Chapter 55: Type: Full of It

All personnel, please be advised of an uptick in Ruinous Whispers in the realms neighboring POV-2020.

As a reminder, worlds plagued by instabilities will find souls leaking into Ginnungagap. These spirits are shackled by the chaotic space-time energy of the cosmic mystery dungeon, transforming into vicious beasts we’ve dubbed “Ruinous Whispers.” The Whispers will mutate into distorted versions of pokémon classically associated with destructive myths permeating the omniverse.

Those who have dealt with dimensions containing incarnations of Cipher suggest this process bears similarity to the “shadowfication” of pokémon in those universes. Thus, if you can pacify a Whisper, you should try to. However, if the situation is too dangerous, defeating a Whisper in battle will eject it back out into Ginnungagap or, if you’re already there, will temporarily destroy it until it reforms in a random location a quarter-cycle later.

Seifer never thought he’d miss Bogdan’s sticky, tar-filled atmosphere, yet somehow all the dirt carried by Chakran gusts and breezes had him longing to return to the humid factory. Dust coated his pelt and mane, both badly disheveled and in need of a good shower and brushing. By Calliope’s sword, he yearned to have his uniform back, shielding his tan fur from the elements.

But no, he got fired. And it turned out the cause he’d dedicated all his life to wasn’t so noble after all.

This was all the keldeo could chew on while he sat atop the mesa, watching the resistance’s two real members gesticulate wildly at one another, the strange, Xeromus-like creature lying on the ground, and the smoldering remnants of one of Cyril’s laptops.

Apparently, this “type: full” creature had security measures the likes of which Cyril had never seen before. Because the moment he tried to access its so-called databanks — which Seifer found disturbing since the thing sure looked alive, but apparently it was actually a machine? — his laptop went up in flames, forcing Artemis to douse it with water. Gene sent himself away through a rift and returned several minutes later with a new laptop… and the two descended into their current argument.

“… you expect me to do here. Paradox took the term firewall a bit too literally,” Cyril growled, throwing up his white-furred arms in exasperation.

“Then let me do a little psychic probing.” Gene tapped his right temple. “I bet I can put a stop to it.”

Cyril rolled his eyes and lightly shoved Gene’s left shoulder. “Whatever copium you’re huffing, gimme some, Boss Kitty. Psionics don’t translate to hard code.” He paused. “Okay, maybe they do in video games or movies, but this is real life.”

“Well, we gotta do something.” Gene crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the dusty ground. “I can’t leave him asleep indefinitely.”

Quetzal stuck his right leg out and cleared his throat. “Can’t we just, y’know, destroy him?”

“No!” Gene hissed, tail lashing at the air.

“But he tried to kill you with a giant centiskorch robot!” Quetzal’s feathers puffed out. “He’s clearly not on our side! I say we disassemble him and—”

“Not happening!” Gene’s eyes and Malice Crystal flickered purple. The orange zapdos shrank back.

“Sheesh, it was just a suggestion.”

One that a part of Seifer agreed with. When someone threatened the lives of Radiant Guardsmon, the keldeo could use any means to stop them. Even if it meant ending the enemy’s life.

But that thing is our prisoner now. Seifer looked at the type: full’s weird, empty red and purple body and bit his lip.

“How much of this is because you look at this guy and see Nova?” Cyril wondered, raising a brow.

Gene’s tail twitched. “That’s— he has nothing to do with this.”

Seifer swore he saw the mewtwo’s dark gray cheeks redden. He sighed and turned around, figuring he had nothing to contribute.

“How long have they been going at it?” Jade wondered, waddling over with Leo at her side.

“Too long.” Seifer slouched over, sighing. “They’re getting nowhere.” He stared at the ground, blinking a few times. “Wait, how are you even here, anyway? And how did you leave to fight the Seekerskorch?” The keldeo thought Jade had to stay in Eternatus for her own safety.

“Oh, that? Cyril gave me a quick fix. Check it!” Jade spun around and lifted up her tail.

“What are you doing?!” Seifer turned away, eyes squeezed shut. “I didn’t ask you to accost me!”

“Aww, don’t be such a stiff!” Jade giggled. “Just a little crystal strapped to my tail.”

Seifer poked an eye open. As Jade implied, a tiny Malice Crystal sat in the middle of a harness wrapped around the base of her tail.

Leo had a better view and tilted his head curiously. “So, it’s a butt harness?”

“What? Nonono!” The salugia lowered her tail and waved her wings in front of her face.

“It totally is!” Leo snorted with laughter.

“No, it’s a tail harness!” Jade puffed her cheeks out. “People with big tails use them for saddlebags and stuff!”

“And your tail grows out of your butt!” The cosmic arceus turned around and wagged his small starcloud tail at Jade.

“Oi, pipe down, children!” Gene growled. “The adults are trying to think over here!”

Leo’s starcloud pelt dimmed and he lowered his head guiltily. Jade pouted at the mewtwo and Seifer rolled his eyes. “You can’t blame Leo. We’re all sitting around while you two argue about technologic jargon.” The keldeo brushed his right forehoof across the ground. “Why don’t you both take a step back and cool off?”

“This is time-sensitive, Pony-boy,” Gene countered, jerking his head at his slumbering captive.

“Why won’t you let him wake up?” Leo wondered, having approached the type: full with a curious glint in his eyes.

Gene pinched his brow. “Because he’ll try to hurt us if we do. That’s why I need Cyril to look into his…” His voice trailed off. “Cyril can look at his mind and figure out what Paradox did to make it all mean and nasty. But the emperor has protected his mind, so it’s dangerous for us to try.”

Leo looked between Gene and the pilot. “Listen, Leo.” Jade extended her left wing in front of him. “Let’s leave the grumps to grump it out with each other.”

“… I can’t.”

Seifer’s horn flickered. “Kid, this doesn’t concern you.”

“It does.”

A sudden chill ran down the keldeo’s spine. Leo had a seriousness to his voice Seifer had never heard from the cosmic arceus.

“He feels… familiar.” Leo stepped forward again. “I have to help him.” His starcloud mane glowed a bit brighter. “No, I need to.”

“Whoa, time out.” Gene held his hands up in a T. “Weren’t you listening to me? This guy’s dangerous. I’m not letting some kid do any whacky voodoo to this type: full.”

A massive weight pressed down on Seifer’s shoulders. Neighing in surprise, his legs buckled.

“The hell?!” Cyril gasped as he suddenly faceplanted. Jade, Gene, and Quetzal also dropped to their knees.

“We’re connected,” Leo said. His eyes brimmed with strange golden light. The same energy surrounded his wheel and the tips of his hooves. Leo stepped up to the pilot’s side, but Seifer couldn’t so much as move a muscle to stop him. It was like someone had piled dumbbells on his back… or turned gravity up so high it would crush him into a keldeo pancake!

Leo took a deep breath and lifted his right forehoof.

(Art by @Dragonfree)

“Bediyaan tod do!”

The intense weight lifted from Seifer’s body. He sucked in a sharp breath while a golden pulse rippled through the pilot’s body. Black, wispy fur filled the once-empty red and purple torso, brightening to a cosmic purple along his hind legs. Gold crescents, much like the ones around Leo’s neck, protruded from his hind legs. Gold trimming encased the pilot’s forelegs, tail, beak, and headcrest.

(Art by Inku.)

While Leo stepped back, a blue and purple nebula swirled around the pilot’s neck, matching the ones in the arceus’ head and tail.

“You idiot!” Gene hopped to his feet, Malice Crystal flaring red. “What did you do?!”

Loud beeping drew Seifer’s attention left. Cyril spun around and stared at his laptop screen, which had a new window with a rapidly filling progress bar.

“What in the—” The ghostly zoroark practically lunged for his laptop. “I’m in?” He knelt down by the laptop as windows flooded the screen, bathing Cyril in gray and white light. “I don’t believe it! Databank uploading!” He looked over his shoulder at Leo, utterly bewildered. “What did you do, kid?”

Leo looked between the pilot and Cyril. “His soul was wrapped up in heavy chains. I broke them.”

Seifer tilted his head. What was that supposed to mean? Well, whatever it was left Gene staring dumbly at the pilot, mouth agape. He silently raised his right arm and pushed his jaw shut.

“You have it too, Mr. Zoroark,” Leo said, lowering his head sadly. “It feels different, but I can hear your soul crying under the chains.”

“Eh?” Cyril’s red-tipped hair crinkled. “Look, kid, I’m not interested in any of your fancy light shows. I’m fine the way things are.” He held his arms out.

“You’re not, though.” Leo spoke with surprising conviction again. “You can’t use moves or anything, can you? I can sense it. Strange energy wrapping itself around your soul.”

Seifer caught the longing in Cyril’s eyes for the briefest second. The white zoroark hastily regained a neutral expression, but the damage was done. His white fur flickered. Leo’s expression sharpened.

“Please let me help,” he whispered.

Cyril looked at his right hand. Flexed his red claws. Then he stuck his right arm out. “Just make it quick,” he mumbled.

Seifer stepped forward. “Hang on, Cyril. Are you sure about this?”

But Leo acted quicker than Cyril could respond. He placed his right forehoof in Cyril’s hand and, once again, a golden pulse rippled through Cyril’s body.

“Gah!” The zoroark was unprepared for the bright light, which turned his white fur black as night and his mane the same blue-purple as Leo’s. Cyril held his arms up and stared at their yellow claws and red gemstones. “What did you do?! I didn’t ask for a makeover!”

Leo winced. “I, um… I unchained your soul, but it was crying out for so long it didn’t have a lot of power of its own. So, I shared some of mine?”

(Art by JungaBeast.)

“Seriously?” Cyril turned around, looking at the constellation-like yellow markings on his fur. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

It was Seifer’s turn to gawk now, utterly transfixed by the now-cosmic zoroark standing there and brushing Leo off with a flick of his left hand before turning back and sitting by his laptop with a determined look on his face.

“Dude, is your horn glowing?”

Seifer’s tail bristled. He shuffled away from Jade. “Don’t be ridiculous! It… it’s a prosthetic!”

“It was totally glowing!” the salugia chirped. “It’s okay if you’re jealous. I won’t tell.” She elbowed the air next to the keldeo, winking. Seifer stomped away from her in a huff.

“Well, what’s in these files or memories or whatever?” Seifer asked Cyril.

“Seriously? I need time to parse through all this shit.” Cyril threw his arms up in exasperation.

“We don’t have that,” Gene said. “The pilot’s waking up.”

“What?” Cyril’s black-furred body flickered red for a moment. Seifer raised his brows. “Put him back to sleep, then!”

“Can’t.” Gene flicked his right wrist out. Nothing happened. “Whatever Boy Wonder did to him is stopping my Hypnosis.”

“But you can restrain him, right?” Quetzal crouched down, ready to spring into action if things took a turn for the worst. Seifer, however, bit his lip. Maybe they needed to not default to violence here?

The pilot’s eyes opened. “What… happened?” He stretched his legs out, joints popping. His voice sounded significantly less mechanical than when he piloted the Seekerskorch.

Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see what the pilot would do. To Seifer’s surprise, Gene knelt down by him. “Hey,” he said.

“You!” the pilot squawked. His attempts at scrambling to his feet only led to him tumbling back from the mewtwo, legs flailing. The pilot stared at his golden forelegs and his gold beak went agape. “What did you do to me?” His starcloud swirled rapidly around his neck. “Back off or I’ll… I’ll…”

“Okay.”

Gene held his hands up and stepped back from the pilot. Seifer wondered if Gene had somehow read his mind about taking a gentler approach. He glanced at the others and found them all shuffling further away from the pilot, save for Leo. The cosmic arceus sat down, eyeing the type: full with interest while his starcloud tail swished against the dusty ground.

The pilot finally got to his feet. “Whatever you’re trying, it’s not gonna work!” he huffed. “Father will come and get me. And he’ll toss you in prison where you belong!”

Gene looked up at the sky. The sun had nearly set, leaving a sprawling purple-red sky filled with stars and two of Chakran’s moons. “Yeah, you’re free to believe that, but it’s not happening,” the mewtwo said, tail lazily drifting back and forth.

“Like I care what a filthy rebel thinks!” the type: full spat. His cheek bolts revved in their sockets.

Chuckling, Gene lifted his left arm and sniffed. “Guess it has been a bit since my last shower. But filth or not, it’s more than a thought.” He scratched the side of his face, glancing at the others. “You guys must realize it too, right? What the emperor did… or, rather, didn’t do?”

Seifer frowned. What point was there in acting cryptic?

Then it hit the keldeo.

“Paradox never sent any backup,” Seifer said. “Even when things turned in our favor.”

“Oh yeah.” Jade clapped her wings together, then held up her left index digit. “And after we broke your big robo-thingy and were all tired and stuff, he didn’t even try to send reinforcements to jump us or rescue you.”

The pilot didn’t flinch at Seifer’s statement, but Jade’s explanation gave him pause. His eyes darted around frantically, like he was grasping for an excuse just out of reach.

“That’s… because I’m… a hero.” The pilot’s starcloud dimmed, along with his eyes. “Father sent me on my own… so no one else would have to get hurt!”

“No one else getting hurt?” Emboldened, Seifer stepped forward. “Do you even know what you shot at with your machine?”

“People imprisoning Eternatus,” the type: full said, trying to sound confident.

The keldeo forced himself to stay calm and avoid shouting his counterargument. “No. They were refugees. People who lost their homes because your father attacked their city.”

“Because you all are keeping our home trapped in your planet!” the pilot said, though he kept glancing around nervously.

“That happened a very long time ago,” Jade said, trying to make her voice gentle. She waddled up to Seifer’s side. “All of the people on Etherium right now? They have nothing to do with Eternatus.” She placed her left wing against her chest. “I know… because I’m one of the ones who sealed it. Me and my friends.”

Seifer couldn’t help quirking a brow. Hadn’t Jade forgotten her time as a Sage? I guess she doesn’t need to remember the details to say that.

“You’re lying.” The pilot’s voice trembled. “Father taught me not to trust outworlders. He knew you’d try to sway me with twisted words!”

“We’re not lying.” Seifer shook his head. “My kingdom — the one you attacked unprovoked — lied to us about Eternatus for generations. I was taught that Eternatus was defeated, not sealed. All the people you tried to attack were taught the same.”

Wincing, the pilot stepped back. “No. That’s not right. Because I’m a hero! I’m… Eternatus’ protector!” He shook his black-furred head. “Heroes don’t hurt the innocent! You guys have to be guilty. Father is—”

“If your father really cares that much about you, why did he include a remote self-destruct sequence only he could trigger?”

Seifer pivoted left, flashing Cyril a worried look. The cosmic zoroark held his laptop in his right hand, having disconnected it from its crystalline charger. That’s a heck of a bluff to make, Seifer thought. Cyril had an impressive poker face.

“Don’t you badmouth my father like that!” the pilot snarled. His nebula trickled toward his head crest and tail, almost like they were actually conduits for whatever power Leo had foolishly given the pilot. “He’s doing what he can to keep Eternatus afloat!”

“Then why, on top of the self-destruct program, are there a bunch of restricted files detailing a ‘battle mode?'” Cyril asked, again holding out his laptop. “He planned to use you as nothing more than a template for mass producing type: fulls… which would help him conquer the entire universe in the name of Eternatus.” He put the laptop down and tilted the screen for the pilot to have a better look. “That sound heroic to you?”

Gene stiffened at the mention of mass production. No doubt reminiscing about Nova and his fate. Seifer wondered if Gene was considering the possibility the emperor found Nova’s body and… repurposed it to create this type: full. It probably wasn’t the case, but Seifer wasn’t going to drag Xeromus into this conversation.

The pilot’s eyes poured over Cyril’s laptop screen. His gold talons dug into the dirt. “This is a trick. You wrote fake things,” he muttered. “That’s… what zoroark do. They trick and deceive and lie.”

Cyril’s ears folded against his head. Seifer stomped a forehoof down. “What about the rest of us, huh? You think we’d all lie to you? I’m far from a convincing liar. Cyril and Gene can read me like an open book.”

It stung to admit that out loud, but if it meant getting somewhere with this stubborn type: full, Seifer would swallow his pride.

“No. That’s…” The pilot shook his head and pawed at the ground. “You have to be lying. If you’re not, then… then…”

Small water droplets peppered the dirt under the type: full. Was he crying?

“Tears?” the pilot whispered. “That can’t be right. I don’t make tears! Heroes don’t cry! I—”

The ground trembled. Dirt clumps bounced and pebbles rolled around. “Earthquake!” Jade squawked, hopping into the air with a flap of her wings. “Ladies first!”

Seifer stood at attention, only to shudder as distorted purple light washed across the mesa. The nearby buildings vanished behind fragmented purple light resembling broken glass. “What’s going on?” The keldeo whirled on Gene. “What did you do?”

“Me? This ain’t me!” Gene raised his right hand, channeling energy from his Malice Crystal. “Nngh. It’s not working!”

“Behind you, Boss Kitty!”

The mewtwo looked over his shoulder then, gasping, Phantom Warped up seconds before a blue-purple bolt would have struck him square between the shoulder blades. Seifer backpedaled as the beam swept across the ground. “Jade, protect Leo!” he cried.

“On it!” the salugia replied, swooping down and grabbing hold of the bewildered arceus. Seifer looked toward where he believed the Dragon Pulse came from… and found some sort of floating orb inside what looked like a giant dragon’s head.

“That’s… a regidrago?” Cyril’s mane frazzled. “What’s it doing here?”

“Forget that!” Ice swirled around Gene’s hands. “Who dunked it in lemon-lime soda?”

“Ajagar!”

The dragon head’s empty eye sockets glowed and, within seconds, blue-purple fireballs littered the sky. “Shit!” Gene shot his Ice Beam at Regidrago, who pivoted the dragon head so the snout acted like a shield, deflecting the mewtwo’s attack. He Phantom Warped away from the dragonfireballs.

Seifer rolled on his back and blasted water from all four hooves to keep him safe. “Someone want to tell me what a regidrago is?!”

“Isn’t it self explanatory?” Jade squawked, setting Leo down a fair distance away from the others. “It’s a big ol’ dragon head!” Orange energy gathered in her beak.

“Ajagaaaaaar!” The dots in Regidrago’s sphere flickered asynchronously. Blue-violet energy gathered around its core.

“I can see that!” Seifer hissed. “But why is this a thing?!” The keldeo rolled back onto his feet and shot an Aura Sphere toward Regidrago. Jade added her orange, conical Aeroblast and Gene shot out another Ice Beam. Regidrago unleashed a large Dragon Pulse and swept it through the air, carving through the trio’s attacks and sending Gene flying up to dodge the beam.

“Look around you!” Gene’s tail whipped at the air. His eyes glowed pink. Psystrike orbs materialized around Regidrago, whose dragon head eyes glowed yet again. Psychic energy clashed with dragonfire as pink and blue explosions surrounded Regidrago.

Seifer used the opening to launch another Aura Sphere through the smoke. He sorely missed his Secret Sword, but this was the best he could manage with Cyril’s prosthetic. “Yeah, it looks like we’re surrounded by rifts! What of it?”

Regidrago surged out of the smoke, making a beeline for Gene. The mewtwo summoned his psychic spoon and swiped. Regidrago met the slash with the chin of its dragon head. However, Gene was faster to follow up, striking from another angle to hit Regidrago’s core. He unleashed a flurry of spoon slashes, ending with a kick from his ice-encrusted leg straight in the center of Regidrago’s dots. It tumbled back through the air with a distorted wail.

“I bet it’s some byproduct of the dimensions breaking down,” Cyril said, gathering up all his equipment and stuffing it into his blue-purple mane. “Hey, robo-mutt! Do you believe us now?“

Seifer glanced at the pilot, who could only stare dumbfounded at Regidrago. Gene surrounded it with more Psystrike orbs, but a Dragon Pulse emerged from Regidrago’s core and swept through most of them. Its eye sockets flickered and dragonfireballs peppered the skies above everyone.

Groaning, Seifer fell onto his back again, but the dragonfireballs were much faster this time. He couldn’t Hydro Pump away the ones heading for him and the dragonfire seared his messy flanks. Gritting his teeth, Seifer spun back up to his feet and whipped dirty, sweaty hair out of his eyes.

He filled the air with Icy Wind to try and slow down the frantic thing. Regidrago was too preoccupied meeting Gene’s Ice Beam with a Dragon Pulse to pay attention to Seifer’s attack. It didn’t do much, but Regidrago momentarily lost some of its altitude. Gene’s Ice Beam overpowered his Dragon Pulse, covering the dots on its core in a thin sheet of ice.

Gene darted forward, psychic spoon at the ready. He jammed the thing into Regidrago’s icy core, which shattered with an audible crash. The mewtwo kicked Regidrago away, letting it fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

Seifer kept his horn trained on it. “Is it dead?” He had no idea how Regidrago worked, but that sure looked like a killing blow.

Gene floated above it, Malice Crystal sparking. “I think it’s taken care— damn it!“

The mewtwo opened a rift and reached his right hand into it. Seifer saw a second rift pop up next to the still-stunned type: full. Gene grabbed the pilot and yanked him through the rift mere seconds before Regidrago exploded in a flurry of yellow and violet light. The detonation whipped up enough wind to knock Seifer onto his rump with a startled whinny.

“Yeesh! Talk about a sore loser!” Jade said, having wrapped Leo up with her wings to shield him from the harsh gusts.

Seifer again whipped hair out of his face. With Regidrago’s detonation, the strange dome that encased the group faded away, returning Chakran’s calming purple and orange sky.

It only stayed calm for a few seconds, however, as shouts quickly followed.

“Good gracious! What happened?!” Cid’s buzzing filled Seifer’s ears. The orbeetle flew toward the group, with Alder, Artemis, and Kora not far behind him.

“We got attacked, that’s what,” Quetzal huffed, shaking dust from his feathers.

“Attacked?” Alder raised a brow. “We saw you all vanish into an anomaly!” The braviary glanced at Leo. “Did you save them from it?”

The cosmic arceus shook his head.

“I thought this place was supposed to be safe,” Quetzal said, pacing back and forth. “What’s going on here?” He looked to Alder and Kora for answers.

“I’m afraid… the dimensional instabilities are getting worse,” Kora said, wings curling back up into antennae. “That’s the only reasonable explanation.”

“Then we have to regroup with the others and come up with a plan!” Quetzal looked at Seifer for support. “Right, Commander?”

But the keldeo was only half paying attention to them. He was more focused on Gene and the pilot. The former set the latter down on the ground.

“You saved me,” the type: full whispered.

“I did.”

“And you saved me… after destroying the Seekerskorch.” His triangular ears folded slightly. “Why?”

Gene’s tail crinkled and his malice crystal flickered. “Because you’re not my enemy. I’d rather have you as a friend.” He stuck his right hand out. “You saw all of that. If someone doesn’t put a stop to your father, stuff like that will happen to everyone. Including the people you swore to protect. And I need all the help I can get to prevent it.”

The pilot silently looked at Gene’s outstretched hand. Seifer held his breath, waiting to see if the mewtwo could actually win this type: full over.

“… I still don’t fully trust you,” he mumbled, pivoting away slightly. “But I don’t want to disappear, either. So, I guess I’m stuck with you for now.”

Sighing, Gene pulled his hand back. “Fair enough. You got a name?”

“I am serial number W1-DG3T.”

“So, Widget, then. Got it.”

Widget narrowed his eyes. “Is that supposed to be clever? I—”

“Aggggggggh!”

Seifer’s tail shot up in alarm. He whirled on Jade, who had knelt down next to Leo. “Leo?” The salugia nudged his side. “Leo, what’s wrong?” She nudged him harder.

The cosmic arceus locked eyes with Jade and Seifer for a second, before his pelt and wheel dimmed and he fell over on his side.

That was quickly followed by another thump and a, “Damn it! Gimme a hand, Cyril,” from Gene.

When Seifer turned around, he found Cyril running over to Gene, who knelt beside an unconscious Widget.

~Mawrauder of Ruin, Rakman~
Whispers taking the form of off-colored regidrago. Though ferocious and fervent attackers, they are single-minded, almost exclusively sticking to dragon-type attacks even when their opponent is a fairy. Do not underestimate them, however. Their Dragon Pulses can carve through mountains with ease.

Path of Valor Almanac
Rakman comes from “samyag karman,” the factor of “right action” from the Buddhist Eightfold Path.