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[attr="class","aurelie_body"]When the front door to her shop opened, the brilliant blue alert light flashed on and off several times in Aurelie's workshop, where the red-haired smith was currently occupied with sorting and cataloguing the different alloys and handle materials that she had available. It was a continuing source of regret to her that she didn't have a wider variety of more exotic materials and expensive, impressive alloys to draw from. When she saw the light flashing in the corner of her eye, Aurelie grunted and put down the piece of ivory she'd been contemplating with a sigh, before heading toward the door to enter her shop.

She blinked in surprise to see Zev standing in her shop. While they weren't close by any means, Aurelie did respect and fear the Rocket Beast for his formidable skills and appreciate his regular patronage of her shop. For a shopkeeper, sometimes a loyal, enthusiastic customer was even more welcome than a friend.

But the question that arose in her mind when she saw him this time wasn't, Is he here to buy a new knife? Nor was it, Does he need a partner for a new mission? No, for some reason, Aurelie asked herself, Why does it feel weird seeing him not in medieval clothes, with white and grey in his hair and a simple crown on his head?

Wait, why would I think that's normal somehow?

Rapidly shaking her head to dismiss the confusing thought, Aurelie cleared her throat and flashed a smile at the Beast. "Zev! My most fearsome customer!" she exclaimed brightly. "What brings you here today?"

Then she frowned for a moment, before tilting her head inquisitively. "And, uh... I know I don't usually ask you this when you come by my shop, but, well—how have you been? Since the whole..." She hesitated and then made a gesture like drawing an outline of a dog and a shield in the air.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]To be honest, Aurelie wasn't sure whether she was relieved or disappointed to see that Zev's demeanor seemed mostly unchanged since the strange adventures they'd all undergone in the memory of Galar's past. On one hand, it was a relief to encounter someone who wasn't depressed or emotionally scarred after everything they'd experienced since encountering the Ruinous Beasts and hero dogs at the Ancient Tomb. On the other hand...well, it might have been nice if the experience had softened Zev a little and made him less fearsome than before.

Oh well. Not something I can help. As much as she was itching to ask more about what he recalled or thought about the experience, something in his tone told her it'd be safer not to right now.

Repressing a shiver, she instead ran her gaze over the combat knife Zev had brought, with its snapped blade. Even though she could tell at a glance that it was her work, Aurelie's memory was still so muddled from the two pasts consisting of two very different pairs of decades that she almost didn't recognize the knife at first. There had been so many knives in both pasts, so many tools and weapons, so many broken things that needed to be mended...

"Oh, right," the red-haired smith said at last as the right memory came to her. "That was one of the first two knives I ever made for you, right? The 1095 high-carbon steel ones with a drop point and serrations along the spine. The ones you took along when we went..."

Her voice petered out for a moment. She looked back up at Zev and had to blink rapidly, twice, clearing first a vision of him in a crown and black armor, and then him with ordinary clothes, his hands stained with blood while his face radiated cold indifference. What is wrong with my vision? she wondered in confusion, unconsciously fidgeting with her eyepatch.

"When we went field-testing," Aurelie finished. She took a deep, settling breath and went on, "So, is that what made this one break? A particularly brutal field test?"

She bent to look closer at the jagged fracture across the blade. The fine, even grain structure of the steel revealed by the rupture made her smile involuntarily with pride, before frowning in thought. "It looks like you must have been cutting into something very hard, to have caused so much damage to the blade," she remarked, holding out her hand for the blade.

"It'd be easier to make you a new knife than to try fixing this one," Aurelie concluded. " I could weld it back together, but the weld seam would always be a weak point and you'd never know when it might shatter again." The corner of her mouth curled upward into a crooked half-smile.

"So, if you don't satisfying my curiosity, what were you doing with this one? Bashing into bone? Chopping into a block of solid ice? Trying to defeat a Steelix with only a knife as a weapon?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie didn't even hear Zev's instruction to make a new knife at first, so dumbfounded was she by his brief yet startling account of how he'd broken this knife in the first place. "Wait a minute," she said dryly, holding up a hand. "Let me get this straight.

"You were sparring with a grunt. You asked them to stab you," the red-haired smith echoed, her eyebrows drawing together in consternation, "with killing intent. And the knife broke...against your armor? Am I getting all this right?"

For a moment, she merely looked Zev up and down, nonplussed. To be fair, she supposed that if it were her in the underling's place and Zev had asked her to stab him with lethal force during a practice spar, Aurelie wouldn't have much trouble obliging. Well, maybe only if he promised he wouldn't stab me right back, she thought ruefully, or do anything else in retaliation. And I'd double- and triple-check to make sure his fingers weren't crossed when he promised.

Her natural curiosity came to the fore all the same, and with it came a stream of questions. "So, was this in the nature of a science experiment, then? Were you testing out the knife—or your armor? What kind of armor were you wearing, anyway?"

With a chuckle, Aurelie admitted candidly, "I can't see you as a full plate armor kind of guy, honestly. It'd be way too heavy and limiting on your range of motion. Not to mention noisy.

"But most modern tactical armor," she mused aloud, "even the ones with tightly woven bulletproof fabric over plates of steel or ceramic, wouldn't shatter one of my blades this badly, especially not after a single strike. Repeated bashing would do it, sure, but not one stab."

Then she glanced back down at the shattered knife, and something about the way the black synthetic handle caught the overhead light made an odd memory surface in her mind. At one point, they'd been standing in a snow-covered courtyard together, before a worn stone statue. Aurelie suddenly recalled handing Zev something black and glittering—some small pieces of glass or metal, perhaps—and how strangely drawn to him those pieces had been, like flecks of iron to a magnet.

Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to tease out the memory. "They flew right at you..." she whispered, seemingly apropos of nothing. "The fragments...I thought they flew right into your skin..."

It couldn't be... she thought, looking at his hand with mounting wonder. Unless... Could it?

Suddenly and impulsively, Aurelie seized Zev's arm, heedless of any instinctive reaction that her unexpected movement might precipitate from the far too well-trained and dangerous assassin. With inquisitive fingertips, she prodded rapidly at his skin. It looked completely innocuous and normal, no different in tone and texture than any other human being's.

Was there some kind of plating under his skin? Tiny nano-chips or something embedded into his body? A new titanium alloy skeleton replacing his bones? She had to know. What other explanation could there be for the kind of armor that could irrevocably shatter her heat-treated, well-tempered combat knife in a single blow?

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]It wasn't until Zev wrenched his hand free from her grasp that Aurelie even realized that she'd grabbed his hand and was poking at it. What am I even doing? she wondered, matching his annoyed glare with a confused grunt and a slight, disgusted shake of her head. Of course, I was surprised and excited that he had armor made of those black fragments, but really...

"Sorry about that," she mumbled, lowering her gaze and hastily raising her hands up in the air with palms facing him and fingers spread wide. "Got a little worked up about the black fragments... No harm done, I hope..."

She'd probably done stupider things in her life than manhandling Zev Harcourt, of all people—but not many. At least, he hadn't reacted with much more than brief annoyance. If he'd gotten angry enough to cancel his order or even withdraw his patronage altogether, Aurelie would've been in serious trouble—though she privately had to admit, she'd never seen him show that much emotion about anything.

Not even, it seemed, about the black crystalline spikes that could apparently jut upward through his skin. Aurelie gasped aloud at the strange and disturbing sight. "Arceus!" she breathed softly in astonishment. "That's the craziest thing. It makes you look almost...inhuman. Like a Rock Pokemon, or something."

She leaned forward to examine the crystals at closer range, careful this time not to behave too eagerly or touch Zev in any way. The crystals were so dark that they almost looked like they were drinking in the ambient light. There was something about their shape that reminded Aurelie of something frightening and dangerous, something that made her breath speed up and her heart pound, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

Another stream of questions immediately bubbled forth from her lips. "When did this start happening? Can you do this all over your body, or just on your arm here? Do you know what these crystals are made of, considering how strong they are?"

Her next question surprised even her. "Does it...hurt?" At least from her angle, it looked like the crystals were emerging from inside him, poking through his skin. She didn't see any blood, but she couldn't help but wonder.

Maybe I've just watched too many superhero movies, though...

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"A few months ago," Aurelie echoed contemplatively, trying to recall any shocking events or discoveries back then that might have triggered such a transformation in Zev. There had been the S.P.E.C.T.R.A. Trinity trials and the Starlight Casino reopening around that time, but nothing like the meteoroid or the Necrozma attack on Sootopolis that would have exposed him to extraordinary energies or Legendary powers.

At least, none that I know of, anyway, which might not be saying much, she thought wryly.

However, the thought of Legendaries did prompt a different and surprisingly clear memory, considering how muddled and untrustworthy Aurelie's mind had become lately. During the battle at the Ancient Tomb, the furious clash between the Chien-Pao and Zamazenta had caused pieces of the Zamazenta's shield to crumble off. Those pieces had been the black fragments that she'd handed to Zev that had gotten absorbed into his skin and apparently become the spiky crystalline armor he now displayed.

With no other frame of reference, Aurelie could only wonder if Zev's affinity for those black fragments meant he was becoming more like Zamazenta, of all things. She regarded him with one narrowed eye appraisingly. He'd never struck her as an especially protective person, but if Zamazenta's shield was where the black crystalline fragments were coming from...

"Well, if Miss Sato is studying the substance your armor is made of, then I'm sure you'll have some more information soon," the red-haired smith remarked neutrally. "She's very driven, from what I've seen. Do you...feel any different in any other ways, since manifesting this new armor ability?" she asked carefully.

Do you ever feel like chasing cars or barking at mailmen? she wanted to ask but didn't. Or—ha—howling at the moon? Assuming that's even how it works?

"But in the meantime," she continued, perking up with interest, "would you mind if I took some samples of your—Arceus, that feels strange to say—your black crystal armor? I always love testing and working with new and strange materials, and well, it's hard to think of anything stranger than..." Aurelie waved a hand toward his arm.

"This organic crystalline carapace thing you have going on here." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I've read some journal articles about organic crystals being used in things like semiconductors, diodes, and solar cells, which makes me wonder about what possible engineering applications your body..." She smirked briefly before continuing, "...could have besides just creating armor."

Aurelie added, "I can offer a discount for the replacement knife in exchange. I'd just charge you for the time spent, which shouldn't be much, instead of for materials and time. Sound like a deal?"

Her eye was already moving toward the door to her workshop, her gaze growing distant with thought. The armor had shattered a knife, but she had some diamond-tipped drill bits and saw blades that might do the trick, even on a substance as hard as his crystal spikes appeared to be. Or if he really felt no pain regarding the crystal spikes, a few good blows with a heavy enough hammer might also suffice, at least for a few small pieces or chips.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]When Zev denied feeling anything different, Aurelie blinked a few times in startled surprise. "Not at all?" she echoed incredulously.

"Lucky you, then. New superpower, with no drawbacks and no price you have to pay." Her single eye narrowed again in thought. "Something for nothing, in Hoenn? What a coup indeed."

Privately, she couldn't imagine Zev's mind or personality hadn't also changed along with his body. Surely, such a drastic change to the very structure of his body also caused changes in the chemistry of his brain. But perhaps even Zev wasn't aware of the full extent of it. And as ever, he probably wouldn't tell her the whole story, even if he did know everything.

When he flatly told her it was impossible to remove samples of the black crystal from his body, Aurelie gritted her teeth. A few years ago, her temper would have flared. Now, knowing it would do her no good and most likely much harm, she pressed her hands down hard on the table and took a few deep breaths, striving to keep any sharp words from escaping.

"I misunderstood," she said at length, tersely. "I assumed Miss Sato had been able to get samples of your crystal armor in order to view them under a microscope."

I wonder if she dragged him over to a lab table and put his arm under a lens to look at the crystalline structure, she thought. The amusing image put Aurelie in a better humor, and she managed a pensive sigh. Maybe sometime I'll get in contact with her and figure out a way to cut bits off Zev to study.

"Very well, then. New knife, full cost. Same specs, I assume?" she asked, turning her attention to the shattered blade. "Or do you want something sturdier and stronger this time? To go better with your newfound invincibility?"

A ghost of a smile hovered at the corners of her lips as she looked back toward Zev. "Or go the other direction and make something lighter and more maneuverable, since mundane steel would never be as completely and categorically shatterproof as your crystal armor anyway...your Majesty?"

Wait. Where had those last two words come from? Aurelie's expression dimmed. It felt almost as if they'd come from the other life she somehow remembered living, from the other woman who'd lived that life. A life where Zev had worn a crown...and possibly a suit of black armor as well.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie found herself just as surprised and confused as Zev was—if not more so, considering the words had somehow come from her mouth. They'd emerged from that place in her memory that she still could hardly even pin down, let alone begin to understand. That place that wasn't full of holes and gaps, which would have at least made some sense if she'd taken a hard knock to the head, but instead was, if anything, teeming with an incomprehensible mess of memories, feelings, and instincts.

Such as, apparently, the instinct to address Zev as royalty.

"I...I'm not really sure," she stammered, looking from Zev to the broken knife blade and back, as if one of those things held the answer to his question. "I called you 'your Majesty', but I don't really know why I did that. It just came out of my mouth like..."

She screwed her face up in a perplexed expression. "Like something I've called you for a long time. Or referred to you as, when talking to other people."

Once more, Aurelie could see him wearing a simple crown, barely more than a gold coronet on his black hair, which had a lot more grey and white streaks in it than it did now. She could remember seeing him riding into battle, encased in black armor, raising a great longbow to shoot arrows at a foe. And she remembered being stunned by the respect and even admiration on people's faces when they looked at him. The memories were foggy and distant, but they were there somehow.

When she looked toward Zev, though, Aurelie knew that she couldn't explain what she was thinking—or remembering, or whatever this was. It would just sound too insane. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to forge ahead in the conversation.

"I just feel like, in a different life, you were a king. Or a boss. Or in charge of something with a lot of people," the red-haired smith said lamely.

"I know it sounds weird. Maybe too much time spent in a hot workshop next to a thousand-degree forge. Or maybe I should start stocking up on candles, crystals, and star charts or something." Aurelie laughed weakly.

She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure. "So, uh, a lighter and more maneuverable knife, you said? I can make that work. Anything else you need...Zev?" She laid a faint stress on that last word in an odd, probably futile effort to prove she was of sound mind.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT