Blaguarro Town T2 Deepest Lab

[Butterfree]

The ARK unit froze for a moment, seemingly perturbed. Was this... the first time it had seen others of its kind? It took a step backward, and a rattling sound escaped its helmet. "H.... hhhhg....."

It took Jade a second or two to realize that it was trying to speak.

"Hhh... w... why?"

The wheezing words sent a creeping chill down Dave's spine. Jesus Christ. So they were still in there, calling for help.

He'd barely finished the thought before Lovrina marched on down to where they were and... he couldn't even tell what the fuck she was doing, only that she was smacking him from a dozen directions at once with an energy that was corrosive to his being. He was left battered, vision swimming, on the edge of consciousness. Watching as Lovrina turned on Laura with a twisted grin, gigantic hammer smashing down with an impact he felt in his bones.

He struggled to rise, muscles shaking. The attack had weakened him, draining away the strength he'd managed to build up. In front of him, the hammer came down on Laura again, left her lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Lovrina turned, satisfied with her work, attention back to the Shadow Pokémon.

The shadow miasma was dissipating, but the coldness in his chest wasn't going away. He dragged himself towards Laura. Goddamn it. Just a teenager with shitty parents, here to help, infiltrating the lair of the bad guys. She'd been helping him the whole fight and of course that just fucking got her--

"You okay?" he asked, head swimming. She was unmoving. But she was supposed to be fine, she had a Reviver--

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura's body was screaming at her. The world spun, her teeth ached from clenching, every fur follicle felt like it were on fire. So much for not attracting notice.

At first she couldn't feel her legs and her arms wouldn't move and she couldn't think but then adrenaline or Reviver energy or whatever the fuck it was kicked in and she pushed—

"You okay?"

Dave was there, paying attention to her. He was distracted. She needed him to keep the pressure on the left flank.

"Doesn't matter," she said, feeling faint. She could think. Clarity. Find the win con.

She levered herself her onto her knees and reached for something to support herself, grabbing Dave's chest fur. Embarrassing. She didn't give a shit. It wasn't relevant to the combat solve.

"You can KO Lovrina inside the next attack sequence," she found herself telling him. "Kite left, she keeps swinging that way. I'll cover you."

Energy she didn't know she had was going to the Poochyena, boosting his coming strikes. Okay. That was efficient. Synergistic.

The ringing in her ears sounded like a crowd, cheering...

"Go, now," she said. Then, when it looked like he might object, she shoved off from him. "Do it."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Hhh... w... why?"

The shadows... didn't harm, but they were exhausting. And then came more shadowy energy which did harm.

"Why? Why even work with me if you think so little of me?"

Nova blocked the lone exit to a dimly lit room. The hunk of black crystals floating opposite him pulsated with weak, multicolored light.

"You are unnatural," the crystal replied. "Your mere existence could harm the world. My world." He pivoted right. "But you are strong. And we share a common goal. So I'm willing to... put aside such thoughts."

It was hard for Nova to accept that when there was a harsh judging tone to the crystal's words. "Don't you think that people deserve second chances?" Nova whispered. "Especially those... who didn't have control over how they came to exist."

He stood a bit taller. "You're Chiron's second chance, aren't you? Hell, your whole world is your second chance. It shouldn't be different for me or Gene."

"It is," the crystal said. "Chiron and I are part of nature. You're not."

Nova's head crest drooped, only to fan back out. "Well, you have to accept it. Because like it or not... I'm alive. I have beliefs. Dreams. Hopes for the future. Just like you."

To that, the crystals pushed past Nova. "I suppose we'll see just how true that is in time."

"Because you deserve better!" Nova said, looking the null in the eyes. The shadows he'd called on to bolster his defenses lingered, but Jade's quick thinking had stopped them from building up further. Faint silhouettes of dark chains clung to Nova's forelegs. "Because I understand what it's like. To live with this awful power. Be under someone's control. Day in and day out. For centuries. So I won't let her... take away your future! There has to be something. A good memory... that you have. That we can work to remake... together!"

This time he drew on the radiant spark inside of him. Channeled it toward his cheek bolts. And Nova's sang the same tune as before, belting it out with tinges of radiant energy. To try and disrupt whatever it was that dumb bitch did to them. She modified them and pumped shadows into them. If Nova's Metal Sound disrupted the cameras, then it had to disrupt Lovrina's modifications. Especially tinged with radiance. Just believe. Do it for them!

Spoiler: Nova Turn 4

Nova (44 STM, 19 TMP, -1 SPD, +0 ACC, 28 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK Unit
- **Act:** Item (Small Blast Seed) @ Lovrina (-2 TMP)
[-If Lovrina is KO'd by Nova's turn, substitute **Act:** Item (Healthy Orb)]
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- RADIANT Metal Sound @ ARK Unit (-15 STM, hit, -3 TMP, +2 TMP, +15 RAD)
- Interact @ ARK: disrupt its shadows & Lovrina's "modifications" with Radiant Metal Sound (-3 TMP)
Net change: -16 STM, -1 TMP, +0 SHD, +15 RAD
Net totals: 28 STM (53 after regen), 18 TMP, 28 SHD, 15 RAD
[20 TMP if Healthy Orb used instead]
(TAKE COVER)

Spoiler: Odette Aux 4

Aux strike @ Lovrina

Spoiler: Turn 4 Order

Laura > Dave > Odette > Jade > Gladion > Nova

 

[Butterfree]

Dave blinked as Laura grabbed his chest fur, urgent. You can KO her. I'll cover you. Kite left. And then, Do it.

He snapped to attention as power flooded into him. Right. Yeah. He could get her. Get her back, for fucking everything.

He nodded at Laura, grabbed the flask of whiskey out of his bag and took a swig from it, the liquid burning on its way down his throat. Go for the left side. Smash through her defenses first and then hit her where it hurt. She wouldn't know what'd fucking hit her.

Spoiler: Turn 4

Dave (84 STM, 19 TMP, +0 SPD, +1 ACC, 25 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Receive (Helping Hand)
- Receive (Helping Hand)
- Rock Smash @ Lovrina (-11 STM, effect, -5 TMP, +3 TMP)
- Activate ability (Pickpocket) @ Lovrina's +Atk
- **Act:** SHADOW Focus (+5 TMP)
- STRONG CRITICAL SHADOW Assurance @ Lovrina (-22.5 STM, -18 TMP, +5 TMP, +15 SHD)
- **Act:** Item (Whiskey) (+61 STM)
Net change: +27 STM, -10 TMP, +15 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 111 STM (122 after regen), 9 TMP, 40 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Why? Why do we want to help you? You deserve better than this. I'm... not as much like you as Nova, but I still know what it's like not to control what happens to you." He wasn't even sure he could compare Hazel's life to whatever this poor ARK Unit had gone through. But there was one question he'd had to ask himself that he hoped they could understand, too: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life listening to the whims of THESE fucking losers or something? Come on. Aren't you above that?"

Gladion turned and fired a full-strength searing at Lovrina. "Try doing that, if you have to beat up someone. She deserves it, and if anyone should get their catharsis here, it's you."

Spoiler: Gladion Turn 4

Gladion (75 STM, 3 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 10 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- RADIANT Taunt @ ARK Unit (-20 STM, +2 TMP, +20 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK Unit
- STRONG Tri Attack @ Lovrina (-43.5 STM, effect, -8 TMP, +4 TMP)
Net change: -64 STM, +3 TMP, +0 SHD, +20 RAD
Net totals: 11 STM (39 after regen), 6 TMP, 10 SHD, 20 RAD

(Don't take cover. I'm fine now I'm not that scared at all.)

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura took tiny Dark Pulse pot-shots at Lovrina as Dave raced towards her. She'd told him what he needed, she'd sent him her energy, and Betel's network would do the rest...

"C'mon, c'mon, c'monnnnnn," she muttered to herself as Dave closed the distance.

Down for the count.
Good.

She turned to the battling chimeras and put her paws to her mouth to let her voice carry.

"Hey!" she yelled. Off to a good start... "Hey, come with us to the surface! I know down here the world is dark and awful, but we're going back where there's sunlight, and we can take you with us!"

Spoiler: Laura Turn 4

Laura (70 STM, 20 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- AGILE Coaching @ Dave (-27 STM, +2 TMP)
- Coaching @ Dave (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Helping Hand @ Dave (-16 STM, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** Item (Oran Berry)
- Interact @ Yell Real Loud (-3 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK Unit
- Activate ability (Moody)
Net change: -61 STM, +3 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 9 STM (38 after regen), 23 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade stared at the experiment, cold realization filling her mind. It had spoken. She’s thought… well, she hadn’t known what to think. She wasn't familiar with Graydian like the other two, didn't know what to expect from Cipher's shadow machine. Now it was a lot easier to see it the way she'd seen Team Rocket's experiments, a long time ago.

Nine, desperate, lashing out on the plane, trying to bring everyone down along with him.

An invisible hand clutched her chest. She wanted, needed to help, but... how?

Jade opened her mouth and, struggling to make her voice heard, said, "We don't have to fight you."

Jade called the ARK Unit!

 

[Chibi Pika]

Turn 4​

Laura is Coaching and ready to help Dave!
Dave's Rock Smash dealt 11 damage to Lovrina! -1 Def, Pickpocketed +Atk
Dave's STRONG SHADOW Assurance dealt a CRITICAL 77 damage to Lovrina!
Odette's Metal Strike dealt 23 damage to Lovrina!

Gladion Taunted the ARK Unit!
Gladion's STRONG Tri Attack dealt 10 damage to Lovrina! KO!!
Nova's RADIANT Metal Sound weakened the ARK Unit!

One last hail of attacks and Lovrina was knocked flying back into a shelf before flopping unceremoniously to the ground, her enormous hammer crashing down alongside her. Naps jolted in his flight, pivoting in midair to see that she'd been defeated.

"Sis!"

He turned and spat something at Gladion before diving down to inspect her condition.

Naps's Rogue Aux badly poisoned Gladion!

Meanwhile, the ARK Unit seemed... confused. It turned its head slowly from one Wayfarer to the next, like it wasn't sure how to process what they were saying.

Laura called out to the ARK Unit!
Gladion called out to the ARK Unit!
Nova called out to the ARK Unit!
Jade called out to the ARK Unit!

The ARK Unit's Umbral Nihil hit Nova and Gladion!
Nova: -29 stm
Gladion: -79 stm

Another explosion of Shadow washed over Nova and Gladion, sapping their strength. It was getting hard to move. The ARK unit stared the two down for a long moment before another rattling sound escaped its helmet.

"Why... are you... me?"

Calls: 6

The ARK Unit walked to Lab Main.
Boss Action: Stats Boost, +2 Mag!
The ARK Unit Focused...
The ARK Unit's CRITICAL Umbral Nihil dealt 86 stm damage to Laura!
The ARK Unit dashed to Containment.
The ARK Unit's AGILE Tri Attack dealt 22 damage to Gladion!
The ARK Unit's Tri Attack dealt 30 damage to Gladion! KO!!

Another explosion of Shadow, this one catching Laura and forcing her down. She'd feel a sensation like gravity increasing on her, making it hard to move, hard to breathe.

"Stop," it said.

The Ark Unit is preparing Umbral Nihil.
The ARK Unit is fine. It's not that scared at all.

 

[Ambyssin]

So, this was what it was like being on the other side. Trying to piece together someone's tone with a mask like that on. It really was awful. And Nova didn't want to make an incorrect assumption.

"Someone take out the bird and take that tinkaton twerp's belongings. She won't stay down forever."

He hastily scarfed down the oran berry... because he had another idea. And Nova... was pretty sure the others would like it about as much as they liked him tossing a blast seed at the machine.

Nova had to avoid laughing... at himself. After this... he definitely couldn't criticize other Wayfarers going the Luxray Jenkins route.

"Why... are you... me?"

"I'm not," Nova said. "I'm from... somewhere else. Far away." His voice was gentle. The tints of shadow and radiance gone from a few deep breaths. The best thing Nova had now was body language. Crouch slightly. Look as unthreatening as possible. Trust his instincts.

"That woman," he looked where Lovrina lay, "called you ARK?" Nova cautiously stepped closer. "The woman who made me... went with N0-V4. Because she tried to make me three other times before she succeeded."

Another small step. "I ran from her... because she didn't consider me a person. Just a tool."

One more step. Nova was getting closer. "Things aren't perfect..." He glanced back toward the others. Echoes of him sticking his foot in his mouth and rambling about the terrors of his world played in his head. Shit, he'd done that to basically everyone in this group... save for maybe Odette.

"... But these are good people. They're not like her." Nova gestured toward Lovrina with his crest. "They're patient. Good-hearted."

More memories popped in and out of the back of Nova's head. Mhynt linking him up with Mew and Two to learn about breaking his mask. Leaf and Archie's encouragement. Grace's cheerfulness and healing session. The witty meal at Nina's with Bellatrix. Hell, even Lyle's patient conversation which managed to actually jog Nova's memory about RKS System so he wasn't going on a wild swanna chase for days on end.

"They want to help. We want to help."

He took one more step, crouching even lower. "That awful power that's eating away at your insides... you have to fight it! I know you can!" Nova said. His turquoise feathers shimmered slightly. He focused a bit on his aura to draw out a smidge of Follow Me. "Grab it and... and just fire it at me! I can take it! I know what's it like!

"Give me that fear... or anger or sadness or whatever! I promise... it'll be a weight off your shoulders!"

Spoiler: Nova Turn 5

Nova (24 STM, 18 TMP, -1 SPD, +0 ACC, 28 SHD, 15 RAD)
- **Act:** Item (Oran Berry)
- **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
- Follow Me (-6 STM, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK
- Interact @ Accept ARK's shadows (-3 TMP)
Net change: -7 STM, +4 TMP, -20 SHD, -15 RAD
Net totals: 17 STM (42 after regen), 22 TMP, 8 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Why... are you... me?"

"We're the same species because, well, you're not the only one like you out there. You're... not alone."

It felt sappy, because yeah okay maybe it kinda was, but whatever they'd fucking earned some after all this. If there was something Ark needed— that they all needed at this point, it was a break from this miserable atmosphere. If he couldn't push through it, he could hardly expect Ark to. So he swallowed his pride, pushed down his corruption, and took a step forward. And another.

"The people here care."

Ark exploded in Shadow again. His lungs fought to breathe. It didn't matter, he couldn't afford to allow it to matter. Ark was the one who mattered right now. His allies— friends were on the same page. Help Ark. He forced himself upright, forced his legs to keep moving even as his muscles burnt like he was forcing himself to dash through Pyrrin's flames again, but one slow step at a time. His reviver went off. He was still exhausted afterwards, somehow.

"It's nice to have people who'll listen to you. Talk to you, forgive you, trust you, understand you." His mind was drawn to the mundane red bandanna he still kept on him, worn down already from all it had been subjected to, but which he kept anyway for the sentimental value.

He blocked a Tri-Attack on his helmet. Fire, lightning, and ice rolling over it waves. He could take it. Another one, but he couldn't block it this time, he heard something break. He could've sworn he'd taken it on his... on his...

Oh.

As pieces of metal fell away from his head, his first thought was actually just thermal contraction. The helmet had been effectively immune to combat damage in his world, but it's not like these were normal fights. It certainly didn't feel like he'd evolved or anything. But there wasn't anything special about those particular beams. And, most importantly, he felt fine. Better than fine, really.

He laughed.

"...and maybe if you can open up a little, you can break out of your helmet too."

Spoiler: Gladion Turn 5

Gladion (-6 STM, 7 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 28 SHD, 29 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK Unit
- Focus (Breather) (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
- Interact @ Break your mask (-3 TMP)
Net change: +0 STM, +2 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD
Net totals: -6 STM (51 after regen), 9 TMP, 8 SHD, 9 RAD
(TAKE COVER)
(BREATHER)

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova's ears twitched. He tilted his head and, seeing Gladion with broken mask shards at his feet, couldn't help but wag his fish tail. His turquoise eyes and feathers sparkled.

 

[Butterfree]

Dave smashed into Lovrina with all he had, wreathed in Shadow, imbued with Laura's assisting energy, and locked his jaw around the grip of her hammer, tossing it away. The fairy had no time to recover before Odette fired her gun with a deafening crack (an icy chill shooting through his veins), and after a final beam of multicolored energy from Gladion, Lovrina didn't stand up again.

He panted to catch his breath on trembling feet, the whiskey already getting to him with a Pokémon's supercharged metabolism, vision swimming a little. The others were all calling out to the Shadow chimera as it stared at them in confusion.

A huge burst of Shadow exploded outwards from it, hitting Nova and Gladion, though they toughed it out and kept talking. Dave glanced back towards Lovrina; the hovering Murkrow was diving down to check on his mad scientist sister, and Dave tackled him down in another cloud of swirling Shadow, just making sure he wasn't getting back up.

And then another, even bigger explosion of Shadow homed in on Laura, and she collapsed to the ground once more.

"Hey, hey, we already stopped! Nobody wants to hurt you!" Dave called, fur standing on end, shoulder stinging, as he made his way unsteadily back to Laura. "Jesus," he muttered, body trembling with adrenaline. She... she wasn't unconscious. "Why'd it go so fucking hard after you."

Without exactly deciding to, he'd put himself between her and the chimera, taking a guarded stance. Stupid, really. If it didn't come to its senses it'd just do the same to him.

His claws dug into the floor, waiting, seeing if the chimera would attack again. A strange seed of warmth was blooming in the back of his throat.

Spoiler: Turn 5

Dave (122 STM, 9 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 40 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Interact @ Target Naps (-3 TMP)
- **Act:** SHADOW Focus (+5 TMP)
- STRONG SHADOW Assurance @ Naps (-22.5 STM, +4 TMP, +15 SHD)
- **Act:** Call @ ARK Unit
Net change: -23 STM, +6 TMP, +15 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 99 STM (122 after regen), 15 TMP, 55 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Jackie Cat]

She didn't have anything left in her. No energy, no moves, no coaching or helping or channelling Radiance. She lay still.

But she could still think. (Barely.) And hear, and see. (Just about.) And maybe she could speak.

"I'm fine," she said, to nobody.

Maybe Dave heard her. He was... standing in front of her. Protecting her? Like a pokémon, like Caesar, like a friend.

Like a friend – did she have friends, on Forlas? She'd been so lonely, same as home, same as ever. (Except when she was with her team.) She just missed her pokémon so fucking bad. But even besides that... Everything felt fraught. Precarious, easy to lose, if she even had it. It would be nice to believe that it could be otherwise. But it was hard. It was so fucking hard to think that maybe you could have friends when you'd never known that before, only misery and obligation and being alone. And that was how Laura felt – at least she'd had her pokémon, she'd had Salem, she'd had strangers who weren't a threat to her. How did this chimera feel, now, seeing these strangers that looked like them (no-one ever looked like them) invade and fight them and fight their master?

"It's okay," she said, a little louder, feeling like she was lifting weights just to say it.

She hauled herself to her feet, and looked over Dave's shoulder at the helmeted chimera, and the two freed Graydians on either side. Well fucking done, Gladion. That hadn't been a crisis evo, had it? What was that, a friendship evo?

Oh. Oh man.

"Hey," she said, weakly, stepping forward to lean her weight on Dave. (Hopefully he wouldn't mind.)

The ARK chimera looked so frightened.

"Hey," she said again. "I'm Laura. D'you wanna be friends?"

Spoiler: Laura Turn 5

Laura (-19 STM, 23 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Walk to Containment
- Focus (Breather) (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ new friend?
- Surrender
Net change: +0 STM, +5 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: -19 STM (39 after regen), 28 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(BREATHER)

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade held her breath as she inched closer to the chimera, fur still standing on end after seeing how badly that shadow blast had flattened the others. First Nova and Gladion, then Laura... They didn't look hurt, though. Just exhausted, drained, sapped of their strength.

Then another blast washed over everyone, and Jade felt her muscles freeze up, all the energy gone from her body. It didn't hurt, it was just... everything felt distant, unresponsive, sluggish, each movement like wading through an ocean of molasses.

Everyone was still trying, though. And Gladion, he... he'd broken his helmet. He stood there, feathers fanned proudly, free from the helmet's constricting grasp, and hearing his laugh made Jade want to laugh too. It would be okay. It would...

"It'll--it'll be okay," she told the shadow. "They're like you, yeah? Whatever you're feeling... they can help."

Jade called out to the ARK Unit!

 

[Chibi Pika]

Turn 5​

Dave's SHADOW Assurance targeted Naps!

Naps let out a "yipe!" as the Poochyena leaped out of nowhere and struck with a shadow-tinged paw, pinning the Murkrow to the ground while Odette dragged Lovrina's hammer away. He thrashed uselessly against the hold for a few seconds, but then fell still.

"Gh... alright, I admit it! You punks win..." the Murkrow muttered.

---

The ARK Unit stood rigid, red eyes peering at the intruders through a haze of darkness that had raised to a fever pitch. They hadn't yielded. Why hadn't they yielded?

Umbral Nihil drained the team's stamina.
Shadow Half halved everyone's HP.

They weren't stopping. It had thrown its dark power at them repeatedly, to make them stop moving, to make them lose the will to go on. What else would work?

"Hey, hey, we already stopped! Nobody wants to hurt you!"

"It'll--it'll be okay. They're like you, yeah? Whatever you're feeling... they can help."

"Hey... I'm Laura. D'you wanna be friends?"

"...and maybe if you can open up a little, you can break out of your helmet too."

"Give me that fear... or anger or sadness or whatever! I promise... it'll be a weight off your shoulders!"

They weren't stopping. They weren't stopping.

The ARK Unit is preparing...

Nova accepted ARK's shadows.
Laura surrendered.

The ARK Unit slowly lowered a raised talon, the fevered, roiling aura that had clung to its frame gradually ebbing away. Even if its body was inextricably tied to the shadows... those shadows had grown calm, like the dark, glassy surface of a lake. Or the ocean of grief himself.

The chimera took one step forward. Then another, talons clicking on the metal floor. Then it lowered its haunches and sat down between Nova and Gladion, still wary, but...

"What should... I do?"

The ARK Unit yielded.

 

[Ambyssin]

The shadows washed over Nova again. Utterly tiring. Forcing more glimpses of past memories to flicker through his head. Though exhausted, Nova glimpsed at Lovrina. Still down.

She did this. There was no remorse. What if the shadows hadn't gotten to her because there wasn't anything left to corrupt?

Alexander was out there, wasn't he? If he got his claws on Cipher... there was no telling how bad things could be. He could make sure that would never happen. By making sure the ones in charge joined Fein.

"What should... I do?"

That strong itch faded. Nova was tired, but... gentle. He had to be gentle.

"What do you want to do?" Nova asked. He tilted his head. "I remember... not having an answer when I ran. But someone else found me... and helped me find a path forward."

Nova glanced at Lovrina, making absolutely sure she wasn't up. "We're going to have to talk to her. Get some answers. But we don't plan on staying here." He looked at the ceiling. "We're going up above. It's warm... and sunny. Feels nice."

He managed to scooch forward. Humans did handshakes, but he was stitched together from different bases with different customs. Nova tilted his head, offering his crest for ARK to bump if they had such instincts.

"You're welcome to join. Maybe you'll find that answer for yourself. And we can always use a new friend."

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Want..." The ARK Unit's eyes were fixed on Nova with rapt attention. "Purpose, I have always had this. 'Wanting' is..."

It seemed like the chimera's words were coming more smoothly now, more practiced and less rusty than when it had first spoken earlier.

"The sun. I have felt it before. Feeling it again, that would be... good."

It watched as Nova lowered his head. After several seconds passed, it mimicked the motion and the metal tip of its folded-up crest bumped against Nova's.

 

[Ambyssin]

Feeling it again, that would be... good.

Nova smiled at ARK. His fish tail wagged. "That's a 'want' right there. We can start with that." He looked at the others. "Right?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion nodded, then habitually braced for the pinching of his helmet from whenever he made that mistake. It didn’t come, of course.

“Sounds good to me. Been ages since I felt fresh air on my face… Or, I guess it feels longer than it really was, but you get the idea. Let’s get out of here.”

Gladion looked back at the shards of his helmet, and slipped one into his bag. “There. I’m ready to go.”

 

[Ambyssin]

"We'll have to restrain her." Nova stuck a hind leg in Lovrina's direction. "And definitely leave the hammer behind."

If only he had powers like he did back home, he could blow it up. Instead, Nova cautiously crept toward the wreckage of the shadow machine, looking for anything important or any pieces of scrap to salvage. Maybe there was an answer amongst the remnants that could help them reverse shadows. Especially if Sybil couldn't get that Oasis relic to do anything.