Sunward Atop Sunrest Mesa

[Jackie Cat]

Imagine a headstone so large that you can build a walled town in its shade.

Sunrest is a typical mesa of the middle Soja' – a ruddy, brick-like hill, rising out of the earth, with a windswept plateau atop it. There's little need to fortify it, but a narrow set of stairs carved into one escarpment allows wardens to ascend from the fort below. Some do on festival days to perform certain rites. Others do for privacy – or because you can see the curve of the horizon up here. There aren't often any wild 'mon as company, but sometimes the odd bug or bird will flit about or perch off to the side. The light up here is faintly reddish, as if filtered through stained glass, or a sheer curtain.

There is an unaccountable feeling of warmth, even when the sun has set in the sky. It seems to rise up from the stone beneath one's feet...

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[Jackie Cat]

The conspiracy within the Covenant... According to hints gleaned from Matthias, his clandestine faction was on their way to penetrate the Mystery Dungeon hidden within Sunrest Mesa – imminently. This was the supposed resting place of the 'Living Sun' – an ancient Volcarona hero who used her limitless Radiance to light and warm the world during a volcanic winter of ash and smoke, five thousand years ago. Held sacred by the local 'mon cultures, and guarded by a militant community of religious Charcadet, the mesa was the tomb of a solar goddess.

And right now, hanging in the sky above the arid Sunward plains, was a Commonwealth Army zeppelin, its rotors thudding as it ploughed its way through the air towards the mesa-top plateau. Below, a platoon of Commonwealth soldiers were mustering towards the gates of Fort Sunward, and seemed to be assembling artillery pieces of some kind. It would seem the Covenant conspiracy had sway with the military...

The Wayfarers wouldn't have long to intervene. The disciplined Wardens in the fort would certainly hold out for some time, and the soldiers were likely a distraction in any case – the Wayfarers needed to get up to the plateau themselves and put paid to whatever the operatives there had planned...

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova stared ahead, frowning. "Iiiii don't think going through the wall of bodies is the fastest way up." He glanced skyward, then at Mhynt. "You think you've got enough juice in you to teleport someone up with you?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Winged shapes circled high overhead. One of them pitched its wings back and dove toward the arid land below, revealing itself to be a Staraptor.

“Fair skies, Wayfarers,” said Staraptor Cielo, alighting near them. “Though it seems like a storm’s brewing…” He inclined his head toward the gathering of the Commonwealth Army with an understated clack of his beak. That was likely all the displeasure he was willing to openly express.

“The chief’s daughter informed us of the situation. You’ll be needing to reach the Sun’s Rest?”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“The chief’s daughter informed us of the situation. You’ll be needing to reach the Sun’s Rest?”

The airship above was a blight on an otherwise awe-inspiring skyline. It was fortunate, then, that their goal was to drive it away.

"Good to see you," Kimiko said with a nod by way of greeting. "And thanks for coming, we appreciate all the help we can get."

Her attention shifted back towards that blimp in the sky. "There's definitely a few of us who could use a lift," Kimiko confirmed, with a quick glance around at those accompanying her. She was among that number; her vines gave her impressive reach, but not that far.

Nova was correct; forcing their way through the mob at the fortress would not be the smartest choice for several reasons, not the least of which being time. Not to mention, from what she gathered, the soldiers were confident they could hold the fort themselves and weren't really interested in joining forces directly... better not test it.

But still, someone had to get to the top and cut off the pincer maneuver. Mhynt could teleport the ones who were too heavy to be lifted, but everyone else needed to get moving.

"We don't have much time. How are we doing this?"

 

[Namohysip]

"...I can only Teleport so far and so much," she said, "but with some preparation, I think I can. Especially if some of you are, well, tucked away, so to speak."

With a thoughtful nod, Mhynt flexed her arms as if swinging an invisible blade, and then refocused on the targets ahead.

"Get everyone arranged and we can get to flying. My Teleports can also make us harder to target on the approach, but once we enter the fray, I suspect... we'll be in our usual battle positions."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Oh, right." Nova's cheek bolts turned. Then he looked and acknowledged the staraptor with a, "Fair skies."

He produced his poke ball from his satchel. "This oughta make it easier to get me up there."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion stared up at the blimp. Was that where Matthias was right now? Part of him hoped so. The new thing he’d been given hadn’t gotten the chance to manifest in Terminal One. He had a hunch he could fix that here.

He tuned back into the conversation. “What? Oh, I think I still have one of those, too.”

There’d been little need for the ball since he’d evolved, he didn’t exactly need pain relief anymore. But it was also too rare to break and too powerful to let out of his sight. He dug it out of his bag, where it’d long since settled at the back and bottom as more recent and useful things were piled on top of it.

“Yeah, I got it. We doing this?”

 

[Tetra]

Koa snapped himself out of his thoughts as Mhynt spoke. Focus. They had a mission here. They couldn't afford Matthias and his goons to get ahold of Amida.

"Right, I guess whoever doesn't have a ball, can fly, and that should be enough." He was already pulling out his pokeball from his jacket pocket.

He nodded to Mhynt and the others. "See you up top."

 

[Jackie Cat]

The other birds – Fletchinder Sol and Braviary Cascada – descended and landed alongside Cielo.

"Glad to be of help," chirped Sol. "If what the breeze told us about these enemies is true, they might be out of our range... but we can get you the last of the distance there."

"The Rangers can't be seen interfering with the Commonwealth Army," warned Cascada, "but I am not here as a Ranger. Today I am only Escarpa."

"Likewise, I guess," muttered Brisa, looking out at the mesa with an odd expression. Almost... hungry. "Look – y'all see that there platoon? I'm gonna hold the gates 'gainst 'em all. If'n any of you wanna try your tongue at speakin' sense into their commander, you'd better come with me. The rest of ya, good luck up top."

She loped off without waiting for a reply. The birds lifted into the air, and extended their talons for any Wayfarer bold enough to take their offer.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt hopped aboard with ease after arranging with others for who'd be balling and who'd be riding. She found a strange comfort in being able to ferry others with her Teleport in the broad daylight and open air. It was liberating. Nothing like her operations back home in the murky dark.

Or maybe the desert heat finally broke her.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova had put himself in his ball and rolled over to Mhynt for her to keep track of. Until they were where they needed to be.

 

[Phoenixsong]

Leaf was becoming increasingly convinced that maybe Kotetsu shouldn't bring Victini back to Tsainan with him, even if his lord had supposedly meant it as a wild goose chase rather than a real thing. She'd really been looking forward to visiting Sunward and learning more—maybe get closer to solving the mystery, maybe, someday, even get to face the Saint of Victory herself—but when Beetle had shared the secret of Blackglass Caldera something in that excitement had shifted. That had been... a lot. An uncomfortably large amount of a lot. (If you nearly destroyed the world while trying to save it, if you lost your closest friend just so she could spend the rest of her existence just holding off the problem the two of you had caused, if you had to hide yourself away from everyone for thousands of years... was that really victory?)

Don't pretend you wouldn't have made the same mistake.

...Anyway. She didn't know why Kotetsu's lord "needed" victory, but if there wasn't already anything going on back there, well, demanding Victini's support, this Victini, sure made it sound like he wanted to start something.

Tsainan was impossibly far away, though, and the only ones starting something right now were the Coven. The faint electric buzz of radiance prickled in Leaf's fetlocks as she stared up at the mesa, humming I could do it again, I could get up there, but the arrival of Cascada and the other Escarpa birds and the quiet voice whispering Don't. Pay attention. Go together. snapped her focus back to the group. "I still have mine, yeah," she offered, levitating the poké ball out of her bag. Then she let the others wrap up the seating arrangements for the flight, instead taking one last look at Sunrest from below. Where up there was the Living Sun? What would the Coven try to take her away?

No point guessing from down here. You'll know more once you can see the lay of the land. The sooner you're all up there, the sooner you can understand how to cut them down off.

Yeah. Sure. She withdrew into the poké ball and hoped it wouldn't feel like being left alone with her mother thoughts for too long.

 

[Jackie Cat]

The trio of Escarpa birds flew swift in close formation to the mesatop, the hot desert air rising beneath their wings and the everpresent ruddy light of Sunward on their plumage. Within minutes, the Wayfarers were released or landed heavily on firm ground. Overhead, the military zeppelin the Covenant had commandeered now hovered some distance away, tethered by a long anchor to the landform. Supply crates had been hastily parachuted down from its undercarriage, and a handful of pokémon in protective gear were cracking them open and assembling their contents: a metal relay dish apparatus, the trappings of a campsite, what looked like a larger and less sophisticated version of Sparkwright's Rift Mender device.

Overseeing these tasks was a rust-scaled dragon pokémon, tall and somehow regal in its bearing. A bright crest of feathers adorned its head between long, flowing horns, and its throat had inflated to a great size, charcoal-black and imposing. This one wore a simple necklace and the tattered remains of what might once have been a labcoat. She turned at the sound of the Wayfarers' arrival, and fixed them with a strikingly blue gaze.

"Hello, Wayfarers," said the dragon, smiling at them as if she were welcoming them to a classroom, and not facing them down at the doorstep to an ancient mystery dungeon. "My name is Professor Mesoza. I carry out research into the metaphysics of this world—wherever the secrets of mystery dungeons may be explored. Allow me to welcome you to Sunrest Mesa. I don't believe you were issued with invitations to attend the expedition that is presently underway here—I assume you have come here on your own initiative. Is that correct?"

Mesoza took several steps forward, one arm held out to her side with palm upright, gesturing expansively to the mesatop in general – and to the Covenant operations in progress upon it.

[ ] Objective: Who... Who is that...?
[ ] Objective: I... Somehow, I know her...
[ ] Objective: What does this... mean...?

 

[Ambyssin]

Within his ball, Nova felt the movement slowing. And he thought he heard an unfamiliar voice. He emerged from his poké ball in a stream of blue light, streching out his hind legs. He looked at the newcomer in front of him. His cheek bolts turned once.

"A... koraidon?" He tilted his head. "Are you a Saint?" Though the attire was strange. "Well, the Living Sun's in danger."

Nova followed her gaze into the distance. "That's... definitely the danger. They want to take her and siphon her power for themselves."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion had been expecting to arrive to see Matthias and a bunch of thugs getting ready for a fight. Not to meet this woman, whose species he'd never seen nor heard of before in his life, and whom Betel knew. A professor, apparently? From his experience, there didn't seem to be as many institutions handing that title out here in Forlas, compared to worlds like his own. Was she a faller? Wouldn't be terribly surprising if her field of study back home was anything like her one here. She could easily have Professor Mohn-ed herself if she wasn't careful.

He felt like he should be able to place her, but he couldn't. Did she study dimensional physics, like seemed to best fit her work here? Maybe xenobiology, given her species? He tried to think of something, anything, but digging through his head for any old associates of his dad's named Mesoza was a bust. Maybe his world just didn't have a version of her, or she was a loose enough associate that his dad hadn't brought up her name in front of his family, or they hadn't existed contemporaneously, or her name varied.

"A pleasure to meet you, Professor. We've been looking into the situation here since before this expedition began, after we concluded an exploration of the Blackglass Caldera." (Matthias had mentioned his superiors were pleased to hear about what he'd found there, which meant they already knew about the dungeon and it was safe to disclose that relationship. He wasn't even lying, though he suspected Articuno would be amused at the way he was talking again.) "We've been in discussions with the personnel of this fort for some time regarding our findings."

Those discussions that were about how to handle the inevitability of this expedidion, but Professor Mesoza didn't need to know that.

"My name is Gladion Mohn. I feel like I've heard yours before." (Now he'd stepped into the realm of overt lying. But confined to the personal sphere, where no one could call him on it. Hell, for all he knew he had heard the name and forgotten it. He would've been a preteen, and his memories from that point in his life weren't bulletproof.) "Where are you tenured?" Is it somewhere in Forlas, or are you reusing a title from an old life?

 

[Tetra]

...What pokemon was that? The great red dragon had been the first thing he'd seen emerging from his ball when they reached the top of the mesa. He thought he at least recognized every pokemon species, but this one didn't even appear remotely familiar. Some strange new Forlasan variant? A saint?

Whatever she was, he didn't much care for her. Anyone involved in this expedition was a problem in his book. Instead of replying immediately, he scanned the landscape, trying to take in as much as he could - equipment, numbers, any potential threats.

Betel's voice distracted him from his disdain. Betel? Are you alright? Whoever she is, it's gonna be okay, we'll figure this out.

He stared at Professor Mesoza, suspicious. Last I checked you don't exactly have an invitation either. The only thing that stopped him from snapping out a bitter retort was Gladion speaking first. Introducing himself and playing nice. Fine. He guessed that was the smart play.

With some mild distaste, he nodded in agreement.

 

[Namohysip]

She wasn't sure what to think just yet, so instead, Mhynt nodded and tried to get a read on this Professor. "We need to hurry. Do you have a means of helping us to catch up quickly?" She kept the question straight and to the point. Hesitation, now, would be considered an act of hindrance.

 

[Phoenixsong]

She was released from her poké ball in a flash, ready for– uh. Talking? The big orange lizard was just talking, authoritative and calm, for all the world like they were supposed to be here even though she'd also literally just said she knew they weren't supposed to be here. Well, if she knew so much then why wasn't the Coven just driving them off? What was she supposed to say to some random lady who was probably just stalling when they could—

Then don't say anything. If they're not attacking right away, that means they aren't ready and you have time. Use it. What other pokémon are here? Where's the greninja? Why are they setting up those devices specifically where they are?

...Fine.

Looking was easier than talking, that much was true. Leaf tried to stop herself gouging a trench into the mesatop and just watched, hoping to make out anything weird or interesting under the protective gear and the scattered equipment.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"A... koraidon? Are you a Saint? Well, the Living Sun's in danger. That's... definitely the danger. They want to take her and siphon her power for themselves."

"A pleasure to meet you, Professor. We've been looking into the situation here since before this expedition began, after we concluded an exploration of the Blackglass Caldera. We've been in discussions with the personnel of this fort for some time regarding our findings. My name is Gladion Mohn. I feel like I've heard yours before. Where are you tenured?"

"We need to hurry. Do you have a means of helping us to catch up quickly?"

"You may have heard my name at the Shining Congress—I don't like to be the subject of rumours, but it is unavoidable given my unique species—but I doubt you have heard it in your own world, if that is what you're implying. I lost all memory of my given name when I arrived on Forlas, and chose this one subsequently."

She glanced at Nova, her mouth beaming with draconic confidence. "No. I don't believe I am a Saint. What a curious idea! I believe I am some unusual variant of Cyclizar—possibly a genetic throwback to a prehistoric ancestor—although the power of this body certainly is 'legendary'."

Mesoza grinned, tilting her head to one side. She looked inquisitive – like a carnivore examining an intriguing new kind of creature that scurried and twitched enticingly.

"I was not aware you had been to Blackglass Caldera. I hope you found it an informative experience—and that you will find what you observe here today to be similarly educational. We are—as Nova so peculiarly refers to—here to retrieve the entity known as the Living Sun, and obtain the exotic elemental energy it emits."

The Professor's hand splayed and her digits clenched, fearsome claws glinting in the light.

"I must warn you—I cannot allow you to infringe on this expedition. You may be an audience, if you wish. However, it is of too great an importance to allow any unplanned participation—no matter what motivations you may have for interfering."

The Koraidon's voice remained calm, affable, and confident. From the sounds of it, she believed the Wayfarers were here to intervene – and put a stop to the operation – from the beginning. It just simply didn't bother her, not even slightly.

Betel? Are you alright? Whoever she is, it's gonna be okay, we'll figure this out.

...Yes, Koamaru. It is just that I feel absolutely certain I should know this person. Do I not have my complete memories after all? It was always a possibility... Could it be... that she is one of my creators...?