Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria

Chapter 6

Curtain Call

The remaining explosions, cracks, and pops of the fireworks into the atmosphere signaled the end of Empoleon's speech as he waved a flipper toward the booming crowd. Liam, Gloria, Leafeon, and Braixen, were finally able to exit the stadium. A mountain of other Pokémon followed them on the way out.

Once they were outside the massive open doors, Leafeon yawned, stretching her body and hind legs. "You know, I think Monferno had the right idea. This was a whole lot of nothing."

Gloria frowned. "I thought it was great! This is an important moment in Celestic history!"

Braixen nodded to this. "I agree with Gloria. Tomorrow must be a very special day for any Pokémon lucky enough to get in." The fiery fox sighed. "A shame that Mony is susceptible to any form of betting..."

Liam, on the other hand, was pleased, if not a bit disappointed like Braixen was that he wouldn't be able to attend. That once-in-a-lifetime event is something you shouldn't pass up on.

"I should really be checking on Monferno now," Braixen said. "Him drinking with Roark is bound for trouble." She sighed, focusing her attention on Liam and Gloria. "I'll see you two at the guild after tomorrow - you'll probably be seeing me or Hatterene a lot, considering we're both nurses. I hope you two enjoy the premiere, so make sure to tell me and Mony all about it!"

With a wave of her furry paw, she walked away, disappearing into the crowd and leaving two confused Pokémon in her wake. Gloria tilted her head, adorning a quizzical look across her muzzle.

"Why did she think we're going?" she asked, causing Liam to shrug.

A knowing smile appeared across Leafeon's face as she finished stretching her unused limbs and strolled up toward the two.

"Seeing as you two are going to be the guild's new recruits, that means feeding the both of you is going to be my job." She pointed a brown furred paw at Gloria. "And that means I'm going to have a little assistant in the kitchen, from time to time."

A warm smile graced the Vulpix's face. "Seriously? I can cook for the guild?" she asked, a little touched at the gesture.

"You betcha! You wouldn't believe some of the ingredients the Guildmaster allows me to get away with!" She laughed into a paw before her eyes widened. "Oh! I need to introduce you to Shaymin! We're, like... the best of friends. Not that you aren't, either!" Leafeon said hastily as she turned to look at the Riolu, who was starting to seem like a third wheel. "And… Liam, right? You're new around Empyrean. Is working at the guild what you really want to do?"

Liam, noticing the spotlight was put on him, shifted his eyes around back and forth before replying. "Uh, yeah, I am. Roark told me I should form a team with Gloria, and well... yeah, I think this is something I wanna do."

"I trust you."

"Huh?"

"I know Gloria as a good friend. I know Roark as a part of the guild." Leafeon glanced at the Vulpix. "If she can trust you to be her teammate, and Roark enough to where he'd pop up the question, then why can't I trust you?" She scratched her chin with a paw. "The guild gets a lot of shady figures sometimes, but you don't look like the sort to involve much harm - no offense. So…" She thrust a paw forward. "I hope you got good taste buds, 'cause I'm going to blow them away!"

The Riolu smirked, offering his paw to hers in a friendly paw shake. "If it's anything like Gloria's, then I'm sure you will. It's nice to meet you, Leafeon."

"That's the spirit! Now…" Leafeon stepped over to a distracted Gloria and enveloped her in a sort of hug for quadrupeds - wrapping a paw around her side and resting her head on the Vulpix's neck, who melted into the surprise hug. "I'll see you two very soon, okay? You know I'm looking out for you right, Gloria?"

The Vulpix hummed. "Don't worry, I won't back out. I promised Roark, and everyone else I wouldn't."

"That's good, now…" Leafeon snickered as she unhooked herself from their embrace and trotted down a road opposite to them. "Enjoy the show!" She hollered before disappearing into the crowd just like Braixen.

Liam sighed. "Ready to go home now? Or… after picking up Roark?" he asked, a bit unsure how much liquor the dark fox intended on ingesting.

Gloria shook her head. "No, not yet. I, um, still need to show you one more place, preferably before they close." Liam's ears perked up at this.

"What, another ice cream stand?" He was a bit shocked and also a bit concerned at how much dairy confectionaries she seemed to consume at Leafeon's stand.

Gloria's face burned as she sputtered a response. "N-no! We're going to do what I forgot to show you at the Meowstic twins' shop, remember that?" She took a step forward.

He did, although he was not sure what she forgot to show him, considering she already ran over the basics. They continued to walk and talk down the still bustling festival.

"Sure do, what's so important about it right now?"

"Well you need to know about battle items, things you can in dungeons and outside of them. Guild members use it all the time, Roark told me they're extremely useful in heavy situations."

'Battle items? Like, weapons?' He snorted at the thought of Pokémon carrying swords into dungeons. Perhaps it was not like he thought.

"They should still be open, at the very least servicing their last few customers. So I hope they can serve us," Gloria added.

Among the luminous orange lights and the bombastic ensemble of music in the ubiquitous darkness of the night, they traveled through it all toward the marketplace.

In both of their sights, they could see it. The royal blue strips of blue on a painted white stand. Inside of it were the Meowstic twins, happily handing their customer a sack of Poké for the items it sold. A sole lantern kept the stand lit in the unnaturally quiet marketplace. Once their customer was gone, the pair grabbed any accessory or item nearest to them and started placing them in wooden boxes that lined the walls.

Gloria nudged Liam in his side with a paw as she blazed towards the shop. "Come on, I think they're about to close!" He took off in a similar pursuit.

"Mister and Miss Meowstic!"

A shout from Gloria pierced the feline ears of the shop owners as they stopped placing objects into boxes to stare at where the voice came from. The approaching footsteps and sight of a familiar white Vulpix soon met their gaze, along with the same Riolu from before.

The Meowstic sister stopped her packing to greet them. "... Gloria?"

Gloria huffed as she reached the counter of the stand, resting her forepaws on the wood. "Yeah… we... came from the... festival!"

"Oh? I heard it was winding down for today, not until the premier tomorrow," the sister spoke again.

"Did you use that TM?" her posh sounding brother chimed in.

Gloria winced. "Well... not yet, but that's also part of why we came here before you closed. I, uh, forgot to do something the last time I was here."

"Oh? And what was that?" the brother asked.

"Well, since I'm going into the guild with…" She pointed a paw towards the Riolu next to her. "Liam here, I thought I'd teach him about battle items like seeds and orbs."

The twins were confused at the prospect of a Pokémon knowing nothing about those items since they were so common. Luckily, the two prepared for such a response on the way here.

"I'm from a village far far away, we don't have Mystery Dungeons there so I don't know much about items." Liam smiled, hoping they would buy it.

The brother scoffed at this. "No Mystery Dungeons? On Celestic? Crazy talk…" The sister then interjected with a clasp of her paws.

"You're in the guild now? That's great! We're probably going to see you a lot more often now." She turned around and walked diligently towards their stock of various items and trinkets on the shelves. "You're just in luck, as another shipment came before the festival started. I can give you a few select pickings to choose from." She picked up an array of different colored seeds and cloudy orbs.

Returning to the counter, she laid them all out so Liam could get a good look at them. The most noticeable thing resting on the counter were the giant seeds - giant enough that they were as big as his paw. The orbs on the other hand seemed just the right size for a Pokémon to grip one.

"There are different types of seeds and orbs with different effects. Some of them inflict status conditions or damage to the opponent. While they're more effective inside Mystery Dungeons - they can be useful outside them but with less effect." The Meowstic sister explained, pointing at a red-hued seed. "This is a Blast Seed. Creating enough pressure on it by biting it or throwing it can cause it to explode on opponents, which is very useful for tough foes."

The feline then pointed at the yellow-hued seed next to it. "This is a Stun Seed. It can lock opponents up in their tracks, not giving them time to attack and leaving them vulnerable themselves. Just don't accidentally stun yourself! I remember Roark told me he did it before." She laughed as she moved on toward the orbs.

Her paw found its way on a white flushed orb. "These are Wonder Orbs. This one, a Luminous Orb, can create a quick flash of white light to disorientate enemies if you smash it. In a Mystery Dungeon, it's enough to flash the entire room you're in. Use it with caution."

Finally, she rested her paw on the last Wonder Orb. It held a deep purple coloration. "This here is a One-Hit-KO Orb. As the name suggests, it can be used to take down opponents in one fell swoop. Once crushing it, the holder can immense energy very briefly, just enough for an attack."

Her brother intruded after she finished. "Riveting stuff, right? In dicey situations, it can come out to who holds superiority through item usage. Even the weakest of Pokémon can stand a chance if they're well equipped!"

The sister nodded in agreement to her brother's words. "We showed you just a few, and yet there are many different kinds of items to use. We're always here for guild members to give them a selection of what's best for them."

Liam tapped his chin with a paw. 'This definitely leads to new combat possibilities. Being able to use items and moves in tandem seems to be the best way to approach things from now.' He was getting excited just thinking about the prospect.

Liam spared a glance towards Gloria. "Do you mind if we do a little... shopping?" he questioned, emphasizing by patting the saddlebag around his shoulder.

She appeared to be in thought for a moment before nodding curtly. He unhooked the saddlebag and placed it onto the counter, the Meowstic's smiling in synchrony as he did so.

"How many of those items could we get for five-hundred Poké?"

To them, the festival seemed to rage the entire night as they made the trip back home. The uproar of it echoed across the city, even into the neighborhoods. They decided to not go to the adult section of the festival to look for Roark. Gloria knew but mostly hoped that the ruse fox would've been responsible and headed home as he told them.

Once the duo was finally home, they cracked open the front door to a lantern now turned on in the living room. At the dining table, Roark was seated in a chair leaning over the table with his arm resting on it-his paw supporting his head. He did not seem to appear fully drunk from the way Liam saw it - just a little tipsy.

The Zororark noticed their presence as they walked it. He turned and waved a red claw toward them. "Hey! How was the festival?"

"It was fun, you missed the events and the mayor's speech you know…" Gloria told him, which sparked a grin from Roark.

"Nah, I already had the time of life somewhere else!" He ended with sudden spontaneous laughter.

"... Are you drunk?" Gloria asked, a bit curious about his state.

He nodded. "A bit - the swill they served wasn't really up to par. Eh, still better than nothing, I suppose. Nothing like the stuff I'll get tomorrow..."

Confusion spread across Gloria's face. "Tomorrow? Where are you going exactly."

Her words caused Roark's eyes to snap out of their relaxed state and become alert. "Ha! I forgot to give you guys your true celebration gift!" Roark reached across the table to grab an envelope. It was the same one that Monferno had come earlier with - yellow shining stars dotted on a black background.

He opened the slit of the envelope and reached inside with his claws, coming out with three card-like objects. They seemed to twinkle in the light of the lantern, giving them their own flair. Roark faced the confused Pokémon and offered another fang-bearing smile.

"We're all going to the Eden Theater premiere tomorrow! Now, don't get all too exc- oof!" He was cut off short as a white blur collided with him into a hug.

"How did you get passes for the premiere?! They only gave them out to a selected bunch!" Gloria exclaimed as she rocked the dark fox back-and-forth with surprising strength.

Roark chuckled and slightly pushed Gloria off of him. "Let's just say Monferno couldn't resist a good bet, and I happened to be the victor." Gloria continued to voice her excitement as he tried to calm her down.

Liam simply watched the two talk, his heart beginning to race as he thought of it over it over. That they were going to this once-in-a-lifetime opening. He placed a paw over his chest to ease himself, lest he act out like a certain Vulpix. But it was exciting, to say the least.

Once the enthusiastic Vulpix was settled, Roark clamped his paws together, claws intertwining. "Now, to finish off a great day of festivities... " He detached a paw as it reached back into his huge mane of dark fur, pulling out a bottle with brown liquid that swished around in its containment. "Monferno also bet on him drinking me under the table." He slammed it onto the wooden counter as he flashed a grin. "Why don't you two have a little drink to celebrate as well?"

"Roark…" Gloria grumbled, a bit apprehensive to the idea.

"Aw, come on, sis, you're old enough - it's okay." He shook the bottle a little, hoping to entice her.

Gloria frowned and shook her head. "I think I'll go to bed instead, but you two can have your fun." She yawned, tiredly shuffling past the table and into the hallway.

"Don't be such a prude, sis!" Roark called out as she walked into her room and shut the door. He huffed as he whirled around to a still-standing and very much awake Liam. "Well? Are you gonna leave me hanging as well?" He gave another shake of the bottle to the Riolu.

Liam smiled, nodding to his request. While he did not think it was quite wise to be drinking this late, he knew it probably was a while before he had any actual alcohol. Now was a time to celebrate their acceptance into the guild, and the premier tomorrow.

"Sure, give me a glass."

Roark slammed the bottle onto the table. "That's what I'm talking about!"

He laughed as he got out of his chair and went into the kitchen. Opening one of the cabinets, he pulled out two small shot glasses. The Zoroark waltzed back to the table to sit back down as Liam hopped on a chair opposite to him. Roark placed the glasses on the table before popping off the cap of the bottle of liquor and pouring the brown substance into each glass at full height.

The two of them latched onto their respective glass, raising them to their lips.

A smug grin was planted on the fox's muzzle before he took a sip of the burning liquid. "Let's hope you're not as much of a lightweight as Monferno was."

"Now, Liam! Crush it!"

Liam bit down hard on the seed in his mouth, the back of it positioned against his enemy, a Weedle. With a crunch of the outer shell of the seed, a buildup of the seed's backside began to bulge outward until it quite literally exploded. A spew of flames seemed to come out of Liam's mouth, and rocketed toward the Weedle. As it connected with the bug Pokémon, a series of bangs and cracks resounded through the dungeon floor. Once the flames receded, a flash of orange light consumed a well-charred and defeated Weedle.

Liam spat out the empty shell of the Blast Seed. Behind him, Gloria clapped with her paws, happy at his success.

"Great work, Liam! There's probably more enemy Pokémon if we look hard enough." She set down the saddlebag she was carrying to fish out another item, and threw it the Riolu's way.

After Liam and Roark drank away into the night, they went to bed, or rather, fell asleep at the table. In the morning they awoke to the taps of Gloria on their drained minds. She was fitted with their saddlebag of items as she explained to them about her heading off to the Sunshine Forest to collect apples and berries for breakfast.

Naturally, Liam accompanied her when his head stopped spinning. He must have been just as surprised as Monferno when Roark never seemed phased by the alcohol. He made a mental note to never challenge the seemingly master of that field again.

Along the way to the Sunshine Forest, he suggested they use the vast amount of items they bought from Meowstic Market on the Pokémon of the dungeon portion of the forest. Gloria was fine with it. In fact, she encouraged him to use them, thinking it was a good way to practice on some weaker Pokémon.

At the same time, she showed him her using the TM, Frost Breath, that she was given by the Meowstics'. She held the icy blue disk close to her chest with a paw and closed her eyes as she focused internally. Shocking Liam a bit, the disk turned from a light blue to a light grey, with her finally tossing it onto the ground.

Apparently, she had learned the move, explaining that he was supposed to focus on learning it while holding it close. He did not find a reasonable counter to that, so he just rolled with it.

Liam caught the Luminous Orb she had tossed him, rolling it between his two paws. "Actually, I think we're close to the end, where we found those apples, right?" He walked over to the saddlebag and placed the orb back inside its pouch.

"Yeah, uh, you're probably right. We've spent a while here fighting the Pokémon." She picked up the saddlebag and hoisted it around her neck, traveling down an opposing corridor. Liam followed, picking up the basket they had brought for the apples.

The steps they took afterward led them to the same clearing they had been before. Trees hung over the patchy terrain, teeming with fresh apples. Across the clearing were bushes where countless kinds of berries seemed to grow and thrive. It seemed to be. a great place to pick up food and ingredients without paying at markets, which Gloria gladly took advantage of.

"You're probably going to have to help me again with reaching the apples," she remarked with a bit of embarrassment, motioning him to come to assist.

Right above was a bundle of shiny red apples, easy pickings for Pokémon tall enough to reach them. Just like before, he dropped the basket and scooped the Vulpix up, positioning her to where she could pick the fruit off the tree branches with her paws. As she did so, he decided to pop up a question that had been lurking in his mind.

"For tomorrow, when we arrive at the guild, are you going to be okay?"

Gloria sighed as she plucked a few of the many apples that hit the ground with a 'thud'. "It's funny - whenever I don't think about it, I feel like it'll be alright. When I do, then it all fades, that confidence and my worry sets in."

"But you'll be okay, right? You can go through with this like you said, like we went over."

She toppled over the final few apples in her way before Liam set her down as they started picking up the apples off the ground and placing them into the basket.

"Yeah… I think I'll be good." She placed the final apple in the basket as she picked it up with her teeth and carried it toward the berry bushes.

Placing the basket down, she started to pick the oddly shaped and colored berries. "I've made so many promises, that I just need to fulfill them. Roark would never give me the time of the day if I backed out now."

Liam took a step forward. "Do you feel comfortable making another promise then?"

"Huh?"

"You promised me we'll make a team together, and do our very best in accomplishing our goals and the guild's goals."

Liam made his ultimatum clear, not to put pressure on her, but to tell her he would be there if she was. Just as Roark did with his actions, he wanted the best for her, as she had gotten them this far. Gloria brushed the remaining berries into the basket, turning around to see Liam's red eyes piercing hers with an outstretched arm. With a gulp, she handed him the basket, which he took without saying a word.

"I…" She stopped herself when his other free arm rose, while his eyes still bored into her.

"Let's shake on it," he proclaimed.

A white forepaw latched onto Liam's as they shook up and down, slowly. Gloria looked up at Liam with her own glint in her eye - pure confidence, no falters.

"I promise."

The cool air of the starry night sky was all too familiar to the trio that walked on the busy Empyrean street. It was showtime. Today, the Eden Theater would open to the select lucky few Pokémon given the ability to grace her premiere. The trio that walked the streets was a part of that same lucky few Pokémon.

"I wonder what they're going to show once everything's set up. Another play?" Roark inquired to no one in particular.

Gloria seemed extra giddy than before now that the time had finally arrived. "Probably not even a play! The Celestic Cognizance said many times that it'll showcase new kinds of devices and a machine that'll 'shoot' something!" Roark scoffed at her account.

"Shoot? Hopefully not at the audience." He laughed at his terrible joke.

Liam stopped in his tracks to look straight up. In his vision, he could clearly see the massive black building again, this time, upfront and close. The purple banner with gold trim he could see up close now - it read 'Grand Opening'.

Unlike any other building in Empyrean City, this seemed to be made of some new material that wasn't wood or concrete. It formed a grid-like pattern around the entire structure that bordered black tinted windows. However, what was most dazzling in Liam's eyes were the neon-like lights that lined the sides of the tower.

Unlike the flickering glow of a lit lantern, they pulsed a deep blue color, making a distinct colored outline of the tower. While they were on even in the daytime, they were a sight to see during nightfall. If it was in their intentions to gather the eyes of any Pokémon that wandered the streets of the night, then they had most certainly achieved their goal. Liam could only stare at it with awe, thinking of the previous night at the festival where the mayor gave his short passionate speech.

'If this is the future of design, then I can only wonder what awaits us on the inside.' He seemed to be just as excited as Gloria was, but not noticeable to the naked eye.

In his amazement at what lie before him, he failed to hear the rapid footsteps behind him until something collided in his back, snapping him out of his thoughts and sending him to the ground.

"Oh! I am so sorry, my dear Pokémon!" a feeble voice rang out from behind the Riolu.

Liam, still a bit winded after that sudden wake-up call, pushed himself up to his hind paws. He brushed himself off before turning around to see a Simisage, who was a bit panicked at his state.

Two other Pokémon then soon showed up, taking their place at each side of the Simisage. A Shiftry, and a Breloom from the looks of it. Across both of their limbs rested an armband. A flash of realization flew across Liam's face - he recognized those armbands.

The Shiftry faced the still apologizing Simisage. "Mr. Ambassador, please don't run off. We're here for a reason." He then faced Liam. "We're very sorry for the Ambassador's actions. He is a tad bit excited for the premiere."

A 'tad bit' was an understatement as the Simisage clapped his hands together. "Oh, yes! I cannot wait! Let us be off, my dear guard companions!" And with that, he was off towards the tower of light, his guards quickly taking their position at the green primate's sides.

Liam's mouth opened and closed - he hadn't uttered a word at what occurred, and neither did Gloria or Roark, who simply stared at the odd pair of Pokémon making their exit. Liam racked his brain, wondering why he thought that Simisage seemed familiar - then it hit him.

'That's the Pokémon that was on stage last night! Part of… the Alignment or something?'

He gazed at the ground in thought, something crossing his vision as he focused on it. It was an armband, similar to the ones he saw before, when they were heading to the Sunshine Grove and at the stadium. Orange lines came from the center, but this time it was on a purple background instead of a black one.

'Was this that Simisage's? He didn't appear to have one…' He looked ahead, they were still in view so he cupped his paws over his mouth and shouted.

"Hey! You dropped this!"

Simisage and his entourage of guards turned around, Liam was raising the purple armband so they could get a look at it. Simisage looked at his arm, seeing the lack of his armband around it. Shocked, he quickly ran over to Liam.

"Oh, why, thank you! They would need this to confirm I'm an ambassador, of course!" He took the armband from Liam before slipping it around his left arm. "Many thanks, my dear Pokémon! Now I must be off!" The Simisage then ran off back into formation with his guards, disappearing once more.

Liam could only shrug when Gloria and Roark's eyes came upon him.

It was not very long until they finally arrived at the proper entrance to Eden Theater. It was not hard to notice, considering the hundreds of Pokémon swarming its sides. A good look at them revealed most were wearing some kind of formal attire - be it a tie, a bow, or some suit or dress custom-made for that Pokémon to wear.

Liam could not help but feel a bit underdressed at this occasion. It seemed the premiere would be attended by mostly Pokémon of the upper class in the city. Nonetheless, Roark was there to reel his nerves back in.

"Tycoons and a bunch of other rich 'mons… Hopefully, some guild members will be here, though."

The crowd around the tower's entrance formed a natural barrier, so they had to squeeze past the rest to get a look at the actual entrance. Once they merged in with the rest, they could get a more clear sight.

A red carpet rolled off the smooth concrete of the streets of Empyrean, up a few stairs, and led to two giant detailed metal doors. At this point, Liam also realized the entire building was made out of this shiny metal-like material. It was smooth, and glossy when drenched in the light it created.

Blocking the stairs to the theater itself was a stream of red cloth wrapped around two posts, and next to it was none other than the mayor of Empyrean City himself, Emploeon. A simple blue tie hung from his neck as he moved to address the amassing crowd. He cleared his throat, his voice booming throughout the crowd, even without a microphone from before.

"CITIZENS OF EMPYREAN, THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME FOR THIS GREAT MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY TO COMMENCE!"

A cheer arose from the crowd - Empoleon waved off them to silence again with a flipper.

"THE SHOW YOU SEE TODAY WILL BE ONE OF MANY IN THE FUTURE! AFTER WE ALLOW ENTRY, IT WILL START VERY SHORTLY!"

He motioned for one of his companions from the crowd to come to his side - a Kingler.

"WITH THE CUTTING OF THIS CEREMONIAL RIBBON, ALL OF YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT! WE WON'T WAIT ANY LONGER NOW!"

He stepped out of the way as the Kingler scuttled on its long legs toward the red ribbon. It hovered its massive red pinchers towards the ribbon; with a single clenching motion, the stream of red snapped into two halves. This resounded another big cheer from the crowd as Empoleon regained his position and the crowd's attention.

"JOIN ME INSIDE AND TAKE YOUR SEAT SO THE SHOW CAN GO ON!" With a final wave of his flipper, he headed up the stairs of the theater-his guards and companions following him inside.

"Jeez, does the guy ever not speak in loud speeches?" Roark snorted out as Gloria set down the saddlebag she was carrying. Opening a pouch, she brought out the three passes from before, giving one to both Liam and Roark.

"They're probably going to check them at the door." She grabbed her own before closing the pouch and putting the saddlebag back around her side. The crowd was soon all over the crimson carpet, eager to finally enter the once-forbidden theater.

The trio found their place in a naturally forming line, most likely due to passes and identity being slowly authorized. As they got closer, the excitement contained within them started to bubble. Soon it was their time, flashing their passes to a pair of menacing guards until they gave them the okay to head on in.

And just like that, they were inside. The noise of the outside world becoming a lot more subdued in this new environment. A short hallway with pulsating blue lights on black steel walls funneled the newly arrived Pokémon into the next area. Once they reached the end of it, the 'ooo's and 'aaa's of the Pokémon in front of them only enticed them to see what was inside. What greeted them once they pushed passed the Pokémon in front was a sight to see.

A massive chamber of black steel greeted them. Each corner of the room held its own intricate ceramic fountain that gushed clear water into their individual pools. Just like on the outside of the tower, the cold steel walls blinked with blue lines of light, wrapping across the entire room. Countless Pokémon in uniforms, most likely staff members, buzzed around the room tidying everything up for the arrival of their guests. At the end of the room, a large white sheet covered the wall, some sort of device sat in front of it. The firm, black carpeted floor caved in slightly into the ground as rows of plush, purple chairs sat in rows behind the white paper-like screen.

However, what intrigued Liam the most were the six reinforced glass tubes on the sides of each wall that shot straight through the tall ceiling. Steel pillars supported the corners of the tubes. What was most confusing was that there were no stairs in sight, meaning no one could enter the above floors.

Before he could voice his confusion to the others, a tingling chime broke through everyone's chatter. Empoleon stood in the middle of the aisle between the rows of chairs, a spoon in one flipper, and a glass in the other.

"Once you're acquainted with everything, please find a seat of your choosing. The show will be beginning very soon!" he finished with a smile, handing off the glass and silverware to a passing custodian before heading to the front row.

Murmurs about the upcoming show filled the trio's ears as passing Pokémon traveled down the aisles to find a seat. Two claw-ridden paws latched on Liam and Gloria's back as they turned to their owner.

"Let's find a seat before any stuffy Pokémon take it." Roark freed them from his grasp, traversing down the slope of the room - Liam and Gloria right behind him.

Due to the influx of Pokémon rushing ahead to secure a seat in the front row, they had to make do with seats near the back. They weren't too miffed about it, just happy to actually get seats with so many Pokémon here.

Liam tapped his hind paw on the ground in impatience, resting his head on a forepaw. They had been seated for around ten minutes with nothing happening except staff handing out drinks and edibles to the audience. Roark had taken to teasing Gloria out of boredom.

But then, the fluctuating lights dimmed, until they were shut off completely. The prattling of the audience was reduced to whispers as the room shifted moods in the darkness. Liam could only theorize what kind of 'show' would take place.

According to Gloria this wasn't some kind of play with physical actors and set pieces on a stage. However, his thoughts on it were cut short as he observed a few staff members tinkering with the device in the middle. One Pokémon held some kind of tape-like object while another Pokémon fed it into one of the two disks present on the device.

It was a fairly long process, but the job appeared to be done as both began retreating out of the aisle. Suddenly, a ray of reflecting light came out of the device and onto the white screen in front of it. The device made soft shuttering noises, whirring silently. Liam tilted his head at the sight of such a thing until the screen flickered back and forth rapidly. It settled on what appeared to be a countdown.

His eyes widened as it actually started counting down, frame by frame, his excitement inside reaching a boiling point. This was something not just he would experience for the first time, but everyone. He settled into his seat just in the nick of time for the screen to display to reach zero. A blare of trumpets seemingly came from nowhere as the screen transitioned.

The show was about to start.

'Well… uh, that was something,' Liam thought, shifting in his seat. It was a long two hours of runtime, and he sat through all of it.

He could not necessarily give out a good enough critique, considering this would be his first time of seeing whatever was shown. Overall, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The technical side of it sparked the most interest in him. Being able to see Pokémon, lands, and sights through some kind of third-person viewpoint. He wondered what kinds of shows like these would be made in the future, given if the audience enjoyed it as he did.

And enjoy it they did, if not more, as a ferocious clamor of clapping paws, hands, flippers, and more erupted throughout the crowd. It was an instant success and a crowd-pleaser for those that attended. Once the cheers of hoots and hollers died down, Empoleon stood up from his seat and waddled to the middle of the aisle again.

"I'm pleased to know you enjoy the work on our film! It has taken us a very long time to come to your eyes alone! But please! Don't leave just yet!" Empoleon pointed a flipper at one of the glass tubes they saw earlier.

"The theater staff will assist you in moving up and down the elevators! You can reach the other accommodations such as our suites and bar!" This ignited a buzz throughout the audience until Empoleon's next words came out. "Today will be on the house of course!" He finished with a guttural laughter to the cheers of the many in the room as they got out of their seats.

"We will continue to replay our film all night long, so do enjoy the Eden Theater, please!" Empoleon gave a final wave and bow of his own before returning back to his companions.

Liam got out of his seat as he stretched, along with Gloria and Roark, the latter of which speaking.

"Well?"

Liam shrugged in response. "I thought it was pretty decent - kinda dragged on a bit towards the end."

Roark waved him off with a claw. "I think my favorite part had to be when that Mr. Mime smashed the guy's face with a pie."

"Oh, I loved that part too!" Gloria chimed in.

They continued to talk about the movie as they slowly escaped from the aisle of chairs. Once they were out, there were several 'elevators' they could take that would reach the top floors. Liam was hesitant at what the mayor had said about them, and what their purpose was.

Teleportation was one thing, but he knew that only strong enough Psychic-type Pokémon could pull that off. Whatever it was, it did not stop audience members from entering the tubes. Only a few Pokémon were allowed in at a time it seemed, as one of the members of the staff went in as well. What happened next shocked the three of them. The staff member pushed something next to the door, causing it to close automatically. With another push, the platform the Pokémon were standing on suddenly started moving up. Their eyes followed the platform as it slowly but surely traveled up the tube, eventually disappearing into the ceiling.

Liam and Gloria's mouths hung open in stunned silence as Roark whistled. "Man, that isn't something you see every day!" He patted their backs before moving ahead. "C'mon! I don't want to get left with the cheap stuff!"

The two snapped out of their state and followed the Zoroark to a line for one of the elevators to the top. Once they were next in line, the glass door slid open for them to get aboard. Roark gave no second thoughts as he stepped in and told the staff member which floor to go to. Liam and Gloria were a bit more hesitant before getting in themselves.

With a push of a circular button on a panel of others - the platform rumbled a bit before slowly lifting off the ground. Liam's feelers twitched in response to the sensation of leaving the ground. They gazed upward as they ascended, admiring the verticality.

"This is… amazing," Liam muttered. It was somewhat of a familiar feeling to him.

It was not long until they apparently reached the fourth floor, an opening amongst the black steel walls was where their journey on the elevator stopped, the glass door sliding open for them to exit. They did so quickly, not wanting to intrude on the staff member's time. This new area they found themselves in was something entirely different from the main floor.

Pokémon waiters and waitresses held bundles of drinks as they shot past each other, placing them on tables and counters chock full of waiting customers. Directly in front was a bar counter topped with a white glass finish. Behind it hung countless bottles of different alcohol or clear drinking glasses. Bartenders ran back and forth, serving those that sat behind the counter. The room was bathed in bright light blue strobe-like lights, causing the three of them to squint their eyes from the change in lighting. Much more noticeable though was the clacking and slamming of drinks on tables and counters as Pokémon talked and laughed.

Roark smiled at what he saw. "Well, well, looks like the true party has just now begun..." He started to walk away before Gloria shouted among the chaos.

"Hey! Where are you going!"

He turned around briefly, raising both his arms. "What do you think? You're free to join me, though!" he suggested, to which Gloria grimaced.

"Uhh… erm, no." She squirmed under the pressure. "I, uh, don't think alcohol is suited for me."

Liam pondered it for a bit before deciding not to. While yesterday was fun chatting with the intoxicated Zoroark, he didn't just want to do that the entire night like Roark seemed to.

Roark rolled his eyes and waved them off with a claw. "Bah, buncha kids. If you need me, I'll be here."

Liam's eyes wandered again as the Zoroark left, particularly to a part of the room where a booth with flashy decals built into the steel walls. From the look of the tables surrounding it, it was a place for food instead of drinks. He softly elbowed Gloria and pointed in the direction of the booth.

"You hungry? We might be here a while because of Roark." He smirked at the thought.

She placed a paw against her stomach area, blushing and nodding. "Yeah, might as well… right?"

They made their way to a nearby booth, stopping to look at the menu written on a sign just beside it. Liam tapped his chin with a paw. Everything looked a lot healthier than the stuff they sold at the festival, which was a blessing for his palette.

But with his attention focused elsewhere, he neglected to see a green Pokémon carelessly smash right into him. He felt something cold splash his chest as he jerked out of the way, immediately looking down and noticing a purple stain splattered across his blue fur. Sighing, he stirred his gaze up again toward the Pokémon who bumped into him, his eyes narrowing as he did so.

'This Simisage again?!'

And indeed it was the same Simisage from outside the theater, like before. A panicked look spread across his face as he readjusted his grasp on his drink. "By the Allmother! I am so, so, so sorry about this my dear Pokémon! I guess I have gone a bit overboard today…" Not long after he said this, his two bodyguards from earlier quickly rolled in.

The Shiftry spoke, a bit annoyed. "Mr. Ambassador, please try to keep by our side at all costs! This isn't the first or second time this has happened."

'I can already tell it wasn't his first time or second time doing this,' Liam said in his mind as he was handed a few napkins from the Breloom guard.

Simisage sighed and dropped his head, ashamed of his actions. He stayed like that until he popped back up almost instantly with a wide smile gracing his features. "I know just how to repay you two! Quick, you must come with me, before it begins!" He reached forward and yanked Liam's paw away from wiping his chest.

"You don't need to repay me - just let bygones be bygones, and don't bump into me again," Liam grumbled the last part beneath his breath. Still, the Simisage didn't relent, keeping his grip on the Riolu's paw.

"Oh, I insist! Please! I'm sure you two would love it, a private show!" He yanked harder on Liam's paw. "Please, do come!"

'This guy isn't going to relent until I go… Well, if that's the case, we got plenty of time while Roark drinks the night away.'

He spared Gloria a glance while the Simisage shook his paw for a response. She offered the best shrug she could give. Her silence showed that not even she knew what to do with the eccentric Pokémon.

"Alright, alright! We'll go," Liam huffed.

The Simisage laughed, shaking the paw in his hold up and down. "Fantastic! It will be the best part of your night I assure you!"

Shiftry placed a leafy fan on Simisage's shoulder. "Mr. Ambassador, I... "

Simisage shoved the appendage off him. "Oh, don't worry! Nothing will go wrong. Now let's go!" He then snapped Liam's paw, forcing the Riolu to follow him.

"H-Hey! Woah!"

Liam protested as the Simisage happily dragged him near the elevator. Gloria closely followed, severing their connection with her paw. Once they were in the elevator, the two guards of Simisage then pushed for the doors to close, pressing the button for the eleventh floor.

The elevator buckled as it made its gradual ascent.

The platform of the elevator finally reached the eleventh floor, stopping at a gap in the steel walls. The glass door slid open as the occupants stepped out. They appeared to be in the same kind of narrow hallway from the entrance of the theater, except for the blood-red carpet instead of an obsidian black.

Simisage marched forward with a smile on his face, his guards in tow. He happened upon a chrome black door, to which he turned around and shared with both guards his smile. "Could you two perhaps wait outside? Just to make sure no one can disturb us?" he almost pleaded.

Shiftry and Breloom shared a look before shaking their head in agreement.

"Great!" Simisage looked behind him and motioned with a hand for them to follow him. He pulled a latch that was indented on the door to the right as it slid open - he went in along with Liam and Gloria.

"These rooms are almost entirely soundproof! The loudest volume couldn't get past these halls!" Simisage exclaimed as he hit some sort of locking mechanism on the door.

On this floor alone were black-tinted windows to look out of, Liam and Gloria did so briefly. That feeling of being on top of the world as they admired the almost tiny city below. Just like it seemed with every other place in the building, black walls with blinking blue lines of light. It was more modestly sized than the rest, and instead of plush chairs, there were wooden chairs placed in a grid-like pattern.

A projector screen like before was positioned in front of them. But there was no wall behind it, as it seemed to be placed over an already-built wooden stage. Red curtains hung around the screen's sides. A chrome black door next to the stage then swung open as a Cinccino entered. It was a bit shocked when it saw them, staring at Simisage's friendly face.

"Mr. A-ambassador, are you h-here for the screening?" the female questioned in a shaky voice.

Simisage nodded with a laugh. "Yes, bring it out! I have guests with me!"

With a quick nod, Cinccino slammed the door shut before returning moments later with a disk-shaped object. She walked over to a familiar device positioned near the screen and started feeding the reel into it.

"Ah, just like home. Except my projector was a bit better, haha!"

Liam blinked. 'They have their own personal 'projectors'? Or maybe he's just rich, being an ambassador.'

Cinccino finished unloading the reel, quickly rushing back to the door next the stage, slamming it shut behind her.

'She, uh, seemed to be in a rush…'

Simisage clapped his hands together, "It's been such a long time since I've seen 'The Price Of Paradise'! Such a short tear-jerker…" He made his way to the front row of the assortment of chairs, sitting on the middlemost chair, and waving Liam over. "Come, my dear Pokémon - centerstage with me!"

Liam frowned but did not want to be rude and deny the Pokémon his wishes. He trudged over and seated himself right next to the Simisage. Gloria, on the other hand, was lucky enough not to be the ambassador's target, opting to sit in the back row and enjoy the screening.

The projector in front of Liam and Simisage then whirred to life, a ray of light glazing over the white screen. The shuffling of images occurred before a familiar countdown appeared. Once it reached zero, the screen transitioned to a painted image of a vast field of sprawling hills and meadows of white flowers. The sky retained a wash of yellow-orange and pinkish color, stretching across the horizon.

The screen then focused on one grassy hill in particular, a lone tree resting at the top, along with a blue shadow of a small Pokémon resting beside it. Liam didn't know if it was intentional, but he couldn't tell what kind of Pokémon it was from the features. The shadow was crying, hunched as it wept. The view shifted toward the sight of an arriving Pokémon, this one also an incomprehensible green-colored shadow. It wandered past the other weeping shadow and towards a canvas that rested atop the hill, overlooking the expanse of massive fields, mountains, and forests.

"A woman dreams of a world free from strife and hatred," the voices of many small children echoing this statement reverberated across the hollow room.

The green shadow then procured a board of dotted colors and a paintbrush, dipping into the color of its choosing and wiping the blank canvas passionately with it.

"But if you wish to change the world, then it will surely come to ruin."

Another stroke of the brush sent a splash of color onto the canvas, the technique of the green shadow becoming more sloppy through each motion.

"In the end, what is truly the paradise you sought?"

With a furious swipe of the brush, the colors of the canvas formed a chaotic mess of different lines of color intersecting each other. The green shadow then collapsed and began heaving in distress.

"The guilty shadow of paradise weighs heavy on those traveling the road to a brighter tomorrow."

The blue shadow near the tree stopped its sobbing, noticing the green shadow's state. It slowly picked itself up and knelt down next to the green figure, who cried to the earth below.

"But if we don't stop now, then the same tragedies will keep repeating themselves."

The scene on the projector shifted to the blue shadow following the green one, who stoically walked down the hill. It gazed at the sights around it in, picking up the pace to follow. The both of them came across a fence, to which they opened the gate and continued their journey through the peaceful land.

"Though the world may be so beautiful, it could also be so cruel."

Another scene shift would bring the two into a small abode, filled with various paintings. The green shadow then hugged another shadow of the same color, then a smaller one, presumably its significant other and child.

"When dawn breaks, the paint will color the shadows below."

The blue shadow still continued to follow the green one as it entered another room and collapsed into a fit of sorrow. Hesitantly, it reached out a limb to touch the shadow. With a flash of light, the blue shadow appeared to conjure some sort of memory of the green one - a vision playing in the blue shadow's mind.

"Please, unfortunate souls, rest in peace!"

The memories of a green shadow unleashing a torrent of lines that engulfed and swallowed entire lands, villages, cities, and worlds flooded the blue one's mind. The horrific sight of its hometown swamped by lines and green shadows disappearing into nothing was burned into its mind.

"Stealing something to earn your paradise... What will the ones robbed do in return?"

With another flash, the blue shadow was back into the present. It shook in rage as it looked at the green shadow, responsible for slaughtering those it wept for all this time. It ran out of the room and out of the house.

"The paintbrush slides across the canvas and the world, creating new colors and places."

Liam tapped his hind paw against the carpet. His feelers were twitching, and he couldn't tell why. What he did know for sure was that the temperature of the room suddenly picked up a few degrees. A sweat began to build around his brow as he tried to focus back on the film.

The blue shadow stumbled through what remained of its hometown. The buildings, the memories, the beings it knew all wiped away - the slate clean. Only a beautiful lakebed remained, sparkling crystal clear. It stopped to stare for a while - fascinated.

"When paradise tempts the one who wanted it so bad for the ones who perished."

Something caught its attention, though; a spear that rested gently on the verdant grass. It remembered its hatred, its desire for revenge for those it and the world had lost. Thunder cracked in the distance, rain beginning to settle onto the beautiful lands. It grabbed the weapon, hastily turning around to rush back to where it found the green shadow once before.

"Requiem!"

The scene cut back to the hills of green, the yellow-pinkish glowing sky. The blue shadow rushed up the hill, clutching the spear as it searched for the green shadow. Then it found it, painting away like it always seemed to do. It stopped in its track to gaze at the green shadow - its sworn enemy.

"When dawn breaks above paradise, wish for once, that those unfortunate souls will be able to finally rest in peace. Requiem!"

Liam's attention to the film was interrupted as two loud stomps resounded from behind the projector screen. His feelers began to twitch more suddenly, and his heart began to race slowly but steadily, feeling the temperature of the room swell suddenly. He was becoming more and more uncomfortable in his chair, wobbling around in it.

'Dammit, why is my body going crazy all of a sudden?!'

The blue shadow then noticed more and more flowers blooming out of the ground - wallflowers. Each brushstroke from the green shadow sent more and more to arise from the ground.

"And if one day, her wish would come true, all of this pain and hatred would finally be put to an end."

The blue shadow turned around, witnessing the gravestones of the many that were sacrificed to create paradise. Pink cherry blossom leaves drifted in the breeze as the white wallflowers danced along with them. The shadow looked up towards the sky of yellow and pink, a blinding light now visible.

"Now let us meet again in a world we can truly call a paradise."

The blue shadow's limb that held the spear shook and shook until it let go, dropping the weapon into the flowery grave, the spear vanishing along with its hatred. It knew now and understood the green shadow. They had wanted the same thing after all - a paradise to call their own - the sins of the green shadow now its to endure as well.

It was becoming almost unbearable for Liam - the tapping of his hind paw increased as well as the erratic sensation in his feelers. The heat in the room was now almost sweltering. His eyes darted back and forth around the room as his body screamed at him to do something - anything.

The film reel slowed to a crawl, the projection petering off until it was gone entirely. Simisage was gleefully clapping at the emotional experience, tiny tears appearing in his eyes.

'Duck! Duck! Run! Run! Move! Move!' Liam gritted his teeth as his feelers spasmed uncontrollably. 'Just what, though?! Where is it?!'

And then it happened.

The white screen of the projector melted as a column of fiery, red-hot flames rocketed toward the two of them.

Liam's eyes widened as he put all his faith into his instincts, quickly turning to Simisage's side and slamming his right arm right into the torso of the clapping Pokémon. He pushed the two of them downward, both falling out of their chairs and straight onto their bellies. The pillar of scorching and screaming flames shot just right above them, blasting their now empty chairs to smithereens and illuminating the room into a deathly crimson glow, distorting and wavering the air around it. Gloria sprang out of her chair and narrowly missed the flames that grazed her fur.

It did not relent.

Liam could not see it as his eyes were closed shut, but he could feel the inferno around him. As if a Darumaker was placed right above him at the hottest temperature. Then, the heat vanished. Liam quickly scooted away as best as he could on the carpet, dragging Simisage with him. He then relinquished his grip and rolled the Pokémon over.

"Simisage! Are you all ri-"

The Pokémon was knocked out - cold. Liam assumed the shock of what just happened was too intense for the ambassador. He knew they could be in imminent danger, and so would Simisage in his incapacitated state.

'But just what attacked us?!'

He slowly steered his gaze away from the ambassador and toward the stage where the white screen once stood. Small orange and yellow flames licked the red curtains, burning it up; cinders from it fell down to the wooden stage below.

He looked dead into a yellow cannon-like arm with a black brace around it. Connected to the arm was a large torso with a red and orange flame pattern defined in it. The red shoulder blades of the figure flickered like a flame in a candle. And from what he could see of its legs - two long spike-like protrusions shot out of its feet.

Liam gulped. He had seen a Pokémon like this, in the book from the library. 'That's a… This is a Magmortar!'

He knew the situation was not going to get better from there. First, he needed to get Simisage out of the way. Luckily, Gloria was quick to his aide, grabbing hold of Simisage's shoulder with her teeth as Liam grabbed his other shoulder with a paw. Together, they dragged him through the sea of overturned chairs, Liam staring down the still and silent Magmortar the entire time. The flaming head of it finally peeked from the side of its massive arm, surveying the damage it created.

A deep male bass voice boomed from his defined lips. "Huh, it appears I missed." He lowered his arm before staring down the two Pokémon dragging away Simisage to a wall opposite of it.

The Magmortar chuckled deeply at this. "What do we have here... kids? You're making a big mistake taking my match away." The Fire-type then jumped off the stage and right onto the red carpet below with a 'thud' that echoed across the room.

"Liam! He's here to hurt Simisage!" Gloria whispered harshly.

Unbeknownst to them, a chorus of bangs was being placed on the door by Simisage's guard unit, being able to hear the chaos inside. But Liam and Gloria had much more to worry about.

The Riolu knew that much, as this obviously wasn't some random attack, not in a place like this. But right now they didn't have many options. They couldn't flee with Simisage in time and risk him getting hurt, or worse. And the possibility of a fight didn't look promising, especially with Gloria being an Ice-type.

The Magmortar, however, didn't seem to care about their conundrum as he took slow heavy steps towards them. "You have five seconds to move out of my way, or you will be incinerated!"

Liam tore his gaze over to Gloria, and the look she gave him in return said it all. She was deathly afraid, but something also lurked in her eyes, something that told him they needed to fight, fight for their lives as well as Simisage's. He gave a sharp nod. He made her promise before, promising to not back down when the time came for them to enter the guild. This here would be their final trial to test that. Liam gave out deep breaths as he steeled himself to step forward.

"No."

That one word gave Magmortar the all-clear. "So be it." He casually lifted his arm cannon right in front of Liam's face, summoning a rush of flames that spewed towards the Riolu blocking his way.

"LIAM!"

Liam swiftly sprinted to the right with a Quick Attack, expecting this exact action. Magmortar swept his cannon around his right as Liam ran around the Pokémon, creating a ring of fire as the scorching flames tried to reach the Riolu.

The Riolu was thankful this Magmortar seemed to be a one-trick sort of a deal - the arm cannon being his main weapon, if his only one. But that made getting close all sorts of dangerous. Gloria knew her position in this battle would be nothing but afar as support.

If any flames reached her, she was done, or worse.

He spared himself the thought of that as he completed a full circle around the Magmortar, the Fire-type now disorientated by Liam's maneuvering. Closing in, the Riolu splayed his paws as purple energy gathered in them. With Magmortar being too slow to react, he slammed multiple Force Palms into the side of him. That seemed to get a reaction - if an angry one. The yellow arm cannon swung around, hitting Liam square in his chest and sending him back a few feet.

"What, you think that actually hurt?" The Pokémon cackled at the very thought. "Pathet-"

PING. PING. PING.

Magmortar's words were silenced as he felt multiple sharp ice crystals impact his back. Most of them melted on his fiery side before impact, but the ones that did land only seemed to fuel the Pokemon's growing temper.

"You little brat!"

Magmortar cocked his arm cannon at Gloria, stomping forward to blast her with a combustion of flames. Liam saw an opportunity again, sprinting forward with Quick Attack and ducking under the cocked arm cannon, trying to land blow after blow on Magmortar's stomach region. The Fire-type backed away a little from the pain. In a rage, he twisted his arm down, facing the still-attacking Liam. With his sights right on the Riolu, he let his flames explode out his arm to torch the Riolu right then and there - is what would've happened if it weren't for Gloria latching onto the side of his arm, pushing it out of Liam's way and firing harmlessly into the air.

'GRAH!"

Magmortar swung his arm forcefully, launching the Vulpix out of her grasp and careening into a wall, the saddlebag around her getting thrown across the room. While it did most certainly hurt, she was glad to not taste a single flame from the Pokémon. In his tantrum, he also sent Liam flying with a swing from the yellow arm, sending him skidding across the floor. As the two of them got up, they looked at each other. They needed a different plan; their method would only tire them out in the long run.

'Darn! We just need something to turn the tide, something that'll…'

That's when it hit him.

His gaze shot across the room, falling upon Gloria's saddlebag that lie behind a mess of knocked-over chairs. They could use the battle items inside. He gave Gloria a look that told her everything before he sped off in the direction of the bag, intent on utilizing this new strategy.

Weavile and Bisharp stepped out of the elevator, giving the place a good thorough lookover. A grin soon found its way on Weavile's face as she stretched her arms. The film they showed was long, and sitting still for her for that amount of time was something she never does.

"Man, I've been waiting for a good enough drink for ages…"

"You say that as if we don't already have that back at base," Bisharp noted, earning a roll of Weavile's eyes.

"Nah, a good ole rich 'mon drink. One that's on the house according to Mr. Penguin Puppet back there."

"Still harping on that, 'Weavs'? Need me to report this to the guards?" Bisharp teased.

Weavile placed a claw over her chest. "I simply see this city for what is - a bunch of no-good politicians, crooks, thieves, and liars."

"So… us then."

"Of course! But we're so much better than some average street thug. Now, you can accompany me to get drunk or dawdle off doing something I don't care about. And your choice is...?"

Bisharp snorted. "Fine, I just hope you're correct about this place. Too many 'mons passing their piss or whatever off as alcohol."

Weavile took a seat at one of the few unoccupied stools at the bar top, while Bisharp took a seat to the left of her. She rattled her claws on the glass counter, waving down a nearby bartender for them both.

"Don't bother getting a brandy," a suave voice chimed in from Weavile's left.

Turning to the voice, she noticed it was a Zoroark. "Excuse me?" she asked a bit haughtily. Not a lot of Pokémon randomly struck up a conversation with her.

The Zoroark's head turned fully towards her with a grin, nursing a drink of his own in his claws. "I said don't get a brandy. They give you the entire bottle and it's horrible."

"Really? Well, good thing I don't care for brandy types. I'm more of a whiskey gal…" She offered him a toothy sneer.

The Zoroark chuckled, placing a claw over his heart in mock pain. "You wound me, sister, but I'm way outta your age range."

Weavile rolled her eyes at this, amused enough to continue the conversation. "Let me guess... thirty?"

"Try forty," he said, taking a swig from his drink. "I think experiencing only twenty of those years can give me the excuse to act young, though."

"You a dad or something? Most fathers always end up here now or in the future," Weavile said, spurring a rise of laughter coming from the fox.

"Nah, just a brother... or uncle to some. The cool kind of uncle that gives you Blast Seeds and junk."

Bisharp suddenly interjected into the conversation, leaning his head over the table. "I think… I think I've heard of you before. My father was in the Rescue Society... You have a name, right? Roark, the Zoroark thief who couldn't produce illusions?" he took a shot in the dark.

The Zoroark scoffed to all of this, taking another swig and reminiscing. "Yeah... and Bisharp was your old man, eh? Was a good 'mon to me all those years back when I was a blank slate. But I left the Rescue Society around the time of the Glacier Peak Mountain Avalanche... A nasty little event that was. Now, I just do errands for the guild here." Roark cocked his head to eyeball the due. "But what are you two? Part of a team, workers, or..." He smirked. "You had to do something great to get a gig like this."

Weavile held a claw to interrupt Bisharp. "Yes, we're a team - Team Razor Claw. One of our members got us an invitation here." She noticed the deadpan look from Bisharp and shot him a glare.

"Well, shit, why don't you bring them around. Booze is on the house, y'know." Roark pointed a claw at Bisharp. "And I wanna hear more about you."

Weavile scraped the glass counter with a claw. "I think he is off doing something a bit more important. I just hope the poor guy doesn't get burnt out..."

Magmortar was having none of it.

He propped up his arm cannon, honing in on Liam as the Riolu bolted across the room towards the saddlebag. Multiple flaming orange bullet-like projectiles shot out of Magmortar's cannon, sailing across the room to his target.

Liam ducked and weaved between every shot that came near him. The flame balls splattered onto the wooden chairs in his path, causing fragments of blazing wood to burst everywhere. Using this to his advantage, he picked up chairs to block any that came too close, the chairs shattering on impact once absorbing the blow.

Magmortar attempted to send another volley but was pelted by Gloria's Ice Shard, stunning him briefly. He brought his second arm near his assailant and sprayed a wave of flames wildly toward her. She was lucky enough to just be in enough range for her to sidestep the wave of heat, the force of it nearly causing her to buckle.

Liam grabbed the saddlebag in the corner and sprinted back to the Fire-type. On the way over, he hastily opened the pouch to their battle items. A bunch of elemental seeds and Wonder Orbs. He knew this would do the trick, but just how many was a question he would have to put to the test.

Grabbing a red Blast Seed, he got to a good enough distance as he hurled it straight into the face of a distracted Magmortar.

BOOM.

The distinct cracking, popping, and mini-explosion of the Blast Seed bursting on impact with the Pokémon's face was clear. Magmortar stopped his assault on Gloria as he raised his arms to his face in pain.

"GRAH!"

BOOM.

Liam did not hold back as he tossed another seed straight into the Pokémon's face. It exploded on impact as expected with another cry of pain from the Fire-type.

BOOM.

The third seed would never reach its destination as Magmortar predicted another projectile and smacked it away from him with an arm, exploding on the black steel walls instead.

'Two out of three, that's better than nothing. Still…' Liam peered into the item pouch, trying to plan out his next approach, but the angry voice of Magmortar would interrupt his train of thought.

"ENOUGH!"

The seething Fire-type yet again held his arm cannon facing Liam. But this time, he appeared to be charging something, as blue flames licked at the edges of Magmortar's arm, his eyes seizing up.

'What is he…' Liam realized he only had seconds to react.

Something flaming blue and large shot out of Magmortar's arm, quickly swirling into the air and forming the shape of a strange symbol as it howled loudly and zoomed the Riolu's way. Liam barely managed to roll out of the way from the massive fire blast before it slammed into the steel wall behind him. He cringed in pain, feeling a few flames singe his tail.

Magmortar took full advantage of his dizzying state, aiming his cannon at the Riolu still belly-first on the ground.

"Burn."

The orange, fiery blaze erupted from his arm and consumed Liam. All the Riolu could feel was unrelenting burning heat. He wanted to scream in agony, but could occasionally feel an icy chill pierce through the pain.

He cracked an eye open to see Gloria spewing her Frost Breath on the flames from Magmortar's cannon, easing the burning just a bit. The worried stare she was sending him told him everything as he rolled his way out of the fire. She backed up as well before the Fire-type could give her a whiplash with his cannons.

Liam stood on wobbly legs, his fur blackened as he took deep breaths to calm himself down. If Gloria wasn't there to save him, he would've been toast. They needed to end this quickly before it got even uglier. Magmortar appeared winded as well, especially after that fire blast attack he did - so that meant it was now or never.

He dug into the saddlebag and retrieved one of the Wonder Orbs - a Luminous Orb. Magmortar grunted and tried to charge them again with front-facing cannons, ready to end this just like they were. Liam chucked the Luminous Orb at Magmortar's face - it was a direct hit.

The white orb shattered, materializing a bright white light that exploded in Magmortar's eyes, briefly blinding him in its brief intensity.

"GAH!"

Realizing he could not see, he started to blast twin Flamethrowers haphazardly from his cannons, desperate for any of them to torch the two Pokémon before him. Gloria started up her assault with Ice Shard again, but she knew she didn't have as much energy to spare, just as Liam did.

The Riolu pulled a Stun Seed out of the pouch. To stop Magmortar's random firing and land a hit, they would need to stop him from doing so in the first place. Like before, he hurled the seed at the flailing Fire-type. It shattered as a wave of yellow electricity shot across the Pokémon's body. Bolts and static electricity kept his body rigid, with no way to attack or prevent one from being used on him.

The pair knew this was their moment.

Liam pulled out the two deep purple orbs - the One-Hit-KO Orbs. He rolled one over to Gloria, who stomped it with a paw as he crushed his in an iron-like grasp. A purple flickering aura began to surround the two of them. Gloria charged up a final array of Ice Shards, aiming them straight into Magmortar's chest.

PING. PING. PING.

Each one of them landed and made their mark as the Fire-type thrashed in pain.

Liam closed the distance one last time, charging a glowing and pulsing Force Palm as he dove it into the Pokémon's stomach. A boom echoed throughout the room once it made contact. The static electricity sealing away Magmortar's movement was broken as the Pokémon stood still for a few moments, the pain settling in. In a dramatic fashion, Magmortar promptly smashed to the ground with a large 'thud'.

The battle was won.

Liam collapsed to his knees, heaving back and forth, the adrenaline wearing off as the pain began to set in. "We… did it."

Gloria quickly rushed over to Liam's side, opening up one of the pouches of the saddlebag and taking an Oran Berry out of it. She stuffed it into his mouth as he began to chew on it slowly, almost in a daze.

"Yeah, we did do it!" she said with encouragement, giving him a warm smile. "But we need to get you to a proper hospital!"

"Hey…" He took a breath. "What do we do about Magmortar here?"

As if on cue, the door to the room ruptured out of its hinges as Shiftry, Breloom, and other guard Pokémon entered. The new arrivals looked around, the remnants of wooden chair fragments, the charred remains of the film projector and screen, and the shadow of charcoal left where burn marks stained the floor.

It did not take them long to realize a battle had taken place here.

Shiftry stepped forward, "What..." He gazed at the unconscious forms of Simisage and Magmortar, "... Happened here?!"

"We can't explain! Just get him to the nearest hospital!" Gloria yelled, motioning towards a pained Liam.

The guards gave each other looks, before shrugging and immediately taking over control of the room from here on out.

Liam limped out of the elevator, a bit of a blur in his vision. Two of the guards held him by his shoulders, helping him walk. Behind him, the rest of the guards were carrying Magmortar out as well. He could feel the perturbed looks from the other Pokémon on the main floor give them once they made their way to the exit.

Empoleon seemed to notice and quickly stood up to damage control. "It appears some of our guests have been a little rowdy! Be safe, everyone!"

Liam could not blame him; no one could have expected something like this to happen - not even him. The Riolu's posture became more relaxed when his face hit the cool night air outside; it was a godsend after being in that scorching room. Outside, he bore witness to three Pokémon on the red carpet, a bunch of Pokémon crowding around the three of them, shooting whispers back and forth.

These Pokémon seemed much more different though than any regular Pokémon, as whispers of 'It's Team Drarosteel!' or 'Team Drarosteel!' filled his ears.

The Pokémon on the left was most definitely an Aggron from the size of its hulking frame, metal plates, and horns. The one on the right was a Tyranitar from its dark spots and solid rock body. It stood about the same height as the Aggron. However, the one in the middle was slightly taller than the other already imposing Pokémon.

He gulped at the sight of it - his subconscious fear of Dragon-types coming to fruition before him.

It was a Garchomp, with its iconic dark blue coloring and hammerhead-like face, and the long talons on its scythe-like arms. White spikes jutted out from its arms and legs, not to mention its mouth of razor-sharp teeth. Worst of all, it was staring directly at him, strutting forward.

"It appears we turned up late to the party, right, boys?"

Liam was all the more surprised at the deep velvety female voice that came out of it instead of something more menacing. The Aggron next to her swiveled its head to the dragon, letting out an accented male voice.

"Ah, lassie, don't go worryin' bout that. Look at the battle scars on this small one lad here! Just like home, I'd say!" He bellowed with laughter.

Garchomp's eyes narrowed at the Riolu, who shrank in her gaze. That was until she saw the unconscious body of Magmortar also being carried out by a few guards. With new context being provided, she understood completely, her eyes becoming more compassionate.

"I hope you two are guild members or will be. You did a fine job today the way I see it." Liam stared at her for a while before nodding his head rapidly. "We won't hold you guys any longer, so get the much-needed rest for the group of heroes here." She motioned with a white talon for the guards to walk past.

Once they were on the streets of Empyrean, he gave one final look behind him at the trio of Pokémon that were now entering the theater, the crowd following in with them.

'Just who are those guys…?'

He didn't have any energy left to think about it as he panned his tired face toward the glittering night sky.

Today had certainly been interesting. The Riolu would have chuckled at that thought if he had the strength. He contemplated what tomorrow would bring, and their subsequent days at the guild as he counted what little stars remained in the pitch-black blanket of the night.

A woman dreams of a world free from strife and hatred, but this is no mere fantasy...

Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below!

Discord: z2h2z

Next Time:Cosmic Quilt Guild