Chapter 211


    <strong>CHAPTER 211</strong>


    “Are you certain she told you it was around here?” Cecilia sighed as she stared into the sky. Talonme was high up and shaking her head, letting us know that she’d found nothing. “We’ve been looking for nearly an hour.”


    “Yes, it<em>has</em>to be somewhere here. She said it was off-route to the east, but we might not have gone far enough.”


    “Any further and we’ll get to that hotel swarming with rich people, so no thank you,” Chase said before turning to Cecilia. “No offense.”


    “None taken. I know what you mean. Our behavior does make me groan sometimes.”


    “All the time, actually,” he corrected. “I can send Vikavolt out. He’s the second fastest, and he can help clear more ground.”


    We all agreed and Chase released the electric type, telling him what we were looking for. As it turned out, Lake Valor was incredibly difficult to find, which made sense. If a bunch of children with a few flying Pokemon could find it, it would have been found a long time ago. I stretched my arms above my head and reflexively sat down, and Angel already had ayer of vine ready for me. While Mira furiously texted Cynthia and Chase asionally spoke up to add things for her to send— mostly insults, which they strangelyughed about? Cece asked if she could sit next to me. I of course obliged her, and Angel was happy to have someone else sitting on him. He pushed us both closer to each other and petted our heads.


    “Thank you, Angel,” Cecilia chuckled. “I’m okay.”


    The grass type shivered and swayed back and forth with glee.


    “We’re almost there,” I spoke. “Don’t worry too much, we’ll find it.”


    “I know, I’m not<em>that</em>worried,” she said. “I’m feeling anticipation, mostly. Either way, do you think we should stay at the hotel for a little? A few days, to see if Luca’s family— if they know that he’s dead?”


    I bit my lip. “Yeah. Yeah, I wanted to tell them about it. And tell them about how he was during hisst days. He helped uncover this entire Sceon thing, and his name was swept under the rug. That’s not fair.”


    “I’m d we’re on the same page. We’ll probably have to convince Chase, though. He doesn’t even know Luca exists, and even if he did I doubt he’d want to stay at that kind of ce.”


    “Have you been there before?” I asked.


    “The hotels? No, actually,” she shrugged. “rence always preferred his homes or hotels in the city. It was easier to do business that way.”


    “Hm,” I hummed. We’d be going in blind, then. We stayed in silence for a few dozen seconds with Luca’s death heavy on our minds.


    “Hey, by the way, you won’t believe what happened to me this morning,” Cecilia said with a slight smile.


    “What?”


    “I’m pretty sure Slowking tried to tell me a joke.”


    I scoffed.<em>“What?!</em>Spill, right now!”


    She looked away. “I don’t know, he was<em>very</em>embarrassed about it after the fact—”


    “You can’t just put it out there and not tell me! Come on!” Iughed. “C’mon…”


    “Don’t make<em>those</em>eyes…”


    I stared at her and grabbed her hand. “Please?”


    “Okay, okay, heunched into this really long-winded rant about how Zweilous kept snoring too loudly at night—”


    “Wait, rant? I’d pay to hear Slowking<em>ranting</em>.”


    “Yes,<em>rant</em>. His evolution didn’t make him lose his love for sleep. Then he must have seen how apologetic I looked because he made this horrible pun about Zweilous’ snoring never dragon… on for too long.”


    “What? I don’t get it,” I frowned.


    “Dragon. Drags on. I had to do a double take, It’s so bad it’s good—”


    “Hey, you two,” Chase interrupted. “We havepany.”


    He pointed at the sky and the silhouette of a Pokemon was barely visible. When it got closer, I realized it was the same Dragonite Chase had spoken to us about a few days ago. I shot up from Angel’s vines and Cecilia followed suit. The enormous dragonnded next to us with unforeseen grace, barely generating any force. Each one of his scales looked tougher than steel and shone with a bright golden yellow. His antennae twitched as he stared at each of us and he nodded after each look. We all nodded back— even Chase. It was hard not to be impressed when a 9’5 Dragonite stared you down. I didn’t crane my neck, but I could see hints of a saddle under the dragon type’s emerald wings.


    A rtively short woman with unkempt brown hair and donning an orange-brown League Uniform climbed off the dragon’s back. She looked around to make sure no one was around, but since we were at the edge of the route, we were alone.


    “Good afternoon,” she smiled. “I’m—”


    “Ariel. I recognize you,” I said. “You were there when that Abra attacked me.”


    The woman nodded. “Yes, that’s me, I’m surprised you remember my name. I have been one of the ACE trainers observing you during your travels. It hase to my attention that you won’t be able to find Lake Valor alone.”


    “Big surprise there,” Chase said. “Couldn’t you havee earlier? We’ve been looking for an hour.”


    “The Champion asked me to observe and see if you were capable of doing it alone. She said it would be good to see if you,” she pointed and Chase, “and Ms. Obel were drawn to Lake Valor in any capacity. That does not appear to be the case.”


    “Still, an<em>hour?</em>” Mira grumbled. “Talk about ruthless.”


    “We wanted to be thorough. Forgive us,” Ariel said. “I know the way. Follow me. Nini, you fly over and get their Pokemon back. Talonme and Vikavolt.”


    The Dragonite nodded and hurriedly dashed into the skies at incredible speeds. After five minutes, they were all back and Chase and Cece recalled them. Ariel and the so-called Nini led us through the familiar tree line that signaled we were stepping off the route, but no wild Pokemon was stupid enough to attack a Pokemon that threatening. Angel asionally pulled away at branches and leaves so we had an easier time walking through while Dragonite walked through the unmaintained forest like it was cardboard. Mira tried chatting up Ariel, but when she realized she wasn’t answering, she stopped and just walked in silence. She hadn’t shown it, but even though this wasn’t ‘her’ke, she was clearly nervous, and Mira’s way to assuage anxiety was to just run her mouth.


    Today, though? She was quiet.


    It took nearly another two hours to get to our destination, and some of the time it felt like we’d been going in circle. We passed many patrolling League Trainers on the way there with all kinds of Pokemon, and they were most likely there to turn any trainer braving thend beyond the route away. Finally, after an exhausting trek, we arrived. As if I had passed through a seamless mirage, the trees in front of me transformed into Lake Valor. The otherkes hadn’t had this, so I assumed it was a security measure by the League. What I first saw wasn’t theke.


    It was the walls.


    Massive concrete walls stretched at nearly 100 feet up and wrapped around the entireke with tiny holesid out throughout the entire structure. No… upon closer look, it wasn’t concrete. It was too shiny for that. The material reminded me of the outeryer of Pokemon Centers. Trenches had been dug around the walls with ground types constantly patrolling the rifts. Flying types flew throughout thepound and those that reached us watched us like a Talonme stalking its prey. Ariel brought us to a bridge that led to a gate that was reminiscent of medieval castles. Of course, this ce was far from medieval. After telling us to recall our Pokemon, the League Trainer showed her League card to a camera and then there was a crackling sound on the inte that I hadn’t even<em>noticed</em>until now.


    <em>“This is Fortress Valor Control. ACE Ariel Goransson, state your purpose for entry.”</em>


    “The children of thekes are here, as should have been expected,” she said. “I am their guide.”


    <em>“Roger that. Please await verification.”</em>


    The inte clicked, and we all nervously shuffled aside from Ariel, who looked in her element. I jumped when a Gardevoir Teleported to the gate and held out a hand toward us. She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, she disappeared back into the fortress.


    <em>“You are clear for entry. Outer gate A will now open. Proceed with caution.”</em>


    “Thank you,” she nodded before gesturing at us to follow.


    Beyond the wall was a second and third wall, and then there was a city. There was no other word for it. League Trainers filtered in and out of dull, concrete barracks that reminded me of Snowpoint’s architecture, but there were also paved roads with huge jeeps driving around. League Trainers, Pokemon, and different officials milled around, some clearly working while others just spoke andughed together. We passed an open-air training arena where multiple fights were taking ce, and there was even a<em>store</em>where people could buy everything they needed. This ce was a truebyrinth, and we weren’t even that deep in yet.


    Coming into this, I had just expected a building or two with a few guards, but this?


    I couldn’t even imagine how to<em>begin</em>invading this ce, let alone reaching theke itself. As we walked deeper, I found myself filled with a strange feeling. It was like a warm embrace that told me<em>things were going to be okay</em>— so long as I fought. Fought against what? I didn’t know. I wasn’t even thinking of Team Gctic. My Shiny Stone, my battles with Denzel and Volkner, the Conference, my<em>ambitions</em>. Theke wasn’t telling me that these were going to go in my favor, and they weren’t making my doubts disappear. In fact, my doubt had been brought to the forefront of my mind and I felt weaker than I’d ever been.


    And yet, I smiled.


    I knew it would be okay, because I would give it my damnedest. With one look, I could tell my friends were going through the same process. For Cecilia and I, it wasn’t the first time ake had influenced us. In fact, it was my<em>third</em>time while it was her second, but Mira and Chase? It was like they were<em>high</em>. Mira kept giggling over and over while Chase couldn’t help but grin and look like a little kid.


    “So everyone on the… base feels like this?” Mira asked with a grin.


    “Yes, but you get used to it after a few days. It will still be there, but faded,” Ariel exined.


    “Holy shit, this is like a drug,” she muttered. “The fading is gonna suck.”


    “Addiction is<em>bad</em>, Mira,” I chided.


    With Verity came soothing and rity.


    With Acuity came learning and innovation.


    With Valor came courage and dreams.


    “Cynthia wants you to stay here for a night, at the very least,” Ariel continued. “In case there are any dreams or visions that reach you during your sleep. This is where you’ll be staying. They built it for you in thest few days. For now, we’ll keep going.”


    Chase groaned at the<em>single</em>house because he understood that meant he’d have to stay with us. It was concrete, like the rest of the buildings inside the walls. I didn’t know what the hell Pokemon Centers were made of, but they hadn’t had enough material to make the entire base out of it, and our temporary home was no different. I would have<em>preferred</em>to stay with Cecilia alone, but they were running out of space to build anything in the base, so I couldn’t exactly me them. We kept following Ariel and she<em>finally</em>led us to theke itself. It was actually smaller than Acuity, which was thergest one while Verity was in between the two. We all stared at the water in awe. Just like the otherkes, it waspletely still and undisturbed by the wind, and it was so clear it felt more like a mirror than water.


    “Do you feel anything?” I whispered to Cecilia and Chase.


    “Nothin’,” he shrugged.


    “Me neither,” she shook her head. “Beyond the usual effects of theke, there’s nothing different.”


    “I’ll leave you to it,” Aerial said. “If you need me, I will be at Headquarters, and report any effect theke has on you. Ask for me at the entrance. Also, do not speak of any<em>confidential</em>information while you are out of the house. ACE trainers will keep it insted.”


    “Wait, people here don’t know…?” Cecilia trailed off.


    “No, they do not. If you must mingle, speak to them as you would speak to a civilian or a fellow trainer. They are not high up enough in the chain ofmand to know.”


    She hopped on her Dragonite and flew off. We stayed around for a few minutes, but Cece and Chase started to feel this… this attraction to theke. Like they were being pulled inward. Cecilia likened it to the phenomenon people named the ‘call of the void’, which<em>Mira</em>then exined to me and Chase was when people felt the urge to jump when they looked down from a high ce. After a while though, we decided to go back to our makeshift home. They could alwayse back tomorrow and we hadn’t eaten lunch.


    There were thankfully two bedrooms inside the small house with two beds each, but there was only one bathroom, so thank Arceus we were only staying one day. The living room was spacious enough, but not for our entire teams, so some of them would have to stay outside or inside of their Pokeballs.


    “Chase,” Mira said. “Do you want me to leave you in your room? I can sleep with the other two, they’ll share a bed anyway.”


    The teenager raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d make some flirty joke about fucking.”


    “What? I mean, I<em>thought</em>about it, but I wouldn’t go<em>that</em>far. Seriously though, it’s up to you,” she said with a salute.


    “You’re chill, just don’t sneak into my bed in the middle of the night or some fucked up shit like that.”


    “I won’t. Even I have boundaries,” she shook her head as she sat on the couch. She bounced up and down a few times. “Holy shit, these are terrible.”


    I pressed down on the sofa and nodded. “Yep, bad. Doesn’t matter, we’re only staying a day. Hey, do you know what wouldn’t have terrible couches? The hotel south of here.”


    Chase tilted his head and frowned for a few seconds and then scoffed. “Don’t tell me—”


    “We were thinking of staying there a little,” Cecilia said. “We had an acquaintance in Sceon whose parents run the ce, and he… well, he helped us solve the mystery there, but he got killed.”


    <em>And tortured too,</em>I thought to myself. Harry Rodriguez had told me<em>he never talked</em>, and that little Abra they used to Teleport around hadn’t been powerful enough to rip his memories. I didn’t want them to know about it. It wasn’t right.


    But his parents? Well, they deserved to know. Everything.


    “Well, shit,” Chase sighed. “I can tell this is important with how morbid Grace looks. I’ll, uh, I’ll try. I might go on a few rants about how everyone there’s a parasite.”


    Cece nodded. “I know. Probably to their face too.”


    “Don’t associate me with that, I really can’t afford negative publicity. I wouldn’t care that much, but I’m extremely close to a Shiny Stone and who knows how Poketch could screw me over.”


    “Tch. Fine, I’ll hold back. You owe me for this shit.”


    “Thank you. I mean it. Now, let’s look at this kitchen,” I smiled.


    The League had brought us… pre-heated meals, which sucked all of my excitement to cook in an actual kitchen instead of using an electric stove.


    “I guess there’s the microwave,” I sighed, putting my hands up. “Guys,e and check what food you want there’s a ton of stuff here, I’ll heat it up for you— not you, Chase. You want chicken and rice, I already know.”


    A few hours passed, and I realized the League was being a lot more hands-off about this than I thought they’d be.


    I<em>did</em>appreciate it, but it was surprising. This<em>was</em>essentially a military base, so I’d thought there would be tons of guidelines to follow, people telling us where to go and where<em>not</em>to go, but they pretty much left us to our own devices here. Mira stayed inside the house with a lot of our Pokemon while she worked on Porygon, but the rest of us went outside. Chase had decided to see how he measured up to some League Trainers that were training in the arena while Cece and I watched. Lucario was currently getting manhandled by a Cacturne. The grass type kept turning the ground into a void-infested quagmire that sapped Lucario of his will to fight and kept hitting him with Bullet Seed, slowly but surely taking him down. Lucario would asionally fight back as best he could, but his<em>motivation</em>waspletely gone.


    “Isn’t he doing…<em>too</em>well?” I asked.


    “He’d be angry if I told him you said that.”


    “Which is why you won’t. Right?” I said with a coy smirk. “But seriously, I thought we’d get crushed.”


    “League Trainers are good, but they aren’t… amazing like you think they are,” Cece whispered. She didn’t want to offend anyone. “Trainers in ACE are different, but these are justmon soldiers. The lowest of them can be at the six-badge level, even.”


    “Ah. I assume that’s where this Cacturne is, then.”


    “Hm… I’d say it’s in between six and seven, yes,” my girlfriend nodded. “It’s—”


    “He. Sorry, it’s just better that way, I can’t help it.”


    “No, it’s my fault,” she said. “He’s still an excellent battler, don’t get me wrong, but the League would never be able to fill its ranks if it was too harsh with its recruitment standards. Plus, they can only go up. The sses and the training afforded to League Trainers is second to none.”


    “I figured.”


    We both winced when<em>grass</em>sprouted out of the darkened floor and wrapped around Lucario’s ankles. The fighting type face-nted, much to Cacturne’s amusement and more dark-infused nts wrapped around his entire body until he waspletely unable to move. Chase uttered a few curses and recalled Lucario after forfeiting and asked for a rematch, this time using Abomasnow. His opponent approved.


    “Do you want to battle one of them? I’m sure they’d be willing to give it a try,” Cecilia asked.


    “Yeah, why not,” I shrugged. “Sunshine could— actually, I’m going to use Honey for this.”


    She kissed me on the cheek. “Good luck. I’m going to look around as well.”


    I walked around the newlymenced battle and onto another arena. I didn’t really know who to ask about this, so I just spoke to the first person I saw, which was a tall woman— almost as tall as Cynthia. She looked to be in her early twenties, was quite well-built and intimidating, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.


    “Good afternoon. Care for a small spar?” I asked.


    She squinted at me and leaned forward. “You’re one of the little pipsqueaks that my bosses can’t stop talking about?”


    <em>Why else would I be here?</em>I sighed. She knew the answer, but she probably was being more aggressive because she didn’t want anything to do with me—


    “I’ll battle you,” she dered. “One-on-one until someone forfeits. Darmanitan needs to stretch his arms.”


    “I’m guessing you’re annoyed that you’ve been cooped up in here?”


    Her eyes widened slightly. “Yes. I always take my leave around this time. It’s my little brother’s birthday in a week, but I’m stuck guarding someke I don’t give a fuck about and no one will tell me why aside from the fact that Team Gctic’s interested in it.”


    I swallowed.


    “The fucked up part is, I know<em>you</em>know, pipsqueak,” she said. “And that pisses me off.”


    “Don’t take out your frustration on me,” I said. “What’s your name?”


    “Huh?”


    “Your name.”


    She frowned. “Alexis.”


    “Well, Alexis. Why don’t we battle— a nice, friendly battle, mind you, and then we can speak some more about your worries.”


    “My worries? What are you, my fucking therapist?”


    “I think you’re interesting,” I smiled. I stared into her eyes until she averted them. “So what do you say, Alexis?”


    “Uh, yes,” she said. “Which one are you? Mira? Cecilia? Grace?”


    “Oh, me? Just a pipsqueak,” I smiled.


    Alexis pursed her lips.<em>“Jamie!</em>Psychic barrier over here!”


    ——


    Honey roared, flexing his muscles as he punched Darmanitan in the ribcage. Since this was a<em>spar</em>, the fire type hadn’t made himself unbearable to approach, but he was still an incredible wall. Around Sunshine’s strength, if I had to guess. Darmanitan grunted and mmed the ground where Honey had just been moments earlier, but the electric type blurred away, leaving only a trail of electricity behind him. Darmanitan slowly raised his fist from the ground and mmed his chest. He was just as aggressive and physically inclined as Candice’s Grian Darmanitan had been, just incredibly more powerful.


    “Keep running circles around him,” I said. “You’ve got this.”


    Electabuzz nodded and dashed forward, electricity crackling behind him. He pulled his shoulder back and clenched a fist d in thunder, but Alexis raised an arm.


    “Extrasensory!”


    I clicked my tongue as Darmanitan’s eyes shone pink. It was a crude version of the attack at best, not even powerful enough to stop Honey fully, but the psychic-infused patch of air<em>had</em>slowed him. Darmanitan grinned and a massive, fiery fist hit Honey’s nose at full force. The electric type flew backward and tumbled on the arena. Multiple groans rang out from the spectators— other League Trainers who were so unused to seeing non-military people that they’d ced bets on the battle.


    “Can you get up?” I asked.


    Honey wiped the blood off his nose and shed his fangs. I smiled back.


    I’d been trying to improve his reflexes from up close, and he’d actually been keeping up with Darmanitan in that department. Unfortunately, he wasckingpared to the fire type in everything else.


    “Thunderbolt!” I yelled, pointing forward.


    Honey spun his arms, and in a fraction of a second, a massive bolt of electricity sprung forth. It was sorge it grazed the ground, creating a rift as it hit Darmanitan right in the chest. So much progress had been made and we were<em>this</em>close to a weak version of Thunder. The fire type reeled from the attack and convulsed as he took a few steps back, which Honey used tounch<em>another</em>Thunderbolt.


    “So much for a spar!” Alexis grinned. “re Blitz! Low-powered!”


    mes swallowed Darmanitan and the fire type bellowed as he broke into a trot. Then a run. Then a<em>sprint</em>that left everything in his wake burned. The electricity hurt him, but it didn’t stop his charge.


    <em>“Protect!”</em>


    The fire type mmed against the green barrier and Electabuzz’s knees buckled, but he<em>held</em>. I yelled out for an immediate Discharge, but Darmanitan’s fist was through as soon as the Protect lifted. Electricity exploded outward, but another Fire Punch hit Honey and sent him flying again. This time, he could barely get up.


    “I think that’s enough,” Alexis said.


    “Yeah, that’s fair,” I nodded. “Great job, Hon.”


    He could only muster a thumbs-up before I recalled him. He’d need a good day of rest and potions after this.


    But Darmanitan had not gotten out of this unscathed. A Pokemon of<em>Sunshine’s</em>level.


    It was not that long ago that I needed my entire team to take those down. Now? Darmanitan’s breaths were heavy and some of his fur was darkened by the electric beatdown he’d suffered. Thunder was at our fingertips, but even then, our work wouldn’t be over. A single one would wipe Honey out in his current state, and I wanted him to at least be able to pull three in a battle. Of course, once he’d at least<em>learned</em>the move, we’d finally move onto something new. I could tell he was getting bored of working on the same thing over and over again like he had since we’d left the Sceon tournament.


    Right now, I was thinking Screech and Low Kick. Two easy and quick moves to add to his arsenal that would improve his close-rangebat by miles.


    “Not bad, pipsqueak,” Alexis said as she watched the betters collect or lose their money.


    “I can’t believe people actually bet on me. Not a lot, but still.”


    “They’re fucking idiots,” she waved a hand. “But they’re my fellow soldiers. We’re thicker than blood.”


    “I can see that. Any funny stories you have? Actually, tell me about your little brother first. How old is he turning?”


    “His name’s Aiden. He’s going to turn sixteen and, well, he’s my whole world. I’ve been sending away half my pay to send him to Sunyshore University…”


    Alexis spoke of her life, her family, her work, the League… everything. She even went into how the illusion around theke worked and how they could create an anti-teleportation field in the case of an attack.


    And I listened the entire way through. People always wanted people to talk to, even if they pretended to be tough on the outside. Maybe I’d never meet her again after tomorrow, but there was no harm in knowing people.


    ——


    Cecilia Obel hugged her girlfriend tighter as they slept. It was deep into the night, and actually, saying that she’d been sleeping would be a lie. She was too excited to fall asleep. She was expecting something. A dream, a vision,<em>anything</em>. Her heart thumped against her chest and she could feel the blood in her veins.


    “Can’t sleep?”


    Her heart jumped. “Grace. Did I wake you up?”


    “Kind of. I was just thinking aboutva anyway…”


    Thinking about<em>what?</em>Cecilia didn’t understand, but she attributed it to some half-awake rambling and let it go.


    “Go back to sleep, love,” she said. “I’ve been tossing and turning too much, I’ll go on the other bed.”


    “No.”


    “No?”


    “No,” she repeated.


    Grace turned and wrapped her hands around her neck.


    “Okay,” Cecilia said. “I’ll just drink some water and go for a walk, then. I’ll be back soon,” she said.


    “If you’re lying, I won’t forgive you.”


    Cecilia didn’t know if her words were serious or a joke, but she preferred to err on the side of safety. Plus, she’d really been nning oning back anyway.


    She softly stroked Grace’s hair. “Sleep. I’lle back.”


    “Okay. The pillow smells good. It smells like you.”


    The girl blushed, but quickly left the bedroom. The living room was full of sleeping,<em>and</em>non-sleeping Pokemon. Jellicent, for one, was doing this terrifying thing were he was just a shapeless moving blob clinging to the ceiling, and two small red dots stared right into Cecilia’s soul. If she hadn’t been used to all those nights in Grace’s Pokemon Center room, she would have jumped out of her skin. Sigilyph floated in the corner of the room, but upon closer look, she<em>was</em>sleeping. The problem was that her eye didn’t close, so it looked like she was awake. Cecilia tip-toed to the kitchen and grabbed a ss of water before grabbing whatever proper clothes she had that weren’t pajamas and exited their home.


    She was surprised to see Chase leaning against the concrete wall and staring at the moon.


    “Chase? Did Mira annoy you?” Cecilia asked.


    The teenager jumped and nearly squealed.


    “Arceus,<em>fuck</em>. Do<em>not</em>scare me like that,” he exhaled. “Uh, I wasn’t scared, it was a matter of speaking. Anyway, no, she was on her best behavior tonight. Didn’t even attempt to flirt.”


    “I hope you’re actually taking it in jest, by the way.”


    “In jest? What the hell does that even mean?”


    Cecilia clenched the bridge of her nose. “I hope you know she’s just fooling around. I mean, she does like you, but it’s just banter. If it makes you ufortable—”


    “I know, I’m not<em>ten</em>. If I hated it, I’d tell her to fuck off like I already do when people cross a line. S’alright, it’s all in good fun.”


    “Okay, I was just making sure,” she shrugged. “What brings you out here?”


    “The same as you. I can’t sleep.”


    “Excited?”


    “Well, I wouldn’t call it excitement. More like—”


    “Anticipation?” She asked. “Wondering<em>what</em>will happen?”


    “Or<em>if</em>it’ll happen at all,” he shrugged. “What was that thing you said? Call of the void?”


    Cecilia nced toward theke’s general direction. “We never did actually touch theke, did we? Do you feel the pull?”


    “I’ve been feeling it all day. I tried to resist because I hate the idea of some prick fucking with my head, but at this point I just want to get it over with. Wannae with?”


    “I wouldn’t see why not. Just let me… let me warn Grace first. I might take a while longer and I don’t want her to worry.”


    “Go ahead,” he motioned.


    Cecilia quickly ran into the house and whispered into Grace’s ear. Once she uttered Azelf’s name, she was wide awake.


    “Shit. Do you want me toe? What if you drown or something?”


    “Drown? Why would I drown?”


    “I don’t know, maybe theke will pull you in? This is uncharted territory—”


    “Chase will be there. I’ll bring Slowking with me so he can monitor the situation.”


    “Bring Buddy with you too. And tell him toe back and warn me if anything happens.”


    “Okay, that’s fine,” she nodded. “I’ll see youter.”


    Grace kissed her, and it lingered for a second.


    “It’ll be fine,” Cecilia reassured. “I promise.”


    “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” Grace said.


    “I’ll try my best to keep it, then. And I will crawl over a field of broken ss before I break it.”


    Grace smirked. “Fine. If you really want to do this alone, then go ahead. Just be careful. Legendaries aren’t something to be messed with.”


    Cecilia knew that already, of course, but Grace was just worried. She whispered to Jellicent, who seemed reluctant to follow her but did it anyway, and she woke up Slowking with a soft shake. The water type despised being woken up early, but he straightened up when Cecilia told him what was happening. Soon enough, they were on the way toward Lake Valor.


    The pull was stronger than ever. Even as Cecilia stood upon the shores of theke, it felt like something was pushing her forward, but<em>keeping</em>her from falling, as if she was just leaning above theke. She crouched and ced a steady hand above the water. Chase did the same.


    “Let’s do this shit,” he dered.


    “Adequately said,” Cecilia smiled. She plunged the hand into the water and found that it was warm.<em>Hot</em>even. This was the middle of winter, and yet it was as if she was in a jacuzzi—


    And then she fell for maybe around twenty seconds. The world around her waspletely dark, and yet she could see her skin and her clothes. The ground felt wet as if she was standing in a puddle. Chase was nowhere to be seen. She could barely understand what had just happened. Cecilia looked around and saw something ahead of her.


    It was small. So small, and yet she felt a crushing pressure as soon as sheid her eyes on the Pokemon. She averted her eyes and could finally breathe again, but every time they even<em>drifted</em>on its form, Cecilia felt like there was a suffocating weight on her chest. The little nces she did steal painted a blurry picture. Different shades of blue with piercing yellow eyes and some kind of red gem atop its forehead.


    <span style="color:#f1c40f"><strong>“Wee, Cecilia Obel. Champion by happenstance.”</strong>


    The words—<em>the words, the words, the fucking words! They were terrifying. Unwordly, inhuman, impossible!</em>And yet, it was also childlike, innocent, and pure all in one. It was beautiful. The Pokemon spoke into her head like a thousand choirs, and the voice reverberated across this ce until the inside of her body felt like mush.


    This was them while they were<em>asleep?</em>How would Team Gctic even hope to—


    <span style="color:#f1c40f"><strong>“Bow before Willpower.”</strong>


    The girl coughed as her legs buckled and she bowed. Not listening hadn’t even crossed her mind. It was<em>impossible</em>. Like the sky not being blue, like an hour not consisting of sixty minutes,<em>like two plus two equalling five instead of four.</em>


    Azelf’s will would be done.


    ——


    Chase fell headfirst into some kind of puddle, and yet it did not hurt him. He even touched his nose to make sure it wasn’t broken and the adrenaline wasn’t masking the pain. He stood up and called out to someone.<em>Anyone</em>. Nobody answered. It waspletely dark


    “Where the hell am I?”


    He stared at his hands and touched his chest to ground himself and make sure he was actually<em>there</em>and not dreaming, but it was only a few secondster that he noticed a Pokemon floating ahead of him. It was blinding, so blinding. Looking at it was like looking at the sun— it was impossible to stare for too long. He gasped for air and took a step back. It was some kind of fucking blue freak. It couldn’t have been more than a single foot tall, and yet it<em>exuded</em>power.


    “W—what the fuck are you?” Chase stammered.


    <span style="color:#f1c40f"><strong>“Wee, Chase Karlson. Champion by happenstance.”</strong>


    <em>shes in his mind at every word</em>. Victory and defeat all at once, horrors beyond hisprehension,<em>fear</em>. Each one of them more terrifying than thest. They were vivid,<em>so</em>vivid, in a way that was impossible to exin. Like every word he had spoken and heard before tonight was fake. People ying pretend. And<em>these</em>were the only true words he had ever heard and ever<em>would</em>hear.


    He took another step back. “Azel—”


    The words died in his mouth and his throat lit on fire. He coughed until he could finally breathe again.


    <span style="color:#f1c40f"><strong>“Before you even hope to utter my name in my presence, human, you shall bow before Willpower.”</strong>


    Chase would usually have protested before such an order, but those were nowhere to be seen. The thought of disobeying this being was so utterly alien that it hadn’t even crossed his mind. He lowered his head and got on a knee.


    Azelf’s will would be done.