Hans Senah. The moment the man's name leaves his mouth, I grow confused. But then Aster's journal makes me connect the dots. He returned. Of course. But why come to me? That question is answered as by a pop-up. One that make me immediately get ready for a fight.

Achievement got: Old Nemesis?

Meet Hans Senah (the real one).

Reward: confusion?

Okay what the fuck? "Ah! It seems you have some knowledge of who I am." Hans gloat, caressing his white goatee. The man only has a pair of ragged pants for vestment. His skin is white, not in pale pinkish, but almost pure white, giving his white hair and goatee a silver gleam in contrast. His grey eyes are stuck on me and a cruel smile decorate his face. He look down at the dying electrike. "You gonna it that later?" He still has a weird accent, but it is less present than his older version.

Hold on eat? I look down at the electrike as well, their eyes are dilated in fear, their breath is ragged and growing weaker by the second. Blood keep spurting from their missing back leg. I feel Aster within me recoil in disgust, horror and anger. Before I can do anything, the poor light green pup head splits open, and their struggle cease. I look up to see to Hans, one of his hand held as a finger gun. "Oh come on now Aster, I had already crippled the poor thing. Better cut short its suffering."

"Monster..." I mutter, unable to stop myself.

Hans somehow hears me and gain a carnivorous smile. "Yep! I have not changed at all!" He beams, taking my word as a compliment. "But you, my oh my! You have changed, and even found a new friend! I know my echo wanted to see how much you would retain, but when I he told me what you had found, I almost tore it in half before absorbing it! A legend! You did it! You found our hope." A boisterous laughter follows, before his smile vanishes and his face gains a darker expression. "Or so I would like to believe. Who are you? What did they do to my little Asty?"

I recoil at the menace emanating from Hans. He knows far too much for a recently resurrected man. Parsing quickly through his words, I start to get it though. We never met Hans, only his memories waiting for his return. A clever trick a part of me agrees. Better than a journal maybe. "I am Astra." I finally answer him. "Borne of Aster's dying wish for freedom from Eziakophael." What the fuck am I saying? How do I... Unlocking memories with Aster's memories, got it.

Hans twitches at my answer. "Astra uh? Well kiddo..." He vanishes, and my head suddenly kisses the ground. "Welcome to the jungle."

Before I can move, something connects to my side and I go tumbling away from the man. I cough fluids from ruptured internals, and once more, Hans is already on me. "Sturdy, I like this more!" He shouts as he bring both arms down on my torso as I spin. I slam on the earth, my healed torso caving in once more.

He picks me up by the neck, slowly trying to choke me. How is he so strong? His echo must have found him right after we left the village. So How?

"You seem confused little toy. This is not my first rodeo, nor will it be my last. I always go on my own way, and when I return, I am always ready." He casually explain.

What does he have ascensions perks or something? But now is not the time. I have to do something! I bring my hands to his arm and start exerting my own strength, squeezing it as well. My calm but slightly confused expression must be amusing to Hans, as he burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh my, what a strange body this is. I should have shattered your ribcage with that last punch, you should have a concussion from my first punch and a shattered spine from my kick, yet here you are, still struggling." He squeeze his hand harder. I feel his finger press into my flesh, compressing the internal pipes and cable beneath. Shit. I tighten my grip as well, and for the first time, Hans gains a surprised expression on his face.

"Oh! Ow." He exclaims, and punches me. I feel my jawbone bend, my teeth impact with my tongue, biting a piece of. Yet I do not let go of his arm. "Alright now, let go." I keep squeezing, He punches me once more, harder. And I squeeze even harder in response. And I feel something give. His fingers loosen and I let go of his arm. With two quick dash, I put some distance between us. "Uh... you ground my bones to dust... Nice..." He turns at me and a beaming smile spread on his face. "And you took my punches! I just ground to paste medium level pokemons with my current strength, and here you are, tanking it. I really like this new body Astra!"

Well he still did a number on me. My energy is plummeting as my body repairs itself as fast as it can. I will not be able to survive much more at this rate.

"Alright, you pass. As much as I would love to test the legend as well, it seems you met with some pretty strong foes already right? If your first raid was a praetor, I can only imagine what the second was... Two? Maybe something else... Oh don't tell me! It was a draconic hunter squad! Those are sturdy and devious. No? Hum... A sorcerer? Or a thaumaturge maybe? Your legend is covered in burns and scratches... Okay I give, tell me! I am curious!"

I blink, trying to make sense of what Hans is trying to do. He just attacked me out of the blue, and now he is trying to have a nice conversation with me? "What do you want from me?"

"Well~ I could say your coins, but seeing as you are not linked to the local head honcho, I will assume you are worthless in that department. Maybe you will drop a few like monsters and mons? Oh I could try that..." Hans gains a thoughtful expression as he consider that and I brace myself. I cannot win here, but I might be able to stall long enough for the chatot to bring reinforcements. "Nah, I'm more curious about what you actually fought. Also, I saw the wound on that dragonite, where did you get a sword?"

Okay I am NOT revealing that I can craft anything in my body. "We fought a dimensional hunter and two dimensional hounds... The sword we found on the way."

Hans raises an eyebrow. "That's why you went in a cave uh? Lucky you to find a dungeon. Too bad it was only a stone one... no enchants too..." Hans sigh in disappointment, then he processes what Mewtwo and I fought. "Hold on, dimensional hounds AND a hunter? That's like, third year shit!"

I hesitate... But then remembers he knows about the Trio. I revealed it to his echo. "Yeah, that is what my sponsors told me as well. They were pretty pissed at the praetor already, and it seems it will not grow easier anytime soon."

"Ah! Our lord and savior Eziakophael, playing dirty against three gods. Who would have seen that coming, considering Marble city!" That name again. His echo mentioned it before.

"What was Marble city?" I ask, Aster's memories keep flashing hope and despair at that name.

"Marble city? Just the city that almost reinvented technology, but his holiness took offense and erased it off the map. Some say the island ruins still exist. Others that the depths of the island still hold secrets within. I went there a few years after the collapse. Nothing left but charred rocks and glassed sand." He surprisingly explains. "Kid, Aster and I have history, if you're made from what remains of him, You're still partly him, and I am the one who still has some debts to settle. You should read his journal, you'll be surprised at all he experienced. It should be missing a third of his full experience, but it'll still be good enough to familiarize with he scenery."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Technology... I can do that... Wait am I going to get instantly smitten by Eziakophael? "Is there a rule against technology? I mean... Look at me..."

"Yeah, the fact you're still standing and not dust in a crater means your gods managed to get one hell of a deal with Eziakophael. Still, I would not abuse it much." He answers, amused.

Although that might explain the raids. Absurdly advanced ones to get rid of me as fast as possible. I will need to grow, and grow fast. Once more this is reasserted. I need more power and I need it fast. "So what now?"

"What, no more question to your senior?" Hans gives a hearty chuckle look behind his shoulder for a second. "Then we resume!"

Before he can jump forward, thorny vines sprout from beneath his feet and ensnare him. Then a beam of light pierce his prison. His smile do not falter even as blood seep between his teeth. "Oh heya your highness." He gurgles out. throwing his head backward.

In the distance, a blob of orange and green is approaching rapidly. Little suns seems to orbit the being. Another shout out, turning into another lance of sunlight. This time, Hans screams when the lance pierces him. However, a side effect of blasting Hans' prison reveals itself. With quick struggles, Hans rip apart the vines and falls down. "Well it was fun catching up new Aster, we'll meet again." He cough out, he prepare to dash away before stopping, giving me one last look. "Condolences for Hound, I liked that pup." And with those last words, he is gone. Another beam chases after him, but I cannot see if it connected.

I am left alone and dumbfounded. What was Hans' goal? Why did he come to see me? Just to punch me a few time and then go? He knew I might drop nothing, yet he came anyway. He even told me more than I though he would. What was the point?

Before I can ponder the last few minutes however, the approaching pokemon reaches me. The distant blob has resolved into a frail plant mermaid. That is the best way I can explain what I see. The lower faded green body is like a fish tail, with the end replaced by leaf like growth sprouting upward. Above the waist of the pokemon, two black diamond shapes cover her chest. Above them is alabaster skin, with two thin arms ending in three fingered hands. A large and voluminous collar of faded orange flower conceals the pokemon's neck and surround her head. Her face is round, with a pointy upturned nose, long faded green eyebrows droop from the being black eyes along two teardrop shaped ears. Her face is wrinkled, a lot. Her eyes are sunken, and the sneer that mar her face accentuates it all.

Pathetic worm! Run! Thou art too weak to be even a warm up!

The imperious psychic tone echoes all around me. It feels so different than Mewtwo's targeted way of psychic communication. Before I can say anything, the chatot land on my head and sings to his mistress. "This one! This one!"

I blink as the focus of the florges shift to only me. Her haughty expression is quite telling. I swallow. "Greetings, I am Astra. I was sent here with my friend Mewtwo, to meet with a member of Aster Stradivii team. A pokemon nicknamed Princess." And then Hans words as he was caught echo in my head. 'Heya your highness' Oh shit this is her.

Just to confirm my late realization, the system decides that now is a good time for an achievement.

Achievement got: Her royal highness

Meet Princess, the most shy member of Aster's team.

Reward: 20xp, 1 Exp. Candy S

Thanks system. A minute earlier would have been better.

Princess looks at me up and down. her expression flickering in recognition at some time but mostly disgust. Thou dare utter mine liege name? Who art thou to speak so casually of someone so grand?

"I..." Oh she is going to kill me the moment I utter my next sentence is she not? "I am his... Aster's death lead to my creation." Yeah okay that might be passable...

I feel the chatot tense, and he swiftly take flight. Oh shit. The florges towers above me, floating higher as her expression turns to hatred. So thou art the reason mine liege has yet to return? Dost he above think this funny? Dost he enjoy our suffering so? Then what shall he do, should we cut his amusement short?

A slithering sound make me look down. Without me realizing, Princess has been slowly growing vines around my legs, and I am now trapped in knots of plant matter. "Wait! I was not made by Eziakophael! there are new gods in play! They made me." I try to quickly explain.

Princess' ire does not diminish. Instead, the sound if slithering vines is joined by a new one: metal bending under pressure. Shit! A quick look my energy reserves have me almost go into panic. I am almost out! It is only a matter of seconds before the alert pop-up returns and most of my systems shut down. I bring my left arm up, trying to access what remains of our food reserves. a vine shoot up and immobilizes it. No! "No, please! I am about to shut down!"

The florges haughty expression is back, and she simply judges me. If thou claims to be our liege inheritor, then show us proof of such fact.

Proof? What proof could I show her make her believe me. I have barely any time left. Think!

I quickly summon my inventory, trying to go through it with my eyes only. What do I have? Wait! The journal!

In desperation, I take Aster's journal out. In the flash of blue pixels, it manifest within my left hand, and I barely manage to catch it before it drops down. "Here! This is Aster's journal. The village head priest gave it to me after Hound, Aster's mightyena recognized me!"

Princess actually recoils a bit at my show and almost releases my arm. Her haughty expression turns distraught as she shakily reaches for the journal. I orient it her way, and let her take it. She grabs it reverently and gently opens it. She stares at the content for a few seconds, and a single tears falls along her cheek. That is indeed our liege's journal... If Hound acknowledged thee, then... thou art our liege reborn. Her expression turns to disgust once more as she continues. Yet thou feel so disgustingly different to our liege warmth. What have these vermin above done to thee?

The vines finally release me, and I waste no time. Of our almost two weeks of food, barely anything remains. I quickly take out one of the remaining sandwich and gobble it. A couple others receive the same treatment until my energy expenditure seems to slow. Princess eye me with both suspicion and awe at my display. "Thank you." I sigh contently.

If thou art done stuffing thyself like a starving munchlax, answer our question. What happened? And where is the great Hound?

I freeze. "Hound... Hound has died. He passed in my arm when I finally met him." I answer somberly. Remembering the moment almost bring back tears to my eyes.

Princess brings both arms to her mouth on shock. Oh no. Her thoughs are a whisper as she falls down. Not another one. Tears falls down her cheeks and I stand above her awkwardly. I let the florges cry out.

Once she calms down, I say something that I might regret, but she has the right to know. "I believe my sponsors recovered his soul. I do not know if pokemons get sent to Eziakophael on death like the humans, but if that's the case, then know that he might be safe." I hope what I saw in the flames is what it meant. I had a bit of time to think about it and I still do not understand why the Trio would recover his soul.

The florges' tears dry out and fury return to her face. Thou dare imply false legends have claimed his soul? THOU DARE SAY THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING? TO ME? DOST THOU NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WE ALREADY LOST BECAUSE OF THE DARK ONE?

I recoil at the volume of the mental message. "They are different!"

DIFFERENT HOW? WHAT DOST THOU KNOW OF THEM? OF THEIR PLANS AND PLOYS? THOU ART BUT A PLAYTHING ART THOU NOT? BLINDLY FOLLOWING WORDS FROM BEING THOU HAVE NEVER MET OR EVEN SEEN!

"I HAVE MET THEM!" I counter.

This takes her aback. Really now? Thou have? Then what lies did they feed thee? Her thoughs slice in my head like vicious blades

"They saved me from Eziakophael. I should have died before meeting hound, but they saved me, argued for me to keep existing. Then they sent an apology. They wish for me and Mewtwo to succeed where Aster failed. They took him as he died so even in death, he could still fulfill his dream. Escaping this place with you all!" I shout out. "If I am a plaything, it is to Aster more than anyone else. The Trio is just along for the ride for the possibility of sticking it to Eziakophael."

Princess hoovers above me. I hold her judging look, daring her to prove me wrong right now. After a dozen seconds, she deflates. Were we not enough? Why would our liege make a deal with such dangerous beings?

I remain silent, and I can feel Aster breaking up at such declaration. "If it can confort you, a part of him is still in me, and he weeps at what he had to do. He had no choice left. His last death was to be the final one."

Horror spreads across Princess visage. No... she psychically whispers. Then thou art the same? A single life to accomplish the impossible?

"Yes," I answer softly. "But I am not alone."

Just as I say those words, a new voice joins us. Urgh, that must have been the worst nap of my sort existence.