Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Farewell, my free adventurers! I bid you adieu!”

Those were the last words Florian heard as he looked up at the woman floating above them, before a blinding white light overwhelmed him and his friends, leaving him in a sea of darkness for some time. Thankfully, he managed to wake up a few moments later, with only one thing on his mind at that point.

Argh! My head is killing me right now.

Florian tried to get a feel over his surroundings while trying to calm his growing headache. His eyes attempted to adjust to the searing bright light that illuminated all over the area he was in. At least his body was alright, given that he didn’t feel any pain from areas other than his head. Though, he did feel like a part of his memories were hazy. Aside from now knowing about this current location, he had no idea what led to him being in this unique predicament.

When he finally mustered the energy to move his legs, he noticed a familiar sight. Florian let out a large sigh of relief knowing that at least he wasn’t completely alone.

Koraidon was here with him, currently asleep from the looks of it and no discernable damage on its body from what he could see.

The Paldean Champion went to wake up his trusty partner, leading to him getting slobbered by the Paradox Pokémon’s saliva with its many, many happy licks towards him. Oh well, he was glad to see the giant, scaly goofball.

Now onto the next revelation he had received. Their current location. It was a place he would never forget in all his young life.

They were currently in the Zero Lab.

The place where he had that climactic battle with Professor Sada. The one where the fate of Paldea literally hung in the balance. It had been a long and excruciating battle, but Florian had managed to prevail thanks to his friends and Pokémon by his side.

Which made him here alone even stranger. Nemona, Penny, and Arven were with him at the time, so where could they have gone? He tried calling them with his phone, but the line couldn’t even connect before leaving a few disconnecting beeps. He tried texting, but once again, no words could be sent.

Was it because no signal could reach such a deep part of Area Zero? Now he was getting really concerned for his friends. Florian knew something was up and he needed to know what.

Well, standing around here wouldn’t do the Naranja student any good. He should head back topside to search for them. Maybe they left the Great Crater and were waiting for him somewhere. With a wave, he rode on top of Koraidon as they rushed out of the dreaded lab and climbed up the crystalline walls towards their next destination.

Fortunately, the research labs in Area Zero were connected by teleporters. He just needed to reach the closest one to return to the Zero Gate and then he could feel the crisp Paldean air once more. At least, that was what he hoped.

It took about ten minutes before he reached Research Station Four, eyeing the familiar décor and teleporter he had become accustomed with during his journey into this beautiful, yet deadly place. And to his right was a big, relaxing bed inviting him with its comfy feel.

Maybe he should rest for a bit before heading back. Because to be honest, he was feeling really exhausted after whatever happened to him earlier. His recent memories were still fuzzy and in his current condition, he didn’t want to instantly faint after returning to the surface. He didn’t want his friends to worry about him.

Koraidon must have read his thoughts after it turned towards the door to act as a lookout, just in case any wild or Paradox Pokémon attacked. He was lucky to have such a reliable partner, even if Arven still pretended to act cold towards it after all this time.

Letting his weariness take hold of him, Florian drifted off to sleep. He hoped he would be able to figure out how he got into this predicament after a nice, long rest. And even more so, he hoped his friends were okay wherever they were.

Stay safe, you guys.

Kieran took a long look at the city they had currently arrived in while stepping out of the Flying Taxi he finished riding on. And wowzers, was Mesagoza a wonderful sight. His best friend had told him about how amazing Paldea was, but to see it up close was another story.

To be honest, he didn’t expect a call asking him, Carmine, and the BB Elite Four to visit Paldea during their summer vacation. But to be fair, he did ask them and their Paldean friends to come visit Kitakami, so he supposed this was a way to return to favour. Not that he minded, as he and Carmine had grown closer with them during their stay in the siblings’ hometown. Well, aside from the Mochi Mayhem ordeal thanks to a certain peach, they all had a good time.

And now, after a long flight and Flying Taxi ride, they were finally in Mesagoza. where they were currently heading towards their meeting spot.

He continued eyeing the amazing scenery the city had to offer, unable to take his eyes off the unique buildings and shops as he stood absolutely mesmerized by the city’s architecture. But of course, his sister had to spoil his happy mood with her teasing attitude.

“You know, if you keep having that dopey look on your face, people are gonna stare. Though, maybe it’ll make people wanna approach you after how you acted during your edgy phase heehee.”

“Shut it, Sis!” Kieran angrily pouted. “You are such a jerk, you know that?!”

Leading to Carmine instantly shaking her fists in rage. “What was that?! You got a lotta nerve speaking to your big sis that way!”

“Alright, break it up you two. You’re gonna draw a scene if you keep acting like your lovable selves.” A third voice added.

“Shut it, Drayton!” The siblings simultaneously yelled. “Mind your own business!”

Drayton merely laughed in response as he pointed at a group of people who instantly stopped to stare at the siblings because of their loud outburst.

“See what I mean?” The dragon-type trainer replied with a smirk.

“Argh! Just shut up before I throttle you!” The crimson-haired girl shouted back before keeping her voice down to avoid feeling even more embarrassed than she already was. She pulled her hair in an attempt to calm herself down.

“Hey, are we having a shouting contest?” A red-headed boy cheerfully asked with two other girls behind him. “Because I can yell like the best of them if you wanna go!”

“Oh, honestly Crispin! Read the room, why don’t you?!” The shorter of the two girls behind Crispin admonished before turning to Drayton with a stern finger wag. “And you! Making fun of your friends is just not right!”

The girl then put her hands to make an ‘X’ to add to her point, leading to Drayton giving another smug look that made her blood boil.

“To be fair Lace, I was trying to stop Carmine and Kieran from their usual squabbling. It’s not my fault they didn’t listen. You can vouch for me, right Amarys?”

The taller girl ignored him and checked her watch instead. “We should head towards our intended destination soon. The others should currently be waiting for us to arrive.”

“Yeah, we need to hurry.” Kieran replied after he and Carmine had settled down. “I don’t wanna keep our friends waitin’.”

“Even if it means we might have to deal with a potential battle-fest with Nemona as a greeting once she sees us…” Carmine commented with a loud sigh.

“I’m… sure she can hold herself back for now, right? …Right?!” Her brother answered back with growing uncertainty.

“In any case, we should get moving.” Lacey added with a slight smile. “I very much enjoyed meeting Nemona and Penny at Blueberry, so it would be wonderful to get to know them better during our stay here.”

“Yeah! I wanna get to know Arven better too!” Crispin agreed. “His style of cooking is straight-up fire! I’m bettin’ he’s got even more recipe’s that’ll blow my mind!”

With everyone in agreement, and even some unusual effort from Drayton, they moved as fast as they could to meet their Paldean friends, finally spotting them sitting on the large steps that were in front of the region’s Pokémon academy.

All three students gave a friendly wave as they greeted each other, while Kieran was most excited to see one special person in particular. It had been a while since they the exchange program between their academies had ended. But the memories they had made together, good and bad, would always give his heart wonderful feelings. From the times when they first met, to their climactic battle when he was at his lowest, to her saving him when in Area Zero, and then repairing their friendship during their second trip in Kitakami, he would treasure those moments because she was always there for him.

And because of that, he would always be grateful that they had met each other and forged a great friendship in the end. One that he would try his best to not break again during their time in Paldea. And even if he didn’t know it yet, deep within his heart, he wanted to have something more with the person who shined so brightly in his eyes.

Maybe one day, those feelings would be reciprocated from both sides and something new will blossom between them.

One day.

“Hola! You guys are gonna have so much fun in Paldea while you’re here! I even have the perfect idea on how to start this trip off!” Nemona enthusiastically yelled.

Prompting Arven to loudly interject to stop her from going overboard.

“When she says fun, she means lots and lots of battles. Like so many it’ll literally make your head spin.”

“Hope you all enjoy your time in the Nemona Survivors Club while you’re here… I’m sure Kieran and Carmine can vouch how absolutely fun it is…” Penny sarcastically added.

Kieran and Carmine winced a little at that remark after knowing firsthand about Nemona’s battle frenzy. Because what kind of girl could have enough stamina and determination to do twelve non-stop battles with them? Even Kieran wasn’t sure he did that many during his battle-obsessed phase. Drayton and Crispin; however, looked very excited at the prospect for different reasons.

“Sounds good to me. The Drayster always loves a challenge, and this girl looks like the type who loves to battle her heart out. I’m bettin’ it’ll be real fun to face off against her”

Crispin looked at her with huge sparkles in his eyes. “I gotta agree with Drayton! If she’s serving a serving of blazing battles, I wanna get a good taste myself!”

“Perhaps we can have some exciting battles later.” Lacey interrupted. “I, for one, would love to see the amazing stores Mesagoza has to offer. I heard their clothes are super cute!”

The mention of a shopping spree made Carmine’s fashion senses tingle with excitement.

“Clothes shopping sounds good to me! Especially when I can find something that can complement how cool and amazing I am! It’d be great if we can get the guys to be useful by carrying all our stuff too. You wanna join us, Amarys?”

“I… will pass on the offer for now. I would rather take the time to admire the art and architecture in the city for now.”

Carmine couldn’t help but let pout over the rejection. “Aww, all right. But we are going to enjoy some special best friend time together later, got that?”

“Maybe wait until everyone’s here before you start making plans, Carmine. We’ll still missing the star of our dysfunctional group.” Drayton noted as he eyed around the area.

That’s right. Only Nemona, Arven, and Penny were here to greet us. Then, where was the one he wanted to see the most?

“Drayton’s right. How come it’s just the three of you here?” Kieran asked.

“Uh, the thing is, we haven’t been able to reach my little buddy for a while now. No response from our texts either. But I’m sure things are probably fine.” Arven responded, but the awkward laugh afterwards betrayed his true feelings.

“You say that, but you still freaked out earlier thinking something bad happened. It was both funny and sad how crazy you were panicking.” Penny sardonically quipped.

“Hey! They did not need to know that, Penny! But… maybe something bad really did happen to my little buddy. I mean, we should really do something if something dangerous happened!”

Uh oh. Arven was slowly panicking. Kieran learned since their first meeting how intense his feelings for their ‘little buddy’ could be. So much so, his overprotectiveness could rival Carmine’s. Good thing Nemona stepped up to calm him down.

“Aw, don’t worry Arven. I’m sure things will be fine.” Nemona reassured her long-haired friend. “She might just be held up by some exciting battles!”

“She’s not a battle fiend like you, Nemona!”

“Well, it’s not like she’s super late. It’s only been 15 minutes since we all met up. What’s the harm in waiting a little longer? We can even use this time to know our new Blueberry pals too!”

Drayton nodded in agreement, while retaining his carefree attitude. Kieran could never understand how he can be so chill about everything. “Guess that’s our only option for now. Plus, Kieran and Carmine got to know you guys in Kitakami. It’s only fair we Elite Four members do too. Right, guys?”

The other members of the Elite Four nodded in agreement too as they all soon became involved in friendly banter to get to know each other better.

Kieran was still concerned over his dear friend, but he had faith that everything would be okay. They were tough and considering the number of crazy things that happened to them, a lack of answered calls and texts seemed trivial in comparison. He knew in his heart everything was going to be okay.

Florian felt like he had ridden Koraidon for some time before reaching the outer gates of Mesagoza. Not that he was complaining. He always loved spending time riding on his beloved partner.

He was feeling much better after having such a nice rest. The bed surprisingly comfortable, making him feel completely rejuvenated after a few hours of blissful sleep. And after stepping on the teleporter after he was confident that he had everything with him, he could see the familiar, mechanical gate he first laid eyes on during his mission in Area Zero. One he quickly left to search for his friends as soon as possible.

Now that he was back in Mesagoza, he needed to find Nemona and the others. For some reason, his phone still wasn’t working even after returning to the surface. No cell service or texting was available at all. Which was very weird, but maybe his Rotom Phone was on the fritz from exposure to Area Zero’s Tera crystals or something. Either way, he needed to focus on finding his friends first. Considering they were all still enrolled in Naranja Academy, it was likely that they would be there. Though, he wished he could remember how they got separated, he could figure that out after reuniting with them.

Florian decided to have Koraidon return to its ball and walk to the academy by foot. His partner had kept watched over him for hours and transported him all the way from the Zero Gate to Mesagoza, so it deserved a long and nice-needed break.

The hustle and bustle of the large city made the Champion trainer feel calm as he looked at the familiar scenery that he had seen so many times. And once he came closer to the academy’s long staircase, he let out a relieved sigh when he caught a glimpse of the ones he had been searching for.

Nemona, Arven, and Penny were standing there chatting with a few unfamiliar faces. Florian smiled with both joy and relief that he had finally found them. After waking up in the Zero Lab, he had thought the worst. But he was overjoyed to see that they were safe and sound.

The chestnut-haired boy shouted as loudly as he ran waving frantically at the trio, moving as fast as his legs could go to reach them.

“Hey! Nemona! Arven! Penny! I’ve been looking for you guys! Where have you been?”

His friends turned towards his direction, but he noticed something was off. When he saw their faces, they turned from excited to bewildered over his call. The others near them seemed just as confused, but for different reasons.

Arven closely gazed at Florian, still looking bewildered. “Uh, can we help you?”

Now it was Florian’s turn to act confused as he raised his brow. “Don’t you know who I am, Arven? It’s me, Florian. You best bud, remember?”

“Should I know you? Pretty sure I’ve never met you before. And definitely not as buddies. There’s only one person in this world I consider to be my best bud. But looking at you closely, you kinda feel familiar.” He answered back before turning to Nemona and Penny. “You two know him? He said your names too, right?”

Nemona shook her head. “Hmm. Nope. I’m usually good with faces and his face is one I don’t recognize. But it’s weird. It does feel like I know this guy even if I’ve never met him before.”

“Yeah… I’m getting that feeling too. But I don’t know this guy, either.” Penny eyed Florian head to toe to make sure. “Yep, definitely never seen him before.”

Huh? What was going on here? Why didn’t they recognize him?

Did something happen in Area Zero that erased their memories of him from their minds? Given the crazy adventures he’s been in since coming to Paldea, he wouldn’t be surprised if that actually happened.

But as he kept looking closely at his friends, he noticed something strange about their appearance. Their academy outfits were slightly different from how they usually looked. Aside from Penny’s, which looked the same, Nemona and Arven’s uniforms were purple instead of orange. And he could have sworn he saw Kieran and Carmine behind them from among their group. Well, Kieran’s hairstyle looked different from before, but it was definitely him. But how could that be? Didn’t they head back to…

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late and not answering. I got caught up in some trainer battles on the way here and it didn’t feel right to refuse. Plus, I couldn’t resist having some fun battling my heart out!” A new voice excitedly called out, interrupting Florian’s line of thought.

The academy student looked at the new girl currently running towards them and was absolutely shocked by her appearance. Their eyes locked onto one another, the same shocked look evident on their face as they could only muster one sentence to express their surprise.

That girl looks just like me! / That boy looks just like me!

From the lowest depths of Area Zero, a long-haired woman awoke from her slumber. Her turquoise eyes shined brightly while she scanned her dark surroundings and analyzed her current situation. A bright, rainbow light spiraled near her position, continuously emitting an intense aura. Upon further inspection, it appeared like a portal of some sort. The woman attempted to touch it, but it merely pushed her hand away.

She took some time to ponder about her current situation.

“Current destination: Area Zero. But is this the Area Zero that I remember? My memories are also clouded, perhaps from the events that had occurred previously. There seems to be a greater instability of Terastal energy as well. I must investigate further to find the answers I seek, as well as confirm any changes on the surface.”

Behind her were her allies who had served her for so long. The terrifying creatures stood behind her, along with the ferocious, red dragon that served as her most faithful companion.

“Let’s go.”

She said nothing else, slowly walking forward with calculated movements with her allies faithfully following her command.

Chapter Text

Juliana was still perplexed to see someone who looked like her talking with her friends as if he knew them when she arrived in Mesagoza. Not to mention that her Blueberry Academy friends were also unsure what was going on ever since the mysterious boy suddenly showed up. Well, she supposed after her adventures in Paldea, Kitakami, and Unova, she should’ve expected this to happen.

Feeling like their presence would only hinder them, the Blueberry students stepped back to let them have some privacy while still being close enough if they were needed. Kieran gave her a smiling nod to let her know it was okay, with Juliana instinctively giving off a smile in response. At least their bond was still improving after all that happened between them.

Well, she could think about her sweet and adorable friend later. It was time to gather some clues over what the heck was going on. Talking to the new face in their group would be the best way to start.

Walking back to her friends with a friendly face, she approached the boy of interest. “Hey there, my name’s Juliana. I’ve never seen your face before. And I’ve battled a lot of students around Paldea. Are you new to Uva Academy?”

“The name’s Florian. And did you say Uva Academy?” The boy replied confusingly. “Isn’t this Naranja Academy? It looks like the school that I remember, besides the different logo and colour scheme.”

“I’m pretty sure its name has always been Uva Academy. Right?” Juliana turned to her friends to confirm, with Nemona vehemently nodding.

“Yep! This is Uva Academy. It’s been named that for over 800 years. At least, that’s what Director Clavell and La Primera said.”

“I can agree with both of ya there. The academy’s always been named Uva even when my dad was a student here.” Arven added.

“Huh? But that doesn’t make sense. I’m positive me and my friends were always enrolled in Naranja Academy.” Florian commented before manically shaking his head. “Argh! I’m so confused right now! First, you guys don’t know who I am and now I meet a girl you do seem to know. Plus, Juliana looks so much like me we could be mistaken for twins. Could all this have something to do with our journey to Area Zero?”

Juliana couldn’t hide her shock. “Wait! You went down to Area Zero? I thought Miss Geeta forbade anyone from going there. I mean we didn’t really get permission to go there the first time, and I got grilled by Rika before I went there a second time with Kieran and Carmine.”

“Back up! You went to Area Zero too?! Uh, weird question. But did you happen to go with Nemona, Arven, and Penny to meet a certain professor while you were there?”

Juliana gave a shocked gasp. “Y-yeah, we did. But how could you possibly know that? No one other than them and certain people at the academy are supposed to know that.”

The confusion from both their faces were apparent for all to see, leading Penny to step into the conversation. “If I could interrupt. I may have a theory on what’s going on between you and Florian. It’s pretty crazy, though. I don’t know if it even makes sense or not.”

“After everything that’s happened to me, I’ll believe just about anything.” Florian commented. “What theory have you got, Penny?”

“Like I said, this is gonna sound crazy. But I think you came to our Paldea from a different Paldea you’ve lived in. Kinda like crossing over into a parallel world of the one you know.”

Juliana couldn’t help but feel perplexed afterwards “That sounds like something you’d see in a sci-fi movie. Then again, we had to deal with a robot professor and a time machine, so maybe there is some parallel world thing going on.”

“I think it makes sense when you consider how similar you two are and how you both probably have the same experiences with one another. But we could gather more evidence to support it with some background sharing.”

While the Paldean group kept trying to sort things out with one another, Kieran and his friends were growing even more bewildered over what they were currently watching.

Crispin scratched his head. “So, uh… Are any of you guys following what’s going on? I got totally lost a few minutes ago.”

Prompting Lacey to act the same. “I…can honestly say that I don’t. But I’m guessing something big is going on between Juliana and her friends with this Florian person.”

“Yeah, that’s the gist I’m getting.” Drayton added. “But things are getting really interesting now with that different world and timeline theory they’re currently spouting out.”

Carmine turned toward the slacker with surprise. “Hold on. You actually know what they’re talking about, bozo?”

“Not really. But with talk about parallel words and that junk, it seems like something big and exciting is in the works. I’m curious to see where this line of thinking is heading, ‘cause it’s sounding really exciting haha.”

Drayton was clearly trying to get a rise from his sister, and knowing her, she'd fall for it hook, line, and sinker.

“Ugh! Of course you’re just seeing this whole thing as entertainment, you toothpaste-haired idiot! But it doesn’t surprise me Juliana’s getting caught up in another wave of insanity after the last couple of incidents she had to deal with. First with her friends in Paldea, and then twice with me and Kiki.”

“Yeah. Bein’ with Juliana sure does lead us to a lot of crazy stuff.” Kieran added. “But she manages to get through it every time with how great and awesome she is! I hope this time we can help her with whatever’s goin’ on between them. If things get rough, I’d do anythin’ for her.”

“Heh, you would after how you coldly you acted towards Juliana back at Blueberry.” Carmine smirked. “You’d follow her like a cute, little puppy forever if you got the chance, wouldn’t you?”

She leaned in closely to whisper into his ear. “And if you’re so lovey-dovey over how great Juliana is, why don't you just ask her out already? It’s obvious you’re totally crushing on her hehe.”

Kieran felt his cheek grow flushed thanks his stupid sister’s teasing. “Shut up, Sis! I said that because I wanna make up for how nasty I acted to her, yeah. But also ‘cause she’s someone who I consider my friend. My closest friend. That’s…all there is to it, got it?!”

Said sister merely chuckled. “Sure, keep telling yourself that Kiki. But don’t come crying to me when you lose your chance because you were too Torchic to go through with it.”

“Argh! You’re the worst!”

Kieran couldn’t help but pout at his sister’s teasing before Amarys moved to interject afterwards in case another sibling argument arose. “In any event, we should let them handle their current issue without making too much of a scene. This is clearly personal to them, after all.”

The siblings looked down in embarrassment before quieting down, resuming with watching Juliana and her friends’ talk with Florian. Kieran let out a caring gaze towards Juliana, hoping she would be okay. And if something did happen, he would reach out for her no matter the cost. After everything she did for him, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t.

After giving off another one of his annoying laughs over their actions, he turned his head for a few moments before he began walking away from their group. A serious look appeared in his eyes, far different from the clownish attitude he had before.

Lacey gave an inquisitive look over her friend's actions. "Drayton? Where are you going?"

"Something caught my eye over that part of town. I'm just gonna check it out for a bit. Be right back."

And off he went. Just what did Drayton see that made him leave like that?

Florian and Juliana took a few moments to think about Penny’s current theory, their poses matching so much that it was unnerving to the Paldean trio before Florian continued their conversation.

“Alright, let’s test Penny’s theory out. It seems wild that I’m in another Paldea, but then again, it might actually make sense. Tell me everything about yourself, Juliana.”

The optimistic girl nodded. “Got it! Um, I moved to Paldea to enroll in Uva Academy. Because of that, I managed to befriend Nemona, Arven, and Penny, helping them achieve their goals and eventually worked with them to deal with Arven’s dad to stop an out-of-control time machine from bringing more Paradox Pokemon here. After that, I met Kieran and Carmine on a school trip, where we exposed the truth about the Ogre of Kitakami and dealt with the ‘Lousy Three’ as Carmine named them. Then, I was an exchange student in their school, becoming the academy’s Champion. Which led to me, Kieran, and Carmine going down to Area Zero again with Miss Briar to find the Legendary Pokemon, Terapagos.”

“That’s…almost the exact same backstory I have. Weird. Although, I was never an exchange student at Blueberry Academy or deal with whatever this Terapagos is. I did meet Kieran and Carmine in Kitakami, but that was before going to Area Zero. Though…things didn’t end so well between us during those final days. I really wanted to fix things between us.” He said with a forlorn look. He stared wistfully at the two siblings from afar before shaking his head. “Anyways, a main difference between us is the fact that I went with my friends to confront Arven’s mom, Professor Sada. I don’t think my Arven ever met his dad.”

Arven immediately piped up after hearing that last part. “My mom? I haven’t even met her before. Dad always told me she left after I was born because they had a falling out.”

“I don’t know anything about a falling out, but it was definitely your mom we met, Arven. Or the AI version of her. She called you her son before we even found out she wasn’t the real professor.” Florian answered back.

“I guess Penny’s parallel world theory might be right after all.” Juliana pondered. “Based on our similar experiences, we could be the same person, but from different worlds. What could this mean, though?”

Penny shrugged. “No idea. But it’s definitely worth looking into to get all these questions answered. For our sakes and Florian’s.”

Just then, Kieran and Carmine raced towards their location with a serious look in their eyes.

“Uh, guys? You might wanna save your talk for later. Things just got even crazier.”

“What do you mean?” Juliana inquired.

“Drayton spotted something weird appear near us and the others went with him to check it out. You can see for yourself when you get there, but we gotta go deal with it now!”

Juliana and her friends headed towards where Carmine said the BB Elite Four would be, completely floored seeing a large portal suddenly appearing in front of them. Its energy radiated intensely with loud, static crackling before an unknown creature started becoming visible from the other side. It moved closer and closer, gathering energy around it to grow even bigger before standing before them in all its glory.

The large creature roared loudly, sending the city’s civilians into a panic as they ran frantically to escape its range. Juliana and the others couldn’t believe what was happening right now, or what kind of opponent they were currently facing. All except for Florian, who calmly eyed it from top to bottom.

“That’s a Great Tusk.” Florian instantly pointed out.

“You know what that thing is?” Penny inquired.

“Yep. My Arven and I battled one exactly like this one while we were gathering Herba Mystica. Eventually, we found out it was a Paradox Pokemon that escaped Area Zero.”

“I don’t think we’ve seen any Paradox Pokemon like that when we were in Area Zero.” Juliana commented. “But it looks really similar to the Iron Treads we faced for the same purpose, right Arven?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Aside from it not looking all metal-looking, this Pokemon definitely looks like the Quaking Earth Titan.”

“We can talk more about what this Pokemon is later!” Carmine interrupted. “First, we need to stop it before it causes any trouble in the city!”

“Carmine’s right, buds. We’ve got the skills and power to deal with this beast, so let’s act like heroes and save everyone!”

“A battle against a Titan Paradox Pokemon sounds like a good challenge. I’m getting pumped up just thinking about it!” Nemona cried.

“Keep your battle mania down a notch and don’t get careless!” Arven replied. “If it’s anything like Iron Treads, we need to avoid reckless moves.”

Following Drayton’s cue, Juliana and her friends released their ace Pokemon to fight. Her Meowscarada appeared with its usual grace beside Kieran’s Hydrapple and Florian’s Quaquaval. With the eleven of them battling together, Juliana was sure they would be able to defeat the Titan Paradox Pokemon.

With all their might, Juliana and her friends unleashed their most powerful attacks towards the empowered Great Tusk, sending it back after it began charging towards them. The large Pokemon tried shaking the ground in its growing anger, but their side stood strong against its intense attack.

And thanks to their combined efforts, Juliana was feeling even more confident they could win this battle. Time for the to launch a powerful counterattack!

“Meowscarada, use Flower Trick to deal maximum damage!”

Florian smiled at his new partner. “I like the way you think, Juliana. Let’s get up close and personal with that Titan too with Aqua Step, Quaquaval!”

The grass and water-type pair moved surprisingly in sync to unleash a close-range barrage of kicks and slashed to damage Great Tusk further, causing it to struggle to stand after all the damage it had taken previously. Just one more attack and they could knock it out for good!

But as soon as they had the upper hand and Great Tusk appeared to be on its last legs, the mighty Titan let out one more roar before absorbing the energy surrounding the battlefield and enveloped itself in a crystalline form.

Kieran let out a shocked gasp. “Did it just Terastallize?! Take a look at that crown it’s wearin’!”

“Seriously?! That’s awesome! This battle’s getting even more fun!” Nemona gasped in admiration before toning it down after getting deadpan looks from Penny and Arven.

Carmine was more interested in the type of crown Kieran had pointed out, bringing bad memories in her mind as she made a terrifying realization. “How did it get that type of power?! We’re nowhere near Area Zero’s Underdepths or the Terarium!”

Wondering what Carmine and Kieran had meant, Juliana could see a large Tera Jewel adorning the Titan Pokemon’s head, with a multitude of different coloured crystals gleaming radiantly for all to see. There was no mistake about what form it had now taken.

“Uh oh. It’s become a Stellar-type!”

Florian looked at her with surprise. “Stellar-type? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Oh, right. You never went to the Underdepths in your world. There are crystals down there that can Terastallize Pokemon into what you see in front of you. They’ve got the same type as before, but their power levels become off the chain. We need to be really careful if we want to avoid becoming overwhelmed by its new might.”

As if striving to prove Juliana’s point, the Titan Great Tusk fired an extremely wide-range Tera Blast that instantly knocked out most of their Pokemon, save for Meowscarada, Quaquaval, Mabosstiff, Hydrapple, and Archeludon. Her friends stood in disbelief over how easily they had been overpowered, but Drayton, Arven, and Kieran still stood determined to keep fighting until the bitter end.

“This one’s sure not pulling any punches.” Drayton noted. “We gotta be careful not to take any more hits if we don’t want to end up on the floor like everyone else. Let’s find a way to overpower this monster before it’s too late, Paldea pals. You too, ex-Champ.”

Kieran huffed. “Don’t call me ex-Champ! But yeah, let’s deal with it with all we’ve got.”

“Less arguing, and more battling!” Arven advised. “If we attack at the same time, we can beat that Titan for sure.”

Great Tusk began unleashing another Tera Blast, but with even greater power than before as the Terestal energy from the portal empowered it even further. It unleashed its mighty blast in an instant, heading straight toward Juliana and Florian’s side. With the speed it was moving, there was no way they could evade it unscathed.

As if by instinct, Kieran launched himself in front of Juliana to act as her shield. She had saved him from a fatal blast back then, so it was only fair if he did the same. This time, he would protect her no matter what.

But as he and Hydrapple prepared to take the hit for his dear friend, a pair of new Pokemon emerged to deflect the blow with their own Tera Blasts. He could never forget the Pokemon that saved his life during their battle against the berserk Terapagos back then.

“Miraidon!”/“Koraidon!”

The twin Paradox Pokemon looked at their respective trainers before turning to look at one another for the first time. Even though they were meeting for the first time, they could both feel a sort of kinship as soon as they locked eyes.

With both Juliana and Florian safe, Arven moved toward the pair and Kieran with a huge sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay, little buddy. I gotta thank that brute with my signature sandwich later, along with the different looking brute beside it.”

Miraidon and Koraidon perked up from the mention of that sacred word. Their mouths drooled with anticipation, eliciting a chuckle from their partners before focusing their attention on their ferocious opponent once more. Now was the time to lower the curtain to this extreme battle with a full-blown final assault.

Juliana turned towards his new ally with an enthusiastic smile. “With our legendary partners joining the fight, why don’t we end this battle with one final bang? What do you say, Florian?!”

“You read my mind, Juliana! Time for a double Terastal takedown!”

Both trainers took their Tera Orbs and performed the same pose before sending them towards their respective partners. The Terastal energy surged throughout Miraidon and Koraidon’s bodies, encasing them in a crystalline form filled with fighting and electric energy. Both roared with all their might, waiting for their trainers to issue the final command.

It was time for one last powerful attack to finish this once and for all!

“Miraidon, use Electro Drift!”

“Koraidon, use Collision Course!”

“Mabosstiff and I are ready for action! Strike that Titan down with Dark Pulse!”

“Don’t forget about us! Hydrapple, hit ‘em with your Fickle Beam at max power!”

“Love the air of confidence, Ex-champ. Follow their lead with Electro Shot, Archeludon!”

All five Pokemon unleashed their signature moves towards Great Tusk, the latter firing another empowered Tera Blast in retaliation. The mix of energies between both sides clashed fiercely against one another for dominance, but in the end their combined blast pierced through to secure victory.

Juliana let out a huge sigh of relief over their victory, instantly running towards Kieran for a hug without thinking. Which she soon regrated when the boy started stuttering profusely over the impromptu close contact, leading to Drayton laughing hysterically as a result.

Ignoring the scene happening before him, Florian turned to gaze upon their defeated opponent. Once he was certain the former Titan Pokemon could not get up, he immediately threw an Ultra Ball to capture it. But his efforts were in vain when the ball had no effect, leaving Great Tusk still lying battered on the stone road.

Another shadow appeared from the rainbow portal, revealing a masked individual who took out a Master Ball to recall Great Tusk. They were clad in the same rainbow colour as the portal in front of them, adorned with a jeweled helmet concealing their identity before speaking to their group in a curious tone.

“How interesting. To think that this Pokemon was defeated by your hands. The Pokemon you possess are quite fascinating, as are the trainers who command them. Fascinating indeed.”

Florian immediately moved towards the masked figure, with Juliana following soon after. “Who are you? And why did you send that Pokemon to wreak havoc on Mesagoza?”

“You misunderstand. I did not send this Pokemon to cause destruction. It simply wandered off on its own after the Tera Portal opened to connect our world and this world.”

Juliana became immediately perplexed. “Tera Portal? Your world? What are you talking about?”

“Hmm. It would be too complicated for you to understand if I explained in detail, so let’s just say it serves as a bridge between your world and mine. As for who I am. You may call me Thorn and I serve as a member of Team Tera to fulfill our team’s desire.”

Penny raised an eyebrow. “Team Tera? Really? A little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“Don’t think you can talk when you and your friends came up with the whole ‘Team Star’ identity.” Arven bluntly answered back.

“Not the time to spark an argument, guys.” Juliana interrupted.

Wanting to get the conversation back on track, Florian turned his gaze back towards the masked figure. “Anyway, what’s the deal between you and those Tera Portals you talked about? You clearly know a lot about them. I’d even say you might be involved in making them if you were able to travel through it with no issues.”

“It is all because of the great Pokemon that slumbers within Paldea that these portals were made manifest. In fact, we believe it is connected to a certain event that occurred in this Paldea recently. We are here to investigate to find the cause and effect from that event.”

“Hold on? I’m getting even more confused. What event are you talking about?”

But before Juliana could have her question answered, a large energy blast was shot in Thorn’s direction, causing them to jump back to avoid being severely injured. They looked up to ascertain their attacker’s identity as their eyes shined with intrigue before turning back towards Juliana’s group.

“Well, it appears I will have to retreat to avoid any further hostilities. Perhaps we will meet again. Although, considering I have met some of you before, that may be inaccurate. But do not worry. I will close this portal to avoid any more potential harm from befalling this place. We’ll need to investigate this world thoroughly, after all.”

“Wait!” Juliana saw Florian running towards her, but it was too late.

Thorn instantly walked through the Tera Portal before immediately disappearing without a trace. Leaving Juliana, Florian, and the others in complete confusion over what just happened.
The bewilderment would continue when a new figure emerged from above, surprising one person from their group with their arrival alongside their trust companion. The strangely dressed woman greeted their group with a sense of familiarity for some.

“It has been some time, my dear adventurers. I hope you are all safe. Although, I’m not sure some of you are the same individuals that I remember.”

Florian rubbed his eyes heavily to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Because there was no way she should even be here right now. “Professor Sada? Didn’t you disappear with the time machine? How are you here?! And in this Paldea?!”

“P-Professor Sada? Are you…?”

From among their group, Arven was completely floored by her presence, looking like he had seen a ghost from the past. The woman named Sada moved to greet the tall boy.

“You appear to be a different Arven than I know. But even so, her feelings for you still resonate under your presence. I’m sure she would be happy to see that another version of her son has grown up happy despite the circumstances that befell you.”

Arven looked down, gripping his fist as tightly as he could after hearing her words. Because he never thought he would have the chance to ever meet her in all her life, even if it was just an AI version. The AI professor enveloped the boy with a tight hug as she embraced him with as much warmth her mechanical body could muster.

“I never thought I would ever get the chance to meet you…Mom!”

Through familial instinct, he reciprocated the cerulean-eyed professor’s hug with one of equal intensity. Even if she wasn’t really his real mother, much less one from his Paldea, it didn’t matter to him. After coming to terms with his father during that harrowing time, he was grateful for this unexpected opportunity to meet the other parent he never knew.

Juliana gave a warm smile for his friend, sharing in the joy he was experiencing with his newfound parent.

Meanwhile, Florian looked inquisitive over the current situation between the two. Because after they were done, there were a lot of things they needed to talk about with the AI professor. And the new threat that’s currently happening with these Tera Portals and the mysterious Thorn who appeared before them.

Sigh. And here he thought suddenly waking up in the Zero Lab was the biggest trouble he had to deal with. Oh well, he could wait until Arven finishing his tender moment. He may not be the Arven he knew, but Florian would do anything to support his friends, no matter when or where he was.

Deep within the Underdepths of Area Zero, a Tera Portal glowed with intensity before revealing Thorn walking back from the other side. Her jeweled gauntlet shined brightly as she touched the portal before it completely vanished.

“To think there could be such strong trainers and Pokemon in that other Paldea. If they were able to subdue the Paradox Pokemon at its most powerful, we should observe them carefully to see if they either a boon or hindrance to our goal.”

Thorn continued walking through the large island she was currently standing on, gazing upon the large, slumbering creature in front of her. Underneath her mask, the armoured figure gave an inquisitive smile, one that screamed excitement towards conduct some exciting experiments.

“Now then. For the sake of our goal, let us see where our exploration into this other Paldea will take us. As the other members of Team Tera, I will be counting on all of you to do you can to ensure we attain it.”

Multiple masked figures stepped out from the shadows to acknowledge their fellow team member, nodding quietly to signal their agreement to the plan. Thorn used her gauntlet to open another Tera Portal, this time with all her team members walking in her direction for their next mission.

“Let’s go, shall we?”

She said nothing else, slowly walking forward with calculated movements with her allies following each step she made.

Chapter Text

The AI Sada continued to embrace Arven, the tall boy finding comfort with the mother he never knew. Even if she was from another Paldea and an artificial being, the feelings imparted toward him by her touch felt real as they parted amicably with warmth still with them.

The two Koraidons stared silently from their trainers’ sides. The intimidating glares between them demonstrated it would take a while for them to reconcile. But they would stay their paws for their partner’s sake, which Florian was grateful for before she turned to Sada.

“Professor Sada, how are you here? Last I checked, you said you were going to send yourself and the time machine into the distant past to save Paldea from being overrun by a horde of Paradox Pokemon.”

“Yes, that was my intention. I had hoped being sent to the past would cease the Paradise Protection Protocol’s functions. However, I found myself in this version of Area Zero instead. When I awoke, I saw a large Tera portal that Thorn person referred it as within a deeper part of Area Zero than the Zero Lab. With that in mind, I decided to head towards the surface to find some answers. Imagine my surprise to see a Titan Great Tusk battling you all, and with a Tera Jewel I had never seen before.”

So, she didn’t know why they were here either. Florian had hoped the robotic professor would be able answer some of his own questions, but he supposed life never was easy for him ever since he began his journey.

Still, they may find the solution to return to their world with her help.

Because while Florian liked this world’s Nemona, Arven, and Penny.

They weren’t the ones he knew.

They were Juliana’s best friends. And from what he could see, she managed to reconcile with Kieran and Carmine with how much they enjoyed her presence.

Maybe he could do the same with his Kieran and Carmine too.

“Would you be able to team up with us, professor? With your knowledge of Area Zero and Terastallization, you’d be a big help with dealing with Team Tera and getting us back home. Plus, I’m sure Arven would love the opportunity to spend time with you while we’re stuck here.”

Arven turned away to mask his current elation over the proposal, prompting a few snickers from his friends.

But Sada shook her head. “I would love nothing more to assist you. However, I sense the Paradise Protection Protocol of this world being active due to my presence. I am attempting to resist its commands, but I fear it won’t be long before it will eventually override my functions and force me to turn against you all.”

“I guess you’re the same as the AI version of my dad.” Arven lamented. “Both under the control of that damned protocol that my parents constructed to create their paradise.”

Juliana put her hand on his shoulder to provide comfort and solidarity. Something Arven very much appreciated as he turned towards her with a wide smile.

“While I cannot be alongside you, I will try to investigate Area Zero further to see if there are any clues to help us with our current dilemma. I would like to do all I can before I lose control and become your enemy. Seeing myself hurt you all if I do succumb to the protocol’s wishes would break my artificial heart.”

“Mom…”

Sada turned towards Arven with a loving gaze. “Arven, just know that whatever happened between you and them, I am sure your parents always loved you. Even when they were swallowed by their ambitions, that part of them that cared for you never disappeared. Your ID appears to be the same as the Arven from my Paldea, so I will contact you if I find any breaking leads.”

“Got it! Good luck, professor.” Florian replied.

Sada gave a quick nod before turning back one more time. “And… If you would like to know more about your mother, feel free to ask me whenever we get in contact. I would be happy to share all that I know about her.”

And with that, the past-loving professor bid their group farewell, calling on her Koraidon to take them back to the Great Crater of Paldea.

Juliana went to Arven’s side and held his hand. “Will you be okay?”

Arven sighed. “Honestly, this is all a lot to take in. Knowing that an AI version of my mom from another world is here and finding out that version of her loved me is…I don’t what to think. But I know I can handle it with you guys by my side. Especially with you here, little buddy.”

Arven gave her a such a warm smile that Juliana flashed him her own radiant smile in return. Florian looked at the two with both content and jealousy, reminding him of the times he and his Arven journeyed together.

He missed him.

He missed his friends.

But once all this is settled, he knew they would reunite. Now Florian and the others needed to consider what they should do next.

“We should probably look more into this Team Tera that Thorn talked about. They seemed to have lots of knowledge on the Terestal Phenomenon and Stellar-types based on what she said.” Juliana commented.

Carmine grimaced. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. Remembering that near-life experience at the Area Zero Underdepths with Terapagos is giving me the shivers.”

Kieran reacted similarly. “Yeah, the moment I almost got blasted by it still gives me nightmares. If Juliana’s Miraidon didn’t block it, I might’ve…”

Feeling himself shake heavily from the painful memories, he felt his hand being grasped by Juliana’s as she squeezed tightly to calm him down. Something that did not escape Florian’s notice over how close they were.

Would he have that sort of relationship with him too?

“We should probably see if we can find any more of those Tera portals in Paldea.” Florian suggested. “I doubt the one in Mesagoza was the only one. And if we find those portals, we’ll probably find Thorn and other Team Tera.”

Juliana nodded. “That makes sense. Maybe we can ask the Pokemon League for help in finding these portals. Ms. Geeta’s usually on top of handling any business relating to Paldea’s safety.”

No sooner than when she made her suggestion, Juliana’s Rotom phone rang.

The caller was Chairwoman Geeta.

From the other side, Geeta greeted the chestnut-haired girl with the same professional air she always had. “Greetings, Champion Juliana. I apologize for contacting you so suddenly, but there is an urgent matter I am hoping you can assist with.”

“Don’t worry, La Primera! We’d be happy to help with whatever problem’s happening!” Nemona fervently replied.

“Ah, I see Champion Nemona and your other friends are here too.” Geeta commented before taking a good look at Florian from her screen. “And it appears a new face is with you as well. One wearing a uniform like Uva Academy’s but of a different colour. Curious.”

Juliana rubbed the back of her head. “Umm, it’s kind of a long story.”
“Well, we can discuss that later. For now, if you could all head towards the Pokemon League building as soon as you can, that would very much be appreciated.”

“Understood! We’ll head there right now.”

Geeta smiled. “Excellent! We shall eagerly await you until you all arrive.”

The call ended, prompting Juliana to inform her friends about Geeta’s request. To no surprise, they all agreed to come with her and soon, they all took a Flying Taxi towards the Pokemon League building. The large, domelike building stood as tall and imposing as ever within the border between it and the Great Crater of Paldea.

Once inside, Juliana and her large group were approached by the Top Champion and Elite Four member known to make many trainers swoon.

“Heya kiddos. It’s La Primera and good ol’ Rika here.” Rika announced. “You kids better follow us to the meeting room so we can lay down why we called you here.”

Juliana lightly chuckled at the green-haired professional’s entrance. And from the corner of her eye, she could see Florian doing the same. Though, he put a lot more effort in hiding it.

The Uva and Blueberry Academy students, along with Florian, walked towards the league’s meeting room, before Rika locked the door. A large screen flared to life, showing an image of the Tera portal that opened in Mesagoza earlier.

Looks like we’re both tackling the same problem.

“Thank you for coming to meet with us. I am happy to see our dear students from Uva Academy, but also the ones I met at Blueberry Academy.”

She gave a polite smile towards Kieran and Carmine, prompting them to greet them as formally as they could. But considering Carmine’s aggressive personality and Kieran’s dorky personality, it was harder for them to make themselves act proper.

Though, Juliana couldn't help but find Kieran adorable as he was currently flustering over the right words to say to the Top Champion.

She would keep those thoughts to herself, of course.

“It is fortunate we have such capable trainers from both academies who can assist us with our current problem.” Geeta added. “As you can see, Rika and I are here to discuss these ‘Tera portals’ that have appeared in Paldea. We had thoroughly observed your battle against the strange Pokemon that appeared, as well as person who you all met during that time.”

“Feels kinda creepy knowing they were intensely watching us.” Penny whispered, not wanting Geeta to overhear.

“At least it’ll help us with understand what was going on back then.” Juliana quietly replied.

Rika gave them a deadly stare, prompting them to shut up immediately.

“Anyway. We don’t know what’s going on, but we can tell that portal emitted a massive, unstable amount of Terestal energy before it was closed by that masked figure.” Rika continued.

“Not only that, but there have been many other readings that have appeared across Paldea ever since the portal in Mesagoza closed.”

Arven raised an eyebrow. “There really are more portals popping up? Did any other unknown Paradox Pokemon show up too?”

Geeta gave a curious look. “Hmm? How do you know the Pokemon that are appearing through the portals are Paradox Pokemon?”

“Because they’re the Paradox Pokemon that dwell within the Area Zero of my world.”

Florian walked up, a glint in Geeta’s eyes sparkling from his words.

“And who might you be, young man? You had my curiosity ever since I saw you through Champion Juliana’s screen. And your presence and attire give off an air of familiarity that I can’t put my finger on.”

“I guess that makes sense. Me and Juliana are apparently the same person.” Florian replied. “I’m Florian, and I come from another Paldea. Probably the Paldea that’s connected to this one based on the Paradox Pokemon that are appearing here.”

Rika frowned. “Another Paldea? You’re not pulling our leg, are ya kiddo?”

Juliana gave a nod of support towards her counterpart. “It’s true. We didn’t believe it ourselves at first, but Florian does seem to be from a Paldea that’s different than ours. With his own versions of us and everything. Well, except me.”

“Yeah! He’s even friends with us in his Paldea and knows stuff we never told anyone else. Isn’t that so cool, La Primera?!” Nemona added.

Penny shrugged in agreement, while Arven just sighed in exasperation.

Geeta appeared deep in thought. “If you all believe his words, then I shall as well. From the looks of it, Florian would be a great asset in providing detailed knowledge about these Paradox Pokemon so we can prevent them from causing any harm. There is another person I’m interested in besides Florian, but that can wait until after the portals have been eliminated.”

“So, I’m guessing you want us to go to some of these portals to deal with the Pokemon passing through them?” Drayton inquired.

“That is correct. I apologize for asking so much from all of you, but even with the Pokemon League’s staff and Elite Four members handling this situation, there are too many portals to contain with our current numbers.”

Rika shook her head. “Some of these Paradox Pokemon are extremely strong from what I heard from Larry, Hassel, and the squirt. They’re able to Terastallize into a different type than what the league’s recorded, with increased power to boot. It’s a real pain.”

Drayton shrugged. “Mr. Hassel’s tough, even if he’s dramatic at times. He should be able to handle them no problem.”

Juliana’s face turned to shock. “But wait? Poppy’s battling them too? Isn’t it dangerous for a kindergartener to handle Pokemon like those alone?”

Rika gave a hearty laugh. “Haha! The squirt’s actually 9 years old despite her size. Don’t worry about her safety either. She’s tougher than she looks and there are league staff helping her out too. You guys should focus on handling the portals in the locations we’re sending you to.”

Rika took the small remote from her pocket, pressing one of the buttons before a large map appeared before them. Juliana could see two large, red dots pulsing on the screen, no doubt the places Geeta and Rika wanted them to go to help. Strangely, they appeared to be separated quite far from each other.

As if they were in two different regions.

One of them appeared to be in Alfornada, based on the southwest, mountainous area outside of the city.

Carmine and Kieran’s eyes went wide open, knowing exactly where the other dot pointed to.

Carmine raised her fists in angered worry. “That’s the Crystal Pool! Why would a Tera Portal be there?! And in Kitakami in all places?! Aren’t they supposed to only be in Paldea?!”

“I’m afraid I cannot answer that question. What I can say, however; is that there are reports from strange individuals from both Kitakami and Alfornada. Individuals wearing rainbow masks and white outfits.”

“I’m guessing they’re those Team Tera members like Thorn.” Lacey commented.

“W-what’s goin’ to happen to the villagers? And Grandma and Grandpa? Are they gonna be safe if those Paradox Pokemon reach Mossui Town?!”

Kieran started shaking, his fist bumping quickly on his thigh in an attempt to relieve the anxiety and fear currently gripping his heart. But those worries melted once Juliana squeezing his hand.

She felt so warm and kind. And it gave him a sense of hope.

He turned to see the girl giving him an encouraging smile and continued squeezing his hand with care. The boy felt grateful for her support, as always.

He was lucky that she was his friend.

His dearest friend.

No, the one he treasured the most in her heart.

Those content gazes and gestures did not elude either Carmine or Penny’s views, but they would keep those thoughts to themselves for now.

Florian himself felt a little envious at their little display, wishing their relationship was like how they were acting now. Before everything went wrong during that fateful day.

No. Thinking about varied possibilities wasn’t going to fix things. He needed to focus his attention on what they were asked to do.

“We should probably split into two groups to cover more ground. There’s 11 of us, so we can split into groups of 5 and 6 to each location. Even if we’re not fighting together, we should have enough manpower to handle the Pokemon and opposing trainers there.” Florian advised.

“It would be pertinent to ascertain what Team Tera’s goals are with the Tera portals and these Paradox Pokemon that are currently unleashed in our world.” Amarys added.

Juliana let out a pondering gesture. “Guess we should figure out how we should split the teams. Why don’t we start with the people heading to Kitakami.”

“Obviously Kiki and I are going.” Carmine quickly replied. “If there’s trouble happening in our hometown, we’ve gotta do something to stop it!”

“Plus, we know Kitakami’s terrain better than anyone else here. We know shortcuts that can lead us to the Crystal Pool quicker.”

Juliana nodded. “Ok, we’ve got Carmine and Kieran. Who else is going to go?”

Surprisingly, Drayton raised his hand at the proposal. Juliana expected he would try making excuses not to go, but she supposed he was willing to step up to the plate when dealing with serious situations like these.

“My dragons can help us fly there in only a few hours. And Kieran and Juliana can use Dragonite and Miraidon to fly everyone there at breakneck speed, so she should be a part of our little team.”

He gave a wink towards the Paldean girl, prompting Carmine to slap his head and Lacey to briefly lecture him about not sending mixed messages.

Juliana silently chuckled over their display, before turning towards the rest of the group. “Alright, me and Drayton will go too. Now we’ve got 4.”

“I’ll stay in Paldea to handle the portal in Alfornada.” Florian decided. “If Juliana’s going with Miraidon, then Koraidon and I will provide our power for the team staying in Paldea.”

“Ooh! In that case, I’ll go with Florian too! I wanna see him and Koraidon in action after how much he fought back in Mesagoza.” Nemona chimed in.

Arven sighed. “You just want to battle him after, don’t you? But I’ll go with Florian and Nemona to handle things in Alfornada. I…want to see if she will show up to help us out if we’re close by.”

“Fine with me. I wanted to talk to you and Nemona about certain stuff anyways.” Florian responded.

“Uh, sure. That’s cool.” The vested boy replied before turning to Juliana. “Just make sure you stay safe while you head to Kitakami, little buddy.”

“Mhm! I’ll be careful, I promise.”

She gave him another radiant smile, forcing Arven to smile back as he relented to his best friend’s optimistic personality.

Florian simply stared at the duo with a sort of longing, then turned his attention to Crispin, Lacey, Amarys, and Penny. They were the only ones left to decide which team they would join.

Thankfully, Lacey had finally made up her mind before she spoke. “I believe it would be best if I accompany Florian and the others. I’m not the best at flying long distances and I would love to see more of the cute wonders Paldea has to offer.”

“Sounds good to me! I’ll go with you, Lacey!” Crispin immediately offered.

Leave it to Crispin to go follow his crush anywhere she went. Now if only he could use that enthusiasm to gain the courage to fully confess his feelings towards her one day.

“Then I shall go with them to round out the group.” Amarys commented. “Like Lacey, I would love to view Paldea’s various architecture while I am here. Please make sure you don’t argue with Drayton too much, Carmine.”

Carmine was taken aback. “What?! I take things very seriously, you know? I know better than to get into any fights with that bozo on the way there.”

Amarys just gave her an inquisitive look that told her that she knew her words were a total lie.

“Fine! If he doesn’t annoy me like usual, I’ll behave.” Carmine huffed.

“Don’t worry, Carmine. I’ll make sure to be my best behaviour for you hehe.”

Juliana and Kieran already knew this was going to be a long trip.

Guess that meant Penny was automatically going to be travelling with her, Drayton, and the Kitakami siblings given that Florian’s group was already full.

Though, Penny didn’t seem to mind and even said it would give her a chance to talk to her about something privately.

Not that Juliana knew what would be important enough for the recluse to discuss with her. But she would think about that when they set off.

Geeta gave a slight smile. “Then I wish all of you good luck and great care as you embark on this dangerous journey.”

“Do your best. But remember if things get too tough, pull back immediately. Like the boss said, this is a dangerous journey, and we don’t want anyone dying or getting severely injured.” Rika added, eyes darting towards a select few individuals who awkwardly shrunk back.

Oh well. Their teams were decided, so they made their way towards the exit before Juliana and Florian faced each other to say their temporary goodbyes.

“I hope you get some clue to get back to your world. I know I’d feel sad knowing the people I care about we’re out of my reach.” Juliana sympathized.

Florian softly chuckled. “Thanks, Juliana. You’ve got a kind heart for others. But I guess that make sense since we’re the same person. Anyways, you be careful out there too.”

“Ehehe. Same to you.”

They solidified their goodbye with a fist bump, then spun on their heels towards the opposite direction, sending out Miraidon and Koraidon. The two Paradox Pokemon gave a few supportive growls to one another and soon the two groups flew towards their targeted destination.

Juliana and her team towards the Crystal Pool.

Florian and his team towards Alfornada.

A stellar road that illuminated both a scarlet and violet path for these two trainers of fate as they raced to find the answers they seek.

This place sure brought back a lot of memories. The radiant light of the crystals illuminated the water with both beauty and wonder.

He somewhat missed those precious times.

“You look like you’re spacing out like usual.” An annoying voice commented that broke him from his nostalgic trance.

“Shut it. I bet you’re also spacing out after coming back to this place.”

“Maybe. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of the six wonders of Kitakami. Sigh, those were some dangerous and fun times.”

“Fun for you, maybe. I absolutely hated my time here. All I got out of it were broken dreams and despair that pierced my heart.”

His partner gave him a side-eye glance. He couldn’t see it from beneath their mask, but he could instinctively tell.

“Didn’t think you’d be a poetic now. But you need to focus on our current mission. We’re here as Team Tera’s commanders. And with what Thorn said, he might show up. So, we may have a fight on our hands.”

He turned and scoffed. “You think I don’t know that? I welcome the challenge!”

“Cool your head! If you focus too much on him, it’s not going to be good for us or with the mission. I already have enough worries with the Paradox Pokemon that have been going berserk thanks to that thing’s power. That’s why we’re trying to collect the Terestal energy here in the first place.”

He let out another scoff. “I know I’d have the power to control it. Then, he will see that for himself when I crush him the next chance we meet. I bet I can crush him even now.”

His partner let out an exhaustive sigh, but decided another argument with him would be a waste of time. So, she turned and moved away to look at the Terestal crystals deep within the Crystal Pool.

Whatever. He didn’t care what she thought, anyways.

But he knew they would cross paths eventually. And when they did, he would use every ounce of his spirit to destroy him.

Just like how he destroyed his heart back then.

Come! I’ll show you how much I’ve changed.

Chapter Text

The flight to Kitakami was smoother than Juliana expected, thanks to Miraidon’s improved flight capabilities and the fact that both Drayton and Kieran’s Dragonites could amazingly fly faster than the speed of sound.

Which allowed her and Kieran the chance to talk while they were soaring the skies.

“Hey, Kieran. About what happened back in Mesagoza. You know, when we were battling against that Titan Great Tusk from Florian’s world? You leapt in front of me trying to shield me from its Tera Blast, even at the risk of getting injured. I just wanted to know why.”

Kieran’s cheeks slightly flushed. “W-well, I just wanted to make up for all the resentment and bad things I said to you when you arrived in Blueberry. You didn’t deserve all the hateful words and rage I felt because I was bein’ stupid and jealous over how strong and tough you are. B-besides, you did the same for me when Terapago tried blastin’ me. I wanted to start our friendship over from zero with no lingerin’ feelings holdin’ me back, I guess...”

Juliana giggled. “You don’t have to worry about that, silly. We were both to blame for everything that happened back then. But even after everything we’ve gone through, we still became better friends than ever! And I wish with all my heart for us to grow even closer and closer!”

If Kieran wasn’t blushing before, then he sure was now. If only his heart didn’t start beating like a drum too.

“Sigh, still can’t believe you two haven’t gotten your obvious feelings towards each other sorted out.” Penny quipped from behind Juliana. “It gets a lot cringier the more you two stall things out.”

“Seriously! Just confess your feelings for each other already, instead of tiptoeing around it with this ‘just being friends’ nonsense! Kiki’s got a crush on you since the first day we met, and I’m betting you feel the same!” Carmine barked.

“S-sis! It’s not like that! Me and Juliana are just friends. I’m not expectin’ anythin’ more after the way I treated her.”

“Y-yeah!” Juliana added. “Kieran’s a great guy, but I’m happy with us just being pals. Really. Seriously!”

But from her sputter and the deadpan looks from their eyes, she wasn’t fooling Carmine or Penny one bit.

And from the way he was pulling his Dragonite closer between them, Drayton was about to grace them with his ‘helpful’ input.

“I’m gonna agree with Carmine and Penny on this one. Watching you and the Ex-champ acting all sweet and cuddly with each other without either of you realizing is sad to watch. Just confess and kiss on a tree already.” Drayton called out with a smirk.

“Shut it, Drayton! Don’t you start! And stop calling me ‘Ex-champ’!”

Kieran couldn’t help but blush even harder now that three of their group members were playing matchmaker with them, making Juliana panic even more as she tried her hardest not to make Miraidon dive down when their destination was close.

Juliana was thankful to the great deities above that she could see the outline of Kitakami as all three Pokemon rushed towards the Crystal Pool.

The air of Terestal energy flowing throughout one of the six wonders of Kitakami couldn’t have been more obvious, especially with the large portal it was flowing out of.

But even more apparent were the two white-clad trainers that stood in front of the massive portal, intently focused on the pool’s glowing water.

Even without knowing, Juliana could tell they were members of Team Tera like Thorn, with the same masked helmet and jewels adorning their bodies.

With a wave, Juliana prompted Miraidon to rush down to land safely while Drayton and Kieran followed suit before returning their Dragonite to rest from the long flight, making their presence known to the two masked individuals.

The taller member eyed the new guests with intrigue. “Guess we were right that you guys would show up, after Thorn had talked about your sharp skills when she came back.”

“So, you two are from Team Tera too.” Juliana confirmed. “Do you two have names we can refer to instead of calling you ‘masked people’?”

The taller member gave a smirk, brushing her long ponytail back. With an elegant spin and over-the-top motions, she answered. “Glad you asked! You are facing the strongest commander of Team Tera, the beautiful and gorgeous maiden Rose! Heehee, feel free to praise me any time.”

Juliana and the others merely raised a deadpan look at the commander’s eccentric introduction. What was she supposed to say to that?

“That was so cringy, I have no words.” Penny commented. Clearly her friend had no problems expressing how she felt.

Carmine nodded. “Seriously. Just how vain and egotistical can you be to act like that? That’s not dazzling at all.”

“I don’t think you should talk, Carmine. When you’re the vainest and most prideful person we know.” The duo-haired girl snarked.

“Excuse me! What exactly do you mean by that, Penny?! I am poise and modesty personified! Kiki, Juliana back me up here!”

Juliana and Kieran only chuckled nervously at their little argument while Drayton looked interested to see how much more entertaining his feisty friend was getting.

“Will you both shut it?!” The shorter commander yelled. “Your petty argument’s getting on my nerves! My idiotic partner has already introduced herself, but know that in the end you’ll all be crushed by me, Team Tera’s strongest commander Noir!”

He turned towards Juliana with a deep scowl. “You look so much like him, it’s sickening. I thought he’d be here so I could prove to him how much I’ve surpassed him after he took everything from me, but annihilating his lookalike will have to do. You better tell him how much I’ve gotten stronger once I’ve seared the very image of my power into your bones!”

Juliana couldn’t help but step back a bit from the intense anger that directed towards her. Even being unable to see his face from beneath his mask, she could feel the immense hatred and resentment emanating from him.

Just what did this person do to make this guy hate her when she’s never even met this guy before?

Drayton grimaced. “Yeesh. And here I thought the ex-Champ had attitude problems. But this guy certainly takes the cake with his edgelord personality.”

“Hey! I was not trying to act edgy! And I told you to stop calling me ex-Champ, you toothpaste-haired bozo!”

Kieran gave a large pout at the Dragon-type master’s flippant attitude. But he couldn’t deny that there was an air of familiarity from the angry commander that was fixated on Juliana. Not just him, but the other commander felt familiar too. It almost felt as if…

No! He needed to focus on making sure this guy didn’t get to Juliana. He took a step forward, raising his arm to shield her.

“If you wanna get to Juliana, then you gotta get through me first! But I’m not lettin’ you through no matter what!”

Carmine smirked. “Someone’s getting more confident, but that just means you’ve grown. You tell ‘em, Kiki. Teach this jerk a lesson not to mess with your girlfriend!”

“Sis…”

Juliana gave Kieran a bright smile despite Carmine’s implications, causing the boy to blush before she turned towards the two commanders. “Why don’t we all try to calm down. I’d prefer not to fight if we don’t have to. How about you tell us why you’re both here? What’s Team Tera’s goal with these portals and unleashing these Paradox Pokemon to Paldea and Kitakami?”

Rose scoffed. “First of all, we didn’t make these portals. They formed on their own and we just happened to follow them into your world. Second, we’re here to collect as much Terestal energy from the Crystal Pool as we can to fix the big mistake that happened in our world. We need to do everything we can to save it.”

“Mistake? Save?”

“You don’t need to know anything more. In fact, you don’t need to get involved at all, so make sure you don’t interfere with our mission. Because if you do, then we’ll have to use force to make you stay out of our way.” She replied, then turned towards Carmine and Kieran. “Starting with you two.”

She raised her arm, revealing a snow-white gauntlet, tapping on the crystal adorning the top of it before it started emitting a multitude of pulses. And then, a large, rainbow barrier formed surrounding Juliana and her group, making any escape futile.

Juliana wasn’t sure what was going on, but it appeared that a fight was inevitable and if they had to defeat them in a battle to get them to spill more information, then so be it.

She took out her Pokeball and threw it high in the sky. “Alright Tinakton, time to make your Crystal Pool debut!”

But the Pokeball did nothing and fell to the ground, left unopened without Tinkaton coming out. It simply remained static on the ground as Juliana was puzzled over what happened.

“You must be so confused right now, so allow me to enlighten you with my vast knowledge.” The egotistical commander remarked. “Our gauntlets have the ability to release a Terestal pulse using Stellar Terestal energy over a small radius for a certain period of time. Not only does it create a barrier that traps those within it, it also disrupts the Pokeball Lock system, preventing you from using any Pokemon that was not registered the earliest.”

“To dumb things down, that means you can only use one Pokemon while we’re in this field. And it’d have to be the Pokemon that was with you the longest.” Noir added.

Well, that wasn’t good. Juliana was hoping she would be able to use her full team to help her out, but this would severely limit their options. At least they still had the numbers advantage. And with how strong her friends were, Juliana was sure they would be able to overcome this obstacle and defeat them. Then maybe, they could finally get some answers.

She gazed at Miraidon and nodded, prompting the Iron Serpent to nod back as it transformed into its battle form before Juliana pulled out another Pokeball.

Let’s see if this works.

“I’m counting on you, Meowscarada!”

With an elegant spin, Juliana threw her Pokeball up high once more, this time revealing the masked cat giving a bow to signal its performance on this new stage.

Looks like Pokemon that were out like Miraidon were unaffected, which was good for them.

Kieran stood beside Juliana ready to fight too. “We’ll support you all the way, Juliana. Let’s do this Hydrapple!”

“Don’t think me and Sinistcha will be left in the dust!”

“You heard the little lady, let’s get in there Archaludon.”

“I wanted to show off all my Vee-Vees, but I guess my most special one will do. Time to help out, Sylveon.”

Kieran, Carmine, Drayton, and Penny stood with their partners in solidarity, their eyes on Juliana knowing she would act as their leader. She would assume the role with pride.

But such comradery didn’t deter Rose or Noir, flashing both a smug and manic smile before revealing two Master Balls and releasing their own Pokemon to fight.

“Enrapture them into oblivion, Flutter Mane.”

“Annihilate that girl to the dirt, Walking Wake!”

Juliana and the others couldn’t hide their surprise over the large, floating ghost and blue, prehistoric beast that stood before them. Even if it was their first time seeing them, they already knew they were dealing with more Paradox Pokemon from Florian’s world.

Penny sighed. “Great… More Paradox Pokemon we know nothing about. Just how many of these weird Pokemon are there in Florian’s world?”

“We’ll just have to do our best and fight our hardest, no matter what surprise lie in store for us!” Juliana shouted, the fire in her heart burning through with determination.

“Well said, girl. If we don’t know what they’re capable of, then we’ll just have to find out by battling them.” Drayton added. “Archaludon, strike those prehistoric freaks with Dragon Pulse.”

“That sounds like such a Nemona type answer. But I don’t have anything to counter that logic, so I might as well go along with it. Sylveon, charm them with Baby-Doll Eyes.”

Rose turned her head towards her partner. “Try not to go overboard, Noir.”

“You’re the last person I want to hear telling me that! Retaliate with Dragon Claw!”

A draconic blast burst towards the two Paradox Pokemon while they were distracted by Sylveon’s adorableness, striking a direct hit. But Juliana couldn’t hold back her surprise when Rose’s Flutter Mane stepped in to take the blow, not even taking a single scratch. Making them let their guard down when Walking Wake swiftly moved across the pool’s waters to repeatedly slash Archaludon with its sharp claws.

No way! Could it be that the Paradox Pokemon was?

Juliana’s fears were confirmed once she saw Rose’s arrogant demeanor. “Do you seriously not know about type matchups? Dumb mistakes like using a dragon-type move when you’re facing a fairy-type will cost you the match haha.”

Well, excuse them for not knowing what type their strange Pokemon were when Florian was the only one who battled them before.

Drayton, on the other hand, gave a pleased look of appreciation. “Thanks for telling us its type. Archaludon, use Flash Cannon next.”

“What?”

But Archaludon ignored the commander’s astonishment as it instantly fired its gray beam towards the floating Pokemon, this time dealing massive damage while it howled in pain.

“Guess you’ve gotta make sure not to make amateur moves of your own, huh?”

“Argh! You dare slight me like that?! Then, you are dead! Flutter Mane, use Moonblast on that oversized bridge!”

“Heh. Meet it head on with another Flash Cannon! Hoping you can back me up, Pensicle.”

“I’ll help if you promise never to call me Pensicle again. Unleash the darkest night against that Misdreavous faker with Shadow Ball!”

Another direct hit as Flutter Mane moved slower thanks to the super-effective damage Drayton and Penny dealt, making Rose’s temper sear even more.

“Argh! ARGH! Now both of you are dead! You hear me?!”

Noir scoffed at his partner’s rage. “And you said I should calm down when you’re pretty much falling for that bozo’s taunts. You better deal with him and the Eevee fangirl while I crush his pathetic lookalike and the weak siblings over there.”

Rose gave a sharp look at him, but nodded. “Fine! But like I said, don’t go so overboard that I have to save you from your self-destructive nature.”

“Sounds good to us. Me and Penny will take care of Miss Angry while you, Carmine, and the ex-Champ deal with Mister Anger Issues.”

The time for talk was over when both Tera commanders took out two black orbs from their pockets and proceeded to gather the surrounding Terestal energy flowing throughout the Crystal Pool.

There was no doubt.

They were going to Terastallize their Paradox Pokemon.

The two commanders threw their orbs into the air, infusing Flutter Mane and Walking Wake with a plethora of Terestal energy before they were encased in a rainbow, crystalline form.

“Should’ve known they’d have the power to make their Pokemon into stellar-types too.” Juliana surmised, before turning towards the siblings. “Let’s show them what we can do when we work as a team.”

With a smile and a nod, Kieran and Carmine took out their Tera orbs alongside Juliana before throwing them up in the air as well. Terestal energy flowed through Hydrapple, Sinistcha, and Meowscarada, making them into pure grass, fighting, and dark-types.

“Finally!” Noir cried. “It wouldn’t be satisfying beating you if you held back. Burn with vengeance against your foes with Outrage!”

“If it looks like Suicune, it could be a water-type. And if it used Dragon Claw earlier it could mean its part dragon-type too.” Kieran analyzed. “Let’s see if I'm right. Use your Fickle Beam to hit ‘em really hard, Hydrapple!”

Juliana followed next. “I’ll trust your judgement, Kieran. Meowscarada, strike fast and hard with Play Rough! Miraidon, I’m counting on you to fire your own Dragon Pulse to knock Walking Wake for the count.”

Carmine huffed. “Don’t forget about me just because you two are enjoying battling together! Give ‘em a taste of your tea with Matcha Gotcha, Sinistcha!”

Hydrapple, Sinistcha, and Miraidon fired their energy attacks towards the ferocious hound as it rushed towards them in fury. Perhaps reflecting its trainer’s mindset with how hellbent it was to strike them down. But even as it suffered immense damage from their blows like Kieran had predicted, Walking Wake pierced through their attacks and slammed all of their Pokemon in one hit. It continued to bash them with its body in reckless abandon, eventually even knocking out Sinsitcha and Meowscarada after a few hits.

The two grass-types didn’t even see it coming before they were knocked out and their Tera jewels shattered from the strain.

“Gah! I can’t believe he took down both of our Pokemon at once. Now how am I going to show how awesome I am to this jerk!” Carmine seethed.

“Not sure that should be our top priority in winning this fight, Sis…”

Noir ignored their banter and simply shook his head at the girl in front of him, solely focused on her performance so far. “That’s all you’ve got? I thought you’d be strong like him when we battled back then, but I should’ve expected as much from a lowly doppelganger like you.”

That got Kieran’s blood pumping.

“Hey! Don’t you dare call Juliana lowly!”

“Why shouldn't I? She already lost one of her Pokemon against mine. In a battle, results are what matters and anyone weaker than me is useless. And if you’re useless, you don’t deserve to survive. Am I wrong?”

“O-of course you’re wrong! It’s completely wrong to think about people like that! And it’s especially wrong to think of the person I care a lot about that way! Because Juliana is tougher and more spectacular than you’ll ever believe!”

Juliana was stunned. “Kieran. To think you’d say all that about me.”

“I’m just tellin’ the truth. You know I wouldn’t lie about somethin’ like that. You helped me realize how I should have been actin’ with your support, so I’ll support you too by crushing this jerk who’s tryin’ to put you down!”

Kieran gave a bright smile towards his partner, eliciting one of the same intensity from her.

“Thanks, Kieran. Now, let’s beat this guy together.”

“You got it! We’ll win this as a team!”

They held their hands together, resolve and confidence building from each other’s support. Miraidon and Hydrapple fiercely roared to match their trainer’s growing fire in their hearts.

Noir sneered in contempt, fury building even greater at seeing them so happy and smiling at each other’s presence. Just like he was with him before everything went wrong. Why did he get to be happy with that girl?

Why?

Why?

WHY?!

Why did he get to have this loving support with her?! Why couldn’t he have done the same for him?!

Why did he have to betray him?! Break his heart like that?!

He snarled vehemently at the duo. “Support?! Friendship?! That’s all meaningless when you’re weak and pathetic! I will crush BOTH of you so badly that you’ll be begging for forgiveness! Now Walking Wake, vent our rage even further and decimate both of their Pokemon!”

Juliana turned towards her battle partner. “Time to settle this battle with our grand finale! You ready, Kieran?”

The boy confidently nodded. “You bet! Let’s make him and his beefed-up Terestal Pokemon really hurt. We’re going big, Hydrapple. Get ready and use Tera Blast!”

“You heard him, Miraidon. Stand your ground and hit them hard with Electro Drift!”

The two dragons rushed and clashed with their fiercest moves, evenly matched despite the intense damage they were taking with each passing second. But as Walking Wake started to gain the advantage and push Miraidon back, seven syrpents shot their Terestal-powered beams towards the water-type’s back, giving Miraidon the chance it needed to overpower Walking Wake with its electrical slam.

It could do nothing but be sent flying towards the Crystal Pool’s waters, battered and defeated as its trainer growled in anger when its rainbow crown shattered.

He had lost to Juliana.

That carbon rip-off of the boy who betrayed him and shattered his heart.

Juliana let out a huge sigh of relief. It was extremely close, but they had managed to defeat the opposing Paradox Pokemon even when it had been powered up by Stellar Terestal energy.

Her friends let out sighs of their own over their victory, with Juliana focusing on a certain violet-haired boy smiling brightly at her while giving her a thumbs up.

She let out a slight chuckle and gave a thumbs up back to him, her heart slightly fluttering over how cute he looked.

But their rejoicing was short-lived after hearing Noir’s angered howls echoing throughout the Crystal Pool.

Juliana could see he was clearly not taking his loss well.

“Damn it! DAMN IT!!! How could I lose to his doppelganger?! After I vowed to become stronger than him the day he took everything from me!”

Rose grasped his shoulder, returning her Flutter Mane to Drayton and Penny’s surprise. “Calm down, Noir. You need to stay focused on the task at hand.”

But her partner slapped her hand away, becoming even more enraged. “Shut it! I will not lose again! Not to someone as worthless as her! She’s going to pay! No matter what! It’s time for me to fight her for real, and I will win!”

Rose gasped out of concern. “Wha?! You’re not serious, are you?!”

Juliana became perplexed. “What’s going to happen now?”

“Whatever it is, it ain’t going to be good.” Penny replied.

Noir raised his gauntlet up, eyeing his defeated partner still lying in the water. “Get up, you useless lizard! I still need your power to show her true fear!”

The Paradox Pokemon groaned as it moved as its master commanded while the commander struck a few poses with his arms. The Terestal crystal adorning Noir’s gauntlet glowed brighter as Walking Wake started disintegrating to the shock of Juliana and her friends. Its body turned into what appeared to be data as it was sucked into the lit crystal.

Soon, Noir’s entire body was filled with a bright, rainbow light that enveloped him, unseeable to Juliana and the others. His uniform’s colour turned into a light blue hue, now outfitted with claws, a majestic mane, and an elongated tail that made him the spitting image of Walking Wake itself.

Honestly, it reminded Juliana of one of those transformation scenes from those hero shows that Penny showed her a while back. She had to admit his poses weren’t half bad.

Meanwhile, the aggressive commander ignored their surprised looks. He only said a few words to outline the technique he used to change into his new form, blue armour shining brightly from the glowing sun.

“Synchronization complete.” He smirked.

Kieran’s eyes couldn’t help but sparkle at the whole transformation scene. “Wowzers. So cool. I know he’s our enemy but…wowzers.”

“I know right?” Penny gushed. “I gotta know what show this guy’s referring to with those smooth moves. Maybe Squirtle Rangers? Or maybe Vikavolt Rider? My curiosity is killing me here.”

“This is not the time to be fawning over the enemy, dummies!” Carmine yelled.

Kieran and Penny looked away in embarrassment over getting carried away, while Drayton let out an amused laugh over Carmine’s bristling, prompting her to smack his arm in anger.

Noir; meanwhile, was pissed.

“Are all of you idiots?! I just let out the best transformation sequence ever and now you’re ignoring me?! Stop screwing with me, damnit!”

Oh, guess the angry commander was sensitive deep down, Juliana thought.

“With the power of Synchronization, I can combine with a Pokemon that’s compatible with me, letting me inherit their powers and abilities as though they were my own.”

“What… What kind of crazy nonsense is this?!” Carmine shouted.

He flashed a frenzied smile in response. “If you don’t believe me, then why don’t I give you a demonstration? If I can’t be happy, then neither will you!”

As Juliana tried to understand what he meant by that, Noir immediately moved quickly to strike at the Paldean Champion, giving her little time to react to him instantly moving in front of her with his claws ready to strike. If it weren’t for Miraidon instinctively getting between them and taking the blow in her stead, there was no doubt that Juliana would have been severely injured.

Or maybe even killed.

The mere thought terrified her to no end, just like how she felt about the potential dangers when she was in Area Zero.

But her worries slowly eroded when Kieran grasped her hand with care and protection emanating from him. Pressing her hand even harder with his, he shot a furious look that she hadn’t seen from him since he was the Blueberry League Champion. But she could tell from that deadly stare, the message he was sending her.

That he would protect her with his life, and anyone who tried to harm her would be crushed.

Noir paid no mind to the boy’s protective stance, his wrath increasing from seeing that someone like him was being soft by concerning himself with a despicable fiend like Juliana.

He moved to strike Juliana again with his sharp claws once again when…

*ZAPPP*

The shorter masked figure suddenly fell on one knee from the shock that flowed through his body, his gasps for breath growing louder even as he tried standing up from the pain.

Rose approached him with an exhausted sigh. “That’s enough! You knew using Synchronization while Walking Wake was in that state was risky, and now it’s affecting your body. We’re falling back, understand?!”

“Shut up, Rose!” Noir snarled. “I need to finish her to prove I’m stronger! I don’t care what happens to me so long as I win!”

Kieran looked at him with shock. What was once rage that he felt for his foe soon turned into a sense of nostalgia over how determined he was to defeat Juliana to prove himself superior. Just like he did when he completely focused on being the best after that fateful school trip.

Meanwhile, Carmine just stared at the taller commander with how assertive she was towards her fellow partner. It wasn’t just a sense of authority that was laced into her words, but also…concern and care.

Could it be that they were actually?

“Don’t be stupid! If you keep abusing its power in the state that you’re in, you’re going to die! I’m not going to lose you because of your petty feelings towards that girl! Now stand down and fall back to the portal already!”

He gave another scowl but relented. “Whatever. But mark my words, I’ll pay you and Juliana back for beating me in full. Not just you, the guy who betrayed me back then will feel the full extent of my wrath!”

“Save the revenge talk after we get back. We’ve got plenty of Terestal energy after stalling them with our little battle, so we better report back to Thorn and the others.”

As Noir’s transformation started to fade, he used his remaining strength to return Walking Wake back to its ball before turning to enter the portal, disappearing from their sight.

Before leaving as well, Rose turned towards Juliana and her group, paying particular attention to Carmine and then Kieran with a wistful expression.

“We already took care of all the Paradox Pokemon that went through the portal, so you don’t have to worry about any of the villagers being in danger of their rampage. Also, a large enough energy blast powered by Terestal energy will be enough to shut down a Tera portal, even if it’s as huge as this one. From what I’ve seen from our battle, that weird Whatchamadon or whatever you call it should have enough power to do so, if it has help from those other Pokemon you used.”

“That’s awfully nice of ya to tell us. Question is why you care enough to tell us if we’re your enemies. Or why you care so much about the people here.” Drayton inquired.

“Because we’re not here to cause mayhem in this world or to cause direct harm to anyone.” She sharply replied, making even Drayton feel intimidated by her piercing gaze. “We came here for our mission and we need all the Terestal energy possible to complete it. The portals gave us the opportunity to do so, so don’t take our actions personally.”

“Kind of hard not to when you guys keep showing up from these weird portals that keep popping up spewing Paradox Pokemon we’ve never seen before.” Penny pointed out.

“If you don’t get in our way again, you won’t have to think that.” She coldly answered. “If you do though, just like Noir said, we won’t show you any mercy…no matter who you are.”

She briskly walked back past the Tera portal without another word, leaving Juliana even more puzzled than ever. She couldn’t explain why she felt such familiarity from the two commanders, even as fear still gripped her heart from Noir’s attack, shivering slightly from the mere thought.

But Kieran continued to grasp her hand, calming her down with a concerned look on his face. “It’ll be okay, Juliana. I won’t let ‘em or anyone else harm you. I’ll keep you safe with everythin’ I got.”

Juliana thought it was sweet of him to be so concerned about her. Even adorable when he started getting flustered over grabbing her hand so suddenly, that she couldn’t help but let out an amused giggle that made him even more frazzled.

Meanwhile, Carmine and Penny rolled their eyes over their little display as Drayton approached the group with an unusual, serious frown.

“Hate to break your little romantic moment, but what Rose said about collecting Terestal energy is worrying me. Something about fixing a big mistake from their world that they still didn’t tell us anything about by the way.”

“Bozo’s got a point.” Carmine replied. “All we know is they’ve got this synchro-whatever move to merge with their Paradox Pokemon and they can use the portals to get into our world. Hey, you got any ideas on how they’re doing that, Penny? You’re smart and nerdy after all.”

Penny raised her brow. “Ignoring that last part, I’ve got no clue. How am I supposed to figure that out when I can’t even understand the mechanics of how they can even merge with their Pokemon in the first place…”

Juliana took a deep breath, looking much better after regaining her composure. She was grateful Kieran had been there for her when she needed it.

“Well, the good news is that we survived whatever they dished out. We even beat one of them even when he made his Pokemon a stellar-type. I just hope Florian and the others are doing okay back in Paldea.”

If Team Tera’s commanders were also in Paldea, Juliana knew her counterpart would have a tough time against the different Terestal powers they held. And if they could merge with their Pokemon too, then there’s a chance their lives would be at risk.

She prayed with all her heart that the worst wouldn’t come to pass.

So, she would believe that Florian and the others would succeed no matter what.

“Heh. Quite a sight seeing all these Paradox Pokemon rampaging about and causing a mess in the city. Not that I really care. They’re just in the way of our mission.”

His partner turned towards his insensitive comment. “You shouldn’t be so happy seeing people suffer like that.”

He simply waved his hand with indifference. “I don’t see you doing anything to stop them, so keep the self-righteous beliefs to yourself. But I’m betting you’re excited to see him again if Thorn was telling the truth about what she saw.”

His partner gripped their right fist tightly, grasping their wrist. “After so long, my heart burns to see his face. If it really is him, then I’ll test him to make sure. I’ll battle him with all my spirit to find out. And if it really is him…I’ll make sure he stands down. He shouldn’t get involved in the plan. He…doesn’t deserve to suffer more than he should, or how we suffered back then.”

The commander smirked. “I never knew the guy, so I don’t really care if he’s involved or about his feelings. If he does get in the way though, he’s going to get crushed by yours truly. I’ll look forward to seeing the look on Noir’s face when he hears that I was the one to beat him haha. With the way he acts, the kid needs a good humbling now and again, after all.”

Sigh, working with a slimy guy like him was going to be a bigger hassle than expected. As if the Paradox Pokemon escaping the Tera portal wasn’t bad enough.

Still, he was right that they had a mission to fulfill and they both needed to see it through. And if he came to stop them, then they would do all they could to prevent him from interfering.

I hope it really is you.

And… I hope this time you’re not strong enough to beat me this time. For both of our sakes.

Chapter Text

The flight to Alfornada was both quiet and serious, given the situation. Florian still couldn’t help but be amazed that Koraidon could now fly high in the air, when it could only glide for a short period of time before.

But thanks to those flying supplements Amarys gave Koraidon, the red dragon could now fly effortlessly, albeit only for a few hours. Florian chuckled after remembering how much Koraidon pouted with envy after Amarys told them Juliana’s Miraidon could permanently fly after consuming a whole bunch of those supplements one day. Prompting Florian to comfort it with the promise of delicious sandwiches after their job was done. Seems like it and Miraidon had developed a bit of a rivalry alongside their friendship.

He turned back to Arven and Nemona, who were behind him, casually talking about one thing or another. Lacey and Crispin were there too, but they were having their own separate conversation while Amarys was flying on her Skarmory.

It still felt weird that he was alongside people who were both friends and strangers to him due to these timeline shenanigans. Because even though he wanted to know more about them, they weren’t the ones he had grown to know and love.

Still, he might as well determine what similarities and differences they had with the versions from his world. Considering Kieran, Carmine, and the others being here, he assumed a large amount of time had passed in their world compared to his. Getting more information on their experiences would be good to know when he returned to his world.

If he could get back, anyway.

“So…I was wondering what your experience was like in Area Zero. My friends and I had a lot of challenges making it through and the shocking revelations that followed. Was it the same with you guys?”

“It was a lot to take in when you find out your dad was actually dead while an AI pretended to be him.” Arven bluntly replied. “It’s…still hard to process even now, but I’m getting though it thanks to my little buddy and the others being by my side. I’m betting your Arven felt the same about his mom, right?”

Florian solemnly nodded. “Yeah. It was a lot for him to take in too when we reached the Zero Lab and had to battle the professor. I think deep down, he knew this would have happened eventually, but he tried to put on a brave face as we kept exploring. For us…and for himself.”

“Heh. That sounds like me, all right.” He wryly chuckled.

“Honestly, it was already a crazefest when we saw the Paradox Pokemon there. And then when Professor Sada turned out to be an AI and was forced to turn against us…scared isn’t enough to describe how I felt during those harrowing moments. But I kept being optimistic because everyone was counting on me to lead us to success, so we wouldn’t lose heart and support each other as friends. I just wanted to be someone reliable to them after everything that happened between us.”

“I bet they’d be proud of you no matter what happened.” Arven grinned. “Juliana helped us with our problems too and we’re really thankful for everything she’s done. I’m sure your Arven, Nemona, and Penny feel the same.”

“I totally get what you mean about Area Zero, though. It was creepy the more we deeper we went. But I thought the Paradox Pokemon were really something!” Nemona said as her eyes sparkled. “They were really tough and gave my Pokemon a real challenge. Ahh, if only I could battle as many of them as I wanted, that’d be the dream! But I know La Primera probably wouldn’t approve. Though, I’m sure Juliana and I could handle them as fellow Champions!”

Florian giggled. “You’re definitely the same as my Nemona with how much you love battling and growing stronger.”

“Ooh! I wonder if we’ll get the chance to battle each other someday. I always wanted to find out what it would be like to battle myself. Just imagining what strategies we’d have to come up with to one-up each other’s making my blood boil with excitement!”

“Geez. Keep your cool until we get to Alfornada. You’ll have plenty of time to satisfy your battle lust against those prehistoric Paradox Pokemon from Florian’s world.”

Nemona glanced at Arven mischievously. “Don’t tell me you aren’t excited too. I’ve seen you more fired up during Pokemon battles ever since you started taking the gym challenge.”

“Wait. Arven’s doing the gym challenge too? When did that happen?” Florian inquired.

“After we went to Kitakami and the whole Mochi Madness thing. Oh wait, you wouldn’t know about that, my bad. Anyways, old Arven here wanted a new goal for himself, so I suggested he do the gym challenge. Turns out he’s a lot better than he thought he’d be, not that I was surprised with how much I was coaching him.” Nemona proudly declared.

“You don’t have to be so smug about that. And you don’t need to tell Florian about this kind of stuff. It’s no big deal.”

“As your mentor, I have to show off my disciple’s accomplishments! You’ve been on a roll getting 4 badges already after doing the gym challenge a few weeks ago. And don’t think I didn’t notice that spark in your eyes whenever you’re battling these days.”

“Only because you insist on watching all of my gym battles.” Arven sighed. “But I guess it has been fun journeying around Paldea and getting stronger with my Pokemon. If I want to get as strong as my little buddy, then I need to keep doing my best.”

“That sounds like a fine goal to have, Arven.” Florian replied. “Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll make it through in the end.”

Arven felt his face flush a bit but tried to play it cool. “Well, thanks. I don’t know why, but when I heard you say that my heart felt more relaxed. It’s a similar feeling I get when Juliana encourages me. Similar… yet different too.”

“Guess you two really are more alike.” Nemona added. “I’m betting your friends in your world would be proud to have an amazing friend like you just like Juliana is to us!”

Florian started to feel flushed. But it was one of joy and pride. “I’m really glad to have met you guys. And…I hope you can all meet the friends I’ve gotten to treasure deep in my heart.”

They all shared a few more laughs before chatting up a storm to get to know each other more. Meanwhile, Lacey and Crispin were trying their best not to overhear their conversation, despite it being very difficult when they were sitting only a few meters behind them.

“Is it right to be hearing this? I’m trying not to, but…” Crispin whispered to Lacey.

“Well, I’d prefer not to since all this talk seems personal. But we can’t exactly move away when we’re all so close to each other.” Lacey pondered. “Why don’t we keep talking to distract ourselves from their conversation. How’s your culinary skills training been going?”

“Oh, it’s going great! I’ve been trying to make even spicier dishes that’ll leave you burning for more! I’ve had Drayton and Kieran test them once, but they always shy away from any future taste tests for some reason.”

Lacey snickered a little. “Well, everyone has their own acquired tastes. Still, I’m happy you’re very passionate and enthusiastic over this. It’s one of reasons why I like talking with you.”

“L-Like?! Uhh…I-I like talking with you too, Lacey. Y’know, with how kind and nice you are and how you’re willing to listen to me share my interests. ‘Cause it shows how much you care about me…I mean how much you care about what I think.”

His heart kept beating faster like a jackhammer as he continued sputtering praises towards his fellow Elite Four member and friend. Even though he wanted them to be more than friends one day once he was able to pull himself together and confess like he always wanted.

Maybe he’d get the courage to confess during their time in Paldea. Though, they’d have to deal with these Tera Portals and Team Tera first. But for Lacey, he’d do anything for her. Even lay down his life if needed.

Their flight to Alfornada ended once they reached the ancient, rustic city. The large Terestal portal was clear as day to Florian and the others, alongside the swarm of Paradox Pokemon currently roaming the city. Floods of citizens scrambled for safety to avoid getting in their path, seeking shelter or doing their best to evade their sight.

And at the center of it all, two masked individuals stood alongside a strange device. Their gazes shifted towards their group once they landed, interest and curiosity apparent in their faces.

“Seems like the gang’s all here.” The taller masked individual called out. “Why don’t we introduce ourselves. I’m Malwyrm and the one beside me is Azure, two of Team Tera’s mighty commanders!”

The other masked commander stared at Florian intensely. “It really is you. I’ve… We’ve been waiting so long for you to come back.”

“Hey, do you know them?” Nemona asked Florian. “They sure seem to know you.”

“I don’t think so. But something about this person seems familiar.”

A wave of nostalgia suddenly hit Florian, but he had no idea why. He was sure he’d never met any of Team Tera’s commanders before. Yet seeing her made his heart suddenly felt full.

He couldn’t get distracted now. They were responsible for these portals or at least had valuable information about them. They couldn’t let this chance slip them by.

“Why are you in this world?” He asked. “And why are you letting all these Paradox Pokemon run amok and terrorizing the city?”

Even without seeing his face, he knew the commander was sneering in disdain over his question. “They just happened to be lured by the portal’s Terestal energy, so who cares. We didn’t cause these portals to appear, and it’s not like this city’s our problem. We’re just here to collect the rich Terestal energy flowing within this land, nothing more. If you want to help these people, then knock yourself out dealing with those ancient freaks.”

His partner moved to argue back but stopped short. She merely stood doing nothing with what Florian could describe as melancholy on her face.

“Do you have little care for other people and Pokemon’s lives?!” Arven angrily commented. “Those Pokemon came from your world and you’re just going to let them rampage ours without feeling any guilt?”

Malwyrm shrugged. “Guilt? Like I said, it’s none of our business. This isn’t my home and we’re only here for our mission. But you’re free to stop them yourself instead of wasting time lecturing me, y’know. Because you’re neither important nor relevant for me to listen to.”

Arven looked like he was about to throttle this guy, and Florian couldn’t deny feeling the same. His self-righteous attitude was seriously pissing him off. And if they’re just going to do whatever they want in this world without a care for others, then they had to be stopped.

Florian raised his Pokeball ready to battle, leading both Tera commanders to stare with interest.

“You’re seriously going to stand against us? Pretty brave and foolish of you when you’re up against one of Team Tera’s best commanders. Though, I thought you’d be more focused on saving these people from the Paradox Pokemon before thinkin’ of challenging me.”

“He won’t need to because we’ll stop them ourselves while he teaches you a lesson in manners.”

Lacey stepped in front of Florian; a determined expression filled with disdain towards the haughty commander. “Crispin, Amarys, and I will handle the Paradox Pokemon while you, Nemona, and Arven deal with them. Exploiting this situation for their own ends without any concern for innocent lives is just not right!”

“Are you sure about this? They’re really tough.”

Crispin happily nodded. “Don’t worry, man. We’re plenty tough ourselves! We’ll show these berserk Pokemon what the BB Elite Four can do!”

“Indeed. And this way, you three can focus all your attention towards defeating these foes and stopping their plans.” Amarys added.

“You should just let them go.” Malwyrm interjected. “They’re the bunch that’ll act on they think is right without a second thought…at least that how they look to me.”

Despite his hesitation, the Elite Four members stood firm before Florian gave them a confident nod signalling them to fight with all they had.

He would believe that they would be okay.

“Whatever plan you have involving the Terestal energy here, we’re going to put a stop to it!” Florian declared.

“You talk big, but do you have the skills to back it up? Or is everything Noir said about you a bunch of lies? Guess we’ll find out once I crush you.”

Malwyrm took out a small sphere from his pocket, then immediately threw it towards the sky. A wave of energy surrounded the commanders and Florian’s group before solidifying into a barrier filled with various colours.

Escape was no longer possible, not that Florian would run away now.

“Love the field I set up? It’s chalk full of Terestal energy that not only traps whoever’s inside until a Pokemon battle ends but disables all Pokeballs other than the one holding your oldest Pokemon. That way, you can’t use numbers to try defeating us. It’ll be a one-on-one fight all the way until you either defeat us or our machine collects enough Terestal energy.”

The commander’s words rang true as Florian and his teammates couldn’t send out most of their Pokemon no matter what they tried. But at least he still had his most faithful companion who stood by him his entire journey, and it was time to unleash its strength.

“Then, we’ll stop you before that happens! We’ll win this battle together, Koraidon!”

“Yeah! Let’s get this battle underway! Time to battle Pawmot!”

“Try not to overdo it for our sakes, okay. I’m counting on you, Mabostiff old buddy!”

Florian, Nemona, and Arven’s ace Pokemon appeared in a flash ready to battle, making Azure start gesturing erratically with great vigour.

“I’ve been waiting so long to finally battle you again. My heart is beating with the thrill to win, the one trainer I want to defeat! Let’s get ourselves a good fight, Raging Bolt!”

“Heh. Someone’s finally all pumped up. Let’s see if you and that draconic Pokemon are as special as you think. Destroy anyone who gets in our way, Gouging Fire.”

Both Tera commanders released their Paradox Pokemon, a pair of prehistoric looking creatures that Florian had never seen before. But he knew from one glance that they were incredibly powerful, a league far above the other Paradox Pokemon he had faced before. The sunlight shined brightly thanks to Koraidon’s ability, causing all three Paradox Pokemon present to radiate a golden aura that increased their offensive capabilities.

Florian knew that this would happen when he sent Koraidon to battle, but an extra power-up from their opponents wouldn’t be enough to stop them. He had faith his new allies would be able to handle themselves.

“Ooh! Those Pokemon look really strong!” Nemona cheerfully shouted. “I can definitely go full power if they’re our opponents. Arven, make sure you go all out too and show them what my battle disciple can do!”

Arven’s cheeks flared slightly red. “Ugh! I never said I was your disciple, you know. But these guys need to be stopped, so I’ll give it all I got to stop them and help Florian out.”

“Aww, how sweet. Your sappy bonding moment is gonna make me cry hehe. Let’s dry those tears by burning you all to the ground. Lava Plume!”

The fiery Paradox Pokemon unleashed a wave of molten rock in the air, crashing down with great speed. But thanks to their quick timing, Koraidon and the others were able to avoid its assault, prompting Malwyrm letting out an impressed whistle.

“Strike back with Collision Course!” Florian declared; his friends following behind with their own attacks right after.

“Thunderpunch the flaming lizard, Pawmot!”

“We’re not falling behind, Mabosstiff. Bite ‘em down with your Jaw Lock!”

Azure didn’t waste time striking back while Florian and the others were distracted. “Fill the field with electricity by unleashing your Discharge, Raging Bolt.”

The yellow Paradox Pokemon unleashed a wave of electricity that radiated the battlefield, zapping its opponents without trouble.

Azure glared at Florian with great interest before glancing at her partner. “I’ll focus on battling Florian, while you handle the other two.”

“Hey now, when did I ever say you could be the boss of me. I’ll do as I damn please, thank you very much.” He said in a dismissive tone.

But she continued to stare at Malwyrm with growing venom towards him, causing him to sigh before acquiescing to her request.

“Fine. Have it your way. But don’t let your feelings for him get in the way of our goal here.” He coldly reminded her.

“We’ll handle Mister Jerkface, Florian.” Nemona told him. “You just focus your hardest on fighting that Azure commander. She’s looking to be a really tough one.”

Florian hesitated a little. “You guys going to be okay facing against an unknown Paradox Pokemon?”

Arven just responded with a confident smile as he launched his next attack against Gouging Fire. “We managed to handle ourselves fine down in Area Zero. I’ll bet your Arven and Nemona did the same in your world. Trust that we’ll be able to do the same.”

Florian chuckled slightly, knowing that Arven was right. If he believed in his friends back then, then he had no right to doubt his new friends in handling themselves too. Though, he failed to notice Azure’s intrigue towards the two, a feeling of longing and regret laced on her expression before turning back towards the boy she wanted to battle the most.

He stared back with greater determination than ever. “Sorry to keep you waiting. You wanted to battle me one-on-one. Then, I’ll give you a battle you won’t soon forget!”

“Fine with me! I’ve been waiting so long for the chance to battle you again after everything that happened. I’ll savour it to the last!”

Blood boiled from within them both, a desire for victory and a satisfactory performance fueling their fire as they called out their next attack.

“Dragon Claw/Dragon Hammer!” They both ordered, sending their partners to hack and slash their foe with vicious claws and neck movements that only intensified with every strike, dealing immense damage to both Pokemon in the process.

But neither would back down, adrenaline coursing in their veins with excitement and nostalgia as they kept going.

“Collision Course!”

“Strike first with Thunderclap!”

Raging Bolt moved with inhuman speeds to get the jump on Koraidon, blasting it with a bolt of lightning that slowed it down. But Koraidon immediately struck back by slamming heavily towards the ground with its body, causing Raging Bolt to stumble and lose balance.

“Why are you and the other Team Tera commanders fighting so hard for this plan of yours? Why come here of all places to achieve it?!” Florian asked.

Azure expression filled with lament. “To fix our world. Your world. And to do that, we need all the Terestal energy from this world to do so. I don’t want anyone to get hurt from our actions, especially you. So, please stand down once this battle is over.”

“That’s not happening!” Florian angrily decreed. “Unleashing a wave of Paradox Pokemon doesn’t justify whatever method to save our world! We won’t allow you sacrifice this Paldea to do so! We’ll strike you down and make sure your plan doesn’t come to light.”

She glared with even more fervor and excitement. “I figured you’d say that. That’s how you’ve always been. Then fight like your life depends on it. Because for us, it always has been. Now Raging Bolt, Terastallize with newfound stellar might to sate our hunger for battle!”

Florian grabbed his Tera Orb with equal fervor. “Don’t talk like you know me when I can’t even see your face! Time for use to Terastallize with draconic energy guiding us Koraidon!”

Both Pokemon became encased in glowing crystal light, before roaring loudly with their crowns on full display.

Malwyrm stared with intrigue towards the two, smiling maliciously all the while. “Why we join the Terastallizing party too? You guys can see how out of your league you are against my skills even when you’re tag-teaming against me. “Strike with immense fire, Gouging Fire!”

“Sounds like a challenge to me!” Nemona excitedly remarked. “Me and Arven are gonna blow you away with all our master-disciple teamwork!”

“Still not gonna accept the disciple title. But I’ll make sure to pull my weight. For you, Florian, and my little buddy fighting her hardest on the other side!”

Nemona and Arven took out their Tera Orbs too as they gathered as much Terestal energy from the surrounding area, infusing them with electric and dark energy respectively.

This was their final attack.

Time to go all-out!

“Tera Blast!”

“Dragon Pulse!”

“Double Shock!”

“Raging Fury!”

“Jaw Lock!”

A barrage of attacks swept through the area; the shockwaves generated as they all collided with one another powerful enough to shake the city with immense tremors.

But in the final moments, Koraidon’s power managed to win out against Raging Bolt’s draconic burst, slamming it back towards the barrier trapping them in, its body unable to even move as it fainted from its injuries. From the other side, Pawmot, Mabosstiff, and Gouging Fire lay on the ground from dealing with each other’s assault, their battle concluded as well.

The Terestal barrier surrounding them slowly faded, its energy dissipating until they became small, radiant shards.

While Malwyrm just shrugged in nonchalance over the result. Azure appeared disappointed before forming a slight smile. “That was incredible. You haven’t lost your touch after all this time. I’m…so happy.”

Florian breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing that they had finally won, yet those lingering feelings toward her defeated foe remained. It was time to get some answers. About her and what their intentions were coming here.

The female commander returned the electric dragon back into its ball, saddened that she had lost yet overjoyed that she had the chance to battle someone dear to hear once more. Her hand gripped tightly over the continued exhilaration she was feeling from this wonderful battle.

“That was a lot of fun. You definitely haven’t lost your edge after so long. I hope one day we’ll get to battle as many times as possible to satiate my thirst. Because even though we’re on opposite sides, you are the trainer that’s given me the most excitement in my life.”

Florian felt another wave of nostalgia flowing through him from her words, even though he was sure this was the first time they met. So why did it feel like he was talking to an old friend after listening to her words.

“Save your energy for later, Azure. We got all the Terestal energy we need, so there’s no need to stay here any longer. It sure was lucky we had such a huge portal open to gather all that energy in one spot, giving us this huge haul. I can’t wait to see Noir’s face once I lord over how we got the chance to fight his little friend too. Alright, I’m done talking. Let’s head back to our world and report back to the others.”

“Wait! We’re not finished yet! We’ve still got questions for you!”

Florian yelled to stop them from leaving, but Malwyrm ignored his pleas before finally turning to say a few last words.

“Heh. I’ll tell you what. Since you put on a good show for us, I’ll let in on a little something as a reward. The Tera portals can be closed if you fired a large enough blast of Terestal energy. I figure you’d want to keep any more Paradox Pokemon from getting into the city, so be grateful for my kindness. And don’t even think about chasing after us. The air on the other side is enough to do major damage to you if you’re stupid enough to try. Later.”

Without saying any more, he lazily walked through the portal without a care in the world. Azure starting headed through the portal as well, facing Florian once more with a look he could only describe as sorrow and joy.

“When we battle again, I’ll make sure to become strong enough to surpass your full might. Strong enough that you won’t have to become involved in our mission and see the tragedy that happened in our world.” She declared, turning to Nemona and Arven next. “Keep him safe and treasure your time with him like I did.”

Both commanders finally left, leaving them staring only at the large portal. Despite Malwyrm words, Florian tried racing towards the portal on Koraidon, immediate feeling nauseous before Nemona and Arven called for him to head back in worry.

He hated that the smug jerk wasn’t lying.

But if that was the case, then the portal could be closed if enough energy was blasted into it.

Florian and the others readied their ace Pokemon to unleash their most powerful Tera Blast while they were still Terastallized, combining their energy to create a superpowered wave that caused the portal to slowly shrink before disappearing completely.

No more Paradox Pokemon to run berserk in this Paldea.

Even so, Florian still couldn’t keep those waves of nostalgia out of his mind when looking at the commander that called herself Azure. Just who was he to her? And…who was she to him?

Nemona and Arven put their hand on his shoulder, probably to help cheer him up. While those feelings remained, he appreciated that they were there by his side.

“Are you okay?” Arven asked him with concern.

He deeply sighed. “Not really. I keep thinking about who that Azure person is to me. Because throughout our battle, she felt so familiar with the way she battled and the aura around her.”

Nemona nodded in agreement. “I get what you mean. When I saw her battle, it felt like I was facing against someone who constantly wanted a challenge, like me. Maybe this person is someone you’ve battled a lot in your world.”

“Maybe? But until she reveals her identity, I can’t be sure just yet. I’ll just have to make sure to sort out those feelings the next time we battle. Because whatever plans they have with gathering Terestal energy that risks innocent lives, we need to put a stop to it.”

“We’ll be there for you every step of the way.” Arven grinned. “Not just us, but Juliana and the others too. We’ve got your back.”

Florian let out an appreciative smile. “Thanks, you two.”

“Don’t forget about us as well. We’ll also do our part to stand up against Team Tera.”

Lacey, Crispin, and Amarys walked towards Florian and the others, their faces indicating that their goal in stopping the rampaging Paradox Pokemon was a success.

“I’m glad you guys are safe. Hope they didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“Nah! We burned so brightly with our Pokemon that they didn’t stand a chance!” Crispin happily declared, prompting Lacey to advise him not to shout so loud.

“We did have to use our full team to handle so many Pokemon attacking us, but we were able to knock them out before they did any more lasting damage to the city. Especially with no extra Paradox Pokemon crossing through now that you all closed the portal.” Amarys added.

“I’d say we scored a pretty big win. We should report what happened to La Primera so she can figure out what to do next.” Nemona suggested, Florian and the others immediately agreeing it to be the best course of action for now.

Despite not being able to stop Team Tera from seizing the Terestal energy they had gathered, they could take satisfaction in preventing Alfornada from being further invaded by those berserk Pokemon for now.

Still, Florian had a bad feeling that whatever that group was planning may lead to even greater damage to this world than what was already happening.

He really hoped he was wrong.

Crossing Terestal portals was always tricky as one wrong move could send to another part of the world entirely. Luckily, Malwyrm had plenty of experience using them to fulfill their missions, just like the one they just finished a few moments ago.

He had to admit that Florian was a tough trainer given his battle experience and success in defeating one of their most powerful Paradox Pokemon.

Still, if that was all he could do, then there was no way he could defeat him if he fully unleashed his strength.

He turned his head towards his current partner, who continued to walk in silence after saying her last words towards the trainer she knew. He never knew the guy, but he couldn’t help but feel pity towards Azure for her current predicament. Finally seeing someone she cared about after a long time and now having to treat him as an enemy.

It was honestly sad that she was letting herself get held back by trivial feelings and bonds, when they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted now.

Oh well, her problems were none of his concern. Things were starting to get interesting with Florian and his friends joining the fray, and he would continue to act however he liked in this hellscape of a world he called home.

They reached the crystalline tree that stood as their current base of operations, seeing another portal appear with two familiar faces crossing from the other side.

Just the snot-nosed brat he was expecting to see.

“You two came back sooner than I expected. I hope your mission was a success. Because ours sure was!” He happily decreed before taking a mocking tone towards his younger co-worker. “I wouldn’t want you to whine and wail because of how much better I am compared to you for the umpteenth time hehe.”

“Shut it! If it wasn’t for that girl Juliana and the little annoyance, they would’ve been crushed beneath my heel!” Noir angrily retorted, leaving Rose to sigh at her partner’s attitude.

“Please give it a rest while you’re still recovering from our battle…”

Malwyrm snickered at the boy. “Heh. Sounds like you’re just bein’ a sore loser. Even if you had the chance to battle your little boyfriend like we did, you’d still be defeated I bet. Even Azure had a rough time battling against him, being able to overpower her Paradox in the end.”

Rose gasped in surprise. “He was in Paldea?! Then, Thorn’s report really was true. But how did he get sent to that world in the first place? And why did he disappear for so long?”

“Maybe you can ask him the next chance you meet.” He shrugged. “With the way he was acting, there’s no way he’s going to sit back. He’s going to oppose us no matter what.”

He turned towards Azure with a huge smirk. “How do you feel about that, hmmmm? I know how much you care about the guy.”

She flashed a look of disgust at his insensitivity before answering. “If he does, I’ll stop him no matter the cost. He doesn’t need to get involved. He shouldn’t get involved. He doesn’t deserve to experience everything we’ve been through.”

“You say that, but I know you want him to be by your side. The heart can’t lie, especially one as pitiful as yours hehe.”

“You’re one to talk. You’ve got people you care about too, just like us. Or do you pretend that your heart’s as icy as a Kyurem’s to make yourself feel better?” Rose remarked with derision.

“Heh. This is just who I am now, changed from the hell and loss we’ve been dealt. Only I make the most out of this opportunity by being as free as a Dragonite, unlike some people who keep grudges on a formerly missing someone.” He chuckled, glancing at Noir’s growing expression of rage from his taunting.

Whatever. The little edgelord could act as mad as he liked. Messing with him was always fun for him these days. Serves him right after everything he put them through back then.

“Spice and Andromeda are taking their sweet time.” He casually remarked, to Azure’s displeasure over mentioning their names.

“They’re probably speaking with the boss about their mission. I’d imagine Spice is taking his time talking with him. Let’s just keep waiting for a bit until they show.”

“Figures they get preferential treatment from you.” He scoffed, prompting Rose to slam her elbow at him to shut up.

Now all they had to do was wait for the other commanders to show up and report their findings, with news of the boy who disappeared from Paldea suddenly showing up ready to stand as their enemy.

Because it was his fault too that they even gotten into this mess that changed their world upside-down in the first place. And he would never forgive him for that.

Noir, on the other hand, was tuned out by the idiotic banter his fellow commanders were engaged in. All he could think about was the boy who took everything from him. Along with the girl who bested him before his partner stopped him from going all out.

Stupid body not being able to handle, making him feel like a weakling again.

But next time will be different.

Next time, he would completely crush them both and prove to Florian once and for all that he had changed for the better like he dreamt of for so long.

Chapter Text

While waiting for what seemed like an eternity, a few hours really, the remaining commanders headed in their direction to grace their group with their presence. The mysterious cave they set their base of operations in wasn’t exactly ideal, but it wasn’t like going to the surface was a preferable alternative.

Andromeda, Spice, and Thorn walked briskly with precision in each step, allowing their meeting to get underway.

“Took you all long enough.” Malwyrm joked. “We finished our missions and had to wait hours for you to show up. Not cool hehe.”

“Sorry, not sorry, that you couldn’t bother to wait for us.” Andromeda spoke back.

“We had important business with Chronos, along with details for our next mission. They’re also interested in your reports.” Spice added.

“I’m guessing Harmony’s too busy with their work to attend? She’s always in her own corner tinkering with her tech.” Azure noted.

Andromeda nodded. “Can confirm. Working with them is always a chore when they get so fired up with their latest project. Guess dealing with our current situation didn’t change that.”

“They are currently with Chronos to discuss mechanical updates to our suits and the system.” Thorn added. “Crysteal is still in recovery, but that was obvious based on the extent of their injuries. Thankfully the Terestal energy you all gathered was enough to stabilize her and help placate the creature for now. Although, we still need to consider more permanent measures to combat its effects on our world.”

Rose gave Thorn a wary look. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’m glad you asked, Rose. The Crystal Pool in Kitakami would be an excellent resource to continue obtaining from the other world. Considering how their similar energy composition; we could use it to stabilize the constant output of energy constantly being released. Excavating more for greater analysis would also lead to tremendous boons for our goal.”

Rose frowned. “No offense, Thorn. But I’m strongly against doing something sacrilegious on holy land, even if it’s not from our Kitakami!”

“Is that so? You seemed fine leading the mission there with Noir to collect Terestal energy earlier today.”

They appeared genuinely confused, irking Rose to no end while Noir remained uncaring.

“That was a one-time thing! Who knows what spirits will get angered if we repeatedly intrude on their land! There must be another place in that world that’s useful for us!” Rose rebutted.

Thorn shrugged. “I can see you are vehemently against the notion. However, we will do whatever we must to achieve our goals, regardless of your superstitious opinions.”

Rose was ready to argue back, but Azure put her hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “You must have other areas of interest like Rose said, right? Where would they be?”

“Well, there is a special phenomenon in a certain region that may also yield positive result. We just need to collect a vast amount of its particles to experiment its usefulness against its powers. The last place of interest concerns mysterious pink crystals said to reside in what is known as a Pokemon paradise. Soon, we will have the means to travel to such a paradise to extract those crystals firsthand.”

Andromeda considered the proposal. “If the first one’s where I think it is, I’ll take the lead on that mission.”

Malwyrm snickered with intrigue. “Someone’s sure interested in going there suddenly. You got some secret agenda that’s making you as giddy as a Horsea to go?”

“I just have some history there, that’s all. By the way, acting all cruel and arrogant is just a sad way of masking your insecurities. Dial it down a notch if you don’t want to look lame.”

“Tsk. As if I care what someone like you thinks about me.”

“I mean, you cared a lot when you were so hung up over your family doing it, and from the one you loved.”

“Don’t you dare bring them into this, or you’ll be very sorry you little brat!”

Andromeda smirked. “You’re just proving my point, tough guy.”

Sigh. They only just started, and Andromeda and Malwyrm were already getting into a heated argument.

Spice interrupted to move things back on track. “If we’re heading back to Paldea, I want to be there this time. If Florian’s somehow appeared in that world, then I need to do everything I can to stop him from getting in our way.”

“Me too.” Azure added. “I don’t want him to have to experience the pain and suffering we had to go through. The less he’s involved, the better.”

“We won’t be heading to Paldea anytime soon, but as Head Commander, I shall consider your proposal.” Thorn answered. “However, we will need someone to head back to Kitakami to collect more of its Terestal energy, regardless of Rose’s refusal.”

“I’ll go. I have a score to settle with them.” Noir finally piped up in their discussion, strong conviction empowering his words.

Rose seethed in frustration. “Absolutely not! You’re still recovering from your last battle! Don’t risk your life just for revenge against even more people!”

“Heh. The little brat’ll just ignore you like he’s done for a while. If he does something stupid, let him suffer the consequences. At least then he’ll learn his lesson the hard way.” Malwyrm smirked, eliciting a venomous scowl from Rose.

Noir paid no attention to his barbs. All he wanted was to prove once and for all how superior he was to those who crossed him.

To prove to them that he was the strongest.

Thorn immediately accepted Noir’s suggestion. “I have no objections so long as you fulfill your objective.”

“What?! No! I’m vetoing this suggestion! I refuse to let you get hurt again!”

Rose gripped her fist tightly with anger, fear, and worry. Noir spared her no glance before he turned and opened a mini Terestal portal back towards Kitakami.

A few moments after, Malwyrm opened his own portal, surprising from his fellow commanders.

“I’m curious to see what his edginess finds so interesting about that girl he was talking about. So, I’m gonna follow him in secret. Bye!”

“Wha? Get back here!” Rose angrily shouted.

Without any warning, he entered the portal and left everyone other than Thorn and Andromeda flabbergasted at his sudden exit.

Sensing her concern, Azure pulled Rose’s hand towards hers, the commander appreciative for the gesture. Yet, she hoped that Noir wouldn’t stray from his task, lest he do something he would regret.

Juliana was honestly exhausted from all the craziness they had to endure today.

After defeating Noir and still reeling from her near-death experience by his hands, they headed back to Mossui Town for a well-deserved rest.

While she wanted to head back to Paldea to report what happened at the Crystal Pool to Geeta, Drayton noted that it wouldn’t be wise to embark in another hours long flight in the same day.

Which led to Kieran and Carmine suggesting that they stay in Mossui Town for the night before departing for Paldea the following morning. They even recommended that they stay at their house instead of the community center.

And while Juliana tried to politely refuse their generous offer, the siblings were insistent on making them spend the night there. Leading her, Drayton, and Penny to have to look at their grandparents’ bewildered faces when they arrived without warning.

Well, it would be nice to spend time with Kieran and Carmine in their home when they didn’t the last time that she and her friends came to Kitakami. The whole Mochi Madness thing certainly took a lot of time out of their trip.

She wondered if Florian and the others were doing well. Nemona and Arven had informed her about their battle against Team Tera’s other commanders, and that they already reported what they experienced to Geeta.

Aside from the fact that they felt a certain familiarity to one of the commanders. Just like she did when she battled with Rose and Noir.

What could be the cause of these strange feelings that welled up inside of her? Could she have met them before, even though they weren’t from her world?

Thinking about possibilities wouldn’t get her far. And besides, she was supposed to be resting. Not scratching her head over who these mysterious, masked figures could be.

Juliana was currently staying with Penny in Carmine’s room, while Drayton was bunking with Kieran tonight. She admitted that it’d be fun to have a sleepover with her gal pals, letting loose and enjoying themselves. Though, she’d be even happier if she could get some alone time with Kieran after everything they’d been through.

He could at least see his sweet face within their living room after enjoying a nice Kitakamian dinner. She could feel herself melting in contentment with how soft their couch was, making all sorts of noises that somewhat gave her friends pause for alarm.

If she was going to relax, let a girl make all the noises she wants.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Juliana?” Kieran asked. “If you need to rest longer, no one will blame ya. That was a real scary experience ya had to go through.”

Juliana appreciated the concern. “I’ll be fine. After everything I’ve been through during my journey, I’ve learned to adapt well to danger. Besides, I had you wholeheartedly protecting me the whole time. Thanks for caring about me so much, Kieran!”

Kieran felt his cheeks flush scarlet as he tried stuttering back a response, doing his best not to make a fool of himself.

“I-It was nothin’! I’d do anythin’ for you, Juliana. You mean the whole world to me, and I wanna make sure to keep that, y’know. Ehehe…”

Clearly, he felt that he wasn’t doing a good job keeping himself together.

“Heehee. You were really cool out there, Kiki. The way you shielded Juliana from that Noir guy like some kind of knight in a story. Cool enough that she’d fall head over heels for you, wouldn’t you say Juliana?”

Juliana blushed. “W-Wha? I-I mean, Kieran did look cool, but that wasn’t…I wasn’t… C-Can we move on to something else?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re makin’ Juliana uncomfortable Sis. J-Just because you wanna tease us… Don’t be such a dummy…”

“I dunno.” Drayton weighed in. “You two seem like a good match to me. Trust me, the Drayster’s intuition is never wrong when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“Then why don’t you have a lover right now?” Penny offhandedly snarked, eyes focused on her phone but ears attentive enough for their conversation.

“Hey, I used to.” He shrugged. “But things between us didn’t work out between us. Since then, I’ve decided to live free as a Flygon without relationships holding me down.”

“You mean your relationship with Sis? I’m kinda glad you two broke up. The thought of you two all lovey dovey was gross.” Kieran faux gagged.

Juliana’s ears perked up immediately at this sudden information.

“You and Carmine used to date?! Really, Carmine?! With Drayton of all people?! Drayton?!”

Drayton looked surprisingly shocked. “Whoa! You make me sound like a total disaster. I’m not that bad, you know? C’mon, you can vouch for me right Penny?”

She raised her brow. “You really want my honest answer?”

Juliana ignored him and ran towards Carmine’s spot with curiosity exploding in her mind. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before? This is huge news to leave out telling your friend!”

“There’s nothing to tell! We went on a few dates when we were both second years and then we mutually broke up. I mean, there was no way I was gonna stick with that toothpaste-haired bozo after having to deal with his lazy, sleazy attitude all the time! I learned my lesson after getting charmed by his flaky ass!”

“And I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with her every time she nagged me for something she didn’t like. Besides, it’s much more fun for me to be frenemies with Carmine. That way, I don’t have to feel bad when I push her buttons haha.” Drayton snickered.

“That’s it! You’re so dead!” Carmine yelled.

She leapt out of her seat to strike Drayton for his stupidity, forcing Juliana and Kieran to restrain her so that he wouldn’t get hurt. Even if Drayton deserved it.

Penny merely sat with her phone trying to get enough signal to play games on her phone, ignoring the chaos that was erupting around her before silently retreating to Carmine’s room without saying a word.

She made the right call, Juliana thought.

Juliana felt at peace seeing the moon and stars atop the night sky. She would have never been able to do the same back home. Light pollution being a thing in large, urban regions after all.

She opted to take a walk to clear her head. To be honest, she was still feeling somewhat unnerved over Noir. His crazed obsession towards defeating her was both terrifying yet familiar for some reason.

Also, tensions between Carmine and Drayton were high after the whole ex-lovers reveal, so she didn’t want to get even more tangled in that mess. She would hound Carmine for more information later. Because Juliana could not imagine the prickly, prideful, but kind girl going out with the flakiest guy she had ever met.

Kieran offered to walk with her since he knew the layout of Kitakami. Juliana really wanted to take his offer, relishing the chance to enjoy the night scenery with him. Seeing his smile and cheery self as they walked together would have made her heart burst with absolute joy.

But ultimately, she decided to take the journey alone. She didn’t want to inconvenience him more than necessary after he stood by her side all this time. The gestures of bravery and protection towards her were more than she deserved.

Besides, they’d have plenty of time to reconnect once they got back, even if Carmine and Penny had strongly encouraged it before she left the siblings’ house.

It was like they were trying to push her and Kieran together. They were just good friends, and ones that just recently became friends again after a rainbow turtle went berserk because said boy wanted to be like her.

“Be careful walkin’ in the more foresty areas.” Kieran advised. “It gets harder to navigate in the dark, so you might get lost more easily. I really should come with ya to keep you safe.”

“I’ll be fine, Kieran. I’ve got my Pokemon with me to help if I get into any trouble. And besides…”

Juliana immediately leaned in close, beaming brightly in front of Kieran’s face.

“I know you’ll be my knight in shining armour if I need you. You mean so much to me, and I know I mean a lot to you too.”

She grabbed his hand, squeezing gently to reassure him. Kieran couldn’t help but smile as radiantly when he felt her warmth and love as their hands intertwined with one another.

“Right! I’ll be there for you no matter what happens, Juliana. Because you’re the most special person in the world to me!”

They both grinned energetically before Juliana started heading towards Mossui Town, waving goodbye with a promise to return safely. A promise that Kieran wholeheartedly believed she would keep.

The small town was as beautiful as it was when she first stepped into it during that fateful school trip so long along. That was the day he met her new friends from Blueberry, and the day where she gazed upon the boy who would mean so much to her.

Days spent knowing each other, a night of excitement under the festival lights, and the hard choices she had to make that led to a rift in their friendship, leading to them clashing once more along with a trip back to Area Zero to find the legendary Terapagos. She still had him in his ball after Kieran encouraged her to catch him, despite her reservations as first. But Juliana admitted the crystal turtle had grown on her despite going berserk and almost killing them all.

Good or bad times, Kieran always seemed to encourage her. He always made her want to get better, making her heart flutter whenever he did. When they battled together to stop Pecharunt from inflicting its curse on the town, they stood side-by-side, always having each other’s backs to rescue their friends.

Now they were starting over from zero, trying to reconnect after everything they’d went through. And she wouldn’t change a thing between them.

Suddenly, within the silent streets of Mossui Town, she spotted a shadowy figure walking through the sleepy streets of the rural town.

She could never forget that masked figure who struck fear in her before.

Noir.

Juliana didn’t know why, but somewhere deep in her mind, she wanted to know why he did what he did. Why these lingering feelings resurfaced every time she saw him.

“Hey!” She yelled.

Noir turned in surprise; a scowl forming once he saw her running towards him.

“You! I don’t know why you’re still here, but this is the perfect opportunity to get you back for what you did to me.”

“Says the guy who tried to kill me.” Juliana argued back. “But I could ask you the same thing. Why are you back in Kitakami? Didn’t Rose say your team had enough Terestal energy from the Crystal Pool?”

“That’s none of your business.” Noir sneered.

“It is my business when your plan endangers peoples’ lives and causes Paradox Pokemon to run berserk here.”

“Like we said, they came through on their own. Besides, we subdued them when we got here. You should be grateful for that.”

That arrogant attitude really made her mad. But Juliana did her best to calm down. This was the perfect opportunity to gather information on Team Tera and their plan, as well as find out more about the aggressive commander to understand these strange feelings towards him.

“I want to know why you and Team Tera are doing this. And… why you hate me so much that you’d risk your life to endanger mine.”

Noir paused, feelings of rage turning into an inquisitive glare behind that rainbow mask of his. Then he turned away from Juliana and started walking eastward.

“You want me to talk? Then, follow me and don’t tell anyone where we’re going.”

Despite her current reservations, Juliana nodded in agreement and followed Noir as he walked out of town and towards Oni Mountain.

Their destination was clear.

They were heading back to the Crystal Pool.

But hiding within the dense trees in Kitakami, Malwyrm had been witnessing their interaction, a curious smile plastered on his face.

“What do we have here? This is certainly getting interesting. I wonder what’ll happen.”

His smile didn’t fade as he continued following them in secret.

After the long trek up Oni Mountain, Juliana and Noir reached the Crystal Pool. She half-expected to get attacked by him at some point, her Pokeballs ready just in case.

But he did nothing but walk silently towards their location while she did her best to catch up.

In what felt like a long time, they finally arrived at the Crystal Pool. Both stood beside each other, saying nothing without sparing a glance. All they did was admired the beautiful shine of the Terestal energy that shimmered in the pool’s water.

Juliana turned towards him to break the silence. “Will you really answer my questions? You did say we could talk.”

“If you want me to talk, you better answer my questions first. You owe me that much after that stunt you and that weakling did to me.”

Sigh. Just when she thought they’d have a civil conversation, he goes back to that aggressive, arrogant attitude again. Despite his hostile behaviour towards her, Juliana still felt a sense of kinship and familiarity from him, understanding his emotions more than she should.

She sighed deeply. “We beat you fair and square. And for the record, Kieran’s no weakling. He’s one of the strongest people I know, and certainly stronger than you’ll ever be.”

Noir growled in contempt. “If he’s as strong as you say, he wouldn’t do something so stupid like risk his life for you. To truly be strong, you must rely on only yourself to get ahead! Only winners deserve to survive, while the weak perish.”

Juliana shook her head. “I don’t believe that. I wouldn’t have become strong with my friends’ support. It was because of my bonds with them that made me into the person I am today, and I will never regret my time with them!”

The commander scoffed with derision. “Yeah? Is that boy so special that you’d want him by your side for all time? That he’s someone you could trust with your life if the situation called for it?”

“I would.” She said without hesitation.

“Would you care about him no matter what actions he takes, becoming different from the person you knew before?” Noir asked with greater interest.

Juliana remained firm. “I already do! Even if he goes down a dark path, I will help him throughout his struggles. I would be there for him. Because Kieran is precious to me, someone I want to be with forever. Despite our struggles and differences, we were able to reconnect our hearts and become stronger than ever!”

Noir said nothing, only staring at Juliana with greater intrigue before letting out a wistful smirk.

“Is that so? You’re better than that guy who lied to me and ran away in the end. Maybe you aren’t exactly like him as I thought. Maybe if he reached out his hand instead, then things would have been different…” He said with a slight laugh flowing out of his lips.

“What do you mean?”

“You want to understand me so badly? Heh. Then, I’ll show you. I’ll show you what I had to sacrifice and lose to get to this point. Then, you’ll see why I can never forgive Florian for what he did. What he took from me and the pain he left in my heart after fleeing like a coward!”

The commander took a deep breath before uttering a set of numbers.

“Release helmet lock. Command code: 09132023.”

Smoke billowed from his mask, a loud hiss indicating it was unlocking before Noir pulled it off his head.

Juliana couldn’t hide her immense shock after seeing his face. Words could not describe how she felt about his reveal as he stared at her with a smirk.

“Heh. Bet you didn’t expect your precious friend could turn out like this, huh Miss Hero? But that’s nothing compared to the hurt and despair Florian gave me when he betrayed my heart.”

The girl still said nothing. Her heart thumped like a drum, stunned gasps struggling to leave her gaping mouth over the revelation she suddenly faced over his identity.

His hair was longer, obscuring his left eye that was scarred and without colour, and his face was hardened only with hatred and desire. Worst of all, she could not turn away from the familiar, radiant gold tinged with wisps of purple from his other eye.

“Kieran. You’re…Kieran…” She finally let out, waves of emotions flowing through her as if they were piercing her like a knife.

His smirk remained. “The Kieran you think you know is dead. I am Team Tera’s strongest commander Noir, looking to settle the score against the one who broke my heart.”

Juliana instinctually stepped back as Noir came closer, a predatory grin aimed towards her.

“Now, why don’t we have this nice chat like you wanted?”

Chapter Text

Noir’s stepped closer, but Juliana stood her ground and tried her best not to be intimidated by his movements. He looked different from the boy he knew with his scarred eye and rugged hair, yet similar in other aspects. His fierce golden eye, tattered yellow headband, and purple highlights gave her no doubt.

Even if this was another version of him, this Kieran was still Kieran.

She would not be afraid of him.

Noir stared curiously over her sudden confidence, stopping in front of her before giving a slight chuckle.

“After seeing what I’ve become, you’re not afraid?”

“No. You’re still Kieran, even if you say that part of you is gone. I trust Kieran wholeheartedly, and I want to know what happened that led you to become so vindictive towards Florian. Kieran resented me, but we managed to work things out. You can work things out with Florian too.”

Noir scoffed. “He should have thought about that before he betrayed my trust and took the one thing I wanted for so long.”

Juliana stared at him nostalgically, familiar feelings welling up within her. She started to get why Noir was the way he was. But she needed to know more before she could truly understand him.

“I want to know what happened between you and Florian that caused you to go down this path? What did he do to make you hate him so much?”

Noir stood surprised. “That’s your first question? I’d thought you’d want to know why we’re so intent on collecting Terestal energy in your world. Or at least a question about the eye. I can’t see well with it anymore, but scars heal. Asking me that, you must think I remind you so much of your Kieran, huh?”

Juliana couldn’t deny that. But if something happened that caused him and Florian to break their friendship like what happened with her and Kieran, then perhaps she could help them gain back the bond that they lost. And…

“I think Florian felt bad about what happened between you two when he saw Kieran and Carmine back in Paldea. I can’t be sure, but he looked remorseful. Maybe he wants to fix whatever mistake he made for you two to be friends again. I want to help him reconnect with you too, just like me and Kieran did after our trip to Area Zero.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re either brave or stupid to help your enemy, you know that? Or maybe it’s because you just want to fix me like you did with your Kieran.”

Juliana gave a slight nod. “Maybe. I did something that hurt Kieran back then, leading him to change into someone obsessed with strength and wanting to surpass me. But in the end, we were able to truly understand each other, starting from zero to regain our friendship. If you’re hurting the same way, I want to do my best to make sure you and Florian get that chance too.”

Noir looked up at the moonlit sky before staring at Juliana once more.

“You’re so weird.” He muttered. “If you’re that determined to understand me, I’ll tell you everything. How Florian and I met, the fun times we shared, and…how he broke my heart.”

He took out a strange device from his outfit before throwing it towards the water, emitting a bright light pulsing every few moments from below.

“I need to collect more Terestal energy from the Crystal Pool to further Team Tera’s plan. Telling you my backstory should give me enough time to collect enough energy to bring back.”

Juliana attempted to head towards the pool with Pokeball in hand, but Noir immediately blocked her path.

“Move any further and I’ll make sure you’ll regret it.” He warned. “I’m not above blowing this place up if you get in my way.”

The girl hesitated for a few moments but eventually stepped back. She didn’t need this place to be collateral damage if she made one misstep.

Noir grinned. “Heh. I knew you’d be too much of a goody-two shoes to let anything happen to this place. Just sit quietly and I’ll tell you everything. I won’t do anything if you don’t.”

Juliana couldn’t fully trust his words, not after how he had attacked her before and how fixated he was with her and Florian. But part of her believed his words were genuine. Against her better judgement, she nodded. If things went south, she at least had Miraidon to protect her.

She released her Paradox partner and gently patted its head. “I’m ready to listen.”

Noir released a deep breath.

“We met on a school trip to Kitakami.” He began. “When I saw him; I couldn’t believe how amazing he was. The way he battled, the excited look he had when he beat my sister, and the bright smile he gave me made my heart burst with adoration. He was just so cool and confident, that I wanted to know how I could be like that too.”

“That sounds a lot like how me and Kieran met. Guess it was the same for you and Florian too.” Juliana happily remarked.

“We travelled together and visited the signboards for our assignment. He really wanted to be my friend. And most of all, he cared about my perspective on things.”

Juliana smiled a little. “He seemed like a good friend to you. I felt the same when Kieran and I grew closer. I loved his bright smile whenever he talked about his interests, and I couldn’t stop wanting to know more about him. Florian must have wanted to grow closer to you too.”

Noir gave a rueful smile. “I thought so too, with the way his eyes lit up when we kept getting to know each other. The way he flashed his amazing smile when we talked about our dreams. I thought I had finally made a friend on my own, without my sister’s influence or everyone else thinking I was a meek weirdo. Someone who loved me for ‘me’.”

“I think you deserve that love.” Juliana replied empathetically. “Everyone deserves to have someone who cares about them, someone who they treasure in their heart.”

“Bet your Kieran was over the moon to find someone like you that accepted him. But in the end, I discovered Florian’s true colours. He would deny me my dreams when it really mattered.”

Those moments Noir shared felt so much like what happened between her and Kieran when they got into that mess with Ogerpon and the Loyal Three. In the end, Ogerpon had regained her masks and the Loyal Three fled to who knows where. It was supposed to be a happy ending for them, but Juliana learned fully well that things never went as she expected them to.

“I thought he truly understood me, unlike others who had no problem saying things about me behind my back. He seemed honest and accepting. When we were together during the Festival of Masks, he even gave me a gift to celebrate our new friendship.”

“What was it?”

“A dark-coloured toy. It was kinda weird looking, but Florian was all smiles when he gave it to me. Said to think of it as a good luck charm. I’d never gotten a gift from someone other than my family, so I pressed it towards my chest, letting out soft tears of joy.”

Juliana drew a deep breath, knowing where this story was going. “Then this rift between you two happened after the festival, didn’t it?”

Noir wistfully smiled. “If you know that, I’m betting you did something similar to your Kieran. You betrayed his trust over something he held dear. I get that. I was lied to by Florian and treated like an outcast by him in the end.”

Juliana shook her head. “I’m sure Florian was just-“

“He stole the ogre from me! Said I needed to just accept it, and I wasn’t the right trainer for her! But he was only able to get her because he was so strong! Being able to defeat the Loyal Three, making friends with anyone, and always being a winner. Worst of all, he lied to me about our friendship! He never understood me at all and ran away in the end!”

“There must have been some reason why he said those words! I don’t think he would ever be so vindictive to you like that!” Juliana argued.

She might not have known Florian very long, but he wasn’t the type of person to dismiss a friend like that. He felt so guilty about him and Carmine thought about him that he wanted to make amends. There was no way Florian would be so cruel.

“He said it right to my face during our final battle! Then he battled the ogre and caught her in front of my eyes, his expression unmoving. I left heartbroken after that, not wanting to see a perfect hero like him getting everything while I was left with nothing! I swore I would never let that happen again, so I became stronger. But every battle only made me feel empty inside because it wasn’t against him! I wanted to find and defeat Florian so badly to finally surpass him! I even kept his gift as a motivator to fulfill my wish.”

“Kieran…”

“I’m Noir now! Not the weak Kieran who relied on others!” He yelled with such malice that Juliana felt like it was suffocating her.

She was reminded of what happened between her and Kieran that day. Ogerpon had chosen to go with her, even when she didn’t think she deserved her trust. But in the end, she respected her decision and Juliana battled against Kieran and Ogerpon, and becoming her trainer.

A part of her wished she had tried harder to reach out to him before they left. To reconcile with him before Kieran went to extremes to become the strongest.

Maybe if she did, things might have been different. And their futures would have moved in a different direction.

Still, she was happy things worked out between them. They moved on together as friends. She wouldn’t change a single thing between them.

The device still within the Crystal Pool’s waters finally surfaced, shining more radiantly than ever. Noir pressed a few buttons from his gauntlet, the spherical device returned to him within a few seconds before he put it in his outfit.

“My mission’s complete. About time too.” He remarked. “Now you understand why I can’t forgive Florian for what he did, right? Why I made it my goal to crush him? Because even though your Kieran found it in him to still be happy with you, it’s already too late for me and Florian.”

Juliana sighed. “I know you think Florian broke your trust, but I really feel like there’s more to it than that. You can fix things to be happy together again. There’s always a chance if you’re both willing to open your hearts to do so.”

He gazed at her with anger, but also with a tinge of sorrow and regret. “Like I said, it’s too late for us. Next time we meet, we’re enemies. I won’t make everything I sacrificed and all the pain I had to endure to make it this far pointless.”

“But-“

Noir turned, violent purple shimmering for a moment. He looked up with his golden eye in silence before turning back to speak.

“If you're so intent on this, why don’t you come with me to my world?”

Was he serious?

“Why would you ask me that?”

Noir looked up towards the starry sky. “Because…I feel like you-“

“You two look like you’re having fun. Mind if I joined in?”

Juliana heard an unfamiliar voice from afar, a tall shadow appearing from the distance before revealing another masked figure clad in white, blue, and red.

Noir immediately scowled once his partner reached them, already knowing why he was here.

“Sorry to interrupt such a productive chat but I just had to do so before my fellow commander did something he can’t take back.”

“Stay out of this!” He angrily replied.

He laughed mockingly in his face. “Sorry, but I don’t give a damn what you say. Right now, I’m interested in her. Especially after you went to the trouble to reveal yourself to her. Seems like your obsessions are getting the better of you again.”

Juliana felt extremely unnerved by the commander’s smile towards her. Like she was prey that he was ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Moreover, she could tell that even though they were on the same side, there was great animosity between them.

“You’re another commander from Team Tera?” Juliana inquired.

He flailed his arms in exaggeration like he was part of a show. “Ohhh! Where are my manners. I should introduce myself, since is the first time we’ve met. The name’s Malwyrm. I was one of the commanders who oversaw collecting Terestal energy in Paldea. And I gotta say, your friends fought better than I expected.”

“You battled them?”

His vicious smile didn’t waver. “Yeah, I did. Your friends, Nemona and Arven, put up a good show against me. Not many trainers are strong enough to draw with me in a battle, so I was impressed at how hard they battled against me. Even though their struggling was pointless in the end hehehe.”

Juliana stood corrected. This Malwyrm guy was even more infuriating than the Kieran standing before her was by a mile.

He paid her no mind before continuing. “But the real star of the show was definitely Florian when he battled Azure. The resolve in their hearts to win was incredible. I can see why Noir is so fixated on him. But you already know why after this little brat spilled his heart and soul to you with his little sob story.”

“Sounds like Florian was able to defeat her in the end.” Juliana remarked.

Malwyrm shrugged. “Not that it really mattered, since got all the Terestal energy we needed. But good on him for trying, I guess. He’ll no doubt keep getting in our way with how determined he was. But in the end, he’ll be crushed like everyone else who stands against us, even you.”

She raised her arm in defiance. “We’re not going to let that happen! No matter what schemes you have, we won’t let you do what you like in our world! We’ll stop all of you, no matter what it takes.”

“Heh. Guess that’s why you two are the same person with that delusional sense of justice of yours. I look forward to battling against you too, just like Noir did. Unlike him, I’ll beat you so badly that you’ll beg for mercy.”

Noir grit his teeth. “You’re not defeating them before me! They’re both mine, got it! I have to if I want to move on!”

Juliana was now stuck between their squabbling, but Noir’s words from before still resonated with her in how unexpected they sounded.

It was crazy. But if she could help him and Florian mend their broken relationship, then maybe he would let his rage go towards him.

She really was too nice for her own good, wasn’t she? Wanting to help someone who had only been mean and aggressive towards her since they first met.

As they continued to stand within the rocky terrain of the Crystal Pool, Juliana heard several voices calling out to her.

“Yo, Juliana!”

Kieran and Drayton were on top of them riding their Dragonite with Penny and Carmine in tow. Seemed like they managed to find her.

Kieran ran towards her as they landed, squeezing her with a tight hug that made Juliana melt with how warm he felt. That is, until Carmine and Drayton gave a few all-knowing smirks over their little display, causing her and Kieran to blush and pull themselves away in embarrassment.

“I-I just wanted to make sure you were safe. Y’know, in case you had to deal with anythin’ dangerous and stuff.” He sputtered.

“Thanks, Kieran! I knew you’d come for me if I was in trouble.” She grinned affectionately.

Malwyrm snickered. “Hehe. Looks like we’ve got some uninvited guests tonight. A nerd, two outcasts, and a failure here to help their beloved gal pal. Seeing you all makes me sick! Just crawl back to the dirt where you belong!”

“I have no idea who this guy is, but he’s definitely too chatty for his own good.” Drayton back-handedly remarked.

“That’s just who I am. If you’ve got a problem, then you can burn for all I care.”

Carmine turned to gaze upon the boy standing near the mocking commander, expressing absolute shock over seeing his face.

“No, it can’t be! Kiki?!”

Kieran turned in the same direction with equal surprise. “What?! You mean that guy’s me?! W-What’s goin’ on here?!”

Noir frown at their sight. “I’m a version of you that didn’t get a happy ending with their friend. Not that such nonsense matters anymore when I now have the power to annihilate anything that stands in my way! Including you, Carmine, Juliana, and Florian too!”

Carmine felt herself become overwhelmed. “I can’t believe this… How could the ‘you’ from Florian’s world turn out like this? Are Rose and that jerk also versions of people we know? Just what the hell happened to you all that made you guys like this?!”

“Hell sounds about right to describe everything we suffered.” Malwyrm commented with an unusual air of seriousness. “It all started because a boy from Paldea went missing, and because of that our world became absolutely shattered from a certain incident.”

Juliana thought hard about his words. “A boy from Paldea? You mean Florian?”

“Bingo! Gold star for you, little hero! We were sent to Area Zero to see if we could find him from wherever he was. You can guess how that turned out when he popped into your world instead.”

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re crossing worlds to get Terestal energy or why your world became this ‘hell’ you were talking about.” Penny pointed out.

“Curiosity kills the Purrloin, you know? The less you know the better, especially when you’re not even from our world. But if you keep trying to interfere with us…”

Malwyrm pulled out the Master Ball keeping his draconic partner. “Then we’ll strike you down until you’re too broken to defy us. And I’m interested to see if Noir’s interest in Juliana is enough to warrant me fighting at my full strength. How about we find out now?”

Noir roared in anger. “She’s mine, not yours!”

So much for not keeping things civil. It looked like a fight was unavoidable now.

Juliana took out her Pokeball ready to battle, her friends and Miraidon sharing the same sentiments as they got into their respective positions.

But before their battle could even begin, the Crystal Pool began to shine with blinding light, a lone Pokemon letting itself out and transforming into his radiant, blue form.

Terapagos shined with the crystals deep within the pool’s waters to create a rainbow mist surrounding the area, the blue turtle eying the two commanders as they stared in utter distress.

Various specters appeared from the mist, including familiar faces and Pokemon alike. The mechanical Paradox Pokemon melded with the prehistoric Paradox Pokemon from both worlds, alongside two familiar figures standing on opposite sides.

Professor Turo and Professor Sada, though they look a lot younger.

Both stared with intrigue and revelation from the other side, particular attention aimed towards Miraidon, Terapagos, and the two commanders.

Then in an instant, the mist slowly vanished. Terapagos reverted to his base form, tired from exerting so much energy when Juliana slowly cradled him in her arms.

Noir panicked. “What was that?! How could this happen?!”

Malwyrm let out a strained growl. “Why does she have it?! That thing’s been released in this world and able to pull off this nonsense?! Argh! If it’s as strong as we expect it to be, then we don’t have time to deal with it. You’ve got the Terestal energy Thorn asked you to get, so we’re getting outta here!”

He used their unknown technology to open a Terestal portal, his attitude completely different from before while he glared with disdain at the turtle’s trainer like she was a monster.

Noir followed, putting on his mask once more. But not before saying a few final words to the girl. “Whether we remain enemies or not, only time will tell. But we will meet again. I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to settle things with you and Florian. But maybe you could actually...”

The portal soon closed, leaving Juliana and her friends scrambling to understand what the heck just happened back there. But with Florian’s Kieran, no Noir, sharing about their experiences together, she had a better understanding of him.

And…she still believed one day they could reach out to one another and reforge the friendship that they lost.

“Anyone still reeling over everything that just happened? Seriously, I’m not going crazy after everything I saw, right?” Penny inquired, rubbing her eyes to assure herself that she wasn’t imagining things.

“Nah, pretty sure the whole mist and specter thing was real for all of us.” Drayton immediately answered. “Not sure why Juliana’s turtle popped out when he did, but at least we don’t have to battle those Team Tera guys today.”

Even though Drayton was trying to reassure them, there were too many things that happened that made her heart grip like a vice. And from the expressions on their faces, Kieran and Carmine were also struggling to grasped what happened.

“Are you two alright?” She asked as she approached the siblings.

Carmine huffed a breath of air before slowly letting it out. “No… That was way too much. Especially when you see an alternate version of your brother who’s now the enemy.”

Kieran looked down on the ground. “Yeah… Seein’ him, makes me wonder if I would’ve been like that too if you hadn’t been there for me, Juliana. I…don’t wanna be like that. I don’t wanna be so cold and ignore everyone else to get stronger. Not again.”

Seeing them so distraught, Juliana pulled them closer for a hug. Kieran looked at her, slightly smiling with appreciation over her support, while Carmine gave a nod of reassurance.

After taking some time to clear their heads, they started heading back to Mossui Town. They needed to head back to Paldea and report to the Pokemon League everything that happened today. And Juliana would need to talk to Florian about her encounter with his world’s Kieran.

She needed to know his side of the story too if she wanted to help them both.

“It’s been so long, I almost forgot what this place looked like.”

Its user passed through the Terestal portal, watching the busy streets of the city within the dark alleyway they were standing in.

After Noir and Malywyrm had left, Thorn had given the commander explicit orders to gather intel on their target for their next mission.

Thankfully, surveillance and reconnaissance were their specialty. It shouldn’t take more than a few days before they gathered the necessary information to begin their assault.

And if this region was the same as the one that they remembered in their world, then this mission would be a piece of cake.

The masked commander entered their code after pressing a few buttons from their gauntlet.

“Release helmet lock. Command code: 11152019.”

Their mask unlocked in mere moments, removing it from their head and their long, uniform hair let out. The air here was safe to breathe, so there was no need to wear their mask right now. Besides, they didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb wearing it anyways.

But if Florian did show up and they happen to meet, how would their reunion work out?

He was the boy who disappeared from their life. They tried to keep themselves hopeful he would return one day. But as time went by, that hope had been replaced with despair. The one person they cared deeply for was lost to them forever, their heart turning even colder after they lost more friends during that incident.

That is, until the day Thorn informed them that he was alive.

He was here in this world, alongside the artificial intelligence professor from before.

At that moment, they felt like their heart had been glued back together by the newfound hope that they had experienced.

They could finally reunite after so long, despite being enemies.

Florian would most likely stand against Team Tera for what they were trying to do. That was just the kind of guy he was. But it one of many traits that they admired about him.

Azure had already reunited with Florian during her last mission, so this could be the chance for them to reunite too. There mere thought made their chest ache.

The Tera commander stared at the large battle stadium from afar, no doubt the trainers battling within giving a good show to the crowd. It looked just as spectacular as the large, spiral building behind it. Its twisted green spires and gray coating made it the beacon of the large city and region itself.

Then, they looked up at the bright sky, unable to see it for so long as they gazed upon the constellation that they named themselves that day.

“Time for Andromeda to shine brightly again like the starry sky.” They softly declared.

Chapter Text

Andromeda scanned the large building that currently housed the information Team Tera needed for their plan.

Wyndon’s hustling streets and the roar of its stadium elicited nostalgia in the commander. It had been so long since they could walk freely without fear of the atmosphere around them, the air as crisp and clear like before. Their team uniform had been discarded to blend in with the crowd, Andromeda wearing the beautiful outfit one of their precious friends had made for them so long ago.

It felt like their life was somewhat normal again, before everything went crazy in their world. Despite enjoying their time with Florian and their dearest friends, part of them missed this part of their life.

Perhaps when this was all over, they could bring Florian with them to spend some quality time together. Oh, they would have to bring the others too.

The night sky filled the area with darkness, allowing the perfect opportunity to break into the building’s data storage facility to find what they were looking for.

Andromeda opened a Terestal portal revealing their target destination on the other side. They easily slipped through into the building undetected, avoiding any employees or security that might get in their way. Andromeda was thankful that they had managed to manipulate Terestal energy to such a degree that instantly teleporting to certain areas was a piece of cake.

Once inside, they immediately got to work. Slipping the USB drive from their pocket, Andromeda worked their magic to hack into the building’s server. The flood of information came instantly as they scanned for the relevant ones needed.

Then, they finally reached the part that they were looking for.

Swathes of paragraphs on Galar Particles, the Dynamax Phenomenon, Dynamax Bands, and Wishing Stars that could be used as a potential energy source for Team Tera to use. And within those files revealed a secret location that housed a massive number of particles they could siphon and bring back to their world.

The commander stood on guard while the files continued downloading, thinking about what Florian would think about everything they were doing. Would he understand if they were forthcoming with everything? Azure didn’t want Florian to get involved, but they knew he wasn’t the type to give up on things he cared about.

If they had a meaningful talk first, they could convince Florian to either stand down or even help them with their goal. Having disappeared for so long, he deserved to know the truth about their world, no matter how terrible it became.

Then again, Florian had done so much for them in the past that maybe it wasn’t fair for him to shoulder yet another burden. He had already suffered enough, and Andromeda would never forgive themselves if they did something that exacerbated his struggles.

Their thoughts lingered for a few minutes more, until the download had finished. The staff here would likely have noticed their data had been breached by now, but it didn’t matter. The commander was going to leave anyways as they opened another Terestal portal back to the city’s outskirts.

“I’ve got what we needed. Time to get those particles.” They muttered.

“Perhaps you require some assistance to get those particles you speak of? I would love to see how they interact with my new tech.” A new voice replied, appearing from another Terestal portal in front of them.

Andromeda took note of the newcomer’s appearance, still as focused on their inventions as always. It got annoying at times, but Andromeda couldn’t deny how useful their skills were.

“Harmony… Last I checked, I was supposed to gather info on Galar’s energy source alone.”

“I simply couldn’t miss out on investigating the Dynamax phenomenon with my own eyes! Imagine how we can use these Galar particles to fuel the Sync Pair system and improve the system. It’s a scientist’s dream come true! Therefore, I asked Thorn to let me join this mission and she immediately agreed.” Harmony noted, immense enthusiasm evident in their tone.

Andromeda sighed, but decided arguing back was pointless. They shrugged their shoulders and soon moved south to their next destination, Harmony following them after.

Juliana felt exhausted.

She and her friends had returned to Paldea after her meeting with the other Kieran, no Noir, along with what happened at the Crystal Pool. Thankfully, they all had a day to rest at the Pokemon League’s crew quarters before reporting their findings.

Even so, the last two nights had not been kind to her.

To say she couldn’t sleep that night was an understatement. And she could tell her friends were feeling the same. Kieran and Carmine hadn’t said much after seeing Noir’s face that night, but they did seem to be a little better today. Drayton was acting like his usual carefree self, but she figured it was a front to hide he really felt.

As for Penny, she seemed to be taking it fairly well. Aside from getting spooked from the whole Professor Turo and Sada appearing thing, along with the specters of Paradox Pokemon that stood beside them. Juliana still had no idea what that was all about, but her instincts told her that moment would lead to something greater later.

They still didn’t know why they were gathering the Terestal energy, but Juliana did notice how terrified and angry Noir and Malwyrm acted after Terapagos appeared. And with how they had control over Stellar Terestal energy, could it be that Terapagos was a factor in their plans?

They didn’t have enough evidence to support that assumption, though it was possible.

But the most shocking news was everyone finding out that the Team Tera commander Noir was an alternate version of Kieran from Florian’s world.

Florian himself was trying his best not to feel overwhelmed from listening to Juliana speak about what Noir had told her, while the rest of the BB Elite Four couldn’t hide their utter disbelief that their friend could turn out to be a ruthless trainer willing to resort to eliminating his foes to win.

“Not only Paldea, but Kitakami as well. This Team Tera is certainly going to be a problem. Who knows how far they will reach with this goal of theirs, and how much they will sacrifice to fulfill it.” Geeta pondered.

Florian let out a deep breath. “Noir. Rose. Azure. Malwyrm. They came from my world, with Kieran being one of them. It’s possible they could be people that I know, given the familiar feelings I had in Alfornada. Nemona felt that way too with Azure.”

Juliana agreed. “I felt the same when battling Noir and Rose. Kieran and Carmine felt the same too. Maybe they’re people we both grew to know.”

She didn’t want to believe it. However, with Kieran’s reveal, the possibility of her friends and acquaintances being members of the villainous team were growing.

“That would certainly be quite a shock if that were the case. However, things with these commanders may have become more complicated due to a recent event that transpired.” Geeta noted to the group.

“Long story short, we detected Terestal energy signatures in Galar. That region ain’t got any Terestal energy sources that we know, so we might have another one of those Tera commanders sneakin’ around and lookin’ for somethin’ big.” Rika added.

“To that point, we will be investigating this matter. Considering only one signature has been detected so far and the possibility of other Team Tera commanders entering Paldea at any moment, we should send four trainers to Galar. Is anyone here willing to volunteer?”

Florian immediately raised his hand. “I’ll go. If Team Tera is there, I’ll go stop them. I won’t let other people from my world inflict any more problems to this world. And…if my Kieran is going to be there, I need to talk to him about those feelings that he has towards me.”

Penny followed suit. “I’ll volunteer too. I’m acquainted with someone who might be able to help with getting more info about the Terestal energy signature you’re talking about.”

He nodded contently. “That’s fine with me. Plus, it’ll give us time to talk too after I got to know this world’s Nemona and Arven.”

Penny said nothing but wasn’t against the proposal.

Juliana could see the resolve in their expression. For the sake of her friends, she would reach out her hand as well.

“Count me in. I’ll support my friends and do my part to protect our world.” She declared, leading Kieran to do the same.

“Then, I’ll stand alongside ya Juliana. I…wanna be with you as best I can. And…I wanna know more about the ‘me’ from Florian’s world. Because I know how he felt deep down, and I wanna see if he can change just like I did thanks to Juliana’s support.”

Carmine gave a concerned look. “Are you sure, Kiki? I don’t want you to strain yourself too much, after everything that happened.”

Kieran huffed. “I’ll be fine, Sis. You gotta stop bein’ so overprotective. I can handle myself just fine, and I’ve got Juliana, Florian, and Penny with me.”

“Sigh, I know. But as your big sis, I can’t help but worry about you. You’re right, though. I know you can handle yourself and I’ve gotta trust that. Sorry.” She said, looking down.

Kieran moved in to give her a hug, his sister happily hugging him back.

“Thanks, Sis. I’ll be sure to do my best to bein’ the best partner by your side, Juliana!”

Kieran smiled brightly at the girl, which Juliana accepted wholeheartedly with her radiant smile. Florian stared at their affection, both with envy and longing for the possibility of that friendship extending to him one day.

“Guess that’s settled.” Drayton remarked. “We’ll stay here in case any other Team Tera creeps get the jump on us here. Or any other regions they’re targeting.”

“Perhaps we can enjoy ourselves while we’re here.” Lacey suggested. “We originally had plans to explore Paldea together, so why don’t we take advantage of that. We could finally shop at those cute boutiques in Mesagoza!”

Carmine smiled slightly. “I could use a shopping spree to relax. You’re going too, right Amarys?”

The steel specialist nodded. “Of course. I would be happy to spend some quality time with my dear friends.”

Nemona’s eyes sparkled at the suggestion. "Ooh! After that, you’re gonna love what I’ll show you! We’ll see lots of sights and have lots of places for full-on battles! It’ll be great!”

“I can recommend some good gourmet spots to try out after everyone’s done with Nemona’s battle binge.” Arven added.

“That’s sounds lit! I can’t wait to try out all those flavours!” Crispin enthusiastically answered, beaming eyes rivaling Nemona’s.

Well, guess that was that. Juliana and everyone else listened to Geeta and Rika’s last words before they went off to do their own thing. Considering how much they did yesterday with battling the Team Tera commanders and Juliana’s meeting with Noir, Geeta had afforded them a little break before they departed to Galar.

She walked through the hallway leading to the Pokemon League’s entrance, spotting Florian currently leaning against the monochrome wall.

Now’s as good a time for them to talk.

She approached him, Florian giving a slight wave once she got close enough.

“You got a moment?” She asked.

He tried his best to muster a smile. “What’s up?”

“I want to know about what happened between you and Kieran. I want to support you in fixing things with him.”

She was being blunt. But if she wanted to help them reconnect, she needed to hear Florian’s side of the story.

He looked down on the ground but slowly met her eyes. “It’s a long story…”

“I don’t mind. We’ve got the whole night.”

Florian softly hummed. “Guess you’re right. Sigh, I never wanted things to end badly between us. But after Ogerpon and the Loyal Three situation, we just grew apart in our thoughts and beliefs. I wanted us to be friends, but I ruined that opportunity…”

“What do you mean by that?”

His eyes shined a little brighter. “When Kieran and I met, I thought he was sweet. He loved to battle, and I admired the passionate feeling he had with them and his Pokemon. We had a wonderful time enjoying the festival, getting to know more about each other. I even bought him a gift from one of the stalls.”

“He mentioned that. What was it?”

“A purple plushie brought from the local store in Mossui. It had a strange shape and dark colour, but I thought it could encourage Kieran as a good luck charm. To gain more confidence in becoming who he wanted to be. He was extremely happy when he got it. And I was happy I could be a good friend to him.”

His tender smile shifted one of lament.

“Then, I met Ogerpon and got her mask. Carmine told me to keep it a secret, even though I didn’t think it was right to. I eventually agreed after hearing her out, afraid for Kieran’s safety and believing his family knew better. I should have reached out more. If I did, I wouldn’t have hurt him like that.”

“But you did what you thought was best. And it was reasonable to think that. I love Kieran, but he can be reckless at times.” Juliana argued.

“Was it though? When we battled before, it felt so much fun. But after Kieran found out, all I could feel was despair and resentment in every move he made. He became so much stronger those past few days, but I still managed to come out on top. If I had done more and talked to him during that time, things might have been different.”

“Florian…”

He slammed the wall hard. “But I didn’t! I just let him go and headed back to the community center! I ran away like a coward because I couldn’t bear to see his anguished face! And then he and Carmine went back to Blueberry. I never had another chance to make it up to him, just trying to forget about what happened!”

“Was Ogerpon at least happy being with you?” She asked.

He shook his head. “I never took her. Before they left, I gave Ogerpon’s ball with Carmine, saying one day I’ll get her back when I became worthy for her partnership. Then, I returned to Paldea, never telling my friends what happened during the trip. I erased Kieran and Carmine from my mind as I kept helping Nemona, Arven, and Penny. But I still felt a hole in my heart for what I did, even as I tried to act tough and optimistic to keep going. In the end, I couldn’t escape from my past actions and now it’s come to bite me.”

Under the stress and sorrow Florian was feeling, Juliana pulled him into a tight hug. Hugs were warm and messages could be conveyed without the need for words.

Florian breathed softly in her embrace, her caring heart bringing his frenzied mind back to normal as he tightened his grip on her body.

“Thank you, Juliana.” He whispered.

She kept holding him close and whispered back. “You’re welcome, Florian.”

They stood clasped together for a while longer, letting the silence and warmth envelop them.

The next day, Florian and his new friends were on a jet provided by Geeta to reach Galar. Heading back home wasn’t something he expected, especially when it was one different than he had known.

An hour had passed since it took off. It would take another hour to get to Wyndon, where they were to meet with a high-ranking individual Geeta had briefed them about. Apparently, Penny knew her too, which he was surprised to hear considering she wasn’t the type to outwardly share about her personal life.

Juliana and Kieran were spending some quality time together after what happened in Kitakami and with their run-in with Noir, snuggling closely while happily chatting.

Kieran still in Florian’s mind, to be honest. But after talking with Juliana yesterday, he felt a little more confident that he could talk to the commander. Then, they could try to finally understand each other and perhaps rekindle their lost friendship like Juliana and this world’s Kieran had.

He moved to sit next to Penny, the duo-haired girl currently playing Gacha games on her phone thanks to the free Wi-fi the jet had provided.

“Hey, mind if I sit here?” Florian politely asked, prompting Penny to nod in agreement.

He gazed intently at the gamer girl, smiling slightly at how focused she was with her game.

“You remind me so much of my Penny. She got hyped with games and various tech too.”

“Yeah? She seems like a cool girl.” Penny replied, though still too focused on trying to pull certain characters to look Florian in the eye.

He stifled a snicker over that. “She is. Honestly, she was someone I felt really close to during my journey. She might not like interacting with people, but once you get to know her, she’s not afraid to speak her mind. To be free to those you feel close to and supporting her friends without doubt was what I admired about her.”

He smiled slightly over the memories before his eyes shifted towards a wistful gaze.

“Bet you must’ve helped her out a lot with herself just like Juliana did with me, fixing things with Team Star and getting her to follow her own path.” She remarked.

“I did. But you know, she helped me out too. After Operation Starfall, Penny and I had a chance to talk face-to-face. We got to know each other more, both of us wanted to be bright stars that lit the path for others to follow. We were determined to fight for what we believed in. And…we agreed that we would do something special for each other one day.”

That got Penny to turn her eyes away from her screen. “Something special?”

Florian grinned mischievously. “It’s a secret until I see my Penny again.”

They finally reached Galar, leaving Juliana to feel a little nostalgic. It had been over a year since she left to Paldea. And while she loved her time at Uva Academy, part of her missed home here. Florian must have felt similar based on his expression.

Wyndon was just as packed and vibrant as ever. Kieran looked absolutely shocked at the hustle and bustle of Galar’s largest city, considering that he spent a lot of his childhood living in a rural town.

The way his eyes sparkled after every building they passed through, along with the waves of ‘Wowzers’ he let out from seeing Wyndon Stadium’s battle court made Juliana’s heart flutter. He looked so innocent and adorable.

She was happy he was here.

They kept heading north until they saw the large black tower where they would be meeting their contact.

It was the headquarters for Galar’s business conglomerate, Macro Cosmos.

They headed inside, a tall woman with a clipboard making direct eye contact with Juliana and the others before she walked briskly towards them.

“You must be the ones Chairwoman Geeta from Paldea spoke of. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Oleana, and I serve as the vice-chairman of Macro Cosmos.”

She gave a slight bow, making Juliana bow back to not be rude. Oleana had a strange aura about her. Her demeanour and movements elicited a sense of professionalism, yet Juliana felt a sense of fury from her as well.

She didn’t seem like the wrathful type, but Juliana knew full well from her adventures that appearances were deceiving.

Oleana eyed Penny with intrigue. “You appear to be doing well, Miss Penny. I had heard from the former chairman that you had resumed your studies in Paldea after your return to Galar last year. While I do not know the full details, I am glad you have been doing better since then and have fostered new bonds along the way.”

Penny shrugged. “Thanks, I guess. Things definitely have gotten better since meeting Juliana and the others. I’m lucky to have them as friends.”

“That is good to hear. The former chairman would be proud of you as well, I believe. Despite his actions in the past, he did value the well-being of his nieces. I hope you do not resent him for doing what he believed was right. He believed it was for the benefit of the people in Galar.”

Penny adjusted her glasses. “I get what he was trying to do, and I don’t resent him for it. But he made a choice that ignored everyone else’s. Through meeting Juliana and what happened with my friends, I learned that we could solve our problems without resorting to monistic extremes.”

She smiled at Juliana, the girl happily smiling back in solidarity.

The stoic vice-chairman said nothing but acknowledged her feelings on the matter as she turned to talk about the topic at hand.

“Our surveillance system had revealed someone had broken into the building late at night, not only avoiding detection from our security but also illegally downloading data from our server room. The most surprising part: however, was the method they used to get in.”

She pulled a tablet from her person, showing the surveillance video to Juliana and the others. A rainbow-coloured portal appeared, a mysterious figure walking confidently with a USB in hand that they stuck into the server’s main computer.

Juliana sighed in annoyance. “That’s a Terestal portal. So, they can just teleport wherever they want now? That’s not fair.”

“At least we know it was someone from Team Tera sneakin’ in to get whatever info they needed from this place.” Kieran added.

“The important part is what data they downloaded. With Macro Cosmos having elite security measures, it wouldn’t have been easy hacking the server. They must be really skilled and have background knowledge on how it works.”

“According to the report, they obtained information on Galar particles, the Dynamax phenomenon, the region’s Wishing Stars, along with research on using Dynamax energy’s effects as a fuel source.”

“Well, that’s not suspicious at all.” Penny uttered with sarcasm. “Guess they weren’t satisfied with only getting Terestal energy that they’re trying to obtain energy from other regions too.”

Juliana thought deeply for a few seconds before turning to the group.

“Maybe they need it to save their world from that terrible thing Malwyrm was talking about. Something that completely warped it to such extremes they’re willing to seek out different types of energy from our world to do so.”

“Just what happened to my world while I disappeared? And they’re hellbent on keeping that from me too.” Florian wondered out loud.

“We’ll get our answers the next time we face them. But first, we need to know where they are. Or where they’re going to strike next.”

“I can provide you with that answer.” Oleana remarked. “This individual will most likely head to Hammerlocke’s energy plant near Hammerlocke Stadium. Our company has been storing and producing a great amount of Galar particles to serve as Galar’s energy source, which would make it a prime target for them to obtain.”

“Then we’ll just need to get to this Hammerlocke place before they do. We should head there while we got the chance to stop them.”

“I will call a Flying Taxi to take you there. As I am currently managing Macro Cosmos’ affairs, I cannot accompany you. It is a shame that our current Champion is currently exploring the Crown Tundra, and our current Chairman is busy preparing the Galarian Star Tournament. However, I shall give you the access code and key card needed to enter the energy plant. I wish you all the best of luck.”

Oleana handed Penny a copy of the key card and code she mentioned, heading towards the elevator to resume her duties afterwards. The Flying Taxi had already arrived as all four of them boarded to head towards Hammerlocke.

This may be the chance they needed to get the full story about Team Tera’s goal and the events that occurred in Florian’s world.

How interesting.

Dynamax energy was special if it could interfere with their Terestal portals.

The closest they could teleport towards was Hammerlocke Stadium, making entering through their abilities currently impossible.

But they didn’t need to worry.

Andromeda tapped a few buttons in their gauntlet, Harmony watching from behind as the lock soon opened after a few minutes of silence. To think they would put an underground power plant in the same vicinity as a Gym was nonsensical.

But neither commander was complaining, remaining inconspicuous within the mass swath of spectators waiting in the stadium’s lobby.

They descended using the lift that led to the plant’s reactor core, gazing in satisfaction over the limitless energy it was exuding.

Andromeda could tell Harmony was drooling over the possibilities this energy could have without even looking.

“Time to gather it all up and bring it back to our base.”

“Understood. Let me just get what we need.”

Harmony grabbed the energy absorption orb from their pocket, ready to throw it into the core. However, they were interrupted by a loud shout from the other side.

“Hold it! You’re not getting away with this!”

Florian rushed towards the commanders with hard determination in every step he took. Juliana, Kieran, and Penny followed right after, setting the stage for the next meeting between their side and Team Tera.

“Incredible! We thought we were the only ones who could in, but you all showed up too. Most curious, indeed.” Harmony remarked with fascination.

“Unlike you guys, we had legal means to enter this place.” Penny bluntly replied.

“Guess knowing the right people has its advantages, huh?” Andromeda replied before turning her head to Florian. “You really are back. Heh. I gave up all hope after you disappeared that day. I’ve waited so long for us to reunite, my dearest treasure.”

Florian stood in shock. The aura of familiarity surrounding the commander was too hard to ignore, the wave of fond memories flowing just like when he and Azure first met.

He tried his best to respond. “Who are you?! What are you to me?!”

Juliana held his fist as it trembled even harder with every second. He already had one person he knew be a part of this mysterious team. Who else was there?

“I’m Team Tera’s commander, Andromeda. One who wants everything to shine brightly again like before.”

“And I am Team Tera’s scientific commander, Harmony. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” They added, immediately dropping their orb into the reactor.

“Uh, that’s great and all. But we still can’t let you guys take these Galar particle things to use for whatever plan you’re cookin’ up.” Kieran interrupted, taking his Pokeball out ready to fight.

Andromeda cocked their head. “You really want to fight us? It’s better to stay out of our way until we manage to fix our world.”

“Malwyrm mentioned that the last time we met. What exactly happened to your world that you’d invade our world to save it?” Juliana demanded.

“Oh right, he did go with Noir to Kitakami. I guess it makes sense you’d see him eventually. I’d be willing to tell you what you want if you all promise to stay out of our way. It’s for your own good.”

Penny raised her brow. “And why do you want to keep us away so bad? Why not just ask for our help instead of fighting us?”

“Because we can do so on our own, and we’d rather not risk your lives to save ours.” Harmony replied, still monitoring their energy collection.

“That’s not for you to decide! I’m from the same world as you and I want to know what happened to it while I disappeared. At least give me that!”

Andromeda stood silently, staring intensely at Florian from behind their mask before letting out a wistful sigh.

“I figured you’d still oppose us even after I made that offer. But I always loved that determination of yours. You want to know who I am? Then, I’ll show you. And I’ll tell you how we struggled after losing you.”

The shorter commander uttered the code to unlock her mask: 11152019, smoke billowing just like Noir’s mask did back then before she pulled it off.

Florian couldn’t help but feel dizzy over this revelation. Within his view was her. The girl he had connected with during their fight to save her friends.

Juliana, Penny, and Kieran were also shocked over her reveal, mouths agape that another one of their own was the enemy.

Her hair was longer, reaching a little past her shoulders and becoming dusty blonde. It complemented her now white left eye. But there was no doubt she was the girl Florian grew to love.

“Penny… Is that really you?”

She had a forlorn smile. “I had to leave ‘Penny’ behind after you disappeared. I’m the new star Andromeda. Here to guide our world back to light like a bright star, no matter the cost.”

His chest tightened even further as she said her next words.

“Sorry it had to be this way..."

"...my true love."

Chapter Text

They both sat on the academy bench, bodies close together while admiring the cool atmosphere of the night sky.

A few stars twinkled brightly, displaying a few constellations once they all connected.

“So, that one’s the constellation for Cassiopeia?” Florian asked, Penny nodding in response.

“Yep. They’re connected by various stars like Segin, Schedar, Navi, Ruckbah, and Caph. Geez, that’s a mouthful…”

“No wonder you named your squads like that. What about that one?” Florian said, pointing to another cluster of stars to the side.

Penny squinted at where he was looking at. “That’s the Andromeda constellation. It’s connected to Cassiopeia based on an old legend. I think they were mother and daughter, and Andromeda got forced to be a sacrifice to a giant Gyarados before the hero of the story saved her.”

Florian hummed. “Sounds cool. She was lucky someone helped her out when they did. It must have been terrifying to have to deal with that.”

“Probably. But in the end, they both fell in love with each other and got married. They stayed together until their final days, having all sorts of adventures. It’s kinda romantic.”

“I didn’t take you to be interested in romance.” Florian commented, before grimacing. “Didn’t mean to be rude saying that…”

Penny merely giggled lightly. “I liked reading fairy tale romances as a kid. It went well with my Veevee obsession and cute phase. But I mean, I wouldn’t mind finding somebody to love one day. Everyone deserves to be loved, right?”

Florian nodded in agreement. “I think everyone should have someone they love once they find the right person. Like a cherished treasure. Though, I’m still trying to find my own treasure.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here with me, Florian. I'm still not so great with speaking to people face-to-face, but I just want to say… Thank you so much. You saved Team Star and my friends. If you ever think of a way for me to repay that debt, just let me know.”

She gave a thankful smile, making Florian’s heart flutter.

“It wasn’t just me, you know? I wouldn’t have been able to fulfill your wish without you guiding and supporting me the whole way.” He pointed out. “You were awesome too, Penny. And you did your best to help your friends walk a new path. It’s very admirable.”

“I couldn’t have made Operation Starfall a success without you either, Florian. Meeting you was one of the best things that happened to us. I feel like there’s a weight that fell from my shoulders from all the guilt and regret I’ve felt for so long.”

Florian felt his chest tighten, old memories of a distant land resurfacing. “I know full well what that kind of guilt feels like. I…made a huge mistake a while ago. I tried to forget about it, but those gnawing feelings still show up. Sometimes I think about what would’ve happened if I made different choices. Then, things wouldn’t have been so messed up.”

Penny sat in silence before putting her hand on top of Florian’s. “Hmm. I’m not the best at comforting people, but I can be there for you too with whatever pain you have. Maybe that’s why we got to know each other so well. We’re similar in the feelings we had to process from our mistakes. But…if we have each other’s backs, then maybe we can move on from them together.”

Florian shifted back into a slight smile. “For someone who says that; you’re doing a pretty good at calming me down. Almost too good.”

“Guess I’m better than I think I am… Or maybe it’s because we’re more similar than we realize that we can feel this way. That’s what I believe at least.”

“You might be right. Being with you feels different from being with Nemona and Arven. With Nemona, it feels more like we’re good rivals. With Arven, it feels more like a sibling relationship we’ve got. But when it’s you and me together like this, it feels more than just friendship.”

“Probably because of those similar experiences we’ve got.” She shrugged. “Though even though I haven’t really talked to them, your other friends might be a bit too much if you get them to talk to me one day.”

“Aww, that’s not true. I’m sure they’ll both love you like they love me. Well, I’m certain Nemona will at least.”

“You’re not making it any more enticing…”

Florian chuckled. “Guess we’ll see how it goes when we’re together. Arven’s looking for people to help him with Professor Sada’s request, and I figured you’d be the perfect girl for the job with how good you are with tech and stuff. I was planning on asking Nemona too since her battle skills would be great for what we’ve got to face. But you were my first choice, I swear!”

“Nice way with words there, Romeo.” Penny smirked. “But I do owe you for Operation Starfall, so I’ll help you guys out. Just say the word, and I’ll be there in a heartbeat”

Florian grinned with gratitude. “Thanks, Penny. And…I’ll be sure to give you a special surprise for all your hard work once all that stuff’s done. Just the two of us.”

Her eyes sparked with curiosity. “Oh? What kind of surprise?”

Florian merely shifted to a mischievous smile. “Like I said, I’ll tell you when it’s all over.”

Penny huffed a little, but let that conversation go. They sat a while longer, leaning their heads on each other’s shoulders. The night sky and brilliant stars never looked so good as their hearts calmed with each other’s company.

With Penny’s warmth, Florian felt himself with certain emotions he never experienced before.

Ones filled with hope and understanding.

And perhaps love in its truest sense.

Andromeda continued staring at Florian’s face; her expression filled with longing over the boy’s return. Yet, Florian couldn’t help but feel uneasy that the Penny he knew had become one of Team Tera’s commanders.

She had become a part of invading Juliana’s world and causing terror towards its inhabitants to fulfill their goal.

“I know it’s a lot to take in. But as a member of Team Tera, I will shine radiantly to guide our world back to how it was.” She said, trying to reassure him. Though, it wasn’t exactly helping settle Florian’s worries.

Then, she looked over to Penny’s direction. “I bet you didn’t this to happen to yourself, but that’s alternate universes for you. You never know what’ll happen. At least a version of me seems to be better off in this world.”

Penny said nothing for a few moments but soon decided to open her mouth. “I gotta admit it’s weird seeing a parallel version of myself. Especially one that seems to be in love with an alternate version of Juliana and trying to act like a saviour. But I can understand the devotion towards something you care deeply about. I did too back then when Juliana helped me with my problem.”

“She seems like a true friend. Just like Florian was to me. I’m glad you had someone like that too that made you happy.”

At that moment, Juliana stepped forward with an expression filled with wonder. This must not have been easy for her or Penny either.

“I’ve been meaning to ask since Noir and Malwyrm talked about it before. But what terrible thing happened in your world that you’d have to come to our world getting Terestal and now Dynamax energy to fix it?”

“It sounds like some kinda nightmare the way you guys put it. Somethin’ that happened after Florian disappeared from your world and came here.” Kieran commented.

Florian gripped his fist. “It must’ve been with everything you’ve done and said. But none of you want to tell me. None of you want to let me know what happened because you don’t want me to feel hurt or get involved. But that’s not fair! I want to know. If my friends are hurting, I want to help… Please, Penny…”

The commander saw his pleading face, vivid emotions welling inside of her while she turned to the other three who stood near him.

“You’re sure you want to know? You’ll never be able to forget once you do.”

“I don’t care!” He shouted back.

Harmony continued collecting the Galar particles but shrugged their shoulders. Seems she didn’t care whether he knew or not. Andromeda sighed but nodded.

“Alright. I don’t want to have to deal with Macro Cosmos grunts that I’m sure will come shortly thanks to you guys barging in here, so I’ll keep it short. Then, you can decide what you’ll do about us afterwards.”

“Before we get into that, is your partner going to reveal themselves too?” Penny asked.

The other commander didn’t even glance in their direction. “Even if I did, I doubt you would even know who I am. Just call me Harmony. Now if you’ll excuse me, I will continue collecting our precious energy while Andromeda tells her story.”

Harmony released a few more orbs to the core, vast amounts of energy seeping into the containers while Juliana and the others readied their Pokemon to intercept them.

Not like the other Penny would let them pass. Especially with the harrowing announcement that followed.

This facility will self-destruct in 30 minutes. All personnel please evacuate immediately.

“I hacked the plant’s system before you guy showed up. If you want me to disable the self-destruct and not get us all to get blown up, stay back and listen.” Andromeda noted.

Penny was straight rolling her eyes. “Seriously? Who builds a self-destruct command in one of their most important facilities? This isn’t some Pokestar Studios action film…”

“We both know how eccentric our dear old uncle can get. By the way, I’m not bluffing. I will cause this place to explode if you try anything. Saving our world is more important than our lives.”

Just like Noir, Florian’s Penny was extremely excessive in trying to get her way. Juliana turned towards Florian, the boy giving a slight nod for them to stand down. She sighed but stepped back with Kieran and Penny doing the same.

“I’m ready to listen, no matter hard or painful the truth is.”

“Alright. To start off, things didn’t end well with us when you disappeared. When that burst of light came in the Zero Lab, you and the AI version of Professor Sada just vanished.”

“And then I woke up in the Zero Lab that was in Juliana’s world. It only felt like a few moments when I woke up, but who knows how long it took.” Florian surmised.

Andromeda sadly smiled. “A few moments, huh? If only it took that long for you to come back, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“Why? How much time passed before you guys saw Florian again?” Juliana asked.

She braced herself to say it, even as her heart tightened from remembering old memories.

“Six months.”

Florian gasped in shock. “No way?! I was gone for that long?”

“Yeah. After you disappeared, we searched the entire lab to see if you and Sada were there, but we found nothing. You, her, and the time machine just vanished no matter how hard and how far we looked…”

“That musta been terrible. I wouldn’t know what I’d do if that happened to my friends, or the people I’ve grown close to.” Kieran expressed.

He looked towards Juliana’s direction, while the girl gave him a reassured look. Juliana could see Florian staying silent but knowing full well that this was hitting him hard.

“Things just got worse from there after we reported what happened to the Pokemon League. They started an investigation to search the entirety of Area Zero to find you and Sada. We wanted to help, but Geeta refused, saying the Pokemon League would handle it. Deep down, I knew she was just concerned about our safety, but it still hurt knowing we couldn’t do anything to help.”

“So, what happened after?” Penny inquired. “Clearly you couldn’t find Florian until he showed up in our world.”

“We held out hope that they would be able to find him. Me, Nemona, and Arven even became closer afterwards, sharing memories about what Florian had done for us. Those were some of the happy times out of the bad that came those past few months. I don’t know what I would’ve done if they weren’t around, or my friends from Team Star.”

Penny let out a soft smile. “I know what that’s like. Without Juliana, Team Star, Nemona, and Arven, I wouldn’t have been able to feel so free in my life. Getting to know Kieran and Carmine after that made things more worthwhile. But I’m guessing things still went downhill even with them supporting you.”

Florian still hadn’t said a word, still trying to process this truth.

“Weeks passed, and then months. Still, the investigation kept going into a dead end. Florian was never found. Those days were…hard, even friends tried to cheer me up. I tried to stay as happy as I could for them. I didn’t want them to worry. But…each passing day the hope in my heart slowly turned into despair. Soon, I accepted that Florian was gone in my life, and that I had to move on. I devoted myself to working for the Pokemon League for his sake. Because he was the one who helped me get to that point.”

“What about Nemona and Arven? How did they take Florian’s disappearance?” Juliana questioned.

“They tried moving on too. Nemona went on an exchange student program to get away from Paldea, probably seeking strong battles to remember her rivalry with Florian. Arven delved more towards Professor Sada’s research to try and find something to bring him back. He even quit cooking to spend as much time as possible to study the Terestal phenomenon for the possibility that Florian would return to us.”

Juliana gripped her hand tightly, surprised but relieved that Kieran had pressed his hand towards hers as tried her best to keep listening. She wouldn’t want any of her friends to feel like what Andromeda felt when Florian disappeared. And she was sure Florian felt the same.

“Then one day, it finally happened. We got a lead on a way to find you.”

Florian looked up in shock yet fear as well over the events Andromeda would tell them.

“What was it?” He tried his best to ask.

“Turns out there was a place deeper than the Zero Lab that we never investigated back then. A section that only Professor Sada had access to until now, filled to the brim with Stellar Terestal energy. One where you could have been sent to all those months ago.”

“The Area Zero Underdepths…” Juliana answered.

“The place where you, me, and Sis went to with Ms. Briar.” Kieran added. “You guys went down there too? To see if Florian was there?”

“Not just us. A group of students and staff from Blueberry Academy were sent to as part of a joint secret expedition. They were a weird group, but I guess I shouldn’t be talking when we were odd in our own ways. In total, there were nine people that went down there, with a special item given to Arven.”

Juliana raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about the Indigo Disk? We used that to get to the Underdepths using the elevator in the Zero Lab.”

Andromeda appeared surprised. “So, you got it too. I have no idea what it was exactly, but we used it to access the hidden area below the Zero Lab. There were Pokemon that were able to survive down there, siphoning off the Terestal energy all around them. We even battled some of them to make it to the bottom as they transformed into their stellar forms.”

Kieran nodded in agreement. “Sounds a lot like what we had to go through. I just wished that I was more helpful during that adventure…”

“Aw, don’t say that.” Juliana reassured him. “You were totally awesome in the end when we both handled that final battle! It was really cool how brave and confident you were!”

“Ehehe. It was because you encouraged me at the end that I managed to snap outta it, Juliana.”

“You encouraged me too with your support, Kieran. And I’m glad that experience helped us become even better friends now.”

Kieran couldn’t help but blush from her praises but happily smiled back at her radiant expression she had towards him. Though, they did feel slightly embarrassed that they had interrupted Andromeda’s important story for their cute little moment.

“Moving on from their lovey-dovey display, what happened once you reached the bottom of the Underdepths?” Penny continued.

“We found a bright gem down below. One of the members pulled it out instantly, believing it would be the one thing that could make them the strongest. He had a real crazy look on his face when he did. As if he was possessed by some supernatural force.”

“I’m bettin’ it was the other me. I had the same feelings to surpass Juliana back then and it nearly killed us all…” Kieran commented with regret, causing Juliana to comfort him this time. The warmth and love from her soft hands made him feel much better.

“Long story short, a monstrous Pokemon got unleashed after it siphoned off enough Terestal energy and almost caused our deaths. Catching it did no good in its state, and even strong trainers like Nemona were no match against it. Our attacks were ineffective against its wide assaults until it finally blasted a large wave of Terestal energy that encompassed the entirety of Paldea. Any attacks or resistance against it are simply bounced off.”

Florian gasped. “Is that why the air in our world was so suffocating? When I tried going through Malwyrm’s portal, it felt as if a massive density of Terestal energy was choking my entire body with every breath.”

Andromeda looked down. “It’s true. It’s constantly emitting a wave of dense Terestal energy into the atmosphere, unable to even disperse thanks to the region-wide barrier it formed afterwards. We’ve tried, but we haven’t figured out a way to shatter it. We’ve basically been trapped in Paldea for months. But that’s not even the worst part.”

That made Juliana give a sad expression. “If the air there’s as poisonous as you make it sound, I can see where this part of the story is going.”

“It’s even more terrifying that what you’d expect. Anyone exposed to massive quantities of Terestal energy turn into a crystallized state that encompasses their entire body. We were able to survive because we were already exposed to it during the journey to Area Zero. But everyone else wasn’t so lucky.” She said, the tone of regret apparent in every word. “Momo, Mellie, Atticus, Ortie, Eri, and all the others…they were literally frozen in time. And we couldn’t do anything to bring them back.”

“Even then, you still had to wear those masks to survive.” Florian added with sorrow.

She gave a wry smile. “We were the lucky ones if you could call it that. But you know, for the first time in my life, I was grateful you disappeared. If you hadn’t, you would have suffered the same fate as the others. If you did, then I…I…”

She pressed her hand towards her chest, trying to stop the pain from her heart. Florian wanted to hold her close and comfort her, but he knew he couldn’t when they were currently on opposing sides.

“Then, everything you’ve done so far. Going through Paldea, Kitakami, and now Galar; all of that was to figure out how to use it to get rid of the excessive Terestal energy and barrier in your world.” Penny noted.

“That, and to remove that damned creature so that it will never cause such ruin to our world ever again. It’s a curse that must be destroyed, and we will do anything to eradicate its influence, even if your world must be sacrificed to do so.”

She said it with such resolve and vitriol that Juliana felt unnerved by her words. This Penny and her friends had endured so much that she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. But even so, she wouldn’t allow her friends or world to used like this. She wouldn’t accept resorting to such extremes to achieve their goal.

But Juliana didn’t know if Florian felt the same. She gazed at him, his eyes clearly filled with conflict and doubt.

Andromeda stepped forward, an expression of hope and acceptance towards the boy who wormed his way into her heart. “Now you know everything that led up to this point. At least a summary of it. So, what will you do? Will you help us fix our world? Will you stay out of our way? Or will you still stand against us, even knowing what we’re doing is just?”

Florian gripped his fist tightly. Each option he heard making his heart race even more.

“I…”

That was all Florian could say to answer her question. He hesitated even now with what he through was the right thing to do.

Andromeda let out a wistful breath, knowing full well his choice.

“You can’t do it, can you? You can’t accept what we’re willing to do. But that pure heart is what makes you who you are. The part of you that I admire back then and still do now.”

He looked down. “I’m sorry, Penny. I want to help, but I can’t let Juliana’s world suffer for the sake of ours. It’s not fair to her or her friends. And I believe there can be other ways we can restore our Paldea back to normal.”

“You weren’t there!” She yelled. “We tried everything we could for months and nothing changed. All we could do is survive in our hellish world and when the opportunity to cross between world lay in our grasp, we took it to find that solution! What’s wrong with that?!”

Florian couldn’t respond, her fury and despair felt even from the other side. All he could do was stand frozen while knowing someone he cared deeply about suffered for so long.

Then, Harmony stepped forward. “Sorry to interrupt such a sorrowful moment between you two, but it’s time for us to part ways. I’ve collected plenty of Dynamax energy for us to experiment, and Thorn must be getting impatient to see our results.”

The masked commander opened a Terestal Portal, proceeding to step into it as her orbs started returning to her from the core.

In response, Andromeda tapped a few buttons from her gauntlet. “Our time’s up. I’ve disabled the self-destruct sequence like I promised, so we’re done here.”

Self-destruct sequence terminated. Have a nice day.

That was what the announcement said, so it seemed Andromeda’s words rang true. Still, that didn’t mean they could just let the commanders leave.

“We need to stop them from taking the energy they stole.” Juliana urged her friends, causing her to grab their Pokeballs with gusto.

Kieran and Penny nodded, getting ready to send their own Pokemon. But Andromeda had other ideas once she sent out another strange Paradox Pokemon.

Florian recognized the giant pink blob immediately. “Scream Tail. A cute Pokemon whose adorableness fits you to a T.”

Andromeda smirked. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Watch this.”

Her gauntlet started to glow, her Scream Tail dissipating into various traces of light as they were soon absorbed by her outfit. It gradually changed colour and form, as if the commander was now wearing an armour adorned by the Paradox Pokemon’s image.

She took a deep breath and faced them. “Synchronization complete. Time to blow you all away.”

As soon as she released her breath, huge soundwaves blasted towards Juliana and the others, ones so intense that they were pushed back to the wall. Her wails continued, radiating both determination and sadness with every breath.

Andromeda turned towards the still opened portal, ready to head back with mask put back on her face. But not before saying her final words to Florian for now.

“If you’re set on stopping us, head towards the Pokemon Paradise that lies beyond Paldea’s reach. Team Tera seeks the legendary crystals said to be miraculous. A few commanders have already been dispatched, so if you’re still standing by your beliefs, you better head there fast. That’s all I have to say. That and…goodbye, Florian.”

Florian couldn’t even get a word in before the portal closed, Andromeda and Penny already crossing back towards his world. The moment they were gone, he fell to his knees, shaking with despair over everything that had happened.

Why had fate been so cruel to him? So cruel to them?!

Why?

Why?!

WHY?!

Tears finally trickled down his cheeks, the realization that they were now officially enemies a grim reality intensified by the sense of emptiness within his heart.

First Kieran and now Penny.

How many friends would he have to stand against to fight for what he fought was right, even if he thought they did have good intentions. But deep down, he couldn’t condone invading Juliana’s world and causing trouble to save theirs.

He felt Juliana pressing her hand towards his left shoulder, while Kieran and Penny pressed theirs on his other shoulder. The level of concern and support on their faces were a small comfort towards his current turmoil as he tried his best to let out a small smile.

“Ready to keep going?” Juliana asked softly.

Florian remained slumped in silence for a few moments longer, finally nodding as he stood back up with more vigour than before.

“Pen-, Andromeda said more of her fellow commanders were heading towards some Pokemon paradise. Any of you have an idea on where that could be?”

Juliana shook her head. “Nope. It’s definitely not in Paldea, Kitakami, or Galar at least. But maybe someone we know might know where. But who is the question.”

“Maybe someone who knows a lot about Terestal energy? If that’s the case, we could try Ms. Briar.” Kieran suggested. “Sis gave me her number just in case, so maybe she’s got any info about whatever Team Tera’s tryin’ to get.”

Penny turned around. “How about we get outta here first before we make our next move? I don’t want to stay in a place where we almost got blown up any longer than necessary.”

Penny was right. They needed to keep moving now that Andromeda had revealed their next target. They walked out of the energy plant as quickly as they could, letting the Macro Cosmos employees who came later to handle the fallout.

But even knowing that, Florian was dreading who else in his life he would have to fight next.

“That will be your next mission. I am trusting you to handle this alone.”

Spice stood in front the hologram man, comprehending his leader’s orders before nodding. He knew the importance of what he was being asked to do when he received his orders deep within the Underdepths, near where that creature was currently slumbering.

“I’ll head there straight away.”

“I trust that you understand the secrecy of this mission. No one must know about what you are planning to do, not even the other commanders.”

Spice bit his lip in hesitation but gave another nod afterwards. “Understood. I’ll make sure to get the job done. For my sake and yours.”

“Good. I am happy to see how far you’ve come. I know you will achieve more greatness for both of us. Now go and bring the one we seek.”

Those were their final words before Spice opened a Terestal portal and stepped to the other side. Each movement he made brought him closer and closer to his destiny.

Until he finally reached a familiar landscape, a large, shining building still preserved after their huge battle in the past.

He had arrived in the Zero Lab within Juliana’s Paldea. The Paldea the one he was seeking currently resided.

He stepped inside, slowly heading down through the elevator until he stepped out and saw the robotic figure currently analyzing some sort of data.

The woman glanced in his direction, a look of intrigue and surprise adorning her copied face. But one that imitated familiarity as well.

“I never thought I would ever see you again.”

She eyed the mysterious intruder, her expression stoic yet aware with a deep realization before responding.

“Indeed. We have a lot to talk about, it would seem.”

Chapter Text

“A Pokemon Paradise filled with pink crystals, you say? That sounds truly fascinating! Wherever did you hear of such a tale?”

Juliana laughed nervously. “Um, Ms. Briar? Whoever told us about it isn’t important right now. If you have any information about it, we’d like to know.”

She would’ve liked to tell her, but she didn’t want to get an innocent person involved in what was technically Pokemon League business. Plus, she wasn’t sure if Briar would keep her obsessions under check if she told her about Team Tera, alternate universes, and their use of Terestal energy to meet their own ends. The whole thing with Terapagos didn’t help her track record of that.

Yeah…best to keep those things to herself.

The Blueberry instructor put a finger near her lip in deep thought, before reaching what Juliana thought was a ‘Eureka’ moment.

“I do recall a man and his group telling me about pink crystals that sound like the ones you’re talking about, Juliana. I believe he called it Laquium, and it seemed fascinating to research at the time. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to look more into it as I was busy modifying the Terarium Core with the Underdepths’ Stellar energy. Thanks to Terapagos’ discovery, I was satisfied not pursuing it in the end.”

Briar beamed immensely to Juliana and her friends, which she had to admit made her feel happy that the researcher managed to fulfill her dream in the end.

“Laquium, huh?” Florian muttered. “Did that man say anything about where it can be found?”

Briar moved closer towards the screen. “I believe he did. Although, you are unfamiliar to me. You look quite like Juliana. Are you perhaps her sibling or relative?”

“D-Don’t worry ‘bout that, Ms. Briar. Let’s just focus on you rememberin’ where those crystals are, okay?”

Kieran wasn’t exactly helping in making this request less suspicious. Juliana loved him for a lot of things, but subtlety was not his strong suit. Fortunately, Briar decided to forget about Florian before she gave her answer.

“It was a land high up in the mountains, where the Pokemon paradise resides at the top. The sanctuary for all Pokemon to co-exist with each other, Laqua. And in that paradise lies the Treasure of Eternity, Laquium. At least that’s what that white-haired man with the Pikachu told me back in Kitakami.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you and Sis went to Kitakami to study more on the Crystal Pool after Juliana’s friends spent the week there. I think the Apple Festival was goin’ on during that time and Sis was super mad some guy was beating her in all the games they played.” Kieran remembered.

“Indeed. But as I said, I didn’t pursue more knowledge on these crystals. So, that is currently all I know on the subject. I can tell you the location of the mountain it supposedly resides in if you are interested.”

“That would be very helpful, Ms. Briar. Thank you!” Juliana replied.

“It’s my pleasure. You’ve been a very wonderful student to know, Juliana. And I am proud to see how far you’ve come, especially with this newfound knowledge on research.”

Juliana responded with a few shaky noises, seeing as that wasn’t really the reason why she wanted to know about the Laquium Team Tera was seeking. But Briar didn’t need to know that.

Once Briar had informed them of where the mountain was, Juliana and the others bid farewell to the Terestal researcher as she hung up.

“Should we head there now? If Andromeda said other commanders are already there lookin’ for that Laquium stuff, then we gotta stop them before they head back to Florian’s world.”

Penny nodded. “I’ll see if Miss Oleana can lend us a plane or something to get there. Oh, and we better report to Geeta what happened. I bet she’ll want to know about the other me and why they were collecting the Galar particles.”

Juliana giggled. “It’s a good thing we’ve got a girl with high connections. Still surprised you’re connected with the old chairman. Wish you told us that before.”

“It’s not something you’d want to spill to everyone when he tried to instill the Darkest Day that could’ve led Galar to ruin. All because he wanted to stop an energy crisis that wouldn’t happen for over a thousand years…”

“Ehehe. When you put it that way, you make a fair point. Anyways, we should call La Primera and report back and tell her we’re heading to Laqua.”

She moved towards Florian, clearly still reeling from what happened between him and his Penny. He had chosen to fight with them, at the cost of going against the wishes of his friends. Friends that Juliana had bonded with too. Of course he would be feeling extremely conflicted right now.

She figured he needed time to sort out those feelings, but at the very least she could be there for him during this moment.

“If you need us to support you, we’ll be there. We’re your friends too now.”

Hearing those words, Florian turned towards Juliana with a small smile. “Thanks. I’m…happy you’re all here with me.”

“Anytime.” She smiled back.

Time to head back to Wyndon to tell Geeta everything that happened, get transportation headed towards a giant mountain, and then stop the next commanders they’ll face.

Simple enough, right?

Rose stared at the boy’s sleeping form, each rise and fall from his chest eliciting relief and concern in her heart.

Noir had finally agreed to rest after returning from the other Kitakami with Malwyrm. Their report led to some shocking truths about their enemies. The girl who looked like Florian, Juliana, had possessed the destructive creature that devastated their world. Yet from what Malwyrm said, its power resonated with the shards from the Crystal Pool, creating some sort of illusion of two individuals.

She didn’t really care about that. All she cared about right now was that Juliana seemed to have complete control over the creature, and that Noir had returned safely.

She continued watching over Noir, sleeping in a way that made her think he had just tired himself from playing too much rather than having risked his life to satiate his pride. She looked at the Pokeball tightly grasped with her hand.

“If you saw what he’s become, would you think that he was worthy?”

What was she thinking? She wasn’t going to get an answer, yet she couldn’t help but think about the events that led them to this point.

Then, the door slowly opened, revealing her fellow commander approaching her.

Azure sat beside her, a concerned look apparent despite the masks they currently wore concealing their faces.

“Are you alright?”

She should know that answer already if she knew why she was in Noir’s quarters, but Rose knew Azure was just looking out for her. She was grateful for that.

“I’ll be fine. I just wanted to make sure he’s okay. He’s always too reckless for his own good.”

“I can understand that. I was pretty reckless too when I wanted to get stronger. Especially after everything that happened with Florian. You were the one who helped me with sorting those negative feelings after we met.”

Rose slightly smiled. “You helped me out too during those tough times. I wasn’t in a good place either but getting to know you during those days made things better. I’m glad we managed to find each other, even if we both had to suffer for it.”

She placed her hand on top of Azure’s, the other commander clasping it tightly in response. “We’ll always have each other’s backs. I promise.”

They smiled brightly at each other, finding comfort from each other’s company and the reassurance from their words guiding them.

“By the way, Thorn informed me that preparations are complete for our next mission. The three of us will head towards this new place in the other world. A place called Laqua where we’ll harvest those pink crystals she was talking about. We’ll be acting as Thorn’s support while they try disabling the barrier and seizing the crystals.”

“So, we’re just acting as muscle just in case they somehow come.” Rose commented. “I don’t want to leave Noir right now, but orders are orders. Trying to fix our world comes first. At least you’ll be there with me.”

Azure gave a cheery smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just hoped I could’ve told Spice before we leave. But I can’t find him anywhere after he went to the Underdepths.”

“I’m sure he’s just busy with something. You can tell him when we get back.”

They exited Noir’s quarters, ready to meet with Thorn to head to their next destination, unaware that their fellow commander had already left to fulfill his own mission.

Sada continued eyeing the commander standing before her. With the outfit and chestnut lab coat he was wearing, it seemed he was in league with that Thorn person who appeared in Mesagoza a few days ago.

“You appear to have changed quite a bit.” She noted.

“Yeah well, lots of things happened while you and Florian up and left for so many months.” He smarmily replied.

“That wasn’t our intention. And I was not aware we had been gone for that long. From what I could tell, we woke up in this version of Paldea about one week ago. Perhaps some time discrepancy is in play for this difference. If so, I wonder why that was the case, as well as what were the factors leading up to our sudden disappearance in our world.”

“Like I said, lots of things happened that led up to this point. Our Paldea became a ruinous nightmare, we assumed new identities and formed Team Tera. Now, we’re doing anything we can to bring back everything we had lost.”

“Using Terestal energy from this Paldea to do so, I assume? Large Terestal portals had appeared across Paldea after Florian and I arrived. I had gone to this version of the Zero Lab to determine what may have caused them to appear, as well as why we were sent here.”

“I’m surprised you were even able to access this place. I heard that this world’s professor had left Paldea a long time ago. I gotta say, the Paradox Pokemon here are a lot different from ours. They’re more robotic than prehistoric for one. I even caught one of them to test their might when the time comes to put it to use.”

“You mean when Florian and the others confront you and your fellow Team Tera commanders.” Sada hummed.

For once, Spice’s attitude changed as he winced from her words. “I don’t want to fight Florian. If anything, I want him to stand down and let us handle things. But if tries to interfere, I won’t show him any mercy. Friend or not.”

Sada just stared at him with analytical eyes. “You really have changed. You have become more vicious and unmoving in your ideals. It is quite…interesting.”

“I will do anything to achieve our goals. You didn’t see what it was like when everything around us became Terastallized husks. When even breathing became hazardous because the air was filled with toxic levels of Terestal energy. But you can help us change that.”

Her interest became piqued, already knowing what he was asking.

“You wish for me to come with you and join Team Tera. That is why you came to this world’s Zero Lab to track me down. I confess I had tried to enter the portal deeper within the lab to reach our world, but that ended in failure.”

“You can with my power. We’ve developed our technology to be able to utilize Terestal energy to instantaneously move anywhere we want now. If you come with me, you can return to our Area Zero and see for yourself what our world has become. Once you understand, you can use your knowledge to help us.”

Spice’s offer was intriguing, Sada computed. It was a logical goal based on what he had told her so far. And she would like to see the effects this mass amounts of Terestal energy had in the Paldea she originated from.

She pressed a few buttons on the console she had been using before Spice arrived, the commander becoming suspicious but paying it no mind afterwards.

“Before I make my decision, shall we talk about my potential involvement in detail?” She requested, prompting Spice to nod in agreement.

Hopefully, they would arrive in time.

Finally, they could have the summer break in Paldea the Blueberry squad were looking forward towards. After dealing with Team Tera popping into Paldea and Kitakami during the past week, Arven let out a sigh of relief with a chance to relax and show Carmine and the others their home.

He just wished Juliana, Penny, Kieran, and Florian didn’t miss out because they were dealing with the situation in Galar.

But his little buddy was always a sweetheart when it came to helping people, and he guessed that extended to Florian too. He hoped they were safe out there…and that Penny was eating properly without him pestering her every day.

“What’s up, Arven? You worried about Juliana and our other friends?”

Nemona walked up to him, sitting right beside him on the picnic bench they reserved for their picnic.

He huffed amusingly. “I suck at hiding it, huh?”

“Nah! It’s just that I’ve known you long enough that I know what face you make when you’re concerned about your friends. I’m kinda feeling the same. I wish I could’ve been with them to help them out if they needed it. And the chance to battle against tough opponents like those Tera commanders would’ve been so fun!”

Arven sighed over her usual enthusiasm but paired it up with a content smile. He was happy he had so many friends he could spend time with.

Speaking of friends, the Blueberry students returned from what he could assume was a large shopping extravaganza spearheaded by Lacey and Carmine no doubt.

“Oh, that was so much fun! There were just so many cute outfits, I just had to get them all!” Lacey chirped happily.

“No doubt the clothes I bought will make me even more cool and radiant than before.” Carmine added with an egotistical pep in her step.

“I am not much for fashion trends, but it was nice getting some outfits that suited my preferences. And the array of snacks was simply wonderful.” Amarys pointed out.

Seemed like they had fun exploring Mesagoza’s array of sights. Crispin and Drayton, though, not so much with the way they slumped after having to carry the girls’ purchases for who knows how long.

“Glad you guys had fun. But why don’t we have a good meal before you keep going on your shopping binge…” Drayton panted out loud.

Crispin tried his best to nod. “Yeah, I’m gettin’ real hungry here. I could use something fiery in my stomach.”

Arven kind of felt bad for Drayton, seeing the normally smug Elite Four member so out of it. Crispin seemed better at least, though maybe that was because he was all too happy to spend time with Lacey while being her pack Mudsdale.

“Don’t worry! Arven’s made a lot of delicious food to keep you satisfied. Then, we can use all that energy for our hours-long battle session after! I can’t wait to see what all of you can do!”

“I do not want to think about that right now!” Carmine yelled. “Me and Kiki still remember the twelve battles we had with you!”

Lacey giggled. “I suppose we can’t blame Nemona for being so passionate about Pokemon battling. If she’s passionate enough to challenge Gym Leaders like my daddy on the spot, that’s a part of you that should be able to run free.”

“Though, perhaps we can take these battles in moderation for those who may be overwhelmed with the prospect.”

Looks like they were having fun chatting it up. Good thing he had already prepared his signature sandwiches perfected with some Herba Mystica Juliana had acquired from a few caverns she visited in the region to add some calm to their conversation. He wasn’t sure how they had it, but it was better not to ask.

“Alright, everyone grab a seat and dig in! There’s plenty for everyone!”

Everyone took their respective spots, their expressions ranging from impressed to outright ecstatic tasting Arven’s creations. It made him feel great that he was doing something that made his friends happy.

And with the way they smiled and piled on compliments over his work, it made his heart feel happy too. It was something he never had when he was a kid, when his dad was too busy with his research, and he only had Mabosstiff to keep him company.

But after meeting Juliana and getting to know her, then meeting Nemona and Penny, along with Kieran and Carmine after, Arven felt like he found somewhere he could finally belong. People he could trust and let himself be free with.

That thought made his heart thump in joy.

Then, things took an interesting turn once Drayton opened his mouth.

“So, anyone got the hots for someone in particular? Come on, let the Drayster know all the juicy details.”

“Drayton! That’s not something you should just blurt out loud! It’s just not right!” Lacey scolded the dragon-type specialist, emphasizing her point with her signature ‘X’ hand motion.

“What better way to spend time getting to know old and new friends than talking about our love lives, huh? I’m bettin’ we’re pretty much a shipping club at this point. And this way, I’ll be thoroughly entertained.”

Carmine made a disgusted expression. “Just when I think you couldn’t be any more of an idiot, you exceed expectations! And no, that’s not a compliment bozo!”

“Thanks for being the first volunteer, Carmine. Anyone you’re interested in after our little stint as boyfriend and girlfriend faded to dust?”

“Wha?! I am not telling you that!”

“Why not? You’re always so interested in other people’s love lives, and now you’re too scared to share yours. Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“What about you, huh? Since you’re still stupidly adamant about this.” She argued back.

“I’ve got my eye on someone. That’s better than you, at least.” Drayton smirked.

“Keep it up and you’ll be eating my fist!” The fiery girl threatened.

“Yeesh. You’re no fun. Fine, let’s talk about some obvious ones. The ex-champ and Juliana have sure gotten all buddy-buddy since coming to Paldea. Just looking at how they’ve been acting towards each other, it’s obvious they’ve got deep feelings.”

“Should you really be talking about Kieran and Juliana when they’re not here? That’s not cool.” Arven warned.

But hearing their names together did make him feel somewhat jealous. At first, he was envious over how close his little buddy had been with the shorter boy, but he realized Kieran was a good guy at heart. If they did become a couple, he would be happy for them. Besides, these past few months, he had strange feelings for someone else. But he wouldn’t say anything about that.

“Though, I must admit Kieran and Juliana have been quite friendly towards one another. I wouldn’t be surprised if Drayton was right about that.” Lacey admitted.

“If that were the case, I would be happy for them. They seem to be…right for each other.” Amarys added, though Arven thought he saw her shift into a frown behind that stoic expression.

Drayton nodded. “Anyone else wanna share, hmmm? Because you and a certain redhead chef might be next on the relationship hype train, Lace.”

Lacey looked confused before turning to Crispin, clearly red as an Applin with how he looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole.

“Oh, for goodness sake, Drayton! You shouldn’t tease Crispin like that. Just look how mortified he looks right now. We’re just friends and that’s all we’ll ever be. It’s not like he ever confessed to me either, so clearly he’s not interested in me like that!”

Ouch, that’s gotta hurt. Crispin now looked like he wanted to escape the planet at this point.

“Wow… Even I didn’t see that coming. Amarys? You got anyone in mind?”

Her response was immediate. “I refuse to answer. That is all.”

Drayton merely shrugged. “Last but not least, our Paldean friends. Is there anyone you two love with your heart’s content?"

“Hmmm. It’s so hard to choose. I love Juliana, and Arven, and Penny! Ooh, and I love Carmine and Kieran too after having so much fun with them! I just can’t pick one!”

“That’s not… Never mind. Arven, what about you? You got something goin’ on with Juliana? I know you’re close with her at least.”

Arven scoffed. “Juliana’s my little buddy. My best friend, that’s it. I…don’t have anyone that I love, you know?”

“Ooh, you hesitated there for a moment bud. Now things are getting juicier. C’mon spill your guts to the Drayster, I won’t bite.”

While Lacey kept admonishing him for his boorish behaviour, Arven swore his urge to throttle him was as strong as Carmine’s at this point. But before he continued thinking about that, his smartphone pinged.

“Huh? It’s coming from Area Zero. Must be from my AI mom from Florian’s world.” He noted, his face slowly draining of colour soon after. “Wait, what?!”

“What’s wrong?” Nemona asked, concern growing from seeing Arven’s dismayed face.

“Another of those Team Tera guys is in the Zero Lab. She says to head there straight away.”

“Why is Team Tera there?! I thought they’d be busy in Galar like that Geeta lady said!”

“We should report this to La Primera first.” Nemona suggested.

“There’s no time. We gotta get there now!” Arven yelled back.

Drayton shook his head. “Guess we were right that they wouldn’t just set their sights in Galar. Something in Paldea’s got their attention, and I’m guessing it’s Arven’s alternate robot mom.”

“We should split into two teams in case more commanders show up in Paldea.” Amarys advised.

“Good thinking. Arven, Nemona, and Carmine should head down there since they’ve been to Area Zero before. I’ll provide flying transport using my dragons.”

“Then Amarys, Crispin, and I will stay here.” Lacey remarked. Amarys immediately agreed to the proposal, while Crispin got up from his depression phase by giving a thumbs up.

“Ok then, let’s do this!” Drayton remarked as he sent out his Dragonite and Flygon to fly their group to the Great Crater while Lacey waved at them with words of good luck.

They flew as fast as they could, reaching the Zero Gate before using its teleporter to head straight down to the furthest research station. They evaded the Paradox Pokemon still inhabiting the area, the glimmering crystals as awe-struck to see as ever before.

Arven’s heart pounded faster with every moment that passed, until they reached the Zero Lab’s doors. It was still open, saving them time to use the elevator to head down to the lowest level.

And once the slammed the door open, they came face-to-face with Professor Sada’s AI and another masked figure from Florian’s world.

He yelled as loud as he could to draw attention.

“Hold it! Get away from her!”

Arven’s voice rang loudly within the large room, with Nemona, Carmine, and Drayton arriving right after.

Spice scoffed. “Great. We were having such a lovely chat until you all barged in to ruin it.”

“Heh. Anything you say will lead to no good, oh mighty commander.” Drayton mocked from afar. “Why don’t you just give up now and scram before you have to deal with all four of us.”

“Ugh. People like you are so annoying. I already have to deal with that kind of attitude from some of the other commanders, I don’t need to hear you talk like that either.”

He turned towards Sada, who was remaining silent in this whole conversation, then raised his arm in her direction.

“So? Will you join Team Tera and use your scientific knowledge to restore our world?”

Sada stood quietly for a few moments, wary gazes coming towards her from all directions. But at last, she finally spoke.

“Before I make my decision clear, perhaps it is time to reveal your true intentions. If you wish for me to join you, you need to at least be forthcoming to the others. Wouldn’t that be acceptable between fellow scientists…Arven?”

Everyone gasped in surprise at what she had just called him. But the one who was most surprised was the other boy with the same name.

The masked figure standing before them, their supposed enemy, was a person they knew well according to the professor who uttered his name.

“You’re telling me…this guy is the me from Florian’s world?! Like when Juliana said Noir was the Kieran from his world. I’m willingly working with this group to invade our world?”

“You too? Oof, just how many of us are part of this Team Tera group?” Nemona wondered.

Spice scowled in annoyance, focused more on Sada’s involuntary reveal than their shock. “Way to let the Meowth out of the bag. I was hoping they didn’t have to know who I really was, but since you already spoiled it, there’s no point in keeping my face hidden any longer. The air here isn’t likely to kill me at least.”

The tall commander took a step back before uttering a series of numbers.

“Release helmet lock. Command code: 11222022.”

The mask that was perched on his head sent out puffs of smoke, signalling that it was unlocked as he pulled it off. His hair was shaggier than before, the brown lock on his right side the same as ever. But Arven and Nemona noticed the eye it was covering was filled with a blinding white.

“Your eye… What happened to your eye?” He tried saying out loud.

Spice sneered. “Life happened, idiot. Florian disappeared and we got caught up in a huge mess that caused all of us to suffer. What happened to my eye was just a small drop in the bucket of struggles we had to endure. Not like you would know what that’s like when your life is as happy as it can be.”

They could feel the sheer vitriol Florian’s Arven exerted towards his counterpart. Feelings of longing and envy apparent with each word uttered in a venomous tone. Carmine and Drayton watched silently from the sidelines, while Nemona displayed concern for her dear friend.

But Arven took a step forward with determination guiding him.

“You’re right. I don’t know the pain you felt after Florian disappeared or what you guys had to endure after that. But I’ve experienced my own suffering for a long time, and I managed to leave it behind me thanks to the friends who supported me. You must have people like that too in your life to help you through those dark times, don’t you?”

Arven spoke from his heart, making Spice hesitate as memories surfaced from his mind. But those thoughts vanished once his doubts turned back into resolve.

“Whatever. If you’re going to interrupt our conversation and stop me from taking the AI professor, you’re going to pay for it in full! I will do whatever it takes to fulfill my mission, even if I have to resort to absolutely crushing you to do it!”

Spice ignored their shocked faces, not caring what they thought about him while taking out a pair of Master Balls from his lab coat ready to fight.

“No one’s going to get in my way, not even alternate versions of my friends.” He spoke, sending out another strange Paradox Pokemon they did not recognize.

Noting their confusion, Sada answered them. “That is the Pokemon I designated with the name, Brute Bonnet. It is a grass and dark-type, allegedly the ancestor of the Amoonguss species.”

“That’s great and all, but it doesn’t ignore the fact that this Arven’s straight up resorting to battling us to get to you. We won’t let that happen!” Arven answered, sending out his Scovillain in response to Spice’s challenge.

Nemona’s eyes started sparkling again. “That’s the spirit, Arv! Let’s make this battle as fiery and exciting as we can!”

She sent out her Komoo-o next, the large dragon roaring with the thirst for battle like its trainer while Carmine slightly facepalmed. “This is serious! You need to stay focused, Nemona! But Arven’s right that we need to stop that jerk. Even a different version of him with weird Paradox Pokemon’s no match against me!”

“Not exactly heeding your advice when you’re getting heated up too, Carmine. But I’m in on the Team Tera thrashing hehe.”

“For once, we can agree on the same thing bozo.” She smirked.

Carmine called out her Ninetales while Drayton sent out his Dragonite at the same time to join their growing team.

But Spice remained unperturbed as he grasped the second Master Ball he hadn’t thrown yet, a deadly smirk from his face. “If you think numbers are going to give you an edge, you’re sadly mistaken. I managed to find a powerful Pokemon here that’ll leave you begging for mercy once I’m through.”

Carmine raised an eyebrow. “A powerful Pokemon? Did he catch a Paradox Pokemon that was in this Area Zero?”

“From the way he said it, he’s definitely not bluffing.” Drayton added. “I’m sensing something fierce and dangerous coming from that ball. It’s givin’ me the chills.”

“You’re about to find out.” Spice uttered, throwing the ball as high as he could before it released its current inhabitant.

Nemona and Arven stepped back in horror over what he had just unleashed, an old foe that was supposed to have fled now serving the commander standing before them. Its violet skin and electrifying yellow leaving no doubt while it eyed them intensely.

“Miraidon. The frenzied one.” Arven uttered.

“And this version of you caught it.” Nemona added.

Spice let out another vicious grin. “Seems you already know each other. Then you know all of you don’t stand a chance against one of the most powerful Paradox Pokemon of all time.”

He moved closer with Miraidon hovering in sync, turning his eyes towards Sada and then Arven. The same look of fury he had for the boy was as prominent as ever before he spoke again.

“Last chance. Stand down or be destroyed for the sake of Team Tera’s dream.”

Chapter Text

Arven continued glaring at the other version of him, fighting alongside the Miraidon who killed his father many years ago.

It felt inconceivable that this guy would track down and find it deep within Area Zero. But from what he heard from him so far, his doppelganger appeared tenacious in getting what he wanted. Extremely vicious in achieving his goals after suffering immense despair for so long.

“You keep staring at me, but that’s not going to help you win. Unlike you, I’ve improved my skills like my life depended on it not only for the chance to bring Florian back, but to survive the ruinous land Paldea had become because of that monster,” Spice remarked.

“And you’d do whatever it took to fix it?” Arven asked. “Sacrificing anyone or anything to make it happen? Are you really okay with that?”

The commander answered without hesitation. “Absolutely. You, your friends, and your world are nothing compared to what we need to do to return the people and Pokemon there to normal. If you can’t accept that…”

His eyes shined with stifling resolve. “Then, you can all perish.”

As if sensing his determination, the older Miraidon growled with fury as it set up an Electric Terrain across the Zero Lab’s inner chamber.

Drayton pressed his arms behind his back, “Guess talking things out is out of the option.”

“Like you were even going to bother,” Carmine remarked.

“Hey, the option would’ve been nice. I’d rather not battle a giant robo-dragon and prehistoric mushroom if I didn’t have to.”

The fiery girl flicked her hair back, “He’s clearly going to battle us if we’re not going to stand down like he said. Not like we’re going to after what he said about sacrificing us.”

Nemona merely responded with a battle-hungry expression. “Then we’re gonna give him a battle he won’t soon forget. I’m gonna pull out all the stops to convince this Arven he’s messing with the wrong powerhouses! I’ll be with ya all the way!”

Arven felt appreciative over Nemona’s gesture. That sort of response was so her, after all. He needed to pull his weight too. His time training with his friend wouldn’t be in vain, even against his alternate self’s newfound power.

Spice sneered in annoyance, “We done talking? Clearly, you guys aren’t going to step aside. Which means I have to use force to make you stop interfering with our affairs!”
He turned towards the professor, watching her movements all the while. But Sada made no effort to resist or attempt to join their conflict.

“Seems like the AI professor’s stepping back to let us do all the work,” Drayton remarked. “Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, though.”

Sada remained neutral in her expression. “I will remain as a spectator to see how this battle will unfold. Now that the Arven I know is involved and the Paradise Protocol of this world still attempting to override my commands, I cannot allow myself to choose a side. Also, despite his actions, he’s still the professor’s son. I will not hurt him.”

Spice shrugged, “That’s fine with me. It just means I’ll have to win to convince you to join us. Let’s see how you all fare against the power of Synchronization as my power overwhelms you.”

He tapped a few buttons from his gauntlet, an overwhelming green aura emanating all over his body as his suit absorbed the Terestal dense energy flowing around them.

“Something big is coming. And it’s not good,” Drayton warned.

Carmine tried to remember this familiar sensation emanating around them, before stepping back in fear. “He’s going to do the same thing Florian’s Kiki did in Kitakami.”

“Wait, what?! You mean the whole fusing with his Pokemon thing?! That’s what he’s preparing to do?!”

“If you know that much, then you’ll realize this power will completely crush any hopes of you winning,” He declared, infusing himself with mass amounts of Terestal energy before Brute Bonnet was absorbed into his suit as data.

His armour spouted the grass appendages from his Paradox Pokemon, complete with Pokeball style armguards for both offensive and defensive might. It complemented the bright green aura Spice was exuding, creating one of sheer might and intimidation.

The commander meant business and clearly had no hesitation to completely crush anyone that stood in his way.

Even so, they would persist against such a mighty threat.

“Stand strong, guys!” Nemona declared. “If we fight with all we’ve got, even the other Arven’s powers and Pokemon will fall. Ram him down with Close Combat, Komoo-o!”

“Support them with some long-range fire with Flamethrower, Ninetales!” Carmine ordered right after.

“We’ll use Flamethrower too to bring some more fire,” Arven added.

“Guess we’ll bring some long-range hurt with a Dragon Pulse blast.”

Komoo-o rushed against Spice and Miraidon for close-range action, supported by the fiery and draconic attacks from behind.

But Spice had the same smirk as before unfazed by the large barrage of blasts. “Heh. It’s pointless to try. This Iron Serpent and I are more powerful than you’ll ever be. Strike fast and hard with Electro Drift!”

Within a few moments, a large wave of electricity enveloped Miraidon’s body as it spun in rapid succession, dissipating the mass energy attack against it and slamming all four Pokemon back. In their weakened state, they were no match against the wide Energy Ball Spice generated in his palms, knocking them all out without them having time to even notice they were attacked.

“That’s four down. You guys going to surrender now or will I have to get even more vicious to make you understand the price for opposing us?”

There was no way they were going to give up now.

With quick reflexes, Arven took another Pokeball and sent out his new partner. Not needing to speak to state their intentions, Nemona, Carmine, and Drayton released their new Pokemon with fierce looks all around.

Cloyster, Pawmot, Morpeko, and Kingdra stood alongside each other ready for action.

Spice remained unfazed, even shaking his head in disappointment over their continued resistance.

“Hmph. Struggle all you want, but the result will be the same. I’ll show you superior battling skills honed from enduring countless days of despair.”

They moved in to attack simultaneously, but the commander showed no fear over their new assault. In fact, he simply grinned arrogantly.

“Finish them off with Dragon Pulse while I vent out my rage through my Dark Pulse.”

And in just one hit, their newest Pokemon were down too. All of them knocked out by the overwhelming power the Iron Serpent and the Synchronized Spice possessed.

This was not good. They were all already down a third of their Pokemon and both opponents barely had a scratch on them.

Still, they couldn’t give up now. Arven grabbed his next Pokemon with more vigour than before, inspired by the battle confidence Juliana and Nemona had shown in their battles.

The battle-loving girl grinned at her friend’s perseverance, ready to continue fighting alongside him, with Carmine and Drayton displaying the same attitude.

“You’re up next, Garganacl!”

“Burn ‘em to a crisp, Toucannon!”

“Fight hard, Skeledirge!”

“Dragonite, let’s pitch in too!”

Once more, their partners stood alongside their trainers to fight against the aggressive Miraidon and transformed Spice. This time they wouldn’t go down.

Spice merely scoffed at their continued struggle, “You’re just hurting yourselves. They’ll all get crushed just the same. I’ll prove it here now.”

Spice generated another Dark Pulse from his hands before discharging it towards Arven’s group. But this time, they would power through.

Arven ordered Garganacl to shoot a wave of Rock Blasts, while Carmine and Nemona’s Pokemon burned through with their greatest flames. Their attacks pierced through the glob of negative energy, dealing great damage on the fused commander. But that moment of weakness gave Drayton the perfect opportunity to go with the direct approach by slamming Spice with Dragonite’s Breaking Swipe.

Spice immediately jumped back trying to catch his breath from the strain he had undergone from those attacks, his expression turning furious.

“Looks like you’re not all that after all,” Drayton smirked. “You ready to give up and scurry back to your world?”

“Not likely!” He snarled, “You still have to deal with the Iron Serpent, remember? And if you thought it was tough before, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Spice took out a Tera Orb from his pocket and immediately shot it towards the electric dragon. Rainbow energy infused itself to Miraidon’s body, encasing it with Stellar energy, its instincts magnified to increase its power even more. It let out a devastating roar that created gusts of wind swirling at them, with the AI professor unfazed as she continued watching the battle continue to unfold.

“Great… Now we gotta deal with this crazed Paradox dragon’s Terestal power-up,” Carmine sighed. “At least Arven’s double looks like he’s almost down for the count with how beaten up he currently looks.”

“Don’t worry, we got this! If Juliana was able to beat it with her Miraidon, then the four of us can too!” Nemona encouraged them.

“Nemona’s right. Juliana’s been able to do so much with her strength, that it’s our turn to do the same,” Arven added.

He turned towards his counterpart with a resolute stare, “Just like you’re fighting for your friends in Team Tera, we’re fighting for the sake of our friends too. And we won’t lose no matter how much you throw at us. I bet you’d say the same for Florian if he was here.”

Spice gritted his teeth in anger, “Shut up! Don’t you talk about Florian like you really know him just because you recently met. I’ll show you my resolve and purpose are much greater than your pathetic ramblings.”

With one command, Miraidon fired an extremely powerful Tera Blast towards the other side of the lab, its power far more intense than ever before. Arven felt himself getting chills over the oppressive aura the dragon was exerting, feeling even more dangerous than the last time it clashed with him and his friends that fateful day.

Their partners tried to shield themselves from the ferocious assault, but Miraidon’s blast easily pierced through their defenses to instantly knock them out.

How were they supposed to handle this Pokemon when it took the kinder Miraidon all its power and a Terestal-infused change to defeat it? For that matter, why did it choose to side with the other him so faithfully?

His thoughts were interrupted when Spice stepped forward.

“Do you finally understand how outmatched you all are? The suffering you’re currently enduring is just a fraction of the amount we all had to deal with after losing Florian and our world turning into an empty, desolate husk of its former self.”

“What are you talking about?! That doesn’t give you any right to come to our world and do whatever you want!” Carmine seethed.

“I feel a sad backstory comin’ on here,” Drayton noted, leaving Spice to stare at him with disdain. Not that particularly cared as he still had that same casual expression on his face.

“In the middle of a battle, though?” Nemona questioned in confusion.

“What happened to you to make you like this?” Arven asked his counterpart, “If you want us to back down like you keep telling us to, make us understand everything you guys had to suffer.”

Spice took a deep breath, then stared towards the group. “You want to know? Then, I’ll let you in on what happened. In the end, you’ll see why we’re willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to get our happy ending.”

Miraidon went back, its body more relaxed after Spice commanded it to stand down for now. Arven and the others braced themselves for the events they were going to hear from the enemy commander, alongside Sada who was still watching them in silence.

“When Florian’s battle with my AI mom concluded and she and the time machine were supposed to disappear forever, a blinding, white light flashed within the Zero Lab. It only lasted a few seconds, but when it finally cleared, they were both gone.”

“That would explain why I suddenly appeared in this Area Zero,” Sada surmised, “But I am still unsure why Florian and I were pulled here just like that. Even all this time in this Zero Lab has given me no results.”

“I never found out, either. Whatever the case, you two were gone for months,” Spice continued. “We scoured all over Area Zero and Paldea to see if you just got teleported or something, but we couldn’t find a trace. And things became a lot different after Florian vanished.”

Arven raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“First of all, Nemona decided to go to another academy to battle it out 24/7, just to escape having to deal with Florian’s disappearance. At least she managed to find someone there to help her through that. Penny just shut down from losing the guy she really cared about, that if we weren’t there watching her, who knows what would’ve happened.”

Nemona glanced at him with concern, “And what about you? How did you cope with how Florian poofed outta your life?”

“I tried to figure out how to get him back,” He immediately replied, “If Area Zero and the Great Crater had a hand in causing their disappearance, I decided to learn all I could to see if Florian and the AI professor could be brought back using its mysterious properties. I devoted all my time towards understanding my mom’s research, sacrificing sleep and time to delve into the mysteries of the Terestal phenomenon until one day I found something.”

Carmine hummed with surprise, “I’m surprised you managed to understand so much about it. Arven doesn’t seem like the type to be interested in anything other than Juliana, his friends, and sandwiches.”

Arven let out an indignant squeak, but Spice just kept talking.

“I guess I inherited my parent’s intelligence on the subject with how much I managed to learn all those months. Anyway… There was an item that my mom had when she studied the deeper parts of Area Zero, a land that went below the Zero Lab itself.”

“You’re talking about the Area Zero Underdepths. Wasn’t a fan of me or Kiki almost getting killed by a Terestal blast back then…”

“I take it you had obtained the Indigo Disk that allowed access to the Underdepths. It was a secret the original professor kept even from the Pokemon League,” Sada added.

“Yeah well, I wish I didn’t get it after all the suffering we had to deal with down there thanks to a certain someone. If we hadn’t been so obsessed with getting Florian back, maybe our world wouldn’t have become such a disaster. And that thing wouldn’t have gone berserk to almost end our lives. Guess we should be lucky most of us only had our eye colour changed while living in its toxic presence.”

Drayton nodded in understanding, “Oh yeah, Malwyrm told us your world’s air was unbreathable without those masks of yours. It must really suck having to be careful all the time to avoid being overwhelmed by dense Terestal energy.”

“Heh. Those days would soon be over now that we have a plan to fix everything. And once we do, every human and Pokemon that had been affected will return. Then, we can create a world for Florian to return to without him having to experience the horrors we faced for so long.”

Spice extended his arm towards the group with one last warning.

“With everything I told you, will you all still fight against us? We’re doing all we can to fix everything that went wrong, and we don’t need any more interference from you guys. Just let us do our thing here, okay?”

Arven couldn’t help but express derision over his words, “And that makes invading our world and grabbing whatever you want okay? That makes letting dangerous Pokemon loose in our region without concern for people and Pokemon involved justifiable? That’s crazy!”

“I agree. There’s no way Florian would be okay with all this either!” Nemona added. “And if you care so much about him, you should respect his thoughts about your actions too.”

“I can explain myself to Florian once this is all over. All he needs to do is step back while we handle our mission. Everything else doesn’t matter. That includes all of you and the land you call home,” He merely answered back.

Drayton shrugged, “Then there’s nothing more to talk about. Clearly, neither side’s gonna budge an inch. So, all we gotta do is keep pushing and win. Time to seize victory once and for all, Archeludon ol’ buddy.”

“You head the bozo. Let’s get this done. You’re finally up, Sinistcha!”

“Don’t count us out either! Arven and I will make Juliana and the others proud with our breakthrough performance. Let’s do this, Milotic!”

“Right! We’re not going down without a fight. We’ll keep fighting together, Mabosstiff buddy!”
Once they sent their final Pokemon to the fray, Arven and the others grabbed their Tera Orbs and gathered as much Terestal energy as possible, shooting them up high towards their partners to infuse them with even greater power.

They adorned themselves with their crystalline forms and Tera Jewels acting as their crowns, ready to unleash their full might against Team Tera’s steadfast commander and the aggressive Miraidon standing against them.

And with that, they ordered their most powerful attacks in tandem.

“Hydro Pump!”

“Electro Shot!”

“Dark Pulse!”

“Matcha Gotcha!”

All their Pokemon unleashed their energy attacks towards their foes, swirling together to create a combined attack that Spice attempted to deflect with his own energy. But in the end, it became too much and sent him back, his breath becoming more ragged from the strain of trying to maintain his fused form.

Even then, Spice remained undeterred. In fact, he seemed even more resolved to win as his eyes blazed with fury towards them.

“I will not lose here! I will annihilate you once and for all! Destroy them all with your strongest Tera Blast!” Spice declared.

Miraidon charged its Terestal attack with all its might before shooting it towards their foes. Spice generated both verdant and dark energy from his palms, shooting them in the same direction as both attacks swirled into one combined blast.

A large explosion formed within the white space, blasting Arven and the others back as they were sent back meters away by their sheer force.

Their power was simply unbelievable as Spice simply stared at them with a neutral expression, unconcerned over the injuries that they sustained from his actions.

Carmine and Drayton were lying on the ground unconscious, their Pokemon alongside them. He could see Nemona barely struggling to stand. But in the end, the strain of their combined attack had taken its toll on her.

She fell to the ground with a loud thud, leaving him the only one left with Mabosstiff struggling to move just like he did.

Not showing any guilt for his actions, Spice readied himself to fire another blast to eradicate any perceived resistance.

“You only have yourselves to blame for what’s going to happen,” He pointed out, their attacks ready to fire in a few moments.

But then…

“That’s enough! Cease this at once, Arven!”

Sada finally moved towards Arven and the others, her body and stance acting as a shield against the commander’s next attack, while Spice gazed with intrigue over this recent development.

“I’m surprised you care so much about them when they’re not even in the same world as us,” Spice commented amusingly.

“Even if we do not belong to this world, that boy is still the original Sada’s son in a way. And I cannot allow you to continue with your aggressive onslaught against them. Even if you are her true son.”

“Then accept my offer and join Team Tera as an ally. If you do, I’ll leave them alone. I have no other reason to engage them otherwise if they can no longer fight.”

Sada closed her eyes without saying a word. Then, a few moments later, she started walking towards Spice a firm resoluteness in her step.

“Very well. If you can confirm their safety, then I shall go with you.”

“Mom, no!” Arven shouted, but Sada didn’t look him in the eyes.

“If this will ensure my Arven won’t do anything more to cause destruction to you and this world, then I will accept this choice. I hope you can understand.”

Meanwhile, Spice nodded happily over her words, “You’ll be a great help to saving our world, and I’m sure Master Chronos will be pleased to meet you too. And hopefully the rest of you will understand the price for standing against us.”

Arven gave one last defiant look as his body could muster in his state, prompting Spice to shake his head in disappointment. “Guess I should’ve expected my alternate self to be so stubborn until the end. But that doesn’t matter. I got what I came for and now Team Tera’s goal is one step closer to becoming a reality.

After undoing his Synchronization technique, Spice opened a Terestal portal and stepped through right after, Sada following him from behind with one final relieved smile towards the tall boy before they vanished completely.

Arven couldn’t even slam his fist in frustration as the pain finally caused him fall unconscious alongside his other friends.

He hoped Juliana, Florian, and the others were faring better with their mission.

A large Terestal portal appeared in the outskirts of the mysterious island. It had taken them a while to pinpoint its location in the other world, but Thorn was very meticulous in using all viable methods to advance their research.

So, when they emerge first and gazed upon the forbidden land, they were simply ecstatic to put it lightly.

“The rumours were true! This land filled with pink crystals that is said to be the Treasure of Eternity. I will have to thank that man from Exceed for providing me such incredible information on this find. If we can harness its power, we may finally subjugate Terapagos’ rampage and free our world from its effects. I can wait to perform some special experiences, heehee!”

Rose inwardly sighed. If Thorn was going to be obsessed with yet another new find, this was going to be one long trip.

At least Azure was here with her. She could use something to talk to after the harrowing events that had happened with Noir and Florian’s reappearance.

Would she meet him again too? Malwyrm and Azure had already seen him in Paldea, but from the looks of things, he wasn’t going to stay back anytime soon.

She clutched her fist. If he was determined to stand in their way, then Rose would be resolved to stop him.

She’ll make him eat dirt at the very least to get him to back down.

They continued walking down the path they were sent to, moving step by step until they reached a large barrier shining with a plethora of colours. Just like the colours emitted by the Stellar Terestal phenomenon. Nothing could get in and out from the looks of it, and its range appeared extremely wide.

Whatever this Laquium was, someone or something had made sure to keep it well guarded against any intruders.

Thorn gently touched the barrier, making it crackle loudly in response. But the head commander wasn’t fazed by such opposition, merely humming with fascination over the result.

“Looks like it’s going to be difficult getting through this barrier,” Rose confirmed, “What are we supposed to do now?”

Thorn gave a reassuring smile. “Not to worry. There is a way to dispel the barrier surrounding the treasure we seek, albeit temporarily.”

“What?! How do we do it then?”

Thorn pulled out a certain object from their suit, “We’ll make use of these. The shards that have been constantly released by Terapagos thus far. It’s only a theory for now, but I’ve discovered that this barrier has similar properties to Terapagos’ Terestal energy. It is the ancestor of all Terestal energy found in the world. Therefore, if we have its shards interact with the barrier, it should cancel it out for a while.”

Azure pondered over the information she had heard, “If it gives us a chance to get into this Laqua place, then we might as well try it.”

“Agreed. Let’s try testing it now. Ooh, I can’t wait to see the results!” She gushed.

Thorn pressed the shards towards the barrier, eliciting even greater crackles than before. But once they made contact, small ripples started expanded throughout the targeted area. They grew wider and wider, causing the once impervious shield to fizzle, allowing the three commanders to safety walk past for the few seconds they had to get through.

And as they continued walking through the dense land, observing vast amounts of Pokemon living together in harmony, did they see the Laquium they were looking for.

Thorn’s smile turned ecstatic once she gazed in jubilation over the mass amounts of pink crystals they could collect. She took out a few orbs from her pocket, pressing the top portioned before they started floating to gather as much energy as possible.

“Considering the amount of Laquium crystals and mist being produced in this paradise, it will require hours to gather the necessary energy to bring back our world,” Thorn remarked. “I’ll need you two to ensure the collection process is uninterrupted by any unwanted guests.”

Azure knew exactly who they were referring to, “You mean Florian and his allies. You think they’ll somehow figure out our intentions with this place and try to stop us.”

“Indeed. They appear to be the tenacious bunch and one can never be too careful,” Thorn commented.

Rose looked at her partner with concern, “You sure you’ll be okay with battling Florian again? He’s still your friend and I doubt he’s going to back down now.”

But her fellow commander stood resolute, “He decided a while ago he wouldn’t accept our actions, and I respect that. That’s why I treasure him as my friend and rival. Even so, I’ll make sure no one gets in our way to restore our world. For every person and Pokemon that were lost, we can’t fail here.”

Azure remained resolved as Rose stared at her, making the commander admire her even more. She smiled brightly with hope burning within her, grasping Azure’s hand towards hers as their fingers became entangled with one another.

“As long as we’re together, no one will stop us.”

Elsewhere, Juliana, Florian and the others continued heading towards the mountain village that Briar had mentioned before.

Florian gripped tightly on the armrest of his seat. This time, he would stop them from getting their way. Even if he had to potentially fight another one of his friends to do so. For the sake of his new friends, he would do whatever it took to save their world from being used as a sacrifice for Team Tera’s ends.

“You going to be okay?” Juliana asked while approaching him.

Florian sighed, “No. But I know I have to do this. I won’t falter here.”

“We’ve got your back, Florian. No matter if you have to face off against another of your friends, we’ll support you all the way,” Kieran encouraged him, and Florian couldn’t help but let out a faint smile.

That’s right. He wasn’t alone.

As long as they were here with Florian, he could do anything. He could confront his dear friends and convince them that there was another way.

He would do anything to make that happen.

Chapter Text

“They went to Area Zero?” Juliana remarked.

Geeta nodded. “Indeed, Champion Juliana. I wish they had informed me before I got word from Larry that they landed at the Zero Gate, but I suppose they were dealing with an urgent matter.”

Not what she expected, to be honest. Just when Juliana and her friends were getting closer to this Laqua place, Geeta suddenly called to tell them that Arven, Nemona, and the Blueberry students were seen travelling to the Great Crater for something.

No doubt it involved Team Tera and their plan to fix Florian’s world.

“And after I lectured you guys about not headin’ down there without permission.” Rika chided. “They’ll be getting an earful from me when they come back, that’s for sure. But we just gotta believe they’ll keep themselves safe.”

“Now now, Rika. With their skill and experiences so far, I am confident they will handle their predicament with perfection. Though, your organized and caring nature is what I love about you. It makes you a perfect right-hand and friend.”

Rika sighed. “You’re too soft on ‘em sometimes Boss. But…it’s somethin’ I love about you too after all these years bein’ together with you.”

“I fear I’m interrupting something that’s above my paygrade, so I’ll be taking my leave.” Larry spoke after.

Geeta smiled at her employee. “Thank you for your diligent work, Larry. I really should reward you for it. There’s a competition being held in a certain region, and I’m sure you’d be the best representative for the Paldea League. You’ll get to travel to a faraway land for your job. Isn’t that a wonderful opportunity for an efficient man such as yourself?”

Larry remained silent and stood stoically as usual. Yet, Juliana sensed he was secretly dying inside.

“What did I do to deserve such a... lovely boss...”

He slowly left the Top Champion’s office, leaving her and Rika to resume their conversation. “Now then, you mentioned you are all heading to this land called Laqua. I do not know what your journey will entail, but please be careful when you get there. You may have a tough fight on your hands.”

Rika raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say they could handle themselves before?”

“Arven and Champion Nemona have experience exploring Area Zero, but this land is unknown territory. It is only natural to be cautious.”

“Hmm. I guess you got a point. You heard the boss. Be careful and don’t let anythin’ happen to you while you sort this Team Tera business out.”

Juliana gave a bright smile. “Got it! We’ll do our best!”

Geeta chuckled in amusement. “We’ll expect good news from you all afterwards. Take care and good luck.”

The call ended there, leaving Juliana on a plane with her group once more.

Penny and Florian had used their time to talk about their respective worlds and experiences. He looked a lot happier compared to when he had to battle his world’s Penny. She wished all the best for him, and that one day he would be able to restore his connections with his friends once this is over.

Moments later, she heard a few yawns coming from the seat beside her. Kieran had just woken up from his nap, stretching his arms as he returned to reality.

“Mornin’ Juliana. Or is it afternoon? I kinda lost track.”

Dear Arceus, he looked so cute right now with his spaced-out expression and slight drool on his mouth. She wasn’t being weird, right?

“It’s almost evening by now, but we’re almost there. How are you holding up, Kieran?”

“I’m feelin’ really refreshed and ready to take on any Tera commander we might face once we get to Laqua!” He beamed.

“Ehehe. That’s good to hear. I can always rely on you when it matters, so I’ll be counting on you this time too!”

“I’ll be there for you no matter what, Juliana! After everythin’ you done to help me, and all the love and support you’ve given even when I was at my lowest, I would do anythin’ to make myself useful.”

She couldn’t help but laugh playfully at his words. “I think you’re plenty useful. You’re kind, compassionate, and willing to help the people you care about. Those are just a few things that I admire about you. Even after everything we’ve been though, I wouldn’t change a thing in the world. Because it’s thanks to those experiences that we got to be together!”

Kieran’s eyes started welling up as he tried to wipe them away with his hands.

“Juliana… I-I wouldn’t change a single thing either! Meeting you has been so incredible, and I want to keep spendin’ time with you. Whether it be dealin’ with dangerous stuff like this or just lazin’ around together!”

“Yeah! Me too! Maybe we can really do that once this is all over.”

Her chest tightened in excitement over the amazing boy beside her. Then, she laced her hand onto his and gave it a reassuring squeeze as the violet-haired boy squeezed back with equal intensity.

Their cheeks flushed red from the close contact, but they were in no hurry to separate. Now when it felt so wonderful and right for them.

They stayed that way until their plane finally landed near a mountain village positioned near the large, green barrier covering the mountain’s large crater.

They made each other a promise, and they would vow to keep it until the end.

Once they got to their destination, Juliana and the others decided to split up to get valuable information before ascending the large mountain near them.

It took some time, but Juliana and the others had a roadmap on the path they needed to traverse to get to the large crater. Though, she wasn’t sure that a Black Rayquaza would be appearing anytime soon from what a certain kid warned them about.

Juliana and Florian sent out Miraidon and Koraidon to head up the mountain; the two dragons happily greeting each other as they gave playful licks after not seeing one another for a while. Juliana was glad the two were getting along so swimmingly, while she noticed that even Florian was content at their display with the way his lips curled upward.

Juliana boarded onto Miraidon while Kieran followed. Florian and Penny seated themselves on Koraidon afterwards. With futuristic engines and ancient energy powering them, the two Paradox Pokemon started ascending towards their target destination.

Thoughts swirled in her mind about which commander they would make contact with. When she discovered that Noir was the Kieran from Florian’s world, her heart felt like it wanted to burst. To see that a version of Kieran had suffered so much and became so jaded in the world still made her chest ache, especially when he had offered her to go with him that fateful night.

Then, she came face-to-face with Penny’s doppelganger, who was also determined to do whatever it took to save their world. She was afraid of which of her other friends’ faces she would possibly see. But Juliana knew it was worse for Florian, who was still coming to grips with how the people he cared about stood as his enemy.

A choice he willingly made for her and the people of her world.

Thirty minutes passed as the continued climbing the huge mountain, the barrier appearing closer and closer with each step they took.

Florian continued walking silently, appearing completely focused on the surroundings ahead of him. Juliana could tell that even though he was afraid to, he needed to confront whoever was going to oppose them next to seek the truth.

Just a few kilometres more, then they finally reached the large crater said to contain the mysterious pink crystals that Briar told them about. Even from afar, they emanated such an intense aura, one that made Juliana’s body shiver with dread.

Either way, they couldn’t get through unless they dealt with the barrier first. It looked impervious to attacks and flying was pointless no matter how far they travelled.

“What do we do now?” Kieran wondered out loud.

Florian pressed his hand to his face with a pondering gesture. “If Team Tera was able to get through this barrier somehow, then there must be something we can use to break through.”

“So, what? We just try brute-forcing our way through with whatever we can think of? That’s probably going to take too much time. And with the commanders having a head start, time’s not something we have.” Penny warned.

That was true. What were they supposed to do now?

As if trying to answer Juliana’s plight, Terapago appeared out of its Pokeball, gazing curiously at the green barrier while Juliana gently held onto him. Then, something happened that took them by surprise.

With a great cry, Terapagos released its energy towards the barrier, causing it to start dissipating for a few moments. It slowly vanished and reappeared before disappearing completely. Seeing this as their chance, Juliana and Florian commanded their dragons to head through to the other side while the large barrier slowly reformed itself.

Florian looked at Terapagos with amazement. “I didn’t know it could do that. Does that mean your Pokemon is connected with this Laqua place?”

“I’m not sure. Honestly, I still don’t know all that much about Terapagos after I caught it. But the important thing is that this is our chance to stop the Tera commanders from whatever they’re planning to do here.”

“That means we need to be ready for anything.” Florian uttered, resolve and doubt both plastered on his face.

“You don’t need to force yourself to battle if you don’t want to.” She replied empathetically. “They’re still your friends. I would feel heartbroken too if I were in your position.”

Florian shook his head, as if to cast away his lingering doubts. “I have to see this path through. No matter which of my friends opposes me next, I’ll see my beliefs through and have faith on what I think is right. That’s who I am and who I’ll always be.”

As soon as he finished, Juliana pressed her hand on top of his.

“We’ll be there for you whenever you need it. Always.” She sweetly uttered, eliciting a warm smile from the boy.

Kieran and Penny walked towards them to place their hands on top too, a motion of solidarity from the group that made them more determined than ever as they pressed on towards the lush forest that surrounded them.

“Collection of this Laquium is going well.” Thorn happily remarked. “I must say it is a remarkable substance as I continue analyzing it. We should soon have enough to bring back to our world.”

“That’s good to hear. Because it looks like we’re going to face resistance soon.” Azure added, gazing at the fluctuations from the barrier above them.

Rose let out a deep sigh. “Guess it’s time for us to fight. It’ll be a good change of pace from the research duties I’ve been doing here so far. If Florian does show up, it’ll give me the opportunity to make him stand down.”

“I’ll be relying on both of your battling skills to keep them occupied. I still need some time to collect both the crystals and mist within Laqua.”

Thorn headed back to the grey cluster of land without as much as a glance to extract more Laquium. Azure and Rose took that as a cue to walk away, soon standing in position to intercept their enemies as four trainers headed closer.

And among them, Florian was here. He had come as they anticipated, standing opposite them with resolve she had expected.

Rose stood firm before speaking to their opponents. “You guys keep interfering with our business. It’s starting to get annoying.”

“Looks like we’re facing Rose again. I have this sense of familiarity again, just like back at the Crystal Pool.” Juliana pointed out.

“I feel the same way.” Kieran added. “It’s like I’m seein’ someone so close to me, yet so far at the same time. I’m guessin’ it’s another person we know, though.”

The hotheaded commander merely shrugged. “You could say that. You’re definitely better off than Noir, thanks to that girl by your side. But I’m even more focused on seeing you again, Florian. It’s been a long time since the last time we’ve seen each other. Not since that promise from a long time ago.”

“Promise?”

“Something that you said to me before things went so wrong. Even now, I hope you’ll be able to fulfill it. At least then, there’d be something good to come out from all the bad.”

Azure then stepped into the conversation. “I didn’t want it to be like this. I wanted you to step back and let us handle things. Though, deep down I always knew you would stand against what we’re doing. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be the Florian we all know and love.”

“So, there’s no chance to talk things out? We can still work together to find a solution to saving the world you hold dear.” Juliana declared.

However, the two commanders stood resolute with their convictions.

“If you stand against us, we won’t let you pass. The time for talk is over! We won’t let you get past us by even an inch before Thorn finishes collecting our prize! It’s time to battle, Azure!”

“Right! Against our combined power, none of you will stand a chance! Let’s make this battle one we’ll all enjoy!”

Azure revealed a small sphere and threw it into the air, encasing them in the same protective barrier as before.

Now they could only send out their oldest caught Pokemon in their possession. At least, Miraidon, Koraidon, and Terapagos were already out. That meant they had extra numbers to handle the two commanders.

They grabbed their Pokeballs, throwing them to release Flutter Mane and Raging Bolt. But their appearance would be short-lived once Azure and Rose’s gauntlets glowed with an intense light.

“Let our bonds overpower all! Synchronization release!” They both cried, their Pokemon becoming mere data before their suits transformed.

Just like what happened with Noir and Andromeda, they had combined with their Pokemon thanks to their ‘Synchronization’ technique.

Despite this, Florian wouldn’t back down.

“Let’s do this, Quaquaval!”

“Time for your debut, Meowscarada!” Juliana announced next.

Kieran and Penny immediately followed.

“We’ll win this together, Hydrapple!”

“Shine, Sylveon!”

Their team was ready to go. Miraidon and Koraidon changed into their battle forms to fight, while Terapagos enveloped itself in a bright light to transform into its Stellar form.

Merged or not, they wouldn’t let them defeat them without a fight. Knowing that they had to settle this quickly, Florian instantly made the first move.

“Koraidon, strike with Dragon claw while Quaquaval swirls around with Ice Spinner!”

They aimed their claws and feet towards Azure, who endured the pain from their fierce attacks. Though, becoming a dragon and electric-type hybrid did cause her to suffer more damage than she wanted. She gathered all the electricity she could muster, bolstered by the sunlight and Electric Terrain Koraidon and Miraidon had generated to strike back.

The electric wave struck Quaquaval before it had the chance to dodge, immediately becoming overwhelmed by Azure’s immense power.

“That was just a taste of the power we’ve got before you’re all eating dirt in the end!” Rose confidently declared, before charging mystical light to strike next.

Juliana and the others were blinded by its brightness as it burned through their Pokemon with its intensity. She had become a lot stronger since the last time they fought, gaining immense power from their transformation.

The aggressive commander scoffed. “Seems like your heads aren’t in the game if you’re sending multiple Pokemon weak to fairy-type moves. If you can’t even consider type matchups in your strategy, you should just fall now. You’ve already seen what Synchronization can do when Noir did it. You don’t stand a chance.”

If Noir had transformed from the start, Juliana wondered if they could’ve won in the end. If she would even still be there after the vicious commander tried striking her down in rage.

She felt her body shake from thinking of those memories. But she felt Kieran’s hand holding onto hers to calm herself down. Fear soon turned into adrenaline, his warmth giving her the confidence to keep going.

Juliana raised her arm to go on the offensive. “Miraidon, burst brightly with your own Dazzling Gleam. Meowscarada, dazzle them with Flower Trick.”

“We’ll back you guys up!” Kieran yelled. “Hydrapple, support their moves with Dragon Cheer!”

Penny decided to join in too. “Burst with Moonblast.”

Both commanders remained undeterred, charging shadowy and draconic energy to retaliate. Their attacks swirled and combined to form a new power as it collided with the massive burst of energy Juliana and her friends sent out.

Multiple pink crystals shattered in the process, their remains emitting a pink mist that started enveloping the battlefield.

Their moves crackled with great might, struggling to overpower the other. But in the end, Koraidon had struck Azure and Rose while their guard was down, allowing their attack to pierce through to inflict them immense damage to their transformed selves.

They inhaled deep breaths to keep themselves under control so that they wouldn’t fall, managing to stand by supporting each other. Even though they were at the brink of defeat, Azure couldn’t help but smile.

“That was clever hitting us while we were distracted. And the way you powered up your moves with Dragon Cheer was impressive too. I’m having a blast battling you all so far. Let’s make things even more exciting!”

Rose sighed. “Stay focused, Azure. We’re going to lose if we don’t get ourselves back together from this.”

“Haha. I know, but I just can’t help it. Battling invigorates me so much that it makes me want more. Especially when it involves someone who means so much to me.”

She stared at Florian with what he assumed was ecstatic eyes. Visions of an old friend swirled in his mind as body shook with both exhilaration and realization.

Azure felt the same exhilaration flowing within her. “Let’s fight until the very end, Florian! Even though we stand on opposite sides, I’ll battle with full power to win. I know you’ll do the same.”

Despite their current circumstances, Florian let out an excited grin. “That’s fine with me! We’re going to give everything we’ve got too!”

He turned to Juliana, Kieran, and Penny, all three affirming with their own passionate expressions to settle this battle once and for all.

“Geez. We’re still in the middle of a mission here.” Rose groaned, yet she couldn’t hide the slight curl on her lips. “But I guess I can indulge too. For my team’s sake and my pride, you’re all going to be crushed by my elegant and superior self!”

As if responding to their declarations, the pink mist spread farther, coming into contact with their Pokemon and the commanders. It enveloped their minds as they breathed it in, making them become more aggressive with the desire for absolute victory.

Azure and Rose became entangled by the mist’s powers as well due to their current transformation. Their auras flared to life with even greater ferocity, while their adrenaline kicked into overdrive that was reflected by their movements. Their behaviour became erratic and aggressive in the process.

It was as if only instinct drove them to keep battling for both the thrill and need for survival.

Rose charged another Dazzling Gleam before it burst wide from her body, becoming even more powerful as it struck their Pokemon once more. This time the damage had been significantly amplified, their partners screaming from the pain inflicted.

Just what was this Laquium stuff that could make them go berserk like that? Whatever the case, they needed to surpass whatever increase in power the commanders now had. They needed to keep fighting with all they had to win.

Their Pokemon were feeling the effects of the mist too with how much more enraged and vicious, but their might paled in comparison to the power their hybrid opponents had. Yet, Florian and Juliana could sense beyond that aggression, they were all suffering from intense pain as well.

All except one Pokemon floating in the air, concentrating its energy to do something unexpected. Juliana gazed at Terapagos gathering light into its body, shining radiantly while absorbing the pink mist continuously swirling about before the turtle Pokemon released its gathered energy towards the battlefield.

The light instantly purified all Laquium mist surrounding them, returning their partners and the Team Tera commanders back to normal. Yet another secret that Terapagos revealed to Juliana. She was starting to lose track of how many times this had happened.

Though, she also felt a sense of unease over how this pink mist had such an effect on their Pokemon. If Team Tera could get a full understanding of the substance they were collecting, would it lead to a world of hope or despair for them all?

She didn’t have time to think about that once Azure and Rose resumed their battle positions, though appearing confused over what had happened to them.

“Ugh. My head feels all fuzzy. Was that the power of the Laquium Thorn’s trying to gather?” Rose pondered.

“Seems so. I felt such a rush once I inhaled the mist, but soon it seemed like I couldn’t control myself. It’s both powerful and deadly.” Azure surmised. “But we still need to finish this. Don’t you agree, Florian?”

Florian nodded. “Yeah. Let’s settle this battle with one last attack. Koraidon, slam them both down with Collision Course!”

“Miraidon and Meowscarada, double attack with Electro Drift and Flower Trick!”

“Don’t forget about us. Hydrapple, roll fast with Gyro Ball!”

“Sylveon, blast them again with Moonblast!”

“Let’s go, Azure! We need to win, even if it’s against Florian and his new friends!” Rose uttered, gathering a large amount of energy for another Shadow Ball attack.

Azure gathered as much electricity towards her body in response. “Of course! We’ll stick together until the end to finish this! All for the sake of the girl I’ve given my heart to.”

Physical and energy attacks danced all around them. Both sides seemed evenly matched, where one mistake would cost them everything. But at the last second, Terapagos absorbed the Terestal energy from the surrounding landscape to fire its Tera Starstorm towards Rose and Azure, striking both with a direct hit. With their guard broken, their remaining attacks pierced through their defenses.

Azure and Rose bore the full extent of their attacks, causing their gauntlets to shatter from the strain from enduring such an onslaught. They could do nothing but fall on their knees to prevent themselves from outright collapsing.

Florian stared at them with lamenting eyes. He, Juliana, and the others had won. But that victory rang hollow when he knew they were just doing this to try to fix his world. This was the path he chose for what he believed was right, and now he had to accept the consequence from making that choice.

The fallen pair said nothing, no longer blocking their way forward. Without their gauntlets, they had no chance to escape back to their world. All they could do was accept that they were now at their mercy.

With Azure and Rose subdued, Juliana and Penny opted to stay with them just in case they tried something, leaving him and Kieran to move forward. Both boys ran with all they had as they passed through more withering trees and plants to get to their destination.

From deeper within Laqua’s Forest, they encountered Thorn, whose gestures indicated intrigue over their arrival. The commander stood apart from the desolate and grey landscape they were currently standing on.

Then, Thorn spoke. “It appears Rose and Azure were unable to defeat you. But that doesn’t matter. I’ve already collected enough Laquium to analyze and conduct research on later. It will serve as excellent experiment material to free our world from its Terestal plight.”

“And you’re willing to let harm come to this world in the process?” Florian asked.

“Indeed. This world is a trifle compared to the struggles of ours. If we must go to extremes that may lead to its destruction, then so be it. We will do anything to restore our world to how it was before, despite your opposition.”

“We’re not goin’ to let that happen! We’ll keep battlin’ you for as long as it takes to protect the people and places we hold dear!” Kieran yelled.

The Head Commander remained calm. “I am simply speaking the truth. No matter how much you struggle or defy us, we will fulfill our goal. All of us commanders have devoted ourselves to seeing that goal through. And any opposition will be thoroughly annihilated. Now then, I shall take my leave before you interfere again.”

“What about Azure and Rose? You’re just going to leave them here?”

“From what I know, you have currently captured them, and their suits were damaged from their battle. Though, I did get good battle data from them in the end. And I am in no mood to waste time and resources to free them. Our mission is our main priority, and I will follow through with that. Even at the expense of my allies.”

Florian couldn’t but feel disgusted at such callousness from the commander.

However, Thorn coldly turned away from them as she opened a Terestal portal to return to Florian’s world. Florian wanted to stop her, but they were exhausted from battling the other two commanders. Not to mention how the immense Terestal energy would suffocate them in an instant.

Accepting the current situation, Florian and Kieran headed back to where Juliana and Penny were, with the two commanders showing no form of resistance. With their gauntlets broken, it wasn’t like they could flee anywhere.

Still recover from the strain of their transformations, Azure and Rose turned back to where the Tera portal previously was, looks of disdain and acceptance shot in that direction. Thorn had left them behind for the sake of their end goal, but that was what they expected from the pragmatic Head Commander.

Now, they were effectively stuck here with Florian and the others walking towards them.

“I still want to know about you two and what you’ve been through. I know we’re now on opposing sides, but I still believe we can all be friends again and find a solution that doesn’t involve harming Juliana’s world. To do that, I want to know who you are.”

Florian spoke with both anxiety and conviction, aware that knowing their identities would bring even further conflict in his heart. Yet, he needed to know what they’ve been through since he disappeared. Why they’re so determined to sacrifice everything. And for the chance to reconnect and better understand them even after all that.

Rose merely snickered in response. “Well, we’re already trapped here with no way back. Might as well agree to your request. I can tell you’re genuine in wanting to understand our perspective… our struggles and sorrows. You were always seeing the good in people, even when I was acting like such a jerk to you back then in Kitakami.”

Kieran gasped in shock. “Wait. Don’t tell me you’re…”

The taller commander gave the violet-haired boy a proud smile. “You’ve grown a lot in this world, haven’t you Kiki. It almost makes me want to cry in joy. I wish things worked out with my Kiki back then. Then maybe, he wouldn’t have become so fixated in surpassing Florian.”

Before Kieran and Florian could respond, Rose said her command code to unlock her mask.

“Command code: 01112024.”

Just like with Noir and Andromeda, Rose’s mask began hissing white smoke as she slowly yanked it off her face. And once more, another familiar face was revealed that shocked them to their very core. Kieran couldn’t help but tremble from seeing one of the people he cared about the most.

Her fierce, golden eye was the same as ever, complementing the pure white that shined from the other. That prideful appearance, her confidence and beauty shining even in this situation.

Florian gripped his fist tightly at yet another friend’s reveal.

“Carmine. Just like with Kieran, you’re one of Team Tera’s commanders too.”

“I can’t believe it either. Sis… You look so different, just like the other me.” Kieran softly whispered. It must have been hard for them to know someone close to them stood as their enemy. Even more so for Kieran when it’s an alternate version of his sister.

“You don’t need to pity me or anything.” She commented. “This is just how things worked out. I’m not happy about it, but so long as I have the ones I care about still with me, I can endure. And because of that I’ve evolved from the regretful Carmine from before to become Team Tera’s commander, Rose.”

She turned towards her partner. “Are you going to reveal yourself too? I’m sure Florian would appreciate it after all this time not seeing your face. And I know you’ve been waiting so long for a real reunion with him.”

Azure let out a deep sigh but eventually nodded. “Yes. I’ve wanted to do so for some time, ever since I saw you again, Florian. I chose not to because I didn’t want you to get involved with Team Tera’s mission and the tragedies that occurred in our world. But that’s not possible anymore with how things have played out, my dearest friend and rival.”

Florian braced himself, trying to keep himself together as he would see someone else dear to him reveal themselves. Juliana grabbed his arm as if to say that she was there for her, his nerves calming down while he became more determined to see this new truth.

The other commander began unlocking her mask just as his world’s Carmine had, uttering a series of numbers.

“Command code: 04142023.”

She pulled off her mask almost instantly, her two-toned hair a dead giveaway on who Azure was to Florian and the others. Her eye shined with the purest white too, just like the other commanders that had seen reveal themselves so far. He wanted to know why they shared that trait, but all he could do was stare at the taller girl with regret.

“Nemona. You too, huh? First, Kieran. Then, Penny. And now, you and Carmine. I should’ve expected this, but it still hurts just the same.” Florian croaked out, trying to keep his emotions from overloading him.

His world’s Nemona gave a sympathetic look, pulling him into a tight hug as she softly whispered to him. Juliana, Kieran, and Penny stood still, still in shock over the pair’s reveal but feeling that it wasn’t right for them to step into this emotional moment.

“It’s going to be okay, Florian. You don’t have to blame yourself or feel sad. None of the things that happened to us was your fault. Those were the choices we made that led up to this point.”

“But… You all had to suffer while I was gone. I couldn’t help you all when you needed it. And now…we’re on opposite sides.” He croaked out.

Rose walked forward with a stern look. “You don’t have to worry about that. We told you. We made these decisions, no matter what bad results it led up to. All we can do is accept them and do all we can for what is right, for the people we care about. It’s the same with you, isn’t it? Then, keep fighting for what you think is right, got it?!”

Heh. He kind of missed his Carmine’s blunt attitude. But he knew deep down, she cared about him despite the opposite paths that they took. His Nemona was the same. And even though he was sad that he couldn’t be with them, he would continue moving forward with his new friends to prevent their world from enduring any more sacrifices.

They couldn’t stop Team Tera from collecting the Laquium crystals. But at least it wasn’t a total loss. They wouldn’t do any more harm to this place for the time being, and they had two of their main members here. Though they were his friends, Florian knew they still needed to watch their backs in case something happened.

After taking some time to discuss their next steps, Florian left the Pokemon Paradise with Azure and Rose in tow. Both commanders willingly followed them back down the mountain, their goal being to head back to Paldea to report everything that happened, as well as check up on Arven and his group who had gone down to Area Zero. Plus, they the captured commanders might be willing to divulge any information about their group's future plans now that Thorn had abandoned them.

Yet, as they crossed the barrier once more, Florian felt a sense of dread over what was to come regarding this sacred land.

Juliana managed to cheer him up after seeing his anxious face, with Florian feeling relieved and grateful for her support. Perhaps for now, they could celebrate the small victories and reunions they were able to get.