We fall, they fall. The world turns into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. And we scream, And they scream. For what reveals itself beneath our feet, beneath their feet, is an endless tunnel, its walls pulsing with a frequency akin to a heartbeat. Colors bleed into one another, forming absurd and impossible shapes. Impossible smell assault their nose. Impossible tastes violate their tongue, and in their ears, a melody echoes. Electronic tones and distorsions forming in an ethereal and dreamlike lullaby.

A beat, and our fall accelerate, and their fall accelerate. The scenery shift abruptly. Faces, hundreds, millions, innumerable. All different, all screaming. All echoing the melody. Their words might be in a million language but only the melody echoes. Yet the words reach our ears. Screeches, blabbers, non-sensical syllables we hear them in conjonction to the melody, they hear their pleas. The faces range from humans to aliens, and on their skin, as we pass, as they pass, eyes open, smiling and looking.

I look at one. And it looks back, and I look back. And within is an eye. And within is an eye. And within is an eye. And within is an eye.

Endless. I fall. He falls. Deep into the pupil, into another, and another, and another. I was with someone. He falls alone. Where is this? Where are you?

Deeper. Deeper. Deeper.

Higher. Higher. Higher.

Lie down and rest.

And his back touches the watery surface. And his eyes jolt awake.

And before them I stand. -o0o

o0o- I watch as they slowly right themselves. They behold me, and recoil, as all should before me. But let us see what they see, shall we? -o0o

I jolt awake, not remembering falling asleep. Above me is chaos, for there is no other terms for it. Stygian blue, against chromatic purple, bleeding orange devouring dark white. A millions hues shifting in constant war for a second of existence. And within, shapes are formed and vanish each seconds. Faces, eyes, arms. I cannot tell where one begins and one ends. A single blink, and the sky rearranges. And the sky does not end.

As I look around, I find Mewtwo. And I look down, and look on, and on, and on. And return to the sky. Where does the sky end? Is it a sky? Or is the ground infinite. What we stand upon is the same as what is above, but here we can feel its texture. Watery, yet solid. my feet sink into the watery surface, yet never enough to be submerged, every movements send ripples that endlessly expand. Each ripples cause the color to shift faster, and I feel my head start to pound.

"You okay?" My voice echoes, and seems to distort, as if talking underwater.

"Yeah." Mewtwo's thoughs turn into sound, and his gruff tone surprises both me and him.

"What?" Mewtwo tries again, only for him to speak once more.

o0o- Difficult to talk with one's mind in the realm of one's soul. -o0o

We both jump at the voice. Memories of the fall start to returns to me and my head begins to hurt even more. It seems Mewtwo is also experiencing a similar experience. We get closer to each other. Readying for whatever may come, and behold Him . And we stumble back. A few meters away from us, at the epicenter of every color, is desiccated human corpse. How did we miss it when we first look around?

The corpse is seated in a lotus position, and still we can see he towers above us both. The grey flesh that covers him appears dry like parchment. A toga, half eaten by moths and time is the only vestment he possesses. Part of the broken garnement flutter behind him in a non existent breeze, looking almost like extra arms. Black strands of hair litters its wrinkled scalp. And above his hollow mouth, above his small nose, stand closed eyes. Three of them. Two horizontal and a vertical upon his brow.

We both know what we are looking at, and we both take a step back.

o0o- Wise -o0o

I swallow, and I can see Mewtwo take a step back, his arms and legs shaking. He is afraid, and so am I, locked in place by the voice and the body before me.

"We- We have questions!" Mewtwo manages to barks, His bravado is commendable, and the low echoing laugh tears through the melody surrounding us.

o0o- So eager. Yet... -o0o

A crack appears along the third vertical eye on the god's body. Dark red light start to pour from within.

o0o- ... You do not know... o0o

The crack widens. Thin fingers, grey as the corpse yet somehow fleshier appear along it. Black nails scrape against the flesh, and soon find purchase. And pull.

o0o- ...What your task is. o0o

The dead giant collapses upon itself. Its flesh liquefies into a dark puddle. Mewtwo take a step back, his eyes reduced to pinprick by terror. And I look on fascinated. A hand, white as a sheet, thinner than can be healthy, extracts itself from the puddle, followed by another, and another, and another. Arms almost flat follow the hands, bending as if no bone inhabit them. They arc and seem to become rigid in an effort to haul something from the black waters. The dark color slowly tints the rainbow beneath our feet, and thin red lines flow like fish along the black. I take a reflexive step back, and Mewtwo attempts to float. He fails, only managing to jump a few centimeters from the watery ground, splashing colors as he falls back. And the black overtake us, and slowly overtake the rest of the room.

The black water rises along whatever the arms are pulling up, and once the entire background is painted in black, the water recedes. And the red lines open, a million eyes focusing everywhere and nowhere.

And he is revealed. Chaos.

The first impression is that his form is a shell only made to contain him. The three eyes are what captures our attention, your attention, their attention. They draw you. They draw them. They draw us like a magnet. One cannot discern any facial features, only the eyes, within the eyes, within the eyes, within the eyes-

Chaos closes his eyes, the charm breaks. All around us, some of the eyes observes us while others are drawn to Chaos's current forms. So many eyes? I cannot count them all. Neither can Mewtwo.

With his eyes closed, Chaos current form looks like a regular man, with a white toga, and four extra arms, possibly made of fabric. He appears young, maybe like a man in his mdi-twenties. His face is thin, yet kind.

He slowly claps, each pair doing so, the sound almost too clear and unreal, scattering the melody for seconds, yet the melody remains, reasserting itself after each claps.

o0o- First of all, congratulation. As the adage fully says: Curiosity killed the cat, But satisfaction brought him back. - o0o

He laugh, as if this sentence was some sort of joke.

o0o- Second. -o0o He looks upward. o0o- Suck it lovebirds! First official trial is mine! -o0o

He laugh again, devolving from boisterous to histerical until he abrutply stops.

He barely opens his eyes. and look at us, through us. He looks.

o0o- Now, for this little trial of mine. You have already completed it. So good job. -o0o He offers us a thumbs up, before continuing. o0o- The entire point was to force you to challenge the rules established. Never accept anything at face value. Never. Always seek the loopholes, the forgotten paths. Always look for another way. It may not work for everything, but here? Here you will find plenty of opportunities to abuse our system. We may have made it seemingly foolproof on the surface, but backdoors hide behind every corners. Look for them, and your future will become easier. -o0o

He closes his eyes somehow even more and smile at us. And it is almost worse than looking at his eyes. Teeth whiter than snow fill his mouth far too numerously. And the smile, it feels like it keeps going, and going, and going. And he stops. And the charm is broken.

o0o- Now for the questions, You are supposed to only get one each, and you will get them. But I am Chaos, so how about we throw the rules into entropy for a few moments and play a little game? I will let you ask more than two questions, but there will be a price. For each extra questions, I will reveal more of myself. Ask too much, and you will be reduced to gibbering mindless creatures, and I will gladly devour you broken souls. Ask too little, and you miss a rare opportunity. The choice is yours. Make your decisions carefully. -o0o

i look at Mewtwo, Mewtwo looks at me. Do we take the risk? Do we just stick with the two questions?

"What if we overstrech ourselves?" I ask him.

"I think he already saw us a fraction of himself during our arrival here. It was similar to looking at the Sanctuary barrier. We should take the risk. What we experience might be useful for later." Mewtwo's stare is determined. I nod, trusting him, and we turn to Chaos.

We agree with the terms."

o0o- Good, then ask your questions. First ones from each of you are free, then the game begins. Ask away now! -o0o

"Why are you not facing Eziakophael yourselves?!" Mewtwo barks, his sudden aggressivness surprises me, and make Chaos cackle in delight. "Clearly you are powerful enough to do so!"

o0o- Ah-ah-ah. Good question. Especially for you to ask that to me! You can see more than your little mechanical friend right? Yes, I can see it. You can see the veil that obscures me... for now. Why are we not going against Eziakophael ourselves? Well... Because we do not need to. We have you for that, and your victory will be all the sweeter when you utterly humiliate this would be god. A mere fateless like him playing creator? He barely has the imagination or the power to do so. Pfah! -o0o Chaos spits in utter disgust, his saliva dissolving into strange fumes as it hit the water surface.

They... They just don't think he is a worthy adversary? Then... Why even place a bet in the first place?

o0o- Don't go claim that everywhere you go though, there is a reason we are making ourselves smaller than we are to him. There is more at stake than a simple bet, but that will be another question~ -o0o

What? The more Chaos talks, the more questions appear on my mind, and I can see Mewtwo working overtime in trying to make sense of what the god is saying.

o0o- Now Astra, your question. then we can start the game! -o0o Chaos voice is sickeningly sweet.

"What will happen to us once we complete the quests?" I ask, looking straight at the god's face.

Chaos mouth forms a O, before he start chuckling. Ripples run from him they turns into a dark rumbling laughter. o0o- Scared of the future are you? Oh yes, I can see it. We made such a good choice with you! -o0o He keeps on laughting.

Good choice? But that goes against Knowledge's answer. Weren't we just convenient?

o0o- When you reach the end of the quests, when the marble is made, a choice will be given. Each -o0o He starts pointing at me o0o- And -o0o then at Mewtwo o0o- everyone -o0o Then at me again o0o- Of you -o0o Two fingers at Mewtwo o0o- Will have a chance to choose, so shall your future be decided. It is far too early to tell you what these choices will be, so do not waste a question asking for clarifications. I will only say this, we are not cruel. There will be a path where all shall find their needs met. -o0o

He claps, the eyes along the endless surface blinking together at the gesture. o0o- And now commences the game. Ooooo come on! Extra questions time! Ask them while you can, who knows how long that will be? -o0o A predatory smile adorns his face.

I look at Mewtwo, but he is already asking his question. "Why us? Why Aster and his two dead companions?" He scream at Chaos, swiping at the air in anger, one fist closed. "Is it really because we were convenient?" He must have caught Chaos little comment as well.

o0o- Oooh a repeat for the first question. Do you agree with that Astra? This could be a waste. -o0o He smile at me, looking straight at me through his closed eyelids. I do not need to see his eyes to feel his gaze.

"Yes. I am curious as well."

o0o- Ah! You know, I get it. My brother can be so cold sometime. 'You were convenient', ah!.-o0o He laugh for a second before taking a more serioux face o0o-While it is true that both Aster's death as well his two companions, Master and Paladin, were convenient, there was more.-o0o He swipes his hand and landmasses rise above and around us, a representation of the Ezian plane forms before us. o0o- We scoured the Ezian planes to find one, or maybe multiple worthy humans to sponsor. That was the basis of the bet: choose among those upon my domain, give them one gift from each of you, and see as they fail to ever rise. So we searched. We saw countless deaths, as is customary in this little universe, but saw little in term of potential.-o0o The plains and forests and mountains and seas all passes around and above and within us, then stop. A single human stand surrounded by pokemons o0o- Until we found Aster. The most accomplished trainer on the Ezian planes, considered the founder of the trainer path. And quite the thorn on little Ezia's side. So we observed him. A brillant man, he made Knowledge reminisce on the past, Hunt loved the way he treated every members of his team, and I enjoy a someone who challenges what is considered as the norm and actually overcome. So we observed, we whispered on each of his deaths, and when the time came for him to die for the last, time, we struck. Oh Ezia was livid, beyond livid even. Yet, the bet had been cast. We chose, and there was nothing he could do. He never told us to stick to humans, so the juicy souls of century old pokemons went directly into your creation Mewtwo. Three gifts, and a fourth one from our combined might. Knowledge gave you well, knowledge, and endless well of it for you to know all that would surround you. Hunt made your body Mewtwo, and I helped make sure the souls that would go within would remain there. New beings from ancient ones. Recycle people, it's good for the ecosystem. And we gave you both the system, with a slight nudge for Mewtwo to join you as fast as possible. So here, does that answer sattisfies your question better than Knowledge cold one? -o0o

An eye opens within each of the eyes on the realm. A slight pounding, almost in perfect synchronicity to the song still echoing, start to build within both Mewtwo's head and mine.

The answer seems to have washed off some of Mewtwo's anger. What do we ask now? There is so much we want to know, but what is important right now?

Mewtwo looks at me, also unsure as to what to ask next. Then eh remembers something.

"What was it I saw? During the first night? What was that egg?"

Chaos mimics opening his eyes wide without lifting a single eyelid. o0o- Good memory, did not think you remembered that. And... Spoiler~ -o0o Chaos answers in a sing-song voice.

"What? but you said we could ask more questions!"

o0o- True, but I never said I would answer them. I'm sure you'll figure it out some day! -o0o His lips part, and remain so. The pounding grows louder, the song grows louder.

"What about the levels? And my upgrades? What about Mewtwo's locked abilities?"

o0o- You haven't figured these ones out yet? -o0o Chaos cocks his head to the side. o0o- Meh, give me your best guesses, I'll tell you how close you are to the truth. -o0o

"There is no limits. Pokemons can grow beyond what is normal in Aster's world. It's the only way for them to compete against the ever strenghting humans." I say for the levels.

o0o- Eehhh... Close but not quite... What of your levels, Astra? And for Mewtwo's locks? -o0o

"It... it has to do with Aster's world?" Mewtwo guesses first. "It has to be something like that. He said pokemons grew in strength and abilities with each levels they took in his world, if what he remembered is correct."

o0o- ding! Ding! Ding! Ten point for you! Useless at this stage, but hey, maybe they'll clutch a level down the line! Astra?-o0o

"My... abilities... I am not gaining them am I? I am simply... removing limiters?" That somehow felt right. "I already have the abilities, they are just locked for some reasons."

o0o- And that is another good answer from our duo. You also gain ten points. Indeed you are right. We had to make you weaker than your body should be and each points gets you closer to your baseline strenght. once you reach it, that will be where the fun will begin. -o0o

Another eye opens within the previous ones. An eye within an eye within an eye. All look at us, ever deeper, within us.

o0o- Next question? -o0o

What now? What could be useful and not something we may learn ourselves? What is our biggest roadblock right now?

"The raids?" Mewtwo suggests.

"The raids..." I let the word echoes within my head, the pounding is making it hard to think straight at moments. the music is pulsing harsher with each pounds.

"Can we stop the raids?"

o0o- Nope. Next quesiton. -o0o Chaos's smile deepens.

My vision swims. I taste banana and molten plastic in my mouth. How do I even know that taste?

o0o- Is that a question? -o0o

Did I say that out loud? No, focus!

Mewtwo has slumped on a knee, yet still he looks defiantly at Chaos. His teeth bared and grinding against each others.

"Is the Sanctuary really safe?" I do not realize I have spoken. No, this was not my voice. I turn, and next to me stands a man I have never met, yet am familiar with. Short hair, unkempt beard, tattered clothes, Aster Stradivii looks tired, yet his eyes are alert as he looks at the god before him.

o0o- Oh my, I must have cranked up the juice a bit much if you are showing yourself my dear Aster. With the selection, they made? Yes, it is as safe as it can be. Your little princess aura is powerful enough to ward the more banal threats that should be able to appear within the forest. You have succeeded in one of your goals. Even if the achievement is postmortem. -o0o

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Chaos's eyes open slightly, bathing us in their dark red glow. Aster vanishes in wisps of smoke, Mewtwo and I fall on our belly, yet still we try to keep eye contact with Chaos. Chaos slowly approaches us, stalking toward us on his four extra arms. Once he reaches us, he lowers himself to us. o0o- Anymore questions? Or are you done? -o0o

Each words ring like a glass bell. Saliva I did not know I have pool like oil on water around my mouth. I somehow know Mewtwo is in the same state as me.

"One... final... question." I articulate. Mewtwo articulates.

"Can

"We

"Succeed?

o0o- I don't see the future, but heed my brother's and sister-in-law's advices. Grow, and grow fast. Master yourselves more than you already have. For a supposed impossible run, you have done far better than little Ezia expected. -o0o Chaos smiles widely, opening his eyes in full.

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Ground.

Dirt

Moss

I

They

You

Grass.

Grass and dirt.

Eyes no longer. Reality. No longer unreality. No longer...

I hurl the content of my stocmach on the dirt. Rainbow fluids mix with silver grainy liquid and reddish-pink water. What? What happened. The sound of vomiting on my left signals Mewtwo's awakening.

Trial of Chaos: Challenge what you know.

Try to access this trial.

That's it.

Also, you held longer than I expected. Good job, keep honing that skill, you'll need it later.

Also also, don't worry about any church of the elysian you may or may not see pop up around. It's not important.

Reward: 10 experience point to Mewtwo, 10 points for Astra, A strange sense of disorientation, the taste of molten plastic and banana.

See you later kiddos!

I can only watch in utter disbelief at the little window before me. It is not even a achievement, it is just the description of the first trial of Chaos. that's it.

I hear Mewtwo grown and look to see him curl into a ball holding his head. Yeah... Yeah... Ouch. A couple more windows clog my vision, but I close my eyes for a moment. The melody still rings within my head.

We fall, they fall. The world turns into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. And we scream, And they scream. For what reveals itself beneath our feet, beneath their feet, is an endless tunnel, its walls pulsing with a frequency akin to a heartbeat. Colors bleed into one another, forming absurd and impossible shapes. Impossible smell assault their nose. Impossible tastes violate their tongue, and in their ears, a melody echoes. Electronic tones and distorsions forming in an ethereal and dreamlike lullaby.

A beat, and our fall accelerate, and their fall accelerate. The scenery shift abruptly. Faces, hundreds, millions, innumerable. All different, all screaming. All echoing the melody. Their words might be in a million language but only the melody echoes. Yet the words reach our ears. Screeches, blabbers, non-sensical syllables we hear them in conjonction to the melody, they hear their pleas. The faces range from humans to aliens, and on their skin, as we pass, as they pass, eyes open, smiling and looking.

I look at one. And it looks back, and I look back. And within is an eye. And within is an eye. And within is an eye. And within is an eye.

Endless. I fall. He falls. Deep into the pupil, into another, and another, and another. I was with someone. He falls alone. Where is this? Where are you?

Deeper. Deeper. Deeper.

Higher. Higher. Higher.

Lie down and rest.

And his back touches the watery surface. And his eyes jolt awake.

And before them I stand. -o0o

o0o- I watch as they slowly right themselves. They behold me, and recoil, as all should before me. But let us see what they see, shall we? -o0o

I jolt awake, not remembering falling asleep. Above me is chaos, for there is no other terms for it. Stygian blue, against chromatic purple, bleeding orange devouring dark white. A millions hues shifting in constant war for a second of existence. And within, shapes are formed and vanish each seconds. Faces, eyes, arms. I cannot tell where one begins and one ends. A single blink, and the sky rearranges. And the sky does not end.

As I look around, I find Mewtwo. And I look down, and look on, and on, and on. And return to the sky. Where does the sky end? Is it a sky? Or is the ground infinite. What we stand upon is the same as what is above, but here we can feel its texture. Watery, yet solid. my feet sink into the watery surface, yet never enough to be submerged, every movements send ripples that endlessly expand. Each ripples cause the color to shift faster, and I feel my head start to pound.

"You okay?" My voice echoes, and seems to distort, as if talking underwater.

"Yeah." Mewtwo's thoughs turn into sound, and his gruff tone surprises both me and him.

"What?" Mewtwo tries again, only for him to speak once more.

o0o- Difficult to talk with one's mind in the realm of one's soul. -o0o

We both jump at the voice. Memories of the fall start to returns to me and my head begins to hurt even more. It seems Mewtwo is also experiencing a similar experience. We get closer to each other. Readying for whatever may come, and behold Him . And we stumble back. A few meters away from us, at the epicenter of every color, is desiccated human corpse. How did we miss it when we first look around?

The corpse is seated in a lotus position, and still we can see he towers above us both. The grey flesh that covers him appears dry like parchment. A toga, half eaten by moths and time is the only vestment he possesses. Part of the broken garnement flutter behind him in a non existent breeze, looking almost like extra arms. Black strands of hair litters its wrinkled scalp. And above his hollow mouth, above his small nose, stand closed eyes. Three of them. Two horizontal and a vertical upon his brow.

We both know what we are looking at, and we both take a step back.

o0o- Wise -o0o

I swallow, and I can see Mewtwo take a step back, his arms and legs shaking. He is afraid, and so am I, locked in place by the voice and the body before me.

"We- We have questions!" Mewtwo manages to barks, His bravado is commendable, and the low echoing laugh tears through the melody surrounding us.

o0o- So eager. Yet... -o0o

A crack appears along the third vertical eye on the god's body. Dark red light start to pour from within.

o0o- ... You do not know... o0o

The crack widens. Thin fingers, grey as the corpse yet somehow fleshier appear along it. Black nails scrape against the flesh, and soon find purchase. And pull.

o0o- What your task is. o0o

The dead giant collapses upon itself. Its flesh liquefies into a dark puddle. Mewtwo take a step back, his eyes reduced to pinprick by terror. And I look on fascinated. A hand, white as a sheet, thinner than can be healthy, extracts itself from the puddle, followed by another, and another, and another. Arms almost flat follow the hands, bending as if no bone inhabit them. They arc and seem to become rigid in an effort to haul something from the black waters. The dark color slowly tints the rainbow beneath our feet, and thin red lines flow like fish along the black. I take a reflexive step back, and Mewtwo attempts to float. He fails, only managing to jump a few centimeters from the watery ground, splashing colors as he falls back. And the black overtake us, and slowly overtake the rest of the room.

The black water rises along whatever the arms are pulling up, and once the entire background is painted in black, the water recedes. And the red lines open, a million eyes focusing everywhere and nowhere.

And he is revealed. Chaos.

The first impression is that his form is a shell only made to contain him. The three eyes are what captures our attention, your attention, their attention. They draw you. They draw them. They draw us like a magnet. One cannot discern any facial features, only the eyes, within the eyes, within the eyes, within the eyes-

Chaos closes his eyes, the charm breaks. All around us, some of the eyes observes us while others are drawn to Chaos's current forms. So many eyes? I cannot count them all. Neither can Mewtwo.

With his eyes closed, Chaos current form looks like a regular man, with a white toga, and four extra arms, possibly made of fabric. He appears young, maybe like a man in his mdi-twenties. His face is thin, yet kind.

He slowly claps, each pair doing so, the sound almost too clear and unreal, scattering the melody for seconds, yet the melody remains, reasserting itself after each claps.

o0o- First of all, congratulation. As the adage fully says: Curiosity killed the cat, But satisfaction brought him back. - o0o

He laugh, as if this sentence was some sort of joke.

o0o- Second. -o0o He looks upward. o0o- Suck it lovebirds! First official trial is mine! -o0o

He laugh again, devolving from boisterous to histerical until he abrutply stops.

He barely opens his eyes. and look at us, through us. He looks.

o0o- Now, for this little trial of mine. You have already completed it. So good job. -o0o He offers us a thumbs up, before continuing. o0o- The entire point was to force you to challenge the rules established. Never accept anything at face value. Never. Always seek the loopholes, the forgotten paths. Always look for another way. It may not work for everything, but here? Here you will find plenty of opportunities to abuse our system. We may have made it seemingly foolproof on the surface, but backdoors hide behind every corners. Look for them, and your future will become easier. -o0o

He closes his eyes somehow even more and smile at us. And it is almost worse than looking at his eyes. Teeth whiter than snow fill his mouth far too numerously. And the smile, it feels like it keeps going, and going, and going. And he stops. And the charm is broken.

o0o- Now for the questions, You are supposed to only get one each, and you will get them. But I am Chaos, so how about we throw the rules into entropy for a few moments and play a little game? I will let you ask more than two questions, but there will be a price. For each extra questions, I will reveal more of myself. Ask too much, and you will be reduced to gibbering mindless creatures, and I will gladly devour you broken souls. Ask too little, and you miss a rare opportunity. The choice is yours. Make your decisions carefully. -o0o

i look at Mewtwo, Mewtwo looks at me. Do we take the risk? Do we just stick with the two questions?

"What if we overstrech ourselves?" I ask him.

"I think he already saw us a fraction of himself during our arrival here. It was similar to looking at the Sanctuary barrier. We should take the risk. What we experience might be useful for later." Mewtwo's stare is determined. I nod, trusting him, and we turn to Chaos.

We agree with the terms."

o0o- Good, then ask your questions. First ones from each of you are free, then the game begins. Ask away now! -o0o

"Why are you not facing Eziakophael yourselves?!" Mewtwo barks, his sudden aggressivness surprises me, and make Chaos cackle in delight. "Clearly you are powerful enough to do so!"

o0o- Ah-ah-ah. Good question. Especially for you to ask that to me! You can see more than your little mechanical friend right? Yes, I can see it. You can see the veil that obscures me... for now. Why are we not going against Eziakophael ourselves? Well... Because we do not need to. We have you for that, and your victory will be all the sweeter when you utterly humiliate this would be god. A mere fateless like him playing creator? He barely has the imagination or the power to do so. Pfah! -o0o Chaos spits in utter disgust, his saliva dissolving into strange fumes as it hit the water surface.

They... They just don't think he is a worthy adversary? Then... Why even place a bet in the first place?

o0o- Don't go claim that everywhere you go though, there is a reason we are making ourselves smaller than we are to him. There is more at stake than a simple bet, but that will be another question~ -o0o

What? The more Chaos talks, the more questions appear on my mind, and I can see Mewtwo working overtime in trying to make sense of what the god is saying.

o0o- Now Astra, your question. then we can start the game! -o0o Chaos voice is sickeningly sweet.

"What will happen to us once we complete the quests?" I ask, looking straight at the god's face.

Chaos mouth forms a O, before he start chuckling. Ripples run from him they turns into a dark rumbling laughter. o0o- Scared of the future are you? Oh yes, I can see it. We made such a good choice with you! -o0o He keeps on laughting.

Good choice? But that goes against Knowledge's answer. Weren't we just convenient?

o0o- When you reach the end of the quests, when the marble is made, a choice will be given. Each -o0o He starts pointing at me o0o- And -o0o then at Mewtwo o0o- everyone -o0o Then at me again o0o- Of you -o0o Two fingers at Mewtwo o0o- Will have a chance to choose, so shall your future be decided. It is far too early to tell you what these choices will be, so do not waste a question asking for clarifications. I will only say this, we are not cruel. There will be a path where all shall find their needs met. -o0o

He claps, the eyes along the endless surface blinking together at the gesture. o0o- And now commences the game. Ooooo come on! Extra questions time! Ask them while you can, who knows how long that will be? -o0o A predatory smile adorns his face.

I look at Mewtwo, but he is already asking his question. "Why us? Why Aster and his two dead companions?" He scream at Chaos, swiping at the air in anger, one fist closed. "Is it really because we were convenient?" He must have caught Chaos little comment as well.

o0o- Oooh a repeat for the first question. Do you agree with that Astra? This could be a waste. -o0o He smile at me, looking straight at me through his closed eyelids. I do not need to see his eyes to feel his gaze.

"Yes. I am curious as well."

o0o- Ah! You know, I get it. My brother can be so cold sometime. 'You were convenient', ah!.-o0o He laugh for a second before taking a more serioux face o0o-While it is true that both Aster's death as well his two companions, Master and Paladin, were convenient, there was more.-o0o He swipes his hand and landmasses rise above and around us, a representation of the Ezian plane forms before us. o0o- We scoured the Ezian planes to find one, or maybe multiple worthy humans to sponsor. That was the basis of the bet: choose among those upon my domain, give them one gift from each of you, and see as they fail to ever rise. So we searched. We saw countless deaths, as is customary in this little universe, but saw little in term of potential.-o0o The plains and forests and mountains and seas all passes around and above and within us, then stop. A single human stand surrounded by pokemons o0o- Until we found Aster. The most accomplished trainer on the Ezian planes, considered the founder of the trainer path. And quite the thorn on little Ezia's side. So we observed him. A brillant man, he made Knowledge reminisce on the past, Hunt loved the way he treated every members of his team, and I enjoy a someone who challenges what is considered as the norm and actually overcome. So we observed, we whispered on each of his deaths, and when the time came for him to die for the last, time, we struck. Oh Ezia was livid, beyond livid even. Yet, the bet had been cast. We chose, and there was nothing he could do. He never told us to stick to humans, so the juicy souls of century old pokemons went directly into your creation Mewtwo. Three gifts, and a fourth one from our combined might. Knowledge gave you well, knowledge, and endless well of it for you to know all that would surround you. Hunt made your body Mewtwo, and I helped make sure the souls that would go within would remain there. New beings from ancient ones. Recycle people, it's good for the ecosystem. And we gave you both the system, with a slight nudge for Mewtwo to join you as fast as possible. So here, does that answer sattisfies your question better than Knowledge cold one? -o0o

An eye opens within each of the eyes on the realm. A slight pounding, almost in perfect synchronicity to the song still echoing, start to build within both Mewtwo's head and mine.

The answer seems to have washed off some of Mewtwo's anger. What do we ask now? There is so much we want to know, but what is important right now?

Mewtwo looks at me, also unsure as to what to ask next. Then eh remembers something.

"What was it I saw? During the first night? What was that egg?"

Chaos mimics opening his eyes wide without lifting a single eyelid. o0o- Good memory, did not think you remembered that. And... Spoiler~ -o0o Chaos answers in a sing-song voice.

"What? but you said we could ask more questions!"

o0o- True, but I never said I would answer them. I'm sure you'll figure it out some day! -o0o His lips part, and remain so. The pounding grows louder, the song grows louder.

"What about the levels? And my upgrades? What about Mewtwo's blocked abilities?"

o0o- You haven't figured these ones out yet? -o0o Chaos cocks his head to the side. o0o- Meh, give me your best guesses, I'll tell you how close you are to the truth. -o0o

"There is no limits. Pokemons can grow beyond what is normal in Aster's world. It's the only way for them to compete against the ever strenghting humans." I say for the levels.

o0o- Eehhh... Close but not quite... What of your levels, Astra? And for Mewtwo's locks? -o0o

"It... it has to do with Aster's world?" Mewtwo guesses first. "It has to be something like that. He said pokemons grew in strength and abilities with each levels they took in his world, if what he remembered is correct."

o0o- ding! Ding! Ding! Ten point for you! Useless at this stage, but hey, maybe they'll clutch a level down the line! Astra?-o0o

"My... abilities... I am not gaining them am I? I am simply... removing limiters?" That somehow felt right. "I already have the abilities, they are just locked for some reasons."

o0o- And that is another good answer from our duo. You also gain ten points. Indeed you are right. We had to make you weaker than your body should be and each points gets you closer to your baseline strenght. once you reach it, that will be where the fun will begin. -o0o

Another eye opens within the previous ones. An eye within an eye within an eye. All look at us, ever deeper, within us.

o0o- Next question? -o0o

What now? What could be useful and not something we may learn ourselves? What is our biggest roadblock right now?

"The raids?" Mewtwo suggests.

"The raids..." I let the word echoes within my head, the pounding is making it hard to think straight at moments. the music is pulsing harsher with each pounds.

"Can we stop the raids?"

o0o- Nope. Next quesiton. -o0o Chaos's smile deepens.

My vision swims. I taste banana and molten plastic in my mouth. How do I even know that taste?

o0o- Is that a question? -o0o

Did I say that out loud? No, focus!

Mewtwo has slumped on a knee, yet still he looks defiantly at Chaos. His teeth bared and grinding against each others.

"Is the Sanctuary really safe?" I do not realize I have spoken. No, this was not my voice. I turn, and next to me stands a man I have never met, yet am familiar with. Short hair, unkempt beard, tattered clothes, Aster Stradivii looks tired, yet his eyes are alert as he looks at the god before him.

o0o- Oh my, I must have cranked up the juice a bit much if you are showing yourself my dear Aster. With the selection, they made? Yes, it is as safe as it can be. Your little princess aura is powerful enough to ward the more banal threats that should be able to appear within the forest. You have succeeded in one of your goals. Even if the achievement is postmortem. -o0o

Chaos's eyes open slightly, bathing us in their dark red glow. Aster vanishes in wisps of smoke, Mewtwo and I fall on our belly, yet still we try to keep eye contact with Chaos. Chaos slowly approaches us, stalking toward us on his four extra arms. Once he reaches us, he lowers himself to us. o0o- Anymore questions? Or are you done? -o0o

Each words ring like a glass bell. Saliva I did not know I have pool like oil on water around my mouth. I somehow know Mewtwo is in the same state as me.

"One... final... question." I articulate. Mewtwo articulates.

"Can

"We

"Succeed?

o0o- I don't see the future, but heed my brother's and sister-in-law's advices. Grow, and grow fast. Master yourselves more than you already have. For a supposed impossible run, you have done far better than little Ezia expected. -o0o Chaos smiles widely, opening his eyes in full.

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Eyes

Within

Ground.

Dirt

Moss

I

They

You

Grass.

Grass and dirt.

Eyes no longer. Reality. No longer unreality. No longer...

I hurl the content of my stocmach on the dirt. Rainbow fluids mix with silver grainy liquid and reddish-pink water. What? What happened. The sound of vomiting on my left signals Mewtwo's awakening.

Trial of Chaos: Challenge what you know.

Try to access this trial.

That's it.

Also, you held longer than I expected. Good job, keep honing that skill, you'll need it later.

Also also, don't worry about any church of the elysian you may or may not see pop up around. It's not important.

Reward: 10 experience point to Mewtwo, 10 points for Astra, A strange sense of disorientation, the taste of molten plastic and banana.

See you later kiddos!

I can only watch in utter disbelief at the little window before me. It is not even a achievement, it is just the description of the first trial of Chaos. that's it.

I hear Mewtwo grown and look to see him curl into a ball holding his head. Yeah... Yeah... Ouch. A couple more windows clog my vision, but I close my eyes for a moment. The melody still rings within my head.