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Chapter Text

CHAPTER I = LIKO

Part I = Rubellite versus Sapphire

Liko found herself in a white padded room, shielded away from the social lives of society. The once palpable sounds of Pokemon chirping and cooing outside of this barren wasteland, were now long gone. The memory of each and every Pokemon Liko had fathomed about once she entered this room were slowly disintegrating above her fingertips. Her blue, sapphire eyes were her camera but it was dysfunctional. A broken lens only meant a broken heart as she recalled the only thing that was on the tip of her own iceberg.

The Brave Olivine. The ship that once held her accountable for. Adventures that were sought through that airship were gone as well. Liko had tried to succumb herself in her memories, to act like the Liko she was once before. Like always, there were boundaries from entering First Person in her specific recollection of that tremendous fall off the railing. She still remembered the feels of the harsh winds whipping through her body, as she tried to hold herself from the terrible attraction the rippling winds gave out. Alas, her and her pokemon fell – tumbling through endless plateaus and full-grown trees. Once she felt the crunch between her ribs, that was when her line of vision turned black. Among her ear canals, that were still functional from her unconsciousness, was her Pokemon crying for help.

Speaking of Pokemon…

She had sadly forgotten about her partners. All the intellect that she had held in her brain had now gone astray. She still felt the emotional weight of all the burdens she was left on to carry, even if it wasn't present through her own state of mind. Her shuddering shoulders, even against the wall, wasn't enough to hold her stability. The memories, the knowledge and the fun she grasped in her heart had been squeezed out of her. The emotional load the girl carried only deepened, which made her head hung in despair.
                                                                     

Throughout a whole year of tremendous isolation, all Liko could do was stare at the floor and try to feel a connection with her past. Once there was no budge, she remained quiet and serene throughout these weeks, silently keeping her feet tipped towards the brink of solitary sweetness. Suddenly, someone entered through the forbidden door that Liko always tried to open. The room was now dim lit, the light coming from the slight gap between the door and its frame. Footsteps awakened through the room, vibrations passing onwards under Liko’s bare feet. The only thing that held her frame was a white dress. Her original clothes weren't around.

Her eyes held high as she locked her gaze onto the woman’s cold, siren eyes. A gentle sweep of the door and now, it was locked. Liko was forced to engage in a mutual conversation with the woman. Except, she had no clue who she was. She had chestnut-colored hair swept onto one side; the undertones, which were cherry red, perfectly contrasted the brown. She walked with grace as she set her presence upon the chair that was in front of a small desk. She gestured to the fragile girl to sit across from her.

And so, Liko followed.

Sitting around for the time being caused the unsatisfactory feels of ants up her legs. She stumbled across the room, then finally managed her body upon the chair across from the strange woman. Looking closer at her gray-and-indigo suit, was a galaxy-looking logo. The only thing that Liko comprehended was the resemblance of the letter ‘E’.

“Hello.” The voice made Liko snap out of her reverie, her eyes quickly darting towards the woman and the atmosphere. What was once a room for her self-loathing and isolation, was now feeble to pass through communication. The padded walls only made her voice worse.

Finally, after a whole year of being kept alone – a quiet murmur not palpable at once during her times – Liko spoke. “Hi.”

Her voice was raspy and out of breath. The capability to speak made her throat close up. The woman in front of her straightened. “My name is Rubella. And, I will be asking you some questions.” From her suit, she grabbed a clip board and a pen. With a simple click on the top, the tip sprang out. Her cold, piercing glare shot icicles through Liko’s chest. Her actions, commands and even dialogue all seemed too mechanical to Liko. But, she had to play fair. A sense of wonder was slowly blooming in her chest; a wonder that she wanted to achieve once she got herself out of this room.

“S-sure.” Liko mumbled, still contemplating on the whole idea of being interviewed.

“Great.” A small tug at the corner of Rubella’s mouth and then all the questions cascaded down.

“We’ll start with simple questions. Then, it’ll be a bit more… interesting .” She put delicate care on the last word, as if the second option of choice might've made Liko explode.

“What’s your name.” Rubella didn't form her speech as a question. It was like she was prying out the only correct answer from Liko.

“Liko.”

A small huff from Rubella. “How old are you.”

A slight shuddering tremor went past Liko. She took a second to try and think back through her frizzled-up memories, to at least grasp on what was in front of her. As always, she felt a surge of nausea throttle through her stomach, even if gentle hands were eased onto her ravaged memories. “I – I don’t know. My memory’s fuzzy.” A line of slick sweat trickled down Liko’s left temple. In a dazed manner, her body began to tremble under the table.

“Make an assumption.” Rubella slightly shook her head, as if displeased by Liko’s answer.

“I think… I think thirteen? F-fourteen?”

Rubella muttered Liko’s first guess under her breath, her pen etching against the soft paper on her clip board. “How long has it been since you have arrived?” Rubella settled her eyes upon the girl again, waiting for the answer that she could redeem.

“One year.” Liko answered after some hesitance. For once, Rubella finally snapped out of her mechanical actions and gave out an emotion not far from human. Her eyebrows hugged together and her nose flared. “How did you know.” There was a nervous turbulence within her voice, as if a flimsy shard of glass met towards bloodshed. The two were caught off guard by each other; one for an answer and another for the effect. Liko herself couldn't identify how she had thought that it had been a whole year. She might've said the pressure of winds that escaped through the small window in the far corner symbolised the fast change of time. But, the answer didn't seem safe on the tip of her tongue.

“My body.” Liko finally found an answer. “My body. It – it feels rotten.”

Only did her words truly show the effect of how one could slowly rot in the far corner of a room. Liko felt her own fingers glide across her rib cage, now like a pair of xylophones on each side. There was barely any flesh palpable on her skin. Now, it was boney, rugged, and uneven to Liko’s standards. A wish that had come true to Liko’s imaginations was that she was able to get up from that singular corner. Rubella caught Liko’s gaze, slowly leaving a trail among her own body. A soft sigh, which was unlike the woman, escaped through Rubella’s mouth. She slowly grabbed her pen and continued jotting down Liko’s answers to her questions.

“A-anyway.” Rubella’s voice was the same effect of a once perfect building, now slowly turning to heaps of rubble. “Tell me about your memories. What do you remember after being here for an entire year.”

At first, Liko felt discombobulated by the question. Should she really tell this strange lady – Rubella – about the aftermath of the fall from the Brave Olivine? Or, the airship in general? A slight itch in her throat made her tense up. Shoulders squared, eyebrows arched and feet perched on her toes. “Why are you asking me these questions?” She murmured. Rubella’s eyes locked towards Liko, a silent warning passing among the two. Liko didn't want to bat down, even if it felt like a huge kitchen knife being stabbed between her shoulder blades. Her ‘playing fair’ demeanor was turning as shrivelled as a rotten pear.

The contrasts among the two were defying. One clean, one putrid. One with a tremendous high of fashion and one with only a plain white dress once she woke up. One with her memory folder full and one with no memory folder at all. “Why?” Liko asked again. It felt like she was slowly shifting onto the darker sides of the reasons she got her amnesia in the first place.

An itch in her heart and it was the key to her knowing things. Her curiosity was piqued, interested by what this all meant. The twists and turns in her heart made her think that this wasn't the first time she felt like this.

Rubella’s long sigh eased the tension, but it couldn't cease it. “You will need to answer my questions first and then, with all the best I can give you, I will answer yours.” A slight blue hue around her forehead and Liko knew that she had to get things over with. Her only goal to achieve was to get out of the room and for once, enter the euphony of Pokemon that once lingered around her a year ago.

Rubella asked the question again and this time, no hesitation was confirmed through Liko’s adrenaline. She told her everything about the last few memories she could grasp on. It made Rubella’s sense of self die down, as if the room might've exploded if Liko kept on pushing her into answering her questions. It was a brink to insanity.

“Is that all.” Rubella confirmed.

“All.” Liko nodded.

“Now, who is your family. What were they like.” Rubella got her posture ready. Her hand was shaking above the paper. Liko frowned. She tried to poke imaginary fingers into her memories but the only thing that came through was the Brave Olivine. Like a video tape on loop, it repeated itself over and over. Liko gave in her strength into other memories that were waiting to be washed ashore on her lonely, stranded island. Like always, nothing worked. 

“I – I don’t know. The Brave Olivine is what I know.” Liko tried to pour her trust into her words, not wanting to live through another minute of this whole session. Her questions were tugging through her curled-up fists, waiting to cascade down.

“Okay. You seem all tensed up so… I’ll ask you this. Last one.” Rubella tried to calm Liko through her words but nothing helped. Liko forced a nod, Rubella’s mechanical actions soon contagious.

“Were you a good person in your past. If so, why do you think that.” Rubella’s final question felt like a shadow ball hitting Liko’s heart. She stumbled out of her chair, her hands gripping onto the bars in between its frames. Even if the chair was supposed to act like a barrier, there was no denying how Rubella’s presence could waft right through. Even a hard, invisible wall of tension that slowly rises towards the earth, Rubella could simply wipe it down with a glare of her dagger-like eyes. A calm facade over the intensity of Liko’s raw inner turmoil. She had to bring it down to Rubella’s level or answering the questions the woman had kept behind her would be hard enough.

With a new delicate ease, Liko slowly sat back down on her chair. A little tug at Rubella’s mouth only made Liko more frustrated. Liko turned back onto the Brave Olivine incident and tried to remember the emotions that swam through. Nervousness, fear and the overall tension from that day didn't help Liko’s anxiety levels. Faces that she gazed upon through the last second moments of her past, were now blurred and out of sight. And soon, it would be out of mind. Out of mind… Unless she could answer Rubella’s question. But, the way Rubella put such tranquility in her words, even after a silent breakdown of nervousness seeping through, was scary . The glass shard that saw the glimpses of sanguine red were now huddled in the dark. 

“With the overall premise of what happened. I – I think I was a good person.” Liko’s thoughts made her voice quieter. Rubella had to lean in on her elbows just to hear a glimpse of Liko’s voice. “Pardon?”

“I was a good person.” Liko repeated. This time, she tried to mask the internal desperation to cling onto her last memories, with bravery. “ I remember… hands trying to find mine. A-and cries and shouts of my name. If I were bad… They wouldn't have saved me. They would've let me to…” Her voice trailed off. The thought of what was about to come if she were an evil person only made her empty heart twist through a dagger.

“Okay.” Rubella said through a sigh. One gloved hand ran through her hair, which left strands standing up, like needles reacting to electricity. “So, do you not think that you were… Say, one of us?”

Liko’s face contorted into confusion. Rubella’s eyebrows only furrowed harder, which made the skin on her forehead wrinkle from the tightness of her features.

“One of… who…?”

Even if it seemed like a few minutes from the sudden emotions that swam through her face, a huge smile formed on Rubella’s mouth. “Okay.” The nonchalance that was delivered versus the grin on her face made Liko unsettled. The woman wrote a note on her clip board and then stashed it back into her suit. Her black-gloved hands steepled over her mouth and a small murmur that wasn't able to be recognized by Liko went through.

“It’s your turn to ask. Like I previously said, I cannot give out everything to y-”

“Why?”

Liko’s voice almost startled Rubella. A harsh, almost cold-gripping emotion stirred in Liko’s body. Like a wounded Pokemon released in the snow, her body was shuddering under the load of emotions that were regurgitating inside and out. Her eyes darted around the room, until it landed on the door right past Rubella’s right shoulder. All those months of waiting for the door to open, it had come true. Except, the truth had almost had to leave a trail of suspicion, mystery and… the uphold of many inquiries that would soon arise from the ground.

“Why can’t you tell me everything?” Liko asked again, trying to keep her voice steady and harmless. Her eyes, pricked with dust in the corners, were still locked onto that door.

Even if she wasn't the main point in her line of vision, Rubella straightened her posture again. “Orders.” She said,

“Orders? By who?” Liko’s curiosity was ascending through its limits. After speaking, there was a strange aftertaste, as if cement was rolling down her throat. Her dry, chapped lips only made the feeling worse, applying the effect on Liko’s entire body. Rubella let out a snicker of some sort and then lowered her hands until her fingers brushed against Liko’s. “I cannot say his name until you meet him. But, you will know soon.”

The answer was less complex if given by a third person point of view. But, to Liko’s, it felt like she was solving a hard, intricate riddle. Furthermore, she couldn't quite take a deep dive into Rubella’s words because of how many jigsaw puzzles that remained broken… Far apart. Like how she was far apart from her past…

Liko was silent for too long. Always keeping to self meant that the other person opposing you would leave.

And that was what Rubella did.

As she tucked in her chair and turned her back against Liko, that was when she found her voice. “Wait!” Liko, with her jelly-like limbs, forced strength through them to stand up. “Wait…” She repeated, her voice now a quiet murmur. Rubella turned around, fascinated by Liko’s sudden snap through the air. “Yeah.”

“I want to get out of this room. Why did I have to stay here for a whole year?”

Rubella thought for a moment or two and then leaned herself against the wall. “You already get served three times a day with fresh curry, an automated shower and toilet pops up in your corner every few hours and a mattress that flips up by a button. You get all that glory and you still insist on more.” Rubella tempted. Her voice did not hold any anger or sorrow for the girl. It was as if she was slowly weaving out new riddles every second, soon threading them into her words.

“Do you really want to hear the cacophony of what happens outside of this room?” This time, Rubella formed her sentence as an actual question. The slight edge of her hoarse voice finally met through the air, slicing off all the tension that still remained within the cold undercurrents. Surprisingly, Liko felt no fear cower behind her bottled-up emotions. Instead, she stood her ground. Her blood boiled as she recounted Rubella’s words, how she described Liko’s hell like a paradise.

“I had to suffer through one year in this box. If I have to suffer through more if I walk out that door, I would rather do that than live another day in here.”

Even if anger slipped out through her tongue, she still held a sense of wonder and curiosity as she imagined her two feet finally stepping out of this habitat. This habitat would now be left alone as Liko migrated into a new home… A new life.

Rubella nodded and then slipped the door open. Through a glimpse between Rubella’s shoulder blades, the colors of indigo and navy were all splotches like watercolor. This building is like an art piece come to life. Watercolor, pastel and pencil all sketched onto the same paper only to create a jumble of not only beauty but loveable emotions.

Art… The occupation of artists. Why was it so familiar yet so wrong once embraced in her mind?

“I will speak with my boss and then I – or he – will let you out.” After those words, Rubella quietly slipped out of the room. The only sound that seemed deafening to Liko was the door clicking onto its lock once more.

If her boss said yes, Liko would have to survive another couple of minutes here. But, those couple of minutes felt like the whole year she was enveloped in between these walls.

The walls seemed to have closed in on her until she heard the door rattle. Footsteps – more louder than Rubella’s – reverberated through the ground once more. Echoes of murmurs lingered around the walls and that was when a distinctive silhouette of a man appeared in front of Liko. His eyes, the color of cotton candy that was mixed, was as thin as Liko’s pinkie finger. He had the same color pallet of clothes as Rubella but he looked more professional and formal at most. His blue, fluffy hair cascaded down his shoulders until the crook of his neck.

“Hello, Liko.” An endearing yet dangerous smile played on his lips. “My name is Spinel and I will allow you to finally bask out in the sunshine here with…

The Explorers.”

Part II = Puppet

As they walked through corridor after corridor, the colors of purple contrasting within the blues caused a type of epilepsy towards Liko’s own eyes. She had tried to engrave every detail of the building around her presence, but Spinel kept on backtracking her into asking to remind him of what he just stated in his conversation every few seconds. A spark of arrogance grew in her blood, but it didn't claim her entirely. Her eyes hung low, darting between the small specks of dirt that left from her sneakers.

Liko herself felt like a seed that wasn't able to sprout from the lack of photosynthesis. After leaving her darkened shade, she slowly started to bloom. She noticed things that others didn't. A prosperous pink of smoke billowed from another room, leading a huge auditorium full of people cheering other trainers on once the clash and slash of Pokemon battles summoned through.

The thought made her reminisce about her Pokemon. The more she walked around this building, she felt a twinge of satisfaction from the facts that she listed in her brain:

– She was a pokemon trainer. She felt something natural embed itself through her veins; a feeling that rarely occurred. Liko felt no audacity to cower now and flee away from the sounds of Pokemon. The only thing that was strange to her was the mysterious pink smoke that slowly made its appearance around Liko’s sinuses.

– Liko was good. In the past, she must've made good decisions to ensure smooth sailings among her adventures. The fall from the Brave Olivine meant that they went to someplace else before the catastrophe happened.

– And lastly, she knew about peace. The way the silence domed around the building, besides the hum of the AC, made Liko feel this way. In her past, she must've been a peacemaker; the one who calms down others and makes possibilities of the outcome.

These statements of hers were quite plausible, it almost made Liko smile. But sadly, with her new bond state, everything could turn out wrong. Liko’s predictions could turn out wrong. If that happened…

“So,” Spinel turned towards Liko, a gratifying smile drawn on his face, “Do you see those workers over there?” He nodded his head towards some workers testing a few food combinations on a…

“A furret.” Spinel answered, as if he could sense Liko’s harsh internal turmoil. Liko slowly looked up towards Spinel, who kept his impenetrable gaze at the Pokemon. “It looks so lively… So charming. The workers really persuaded themselves into this… goal. ” Spinel’s voice suddenly dropped into a hoarse murmur of disgust but even if it was masked, Liko still caught on with it. It then stuck to her like glue, wondering who Spinel truly is. His name did ring a bell but the reverberating of the clang of metal against skull wasn't palpable.

“They put so much effort in for what, exactly? People chasing dreams like surfboards I have heard.” A soft laugh came out of him but no emotion was provoked. “They really don’t know what the difference is when people ‘chase’ their dreams or when they ‘grasp’ the thing that is right in front of them.”

Spinel made a grabbing motion with his hands, slowly curling his fingers into his flesh. His gloves tightened doing so. “Grasping what is in front of you, having it in your hands… Is more efficient. Because these ‘dreams’ or ‘goals’ people try to find, ” – Spinel’s voice suddenly turned an octave lower, – “Are just mere illusions to the human brain.” The silent room was now plotted with thick tension.

During their trip around the building, Spinel had never approved or let out a hint of biasness from his guts. And now, he has done it. It made Liko’s heart palpitations increase, a new type of anxiety wavering in her body. It felt as if a cold washcloth had been draped around her, eliciting an explicit gasp for air. Spinel immediately turned around, a new type of wonder pondering through his eyes. The girl then snapped out of her reverie.

“S-Sorry. Yeah… I understand.” Liko lied. She didn’t have a clue on why Spinel suddenly had the desire to crumble the meanings of ‘dreams’ and ‘goals’ or any synonyms under those two words. That time, he sounded villainous, cruel and evil. Liko, once calculative and eager to settle a foot upon new treachery Pokemon battles, was now deprived from any missions.

Spinel’s words made Liko want to roll into a ball and rot.

She didn't know how to settle through her high-way traffic of emotions. She wanted to grasp onto what was left of her: A small part of sanity that refused to let go. Liko was dangling off a cliff and peace was the one trying to hold onto her. She then realised that it was never there – an illusion – she was just lucky to be alive. So, she fell and tumbled her way down through the white padded room. Spinel’s words were slowly corrupting her mind, body and soul. She had just met the guy, but the way he structured his words like an evil scientist really intrigued Liko’s curiosity. Maybe Spinel would be the cure of finally opening up her emotions. Maybe she was being too paranoid and over-conflicting with her emotions. She just needed to see the raw world.

And maybe, this was it.

The two made their way back towards the auditorium, now looking through the glass panel out towards the cheering crowds of people and Pokemon. Two trainers were battling, each with a metallic type of Pokeball in their hands. Even Liko’s amnesia couldn't beat out that this wasn't your regular Pokeball. Once opened, a pink type of mist sprouted out, soon enveloping said trainer’s Pokemon in it. The creature acted erratic and impulsive. But, it was powerful. Liko was awestruck by the amount of power that came out. She was invested. She itched her fingers up against the window, wanting to claw her hands around those Pokeballs.

“Strong Spheres.” Spinel muttered, his presence still cold even if he was just a few centimeters away from Liko’s amazed state. “They took a lot of time and precision. Even if things didn't go my way or… When people doubted me.” A pair of glaring eyes were engraved in the back of the girl’s head, “But unless, it's been made into a successful hit. Trainers love them.” After a few daring minutes, Spinel took Liko towards his office, which was just on the other side of the building. Her eyes were focused on the clock, counting the minutes of how much was left until their tour was over. Spinel had said it would only last an hour, but that hour included the emotional state of a corruption-like feeling. Like charmspeak, as they say.

The girl knew he didn't have that, but his words seemed to have been etched into her mind. Spinel’s powers were beyond Sharpies, a more permanent use than those un-scrubable markers. Even if curiosity picked on Liko like her tears, which held doubtful guilt and burdens, she couldn't let it take control over her. An invisible spotlight hovered over Liko as the other workers trudged around, each person’s face contorting into looks of confusion or just gawking at her vulnerable state. 

Once Spinel opened the double doors towards his office, a type of nostalgia or melancholy settled upon Liko’s shoulders. The back of the room was only glass, a huge window indicating that there is more to life than just a gigantic building. It brought back invisible memories; memories that held the winds of love and freedom but as her graceful fingers tried to track down where it came from, it all dissipated away from the girl. The man stood beside his table, gesturing to Liko to take a seat on his luxurious, leather black, fine and dandy-made couches. Liko felt the soft fabric sink as she applied her weight onto it. It felt good to finally be able to get a taste of r eal comfort.

“So, Liko.” Like Rubella, Spinel steepled his fingers over his mouth, “What did you think of the tour?”

“It was nice.” Liko muttered. To calm her nerves and the sudden intrigue of making assumptions upon Spinel’s devilish presence and how it had driven her, she made a move of clenching and unclenching her dress.

“Nothing else?” Spinel prompted.

“No.”

With a swift, Spinel turned his back towards Liko, looking right out of the window. “Do you have any questions?”

“Y-yes.” Liko said, not contemplating before her words poured out, “Who exactly are The Explorers?” She wanted to redeem answers, to grasp them in her hands like what Spinel spoke about earlier. The man laughed, which caused Liko to flinch. A CEO – of what he had exclaimed right before allowing Rubella to return to her duties – was what he was. Able to process every outcome. A righteous hero the world needed. Collected to himself. With all these stabilities, it was hardly ever possible to see a type of person like him laugh.

“To put it in a way…” He took one glance at Liko and smiled. “We are the saviours of the world.”

The narcissism did not defeat him. Liko stayed silent, a bit of awe blooming through her heart like a Lotus flower. Could she really put such trust onto Spinel, relying on him for almost everything after the past one year of sheer isolation? Would sanity be replaced by… Spinel? A vision inside of Liko opened up, of her growing up to be like Rubella, one of his assistants. The idea rattled the gears inside of her, which made her focus back to reality. Spinel, with his dashing mixed-colored eyes, cast a profound look on Liko. A tight smile was etched on his mouth. Wrinkles were sought onto his forehead.

A trickle of sweat slowly cascaded down his temple. Even a mere baby could tell he was quite nervous. Memory blockage at it again, Liko didn't know why. She still felt that gut-retching stomach acid inside of her body, swirling around from all of the curry she ate over the past year. The man’s words were not the only things affecting Liko, but his feelings as well. His conserved, nonchalant attitude matured upon Liko’s presence but even a trickle of nervousness could make Liko’s body suddenly perk up at the switch up. Maybe it was a side-effect of the amnesia; sudden nausea at difficult moments.

A few minutes of silence passed through, but that could not break the tension that had already started. Unlike Rubella, Spinel seemed to be increasing it. Liko spoke first, silently wishing that this humid air would go away. “Saviours of the world… I mean, you are a CEO. I don’t really feel surprised about that. You are powerful and very keen.” Liko tried to downgrade the rapid currents of drama that would occur. She had successfully done it because Spinel’s interest suddenly tightened, like a person on a rope while mountain-climbing.

“Not surprised? Ah. A shame.” He murmured, silently going through his drawers with his index finger. With a slow tap on the knob, the second drawer came out. He grabbed a book and a pen and fiddled around with it. The changes of this man’s demeanor scared Liko but she had to know more. Like she said, she was willing to go through hell and back just to see what this guy was planning all along.

How he took such sharp turns whenever there was a place Liko wasn't allowed to visit; how Spinel would suddenly cut in through his attendees as he spoke to them in front of the girl; how Spinel crocheted his words with such anger it seemed to have sprouted into Liko. Something was up. And, it wasn’t good. The reliability of being with the CEO would all come crumbling down. Second thoughts came onto Liko’s mind but once the man stood up, it all seemed to have sunk back into the depths of her own Mariana Trench.

Mariana Trench. That quickly symbolised how she was drowning there. Suffocating from all this guilt and the lack of powers that she possessed. Powers – not like anything a pokemon would have – powers that means that she could rely on herself. Powers that she could be the person she once was. It wasn't her amnesia causing this. It was her. Being isolated for a whole year had made her nerves almost fizzle out. She was slowly turning insane by the second, and no one cared.

“Why am I here?” Liko wasn't supposed to say that out loud, but what was said had to be heard. Spinel looked up, a hint of surprise dashing across his face. “Why are you here?” He echoed.

“Yes. I’ve been trapped in that room for a long time. For what?” Liko’s voice took on as a plea. A plea to get out of this mess.

Spinel stayed silent for another minute, probably trying to find the best answer for Liko. “What I can say is that you are slowly becoming a better person yourself. You may think we have our differences but we are so very similar in other ways. Say, in how we feel.” His voice was quiet, a hushed murmur. But, it spread throughout the room like a Pokemon using ‘self destruct’. Liko only continued to tap her heels against the polished marble floor.

“How are we the same? Were we like that in the past?”

“Sadly not. But, it will all change. We sometimes have to let go, Liko. It might be hard and it might be tough but maybe letting go is the final decision to be made in your condition.” Spinel only made Liko’s feelings worsen, tightening into a knot.

Spinel worded it as if Liko had done a small accident, per se: dropping a glass vase onto the floor. Just through his calm and comforting voice, that wasn't enough to not allow Liko’s rage to flicker on. Heaps of ferocious fire, invisible to others but seen by her, danced along her adrenaline as it pumped out blood against her pulse. A grim scowl was etched on her face. This man could not have easily taunted the girl. He couldn't play with her strings and act so foolish around her past. Even if it wasn't there, she knew the memories that she once held were the most precious and cherished ones yet. New snapshots of pictures were to be made, but the camera wasn’t broken. It was taken away.

There was a difference.

A raw edge was fierce in Spinel’s words. And yet, the man was still hard to read. Liko willed her adrenaline at a normal pace, to stay calm yet alerted by what will happen next.

“No. It may have been the decision you made in your life but I won’t do that. I need my memories back. I know I have people waiting for me…” Liko muttered. The feels of the leather couch that she was placed upon didn't help the cold sweat that was stuck onto her skin.

The CEO looked back towards Liko. Those dazzling, remarkable eyes were now encased in the dark pits of hell. The void. “As you say, Liko.” He nodded. But, there was a dark devil inside of him only wanting to grow. The slight strain in his voice told so.

“You do you.” He continued, “Opportunities are to be seized, not pondered about. Hesitating in one would be a sign of loss. Even if… Even if the path sometimes… short circuits and leads you to another way, it is better than to be someone with nothing.”

Ice cold needles penetrated their way through Liko’s neck. It was quite a horrorsome idea on how much thought Spinel had put into his words. It was as if he was describing something mutual. Seemed like it, at most. Liko couldn’t be sure.

“O-okay…” The girl muttered, “Anyway, what should I do now? I don’t want to go back in that room.”

Spinel laughed but only a slight sliver of humour was put onto that chuckle of his. “I told you. You do you. Do whatever you like…” Spinel’s facial features were too calm. Too at ease. His eyes were blanked, as if he was staring at something through Liko’s eyes – even himself diving into her memories and picking them out one by one.

Liko pondered about Spinel’s words, even contemplating it after the office doors were shut close behind her. The last thing she saw was the sun setting behind the crescendo of hills, overlapping within the background of neon-turquoise buildings. A small murmur of encouragement of what she had last heard. “Good Luck.” Wouldn't do anything to Liko. For now, Spinel was lending her free to the Wilderness. Not only was Liko confused about herself but also about Spinel. His short circuiting was in fact quite palpable. At one moment, he was exhilarating with sheer rage that was encased with a mask of calm and now, he was chuckling with Liko as if they were old-time friends.

What Liko wanted to do now…

She wanted to trace back to where the Brave Olivine was. That fall must have left those people on board all in a static shock. Liko only wished that she could see them more clearly, but they were just boxes of gaussian blur and swirls as she felt her fingers slip away from the railing. Listening to Spinel’s words, Liko was going to take on a mission. Even for a fragile, home-sick girl who barely had any memories, that didn’t stop her from doing the inevitable in her condition. Liko wanted to prove Spinel wrong. All signs of curiosity for that guy had soon drained out of her once she paced herself down the hallway. Other assistants looked over at her and then whispered among their own pupils.

Soon enough, maybe Liko would get back to her pupils as well. She just had to find a way to get out of here…

“Corviknight, use Aerial Ace!” A trainer’s voice boomed against the auditorium outside of the right wall. Liko put her ear against it and listened to the booming and slashing of attacks that each Pokemon withstood. Slowly yet surely, Liko darted her eyes towards the pink mist that soon enveloped the entire corridor on where she placed her two feet on. She quickly ran to the farthest corner, trying to intake oxygen instead of pink – probably dangerous – mist. A thrill of excitement burned against her heart, raging on into trying out those Pokemon Battles. Once she asked about the strange occurrences of pink during the tour, he only smiled. It was as if he could sense her growing need for those Strong Spheres as well.

She needed that sphere in her hands, to throw it at her Pokemon and see her partner grow in strength as it took down its opponent.

Pokemon. She had no Pokemon. Where would they go?

She needed to continue her adventure through this building. An adventure didn't need an outside world. Maybe, an adventure could be starting right where you are. Your sneakers are the ones who grow the seeds. The seeds will soon sprout into flowers that symbolise the components of the positives that you have grown. Liko could do that. She just needed her Pokemon. Her partners. The ones that helped make her life more presentable.

She was not Liko, the amnesiac who self-loathed around in the corner of her room. She was now Liko, a person who is trying to get her past back. And, her representation of who she truly is.

Graceful steps she took as she went over to the other hallway and disappeared into the pink mist. Liko was just getting started on this new quest. A new journey. A new life.

EPILOGUE
Spinel’s Book – Page 1:

Liko’s Data Analysis:

– Name: Liko
– Age: 13 - 14 (13 is the best assumption, said by Rubella)
– Gender: Female
– Pokemon: Meowscarada, Hattrem, Terapagos
– Associated with time: Yes due to the ‘feeling of her body rotting’
_ Mutual with memories: Only one. The fall from the Brave Olivine. Everything else is negative. 

– Appearance: Blue hair and eyes, pale skin, very frail

– Other info:
– She thinks she was a good person in her past and was not one of The Explorers.

Interviewed by: Rubella, assistant of Spinel.

Spinel, CEO of Exceed; leader of The Explorers.

Down below is a recording of the following interview, then printed onto a script.

…

– Liko was not the Liko I thought she would be after leaving that worn-out room . A room with no solace and no freedom. I simply thought that she would rot until her body disintegrated into ashes and went into the crevices of each hump on the floor. But, I digress.

– Funny to say, I have found a tad bit of humor once she had finally, most properly, found the guard stance on unlocking a new adventure. She seemed too regal for a girl who hasn't contacted mammals for a year now. After all the advice I have lended her – advice that I have taught myself – she still slathers her disrespect onto me and continues to strive in life as if she still had potential in herself.

– Only doing whatever she likes would just confuse her. And, that is what I need. Confusion. It could easily make one crumble, easily make one jump into ‘what-ifs’ before internally self-combusting. She would short-circuit into the thought-makings of her plans. Soon enough, she would plead for her body to withstand one more until she fully latched onto what was just in front of her the entire time. She was just too blind to see. It's stupid how people only want to see the final outcome of things before taking the leap.

– I am not wrong when I write this, but we are the same. We will be the same. Everyone will feel my wrath and soon feed on it, like how I force-fed myself this corruption for all these years.

– Let her go back to the Rising Volt Tacklers. Those people won’t be able to cure the girl they once knew. Because no one could cure me.

End of Chapter I

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 2 = LIKO

Part I = To Not be Red-Handed

The smoke was hard to handle. The strange pink substance had fully travelled up Liko’s sinuses, which made her knees buckle under the sheer exhaustion of racing through each corridor. The building was like a labyrinth, slowly changing courses after each step that she took. The slight squeaking of her sneakers, the ragged breaths that Liko huffed out and the cold sweat that trickled down her body only worsened the overall mood. While contemplating what moves she should make without being noticed by Spinel nor any of The Explorers, a boom would echo around the domed area she was encased in. A cacophony of trainers hollering towards their Pokemon only strengthened after each attack. The pink mist slowly resembled tree branches, now wanting to tangle up the girl in its metallic-like feel. A slight graze on her skin and that was when Liko’s adrenaline skyrocketed through the roof.

The premise of which Liko ran through shifted between different scenes. One was a jungle-themed room; another was an experimentation lab for Pokemon. A carefully weaved sing-song was hummed out by a few Oricorio, who were dancing around many different biomes; the pokemon that were watching them were not astonished. They would've sat there with their eyes wide in awe but with the cables attached to them, it wasn’t really much. Liko felt her heart slowly sink in its own trenches, a bewildered moment suddenly turning solemn. As time went on, that was when Liko’s legs doubled down. They were aching from the exhilaration of fire that traced among her veins, energy to be sought through. She had used up all this power and was now trying to catch her breath. A hand was tightly clasped over her stomach, a side stitch suddenly opening through. Her ragged breathing was hot and humid, which fit in with the sudden change in air around her. Sweat continued to cascade down, which made her clothes like glue against her skin.

The girl counted a few seconds under her breath before looking up at what location she had placed herself upon. Whirring gears and other sorts of machineries were placed among pedestals, which show the full glory of Strong Spheres. Posters of rules and etiquette charts were plastered among the walls; Automated robots were slowly spraying a pink color on the hinges of each Pokeball; Gears shifted drills down into Pokeballs, which caused a slight hint of a pink crystal to peek out from the bottom. A precious pink crystal. As if like a veil to cover up such luxuries, the smoke that once engraved itself within Liko’s sinuses was now in midair. She took slow steps around the factory, trying to find some hints of human life besides her. No one was here. The only sounds that cut through were the scattering of pieces among conveyor belts and the heavy clanking of metal against metal. As she tried to capture every detail in the factory, she could not help herself about the gratifying pull that the Strong Spheres seem to give off. Around it, it shimmers power, fame and the idea of destroying everyone in your path.

No one could beat you. You would be the strongest trainer in the world.

But, was that what Liko wanted?

The main question was… What were Liko’s desires in the past? Did she fulfill them? Even if she didn't, how did she extend her path on this dangerous journey to get the treasure that she had been looking for? Those questions rattled Liko’s bones, a palpable, tingly tremor crawling up her spine. With such force like two magnets connecting onto each other, she forced herself to snap out of her reverie. With slow steps, she walked among the conveyor belts until she now stood upon the gleaming shelves of Strong Spheres. With a huge swipe, she instantly grabbed one of the Pokeballs and stuffed it into her pocket. She anticipated what would happen if she used that. If she was able to see her Pokemon get stronger by the second…

“ – Laqium.”

Liko whipped her head around behind her. A few strands of her midnight-colored hair stuck onto her forehead but she ignored it. A sound, a faint voice of a woman was echoing behind the shelves. Liko pondered, trying to succumb to herself if the moment was right. At first, she took things slow. But this time, she had to be quick. A small vibration under her feet settled in and that was when she knew that the person who was watching her was leaving. Her breathing turned into ragged gasps now knowing that she wasn't the only one mingling around in this factory. Someone was watching her and she had to be quick in capturing this person.

That word wasn't on its own, Liko had realised. It was supposed to be a sentence. But what?

With a new mindset of determination, Liko pounded through the factory and stepped out of the doors, now rushing around each hallway to try and find that silhouette she once had captured. Long braids, nimble fingers and a dress. She knew it was a dress. Whenever she went, a whip of fabric always trailed along in front of her. She was close to her target. Whipping winds were at the speed of light, trying to give cold energy to Liko. Sweat soon cascaded down her neck and clothes. Even only wearing a pair of yellow sandals, Liko was quick on her feet.

She didn't dare try to shout at the spy. It would only bring more attention. The only thing that helped cover up her presence was the pink mist etching itself around the hallways. During that run, Liko felt a jarring, unpredictable feeling close up in her throat. The word that was uttered once now stayed in her heart. A word she knew so well. Laqium. A word that hit her throat just like how it hit her brain. One foot in front of the other. One branch of pink forming under her, ready to swallow her whole. Maybe this pink was called Laqium. Maybe the pink crystal that she had seen back in the factory was Laqium. The pink branches only grew under her, which made Liko realise that her hypothesis was correct. Trying her best to ignore pink threats under her, she swiftly made her way across each hallway. A few other grunts stopped by and gawked at the teenager. Others gossiped and whispered incoherent rumours throughout.

This wasn't good. Liko was getting an audience. By each hour, minute and second, Spinel would know every trace of which step Liko took. And yet she had thought that Rubella was the worst.

“Stop her!” A hoarse, male voice called out from the crowd. Black hair within the contrast of blues. He rushed towards Liko with a scowl on his face and that only made the girl run faster. At this point, she didn't even know where she was going. It was as if an automatic switch had turned on in her brain, which made each turn more sharp than the other. It was a good thing, too. She could try and memorise the premise and interior of the building but the grunt behind her wasn't helping. Gasps indicating lack of energy only then turned into terror as Liko faced herself upon a dead end. 

A blank white wall stared right back at her. As she turned around, the grunt rushed towards her with his arms open. Liko swooped under them until she got back up. Fingers, which weren't hers, tried to grasp onto the girl’s arms. With a retort, she flung her arms behind her, which made her elbows connect with the guy’s nose. A groan of pain settled through as Liko tried to find a new exit. A door or a pathway to a new legacy. Was this the start of her journey? Breaking someone’s nose? A preposterous, diabolical thought that went through her mind. She searched the wall for a button, a lever or a switch.

Anything to get out.

The last option was then force. With her back against the wall, Liko stood her ground and separated her feet. She tried to look powerful and mighty with her stance but the quavering of her legs, the trickles of sweat slowly dipping into her dress and the watering in her eyes did not help the vision she was going for.

Just then, the guy stuffed his right hand into his pocket. After a few seconds, only then a Pokeball came in-between his fingers. Liko then realised that this guy looked like the counter-part of Rubella. On his name tag, it said ‘Indy’

“Tauros! Come out!” Indy yelled out as he threw the Pokeball towards the sky. With a slight shine of light blazing Liko’s eyes, that was when the majestic Tauros came. It had a black coat of fur and keen, obsidian eyes. It matched its trainer’s personality quite well when it started to nicker and growl. “Now,” Indy thrusted out his hand, “Use Headbutt”

Not even a second goes by and that was when Tauros went over the moon with that command. With four hooves now rushing towards Liko, she whimpered in fear as her hands were spread on the wall. She felt a slight push against the wall and that was when Liko used it to her advantage. She didn’t know how each sequence of events happened in play after those few seconds but it was a miracle. 

She turned around with the wall, now facing the other way of the room. Now, there was no one behind her. Indy, Tauros and the crowd that jumbled through the hallway were all gone. It was now just Liko back to…

Square one.

The girl was stuck in the white, padded-room again. The smell of fresh lavender went through, a typical scent that she had endearly began to feel a slight connection to. The same soap she used in those showers. That was the same smell. Even with a nice scent, the room felt like the pits of hell. The pits of hell being described as out that you cannot escape until a helping hand is in front of you. For her, it took a whole year. But for this person…

The person in the corner had a frail body. A shivering human muttering out incoherent words under their breath. Sniffles and the slow drip drop of hot, steamy tears hit the ground as that person tries to get up. The boy, as Liko assumed, was wearing a white shirt and pants. Weird, they both had the same attire but Liko’s battered-up body was attached onto a dress instead. Yellow sandals were the only things that matched completely.

The boy looked older than her. His hair showed a type of elegance of how dark indigo and periwinkle could be contrasted within. The two-colored strands of hair cascaded down his shoulders. None of them had a scrunchie or hair tie to properly manage their mane so they were forced to keep it out.

Even with the boy in the same room as her, Liko couldn't help but feel the same feeling she felt only a few hours ago. The walls seemed to have closed in on her; the world slowly turning pitch black as she felt the urge to melt into the floor. No prying eyes of people nor Pokemon would ever linger on her again. Her line of vision then blurred, which made the boy upon her presence soon disperse into simple swirls of nothingness. Nausea throttled up towards her esophagus but only the knot of starvation saved her into what was going to happen next.

Her heart rate increased, a dangerous fire played by every ounce of fuel it consumes. She felt her entire body crumble to the ground; the only thing that was palpable in her ears was the crash of her limp body against the soft floor. Her hands felt numb as she tried to wipe away the lifeless tears that were now stuck onto her face. Life seemed to have drifted away from her by the second. She was a fool into thinking that she could start a journey. It was all a loop, she had realized. No one would praise her. No one would even dare to have the image of this rotting teenager in their minds.

Like her amnesia, everyone would forget that Liko existed.

She would always return to the same white padded room.

Liko’s fish-eyed vision only got worse. Pain that was the same intensity of a searing hot knife thrusting itself in one’s body was now smeared among her chest. Numbness, the rising heat of sorrow and the devastating guilt of Liko were now on a scale, which never balanced out. 

Only just then did she hear the mumblings of the boy in front of her. With a sense of hearing soon coming back to reality, she slowly tried to maintain the knot that had been stuck in her stomach for the entire year. She still felt her pulse hammer through her skin but for once, she had tried to leave that to the side. It was all a slow procedure to cling back onto reality especially when Liko had failed to fulfill her own promise of letting her feet stay on the brink of sanity. The thoughts that lingered around the poor girl felt like she was growing a dent in her cranium. A few moments later and that was when the boy’s voice finally settled in.

It was a soft tune of melancholy as if the guy never experienced days of happiness.

“L-Liko?”

Liko’s eyes widened at the boy’s sudden intrigue in her. Even if her curiosity was striking high on each chord, she took it slow with her physical needs by taking time on sitting up. She kept her knees tucked under her.

“H-How do you know my name?” She asked, her voice taking on a vulnerable edge. The boy looked at her with a deadpanned look, but then was quite aghast by Liko’s question. “I k-know you… I – How do you not know me?”

The boy’s voice was hoarse. He now looked teary eyed. It had then come to the conclusion that this boy had somehow met Liko in the past. Did he have all his memories within his reach? If so, how was that outcome even possible? How could one teenager not have any memories at all while the other has all folders of pictures of their life in full stock?

Was having your memories a good thing? Or, was it best to leave it astray?

“I don’t even know your name?” She muttered.

“My name?” He echoed, now fiddling with his hands.

“Y-yes…”

There was a moment of silence. A moment before everything started to awaken. Before everything then took a unique twist onto Liko’s exposition of her new life.

“My name is Amethio…”

Part II = A new arrival. A past mutual. 

His name felt familiar on the tip of Liko’s tongue. Not only that, but his presence as well. With the cold confinements of the room, Amethio’s being seemed to have replaced that coldness with a more… mutual feeling. A feeling in which you have known someone but the memory is yonder away. “Amethio?” Liko repeated, still processing her interest in the boy in front of her. Before responding, he squatted down to meet Liko’s eyes. “Yeah. Amethio.”

He was oddly quiet, like a boy left stranded by his group of friends at school. His eyes were impenetrable up close, which easily made one wonder what his train of thought was about. “You know me?” Liko asked again, a slight stretch of skin at the corner of her mouth.

“Yeah. You already asked that.”

The girl pouted. “No. I asked how did you know my name .”

“Well, ‘me’ – in ‘you know me? – in particular is you. You are Liko. Liko is your name.” Amethio retorted, a flash of a smile soon splattered on his face. It fit with someone flicking off small, tiny paint droplets on a canvas. The paint then slowly soaks into said canvas, which creates an unusual picture. A picture that Liko couldn't understand. “I see… You like to make things more confusing than it already is.” She pointed out.

Amethio’s eyebrows hugged together. A frown set upon his face. “No?”

“It's a joke. Now, let’s keep this aside.” A miracle it has happened. Liko still had a bit of a sense of humour in her heart.

“Yeah. Tell me how you got here.” Amethio settled in for a comfortable position on the floor; his legs crossed at the ankles. And with that, Liko told him what had happened over the last few hours of being alone. With a side question of “What were your memories?”, she then told the boy about the last bit of memories she was able to cling onto. A profound type of trust was already established between the two – Liko could sense it. She wanted to ask Amethio about their adventures together… If they had any.

“Well, I mean –” A hard wince was developed on Amethio’s face; eyebrows furrowed, frown turned into a sneer with grinding teeth and wrinkles on his forehead. A type of shadow passed through his eyes as LIko had to help the boy and his tormenting pain. After a few minutes of simple breathing, Amethio regained his composure and sighed. “Sorry…”

“No, no. Don’t be.” Liko reassured him.

“Its just that – that every time I try to give in into my own memories, my brain just hurts. Everything hurts.”

The girl cocked her head to the side. “I thought you had your memories.”

“I do. It just hurts when I try to dive back into it. But, the memories are there; I just know it.”

A flash of certainty swept through Amethio’s face but it wasn't the same for Liko. Dread – that could only balance out what she felt – fell onto her shoulders as if one was holding up the entire sky. Even if this conflict wasn't hers, she still felt the guilt embed itself through her fingers. A red string that would never run out. It would only grow. “B-but do you know why this happens?” Liko asked, forcefully shaking off the feeling of this existential dread upon her. Amethio’s ears perked up at her question but his shoulders did not react the same. It sagged down, his posture slightly unwell. “No…”

The two stayed quiet for a few moments, wondering how one would bring up a conversation again. The rattling in their bones only increased the tidal waves of blood in their ears. Amethio had summarized it very well, Liko had thought. A proficient way on how to explain everything that they've been through: My brain just hurts. Everything hurts. “So,” Amethio’s soft yet fierce whisper snapped Liko out of her reverie, “Do you remember me.”

Amethio had just laid a Rubella move on the deck: Wording his questions like answers. Liko nodded, a soft hint of happiness seeping through her body. At least she was with someone she knew in the past. The mutualism between them was palpable – almost see through like glass. But the glass was cracked around the frame. At the thought of that, Liko had the right answer. “We were mutuals in the past. I know that. But, I don’t remember you fully.”

Amethio’s eyes dimmed. “Okay.” His voice was flat yet resonant with the stillness in the air. Liko fidgeted with her hands; her eyes wandered around the room. Just then, those two pairs of sapphire locked onto the turning door that was right behind her. She didn’t know if Indi and the Tauros were still outside but it was too risky to check. “How did you get in?” Amethio asked, once again snapping Liko out of her reverie.

The girl looked over to her left and saw his eyebrows scrunched up. Hugging close to one another, almost permanent on his face. “The door…. It, like… flipped around.”

“So a secret door…”

“Sadly, yes.”

Amethio looked up, his eyes almost now a dark crimson. “Was your door a secret?”

It seemed like just a simple question but with the context of what Liko and Amethio went through, it was dangerous. “No. When that girl… Rubella… When she opened it, a blinding light struck through.”

The question that has developed under the currents of the air only grew. The tension increased. Why was Amethio’s door in secret and why did he have his memories? The differences between the boy and girl obviously required someone… Someone responsible for all of this.

Spinel. But why? Why cast these two differences? Is it because one of them will lead to a different path? One to heaven and one to hell?

The two had to get answers but when Liko told this to Amethio, he shook his head. “No. It's too dangerous. Having these memories feels like hell. It's burning against my head, always reminding me of the bad I have done to you.”

Liko’s heart frantically did tap dances against her skin. Nervousness slowly crept under her arms, soon travelling down her bloodstream. A trickle of sweat slowly made its way down Liko’s temple. What had this guy done to cause the girl any harm? But, like Amethio said… Maybe having these memories would be a bad thing. Anyways, getting reminded of what you’ve done in the past wouldnt be great.

But to return to her friends and the ones that awaited for her arrival to the Brave Olivine…

“You may not have been a good person in the past but that doesn't mean you can’t change that. People who have done the worst can always change into people who can do the better.” Liko’s voice was soft yet tempting. He may have been a bad person but with the mutual respect that Liko could sense, maybe Amethio could change after all… He was the type of person who has a heart of respect but the irony was being in a bad, terrifying occupation; something that could easily mischaracterize one’s reputation to be on evil instead of good.

“I have tried, really I did. Like I told you,  my head hurts. Everything hurts…”

The boy only then continued his earlier habits: rubbing his temples clockwise.

The girl had spectated the following reasons on why Amethio felt like this

The white room in which he — a clear assumption Liko could make — stayed longer than Liko’s 365 days, made him go insane. Every hour that he was developed would just make his brain crack. Maybe literally .

The sapphire girl was still sketchy about this but what if someone was controlling Amethio? He has his memories but feels immense pain when trying to dive into them. It was very similar to Liko but the memories weren’t quite belayed in her mind. Thoughts and other weird information had been slowly seeping into her mind, almost intoxicating her. Of course, she tried to fight it away but it kept coming back.

It was like the Strong Sphere in her bag. It just kept feeling heavier…

“Do you want to leave?” Asked Liko. Like always, she just had to ignore the heaviness she felt. 

Amethio thought for a bit, his eyes averting from Liko and now laying upon the ground. “I don‘t know. I don’t really believe in myself… not yet, I guess.”

The calm, steady moments were whiplashed away when he said that. A huge alarm roared through the entirety of the building. Buzzing, blaring lights of red shot out and swarmed the entire room in the same color. Everything then turned static for Liko. Muffled cries and shouts were just behind that door. Amethio had his hands clenched over his ears;eyes of purple were now shut, causing wrinkles to form around them.

Liko’s body felt unsteady, every part of her body quivering from the sudden alarm. A transfixed look was on her face as she tried to contemplate what in the world was going on. 

Until she heard that same voice. That same voice she heard in the factory.

“LAQIUM OVERFLOW. HEAD OUTSIDE FOR SAFETY AND DON'T LEAVE THE PREMISE.”

EPILOGUE
Spinel’s Book – Page 2:

She had told me that Liko took a Strong Sphere. It was impulsive, out of sheer thinking. She was in the wrong to do that but also in the right. Like I have said, Liko is not the Liko she is. She will not become the same Liko she once has been, especially with the Rising Volt Tacklers. She is meant to be confused, meant to not tolerate the complexities of what the world truly is. 

She is supposed to connect with me. To understand how I feel and compensate with other people. Not only this, but my co-worker — Indi — has told me that Liko went though that specific door. 

Good.

I fathom, contemplate, and even try to envision myself in these questions. Would Liko actually heal if she rekindles with the people from her past? There are so many questions and many new things to learn. But, we don’t ask. We only see. Actions speak better than words but maybe said actions and be beaten off by emotions. 

And that’s the entire purpose of what this is all about.

End of Chapter 2