[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]"Huh... guess you're right!" Of course, a kid who had risen to the very top and become a gym leader would not cower in the face of danger. There will be no easy way out of this as they shake the weariness from their bones. "No matter, we can probably snag some pretty easily!"[break][break]

A Dazzling Gleam illuminates the field, forcing the grunts to cover their eyes lest they get blinded. Their pokemon partners are also disorientated for the first few seconds, buying just that sliver of time for Zorro to get in close. But before the attack can hit its mark, a glossy blue body shoves its way into the Bewear's space and reflects it back with a crafty Mirror Coat.[break][break]

"Uh-uh!"[break][break]

"Damn you- Ignoring me for that fucking bear!"[break][break]

"Dumbass, don't forget the Zoroark!"[break][break]

But it's too late. The burly woman snarls a command, her Arcanine rushing towards Hideo Kino with Extreme Speed, whereas the grunt still blocked by their Dondozo's width seems to call something out. Something that is quickly drowned out by the explosive gushing of a Hydro Pump, aimed right towards Cassandra Kubrick and her pokemon.[break][break]

With those two already hopping on the initiative, the poor grunt and his Bewear sigh, left with no choice other than to deal with the one who so dearly wanted their attention. A loud roar unbefitting of this soft and friendly-looking bear rings out, and the Bewear runs right at Zorro, arms thrown wide open as if ready to meet him with a hug.[break][break]

In the midst of the ferocious exchange, one might even notice that the grunt with the crooked grin and their most talkative one seem to be missing.[break][break]

---

[break]

A few steps down the hallway is Isaac Merlo's room.[break][break]

The door to his room completely shattered into fragments and his space turned into an unrecognisable mess. Gone is the comforting aura of his room, ripped away by claws and smashed with bats. The study books that she'd gotten him have been ripped to shreds, along with the many recipes his true interest lay within. The plant cuttings he'd so painstakingly collected and attempted to grow lay withered in a mixture of shattered clay and dirt. The many pictures of his left tattered and buried within all this mess.[break][break]

"No..."[break][break]

Cori quite nearly takes a fall, saved only by her body's unwillingness to simply let go as he's instead placed gently on the ground. All whilst she drops to the floor and begins digging through.[break][break]

She knows him. Though he's never been one to keep lingering on the past, it doesn't mean that he's shed the weight. His pride in his current team knows no bounds. His pride in those who had once accompanied him much earlier must have been equally so. It's not something that he speaks of often, but she can just tell by the way she's always seen those photos on his desk.[break][break]

The aftermath of Fallarbor's old Tolerance gym, where he bundles with his team for their picture in the Hall of Fame. Pandora stands at the very forefront. Proud and surrounded by her team of Miyuki, Omega and Buffaloman. All right next a grinning, blonde Isaac and their hardearned badge.[break][break]

The photo taken for the papers at the very last stretch of the Silph Cup. That final charge Buffaloman had led through the raging waters as he and Isaac hurtled right towards the finish line to claim first place.[break][break]

That movie-like photo taken from the Novice Cup, where he holds giggling Hearth right up. Light shining down on the both of them, halfway through a little spin, as if presenting the most precious Cyndaquil to the entire world.[break][break]

Another sliver of time, captured with her crafty little ways. Echo sits upon Isaac's shoulder, pointing towards a line in the mythology book she had lent him.[break][break]

She picks them all out, in tatters. Every little scrap that she can identify. And she scoops them all into her rucksack, before moving onto the final piece.[break][break]

Fragments of glass gleam at the thought of being able to pierce her skin. Yet a fragile touch pushes them all away, her nails clacking against the serrated edges as she picks out the dirt-covered pieces of seaweed. Before she can even look around, a familiar snout pushes over her shoulder, placing a chipped mason jar into her hand with an encouraging growl.[break][break]

"This doesn't mean I forgive you." She holds it securely, muttering under her breath as she drops cutting after cutting into the jar.[break][break]

Reiner snorts derisively, taking a step back and turning his head away.[break][break]

Then he stills. Tenses. Narrows his eyes as he gently tugs at her clothes.[break][break]

Time to go.[break][break]

He hauls her right onto his back as she grabs Cori and caps the jar off, slipping out of the room as quietly as possible. The intruders have just reentered through the front entrance. Though they're pretty close, he's much closer to the backdoor. Thankfully, Eris had gotten her wish of having her room be closest to the backdoor, a childish wish to be able to slip in and out and explore the forest as and when she pleased. Or maybe Isaac just knew that she would take a shortcut out of the window if she didn't get it.[break][break]

"Ah, there you are!"[break][break]

No time to charge a proper attack. No point stopping to fight. Reiner knows he can outpace the Roselia and crash right through that door, even if they've locked it.[break][break]

Or so he'd hope, until he actually charges into it. It's like hitting a solid brick wall despite the woody appearance, bouncing the Luxray right back with a sharp yowl. And it's not that the doors they've chosen are built to be this sturdy. In that brief moment he slammed right into it, Eris spots strange blue lights - In between the evenly spaced seams that almost immediately seal up.[break][break]

A -[break][break]

"Stakataka! Beautiful creature, isn't it? Could barely tell the difference when we left it there!"[break][break]

They've closed the distance. The two Rocket grunts looking straight at her like wolves cornering a fleeing deer.[break][break]

"Reiner!"[break][break]

She closes her eyes and braces, right as the corridor is engulfed in an electrical storm.

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]He is the adult. And yet, she is the one that is cursed by the company of a god of emotions. There is no hiding what he truly feels if Mesprit so decides it. But perhaps, at some point, she'd begun to understand what makes him tick.[break][break]

What would cause thoughts to start writhing in his head.[break][break]

"Gods do not think the same way we do." Clip, clop. The rhythmic hoofbeat fills the spaces in between. "He isn't interested in Hoenn. What he is interested in is Necrozma. Just as Necrozma was interested in His light."[break][break]

Bit by bit, the more time she spends in this place, the more those hazy memories begin to resurface.[break][break]

"Judgement is delivered from the creator’s hand. There are parts missing to this passage but..." A pause. An internal lament that she could not find the lines that were missing. "So came the unknown hero, the black knight who in his great humbleness returned from whence he came. It's from a book I found in Galar."[break][break]

Perhaps, she'd have to make time for another trip.[break][break]

"Can't say I trust it completely. Or whether it's referring to them at all but... well, everything is to say that Eternatus must see something far beyond us."

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]"You're not wrong." For the first time since they've entered, she looks to Navy, eyes briefly glazing over his noble steed. "The stars tell the same story. That Necrozma dragged Eternatus into Ultra Space. And He rested there, spreading dynamax particles all throughout. That is why the Ultra Beasts that invaded Mossdeep were so big."[break][break]

Had she been in the region any earlier, she might just have become one of the many names written on that casualty list.[break][break]

"That's also probably why some of the Ultra Beasts we find in the rifts are way bigger than the others."[break][break]

Like the Guzzlord she had encountered in Lesser Megalopolis all those months back... She wonders if it has died of Dynergy poisoning or whatever it is that kills the pokemon that Dynamax without a band.[break][break]

"Though... He might not be asleep at all." If there's anything she hopes she's wrong about, it must be this. "Back when Necrozma invaded Slateport, he was there."

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]The art of the bendy straw is not one easily mastered by the common folk, but Howard's attempt is commendable nonetheless. And as the trio eat all there is to offer, she simply watches, idly kicking the air as she swashes a mouthful of juice.[break][break]

A thought arrives.[break][break]

"Why don't you open a museum of your own? With all these artifacts you've been taking care of... wasn't the whole point of it to let their stories be remembered for years to come?"

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]It's strange, how poison tera crystals and dynergy seem to go hand in hand. Is it because the abundance of dynergy corrupts the tera crystals? Or are tera crystals the real infestation feeding off the sickness of this land?[break][break]

"No." Her answer is short with honesty. There is much she could claim to know about these places, the supposed perils that surround it and its origins. But none of them can be proven true, not without understanding what makes Hoenn so different from every other.[break][break]

"I'm assuming you have?"

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]With Reiner leaving them behind, Einar doesn't quite know what to do with himself. Neither injured like Nessie, nor tired out like Mesprit, he frowns and looks to the two other kids, almost as if pleading for them to give him direction. Off goes Zorro with his nasty trick, ready to run a distraction as they all prepare themselves for a fight. And what is he to do, except stand by them and defend his own two buddies?[break][break]

Having heard Hideo's order to Cass, Mesprit seemingly gains a moment a clarity, taking a deep breath as they begin to muster up a little bit of energy. Just enough for them to don the disguise of yet another Wooper in the mix.[break][break]

And not a moment too soon, as the spotting of Zorro sparks a reaction. One of the grunts immediately whips his head to the sound of running, his lips moving to form a command. At least, until he is stopped by a hand on his shoulder.[break][break]

"Don't waste your time. The fire will get him first." Relentless hunters, just like they are meant to be. The man reaches for his belt and unhooks a pokeball, calling upon a Roselia, who narrows her eyes at the messy garden. "More importantly, it seems like we might get our chance after all."[break][break]

From around the corner, they emerge. One after the other, each with a pokemon by their side. The first is a buff and bulky woman, her Arcanine showered in wood and dust. The second a seedy guy, his lanky frame just barely overshadowed by his Bewear. The third grunt seems unarmed, his crooked smile tight with its words whereas the fourth can barely be seen behind the hulking figure of their Dondozo.[break][break]

The fifth who commands the Roselia simply looks to the duo and smiles, offering a little wave as if he were the owner of this home greeting a few passers-by. Strangely enough, their opening act is not a bunch of seeds or a deadly flamethrower slung right at them. Instead, it is a song. A gentle Grass Whistle that mixes with the howling melody of flames and whispers false promises of respite.[break][break]

"Fancy seeing you here, Gym Leader Kino! Brought a friend... or perhaps, friends with you to this party?"[break][break]

---

[break]

The inside is much more of a mess than she'd thought it'd be. Clambering over a fallen drawer, the door to her room has been neatly sliced in half. Her closet has been opened, the contents all pulled out as if they'd been searching for something or someone hiding within. Several pictures on her wall have been ripped, each with the intent of ripping her to shreds. And the Corsola plushie that Isaac had helped her win... it lays on her bed in a pool of its own stuffing, a rather familiar dagger slicing right through its belly and left on display.[break][break]

Chu-e Choi's dagger. Plain as any but sharper than most. Though her stomach churns as she reaches for it, she doesn't hesitate to pull it out and tuck into her pocket.[break][break]

The books on her shelves... she can tell that they had tried to pull them down, dirt trailed all over star charts, world maps and fairytales she had gathered. Thankfully, they had stopped when it became too much of a hassle. The most unassuming books on the lower half are the ones she treasures the most, left untouched by their bitter hands.[break][break]

And the one that matters most, that leatherbound journal that sits in the side closest to her bed. Gently pulling it from its place, Eris holds it close to her chest and murmurs a quiet word of gratitude for whoever must be watching from on high.[break][break]

One treasure secured. Onto the next. Pulling a rucksack free of the mess, she checks for any holes before placing the journal in.[break][break]

Her desk is the next place to look, various knick-knacks and drawing materials all scattered across its surface. Tucked in the corner with her (now pitiful) cup of loose change, are bracelets. Ones that she cannot bear to wear, but cannot bear to throw out either. Those go in the bag, along with a pocket telescope that has managed to gather a light layer of dust.[break][break]

Then, the polaroid camera she'd gotten as a gift to make more memories for herself. Whatever she can salvage of the pictures that don't include her. The precious smiles and moments forever kept within those thin little slices of memories.[break][break]

Truthfully, she can't bear to leave any of her books here. But when she looks up to Reiner standing by the door, she knows that there is no time to pack or save them all. So she forces herself to let things be, even if her fingers would itch at the thought of leaving it all. Even if her chest would ache and her vision threatens to blur.[break][break]

One foot out the door. That's all she needs to keep going. And yet, when she finally takes that step, she stops, turns back and reaches across her bed. That Corsola plushie... Her Corsola plushie. Even as more of its stuffing spills out when she grabs it, she doesn't let go, cradling it in her arms as she finally leaves her room.

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]It's almost like she cannot hear them. In that very moment where both Hideo and Cass attempt to speak to her, she catches herself before she falls. A shaky step followed by another, then another much quicker and another, all until she breaks into a run straight for her home.[break][break]

Though Reiner tenses to follow, he can't simply take off like she does. Not with the other pokemon that he's carrying with him. And he looks to the two others who have followed them all this while, a silent plea in his eyes as he begins to lay the trio of pixie and Woopers onto the ground. It is only when he knows that they will be looked after that he dares to turn and chase after Eris.[break][break]

The door is already left wide open for her to enter, the top hinge ripped from the door and dusting flecks of wood all over the porch. There is no scent of rust in the air, but the silence that fills these halls leaves her with far more dread than one would have imagined. Her fingers all pressed together can barely match the width of the claws that have gouged the stories and legends she has painted on the wall.[break][break]

Isaac must be someplace else.[break][break]

Every step she takes feels like a dare with the house, a game of chicken as to when it might screech of her presence. All it takes is one small bump of her heel against the objects scattered on the ground. One creak of the wooden floorboards. Perhaps, even a slight turn around the wrong corner.[break][break]

Crunch - Fragments of glass under her boot force her to take a step back, the girl dropping to one knee as she carefully reaches through the crystalline pile for the picture that lies beneath. A photo of Isaac Merlo and her standing proudly in front of their new home, the widest smile on her face as she hugs him tight. Only, his face has been ripped clean apart, leaving just her, frozen forever in that fragment of what now seems like a dream.[break][break]

Her lips draw thin, her teeth gritted so tight she can feel her jaw beginning to ache. Still, she must keep moving. For there are things far more important to her that need to be found.[break][break]

Shaking the glass from the ripped photo, she gently folds and pockets it for now. Then, she takes in a deep breath and continues onwards to her room.[break][break]

Outside, Hideo and Cass might just hear a commotion, voices that grow louder as they bicker on and on.[break][break]

"They said they'd be here, those filthy rats -"[break][break]

"Idiot! You think that guy will just sit here and twiddle his thumb when shit's going down in the city?"[break][break]

"But what about the brat -"[break][break]

"What about her?! You absolutely fucking know that giant red laser was Admin Fox! But something just fucking fired that shit back! I'd call that a bigger problem compared to -"[break][break]

"Calm down. You should be thankful that it was fired back or it would have hit us too."[break][break]

"What are we going to do though? We missed our chance to get Merlo."[break][break]

"We could still get him if we find that kid -"[break][break]

"Chances are that she's long escaped."[break][break]

"Should we just regroup with the others then?"

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]Behind her, Cass' choked breath tells of the many tears she must be holding back, Hideo's steps reminding her time and time again that he cannot see the roots that scheme to trip him up, nor the fires that attempt to hunt them down. And yet she does not stop for either of them, check on them or offer any comfort.[break][break]

A selfish creature that only has eyes for that which lies on the horizon.[break][break]

Running leap over a golden river, left at the ashen remains of a berry brush. Listening to the smoldering leaves that fizzle beneath her feet, fervently holding onto every breath as she pushes herself that much more. Past the fraying tire swing she'd spent days trying to hoist up, straight through the thicket that would always snag her clothes.[break][break]

At the very end of the road, a cottage stands. Shivering in its colourful coat of flowers and vines. Still as ever, resigned to its fate. The fences have been smashed in, painted fragments of Woopers and Skitties scattered through upturned flower beds. Glass shards still drip from each window as she draws ever closer, the creaking walls pleading for mercy.[break][break]

Her feet almost fail her as she abruptly comes to a stop.

[break]

[attr="class","eris99"]

A MILLION MILES AWAY

[attr="class","eris100"][break]

[attr="class","eris109"]She's alright.[break]
[break][break]

Through the combined efforts of the trio, the ones who had almost succeeded in bringing the dawn upon the Darkest Day, they are spared.[break][break]

Mostly spared.[break][break]

There is a quiet whimper from Nessie, vicious purple marks wrapped around her body like a coiled Serviper. And no matter how much Einar attempts to soothe those burns with cooling water, no matter how hard he attempts to purify that residual energy which oozes like poison, there is no making those marks go away.[break][break]

She needs help.[break][break]

Her legs feel rooted to the spot. She can't seem to take even a single step closer to the Wooper, not without an oppressive dread weighing down on her.[break][break]

But she must. More than anything, this isn't the time nor the place to be licking their wounds. The fires around them snarl, embers burning with hunger as they feed on all the forest has to offer. Even as a painful chill runs through her body, she forces herself to reach out, scooping both Einar and Nessie right up.[break][break]

_{Isaac would know what to do.}[break][break]

As smoke curls and claws at the ashen skies, Eris whistles and Reiner answers the call. With Mesprit already flopped atop his head, he barely bats an eye as two Woopers are added to the mix.[break][break]

"We need to go..."[break][break]

It's not easy pulling those words from the back of her throat. Especially not when she's seen Cass' Emolga and Uxie being recalled. She wishes she could afford them the patience that Hideo had with her. But with Azelf and Mesprit also wiped by the efforts of attempting to protect them, there's no telling if they might survive should someone decide to fire yet another laser beam their way.[break][break]

The trees above them crackle, a cacophony that begins to melt into a creak. And with a loud 'CRACK', burning branches fall and crunch against the ground, igniting whatever little remains of the shrubbery around them. Turning back to the direction of her original destination, Eris begins to hurry, only briefly pausing to beckon to the other two.[break][break]

"Now."

[break]