The Champion had been excised. Mt. Coronet still burned. The region was in shambles. Chaos and panic reigned. The end of the world was upon them all.

And here in Pastoria, people were planning a concert. They kept living on, because what else were they supposed to do?

Pyxis moved through the lush streets like a Misdreavous, walking from shadow to shadow, making herself smaller than she already was and trying to keep everyone's eyes off her as best she could. She'd considered pulling her hoodie up, but past experiences had taught her that it would only make her look more conspicuous. Although to be honest, it wasn't the people of Pastoria she was worried about recognizing her; it was her prey.

The incident back at the protest had been a slip-up on her part. Now that some time had passed, she'd calmed down enough to admit that, at the very least. But even if someone from this town were to recognize her… they wouldn't call the Association on her, would they?

You're being naïve again, she told herself.

No. She'd fallen down far, but not as far as to doubt the people she'd been fighting for all this time. She got glimpses of their downcast expressions as she walked. There was a heavy, gloomy air to the once-bustling city; even those who seemed to be preparing for the concert later that night –mostly young people from what she'd seen– looked like something was tugging down at them, making their smiles crooked and forced, eyes full of worry.

Some were more blatant than others. Pyxis didn't doubt some of them wouldn't take the situation as well. But whether it be angrily protesting, staying in home consumed with fear or preparing an event for others to unwind in these trying times, everyone was coping in their own way. Because, again…

What else could they do?

Her steps got faster, more aggressive. Inside the pockets of her jacket, her hands balled into fists.

There weren't as many trainers around lately, though she wasn't sure if it was because the League had been cancelled, because they were needed by the Association or simply because they were smart enough to realize strolling around with a belt full of Pokeballs wasn't the best idea currently. Some might have called them smart for reading the mood and staying away. But Pyxis couldn't have hated them more.

Cowards, the lots of them. Her anger flared at the memory of what Lucian of the Elite Four had done when they met. Rotten to the core…

She didn't blame Caelum or any of the others for leaving. Not anymore. That had been another moment of weakness on her part; that nebulous heat, that cloud of anger that overtook her brain and made it impossible to think straight. It was always there in the back of her mind, waiting to swallow her. Every time she came out of it, it was like pushing her head above the surface of the water, finally able to breathe. She could think clearly again. She was herself again, the true Pyxis, the one that understood that her anger was meant to focus only on those who deserved it, not on her closest friends.

But whenever said anger rushed through her, it was so hard to remember. Like her previous lucidity had never existed to begin with, until she came back from it and the whole process repeated again. It was an endless cycle. A part of her that overshadowed all the others, no matter how much she'd tried to keep it at bay.

But not anymore. There's no point.

So no, she didn't blame her friends for walking away. In a way, they were right. Thanks to Team Galactic, the dam that had stood in the way of justice had been shattered to pieces, and now true change had came crashing down them. This was no time for rituals or miracles. It was their time to shine; those who actually cared, the true children of Sinnoh. If they wanted to keep the ball rolling, then this new change had to be cultivated, kept alive, strong. Most would stay away from the cause. Again, Pyxis couldn't blame them; everyone had their own battles to fight, their own lives to live. The rest would carry on the torch in the meanwhile.

And who knew. Maybe sometime down the line, everyone else would realize that the power of those keeping them down was nothing but an illusion. That despite their bluster and posturing, trainers couldn't hurt them. The Champion had tried, after all, if only accidentally. And that alone had been enough to land a mortal wound on the Association.

The moment those meteors of light fell down upon the cities of Sinnoh, the moment civilian lives had been compromised, it was all over. The division in the region had changed. It was no longer the Association versus Team Galactic; it was the Association and all its trainers versus the people of Sinnoh.

And that was a fight that they had no hope of winning.

Best they could try to do was mitigate the damages, something Lucian had already started doing. But even in their best-case scenario, they couldn't stop change. Caelum was right: the Association was done for, at least in its current form. The divide of League and government was inevitable, as were the restrictions upon trainer privileges and the relaxation of the stern rules that once governed who was allowed to become one. It wouldn't happen right away. It was the kind of change that would come slowly, painfully so, but it would come. Of that, Pyxis was certain.

And that begged the question:

Why am I still looking for her, then?

They'd accomplished what they'd set out to do, but Pyxis couldn't join Caelum and the others in what was to come. Not because she didn't want to. She just couldn't.

There's something wrong with me, she thought, looking downcast. Always has been.

That heat. That all-consuming cloud of anger and exaltation that stuck to the back of her mind at all times, waiting to come out. She'd tried to control it before. Auriga, Orion and Saturn had done their best to teach her how to, and it had worked, for a time. She'd been getting better. Her bad days were in the minority and she'd begun to be able to control her temper whenever she was about to lose control.

But then, Auriga died. Then, Saturn had left. Then… Orion and the rest had gone their own way.

And she was alone again. Alone with nothing but that other part of herself, the part that kept telling her that it was the true Pyxis. That the one trying to keep it at bay was an imposter. A face she presented to others so that they wouldn't surmise her true self.

A mask.

She was starting to agree, but it wasn't like it mattered anymore. As far as she was concerned, she would never see her friends again. They didn't need someone like her. Her anger had served its purpose, but now it was too unwieldy, too unpresentable for them to bother with. If she went with them, she'd be worse than a burden. Even if she didn't want to, she'd eventually lose her temper at the wrong time and place and make things even worse for her friends.

She'd done that enough already. No more.

A narrow path opened at her right, an unintentional hallway between buildings necessitated by the tall ash tree growing between them. Pyxis ventured through it without thinking, eyes distant. The tree itself wasn't thick enough to block the way, but the shrubbery growing around it and the bindweed climbing up the walls would've made it difficult for anyone bigger than her to get to the other side.

Dark. The contrast with the sunny street she'd just come out of was apparent; the leaves and the height of the buildings was blocking all sunlight from coming in. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but as she walked she felt a softness under her feet. Dirt and grass. There were also some small white flowers and a patch of brown mushrooms stretching through the short and narrow hallway, but she didn't mind. Even if the cold was made worse by the humidity and lack of sunlight, Pyxis walked over a few feet and sat down against the wall, breathing out harshly.

She didn't lower herself carefully. As soon as she turned with her back against the wall she just let herself fall, letting only gravity figure out in what position she'd be sitting down. A stab of pain ran up her back as she fell, but there was bliss as well. Her calves throbbed now that they didn't have to hold her, and her lungs started burning less and less with every hitched breath she inhaled.

Pyxis might've been small, but she was by no means unathletic. Walking all the way from Hearthome to Pastoria would've made anyone feel ready to lie down and die.

Right. That's the only reason.

She didn't bother shushing the voice away. She was too tired to even feel irritated by it. Her head throbbed with pain. Her stomach growled and twisted itself into painful knots, clamoring for food she hadn't given it for two days now. Food that would probably never come. Every inch of her body was sore and exhausted, but she welcomed it wholeheartedly. She certainly could have taken some breaks on her way here, but then she wouldn't feel like this.

Lately, pain and exhaustion were the only thing keeping the bad thoughts at bay.

Minutes passed. Pyxis didn't know how many; she might have dozed off for a while, but when she came back to herself what little heat she'd produced by walking had evaporated. Her muscles shivered, now not only from exhaustion but cold as well. She felt her teeth clatter.

Something else crept up her exhausted mind. Dark thoughts of–

Pyxis shook her head violently. She raised her arm and started fiddling with her Poketch, trying to distract herself while she thought of the task ahead.

Inyssa. She had to find Inyssa.

She'd reached Hearthome too late. Getting to Inyssa while she was in Fantina's care would be suicide, so she waited for an opportunity, and finally saw the girl leave the city, alone. Unfortunately, she was accompanied by her Pokemon. So Pyxis followed from far away, trying to keep up. She knew her best shot would come when Inyssa settled down somewhere in the city. Once her Pokemon were back in their balls she could–

Why? What's the point?

The apathy hit her like a hammer, threatening to shatter what little willpower she'd been able to muster, like a blanket of broken glass, each shard digging into her, the pain protecting her from the cold storming inside her chest.

You didn't deserve it, but neither did she, the voice whispered, inviting. It's okay. You did your best so just let g–

With strength that shouldn't be possible, Pyxis threw her arm to the side, slamming her knuckles against the wall. A crack was heard. White spots filled her vision; the rush of heat and pain enough to burn away that terrible sensation, bringing her back to herself. She lowered her head, eyes closed, teeth clenched.

"N-no…" she whispered through pursed lips. "I'm not going to… fade away, just like that…"

She was done. There was no longer a reason for her to live, not now. Even the broken dream that had somehow survived inside of her had gone out once she screamed out to the world that she was a member of Team Galactic. She was a wanted criminal. No matter for how long she hid, she would never hold a Pokeball again. Yet as guilty as it made her feel, as shameful as it was for someone like her to still want to be a trainer, she knew deep down that it was the only thing that would ever make her happy.

But now it was over. No one could blame her for this. She'd tried to become a trainer legally, hadn't she? She'd enrolled in a trainer school despite the strain it put on her family, and she'd worked harder than anyone else, only for her one opportunity to be snatched away by a talentless rich kid that didn't even last two months as a trainer.

Then, she'd joined Team Galactic. While with them, she'd gotten to fight with borrowed Pokemon a couple times, mostly while facing Inyssa, but it had never felt right. Not with stolen Pokemon. So she'd given them away and focused only on her goal. She'd set out to mete out her own justice, to make things right in a way she could never do while shackled by laws and rules. And now that she'd succeeded, she was no longer of use to anyone.

She'd given it her best shot despite the terrible circumstances, and this was her reward. The only thing left for her to do was die.

The anger came rushing back, filling the void that had been there a few seconds ago, and with it, the throbbing pain in her hand did as well.

She would not just lie down in a dreary, forgotten place like this and let the cold and apathy wash her away. Her struggle would be a stupid, pointless one. Less like a candle burning its brightest before going out, more like a wounded Pokemon baring its fangs and throwing itself at the jaws of death. One last act of defiance. At least one more moment in which she could feel like she was in control, like a choice was hers to be made.

Inyssa wouldn't die by her hand. The idea was absurd; even if she were to catch the girl unaware and unaccompanied by her Pokemon, she still had the powers of a legend. She was still so much more than Pyxis could ever hope to be.

As a matter of fact, she was everything Pyxis had hoped to be back then.

The thought filled her with shame and disgust, teeth clenching and nose scrunching up, but she was past deluding herself at this point. Might as well come clean, if only to herself. That way, at least she could die with a clear conscience.

She felt the weight of something inside her pocket. She knew what it was. Knew that taking it out and looking at it wouldn't make her feel better, wouldn't serve any real purpose. But that's what she did anyway. Her bruised, throbbing knuckles screamed in protest, but she swallowed the pain down, telling herself she'd check if there was a fracture later.

A worn, classic red and white Pokeball rested on her palm, its light weight betraying that it was completely empty. Pyxis swallowed. She felt something try to get to her, a dark, pulsing feeling of dread, but all she had to do was flex her fingers again and the pain chased it away.

The ball had never had a Pokemon inside to begin with. It was nothing more than a relic, a memento of her childhood. A piece of trash she'd found one day laying on the street, probably dropped by some oblivious trainer who wouldn't even notice its absence. Of course, Pokeballs were illegal to own unless you were a trainer or got permission from the Association, but 7-year old Pyxis hadn't known that, and it's not like anyone cared. You couldn't catch any dangerous Pokemon with one of these, especially after so many years. Right now, it was nothing but a useless piece of worn garbage.

Her lips pursed into a line, and she felt an itch behind her eyes.

When I become a trainer, I'll catch my first Pokemon with this ball! She heard her younger self's voice, so full of energy and joy. I'm sure fate wants it that way!

The biggest mistake Pyxis had ever made was believing there was anyone out there that cared, mortal or deity. It was up to her to care. And she did; she cared so fucking much, but what good was that now?

"Inyssa…" The name came out hoarse and weak from her mouth, voice shaking. "Please, at least give me this. Let me die with some dignity."

It took her a few minutes to fall back to herself. She saved the Pokeball back in her pocket, pushing herself to her feet with some effort. A wave of dizziness washed over her as she stood up.

That was enough of feeling sorry for herself. She had to get out of here before the Paras and other Pokemon came back, and she had to bandage her hand and see if she could find Inyssa. Part of her wondered if she should find some food or get some rest, but for some reason that she didn't want to think about, she didn't want to recover her strength.

Wobbling with every step, she emerged from behind the bushes around the thick ash tree and stepped back into the sunny street, flinching at the sudden sunlight hitting her face. Swallowing on a dry throat, she breathed in deep and took her first step down the street.

Her legs failed her, and her vision swam. There was barely a moment of dizziness and disorientation before an impact reverberated through her body, blacking out her vision for a moment.

When it came back a few seconds later, Pyxis realized she was laying down on her side, cheek resting on the cold cement. She didn't react for a while. She just blinked gormlessly, mouth slightly open, both mind and body taken by a painful haze.

Then, she heard someone talk.

"Wh-holy shit, are you okay!? H-here, let me…"

A pair of gentle hands took hold of her arms, helping her up, and Pyxis let herself be moved, too dazed to react properly.

----------------------------------------

Inyssa had absolutely no idea why she'd come to Pastoria, and it was honestly pretty liberating.

"H-hgyurk!" She hoisted one of the heavy speakers over her shoulder and strode forward, face scrunched up in effort. "F-fuck… shouldn't these be m-mostly hollow? How is it so heavy?"

She knew the answer, of course. It wasn't that the speaker was particularly heavy, her arms were simply so skinny and weak that even a noodle would feel offended if she compared them to it. Even so, there was something pleasant about it. It was the type of exertion Barry had always told her about, the kind that left you tired but in a good way. Especially if she was doing this to help others.

"Hgh…T-there."

She pushed the back of the speaker forward, letting it rest atop the floor of the stage, which reached up to her shoulders. Taking a step back, she sighed and wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. Just a minute to rest and she'd go back for more, as soon as her heart stopped imitating the rhythm of a Snorlax using Belly Drum. In the meantime, she turned around and overlooked the wild expanse of green and brown that was the dry outskirts of the marsh.

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The place was big enough to hold a good portion of the city, big enough that the dozen or so other people helping with preparations were all far enough that Inyssa could barely tell them apart. There were a few Pokemon –mostly Budew and Tangela– helping here and there, but hers were the only ones fully evolved. Enma, Johnny and Shadi were back near the truck used to transport the equipment from the city to the outskirts of the marsh. Kuro –to his chagrin– was somewhere in the back of the stage being used to test the proper calibration and amperage of all the instruments. As for Bret and Steven…

"Prr-krii!"

Ah, right. She turned around to see Steven perched atop the stage girder, looking down at Bret and pecking at different spots to indicate where the Roserade needed to move the stage lights with his vines. He looked up and nodded, letting out a noise halfway between a hum and a heartbeat. Grass-types like him didn't have mouths, but they all communicated with the same kind of weird humming.

Inyssa looked at them work for a few more seconds before deciding that her rest had lasted long enough. She was a bit wobbly on her feet as she walked back to the truck and her arms throbbed with phantom pain, but for once she didn't feel like complaining; she almost liked it, in a way.

As long as I can help them out…

She might not have known why she'd come here to Pastoria, but she at least knew that her first course of action should be contacting Simone and the others. It'd been a pleasant night. Cheap pizza, even cheaper B-list horror movie and the kind of stupid fun that was only possible by turning off your brain alongside a few friends. Johnny, of course, had them all beat at that.

Last night was also when Simone mentioned the concert some of their other friends in town were planning for the weekend. Something to lighten up the mood a little. Get everyone's minds off the horrible shit happening everywhere. They'd all volunteered to help with preparations the next day, and while Inyssa had followed suit unsure of herself, she found that it was a lot less irritating than she'd imagined.

Then again, that's how it'd always been for her when it came to friends. The stark few she'd ever had, at least. She'd spend hours and days and weeks agonizing over if she really wanted to go out and hang out with them, and most importantly, if they wanted to hang out with her. Then when she inevitably ended up going, she'd have a blast. It happened every single time. Why was it so hard to remember that hanging out with friends was almost always worth it?

She kept walking. Her steps became firmer at the thought, less letting her feet fall against the ground and more putting force and determination into each step. She forced herself to look up from the ground.

Why had she come here? The more time she spent around Simone and the others, the closer she felt to the answer. At first, she'd been somewhat aghast at herself. These might very well be her –and everyone else's– last days alive. Shouldn't she be spending this precious time with Barry? Or, barring that, working toward the completion of their plan? Training her Pokemon, coming up with strategies, practicing with whatever remnants of Uxie's power still dwelled within her?

Instead, she'd come here. To do… what, exactly?

Uxie's words resounded through her mind.

You have never given yourself enough time to heal.

Was that what she was doing? She hadn't thought it possible. Despite Uxie's claims to the contrary, she had tried to rest and heal, in the conventional way. But even when she tried to force herself, her sleep was not sound, and food always made her nauseous. And even if she tried keeping her thoughts away from that darkness, that horrible anger pulsing inside her like a second heartbeat, no distraction was ever enough. Only Barry's presence could sometimes keep it fully at bay.

But as much as she loved him, she couldn't rely on him sorely for this. She couldn't stake her emotional well-being on someone else's presence.

And so… she'd come here. Far away from Fantina and her mother in Hearthome. Far away from Barry and Metchi in Sunyshore. And now, after last night…

Maybe that's what she needed, more than food and sleep. A moment to breathe. A day or two far away from the looming end of the world, far away from plots and schemes and secrets drenched in fire and blood.

That world had been her home for too long now. So long that she'd almost forgotten what the early days of her journey had been like. Seeing new places. Meeting new people. Battling not to save the world but for simple fun, and the betterment of herself and her Pokemon. The tenets of a true trainer. The ones she'd recklessly abandoned in her pursuit of a twisted, almost suicidal kind of heroism. And now that she'd finally caught up to it, she wanted nothing more than to go back to the simpler times.

Inyssa stopped for a moment, both to breathe in and to look around.

Here, she felt both like her older self and also so fundamentally different. Here, people laughed and smiled and kept on helping each other, carrying each other's burden, trying to help even with a burning Mt. Coronet and the possible end of the world in the horizon. Here, she felt…

A smile formed in her lips, to her own shock.

I… I feel good, she realized, almost unable to believe it. I feel stable. For the first time in… merciful Synn above, in how long?

She was no naïve girl anymore. This peace was nothing but the eye of the hurricane, the calm before the storm. The darkness and the anger would come back. And when they did, she doubted she'd feel as willing to smile as she was now. Regardless of how good she felt now, it would have no bearing on how much she would suffer when it all came crashing down sometime down the line.

But if it doesn't matter, isn't that all the more reason to be here? she thought. To enjoy it while it lasts?

She'd stay here until the concert was over. She'd spend her time with her friends and enjoy herself to her heart's content, searing it all into her memory. Searing it strongly enough that –when the pain and the darkness came– it would serve as a shield. A reminder of what she was fighting for. Of the warmth and laughter that had always been there, waiting for her to find them.

Was it escapism? She'd worried about that when she'd first realized the reason for her journey here, but somehow it didn't feel like that. Then again, she'd been wrong before.

Although… she thought as she almost reached the truck. There is another reason. Though I'll wait on Simone to spot something before I worry about that.

She looked up toward the truck and immediately frowned. Shadi was finishing hoisting another pair of cable coils over her shoulder –the only thing she could help with considering she had scythes for arms– but there was something wrong. As she put one of her scythes through the coil and raised it, her body tensed up and her mustache twitched erratically for a second, like the string of a guitar plucked with too much strength. The look of pain wasn't there anymore when she turned around, but Inyssa was no fool.

"It's okay, just leave it there," she said, hurrying to her side, a sudden knot forming in her stomach. "Someone else can carry it."

"Kri! Kri-kurii!"

Shadi turned to her trainer in protest, both her scythes and mustache humming like a tuning fork being struck. At first, Inyssa had thought it was the same every time she did it. But the more time she spent with her the more she could almost hear the distinct pitch and rhythm of each hum. Her cries all sounded the same. But by listening closely, she could sometimes make out the specific emotion and intonation behind that hum; it made her understand what a cry alone couldn't hope to convey.

Part of her wondered if Uxie's powers had something to do with it, or if it was fully the product of having spent so much time together. Inyssa liked to believe the latter.

This particular hum was one of irritation. Not at Inyssa, but at herself. Maybe Inyssa had such an easy time parsing it out this time because it was an emotion she knew painfully well. The feeling of your body failing you. The anger and shame that sprouted from being unable to do something everyone else could. She knew how it could eat away at you, and she would first pluck out her heart and feed it to a Gogoat before she'd let her Pokemon feel like that.

"Hey, it's alright. I know."

She unconsciously dropped to her knees to be at eye-level, a habit that had been with her since the beginning of her journey. Like this, she felt like she could understand her partners better.

She placed a hand on Shadi's shoulder and noticed her face tightening in an attempt not to flinch. The ligaments there still hurt. She'd taken her to the Pokemon Center as soon as the symptom had shown itself, but deep down she knew the diagnostic would be the same as back in Celestic. Her body was deteriorating; aging faster due to the strain of battling. What Inyssa had come up with back in Canalave had greatly slowed down that deterioration, but it wasn't a perfect solution. Unless Shadi could perfectly absorb or evade every attack that came to her –an impossible feat– this would keep happening.

Inyssa had to think of another, better solution. Until then, Shadi would not fight unless it was a matter of life or death.

"We came here to have a good time, didn't we?" Inyssa smiled. "You always want me to take it easy on myself, so now that I'm doing it, I can flip it onto you. Let's take a rest."

Shadi frowned and hummed for a short moment, but the vibrating melody disappeared soon after. She looked down and simply nodded. Inyssa knew the feeling; this wouldn't help right away, but it was a start.

"We can rub some of that iodine cream the nurse gave us on your shoulders," said Inyssa, standing up. "I…" She frowned. "Shit, I left it back at Simone's place, didn't I? Well, I guess we could go back now b–"

"Would some ice help?"

Inyssa yelped like a Glameow dowsed with cold water, and as she turned around she came face to face with the last person she'd ever thought she'd see back here.

"S… Sanbica?"

That long, silky purple dress laced with spiderweb-like patterns was unmistakable, as were the eyes of the same color that looked down at her, gleaming with a dangerous curiosity. Sanbica bowed her head ever so slightly and did a curtsey, pinching and lifting up the sides of her skirt. As she did so, Inyssa's eyes instantly went to the back of her palms. There it was, that black dot, same as with Fantina.

"I saw some people transporting bags of ice toward the freezers behind the counters." She pointed toward some of the makeshift bars on the other side of the clearing. "Maybe I could get some for your Kricketune's shoulder, if it would help."

Inyssa swallowed, her throat feeling suddenly dry. "It's… okay, we were gonna go back anyway." There was a pause. "Also what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm helping, of course."

"Helping with what?"

"My hands," she said, raising her hands open-palmed. "They need people to carry stuff, what else would I be helping with?"

Inyssa stammered to say something, but fell silent, eyes narrowing. Then she chuckled.

"You're fucking with me."

Sanbica sighed contentedly. "Good job, you figured it out faster than Tulip did, and she's supposed to be the skeptical one. Then again, she takes things way too seriously."

"Who?"

"Never mind that." Sanbica swatted the matter away with a wave of the hand. "I'd say us meeting here again is a nice surprise, but I'm a hack and a scoundrel, not a liar. There's a distinct difference. It is good to see you, though."

"I'm sure it is," muttered Inyssa, standing up. She produced a Pokeball in her hand. "Shadi, I'll let you out in a bit, alright?"

The Pokemon was returned to her ball before she had a chance to complain. Sanbica raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Interesting name for a Kricketune."

Inyssa turned and glared at her. "I'm serious. What are you doing here?"

"Be at ease, we are not here to sour your much-needed day off." Inyssa perked up. 'We'? "My coworker and I were just passing by when we heard of this little concert. And he, being the excitable human Pachirisu that he is, decided for both of us that we should help however possible." She let out a long sigh. "He loves music, you see. And a million other things."

"A coworker…" muttered Inyssa. "One of your Institute buddies, is he?"

Sanbica didn't look nearly as surprised as Inyssa had expected. "Ah… My mother's tongue has been rather loose lately, I see. I suspected it when you first realized it was me. That was too much caution and alarm in your eyes if you thought we'd only met once before."

"To be fair, you did insult me pretty thoroughly that time."

"There was a positive side to your Guardian Star," said Sanbica. "You just didn't stick for long enough to hear it."

"Yeah, I'm sure. So you're really not here for any of your evil schemes or anything?"

Sanbica raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Are we evil in your eyes, Inyssa?"

She was about to say yes, but paused. Fantina hadn't… explicitly told her to stay away from these people, in fact she'd said that they were of no concern to her and vice versa. Yet she had hinted at certain 'atrocities' the group had committed.

"Well, you specifically could stand to be less spooky," she finally said. "Besides, your lot clearly has a lot of power and influence, but you're doing nothing to help us save the world. That doesn't make you look good in my eyes."

"You're wrong. We have been helping, albeit in our subtle ways," grinned Sanbica. "Well, when I say 'we' I'm mostly referring to my coworker and I. The rest of us either don't care or are too busy with… other matters to be able to lend a hand."

Inyssa wasn't sure she believed that, but she didn't care enough to press her on it. "So you're on our side then?"

"That is an extremely dangerous assumption to make, especially for a Shockeyes," she warned her. "We are on our side. The end of the world, however, benefits us as little as it does you."

She couldn't really argue with that, so Inyssa just gave her a curt nod and folded her arms, still sporting an unsure look on her face.

"There's something you're not telling me," she said plainly. "What do you want?"

Again, Sanbica didn't look surprised, though something almost like sadness crossed her expression for a moment.

"I hate to bother you during your one day off from all this madness, Inyssa," she confessed. "I'm aware of you and your friends' mission, and of the danger you'll soon be throwing yourself against."

"…Right. You can see the future," Inyssa sighed. "Should I assume that you know literally everything about… everything? You know, to expedite the process."

"Ha. Such wonderful sass. You really do remind me of her," smiled Sanbica. "But again, you're wrong. I learned this through my coworker, who recently had a meeting with Cynthia. And I already explained this to Metchi, but I cannot 'see the future' as you describe it. I can sometimes catch glimpses, sensations. Even my most accurate form of farseeing, my prophecies, are not infallible. Do not make light of your own agency, Inyssa, for the easiest way for fate to be set in stone is to believe that it is."

Of course. Metchi had told her of Sanbica's sudden appearance back in that boat, as well of her cryptic messages and her even more cryptic explanation of how her powers worked.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

Sanbica hesitated for a moment. Then she reached into one of the pockets of her dress and grabbed something, though she didn't pull it out right away.

"If there were a way to avoid going on this mission… to seal Giratina away without risking your life and that of those you love, would you take it? Regardless of the price to pay?"

"What?" asked Inyssa, her voice dropping. "What are you talking about?"

Sanbica pulled the object out. At first, Inyssa saw nothing. Literally nothing, as though a black hole had appeared in her vision in the spot above the woman's palm. Then she blinked, and suddenly there was something there. An amber-colored gem the size of a Pokeball; its shape was indescribable, like a hundred sharp geometric shapes mashed together, overlapping over one another in the same space. Every time she blinked, said shape seemed to shift.

"T-that…" Inyssa's voice went thin, weak. "Why do you have that?"

"The Griseous Orb has always been ours," Sanbica explained. "It's… changed hands a few times in the past three years, but it always finds its way back to us. That's why I don't mind giving it away, if momentarily.

"This is the price of the bargain my coworker has struck with Cynthia. We are to lend her one of our relics, and she is to lend us one of hers in return. She's already fulfilled her part; it's only right I do the same."

Inyssa shook her head in confusion. "You... made a deal with Cynthia? And what is a relic?"

Sanbica pointedly ignored the first question. "It is simply how we refer to certain items steeped in the power of greater beings. We are in possession of quite a number of them, though not as many as we'd like. Cynthia has a couple of them. You have one too. But that is neither here nor there," she said. "I realized I'd have to give this away if we were to prevent Giratina's emergence, but now I wonder… if there's another way. I wouldn't necessarily call it a better option, but it's one worth exploring."

Her eyes snapped up to Inyssa, startling her. Something in her recoiled at the wrongness behind those pale violets.

"Inyssa," she whispered, her voice resounding like it did that one time, during their first meeting. "Would you like to become our Eight Stigma?"

No response came from her. She couldn't even process what she'd heard until the sheer absurdity of it hit her like a hammer to the face. And yet she didn't laugh. Because this clearly wasn't a joke; because there was no humor, no jest in those dark pools of purple that were Sanbica's eyes, so deep and vast that they almost resembled the World of Distortion. She had to look away before the remnants of Uxie's powers tried to make sense of that wrongness again, hurting her in the process.

In the end, all that came out was a single word. "Why?"

"It would stop Giratina, wouldn't it? And without having to jump into the heart of nothingness," said Sanbica. "There would be no need to get Shadi out. You would–"

Inyssa shook her head, eyebrows scrunching up. "No, I–I get that. Why… why me, though?"

She was avoiding looking at Sanbica's face, but the way her posture tightened told her she'd hit a nerve. This was a question she didn't want to answer. But instead of refusing to, she decided to give as many as she could.

"Why indeed?" she whispered. "It might be easier for all of us. We might be in desperate need of an Eight Stigma. One of your possible futures might be problem for us. Our boss might have insisted we ask you. Or perhaps there's another reason. All the previous ones are truth, or they might all be lies. Does it matter? I'm giving you the choice to save the world, here and now."

That had been a great demonstration of how to speak a lot without saying anything at all, and Inyssa didn't fail to notice how unlike Sanbica that was. And yet, something in her heart stilled. A knot formed somewhere deep in her stomach, making her feel sick. Her mind felt split in two; one half considering the offer, the other denying it outright.

"What…" She licked her lips, feeling them dry and cracked. "What would happen to me if I accept?"

Sanbica leaned back slightly, a shadow of a smile forming over her pale lips.

"You already know the answer to that, Inyssa."

Then, she extended her hand toward her. As the Griseous Orb got closer to her, Inyssa heard a void inside her mind, a sound like that of a heartbeat, only reversed. A pulse of nothingness. It synced up with her own heartbeat, both sounds cancelling out, making her feel as though it had stopped beating.

Almost a minute passed in that soundless void between them. There was something… peaceful about the emptiness she felt at the object's presence. A bliss. Its whisper was a familiar one, like a song she'd heard once long ago and had since forgotten. It sounded tempting, full of promises. Rest. Sleep. Peace, at last. An end to the pain, to the heat and anger that had chased her all her life, plaguing her mind like a waking nightmare.

It was the most wonderful apathy Inyssa had ever felt.

"I…"

She raised her own hand, slowly, fingers shaking. It hovered over the object for a few moments, ever so slowly dropping toward it. Her skin was so close she felt the phantom touch against its impossible surface.

Then, she remembered something. Words Metchi had told her not long ago. Her hand pulled back, but instead of recoiling she lowered it to the side and pushed Sanbica's own hand away, giving a miniscule shake of the head.

"'My worth is not determined by how useful I can be to others'." She quoted the words, then looked up defiantly at Sanbica. "My life is worth the same as everyone else's. I'm not throwing it away, even if it's to save the world. I'll take my chances with this fight."

"Some might call that selfish."

"I think I've earned that selfishness by now," she countered. "Wouldn't you say?"

Sanbica shone her a genuine smile, the emptiness in her eyes vanishing with her next blink. She didn't look disappointed or surprised. In fact, Inyssa could've sworn she saw the briefest flash of pride in her expression. She retracted her hand, saving the Griseous Orb back in her pocket.

"I don't think anyone could dispute that," she said. "I'm… genuinely sorry for springing up a choice of such importance on you out of nowhere. I figured you wouldn't take the offer, but I–"

"You had to try," Inyssa cut her off. "I get it."

Sanbica folded her arms, her expression growing soft. "How understanding. You've changed so much since we last met. It honestly warms my heart."

Inyssa recoiled at that, eyes narrowing into slits, a faded blush forming on her cheeks. "W-why would it? It's not like you like me or something. Aren't you in a death cult or something? Aren't yourself and your little horror club the only thing you care about?"

"I care about making money, first and foremost," she corrected. "Then I care about the Institute and my coworkers. And then… although I haven't been the best at showing it, I care about my family. Hence why."

"I… what?" muttered Inyssa, shaking her head. "What are y–"

"Considering our respective mothers' possible elopement looming in the horizon, is it any wonder I would want to look out for your well-being?" said Sanbica, and only then realization dawned on Inyssa, like a bucket of cold water being dumped on her. "Should I expect you to call me 'Big sis Sanbica' from now on, hmm?"

"Oh wow… I hate that," whispered Inyssa, more frazzled than disgusted. "I hate that so much, holy shit. Never, ever say something like that again."

Sanbica placed her hand against her lips and giggled. "So put it down as a 'maybe' then?"

"I think you should leave before I vomit from the sheer disgust I feel at that suggestion."

"Fair enough I guess," Sanbica shrugged. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, and thank you for humoring me for this long. I will be… hoping for your victory, as well as your safe return," she said. "But before I go, might I offer a small piece of advice?"

Inyssa frowned. "More of your future bullshit?"

"Nothing like that," Sanbica waved it off with a hand. "It's simply a glimpse I just got. A flash amidst the dark future that looms in the horizon." She cleared her throat, then spoke. "You will come face to face with a choice soon, though it might not look like one at first. Choose the option that will let you sleep easier at night."

It didn't come as much of a surprise. Part of her wanted to roll her eyes and wave off the warning, but she figured that might come back to bite her in the ass. So instead she just gave a curt nod.

"I'll keep it in mind."

Sanbica nodded. "And with that, I will take my leave. Have–"

"W-wait."

The girl had already begun to turn around when Inyssa interrupted her. She stopped, but didn't look over her shoulder.

I'm going to kick myself later if I don't ask this.

"Just in case, to avoid any nasty surprises… do I know any more of your people?"

Sanbica's shoulders stiffened. She hesitated to answer, though only for a single moment.

"…You don't know any of the Stigma, though you've heard of one of us," she said. " Goodbye, Inyssa."

And with that she was gone, more swiftly than she probably intended, as though she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Inyssa hung back for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. The choice she'd been presented, Sanbica's warning, and…

Sister… That word hung heavy in her mind, shooting a shiver down her spine. She shook her head violently. Fuck no. My hands are already full with the one I have, no way I'm gonna accept anot–

Her Poketch rang. As she lifted her wrist, she saw that it was a message from Simone. She pressed the button and her eyes went wide at the words, a mix of fear and anticipation freezing her solid.

'our lil' starly's flwn to the nest ;3c'

'flowdn*'

'flown* fuck'