NADIR — SEGMENT 02

Chapter 21.2

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Nadir

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The cold wind intensified as the group approached the final archway…a veil of white obscuring whatever was on the other side.

 

As they walked through…Avery saw snow. Here, by a tall rock cliff that towered to their right, they were outside in a frozen wasteland…who knows where.

 

“…Oh jeez…” Avery mumbled, bringing his hand up to shield his face as a gust of cold wind buffeted his tiny body. “… This is cold-“

 

Avery looked back at the others. He didn’t say anything but…

 

‘Loshjno and Q are both reptiles. If they’re in here…They could be in trouble.’

 

“There’s no shame in waiting outside if you aren’t feeling up for snow,” Avery said. “I’m good to keep going for now, but if anyone wants to wait in the…Relatively gentle crossroads, I’ll come back with a report.”

 

There, behind Avery, as he looked back…Avery saw nothing…

 

Nothing but a blank rock face and an archway to nowhere.

 

No weird nexus, no friends.

 

The wind howled.

 

But just before he could feel worried, a voice rang.

 

“Avery!!!”

 

It was Lahnae’s…above him, up the sheer rock cliff. Avery could see it, stumbling from another archway, the Torchic appeared, looking around frantically.

 

“Do you see him?!” Avery could hear Jolvia’s voice.

 

“No…no I don’t!! Avery?!“

 

She sounded genuinely terrified.

 

“W…what the-“

 

Avery blinked.

 

“D- DON’T COME IN-!!” Avery yelled, looking up. “I-I’m okay!! Th…The archway just moved!! Don’t come in!!”

 

‘…ow.’

 

“Huh?!” Lahnae shouted, whipping her head around, looking down. She threw herself on her chest, peeking over the cliff down at Avery, a deep look of relief. “Oh, thank goodness, I…hah…no more surprises, Avery! All this shock is getting DUMB!!!“

 

She took a deep, shuddering breath, looking back toward her archway.

 

“He’s ok! Just…came through somewhere else…”

 

“Does this archway switch?” Jolvia’s voice rang out.

 

Lahnae shrugged, looking back down at Avery.

 

“Look, Avery, let’s see who we can find here, okay?” She shouted down, looking back towards the arch. “Guys, can we get some rope or something from the other rooms??”

 

“I’ll see what we can do…Nivanee and Vizon need to save their strength…and body heat right now.” Jolvia’s voice said.

 

Lahnae nodded again, looking back down at Avery.

 

“I’ll check up here…maybe you can check down there and we’ll get a rope to you so you can rejoin us in a bit, okay?”

 

“Got it,” Avery called. “…I was going to say the same thing, Vizon’s soaked and Nivanee’s…both of them should probably stay where it’s safe. I’ll see what I can find…!”

 

Avery turned and began traipsing through the snow, wading alongside it.

 

He was hoping that he was light enough that he wouldn’t sink too far into it. At the very least…in a place as white as this, seeing green, or blue and brown, would be pretty easy.

 

The snow was thickly packed, easily holding Avery. A layer of ice underneath made it somewhat slippery…but quite stable.

 

But where in Lightning Wastes could you possibly be? Clearly he wasn’t in a desert anymore…what were any of these places? Without much time to mull on it, Avery continued.

 

The valley had snow upon every single surface, even up the steep hills, surely too steep to ever climb.

 

His paws crunched in the snow. No wind blew here, thankfully, the air was a still and motionless cold, every huff of breath producing a thick cloud of steam.

 

Avery had to squint his eyes, the glare of the sun upon the snow blinding as it hit the white surface.

 

And most of all.

 

It was silent. Totally silent. Not a single sound disturbed this hidden valley but the crunch of Avery’s footsteps…

 

‘…Come to think of it…Other than my friends and…Others…I haven’t seen a single soul down here. Not another Poke’mon.’

 

It was pretty unnerving…but while Nivanee was in such a state, Avery wasn’t going to be able to think about all that right now. How a chamber like this could be so close to a lake of fire, how the doorway could move…

 

‘I didn’t fall, right…?’

 

He was alone again, yes, but…not entirely. His team was looking for a way to get him back up to them. And for now…he’d have to find Loshjno and Q in the meantime.

 

…

 

‘Hopefully I’ll find them before it’s too late.’

 

The snow seemed to go on…and on. The world seemed so still out here…yes, out here. The sun shone clearly, the sky above…

 

Then, something caught Avery’s eye…a break in the snow, an easy imperfection to spot in the layer of smooth white. The blanket of frost was disturbed, pushed aside, compressed…tracks!

 

The tracks seemed to come from ahead, moving towards Avery…then they veered off towards a small inset of rock in the cliff face.

 

The Plusle could see something up there. Someone. But it was hard to tell who from his angle, the Poke’mon mostly obscured by rock.

 

But Avery could see the faintest hint of blue.

 

“…Loshjno?” Avery said. It was silent here. Hauntingly silent. He thanked whoever was up there that this meant he didn’t have to yell. “…Is that you?”

 

The figure seemed to…perk up.

 

“Avery…is that you?” the Plusle could hear Loshjno’s voice speak up from over the ridge. “Hey, way to go, pal. You found me before I found you.”

 

Avery backed up and saw the Squirtle…lounging. Leg propped on his knee and hands behind his head.

 

Loshjno rolled his head, looking down at Avery, eyes half lidded…looking as though nothing’s happened.

 

“Having fun yet, Avery?” The Squirtle chuckled. “You look awful.”

 

Avery ignored his remarks, moving in a little closer. Even as…mocking as they seemed, the Plusle had to remain calm.

 

“Are you hurt…?” Avery asked. “Have you seen the Snivy anywhere…?”

 

“Can’t say I have, unfortunately. Who knows where the poor guy’s ended up.” Loshjno sighed, shrugging. “Need another Oran berry? I guess you already found the others, huh?”

 

He chuckled again, lazily standing up. Seeing him in full…Loshjno didn’t have a scratch on him. Worst he had was some nicking on his shell but that was it. He looked fully fit and unhurt, jumping from the inset and into the snow in front of Avery with a loud crunch.

 

“Did Lahnae get knocked out?”

 

‘…Maybe he retreated into his shell during the fall. That might have cushioned him…Or maybe he was ultra powerful in that respect, too.’

 

“No. She was hurt pretty badly though… Not nearly as bad as Nivanee.” Avery replied. “If anyone needs oran berries it’s her. We should get back with the others, though.”

 

“Just ‘hurt badly’?” Loshjno sighed, shaking his head. “I guess that means the mission is still on, huh? Oh well. Mind we keep poor Nivanee on the sidelines when we get to our next surprise.”

 

There was a…strange air to his words. There it was again…that knowing air.

 

“I must have been closer than I thought to an exit.” Loshjno continued, looking down the valley, popping his neck. “You’re real commendable, Avery. Not a quitting bone in your body. That’s the stern stuff winners are made out of, huh? But just make sure you’re mindful and…don’t try so hard right now, you’re hurt enough as it is.”

 

Loshjno chuckled, patting Avery on the shoulder.

 

“I’ll probably need to tell Lahnae the same, poor girl.”

 

That twinge of anger showed itself in Avery’s gut again.

 

But…the Plusle knew that he couldn’t lose his cool like he did with Kipuuna. Not again.

 

“…Loshjno, what’s going on with you?” Avery asked, stepping back out into the snow. “You’re obviously holding back during fights. You’re really capable. And you seem to have knowledge of what’s going to happen before it happens. But you’re being so nonchalant about it all.”

 

Avery fixed a hard look upon Loshjno.

 

“There’s people… A lot of people counting on you, you know…?” Avery finished.

 

Loshjno paused his walk. His feet sank in the snow.

 

He was silent, seeming to just…ponder Avery’s question. Avery saw Loshjno’s hand clench…unclench. Huffs of steam escaped the Squirtle’s lips as he stood with his back to Avery.

 

“Knowledge?” Loshjno asked. “It’s not ‘knowledge’, Avery. It’s just a bit of perception and deducting. A simple prediction may as well be future sight if it’s well-informed enough.”

 

He turned to face Avery. He still had his smile…but it was small. Fallen slightly.

 

“Poor Lahnae…I’d never get anywhere without her raw fighting skill…” Loshjno said…it was the first thing Avery heard the Squirtle say that was halfway to solemn. “I’m sorry you’ve had to see me sandbagging this mission. I know you’ve seen it, you’re not stupid.”

 

Avery gave a small, curt nod, but said nothing yet.

 

Loshjno looked up at the sky, staring at the clouds as they lazily rolled along. He shifted thoughtfully.

 

“Top index, they said, in perception and critical thinking. A genius child was what I was considered when I joined…poor Lahnae…she’s always relied on me, my plans, my hard-calls, into order to hit her max potential.”

 

Loshjno paused, his eyes hardening.

 

“But I’d rather keep her from her best, if you don’t mind” Loshjno sighed, shaking his head, still not looking at Avery. “You wanted to be on a Team Spade mission, and now here you are. Broken and bruised, friends hurt, in a hopeless situation. We’ve got a mission to fail, posthaste, and I only hope we make it out of this one only being knocked out…we’re much farther along than we’d usually be…”

 

‘…So there it is.’

 

“…is that all it is…?” Avery said. “Bad luck, snowballing worse and worse until…”

 

The Plusle was silent for a few more moments. Trying to think of something to say.

 

“I guess when you’ve read a type of story enough times you start to be able to predict where the twists happen,” Avery admitted. “…And with three years of this under your belt, I feel like you’ve already tried to change the plot from the inside.”

 

Avery’s eyes went up to the cliff.

 

“…But even so. Even hurt, bruised as we are…we’re somewhere nobody has been in a long, long time. We’ve got people to save, to get out of here.”

 

There was a long silencce. Slowly, Avery looked back to Loshjno.

 

“…so what happens next?”

 

Even as the Plusle said it, even as he asked…There was a chill down his spine. Loshjno was smart. Gifted, he said. And he knew this would only get worse the longer they went.

 

Loshjno was sandbagging, hoping they’d fail, to keep them from getting here. Loshjno was trying to keep them, keep Lahnae, safe.

 

‘What was next?’

 

Loshjno stared at Avery.

 

Stared at him very hard.

 

That smile of his…vanished. At last, Avery saw something that seemed as though it were broiling underneath. A face of stone, eyes tired near to dead as they burrowed into the Plusle.

 

 

“You want to know?”

 

Loshjno’s voice was like a guard, giving Avery his last chance to back out and remain unknowing. The Squirtle didn’t sigh. Nor shrug. Nor smile.

 

“When we get out, there will be an exit to the series of tunnels we’ve been traversing. The area we fell down is, itself, a temple structure connecting to other areas in Arcea using portals, and of course needs a conventional method of entering the nexus besides plummeting from a hundred miles.”

 

He tilted his head, eyes wandering.

 

“The voice as the pearl was activated by the foreman…‘hardlight projections’. This is all fake. Thundurus is, anyway. A security system built to hard-deter thieves based on a god of Kessi mythology. Likely this ‘hardlight’, whatever it is, will be used to convince us the Qease’ villagers have been made into thralls like he said, but his words suggest this ‘punishment’ only applies to us, the people in the chamber. Qease’ will remain untouched.”

 

His head tilted to the other side.

 

“The Kessi tribe believed Thundurus lived in a grand and trapped palace on Thunder Mesa, so we’ll likely find that. A labyrinth with dangerous traps. Saws, daggers, spikes, old Kessi traps.”

 

He leaned his head back, clicking his tongue.

 

“Confusing to navigate unless you know to go for the central tower, where Kessi kings traditionally put their throne. Because it’s all a projection, Thundurus will appear and he’ll be massive. Lots of thunder and lightning to intimidate us.”

 

He lowered his head.

 

“And, of course, when we fight him, just as we think we’ve won, the second form of Thundurus will appear at the last second, just as Kessi religion describes, a snake-like dragon of the storms. Even bigger and more dangerous than his first form.”

 

He frowned, crossing his arms.

 

“Not that it’s an impossible fight there, either. I’ve already come up with plans, contingencies, backups, everything, to overcome all of this, every obstacle, every enemy, but, Avery, I’m telling you you, none of that matters. Absolutely none of anything I said matters.”

 

Loshjno’s brow furrowed.

 

“Do you know why? Do you know why none of it matters? Do you know what happens after that?”

 

Loshjno stared at Avery.

 

A long stare, hardened, almost…sneering. Avery’s reply was only silence, thus Loshjno continued.

 

“I don’t know. I have no idea what happens after that. There’s always something that happens next, I’ve worked as hard as I can to see as much as I can coming but I can only go so far. I have no idea what other curveball we could possibly have lined up but it’s going to be bad.”

 

Loshjno took a step forward, his stony face had barely moved.

 

“Because it’s only going to get worse, Avery, I’ve told you. Lahnae’s bad luck…it’s real. The further we go, the worse it’s going to get, compounding on and on and on until we fail…or worse.”

 

Loshjno gestured to Avery’s limp, the blood in the Plusle’s fur.

 

“That could be your final warning, Avery.” Loshjno said, gravely. “It’s been like this for years, since the day Lahnae and I started. Things always got worse than projected, we’d struggle on and power through, twist after twist. Do you know what that led to?”

 

Avery was silent for a long time.

 

“… What did that lead to?” Avery asked quietly.

 

“I got angry.” Loshjno held up a finger. “Once. Only…once.”

 

Loshjno paused, rubbing two of his fingers together as he seemed to sink in the snow.

 

“Back then…Lahnae was in it for the fun. She had fun going on missions, being in it with me…but me, I was different. I was trying, Avery. This one mission long ago…I was really really trying, I laid out every plan, studied every map I could find, researched where we were going, news articles, a night and morning of prep work to do a mission that…frankly, someone like Nivanee could just blaze in and do blindly on instinct.”

 

Loshjno let out a breathy laugh.

 

“And we still failed. And I was furious. I was angry. The looks my guildmates gave me again…those pedantic looks of sympathy I had seen a million times, my only reward after trying so hard to succeed this…it sent me down somewhere…bad. Somewhere crushing. Somewhere…”

 

Loshjno grit his teeth. There was a shimmering darkness in his eyes.

 

“…well, what else could it be but Rock Bottom…? This maddening place where you have done literally…literally everything you are capable of, physically, mentally, whatever, you have reached the top of the mountain and it still not enough.”

 

Loshjno took a breath.

 

The silence chilled the air.

 

“And after that mission…as I slowly…slowly slipped into despair, what do I find Lahnae doing? She’s in the dojo…training. Promising me she’d do her best next time. No more goofing off. She was getting serious she was…”

 

Loshjno bit his lip.

 

“…doing what she always did. Trying harder. But Avery…even if you didn’t know her as a kid, I know you’ve seen it in her. That twinkle in her eye like thin glass soon to shatter, that look she gives when she’s alone, when there’s nothing to prop against. You’ve seen how…fragile she is. For all the bluster and power and can-do spirit she has a brittle heart.”

 

Avery cold hear him swallow, his eyes wandering away…up the snowy cliffs.

 

“I was always her wall, the one she propped herself against, because I could take it. But my anger shook her that day…so I stay lax, tell her it’s ok. I don’t care anymore. But that’s not enough.”

 

Loshjno looked back, down the way Avery had come, down into the growing haze of snow…as though he were looking at Lahnae herself.

 

“Did you hear her as we fell? That desperation in her voice is exactly what I’m afraid of. Being around you, her rival, the one she looks up to, being put on an important mission…she’s ending up right where I was that night.”

 

His head turned to side-eye Avery. There was almost an…accusatory look in his eye.

 

“There’s only two kinds of Poke’mon when you sit on the bottom rung your whole career.” Loshjno said at last. “Ones like me that have the emotional strength to accept their position…and ones like Lahnae, who fight and claw and strain and pull all the way up, up, up…to their low ceiling…where they come crashing down….down….down.”

 

Loshjno huffed a breath, a torrent of steam billowing from his mouth.

 

“And some Poke’mon who hit rock bottom that hard never recover.” His voice was so icy…grim. “Some Poke’mon that see the peak of what their capable of…just break.”

 

He turned to Avery. The Plusle’s expression had hardened with Loshjno’s.

 

“Do you think me cruel enough to let that happen to Lahnae…?” Loshjno asked. “Not Lahnae…not her, Avery. She’s my friend. I know what would happen to her if she crashed…I know. I see it in my nightmares. Every mission we go out on where she rushes and beats 100 bad guys I feel a deep fear in my heart that this is it, this is the mission where it all falls apart for my best friend. And I do whatever I can to tug her back down before it happens.”

 

“… This can’t go on forever, Loshjno,” Avery replied quietly, leaning up against the wall of stone to ease the pressure off his leg. “We both know that. It’s already been going on for years. I didn’t know how…bad it had gotten when I asked Guildmaster Sarfallinus to let Lahnae and you come with us. I’d only learned about her luck in earnest this morning, and even then I didn’t really believe it.”

 

Avery fixed Loshjno with a hard stare – though below it there was a deep, sad admiration for the Squirtle’s own resolve to help his friend. Avery had misjudged him. Loshjno was doing this for Lahnae, even as it hurt her.

 

“But…the way I see it, Loshjno, this ends one of three ways. And I don’t mean your mission, I mean Team Spade.” Avery took a deep breath. “…One. We find out why her luck is this bad and find some way to lift it. As you’ve no doubt gathered or heard me say, I’m new here, so I don’t know if that’s something we can do. But it’s something.

 

“Way two is you both quit, one way or another. With this low ceiling, with these constant defeats, either Lahnae will lose heart or Sarfallinus will dismiss you both. If she thinks that even I don’t believe in her anymore…”

 

Avery paused.

 

“…I do believe in her. I believe in both of you…but the third way is… Something horrible happens. Something that forcibly stops Team Spade from adventuring forever.”

 

Avery’s paw idly, almost nervously, traced the facets of the wall behind him.

 

“… You’ve been dealing with this three years longer than I have, Loshjno. I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know. But there’s a crossroads in front of you both. And it’s been a long time coming…but we’re getting closer to it every day, and sooner or later you’re both going to need to pick a path.

 

“I don’t know what happens next. And to an extent, neither do you. Whatever waits for us next… We’re in no condition to fight at our best. I’ve lost my badge. So have a lot of the others. And there’s still someone down here unaccounted for that I can’t just leave.

 

“Maybe the call is to go back to the guild. Honestly I’m running on fumes as far as my leg is concerned. But there’s still something we have to do down here first. And I…”

 

Avery gave Loshjno a little smile.

 

“I think if we’re going to fail this mission, we’re going to fail it as best as we possibly can.”

 

“Hm…you’re right on one thing.” Loshjno said, clasping his hands together. “I’ve seen those paths coming a long time. I doubt there’s any fixing Lahnae’s luck, some people are just…born that way. Maybe it’s some lack of perception on her part, maybe it’s the specific way she shoots her mouth at just the wrong time, maybe some combination of microscopic, imperceptible factors we’d never be able to fully fathom in a million years, but…”

 

Loshjno sighed, rubbing his head.

 

“She has so much fun at the guild, Avery.” the Squirtle said, his voice almost wavering. “Maybe it all leads to Team Spade dissolving, both of us leaving the guild…maybe our friendship going with it. But I can at least delay the inevitable as long as I can, just to squeeze every precious second of time for her.”

 

He huffed, looking away and rubbing his arm, looking down the valley, back toward the archway.

 

“We’ll at least get everyone out of here.” Loshjno said, solemnly. “I won’t let anyone die in this mission, I promise. But…I want this to be over before we hit the end, Avery. That unknown waiting for us at the end of this scares me, it always does…”

 

Avery pushed himself off of the wall, wincing a bit at the pressure on his leg.

 

“…It’s scared me too. Heck, everything is unknown to me. All of my missions have ballooned out of control. From Windscorch Mountain to Breezy Plains to this one. From heads of criminal organizations to dimensions made to psychologically torture us to kingdoms enslaving thousands to monsters burning down houses. I know the unknown is scary. And… It’s even scarier when you can see it coming. Where you’re just… so acutely aware of what’s coming… And when that stops.”

 

Avery took another step forwards.

 

“But she tries so hard, Loshjno. And a Poke’mon that tries that hard shouldn’t fail in the worst ways. It’s not fair to her and it’s not fair to you.”

 

Another step.

 

“There is something in the way between Team Spade and sparkling success. It’s something…dark, expansive, maybe even unknowable. But it’s there…and I’m sure that it can be moved. You are both… So close. So so close.”

 

Avery put a hand on Loshjno’s shoulder, the Squirtle staring down at it.

 

“You both have the makings to be some of the best Poke’mon in the business. And I know that it can happen. It’s like…Those fighters who train with shackles, with weights. So when they’re lifted…”

 

Avery laughed a bit, shaking his head.

 

“Maybe that’s just me dreaming, sure, but… I think we can at least all make it out of here. If planning will get us somewhere terrifying, and improvising will get us hurt…Maybe we can find some happy medium in between. We can fail as best as we can.”

 

Loshjno said nothing. A breeze picked up, chilling the valley as snow began to swirl.

 

The Squirtle huffed a breath, steam billowing up into the air.

 

Slowly, Loshjno lifted his arms behind his head, taking his relaxed position again.

 

“It isn’t fair to her. None of this is fair to her…she doesn’t deserve this.” Loshjno said, turning from Avery  and stepping forward, crunching in the snow. “But I well know our potential, what we could do…how close we always are. Always so close. But ‘close’ doesn’t cut it.”

 

He looked back at Avery.

 

“If she crashes…” Loshjno began. “…if I let her soar in the air and she crashes back down…what then? I have a few guesses…but let me get out of my own head for a bit. What do you think would happen, huh?”

 

“…If I had to guess…?” Avery said, looking back up at the cliff. “Lahnae would pick herself up, dust herself off and try again. I think the definition of a ‘skill cap’ to her is more a suggestion than anything.”

 

Avery’s eyes fell back down to Loshjno.

 

“But that’ll only happen as long as people believe in her.” Avery said. “…we saw what happens when she has nobody at her back. This morning, when she realized Sarfallinus was shuffling her off to useless missions. And…when we were falling. When she thought you didn’t care about the mission.”

 

Avery smiled woefully.

 

“…She’s a lot like me, in that respect. But as long as she has support…true, undying support, I don’t think anything will keep her down. I’m pretty sure that girl has the willpower to fight death itself and best it.”

 

A small smile crossed Loshjno’s mouth. And he chuckled.

 

A genuinely friendly chuckle.

 

“We shouldn’t keep the others waiting.” the Squirtle said, turning away, crunching in the snow. The prints he made were deep, his gait…relaxed yet not casual.

 

He lowered his hands, glancing back at the Plusle.

 

“Oh, and, Avery…?”

 

He paused, his smile widening.

 

His hand clenched…lifting slowly…

 

…and giving Avery a thumbs-up.

 

“…let’s do our best.”

 

Despite the cold, Avery felt a warmth rise in his chest.

 

“Man, I’ve been looking forward to hearing you say that,” Avery said, his own smile swelling. He hobbled forwards to match Loshjno’s gait.

 

The two walked quickly, following Avery’s tracks back towards the Nexus gates. Though nothing was said, there was a growing energy in the silence, something that, at last, felt hopeful.

 

Then, a sound rose up over the sounds of their crunching footsteps.

 

“AVERYYYYY!!”

 

The Plusle could hear it. Lahnae’s loud voice echoing over the valley.

 

Loshjno stopped. A brief pause, hearing Lahnae’s voice coming from the cliff just ahead. The Squirtle stared up at the cliff, at the girl that scanned the area by the archway.

 

“Heeeey! Anyone out there?”

 

Loshjno chuckled…a long chuckle, punctuated by a heaving sigh.

 

An accepting, sad sigh.

 

“If this is Team Spade’s last mission together…” Loshjno muttered. “…it may as well be the best adventure ever.”

 

The Squirtle took a long, deep breath.

 

And ran.

 

“Lahnaaaeee!!! We’re here!!”

 

‘…Please don’t let it be Team Spade’s last mission. Please, Arceus, if you’re listening… Give us something to break the curse.’

 

Avery couldn’t call, of course. But he did his best to keep pace with Loshjno.

 

“We’re alright!” Avery said, as loudly as he could without hurting himself. “We haven’t found Q yet.”

 

Avery could see Lahnae look over, the Torchic’s eyes brightening at once as she waved to Loshjno.

 

“Loshjno!! You’re okay!”

 

Loshjno laughed, rushing to the cliff and waving back.

 

“Avery! Look who I found!” Lahnae cheered. There, beside her, Avery and Loshjno could see the hooded face of the snivy, Q. He looked down at the two with a cool expression, only nodding silently. Lahnae turned to look at him. “Hey, hey, Q! You might giving them a lift??”

 

The snivy sighed…but all the same let down a pair of vines down toward Avery and Loshjno both. The Squirtle grabbed onto one whilst the other lightly wrapped itself around Avery’s body, being sure to put most of the pressure under the Plusle’s arms instead of his hurt body. With that, he lifted them both up to the cliff to join the others.

 

“Thanks,” Avery said once Q was in earshot of his quieter voice. “…Are you okay? We’re a little low on supplies, but… Any injuries?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Nothing some time in the sun didn’t fix…” Q said simply, retracting his vines as Avery and Loshjno settled onto the cliff. He looked off to the side, staring coldly at the archway. “…Nivanee of Duskwalker is…doing much better now.”

 

“Yeah! Q totally gave his oran berries out to everyone! Now we’re friends and stuff!!” Lahnae said excitedly, the Snivy sighing, not looking at her…even as a blush crossed his cheeks. He reached in his bag and produced more for Avery and Loshjno to help get them back up to full strength.

 

“I’m not sure on that last part…but yes, everyone should be healed. Nivanee of Duskwalker will still need a clinic…and that Riolu partner of yours is a bit twitchy, isn’t he?” Q asked, standing up and dusting the snow from himself. “I’ll speak no words to you getting help from your enemies. Goodness knows I’d never want to hurt the guild’s reputation.”

 

The last sentence was spoken a little bitterly. Lahnae took no notice but Loshjno stroked his chin, staring at the snivy.

 

The Squirtle had that knowing look on his face, one that Q very deliberately chose to ignore.

 

“…Vizon is…” Avery frowned, biting his lip after swallowing another berry. “…Slow to trust. But we’re not enemies right now. We’re all in the same boat.”

 

Avery wasn’t sure if the oran berry would settle his ribs or his legs permanently, but…having more supplies definitely helped.

 

They all moved back to the archway, seeing the rest of the team standing in that strange nexus. Nivanee looked much less hazy, smiling warmly at Avery as she lie across Jolvia’s shoulders. Rikzyod’s face had mostly recovered, with only a few patches of exposed diamond showing.

 

Vizon stood by another archway in the nexus, rolling his shoulder, his arm looking much better thanks to Q’s oran berry.

 

“Niv?” Avery said as he approached, releived to see the Eevee. “You sure you’re alright?”

 

“Yeah…I think we’re doing much better…” Nivanee said softly. She glanced to the Snivy, giving the hooded Thieves Guild member a smile. “I really appreciate all you’ve done for us, despite everything, Q.”

 

The Snivy stared hard at Nivanee.

 

“Yeah…despite everything.”

 

Vizon looked back at Avery, waving him over.

 

“Looks like that’s everyone…check this out…” Vizon seemed to be avoiding eye-contact with Q and Calladin, the Thieves Guild members reuniting…namely the Starly tearfully hugging into the Snivy…and the cool-headed Snivy idly patting his head.

 

Vizon stepped aside, showing a new archway that hadn’t been there before. From here, Avery could see it led into a cave…with stairs leading up. Loshjno smiled.

 

“There it is.”

 

“Alright…I think that’s everyone,” Avery said, looking around. “Vizon, Nivanee…Jolvia and Rikzyod, Lahnae and Loshjno, Q and Calladin, and the Foreman. We aren’t leaving anyone behind.”

 

The Plusle took a step forward.

 

“Let’s go. But…stay alert, everyone. We’re still in the ruins, and…there might still be traps ahead.”

 

Everyone nodded, Vizon taking the first exploratory step forward toward the stairs with Jolvia following behind with Rikzyod.

 

Q and Calladin followed behind. Only Lahnae and Loshjno lagged behind. It was almost as though Lahnae was…hesitating…

 

Lahnae turned her head slowly toward Loshjno.

 

There was a…hopeful, wishful, expectant look in her eye. A silent plea.

 

The Squirtle turned his head, smiling.

 

And the words he spoke were simple…and Avery could really tell…just how precise the word choice was.

 

“Give it your all, Lahnae. ALL of your all! That Thundurus doesn’t stand a chance when we work together.”

 

Lahnae’s eyes lit up! A bright fire burned in her eyes! The wicked smile across her face! The bristle of her feathers! The radiating heat from her!

 

Lahnae POPPED up into the air, giving a joyous SPIN! A swirl of excited flames circled her body, limbs flailing in the air, dancing!

 

“YYYYYYYYYYEEEEAAAHHHH!!!!!”

 

She let out a JUBILANT bellow.

 

“I’M GUNNA GIVE IT MY ALL! NO MATTER WHAT!!”

 

A sad look crossed Loshjno’s eye, hearing that, watching her dance about in excitement. He sighed, quietly enough that she wouldn’t hear.

 

“I know you will…Lahnae.”

 

Loshjno watched the Torchic bound toward the stairs boldly, thundering up after the others.

 

Loshjno only…hung back and watched as she pulled forward, leaving him and Avery both behind.

 

“I know you will…”

 

Avery glanced at the Squirtle as he staired up at the retreating form of Lahnae as she ran up towards the light.

 

“…You know what’s funny, Loshjno?” Avery said quietly, standing there next to him. “…You told me back there, I wanted to go on a Team Spade mission, I’m on a Team Spade mission. We’re injured, Nivanee’s hurt, we’re on our last legs…”

 

Avery turned to him, and gave the Squirtle a little smile.

 

“…Don’t forget. You’re on a Team Azure mission, too. And as surprising as it sounds…” Avery took a few steps forward towards the staircase…

 

…and looked back at Loshjno.

 

“This is par for the course for us, too.”

 

Loshjno, for the first time since Avery had met him so long ago, brightened with a vigor that could rival Lahnae’s, the Squirtle running up after Avery as they both followed after their team.

 

There…the staircase was long, impossibility long. It spanned a dizzying distance upward in a trudge that seemed like it could go on forever.

 

But every eye was trained upon the top, that shining light that hung at the top of the endless staircase.

 

“Alright, one of us is going to have to escape here and make tracks for Arceliaze.” Jolvia said, adjusting the Eevee on her shoulders.

 

“One of us?” Vizon asked with a smile. Jolvia smirked.

 

“I can hear it in your voice, young Vizon. I know well it’d take more than a few broken bones to keep you from your mission.” She replied. “What’s that you say? ‘Heroes never give up’?”

 

She hummed, looking up at the Snivy and Starly.

 

“And you two…surely you realize we’re enemies again once we escape?” Jolvia asked. The Snivy looked back at her with a cool expression…and, oddly, seemed to smirk, almost jokingly.

 

“Is that true? You don’t wish for any more help against this Thunder God?” Q responded. “Whatever you might think of us, we’re not going to abandon this desert, nor leave Qease’ to it’s fate. We never do.”

 

“Woaah…cool…” Calladin muttered in awe at the Snivy.

 

Avery looked to Q with a little smile at that.

 

“Then you and I can be allies a little while longer. I didn’t want to leave you guys down there, and I don’t want to leave Qeasé alone until it’s safe, either.”

 

Avery turned his attention to the other Poke’mon.

 

“I say if anyone is going to hightail it back to Arceliaze, it should probably be the person least fit to fight,” Avery said, looking up at the light. “…Nivanee, the trip out here was long, but it wasn’t too hard – do you feel like you can make it back on your own?”

 

“I think…ngh…” Nivanee grunted, softly nodding. “Does anyone still have their badge?”

 

Loshjno nodded, plucking his from his chest. He seemed to be the only one.

 

“Once we’re closer to the surface we should be able to get you out.” The Squirtle said.

 

“Alright…I’m so sorry for this.” Nivanee apologized.

 

“Naaah, why?!” Lahnae said, loudly. “You helped us bigtime in the ruins, fighting all those Treasure Guild mooks…!”

 

Q snorted but said nothing.

 

“Alright…” Nivanee conceded with a nod and a soft smile. “I’m very proud of you, Lahnae. Loshjno. You both have stuck through what would break most other teams.”

 

The pair beamed warmly.

 

“You’ll be a wonderful Arceali Guild team before you know it. Shining all-stars everyone will look up to.” Nivanee smiled, Loshjno putting his badge on the Eevee’s chest.

 

“Lahnae and Loshjno have more gumption in one feather or finger – respectively – than many Pokémon can say they have in their whole body,” Avery said with a nod. “Alright, everyone. We’ve got…a good fight ahead of us. It’s going to be tough, we know that much…but we can’t give up now…!”

 

Avery smiled, looking to Rikzyod who still carried the limp and unconscious body of the foreman.

 

“How’s she doing?” Avery asked. Rikzyod looked to you, lightly patting the cheek of the sneasel.

 

“She will make an excellent cudel, at least!”

 

“Rikzyod, she’s going with Nivanee.” Jolvia grunted.

 

“I figured as much, of course.” Rikzyod replied cheekily.

 

Avery took a breath, making sure that Nivanee had Loshjno’s badge secured.

 

“…You know…I realize this now, but Sarfallinus might have to replace most of our badges. This, coupled with Aquashock going back down a rung…Heh. Sure hope the poor guy has enough metal.”

 

“I think guildmaster will think it well worth the pearl in tow.” Nivanee said, giggling, though she grimaced in pain doing so.

 

Lahnae bounced excitedly up the stairs, Loshjno following behind with a…determined look in his eye. It was clear. He was going to give this final stretch his all.

 

The light grew more and more intense. Their legs burned, the group panted as they trudged from the depths of the earth…until at last…the end came.

 

Jolvia crested the top of the stairs first, audibly gasping.

 

Vizon and Rikzyod were next, looking ahead, speechless.

 

Loshjno was next with Lahnae. The squirtle nodded his head.

 

“Just as I thought.”

 

Chapter 21.2

~

Nadir

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