To say that Rebeca was "slightly perturbed" at having a Pokemon land in her food, splattering the deliciously spicy sauce around the table, would be an understatement. To her credit, however, she remained surprisingly calm. Instead, she reached up and wiped off the droplets that had landed on her face with a finger, taking the time to suck the digit clean.

As the other Avatars conversed, Rebeca continued to finish her meal in silence, eating slowly and methodically. Mihkail watched her warily, for it was not like his sister to take such an interruption so well. He suspected the only thing keeping her there at all was the food. So, he kept waiting for the other stone to drop.

When Rebeca was finished, she calmly stood up and headed towards the bathroom, pausing twice; once to make a short, melodic whistling sound that sent Maya scurrying from Kaze's lap and onto Mikhail's back, and again when she saw the staff of the restaurant peering fearfully from the kitchen door. She made a series of hand signals, pointing first to herself, then the now shattered wreck of a door, miming eating, and ending with a closing motion. The meaning was quite clear: I'm leaving. Box up the rest of my food.

Inside the bathroom, she washed her hands in silence, took a brief moment to check and see if any of the sauce had landed in her hair, then returned to the main ballroom. She very calmly walked up behind Lucas, laid her hand on his shoulder, spun him around, and drove her fist into his stomach with a not inconsiderable amount of force. The whooshing sound of his lungs being emptied of air was rather satisfying to her, and it was a very good thing that he hadn't had much to eat recently, otherwise his lungs wouldn't be the only thing that was being emptied. Holding him up, she gripped his hair with one hand so that it was certain that he was looking at her, and with a very calm and reasonable voice, said, "Your sense of peace sucks, and you owe me dinner. It WILL be spicy, and you WILL share it with me."

Releasing him, she turned and headed towards the kitchen, where the red-headed waitress from before was standing, trembling and holding a plastic-wrapped box in her hands. Taking the box from her, Rebeca gave a slight bow. "Thank you. The food was excellent." With that, she departed from the restaurant, Mihkail and Maya following her.

Outside, Mihkail gave a short snort. The sucker punch was a little unnecessary.

But oh so deserved.

True.

Alain nearly fell off his chair when the hoopa avatar appeared, much to the amusement of Exo, who had buzzed through the door with a mixture of confusion and irritation on his face. The crystals had at least done their job for a while, he supposed he couldnt complain about that.

The scyther sat near him, watching the argument unfold with a glint in his eye. Alain was desperately wondering if he should step in, but what could he do? He was just useless...

Exo looked at him.

"Use the drain. Make them too tired to want to argue.

Alain was about to retort back, but then realized that Exo was right. Two avatars fighting wouldn't do much good for the establishment, and after the restaurant had been so kind to give him his food...which he realized that he had eaten in less than two minutes. Eating with his mouth had come back to him so easily.

He moved his hand to the side like a wave. It was such a simple gesture, no one would notice, but he felt his power reach out to the Hoopa and the Groudon avatars. He deliberately made it weak, to prevent any lasting damage or even current harm. In a minute or three, the two avatars would start to get a little drowsy...

He would just have to wait, he thought, putting his plate on the floor for exo to finish up.

Moments after Wells' failed attempt to get attention, another avatar broke down the door and smacked Porygon into the "extremely hot" girl's dinner. The mighty sauce spilled off her plate, and onto the mayor's tongue. His limitless force of will meant that he remained calm, even as his face turned redder by the second. A new avatar, judging by the way that he sat next to the other ones, moved the Porygon next to Justine. The "extremely hot" girl started moving out of the restaurant, throwing a mighty punch into the vandalist avatar's stomach. The new avatar wore blue and white clothes. And the "extremely hot" woman somehow seemed to be his rival... just like Groudon and Kyogre! Meaning that all three of them had already met...

The Kyogre that smashed the doors into the establishment seemed like he wanted a fight. That had to be the reason behind his dramatic entrance; he wanted to quickly inform Groudon that she would get smashed. Wells decided to indulge him - and give him a bit of a surprise gift. So, Wells feigned relaxation, as he prepared to shake his hand.

"Now, now... it seems like yet another rude entrance today! People have no manners... so, it behooves me to be the better man. Mistakes cannot be undone, but they can be forgiven. And I'm certain that this fellow won't make the same error again."

Welsl outstretched his hand, looking at it to hide the sparks in his eyes. Fluke stopped creating sparks in his hands, as he concentrated on preparing to unleash his inner energy. Wells hoped that "Kyogre" wanted to greet the final member of his legendary trio.

The next few moments passed without any major events, except Rebeca making moves to leave. Getting cleaned up, she walked straight over to the newest arrival on her way out of the now-missing doors. Tantalus’s breath caught in his throat as Rebeca delivered a well-deserved punch to the man, and then proceeded to walk on by as if nothing had happened. It was impressive.

It was at that moment he decided his next course of action.

He too began to gather his things to leave, packing away his glasses neatly into the knapsack on his waist. After thanking the Mayor and Justine for the night they had delivered - most of it, at least - Tantalus approached Seras. “Tonight has been rather eventful, if for all the wrong reasons, my dear. I must say, your antics with the scepter were inspired, truly. It is time for me to head off, however, should you wish to meet at a later date to continue our discussion, feel free to call on me. It shouldn’t be difficult to find me in this city, but in case Wells holds you up, I’ll leave you my number.” With an elaborated formal bow, he bade farewell, gesturing for his Mawile to follow suit.

Tantalus approached Kaze next, and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I wished to speak with you a moment before leaving our suare. Our powers may be different, but the burden we carry is the same.” Mouth twisting into a solemn smile, he lowered his voice substantially. “We heal others, be it wounds or toxins. Having the lives of people rest on your shoulders can be harrowing, I know, so should you ever need advice, a friend to talk to or a shoulder to cry on, don’t hesitate to let me know.Here is my number.” Producing a small piece of paper from his pocket, he placed it on the table in front of Kaze.

“Our ilk have an empathy no others can understand.” Tantalus removed his hand. “For there is no greater pain to bear than failing to save someone. Farewell, Kaze.” Offering the same bow as he did to Seras, Tantalus began walking towards the opening in the wall. As he approached, the Avatar from outside the restaurant earlier was speaking to Lugia. A snippet of that conversation slipped past his ears.

"Now, now... it seems like yet another rude entrance today! People have no manners... so, it behooves me to be the better man. Mistakes cannot be undone, but they can be forgiven. And I'm certain that this fellow won't make the same error again."

It took several seconds for his brain to process the hypocrisy, and when it did, naturally, Tantalus burst into laughter. “Well, now. One would hope your new friend has more sense than you do, if he is to actually learn from his mistakes.” A dark smile crept across his lips. “I have counted a total of four entrances which have been made in bad taste, over the course of the night, but the only one to have managed to pull of two such incidents was you. Of course, the lack of introductions on your part was an introduction in itself. I know everything I need to know about you, and can conclude that you are simply not worth knowing.” He had continued to walk forward, speaking to the man all-the-while, stopping only when he had finished, and making sure no-one still inside would hear him. Standing several feet away from the man, he looked over his shoulder.

“I will not be called a hypocrite, however, so I will rise above the plebeians and be the… better man, was it? My name is Tantalus, and I represent Xerneas, the embodiment of life.” Focusing on the road ahead, he began to walk once more. “Do try to remember it, you’ll be quizzed on it later.” Leaving the conversation there, Tantalus vanished down one of the many streets leading into the city proper. It might have been late, but there was still a surprising amount of people around.

Now then, my dear Apate. Let us go and catch a Groudon. The two of them rushed forward, hoping that their quarry would be easy to find.

Alain kept his life drain on as the argument continued, slowly coming to realize that it wasn't working on the groudon avatar.

He wondered if the food she was eating was cancelling out the drain. Raising his hand slightly, he considered upping the drain speed, before realizing that it might hurt. He didn't want that to happen...

Suddenly, the Groudon avatar got up and left, solving Alain's dilemma for him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he tried to make himself comfortable again, making sure to deactivate the drain field first.

As he sat there, he realized he was beginning to feel a little...odd. He bent over double for a moment, his hand on his stomach. What was this feeling? Why on earth would he feel it now, when he was in a good mood...

Exo watched him for a moment.

You know, we should have thought this through. When was the last time you ate...anything?, let alone stuff this rich.

Alain turned to him. Now his insides were really starting to feel...bad.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying that..."

"Yep. You might want to find a bathroom."

Excusing himself with a few stutters and apologies, Alain hurried away from the table, trying not to show the pain he was in. He rushed through a door, then another one. Then another one.

"Where is the bathroom!?!?"

As he ran around, he noticed a bowl of fruit on a shelf. Grabbing an apple, he drained it in less than a second. It made him feel a little better, but it would only hold the pain back for the next ten minutes or so. Unless he found some other food to drain. He ran to another door and...found himself outside. Another wrong turn.

He would have smacked his head against a wall out of sheer frustration if he hadn't noticed a figure a short distance away, and realized, to his more than mild horror, that it was the Groudon avatar. He hadn't quite realized why she left, and despite his earlier predicament, he couldn't help asking her.

"Is...are...you alright? I don't know if they are serving anything after the dinner...you might want to go back, er....for it. You know, if there is anything...which there might be for all i know..."

Shade merely stuck his tongue out at Rebeca's fierce gaze and floated to the ceiling and observed the whole thing from above. Vuduin took one last calming breath and turned around, to his surprise seeing Gardevoir there. It belonged to Seras, so its intent was obvious. "Are you the diplomat?" Vuduin asked with a slight grin on his face. She tilted her head slightly and raised her shoulders just so much, as if to say, Yes, and? "Well your jobs easy, I'm just on my way back." Gardevoir stepped back out of the bathroom, gracefully holding the door for him and he exited. To arrive to a very different scene than the one he'd left. The wall was broken, some new avatar had arrived, the dinner table appeared to be half destroyed by none other than the porygon and Wells had come back, possibly looking for a fight given his stance.

Vuduin'd conveniently arrived just in time to see the new avatar receive a very painful looking punch from Rebeca before she left the wheezing man behind. Followed by Tantalus leaving after some sort of statment. Then the nervous kid, the Alain? Ran ran out of the restaurant bent double holding his stomach. Vuduin considered leaving, it looked like he couldn't make anything much better. On the other hand he doubted he could make things much worse. So he silently stalked next to Seras and whispered, "Wow, things got busy quick hm?" His stomach betrayed his mysterious appearance by rumbling loudly. Pehaps he should ask if he could get his order again, of course at this point, the damage caused was quite substantial and Vuduin wasn't sure whether they'd oblige. Shade saw his friend and eagerly came down and hid beneath Vuduin's cloak, his eyes barely visible as he peeked out.

Though Porygon-Z could not feel pain, it could certainly appreciate Tantalus's powers. Its sensory input program had been damaged in the attack, and Porygon-Z generally preferred to see the world as a stable place rather than six swirling sections of chaos. Also, the Pokemon looked much more appealing with a nose that was not smashed into its face. Porygon-Z twirled around happily for a few seconds, smiling at Tantalus with its eyes. But then it noticed the stern expression on its master's face and wished it was still an invalid lying on the table.

While some of the avatars talked/punched people/whatever they were doing, Justine pulled Porygon-Z aside for a relatively private conversation.

"Is that man's claim true?" the middle-aged woman asked in a hushed but firm tone. "Did you attack him?"

"The tres---ser refused -- ----- he is an a--tar," Porygon-Z explained. It narrowed its eyes in irritation at the cracked device on its shoulder, which seemed to be the source of its vocal problems. "I ------ded by warn--- him and then ----ing him -- --- a move by sev----- a body part ---- -- vital func---- and no ---- receptors. --- ---- did not ---clude as intend---... but - never --tended -- phy------- harm a hu---, as per -- ---gramming."

Justine rubbed her temples. She couldn't understand her Pokemon well enough to know whether or not it had become a rebellious glitchy berserker.

"You had specific orders not to harm any human," the woman hissed. "And you had specific orders to stay in your Pokeball until I let you out. I will fix your translator, but only when you learn not to override important commands. Either learn to stop harming humans, physically or otherwise, or spend the rest of your days sounding like a radio with poor reception. Your choice."

The Pokemon narrowed its eyes for a moment, preparing to fire back. But then it decided to whimper and crumple into a pile of sad on the floor. Justine sighed as she returned Porygon-Z to its pokeball. Turning around, she noticed that some of the avatars had left. For the best, perhaps; tensions had been running high the whole dinner. The woman looked a little weary as she gazed at Lucas.

"I apologize for any distress my Pokemon caused you," Justine began. "And I can understand your stance. Yes, we all knew that many avatars in one city could cause a disaster. But great things, world-changing exchanges of knowledge, could also come from it. In truth, this festival is a leap of faith. We decided to give these powerful beings the benefit of the doubt at our own risk. We want the avatars to know that not everyone fears or despises them--that there are some people in this world who appreciate them. If you wish to leave this festival, nobody is stopping you. But this city is not going to discriminate against anyone, whether for legendary powers or any other reason. The avatars have a right to stay here unless they break the law, and the public has the right to show their support."

Tyranitar are considered to be a very belligerent species of Pokemon. Gifted with immense strength and hides that border on indestructible, when this family is fully evolved they experience little, if any fear. They travel where they please, do as they please, take what they want, and have no problems whatsoever getting into fights with other Pokemon, because in their minds, the odds of winning were in their favor. Very rare is the time that a Tyranitar feels the need to retreat, and battles with this species are known to be either short or spectacularly destructive. Fortunately, the overall population of Tyranitar is relatively small, being apex predators.

Over the course of her wilderness travels, Rebeca became engaged with only two such creatures. The first encounter took hours to resolve, opened and collapsed several underground caverns, which in turn resulted in a landslide that buried a sizable portion of a forest, and ultimately ended with the Tyranitar's mangled corpse lying at the bottom of a fissure.

The second encounter ended with a single look, which made the recipient Armour Pokemon decide that perhaps the idea of discretion had some merit.

It was this same look that appeared on Rebeca's face when, after settling down beside one of the closed booths for the festival, the Avatar of Yveltal approached her. For the second time that night her meal had been disturbed, and she was not pleased; it was rare that she had the opportunity to enjoy anything of the same intensity as had been provided for her.

After a moment, however, she relaxed. The poor guy was terrified, and looked like he was expecting her to eat him. Taking the moment to enjoy the first mouthful of the steaming pasta boxed in her lap, which gave her an expression that was far more pleased than it really should have been, she shrugged. "Well, lets see. I've had a Porygon-Z explode a fire extinguisher over me, met some of the most arrogant people I know, been messed around with, and then had that same Porygon-Z land in my food." She took a second mouthful, sighing happily with tearful, very red-faced smile. "This is the most spicy thing I've ever had in my life. I've had worse nights."

Several feet away, Mihkail observed the two as Maya snoozed on his back. Provided that the man didn't do anything spectacularly stupid, he would be fine.

Alain let out a loud squeak when he saw the look on the Groudon avatar's face, and took several steps back, tripping on a box and landing on his rear. H gasped for breath, then paused, feeling the soothe bell in his hand. Taking a few deep breaths and slowly getting up, he looked at the Groudon avatar again, and took a few steps closer.

"Well..." he began, trying to ignore his fright from earlier and wiping away the tears in his eyes. "At...er...well..."

He swallowed, and said the first thing that came into his head.

"Well...um...i dont think all of them are bad...some seemed kind of nice. I think the porygon-z thing was an accident. I mean, i dont think it meant to ruin your food. Not to...well, you have more food right there. A...and, i think you could just ask for more from the kitchens...I mean, if you want any more! That is what you were annoyed about, wasnt it? Oh, am i wrong? Im really sorry if im wrong..."

He stopped talking for a moment, and walked a few metres to a dumpster.

The avatar of death and destruction then proceeded to throw up in it.

The back of Hope's hand pressed tight to her forehead as the other avatars spoke, her playful teasing had gone astray, and now they were ganging up on her. Her lie, akin to her prank, was failing miserably. The handsome Vuduin had left the table already, upon noticing the drama rising. Her prey fled! She had already scared him off! Germaine, the other pretty boy, nearly joined in on the sneering party, but of course he was more proper than the rest, and wasn't so easily provoked, he showed a grain of interest in Hope's knowledge, but garnished some distaste as well. Obviously, Hope sought those two for a good reason, the rest weren't as interesting now that their second faces were so easily slapped on, and their reactions became so extravagant.

"Oh, what do my visions suddenly forsee? Hmmm... another Avatar approaches..." Hope grumbled under her breath, purposely loud enough just for those intent on hearing. Of course, she was still gambling on her game, and the other avatars were relentless in their attempt to insult, degrade, and condescend her. Though she did the same.

Rebecca was the one to finally ask, and Hope quickly addressed the issue. "Obviously, I am the avatar of Hoopa, and these clothes... although 'garish' in your culture of un-aging prepubescent schoolboys... are simple dancer's robes! I am indeed a performer... Do I not appeal to the eye? Oh? Don't answer that, I already can tell your biased opinions of me will sway your answer." She addressed the entire group of avatars now. "I am Hope, a traveling psychic, a dancer, a fortune teller, and a nomad with no true home. Call me what you like, but be warned..." She'd gleam at each avatar, every time they began thinking cruel thoughts about her. Her lips did not move once, her voice would echo loudly, almost painfully in the other avatars minds. ~I know exactly what you're really thinking!~ Hope's eyes glowed a bright pink as she projected these thoughts.

A strange raincloud grew overhead, as Hope closed her eyes and turned her face upright... a raindrop fell upon her, and she embraced it.

"Thus, I find it funny that you request equality, yet continue to condescend and order me around. I suppose I could suddenly turn cheek to your insulting... painful words, and try to be the better person. But it'd matter not. The opinions of cowards who turn down a chance to be heroes mean nothing to me." As Hope continued to hypocritically address every spite sent her way, she'd begin to catch on to Seras's little gem gimmick. Her hand obviously felt the shift. The scepter would be tossed aside moments before flying in to her hand, whilst the hand that once held it reached to place over the woman's own heart.

Meanwhile, Hope began to prepare Tantalus's demise, a simple act. Rebecca might be the only one to notice, but it'd be too vague to decipher what happened. Her spicy meatball would shirk and shiver for a moment, however it was actually due to a little trick Hope was playing... a little switcharoo, she'd steal a chunk out of the inside of Rebecca's spicy meal, and warp it in to Tantalus's bottle of Pinot Noir. His eyes were of course glaring cruelly at Hope the entire time, he wouldn't notice a thing. Hope's left hand was twirling its finger around, aiming at the avatars.

"As for your offers, I must kindly decline. I will not be bribed or ordered around by a boy who is scared of responsibility. You see, I was testing you this entire time, and..." Hope would suddenly stop mid sentence... eerily pausing for about ten seconds, as she awaited what she knew was about to happen. Two more avatars had barged in. The first, Rayquaza's host, who instantly began apologizing to the others for his prior outbursts. The second, Lugia's host stood outside after tossing Porygon straight through the window, his method of ruining the avatar's dinner was more accidental, but majestic in its own right. Hope seemed unphased at first, but only she might believe he truly came in peace.

"Ahem..." Hope cleared her throat, before continuing. "As I said, you failed my test, fairy boy. I'll indeed continue to cause you trouble... I intend to reveal to the entire crowd outside the truth about you... how you've done nothing but kill Xerneas in order to steal his power. How most of you cower at the idea of heroism. Do feel free to stop me, little boy. But I doubt you'd be able to... I can read you like a book! You're just too weak." Hope smirked, and turned her back on the avatars at this point.

After failing at provoking the kind of response she wanted, Hope figured her chances at recruiting any of these avatars were impossible. By now, she played too deep in to her charade, she'd need to back it up somehow. Challenging Xerneas might prove eventful in the meantime, unless Seras tried to interfere again and stop him, or he act too high and mighty. Overall, she'd begin to exit through the broken window where Lugia's avatar might enter, with a nasty grin stretching her cheeks wide.

"Good luck in there, kid, it's a tough crowd." Hope winked at Lucas on her way out.

Having been uncomfortable with the way the dinner was in the first place, Kaze found he didn't at all like the turn it was making. All things considered, he decided it best if he probably left as a few of the others already had. Luckily for him, he was some distance from the epicenter of the explosion of pasta further down the table, but Porygon had inadvertently damaged Kaze's own food during its tumble down the table. There was, luckily, still a piece of toast that was yet unharmed. But before Kaze would take it, Tantalus approached him and offered some of the most reassuring words he had ever heard in his life.

Someone understood him. Truly. Not just as an Avatar, but as one with the power to cure others. Kaze was amazed suddenly at how close he felt to the Avatar of Xerneas, given how unnerved he had been only a short time before. "Thanks," was all Kaze could manage to say at first. Then Tantalus said farewell, and Kaze simply replied with a short, "Goodbye." He had no clue what else he should say, amazed at the kindness the Avatar had shown him. Had the man stuck around, Kaze now felt that perhaps he could have, too. But Tantalus was leaving, and so it should be with Kaze as well. Picking up his one piece of unharmed toast and folding it in half, forming a sort of jelly sandwich, he decided he would take it to-go as finger food.

The second the destroyed door was out of sight, Kaze felt better. Then he realized: Alain still had his Soothe Bell! Yveltal had already left the dinner, and Kaze had no idea where he might be. Behind him, Jingle seemed unhappy that he would walk out on the event, but he didn't feel comfortable with the rest of them anymore, and now he had to find his Soothe Bell.

After walking around Mauville for a short time, he spotted the man he was looking for. And he was talking to Rebeca. While he still stuttered, Kaze saw a bit of an improvement in his speech, and he realized just how much good the Bell must be doing him. Maybe I'll let him keep it a while longer, he thought.

Then, Alain walked up to a nearby dumpster--impressively calm for what he was about to do--and upchucked in it. Kaze turned his head away while the man spilled his dinner, catching a glimpse of Rebeca's Pokémon in the process. Hi, again, Kaze mentally projected to Maya. Going to the nearest wall, Kaze sat against it, hoping he would remain unnoticed by the two Avatars, or at least not be seen as an interruption. He would play with Rebeca's Pokémon and Jingle for a while until it was time for them to go.

Then he would go . . . where? He didn't want to go back home. His parents didn't like him, and he didn't know where else he might go. Maybe he would start a legitimate Pokémon journey. That was normal for kids his age, right? But he didn't like battling too much. He'd rather be healing. Kaze sighed in dismay. I suppose I'll figure it out when the time comes, he thought, smiling to Jingle. Come on over, he invited Maya. Bring your friend and maybe we can play over here while your mommy is talking.

Rebeca blinked as she watched Alain retch into the dumpster, then chuckled to herself. “Damn kid, looks like you’re having a lot worse night than I am.” Setting her box of pasta down, she stood up and casually walked up behind him, giving him a light smack on the back. It still felt like he had been hit with a heavy box. “Take it easy, don’t want you puking up your guts too.”

She leaned against the dumpster, closing her eyes and concentrating heat into her hand as she rubbed his back. She didn’t know if it would help him, but it was something that Mihkail and Maya both found comforting when they were hurt or ill. As long as she didn’t go too hot, she figured it wouldn’t hurt. “I know I can be scary kid, but I’m not even trying now, so relax. I don’t bite.” Her gaze turned up towards the sky. “And you’re probably right. Most of the people aren’t that bad, just weird. Lot of things piled up at once. I’ve just had enough drama for one night, don’t usually spend this much time around people.” Rebeca glared over at Mihkail. “Not that certain people didn’t contribute,” she called over.

The Spike Pokemon kept his eyes closed innocently. I have no idea what you’re talking about. He opened them, however, when he felt Maya scuttle off his back, chittering enthusiastically. Spying Kaze and Jingle smiling from the shadows, he rumbled. Oh, and we have another visitor.

Rebeca blinked. And who would that be?

Kid with clothes that’re too small. Mihkail rumbled again, this time amused as the Shellfish Pokemon once again proceeded to snuggle into Kaze’s lap. Maya seems to think he makes a good bed.

Huh. Rebeca glanced at Alain again, then back up at the sky. Let’er.

Mihkail rumbled in surprise, raising his head, then settled back down.

Maya joined Kaze, just as he had requested, and Jingle seemed to enjoy her company, snuggling up next to her in Kaze's lap. For a moment, he wondered if Rhyhorn would come as well, then he noted the look on the heavier Pokémon's face, and wondered to where Maya could here him, He's tattling on me, isn't he? He let the question hover for a minute, then continued, I guess it doesn't matter too much. It's much nicer out here than in the restaurant, even with our friend throwing up over there.

Then Jingle began to try playing with the Shellfish, and when it got its attention, it seemed overjoyed. In fact, so much so that Kaze thought it was glowing--literally. Then it hit him, it actually was glowing. Quite notable given the sun had set and even the indoor parts of the city were darker. Soon, the light engulfed the entirety of Jingle, making it impossible to see much of anything beyond the pearly sphere of radiance surrounding the Bell Pokémon.

Slowly, the glow faded, and there, in Jingle's place, floated a new Pokémon. It appeared bluish white with red markings on its spherical body and tag-like tail. "Chime~!" it sang, a large smile across its face.

"Jingle?" Kaze asked, his voice quiet. "Is that you?"

"Chime~!" it repeated, bobbing slightly in the air as if nodding.

"You- You evolved!" he responded, excitement filling his hushed voice. Kaze had heard about devices called Pokédexes, but he was not lucky enough to own one, or anything that could serve as one, so he couldn't find anything new on this evolution of Chingling, but he was reassured by the Pokémon itself that it was indeed the same Jingle he had had by his side.

Jingle also seemed ecstatic, floating in random patterns around Kaze and Maya, occasionally brushing its tail against them while chanting its new name, Chimecho. Kaze didn't mind it enjoying itself, and in fact found himself giggling as it circled. He could get used to this.

The duo wandered around Mauville City with no luck, stopping off to grab something to eat from a food vendor who was closing up shop. Fast food didn’t agree with the man, but needs must and all that. What was unexpected, however, was the sheer size of the food. Tantalus paid for his order and thanked the vendor, begrudgingly, before the two began to wander down the road together, as they always did.

How is your burger? The little Mawile asked, teasingly, as she wandered along behind him.

Absolutely vile. If my palate found the grease between two buns a delicacy, my food bill would be a lot less. Tantalus snarked back, voice dripping with disdain. Looking down at the burger, he had only managed a quarter, thus far. He was still hungry, drained from general lack of food and the small use of power on the Porygon-Z, but the thought of eating another bite was too much to bear. I can’t do this anymore. Catch.

He threw the burger over his shoulder, and without missing a beat Apate’s second mouth whipped round and snaffled the lot in a single bite. Looking rather content, she cried happily, a sound akin to a very large cat purring. You are disgusting.

Beginning to skip, she smiled as if the wind had carried his voice away, something that might have been possible, had the conversation not taken place entirely in their heads.

It was then Tantalus caught sight of someone vomiting into a dumpster. Rebeca was behind him, lending a helping hand. A Rhyhorn stood on vigil, close by, and a small figure was present playing with Maya the Kabuto. Emotional pressure welled up within, but he was well and truly in control now. It was Yveltal’s Avatar, then. Strangely enough, when analysing the feelings now that his head was cleared, it felt less like revulsion and hatred as he had first thought. It was more like jealousy. He pondered that fact, approaching Rebeca.

Just as Tantalus had begun towards the small group, a nearby Chingling began to glow, which was especially eye-catching as the sun had set some time ago. When the light faded, a Chimecho was left in it’s place. The sight was mesmerising. Tantalus turned to Apate, determined to get her back for the jibe about the food earlier. Why don’t you ever do anything like that? He smirked at her, before reaching his destination.

----------

“Good evening, Rebeca.” Tantalus proclaimed, giving a respectful incline of his head. “Tonight has certainly been eventful, wouldn’t you say? The excitement has been positively palpable.” Attempting to strike up conversation, he made a gesture in the direction of Yveltal. “Whatever is the matter with him?” A sharp pain burst into his head, causing him to wince.

...AK. Of course he was, that much being obvious, the question is why? Tantalus felt very uneasy, although found himself unable to grasp the reason behind it.

Rebeca’s expression soured when Tantalus spoke, approaching from down the path. “Something he ate, probably.” She turned and headed back to her former spot, settling down cross-legged and resuming eating.

He chuckled. “At least he is one of the few that had the chance.” Tantalus considered trying to help Yveltal’s Avatar, but wasn’t sure touching him would be a good idea. “I’m afraid stomach complaints are beyond me, so you’ll just have to make do…” Trailing off, he realised something. He didn’t actually know the man’s name. “Forgive me, but I seem to have missed your introduction at dinner.”

Alain finally finished, pulling his head out of the dumpster and slowly closing it behind him. He turned around, and saw several other avatars arriving. This was not something that filled him with confidence. At least all they asked was his name. That was an easy enough question to answer.

“I’m...um...Alain. NIce to meet you, s...sir.”

He turned to the other avatar, who had just sat down. He paused, before sitting down himself, several metres away from Rebeca.

“Er...well, i hope you are alright. I don’t like it when people are all sad and stuff...er...that...looks like nice food. I hope you are enjoying it.”

A slight smile crossed Rebeca’s face, and she wiped the fresh tears from her eyes. “I haven’t had something this spicy in a long time, so I’m just great.” She blew a short breath, a wisp of flame briefly lighting up her face, and an expression of absolute delight appeared. “I may actually be paying for this later.”

“Oh!” said Alain, managing to stay composed after wiping his face with a napkin that he had taken from the restaurant. “Well, that’s good! You must r...really like your food. I don’t really know much about it...B...because i don’t...er….eat much. I drain life and s...stuff.

He then stopped, and his eyes widened, his hands making a “not what it looks like” gesture.

“I..i don’t drain p...people! Only pla...no, wait...did i tell you...that in the restaurant? I told...someone else...was it you? N...no, it was that other one….i mean, i dont drain people! I’m not like that!”

Kaze looked down to Maya on his lap, wishing to go over and talk with the other three Avatars, but not wanting to disturb the fun she appeared to be having with Jingle. “Mind if we go over next to them, guys--or . . . girls?” Kaze asked the two Pokémon. He had intended to leave Rebeca and Alain to their own devices, but Tantalus had shown up out of the blue as well, making it a crowd, as the saying goes.

He urged Maya to where she would hold onto the front of his shirt so he could stand, then made his way in their direction, Jingle hovering close to him. “Hi,” he said to the others. He wasn’t sure what all to say around three adults, but it was comforting being near these three, unlike many of the other avatars.

Rebeca chuckled again, giving him a slight wave. Swallowing, she whistled a short, questioning tune, to which Maya gave a cheerful chitter in response. Humming contentedly, she settled back into her food.

----------

Turning to follow Rebeca’s wave, Tantalus noticed that the boy from earlier was, in fact, the Avatar of Suicine. “Oh. I apologise for not noticing that it was you, Kaze. An oversight on my part. I expected you to stay at the restaurant for a little while longer, otherwise I would have invited you along to join me. Regardless, it is good to see you again.” He offered the boy a warm smile.

“You, too,” Kaze responded, returning Tantalus’ grin. “Though that one woman gave me the creeps.”

“W...which woman were you tal…” Alain stopped, then sat down again and tried to look invisible.

Swallowing a chortle, Tantalus replied, winking at Kaze. “Do you mean our intruding circus act, or our illustrious host, the CEO?”

Kaze did his best to keep from bursting into laughter on the spot. Though he didn’t understand every word used by the fluent Avatar, he caught the gist of it. “I was talking about the girl with the rings, but Justine is pretty scary, too, come to think of it. Though there are times I’d be more worried about her Porygon,” he chuckled.

This time, Tantalus couldn’t hold back, and he did explode with laughter. “Somehow, I do not think you are alone there. Wouldn’t you agree, Rebeca?” Intending to talk to Rebeca in the first place, he tossed a well-meant jibe in her direction.

For a moment, Rebeca was silent, eyes closed as she chewed. At last she swallowed, gave Tantalus a hooded look, then closed her eyes again and took another bite. “Mmm.”

The man stood for a moment. Rebeca’s glare was evident, and his humour softened as a result. “That may have been uncalled for, I can’t imagine it was fun, being used for target practice by a Porygon trying out for the fire department. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot due to my failed attempt to veil my humour when we first met. If so, I am sorry. Hiding my emotions has never been a particular strong point of mine.” Another sharp pain smashed into Tantalus’s head like a nail.

...ES. Obviously. Tantalus rarely told the truth. That wasn’t a new thing, either. Unease crept into him, once more.

Again, Rebeca gave him only a brief glance before returning to her food. “I’ve been colder.”

For a moment, just as a practical joke over her lack of humor, Kaze considered putting a rain cloud over Rebeca’s head, but then he realized doing so would likely result in spoiling her food. He wanted to find a way to cheer her up, as he had yet to actually see her smile, and Kaze liked it when people smiled.

He became lost in thought for a moment, trying to think of what might make a person happy. Then an idea hit him. He had managed to do something along the lines of this idea once before while Jingle was still a Chingling, and now that it was a Chimecho, he hoped it might work similarly still. That, and the idea he had was much, much more complex than the last time he had done this.

He gave a grin to Jingle, with only the words: “Follow my lead.” Jingle apparently understood exactly what he had planned, because it lit up in excitement, hovering up higher in the air. Channeling his energy, Kaze used it to create a Tailwind. Just to ensure he could still do what he had in mind, he bent the air in a way that caused it to whistle out a notable middle C, and in response, Jingle resonated the same note.

Now it was time to be brave. With all the focus he had, he began bending the air current into a song. It started simply, with a slower rhythm until Jingle caught the gist of it, and as time progressed, it became more elaborate. He had heard the tune once before on an older game, and if he remembered correctly, it had an effect in the game similar to his Rain Dance power.

A heavy sweat soon broke out on his forehead as he tried to combine two moves in one, allowing a cloud to form inside the city up above, though he did not allow it to release any rain. However, just for effect, he allowed it to span close to a light, and through his control of the cloud, managed to give the illusion of lightning flashing through it, though there would be no thunder to accompany it.

After a minute or so, he allowed the cloud to dissipate and the music to fade, completely exhausted from his attempts, but pleased with the result. He had never used his power to such a level before, and found himself needing to find a seat, even if on the ground, out of fatigue.

Rebeca had noticed the increasing strength of the wind, but it wasn’t until the actual whistling sound came, along with Jingle’s added tones that she paused and payed attention. As the music slowly began to build, she rested her head against the booth and closed her eyes, simply listening. She payed no attention to the light show that Kaze attempted; her mind was concentrated entirely on the sound. After a little bit, the corner of her mouth turned up slightly.

When the wind died away, she opened her eyes and nodded towards the exhausted Kaze. “You’re good at that.”

“Thanks,” Kaze panted, entirely out of breath. “Glad . . . you liked . . . it,” he said between swallows of air. Even though he was tired, he noticed that a smile had touched her face. Mission accomplished, he thought.

Alain had kept as quiet as possible throughout the conversation, although he couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable around the one called Tantalus. As in, even more than usual. He was happy to listen to the concert from one of the newcomers who he vaguely remembered as the one who gave him the bell earlier.

“Two pieces of music in one day? What odd occurrences.”

During the de facto concert that Kaze was conducting, a small group of onlookers had congregated around him. People out for a night stroll, or otherwise having a good time. They had thoroughly enjoyed it, and they were not alone. Once the crowd’s applause had died down, Tantalus stepped forth, offering his. “That was wonderful. You have some real talent, Kaze.” He smiled warmly at the boy, as his Mawile let out a happy cry from behind him. “It’s clear the two of you have a deep bond, and that seems to be something the three of us share. You and Jingle, Rebeca, Mikhail and Maya, and myself and Apate. Where does one find a chingling, exactly? I must admit to never seeing one on my travels.”

Kaze took a moment to finish catching his breath, then explained, “Jingle was actually a recent birthday present to me. She was given to me just before Suicune made me . . . uhm . . . made me his Avatar.” He thought for a second longer. “She’s the closest friend I’ve got, and the only one who’s stayed close since. I wouldn’t trade her for the world,” he smiled to the Wind Chime Pokémon, who had returned to his side, earning him a bright chime from Jingle.

Kneeling down, Tantalus beckoned for his Mawile to come closer, and picked her up. She was heavy, and awkward, but she was the only one he ever truly relied on. Thinking back to how they met, it had been on the streets, when Tantalus’s life had gone down the drains. The Mawile had been thrown out into the gutter, like him. Since that chance encounter, each one relied on the other to survive. Telling that to Kaze meant admitting to the boy… no, to himself that he wasn’t always perfect. Mulling this over, he began. “I have a similar bond with my little Mawile, here. We have traveled together now for years. Longer than I care to remember. I called her Apate after an ancient legend about a goddess of deceit. Figuring it fit her.”

He smiled, recalling the old times. “We met when I was traveling on the road one day. I took a shine to her, and we’ve been traveling ever since.” Pain flared once again within his head, drawing an audible grunt.

LIES. The word felt like a hammer smashing into the aluminium siding that was Tantalus’s mind. He could feel it reverberating inside. Unease flooded him, and then he realised why, at last.

The words had come unbidden.

The pain refused to fade this time, and Tantalus was struggling to cope. It throbbed, like a white heat behind his eyes. Panic gripped him. Those weren’t his words. Someone was inside his mind. Who could manage it? A sudden thought took the wind out of him. The woman from earlier. She was a psychic type. Tantalus began to scan the area, looking to see if he could find a culprit.

Alain chose this moment to speak. “I...met my friend a while back. Before i was an avatar.” As he spoke about this, he barely stuttered at all, feeling almost comfortable as he spoke. “He was abandoned by his trainer, so i helped him...and...he was able to help m… Er.... T...that’s pretty much it.” he said again, lapsing into stuttering. He didn't say anything else.

----------

Rebeca payed more or less little attention to the conversation as she ate. For a brief moment, when she heard Tantalus mention Maya’s name, her eyes flashed, though with her head down and gaze hooded, the others wouldn’t have noticed. Taking her final bite, she hummed contentedly, savouring the burning sensation in her mouth, then swallowed. A short dry heave sent her wrist whipping up to her mouth; she paused, waiting, then loosed a short burp, flames briefly coiling around her hand. “Yep, gonna be feeling that later,” she muttered to herself. Standing up, she crumpled the box in her hand and lobbed it into the dumpster. “Well guys, it’s been fun.” She fixed Tantalus with a gaze that smoldered slightly. “But I’m bored of waiting for you to get to the point. What do you want.”

Eyes flicking across the scene wildly, Tantalus very nearly missed the question. “I came here to say that you have an impressive punch, and to query just why you attacked Lugia in front of everyone.” He spat the words, too quickly. “Now, I feel I should warn you. I’m not convinced we are alone here.”

“I’m sure you did.” Rebeca took slow, methodical steps towards him. “I’ve done a lot of hiking, gotten into a few fights. You learn to read who’s looking for a brawl, and who’s just bluffing. And yeah, you’ve seemed pretty honest so far.” Her eyes narrowed. “But I keep feeling like everything that comes out of your mouth has more behind it than what you’re saying. And I don’t like people like that. You’re smug, arrogant, and frankly, kind of annoying. So what do you want.”

A grimace appeared over the man’s face. What I want is for my head to stop pounding so I can think, he muttered to himself. Trying to process words was getting harder, as the pain grew. Each burst had been worse than the last, as he had focused on it. This time, it felt like a white-hot lance had shattered straight through his skull.

SHE KNOWS. All pretence of normality fell, as Tantalus grabbed his head with trembling hands, in an attempt to stop the sheer agony shooting through him. One fact was evident, each time it grew in both length and strenght. As his body began to sense the distress it was in, his power slowly flourished into being, a shimmering effect floating around him.

Kaze watched as Tantalus’ pain became more and more visible, until he finally clutched his head from its weight. Unable to watch any more, he interrupted. “Leave him alone,” he begged to Rebeca. “Can’t you see he’s hurting?” Even though the light beginning to shine around Tantalus was unnerving, he stepped forward and chanced placing a gentle hand on his head, trying to find anything inside like a parasite or toxin, but had no luck.

“I- I don’t get it,” Kaze stammered. “I can’t find what’s wrong. . . . I can almost always find what’s wrong. This is something . . . weird.”

Alain stepped forward. “Are….y...you alri…” he stopped, his outstretched hand lowering to his side. His heart wanted to help him, but his head...did not. Slowly stepping back, he watched instead, wondering why he felt so strange when all he wanted to do was help.

For a moment, Rebeca just watched, arms folded over her chest. Well that’s new.

Mihkail, who had been silently observing the proceedings, gave a low growl. Yes it is. He rose up, Maya taking refuge on his back.

Something clicked in Rebeca’s head, and she recalled what Germaine had said. “Does Groudon ever talk to you.” Giving Kaze a light push, she rapped Tantalus on the shoulder. “Hey. Who’s talking.”

The question had taken Tantalus aback. He was talking. That was obvious. The power within him fully burst forth, causing a spectrum of colours to dance across his form. It was so bright, through his eyes, that it almost blinded him. Simultaneously, the power stopped his head from pulsing with agony, and rekindled that very same agony through the light show accompaniment. A memory flared within him, from back during the early days of his Avatar life. When he had found one of the people who had treated him like trash, beat him to within an inch of his life, and brought him back to health using his power to do it all over again. Tantalus had wanted him to suffer. Ultimately, he died of a heart attack brought on by the continued strain on his body, and Tantalus found himself too weak to stop it. That is what this felt like. Rebeca’s question swirled in his head again. The answer was obvious.

This was Xerneas.

As the name flashed through his mind, it was accompanied by sickening, triumphant laughter.

Lucas gave a sigh at the CEO's disappointing, but tactful response. Whether her words were genuine or measured, he could not tell. But there was no mistaking the steely resolve in his eyes, and it was not his place to force his wishes. Yet, anyway. He gave a nod of respect to her, but he had eyes only for the avatars at the ruined table. There were so many...

A pit formed in Lucas's throat.

"I thank you for your apology on behalf of your... pokemon," Lucas said, the concept of that pink and blue wrong being a pokemon still foreign to him. He folded his hands in his robes, and quietly shook his head. "But know you play with fire. You seek knowledge, but know not the book you hold. The Empire of Alph had similar notions. Their's was a kingdom that stretched three continents, and in their quest for knowledge and the power's beyond their comprehension, their entire civilization collapsed in a single night," here Lucas paused and began nodding at each of the closest avatars.

"Groudon led to an unquenchable drought. Both Xerneas and Yveltal were used to almost destroy the world. Giratina was freed to unravel all of space time. And the last time THIS ONE," here Lucas gave a absolutely irate glare at the avatar of Hoopa, a chink in his otherwise calm exterior, "Was let out of her bottle, was the last time numerous legends were brought together. They destroyed a city to ashes. We were this close to a full global extinction event! I should know, I was there," he growled in annoyance towards the flamboyant gypsy.

In truth, he felt a little cheated from that incident.

A grimace and Lucas was forced to lower his eyes in shame, the next words barely audible from his lips.

"XD001."

After a moment, he turned to look Ms. Huang dead in the eye, his words softer now. "Time and time again, humans have sought to understand us. For you all, knowledge is but a means of control and power. We were hidden for a reason. But you have already made your choice, and my words fall on deaf ears. But know that for all your good intent, we are not meant for you humans. We may look human, but we are everything but-"

Lucas's eyes widened in surprise as he felt a hand grasp his shoulder, whirling him around. The moment he made contact with those amber eyes, his world became one of agony as she steam-pistoned her fist into his gut. With a sudden woosh, Lucas felt the air in his body leave him as his knees buckled, pain searing behind his eyelids and sternum.

That had not been a punch, Lucas noted as the girl seized his hair and dragged his roughly to his feet, forcing him to look at the girl as hear her words. That had been a blow to create canyons, to shatter mountains, to mold the clay of the land. A punch as only Groudon could deliver. Were it not for Lugia's own defensive abilities, Lucas knew he would have been obliterated from the gut down. When she let go of him, he collapsed like a ton of bricks and could only lay there for a moment, his racked mind trying to process just WHAT THE HELL HAD JUST HAPPENED?

The avatar gave a twitch under his pain as he noticed other Avatars getting up and leaving the dinner, and through the colorful bursts of nausea he attempted to burn the faces of each of them into memory. The gypsy... the shy painter...

A young boy with purple hair and crimson eyes... Suicune! Lucas's heart leapt in his chest, and with a groan he struggled onto his feet, hands grasping the table for dire support. If Suicune was here, than maybe that meant... no. Lucas dare not even think the words, for fear of fate mocking him. But perhaps he had seen? Perhaps they had met? Perhaps...

A shallow breath renewed the pain.

'That is definitely a rib broken,' he thought wryly, squeezing his eye shut. 'Make that two... do not piss off the creator of continents,' he chided himself.

Holding his side, he took a shaky breath and smiled, trying to calm himself. "I don't think that was entirely undeserved... though a bit unnecessary," he admitted, as an avatar approached him.

"Now, now... it seems like yet another rude entrance today! People have no manners... so, it behooves me to be the better man. Mistakes cannot be undone, but they can be forgiven. And I'm certain that this fellow won't make the same error again."

Lucas smiled and bowed his head in recognition. A familiar face, figuratively of course, and no doubt one who support his claims. This one had always been a mediator as he had, serving to placate his brethren Kyogre and Groudon. "Rayquaza, Serpent of the Unending Sky, Lord of the Atmosphere and Master of Weather... it set me at ease to see you amongst our numbers," Lucas acknowledge, sticking his hand out to return the gesture.

Then another avatar got up from the table and walked by them.

“I have counted a total of four entrances which have been made in bad taste, over the course of the night, but the only one to have managed to pull of two such incidents was you. Of course, the lack of introductions on your part was an introduction in itself. I know everything I need to know about you, and can conclude that you are simply not worth knowing.” he continued, speaking to the man all-the-while, stopping only when he had finished, and making sure no-one still inside would hear him. Standing several feet away from the two, he looked over his shoulder.

“I will not be called a hypocrite, however, so I will rise above the plebeians and be the… better man, was it? My name is Tantalus, and I represent Xerneas, the embodiment of life.” Focusing on the road ahead, he began to walk once more. “Do try to remember it, you’ll be quizzed on it later.”

Lucas's hand froze inches away from Wells's, and a flurry of emotions crossed his eyes. He could sense Rayquaza'z power from this man but... there was no sense of familiarity from his fellow mediator. His posture, his voice, his very eyes... all of it was a lie that Lucas could not explain. He called himself Rayquaza, held his power, but there was nothing more...

It had been the same on the avatar of Xerneas's face. He had simply needed the two to compare.

He slowly drew the hand back.

"You... are not Rayquayza," he announced, bewilderment and mistrust etched on his face.

Seras:

Seras nodded respectfully towards Tantalus, grateful for the manner in which he’d handled the situation. Although Between the comfort which he’d offered Kaze and his clear ultimatum towards Hope, there was a chance things could end peacefully after all.

Barely moments later, Porygon-Z was thrown bodily through the door by a white-clad avatar.

That’s it. I’m done. These people are all mad.

As Justine and Tantalus immediately shot down the intruder’s demands, she felt her frustration building towards a tipping point. Hypocrite. Peaceful intentions were well enough, but his demands reeked of projection - most other avatars could seek peace without breaking down a door and were perfectly capable of handling those who could not.

“Arceus’ opinions of your peacekeeping are rather moot,” she noted sterly. “What matters more is the disgraceful manner in which you conduct yourself.” After all, Rayquaza is supposed to be a peacekeeper as well. “Your concerns are hardly unfounded, I confess, but we don’t need an arbiter who’s willing to break down doors rather than listen to reason.”

She clenched her fists as anger seeped into her words - anger at Lucas, Hope, Wells and the whole damn situation. “And after several years without meeting another avatar, I fully intend to savour the company of my fellow avatars and don’t take kindly to your demands. Feel free to police troublemakers individually in whatever manner you see fit, but leave any peaceful avatars out of the equation.”

Justine’s accusations stirred a brief flicker of concern over the impressions which she’d left with her hosts, given the measures required to keep hope in line, but she quickly dispelled the notion. Things would have gotten even further out of hand if they hadn’t stepped in, given the abuse that Hope had offered to Vuduin and Tantalus - the only difference would have been how unpleasant she would have been towards everyone else before someone drew the line. At least we all seem to be of one mind.

Seras wasn’t entirely shocked when Rebecca punched Lucas - rather, she was somewhat surprised that she wasn’t shocked at all. I take everything back - I’m surrounded by idiots.

Out of everyone involved in the argument, she was surprised that Tantalus would be the better man - it seemed that her faith in him had been well-placed. Offering a feeble smile, she accepted his offered phone number. “I appreciate your kind word. It’s unfortunate that we needed to resort to such measures and that they were ultimately in vain. Hopefully, we can resume our conversation tomorrow in more suitable company.”

As bad as things were, Charity’s reaction as she returned with Vuduin was a small consolation.

“...Explain?” she spluttered.

“Another avatar broke down the door and got punched by Rebecca.”

“Come again?”

“Exactly,” she sighed. “Someone else can deal with them - I’ve done more policing today than in my entire life, and someone else can deal with the fallout.

“Another avatar threw Porygon-Z through the door and lit the powder-keg,” she commented dryly towards Vuduin. “We were probably overdue for another fight by now.”

* * * * *

Germaine

Germaine had listened to what the others had said towards Hope, what everyone stated was; in his eyes correct, they affirmed what he himself had said and brought up outstanding issues with this… delinquent, and mere troublemaker.
What Germaine did however find surprising was Seras’ action, and once again she broke her mold by performing an emotional outburst towards Hope, even more so was the moment when she commanded the garish sceptre that Hope was leaning upon to fly through the air and appear in her outstretched palm, a rather impressive display from both Seras and Tantalus - Germaine had to admit himself liking the fairy type avatars as of the moment, both appeared to be upholding some sort of decency, even if Tantalus was a bit… pretentious, but better that than another being like Wells.
As Germaine switched back and forth from his meal and the verbal abusing that was being slung around the place he was getting progressively more and more annoyed; even to the point where he simply couldn’t sit in peace and enjoy his meal.
And when Germaine is in a situation that puts him off food, he will not pleased - as he looked across the table towards Kirlia he could see that he was not the only one who was not enjoying this atmosphere, she had stopped her drink and looked as if some heavy oppression was weighing her down.
Germaine was just about to stand from his seat and demand that everyone cease their incessant arguing before the doors were reduced to little more than rubble and shards of glass, the artificial nuisance being flung into Rebecca's meal - the meal in question was enough to reduce one’s tastebuds to dust, and enough to make the eyes water profoundly, it was scattered in a large arc splattering various areas and people in the demonic concoction, that Rebecca was seemingly eating as if it were nothing more a side of toast.

The new arrival of the band of avatars was the cause; rather unsurprisingly, it appeared that everyone here had some sort of knack for entrances; be the making of or the ruining of, this new arrival was, not accompanied with but followed after with none other than Well’s.
Why was it of smaller surprise that HE was here to cause a greater disruption.
Not that he ended up registering Wells, he barely registered the fact that Lucas ended up being punched by Rebecca.
This was all down to one factor; one statement made by the newcomer named Lucas; the Avatar of Lugia.
”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."

…

It was as if the only sound he could hear was this sentence on repeat- it was an affront on his earlobes.
Germaines exist was marked at the beginning with a distinctive snap, that of the chopsticks that his right hand still held; the next was the gripping of the cloth on the table and his chair legs been pushed across the floor.
Giving an expressionless look towards Kirlia he stated.
”Kirlia, let’s go.”

She give a dismayed look towards her friend but complied as she too did not enjoy the atmosphere or the venue any longer.
Sensing his distress however, she did send a little warning towards Seras.
”I think Germaine is going to do something he’ll regret....”

Germaine swiftly made his way around the table paying little attention to the other avatars, and much to Kirlias dismay he stopped above the now crouched in pain Lucas.
Maintaining his calm demeanor he simply stated; loud enough for the others still there to hear.
”Take note, Lugia, you have demanded us all to return to our places of origin, that means you would have me return to my Hell of an imprisonment that is the Distortion world, there is only one being that could ever force me back there against my will, and that is the one who released me from it - if you tried, or make that demand again, I WILL go back, but with you in tow- and that world will be your grave.”

Following that he simply turned on his heels and thanked his hosts for what could have been a good night; with that he left.

* * * * *

Seras

Oh hell. Germaine was one of the few avatars that hadn’t yet lost his temper - out of those willing to make a stand whatsoever - and she’d be damned if she allowed him to slip up tonight.

“Is he still safe to be around?” she inquired towards Charity, voice laced with concern.

“He’s on the edge at the moment, but I doubt that he’ll lash out without provocation.”

For a brief moment, Seras contemplated her present company. Hope was unaccounted for and Rebecca had already left the building. There’s no way that I can leave him alone, is there.

“Hold on a moment,” she groaned. “I’ll wrap things up here and follow him.”

With a note of restrained frustration in her voice, she gazed unsympathetically towards Lucas. “I mean no disrespect, Lucas, but I’ve more than enough stress upholding peace without your ham-handed attempts. I shall take my leave for tonight - hopefully we shall speak under kinder circumstances tomorrow.”

Bidding farewell to their hosts, Seras stalked after Germaine in silence, waiting until both of them were out of earshot of the restaurant to speak. The only sound in the corridors was Germaine’s heavy stomp and the sharp, rhythmic click of her heels. Outside the restaurant, however, the cheerful hubbub of the crowd around them proved far more soothing - a cool evening breeze ran down the street and the fading sunlight was gradually giving way to the stars.

Several streets later, Germaine seemed to have finally walked off the worst of his frustration. Taking a deep breath to soothe herself, Seras broke the silence between them. “I’m impressed that you managed to keep your temper with that hypocrite,” she complimented.

* * * * *

Germaine

It wasn’t until Germaine was far from the restaurant and out the cool night air that he registered the fact that he had company; Seras and tailing her was Charity; donning the same piercing eyes that she normally had in his presence; clearly she had had enough of that scene just as much as he did.

“Only just, but I made a promise to Kirlia that I would not spill blood tonight, after my entrance in the morning I was aiming to improve my standing with everyone, in the end, I’m not sure I achieved that goal.”
Germaine sighed and gave his nose a scratch “I simply can’t believe the gall of that man, to practically demolish the entrance to the restaurant and then make demands of us as if WE were the ones at fault; hypocrite is the right word…”

After walking a bit further he spotted a bench, deciding that a chance to gather his thoughts would be prudent for the moment he sat.
Looking up to Seras he stated half-jokingly.”To be honest I thought you’d be the one to hurt him there and then, you may have formed a line for people wanting to do the same though.”

* * * * *

Seras

If only things were that simple. Seras offered him an amused grin in response. “There’s still the tournament tomorrow. I’d be more than happy for you to lay into half of those avatars, but only to the same extent that anyone else at the tournament would. Both of us are better than such petty violence. Not that it’s difficult to be,” she observed, a note of unintended snideness creeping into her tone.

As tempting as it was to stew over Hope and Lucas, she stomped down on that train of thought. No reason to let them sour our mood even after we’ve left.

“I must confess, I would love to put most of them into their place. Swiftly. But responding with violence just leaves someone bleeding and someone else blood-stained - I’d rather have Justine eject them from Mauville than be dragged into a brawl.”

But what would happen if they refused? Putting her physical well-being on the line was a horrifying notion, let alone against another avatar, but would allowing other people to fight and be harmed seriously instead really be any better? Sitting down besides Germaine, Seras sat down besides Germaine, gazing absently at the stars while collecting her thoughts. Charity maintaining a more cautious distance, standing guard beside her shoulder.

“Do you ever feel as though you’re responsible for people like them,” she mused pensively, “Simply because there’s nobody else who deserves the burden?”

* * * * *

Germaine

What Seras mentioned about the tournament was correct, tomorrow he’d have leisure to teach… at the very least Well’s a lesson, he doubted that this ‘pacifist’ Lucas would enter, despite the fact that as of the moment he had produced the most violence out of all of them today.
“I must agree, the chance to beat Well’s and maybe even Rebecca up is an appetizing one, unfortunately this Lucas will likely not participate - I was hoping that after tonight he’d leave, but somehow I have my doubts that he will, the likelihood of him staying as some sort of peacekeeper is very high in my regard.”
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Seras asked a further question - it was quite perplexing in Germaine’s mind.
“Responsible for them? No, never. Everyone has their own lives they carry out their own actions based upon the situation of their beliefs, and there will be results or consequences from that action - they are responsible for them, they pay the price - I am all too aware of this fact.”

* * * * *

Seras

Seras glanced up at Germaine, noting his confusion. It’s not the guilty ones that I’m worried about. “They deserve what they get, certainly, but it’s not only them who suffer from their stupidity.” Casting her mind back to the dinner, she settled on an example. “Take Kaze, for instance. He’s been wonderful throughout the festival - he stood up for the crowd when Wells picked a fight and he was entirely pleasant over dinner. He didn’t deserve to have his evening ruined by Hope and Lucas.”

She continued to mull over the matter, searching for a better example. Something with clearer cause-and-effect.

“I suppose that it’s like feeling responsible for the idiots who mess around on mountaintops. It’s completely their fault if they ignore all the warnings and set off a landslide, but the people downhill did nothing to deserve that. Except in this case, the consequences would be them tarnishing all of our names and discrediting us as a group.”

* * * * *

Germaine dwelled upon what Seras was saying for a moment; she was right in one sense, that these people… or rather avatars were tarnishing their kind all over, since this would likely be a heavily publisced event, and Germaine knew that these reporters would mould the truth to what would make an exciting story, rather than provide all the context - in far off places where other avatars were, they too would suffer the consequences of the actions made; assuming that Dialga and Palkia suffered too it would be a small victory.
“I suppose you’re right, but there is little we can do about it without escalating the mess we are already in, assuming Lucas keeps his tongue guarded he will continue to live, and other than that I think the rest will mellow out over time; at least that’s what we can hope.”

Germaine gave a quick glance at Kirlia who was looking at the pair with a softer expression than the one in the restaurant - he wondered for a moment if she was saying anything to Seras, but discounted the thought as soon as it arose.
“What are your thoughts on the day as a whole then? To be fair it could have gone considerably worse than it did.”

* * * * *

Seras

“Honestly?” she laughed. “I’d call it a diamond in the rough.”

Not even sorry.

Smiling foolishly to herself, Seras considered the day’s events in full. “Despite all of the idiocy from Hope and Wells - and outright hostility from Lucas - today’s been the first time I’ve met anyone remotely like me.” She paused, then amended her statement. “People with common ground. It’s been wonderful to chat over dinner about being an avatar and have everyone relate for a change.”

A pleasant change from life on the road. “The crowd’s been wonderful as well,” she added, glancing at the crowds wandering past. Without her floating gemstones, nobody recognised them as anything unusual. “You can say whatever you like about humanity, but the people at the festival all chose to celebrate us. Everyone here’s been so incredibly welcoming, and I can’t help but feel better about the world as a whole.”

She giggled to herself. “And Porygon-Z will go down in the history books long after both our names are forgotten.”

* * * * *

Kirlia

As Germaine was speaking to Seras, Kirlia looked towards Seras’ guardian; Charity and asked her a question.
”How are you feeling?”

* * * * *

Charity

Charity gazing down fondly at the young Kirlia. After all of the stress, exhaustion and intermittent gut-wrenching panic of the last 24 hours, her quiet concern was incredibly welcome.

“Exhausted,” she confessed. “Today has been an absolute rollercoaster, and as wonderful as some moments have been, I’ll be happy to leave all of the chaos behind. I’d rather not be glancing over my shoulder every five minutes and staying constantly alert.” She paused, feeling slightly abashed - Kirlia’s master was one of the main threats that she’d been watching for, but it would be hideously offensive to say that to her face.

Despite her wariness, she couldn’t help but feel curious about Kirlia - she wouldn’t have expected someone so gentle and innocent to be a partner for Germaine. “How has it been travelling with Germaine? He comes across as someone… difficult to engage with.” Without the risk of getting swatted, she added to herself.

* * * * *

Germaine

Personally Germaine disliked the artificial creation that was the Porygon-Z, that being said Seras was right in saying that it was indeed a rather historical event of sorts.
“Well, it’s certainly been awhile since I’ve seen other Legendary Pokémon, obviously I have a tainted history with some of the most powerful ones, but overall, despite the few that almost ruined the day as a whole, it has been enjoyable, to finally speak with others of my… our ilk.
The humans have been very accommodating, much to my surprise as well; I have stared at them for centuries and only seen them at their worst, they are despicable beings as a whole, but they do carry redeeming factors with them, maybe as I spend more time walking amongst them I will have an improved opinion on them.”

* * * * *

Kirlia

Kirlia gave an exasperated nod in answer to Charity’s word of “Exhausted”, as it certainly had proven to be that.
However she didn’t find at all odd that she would be asking about Germaine. “Travelling with him has been, enlightening to be perfectly honest; when I first spotted him in the wild it was like gazing at a storm from a calm beach head, I felt what he had suffered and the fact that he looked fairly content surprised me; so I just followed him, at first our relationship was non-existent, but it grew and after a time I became someone he relied upon whenever he felt down; I wanted to be the calm for his storm, because quite frankly; especially after I learnt that he was actually Giratina, I didn’t want him raging about the world, I’m glad that he has improved from when I first saw him.” She followed that with a satisfying nod and shot a smile at the back of Germaines head.
“What about you and Seras? I take it you are more than a caretaker for her than I am for this guy - plus you can speak with Seras, it’d make my life so much easier if I could get through his skull - preferably without using a tool.”

* * * * *

Seras

Seras’ expression grew somber as she listened to Germaine’s reflections - as much as she’d defended him earlier, when others threatened his opportunity to make a fresh start, it was easy to forget exactly how much Germaine - or Giratina - had been through when in conversation. Viewing it as a tragic past didn’t lend enough weight to how thoroughly those experiences must have shaped him.

“My own struggles have been rather more tame than yours, but I can appreciate how past events can… influence currents events, in some small way. I’m incredibly impressed that you’ve earned so many strangers’ trust - as surprising as it may seem, that isn’t something that any of them would give lightly.”

She gazed thoughtfully at Germaine

“How much have you seen while you were imprisoned?,” she asked with sympathy. As much as she wanted to avoid discrediting his experiences - neither of them could live through imprisonment without being changed - she couldn’t help but question the source of his views. “I can’t say that I share all of your opinions, but I’ve only seen humanity through a much narrower scope than yours.”

* * * * *

Charity

Charity smiling nostalgically as she reflects back over her relationship with Seras. “Believe it or not, she used to be the caretaker between the pair of us - Seras was the one who hatched me.” Thinking back over things. “Looking back, she needed someone to look after at the time - she needed someone who made her feel like she made a difference for them.”

“Things changed a lot after she became an avatar - she worked out who she wanted to be and realised that it wasn’t something that comes easily. It’s hard to say which of us is more like a mother, but I’ve definitely been caring for Seras for a long time now.”

She could relate entirely with Kirlia’s compassion - she’d heard once that their species was inherently empathetic, far more so than most other Pokemon, but the whys and wherefores weren’t really important. What mattered was the fact that they were.

“Speaking with Seras definitely changed our dynamics for the better - I can only imagine how different things would be if our conversations were still through mime and charade. How do you tend to communicate with him?”

* * * * *

Kirlia

Kirlia was surprised that Charity was hatched by Seras herself, truly their bond must be something to behold, from what she had seen from the pair at the very least, it upheld what she expected.
She gave a grin when Charity asked how she communicated with him - “It’s the fun part of our time together, mainly I just give his shins a good beating when ever he gets out of hand I don’t want him doing something - or he’s not paying attention to me, otherwise I just give his clothes a tug to get his attention, the miming is fun at times especially when he’s trying to understand what I want; it’s even better when he finally catches on that I don’t want anything and I’m just pulling his leg.
I find that it’s that sort of stuff that helps our relationship and even calms him down, he’s really good at knowing when I am distressed instead of the other way around; he doesn’t like it when I’m not feeling good about something, he is quite protective of me, which I like, it’s nice to be needed.”

* * * * *

Germaine

It figured that anyone would like to know about his time in the Distortion world - it literally was a world unto itself and given the fact that if it wasn’t the fact that he was the sole occupant and stuck there, chances are he’d have enjoyed to go there, the wonder of its fluidity and random assignment of physics was interesting beyond belief, but ultimately lost on him.
“I have… seen a lot, as you can imagine, early into my imprisonment I made a habit of viewing the life of specific humans, and Pokémon, I was interested to see how their lives would pan out as a silent, invisible observer - it… quickly lost its luster, as I seen that when humans think they are in private they say the most despicable things, speak their untold desires to the air around them and go onto perform abhorrent actions, or even go so far as to abuse their Pokémon or the lives of other humans.
I seen some truly heroic actions through my time, don’t get me wrong; but a shoal in the sea of evil that is humanity does little to redeem them.
I also seen the lives of other Legendaries; including that of Diancies, they for the most part lived uneventful lives, with the exception of the odd band of humans wishing to do the harm of capture them, from what I recall few ever had any form of success and the worst humans got their just desserts.”

Germaine sat back and looked up at the sky for a moment… he didn’t have stars in the Distortion world, they were truly beautiful things; something odd and unprecedented occurred as well; which Giratina put down to some of Germaine coming through as stray and involuntary tear streaked down his right cheek.
Quickly wiping it he looked back at Seras after giving a nervous cough.
“Erm, yes, overall I can summarise my time in the distortion world as something that I would fight to stay out of I don’t doubt that to foreigners it must be an appealing place, but to me it’s nothing but a reminder of the torment.”

* * * * *

Charity

Charity shared a grin with Kirlia - she remembered the days of pantomiming with Seras. “I wouldn't trade our telepathy for anything in the world, but in some small way, communicating directly had lost the endearing charm of watching Seras puzzle her way through a conversation.”

“Me and Seras learned each other’s body language over the years, but back in the day, I used to go out of my way to invent charades that were just obscure enough to require some problem-solving. And I’d use new ones in every. Single. Conversation.”

She giggling mischievously to herself - it was wonderful how relaxing conversations with a younger Pokemon could be. “It used to drive her up the walls, but it eventually turned into our little game. It did wonders for the range of our vocabulary, as well.”

How things have changed since then. For someone so outwardly different Germaine and Seras were, it was remarkable how similar their relationships with their trainers seemed to have been. “How do you feel that he’s changed since you’ve known him? I must confess, my first impressions of him weren’t under the best of circumstances.”

* * * * *

Seras

Seras felt her throat seizing up slightly as she watched Germaine wipe his eyes - she’d seen his mood fluctuate from reserved to wrathful over the course of the day, but at no point had he demonstrated any signs of vulnerability. What sort of crimes would justify such a banishment? She remained quiet for a moment, allowing both of them a moment to compose themselves. Questioning the past would serve little purpose - even if Germaine had once deserved such a punishment, his behaviour that day had justified nothing of the sort.

“I try to limit the kind of people that I spend time around, so my own perceptions are going to be far more rose-tinted in some manners,” she noted somberly. She’d had no reason to discuss her past with anyone since becoming an avatar, but tonight seemed more than enough justification. “My own family were not so different than you describe - although I wouldn’t go as far as to call them ‘abhorrent,’ life would have been much kinder if I grew up elsewhere.”

She cast her mind back to the morning when she discovered that she was an avatar, and the arguments that swiftly followed.

“Once I became an avatar, there weren’t any more reasons to associate myself with them - I was entirely capable of surviving alone and following my dreams without them. I’ve travelled a lot over the last two years, and I’ve certainly met my share of people, but I’ve always been able to choose which ones I remain with. You may well be right about humanity as a whole, but I’ve always been happy to surround myself with the pleasant exceptions. It’s been a much happier way of life.”

Reflecting on the worst of humanity only makes life more painful. It’s only worth thinking about if you’re willing to challenge it.

She gazed thoughtfully at Germaine. “Is there anything about this world that you particularly enjoy? I’ve found my refuge in art since becoming an avatar, by and large - it’s incredibly rewarding to receive gratitude from people like Kirlia.” She smiled fondly towards the young Pokemon, who seemed to be deep in conversation with Charity. That suited her fine - it gave her and Germaine more opportunity to speak freely.

* * * * *

Germaine

Germaine nodded thoughtfully towards Seras; although the fact that a trickle of emotion escaped him was still hounding the back of his mind he decided he’d continue on as if nothing happened.
“It appears that in some way our becoming of avatars has offered us a release to a prison, in wildly different forms, but nevertheless that fundament, I feel is similar in both of us.”
Germaine had not anticipated this in Seras, it felt that she was just naturally carefree to him; but maybe that wasn’t what appeared on the surface.
“Particularly, it’s the food, humans, despite their shortcomings, know how to make some fantastic food - I make a habit of going the best eatery of any place I visit, I even have a little book that keeps track of all the foods I like and dislike simply because they’re so many of them.”
A small bit of childish glee infected Germaine whenever the topic of food came up, he loved to talk about it and loved eating it even more.

“Other than that, I’d say music - Germaine is my thanks to that one - his hands grant me the ability to play some fantastic and truly awe-inspiring music, despite the fact that I don’t know what these hands are actually doing when they play.
And finally, the stars; they are beautiful… impossible to be marred by the actions of humans.
What about yourself; barring art there must be more you enjoy?”

* * * * *

Kirlia

Kirlia gave an exaggerated sigh followed by the equally exaggerated shaking of her head in disapproval- “The downside to a lacking understanding of humans is the fact that he made that entrance, because you know, who wouldn’t love a big portal opening in place full of civilians and giving off a scream that would break the soul of the burliest man in Hoenn… he didn’t tell me his plans to enter the festival like that otherwise i’d have likely teleported him there in the middle of everyone to prevent that.
So yeah, I can understand why you don’t have the best initial thoughts of him, but he’s not a threat to anyone who doesn’t really beg for it - and for him to truly snap at someone, chances are they deserve the presiding beating; it’s not often I’d pull him off someone that I thought deserved what they got, but obviously in a crowd of people a full on brawl is the last thing you want.
Germaine is worthy of caution, but it doesn't mean anyone should form negative views on him, he hasn’t done anything that is inherently wrong from the one and a half years I’ve been with him.”
Kirlia gave Charity a reassuring smile to affirm her statement.
“In how he has changed, I would say that he is much better at controlling himself, he can handle situations a lot better than he would have done when I first met him, he justs needs the odd jab in the ribs here and there to keep him in place.”

* * * * *

Charity

Charity mulling over Kirlia’s explanation. It certainly didn’t assuage her concerns completely - she could imagine several avatars who could potentially justify a beating for Germaine further down the line, if things didn’t change, but the problems occurred when anyone other than that person became involved. Seras shared her broad opinions on the matter, although her stubborn refusal to back down often complicated things - life would be infinitely less stressful for her if Seras allowed someone other than herself to solve those problems for her.

But at the very least, she had fewer concerns about Germaine over-reacting without clear warnings signs beforehand. Namely, someone being suicidally stupid.

* * * * *

Seras

Seras smiling fondly as Germaine picked up a rhythm, contentment seeping into his voice as he talked about food and the stars. That’s more like it. “For me, it’s mostly been sightseeing. When me and Charity left home together, I originally planned to tour the major landmarks of Hoenn - all of the forests, waterfalls and natural wonders - and just wake up under a different sky every morning.”

“Things changed a little since I gained control over my powers - I started travelling from town to town rather than from mountain to meadow, as much for the gratitude as actually selling my sculptures. But it’s always wonderful to find another small corner of the world and consider that nobody will experience it in the exact same way as you, whether that’s the weather, the light or simply the memories that it provoked while you were there.”

She grinned playfully at Germaine’s comment about the stars. “I don’t know which dull individuals you’ve been watching, but some of us humans were making beauty even before we became avatars.” Glancing around the street to ensure that passersby wouldn’t interrupt them, Seras begun condensing a large hemispherical gemstone from the air, mapping the heavens above them onto its surface. Constellations were etched out in deeply-coloured pinpoints, while clouds were depicted in lightly-shaded regions, drifting across the constellations without obscuring the stars behind them.

“I believe that Kirlia’s already had the pleasure, but this one seems far more suited to you.” She handed the gemstone over to Germaine with a gentle smile. “Every sky is unique, but nothing stops us from remembering the best ones.”

* * * * *

Germaine

Germaine still found Seras’ manipulation of gemstones and the crafting of them to be impressive, it must have taken an incredible amount practise and dedication; well if that’s her only source of income one would imagine why she would be so skilled at it, despite that it didn’t take of the luster of the evident skill involved.
And of course, she was the only one who could do such a thing in the entire world.
He was truly grateful for the gift; it was also surprisingly lightweight despite the fact that it was in essence a solid gemstone - it was probably one of the few gifts he had ever received that he could regard as either special or one of significance; the fact that he seldom received gifts as it was, was enough to make it special.
“I can’t thank you enough for what you have given me; it may seem like nothing, but it means a lot.”
Germaine offered seras a genuine smile as recompense, it felt foreign on his face, and the muscles used in the act of smiling groaned at their sudden work after such a long time of disuse.
“I was skeptical at first, of meeting other avatars; I was really quite content to live the life of a human and do little else but live a life and experience the world, I never had any intent to let any soul know that I was Giratina, but after taking Kirlias gamble - as I called it, I must say that it has been worth it - despite how much of a nuisance that Hope was, she may be right, that there was indeed a task for us to perform, on a rather grand scale; it makes sense given that we are all legendaries after all - I may have a deep seated hatred for Arceus, but I feel that he has something planned for all of us.”

Clutching his head, desperately, Tantalus was running out of both ideas and time. The rate of his heart’s beating was rapidly increasing, the stress of the mental assault and his power both taking it’s toll. Head pounding, he tried to answer Rebeca, to explain the situation. Words formed within his mind, but refused to go anywhere else. Each attempted form of communication was snuffed out by the newly-awakened Xerneas. Eyes burning from the sparkling light rolling off of him, Tantalus’s condition worsened. With no other solution, he begged for the pain to stop, no matter what it took. Even if that meant Rebeca knocking him into next week.

Looking over the gathering crowd, drawn in by the impressive light show, his eyes met another’s. Alain, the Avatar of Yveltal. Through the anguish, a plan formed. Alain’s Avatar power was to drain the life force from people. Used on him, Tantalus mused, it might be enough to ward off Xerneas, or cause him to pass out. The question was, if he did indeed lose consciousness…

Would I still be me when I wake up?

A gamble. His life hung in the balance of a single flip of a coin. The two of them had always left the biggest decisions down to chance. Tantalus was unable to speak, but he could form sentences within his mind. Heads he would. Tails he wouldn’t. Wanting to smile, he found even that impossible.

Apate. Heads or tails.

The Mawile’s eyes snapped towards Tantalus, nervously jerking. She had been worried sick since he started to act strange, and hearing his voice once more was a relief. Heads.

A sudden weight fell from his shoulders. Then I need a favour from you. Get Alain to use his power on me.

What? She asked, horrified. Looking over him one more, it was clear that whatever was wrong, was serious. There was no time to argue. Walking over to Alain, the Mawile grabbed his trouser leg and tugged it, pointing towards Tantalus, and mimicked an action that resembled a high-five. Unable to converse properly with any of the present company, this was the best she could do, praying that someone would notice what her actions signified.

Kaze had taken off at a full sprint, Tailwind going to work again today, when Rebeca asked Tantalus what was wrong and things only seemed to be getting worse. Tantalus was clearly in pain, and glowing like a neon sign. He had to find someone who could help . . . maybe one of the other avatars. But he and Tantalus were the only ones with healing powers from what he knew; what could anyone else do?

He sprinted past the Ritzy Raichu, not thinking any of the Avatars who might care would be left in there, the smells of everyone's dinners within pleasing his nostrils, but he didn't have the time to stop and enjoy them the way he might like. He had to find someone who could help. Anyone.

-----

While Tantalus' condition worsened, Jingle floated around in worry. Now not only was one of the Avatars in trouble, but her trainer had disappeared, too! She wanted to help, but with such a limited palette of moves available, and not being able to properly communicate with the others, she couldn't do much. She only knew four moves, none of which were the least bit helpful in this situation.

She looked left and right, glancing between the different Avatars and Pokémon around her. Apate had begun pantomiming something to Alain that looked like she might have been asking him to slap Tantalus. She didn't know how slapping a person might help when firstly they needed to see if they could get Tantalus to quit thrashing and calm down. Then a thought occurred to her: Alain still had Kaze's Soothe Bell! Maybe that would get Tantalus, or whatever was controlling him, to calm down.

Without wasting a second, Jingle rushed to Alain, snatching away the Bell with her tail, and began ringing it near Tantalus, hoping it would work.

Wells let his hand fall to his side, before looking at the destructive avatar again.

"You sensed my deceit? Because I hoped that I could stop your fight before it got too destructive. However, I was lucky enough to never need to fight you at all. I assume that the woman who punched you in your stomach has got what she wanted? I fear that your rivalry might flare up some day in the future."

Wells thought of what to do next. He noticed that several fellow avatars had left, giving him a few moments on his own.

"What would you like to do next?"

he asked the avatar mostly dressed in white. He thought that the lord of the sea would prefer blue.

A sound drifted up from nearby. Specifically, it was two separate noises, both similar with a difference in tone. Shifting his eyes, Tantalus saw a bell, ringing a bell. Head pounding, he really did not need this sort of thing. It would have been a questionable sight at any point in time, but with his vision swimming, it was even worse. The sound, however, was soothing. He slowly began to calm down, becoming able to think clearer. Xerneas was still well and truly on the warpath, but as his heart-rate slowed, Tantalus realised he wasn't in immediate danger, anymore. This was good. Time was a valuable thing, and he had been bought a reprieve by the friendly, if strange, bell pokemon.

Thoughts and deductions were clicking through Rebeca’s mind. If what she was thinking was correct, and right now she had every reason to think that it was, then apparently this Tantalus guy didn’t quite have himself under control, and someone else, probably that Xerneas thing he kept talking about, was trying to get out. Which she could sympathize with; she wouldn’t want to be stuck in this guy’s head either, not with the impressions she kept getting from him.

Unfortunately, even she could tell that tantrums like this would be a bad idea, especially in a place like this. Which meant that something had to be done, either to suppress or deal with it, preferably without leveling half the city.

She paused. Unless… It would be a gamble, and a spectacularly bad idea if it didn’t work. Then again, what else was there to do?

You’re insane.

Tell me something I don’t already know.

Okay. Pay attention to the Mawile.

She whipped around, catching sight of the Deceiver Pokemon tugging at Alain’s leg. Why is she… Again, connections clicked in her head. Oh. That would help. Rushing over, she seized Alain by the wrist and dragged him over, clamping his hand onto Tantalus’s forehead. “Drain. Now.”

Alain blushed bright pink as Rebecca grabbed his wrist, dragging him to the person he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable around. As in, more uncomfortable than usual.

“Wha...but i drain people, and they get hurt, and if Exo…”

He was interrupted as she dragged him closer, placing him in front of the man. Alain gulped, and looked around.
“I really don’t think this is a go...oh...you are just going to make me do it anyway, aren’t you?”
He sighed, and grabbed the man’s throat.

“R...relax. It works faster if you are relaxed.”

Jingle, despite frantically ringing the Soothe Bell, was going higher on the panic-o-meter with each passing second. Staring at the two parties in horror, she rang harder, but nothing was getting anyone’s attention. Where on earth was Kaze?

A dark power had seized Tantalus, tearing at his very being. The feeling was indescribable, somewhere between being burned by scorching flame, and choked by acid. Xerneas felt it too, but he had faced this power on many occasions in the past.

“Good. Don’t let go.” Rebeca turned and glared straight into Tantalus’s eyes. “Now, listen up. I don’t actually care what your problem is. I really don’t. But I’ve had a rough night. I’m tired, been messed with, and now you, whoever you are, are throwing a tantrum. You’ve also picked a really shitty place to do this. Now, I don’t start fights anymore, but I’m perfectly willing to end them. So,” a harsh glow illuminated Rebeca’s eyes, and she bared her teeth, “tell me how this ends.”

Tantalus could feel himself slipping from consciousness. He paid no heed to Rebeca’s words, but then, they hadn’t been meant for him, truly. A good meal and some reputable company was all he’d really wanted tonight, even if the information gathered had been scarce, he’d have settled for that. This outcome certainly hadn’t been expected. Alain’s power ripped at him. We’d soon see if the gamble would pay off. The glow of his power cut out, abruptly. Darkness claimed him, and Tantalus passed out.

And with that, the glow returned, but not a mirage of dancing light, as it had been. It was a much brighter, angrier pink. The power of Fairy Aura spilled forth, as his eyes reopened.

How this ends? Xerneas spat the words out into the night. It ends with my boot crushing your throat. It ends with this city bathed with rivers of blood, as I scour these pathetic maggots from existence. My dominion is that over life itself. A harsh laugh cut through the night. And I deem you all unworthy of it. It will not be this night, thanks to my insufferable host, but he will be unable to hold me for long. Never forget these words, and when the day comes for me to be truly free... Eyes blazing with unbridled fury, he stared directly at Rebeca.

You will learn just what happens to those who threaten me, bitch.

Tantalus became completely limp within Alain’s grasp, completely inert.

Even after Xerneas ceased possessing Tantalus, and the Avatar became as limp as Rebeca’s pasta, Alain still held on. Looking at the Avatar of Death, Jingle noticed that he didn’t appear himself at all. His gaze appeared empty and dark. It was almost as if he had also come under the control of his Legend. Seeing that Alain’s grip appeared only strong enough to keep Tantalus from collapsing completely to the ground, Jingle used Confusion to lift the Avatar of Xerneas from his counterpart’s grip and deposit him gently a few meters away. There didn’t need to be more damage done than necessary.

Apate took off like a rocket to Tantalus’s side, attempting to wake him. He was still breathing, but it was ragged and strained. Add that to the fact he was unconscious in the middle of the street, after just threatening everyone present, she really didn’t have any idea of how to respond. That definitely wasn’t Tantalus, but knowing who it wasn’t didn’t help in the slightest. Checking his pulse, the Mawile found solace in the fact his heart rate seemed normal, although was extremely annoyed at being unable to convey any of this information to anyone nearby.

For a moment, Rebeca stood there, blinking. Ah, fuck.

Congratulations, sister. I think you just doomed us all.

She nearly cracked a grin at Mihkail’s comment. Yeah. She had to admit that he was probably right. On the one hand, things hadn’t gotten completely out of hand. As near a she could tell, everyone was more or less fine. Nothing was broken.

On the other hand, nothing about it had gone the way she had wanted or expected, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she had just made herself a lot of trouble later.

Taking a few steps back, Rebeca slumped down against the wall, taking deep breaths. Faint heat waves were rippling off her body, but they would disperse shortly. Mihkail lumbered over to her and gently nudged her arm with his nose. Hey, take it easy. You couldn’t know that that was going to happen.

Rebeca drew her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them as she wrapped her arms around her legs. No, but I sure as hell didn’t help things.

Kaze ran up to the scene once more, seeing the unconscious Tantalus a few meters away. He gestured at his fellow healer and explained to the paramedic he had pulled along with him, “He’s the guy who needs help.”

The emergency worker almost let an audible “D’aww” when he saw the slumbering Avatar. However, he managed to suppress his instincts and instead approached with a stethoscope, checking the man’s pulse and breathing. Finding everything to be normal, he turned to Kaze and the others and told them with a slightly annoyed tone, “He seems just fine to me. There doesn’t appear to be any bruises or abrasions, and his vitals are fine. Just appears sleepy. And if he is an Avatar, he’s likely got access to the hotels he needs. Just find him a bed to sleep in is my only advice. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he said, going on his way.

A few moments passed, and a coughing could be heard from the crumpled form of Tantalus. Rolling over onto his back, the light from the nearby street lamps flared an ungodly pain in the man’s forehead. “Owwwww.” Grumbling, Tantalus raised his hand to shield his eyes. Thoughts floated across his mind. That was a street lamp, and he was lying down. On the stree…

Oh, yea. You went mad and threatened to kill most of the city, Tantalus thought to himself, remembering what he had done in the short space of time between feeling a pain and exploding in a fit of captive rage.

Struggling to his feet was hard. Between the dizziness from pain and exhaustion, and the pain itself, he was in a bad way.

Kaze watched nervously as Tantalus rose to his feet, obviously still suffering from a headache and very unsteady. Then Kaze realized he still held tight to his one piece of Kalos toast. In fact, despite all the running he had done, it looked like it may still be good to eat, albeit perhaps a little cold. Though he was hungry, he knew Tantalus may be more in need than himself, so reaching out, he offered, “Here. It might be cold, but I’m sure it still tastes good. Maybe it’ll help.”

Looking at Kaze’s outstretched hand, Tantalus really wanted to decline the offer. However, a hunger stirred within him, and rather embarrassingly, his stomach rumbled. An unfortunate side effect of using his power.

“Thank you, Kaze, and allow me to apologise. It appears I have caused quite the upset here, tonight.” Reaching out, he took the toast, and managed to prevent himself from wolfing it down in a single bite long enough to continue. “If your little Pokemon hadn’t been here, I might not have pulled through.” Punctuating that sentence, he shot a dark glare towards Alain. “I am in your debt, and if you find yourself in need of help, please, let me know.” Smiling at the boy, he began walking towards Rebeca. “For now, however, I need to sleep. Farewell!”

On the short walk between the two Avatars, Tantalus greedily ate the toast Kaze had provided. This might not be the best idea. If Rebeca got the wrong idea, and thought Xerneas was still in control, then he might very well die tonight. On the other hand, leaving things as they were is also not an option. “Rebeca. Let me apologise for the proceedings here, and thank you for your intervention. Without it, I, and potentially many more people besides, would have perished.”

For a moment, Rebeca was silent. Then she slowly got up, a somewhat distant look on her face. “I think I’m going to go. I’ve done enough for one night.” With that, she turned and wandered off, until she was out of sight.

Tantalus allowed Rebeca to pass, staying silent of of respect. Bumping into his leg, Apate made a rather harsh stop as she ran to catch up, not noticed he had moved. The man turned to her.

Let’s get off. I’ve had enough hysteria for one night. Beginning to walk forward, he stumbled, falling against the wall and using it to prop himself up.

Are you sure you are alright? You need to go to a hospital, get yourself checked over.

Tantalus winced. No way. What I need is to get out of here. To sleep, and take stock of exactly what is happening to me. I can guarantee you a hospital isn’t going to be able to help. I’m fine. Really. Now let’s go. The little Mawile knew not to push anymore. He was right, of course. People still didn’t know nearly enough about Avatars to be able to diagnose the problem, let alone treat it.

So the two wandered into the distance, more slowly than they had arrived, in the direction of the Ruby Arc Resort, where Tantalus planned to get some much needed R&R.