Chapter 7 – Diminishing Aptitudes

Alan was running. From what he did not know, nor did he want to know. Only that he needed to keep on running. 

 

His surroundings were eerily quiet, the foggy darkness muffling any and all noise around him. He could barely hear his own desperate pants as his legs slowly began to give way.

 

A few moments later the murky darkness that surrounded him parted, revealing the monster chasing him. Alan instinctively turned, his golden pupils trembling with fear as he eyed the beast behind him.

 

His eyes lit up in recognition. He remembered. Remembered what had gone down the night before, his futile resistance against Melissa, the Archen… whatever it was. It was still chasing him, even now in the barren wasteland of the subconscious he found himself in once more.

 

The Archen was near unrecognizable to Alan now, every pore on its body leaking pitch-black liquid. Its neck broken, twisted into impossible shapes, void tendrils having replaced its feathers, squirming relentlessly, occasionally poking out in an archaic attempt to stab the Vulpix.

 

“Stay away!” he shouted as he dodged and weaved around every tendril that came his way. “Please! I didn’t do anything wrong! Just leave me alone! I beg of you!”

 

“ Hehe! He’s begging for mercy already~” a mocking voice rang out ahead of him. 

 

“Huh?? Who’s there?” Alan skidded to a halt, his whole body turning to the source of the sound, tails raised in alarm.

 

Another voice to his left spoke in a deeper, more intimidating tone. “You have no power here, human. Give up. Let us assimilate you. ”

 

“It is too late to atone for your sins, Alan.” another voice asserted, even closer to Alan this time.

 

The voices continued to echo around, surrounding the snowy Vulpix, intimidated and petrified in fear. Each successive voice was louder, closer, more threatening. 

 

“It won’t hurt for long~”

 

“We are the solution, not the problem, Alan.”

 

“Let us save you, little one~ ”

 

“N-no! Go away!” Alan pleaded. He backed away from the closest voice, only to feel his feet rooted to the ground. Before he could react, more pitch-black tendrils shot out of the ground, wrapping around his torso and tails. They worked in unison, turning Alan to face the void Archen.

 

Unable to move, Alan was left with only his words to try and save him. “L-listen to me! Please! I-I don’t know what I’ve done! I’ve j-just been dragged around! I’m a victim, not a criminal! Please! You have to believe me!” he cried, his futile attempt at negotiation unheard by the being in the void. 

 

It blankly stared down at the entangled Vulpix, emitting a shrill cry that temporarily deafened the crying fox. The darkness spilling from its mouth and eyes coagulated into a fleshy, jet-black mass, steadily approaching Alan as it kept on growing in size.

 

Alan shrieked. He desperately struggled against his binds, only to find them wrapped around him even harder. As the blob grew in size, the space around the mound began to warp, pulling Alan ever closer to the darkness approaching. 

 

They collided, liquid from the blob seeping into Alan’s paws and legs. His veins pulsed, desperately trying to reject the corrupting liquid that engulfed his entire lower half. 

 

Pain shot all around as he felt his ethereal body begin to crumble against the restraints. It felt like his skin was boiling, like every single bone in his legs shattering simultaneously. Through his cries of pain, the darkness pressed on, thin tendrils snaking up to his neck, crisscrossing over his entire body, enveloping his vision in darkness. 

 

Is this my punishment? For some crime I didn’t commit? What did you… what did I do Edward? Alan thought. He felt his strength slip away, the throbbing pain nullifying the last of Alan’s struggles. 

 

I’m sorry Necrozma… I wasn’t prepared to die like this… 

 

It suddenly felt cold. The pain was immediately numbed as a deafening rush of wind restored Alan’s vision. He weakly looked up at the being staring down at him. The Archen that was once there was now replaced by jet-black crystals, floating nonchalantly over the dying fox.

 

Alan tried to call out, but his throat lacked strength. The crystalline dragon only shook his head in response, a golden ball of energy forming on his claws as he reached down, growing into a whirlpool of warmth that enveloped the Vulpix.

 

His breathing stabilized, and Alan found his strength had partially recovered. He stood, legs wobbling as he limped closer to his savior.  

 

“W-what was-”

 

“Monsters. Monsters of the subconsciousness. The same ones that have kept me imprisoned for millennia”

 

“Huh??” 

 

“They found you in the conscious realm, and when you were knocked out they dragged you into their mental realm. ” Necrozma’s tone was consistent, giving Alan no indication of his true emotions or intentions. “ Though, it disappoints me you were unable to defend yourself against just a single one.”

 

Alan’s ears perked up. That was one?? I nearly died to one monster??

 

“You are correct, there will be many more along your journey. I advise you to prepare accordingly. ” Necrozma warned, shifting closer to Alan and picking up the fox with a single claw of his oversized hands. “We are returning to your mental realm, I shall answer the rest of your questions there.”

 

With a flick of his wrists, Alan’s surroundings crumbled, his form collapsing and reducing him to a conscious speck of dust. He couldn’t see but he knew he was in motion, and as such he relaxed his metaphorical body and allowed Necrozma to carry him home.

 

When his vision returned Alan found himself back at the head of the same rounded, wooden table that stood the last time he was in this realm. He stared up at Necroza, confused yet grateful. 

 

Necrozma’s body looked lighter, his image flickering ever so slightly against the darkened background. The fog in the distance, shifting around gracefully, had ever so slightly more clarity to it, Alan noticed.

 

“What… what was any of that….” asked Alan, unable to properly process what has just occurred. 

 

“You are now in the relative safety of your mental realm. No monsters will attack you here.”

 

Alan, trusting Necrozma’s assertion relaxed slightly. He curled up, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. It’s okay… It’s okay… I’m safe now. I think…

 

“So… what exactly happened back there? How close was I to dying?” 

 

“You were near completely assimilated, it is fortunate that I have spent enough time around these monsters that I have developed a near-perfect understanding of their inner mechanisms, and was able to return you to your previous, unharmed form.” boasted Necrozma, his chromatic eyes pulsing a rainbow of colors in pride. 

 

“Thanks…” Alan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Where do they come from anyways? I remember it showing up after Melissa forced me to drink that wine.”

 

“They are a constant danger in the conscious world, appearing at times of mental weakness. Your mental fortitude must remain strong to defend against them, or your situation will repeat” Necrozma stressed, a smidge of genuine care leaking past his cold, smug tone.

 

“I don’t get it, honestly. What do they even want from me anyways? They kept repeating about the sins me and Edward have committed.” He paused for a moment to observe Necrozma’s reaction. His projection only flickered for a moment, eyes lit a constant green color. “I know of all the shit Edward’s done over the past few centuries, but what about me? What did I do to deserve this?”

 

Necrozma stayed silent for an unusually long period of time, as if he was mulling over the responses to give to the Vulpix. 

 

“You are, simply put, misinterpreting their words. Your actions in your human life have no effect on the monster’s judgment. It is simply your association with me that has painted a target upon your head.”

 

Alan stared down at his paws. Is this struggle really worth it? Just what am I risking my life for?

 

“But why do they hate you in specific so much?” asked Alan.

 

“It is a long tale, one I have neither the time nor the interest to retell. ” Necrozma deadpanned, flicking his claws around dismissively. “Knowledge of my past actions and my current fate are of no use to you, irrelevant and impossible to comprehend.”

 

Alan only stared back at Necrozma, unenthused. “Considering how according to you the only reason I’m being hunted down is due to me working for you, I think whatever beef you had with them is pretty important Necrozma.”

 

Necrozma’s stance changed, towering even further above the Vulpix. Even as a projection the pressure he exuded was enough to knock Alan onto his knees. 

 

“Do not question my motives, human. ” he snarled, irritation mixed into his deep, overpowering tone. “You are to obediently complete my tasks, not to challenge my authority and wisdom. Do I make this clear? ”

 

The ever-increasing pressure crushed Alan’s lungs, preventing him from breathing. He felt tears form in his eyes as his knees gave out, his torso pressed hard onto the ground. “Ack… S-Stop… I’m s-sorry!”

 

Necrozma relented, Alan was his only servant after all. “Foolish curiosity only serves to hinder your growth.” he warned, lowering himself back to his original position. 

 

Alan was left sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. It’s pretty obvious he’s not giving me the full truth… I want to know more, but at this rate, I’m going to be killed before I piece together the full story…  

 

“Okay… Fine… I won’t ask about that anymore. But could you at least teach me how to fight? Ever since I hatched all I’ve been able to do in a fight is get beat up or knocked out…” said the Vulpix as he lifted himself back up, patting his body and checking for any injuries he may have sustained.

 

Necrozma stared at Alan in silence, seemingly bewildered at his request. “It is simply unbelievable how low your aptitude for battling is.” complained Necrozma. “And it seems any instinct carried over from your vessel seems to have been nearly fully lost as well.” 

 

The exasperated god shook his head in disappointment. His projection began to flicker slightly harder.

 

“Very well. Your request shall be honored.”

 

With a snap of his claws, the terrain shifted once more. The table that once stood behind Alan melted away. Instead, an assortment of marble stands faced the Vulpix. On each stand stood a sculpture, similar to Edward’s sculpture during his first encounter with Necrozma.

 

Alan flinched, stumbling backward away from the statues. Why… Why are they here?!? No… He wouldn’t… would he?

 

Five figures, in particular, stood out to Alan. A Sceptile, Aggron, Lurantis, Lucario, and Breloom, members of the royal cabinet replicated with excruciating detail. 

 

“N-necrozma?” Alan stammered, eyes sweeping around, attempting to locate the psychic type. “Don’t… Don’t leave me with them! Y-you said you would train me! Please! I ne–”

 

A stream of rocks barreled out from somewhere in between the figurines, catching Alan by surprise, and flinging him into the center of the encirclement of statues.

The marble Sceptile, a perfect replica of Celeste, slowly began to animate itself, unsheathing its claymore, lowering itself into an offensive stance, glaring at the Vulpix, ready to attack at any moment.

 

“I– Necrozma please… Listen to me! I-I can’t! I don’t know how–” 

 

The Sceptile lunged, their claymore arcing through the air. Alan, unprepared, was unable to properly dodge in time. Pain coursed through his body as the rocky blade smashed directly into his hind legs. 

 

“Grah! Necrozma! Cut it out! I don’t know how to fight!”

 

The sword narrowly missed to his left. A tail swinging on the right, just barely missing his feet as he jumped away. The Sceptile’s attacks were relentless, Alan barely being able to dodge each one. He bounced away, desperately thinking of any way to stop the stony beast.

 

“Your dodging is impressive, but it seems it is insufficient to truly unlock your growth. An easy problem to resolve.” Necrozma’s voice echoed about the impromptu arena, eliciting a reaction from an increasingly frustrated Vulpix.

 

“H-huh?! What do you mean by that?!? Come back!” Alan repeated between his fatigued panting. “I don’t know what to do!” 

 

As he clumsily dodged another swing from his opponent’s weapon, Alan noticed a flicker of movement from his left. 

 

Alan’s head flicked away for a split second as his ears twitched, noticing a faint rumbling off in the distance. What was that? Another Sta-

 

“Oof!”

 

The blade slammed square into Alan’s head. More pain coursed through his body, his head smashing into the ground, followed by the rest of his body as multiple obsidian-black claws slashed directly into his entire body. 

 

More pain erupted from his sides, further pushing him towards unconsciousness. The rumbling increased in volume and intensity, yet in his daze, Alan failed to notice.

 

He sluggishly rolled away, barely enough to dodge another strike from the Sceptile. For a moment, the rumbling quieted. The Sceptile seemed to back away slightly, unwilling to continue attacking.

 

The rumbling returned for a split second, now directly before him instead. Before Alan could react, however, the ground beneath him collapsed, his entire body enveloped by the ground as a similar-sized hole swallowed him whole.

 

A split second later, a massive spire of glowing pale blue rock thrust out, smashing into Alan’s lower back. A nasty crunch was audible as Alan felt several of his bones shatter. He cried out in pain, yet nothing more than a dry squeal could be heard, all the air in his lungs knocked out by the impact. 

 

He landed a few feet away, completely still. It felt like he should be unconscious, him losing all control of his body. Yet he remained awake, incapacitated and reeling in pain, but still awake nonetheless.

 

The Sceptile approached, joined alongside by a new figure. An Aggron trailed shortly behind, maliciously grinning at the incapacitated Vulpix.

 

Alan could do nothing but wait for his inevitable demise. He was spent, unable to even look up at his opponents, all his energy drained away. Tears formed, him silently pleading for a quick end to his suffering.

 

As the pair of animated marble approached, however, their movements began to slow down, eventually entirely halting mere feet away from Alan.

 

Through his teary vision, he could see the life drain out of the eyes of the two combatants. Slowly, the two replicas began to crumble, dissipating back into the surrounding fine mist.

 

“Disappointing. ” Necrozma sighed. “Your capabilities have been tested, your limits pushed. Now stand. I will demonstrate how to unlock your true potential.”

 

Warm golden light enveloped Alan, mending broken bones and soothing frayed nerves. It provided him the energy to stand up once more.

 

Alan looked around hastily, attempting to locate Necrozma in the sea of statues that were now present on the field.

“Necrozma wait!” Alan shouted, picking a random spot in the sky to scream at. “Why won’t you just explain what the hell is going on?!?”

 

“It is simple, you requested my help in teaching you the art of combat, and I simply obliged.”

 

Alan turned red with rage from Necrozma’s response “Is this what you call teaching?!? Disappearing into thin air and watching your helpless student get his shit kicked in?!?” 

 

“Do not question my methods, human. Have I not already established that all my actions are of mutual benefit to the both of us?” Necrozma’s voice boomed across the dreamscape, clearly irritated yet still maintaining status and formality.

 

“I have transferred some of what little power I retained into you. You are now my blessed, and as such, a mental link will suffice for communication for the time being.”

 

“I… I don’t… Okay…” Alan relented. It’s not worth really picking a fight with him… I just hope it won’t hurt more than this…

 

“Excellent.”

 

A tiny projection of Necrozma, only a few inches tall, appeared beside Alan. He looked around for a moment, finding a suitable spot for him to rest before landing on Alan’s left shoulder.

 

“Listen closely, I will not repeat this twice.” Necrozma said, his voice still originating from somewhere inside Alan’s head instead of from the projection balancing on his shoulder. “Pokemon, unlike humans, utilize what are called ‘moves’ in combat.”

 

“No, I mean… I get all this ‘moves’ stuff.” Alan interrupted. “Every Pokemon has a learnset and moveset, they can learn more moves as they level up yadda yadda. What I don’t understand is how to use them. I’ve accidentally used them but… I don’t even know…” He palmed his face with his paws, hiding his face away in frustration.

 

“I was scared, I-I thought he was going to kill me… It doesn’t make any sense! I can’t control it!” Alan cried into the void, thrashing about in frustration.

 

“Your instincts do not align with your body, a small amount of practice should easily resolve your issue.” The gem-encrusted deity waved his arms, adeptly weaving the nearby mist into clumps, shaping them into what looked like a training dummy of sorts.

 

“Using a move is simple, but doing such excessively will strain your body. The objective of this exercise is to train your body in an environment where overexertion is but a mere afterthought.”

 

Alan stared at the dummy in front, unsure of what to do. 

 

“Focus upon a part of the sculpture, form a mental image of your opponent. Focus on yourself, and form a mental image of your inside machinations.”

 

Alan focused on the featureless head of the dummy. His pupils dilated, helping his mind internally recreate every detail with pinpoint accuracy. 

 

He focused in on himself, imagining the blood that flowed around his body, the air he breathed in as it traveled in and out his lungs, his muscles flexing and relaxing with every slight shift in posture. 

 

An undefinable coolness surfaced, a mote of ice within the ocean that constituted his body. He kept focusing on it, the internal ice growing with each passing second. One moment, it was a snowflake, then an ice cube, a snowball, an iceberg, a glacier.

 

His golden eyes glowed a vibrant sky blue as he welcomed the cold, allowing it to permeate through his body. It worked its way up his body, a lump forming in his frozen mouth.

 

“Now return your attention to the sculpture, visualize it again. Imagine your energy clashing with theirs. Retain that sensation, reimagine it, then replicate it.”

 

Alan winced slightly as he felt the lump grow. It sharpened itself, lightly piercing into the roof of his mouth as it rotated to face outwards. He envisioned it piercing into the dummy’s head, the explosion that would follow, and what remained after impact.

 

His mouth snapped open, a massive shard of ice flying out. It whistled as it sailed through the air, smashing into the dummy’s head with pinpoint accuracy. The icicle exploded, tiny shards of ice raining down alongside the ruined remains of the now headless training dummy. 

 

Alan shook his head in disbelief. Did I just do that?!? 

 

He turned his head around, expectantly staring at Necrozma still lounging on his shoulder, a small prideful smirk forming on his face

 

“That was… acceptable, at least. Your ice shard was slow to shoot, but it was well-formed, and its power… decent enough. Each move has a unique sensation, changing certain parameters in your imagination leads to different moves. With enough repetition, casting moves will become more instinctual. Well done.”

 

Necrozma floated back up into the air, imitating a slow golf clap. Mist gathered on both sides, coagulating together to reform the Sceptile and Aggron in an instant.

 

“Let us resume the battle.”

 

Without hesitation, the pair of Pokemon rushed at Alan, their claws gliding across the air in perfect sync. Alan dodged backward, remaining fully vigilant, eyes completely focused on his opponents.

 

Two more lumps formed in his mouth, slowly coalescing into more ice shards. The Aggron hopped backward, casting a flurry of stealth rocks that dug into the surrounding battleground. 

 

The Sceptile stayed within striking distance, nimbly weaving through the minefield of pointed rocks with ease as it repeatedly swung at Alan. 

 

A strike to the left. Barely any time to recover. Another strike to the right. It was relentless, Alan barely able to weave in between each swing. 

 

Just a little more! My ice shards… they’re nearly ready!

 

The claymore swung overhead, Alan sidestepping left at the last moment. The blade grazed his left side while pointed rocks dug into his right. Pain surged, yet the rushing adrenaline kept his gaze steady upon his targets. 

 

He took aim at the Sceptile, back hunched as it struggled to pull out its sword embedded deep into the ground next to Alan. Two identical icy diamonds burst out, only flying for a split second as they both nailed the Sceptile directly in the head. It tumbled backward, collapsing onto the ground with a resounding thud.

 

“Hell yeah! I did it!” Alan cheered. “Necrozma! How was tha-” 

 

His celebration was cut short as he was picked up and slammed into the ground. Rocks rained down from above simultaneously, pinning the Vulpix under a thick layer of solid rock. 

 

“Lesson one, the battle is never over. Never celebrate too early.”

 

The rock shattered, leaving Alan gasping for air as he tried to recuperate. The Aggron had backed off once more. Its horns glowed as the nearby mist swirled around the steel dinosaur. The mist transformed into fine sand, a sandstorm descending upon the battlefield.

 

Alan squinted, his vision now entirely obscured by the raging sandstorm. A few moments passed without any retaliation. The sand scraped against his skin, building up around the edge of his eyelids as well.

 

A metal leg extended out of the storm, its outline visible for just a fraction of a second, clobbering Alan’s left side. He held back his pained scream as another ice shard grew.

 

“Lesson two, an invisible opponent is like an assassin. Know your opponent’s location, obscure your own position.”

 

Alan bolted away, using the howling winds around him to aid his movement. He peered into the murky brown that painted his surroundings. A blurry outline stood a few feet away, slowly approaching.

 

The shadow darkened. Alan bounced into the air to avoid another blow. Another ice shard whistled through the air, smashing into the shadow directly below him. He held back his celebration, anticipating another attack.

 

The sandstorm weakened, revealing the target of his strike. 

 

“H-huh?” Alan gasped. What should have been the crumbling body of an animated Aggron sculpture, there instead laid a pile of hardened sand, with an icicle defiantly sticking out.

 

“Lesson three, the truth is all but irrelevant in battle. Misdirection is the key to success.”

 

Heeding Necrozma’s advice, Alan turned around. Just in time to notice another kick heading in his direction. He rolled away, the Aggron whiffing and stumbling over itself.

 

He cast a retaliatory ice shard, yet it harmlessly bounced off the Aggron’s thick armor. It was unfazed by the Vulpix’s pitiful attack.

 

“Lesson four, no singular strategy will be executed seamlessly. Improvise, adapt, overcome.”

 

Alan took Necrozma’s words into deep consideration. An ice shard is just a chunk of ice with a sharp edge. So, I could repeatedly attack it over and over… or break my single attack into multiple tiny attacks and wear it down… Alan’s ears perked up as an idea surfaced in his mind.

 

He formed another ice shard in his mouth, focusing on its size rather than shape. Instead of firing, however, he instead bit down upon the ball of ice, shattering it into hundreds of tiny shards. He continued to grind down the ice, reverting it back into snow. Powder snow huh… I’ll remember that…

 

Alan collapsed to the ground, the previous attack had drained the last of the energy Necrozma had provided him with. Through his own labored breathing, he heard… clapping?  

 

“Excellent. It seems you indeed still retain some ability to utilize moves in battle. Perhaps you may be a better servant than my initial assumption.”

 

Necrozma’s eyes shone with a brighter gleam than ever before. Internally, he was truly amazed. Even with his blessing, no Pokémon should be able to cast such devastating attacks at such an age.

 

He waved his arms, tendrils of light shooting out of his fingertips and onto Alan, enveloping his body in the same revitalizing glow as before.

 

“Our time is almost up, but before such I shall grant you one more skill. It has been eons since anyone has received my blessing. Stand, I have one final skill to teach you.”

 

Alan followed wordlessly. Even though his body was once again fully energized, his mind was too exhausted to question Necrozma any longer. 

 

“Envision the cold forming within you, once more. Now imagine the warmth… my warmth, surrounding your ice. Let my warmth, my light flow through you. Allow it to overrule you, to control you, to overwhelm you.”

 

Alan relaxed, letting the power that had been subconsciously gated from entering begin to mix into his system. He felt the energy flowing around his veins, concentrating into viscous mulch as more of Necrozma’s light began to flow through him. 

 

The air around him was getting warmer, the nearby fog swirling and converging onto a single point above him. The point glowed, rapidly expanding outwards as more and more gas began swirling inwards. 

 

“I must warn you, this move is draining to the both of us. Your body, even with my blessing, is only capable of withstanding its immense power briefly. Use it as your final move. Ensure nothing survives it.”

 

Alan felt the energy that coated him begin to dissolve, flowing away from him through tendrils of light, similar to how they were gifted to him by Necrozma. They joined the fog swirling into the ball of flames, now similar in size to Alan.

 

“Wha- h-huh??”

 

“Countless centuries of trial and error have culminated to this very moment. I have perfected it… my magnum opus! My… ” Necrozma quietened as he marveled at the ever-growing sphere of pure fire and light, so large it now matched his own massive stature.

 

The resplendent ball of flames destabilized. Spikes of pure golden fire shot out, charring the ground beneath. Alan screamed, the heat was overwhelming. His fur was singed, sweat and tears vaporizing in an instant. The entire dreamscape began to shake as it struggled to contain Alan’s power.

 

“Now! My blessed being! Behold the true potential of our combined strength! Light that burns the sky!”

 

The attack slipped from Alan’s control. The recoil flung him a distance backward, away from the impact zone. Necrozma stood, laughing maniacally as the attack he had pioneered for so long uncontrollably hurtled towards him. 

 

“What’s going on?!? N-necrozma! Help!” 

 

Before it could make contact his image faded away, the move having taken too much of a toll for his projection to continue existing. The shaking intensified, cracks forming on the ground around Alan, trapping him. 

 

Alan watched tiredly as the light that burns the sky smashed into the ground. It stayed relatively stable, the intense heat radiating off it instead vaporizing the ground below, allowing the fireball to slowly sink into the ground.

 

A few moments passed in pure, breathless silence. The rumbling had subsided, and the fireball entirely sunken into the ground. 

 

Alan couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief before the rumbling started once again. The cracks around the buried move widened, radiant rays of light shooting out of the exposed ground. 

 

The fireball collapsed, the rock encasing it splitting. A brilliant flash of golden light poured into the barren dreamscape, instantly blinding Alan. Even without sight, he could sense his surroundings collapsing into themselves. He curled into a ball, bracing for impact as the ground below him opened up, plunging him into the desolate nothingness below.