Extra 2 – Anniversary

As the night rose, that day proved to be unusual, because, in one particular street of Bright Dawn, there was no time for rest. Cheers, laughter and song filled the air, almost as if it was a festival.

Indeed, it was. The street was flooded with stands. Pokémon were selling food, merchandise, singing, playing. Everyone in the place was having a good time. Some were even wearing masks fashioned in the likes of Zacian and Zamazenta—two powerful Pokémon, renowned as heroes.

The bustling festival was a sight to behold. A group of Audino donned festive hats, dancing to the rhythm of a band of Ludicolo. Nearby, a tiny Cetoddle took the stage with a microphone, serenading the gathered crowd with lyrics to the Ludicolo’s melody.

And, up in the sky, a Talonflame and a Charizard soared, releasing bursts of flames that formed patterns with the faces of the celebrated heroes, receiving awestruck looks from the Pokémon down below. Among them was Apollo, whistling as he looked up.

“Wow… I didn’t want to admit it, but this is a nice change of pace,” he muttered. Sure, it was something that happened every year, but this time the mayor seemingly went overboard with the whole thing.

Speaking of the mayor, she was stopping every now and again, to talk with one or two of the Pokémon surrounding her.

“M-Mayor Florges! Are you sure this is necessary?” Next to her was an Armarouge, frantically waving his arms. “You need to prepare for your speech!”

“Let her have some fun.” Apollo blurted out. They were both acting as her bodyguards, which meant long, boring walks across the street, made slower by the fact Mayor Florges kept stopping. But then again, that was just like her. At least, he could entertain her ideas of how to spend the festival.

“Ah, my apologies! I was getting all excited about it…” she clapped her hands together, and almost dropped her glasses, before adjusting them. “I just… wish to see how they are. In this economy, I think it’s important to check on the little guy.”

As boring as bodyguard work tends to be, I like hearing her opinion on things. Apollo raised his head. “You’re correct, ma’am. It’s time to celebrate, after all…”

“O-Of course.” Armarouge straightened his position. “You really thought this through!”

The old mayor would never… I still can’t believe we were able to kick him out. Apollo breathed a major sigh of relief. “I think we still have time to check other stands, ma’am. Would you like to—”

“Yes, I’d love to!” Mayor Florges smiled, before turning around to one of the stands. It had a target range inside, and a few darts near a table.

She set her sights on the best prize: a Zacian plush. “I want that…”

Apollo blinked; he never expected her to be that… childish. Anything was an improvement, though. “Ma’am? I’m sure the owner can give it to you if you ask.”

“No, I would rather get it on my own,” she turned to face Apollo—her pupils were in the shape of Zacian, and her grin was wild. “I need it!”

Armarouge was dumbstruck by the mayor’s attitude, and lost all the words he was going to say.

The Arcanine by his side said everything for him. “Understood, ma’am.”

“And stop with the formalities… I’m Emily.”

A Steenee owned the stand, twirling around. “Hello, Mayor Florges! Would you like to try?”

“I’d love to!” Emily smiled. She never tried a game like it before, but it couldn’t be that hard, right? “Can you explain the rules?”

Steenee twirled again. “You need to hit the innermost part of the target with that dart. You have three chances. While you can hit any area, the closer you get to the center, the more points you get~!”

The mayor picked three darts. “Is that it?”

“If you somehow manage to get all three darts right in the center, you’ll score the highest! But beware, you can’t use any moves!”

So, it was a simple game. All it really depended on was her own skill. Emily aimed at the target, holding one of the darts.

Apollo’s tail wagged. Those games were fun! If he wasn’t out there working, he’d try it out. “Uh, ma’am? Good luck!”

“You can hardly contain your own excitement, huh?” Armarouge crossed his arms, and smiled. “I know you.”

“My family took me to places like this all the time when I was a pup!”

Meanwhile, Emily was making her move. Aiming, deep breath, and… she shot the dart! It landed right on the middle, much to the shock of the owner, and Emily herself.

“H-Huh?! I did it! Somehow!”

Apollo watched it with his tail wagging faster. “She’s… wow. I’m impressed.”

“T-There’s still two more attempts! What will you do?!”

Emily only had one real way of replying—by grabbing another dart.

---

Apollo continued to watch. I was right, it really is an improvement. Mayor Emily does look like she cares for the people.

And as he thought, Emily shot the other two darts. Though they didn’t land on the center, they both got close enough, and she got a huge amount of points for it.

Armarouge closed a fist, putting it in front of his chest. “Congratulations, ma’am!”

“Thank you. You’re too kind.” Emily grabbed the plush, squeezing so hard that it almost popped. She kept a smile all the way through. “And I got what I wanted in the end!”

She’s almost… too much. Apollo smiled.

It was due to those siblings that change could happen in the city. Due to them and to him. Apollo could never thank the two enough, no matter how much he tried.

I wonder… how they’re doing right now. The last time I met them, it was when I met that strange Lucario…

Something was familiar about it, but Apollo didn’t press further, and the situation sorted itself out. Still, he went through something even weirder later.

My dream… I had a strange dream when those tendrils hit me, I was happy, but… Gods, that was an experience.

“You’re awfully quiet, Apollo.” Armarouge called out to him, tapping a foot on the ground. “Something on your mind?”

“Ah, just a few cases I’ll have to work on. I had to let my subordinates deal with them, but I’d like to return to the force later.”

“Mhm, I’m sure they’ll handle it. Believe in them.” Armarouge said, crossing his arms. “After all, they’re your comrades.”

“I suppose you’re right. We’ve been through a lot…”

Emily turned around, walking towards the bodyguards. “Well, I did what I wanted here. Please, let’s go.”

Both of them replied in unison. “Yes, ma’am.”

As they walked, Apollo continued to be deep inside his thoughts. He was there to protect and to serve. That was his job. There were things outside of his control—but right now, the city seemed fine.

A glance to the side and he saw the train. “Hm, it’s been a while since that opened up. You had a great idea, ma’am.”

Emily shook her head. “Not really. The old mayor had it, and I just finished his idea.”

“Really?” he didn’t quite get politics. Too complicated for him. Apollo liked simple things, like working, hanging out with his friends.

None would happen if he hadn’t dealt with those mercenaries and the mayor. It had been what, over a year? Time passed very fast, it seemed.

And those two. The Riolu and Zorua. Since then, they both evolved. Apollo chuckled; how were they doing?

I think they still live here. Maybe I should pay them a visit.

“You’re quiet again.” Emily said. She stopped in front of a food stand, seeing so many skewers! Her mouth was drooling from the sight. “Ah, nevermind! You two can stay and do whatever it is you’re doing! I’m going to eat something!”

Armarouge sighed. “I suppose we can rest. And Apollo? What’s on your mind? You’re awfully introspective.”

“You and I aren’t all that close, y’know?” The Arcanine rolled his eyes. “Anyhow, I was thinking about a case that happened a while ago. I had outside help, and I was wondering how they were doing right now.”

“Hm… sounds about right, from what I know of you.” Armarouge sighed. “Do they live here? You can just check how they are. Don’t worry about it.”

“Fair point, of course.” Apollo sat, waiting for the mayor to eat. “It was a major case, to be honest. For someone that young, I was impressed with how much they helped me.”

“Sounds like you owe them a lot.”

“Hah… I guess I do, huh?”

Apollo chuckled, and his tail wagged again. “I’ll just visit them later. To be honest, I have a hunch that they’re okay. On our line of work, hunches are a powerful tool.”

A pause. “…Granted, they’re not always right. We’ll see.”

Part of his hunch was that something had happened. Apollo would check it out, but only after his duties. In the meantime, he was sure they could handle themselves. And besides, the team had grown since then.

“Hmmm… I love this. It tastes nicely~” Emily returned to her guards’ side. “That should be it for now. Let’s carry on.”

Apollo sighed. Yup, she’s better, but there’s other challenges to face with such a laid-back mayor. I mean, good for her, I guess.

As they walked, he remembered that Riolu—Lance. Whatever was up with him, Apollo hoped the kid was alright. Gods, he always looked depressed. Maybe that changed.

“Oh, oh! Another plush! I need that one!”

Right. Apollo shouldn’t be thinking about them now. They were fine.

---

Far away from there, in an entirely different region, things weren’t fine. Snow covered the ground in that village, and even the roofs were full of it.

Screams filled the air as Pokémon hurried away, some falling, getting picked up by others, but they were all running. Running from an army of dragons that was after them. Even in such cold weather, they didn’t slow down, heavily armored to counteract.

“There is no need for a fight like this.”

A lone Lucario stood on top of a hill overlooking the village. The blizzard made his cloak move in the air. With a thick pelt, he was fine, even with the weather being the way it was.

“They are remnants. You know your job,” on his side stood a tall Tyrantrum, looking at the village as well. “Lance. You are to capture them, so we may judge them.”

“Do you even have the authority to do this?” Lance raised a brow, but not looking at the dragon. “I imagine it would be hard to get such a thing outside your kingdom.”

“What do you take me for?!” The king snarled in response. “I already talked with the leader. As long as you do not destroy any property, it will be fine.”

That didn’t remove the possibility of a fight. And as much as Lance wanted to ignore it, part of him wanted to see what these, these…

Cultists is the proper word for it.

These cultists could do. Lance took a single step forward. “But what is the status? I doubt the entire village is affiliated with him.”

“It is not. We have reasons to believe they are hidden in one of the houses, hence why I sent my soldiers to do a scan of the area.”

“And if they find the cult?”

“You will be the first one to know.”

Lance sighed. Oh, how he wished to be with his friends. Alas, this was for the best, for his redemption. All he could ever hope for was to get rid of all that guilt. That somehow, when he died, he could look back and realize all the good outdid the bad.

For the moment, Lance only watched. Most of the dragons barged inside houses, before leaving. They didn’t seem to be making any progress, unless scaring the villagers counted as progress.

“Hm. Is this really the best option? Even if you’re not harming the village, this is still too scary for the citizens.”

“What do you know? You were never meant to be a king. You do not know anything about sacrifices.”

I know enough to not wish to sacrifice anyone. A lie. Lance could sacrifice himself. He almost wanted it.

More screams pierced this air, but they didn’t come from the source both expected. Instead, a flash of purple crossed the snowy field, cutting through the soldiers like they were nothing.

“I assume that I know now.” Lance said. He couldn’t make out all the details, but… was that purple fire?

In response, the king grinned. “We had a spy in their ranks. We know who their leader is.”

He stopped talking, his grin disappearing. “And he happens to be attacking my soldiers. That is where you come in. Stop him before things get any worse.”

“Of course. It’s what I’m here for.” Lance stepped forward, pressuring the floor until he bolted forward, speed increasing to its limit for a few seconds.

During those seconds, Lance climbed down the hill, towards the village. He could hear all the screams and some soldiers trying to move out of the way of the… blades. Purple blades, made out of pure fire.

“Ceruledge.” Lance muttered. It was the most sensible option, as far as he was concerned. He heard of them, and their seemingly great swordsmanship, but seeing one himself? This was going to be the first time.

His bolt continued, moving from tree to tree until he landed on the top of a house. Just in time to see said Ceruledge raising an arm to slash at a nearby Sliggoo.

But he was faster. Fast enough to clash against the blade with a club, his own club, made out of aura, flashing purple just like the sword it touched.

“I apologize, but I can’t let you kill them.” Lance said, putting enough strength to stop the blade, but not much more.

“Hmph! Are you with them, too?!”

“Tch.” Lance eventually put more of his power, forcing Ceruledge to step back. The club in his paw remained. “I know who you are. You’re involved with Scar. Or you were.”

That caused his opponent to widen his eyes. “You know Master Scar?! He’s been missing! Just when we finally achieved salvation!”

Salvation, huh? Lance shook his head. “I considered him a mentor. As for your so-called salvation, it’s over. Necrozma will never be free again.”

“What do you know?!” His flames burned brighter, melting a bit of the snow beneath him. “We just want to be saved! You and your stupid dragons come, tryin’ to kill us?! I’m not letting it happen!”

Why did they insist on being saved, when it meant losing all free will? Lance couldn’t understand it; it was natural to want free will. In the end, they were different. And to think that, at one point, Lance respected Scar. It was a thing of the past now.

“Answer me, you bastard! You come crashing in, messing up all my work… all my followers are running away now!”

Lance put a paw on his hip. “Your followers? Are you even listening to yourself?”

“You’re…” Ceruledge groaned, before pointing his blade at the Lucario. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re not escaping me!”

As expected, talking things out wasn’t working. Lance sighed, shaking his head to get rid of some thoughts about trying it again. “If you insist… then I will have to defeat you myself.”

Stances taken, the two rushed towards each other, clashing once again. He could tell this opponent was strong.

Brian, Meggie, Dex. I’m not dying here. I will fulfill my mission… and come back!

---

More melody filled the streets of Bright Dawn. This was the first time Brian saw such an event, and a fun one at that! Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Of course, he wasn’t alone. Meggie was checking every corner to see what she could get, and Dex was munching on a skewer.

“Wow… I like it here. The place is so… I dunno, fancy!” Meggie said, stopping next to the Zoroark. “What do you think?”

“Same as you, Megs.” Brian said with a grin. “…Though I know we’re missing a member.”

“Pup’s fine. Ye worry too much about ‘im.” Dex finished the skewer, throwing the stick on a nearby trash can. “Really, he’s tough. We’re all tough. He’ll be just fine.”

Brian sighed. Rationality made him not worry that much, but not everything was decided by being rational. He just wanted his brother with him, with them.

“I know. We just need to wait, and he’ll be back.” Brian adjusted his goggles. “And besides, we know he doesn’t like parties like this.”

“I think I’d rather stay and read a book or two.” Meggie said, her voice sounding very close to Lance’s. “That’s what he’d say, right?”

“Ye got that right.” Dex shrugged. “Now, what should we do? This place is huge. We can just talk, or we can find something fun to do.”

“Ah… I think you’re right.” Brian started to walk, checking everything. Some of the games involved throwing darts, holding your breath, among other things.

One of those other things caught the attention of Dex—not a typical battle, but something equally intense. Two Pokémon, a Machoke and a Conkeldurr, were close together. Their enormous arms locked in a gripping showdown, each one trying to pull the other’s arm down. He couldn’t help but watch in awe.

“Oi! They’re arm-wrestlin’! That’s what this is all about!” His eyes sparkled with excitement, just like the crowd watching it. “I’m gonna join ’em!”

“An arm-wrestle competition…” the Froslass muttered. “That sounds about right, coming from you.”

Brian crossed his arms. “Actually, I kinda wanna see it. I’m your friend, I wanna see you win.”

The Floatzel grinned widely. “Hah! There ain’t no way I’m losin’! Not when y’all are rootin’ fer me like this!”

“I want to see how far you get.” Meggie added. She had faith in him, but the wrestlers were strong as well.

Dex approached the announcer, a Magmortar that was cheering alongside the audience.

“Yo. I’m here to join.” Dex blurted out, grinning.

It took a little while for the announcer to notice Dex. It wasn’t until the Machoke was defeated that Dex got his reply.

“You guys hear this?!” Magmortar raised an arm, causing the audience to erupt into cheers. “We have another contestant!”

“Bet.”

Magmortar set his sights on Dex. “Oh! What a bulky fella! He has an advantage! But before we do anything, here are the rules! You must use your dominant arm, and wrestle against your opponent!”

That’s obvious. Dex thought. There had to be something else to it. “An’ then what?”

“Depends on how much time you can handle! The longer you do, the better the prizes will be! We have plenty, ranging from money to utensils!”

“Dex! You better win! I want a new frying pan!” Brian blurted out, cheering along the way.

“As if I could lose!” Dex sat down in one of the chairs, facing the Conkeldurr. They both stared at each other. “Heheh. If things were different, I wouldn’t mind meetin’ ya in another way.”

“Flattering.” Conkeldurr replied. He Put his arm on the table that separated the two, and Dex was quick to grab his hand. “But you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“We’ll see about that…” the Floatzel continued to grin.

And so, the battle of strength started. The audience erupted into cheers, their roars and applause drowning out all other sounds. Both Dex and his opponent were giving their all, making the table tremble beneath their might.

“Kick his ass, Dex!” Brian cheered his friend on, raising both arms. Meggie did the same as him. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting to see what the outcome of this clash would be.

“Ye don’t gotta tell me twice!” Dex roared, moving his arm little by little. He was struggling to match Conkeldurr’s pace.

However, he knew he could win. After all, he fought an actual God! Just like the rest of his friends.

Pup… I bet you’d love to see this, right? An’ I know we’re stronger now. Me, you, Goggles and Popsicle. We’re all stronger. This ain’t nothing!

Nothing compared to Necrozma. Dex continued his attempt. Wherever Lance was, he was taking care of himself.

---

Lance and his opponent clashed again, a gust of wind surrounding them after their weapons bumped against each other.

He’s tough! The Lucario thought, holding the club with one paw. With the other, he created a second club, before thrusting it, towards the Ceruledge’s eyes.

The bait worked, forcing him to back away from the attack. Lance didn’t let that opportunity go to waste, speeding up to catch up and bonk the Ceruledge with the two clubs. He hit him repeatedly, until his opponent retaliated with a slash of his sword, breaking apart the clubs.

“Tell me, Lucario.” Ceruledge panted. “What is your name? What is your relationship with my master?! He’s your mentor?!”

“I’m Lance,” he panted. With how much he was speeding up, it was getting tiring. Not to mention that the village was a bad place to fight in. “Scar is gone. Accept it.”

“I am… Gawain. Scar saved me, when I was at my lowest point,” the Ceruledge replied. Both swords he held started to burn, purple flames enveloping them completely. “If he’s gone, then I’ll just have to finish the job for him!”

Need to get him away from the village, but how…? Appealing to Gawain’s bonds with Scar could work. “I know where his body is. Why don’t you try taking the information away from me?”

Gawain’s eyes widened further, and he charged, swinging his arms to release two blades made entirely out of fire. Lance grit his teeth, accepting the attacks.

However, he wasn’t getting hit by them. Lance charged, creating two more clubs and jumping between the blades, just in time to hit Gawain and force him back further.

Lance quickly hit the ground. “If you know nothing of what happened to him, then Scar hardly liked you.”

“ENOUGH!” Gawain charged towards Lance.

Good, just what he wanted. Lance ran away from the village, dodging a few more attacks from the Ceruledge following him. More snow. More trees. But no other Pokémon.

“You’re only good at running!” Gawain jumped, and Lance backed off just in time. However, the attack hit the snow, melting it instantly. “Grrrr…”

“I’m done running, honestly.” Lance cracked his knuckles. “In fact, the battle starts now.”

“You’ll answer every question I have!” Gawain’s blades burnt with fire again. “I know what you did. Luring me outside that village. What do you want from me?!”

Lance sighed. “I have a mission. I can’t let someone as dangerous as you try to finish what Scar started.”

“You know… nothing!” Gawain charged, swinging his blades again.

In response, Lance dodged the attacks, moving side to side. For now, he was playing defensively. Only after a while could he come up with a strategy.

To prevent any further damage, Lance blocked the last attempt with his clubs, crossing them like an “X”. Gawain grunted, backing off from his enemy.

“I—Scar and I, all of us wanted salvation. What’s so wrong with that?!”

“I can give you a list if that helps.” Lance raised a brow. He’s fast, and his attacks are strong. It’d be really bad if I got hit by those blades. Particularly if they’re that hot.

The field was too barren to be of use. Just snow as far as his eyes could see, and a few trees. He also didn’t have ranged attacks—well, two, but one was useless, and the other… Lance shivered at the thought of using it.

“Scar is not dead! I know he’ll lead us to a better era!” Gawain raised an arm in the air. It appeared to be gathering energy.

But from where?! What kind of attack is that? Lance knew that, whatever it was, it left his opponent vulnerable.

A chance he had to take. Speeding up again, Lance prepared to strike with his club. Multiple times, if the need arose. And he tried the first of those times.

…

…

…

Something blocked his attack. Lance was left dumbstruck by what he saw—a rainbow, almost transparent barrier prevented him from getting further inside.

“P-Protect? But that—”

Gawain was faster. His blade finished charging, and he brought it down, swinging in an arch right at Lance’s chest. What came after was a loud roar of pain from the Lucario. Though… he didn’t leave the spot.

“It doesn’t hurt. At all. I’ve been through worse. And better yet… you’re vulnerable.” Lance put a paw forward, blasting a sphere right at Gawain.

However, it didn’t do anything. Gawain didn’t even feel it tickle. The surprise, on the other hand, made him more vulnerable. Lance bonked him with the club, sending his opponent flying back.

“Hah… I knew he was tough.” Lance touched his chest, right where the attack hit. It was aching, and a bit bloody, but not enough to be an issue. “But I’m tough as well. Right, Brian?”

---

Once again, the crowd cheered. This time, it was from Dex moving his arm so hard that the table was broken, and Conkeldurr was left on the ground, arm pounding with pain.

“Hahahahah! I told y’all I’d win!”

Magmortar was awestruck, gulping. “S-So! We have a winner! Our previous champion has been completely defeated by this newcomer! Everyone, cheer him up as loud as you can!”

“Hahahahah!” Dex could hardly hear his own voice amidst the sea of applause the audience was giving him.

But there was still time for more contestants. Magmortar cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, mister Dex, we’d still like to see you compete! Therefore, will you challenge our strongest?!”

Dex didn’t even have to think, flexing a bicep. “Of course I am! Popsicle, Goggles! We’re bringin’ the best prize back home!”

“He’s always so excited for this kind of stuff…” Brian rubbed the back of his head. His tone was a bit sarcastic, but in reality he was happy to see a friend acting like that.

“I mean, we could use some of those utensils. There’s a pan, some bottles for spices… kitchen stuff.” Meggie looked behind Magmortar, where each prize was displayed over on a table. “A lot of kitchen stuff.”

“You’re right! I’m already planning on what to cook when we get there. Considering pasta…” his stomach growled. Brian could hardly wait, but there were things to eat at the festival. They didn’t need to rush.

“Hmmm, pasta is good.” Meggie told him.

Magmortar raised an arm in the air. “Very well! Here she comes, the one, the only… laaaaaaaady Nidoqueen!”

And she came stomping on the ground, members of the audience moving out of her way to not be crushed. Once she stopped, Dex had to look up just to see her face.

“Yer a lot taller than I expected.” Not taller than Necrozma, but still…

“Oi! You’re the one that beat my friends? You’ve got guts, kid. But this is where it ends. You won’t get past me!”

“We’ll have to see.” Dex whistled, checking the broken table. “Although… I doubt we’re gonna need it.”

Brian watched the scene with a chuckle. “I think he overdid it.”

And not long after Brian finished talking, he heard barking. A familiar barking.

“Ma’am, we really need to get going, we can’t waste so much time here…”

Apollo was trying to convince her, but the mayor was fixated on the wrestling. “Ah, but it won’t take too long!”

“…Oh, the new mayor. Neat.” Brian said. He had a part in that, but it was nothing to brag about. Not that he wanted to, anyway.

“But ma’am…”

Armarouge shook his head. “Forget it. Just let her see it.”

And Apollo had little to do but sigh. “I suppose—”

“Heeeeey! Mister Apollo!” Brian ran towards the Arcanine, waving an arm at him as he approached. “It’s me!”

“Hm? Kid!” Apollo turned around, smiling and wagging his tail. “Hahah! You’re here! You and your team!”

“We decided to celebrate!” Brian smiled, trying to hide the bit of embarrassment in him. “Well, most of us. Lance’s away on a mission.”

Meggie quickly joined her boyfriend. “And he’ll be back soon. For now, it’s just us.”

On the ring, a new table was set, and Dex was doing his best to wrestle with that Nidoqueen. It seemed the two were evenly matched. However, the Floatzel had a small advantage, pressuring Nidoqueen to make up for it.

“I see. I’m on the clock! I need to protect the mayor today.” Apollo glanced at the Florges. She was entirely focused on Dex’s wrestling match. “As you can see… she’s a bit eccentric.”

“It’s better than that Alakazam.” Brian crossed his arms. “Wow, it happened so long ago…”

While they talked, Dex finally managed to knock out Nidoqueen, putting her arm on the table. More cheers erupted. “I remain the champion o’ this thing!”

Magmortar was still surprised, and his jaw almost dropped. “T-The winner… is Dexter. H-He won the tournament!”

“Told ya.” Meggie punched her boyfriend on the arm, playfully. “And we got a bunch of stuff!”

Apollo chuckled at that. “Well, this means the mayor will finally move. And we can continue visiting the festival.”

“Wait—” Brian realized this was the best chance he had to ask something. “…What’s the festival about?”

In response, Apollo wagged his tail. “We’re celebrating the foundation of the city! According to the legend, Zacian and Zamazenta fought a hard and arduous battle here. Later, they helped build the city.”

“Oh…” Brian’s eyes sparkled. “That’s so cool!”

His brother had a dream of making a city as well. They were both young, but if they put their minds into it, it could be fulfilled.

---

Said brother was a little too busy to think about his dreams. Gawain was fast and relentless, jumping and swinging the blades, launching more fire projectiles—each one was a sword in its own right.

“Tch…” Lance did his best to dodge all of them, blocking some with the clubs. The last time he did so, Gawain dropped, slashing at Lance’s face.

He had just enough time to move, but the blade still cut through part of his snout, drawing a bit of blood. Close enough!

Lance and Gawain clashed with their weapons, launching another gust of wind. Each one looking at the other, moving left and right, front and back, trying to best the other and finally make the attack connect.

I’m not that good at swords, but I can still hold my own! It’s just that… he’s good as well!

To get an advantage, Lance had to think. And think fast. His current arsenal was limited. Only two moves were capable of dealing actual damage, and one was hard to pull off. Not to mention how it left him feeling.

“Drop dead already!” Gawain urged, moving away a few inches. His blades were coated in ectoplasm, coming straight from his ghostly nature, and he prepared to claw at his opponent.

Lance blocked the blades again with his clubs, paws twitching from the pressure. Even while holding the attack back, he saw the blades just inches away from his eyes. S-Shadow Claw, but with actual blades… like I thought, he’s not joking around. He really wants to kill me.

…But he didn’t. Cultist or not, Lance wasn’t taking another life, not again. He wasn’t taking the fight seriously enough. If he tried too hard, he could kill Gawain. If Lance held back, he’d die. Clearly, the solution was to do something somewhere along the middle of both options.

“I know who you are. You’re Scar’s top prodigy… I’ve heard a lot about you.” Gawain said, his eyes burning up. “If you’re here, that means the plan failed.”

“…” Lance made up his mind. He ducked, dissipating the clubs and swiftly dodging a slash by backflipping just in time, putting some distance between the two. “Your plan worked, and I was possessed. But I survived, just like I always have.”

Gawain cracked his neck, before focusing. One arm was raised, absorbing energy again. The other was full of ectoplasm again. “A failure… I can’t have that. Perhaps it was fate that brought you to me, so I can make Master Scar proud.”

Once again, absorbing. But what— Lance looked up at the sky, seeing the sun shining as brightly as ever, though the snow was still quite dense regardless of the light. “That’s—”

Too much of a distraction. Gawain ran ahead, spinning his body and slashing at Lance’s chest, using both blades. This time, the attack was more impactful than before, and blood dripped from the Lucario’s stomach.

“WARGH!”

“This is for him! For ruining his plans! For ruining his life!” Gawain ignited the arm that was previously holding solar energy, and swung it down, trying to strike at Lance’s face.

“No!”

Before the attack connected, Lance held the blade, grabbing it on the sides, preventing it from cutting him. However, it still burned, the heat causing him to wince.

“L-Listen. Listen very carefully. I’m here because I fought Necrozma, because I survived, and because I know what the world you want is like. And… I don’t want that kind of world!”

With all the strength he had, Lance grasped the blade tighter, before throwing it—and by extension, Gawain— away from him, creating a gap between them.

More blood dripped on the snow, coating it red. His paws still burned, and Lance was left panting, looking down at the ground. “You think this is bad? Do you really think so? I’ve suffered far greater pain. You couldn’t even give me a new scar.”

“And yet, I’m not the one losing here.” Gawain ignited the blades again. If they struck, he could siphon away some of Lance’s vitality, turning the tides in his favor. “If you really are Necrozma’s vessel, you should be proud. You had a part in saving the world.”

He did save the world—just not in the way Gawain was thinking. “…Hmph.”

Lance took a deep breath; and he sped up again, clashing against the blade Gawain possessed. This time, the shockwave behind him raised chunks of snow in the air. In response, Gawain struggled to defend against the attack, slowly being pushed back.

“…” the Lucario kept quiet, before jumping back and forward again, swinging his club as if it was a sword. Sparks came out whenever it collided against Gawain’s blade.

“W-What is this?! No more words?!”

“…” Lance didn’t reply. He spun his body, before striking the club directly on the left side of Gawain’s abdomen.

It struck a nerve, and the Ceruledge stumbled, screaming out in pain. Lance didn’t let him rest, however, and jumped again, swinging the club like it was a sword, hitting his opponent on the top of his head.

There was time for more attacks. Lance quickly created another club and started to hit Gawain with it, moving forward, while his opponent was pressed back by the flurry of attacks hitting him.

Eventually, Gawain fell to the ground, groaning and wincing in pain. “Y-You…”

“I’m… I’m done here.” Lance dissipated his clubs, looking away. “I don’t want to kill you. I’m just here to subdue you.”

“S-Subdue me… for wanting to be saved?”

Lance kept his look elsewhere. “You have an awful definition of saved. Stay down, and I’ll call my boss. He’ll finish this.”

Impossible. Gawain was one of the few that remained that could continue Scar’s work. And he wasn’t getting defeated by that, that… vessel.

Gawain moved just enough to ignite his arm one more time, before slashing at the air and launching a flaming blade right towards Lance. He didn’t react in time, and screamed louder than he did before.

“AAAAARGH!” Lance cried out, falling to the ground just like Gawain had done before.

“H-Hah… h-hahahahah!” Gawain kicked Lance while he was down, sending him rolling back a few feet. “You’re nothing but a vessel! And you think you can take me down!”

Lance groaned. Everything in his chest burnt, everything hurt. And now he was receiving trash talk. Not for long. He winced, forcing himself to stand. “I only have one thing to say. You’re despicable.”

“Maybe I am, but I’m the one leaving here in one piece!”

“Not… on my watch.” Lance panted. He’d have to try that, and while it was despicable on its own, he had little to no choice. No emera for mega evolving, no items to help. Only his own strength was going to help. “You called me a vessel. That’s what he called me, too.”

Lance looked down, closing his eyes. This was strange, gathering energy like that. Like pulling from something deep within him, something he wanted to rip to shreds, but couldn’t. He wanted its power, though. The power to finish this fight.

A purple aura cloaked his body in its entirety, wobbling around like it had no shape. Gawain raised a brow at that, but refused to back down. “I’ll just have to rip you to shreds!”

His blades ignited again, brighter than before. This was it—the end of their fight. Gawain started to run, melting the snow as his feet touched it.

Meanwhile, the aura on Lance’s body started to take a familiar shape. Wings and a draconic head were imposed behind him. Gawain stopped for a split second.

M-Master Necrozma?!

No, it couldn’t be. And besides, this attack would end it. He continued to run, getting closer to Lance.

“I’m not sure how the knowledge of using Dragon Pulse was transmitted to me, but… I at least learned another move.” Lance held his breath in, before letting it out. The aura moved towards his arm.

Both fighters ran towards each other, and in the blink of an eye… they clashed. Gusts of wind were sent across the area, shockwaves erupting as Gawain tried to contain the pulse being sent towards his body.

…

…

…

Lance didn’t give up. Once his paw met the blade, he let the pulse flow through his body, into Gawain’s. And that was all it took. Gawain was unable to contain it, and the energy coursed through him, pain enveloping every bit of him.

And then he fell one last time, unconscious. Lance was left standing, but in pain. His paw was still glowing with energy, to the point purple cracks coursed through him, like they were veins.

“Grrrr…” Lance put his paw on the snow, before letting the energy go. A puddle formed, after all the snow he touched melted. “H-Hah. I guess my body can’t handle it completely. Maybe with training. But… I’m not sure I want to.”

He won the battle, at least. For better or for worse. “One less target. I’m getting closer to coming back to them…”

---

Brian had to carry all the prizes they got from the wrestling match. Sure, he was happy to have them, but why did he have to carry them all? It wouldn’t be a challenge for, say, Dex to carry them.

“Alright, I gotta admit. Was fun.” Dex chuckled, grinning at his friends. “And, y’know, it’s time to celebrate! I got friends by my side, I won a tournament, and I got to have fun! Things could be better, yeah, but still! I’m happy!”

Meggie was captivated by how excited her friend seemed to be, but he also made a good point. Things could be better. She knew better than to focus on that, though.

“Yeah, I’m cooking something good for us when we get back home.” Brian stretched his arms. If anything, Lance not being there meant they didn’t have to eat… whatever he cooked. It could hardly be called food. Poison was a better name.

“Pasta, right, Goggles?”

“Right.”

Before they left the street, however, the team heard fireworks. Indeed, after checking out the sky, they saw the fireworks in action, exploding in the distance, in various colors. Most of them were blue and red, but there was a bit of gold as well.

“Pretty…” Meggie said, her eyes sparkling. “All this to celebrate legends?”

“Aye.” Dex crossed his arms. “Dunno who they ‘ad to fight, but it musta been a real tough opponent.”

Brian raised a brow. “You know about this, Dex?”

Oh boy. He was ready for an explanation! “Aye, Goggles. I’ve heard they fought fer seven days an’ seven nights, without any kind o’ break.”

That long? An entire week fighting… Brian was tired just from battling Necrozma for a few hours, he couldn’t fathom spending days in a battle.

Even if they won the battle, he knew they weren’t on the same level of an actual god. Maybe they never would. Not that he wanted to be.

“Wow…” it was all he could say in response.

“It’s impressive. Do you know if it actually happened?” Meggie asked Dex, but still looked at the fireworks.

He shrugged in response. “Dunno. I didn’t believe it at first, but now, it’s different. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn’t.”

“Either way, it’s an interesting legend.” Brian added. “And… I kinda wanna point out something.”

Maybe he made the wrong choice, because both his teammates were looking straight at him. Now he had to collect his thoughts.

Most of them were about strength. How they had a hard time fighting Necrozma, how they barely won. It was enough back then, but what about the future? Brian didn’t want to be weak. Not if it meant losing those he cared about.

“Uh… I may not be strong as Necrozma, or a legend, but… I wanna do my best.” Brian smiled. His sights were set on his friends, his teammates. “Lance and I… we helped this city before. We wanted to help Pokémon everywhere. I dunno if we achieved that, but I want to keep trying.”

“You helped me.” Meggie told him, holding one of Brian’s paws. “You all did. That’s enough, right?”

Dex wasn’t going to hug or interrupt that sweet moment between the couple, but he still had things to say. “Think I got what Goggles means. He wants to get stronger. We should all try to do that.”

“That’s what I want. I’ll continue to fight, for me and for those I love. Nothing like… like what happened with Necrozma will happen again.”

Brian decided to do something a bit different. He extended his arm, offering a paw… to both of them. “We helped this city get a proper mayor, and we stopped a mad god. We’re pretty amazing in our own right!”

“Hm… I love the speeches you do.” Meggie shook his paw, tilting her head with a smile. “Of course we are!”

“Aw, sheesh… yer gonna make me cry, Goggles!” Dex shook the Zoroark’s paw next. “An’ we’re gonna make this a good place for Pup to return to!”

However long it took for him to get back.