Chapter 90: Secret Herbrides and Spices

“Seriously?”

Tessa looked at the paper that Nickie nudged across the floor to her. It had crude doodles of spiked rings.

“Yeah!” Nickie’s tails wagged asynchronously. “Look, this bandanna you leant me is nice. But it’s not my style.” She nudged at the blue cloth with her snout.

“Not your… style?” Tessa picked up the paper. “So you’d rather wear—”

“Spiked collars and anklets!” Nickie’s tails wagged faster. “I had spiked wristbands back home. They were great. I’d love something like that here.” Her eyes sparkled. “And then maybe I can grow out my hair so it covers up one of my eyes a bit. Gimme that ‘heartthrob’ look.” She swished her tails to the side and stuck a foreleg out in a pose accentuated by the sparkling of her icy pelt.

Tessa blinked. “Huh.”

The vulpix frowned. “Something wrong?”

“I guess I… thought you’d go for softer accessories.”

“Oh.” Nickie’s ears folded. “Well, I—” She brushed her forelegs together. “Now that you know the truth I thought… I could be more of my, y’know, authentic self around you.”

“Hmm?” The realization set in a moment later for the riolu. “Ah!”

She lightly hit her head a few times. “Stupid, stupid!” Tessa folded up the paper. “Of course you should do that.”

“Then you’ll help me find a place that sells these?” Nickie regained her earlier enthusiasm.

“Totally.”

“And maybe some fur dye?” Nickie looked back at her right flank. “I was thinking some pinks and purples…”

Tessa walked over and slung an arm around Nickie. “I’m sure we’ve got the funds for it.”

XxX

As the name implied, Herbrides’ Hilltop Mall sat on a decently sized hill toward the center of the city. The entrance offered a view of grain and wheat fields beyond city limits, along with the rows of tan-colored buildings fanning out in all directions.

Inside, however, the white floor was so pristine that Yuna could see an outline of her reflection. Though the dragapult had to admit she liked how the floor sparkled under the sunlight spilling in through the mall’s glass roof.

“So, what d’ya think, Princess?”

Nikki clapped Yuna on the back as she passed her by. The toxtricity ran a hand along the top of a neat, rectangular bush planted in a pot in the middle of the floor.

“It’s, um, something?” Yuna waited until Igneous walked past before continuing forward. She glanced over her shoulder. Scarlett had on some sort of cloak to hide her face, while Shimmer was disguised as a fire-type ponyta.

Truthfully, she still wasn’t sure why Nikki insisted on dragging her here. The whole reason part of the resistance was in Herbrides was to sweep the city itself. Cid mentioned something about the distortion that swallowed up Tulpise spreading south, and that was all Seifer needed to demand they move out.

“You don’t really think the empire’s going to spawn in this mall, do you?” Yuna wondered, keeping her voice down. Plenty of folks were heading in both directions. A fact that Shimmer and Scarlett both seemed spooked by.

“Of course not.” Nikki adjusted her leather jacket. “But we needed a change of scenery.” She walked backward. “C’mon. A week of nothing but artificial light and Cyril’s dumb outpost is so boring.“

“I guess.” Yuna did find the natural sunlight refreshing after another week of mind-numbing training exercises. “Though we could get sunlight outside, too.”

“Sure, sure.” Nikki dismissed her with a wave. “But then we wouldn’t get to take you to your first mall!”

This was about Yuna? The dragapult’s head swiveled left and right. There were glass windows with two and four-legged mannequins draped in cloaks and jackets. One store displayed wooden shelves lined with trays of assorted baked goods. The store next to it had big glass containers full of wrapped candies and chocolates.

It was kind of like the market in Saint Zygardesberg. Except the shops were stacked into multiple floors instead of lining a single street.

“Wait a tic,” Reshiram piped up. “How are you supposed to buy anything? You don’t have any radians on you.”

Yuna passed that concern along to Nikki. The toxtricity snickered. She flicked her right hand out. A tiny plastic rectangle popped up between her fingers.

“Since when do you have a credit card?” Scarlett slithered past Nikki, stopping by a fountain and eyeing the marble primarina statue spitting up water. The brionne scattered along the fountain’s rim also spat water. And were those coins glistening on the floor?

It was weird, yet Yuna found all the sparkling coins and rippling water relaxing. She could’ve stared at the bottom of the fountain all day, but Nikki’s voice caught her attention.

“Since I swiped it outta lover boy’s hair.” Nikki stuck her hands up by her mohawk and wiggled her fingers while making a kissy face.

Arms crossed, Igneous rested against one of the stone brionne. “And what happens when Cyril realizes he has a bunch of new charges on his credit card?”

“Nothing.” Nikki tucked the card back into a small, zippered pocket on her jacket. In a hushed voice, she added, “Dude illegally mints his own radians. He won’t care.”

Igneous’ brows twitched in irritation while Nikki continued past the fountain. Gulping, Yuna followed.

“At least it’s better than outright shoplifting?” she offered with a nervous smile.

“Niiice. Looking at the bright side.” Shaymin nodded his tiny head in her subconscious. “I dig it. Say, they got any good eats around here?”

What does it matter? You’re a spirit! Groaning, Yuna shoved the Sages out of her head. “So, what exactly are we going to do here? I’m not, like, looking to buy food or clothes.”

“No duh.” Nikki picked up the pace. “C’mon. Map said it’s back here on the third floor.” The toxtricity pointed toward a moving staircase in the far distance. She pushed her way past an older simipour and simisage. “Stand aside, geezers!”

Yuna muttered an apology as she floated after Nikki. She swerved past an inteleon, whose sobble child on their shoulder promptly began crying and turned invisible. She weaved under the large frames of a couple of garganacle, nearly crashing into a painting canvas with a smeargle sitting beside it. Yuna floated ahead, flashing Smeargle a nervous grin. They shook their head and returned to… painting a portrait of a plusle and minun couple sitting on a stool next to the canvas and holding hands.

Why is this so… nostalgic?

“Because of thine market trips back home?” Rayquaza wondered.

Maybe? The market did bustle, yes. But the ash choking the skies over Saint Zygardesberg made it tough to appreciate her time there.

“Perhaps it’s Giratina’s memories, then.”

Reshiram’s thought sent a chill down Yuna’s ectoplasm. She barely avoided an elderly espathra moving much slower than surrounding foot traffic. For a moment, the pristine white floors turned to a dirt road. Instead of a toxtricity shoving people aside, a familiar black-haired girl waved Yuna over before jogging down the dirt road toward a small wooden building with some sort of toolbox outside it.

“Let’s craft some smoke balls together! They’ll totally help us look for the pokémon causing those storms!”

“Keep up, Yuna!”

Scarlett’s voice snapped the dragapult to attention. Nikki was already heading up the escalator, with Igneous and the dragonair about to get on.

“Sorry!” Yuna squeaked. She decided to fly higher up, over everyone else, to keep pace with the others.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Reshiram cut in.

Yeah, sure. But Nikki said we’re here to have fun. Yuna reached Igneous and Scarlett. So drop it, okay?

Sighing, Reshiram retreated from her mind. Yuna hovered up the escalator. The others got off at the third floor. Nikki walked a few meters away, toward a flashing neon “GAME BUSTERS ARCADE” sign above open glass doors. She stood with her hands proudly on her hips.

“Seriously?!” Igneous’ head leaf and tails simmered. “You dragged us here for a damn arcade? We’re not a pack of kids, you know.”

“Oh, step off your high rapidash.” Not turning around, Nikki waved the grovlazzle off. “You’re never too old to let your inner child out for a spell. Think of it like a team-building exercise.”

She finally looked over her shoulder. “Speaking of high rapidash, where’s Pillow Prince?”

Yuna’s eyes widened. Right, Shimmer. He was with them before. What happened?

“Tch.” Igneous crossed his arms. “Right when you ran off, he said Demerzel contacted him. So, he left.”

Scarlett frowned. “I thought Gene had gotten rid of that whole connection.”

“He kept a part of it.” Igneous pinched his brow in annoyance. “He still wants to keep tabs on his mothers, apparently. Tried to tell him it was a bad idea, but he wouldn’t listen.”

So, the ponytales was off to meet with Demerzel, then? That was… not going to bite them, was it? The look in Igneous’ eyes suggested it wouldn’t, but it made Yuna nervous anyway.

“Well, forget him.” Nikki stepped toward the others, rubbing her hands together. “This evens things out perfectly.”

“For what?” Scarlett wondered, looking between Nikki and the arcade. Though the door was open, it was quite dark on the other side.

“For a little two-on-two air hockey action.” Nikki punched the air while her mohawk flared up with excitement. “Since Princess has to learn the ropes, I’ll take her. And you two can be together.” A wry grin spread over her face. “Y’know, since you’ve been spending soooo much time together~”

Igneous’ head leaf caught fire, which he immediately snuffed out. “Why should you get decide?”

“Aww, what’s the matter?” Nikki was at Igneous side in an instant. She noogied his head. “Afraid of getting your ass kicked in a friendly competition?”

“Knock it off!” Igneous shoved her away. “The teams are—”

Scarlett’s tail wrapped around the grovlazzle’s leg. “You don’t have a problem with me not having limbs, do you?”

The simmering returned to his head leaf. “N-Not at all.” Igneous clenched his fist. “We can… kick their asses just fine.”

Nikki’s grin widened. “Now that’s the spirit! C’mon!”

Before Yuna could say anything, Nikki had her by the arm and was running for the arcade entrance.

XxX

Herbrides. Why did it have to spread toward Herbrides? was all Seifer could think to himself as he walked along a side street. Cyril was beside him, in the guise of a dark-type zoroark. He held a small rectangular radar.

“Still nothing.” Cyril tapped the screen with an illusory red claw. He shifted his weight mid-step. “All clear on the ground to the west. We’ll keep going clockwise.”

“Understood,” Widget said through the X-transceiver line. “We’re good, too.”

Seifer quickened his pace. The tan roads and tan buildings could practically melt together.

“Y’know, never did get why so many houses on the outskirts are circular,” Cyril said, taking his eyes off his radar and casually moving ahead. “Makes ’em look a bit like bunkers.”

“Simulates the hills,” Artemis responded. He was slithering a few paces back of them, sticking his head up. Enjoy the cool breeze, perhaps? The air was rather stuffy in the outpost. “At least, I think it does,” the milotic mumbled.

“And people actually pay decent money for these?” Cyril walked past a couple of the domed houses, eyeing them skeptically. A dolliv tending to a small petunia garden in front of their house shot the zoroark a nasty look.

“Ah-ha, whoops.” Cyril rubbed his fake red hair. “Might’ve gotten a bit too loud.”

Seifer locked eyes with Dolliv. Their eyes instantly widened. Seifer started walking faster.

“Oh, Commander Seifer! Lovely to see you again!” Dolliv waved.

“Move,” Seifer hissed to Cyril in a whisper. Putting on the fakest smile he could muster, he turned and waved a forehoof to Dolliv. “Good morning, Tunie. Your garden’s still as radiant as ever. Apologies I can’t chat. I’m on the clock.”

Ignoring Artemis’ bewildered expression, the keldeo hoofed it forward. A granbull and an alcremie with two milcery children playing together in a fenced yard looked over and waved. Seifer nodded respectfully, continuing forward.

“What’s the rush, Seif?” Cyril said, breaking into a jog to keep pace with Seifer’s trot. “Where’s the fire?”

“We have to find somewhere hidden.” Seifer’s eyes darted around. These people weren’t supposed to be home! They should’ve been out and about on a nice morning like this!

“Heeeeey!” Artemis sounded annoyed. “C’mon, you’re both faster than me on the ground!”

Seifer turned left toward a dustier road. A minute of trotting would reach city limits. The homes here were spaced apart, but there was a grass wall dividing them. It was good enough cover.

“I need an illusion,” the keldeo said.

Cyril caught up with him. “Ser… iously?” He hunched over, taking deep breaths. “Thought we had this discussion earlier.”

“That was before I realized where in this city Gene sent us.” Seifer shrank back nervously. “My family’s got a vacation home in this neighborhood. People aren’t recognizing me because of my old position. They’re neighbors.“

Eyes widening, Cyril stood up. “Ohhhh.” Then his shock turned to annoyance. “Well, why didn’t you mention that before? I could’ve told Boss Kitty not to send us here.”

“We were in a bit of a hurry and it’s a big city,” Seifer mumbled.

“Then forget it.” Cyril put his hands on his hips. “Boss Kitty, you there? Change of plans. You’ve gotta cover the ground here.”

“It might be too late for that.”

Seifer jumped at Artemis’ voice. The milotic pointed a ribbon back. “There’s a cobalion and terrakion heading this way.” His eyebrows drooped. “Your uncle and father, if I’m remembering right.”

The keldeo’s blood ran cold. He shot Cyril a pleading look. Sighing, the zoroark snapped his fake red claws. Blue light surrounded Seifer. It faded to reveal a fairy rapidash guise.

“Okay,” Seifer whispered. “Now we continue on like nothing—”

“Oi, you three! What’s going on over there?”

Terrakion’s sharp voice drew the trio’s gazes. Seifer’s heart leaped into his chest as Terrakion and Cobalion marched toward them. Deep breaths. He had Cyril’s illusion. And the zoroark had proven himself a capable liar on many occasions.

“Just out for a stroll.” Cyril stretched his arms up. “My friend here wanted to grab a photo by this grass wall.” He slung an arm over a startled Artemis’ horn. “He’s from Venish. Never left the place before that whole insanity.” Cyril lazily traced a circle with an index claw.

“Quiet, you!” Terrakion stomped a forehoof down. The dirt shifted under everyone’s feet. “This ain’t some touristy loitering spot, Zoroark. Whatever you’re up to, better fess up.”

Seifer’s breaths came in short gasps. His uncle never was the patient type. Had he really seen through Cyril’s lie?

For his part, the zoroark rested his hands behind his mane. “It’s also not some restricted area, bud.”

“Bud? Do I look like your cellmate?” Terrakion’s eyes narrowed. “It’s Greyson. Commander Greyson.”

Wait, what? Oh, if only Seifer had real psychic power. He could reach out to Cyril telepathically. Because something was wrong. Greyson was a retired Stoutland Yard chief. He never worked for the Radiant Guard.

“That so? My bad.” Cyril raised his hands innocently. The small smile on his face betrayed the tense look in his eyes. “Don’t keep up much with the news. Wasn’t aware Her Eminence had named a new commander.”

“Two new commanders.” Greyson jerked his head in Cobalion’s direction. “Or, one new and one returning. Picking up the pieces from that useless waste of space that got the boot.”

The fake rapidash did his best not to flinch. Seifer’s father and uncle were his replacements? Of course. Why look for new blood when Isola could just turn to Seifer’s family? If she truly was some nefarious body snatcher, it would even let her keep a close eye on them just in case.

What was Seifer supposed to do here? He had to say something before this got out of hand. “A-Apologies. We actually got a bit, um, turned around.” Seifer stepped to Cyril’s side. “And my friend’s too proud to ask for directions.”

“Fat chance,” Greyson scoffed.

Cobalion wrinkled his nose. “Agreed. Something reeks about this. No sane fairy would pal around with some lying, low-life zoroark.“

Seifer suppressed a wince. Memories of his father cursing out assorted species at the dinner table flickered through his head.

“Excuse me?” Cyril growled. He kept his expression as neutral as possible. “I’m not looking for trouble, dude.”

“That’s Commander Tobias, you ruffian.” Cobalion stood up straight, as if to emphasize the half meter of height he had over Cyril.

“Uh-huh.” Cyril’s tone somehow stayed even. “Well, I hate to disappoint, but this ‘lying low-life’ is nothing but a humble mechanic.”

“Then what’s a grease mankey doing out in the nice part of Herbrides, huh?” Greyson said. Red energy sparked around the terrakion’s forehead. “I say we take ’em all in for questioning.”

“I wanted to make a day trip here with my boyfriend.” Cyril put his hand on Seifer’s back. The fake rapidash almost lost his composure. What was the zoroark thinking outing their relationship? If anything broke Seifer’s illusion…

“And I’ve been living with him since the attack on Venish.” Artemis tapped the ground by Cyril’s feet with his tailfins. “So, I’m third-wheeling.”

Greyson eyed the milotic with a look of disgust. “I ain’t buying it. You?”

Tobias shook his head. “As I said, no decent milotic or rapidash would slum it with a zoroark.” The cobalion’s eyes narrowed. “Much less court one.”

For a moment, Seifer thought there was genuine hurt in Cyril’s eyes. But he quickly masked it with his stoic expression. “So, what, you’re bringing me to a station because I’m a zoroark?”

“No.” Tobias rolled his eyes. “Because you’re a zoroark looking and acting suspicious. And these two are clearly accomplices. Now, quiet down and start walking. Or do I have to slap a muzzle on you, runt?“

However, before anyone had the chance to respond, Seifer caught a streak of orange out of the corner of his eye. “Down!” he screamed, shoving Cyril to the ground. A giant fireball struck the dome-shaped house to their right, blowing the roof open. Rubble struck a blue Protect shield that spilled out from Seifer’s horn in the nick of time.

… His black, ridged prosthetic horn.

Seifer’s eyes slowly widened.

“S-Seifer?!” Tobias gasped. The keldeo glanced back to see Artemis coiled around a dazed Cyril. His illusions had failed, leaving his cosmic fur on full display.

“What is the meaning of this, boy?” Greyson said.

“More fire!” Artemis shouted. Though he spat streams of water, they couldn’t stand up against the fireballs. They struck other domed houses. Screams rang out. Two gogoat and several skiddo ran out of one building, while a tropius and fidough sprinted out of another.

“What did you do?” Tobias bellowed, leveling his glowing Sacred Sword at the trio.

Bells rang out from the sky. Multiple birds appeared out of seemingly nowhere, with wartortle and raichu perched on their backs.

“Avast! Ahoy! Yo ho! Yo ho! Our time tis finally here!” a kilowattrel sang.

“We’ll plunder like mad!” a pidgeot added.

“There’s booty to be had!” sang a swellow with sparking wings.

“Fer the Blackskull Buccaneers!” the wartortle and raichu all sang in unison, before leaping from their fliers back and raining Hydro Pumps and Thunderbolts on the group from above.

XxX

“Do you ever think about the day you were born?”

From their position atop the roof of the shuttered Herbrides Crowne Minister’s office building, Widget glanced at Gene. The shadowy mewtwo’s tail crinkled.

“Seriously?” His Malice Crystal dimmed. “Who leads with a question like that?”

“I do, apparently,” Widget responded. He looked down at his golden talons, curling and uncurling them. “I was… curious. Since you were built. Like me.”

Pinching his brow, Gene walked over and leaned against the yellow brick chimney. “No. I don’t.”

“Oh.” Widget’s cheek bolts turned once. “Okay.” The cosmic silvally curled his fish tail slightly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t guilt trip me, Squirt.” Gene crossed one leg over another. His eyes remained shut. “I don’t think about it because there isn’t much to it. Doing a bunch of stupid tests for stupider human scientists.” He clenched his fist. “Then Giovanni captured me when I was supposed to be fully released from stasis. Everything after that’s a huge blur until Nova took me in.”

“Right.” Widget nodded slowly. “Do you suppress those memories?”

Gene shook his head. Widget watched his Malice Crystal darken. “I don’t have to. Nova suppressed them for me.”

The silvally’s starcloud swirled around slowly. “All the Eterna energy treatments?”

“In a sense.” Gene repeatedly ran a finger up and down the Malice Crystal. “Giovanni… did something to me. He made me so… empty inside. To better function as his ‘weapon.'”

At the mention of ’empty,’ Widget swore he saw some sort of black crystal sphere looming behind Gene. And it… tugged on a part of him. His scaly hide was itching.

“Nova and Miraidon… sealed that part of me off,” Gene continued. He held his hand out and strange black shadows swirled around his fingers.

The itchiness in Widget’s scales got worse. He wasn’t sure whether to say anything about that sphere. Surely it was an illusion, right?

“It’s something called ‘shadowing.'” Gene dispelled the energy. “Nova never told me why he and Miraidon knew how to do this. Though I’m betting the latter being one of those Overseers has something to do with it.”

“Shadowing?” Widget’s scales thankfully weren’t crawling anymore.

“It’s when you seal away a pokémon’s spirit,” Gene explained. “Normally, doing so turns pokémon into vicious beasts driven by their most negative emotions.”

Except Widget wouldn’t classify Gene as vicious. If anything, that applied to Necrozma. “You don’t seem that way,” he mumbled.

“Because Miraidon and Nova had a loophole.” Gene placed his hand over his heart. “They sealed off that… thing Giovanni put into me to make me empty. Since he’d done that not long after I was ‘born,’ I never got to develop my real spirit. But sealing that thing was enough to turn me shadow.

“It’s why I look like this.” Gene pushed off the chimney. Lazily walked toward Widget with his hands resting behind his head. “And how my real heart or soul or whatever you want to call it was able to safely grow on its own.”

Widget shifted uncomfortably. The explanation didn’t sit right with him. “If that part of you is sealed, why do you remember stuff you did for Team Rocket?”

“Sometimes that thing tries to force its way out,” Gene admitted. He looked at his hands. It was subtle, but they were shaking. “To convince me to give into despair and emptiness… and become a weapon again.”

“Wait.” The cosmic silvally’s crest fanned out. “Doesn’t that sound a bit like the reincarnated soul stuff?”

Shrugging, Gene lowered his arms. “I don’t try to read into it.”

Widget’s gut squirmed. “So, um, is the reason you don’t act all that serious—”

“That’s me trying to keep it at bay.” Gene pointed at his glowing Malice Crystal. “And it worked… until last week. I was too desperate in Wyndon… and drew on some of that thing’s power.”

His shoulders sagged. “It’s been tugging on the back of my mind ever since. Whispering the same tired things about emptiness and hatred.”

The mewtwo shook his head. “Why are you grilling me on this, anyway?” He sized Widget up. “Is this about the other week? Are you still stuck on that?”

There wasn’t any point hiding it from Gene. “Yes!” Widget squawked. His starcloud and cheek bolts dimmed. “I just— I don’t understand.” He shook his head. “I can’t understand.”

Grimacing, Widget’s talons dug into the stone roof. “The day the emperor turned me on… he was so happy. I thought… he was proud of me.” His head crest drooped. “I did everything he told me to. Because he said it would make me a hero. That it would make everyone proud of me.”

“Uh-huh. Cuz we know the emperor’s such an honest guy.” Gene tilted his head. “I thought you talked to a bunch of birddogfish in one of the mystery dungeons and it put you at ease. Why the backsliding?”

“That was before Yuna went and just… just dropped a mental Draco Meteor!” Widget responded. His starcloud flickered erratically. He squeezed his eyes shut. “I thought— no, I believed the emperor had tricked me, yet I still chose to listen. But what if that’s not true?”

He took a step toward the shadowy mewtwo. “You said it yourself last week.” Widget was sure Gene thought him pathetic, but pressed on anyway. “There was nothing biologic about me before Leo intervened. What if… what if everything I did wasn’t my choice? Simply lines of code instead?!”

A pained grimace spread over his feet. “The moment I woke up on Chakran, Leo had already shared his power with me.” Widget shook his head repeatedly, like he was bucking off a small feral who’d latched onto his neck. “Everything that’s happened since… how can I be sure?”

Gene remained still. “Sure of what?”

“That these are really my choices?!” Widget’s voice cracked. His gold talons scraped the stone beneath them. Blurry blue and purple light melted together. White fur painted over his cosmic form. Forelegs gave way to reshiram wings. “That I want to fight these battles? That Leo didn’t just… rewrite the emperor’s code? Or… or stuff some old, dormant soul into my body?

“Even the stuff you were saying about some force of emptiness felt… familiar for some reason.”

(Art by Jungabeast.)

Widget glimpsed at his new wings. So white and fluffy. Was this… another one of his transformations? Why was it showing up now?

Pushing those specific thoughts aside, the reshivally sank to his belly. “How can I know?” He folded his new wings over his head. “How can I trust myself… when I don’t even know if I’ve always had a soul?”

Silence followed. Widget slowly slid his wings off his head. White fur brushed against rough, dirty stone.

“There more to your rant or you done?”

Widget looked up. Gene had pivoted away from him. His yellow-tipped tail curled and uncurled in irritation.

“I thought… you understood,” the reshivally whimpered. “Or maybe you remembered something about Nova you could tell me.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint.” Gene shrugged. “Yeah, Nova was better at this stuff than I was. That’s what made him an effective leader, I guess. While yours truly just wings it.”

Nothing about that reassured Widget. Then again, it sounded like Gene didn’t care.

“It’s funny.” Gene stopped curling and uncurling his tail. “I’m plain trash at the whole ‘leader’ thing, yet thanks to Princess I’ve ended up with a resistance that’s at least ten times as big as Nova’s.”

There was an obvious question to ask: why didn’t Gene try and better his leadership skills? Yet Widget kept his beak shut. He’d poured his heart out to Gene. Selfish as it sounded, Widget didn’t want to make this about the shadow mewtwo.

Surprisingly, Gene floated to Widget’s side and sat down beside him. “Guess there’s one thing I can offer.” He put a hand on Widget’s right wing. “Nova always told me that it’s just as easy to worry about the future as it is to get caught up in the past.”

Widget picked his head up. Where was Gene going with this? “If you’re going to tell me to live for the present—”

A finger to Widget’s beak shushed him. Gene shook his head. “Should you live in the present? Yeah. I do.” He pulled his hand back. “Still gotta look to the future, though. One step at a time.”

Gene tapped his right temple. “If we let the fear of an unknown future bury us, then we’re not living.”

He pointed at Widget. “In your case, if you let this paralyze you, then it doesn’t matter how you were made or if you have a soul.” His Malice Crystal flickered. “At that point, you’re letting everyone and everything around you control you. And how’s that any different from what you’re worried about?”

The reshivally blinked once. Twice.

It… made sense. In a twisted sort of way.

He exhaled loudly, blowing a couple of pebbles by his beak toward Gene’s foot. “I suppose.” Widget pushed himself to a sitting position. “Might need to work on your pep talks, though.”

“That was recycled material.” Gene waved Widget off dismissively.

“Then your recycling skills need work,” Widget deadpanned.

“Like your stand up skills?” Gene countered, a smirk forming.

Widget couldn’t help but smirk back. “Touché.”

Then a flash of orange caught his attention. “What the heck?” Widget pushed Gene away. “H-Hey! Someone’s shooting fireballs at the street!”

“The hell?” Gene whirled around. Fireballs appeared out of seemingly nowhere, striking building rooftops. Laughter filled the skies. The shadowy mewtwo’s tail crinkled. “You can’t be serious.”

“What is it?” Widget tried to sense what was shooting the fireballs, but came up empty.

“It’s the pirates.” Gene hovered into the air. “They must be cloaking their ships.”

“With what?” Widget’s new tail turbine whirred to life, sending him up next to Gene. “I can’t even sense them!”

Gene tapped his right antennae. “Attention resistance, we—”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t mon least favorite kitty cat!”

Widget squawked. Embers crackled around his tail turbine. “Was that Gilbert on our comm line?!”

“Damn it, are they stealing our signal? How?!” Gene’s yellow-tipped tail lashed at the air. “Where the hell’s Cyril?”

More building rooftops caught fire. People flooded the streets. “What do we do?” Widget said.

“Start blasting, of course!” Gene blindly slung a Shadow Ball in the direction of where the fireballs were forming.

Widget swallowed hard. He had no idea why the pirates were here. Or how they were here, for that matter. But Widget knew the resistance had to get rid of them quickly, before the whole city got swept up in chaos.