside from them and join us.” Nick turned towards her, tapping a paw on her shoulder. “That’s the sign you want redemption. It may not be enough to quell all doubts, but it’ll make things easier, right?”

Lilith was left with no replies, and curled up on the couch. She could at least think about it. And then talk with team Liberators once they were back from their shopping trip.

---

Dex ran faster than any of his friends, and then stopped, looking back and grinning at them. The couple was together, holding hands. At least during that moment, Brian was smiling, and not worrying about his brother’s fate.

“Ye two are some big lovebirds!”

“Yeah. Jealous~?” Meggie giggled, hugging Brian as much as she could, feeling the soft fur on her boyfriend.

“O’ the fluff? Nah, nah. Who needs ’em when I got muscles?” Dex flexed both of his biceps, grinning more. “I’ll get a lad when I get one. Don’t worry about lil ol’ me.”

“Well, we’ll be here for you when you do!” Brian smiled. The cold, scaly skin Meggie had didn’t bother him one bit.

“Yeah, true… ye guys are always here fer me. Guess I should consider meself lucky to ‘ave mates so great.” Dex gave them a big thumbs-up. “An’ that’s something I wanted fer so long! We’re kickin’ crystal butt soon, very soon!”

Brian couldn’t help but smile. At least one of them was peppy about this. Or was it Dex trying to hide his nervousness with a layer of jokes? 

“Heck yeah we are! Though… man , I want that vacation.” Meggie muttered. “We should look into the places as soon as we can, to be honest.”

“At least we’re able to rest… somewhat. I feel as if the next few days will be very stressful.” Brian gulped. It was a hunch, and he hoped it was nothing more than that.

“We should really get the stuff. Groceries first? Some revivers?” Meggie asked, though she knew what they were getting.

“Uh… yeah, yeah. Sounds good to me.” 

Brian sighed. Could he even look forward to vacation and spending time with his girlfriend? It was always mission after mission, saving someone. A hero’s job, much like his dad. But he was different, they were all different.

He’d never compare to his father, that much was certain. Except… Brian never wanted to. They left home in pursuit of bringing happiness and protecting Pokémon everywhere they went, at least on Lance’s part. Brian wanted this too, but for the most part, he was happy in supporting his brother’s dreams however he could.

Maybe he could step down after everything was said and done. Take some time to himself, to Meggie. The world would be just fine without him. Brian bit a lip; there was no point in keeping all this to himself.

“Guys… let’s do our best, alright?” Brian asked. It wasn’t a suggestion, they had to do their best if the world was to be saved. It was their job. 

Dex rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. “I ain’t a ‘ero like y’all, but… yup. I’ll do me best, Goggles.”

The fate of the world… lies on us. I never thought I’d get this far, and I don’t mind it, honestly. Brian mused, thinking. He had others to rely on, and he wasn’t alone. They could do this if they tried. “Inspirational speeches aren’t my thing, to be honest. But uh, let’s do this!”

“With ‘ow much ye do them as o’ late, I’d be surprised if they weren’t.” Dex shrugged. Yeah, Brian had a talent for them, he had to admit. “And Popsicle? Yer not gonna say anything?”

“Uh…” Meggie was wrapped in her own thoughts, but smiled at them nonetheless. “I’ll be frank. Part of me still thinks this is my fault, if I didn’t work with Morgan… Lance’s life would be different.”

“You’re the best thing that happened to me,” Brian wrapped her between his arms, smiling even more, and then began to nuzzle his partner. “Don’t blame yourself for that. We’ve dealt with him already, now all we gotta do is… defeat a God. Sounds simple enough.”

“Eh. If ye asked me, I’d ne’er believe ye. Defeatin’ a God… it sounds ridiculous, but we’re all ridiculous. We can probably pull it off.”

Meggie nuzzled Brian back, chuckling slightly. “And then we go to the beach, drink some cocktails and just have a fun time all around!”

“Yeah!” Brian raised an arm to cheer, only for Meggie to raise her own, both arms touching.

“C’mon, Dex!” The Froslass giggled. “Get in here! You’re a part of the team too!”

Dex hesitated, because honestly? That was embarrassing. And he could be embarrassing with his friends. The days of being alone were long gone.

Their three arms touched, solidifying once more their bond. Brian smiled more, and if he still had his tail, it would be there, wagging. With friends like them, and with a girlfriend like Meggie to help him… they could win.

They could get Lance back.