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.