Dungeon 64 – Stride

“You’re done.”

Necrozma held on to the crystal in one of his hands, watching as it glowed. Next to him, amongst smoke and rubble, was the defeated Xerneas. Her body glowed, the aura surrounding her being transferred into Necrozma’s artifact.

“U-Urgh…” She panted, moving just enough to remove the rubble on top of her. “Necrozma… why?”

He scoffed, looking at her, and then at his surroundings. They were at the top of the tree, and smoke was everywhere, though the wood remained intact. Their fight had been short.

“You know why, old friend.” Necrozma chuckled, putting the crystal in a satchel he carried. “I can’t have you trying to stop salvation.”

Xerneas mustered more strength, standing up, not flinching, and not taking her eyes off of him. “Salvation? What you want is not salvation. It is a fate worse than death.”

He didn’t reply, merely closing his eyes and letting out a drawn-out sigh. She could never understand him; his vessel didn’t either. Only a few of the mortals did. Fewer now that one of them had betrayed him.

“…How could I ever hope to do this without any interference? None of you get it.”

Xerneas hissed, putting a hoof forward. “Do not say that to me, Necrozma. I have seen it, your war. I have seen a battle, a conflict that ravaged not just us, but the mortals as well. Do you have any idea of how much we lost?! I—”

Necrozma fired a sphere that landed inches in front of one of Xerneas’ hooves. “Me? Seriously?! You’re asking me if I know what I lost?! My mate—Giratina is gone. He’s gone because of you.”

Inside the prism Pokémon’s body, another sigh was heard. It didn’t come from him, no.

It came from Lance. Necrozma—I saw it, I saw flashes of him. This “Giratina” was your mate? Just what happened to you? I can tell you weren’t always like this—

…Silence, vessel. Necrozma shook his head. “So many of us were lost, Xerneas. Lost or banished. And Giratina? He… was my everything.”

“Because you waged a war against the mortals!” Xerneas prepared to attack, but no matter her efforts, her focus, nothing happened. “Tch.”

“It’ll take you a while before you recover. Unlike your precious mortals, absorbing your light won’t kill you.” Necrozma said, taking a look at himself. “But it’ll be too late. You can’t stop me, nobody can.”

Xerneas flinched, trembling. What should, or rather, could she do? Not only did Necrozma take her power, he also had a hostage. The Lucario that helped her all those months ago. She had no options.

None except appeal to him. “Necrozma… please. Stop this madness. We can start over! Accept your errors and move forward!”

She has a point. Lance pointed out, making his presence known again. If you accept your flaws, you might have a way out of this that doesn’t involve enslaving the entire planet!

I said shut up! Necrozma groaned, suppressing him again, and clutching his head. “I don’t make mistakes, Xerneas. Unlike you, I’m perfect. The way you ally yourself with these mortals… it disgusts me.”

“You were right about one thing… Necrozma.” Xerneas panted. “The way things were… it was wrong. By working with them, we can be so much more.”

Necrozma seemed to stop and take her words for a moment…

Before ignoring them promptly. “…No.”

---

“No…?” Xerneas grit her teeth. “Necrozma, have some semblance of sanity! You cannot possibly think erasing all their wills is what will bring peace!”

Necrozma shook his head again, looking at the ceiling, in thought. “I can’t expect you to understand me, when your side never did. It was a miracle Tina did.”

There was a somber look in his face as he said it, and his ears drooped momentarily, before perking up again.

“And the so-called “Voice”? Where are they now?” Necrozma looked at his satchel next. “At the very least, the gift they gave me is useful.”

“The Voice—they are gone, they were gone during most of our battles.” Xerneas hissed, stepping forward. 

“They never told you, did they?” Necrozma grinned. “I’ve heard all about how I could help the world through them. They’ve told me about my full capabilities, about the gift they gave me… that’s how I knew what to do.”

“T-That’s—that’s impossible! They’d never—”

“Oh, but they did.” Necrozma shrugged. “I have my suspicions as to why, but I doubt they had any sides. Not like you, me, or our fellow legends.”

Xerneas paused, biting a lip. “Did you ever think about them? About your own subordinates abandoning you? About dragging your fellow teammates into this… this crusade of yours?”

“I’ve thought about them—about Tina, mostly, but all of them… they were in my thoughts all this time.” Necrozma finally met eyes with her once more, frowning. “It’s a tragedy. However… it was a war, and sacrifices were necessary. If they’re not here, then it’s up to me to finish what we started.”

“You cur.” Xerneas roared, raising her head. “How can you spit in our mission like this?! We were supposed to guide them, not… enslave the mortals!”

Necrozma bit a lip, extending his right arm as a purple sphere started crackling inside it. She simply repeated the same things, now and when they were at war.

“They have proven time and time again that they cannot be trusted. Bringing vice to this world.”

He paused, crossing his arms.

“They ravaged the land without thinking twice. And  you , Xerneas… you wrapped the stars in iron chains. But now? Now the stars are fighting to be free once again.”

She’s right. Lance again, tried to reason with him. How could you? Weren’t they your friends? Wasn’t Giratina… your mate? Did you really treat them all like tools for your endgame?

Everyone that I lost… their lives were never in vain. They weren’t tools, no. They believed in our cause. And Tina— Necrozma snarled. 

“He is talking with you, correct?” Xerneas pointed out. She had long given up on fighting, relegated to using her words instead. “Lance Williams. The Lucario whose life you stole. You know that… was never allowed. You were never meant to fuse—”

“Silence.” Necrozma snapped, firing another sphere. This time, it hit Xerneas’ face, forcing her to groan. “Besides, it’s not an ideal solution, but considering the state in which my comrades are… I have no choice. Not to mention… all light is mine. It is my birthright.”

“Necrozma, you do not know if there will be any consequences to using his body like this! At the very least… let him go.”

“Oh, please.” Necrozma snarled, shaking his head. “You think I didn’t notice? When I fought your little allies… I’ve sensed your power in them, too.”

“There is—it is different, Necrozma!” Xerneas panted, trying to plead with him again. “I only shared a small fraction… but you? You are overdoing this! None of us know how ingrained you are!”

“In my vessel? Hm, good question.” 

There was a slight pause.

“Bah! A vessel is a vessel, however… you could also call him leverage.” Necrozma sighed. “You, too, have a place in my world, Xerneas. For that reason, you may live.”

He turned back, extending an arm and creating another portal.

“Necrozma, do not—”

But he was already gone…

---

Meanwhile, Brian groaned. First because going back and forth between cities was tiring. But that part didn’t bother him that much. What really got into him was how his brother was still possessed, and that they weren’t close to saving him.

Meggie stood by his side, leaning against his arm. They were both on the sofa at Dex’s house, waiting for Nick to return. With how everything was, they elected to remain silent.

Said silence was deafening to Lilith. She was sitting on a chair, watching the couple do nothing but wait.

“Sure this is how you two wanna spend the day? Waitin’… and waitin’ more?” Lilith asked, rubbing her arm. “Nick’s gonna come over soon, but we can’t just sit around… doing nothing at all.”

A door creaked open and out of it came Dex, stretching his arms. “Carrots’ right, y’know? Ye two should come up with a plan. I should know, Goggles is smart.”

“A plan…?” Brian gulped. Great, not only did he have to deal with all his anxiety and worries, but he also had to think about a plan? Being leader is hard…

Meggie held her boyfriend’s paw and nodded. “It’s alright, we can figure something out! It’s not like the fate of the world’s at stake here.”

She said the last sentence with the straightest face she could have. It didn’t help, Brian shivering after listening to it.

Lilith sighed and groaned, lowering her head. “…Maybe defecting wasn’t such a good idea.”

Then, came a knock on the door. Dex went to open it, and was met with Nick. The Lucario entered, closing the door behind him.

“We can’t be sitting Duckletts,” he said, crossing his arms. “Brian, what do you suggest? I talked with Shiron, and he’ll be ready to help soon enough.”

This again. Brian covered his snout with his two paws and took a long breath, before letting it out. “I… Dad? I think you should go home.”

“Excuse me?” Nick raised a brow. “We’re talking about a possible globe-wide event. I can’t be home.”

Brian shook his head. “No, you should go back home. Stay there and protect everyone. Uncle Shiron is strong, but… he’s not invincible, y’know?”

“Goggles, ye want us to deal with it on our own?” Dex blinked, looking at the Zoroark.

“As much as I’d love to go on a date where we beat up a God…” Meggie paused. “…Even if Lilith goes with us, can we win?”

“We need to.” Brian said, then turned to face his father. “Dad?”

---

Nick had listened in, not saying a word, simply letting them finish what they wanted to say. It was a stupid plan, and he should be going with them for support. 

It was only after Brian called him out that Nick did something. “…Hm. You want me to trust you four against someone as powerful as Necrozma?”

“In short, yeah.” Brian said, forcing a smile. “…Look, Dad, we helped save Xerneas, we went through all those temples! I think we got this.”

Dex raised an arm. “So, uh… people in yer ‘ometown need protectin’ too. We don’t know what’s goin’ on exactly, but that place can’t be left unchecked.”

“He’s right.” Meggie was next. “Sorry, mister Williams, but we’re going. With or without you.”

Nick blinked. “You kids…”

“Hm.” Lilith had mostly kept to herself during this entire conversation, but she could see why Nick was hesitating. She knew how strong Necrozma was. And determination alone wasn’t going to let them win against such a creature, especially if he achieved completion.

Yet, she couldn’t help but root for team Liberators, knowing all the hardships they’ve been through. Maybe they could stop Necrozma’s ascension. Maybe they couldn’t. Lilith wanted to bet on the first possibility.

“I’ll be there with them all the time, sir,” the Lopunny said. “We don’t have a chance when we’re alone. But if we’re together…”

Brian’s ears twitched. Did Lilith really change? Could he trust her?

“You’ll be with them, huh?”

He began to chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t like this idea. I doubt I ever will. But alright. I’ll trust you. On one condition…”

Nick looked at Lilith, straight into her eyes. “You will tell them everything you know about Necrozma and what he plans. Like I said, we can’t stand around doing nothing.”

Brian nodded. “I know that. Dad… this is for him. We’re saving Lance and the world.”

Nick kept rubbing his head. “Sheesh. Y’know, when I was your age… a little older, actually, I told my friends that the reason we kept fighting was that, if I see someone wanting my hand to help them, and if I don’t grab their hand…”

The Zoroark knew how to finish that sentence. “…The regret would make me wish I was dead. I reach out because I don’t want that.”

“Good.” Nick nodded, smiling. “That’s what makes a hero. In my eyes, you’re already one. You, Dex and Meggie all are.”

Lilith didn’t bother replying because she knew why he didn’t include her. She was no hero material, and had many mistakes to correct.

“Nice words. No wonder Goggles has a charm fer speeches…” Dex muttered, grinning at them. “So, Carrots. Care to tell us what that rock candy is plannin’?”

All the eyes in the room turned to Lilith, and she sighed to herself, once again wondering if it was better to have stayed.

Well, my life isn’t being threatened, so I can’t complain that much… Lilith thought. “Alright, where do I begin?”

---

Everyone kept their gaze at her. Lilith gulped, rubbing her arm. She didn’t know everything, but yes, she did have enough information to help them.

“Well, the gist of it… is that Necrozma is trying to “recharge” that crystal he has. Similar to the z-crystals, but it’s his own.”

Brian crossed his arms, sighing. “…It’s why he was taking all those prisoners back in Cydonia?”

To that, Lilith nodded. “He took their light, which is basically draining them… their bodies were—”

She stopped, shivering. “…He tried to do it to me, too, but Scar stopped him. It’s how I realized there was something wrong.”

…How did Carrots not realize it earlier? Eh, whatever. Dex thought. “Sounds awful. How can he not notice what a shitty thing that is?”

Nick took this opportunity to speak up. “You’d be surprised at how many Pokémon try to ruin everyone’s lives… they’re usually full of themselves.”

“Duly noted.” Lilith added. “Look, he’s getting close. Max has found more of the awakening emeras, and he’s bringing them to him. We need to act, and fast.”

“Powerful little things.” Nick said. Not powerful enough for him to defeat Necrozma, which was bad enough on its own. At this point, I doubt even Zero would be able to do something…

“More of them?” Brian gulped, sticking close to Meggie. “This is… awful.”

“Pretty sure he had to speed things up, too.” Lilith pointed out with a groan. “Pulled a lotta all-nighters because of it. And once, no, if he achieves his full power, we’re doomed. There’s no stopping him at that point.”

Nick felt the need to talk next. “And what of my son? Can we save him?”

Hearing it, Lilith stopped to think about the answer to that question. “I did read about other times he possessed someone, but they were legendaries like him. Solgaleo, Lunala, I’ve even heard about Giratina…”

She paused.

“…It’s possible, yes. He’s been a bit erratic, wanting to suppress Lance as much as he can. He’s been a bit of a thorn to Necrozma.”

Dex grimaced. “Sure sounds like Pup. When we first met, he tried to arrest me!”

“Huh.” Brian blinked. “So that’s how you two met?”

“A story fer another time, Goggles.”

“Really?” Meggie muttered. They fought Necrozma a few times, and if they really were a thorn in his plans, he would have killed them already. Taking their light would even accelerate the process. So why didn’t he?

Might as well ask… 

The Froslass clutched her arm with a hand, gripping as tight as she could. “So, hm… I have a question. Necrozma could have… y’know, killed us. All this time, he could have.”

Brian didn’t notice it before, but now that his girlfriend said it, his eyes widened. “She’s… I…”

“Popsicle… has a point. Why didn’t he?” 

Once again, all eyes were set on Lilith. She was getting used to this, somehow.

“You’re right. Scar mentioned it, I think? That killing you would solve all of our problems. But…”

---

Lilith paused, taking a deep breath. “Alright, sorry. It’s kinda a big deal. See, the problem is… Necrozma doesn’t hate any of you.”

“What?” Brian tilted his head. “With how much he likes to rant about mortals, how can he not hate us?”

“A place in his world.” Lilith added. “That’s what he kept saying. We know how he plans on doing that, and… it ain’t pretty.”

“Spill it.” Nick said, huffing. “If they’re to save the world, they need all the information they can get.”

Dex grimaced. “C’mon, Carrots! It ain’t that hard to just say things.”

Meggie locked eyes with Lilith, frowning. She was still waiting for the answer, but unlike everyone else there, didn’t really want to say anything.

“Alright, alright…” Lilith paused again. “It’s pretty simple, and I was ready to accept it, but after seeing how he treated me… I’m not so sure, y’know?”

She stepped back. It was now or never.

“…The way he’s supposed to do it is an extension of what he did to Lance. Possessing us.”

Brian quirked a brow, opening his mouth to gasp. Then, to say actual words. “…Us? Do you mean just us here, or—”

“The entire planet.”

That made everyone in the room pause. Everyone but Lilith had their eyes widened, and gasped in unison.

“…Wait, what? How?” Brian was the first to reply, still gasping. “Possessing Lance is one thing, but the planet? How is he gonna do that?”

Nick groaned. In his life as a fellow explorer, he had seen similar things, time and time again. “The crystal is likely amplifying his power… enough for him to cover the entire globe.”

“Yup, that’s the schtick.” Lilith agreed. “All part of him… and with how powerful of a psychic he is, he’ll be able to transmit a perfect version of this world. A world without pain, suffering… where we’re all free.”

She stopped herself before speaking further. Lilith had defected, yes, but once she said those words, she realized that part of her still believed in them, no matter how much she was hurt by the one she served.

And she hated that part of her.

“Sorry, Carrots, but I wouldn’t say “free”. More like a new management.” Dex muttered. “…Necrozma can’t be allowed to be complete, ain’t it right?”

Meggie continued to clutch her own arm, frowning even more. “Not only do we need to free Lance, but we also need to prevent Necrozma from brainwashing the entire planet!”

“Just hero things.” Nick pointed out, shrugging. 

Brian stood up, getting closer to his father. “Dad, just go home already. We’ll try keeping in touch as much as we can.”

“Hm…” Nick sighed, giving his son a hug. “I’ll be going home, but take care, alright? And bring your brother back.”

“Of course.” The Zoroark accompanied his father to the exit, before closing the door and turning to his friends, and begrudging ally. “Okay… that was very intense. But we still need to keep going. And Necrozma? W-We’ll just have to defeat him.”

---

As he stepped out of the portal, Necrozma entered his throne room, breathing in the air that surrounded him, all with a big smile on his face. A job well done and his plan near completion… all reasons for him to grin.

“Perfect. Everything is headed to where it should be.”

There’s still a chance my friends will stop—

“No. There is no chance. They’re  lucky  I’m merciful enough to grant them a seat.”

Necrozma failed to notice, however, that he wasn’t alone in the room. Scar walked towards him, hands folded behind his back.

“When you say such words, sire, it makes you look… how do I put it? Like a villain,” he said.

“We’re all villains in someone else’s story.” Necrozma blurted out, turning to his subordinate, and keeping the grin. “But you don’t care about the way I present myself, do you?”

“…No.” Scar muttered. “All I want is my family. I would ally with the Devil himself if I had to.”

“Actually, he’s a pretty nice guy once you get to know him.” Necrozma shrugged… before sighing. “Giratina was the best of us. But enough about the past. How are preparations?”

Scar straightened himself to answer. “I am currently preparing your stage, right at the center of the kingdom, so everyone can listen to your speech.”

“Speech? Ah… I haven’t given one of them in a long, long time.” Necrozma chuckled. “I was quite the charmer! I’m sure I can make the citizens see the error in their ways. And if not…”

“You will force them to.” Scar huffed. It is fine. As long as I get them back…

“Yes, yes.” He looked through the windows, smiling further. “Scar, do you want to know what I think of this?”

“Yes, sire.”

“When I still lived with the other legends, we had a leader. A being… we didn’t know if they were our creator or not, and we referred to them simply as the Voice.” Necrozma said. “…They always told us to never interfere. I never understood why.”

Scar ordered some guards to leave them alone. Eventually, he’d have to talk with Vulcan about the king’s disappearance, but for now, he had to focus on Necrozma. “And…? Did you ever figure out the reason?”

“I had a theory. Something I told my fellow legends, and something only a few of them believed…” Necrozma sighed, and for a moment, Scar saw a tear on him. 

“What if they’re the cause—or perhaps, they allowed all the massive calamities, all the suffering… everything to keep this world stable?”

Scar… didn’t quite know how to answer. He was left speechless for quite some time.

“They know how mortals act, but by never allowing us to interfere… they keep mortals in check. By giving them the illusion of freedom, that they control their own destinies, it keeps the world in relative peace.”

I… Lance made himself known again. I do control my destiny, Necrozma.

Lance’s words were ignored. 

“What do you think, Scar?”

---

“It is… an interesting theory.”

Scar started watching the kingdom alongside Necrozma, humming to himself. “What makes you think that?”

“They helped both me and my opponents. They had no favorites.” He said. “…Nonetheless, a talk with Xerneas confirmed to me that the Voice is gone.”

So this is it, huh? Your plan is almost done. Lance, once more. And you’re happy about it.

In the end, vessel, my will was bigger than yours.

There was a deafening silence inside Necrozma’s mind.

“I see,” Scar scratched his chin. “I suppose I should appreciate the fact there is nobody stopping you now.”

“Indeed, indeed. And I should thank you for getting me out of that prison.”

Lance sighed. It was never what I wanted…

Oh, please. You fell for it like a fool. Scar told you everything you wanted to hear.

More silence.

…Let me talk to him. I won’t try to escape, just let me speak to him.

Necrozma chuckled at that idea, shrugging. “Scar. The vessel wishes to speak to you.”

“The vessel…?” It had been a while since they talked. “…Hm, very well.”

“You have ten minutes. Five to recover, and five to talk.” Necrozma groaned, the armor helmet covering his face dissipating into the air. The glowing red eyes he possessed slowly faded, their glow vanishing.

And the Lucario instantly fell to his knees, panting. Every part of his body was numb, and the mere thought of moving was making him struggle. How long had he stayed trapped inside his own mind? Lance didn’t know, and thinking about it hurt. Everything hurt him.

Like knives plunged into his every cell, it all stung. Lance wanted to throw up, to escape, but he knew better than to try. Nothing would work; he had no allies, nobody. He was all… alone.

Scar frowned at the sight, but didn’t particularly care about it. “Mister Williams.”

“Scar.” Lance whispered, still gathering the strength to speak up. “You… you’re…”

“I am sure you have many things to call me,” he shook his head. “But the truth is that you never understood me. The greater good, my family… I’m doing this for them.”

“I-I’ve been thinking about what you told me. F-Finding meaning… in battle.” Lance still didn’t move, panting. “You can’t find it, is that so? There’s no meaning, no reason. When our ideals clash, that is when we fight.”

“You were always a poetic one…” Scar closed his eyes, sighing. “I apologize for what I have put you through, but it was necessary.”

“To you…” Lance paused to breathe, squinting his eyes. “Fighting is a sin. Because it’s what led you to losing your family.”

“Hmph.”

“But I can’t—won’t lose my way again. Because when I did… Necrozma was free. And others died.” Lance snarled.

He continued. “You propagated the suffering you swore to prevent. So if fighting is a sin…”

Slowly, bits of armor began to cover Lance’s face again. His time was up.

“…Then let me be damned. I’ll stop you.”

He groaned, suddenly standing up. 

“Bah. He talks way too much. I had to cut the ten minutes short, y’know?”

Scar nodded, not reacting to Lance’s speech. “If you excuse me, I need to check the preparations.”

“Of course.”

---

Team Liberators had preparations of their own to do. Namely, supplies. Now that they were home, they could buy better ones, instead of just scraping by with the ones they had, like in Cydonia.

Brian was just about to open the door and leave, when Meggie stopped him, grabbing his right arm.

“There’s a problem.”

The fox didn’t get what she meant by it, tilting his head. “What?”

Dex pointed at Lilith, who was still sitting in a chair. “We don’t trust ‘er enough to leave ‘er alone with our stuff, y’know? Someone oughta stay behind an’ keep a good eye on ‘er.”

“Rude, but understandable.” Lilith shrugged in response. “I get that, so don’t worry. I know y’all don’t trust me.”

It did make sense. She might be their ally, but none of them knew if Lilith really meant it, and she had yet to prove her worth to them. As much as Brian wanted to trust her completely, it just wasn’t feasible to do.

“Oh…” Brian started blushing. “S-Sorry, Megs, didn’t notice that until you mentioned it! Uh, yeah, who’s staying with her?”

“I could—” Meggie was interrupted by a chuckle coming from Dex.

“I got it. Don’tcha worry, Goggles, Popsicle. I’ll watch ‘er.”

“…Delightful.” Lilith sighed. “I’m here with a brute. No offense.”

“None taken, Carrots.” Dex chuckled again, laying on the couch and stretching his arms. “I’ve got a feelin’ we’ll get along juuuuust fine.”

Meggie smiled at that, turning to Brian once more. “Well, that’s settled. I think we can go now.”

“Seems like it?” Brian gulped. Dex, at the very least, was reliable. “Okay, Dex, uh, be careful, alright? I doubt we’ll take that long to get back. But still…”

“Thanks fer trustin’ me, Goggles.” Dex gave him a thumbs up. “Now go! We gotta be well-equipped if we’re kickin’ arse.”

“You guys are too excited about this…” Lilith muttered. “Oh well.”

Brian waved them goodbye and left the house. Now with just each other for company, Dex and Lilith locked eyes.

“I’ll say one thing… ‘hurt me mates an’ I’ll ‘hurt ye even worse.”

“Figured that was the case. You three seem close…” Lilith sighed. She almost wished things were different, that Necrozma really was a savior. If only she didn’t take this long to realize things…

---

“Yer broodin’.”

Lilith snapped back to reality, seeing Dex right in front of her. The Floatzel huffed, arms crossed.

“Brooding?! Nah, not really. I was just thinking about… things.” Lilith pouted, turning her head to the other side in defiance.

“Sure ye weren’t.” Dex shrugged. “Wanna go out an’ grab a bite?”

“…I thought we were supposed to stay here?”

“As long as I’m watchin’ ye, shouldn’t be an issue.”

Dex walked towards the door, opening it. “So, whaddya say?”

“I have been stuck inside this house for a day…” Lilith sighed, standing up. “Might as well get something to eat. You’re paying, though.”

“Nah, I’m just gonna put it on my tab.” The Floatzel added. He’d have to pay it eventually… but not today.

Their trip to the stand was uneventful. Lilith just followed Dex along, knowing he was more familiar with the city layout, and could take shortcuts. It wasn’t a particularly busy day, but she did see some Pokémon on the way.

It gave her the chance to reevaluate her decision to defect, seeing that the citizens were having a carefree life, not burdened with anything, just… enjoying themselves. One particular case was a small Pawmi holding onto a Pawmot’s paw as they walked, the smaller Pokémon eating a cone of ice cream.

How… did I not notice this before? This peace. 

“Master, ye can add it to me tab!”

Dex’s voice brought her back again, seeing a stand with a grill, and a Malamar use his scythe-like arms to cut through a rather large piece of meat.

And then her stomach growled. Lilith didn’t realize how hungry she was. “You ordered mine already?”

“Yup! Seasoned, an’ medium rare. Dunno if ye like ’em like this, but eh, can’t ‘hurt to try, right?”

After Dex got both of the kebabs, he handed one to Lilith, waved goodbye to the vendor, and walked back, eating his piece slowly.

Lilith didn’t take a single bite, staring at the meal instead. “Can I ask you something?”

“Oneeee sec.” As he said it, Dex finished downing his meal and rubbed his belly, licking his lips as well. “That guy’s food is great. Anyway, what’s the matter?”

“Did you ever… have any regrets about joining your team?” Lilith continued to stare at her food, even as her stomach kept growling.

“Ain’t that a good question?” Dex looked around for a garbage can, before tossing the stick there. “…Aye, at first. Figured joinin’ would help me solve me money issues.”

“…Did it?”

“A little. After that, I felt like I should leave, that I did enough an’ stuff.” Dex paused, grimacing. “Then we got caught up in yer cult thing, an’ before I knew it, I couldn’t say “no” anymore.”

“We’re not—actually, maybe we were cultists.” Lilith cringed at herself. “…Didn’t notice it earlier. How stupid am I?”

“When ye have yer mind fixated on something, it’s hard to imagine anything’ but it.” Dex said, rubbing the back of his head and grinning. “I got a thing’ fer speeches now too, eh?”

Lilith chuckled at that, finally taking a bite out of her food. “Seems like it. Let’s go back. We’ve got an ass to kick.”

---

Necrozma sneezed, rubbing his nose, one of the few places on his snout that wasn’t covered with armor.

The stage Scar set was nothing short of pompous. With an elevated ramp in front. Supporting pillars—Four on each side—held up a tarp to cover the top. Ladders were set up all around, and Necrozma could see various Pokémon either climbing up or flying with wires and bulbs to rig around the front side. All ready for when he was bringing them salvation.

How long have you been planning this…?

Scar himself was talking with the crew members, ordering them around, while Necrozma approached from behind.

“Hello.”

“Sire.” Scar didn’t flinch, turning back to bow for Necrozma. “It is a pleasure seeing you here. Did you like it?”

“…Quite a lot. It’s very, hm,  dramatic ! I might make you a feast once you’re done for the day. Once we’re in salvation, you will have no more need for sustenance, so you better enjoy it.”

The thought of being submitted to more of Necrozma’s “cooking” brought a shiver down Scar’s spine, and he quickly shook his head. “Ah, apologies, sire, but the chefs at the castle have already been ordered to prepare the meal for today.” 

“Is that so? Oh well.” Necrozma didn’t sound bothered by it, and set his focus on the stage. “You really overdid yourself with this, Scar. Good job.”

His subordinate smiled, knowing that they were so very close. Scar could almost taste it.

“Hm…” he cleared his throat. “Sire, I have to say something as well. It is… thank you. You have my utmost gratitude. To give me the chance to reunite with them, after so long…”

“Don’t mention it.” Getting his ego stroked was always an incredible feeling to have. This time was no exception. “I understand that this journey has been full of treachery. Of sacrifice, of hard choices. But it is coming to an end… thanks to your efforts, Scar. To that, I also thank you.”

“Sire…” Scar continued to bow, but now he lowered his head, tears beginning to shed from inside his skull. “I have dedicated myself to you for decades… to help you ascend is my destiny. My fate.”

“Good. You know your place. And with your assistance—” Necrozma looked around, seeing the kingdom that surrounded him. “—We will achieve Salvation. And all of your wishes will be granted.”

“Yes… Sire. You will show me the future that I truly desire!” Scar nodded, slowly standing up. 

He really is a dramatic, huh? But I’m fine with it. Soon, this world will be perfect. All the mortals will see… they will see it. Just like me.

There was a small sigh, one that only Necrozma heard. It sounded so familiar, so intricate to his experiences on the living world after being freed that he knew who it was.

…Vessel, why can’t you just accept your part in this? Why must you struggle so much? Where does all that tenacity come from?

---

When Lance opened his eyes, he was back at that hill. Moving his arms proved to him there were still chains, and the aching on his back meant the sword was still stuck up there.

Nothing had changed at all.

“My tenacity…?” Lance panted. His head was lowered, and his senses hardly worked in that dimension. However, it was undeniable that the other presence, Necrozma, was there with him.

“I’ve taken your body. I’ve made you watch as I killed all those prisoners, I’ve threatened your friends. How are you still able to function…?”

Lance raised his head to see Necrozma in front of him, floating in the air. The Lucario simply scoffed. “I’m… s-stronger—stronger than I look.”

“So you are. Your will, somehow, remains.” Necrozma shook his head. Not even he understood why that was the case. “It’s… curious. Perhaps our souls bonded. I’ve been warned this could happen, but still… they may have bonded more than I assumed.”

“You… you’d never understand.”

“Try me.” Necrozma snarled, jagged teeth making themselves known. “I am the Blinding One. What could I not understand?”

Lance moved his arms, as if to try and unshackle himself, but it didn’t work at all. “When you’re on the ground, crawling, suffering… that is when you can truly see the light.”

Necrozma closed a fist, and his body—no, the dimension they were in started to rumble.

“Vessel. What do you think you are?! You can never… and  will never  defy me.”

“I’m just… a Lucario, trying to help this world.” Lance moved the chains again. This time, there was a faint sound of cracks. 

Necrozma slapped Lance, bringing him to the ground again, and then growled. “You’re nothing. How can you keep fighting?! I’ve suffered, you’ve seen it! You caught glimpses of it! Of that village, of them all… dying because the system was rigged. How can you defend this world?!”

“I…” Lance panted, raising his head and glaring at Necrozma. “I know this world is flawed. But still, I need to fight. For all my sins, there’s still others that believe in me. I will count them, all my sins… I will atone for all of them.”

“Sins.” Necrozma repeated, before bursting into laughter. “Yes, you’re right! All mortals are full of sins. You preach about protecting this world, but you can never win! You don’t get to control your fate! You don’t need to, I will! If you just—”

“Trust you? I can never do that.” Lance groaned, standing up with all the strength he had. “Even like this, when I’m plunged into darkness… when my body, my own existence was taken from me, I still want to atone. I want to make others smile.”

“You want to atone for a world that has done nothing but hurt you.” Necrozma said, stammering a little. “…Why?”

“Hope. I have that, and you did, once.”

Necrozma slapped him again, bringing Lance to his knees, and frowning, before snarling. “You… are nothing but a vessel. Pretty words don’t solve any issues. I will win, and I will change this world.”

“For the better.”