Hope remained hidden in the restaurant washrooms pretending to apply makeup whenever a customer or staff member entered. She'd poke her head out of the washroom once to sneak a peek at the avatars, however when the same waitress that spotted her in the kitchen walked out, she figured she'd need a stealthier approach. As if from the void itself, Hope reached in to one of her magic hoops after activating the portal within them, and drew out a mirror, angling it just right to observe the entire avatar conversation. What she saw did not amuse her, the fact they were having fun, talking, and generally figuring their roles out was fine and dandy, but she did not take failure lightly. Not only that, her intended target barely seemed to mind drinking his salted lemonade, and moments later, one of the other avatars expressed his distaste for the food, however was able to completely mitigate Hope's hard work by purifying his, and Vuduin's drinks. The mishap became knowledge, and the kitchen would quickly catch on, the prank was a dud.

"No fair!" Hope yelped loudly, which barely echoed out of the bathroom. "How dare they all just... shrug it off like that! Ugh! I should've added laxatives or tranquilizers to their food, that's what! Hmph..." She continued to grumble, whilst now planning a next course of action in her head. To make an intro or not? She wouldn't be so easily kicked out of the restaurant after being caught out, would she?

The hoop at Hope's right arm would sway about several times, before she'd retract her hand from it, and levitate it out a few feet in front of her. A portal quickly opened within the confines of the hoop, a signature item of hers which made her teleportation magic much easier to control. From the vast hyperspace she'd finally summon one of her two Pokemon allies, Sableye. The shadowy little gremlin would bounce about happily upon being summoned.

"Ah, my mistress! What is it you require of me? I'm rather famished... have you found any gems?" Sableye would begin, whilst fiddling about with her hands, as if very well aware she would be up to no good.

"Sableye, my dear, your eyes could fill your stomach. I'll treat you nicely later, for now... I need your assistance. You see - w-wait a second... what is that sound? A piano?" Mid-speech, Hope would become distracted by the melody played by another of the avatars. She'd silently enjoy the tune, whilst cursing to herself. "There all having so much fun out there... all without me!" She'd complain. Now, she was more interested in the other avatars than anything else, she wanted them for herself, however which way she could make that happen.

"Mistress, why don't you just go and introduce yourself! This festival is for you!" Sableye thought, and of course she'd know those thoughts to be heard by her psychic master.

"It's not that simple! A real woman's introduction must be appealing, awe-inspiring, perchance! How else will those handsome gentlemen fall for, and slave for an old lady like me?" A smirk adorned Hope's lips as she mentally conversed with her dear friend, whilst her grand scheme came in to mind. "Firstly, I'll need to rid myself any liabilities. That pretty little waitress needs to go! You'll help me with that, right, my lil' girl? Mmm? Mommy's got a bag o' jewelery for you, if you can lure that little lady in here." With a wink, Hope twirled the hoop in her right arm, knowing she could compensate Sableye any cost she needed to.

"Consider me bribed! Tehehehe." Sableye announced aloud, which anyone else would instantly hear as an abrupt 'Sableye, sa, Sableye!" Echoing throughout the restaurant.

A scene erupted, the little gremlin would shadow sneak in to view, appearing right behind Yolanda on her way back to the kitchen, and quickly climbing up the girl's leg. Her pockets would immediately be raided by the greedy thief, before it dashed away and in to the washroom. Expecting that the little trickster was walking right in to a dead end, Yolanda quickly put down the plate in her hands and chased Sableye in to the washroom, where the avatars would not see her again. Immediately upon entering the woman's restroom, Hope would be waiting there, holding one of her hoops high in the air, and thrusting it down upon the waitress like a big net. Next thing Yolanda knew, she was staring at a bunch of potions in the Pokémart.

"Good job, as per the usual, you fail to fail me! What would I do without you, lovey? Here you go, your stipend." Hope would reward Sableye quickly, by tossing the goblin girl a small bag of three rubies. Only a thief of Hoopa's caliber could keep up with such a transaction fee. "Now, deary, go make sure my sword isn't getting in trouble, will you? I've got a party to crash." With that said, Hope opened a portal beside Sableye, who nodded and quickly began stuffing her mouth with the first and biggest ruby.

Moments later, Hope would appear through the entrance of the restaurant, rather than the bathroom. Knowing it would be suspicious after the little incident that transpired seconds ago. She'd attempt to open the doors, however when they proved solidly shut, she'd simply teleport herself to the other side dramatically. Right away she'd showcase her power, so not to be questioned unnecessarily. Out of another small portal just below her outstretched hand , a gemmed scepter materialized, and she'd quickly twirl it about her hand before leaning on it like a walking stick.

"What have we here? Mmmm...? So! At last, I've found the banquet of avatars! My search can finally come to a halt!" Hope would begin her charade. "Oh, enjoying life's many delicacies, I see? Whilst the world's Pokémon slowly die of sickness? Not what I expected of the world's congregated heroes! Do none of you know why you've been blessed with your powers? A shame..." Hope sighed deeply to give dramatic life to her stream of lies. She was full of Tauros dung, but making the story up was half the fun! "You were all given the power to save this world, and here we are... celebrating it whilst others suffer. What say you all, in your defense?!" Her face was cold and serious, but given the fact she was even convincing herself with this muse, she would easily hide any smirk or sign of falsehood. Now she had her chance to truly observe the paradigms of her fellow avatars, whilst assuming a wise and all-knowing role for herself.

As amusing as she found Alain’s behavior, in truth Rebeca felt sorry for him. It was obvious that he was even more uncomfortable with the whole situation than she was, and if the suspiciously audible hissing noise from the other side of the doors was any indication, she wasn’t the only one that had been deceived into coming. Mihkail had acted in a similar manner; different sounds, same meaning.
Unfortunately, making people feel better was not something she knew how to do. At all. And so, she remained silent.

When the food came out, she had to smile. Everyone save for her was served, for which she wasn’t offended in the slightest; in fact, she was sure that the reason involved a LOT of tears. That said, just the sight of all the food made her stomach growl quietly. She hoped that the sound was masked by Mihkail’s more amused rumbling. Don’t you say a word.

Wouldn’t dream of it.

She was about to respond with a scathing comment when a shining gold circle seemed to appear out of thin air by the locked entrance, through which a starry field could be seen. A short middle-aged woman with bright pinkish-purple hair and absolutely garish clothes emerged, and the circle shrank down to a bangle around her thin wrist. Another one? Who the hell is she supposed to be?

The woman sidled over, a bejeweled cane dropping out of another one of her gold circles. When she spoke, her tone reminded Rebeca of one of the old women back home, a memory that set her teeth grinding. Everything about her screamed arrogance, and in much the same way that Tantalus had, she instantly disliked her.

Stay.

Rebeca’s eyes flicked to her shoulder. Why? Sure, most of these people aren’t bad, but it sure as hell isn’t worth sticking around anyone who thinks they’re better than anyone else.

Mihkail kept his disinterested gaze on the newcomer. Because I want to see what happens when your food arrives.

The slightly mirthful tone he bore was all it took to convince her. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed, then opened her eyes and turned to the woman. “What makes you think the world needs saving? Or that we can do anything about it? I just get hot and punch stuff really hard.”

Vuduin's head swiveled to view this new avatar. She was rather extravagant, her dress made it abundantly clear what avatar she was. Though did not know much about Hoopa, he did know the pokemon was something of a trickster and tended to use hoops. Frankly her overly optimistic view of the avatars and pessimistic view of the world was annoying. "I don't know about any one else but I'm no hero. I haven't been blessed and I certainly don't have the power to save the world." Vuduin then turned away from the girl and took a long drink of his water and began carefully cutting steak. Free food was half the reason he came here anyway, and he'd be darned if some crazy physic avatar ruined it for him.

Germaine was overjoyed when his meal finally arrived, it appears some sort of commotion within the kitchens had caused their delay, but thankfully, due to the desirable company that the table held; his stomach hadn't minded as much.
Before he ate Germaine decided to take the time to evaluate the other avatars.

Firstly Germaine was thankful that obnoxious braggart Wells wasn't here, otherwise he would have soured the meal that he had looked forward to, next was Vuduin, a rather mellow man, but despite being the avatar of Darkrai, this was rather surprising to note that he was a decent character, Germaine had not forgotten that he had stood beside him, and he would return the favour at one point.
Then there was Seras, a bright and happy woman who filled wherever she was with joy, to the point where it was actually infectious; Germaine found it hard to act in his character with her about but there was a threshold to his leniency, and there would be little doubt in time those will test its borders; regardless of her presence.
Kaze was a nice lad, Germaine felt that he should try and fix his relationship with him after his introduction at the event.
Rebecca...she was in a precarious position in Germaines mind, someone who teetered on the border of him disliking her; she was a person whom was evidentially unfamiliar with human contact; but she should take a note from his book on how to handle being near them after his long; millennia long, stay away from humanity - he also felt that despite what she said to him earlier, she was hiding her true nature and the fact that Groudon was in her, begging to have his his say once again; how long could she keep such a primal force at bay?
Is that why she stayed away from humans?
Germaine would keep his peripheral vision on her, whenever he could, she was worth watching and waiting to see what would happen when certain events transpire.
When it came to the duo of mortality - Tantalus and Alain, he was unsure about them yet, Alain felt terrified to be here which was evident, whereas Tantalus felt at home, he also felt that Tantalus had some sort of interest in Germaine, or rather Giratina, its mere speculation at this point but Germaine would make note to scrutinise anything the avatar of Xerneas asked of him in the future.

Germaine felt that he had now affirmed his place and feelings on all of the avatars here, satisfied he unwrapped the cloth that encased his chopsticks and debated on which piece of sushi t taste first.
But of course was it ever that simpel to eat ones meal in peace?
Did Arceus in all his wisdom feel it necessary for Germaine to sustain himself?

No.

Of course not; because his meal, that was delayed, was delayed once again as another avatar entered the restaurant.
Germaine wanted to eat his meal and ignore this one, truly; but how could he possibly forgo spiting Wells 2.0?

Her appearance was bordering inappropriate; and that's not the fact that its a black tie meal; its understandable that some avatars may be hitting hard times or that they don't have the money to spare on formal wear.
It's the fact that her "clothes" if you could call them that were... revealing to say at the least.
This just exacerbated his distaste of her when she chided them all for "indulging in life's many delicacies" when apparently there was a world to save.

Germaine stated his piece after Vuduin had spoken "You scold us for indulging where you have clearly been doing something very similar; if not taking the phrase to a new level..."
Germaine gave an exaggerated nod towards her jewel encrusted sceptre.
"Beyond that you go further to say that as avatars we have a duty to save the world - last time I checked that wasn't demanded of us, Arceus gave us human form to save us from the plague, as we all have our roles in making the world function properly - at least that's my interpretation of it; clearly he felt the need to bestow you with more knowledge than anyone sat here, and yet... I doubt you have saved anyone's life." practically spitting venom with his last few words, Germaine finally picked up a piece of Krabby sushi that was neatly encased within some dry seaweed and placed it in his mouth.
"Ah...... Food....."

All of a sudden, the nice quiet atmosphere at the table had gone up in smoke as yet another Avatar had materialised onto the scene. Whereas the collective at the table had at least a semi-respectable aura about them, this new arrival just didn’t. Barging in like she owned the place and instantly trying to provoke a response, killing any hopes of a good conversation over the recently served dinner.

Not to mention Tantalus’s concentration.

As the sips of wine threatened to come back on him, the idea of simply ignoring the newcomer appealed to him. She craved attention, and so depriving her of such would be the best approach for someone so obviously high-and-mighty. So obviously like him. That scepter in her hands was proof of that.

Regardless of what the best approach would be, not all Avatars at the table would play along, so ignoring the girl wasn’t possible. In that case, this would be a good time to regain the composure that was so rudely taken by Yveltal. A chuckle spilled across the table.

“Well, well. It would seem tonight’s entertainment has arrived! I wonder, can it do tricks? One would hope it has a more substantial repertoire than mere teleportation.” Reaching down to pick up his glass, Tantalus took a sip of wine, before placing it back on the table.

“Whoever you think you are, it might bemuse you to know I am the Avatar of Xerneas. The embodiment of life itself. Of all the people to accuse of sitting on their hands while the world dies, I am perhaps the worst target you could have possibly picked. I have saved the lives of more people than you can count, although, I’d wager that isn’t very high anyway.”

With a gesture towards Giratina, he continued. “The points put forward by Giratina are all entirely valid, so go ahead and entertain me some more. Just who are you, to interrupt our merriment? I don’t get many days to rest, and I could do without one being disturbed by those who should know better.”

Finishing his retort to the woman’s question, Tantalus felt revitalised. His focus and control were back, mostly because the presence of Yveltal at the table had been pushed to the back of his mind. A smile had crept across his lips at some stage during the outburst, and he began to eat his meal, feeling more like eating, all of a sudden.

Hope gazed upon her fellow avatars, assuming much too quickly they'd be willing to follow her straight in to the maw. She'd stick her nose in to the air for a moment and let the various aromas enter her lungs, with eyes closed. When the others began to speak, that's when a single eye opened to observe them. First among them, a girl spoke out her opinions, and alike the others who would follow, the general assumption was that this world didn't need saving. She mentioned something about getting hot, and punching things.

"My dear, it's only natural to flaunt how hot you are! But that won't cure the disaster that has befallen us! Why-" Now, before Hope could say another word, her psychic powers caught on to the general aura festering about the air. She couldn't perfectly read a mind, and she needn't do so, the other avatars were about to get vocal. The vibe she felt instantly ripped the grin from her face.

Vuduin, that adorable dark and mysterious young lad spoke next, though he was the primary target of Hope's own flaunting, she'd be distracted from his denial of greatness. Though she was ready to speak, and attempt to persuade him otherwise, the outbursts of Giratina and Xerneas's avatars were far too effective at drawing out Hope's nastier side. They scolded her, when all she did was come bearing news! Firstly, she'd answer the ghost's retort.

"How insolent... you think Arceus saved you simply so that you could live a new life alongside humans, so you could frolic about in the fields whimsically? Luckily for you, he indeed did give me the insight needed to educate the likes of you! Something, in his omnipotence, he was somehow unable to rid you of such ignorance." Hope's tongue proved sharp when need be. She fought venomous words with equal ridicule.

Then came the degradation, tantalized by Tantalus, the edge of Hope's mouth quivered once in anger, before she huffed a loud exhale, almost spitting in his direction.

"As dull witted as a plant, indeed! Avatar of life, how you've fallen from grace! Oh, but I see... the arrogance of your host hasn't rid itself of that body yet, has it? You couldn't bring yourself to kill him? And now, you're left with a pathetic mortal shell, of whom surely takes credit for all you've done... I think you've had enough to drink, little boy!" Hope made sure to emphasize on the last bit.

Reaching her left hand out, palm facing the table, Hope immediately began to ruin dinner for the individual who dared spite her. Immediately, Tantalus would find his wine missing, instead in the hands of the extravagantly dressed gypsy. She'd take a vague sip from the carafe, and made a clicking sound with her teeth. She had already warped Tantalus's glass far elsewhere, and no wine existed at the table any more.

"You wouldn't be able to defeat the powerful legendary poison Pokemon that created this disease, anyways... little fairy. Go take a nap, if that's what's making you so irritable, and let the adults talk. I have real wisdom to bestow upon worthy heroes!" Hope knew very well she'd have just started a war, and that her lie about a legendary poison pokemon might not even require attention to explain... she wanted to tease the man who dare mock her, and test how far she could push him. All in all, she did it for her own amusement. The vile smirk returned to her lips, as the tossed the wine carafe in to another tiny portal.

Sitting at the table, Tantalus marveled at the newcomer’s outburst, the bottle of wine and his cup vanishing therein.

Did you really have to do that? You could have yielded a single moment to her. The small voice from his lap remarked, mentally.

How could you ask such a thing? She came waltzing in like she owned the place! The only person at the table with enough money to buy this place out is me, I can't have her giving my future clientele the wrong idea. He replied, humorously.

In truth, she reminded him of himself, when he had first gotten powers. The ego that flowed from every pore of his being, a god in mortal form. Not befitted of a benevolent Pokemon such as Xerneas, however, so he had concealed that side of him as best he could. It was still prominent within him, certainly, but tonight it was on the back burner until the problem with Yveltal’s presence could be sorted. Focusing on the conversation was helping him to control the cauldron of vile emotions causing his skin to crawl, and he was, in a small way, grateful to the intruder.

Tantalus laughed, raucously, and reached into his knapsack and drew out a second bottle of Pinot Noir, placing it lightly on the table in front of him. Collecting one of his other glasses littering the unoccupied space of the table across from his plate, he poured himself another glass of wine.

“Did I strike a nerve, perchance? As I have explained already, had you at least had the courtesy to show up on time, Xerneas is no longer with us. His power is now mine, and I do with it as I see fit. What I choose to do with it is heal those who are in need, and i will leave the fighting to those more suited to that role. Regardless, you have entertained me, as I asked of you. Enjoy the wine, although I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t vanish any more. I only have one bottle left unopened to last me until I return home.” Tantalus raised up his wine glass, looking the woman dead in the eyes with a smile.

“Cheers!”

Yeah, she’s full of herself. It was going to be very satisfying to take this woman down a notch or two. The only question that remained was how long it would take, and how much of her bitching Rebeca would have to endure until then. “Well, since you know so much more than the rest of us, apparently, why don’t you stop flapping your mouth, sit down, and share?” Her eyes narrowed in a minor challenge. “Or do you like the sound of your own voice so much that you want to see how much hot air you can make?”

Mihkail gave a quiet rumble. You would know about hot air.

You’re the one who wanted a show. Giving a slight smile, she turned to the Mayor on her other side. “Sorry to bother you, but it would only be polite to make some room for our fellow Avatar, don’t you think?” Rebeca turned her gaze back to the newcomer. “Despite one that has yet to actually introduce herself.”

"...*ahem* Yes, of course," Mayor Mayer uttered, strategically (or perhaps sacrificially) sliding closer to Rebeca so he would be between the women. He seemed to be growing uncomfortable with all this conflict. He already dealt with enough of that in his political role; couldn't the poor man have just evening of peace?

As for Justine, she silently appreciated the tension. It provided a great opportunity to gauge the true, gloves-off nature of each avatar.

Then, a Hitmonlee with sunglasses and a bow tie arrived on the scene.

A Hitmonlee with sunglasses and a bow tie. Perhaps this level of precaution was a little over the top, but with all the drama that had taken place so far this evening, the kitchen staff didn't want to take any chances. Thus, a Hitmonlee with sunglasses and a bow tie carried a sizzling plate of hellfire. The spicy odor wafting from bumpy red strips was enough to sting the eyes, nose, mouth, and perhaps even ears of anyone within ten feet of the accursed platter. Though he was fortunate to be missing most of those body parts, the Hitmonlee's sunglasses were not a strong enough protection, and a stream of tears rolled down the Pokemon's face. The Hitmonlee went far around the avatars' table and placed the dish on a nearby table behind Rebeca. Then it dashed away as quickly as possible. Unbeknownst to the avatars, that Hitmonlee and its trainer would soon receive a nice cash reward for his act of courage.

Seconds later, a waitress brought Alain's meal. Oddly, it wasn't the waitress that had been serving the group earlier. Before she left, the redhead gave Rebeca a nervous frown and handed her a release of liability waiver.

Kaze smiled to Alain when he accepted the Soothe Bell, then realized that giving up such an important part of him was likely a mistake. A very bold woman soon stepped up, placing herself on a figurative pedestal (though she might as well have had a real one with that kind of dress) and bashing the other Avatars for gathering at a dinner.

For the most part, the other Avatars handled conversing with the woman while Kaze stood silent. Her words reminded him of the harsh things his parents had sometimes said since he had become an Avatar, and without his Soothe Bell in his possession to calm him down, Kaze's emotions started growing toward a dangerous level.

Inside, he could feel Suicune's will pressing on him that he should stay calm, but too much hurt had been brought to the surface too quickly. As he stood there, listening to the arrogant woman condemn his comrades and himself, an instinct rose to stop her. Kaze began trembling, first just taking his hands, but soon encompassing the rest of him. So focused on his anger he had become, that he didn't even notice the steaming platter of overly spicy berry delivered by the anxious Hitmonlee.

Slowly, while she continued speaking, a rain cloud began forming inside the restaurant above Kaze's head, and began to expand in the direction of the woman. Then, a single raindrop fell on Kaze, and another next to his opponent. Jingle, meanwhile, rang loudly at Kaze, trying to take his attention off of his anger, but to no avail. Without the Bell to calm his nerves, his instincts took over, and he was now ready to fight should the woman continue.

Vuduin frowned. Out of control. The whole thing was out of control. Perhaps it was a mistake. He set down his utensils next to the plate of food he'd been looking forward to. "Please excuse me for a moment, she can have my seat if she wishes." Vuduin stood up, literally stepping out of his seat and walked, drifted really, towards the restroom. He was getting too involved again. He'd started caring. Hadn't he learned by now? Vuduin could've try defusing the situation, trying to calm things down, explain himself. No point. The fierce smell of the peppers attacked him even as he left, prompting small tears to fall down his face. How embarrassing.

He took a deep breath to help clear his mind but the scent of the infernal peppers only assaulted him more, causing him to begin hacking as he stumbled towards the bathroom. Finally Vuduin made it inside and thankfully splashed some water on his face and stared into the mirror. Perhaps he should just leave. He'd had a little fun, got to try some new things. Wasn't that enough? Free from the oppressive peppers and the gaze of others he took deep breaths and closed his eyes, envisioning a calm, tranquil pond. Shade stayed at the table and stared at the food hungrily but glanced towards the bathroom with obvious concern. He seemed to be torn between eating the food and comforting Vuduin. So Shade just awkwardly floated there, eyes flickering from avatar to peppers to food to bathroom.

The Hitmonlee had not even made it ten feet to the table when Maya began chittering and whining in distress, now fully aware of what sort of dish her mother had requested. Fully expecting this, Rebeca gave the Shellfish Pokemon's shell a reassuring tap, and Maya promptly turned around, clambered down her legs, and made her way to the point that she determined was farthest from the hellish concoction, had a sufficient number of obstacles between herself and the aforementioned concoction, and was comfortable.

As it so happened, those traits coincided with Kaze's lap. The teen had barely any time to react before Maya had made herself comfortable, the front edge of her shell firmly buried in his stomach. Mommy's food stinks.

As for Rebeca herself, she instantly ceased to care whatsoever about how the remainder of the conversation went when the waitress handed her the waiver. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she cheerfully signed the waiver and handed it back with a smile that had no business being as wide as it was. "I'll let you know if the second one needs any improvement."

She had no idea what language the waitress was speaking in as she scurried away, but she got the gist of it anyways.

The dish itself was rather simple: a sort of rounded pasta that was wrapped around a little ball of meat, whose name Rebeca was not at all inclined to try pronouncing. And in any other circumstance, it would have been quite appropriate for the setting, were it not for the thick red sauce in which it was virtually drowning. Those sitting right next to Rebeca were at ground zero and suffered the worst, though it did not take very long at all for the pain to be shared by everyone. At the first bite, Rebeca's face screwed up, tears began streaming down her face in earnest, and it took about two tries to actually swallow. She sat back and loosed a breath, a small wisp of flame emerging at the end. "Hoooyeah, that's good," she sighed, then began devouring the meal with gusto. She paused only once, when she caught sight of Shade appearing torn between concentrating on the food or the retreating Vuduin.

The brief smoldering glare she gave was more than enough to convince him that he had better places to be.

The Shellfish Pokémon climbing to his stomach snapped Kaze out of his rage. It served as a reminder to him that there was a reason he had been the voice trying to calm the fighting, rather than be one among the instigators. With only a third drop of rain falling before the end of what might have otherwise become a torrential downpour, the clouds at the restaurant's ceiling began to dissipate, and Kaze's trembling ceased. Beside him, Jingle let a sigh of relief, ceasing its frantic ringing.

His wits now about him again, Kaze suddenly comprehended what it was the little Kabuto had said to him: Mommy's food stinks.

It was then that Kaze, though among the most distant from the platter of steaming death, finally smelled--and felt--the spiciness of the food Rebeca was eating. His eyes burned lightly, even from such a distance. Though he wasn't accustomed to speaking with Pokémon like some of the others seemed to be, he tried his best to project his thoughts to the Kabuto, Yeah, it does. He stroked the little Pokémon's back, hoping it would be reassuring to her. I'll try to keep you safe from it, though.

Kaze decided that he would just have to ignore the flamboyant, self-righteous woman who had interrupted their dinner. Sitting back in his place, Kaze invited Jingle to play with Maya while he began eating his Kalos toast. One berry-saturated piece he tore off and offered to the little shellfish, and another to Jingle. He knew Kabuto's appetite wouldn't be large, but he hoped to give it its fill as well.

As the gypsy continued hurling insults towards her dinner companions, Seras swivelled towards Charity. “Who does this woman think she is, exactly?” Within the privacy of their mental connection, her voice was livid. “Setting asides the issue of what our powers actually do, none of us are heroes - we’re all common people with lives of our own. Should we throw all of that away when someone blows the war horn because of our blessing?”

“She raises a fair point,” countered Charity, “as tastelessly as it was delivered. Suppose that the mayor requested your assistance, or that the Hoenn League asked for the avatars’ support. Would you be willing to fight if the public demanded it?”

She thought back to her earlier conflicts that day. The first had been fought for her own protection, pushing back after the dive-bombing from Wells. The second had been to protect innocent bystanders, which had been enough to push herself into disrupting an actual battle. And the last had been an act of selfishness, but nonetheless, for the peace and wellbeing of everyone around the table tonight. Would she be willing to got through all that again if someone made her step into the battle?

Possibly.

“Not because they demanded it, that’s for certain. I would support anyone who genuinely needs protection, but only to the extent that anyone can make that decision for themselves, not because some conceited idiot branded us ‘heroes’. I refuse to be dehumanised because of my powers.”

As the gypsy stole wine from Tantalus, setting aside the slightest pretence of civility, Seras reached a conclusion.

Well, with that precedent firmly set…

While the other avatars squabbled in return and rain clouds broke out overhead, Seras fixed her gaze on the scepter. Much like its owner, it was garish, vulgar and entirely unsuited for a conversation among peers. With a gentle whisper of her power, she began experimentally directing energy towards the scepter’s jewel. Manipulating a foreign gemstone was a delicate matter - unlike her own diamonds, the scepter’s jewel was rather cheap and riddled with internal imperfections. One careless push would shatter the gemstone along a fault line, and while that would certainly have the desired effect, destroying another person’s possession seemed uncalled for regardless of the situation.

She took a few moments to practise with her power, experimentally twitching the head of the sceptre in minuscule spirals until content with her control over the foreign gemstone. Right.

“Charity, would you make sure that Vuduin’s alright? I’ll handle the situation here.”

As Charity nodded in assent and teleported away, Seras mentally cracked her knuckles. No peace has the peacekeeper, it seems. By this stage, it seemed too much to hope for them all to have a peaceful festival – there were far too many avatars around with a bone to pick. We’ll have to settle for what little peace we can claim for ourselves.

At least Charity wouldn't shout at her until later.

“Forgive me for intruding,” she noted dryly, “but this has gone far enough. You have come to a peaceful gathering of avatars – perhaps the first one in existence – and made an utter mockery of yourself for the history books. Offering naught but conceited insults, you claim to have wisdom while demonstrating nothing of the kind. Imagine the tales that will be told when they write about the ‘heroes.’”

She gestured at the rain cloud hanging over their heads. The situation really spoke for itself.

“Personally, I’m inclined to disagree with your opinion – none of us are ‘heroes’ to be press-ganged at your whim, but compassionate beings that will support others in both the time and manner of our choosing. We might hold a unique form of power as avatars, but none of us are more capable than a highly-skilled trainer and no more uniquely responsible for the world than, say, the Elite Four.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“But regardless of the wisdom or plain ignorance behind your words – we can discuss that at a later date – I’m afraid that I must impose a measure of decorum. Rather than souring the mood any further by commanding our attention, I suggest that we continue this conversation as equals.”

And without further ado, she reached with her power and shoved. The gemstone at the head of the scepter begun glowing cherry-pink, burning brighter and brighter as she poured as much energy as the jewel could support. Moments later, the scepter tore itself violently from the woman’s hands, flying gemstone-first towards Seras with the force of a bullet before abruptly halting in front of her within comfortable arm’s reach.

I’m afraid that the Fairies mean business.

It wouldn’t be long until the gypsy reclaimed it using her powers, but the message was clear regardless. Grasping her prize by the handle, she offered the scepter to her fellow Fairy. Although Tantalus had shown similar hubris to the gypsy, he’d demonstrated enough courtesy and restraint towards everyone not picking a fight to earn her cautious trust – besides, it was a matter of solidarity.

“Will this be a sufficient down payment for your stolen wine?”

The other guests at the table had been annoyed by the intruder who had so rudely interrupted an otherwise enjoyable meal. Tantalus had been pleased with the amusement wrought by her sudden appearance through the door of the Ritzy Raichu, but the mood was beginning to dim as the other Avatars took the woman’s persecution and trouble-making to heart. Darkrai’s Avatar, Vuduin had left the table, bound for the washroom, and the young child, Kaze, was literally casting a dark shadow on the proceedings. The boy’s mood was dire, a furious scowl developing as he trembled.

Apate began to stir in Tantalus’s lap, readying herself to spring if she is needed. This isn’t good. Should this continue, violence is going to be unavoidable. If it kicks off, what should I do?

Hit the woman with all your strength, I’ll back you up. Pray it doesn't come to that, however. There are too many people here to go all-out. Tantalus’s reply was wary. Fighting here would not be a good idea, but the chance was growing with each passing second. He began to drum his fingers on the table, without noticing, running ideas and tactics through his head, something as second nature to him as breathing.

And then Seras spoke up.

Seras launched a tirade towards the intruder, verbally flaying her with a dazzling display of veiled insults and blatant truths. It was clear she was highly annoyed at the disruption to the dinner, as well as the woman’s horrific attitude towards her fellow Avatars. Tantalus watched, spellbound, as Seras tore the intruder’s argument to shreds.

“I suggest that we continue this conversation as equals.” The scepter in Hope’s hand suddenly flew across the room, landing firmly in Seras’s hand. She turned towards Tantalus.

“Would this be a sufficient down payment for your stolen wine?” His eyes went wide. She was offering the scepter to him? Words failed. Tantalus stared for a few seconds, blankly, before a surge of inspiration hit. Picking up Apate, he placed her down on the now-empty chair. A grin spread from ear to ear, as an outstretched hand plucked the scepter from Seras. He inclined his head in a gesture of gratitude. With confidence, he began to speak, ensuring his voice traveled across the room.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Bancroft. It is nice to see that civility still exists somewhere within these walls.” Tantalus moved his hand, grasping the scepter firmly, keeping it in view. He felt like a king, which was fitting for someone of his stature. “However, I do not seek a down payment for the wine. What I wish for is a quiet meal, and I fully intend to partake in one. I trust the lost of this” he said, shaking the scepter “will hurt you, my dear, but I’m afraid such is life. You have entered this place, a civil gathering of Avatars, and caused an upset. Persecuting others when you have no right to do so, and as a result, at least two of our party are struggling to cope with the situation. Actions have consequences.”

He lowered his voice, speaking in a softer tone. “Kaze, I’m glad to see you are calming down. You are the Avatar of Suicine, are you not? I’m sure you have done the rest of us proud with your antics, helping the people and Pokemon of this world. You are better than this, and I will handle our guest.” Tantalus offered the boy a somber smile. “Seras, I appreciate you sending Charity after Vuduin, also. With luck he will rejoin us shortly, and when he does, that this dispute will be resolved.”

He considered mentioning Rebeca and Giratina, but neither seemed particularly wounded by any remarks. In fact, Rebeca had shrugged them off and began digging into her volcano on a plate. The dish was so hot, his eyes stung.

Tantalus raised the scepter, thrusting it tip-first in the direction of the intruder. “If this trinket means a lot to you, then I offer a deal. I will return it to you as an olive branch, if several conditions are met. One. Sit down at the table, and join in our discussion if you have anything more to say, and you do so civilly. Two. You do not persecute a guest at this table again, especially when you, yourself, have done nothing of note. Three. Apologise to both Kaze and Vuduin when he returns for causing them distress. Four. Walk over here and collect the scepter by hand. No fancy portal teleportation.”

His voice grew harder, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice, accompanying a scowl now present across his face. “You entertained me at first, but our meal has been completely disturbed as a result of the comments which have spilled forth from you. As such, I’m beginning to get rather aggravated. If you do not wish to accept the hospitality offered, feel free to steal the scepter back and leave. Continue to cause trouble, my dear, and you will find you must deal with me.”

Tantalus stood, behind his chair, his armed and loaded Mawile in full view of everyone, scepter outstretched towards the woman. “Consider my kindness. I will not extend it to you again.”

Wells eventually decided to walk to the Ritzy Raichu after finishing his pizza. Bloated from a big meal, and ready to apologize, he was quite upset when he heard a confident stranger (Tantalus) talk aloud. It was obvious that he talked to someone thoughtless like Germaine, and far more importanly, giving him competition. After he mentioned that "civility still exists somewhere withing these walls", Wells felt goaded into taking the center stage again. When he saw Hope for the first time, he barely believed his eyes. Someone dressed like that had to be an avatar! Someone who wouldn't mind fighting him. He could see that Fluke made sparks fly between his digits, meaning that he sensed a foul mood. And was ready to fight with him.

Wels quickly hatched a plan, although he could do with planning for a few more scenarios. He cleared his throat, and imagined a script in his mind saying exactly what the patrons of the Ritzy Raichu might want to hear, as he walked near the new avatar.

"Excuse me, fellow avatars. (Wells was silent for about 5-6 seconds) Earlier today, I let my hot head nearly cause a fight, and I've acted in a more than insensitive way to several of you. Seeing someone else do it, made my own mistakes all the more obvious. Seeing that I'm not the only attention-hungry idiot around here is a bit of a relief. And, at least I didn't try to provoke avatars during their dinner! I apologize to those that I offended earlier today, and I hope that we'll be able to live our new lives without brash idiots in our future. Ultimately, there was a reason we were chosen to be avatars. It is my hope that my three mistakes today will be my last. And I apologize that they happened to begin with."

Wells waited to hear the response from all the avatars, as he walked away, appearing regretful.

Lucas knew the way, his feet taking him down a path he had walked every day for the past week. Statues and carvings remained in the depths of the cave, yet to be touched by the sea. The path was lined with hieroglyphs he couldn't even begin to understand. But there was on symbol he did recognize. An ancient leviathan.

Even if he was blind, he would understand it.
"Why do I have this bad feeling? Like the moment before the first bolt of lightning..."

Lucas gave a short grimace in surprised as he passed by a crystal torch that flickered to life, the power of the temple last long after its carvers had. After so long in the dark water, the sudden light irritated him.

"No, that's not it. I would have felt that."

His foot steps echoed off the hallowed walls, revealing more doors, left to hang open, or collapsed in a heap of rubble. It became clear to the man the first time he visited how quickly the place became abandoned: as if they had to flee from a terrible threat. Eventually, Lucas dove so deep into the ruins that not even time could reach, the passages becoming more well-preserved as he went. The sound of the roaring ocean had faded into a minor din in the background. If he did not know any better, he could have sworn he was back in the Glimmer Lighthouse, albeit in the basement, and at night.

"It's not as though any of them would be foolish enough to actually go-... ignore that last statement."

After minutes of walking through several passages, he came before a solid wall, causing the man to pause before it. It had taken him a week to remember how the humans of old had opened this way; the prior ocean entrance now lost to him. However, the silver glow of his hand sparkled on the wall ahead. Stone faded into air as a door appeared before the man, opening into a tremendous cavern. He sighed as the fresh, clean air brushed past his face.

"It's going to happen. All that power in one place. It would be foolhardy to assume the process was as clean cut for all."

There, sitting in the centre of the cavern was a lake of silvery water, sloshing about lazily of its own accord. It sat in the middle of a depression, gently sloping sides coming to an abrupt end at the edges of the liquid. It gave off a soft glow, illuminating the room completely, leaving no need for torches beyond the stairs. At the center, there sat a small island, two great bronze laterns tied to opposite ends of the protruding stones. Vines, mosses and plants crept into the room, coating the ceiling in a thin layer of flora. Not once did Lucas pause in his step, the water carrying his weight with a faint ripple as he strode across it as easily as the cavern floor.

"Do nothing? That would be best. Leave them to handle it."

A year here had little to show for it. The camp he had made was nothing impressive; he did want for little with the sea so close. A sleeping bag had been spread out, and a small backpack lay next to it, a couple of tables, and a desk. On top of the tables were a couple of stone tablets, their script the same as the walls above, and several wooden masks adorned with colorful feathers. The remnants of a driftwood nest, long since disused, lay in ruin near the water's edge. It took him little time to pack what few belonging he had; most of his research and keepsakes could stay, and he would need to supplies from the village for the long journey ahead.

"You're right, I admit. I could..." Lucas murmered quietly to himself as he slung the satchel over his arm, as he looked around at his ocean cave. He would miss this place. "I could... but I know I won't," he said with a sigh of weariness, before stepping into the pool around his island, being pulled under the surface once more.

Cold swept over his body, running through him like a torrent of the coldest winter breeze. He cried out in a silent scream of elation as the liquid seemed to rip something out of his very core, a piece that was no longer there, as his body shot through the water like a bullet. The darkness slowly gathered around his vision, the direness of his situation testing his resolve to follow through. The Avatar of Lugia resigned himself to his task.

---

Three weeks of walking, and a hefty bribe for a flight from a rather touchy Tropius, would find Lucas on the doorstep of Mauville City, staring rather impassively at the colossal structure as streams of people poured in and out like swarms of Durants.

A city within a single building. What would they think of next?

With the sun only hours away from setting behind him, Lucas walked faster, passing under the welcoming arch of the city, scarcely noticing the few curious glances sent his way. His attire had always made his rare appearances on the mainland stand out, but for the first time, the avatar could only smile in amusement as he blended into the crowd. Everywhere people dressed in garish costume, or even as pokemon themselves. He was confident he had even seen a few would-be Lugias amongst the festival attenders.

Talk of this place had made it to every corner of the globe; even to the small village on the mainland that he journeyed for supplies. It was the only thing anyone could talk about that day. And every village of city he stopped at along the way, there was always the same talk:

'The Avatars will be in the Festival in Mauville!'

They hadn't lied. Clusters of trainers and coordinator chattered how Diancie made herself known. How Giratina had almost come to blows with her. Lucas felt himself stopping in mid walk, his blood running cold as he heard that.

"Arceus... give me strength," the avatar whispered tersely as he began the visual hunt for his brethren.

The crowds were somewhat thinner than they were earlier in the day. There were costume contests going on, so many of the festival-goers crowded around a few scattered stages, watching flustered volunteers attempt to herd droves of hyperactive and colorfully dressed children.

As far as Lucas could see, there was only one child wandering around without a costume. A blonde girl, maybe twelve years old, adjusted her round silver glasses as she turned what seemed to be a map around in her hands. She wore a t-shirt with a picture of a shiny Rapidash on it, knee-length shorts, and pink light-up shoes that appeared to have half of their lights burned out. The girl sighed and gave the Pokemon standing beside her a flustered look. The Lucario shrugged and resumed carefully observing the people around his companion.

The girl looked around for a minute, as if searching for something. Occasionally she took a step toward someone, only to shy away before they noticed. Finally, she noticed Lucas strolling by and dared to walk up to him.

"Excuse me, sir," the blonde said, her forced brave tone coming out a little too strong. "Can you show us how to get to Battle Arena B? I'm not very good at maps..." Her large teal eyes scanned Lucas, and a small smile graced her face. "Nice Lugia costume, by the way," the girl added.

The Lucario stiffened and sidled closer to the blonde, crimson eyes trained on Lucas. The Aura Pokemon could sense that this man was not just a cosplayer.

A look of peaceful content was cemented on the man's face as he carefully steered his way though the throng, giving the barest of flinches as a duo of children dressed as Charmanders bumped into him, running off in delight. So it was to his surprise when the young girl marched up to him.
"Excuse me, sir? Can you show us how to get to Battle Arena B? I'm not very good at maps..."

'Well, isn't this one brave,' Lucas thought quietly to himself as he bent over over to her eye level. 'Why not? Manners maketh man, and my voice could use company.'

"That makes two of us, but I suppose misery loves her company," Lucas answered her with a quiet chuckle as he peeled the map from her fingers, looking it over intently. He would be the last person to turn down an opportunity to get his bearings, and his eyes scanned the labyrinthine map hungrily. "I thank you, little one. Have you ever seen one like that?" Lucas added with his own smile, tilting his head towards her own shirt. It had taken a few moments for her words to register with him, tilting his head in quiet confusion, before he had looked down at his attire and smiled.

If she only knew.

The avatar could feel someone's gaze burning a hole in his head, and peeked over the top of the map to find the girl's Lucario staring rather intently at him. Sapphire met crimson for a few fateful seconds till the avatar gave the slightest of nods of acquiescence to the aura master, his foot sliding back in apprehension.

'Run.' It was the briefest of thoughts, but Lucas quickly squashed it. It mattered not if the pokemon knew; they were both here for their own reasons.

"Let's see..." he murmered quietly to himself, as he thumbed the map. "The pokemart is in this direction... which puts the pageant here... wait, that's the second floor..." After a few more moments of this, and a few attempts to check the back of the map for some discerning mark, Lucas could only hand her back the folded the map a frown set into his face. He should have known better than for the festival to advertise where his brethren would be housed. Surely they would be the guests of honor at the parade, and center stage for the fight...

Lucas bit the inside of his cheek in contemplation.

'Useless,' he quietly decided at last.

"Well, it's official. I am completely and totally lost," he told her, folding his hands inside of his enormous sleeves, the shell bell around his waist jingling with every slight movement. Slow, nonthreatening motions. "You, on the other hand, are not. Go down this hallway and take a right. Look for the Square Towers, and once you see it, go straight ahead to the second intersection, and than another right. According to that, it should take you to the Battle Institute," he informed her. His eyes flicked briefly to her guard, though his kind tone continued to address her.

"I take it one of your parents, or an older sibling is participating in one of the matches, Miss...?"

"Emry," the girl answered the helpful man. "And me and Solomon are gonna compete in a tournament tomorrow." The girl nodded toward her Lucario, who finally took his gaze off Lucas for a moment to give her a nod in return. Emry took a few seconds to mentally review the directions.

"Thanks, sir," the blonde said with a slight curtsy, evidently with an imaginary skirt. "I think I can find it now. Bye!" With that, she walked away with a spring in her step. Solomon gave Lucas one last glance before following his friend.

So many cheery colors, sounds, and smells lined the street as Emry walked ahead. It was hard for a girl to stay focused with all the festivities going on! But she was determined to reach her goal, and she could not afford any distractions. Well... maybe she could allow distractions that tasted good...

'Keep walking straight ahead,' a gritty voice suddenly commanded in her mind. 'Don't look back. We have to talk in private.'

Emry's blood ran cold at the grim message. For an instant, she moved to look directly at Solomon, only to remember he told her to look ahead. The girl began to squeeze her hands into tight fists from anxiety.

'Ok' she replied. 'We'll find a quiet spot once we make this turn.'

A couple minutes later, the duo stopped by a line of booths that were closing down. Emry fiddled around with her large backpack while Solomon practiced some fighting stances. From the outside, nobody would imagine they were having a serious telepathic conversation.

'That man in the Lugia costume is the real thing,' Solomon began. 'Well, he's an avatar. I can't be certain that his representative Pokemon is Lugia.'

Emry gulped.

'Do you think he's--?'

'Hard to say,' Solomon answered. 'He didn't seem deceptive... but deceptive people rarely do... does he look anything like the way you remember?'

The blonde considered for a moment.

'I guess not,' Emry decided. 'But he could be in disguise for all we know.'

'What I did detect,' the Lucario mused, 'Was a spirit that seemed to desire swimming against the tide. He either wants to bring chaos within harmony or harmony within chaos. If he is Lugia, the latter seems more likely.' The Aura Pokemon stood on the toes of one foot and frowned. 'But looks can be deceiving.'

Emry perked up a little and gave her partner a tentative smile.

'Maybe he can help us,' the blonde suggested. 'After all, you're the one that said this was too big for me to handle by myself. We can at least try to figure out what side he's on, if any.'

Solomon considered her words for an agonizingly long time. Then he mentally sighed.

'Well, if I wanted to stop you, I should have done it long ago. I suppose it's safe to learn more about a potential friend or foe, as long as you don't let him know who you are.' The Lucario bent his knees, leaned forward, and cracked a rare smile. 'C'mon. We might be able to find him again if we're really fast.'

Emry beamed from both gratitude and excitement. Forgetting her fears for the moment, she hopped onto Solomon's back. He sprinted through the crowd, carrying the girl piggy-back-style with little effort. Emry decided to call out their target's name when they neared their meeting place, only to realize she never learned his name.

"Lugia costume guy! LUGIA COSTUME GUYYYYYY!"

Lucas offered the girl a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well then, Lady Emry, I wish you and Sir Solomon all the best of luck tommorrow!" he called out to her as she ran off with her Lucario. He gave a slight chuckle as she disappeared into the throng, before brushing a stray strand of ivory away from his eyes. "Well, that was adorabe," he murmered quietly to himself as he walked away, mentally reviewing the map he had just seen.

The building was huge, but considering it contained a living, breathing city within its walls, that was expected. While whoever was incharge of this would never advertise where the legends were staying, lips could only stay sealed for so long and-

Lucas found himself frozen in mid-step infront of a food both, his eyes glued onto rows of colorful delights nestled in ice. The avatar found himself edging towards the booth, towards one of the few pleasures he had in life; sushi.

"Arceus damn it all. When was the last time I had fresh fish? Or anything other than the fruit that insufferable Tropius?"

...

"No, I don't have any money. Stick with the plan. Find them first, fish later."

......

"Fish later," he growled quietly to himself with emphasis, legs reluctantly obeying him as he trudged off, his resolve a little less iron than a few moments ago. He gave a tired sigh and attempted to slip back into the crowd, until-

"Lugia costume guy! LUGIA COSTUME GUYYYYYY!"

Lucas's head shot back around as he heard the familiar voice, watching Emry ride atop Solomon as the aura master dodged through the moving crowds towards her. The avatar gave her a welcoming wave. "Back so soon? I hope you didn't forget the path already," he chided her playfully.

"Nah," Emry answered, her voice coming out a little strained. Perhaps she was more nervous than she thought. The blonde cleared her throat while Solomon set her down.

"We can train later. I was just thinking, you helped me find my way, so I should try to help you. What are you looking for?"

Lucas pursed his lips in thoughts, fully aware of the Lucario's ever present scrutiny. If she continued to follow him like this, questions would be asked, and while the Avatar considered him a sufficient liar, even the best of webs had their weak spots. He expected the child, least of all, to find them but the mouths of babes were the most unguarded of all.

'Nervous,' Lucas thought to himself as he looked over the child's disposition. 'If anything, a new trainer here for the first time by herself. Though the evolved pokemon makes me wonder...' he mused quietly, as he considered the girl's offer. If anything, they would appear be two siblings together in the fair. Yes, that would do nicely.

"I would actually appreciate it," Lucas said as he crouched down to her height. "You see, I'm actually looking for a place to lay my head that isn't already likely filled up. Late to the festival I'm afraid, and with all these hotels being advertised so widely, they're no doubt booked. But between you and me," he confessed with a conspiratorial whisper, "I'm not above sleeping on a bench to get front row seats to the parade tomorrow."

Emry screwed up her face in thought. Now that she thought of it, she wasn't entirely sure where she would sleep, either. The girl normally felt fine sleeping under the stars... but being out in the open with all these strangers around unnerved her.

"Maybe we can sit on all the benches and figure out which is the comfiest," Emry offered. She giggled a bit at her silly idea. "That's the best I can think of."

The avatar straightened himself, and tilted his head in thought. A myriad of emotions crossed his face: from incredulous, to ponderous, to dismissive, and then back to thought. "You know..." he wondered aloud. "That's almost crazy enough to work."

Round and round Mauville City the three went, never spending more than twenty ten minutes at any place before getting up and moving to the next one. They would make idle chatter as Emry's Lucario served as their faithful guard, and as the legend would feign resting his head back on the benches, he had eyes only for the people passing them buy. He had counted some thirty odd Groudons, a dozen Mews, some strange fellow dressed in what looked like red and green taffy, and nearly two hundred pikachus.

'Seriously, WHY pikachu?' he wondered, as one such lad walked by holding his mother's hand.

"I can't wait for the festival food! And the games! Oh, oh! And the food! Did I mention the food, mom?" the boy hopped up and down a few times, hands balled into excited fists.

As if one cue, Lucas heard a needy rumble from within the depths of the little girl's belly.

"I'll be back in a moment," Lucas told her after moment, standing up. His finger met her forehead as she rose to follow him, and and the avatar smiled warmly back down at her. "And that means stay here," he stressed, waiting for a moment for her protest. When he received none, he gave a sharp nod and slipped into the busy crowd. The only evidence of his presence nearby was the faint tingling of his bell within the dull roar of the crowd.

One of the festival booths suddenly collapsed in on itself, spilling its goods all over the ground and leaving a very mad food vendor to pick up the pieces, "Damn it! Every YEAR!"

After a few moment, the white haired man resurfaced from the depths of the constumed crowd, hands gripping his pilfered goods. He quickly tore open two of the bags and offered them to her and her pokemon. "Don't worry too much; these were overpriced anyway," he remarked, as he caught her look. "I'll try to remember to leave something for him before I leave here, though I would have preferred fish..." he remarked, staring at the strange bag.

"Heh heh heh, somebody approves!" Lucas smirked, a few crumbs already clinging to the sides of Solomon's mouth. He chuckled and took a seat on the bench. This 'hanging out' thing...was strange. The avatar pulled a bag open and tasted the treat inside, "...not bad," he commented, "But still not Stunfisk..."

Lucas trailed off for a moment, licking his lips free of the salt. It was dry here. He had seen all the world, and found it his home. And yet nothing seemed as strange as this building where there was no sky, no sun, no wind, no spray, yet humans frolicked and thrived.

"I have been many places, but my heart always returns to Johto," he admitted quietly to her, his eyes distant. "In spring, the buds of new life are numerous in the youthful air; in summer, wild flowers dot the heated terrain; and in autumn, the dying leaves shine with the brilliance of the sunset. Johto is always a vision of beauty, no matter what adversity it faces," he told her. He eyed the girl curiously, as if seeing her for the first time since they met. "Tell me Emry... where do you and Solomon come from?"

Mixed emotions flooded Emry's mind as the group tested a dozen or so benches. One minute, the girl would relax and goof off among her trusted Pokemon and this nice avatar guy. The next, she would see or hear something in the crowd that reminded her to be scared. The last thing Emry wanted to do was arouse suspicion, so she played the part of friendly playful girl as well as she could at all times.

The blonde felt surprised by a pang of nerves when Lucas told her to stay put while he got some food. Gosh... had she started trusting him already? Emry closed her eyes and refocused on her intel mission. Friendly or not, she couldn't give him any important information.

Something good came from Lucas's absence, though. It gave Emry a minute to speak with her guardian.

'What do you think?' she asked Solomon. The Lucario gazed into the distance, lost in deep thought.

'I'm thinking I hope he gets onion rings,' he communicated in his typical solemn tone.

Emry shot him a brief glare.

'You pick NOW of all times to not be serious?!'

'I am serious,' Solomon replied, chuckling lightly. Then his sober expression returned. 'As for Lucas, I'm not picking up anything new. Stick to the plan; you're doing fine. Perhaps you could tone down the flinching every time-- oh. Apparently he's a thief now.'

Thus, Emry couldn't help looking at Lucas with slight horror as he returned. Thankfully, the man seemed to interpret her suspicion as a moral qualm against stealing. The girl looked down meekly as she ate her onion rings. Solomon gobbled his much less quietly.

"Tell me Emry... where do you and Solomon come from?"

The blonde's heart fluttered. Oh great. A personal question.

"Uh..." Emry mumbled, fidgeting with her glasses. "Around."

Solomon paused and gave the girl a glance. Emry didn't need telepathy to know he was saying 'Stop blowing your cover'.

"W-We're from Kalos," the girl clarified. "It has a lot of people and cities. It's not as nature-y as your description of Johto." Intel mission... "Um... so... what are you doing here? Any events you're looking forward to?"

Lucas blinked, a snack frozen halfway to his face for the briefest of seconds as her answer registered with him.

"That's interesting," he commented offhandedly around bites of onion ring. "I didn't realize that Riolu could be found in Kalos."

'They can't,' Lucas mentally clarified to himself. Eventually every liar got caught in a web. This one would need more practice.

"Same reason as everyone else here I guess. Kanto, Johto, Kalos, Unovva. Everyone's here for the festivities and the parade. Personally, I hope Lugia makes an appearance," Lucas said with a smile as he looked down at his own 'costume' as Emry had put it earlier. "I mean, I'm a big fan of all the legends and such, but it would be fantastic for me to even just see the genuine Lugia. Or well," he said with an after thought. "Whoever Lugia chose. Slightly less impressive. My dad used to tell me stories and well... how many people can say they've seen a legendary?"

"Not in the wild," Emry responded to Lucas's remark about Riolu in Kalos. "His previous owner brought him there."

The duo munched on their food and listened to Lucas rave about Lugia.

'I'm now 99 percent certain he is Lugia's avatar,' Solomon commented to his companion. 'Eventually, every liar gets caught in a web.'

"A lot of avatars are supposed to be in the parade tomorrow," Emry suggested. "I might watch, but I have to make sure it works around the tournament..." The blonde rummaged through her canary yellow backpack and pulled out a crumpled schedule. She scanned it for a minute and nodded.

"Do you have a schedule?" Emry asked Lucas. "Wanna look at mine?"

"Oh? And who was his previous owner? Your father?" Lucas asked pleasantly, eyeing the aura user. If he found it strange that a girl of twelve, a clearly fresh trainer, would simply be her by herself with a pokemon far too advanced for her, he did not show it. "How long have you been a trainer?"

He gave a small smile, instead, as he took the scheduled from her and tried to smooth it out on his leg. "I haven't, I had literally just walked through the door when you ah... accosted me," he chided her playfully as he tried to read the damaged paper for the schedule of the days events, especially for anything regarding the avatars.

The most significant events of the festival were a parade the next morning and battling tournaments throughout that day, including the Tournament of Legends for avatars. The rest of today seemed relatively uneventful other than a private dinner for the legends.

As Emry finished her snack, she leaned her head against the back of the bench and closed her teal eyes.

"Well, I hope we both get to meet some nice avatars," the girl murmured. "...This a good bench, by the way."

Lucas could only blink at the line up of the events, shaking his head quietly at the farce these people had set up for themselves. Though he supposed the ego of man knew no bounds, his brethren should have known better. His finger paused just under where it mentioned the private dinner, a smirk stretching his lips. He knew where his targets would be. And any Legend foolish enough to come to this Festival would surely have the ego to be there. For such a private dinner, the restaurant would neither advertise the fact, nor allow people from the street.

Ergo, find the quietest restaurant, find the legends.

Next... came the hard part.

Lucas gave a small smile at his traveling companion as she curled up deeper against the bench, and quietly leaned forward to get up to leave. When he was sure she had at the very least lightly dozed, he reached deep within his robes and withdrew a strange silver feather that parted at the tip, sparkling even under the artificial lighting.

'I shouldn't be doing this...' Lucas chastised himself, as he examined the feather. A part of him disagreed. After all, what was one measly feather to him when he had an entire nest of them back home?
'There is nothing special about this girl.' There was also nothing special about him.

'She won't even know what it is.' She would know.

"I'm sure you will Emry," Lucas dared once he was sure the little girl had fallen to sleep on the bench, and he rose. He gently placed the delicate feather in her lap, the bell tinkling with almost an ephemeral chime this time around. "And I wish you all the best of luck in all of your tournaments."

Lugia gave one last smile to the little girl, before he turned to walk away. As he did, he caught the crimson gaze that watched his every moment from the second he stood up. The man simply folded his hands in his long sleeves.

"I know that you know," the avatar told the pokemon cryptically, though he seemed more apathetic to the fact than anything else. "We have that effect, afterall," he said added with a shrug. He couldn't understand the Lucario even if he wanted too, but he had a decent idea of what was going through his mind. "Which means you're also aware of what I'm capable of. If she decides to follow me, you can let her and she will see things few humans have ever seen before. But she may also get hurt..." here the avatar trailed off and glanced somewhere in the distance. "Many people may get hurt," he admitted. "Or you can take her away from this festival as far as you can as fast as you can." Lucas gave a respectful nod to the aura master and walked away.

"...and she may have a chance to see tomorrow,"

Solomon listened to Lucas with rapt attention. Now that he let some of his walls down, the Lucario could get a better glimpse of who he really was. The avatar's words, at least those spoken in that last minute, were sincere. This meant as much to Solomon as the words themselves.

If only he could take her away. If only she could stop agonizing over her 'duty' to fix past mistakes.

Solomon gingerly picked up the Silver Wing and tucked it on Emry's ear, covering most of it with her blonde locks. Now, to the public, it looked more like a sparkly accessory than a mysterious Pokemon item. The girl stirred a little, but she resumed dozing off.

The Lucario looked back at Lucas, who was walking away. Solomon gave him the faintest of smiles.

---

"No, I'm afraid we're booked for the evening," the hostess apologized.

Lucas waved her off, more interested the hectic and busy restaurant itself. "That's alright, I can see well enough. Have a pleasant evening," he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

As he left Le Combee, the avatar scratched another name off of his list, and could only smile. Where another would be frustrated with their lack of progress, Lucas only saw himself narrowing down the gap between him and is quarry. It had been hours, as he had traversed from one side of the city to the other, but he was close.

Lucas could feel it.

The rest of the city was exactly as Lucas had come to expect. Pokemon trainers of various age rushed about, eager to fight and frolick with their companions and secure their legacies. Some were accompanied by parents, and peals of laughter filled the air even this late at night. Looking about, Lucas spied a familiar head of long blonde hair situated near the pokecenter's entrance. Emry was looking about in the opposite direction at the moment, but appeared to be alone and keeping an eye out for something.

Lucas paused for a moment, and then turned to walk the other way.

One of the final few places was a place called the 'Ritzy Raichu', the surrounding areas having been cordoned off for 'maintenance' only half an hour ago.

They called to him from there.

Smiling to himself, he stealthily crept down the street, his feet light upon the tile, moving as a shade of white through the crowd. Each footstep closer to the restaurant brought palpations; he could practically taste the power that echoed in those walls.

"Not since the beginning have we been gathered like this..." he whispered solemnly to himself. He paused infront of the restaurant, standing in the street outside. It was quiet, and he had long since left the bustle of the crowd behind. He pulled back his hair and ran a thumb across his eyebrow, furrowed in thought in thought, before his hands fell limp to his sides, disappearing into his sleeves once more.

From here, all bets were off. Lucas knew to be careful with his demands, and with his replies. Offending any of these particular individuals could certainly be hazardous to his health, Prophecy or no.

'Come,' came the unbidden thought, his mind reaching for the inhabitants within, the words echoing in the minds of those with the gift to listen. It was not the voice of a trainer, nor that of a pokemon.

But of something older.

As Lucas neared the Ritzy Raichu, a Porygon-Z popped out from behind a column right next to him without warning. Though the Pokemon simply intended to hide from any potential angry masters that might come looking for it, its sudden appearance might scare a jumpy person.

Porygon-Z hovered all around Lucas, scanning him with its swirly eyes. Then it faced him directly.

"This dinner is for avatars only," the pink Pokemon droned. "Please prove your power by attacking me with a move."

To his credit, the avatar gave the barest of flinches and made to step back before he realized just who, or rather, what had accosted him. His hand, the fingers of which were splayed beneath his robes and ready to block, relaxed. A breathe to calm his beating heart later, Lucas his head as he examined the strange pokemon, a look of confusion on his face. He... he...

He had no idea what this pokemon was. In all of his travels, he had never seen or heard of such a creature. Let alone one that could talk the human tongue! This was not a pokemon from the beginning, it was... wrong. Where there should have been the spark of Arceus's life in its eyes, Lucas saw only emptiness.

He frowned distastefully at its request to attack it.

"I think not," Lucas said simply as he stepped around past the Porygon, walking towards the restaurant. "I have no need to prove anything... I am what I have always been."

Porygon-Z zoomed to the door of the restaurant and splayed its arms out, as if defending the entrance. Its yellow eyes stared at Lucas.

"This dinner is for avatars only," the Pokemon repeated, slightly louder. "Please prove your power by attacking me with a move."

"No," Lucas stared back impassively, standing before the door, bringing his full height before the pokemon, towering over it. The pokemon had only about a foot of room infront and back, and the avatar did not seem amused. "You will stand aside in the name of Arceus," Lucas told the Pokemon, refusing to give into its request. He would refuse such trivial displays of his power; to acquiesce would be to only encourage future displays.

If this turned violent, he would defend. But until then, all he could do was stare down the pokemon, his own sapphire eyes holding back the tide.

Porygon-Z stared down Lucas for a long moment, too. Then, bright purple beams shot from its eyes, missing the man's head by inches.

"Leave the avatars alone," the Pokemon intoned with narrowed eyes, "Or the next one shall not be a warning. It shall leave you with a rather unflattering haircut."

If Lucas was surprised, or even worried at the pokemon's actions, he did not show it. Instead, he brushed an errant strand of his ivory hair away from his face, as though he hadn't just come close to losing everything from the head up. Lucas took a sharp inhale through his nose, and tilted his head down at pokemon.

'Impressive... but only so. I have faced the birds of legends... I survived the Brass Tower,' Lucas thought silently to himself. 'Whatever these humans have created, I will survive too.'

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Lucas apologized, as he slid a foot back and turning his body to the side, offering that much less of a target. "For it is for the legends themselves that I have come, to join their number. And I do not intend to leave here without them," he said, rising his open hands as he braced himself, the bell at his waist tinkling urgently. "Now please, either due your duty, or let me pass. Strike true, or not at all," Lucas asked, his voice as even possible. His eyes turned stormy, as he added. "But this I warn, should you choose to hold a knife to my throat, be prepared to cut deep."

An eerie hush fell over the two as Porygon-Z gears turned to figure out the optimum course of action its programming would allow. The Pokemon began to vibrate a little as a result of its mental distress.

"You have no right to inform me of the specifics of my duty, dumbass."

With that, Porygon-Z fired a Psybeam. Had Lucas stayed right where he was, the attack would've sliced through the front portion of his hair. It would cause him no real harm... probably.

Lucas dodged quickly, hair his upper body bolting under the beam as it cut dangerously close to his face, shearing off several locks of his ivory hair. In but a second, he had made his decision. He had already lost precious time and had no desire to add his head to it. He swiped at the pokemon with his fingers extending as a claw, grabbing ahold of one of the creature's 'arm' to secure it. His other hand shot forward and blasted the Porygon Z with a straight palm thrust, flattening its cylindrical nose.

No sense going for broke.

A blow to the back of the Porygon's head staggered it, allowing Lucas to slip behind it, his grip like iron on the Porygon's arm. The avatar proceeded to lift the much smaller pokemon up by its arm, and with the faintest of grunts, threw it over his shoulder.

---

To the diners inside the Ritzy Raichu, all that could be heard was the faintest of scuffles outsde.

Only a few seconds after the noise began, the front doors of the Ritzy Raichu exploded inwards in a wave of wood and glass fragments as a pink and baby-blue pokemon was thrown clear across the restaurant. It bounced against the floor and came to a skidding crash on the very table the avatars were having dinner, frumbling the table cloth and sending glasses and plates clattering to the floor, before finally coming to rest face first in a certain Groudon's dish.

In the remains of the door, Lucas panted from the sudden exertion, though his attention seemed more focused on the length of hair directly next to his cheek. It had been cut dangerously short, with almost surgical precision and the tips still glowed red with the power of the Porygon's blast.

"Close..." they could hear him mutter, as he fingered the burns. "Little bit slower and I would've been a head shorter."

After a moment, he glanced at the damage done to the restaurant, and seemed to actually pale at the sight of all the avatars. The pulse of power he had felt outside the restaurant was now like a wave that threatened to sweep him away.

"This... this many?!" he he cried in disbelief. "I expected two, maybe four, to go with this insanity but..."

'Pull it together.'

Lucas gave a shaky sigh and pushed back the remnants of his lock, holding up bare and exposed hands for everyone in the restaurant to see he was unarmarmed.

"I come in peace," he declared.

Just as the last shattered remnants of the door collapsed, taking some of the wall with it.

"Honestly."

Drops of Rebeca's infernal concoction splattered on everyone nearby, including one particularly devilish drop in the mayor's mouth. The man's entire face watered as he grunted in pain. He tried to drown out the heat, but alcohol hardly did anything except fuel the flames. The mayor was a trooper and did his best to stay focused on the situation at hand through his tears, but he would be practically out of commission for a while.

Justine stood up when her Pokemon was violently tossed through the front door. The thin woman glanced back and forth between Porygon-Z and Lucas. Though the expression on her face remained neutral, a red flush began to appear.

Porgon-Z rolled out of Rebeca's meal. The virtual Pokemon could feel no pain from the peppers nor the beating it had received, but its sensors detected a potentially dangerous substance in the meal that prompted it to move away. Porygon-Z lay on its back and stared up at the ceiling for several seconds.

"Intru---! --truder!" the Pokemon announced, static drowning out some of its speech. "---tile un----orized person--- in --- vi---ity." After its warning, Porygon-Z seemed content to chill right there on the table.

Ms. Huang took a step out from the table, standing stick straight with her chin slightly raised. She looked around at all the avatars and gave Lucas an especially long, stony gaze. Finally, she spoke. Frigid, subtle, and dangerous, like the voice of frost.

"I don't know your definition of 'peace'," Justine began, addressing Lucas. "But here in Mauville City, that word does not include attacking guards or destroying doors." Now, the woman turned slightly to address the whole table. "Neither does it include theft, threats, or street brawls. I understand that all of you have been blessed with powers beyond my comprehension. However much or little your respective Pokemon dominates your being, I recognize that some part of you is accustomed to ruling something."

"However," the CEO continued, "you are not in charge of Mauville City. That job belongs to the Mayor..." At this, Justine gestured toward the portly man, whose face had started to fade from beet red to fire truck red. "...And, to a lesser extent, myself. We and our predecessors worked hard to build up this city, and if it gets destroyed, we mere humans can't simply poof it back together."

Ms. Huang frowned as her voice raised slightly in volume and pitch.

"This festival was meant to welcome and celebrate the avatars. But we have the right and authority to ban anyone who threatens public safety. If you cannot use your powers for constructive purposes, I ask you to leave this festival-- and this city-- before we must resort to criminal charges."

A small noise could be heard outside, followed by the sudden appearance of the Porygon-Z from earlier, who came sailing through the door accompanied by shards of glass and wood. The Pokemon bounced several times on the table, settling in Rebeca’s food, for which everyone at the table flinched. Landing in that pool of burning hell must have been painful, at least if the Porygon’s eyes worked like ours. Tantalus was unclear on this matter.

A man stood in the newly formed hole, definitely an Avatar. Tantalus stood, taken aback by the utter chaos which had just erupted. A cold fury gripped him tightly, so much so he found it hard to breathe. The woman who arrived first, Tantalus noting he could no longer call her an intruder, followed by the man who had arrived shortly after and now this stranger who seems to believe that throwing Pokemon through doors is the best way to make an entrance. To make matters worse not a single one had actually introduced themselves properly. What kind of zoo did these animals escape from? Tantalus screamed mentally, directed at Apate, who jumped as she heard the bubbling rage seething out of him, being nervous anyway. His hand gripped the scepter tightly enough to draw blood as it slowly trickled down the length of the shaft.

Afterwards, Hope spilled forth yet more nonsense before wishing Lugia the best, and vanishing in the night… Tantalus gazed down at the scepter still in his hand, and waited. It didn’t vanish, and a few drops of blood splashed to the floor.

As Justine spoke to the offender, making her stance on the matter crystal clear - somewhat like the glass littering Tantalus’s dinner - the rage with him shattered, replaced by a hollow indignation. He gave a small sigh.

An icy glare was directed briefly towards the source of the most carnage, before he turned his attention to Porygon-Z. It didn’t look like the Pokemon would be injured badly, if at all, but Tantalus saw a way to salvage some of his bruised reputation. Walking around the table a little more forcefully than intended, he approached Rebeca’s plate. “Our host makes a perfectly eloquent argument. There is no civilized society in this world that acts with such reckless abandon as you have shown here.” Tantalus proclaimed, bitterly. “Something tells me that the food might get a tad cold due to the gaping hole now present, no? Forgive me, Rebeca.” Reaching down, he plucked Porygon out of the food, and cradled it within his arms, the scepter pointed out of the way.

“Fret not, little one. if you are in pain, I shall remedy that.” As he spoke, Tantalus began to glow softly, light dancing around him in a myriad of colours. It began to diffract through the spikes on his shoulders, which in turn began to shimmer. He place a hand, softly, on the top of Porygon’s head, just below the spike. Turning to Kaze, he smiled at the boy, before the light began to ebb. Walking around the table, he place Porygon down next to Justine.

Tantalus stood straight, speaking to those at the table. “However, I am aware that my prior outburst may have come across a little more harsh than anticipated. My wish is to learn more about those like me, something I have developed a deep interest in, although my enthusiasm has been known to be a tad... strong at times.”

Looking down, he twirled the scepter Hope had left behind. “So I would ask that any further conversations can be continued civility between us Avatars as equals, rather than the squabbling children some of us, myself included, have acted like tonight. I apologize if I have caused offense in anyway.”

Offering an apology bruised his ego, but it was a hit he could take under the circumstances. It had been a brute force approach, and showing one’s cards too early during a game of poker was never wise. The same could be said for the politics of the world at large. A game Tantalus played often, and one he always aspired to win.

“That being said, I’m starting to doubt whether or not that woman was actually an Avatar and not just a very talented street performer. I thought psychics were able to read minds? That one couldn’t even listen. A word of advice to anyone who wishes to hear it, when calling out a weakness in someone, it saturates the point to run away afterwards.” Tantalus offered a strained laugh. Dealing with people on this scale was exhausting. He returned to sit with his Mawile, handing her the shiny, hard-earned prize, and see what everyone else planned to do.

Lucas blinked in surprise at the woman's sensibility, though he bit the inside of his cheek. From the sounds of it, his little entrance had only been the cherry on top to a rather eventful night leading up to this. He could have only hoped that he had not made things irrevocably worse.

"In truth, I have taken vows of pacifism," the avatar of Lugia said, as he bowed his head in apology. "And profess my claim to acting in self-defense. While I cannot say this... pokemon," here Lucas nodded at the Porygon Z, who had either fainted or found the cracks in the ceiling most enlightening, "Did not warn me, neither could I willful abide its requests to attack it unless provoked. And should I have followed through... well..."

Here Lucas glanced back at the rubble he had stepped through. "There would have been considerably less of a venue," he said, idly rubbing his throat where the Psybeam had neared. "While I apologize for the mess, my regret does not extend towards my actions. Any Pokemon or person who would attack me or mine, especially attempting to take my head off, would find similar response... though I may have misjudged its endurance. But I would not be so easily deterred, not after my journey."

Lucas took a deep breath, taking a long look at each of the Avatars in turn before his gaze rested upon the host of this lavish affair.

"In the beginning, Arceus ordained Lugia... myself, as the mediator of his brethren. It was for that reason why I have traveled this far, to prevent that which you fear," Lucas declared returned Justine Huang's even stare. "I have come to ask that the Interregional Avatar Festival be discontinued, or at the very least, that all the Legends gathered here be expunged from the city and return to their places of origin."