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Equilibrium	By : jvperric Category: Pokemon > General Views: 12587 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does. I make no claim towards any of the copyrighted intellectual property contained herein. I am making no money from this story in any way.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
*****Chapter IX: Harbingers*****

CONVERGENT EVOLUTION – An extremely uncommon phenomenon observed in species that have the ability to evolve differently depending on their exposure to evolutionary stones. The individual exhibits the ability to consciously shift between equivalent-stage evolutionary forms. The condition is not fully recognized within the scientific community.

—Pokémon Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Second Ed. Pp. 347

*****

“Let me see if I understand. Two children—one of whom you didn’t even know was there—eluded you and your best agents and escaped. Was that roughly the course of events, or have I missed something?”

Xavier stayed calm against Richard’s icy tone. “The manifest listed one passenger. We had no reason to believe it was inaccurate. Neither of them ever got a good look at our faces and one was bleeding when they were swimming away. They’ll be eaten before they get anywhere.”

Richard made his exasperation clear even over the phone. “I don’t want any more mistakes like this, Xavier. Not from my field commander. Are the Pokémon on their way?”

“They left about twenty minutes ago. We’re going to rendezvous at the refueling station and head back together.”

Richard grunted his acknowledgement and cut the call. Xavier handed the phone to one of the pilots. “What about the other two, sir?”

“I’ll deal with them. Spin us up.”

Xavier went towards the bridge while the pilot jumped back into the helicopter. He slipped past the heavy metal door and pulled it shut. The two men were still sitting on the floor, but had come to during the commotion moments prior. Their shirts were drenched with nervous sweat and their hands shook violently, confined by plastic zip-ties. Xavier took a knife from his belt and knelt down in front of them.

“Don’t move until you hear the helicopter fly away,” he said, slipping the knife between their restraints. The blade cut easily through the plastic. “Understand?”

The black bags over their heads bobbed back and forth. The trembling in their hands lessened.

Xavier stood up and replaced his knife. He left the bridge and shut the door behind him. The helicopter’s rotors were whirring, and the rear hatch had been left partially open. Xavier pulled it down, climbed in, shut the hatch and took a seat. He nodded at the lieutenant across from him.

“Where’s the rendezvous?”

“Hippowdon Two is standing by eighteen clicks west of Callport City with petrol trucks,” the lieutenant yelled over the engine as they lifted off. “The other helicopters are about fifteen clicks out.”

“Get a message to my brother. Tell him we’re on our way.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

There was too little light from the setting sun for Jason to see much of anything other than the dim outline of the circular pit above them. He put a hand on the side of pounding head and tried to sit up, but something had fallen across his chest. His free hand groped around in the darkness; the obstruction was warm, covered with dust and short hair. A cold metal spike protruded from the fur.

Jason pulled Lucario off of him, eliciting a pained yip. Jason moved him more carefully until he was able to sit up, and then felt around for Lucario’s face. Warm, sticky blood marked a gash on his shoulder.

“Lucario? Cari?”

“Ow,” Jason heard in a low, pained mumble. “Sorry I fell on you.”

“I’m just glad you didn’t land face down. That spike looks like it could do some damage. Can you give me an Aura Sphere to light this place up a little?”

Lucario summoned up the little stamina that had returned and channeled it into a glowing blue orb above his paw. Jason ignored his sore neck and looked around. The pit was mostly flat and cylindrical, with rough walls that looked as though they had been carved with tools larger than any human could wield. A single large passage cleaved out of the wall twisted out of sight.

The others were strewn about the bottom of the pit. Mightyena was gingerly licking at a wound on one of her front legs, Kirlia and Zangoose were still unconscious, and Mira had recalled Ralts to hold her right ankle, which had twisted in a way that ankles were not meant to twist. Her mouth was open, but no sound escaped.

“Mira? Mira, can you hear me?”

“Can’t…talk…” she whispered, rocking back and forth. “Screaming…hurt my throat…”

“Shit, we need to get you to a hospital. Here, let me recall the Pokémon.”

Jason returned Kirlia, Mightyena, Lucario and Zangoose. He dug a flashlight out of his bag and turned it on. “Starly! Rufflet! You up there?”

The two birds came fluttering down, dim silhouettes against the low light. “Can you find Redrock Town from here?”

“It’s too dark to navigate,” Rufflet said, perching on Jason’s outstretched arm. “We’ll get lost.”

“All right, head back into your Pokéball, I’ve got to see if there’s a way out of here.”

“What if there’s not?” Starly asked.

“Then I’ll tie a note to Rufflet’s talon and hope you can find the nearest town.”

Starly and Rufflet disappeared into their Pokéballs and Jason went over to Mira. “I don’t want to leave you here. Can you hold the flashlight while I carry you?”

She nodded and took the light from his hand. Jason knelt down and scooped her up, letting one of her hands slide around his neck. Mira cradled her bag in her chest and shone the light towards the large passage.

“There?” Her voice was so slight he could hardly hear it. Jason nodded and started towards the hole in the wall. “Shine a little more light at the ground. The last thing I need is to fall over.”

Mira adjusted the flashlight, shining it ahead of them. Whenever the passage turned she made sure there was enough light for Jason to keep his footing. The pain in her ankle was incredible, and every step Jason took sent another shock up her leg. She would have yelled out, but she had screamed her voice away; all that would come out was a painful rasp. Mira gritted her teeth and focused on the boundary between the light from the flashlight and the darkness around it.

The passage went straight for a stretch and Mira’s thoughts began to return to her ankle. She looked at her bag, wondering if she could apply the splint in her first aid kit, when Jason stopped dead. Mira looked up at him questioningly.

“Holy hell,” he said.

Mira turned her head to where she was shining the light. A pile of living stone towered in front of them, a lumbering patchwork of rocks and geodes. Seven small gems flashed randomly on the topmost stone. A string of rocks curved down and ended in a larger rock, on top of which rested a mound of dark powder. The hand swung forward, scattering the powder into the air.

The Regirock watched with its dead gem-like eyes as Jason and Mira began to cough. Jason sank to his knees, gasping for breath, and dropped Mira. She landed and her ankle pressed on a loose rock, and suddenly she found her voice. Mira screamed. She screamed in pain and terror, ripping her throat to shreds. The golem lurched towards them. Just as her voice blew out again, she felt as if a heavy weight had fallen upon her eyelids. Mira gasped, fighting to keep her eyes open, but they closed, despite her efforts. She could hear her own ragged breathing, Jason’s labored coughs—and then silence.

*****

“Mrs. Szilard, I promise we’re doing everything we can to find your husband. I’ve spoken with the Army personnel at the base; they’ve never heard of him or spoken to him. We really don’t have any other leads right now.”

Bruce Garrett sat in the Szilard’s tiny kitchen, a cup of black tea untouched on the table in front of him. Maria Szilard sat at the seat opposite his, her fingers nervously knotting and unknotting. Her son sat on the floor in the next room, playing with a toy.

“Mrs. Szilard? Did you hear me?”

“Yes,” she said quietly, taking her tea with trembling hands. “He couldn’t have just disappeared. People don’t disappear. People…”

She trailed off, setting down her tea without drinking any. Her child stumbled into the room, his Charmander doll in tow. He tugged at her dress.

“Mommy?”

“Not now honey, mommy’s talking. Don’t you know anything, Marshal?”

“I’m sorry.”

“When’s daddy coming back?”

“Go play, sweetheart.”

She shooed her son away, biting her lip. Bruce pushed his tea away. “Mrs. Szilard, is it possible that your husband…wasn’t abducted?”

“What do you mean?”

“Could it be—and I say this with all possible discretion—that perhaps he just left?”

“W-why would he do that?” she asked.

“I’ve seen quite a bit of it. A man hits middle age, feels trapped, up and leaves. It seems like whoever’s responsible really doesn’t want him to be found. We can’t be sure it’s not him.”

“I—I, I…get out.”

“Mrs. Szilard—”

“Get out!” she shrieked, standing up. “My husband did not run off with some slut! Find him!”

“We’re doing everything we can. Good day.”

*****

“Yes?”

“It’s Curtis. We just received Dr. Szilard’s data.”

“Is it replicable on the scale we need?”

“We’ll need a few days for testing to confirm.”

“Make sure you can do it. Then let me know.”

“And Szilard?”

“When we don’t need him anymore, get rid of him.”

*****

Jason awoke with empty lungs. He gasped and sat up, clutching his chest and throat until he began to breathe normally. The cold stone under him was the only external stimulus; there was nothing to see, and only white noise to hear.

“Mira?” he called out. “Mira?”

The ground shook. Jason swept his eyes uselessly over the blackness around him. Something large was moving towards him, slowly but steadily. He tried to inch away from the source, but as he backed away he realized he was on a large slab, raised to an unknown altitude above the ground. He sat at the edge, straining to see something in the void.

Seven tiny lights flashed from where he thought the noise was coming from. A low, almost mechanical rumbling accompanied them. His wits returning, Jason opened the Pokénav on his wrist and turned on its simple flashlight, illuminating a small area in front of him. His most recent memories came flooding back.

A Regirock stood by the slab he had been resting on, curious about the weak light the device on his wrist was emitting. It beckoned to Jason to come closer. He cautiously obliged, setting his feet down on the floor he could now see. The Regirock turned away and began walking, motioning with one hand to follow.

They passed another slab identical to the one he had woken up on. Mira lay on it, her ankle set in a crude stone splint. A salve that looked like ground-up berries was smeared across her throat. He stopped walking and touched her shoulder; she was still breathing, and had no signs of other injuries. The Regirock waited until Jason was satisfied, and then lumbered on towards a passage that split off from the main chamber.

Dim orange light flickered from the other end of the corridor, the light lapping at the dark stone walls. Jason turned off his flashlight when there was enough light to see and emerged in a small side chamber, lit by two sconces filled with an unfamiliar powder. They burned slowly and crackled.

“You have awoken.”

Jason flinched at the rumbling voice and spun around, looking for its source. The wall opposite the entrance, he saw, was not a wall at all, but an even more massive Regirock than his escort, fused by time to the stone around it. The seven gems aligned in an H pattern that formed its face were rubies as large as Jason’s fist, and the rocks that made up its arms and hands must have weighed hundreds of pounds.

“Who are you? What is this place?”

“I am the primordial Regirock, builder of all you see before you. This is our sanctuary, where my children and I might live away from prying eyes. My son summoned you before me that I might ask a boon of you, Harbinger.”

“Harbinger?”

“The old stories speak of two humans with pure intentions that can bring some measure of peace to me and my brothers. Do you know of Regigigas, Harbinger?”

“The king of the Regi,” Jason said. “He was destroyed trying to quell Groudon and Kyogre.”

“Yes…a being older than even I, and greater by far. When we fled Hoenn amidst the fighting, these three Shards were all that remained of him, and I guarded them jealously.”

The primordial Regirock raised a massive arm and pointed to three pieces of what looked like obsidian, set on daises above the passage to the main chamber. They glimmered in the low flames.

“The humans here were…unprepared for our arrival. They feared us. Attacked us. We went to ground, spread across this land. The Shards were left with me. We had intended one for each of our nests, one for my brothers of steel, one for my brothers of ice. The opportunity to return them did not arise for a millennium…until now.”

“You think I’m this Harbinger?” Jason asked. “Me and Mira?”

“To be a Harbinger requires no special birth, no ordination by fate. You simply stumbled upon us, and now I ask this of you. Whether you accept or decline, you will be allowed to leave this place, provided you tell no one of it. But should you carry this burden, I would grant you a gift. One of my sons, to aid you in your travels.”

“This is something I have to talk about with Mira,” Jason said.

“Your companion. As I have been told, she is not in any condition to speak, but she may listen. I will have her revived and brought here. Her bone will not have healed; you creatures of flesh are slow to mend yourselves.”

The primordial Regirock signaled the smaller one in the chamber in their alien rumbling language, and it disappeared into the main chamber. “You have questions, no doubt. I would answer them.”

“We’re looking for the Gems that are supposed to release Arceus,” Jason said. “What can you tell me about them?”

“Only what I have been told, and that they should remain dormant.”

“There’s this group—Scion—we think they’re trying to collect them for something bad. We want to keep them safe.”

“I know precious little of those things. Only that they rest here, in Sedera, and that they were made long before I was forged. A group of humans sealed Arceus and saved the world. Many died so that the world might survive. Arceus must never be released.”

“That’s exactly what we want to prevent. We think one of the Gems is here, in the Gulf. Do you know about it?”

“I do not. I am sorry. Would you hear what I would ask of you, Harbinger?”

“All right.”

“Take two of our Shards. They weigh little. Bring one to the nest of Registeel, in the ancient mines south of the place you call Kodia. The other must go to the Regice, who reside farther north, in a great glacier that never melts. Do this, and all Regi will forever be in your debt.”

One of the Regirock returned with Mira in tow, sitting in its large palm. The stones that formed a crude splint on her ankle were bound in place with what looked like vines, but Jason couldn’t tell in the low light. The Regirock set her down next to Jason.

“How are you feeling?”

She motioned to the paste on her throat and grimaced, but then pointed to her ankle and gave him a thumbs-up. It was then she noticed the massive Regirock fused to the wall in front of them.

“Oh. Mira, this is the primordial Regirock, the one that Regigigas made during the Groudon-Kyogre conflict. It asked me if we would bring a few pieces of Regigigas to the other Regi nests here in Sedera.”

The primordial Regirock made a sound of acknowledgement. “I trust our medicines are working?”

She nodded and bowed her head. “I think she’s saying thank you,” Jason said. Mira nodded again.

“As I told your companion, you will be allowed to leave whether you accept my offer or not. The choice is yours.”

Jason looked at Mira. “It said these Shards don’t weigh much, and if they do we can put them in Pokéballs. Plus we’ll get a Regirock to use. I think we should do it.”

Mira shrugged and looked up at the black shapes on their pedestals. She pointed to them, and then to Jason.

“Yes, I’ll carry them.”

She smiled and nodded. Jason looked back at the ancient Regirock. “We’ll carry the Shards.”

“That is good to hear. It has been long since we have seen our brothers. They have been too long separated from Regigigas.” It motioned to the other Regirock in the room. “Give the Shards to the Harbingers. You will accompany them on their journey.”

The primordial Regirock turned its attention back to Jason and Mira. “These spheres that carry Pokémon…do you have any?”

Mira nodded and took out an empty Pokéball. The Regirock, easily four meters in height, took the two flanking Shards from their pedestals with the greatest reverence and passed them to Jason. He was surprised by how light they were; it was as if they were made of glass, but they felt as sturdy as iron. Jason placed them in his lap while the Regirock approached Mira’s Pokéball. It held out a stony fist and touched the button on the front, disappearing. The Pokéball shook once, and then was still.

“I have one final boon to offer you,” the primordial Regirock said. “On the island above grows a very specific kind of berry. It is wholly white, and hangs from a vine whose leaves grow in clusters of four. Feed your Pokémon these berries, and they will grow. I would ask that you take only what you need.”

“We will, thank you. We had bags when we came in, I didn’t see them where I woke up.”

“They were brought back to where you entered. You will find them when you leave.”

“Yeah, about leaving…we fell into that pit, there isn’t any way to get back up.”

“Perhaps not without our help. My children will aid you. Your companion—she will have to climb.”

“Lucario will carry you, okay Mira?”

She nodded and held her hand out. Jason helped her up and released Lucario, who lit an Aura Sphere to see in the darkness.

“Jason, that wall looks…alive.”

“It is, I’ll explain later. Can you carry Mira, please? We need to do some climbing and I’ll have the bags.”

“Of course.” Lucario picked Mira up, placing one paw behind her knees and sweeping her up onto his back.

“Don’t drop me,” she said, rasping.

“Oof, you’re heavier than I thought you’d be.”

“Good,” Mira said, scratching behind his ears, not understanding a word. Jason smiled and led them out by the light coming from Lucario’s paw.

“Farewell, Harbingers,” the Regirock said. “And thank you. We are in your debt.”

Lucario brightened his Aura Sphere when they reached the main chamber, but most of it was still shrouded in darkness. Innumerable sets of flashing eyes followed their exit. Dozens of Regirock lumbered behind them, badly shaking the ground. Mira yelped and pulled on Lucario’s fur.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“Mira, lighten up. He’s not going to drop you.”

“Didn’t you say the same thing?”

Jason rolled his eyes and led Lucario along. They passed through the twisting corridor and emerged at the bottom of the pit they had fallen into, the sun shining directly down on them.

“I wonder how long we were down there,” Mira said.

“Looks like just the one night,” Jason said, checking his Pokénav. He saw their bags sitting against the far wall and picked them up. He carefully placed the Shards in his pack and shouldered them both. “Now how are we going to get back up?”

Ten Regirock filed into the room, moving as swiftly as their large bodies would allow. The largest of the group set itself against the wall, digging its hands into the earth. Another climbed on top of it, resting on its shoulders and planting its hands in the same fashion. They watched, marveling, as the remaining Regirock repeated the process until there was a craggy path of handholds and footholds back up to the surface.

“Ready?” Jason asked. Lucario and Mira nodded. He led the climb, testing each nook while their bags swung from his back. Lucario followed close behind with Mira in tow.

“Ah, sky,” Jason said, climbing over the last Regirock. He turned around and helped Lucario up, who was panting with Mira on his back. “How are you doing, buddy?”

“She’s heavy,” Lucario said, clambering up onto solid ground.

“Is he talking about me?” Mira asked, her voice weak. She eased herself off Lucario’s back and put her arm over Jason’s shoulder.

“No, no. He’s just worn out from evolving, that’s all.” He shot Lucario a wink. “There’s a spot, over by the trees. We can set up camp there and head out tomorrow.”

“I guess I’m not in a position to object.”

“No, not really.”

Jason led Mira over to the clearing, waiting patiently while she tried putting some weight on her mending ankle. She whimpered, her foot shooting back up, and hobbled over. Jason waited to catch her if she fell, while Lucario trailed behind, watching.

“They’re cute,” he said to no one in particular.

Jason unclipped his sleeping bag from the bottom of his pack and tossed it down, letting it unfurl before setting Mira down on it. They released all of their Pokémon, save for Regirock, and let them take in their surroundings. The Pokémon split into their usual groups; Zangoose curled up by Mira’s leg, letting Ralts crawl over him and into their Trainer’s lap. Lucario, Mightyena and Kirlia swarmed Jason, bombarding him with affection. Rufflet and Starly perched above the group, twittering and soaking up the sun.

“So guys,” Jason said, holding back Mightyena to keep her from licking him, “Mira has a new Pokémon.”

There were excited murmurs and chirps from their teams. ‘Really?’ Kirlia asked so Mira could understand. ‘What kind?’

“It’s a Regirock,” she said. “And a big one.”

Mightyena tilted her head. “A what?”

“You’ll see,” Lucario said.

Mira took the last Pokéball from her belt and opened it. Regirock appeared in a flash of light, shaking the ground and trees. Their eyes boggled, and Regirock’s eyes flashed in curiosity. It made a mechanical grunt.

“Do you understand that?” Mightyena asked Jason.

“Not one bit,” he said. “It’s a pretty ancient language.”

“Do you understand us?” Zangoose asked.

Regirock pitched its head forward, towards Zangoose. It raised a hand, pointing to a cluster of vines and white berries snaking up a nearby tree.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Jason got up, took out a pocketknife and cut a section of vine from the tree. He stripped the berries and brought them back over to his sleeping bag. Mira took one of the berries and put it to her tongue. Her face twisted up and she handed it back.

“It’s…bitter,” she said.

Jason set the pile down. “Looks like you just tasted poison.”

“Why’d you pick those berries?” Rufflet asked, chirping down from the trees.

“The Regirock said they’d make you all stronger. If you can keep them down, that is.”

“I’ll try one,” Lucario said, holding his paw out. “I’m hungry.”

Jason gave him one, and Lucario popped the berry into his mouth. He gagged and grimaced, but managed to force it down. They all watched, waiting for some kind of change, when Lucario began to seize.

He fell to the ground, his whole body rocked by spasms. Mightyena jumped on his legs to keep them still, while Zangoose and Kirlia tried to pin his arms down. Jason put a hand firmly on his chest under the spike and another held his head up, while his body rocked in paroxysm.

“What the fuck is wrong with these berries?” Jason shouted at Regirock, who sat, watching.

Suddenly, Lucario fell still. They relaxed, and he began breathing normally again. Mightyena inched off his legs, ready to fall on them again, but he stayed calm. Zangoose nodded at Kirlia and they released his arms, which curled up towards his chest, waving Jason away at the same time. He brought his legs up and turned on his side.

“Are you okay?” Jason asked, rubbing the fur on his back.

“Everything hurt,” Lucario said, rocking back and forth. “Like my insides were on fire.”

“Maybe these berries weren’t such a good idea,” Mira said, holding a few in her hand.

Jason was about to agree, but instead watched Lucario stand up. He looked at his paws, his arms, his legs. He walked slowly over to the nearest tree and wrapped his arms around it. They all watched as he jerked from side to side, moving the tree trunk a little more each time. He grunted and gave one final heave, and the tree came up out of the ground, roots and all. Lucario dropped the tree and it shook the ground, badly startling Ralts, who began to cry.

“Oh, it’s okay honey,” Mira whispered, drawing the little Pokémon up to her chest. She hummed a lullaby, cradling Ralts against her. After a few moments she calmed down, lying placidly in Mira’s arms.

“You’re not going to crush us if we hug you, right?” Jason asked.

“I don’t think so,” Lucario said, returning to the group. “That took a lot. And I know how hard is too hard for a hug. I’ll show you.”

He put his arms around Jason and his Trainer did the same. They embraced tightly, but Jason’s back did not snap as the others feared. Lucario let go and sat back down. “See?”

“Yeah, it looks like you have pretty good control. Still, these berries seem like they go down pretty rough.”

“I want to try one,” Kirlia said.

They all looked at him. He blushed.

Mightyena rubbed him with a paw. “Are you sure?”

“Look at how much stronger it made Lucario. And it doesn’t still hurt, does it?”

Lucario shook his head. “Just a little sore.”

Jason offered Kirlia a berry. “It’s your choice. You should probably lie down first, though.”

Kirlia placed the berry between his teeth and reclined on his back. Mightyena stretched across his legs, while Zangoose and Lucario kept his arms and hands still. Jason put a hand on Kirlia’s stomach, which flushed with warmth.

“Okay. Whenever you’re ready.”

Kirlia took a deep breath and let the berry fall down his throat. They all tensed up, waiting for the seizure, but he stayed still. Then he began to glow.

“Shit,” Jason said, dashing for his bag. He threw open the main flap and dug frantically for the small, warm rock near the bottom. Mightyena felt Kirlia’s legs growing under her, while Zangoose and Lucario released his lengthening arms. Jason pulled the Dawn Stone from his backpack, ran over, and pressed it into Kirlia’s palm.

The Dawn Stone exploded in a burst of light, and the resulting force knocked them all several meters back. Jason watched as a brilliant white light enveloped his Pokémon, shrouding him from view.

Kirlia felt as if his bones were breaking and his muscles tearing. He tried to cry out, but he had no voice. This was not the gentle, exhilarating evolution he had experienced previously. He imagined the pain rocking his body was similar to Lucario’s seizure. After a moment of struggling, he could resist no more, and Kirlia went limp, letting the hot waves of pain wash over him.

When they had all been nearly blinded, the light slowly faded. Jason brought his hand down from in front of his eyes and ran over to his Pokémon.

Gallade was lying prone on the ground, breathing evenly. Jason put a hand on his shoulder, and his eyes flitted open. He sat up, holding his head, until he realized the sensors that had been above his ears were now on his chest and back. Gallade sighed, massaging the forward sensor.

“How do you feel?” Jason asked, still holding his shoulder.

“Weird,” Gallade said. “I’m not sore, but…but…”

He flashed with light again, and the fuzzy silhouette Jason could see shifted from lithe to more slender. The light faded quickly, and Jason had to blink several times before he could see again. The rest of the group looked on with fascination.

“I think I’m going to need some sunglasses if you keep doing that, Ga—”

Jason trailed off, looking at his Pokémon. He looked at his hands, which were suddenly slightly wider. The sensor on his chest was curved rather than angular. His hips were no longer a bulge—at least, from what he could see; there was a long skirt covering them and his legs.

Gardevoir let out a panicked whine, his hands shaking. “W-what happened? Why did I change again?”

“I don’t know,” his Trainer said, picking up the charred remains of the Dawn Stone from the ground. “Do you feel okay? Can you switch back?”

He flinched. Jason had made it clear what he had wanted him to evolve into, but this second body felt more comfortable, more familiar, more like his parents had been. Gardevoir whined again.

“I’ll try.”

Jason had the foresight to back away and cover his eyes before light flooded them again. He looked and saw Gallade sitting in front of him again, examining the blades that extended from his elbows.

“Well, that’s pretty cool,” Mightyena said, trotting over and licking Gallade’s cheek. “At least you don’t have to look girly all the time.”

“Yeah…”

Lucario gave Gallade a pat on the shoulder. “Now we can really spar, huh?”

“That body looks like it could do some damage,” Zangoose said, sitting by Mira.

“Are you okay, Gallade?” Mira asked. “You don’t seem very excited.”

‘I’m fine, just a little tired, that’s all,’ he said, smiling.

“Why don’t we get something cooking?” Jason asked. “You’re all probably hungry.”

“Wait.” Zangoose stood up. “What about our berries?”

“Yeah,” Mightyena said.

Jason held up a handful of the white berries. “Do you…really want to eat these? It doesn’t exactly look pleasant.”

“It’s a little pain now, but it made them stronger,” Zangoose said. “Here, give me one and hold me down.”

Jason acquiesced, and their remaining Pokémon each took a berry in turn. Zangoose had his, then Mightyena, and Rufflet and Starly took them at the same time. They declined to offer Ralts one, and Regirock had no mouth to speak of.

“How do you, well, eat?” Jason asked it. Regirock responded by scooping up a pile of dirt and absorbing it directly into its body. “Oh. All right. At least you’re low-maintenance.”

The sun was beginning to set when Jason and Lucario returned with armfuls of firewood, over which Jason cooked a simple stew with what remained of their supplies. They filled the empty food tins they were carrying, and Mira spoon-fed Ralts from her share.

The moon was above them by the time the embers of the fire began to smolder and fade. Rufflet and Starly were up somewhere in the trees, Zangoose was curled up protectively at Mira’s feet, Ralts was asleep in her Trainer’s arms, Lucario was nibbling on Mightyena’s ear, Regirock was sitting stock-still, which they took to mean he was asleep, and Gallade was watching Jason throw dirt on the remains of the fire.

“We should be able to get to Redrock Town by tomorrow,” Jason said. “If Mira’s ankle is okay.”

“I’m sure we’ll get there soon. Um, Jason—”

“Man, are we lucky I got you that Dawn Stone in time, huh? And now you can shift between forms! That is so cool.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Gallade said softly, twiddling his thumbs.

“What’s that, buddy?”

“It’s…nothing, Jason. Do you think maybe I could sleep in my Pokéball tonight?”

“Are you sure? There’s plenty of space out here.”

“I know, I think I’d sleep better in there, though.”

“Okay.” Jason unclipped Gallade’s Pokéball and offered it to him. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Gallade touched the central button and disappeared.

Inside his Pokéball, Gallade found the simple control panel hardwired into the artificial environment and pushed the large button to increase the light level. A mock-up of the sun brightened the forest. He sighed, shifted, and began to dance, enjoying the cool breeze thrown off by his skirt.

*****

“I’d bet we’re well below the sea level, Sandslash. This staircase has been winding down for a while now. I don’t know what we’re going to find down there…be ready.”
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Equilibrium