FISSION

Chapter 35

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Fission

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Manikas was pacing. Every thunderous step he took was punctuated by a harsh puff of smoke blasting from his nostrils. A deep rut in the dirt had begun to form.

 

Avery, Jolvia, Rikzyod, Argus and Heynia all sat around the fire at the camp. The stars were out now, and a cold ocean wind was blowing over the island. No doubt the rushing gusts of the Beast’s ever-growing storm were beginning to reach the island. The crackle of thunder could be heard ever clearer, and Manikas predicted there would be naught but a a day or two before it finally grew to overtake the island and likely even Yahneri port.

 

But the thunder of the Beast’s storm was nothing compared to the echoed shouting of Vizon and Diquarni.

 

“By Arceus they’re still going at it…” Jolvia said, listening to them. “It’s been hours, they must be dehydrated by now…”

 

“Shall I go and make surre they have waterr at the verry least…?” Heynia sighed, rubbing her wings on her forehead. Argus leaned against a palm tree his face flat.

 

He wasn’t laughing any more. In his own words…the joke ran thin hours ago.

 

Manikas was still too mad to even talk, let alone think.

 

A few ideas had been traded but nothing concrete yet.

 

For now, Rikzyod cooked tonight’s meal: some meat plant skewers for everybody from the ship’s reserve.

 

Avery bit into his meat skewer with more gusto than he’d really eaten much of anything before. His exhaustion had given way to annoyance. The meat was good, but…he missed Vizon.

 

And he hated that everyone was judging the Riolu. Avery hated that Diquarni and him were basically doing the same thing. Avery hated that Vizon was running himself ragged instead of helping everyone get off of this island. Avery hated that Vizon had blinders so far on that he couldn’t see the storm.

 

And Avery hated that he didn’t know what to do about it. Why did he always have to do something about it? Why did it always fall to him? Why couldn’t Vizon be more mature than a 40-year-old woman-child??

 

…Avery missed his friend.

 

Jolvia sighed, reaching over to grab a skewer and biting into it. Avery’s was surprisingly good for the meager supplies Rikzyod had to work with.

 

There was a hush over the group. A hush, besides the echoing shouting.

 

“So…” Argus began, arms folded and shrugging. “Do we have any otherr brrilliant ideas up on offerr forr the squabbling couple?”

 

There was no reply for a while. Heynia sighed, grabbing two canisters of water.

 

“I will say it is frrom you, Averry.” Heynia said, taking the containers in her beak. “I do not think he will accept it otherrwise.”

 

She took off into the air, Argus sighing as his wife left. Manikas grumbled something to himself.

 

“Well…” Jolvia said, hands clasped together, a befuddled look on her face. “Maybe we shouldn’t think of things like…resolution or trickery like we have been…but something else?”

 

“Oh do tell, wise Intelligence Officerr.” Argus sighed.

 

“Well, what’s the root cause of all this?”

 

The answer came immediately.

 

“It’s mistrust.” Avery said. “Lying. Secrets. Trickery. Subterfuge. Vizon, at least, feels betrayed by basically every single person important to him in his life except maybe Rikzyod.”

 

“Hm! I leave the trickery to the sneaky ones of the team. Such brain games bore me so.” Rikzyod shrugged, taking a meat-skewer.

 

“And Diquarrni feels betrrayed, herrself.” Argus said with a shrug. “She has put so much on the line, leaving the elites, and then again going with Xamao on this mission forr the Pearrls. Now here she is, betrrayed by Jolvia’s double…or perhaps trriple crrossing, and Heynia and I not backing herr up in fighting the good fight with the Arrceali Guild…when we just want off the island.”

 

Jolvia blew a raspberry.

 

“She’s a handful, alright.” The Nidorina sighed. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be getting her trust back.”

 

“But…all things considerred…” Argus cocked an eyebrow. “It would seem to me therre is but one rroot to all this, then.”

 

Jolvia looked back at him…then over to Rikzyod who was also staring at her. Even Manikas had paused to glance at the Nidorina.

 

“Hm.” She hummed, slowly folding her arms.

 

“I guess that’s the sort of risk you take when you’re a spy, though,” Avery pulled the attention back to himself. “Though as I understand it, Xamao’s a defector, too, isn’t he?”

 

Avery paused.

 

“But…that’s…not the point.” He continued. “The point is…we can’t trust each other right now. Vizon can’t trust me or Jolvia, Diquarni can’t trust Heynia or Argus or Jolvia…Team Azure and Team Fottupepbe definitely can’t trust each other. I’m sure as far as Diquarni and Vizon are concerned, they’re convinced that if we fix The Peacekeeper and get on board, the other team’s going to load it with explosives and blow it sky high just to mess with them.”

 

Avery took the blunt end of his skewer and began making shapes in the sand.

 

“…And I don’t know what Diquarni’s been through, but…for Vizon, this has been a long time coming. I…I haven’t really treated him as well as I should have been.”

 

“Mm…” Argus hummed. “Well, I will not borre you with details, but let us call dear Diquarrni’s mannerrisms something akin to…well…”

 

“Coping.” Jolvia finished, taking another bite of her skewer. “Joined up with us back in 6T55, same time as Quayslaan…same time as Janus. A very special year, that. But that’s not my tale to tell.”

 

Argus sighed, shaking his head.

 

The implication was clear.

 

It was Janus’s.

 

“In the meantime.” Jolvia continued, swallowing. “You’re correct that Xamao is something of a defector. Well, he’s still technically in the Thieves Guild, neither resigned nor kicked out, just currently a rouge element needing to be brought to heel.”

 

“So…if we can not trrust each otherr in any capacity what arre we to do?” Argus said, shrugging. “Arre we to hold hands and make up somehow?”

 

“Mmm…trickery seems to flow in the blood of some Poke’mon, uh?” Rikzyod mused, shaking his head. “It sounds as though we could only leave this island on separate vessels.”

 

“There be enough wood to fix me pride n’ joy.” Manikas spoke up at last. “But past that there’s not the materials to make a ship that’ll carry you all the way t’ Yahneri Port, much less survive the Beast’s storm.”

 

“So…why not just tearr theirr stupid forrts down?” Argus grunted. “Therre is morre of us than eitherr of them, they could not stop us.”

 

“Which fort, then, Argus?” Jolvia asked, crossing her arms. “They’re both strong in their own right. While they couldn’t hold us for long, we’d probably need to throw everything we have at just one to tear down their building…”

 

“Tear them both down.” Argus said simply. “That is fairr, is it not? Both of ourr teams’ fools get their hides tanned, stupid structures ripped to shreds, boat fixed, deal with the rrest later.”

 

“That’s brute force and solves nothing, not really.” Jolvia said. “They’d likely just keep bickering on the ship and get us all killed when we have to face the beast.”

 

“Ergh, cursed beast…” Argus grunted. “Werre it I was a callous man I would simply let Yahnerri porrt be destrroyed but, alas, a ‘bad guy’ like me simply does not have it in him to abandon the town like that.”

 

“But…” Manikas rumbled, his ear twitching at the sound of Vizon and Diquarni shouting in the distance, the crack of thunder mixing with them. “…in either case, both of them refuse to budge. Which means one o’ them must win or they will be stalemated forever, with us stranded with ’em. And I’ll not have those imbeciles wreck my beautiful Peacekeeper again, once is enough! All that drama and trust whinging sunk my beloved but naught more. Short of killing the fools…I want this solved proper.”

 

Avery winced.

 

“…I mean…” The Plusle’s gaze drifted up from the fire, in the direction of Fort Good Guys. “…At this point…I feel like forfeiting the feud and letting the other person win would be the bigger move here. Rising above it. They’re both acting like children. So saying ‘alright you win’ would satisfy both people…if one of them was to do that. Right?”

 

It wouldn’t be as simple as that, of course, Avery knew this. It’d be tough, since…the winner would hold it over the ‘loser’s head. Might have conditions of their defeat. But…Vizon was better than this. Avery knew he was.

 

“That’s a very reasonable thought, Avery.” Jolvia nodded. “I just hope the both of them aren’t beyond reason. Frankly, the way they were speaking, I’m starting to think they’re forgetting what it even was that they were fighting for…in short time they might only remember the lines drawn in the sand but none of the reason.”

 

Argus let out a breath, looking up as Heynia returned. The Mandibuzz fluttered down, snuggling up with the Krookodile.

 

“Therre, they got theirr waterr at least.” Heynia sighed. She unfurled a wing, showing a little aura sphere shaped scuff on it. “Vizon says ‘hello’, Avery. Has therre been any plans?”

 

“Nothing…” Argus grunted. “The way I see it now, if we stay on this island then we starrve and the Waterr Pearrl is lost forreverrmorre on a rremote island. Functionally the same as giving to you, Avery, and putting a halt to Xamao’s plan.”

 

“Oh now, darrling, surrely you do not mean-“

 

“I would rratherr not be strranded herre forrever listening to-“

 

Another loud shout from Diquarni, with another from Vizon.

 

“-that until I expirre. There will always be otherr plans to do what we must.” Argus said to Heynia.

 

“Ohhh…verry well, I suppose.”

 

“And yet, ah, therre we go planning behind Diquarrni’s back.” Argus chuckled. “Rrock man is rright, trrickery is in ourr veins it seems!”

 

…Avery wasn’t sure he trusted that.

 

“….Seems convenient,” Avery said slowly. “…I don’t know if I can trust you to keep that viewpoint up once we’re off of here and the beast is defeated…”

 

Argus laughed, nudging Heynia as Avery voiced his distrust.

 

“Look! Trruly we will neverr be frree of the currse of distrrust!” Argus said. “What shall I say instead, Avery? You woke up this morrning fine enough with Heynia and I rright here. You werre not even hogtied! Oh, how I had to quell my oh-so-evil impulses!”

 

Argus laughed again, Heynia giggling quietly into her wing.

 

Avery sighed patiently.

 

“That’s putting the cart before the ho- the Tauros.” The Plusle said. “We won’t even have the chance to betray each other if the storm drowns us here.”

 

Avery leaned back and looked to Heynia.

 

“The closest we have to a plan is just…the speculation that one of them has to win.” Avery shrugged. “And the best outcome of that is that the ‘loser’ takes the moral high ground. Rises above it. That’s our best shot at getting them to even come close to cooperating. Maybe with time the winner will come to the same conclusion as them. Maybe we’ll get off of this island and back home without those two tearing each others’ throats out.”

 

The Plusle sighed again, leaning back, feeling overwhelmed, especially with the distant, echoed shouting of the two ringing in his ears.

 

“…I can try to talk to Vizon. But it’s going to be hard to get him to trust me again. Since…he has a lot of good reasons not to.”

 

“Well, if that is the case then I suppose I can talk to ourr dearr Diquarrni.” The Mandibuzz said with a nod. “Even if one does not back down, perrhaps the otherr can be persuaded.”

 

“Hm? Convincing Diquarrni? Of anything?” Argus chuckled.

 

“Oh, my love, you forrget I do have a way with worrds.” Heynia said with a mysterious smile and twinkle in her eye.

 

“Hm…well, then, best if I stay behind.” Jolvia shrugged. “Perhaps you can take Rikzyod with you, Avery?”

 

“Hm? Me?” The Geodude questioned.

 

“Well, it’s like Avery said…you’re the only one who hasn’t directly betrayed Vizon in some capacity.” Jolvia said…rather bluntly.

 

“…You want to come with me to try to talk to Vizon, Rik? I’m…not sure how it’ll go, but I’d appreciate the company.”

 

Avery looked back at the jungle.

 

“Plus I don’t know if those two…reset all of their traps.”

 

“Hm…” Rikzyod mused, stroking his chin. A smile spread across his face as he perked up. “Aha! Why not?! It would be interesting to see the stupid one’s brain hurt as well!”

 

“I’ll say, Rikzyod, perhaps…” Jolvia paused a moment, as though trying to stifle a laugh. “…you should let Avery do the talking to Vizon.”

 

“Of course. All the feelings talk I leave to Boss, uh?” The Geodude laughed. “He is wiser in these things than I!”

 

“Make haste, all of you.” Manikas grumbled. “The moment dawn breaks we must set to work at once, no delays. We can’t abide this foolishness while the Beast grows power.”

 

Heynia, Argus and Jolvia nodded.

 

“So, that’s Heynia and Argus to Diquarni, Avery and Rikzyod to Vizon.” Jolvia said, glancing to the Pangoro captain. “Captain, you and I can begin on petty repairs using the crate wood tomorrow.”

 

“Aye, thank you, Ms.Jolvia. Minus two blathering idiots, I’ve a good crew here.” Manikas nodded. However, Argus perked up, giving a chuckle.

 

“Two idiots? You do not mean to say we arre on yourr crrew as well, Old Salt?” Argus laughed. Manikas puffed his pipe, a toothy grin spreading across his muzzle.

 

“If you intend to ride my Peacekeeper I’ve but one toll to pay: you’re with me to kill the beast!” Manikas rumbled with a chuckle of his own. “I’m happy to say, Mr.Argus, Ms.Heynia, you’ve both been shanghaied!”

 

“Hey, what a careerr change, ey, Heynia?” Argus laughed, nudging the Mandibuzz.

 

Avery looked off at the beach. He’d have to think about how to do this.

 

Or…maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe it’d be better not to. Maybe…it’d be better if he left it up to fate. Leave it up to when they were then and there to figure out what to say.

 

Avery…was angry at Vizon, sure. But he didn’t want their team to die.

 

Avery didn’t know what would happen after it, but…he didn’t want their team to die.

 

---

 

“One to your left, Boss.”

 

Rikzyod floated through the jungle with Avery, casually side-stepping reset tripwires. The Geodude held a torch in hand as they both trudged in the direction of Vizon’s fortress.

 

“Humph. Boring. These are all the same traps.” Rikzyod huffed, looking up at a spiked log suspended in the trees. “So, the stupid one still yet lives. Hm!”

 

“I think…these ones are actually Diquarni’s?” Avery said, looking up at them. “Since they said they’d set them up next to each other’s forts.”

 

“Haugh…” Rikzyod grunted, side-stepping another trip-wire connected to a spear trap. “I can say, at the least, all this dedication the pair of stupid ones have on this feud of theirs…this is all very amusing. Forts, traps in the night…I would be very surprised if either of them haven eaten anything. Perhaps the blue one’s brain has gone soft from seawater, uh?”

 

The Geodude chuckled, swiping away a fern as the pair continued through the jungle.

 

“But I must ask, with how set in his ways he seems…” Rikzyod glanced over at Avery. “…how do you intend to talk down the blue one?”

 

Avery pulled a face.

 

“Honestly, at this point, I don’t know.” The Plusle grunted. “There’s a lot going on between Vizon and I…and it has been a lot of work trying to sort everything out. And while there’s…stuff going on with Diquarni, and Jolvia, too, I…as weird as it is to say…I think this goes deeper than that. I just…I think I’m going to just have to talk about him outright. About everything.”

 

Avery’s ears folded, his mouth drawn into a hard line.

 

“…About Team Azure.”

 

“Bah, I am glad you are the one handling the talking, then. This sounds of the mushy talk, like the one between the hard-shell and fiery small one in the desert.” Rikzyod rumbled, glancing at what appeared to be a makeshift medical first aide station set up by Diquarni with the sign ‘FOR BAD GUYS IF THEY HURT THEMSELVES TOO MUCH ON MY TRAPS (and let me know if they’re too extreme, thank you!)’

 

The two continued along for a while, the beach getting closer, the sound of the waves audible, along with the distant clap of thunder from the ever-growing storm of the Beast.

 

“Though, now that I think of it…” Rikzyod hummed. “…the small ones of the desert had been friends since childhood, uh?”

 

The Geodude shrugged, glancing down at Avery as he pulled away the last branches between them and the beach, the sand crunching under Avery’s feet.

 

“…So had Aquashock, really…” Avery said, looking off to the side as he continued down the path. “Both of them had been friends for years before their whole inciting incident. And I…”

 

The Plusle’s fists clenched.

 

“…I and Vizon haven’t.”

 

“Haugh…weren’t the Eevee and the Pikachu sisters? Bah, years and years and years for all that ‘brain hurt’.” Rikzyod smiled optimistically, ushering Avery along onto the beach. “Look on the bright side, then! You only have a few weeks of baggage to work through, uh? This should be easy for you!”

 

As much as Avery appreciated Rikzyod’s words of confidence…the Plusle was starting to think that the few weeks of baggage was precisely the problem.

 

The Geodude turned his head, snickering as he looked toward the tall wood fortress.

 

As they came into view of the beach…a shiver rolled down Avery’s spine.

 

There, across the beach…

 

…were sand people. Built with wet sand and pebbles for eyes.

 

Dozens. Hundreds. Riolu and Plusle shaped, standing, facing in the direction of Diquarni’s fort.

 

Among them were many that were fallen over, half finished. Pikes of sharpened sticks stuck into the ground, torches burning in the sand people’s ‘hands’.

 

Footprints festooned the entire beach, making paths and divots…messages scrawled in the sand.

 

best friends forever.

 

bESt friends forever.

 

best friends fORever.

 

“Well, he has been busy.” Rikzyod chuckled.

 

This was wrong. This was…making Avery worried for Vizon’s mental health. Or maybe his own. Maybe both.

 

“…let’s finish this, Rik,” Avery sighed. “I think what we’re looking at…is known as the ‘event horizon’.”

 

“Aha, my favorite part!” the Geodude chuckled, giving a shoulder-punch to one of the sand Averys, the facsimile crumbling to nothing on the wet sand.

 

A cold wind blew from the swirling, massive squall on the horizon, a rumble of thunder moving across the increasingly dark side of the sky. They weaved betwixt the statues, seeing them grow more misshapen and deformed as they went on. Some with three eyes, four arms. Some with a torch stuck through their torso or their head.

 

All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon a lonely boy All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon a lonely boy All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon a lonely boy All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon a lonely boy All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon a lonely boy All bad guys and no good guys makes Vizon-

 

As they got closer, the statues seemed to separate more and more. Where the Riolu and Plusle statues were at first evenly mixed…now they were segregated away from one another, like they didn’t belong with one another, these ones nearest the fort now barely even resembling either a Plusle or Riolu, just twisted, crumbling unrecognizable nothings.

 

This was…it was making Avery sad. Vizon had been completely alone for days now, and…and Avery had just left Vizon here.

 

They had to finish this now.

 

A line of misshapen Vizons blocked the entrance of the fort…and within the dark structure…they could hear mumbling.

 

Avery came to the front of the fort, and took a breath.

 

“…Vizon?” He called, into the fort. “Vizon, I think we need to talk.”

 

“Hnnnnn???”

 

A rumbling grumble came from inside. A shuffling of sand.

 

“Is that you…my friend…? My…buddy?”

 

The voice inside was raspy.

 

Rikzyod glanced at Avery, chuckling at this. He lifted a hand, tearing down the sand statues in the front of the fort, letting them both peer inside. The sun cast a hash shadow into the dark interior.

 

“Have you finally started answering back…?”

 

The inside was dark.

 

No torches lit. Strange shapes could only barely be made out in the dim light of what little sunlight could reach inside.

 

“No…no, you wouldn’t…start too, would you?” Vizon’s voice wheezed over the wooden walls, the smell of stale salt hanging in the air. “You wouldn’t betray me, too…would you?”

 

Rikzyod batted Avery’s arm, pointing off towards the darkest corner.

 

There, a lump sat, facing the corner, back to the entrance. Hunched over and muttering.

 

“Who needs ’em? Any of ’em? I got my best buddy right here…my beeeeest buddy forever. And ever. And ever. And eeeever…”

 

 

“What’s that, buddy?”

“Yesss, we will do the right thing.”

“We will be the good guys…eveeeentually.”

“Yes…you’re right, best buddy forever…you’re alllll I neeeeed…”

“I need more traps…it all must burn tonight.”

 

Avery stared at the hunched form of Vizon, a look of horror on his face.

 

“…Vizon.” The Plusle stood at the entrance. To Vizon, Avery must have been silhouetted. “Vizon, get up. Please. I don’t…I don’t like seeing you like this.”

 

It was unnerving.

 

Vizon’s HEAD SNAPPED UP. His wild eyes looked at Avery like an animal.

 

 

“Aaaaaaveryyyyyyyy…”

 

“Oh I like where this is going.”  Rikzyod chuckled quietly, standing aside.

 

“You shouldn’t be here, Avery…” Vizon’s dry and cracked lips rasped, pupils wavering, glowing in the dark. “It’s dangerous here on the battlefield of the morally just. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

 

The water pearl shimmered in his hand. Vizon’s ear perked, glancing back at the Pearl.

 

“No…no not that, not him…anything but that, buddy…”

 

 

The pearl silently stared at Vizon with painted eyes.

 

“Vizon, please,” Avery said, taking a step forwards. The Riolu looked a mess. “Have you looked outside recently?? The storm’s getting bigger. The Beast’s getting closer…! We all need to work together to bring the thing down before this island and everyone on it goes under!”

 

Avery looked up at the roof of the shelter for a moment.

 

“…Can you just…go run into the ocean and wash up for a second so we can talk…??”

 

“Hnnnnn…what is there to even TALK ABOUT!?”

 

He gasped. Vizon doubled over, pressing his ear to the Water Pearl.

 

“Yes…yeees…” Vizon rumbled. “The storm IS coming…I have an army ready for her, that BEAST Diquarni…I’ll make sure she LOSES. Me and my aRMY.”

 

One of the sand statues outside fell apart into a pile of wet, useless sand.

 

“They never second-guessed me. I know everything about them, I’ve been there with them the whole time. I can trust them.”

 

“Hmph! It seems we talk of two different beasts.” Rikzyod muttered to Avery with a smirk.

 

Vizon, clutching the pearl with a vice grip that turned his knuckles white, stood, knees wobbling. His posture was monstrous.

 

“But…buddy…keeps saying we need more…we need more…more…more…” Vizon tilted his head as his eyes bore into Avery.

 

A hush fell, only broken by the CRACK of thunder as it rumbled the shack.

 

“V…Vizon?” Avery stammered, taking a step back. “…why are you looking at me like that?”

 

The Riolu was quiet, staring at the Plusle like a starving animal. Slowly, Avery could see Vizon rise to his feet. In the dim light, Vizon looked awful from what little Avery could see.

 

Vizon stood, Water Pearl clutched in his hand.

 

Then…he took a step forward.

 

Then another.

 

His eyes locked on Avery, Vizon shambled toward the Plusle like a Poke’mon possessed. Avery furrowed his brow, backing away.

 

“Vizon…?”

 

“Hm…” Rikzyod rumbled, side-eying the Riolu. “…I am thinking this has gone beyond just a ‘feelings talk’…”

 

Rikzyod’s voice stopped Vizon in his tracks. The Riolu’s feel planted and he just…stood there.

 

In the dim light Avery couldn’t make out the details of Vizon’s face…but he could tell the Riolu was scowling as he slowly…shakily…turned his head toward the Geodude.

 

“…you…” Vizon’s voice growled, low and feral. His body was shaking.

 

Avery felt a chill down his spin. Rikzyod perked up…a smile slowly cracking across his face as he stared at the Riolu.

 

“…me.” Rikzyod replied, his voice laced with an almost excited anticipation. Avery, on the other hand, felt his fear grow as the two were now suddenly standing off.

 

“I…never wanted you on this team.” Vizon said, his fists clenching. “It all started with you. Hiring a crook. Bringing on the poisonous influence of evil.“

 

Vizon squared his feet. Avery backed off a little more, seeing a dim glow radiate from the Riolu’s body…aural energy.

 

“You…then Jolvia…then Janus…then Quayslaan and now Diquarni…” Vizon rumbled. The sand around his feet slid away from him in waves. “…bad guys. Every time we get even a bit close they just make things worse!!”

 

“Then what are you going to do about it, Mr.Big Poke’mon, uh?” Rikzyod goaded.

 

“Rik-! Don’t provoke him!!” Avery shouted.

 

‘Who am I kidding? It’s Rikzyod!!‘

 

“I’m going to FIX IT!!” Vizon BELLOWED. The sand BLASTED around him. Avery covered his face while Rikzyod faced the buffeting wind head on with a wild and excited grin. “And I’m gunna fix it by TAKING DOWN ONE BAD GUY AT A TIME! Diquarni, Jolvia, Janus…but starting with YOU!!”

 

A blue light EXPLODED from Vizon!

 

The interior of the fort was ALIGHT in the aural glow. Avery could see dozens…dozens of sand Riolu sculptures surrounding the three, rock eyes staring them down.

 

Rikzyod CRACKED his knuckles, eyes widening.

 

“HAH! YES!!“ The Geodude ROARED! “Come then!! No more talking!”

 

“Rikzyod, don’t-!”

 

Vizon’s fists FLASHED! Rikzyod’s smile grew!

 

“No more whinging and whining and pontificating!”

 

The Riolu REELED back, his look of hate burned onto his face!

 

“ SHOW ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE, VIZON!!”

 

“VIZON, STOP!”

 

Vizon TWISTED his body, his fist FLYING towards the Geodude! Rikzyod outstretched his arms, accepting the strike head on!

 

An aural explosion ROCKED the fort!

 

Rock chunks and sand BLASTED out! Avery covered his face, coughing and spluttering as the fort was choked in a dusty haze.

 

A distant scream rung out across the island. The crack of thunder shuddered the ground.

 

Avery lowered his hands, a look of horror on his face.

 

“Vizon…what’s wrong with you?” The Plusle said, staring into the opaque haze of dust. “He’s…our friend! He’s part of our team…!”

 

“Not anymore.”

 

Vizon’s voice…it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

 

“He was never on Team Azure. Team Azure is just me…and my buddy.“

 

Avery whipped his head around, coughing at the dust. He couldn’t figure out where the Riolu would come from.

 

“Vizon! C’mon! This isn’t like you!” Avery shouted, scrabbling up to his feet, eyes squinting.

 

‘But is that true? Last time Vizon was like this was at the bar…and a part of me thought there was no way that was the real Vizon. Not the one I know.

 

But I can’t hide behind that forever. But it’s…almost true. This isn’t the Vizon I know…

 

…so how much do I even know Vizon to begin with?’

 

An arm SHOT out of the dust! Avery yelped as he hand was grabbed!

 

The dust was blown away by aural energy. Avery stared into the glowing eyes of Vizon. The Riolu tightened his grip on Avery’s arm, holding the smiling Water Pearl in the other.

 

“C’mon buddy!!” Vizon shouted! Avery struggled, trying to pry his paw away. “Let’s go do good!!”

 

“Vizon, seriously! We need to ta-!”

 

Avery was cut off as Vizon yanked him toward the center of the fort. Five torches now burned with a blue fire, the sand Riolus casting long shadows upon the wood walls as Avery was dragged over. The Plusle looked up, seeing a stream of sunlight shining right down on the center of the room…through a new Geodude-shaped hole where Rikzyod was no doubt launched.

 

Vizon’s grip on Avery’s hand tightened.

 

“EVERYONE!” Vizon shouted, sweeping his arm toward the congregation of Riolu sand sculptures that surrounded the two.

 

The sand Riolus only stared silently.

 

“Today! We have ourselves a NEW RECRUIT in the FIGHT against the FORCES OF EVIL!” Vizon shouted, taking a spear in hand, THRUSTING it into the air!

 

The sand Riolus only stared.

 

“Vizon, you’re not listening, we need to-“

 

“FATE has brought me together with AVERY!!” Vizon continued, ignoring the Plusle. “And this time!! This time! We’re going to do good! Real good! Like we’re SUPPOSED to! Since we SHOULD HAVE since THE BEGINNING!!!”

 

One of the sculptures fell over.

 

The Riolu’s grip tightened. Avery furrowed his brow.

 

“Everything’s gunna be okay!” Vizon bellowed! “Nothing’s wrong!! Azure is strong!! And we’re going to BEAT THE BAD GUYS AT LAST! LIKE WE ALWAYS DO!”

 

“Vizon you really need to quit talking over-!”

 

“VIZOOOOOON!!!”

 

A familiar voice ROARED outside. Avery grit his teeth at that, barreled over again by all this nonsense.

 

‘Diquarni…that figures. That just figures!‘

 

Vizon WHIPPED around, a shocked look on his face!

 

“Zounds! Curses! Gadzooks!” Vizon babbled, YANKING Avery over. The Plusle stumbled onto his back, hand still firmly held as he was dragged along in the sand as though he were Vizon’s stuffed animal. “It’s that cad! That fiend! That CRIMINAL, DIQUARNI!!”

 

“Vizon will you cut it out and just list-“

 

Avery…sighed as Vizon bounded forward, dragging the Plusle behind him as they burst from Fort Good Guys, back out onto the beach at once.

 

The sun was low, an orange hue cast over the sky. The army of sand Plusles and Riolus stood at the ready, wood spears in ‘hand’ as Vizon marched between them, looking down across the beach. Avery lifted his head to look.

 

There, further on, they could see Diquarni. The Zoroark stood tall and proud, surrounded by an army of her own: Sand Zoroarks, Mandibuzzes and Krookodiles stood in a line, spears held in their sandy grasp.

 

‘Oh for the love of god…’

 

“VIZON! YOU COWARD! YOU SWINE AND BIG JERK!!” Diquarni shouted, a hateful energy billowing from her. “I SEE YOU’VE DECIDED TO BEGIN OUR FINAL BATTLE IN EARNEST!!”

 

“What’re you talking about, evil-doer?!”

 

DIquarni lifted up something in her hand, presenting it to Vizon, Avery and the…’army’. It looked to be some black and smouldering stone.

 

A stone that was gleefully laughing.

 

“YOU BEGAN YOUR ASSUALT ON ALL THAT IS GOOD AND PURE IN THE WORLD AND PUT A HOLE IN MY FORT WITH THIS!!” Diquarni shouted, tossing Rikzyod on the ground.

 

The Geodude pushed himself back up, wobbling a moment, wiping his hand across his face to clear it of ash.

 

“Hah! A good hit, Vizon!” Rikzyod shouted. “But now it is MY  turn!”

 

Avery grunted, seeing this whole conflict escalate more and more, totally out of his control. Always out of his control. Where was everybody else? Why did it still, again and again, HAVE to fall on him!?

 

The Plusle yelped, yanked forward and held aloft, Vizon presenting Avery to Diquarni like a trophy.

 

“YEAH WELL, SO WHAT?!” Vizon shouted back. “I JUST RECRUITED AVERY ON MY SIDE!! AND SINCE WE’RE SO CLOSE WE’RE BACK ON TRACK TO BEATING YOUR FACE IN!”

 

“Recruited?? Vizon I never agreed to-“

 

“OHO!” Diquarni’s guffawing laugh came as a peel of lightning lit the dark sky. “So you think you have me beat on a SLIGHT NUMERICAL ADVANTAGE, HUH, KID?!”

 

“Well, yeah, I kinda did, Actua-“

 

“WELL CHECK THIS OUT, FOOL!”

 

The Zoroark’s laughter, manic and savage, echoed over the sands as she HOISTED two ropes, lifting up a pair of wood stakes behind her.

 

Her laughter mixed with the frantic yelling of two other Poke’mon.

 

“Diquarrni!!” Heynia’s voice cried, the Mandibuzz tied to the post. Argus was tied to the other post, kicking his legs frantically. “You have done many crrazy things, we have followed you on many strrange caperrs but thIS HAS VERRY MUCH CRROSSED A LINE!!”

 

“Diquarrni!!” Argus roared, THRASHING against the rope that held him. “This is the last strraw! You have really lost your marrbles! Let us go!!”

 

“NOT UNTIL WE BEAT THE BAD GUYS AND GET THE WATER PEARL! TEAM FOTTUPEBE NEVER GIVES UP!”

 

 

Avery was horrified! Desperately, he began tugging at his paw, trying to pull it from Vizon’s grip. Everything was spiraling, spiraling, spiraling!

 

“Vizon, what’s it going to take-” Avery grunted as he pulled his paw free only for Vizon to YANK it again. “-for you to quit acting like a-?!”

 

BOOM

 

A sand Riolu sculpture exploded, blasting away in a cloud of sand! Vizon jumped, a look of terror crossing his face!

 

“Blobbo!!!” Vizon screamed as the sand Riolu was reduced to nothing! “No! Not you!!”

 

“What is happening-” Avery whined. Vizon whipped his head towards Diquarni who continued her evil laughing over her nefarious deed. Argus struggled.

 

“Okay! Eye forr an eye! We arre squarre! Can we go home yet?!” The Krookodile protested.

 

BOOM

 

Diquarni flinched as one of her Zoroark sand statues EXPLODED to dust by a aura sphere. Avery lifted his head to look up at Vizon, the Riolu radiating furious aural energy, an anger that Diquarni matched.

 

“Mr.Skuttles!!” Diquarni cried, mourning the crumbled pile of sand.

 

“Do you see now, Diquarni?!” Vizon shouted, clenching his fist and striking an awkward pose. Avery could only slouch as he lied in the sand, merely along for the ride. “You can never defeat the overwhelming power of friendship! Two Poke’mon that share an INSEPERABLE BOND OF FATE to DEFEAT EVIL.”

 

“Vizon, we ran into each other on a carriage a week ag-“

 

Vizon YANKED Avery again, as though to shut him up.

 

“BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!!”

 

With that war cry, Vizon lifted his spear. The guttural ROAR of battle bellowed from his throat as he led the charge of his stationary army of sand sculptures against Diquarni’s.

 

“You’ll see soon, Vizon! You and Avery!” Diquarni yelled back as Vizon began his charge. “We shall not be swayed or won over by PLATITUDES and EMPTY PROMISES! Your actions speak louder than ANY PROMISE OF GOOD GUY-NESS!”

 

“Diquarrni-!” Heynia huffed, struggling. “Werre you not an elite not seven years ag-“

 

“WE WILL NEVER STOP WHAT WE KNOW IS THE GOOD FIGHT!!”

 

With her own war cry, Diquarni brandished her own spear, charging for Vizon with her army of sand sculptures.

 

Avery thrashed as he was dragged, leaving a trail in the sand, trying to pull away. The Plusle recoiled, an explosion of sand kicking up as energy blasts peppered the beach. Vizon FLAILED his arm, aura spheres STREAKING across the beach, EXPLODING into blue fireballs of energy.

 

Heynia and Argus yelped, thrashing their bodies as sand kicked up, aura spheres flying too close!!

 

“HEY! WATCH IT! I AM A NON-PARTICIPANT!” Argus shouted.

 

“You and me both!” Avery shouted, his voice wavering as he bounced on the sand with Vizon’s bounding run! Another explosion of sand covered Avery’s fur. Ocean water sprayed the beach as energy flew back and forth in a grand crossfire of exploding energy!

 

Diquarni let out a roar! Vizon matched! Their screams echoed over the beach like one-hundred thousand soldiers rushing, falling, dying in the sand, blow away into clouds of sand. Sculpture after sculpture was knocked over, soldiers felled in battle.

 

Vizon HEAVED an aura sphere! Diquarni HEAVED an energy blast! The two flashes of energy soared past one another! A Riolu sand statue was blown away, the torch it held flying into the air! A Zoroark sand statue exploded, its own torch put into a spin into the air!

 

“I’LL NEVER LET YOU WIN, DIQUARNI!”

 

“I’LL FIGHT YOU UNTIL THE BITTER END, AZURE!”

 

“THIS IS IT! AVERY AND I ARE A TEAM AGAIN! THIS IS THE SPARK!”

 

“MY TEAM TRUSTS ME! I’M GETTING THAT WATER PEARL!”

 

“EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE!”

 

“EVERYTHING WILL BE AS IT SHOULD BE!”

 

“THIS IS THE SPARK TEAM AZURE NEEDED!”

 

“THIS IS THE FINAL PUSH THAT WILL MAKE EVERYTHING OKAY!”

 

Avery planted his feet, trying to stop the charge, skidding on the sand. He tried to pull away, tugging Vizon’s arm desperately, grunting and panting as he was just dragged along, ignored, assumed in his role in all of this.

 

Nobody listened to him. Nobody cared.

 

Everyone just assumed where his place was meant to be.

 

Diquarni ROARED, a focus blast firing from her hand. Vizon yelped, trying to skid to a halt. Avery’s eyes widened.

 

“Vizon, let me go! Let me go let me go lET ME G-“

 

BOOM!

 

Avery’s ears rung.

 

He felt the wind rushing in his fur as he was flung away, slamming into the wet sand. He felt a pain in his side, body smoking and covered in ocean water and grime. His vision was blurred as he tried to look at at what was happening.

 

The waves rushed around Avery’s small body, the smell of ocean water overpowering.

 

All around him were bodies. Hundreds of bodies. Sand bodies.

 

Avery grunted, pulling himself through the sand and the smoke and the ash. A sand Plusle exploded next to him, sand peppering Avery’s face. A sand Zoroark fell over. The beach was littered, the war screams, the piercing sound of aura spheres and focus blasts streaking through the air, flashes in the thick smoke.

 

A sand Riolu’s arm came off. The waves threatened to pull Avery away into the sea. The Plusle coughed, bringing himself to a slow, trudging walk as he tried to see through the smoke.

 

“Vizon?!” Avery shouted over the explosions, the screams, the chaos. This was going way too far, much farther than even he thought it’d go. Avery dragged himself forward. flinching as an aura sphere flew by, vanishing into the smoke.

 

“BUDDY?!” Avery heard Vizon desperately scream. “WHERE’D YOU GO?! I CAN’T LOSE YOU AGAIN!!”

 

“I’m here!” Avery shouted back. “Vizon! You gotta stop all this-“

 

Avery felt his hand grabbed again. Letting out an aggravated huff, the Plusle was pulled forward. Vizon’s crazed face burst from the smoke, staring deep into Avery with a wicked smile.

 

“There you are! I’m sorry I lost-“

 

“YAUGH-HAH!”

 

Avery recoiled! Vizon yelped! A fist FLEW from the smoke, SMASHED into Vizon! The Riolu vanished, flying into the haze. All at once, Avery’s hand was released.

 

Avery backed off, covering his face, confused and scared.

 

“R-Rikzyod…??” The Plusle stammered. Indeed, the owner of the fist came forward through the smoke, revealing the manic face of the Geodude.

 

“THERE!!” Rikzyod shouted, SMASHING his fists together. “Now it is your turn, Vizon! Come, hit m-!”

 

“Not now!!” Avery cried, grabbing Rikzyod’s hand at once.

 

“Haugh?!” The Geodude huffed as he was now tugged along by Avery. The Plusle ran blindly into the haze of ash and kicked up sand, blasts of energy sailing back and forth through flashing clouds. “Boss! Why do you interrupt Vizon and I? We were showing each other our true nature!”

 

“Later, please!!” Avery huffed and puffed, his paws slamming on the beach sand. His heart was pounding, legs aching. The sand was thick and deep, making it hard to move as it was kicked up and disturbed.

 

The two ran out of the rising cloud of sand, seeing jungle underbrush. Avery tripped, falling into a thick bush, leaves filling his mouth as Rikzyod stumbled into the jungle with him.

 

Explosions rocked the beach behind them. Avery scrambled forward, crouching down into the foliage. Rikzyod cocked an eyebrow…but ultimately crouched down with the Plusle.

 

“Hm…so…why is it we hide?” The Geodude quietly rumbled, glancing over at the massive cloud of sand and dust that spread over the beach. Flashes of orange and blue erupted from the cloud as Vizon and Diquarni continued their fight.

 

Avery didn’t answer at first, taking a moment to just catch his breath with a cough. His ears were still ringing a little. He could barely even hear his own roaring heartbeat over the shouts and yells of Diquarni and Vizon deep in the smoke cloud.

 

“This…” Avery panted. “…this is crazy. This has gone completely out of my control…”

 

“Mmm…? How so?” Rikzyod asked, brushing a fern away to watch the action. Avery raked a paw through his hair, trying to calm his breathing.

 

“Vizon won’t listen to me…nobody is listening to me. We came to talk these two down from their fight but I can hardly finish a sentence around Vizon…” Avery grunted, taking deep breaths. Deeper breaths. “I can’t believe he’s acting like this…this would be so much easier if I could get a word in edgewise…”

 

Rikzyod let out a humming rumbling as a focus blast SPLIT a nearby tree.

 

“It seems diplomacy has failed the joking one and the mothering one, hm?” Rikzyod grumbled, tapping his chin. “It would seem talking to our own is out of the question.”

 

Avery sighed, exasperated.

 

“So what, then?” The Plusle asked. “We have to stop this somehow…”

 

The Plusle grunted, ducking down as an aura sphere flew out of the smoke, vanishing into the jungle with a distant explosion.

 

“Maybe…maybe we can surrender? To Diquarni I mean.”

 

“Do you think Vizon would agree to that?” Rikzyod laughed.

 

“Fine. Then I’ll surrender.” Avery huffed. “We’ll be the bigger team and hopefully they’ll calm down long enough for us to have a proper conversation.”

 

“Mm…and that shiney Blue Bauble that has become Vizon’s safety blanket?” Rikzyod chuckled.

 

“I’ll…-” Avery cut himself off as another tree exploded with a aural blast. “-I’ll have to worry about that later-!!”

 

The Plusle stood, brushing aside the jungle foliage, watching the bright light flashes in the smoke. Rikzyod stood with him.

 

“What do you need from me, then, boss?” The Geodude laughed. Avery winced, rubbing the back of his head.

 

“Can’t believe I’m asking this but…keep Vizon at bay.” Avery said, trudging forward toward the orange flashes. “Don’t knock him out or anything but keep him out of the fight as long as you can…!”

 

“Hah! I like this mission!!” Rikzyod laughed, SLAMMING his hands on the ground to lift himself up.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Geodude bounded into the smoke, vanishing with a merry song toward the blue aural flashes.

 

“Woah, hey…! What’re you-!! OW!!”

 

“Sorry, Vizon…!” Avery huffed, listening to the sound of fighting coming from the Riolu’s side of the smoke cloud. With that, the Plusle ran forward towards Diquarni’s side. The orange flashes of focus blasts had stopped.

 

“What’s going on??” Diquarni’s voice rang out from the haze as Avery ran forward. “Vizon are you still there?? Are you SCARED?”

 

The Plusle tried to follow her voice, moving slowly betwixt shadowy Zoroark sand sculptures. It was hard to tell what was what, he could only see towering figures of sand sculptures…any of them could be the Zoroark herself.

 

“Or…are you taking a BREAK?” Diquarni’s voice came from Avery’s right. He turned, trying to follow her. “Alright then we’ll take 2 to catch our breath…MAYBE extra 5 for food then resume at the 7 minute mark, is that cool? Vizon???”

 

Avery huffed as he followed. He hated the fact he was doing this. Deep inside, the Plusle was still furious at the Zoroark…for everything, especially the stunt at the cave.

 

But this was bigger than that. He shoved down his feelings to focus.

 

“Diquarni!” Avery shouted. He trudged forward, waving away the rolling smoke that surrounded him. Ahead of him were several tall shadows…a silhouette directly ahead towered over the rest, thrashing around. “Diquarni…?”

 

“Averry??” The thrashing figure perked up. It was Argus’s voice. “Averry, buddy, pal, frriend, compadrre…!! I know much was said in the past but you…would let us down, rright?”

 

Avery squinted his eyes, stepping forward and looking up at the massive shadow. He could just barely see the Krookodile tied up on the massive post, staring down at the Plusle with a pleading face. Avery turned his head, seeing the post Heynia was tied to.

 

“This has gone on long enough. Diquarrni is out of contrrol…!” Heynia coughed, staring down at Avery. “Nothing that we said could talk herr out of this! We werre talked overr, rrebuffed…”

 

“And ‘drafted’?” Avery sighed. Heynia and Argus both nodded, making Avery shake his head. “They…really are scarily alike, huh…?”

 

“Then the rrock-man came smashing in and she just flew off the handle!!” Argus shouted. “What arre we supposed to do?”

 

“I’ve come to bargain.” Avery said, backing off. “Where’s Diquarni?”

 

“W-wait, what about us??” Heynia cried. Avery grimmaced, looking up at the two up high upon the stakes.

 

“Sorry, I can’t reach you…! Look, I’ll make sure you’re cut down, but I gotta stop this ‘war’!”

 

“The blight on stopping it, I’d rrather just rrun off and trry again laterr!” Argus shouted, struggling.

 

“The storm’s almost on top of us! There’s no time!” Avery retorted, turning around. “Just wait there!”

 

Ignoring the pair’s groans and protests, Avery plunged deeper in. He could hear Vizon shouting in the distance…and Rikzyod’s singing. A sicking crunch sounded over the sand, making Avery wince. The Plusle could only hope Rikzyod was holding back at least a little.

 

“Diquarni!!” Avery shouted again, louder this time. “Come out!!”

 

“Wha-?! Who’s that??”

 

“It’s Avery!” The Plusle shouted, following the sound of her voice.

 

“WHAT, YOU?! You’re on the WRONG SIDE OF JUSTICE right now! Go back to your side!!”

 

“I’ve come to surrender!” Avery grunted, aggravation entering his voice. The old Zoroark was treating this like a kid playing cops and robbers, which only made it more infuriating to him.

 

An orange EXPLOSION erupted in front of Avery! Sand kicked into the air.

 

“A LIKELY STORY-“

 

“Will you STOP that?! Pax! PAX!!” Avery shouted, covering his face. “I’m trying to give you what you want! We give up!”

 

There was a pause. Avery grit his teeth in anticipation…but no second focus blast came.

 

Instead…Avery only heard the crunch of sand. A silhouetted figure began to form ahead of Avery, slowly making its way toward him…eyes glowing a fearful red.

 

Diquarni now stood before Avery, a hateful glare burrowing into him.

 

“Why should I believe you, huh?” Diquarni growled, her fists clenched. Avery took a deep breath. At last, at long last, he was being allowed to speak for more than a few words.

 

“…because I didn’t want to fight in the first place.” Avery said, frowning. “I want to just get everyone safely off this island, your team included, Jolvia included. I want everyone to be okay.”

 

“Okay, fine, give me the Water Pearl, then.” Diquarni shot back, folding her arms. Avery winced.

 

“I…can’t do that, Diquarni.” Avery said, trying to be firm. He furrowed his brow, folding his arms as well. “I don’t know what Xamao wants with these pearl but I can’t trust him to have all the pearls.”

 

“And what about Olistia, huh? Are they somehow better in her hands??”

 

Avery took a breath…but did not break eye contact from Diquarni’s intense gaze.

 

“…right now…I don’t trust Olistia fully, either.” Avery said. “If I take this Water Pearl to her, then it’s game over. Nobody summons the birds. The Pearls are useless without all three. Then you won’t have to worry about Olistia getting them all.”

 

“Hm! How nice, how very very nice.” Diquarni spat, turning his nose up and sneering. “But that doesn’t much help us. Or the Poke’mon we’re trying to save.”

 

Avery cocked an eyebrow, frowning.

 

“Save, hm?” Avery said, slowly…in a measured tone. “Gosh…why don’t I believe you? For all I know, Xamao just wants to take over Arcea…your word that the Thieves Guild would use the pearls for good isn’t worth a whole lot, not after what you did at that cave. That’s what bad guys do, isn’t it? Going behind people’s backs, breaking their trust-“

 

“I did that because I’m doing whatever it takes to get those Pearls and help others!” Diquarni shot back. “You, on the other hand, are just doing whatever it takes to protect yourself and that guild full of soulless butchers! For all your talk about wanting what’s best, caring about Illaminian people, blah blah blah, you sure like consorting with and protecting the Arceali Guild of all things!”

 

Diquarni took another step forward. Avery held his ground.

 

“So, NO, I REJECT your lip service!” Diquarni shouted, spit spraying on Avery’s face as her voice raised to higher and higher intensity. “If you were HALF the good guy you claim to be you’d have DITCHED the Arceali guild a long time ago!”

 

“Diquarni…” Avery began…patiently. “With all due respect…you don’t know a thing about the guild…about Lahnae, or Kipuuna or Ganisus or Loshjno…or Nivanee. You don’t know a thing…about how kind, loving and determined they are. How good of Poke’mon they are. Whatever is wrong with the guild as an institution I know we can work together to fix…because they, as individuals…are good people.”

 

“WRONG.” Diquarni ROARED, stomping forward, making Avery take a single step back, even as he kept eye contact firm. “I seems like it’s YOU that doesn’t know a THING about those MONSTERS. You SERIOUSLY think that Janus AND Quayslaan AND Myself all left the guild and elites at the same time on a whim?”

 

Avery didn’t move. But he felt something deep inside of himself tremble.

 

“…Rikaerd?” He asked slowly.

 

“Rikaerd…” Diquarni grumbled…her crossed arms slowly lowered. The haze of smoke slowly thinned in the cold stormy wind. “…Rikaerd was a tragedy. When Kahrei, Euno and I learned that he ‘eloped’ with Kanah…we were furious, thought it reprehensible…especially what they then put poor Quayslaan through. He quit the guild and just…sulked. A broken Poke’mon, down in Yahneri.”

 

She grit her teeth, brow furrowed.

 

“I’d visit often. And he’d just say…nothing.”

 

Avery was silent. So was Diquarni. Her face was clearer as the smoke slowly blew away.

 

He could see the broiling anger in her eyes, in her deep frown.

 

“But the final straw…” Diquarni said. “…for me…for Janus…for Quayslaan…that…came 2 years later. 6th Turn, 55…”

 

Avery furrowed his brow at that.

 

‘…seven years ago…

 

…that sure keeps coming up.’

 

Avery slowly opened his mouth to speak…

 

…to ask the question right on the tip of his tongue.

 

He yelped, YANKED back!

 

“AVERY!! THERE YOU ARE!”

 

The Plusle SLAMMED into the sand, his hand in a crushing vice grip. Avery lifted his head, dragged through the sand by the interloper. There, looking bruised and battered, was Vizon, hands glowing with aural energy, a wide smile on his face.

 

“Sorry! Sorry!!” Vizon huffed and puffed. “That BAD GUY Rikzyod came and-“

 

“HEY!!” Diquarni’s voice roared from within the smoke. “HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SURRENDERING TO ME!”

 

“Nuh-uh! You were trading tragic backstories!!” Vizon shouted back. “I was listening!! You won’t manipulate my buddy!”

 

“Vizon-!!” Avery shouted, more and more aggravated. His cheeks sparked as he struggled and tugged at his hand. “I wasn’t being manipulated I was trying to stop this! Just stop this, Vizon!”

 

“But we NEVER GIVE UP!” Vizon shouted, dragging Avery through the sand even as the Plusle thrashed and struggled. “Don’t you remember?? Like we used to! We didn’t give up at the swamp, remember? Or at the River Delta!! We can’t-! We can’t give up here, Avery!! We’re a TEAM, a team of BEST FRIENDS and BOYFRIENDS, too!”

 

“Vizon, we-!!”

 

A focus blast EXPLODED in the sand again, making Avery flinch. The situation was spiraling again! Again!

 

Vizon spun around, THROWING another aura sphere. The last of the sand sculptures were blown apart.

 

“Wow! It’s just like Spade and Aquashock!” Vizon laughed, HOISTED Avery away. “We sure had some hardships but everything is a-okay now! Here we are fighting together after working through whatever was bugging us, just like Aquashock and Spade!! Two super-close best buddy Poke’mon who ALWAYS HAVE EACH OTHERS’ BACK, RIGHT? RIGHT???”

 

There was another explosion! Another! Avery tugged his ear over his face, cheeks sparking more and more, his body shuddering in stress, anxiety.

 

“Good grrief!!” He heard Argus’s voice shout. “The forrts! THE WOOD!!”

 

Avery’s eyes shot open in horror. There, in the distance, he saw it: the torch one of the Riolu statues held had been flung onto Fort Good Guys, the great wood structure now set ablaze in a grand bonfire, an inferno that LIT the beach in a horrifying orange light.

 

“N-No, wait!! The- the wood! We need that wood!” Avery shouted in a panic, even as he was ignored. “We need that wood and it’s going up in smoke! And… And-“

 

Avery turned.

 

‘Ohhhhh no. What is happening-‘

 

The Plusle craned his neck, sweating. There, Diquarni’s fort, Fort Good-er Guys, was ablaze as well. A grand fireball roared behind a beach littered with the corpses of Zoroark statues. Smoke rolled over the beach, ash swirled and billowed overhead!

 

Through all the yelling, the crackling of the fire, the pressure on his shoulder, the yelling, Vizon’s squeezing hand, the damn yelling-

 

There was something building in Avery. A buzzing in his core that blossomed outwards. He had pushed Vizon’s hand away more times than he could count, but it always found its way back onto his shoulder, pulling him, squeezing him, hurting him-

 

Avery shoved at the paw. One step forwards in the sand. Two. He heard something behind him. Something Vizon was spouting about some Ultimate Avery Attack. He didn’t know. He wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. He just wanted everything to-

 

K-THOOOOOM.

 

Lightning streaked into the sky, an ear-splitting crack that turned bits of the sand around the Plusle into glass! A blinding light seared the beach, outmatching the twin pyres that burned behind both sides.

 

Vizon yelped, throwing the Plusle away, his hand burnt. Diquarni skidded to a halt, a look of terror on her face as the massive tower of electrical energy blinded everyone. The crackling pillar reached far into the sky, illuminating the clouds, ripping a hole through them, before FLASHING away all at once, making everyone shield their eyes.

 

A for a brief, precious moment…

 

Diquarni and Vizon were silent…and staring at Avery.

 

Avery…just wanted everything to stop for a minute.

 

Avery, backlit by two fires at once, turned to face both Vizon and Diquarni. His face was unmoving. His expression was stone-cold, exhausted, and angry. The two combatants only stared back, faces and bodies caked in ash and sand.

 

“Diquarni.” Avery’s voice was low, but nonetheless carried across the scarred battlefield. “Untie your damn teammates. Arceali Guild or not, you’re our senior by a good few years and I would…love…to see you act like it. And Vizon-“

 

Avery whipped around to face him, but…upon seeing his partner, the silhouetted Riolu, cast in Avery’s flickering fiery shadow, the Plusle’s anger gave way as a rotted wooden plank does beneath a heavy footstep. A wave of exhaustion coursed over him, and the words spilled out of his mouth with the enthusiasm of cough medicine from a bottle.

 

“…We need to talk.”

 

Vizon’s face slowly went from a sad look, screwing into an indignant expression. Diquarni’s voice meekly piped up from across the beach.

 

“So…it’s a tie, then?”

 

“DIQUARNI!!” Argus shouted, making the Zoroark jump, prompting her to run over to her end of the beach, leaving Avery and Vizon to stand there on the sand. Slowly, Rikzyod approached, picking at a few fresh glistening scars on his body.

 

All the while, Avery didn’t break eye-contact with Vizon. No longer was the Plusle’s face hurt or defensive or sad…it was hardly even angry. Just…firm.

 

Vizon stared back…but didn’t seem…used to that look from Avery.

 

“Pfft…” Vizon said, folding his arms defensively.

 

The Riolu was clearly in no mood to talk about this. He’d been…

 

…clearly avoiding it. So hurt was he, some part of him likely knew, just from the look in his eyes…a part of Vizon must have figured…

 

…it was over.

 

All this stuff he’d done was like a long tantrum, tearing everything apart. Staving off this one conversation as long as possible.

 

But no more avoiding it. No more acting out to put it off.

 

It was time.

 

Vizon now stood silently, looking away.

 

Seeing the change in expression, the tension left Avery’s shoulders. The Plusle sagged a little but all the same stood firm in the same, smoke from the slowly crumbling Fort Good Guys rolling past them.

 

“…This isn’t fair, Vizon,” Avery said finally, after a few moments of silence. “All of this. The sculptures, the water pearl, the fort, the…”

 

His brow furrowed.

 

“What’s your angle, even?” Avery asked, his voice not wavering nor holding back. “Is this…is this a show you’re putting on? Are you trying to make me feel even worse? I…I know this has been painful for you, Vizon, but-“

 

Avery let out a mirthless laugh, raking a paw through his hair.

 

“My psychotic break was quiet, you know?? I mean I had a few…! I had a few breaks, honestly, and one of them was when I wanted you to be mad at me, I wanted you to be angry with me so badly, and then…and then when we got here, I was just…I was just done. I sat, quietly, on the beach, and I thought. That was mine. That was what I did. And then…and then you…you…you-“

 

Avery frowned, almost scowled.

 

“What is all this, Vizon?” He asked, exasperated. “Do you really just…Is this how you see me? How you want me to be? You want me to just…”

 

Avery gesture weakly to the painted Water Pearl Vizon still grasped so tightly. ‘Buddy’.

 

“You want me to be some vapid, smiling face, who agrees with you on everything, and never says anything that goes against you? Is that what you want from me…?”

 

Vizon huffed, still not looking at Avery, his cheeks puffed.

 

He was silent for a moment…a long moment. The only sound between them both being the rush of waves and the rolling thunder.

 

Until at last Avery heard him sigh…the Riolu licked his dry lips.

 

And…in a slightly less raspy voice…Vizon spoke at last.

 

“Well…it sure felt like it was working for me so far.” Vizon said, roughly clutching ‘buddy’. “Because whatever you are…isn’t working. It hasn’t been for a while. That ‘vapid smiling face’…sure didn’t keep any secrets…”

 

He was quiet again…hugging the smiling pearl closer to him like a security blanket, still looking away from Avery.

 

But the pearl stared at Avery, its fake plusle ears gently swaying. Avery could even see the painted plus-symbol cheek markings.

 

‘How funny…Vizon was set to make out his perfect buddy, could have made it any way he wanted…and still made it look like me…’

 

“…I didn’t want to keep secrets from you, Vizon,” Avery said. “And…and I didn’t, for a while. But…but it’s hard. Because whenever I was honest with you, it just…it hurt. It hurt when I told you where I was going when I went with Kellixae that one night, it hurt when I told you what I was scared about with the Conduit, it hurt when I told you about everything with Team Infinity.”

 

Avery took a deep breath.

 

“I felt like even though I was being honest…you weren’t…listening. And so…”

 

Avery hesitated, but kept his gaze on Vizon firm.

 

“So when Jolvia sprung that on me, I got scared. The Thunder Pearl was already gone. She was going to help us get the Water Pearl and then leave, and…and I was worried that if I told you then…I was worried you’d just…you’d turn her in on the spot. That’d stop the mission, that’d bring everything to a halt, that’d jeopardize the Water Pearl, and…and…”

 

‘That wasn’t the main reason. None of them were.’

 

“…I didn’t want her to die. I didn’t want the Conduicy to kill her. I…I don’t want anyone to die, Vizon, bad guy or good guy. A lot of people have told me a lot of things, and a lot of people have made a fool out of me, but…but I believe Jolvia wants what’s best for everyone. Maybe I don’t agree on everything that she’s done. I don’t. But I don’t think she should die for it.”

 

Avery’s fists slowly clenched.

 

“…But I get it, you know…? She’s the mole. What else was a guildie supposed to do but report her right away…?”

 

Vizon was silent, listening to Avery. Maybe he wanted to look as though he were ignoring the Plusle…but his perked and swiveled ears told Avery different.

 

The gap in conversation lasted a long time. Avery saw Vizon’s shoulders lift, a deep breath taken in…and let out in a sigh.

 

Another crack of thunder rattled the fort.

 

“I…figured you would have reported a thieves guild member immediately, after what they’ve done. What they did to us on Windscorch.” Vizon said. “I figured you would trust Olistia since she’s the whole reason we met. I figured you would trust your partners and guild over your banker. Because…that’s what I’d do…”

 

Vizon was quiet again…slowly turning his head to glance back at Avery.

 

“And…what I’d do is all I have to go on, since…”

 

Vizon stopped himself, his eye flicking down to the Water Pearl. His paw stroked its surface. His expression…looked as though he didn’t even want to say the next words.

 

And for a while he didn’t.

 

“…it’s not fair.” Vizon said. “I’ve dreamed of being in this guild. Lahnae joined with her childhood friend, Loshjno. Kipuuna and Ganisus were like brothers…Nivanee and Janus literally were sisters. Team Ganusi knew each other in an orphanage…all of them just wanting to do great stuff, be heroes on their way to be elites…that’s all I wanted, too.”

 

Vizon looked away, staring of into the ocean.

 

“I wanna be like…that dumb stuff I read when I was a kid.” The Riolu said. “But none of it’s been like that…not at all. I’m…here on orders by the Conduit to fulfill some purpose…I’m here because I just happened to be the first guy the actually important one ran into.”

 

Vizon was silent…deathly silent.

 

Slowly, Vizon pulled the Water Pearl away from the hug…and lightly tossed it away, letting it roll in the sand over to Rikzyod who picked it up with a curious look.

 

Nothing was said for a while…until Vizon looked back at Avery.

 

“I’m not here with my buddy. Or my best buddy…or my boyfriend, or my sibling, or someone I grew up with.” The Riolu said miserably. “…I’ve known you maybe two weeks. I don’t have a clue who you are.”

 

Avery didn’t say anything in response for a good while. The Plusle searched for the words, but they were slow to come, like molasses dripping out of a bottle.

 

“…It’s…it’s not fair,” Avery agreed. “…You’re right. It’s not fair to you. The closest comparison that we have from what you’ve read, I-I have to guess, is Team Infinity, and-“

 

‘Look where they ended up,’ Avery finished the thought.

 

“But…I want to stop you partway through that.” Avery continued. “Because…I’m not the important one, Vizon. I think…it’s taken me a bit to realize that. There’s nothing special about me. I don’t have any special powers. I’m not incredibly strong. I don’t have visions of the future. I can’t tell whether a person is good or evil at a glance.”

 

Avery’s hand brushed against the back of Vizon’s.

 

“…My importance over you began and ended with that letter of recommendation, Vizon. I’m not immune to any of the dumb choices I made just because I’m a human. And I’m not better than you because of it. I don’t know why the Conduit wanted me here so badly, but as far as I can figure it’s nothing more than a vanity project. Because…because as far as ability goes? As far as battle prowess goes? You’re just as important as I am. You’re just as valuable as I am.”

 

The Plusle’s hand slipped from Vizon’s, falling back to his side.

 

“…But you’re right. We barely know each other. And we started dating three days in, didn’t we? Something like that.”

 

Vizon sighed at that, but said nothing as the Plusle continued.

 

“Vizon and Avery…boyfriends after three days.” Avery said, confessing. “I…I kind of latched onto you because you were all I had, and…I don’t think that was fair to you, Vizon. You shouldn’t…you shouldn’t feel like you have to support me in everything we do just because we’re partners. I thrust the boyfriend thing on you, I thrust all my secrets on you, and I did it all so fast and so…crudely because you were all I had. And…and I’m sorry for that.”

 

“Hah…”

 

Vizon was quiet, arms crossed, facing away from Avery. Slowly, he walked a little away, towards all the crude and misshapen sand statues that stared back at him with pebble eyes, both standing and crumbled from the battle.

 

For a long time, Vizon stared at a plusle statue. Its head was oblong and it looked like it was melting.

 

He sighed.

 

“You know…for a while there…I forgot what you even looked like.” Vizon grumbled. “Like you were a stranger I’d only bumped into a few times. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. That’s not what I wanted out of this. But I can’t…force what I want.”

 

Vizon punched the ugly statue, the sand billowing in the cold stormy wind, mixing with the swirling smoke and ash. The form of the Plusle crumbled into a pile.

 

“So…I guess I’m…done? Pretending you’re someone you’re not. Pretending I know you better, pretending I can tell you what’s right and wrong, pretending I can just…up and be your partner.”

 

Vizon lifted a paw, slowly wiping the berry juice warpaint from his cheeks. He looked up at the setting sun…as if all the foolishness and acting out had…drained from him all at once.

 

No more distractions. No more pretending.

 

“It’s all been a lie we told ourselves and each other. Our friendship, our romantic relationship, the team, it’s all been a sham that we kept trying to fix in our own conflicting images.” Vizon huffed, fists clenching as he turned to Avery.

 

Rikzyod floated up beside the two as Avery and Vizon stared one another down.

 

“For what it’s worth…I’m willing…I guess…to get to know who you really are, even if I don’t like it. Even if we stay on this team out of…professional obligation to do whatever it is Olistia needs from us.” Vizon said. “But…no more playing pretend on what we are.”

 

The words hung in the air.

 

“…For what it’s worth,” Avery said, echoing Vizon’s words. “…I still want to be your friend, Vizon. I still want to be your partner, I still…I still like you. You gave me a home when I didn’t have one, and I’m always going to remember that. But…I don’t think we should pretend that we’re closer than we are. That…that comes with time, you know? And…and I think we need to give ourselves that.”

 

The Plusle smiled sadly.

 

“…I’m sorry, Vizon. For…honestly too many things to really name.”

 

A warm gust finally blew across the beach.

 

Vizon was quiet, looking around the beach. The orange glow of the setting sun at his back.

 

“…yeah…”

 

That was all Vizon said for a long time.

 

A long, long time.

 

He stared at all his handiwork, the remnants of his mental state the past few days, as though he were broken from a trance. Like a solemn, embarrassing reminder of how emotionally invested into something so nonexistent he’d been. How much he’d let it affect and break him.

 

It must have all looked so…

 

…stupid.

 

Hot air billowed from the ocean as Vizon sighed. The smoke from the towering inferno gave a smoky scent.

 

Slowly he turned to face Avery, eyes locked on him and only him.

 

“My name…is Vizon of Souljraan.” The Riolu introduced himself. “All I want is to be a good guy and become and elite and have adventures in the guild. What’s yours?”

 

…Avery held out a paw.

 

“…I’m Avery of somewhere or other. I want to make friends, support my friends, and leave the world better than how I found it. There’s…a lot of other baggage attached, but none of that’s important right now, heh…”

 

Vizon looked down at Avery’s paw, scrutinizing it, examining it. He frowned, sighing deeply as ashes swirled around them both.

 

Finally, Vizon lifted his paw, grabbing Avery’s tight, his crimson eyes meeting the Plusle’s.

 

“Then…good luck to both of us.” Vizon said. “Team Azure…will operate as required…but…you and I shall do as we may.”

 

He paused…gripping Avery’s hand tight. Tighter…just like the bar…

 

…it was hard for Vizon to let Avery go.

 

…but at last he did. The fingers uncurled from Avery’s paw and…

 

…released him.

 

No more words. He just stood a while, staring at Avery. Their badges, scuffed and wet and covered in dirt and tarnish and sand…still faintly glimmered in the bright orange light.

 

“I…” Avery scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. “…Viz, I…I know that like, we’re turning over a new leaf here and everything, but…we have known each other for two weeks. That isn’t nothing. I’m at least as close with you as I am with the other guildies. Right…?”

 

There was a twinge of desperation in that last word. Avery knew that they weren’t as close as they were pretending to be. They weren’t boyfriends, they weren’t best buds. They were professional partners, but…

 

But they were still more than that, at least…

 

‘…right?’

 

Vizon stared at Avery a while. The Riolu’s expression…softened, like he was relenting, one stubborn thought at a time. He closed his eyes, furrowed brow relaxing as a sigh escaped his nostrils.

 

“…we’ll figure that out as we go…” Vizon said, trying to not make promises that might not be kept, trying to keep expectations low. “One way or the other…Team Azure…finds a way.”

 

Never loses.

 

Never gives up.

 

Finds a way…

 

“But…I can at least say…I feel hopeful.” Vizon sighed with a nod…the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

 

The sun was receding more and more, the stars beginning to twinkle. But the bright flickering orange light remained. Another gust of hot air coiled around them both.

 

“…You want to go see if Argus and Heynia knocked some sense into Diquarni?” Avery asked.

 

Vizon tensed at the name…but relaxed his shoulders, bit by bit. Rikzyod floated beside them both, the Pearl in hand.

 

“It would be just as well.” The Geodude laughed, Vizon looking over to him. “There is not much else to do here, uh? Or much of anything, really.”

 

“What do you mean by…” Vizon trailed off, sucking in his lips as he looked back, eyes widening a little.

 

At last…Vizon faced a towering bonfire, really looking at it. Every log and plank was red hot and set ablaze, ash and soot billowing around the beach, blasts of hot air rushing around you three.

 

‘F RT  GOO  GUY ‘ lie burnt and ruined at their feet.

 

Vizon groaned, having to squint to even look at the blazingly bright fire. RIkzyod only laughed, looking back at the both of them.

 

“What an amusing show from the stupid one, uh?”

 

“Yeah…yeah.” Avery sighed gruffly. “…there goes the wood we need to fix the ship.”

 

“Wh-what do you mean?” Vizon stammered, scratching the back of his head as he stared up at the pillar of black smoke. Rikzyod chuckled again as the roar of the fire nearly drowned out all their voices.

 

And the shouting voices coming from further down the beach, near the blaze of Diquarni’s Fort Good-er Guys.

 

“Was it not you, Avery, who first said we have ‘twists’ in these missions?” Rikzyod said jovially, Vizon raking a hand through his headfur as both forts burned. “Well, so continue the tribulations! What fun! Jolvia was quite right, it really was two Vizons all along, uh?”

 

“What’s THAT supposed to mean?!”

 

The three were interrupted by a series of bellowing shouts coming from Diquarni’s end of the island.

 

“Will you QUIT STRUGGLING?! The game is OVER, Diquarni!!”

 

“nnnNNNNNO!!!”

 

“STOP IT!”

 

“NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO”

 

“It’s fine, you lot! There’s still another fool’s fort worth of  wood to go around and-!”

 

A splutter echoed over the sand.

 

“OHHHH NO, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”

 

Avery could see four figures trudging in the sand in the dark, two of them holding a fifth figure that struggled and squirmed, bound by ropes.

 

“MISTER VIZOOOOOON!!!!”

 

Vizon and Avery both winced.

 

“…I’m…really glad that we managed to solve that quick,” Avery whispered hurriedly, eyes wide. “…Because we’re about to be dead men in the next five minutes.”

 

Vizon gulped hard, the comfortable veil of insanity now washed away and only replaced with reality.

 

“Can I go back to being crazy…???” Vizon squeaked as the towering Pangoro THUNDERED across the beach, the bright glow of the burning fort GLISTENING in Manikas’s furious eyes.

 

“Tell me I’ve gone blind, deaf and stupid because that had better NOT be the wood I NEED to get my darling PEACEKEEPER in order! Tell me that’s NOT the wood we need to hunt down the beast I’ve spent the latter half of my ENTIRE LIFE pining to kill! I SWEAR I’ll THUMP YOU-!!!”

 

Vizon trembled as Manikas shouted, ranted, raved, towering over the little Riolu.

 

“Um…okay…”Vizon said with a sheepish grin. “Then…it isn’t.”

 

The others approached, Jolvia running up from behind Manikas, looking up at the flaming fort with a look of horror on her face. Argus and Heynia were snickering to one another, together carrying a wood pole with Diquarni tied to it by her hands and feet.

 

Avery gave Vizon a quick sideways glance.

 

“…D’you think if we crack enough coconuts we could put out both fires with the milk inside of it, or…” Avery squirmed. “…are we going to have to fix the Peacekeeper with the coconuts instead?”

 

“Crack coconuts?!” Manikas thundered, ranting and waving his fists. “Why I’m about liable to crack skulls, by Arceus!!”

 

Diquarni’s struggles renewed when she saw Vizon, her brow furrowing. Though hog-tied as she was on the wood post Argus and Heynia carried she just looked ridiculous.

 

“YOU!” She spat. The  Riolu glanced at her, an equal look of fury on his face. Manikas shot a glare back to the Zoroark. “We will consider this a TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE to get the BEAST TAKEN CARE OF…BUT IF YOU THINK THAT MAKES US ALLIES-“

 

“I am sorrry to say, Diquarrni, we have grrown wearry of yourr opinion on the matterr.” Argus laughed. As if on cue, a peel of lightning lit up the night sky from the looming, growing storm cloud that seemed closer than ever before. “Speaking of the beast, we rreally should tend to that soon.”

 

Jolvia jogged up to Avery, Vizon side-stepping away from them both and giving the Nidorina a nasty look  before looking back at Diquarni.

 

“Argus is right. The storm is practically right on top of us.” Jolvia said, voice laced with worry. “It’s probably hit the shoreline at Yahneri Port. We’re out of time. Maybe a day left before this island’s caught in the squall.”

 

She grunted, pulling off her glasses and rubbing her face as her crimson eyes reflected the pulsing fire of the needed wood.

 

“And now, with no materials…”

 

“Nevermind!” Manikas cut through Jolvia’s words with a wave of the hand. “I’ll be weighed with stone and plunged to the bottom o’ the briny deep before I start mewling and whining about hopelessness!”

 

The Pangoro reached over to Vizon. The Riolu YELPED as he was LIFTED by the scruff of his neck. Manikas thumped over to Argus and Heynia, pulling the hogtied Diquarni from the post in his other hand. The gruff old Pangoro chewed his pipe, SNORTING.

 

“Hey! What’re you doing?!” Diquarni shouted as she was put on Manikas’s shoulder.

 

“Putting you two where ya SHOULDA been the moment we got here instead of dilly-dallying with your fantasy wars o’er this and that and I-don’t-know-or-care-what!!” Manikas THUNDERED, shutting her up. “I’M PUTTING YOU TO WORK.”

 

Chapter 35

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Fission

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