PRESSURE

Chapter 15

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Pressure

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===================   B E G I N  ===================

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Avery’s head was swimming. Dizziness washed over him.

 

He stumbled forward, trying to keep upright. He could hear footsteps all around him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, squinting at the harsh light that filled his vision.

 

And slowly…it faded. His vision returned. He could see himself standing on dirt ground. Through blurred vision he could see the others standing around him. Nivanee, Vizon, Kipuuna, Jolvia, Ganisus, Rikzyod, all took confused steps forward here, on the other side of the barrier.

 

Avery lifted his head, looking out towards the horizon. What greeted him was…bizarre.

 

 

An endless expanse of square slices of land each connected by Light Bridges spread before the group. The pillars of land scattered out to a obviously fake horizon depicting a crude facsimile of a mountain range with clouds.

 

Further in the distance Avery could see a glowing metropolis upon the largest square land slice, with massive panels looming above. One of those floating panels seemed to even welcome each of the guildmates by name to Dovve Fo Uddjo.

 

Avery couldn’t help himself, stepping over to peer over the edge of tower of dirt they stood upon. There, the abyss below was dizzying, never ending, as though every line and point continued perpetually towards a single vanishing point. Immediately he thought it best not to look down too long or he might just lose his lunch.

 

“Oh my goodness…” Vizon breathed out in amazement as Avery stepped back from the edge, bringing his attention back to the massive floating panels in the sky. Each of them showed what looked to be various information. Weather, news, and even…

 

“Prices…?” Avery looked up at the largest window. “This…almost looks familiar to me…I…I can’t say how. But…”

 

His hand idly drifted up in the direction of the top right corner of the price one, drawing a little ‘x’ in the air. It felt like there should have been one there…but he couldn’t say why.

 

“Okay. Alright…no people attacking us quite yet.” Avery sighed. “…so where do we go then?”

 

“Lahnae said navigation was random.” Kipuuna said, pulling out a set of notes from his satchel.

 

“Navigation’s random?” Avery mumbled, thinking to himself. He looked back at the rest of his team as Kipuuna made more notes. “Any of you guys make sense of that, or anything? Uh…Jolvia, there’s no chance you’ve been here before, right?”

 

“I’ve only heard stories.” Jolvia shook her head. “This is a rich Poke’mon’s holiday spot…or a psychic type’s favorite place to hone their skills, become wiser, invent things, all the many things psychic types like doing…this isn’t how I pictured it at all.”

 

Avery sighed and looked back over the horizon. It was all…blocky.

 

‘If they can project a horizon like that, wouldn’t they want it to be like a window, or something of higher quality? Why would they bother making something if it was so obviously fake? All of this is so confusing…’

 

“Let’s see, I’m not seeing anything ‘random’ about this…” Kipuuna said as he looked back at Nivanee. “Have you crossed this field before?”

 

“No, they never let me in the dome.” Nivanee replied.

 

“Then our only clue is Lahnae’s, which isn’t helpful…” Kipuuna stroked his chin. “What we’ll probably have to do is we’ll ne-where’s Ganisus??”

 

Kipuuna cut himself off suddenly, making the others jump.

 

Indeed, Ganisus no longer stood by the party’s side.  Kipuuna yelped, spinning around, frantically looking about.

 

“Ganisus? Ganisus?!”

 

“Kip…there.” Nivanee piped up. Kipuuna shot his head up, seeing Ganisus ahead, absentmindedly walking across the light bridge, his steps making visible ripples in the energy.

 

“Ganisus! What are you doing?!” Kipuuna cried, as though panicking.

 

“You never said stop.” Ganisus said flatly, continuing forward. Kipuuna yelped, stumbling forward and running desperately after him.

 

Vizon only silently hummed. Nivanee huffed and flicked her head for everyone to follow, the group now hurrying after Kipuuna and Ganisus, running over the light bridge.

 

But as soon as they all stood upon the next land slice…

 

“Look out!”

 

The light Bridge behind them vanished. All around the group light bridges began flickering in and out of existence, much too fast for the eye to see.

 

A sound blared. A long, droning roar.

 

Massive screens of light appeared in front of their faces, text on them flashing! Nivanee yelped and fell over in surprise.

 

[WARNING. YOUR VOUCHERS ARE FOR 6T62. THE CURRENT YEAR IS 00000000T00000000. VOUCHERS FROM THE FUTURE ARE NOT VALID.]

 

Avery yelped, stiffening. He shielded his eyes from the strobing lights, blinding him temporarily before he waved it away like dissipating smoke.

 

“Gah, what the-!!” The Plusle shouted, blinking away spots in his vision. “You really think that they’d be able to fix such a big problem-!!”

 

A flash of light. Another. Another.

 

“Here they come!” Kipuuna yelled, swiping away the flashing screen from his face.

 

All around them, ghostly see-through Poke’mon flashed into existence, eyes glowing as they readied attack positions.

 

[PLEASE REMAIN CALM AS OUR AUTOMATED SECURITY SYSTEM:

>> wipes you off the face of the planet.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING DOVVE FO UDDJO!]

 

Three Espeons surrounded the group.

 

At once they LUNGED.

 

“Attack!” Nivanee called!

 

Avery steadied himself, looking the Espeons in the eye. The platform they stood on was pretty cramped – and that fall terrified Avery.

 

With a quick charge, Avery lobbed a lightning bolt at one of the nearest Espeons! The bolt STREAKED towards the Espeon, grazed its side with a SNAP! Electrical arcs flew from it!

 

“Does anyone know what’s even down there if we fall off…??” Avert hissed, readying another bolt.

 

“Don’t find out!” Jolvia yelled, slamming her foot into another charging Espeon. Nivanee bounded over her, shadow ball FIRING from her mouth.

 

“DOWN, AVERY!”

 

Vizon SHOVED the Plusle down, a Psybeam SAILING over them both! He scrambled to try and help Avery back up.

 

The Espeons recovered, coordinating three quick attacks at once. Nivanee tried to zip towards one but missed! The holo-Espeons nimbly dodged Rikzyod’s rock throws and Jolvia’s poison needles.

 

“They’re coming back!” Vizon shouted to Avery.

 

“Shoot-!” Avery looked around, trying to figure out what to do. The Espeons barely looked fazed! “Do we know where they’re coming from? I-if they’re holograms maybe we can take out the local source!”

 

Avery kept ready. Vizon grabed Avery’s hand, swinging him away as the Espeons struck the spot they both just stood, spreading again.

 

‘Flashes might not do much to them like this…Do they even see traditionally!?’

 

“Is everyone still here? Nobody fell off??”

 

“Here!” Nivanee called, swinging and missing an iron tail.

 

“RrrRAAUGH!” Rikzyod grabbed a rebounding Espeon, HEAVING it off the edge. The Espeon did not fall down the abyss, instead only standing on thin air. Of course it could. “I am Here!”

 

“Here!” Jolvia shouted, back-stepping from an Espeon as it lunged her way. She shot forward, trying to beat it down with a flurry of strikes!

 

“Kipuuna!” Vizon shouted, looking around, trying to find him.

 

The Riolu’s eyes widened, brow knitted in fury as he found him.

 

There, on the edge of the battle, was Kipuuna with Ganisus.

 

The Piplup was slowly and arduously applying buffing items to Ganisus. The Shinx, meanwhile, struggled to try and move around the Piplup, clearly wanting to jump in the fray only to be repeatedly stopped by Kipuuna as he put another +defense capsule on.

 

“Okay, good, we’re-” Avery followed Vizon’s gaze, shaking his head to snap himself out of it once he saw what was happening. “Viz, focus on what’s in front of us!”

 

Avery kept himself steady, preparing another thunder shock javelin in his hand. There had to be a way to shut these things down…!

 

The Plusle sidestepped, barely dodging a beam of multicolored light that sent him teetering dangerously close to the edge! Vizon gasped, charging.

 

“Augh, fine!” Vizon yelled, ignoring Kipuuna and wheeling around to fire an aura ball towards Avery’s attacker. “Hold on, Avery!”

 

Avery tossed the javelin, blasting away another Espeon as Vizon took point. This was getting hectic, messy. He had to think quick.

 

“Uh…! Listen, if a Dove Fo Uddjo security representative could come down here to shut these things off, that’d be real great!” Avery yelled up to the sky.

 

In response to his call, a window appeared in front of Avery’s face, obscuring his vision.

 

[HELLO! WELCOME TO THE AUTOMATED DOVVE FO UDDJO ASSISTANCE CHAT. FOR FINANCIAL HELP, PLEASE SAY ‘1’. FOR ASSISTENCE WITH GOODS BARTERING, PLEASE SAY ‘2’. FOR LICENSING PLEASE SAY ‘3’. FOR…

 

“AVERY, LOOK OUT!”

 

Vizon grabbed Avery’s chest, pulling him out of the way of another psybeam!

 

“Chuck it! Chuck another Javelin!” Vizon yelled, three aura balls SHOOTING from his paw, EXPLODING in front of the two, spacing out the Espeons.

 

“Rikzyod! Grab it!” Avery heard Jolvia yell. The Geodude roughly held a Holo-Espeon, restraining it as Jolvia delivered multiple beatdown strikes on it. Her fist CRACKED across its jaw, the light dissipating. One down, three to go.

 

Nearby, Avery could hear Kipuuna.

 

“There, that’s all the defense potions we’ll need.”

 

“Alright…can we, like…help yet?” Ganisus asked.

 

“Hang on, now it’s time for the special defense potions…”

 

Vizon grit his teeth, trying to dodge a psybeam. It grazed his side, putting him in a spin! Knocking him over!

 

The Riolu desperately scrambled back up, retaliating with a volley of aura spheres coordinated with Nivanee’s shadow balls.

 

“Listen I’m no tactician-” Avery shouted, quickly moving up and driving the spike of a lightning javelin into the back of a hologram! “But shouldn’t you have started with the special defense if we’re going up against psychic types-?! There’s not a lot of physical attacks coming our way-!”

 

‘Kipunna is being overly cautious. Too cautious. Why is he doing this?!’

 

“You don’t have time to prepare when the battle’s already happening, Kipunna-!” Avery shouted, ducking under another psybeam!

 

[FOR RESTITUTIONS REGARDING SLOPPY JONO’S DELICIOUS ROASTED ORAN BERRY AND PAW MASSAGE SAY ’34’. FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING UNICYCLE USAGE SAY ’35’. FOR…

 

“They’re using quick attack more than I thought. Butt out.” Kipuuna snapped, applying another Spec DEF capsule to Ganisus who squirmed. “I didn’t want to rush ahead and get in a big fight but here we are.”

 

“Kipuuna.” Ganisus droned.

 

“You’ll see. The moment we get in the fray, we’ll be untouchable.“

 

“Kipuuna.” Ganisus said again.

 

“We don’t have to do these missions by the skin of our teeth, we-“

 

“Kipuuna!” Ganisus said louder, sparking harshly! He fired  a lightning bolt past Kipuuna! The Piplup yelped, jumping away! Ganisus’s bolt STRUCK an Espeon just before it slammed into Kipuuna’s back, the holo-espeon fizzling at once, disappearing.

 

“Ganisus! I hadn’t even gotten to the Special Attack boosters!” Kipuuna protested. The Shinx frowned deeply, shoving past Kipuuna.

 

All Espeons were defeated for now. The screen in front of Avery still rattling off options.

 

“Whatever.” Ganisus muttered, a light bridge appearing in front of him, leading to another land slice.

 

“Ganisus! What’s gotten into you?!” Kipuuna yelled, waddling after the Shinx, waving potions and boosters in his flippers. Vizon wiped a hand down his face in frustration, Nivanee looking back at him and Avery worriedly, Jolvia helping Rikyzod up from the ground.

 

“This is going to be such a pain.” Vizon grumbled, running after the Aquashock pair. Even now, more flashes of light could be seen, holo Poke’mon ahead.

 

An Abra! Two Chimechos! Closing in on Aquashock, even as Kipuuna tried to pull the Shinx away from combat.

 

“Why didn’t you at least use those before you came into the city-” Avery groaned, quickly following after the two of them so they wouldn’t be left alone. He turned to Nivanee as he ran, preparing another bolt. Those Chimecho seemed pretty easy targets…

 

“Were they always like this…??” Avery hissed. making the Eevee turn to face him. “The two of them aren’t on the same page at all- they’re reading different books entirely…!”

 

She frowned and sighed soft but, but Nivanee said nothing as they ran to catch up with Kipuuna and Ganisus. As long as these new light bridges stayed up, falling off was a little less of an issue.

 

‘Which is good, because if Kipunna keeps up this mother hen routine, it’ll be us fighting the majority of these things…’

 

Nivanee and Jolvia ran at Avery’s side, Vizon behind him and Rikzyod charging in front. Immediately, Rikzyod TACKLED an Abra to the ground. Nivanee darted ahead.

 

As they all crossed onto the next land slice, the light bridge behind the group disappeared, many more of them flashing all around the pillar of land.

 

“Ah shoot-” Avery looked behind as the bridge disappeared. “They’re really forcing us into close quarters fights…!”

 

[FOR HELP WITH JOKES, SAY ‘123’, FOR OUR ALIEN HOTLINE, SAY ‘124’. FOR HELP WITH TIME TRAVELING SUPER SOLDIERS, SAY ‘125’. FOR…

 

“When is that thing going to get to anything helpful?!” Vizon sighed, running ahead at the Chimecho Avery motioned towards.

 

Avery was still listening to the dialogue as he held his own, waiting for something actually relevant to come up. Maybe they counted as time travelling super soldiers to the computer? But they weren’t the problem here!

 

Nivanee yelped! The Chimecho used astonish, a cheap shot that blew her quick attack away, sending her into a roll! Jolvia followed up behind the Eevee with a poison needle!

 

“Rik, Jolvia, are you two okay?” Avery knew Jolvia might be particularly weak to these kinds of psychic attacks.

 

“Auughhahaaha! I got them just f-” Rikyzod was cut off! Yelling! Eyes rolling upward!

 

“Rikzyod!” Nivanee yelled out. “It’s a psychock! Rikzyod’s brain will be mush if we don’t help!”

 

[TO SPEAK WITH AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE VERSION OF YOURSELF, SAY 257. TO SPEAK WITH AN EVIL VERSION OF YOURSELF, SAY 258. TO SPEAK WITH A GOOD VERSION OF YOURSELF, SAY 259. TO INQUIRE ABOUT OUR VOUCHER PREMIUM PROGRAM…

 

Jolvia stumbled back to her feet only to be knocked over by another Chimecho. Vizon looked back at Avery as the Chimechos flew out of reach.

 

“Avery, get a Javelin ready!” He called, backpedaling toward the Plusle.

 

Avery rushed to Rikyzod’s side to help him, throwing bolts as he could to the Chimecho firing potshots from above. The Plusle dug into his bag and quickly fed Rikyzod a Persim Berry, hoping it would help. The Geodude’s brain was already kind of mushy, they didn’t need it to be worse!

 

Avery flinched, ducking as more bolts of energy peppered the ground around him, dust kicked up. He stumbled back, crawling away as Rikzyod recovered. The Persim berry dropped into Rikzyod’s mouth. The Geodude blinked, flying back from the Abra, rolling, laughing at the pain!

 

Avery whipped his head around, trying to see who he was near.

 

He looked to the edge of the battlefield.

 

Once again, Kipuuna and Ganisus stood to the side, the Shinx struggling to get away from Kipuuna.

 

Avery’s eyebrows furrowed.

 

“Now, hold still this time, Ganisus…I have to do this very carefully.”

 

All around, more and more flashes brought more holo-Poke’mon slowly approaching the pillar of land. Espeons and Abras walked over the infinite void off the edge of the land slice, slowly converging.

 

The sight only made Kipuuna go moderately faster.

 

The Plusle grit his teeth, something in his chest broiling.

 

He had been trying to give Kipunna the benefit of the doubt. But this was flagrant. He was using them as a distraction so he could babysit Ganisus. He was leaving them to take the brunt of it so he and Ganisus could leave without a scratch.

 

“Kipunna!!” Avery yelled, hands sparking as the situation worsened more and more. “If we weren’t here you couldn’t do this! Stop using us as decoys and help!!”

 

Kipuuna froze at Avery’s voice, shaking, still facing away from the Plusle.

 

Slowly, the Piplup turned his head to look at Avery. There was something in his eye.

 

“We…”

 

A fire.

 

“Do not…”

 

An inferno.

 

“Need…”

 

A cascading blaze.

 

“YOU.”

 

The Piplup ROARED.

 

His echoing yell spraying a great SPEAR OF ICE from his beak.

 

Three blasts ROCKETED out, STRIKING the Chimechos! BLASTING the Abra! The holographic projections vanished at once!

 

Avery covered his face. The icy gale billowed around him, nipping his fur, frost hanging on his cheeks, BLASTING through the other holograms surrounding! The Plusle was thrown back, slamming onto the ground!

 

Slowly, snow began to flutter down.

 

The battlefield was, for an interim…

 

…silent.

 

Nobody said a word.

 

Not a sound cut the silence.

 

With that…Kipuuna turned back toward Ganisus, applying another potion.

 

“Now…don’t. Move this time.” Kipuuna grunted. His bag was emptying from all the applications…and all the while…

 

…it didn’t seem like he put one single potion on himself. Only Ganisus.

 

“If we just hold a moment, one single brief moment we’ll be done and we can get this over with.” Kipuuna sighed.

 

The Shinx said nothing, his brow knitted, looking annoyed.

 

Vizon got up to his feet, the chill having knocked him over, Jolvia and Rikzyod doing the same. Nivanee only stared at Kipuuna and Ganisus, sighing sadly.

 

“Let’s…not rush them.” the Eevee whispered…sounding almost defeated.

 

The back of Avery’s head rang like a dull gong as he slowly pushed himself up to a seated position.

 

He didn’t offer anything as a reply. Instead he was just trying and failing to fight off a heavy feeling in his chest. A weight that Kipunna had put there yesterday, and again this morning…and again and again and again today.

 

He didn’t exactly know when he started shivering. He told himself it was from the frost that had settled and frozen on his fur.

 

That didn’t explain why his eyes stung, though. If he wasn’t careful it would look like he was starting to cry in front of Kipuuna.

 

‘That would…that’d sure be embarrassing, huh? To be not a week into existing in this world and already being labelled as a crybaby.’

 

Avery used the excuse of brushing frost off his fur to disguise his wiping the beginnings of tears from the corners of his eyes.

 

“…Let’s…let’s just give them the time they need,” Avery said slowly, his voice quivering.

 

From the cold, he told myself. From the sheer, bitter, biting, hateful cold.

 

Vizon gave Avery a sideways glance, fist clenching as he heard the Plusle’s voice. He stepped up beside Avery, offering warmth.

 

“Hmph…” Vizon grunted, frowning, standing close. His voice was quiet, whispering. “Where did that come from…if he’s so meek and do-nothing  I thought he’d just not be able to fight.”

 

“Vizon, I’m only one year Kipuuna’s senior at the guild, you know that.” Nivanee whispered in an equally hushed tone. “He and Ganisus are on the same level as Janus and I.”

 

“I always thought he did small missions for the same reason you did…” Vizon muttered, folding his arms. “That nothing was below him, that everyone was worth helping. Well, I guess not everyone, huh? Not if-“

 

“Vizon, stop. Please.” Nivaeen hissed, the Riolu recoiling at her firm voice. “However it is he may be…he’s our partner for this mission, your senior…and your guildmate. Family.”

 

Vizon grunted, instinctively taking Avery’s hand.

 

“So is Avery.” The Riolu said equally firmly. “If I had to choose one or the other it wouldn’t be a hard choice.”

 

“Nobody is choosing anything!” Nivanee’s voice raised. She stopped herself, seeing Kipuuna perk up briefly before returning to his work with Ganisus. She grunted, continuing in a harsh whisper. “We stick together. All of us. If we have a problem, we work it out, but we never…never abandon each other.”

 

Vizon’s frown deepened. Nivanee said no more. That was that.

 

Finally, the last of the potions were applied to Ganisus. The Shinx’s fur glistened like steel against the fake sun above. Kipuuna sighed, stepping back.

 

“There…now you’re ready to go.”

 

“Gee, great.” Ganisus grumbled, stepping forward, his paws now clanking against the ground. “Going through a whole mission where absolutely nothing can touch me and there’s no danger whatsoever. Yippee.”

 

“Yeah…!” Kipuuna said, trying to keep some kind of cheerful mood, at least between himself and the Shinx, who only rolled his eyes. “Nothing will stop us…! Are you ready, buddy?”

 

“Whatever.”

 

Ganisus kept moving, passing Jolvia and Rikzyod, at once crossing the light bridge, leaving Kipuuna behind again. The Piplup sighed, resigned but relieved, waddling forward, wiping a flipper down his face.

 

The Plusle watched Kipunna follow. Ganisus’s words reached Avery a moment before he registered the Shinx had left. But…Kipunna’s expression escaped him. He couldn’t really look the Piplup in the eye.

 

But from the corner of Avery’s eye…Kipuuna almost looked sad, for just a brief moment.

 

Avery took Vizon’s hand and pulled himself up to his feet. He turned to look up at his partners. Avery tried to give them all a smile…but it was as obvious as looking through cracked glass that something was wrong – nothing Vizon didn’t already know, though.

 

“… Nivanee’s right,” Avery said. Deep… Deep breaths. “We don’t abandon each other. We don’t… We… We don’t-“

 

He couldn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t know how to end it. Instead, he just began to walk forward, following Kipunna and Ganisus. Team Aquashock.

 

‘If we have a problem, we work it out.’

 

‘Yeah? Do we, Nivanee?’

 

Nivanee turned away from the others, following after Aquashock, Jolvia and Rikzyod joining Avery and Vizon.

 

“Hm…sounds like trouble in paradise…” Jolvia muttered, though Rikzyod only looked oblivious.

 

“What? No trouble!” Rikzyod asserted, cracking his knuckles. “Where is the next batch? That Abra’s psyshock hurt like a hundred thousand infernos in my brain. I WANT TO FEEL IT AGAIN.“

 

Vizon chuckled, the bad air slowly dissipating around the pair as they walked with them.

 

With every land pillar they crossed to, the city in the distance got closer and closer, the sparkling, shimmering city tantalizing.

 

Kipuuna and Ganisus stood in the center of the land slice at the ready, Nivanee joining them.

 

Screens FLASHED in front of all their faces.

 

[HELLO TIME TRAVELERS. YOU ARE DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE CITY! FOR SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE THE AUTOMATED SECURITY SYSTEM WILL NOW EXPEDITE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES.

<< LEATHAL FORCE ESCALATION LEVEL 2 >>]

 

“Get ready!” Nivanee called!

 

“We already are…!” Kipuuna says. Ganisus, however, said nothing.

 

Flashes of light appeared all around. Espeons and Chimechos appearing. Their bodies glowed, intimidating ethereal flames rolling off their forms, eyes shining red.

 

3 Espeons. 2 Chimechos.

 

Vizon readied an aura sphere. Rikzyod’s fists clenched hard, the stone fingers GRINDING. Jolvia adjusted her glasses, rolling her shoulder.

 

Two psybeams SHOT towards Avery! An Espeon’s quick attack ROCKETED toward Nivanee! Two chimechos rushed in for an astonish! Initiative was on the holo-poke’mon’s side!

 

All the while, the screen by Avery’s head continued.

 

[TO  HEAR THESE OPTIONS IN ILLAMINIAN PLEASE SAY ‘751’! QIS ETDUMVESI RAITVI UQBOUPO OP ILLAMINI FOSI ‘751’! TO HEAR THESE OPTIONS IN QUAYOFFI…

 

There was…There was so much noise. There was so much noise inside Avery’s head. None of it stopped. None of it ever stopped.

 

The first two psybeams Avery barely dodged, the screen screaming in his ear the whole time. He tried to wave it away, but it just wouldn’t go.

 

But there was…so much noise.

 

‘Too much noise. Inside and outside.’

 

[TO HEAR HOW MUCH OF A FAILURE OF A LEADER YOU ARE PLEASE SAY ‘461’! TO REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE AN OUTSIDER PLEASE SAY ‘462’! TO RUMINATE ON THE MANY POSSIBLE REASONS OF KIPUUNA’S VITRIOL TOWARDS YOU PLEASE SAY ‘463’! TO LET YOUR TEAM DOWN PLEASE-]

 

Avery was working on autopilot.

 

Bolts flew, feet left the ground, fists drove into holograms all on autopilot.

 

Avery’s eyes stung.

 

He could barely see. He couldn’t hear. He couldn’t think there was so much noise–

 

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

 

[DEEP BREATHS DEEP BREATHS DEEP BREATHS DEEP BREATHS DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEPER DEEPER DEEPER DEEPER DEEPER-]

 

The group was surrounded. Holo-Poke’mon exploded into clouds of hard light particles at their bolts. Avery’s punches. Nivanee roared, firing a shadow ball at a group of holo-Poke’mon floating over the abyss. Aura balls FLEW out.

 

Rikzyod RUSHED forward, GRABBING an Espeon, a harsh take down performed! SLAMMING the hologram into the ground with a roaring laugh! Jolvia followed suit with a flurry of kicks!

 

And there, in the center of the land slice…Kipuuna and Ganisus stood. The Shinx FIRED a bolt toward a Chimecho, the hologram destroyed instantly.

 

“GANISUS, WATCH OUT!” Kipuuna shreiked!

 

A psybeam SHOT toward the shinx, Ganisus getting ready to tank the hit. With all his buffs, he’d be sure to not even feel it.

 

Yet it didn’t hit him.

 

Kipuuna jumped in the way, the psybeam SLAMMING into him, putting the Piplup in a spin, KNOCKING him to the ground.

 

“Wha-Kipuuna…?” Ganisus said flatly, eyebrows raised. “What are you doing?”

 

“I got your back buddy…!” Kipuuna gasped, staggering to his feet. His eyes widened, stumbling forward. He LEAPT and intercepted an Espeon that QUICK ATTACKED into him, the CRUNCH making Ganisus wince, the Shinx completely untouched.

 

The Espeon leaped away, Kipuuna coughing, spluttering, standing up on his feet…and firing an ice beam at the Espeon, RIPPING through it.

 

Vizon pulled his gaze from the pair, looking back to Avery as the Plusle tore through another group of Abra that had just appeared.

 

“Avery! Are you doing ok?” Vizon called out, out of breath, back stepping from a psybeam that STRUCK the ground.

 

[TO REPEAT THESE OPTIONS IN A SOOTHING VOICE, SAY 998. TO REPEAT THESE OPTIONS IN A TERRIFYING VOICE, SAY 999….

 

Vizon grunted, hearing the window still rattling off options.

 

[TO SPEAK WITH A SECURITY REPRESENTATIVE, SAY 1000]

 

“THAT ONE!” Nivanee yelled, dodging and rolling from an Espeon that shot past her.

 

But Avery was on autopilot. He was just on autopilot. That’s all he was on. That’s all he was on, attack after attack after attack there was just too much thought. Everything, everywhere, all of it, it was all smashing around his head like a ballistic missile off its’ rocker.

 

[TO SPEAK WITH ARCEUS PLEASE SAY ‘1001’! TO SPEAK WITH YOUR PARENTS PLEASE HANG UP. TO-]

 

‘Wait.’

 

“One thousand- one thousand one thousand-!!”  Avery hadn’t even realized it. He was hurt. He’d been hit multiple times, and he didn’t even realize it. He was on autopilot. But…but now he wasn’t.

 

And now everything in his head hurt. And badly. He could still hear voices, thoughts, everything…everything…

 

Vizon pulled Avery to the side, out of the way of a shooting beam of psy-energy. Nivanee gasped, slamming her tail into the Espeon firing at them.

 

[CONNECTING YOU TO A SECURITY REPRESENTATIVE]

 

Vizon let out a breath, fishing out an Oran berry.

 

“Avery, what happened to you? You look hurt. Here, c’mon, eat this…” Vizon sounded worried, Jolvia in front of them both, batting away holo-Poke’mon that came for them.

 

Crashing. Shouting. Shuddering. Chaos. Noise and energy fire all around Avery, dust kicking up. Vizon pulled the Plusle to the ground to dodge energy shots.

 

In front of Avery, the screen glowed, showing the face of a Smoochum.

 

“Hello…” the Smoochum on the screen said, chewing on a sweet, eyes half lidded. “You’ve reached the security hotliiiiine. Please state your name and the nature of your issuuuueeee…”

 

Avery stared at her, haggard, mind…not really working right.

 

“…Y-y-yeah, uh…we have vouchers but-!”

 

Another psybeam ROCKETED behind him, debris and dust FLYING around!

 

“Holy s-!!” Nivanee shouted, an explosion rocking the pillar. Avery covered his face, peppered by rocks as he continued.

 

“…y-your security system has the year wrong and is trying to kill us-!! Can you call that off-??”

 

The Smoochum smacked her lips, staring at Avery disinterestedly.

 

Rikzyod laughed, tossed like a ragdoll behind Avery. Nivanee and Vizon desperately yelled to one another. Another BLAST rocked the land slice!

 

The Smoochum sniffed.

 

“One moment, I’ll transfer your call.”

 

[TRANSFERRING. You are 30th in the Queue!]

 

“OH COME ON!” Vizon screamed as smooth jazz erupted from the window.

 

 

“…” Avery just stared at the window. Another explosion, making him wince, covering his ears.

 

‘Okay. Okay, I need to keep calm, calm down, breathe in, breathe out…’

 

‘It might be smooth jazz. But there aren’t any weird voices telling me to say numbers. This is fine. This is fine. I’ll be…’

 

Avery was panicking. He needed help. He looked around, his heart starting to race faster and faster…

 

[ATTENTION: YOUR TERMINATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY. OUR TOP AUTOMATED SYSTEMS WILL BE DEPLOYED TO HELP EXPEDITE YOUR

>> ruthless eradication.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR USING THE DOVVE FO UDDJO SECURITY SYSTEM!

<< LETHAL FORCE ESCALATION LEVEL 3 >>]

 

The holo-Poke’mon around them FLARED, their auras burning white hot, eyes shining spotlights on each of the guild mates.

 

Vizon grunted, munching an oran berry, backing up into Avery. Nivanee was sweating, panting, rolling her neck to pop the joints.

 

Kipuuna held firm, encircling Ganisus as the blazing holo-Poke’mon surrounded the group.

 

To their right, a light bridge FLASHED into view, connecting to another block of land nearer Dovve Fo Uddjo. They were getting closer!

 

A psybeam SHOT into the ground at Avery’s feet. Fire and energy BILLOWED, a deep and blackened crater left smoldering. Vizon yelped, backpedaling from the attack. All around them, the Poke’mon were charging their attacks more and more.

 

Kipuuna was breathing heavy, whipping his head from side to side. The holo-Poke’mon slowly moved closer, converging. The Piplup’s breathing became heavier, more panicked…his flipper fiddling with his badge.

 

Ganisus glanced at Kipuuna, immediately realizing.

 

“Kipuuna…” Ganisus growled. “Don’t you dare.”

 

“It’s…it’s too dangerous…” Kipuuna sidestepped a ROCKETING psybeam. “There’s…so many.”

 

“Kipuuna, you’ve loaded me with potions. I can take-“

 

“No. No no, no, never. They will not lay a hand on you.”

 

Ganisus grunted.

 

[Your place in the queue is: 20]

 

“…W…we just need to hold out a little longer-” Avery said, looking Kipunna over. “J-just a little longer. O-over the bridge, hurry! Outrunning them will buy us a few seconds to recover-!!”

 

Avery turned, starting to quickly run over the bridge, casting a look behind in case there were any enemies around.

 

He was coming out of the panic  – at least for now. He had to push it down. He had to push it down…he couldn’t afford to make stupid decisions. Not when Kipuuna was about to get out of here and leave them-!

 

“Kippy!” Nivanee shouted, bounding behind Avery. “C’mon, run!”

 

Kipuuna perked up, his breath catching. Ganisus looked to Avery then to Kipuuna, rushing behind him and forcibly pushing the Piplup along.

 

“Kipuuna…move.” The Shinx insisted. Kipuuna, as though broken from a trance, jumped, waddling forward in a rush across the light bridge. Ganisus followed, firing lighting bolts in the opposite direction.

 

Behind their group a HOARD of holo-Poke’mon CHARGED behind, THUNDERING over the abyss, eyes afire, glowing and terrifying. Vizon and Nivanee desperately threw shadow balls and aura spheres into the crowd.

 

“WAIT!” Avery could hear Jolvia pant. “Where’s Rikzyod?!”

 

In the distance, back the way they came, they could hear ROARING laughter, like a man at play, SWATHS of holo-Poke’mon flying and tossed around.

 

“He’ll be fine just run!” Vizon yelled, ducking under a psybeam rocketing over his head. Psybeams blasted from the HOARD like lasers cascading in all directions, a brilliant and VIOLENT show of destructive energy.

 

Nivanee and Vizon traded shots , a grand crossfire of energy as more and more holo-Poke’mon flashed into existence on either side of the fleeing group.

 

[Your place in the queue is: 10]

 

“We’re down to ten-!!” Avery yelled, looking back. He threw bolts as best as he could.

 

Avery stopped, when they were finally at the square platform.

 

“Okay, check…is everyone alright?” The Plusle panted. “Vizon? Niv, Jolvia? Aquashock? E-everyone here…?”

 

Everyone knew where Rikzyod was. They could tell from seeing the ripples in the sea of holograms – like watching a great white shark prowl beneath the waters.

 

A…very amused shark.

 

“Here!” Vizon called, backing up from the approaching hoard, swinging his arms, aura sphere flying one after another. He was panting, his breaths haggard.

 

“Here!” Nivanee shouted, laying down suppressing fire of shadow balls, quickly swigging a max elixir before firing again.

 

“Here!” Jolvia yelled, dodging out of the way of a psybeam and kicked up a cloud of dust.

 

“Here.” Ganisus muttered, firing a thunder shock into the crowd, the bolt SLICING through the crowd.

 

“H…h…HERE!” Kipuuna roared, letting fly an ICEBEAM, the cold energy SLAMMING into the hoard, holo-Poke’mon EXPLODING into light dust. The strength and POWER in the blast betrays his position as the captain of the second oldest team in the guild.

 

A hidden power, held back, kept under lock and key.

 

But his flipper is nowhere near his badge.

 

Avery’s lightning bolt STREAKED through the air. The crowd is thinned. The energy cascaded out, the coordinated fire into the hoard DECIMATED the numbers, hard light particles flying like a cloud of dust.

 

“…here…!” Rikzyod’s faint voice called from across the abyss on the previous land slice.

 

[Your place in the queue is: up next!]

 

The screen by Avery’s face flashed, a Mr.Mime visible there, shuffling papers, blinking as he looked at him.

 

“Hi this is Varanox at Dovve Fo Uddjo security assistance. How can I help you today?”

 

Nivanee let loose a ROARING WAR CRY in the background as psybeams STREAKED over Avery.

 

“H-hi yes please call off the lethal security forces they’ve got the year screwed up-!!” Avery yelled. “We’re Team Azure and Team Aquashock and they’re on Lethal Level Three whatever that means-!!”

 

“Ok…are you time travelers?” The Mr.Mime sighed, pulling up a psychic screen in front of himself. “We’ve had issues with security for a week. Let me just see if I can temporarily disable…I have to make a report to-“

 

“HELP UUUUS!” Vizon screamed, slammed in the body by a psybeam as the HOARD slowly closed in.

 

“Alright, alright, here’s what I can do, here…” The Mr.Mime hummed, tapping his fingers on the floating panels in front of him. “…ok, I just made a change, do you see anything different on your end?”

 

[WARNING: LETHAL FORCE ESCALATION OMEGA ALPHA OMICRON. UNIVERSAL ANNIHILATOR GOD FORCE DEPLOYED.

NO TRACE MAY BE LEFT.

THE WORLD MUST BE CLEANSED]

 

The holo-poke’mon MERGED, a SHINING light of a thousand suns BLASTING onto the group!

 

The great ball of energy EXAPNDED, a hundred thousand limbs CREAKING and SPLTTING from the form, RED GLOWING EYES emerged above a GAPING MAW OF teeth, the face SCREAMING in blood-curdling fury, the group ENVELOPED in a BRIGHT RED SPOTLIGHT.

 

THE GROUND SHOOK.

 

THE MONSTER ROARED, THE PEBBLES AROUND THEM RISING FROM THE GROUND.

 

EVERYONE SCREAMED IN TERROR.

 

“Haha, oh whoops, that was the wrong button.” The Mr.Mime snickered casually, pressing another button. “How about now?”

 

With a ROAR, the monster’s maw cracked open wider WIDER, WIDER, light enveloping the beast more and more. Like a bright star it glowed and shined!

 

…before vanishing in a grand, fading cloud of hard light dust.

 

With a brief breeze, the dust blew away, leaving the group standing in terrified shock on the pillar of land, surrounded by smoking craters and explosion burns.

 

“A-arceus above…” Nivanee said in a shuddering voice, falling to her haunches, shaken.

 

Vizon’s knees wobbled, the Riolu falling over, dabbing his sweating face.

 

Kipuuna and Jolvia let out a breath, Ganisus only blinking.

 

“Huh? I missed it, what happened?” The Shinx asked, Rikzyod floating over across the light bridge to re-join the group, looking disappointed.

 

“Aw, what is the matter with them? A little resistance and they run away cowering? Pah!” Rikzyod shook his head, folding his arms. “What a waste.”

 

Avery let free a shuddering breathing, turning back to his screen, the Mr.Mime looking at him expectantly.

 

“…Okay…okay, thank you, that…that helped…” Avery said, slumping down on the ground. He was glad this was so amusing to the Mr.Mime. “…Look, we’re here under order of the Arceliaze Guild to get some Psychic Help for an Tulaan-wide crisis. Were any of you briefed of our coming…??”

 

“Mhm, yes yes, I’m sure you’re very important.” Mr.Mime had an unamused expression on his face, not even looking at Avery as he flicked through other screens. He sighed, drumming his fingers on his desk. “You should be seeing a light bridge leading into the city. Please enjoy your stay at Dovve Fo Uddjo.”

 

As the screen vanished before Avery, a light bridge appeared in a flash. The edges glowed, proud and beautiful, shimmering all the way across the largest gap of all, leading straight towards the glimmering spires of the city.

 

To Dovve Fo Uddjo.

 

Vizon lifted himself to his feet, exhausted, shaking his head, Nivanee getting up as well. Kipuuna coughed, checking Ganisus for wounds (though not minding himself much).

 

“These psychic types, huh…?” Vizon heaved a sigh, annoyed.

 

“Well, it was clear this city was isolated from the rest of the world…” Nivanee reminded, padding ahead, beckoning Avery along. “Are you alright, by the way, Avery? Are you hurt?”

 

Kipuuna and Ganisus were already moving ahead…though Ganisus briefly paused, looking back at Avery, eyes half-lidded…

 

…and the Shinx smiled. For the first time, as far as Avery knew…Ganisus smiled at him. Warmly. Thankfully.

 

Gone in a moment, he turned his head, following after Kipuuna…slowly…very slowly.

 

Avery almost didn’t notice the smile. Almost. But…he did.

 

“…Niv, I…I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” Avery said quietly, walking slowly up to the Eevee. “…Is…does he hate me or something…? I don’t…was he always like this…? I don’t know what I did, I…”

 

The Plusle’s eyes went up to meet hers, finding it hard to keep his composure. He couldn’t lose it. Not in front of Rik and Jolvia.

 

“…If…if we’re going into a city of people…w-who are going to look down on me, I…I don’t…I don’t know if I can…do this if one of my own guildmates feels the same way.”

 

Nivanee paused, looking back at Avery. As Vizon, Jolvia and Rikzyod passed, a sympathetic look crossed the Eevee’s face. She approached, nuzzling into Avery’s cheek, letting her warmth spill over him.

 

“Avery…he…” Nivanee bit her lip, furrowing her brow. “The Kipuuna I know is protective…he’s loving and would never want any harm to come to his family. That’s the Kipuuna I know, but…”

 

She took a deep breath, looking over her shoulder, staring at the Piplup as he crossed the bridge with his partner.

 

“I don’t…know what’s gotten into him.” She said, as though the words were poison to pass her lips, disgusted as she was with every syllable. “I just don’t know. But we’re a guild…we’ll figure it out. Then we’ll make up and he’ll come around.”

 

She turned her head to Avery again, a serious, determined look on her face.

 

“I know he will. He has to…one way or the other I swear he’s going to…”

 

Nivanee’s voice was sad, her lip quivering. All the while her eyes kept the same determined fire.

 

The Eevee shut her eyes, turning away.

 

“We’re going to be ok. All of us. We’re family, Avery.”

 

Her words bounced off of Avery at first.

 

‘Protective. Loving. Sure. Maybe I’m just not family,’ Avery thought to himself sourly. ‘There’s no way he’d treat someone he values like he treats me.’

 

But something in Nivanee’s voice, something as she spoke, snapped him out of it. Whether Kipuuna believed in him or not…there were people that did. There were a lot of others that did. Whether Kipuuna believed in him or not…Avery was Team Azure’s leader.

 

The Plusle moved forwards…and embraced Nivanee.

 

“…hey. If you’re going to try and comfort me with those words, you’ve gotta make sure that you believe in them yourself, right?” He squeezed her, just a little. “…We’re going to be ok. All of us.”

 

‘With them all beside me…I can do this. I have a foundation. And that’s what matters.’

 

‘Dealing with these Psychic Types…dealing with Kipuuna…it might be tough. This won’t make it easy. But I have a foundation. I know that now.’

 

Nivanee nodded, sighing…her tail finally swishing again, her energy returning to her.

 

Ahead, the team moved, occasionally looking back at Avery, their leader. Their faces showed their exhaustion…but also their confidence, their hope.

 

Vizon,

 

Jolvia,

 

Nivanee,

 

Rikzyod,

 

this was Avery’s team.

 

Chapter 15

~

Pressure

~

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