Chapter 21: Monster Room

  More and more Dungeon Pokemon closed in on them from the edges, clawing up from cracks in the cavern floor, dropping from unseen ledges above. The hiss of Ariados silk joined the echo of stone grinding under Graveler’s weight.

  The sound of it was everywhere, pressing into Auri’s ears until it drowned out everything but Sia’s voice. Once again, Sia cleared out the approaching enemies with a flurry of elemental punches and her [Shadow Sneak], only for three three Mightyena breaking formation to charge with [Tackle] towards them.

  Sia let them come just close enough before pale red flames spawned around her, sweeping across the floor like flaming water. It was probably [Will-O-Wisp] but looked very weird. The pale red flames surged up beneath the lead Mightyena, lifting it clean off the ground before snapping it sideways into the second. The third lunged with [Crunch] for her exposed flank, but she twisted with uncanny precision, catching its momentum with a [Mega Kick] and sending it tumbling into a knot of Sableye.

  "Left!" she barked, and Auri and Yuki darted that way without thinking.

  They moved in short bursts, a few strides forward, another clash, a sudden redirection. Every time they thought they’d broken through, the gap closed again. For every enemy pushed back, another two took its place. The pressure didn’t relent for a second.

  A Graveler dropped from above, the impact making the ground shudder. Before it could roll into a [Rollout], an [Aura Sphere] from Sia shot towards it, ramming into its side and slamming it into the cavern wall with bone-rattling force.

  "That’s…" Yuki panted, dodging an Ariados silk shot, "more power than I thought Sia had."

  They pivoted right, only to find their escape blocked by a fresh wall of silk. The Ariados responsible clung high above, anchoring its [Sticky Web] in three points across the cavern.

  Sia didn’t hesitate. Her shadow surged upward in another [Shadow Sneak], shaping itself into a blade so sharp the air seemed to hiss as it cut. The silk fell away in curling strands, and they burst through, straight into the path of another pack of Mightyena.

  The lead one lunged with [Take Down] for Yuki, but Auri darted forward, intercepting it with a quick [Tail Whip]. The attack did no damage whatsoever and even the Dungeon Pokemon seemed surprised for a moment. Luckily Sia’s [Shadow Sneak] was there and pushed back all four of them into the other Dungeon Pokemon closing in. They kept moving, but the chamber itself seemed to fold inward, the enemy density rising until it was a press of bodies and teeth.

  "This isn’t working!" Yuki called out through gritted teeth.

  "Then we change the field," Sia replied. Her gaze flicked upward.

  Auri followed her gaze to a few jagged crystal ledges, precariously balanced. Before he could guess what she meant, her shadow lashed upward in another [Shadow Sneak], hooking into a fracture point. With a sharp pull, she brought an entire slab of rock and crystal crashing down, sealing off the nearest flank. It bought them maybe ten seconds, before the roar came.

  It was deeper than anything they’d heard so far, the kind of sound that vibrated in their chests. The newly formed barrier exploded outward, chunks of crystal flying in every direction as a Rhyperior shouldered through, its eyes locked straight on them.

  Sia stepped forward instead. The temperature seemed to dip, shadows curling tighter around her frame. "You two run. Now I’ll buy you the necessary time."

  The Rhyperior’s advance slowed for just a moment, just enough for Sia to vanish with a [Phantom Force] from where she’d been, only to reappear at the Rhyperior's legs, driving a [Drain Punch] so forceful the sound cracked through the cavern. Rock armor fractured under the blow, and the Rhyperior roared in pain.

  It swiped downward with a [Smack Down], but she was already moving, slipping behind it and slamming another [Drain Punch] into its ribs. The hit staggered it, but didn’t bring it down. And now the rest of the enemies were surging forward again.

  Auri realized then and there, this wasn’t a fight they could win head-on. Even with Sia somehow holding the line, the numbers of incredibly srong Dungeon Pokemon were just impossible to beat. If he and Yuki were as strong as Sia maybe... but they weren't.

  Still, Sia wasn’t stopping. The shadows around her grew darker, edged with a faint, unnatural shimmer. The air grew cold enough to mist, and when she struck again, the blow landed with a sound like shattering glass.The Rhyperior reeled, crashing into the wall with enough force to send dust raining from above. “Move!” she barked. They obeyed, darting through the opening she’d carved.

  Auri's mind was shaken. That last attack of Sia? That had been, without a doubt, [Spectral Thief]. And suddenly, Auri new exactly what Pokemon Sia was. She was a Marshadow! But that was something he had to think about later. Right now, there were more important matters!

  The chamber stretched ahead like a tunnel now, but every ten steps, more Dungeon Pokemon dropped in from above or clawed up from the floor. Sia’s strikes were thanks to [Spectral Thief] stronger now, faster, her shadow moving almost independently with [Shadow Sneak], sweeping aside clusters of Sableye or binding an Ariados mid-leap before smashing it into the ground. Still, her breathing was quickening as well.

  Auri could see it in the slight hesitation before she moved again, the same way he hesitated when he questioned himself ih he truly should go all-out. Clearly, she was still just ramping up in power-level, though Auri had no idea where her ceiling was. By now she was slowly starting to close in on the strength he'd felt from the mythical Pokemon Phione at the Festival of Veils.

  Suddenly an enormous roar cut through the din, as suddenly a Tyranitar appeared in the hallway. The pressure coming from it was weaker than the one he currently felt from Sia, but still incredible. It plowed through the other Dungeon Pokemon to reach them without caring for the damage it caused in the process, and in the space of a breath, it was almost on top of them.

  Sia didn’t retreat. Her shadow surged higher than before, swallowing the light around them. For a heartbeat, it looked almost like a second shape was standing over her, something vast, indistinct, but undeniably powerful. The Tyranitar hesitated, just long enough for her to drive a bone-rattling [Superpower] into its chest, sending it crashing backward into a pile of Graveler.

  But there were still too many. For every step they took towards the far wall, more enemies came from the sides. Auri’s legs burned, Yuki’s breathing was ragged, and still Sia was the one holding the center. Every strike, every shadow sweep, every split-second block, it was all her.

  And even as she fought, Auri caught the faintest flicker of something else in her eyes. Not fear. Calculation. She was thinking ahead, looking for the one move that would get them all out, and whatever it was, it hadn’t shown itself yet. The noise in the chamber reached a fever pitch, claws raking stone, chittering Sableye, the low grinding rumble of Graveler and Rhydon circling for another push.

  Sia stepped forward, putting herself squarely between Auri, Yuki, and the oncoming swarm. Her voice came sharp and clipped: "Don’t move. At all. I cannot guarantee your safety otherwise."

  Then the floor itself seemed to dim. Shadows poured outward from her paws and legs, seeping across the cracked stone like ink, coating everything in a low, shimmering darkness. It moved with intent, climbing walls, stretching up to the ceiling, wrapping around stalactites until the entire cavern felt enclosed in a living shroud. The first wave hit that barrier. Ariados, Sableye, a Graveler that slammed forward in a rolling charge, and was simply swallowed. No sound, no impact, just gone.

  That was... [Hidden Power]? At least Auri suspected it to be that. He knew the attack varied for every Pokemon but he'd have never thought it could materialise as a move that shaped the entire surrounding area. Sia's version of [Hidden Power] seemed to amplify her shadow powers massively.

  Yuki’s feathers prickled. "That’s… not normal."

  Sia didn’t answer. Her eyes glowed faintly now, catching what little light was left. The shadowed barrier rippled, and from it emerged a dozen spear-like shapes, each lancing outward faster than the eye could follow. Every strike landed with the sound of cracking armor or a muffled cry, sending enemies sprawling back into the darkness. The chamber felt smaller, tighter.

  A Rhydon tried to bull through from the side, and Sia pivoted sharply, one hand slicing downward in an [Ice Punch]. Her [Shadow Sneak] mirrored the motion at the same time, and a colossal, jagged blade, taller than she was, cleaved down into the Rhydon’s shoulder. The impact drove it to one knee before it was shoved backward with such force that it skidded across the floor, bowling over two Graveler behind it.

  Auri watched with a mix of awe and unease. This wasn’t the restrained, careful fighter he’d seen her as before. This was something else, something built for overwhelming force.

  The swarm of Dungeon Pokemon hesitated for the first time. The shadows curled tighter, pulsing faintly with each of Sia’s breaths. She took that moment to advance, forcing them back step by step. It almost worked.

  Then the Dungeon Pokemon broke through her perimeter in three places at once, a coordinated surge of Mightyena from the front, Ariados from above, and a Graveler breaking up through the floor behind. Sia reacted instantly, splitting her [Shadow Sneak] into three massive constructs, a wall to block the front, a whip-like lash to tear the Ariados from their anchor points, and a crushing spike from below to pin the Graveler back into its hole. Each strike landed clean, but the cost was immediate. The shadow wavered, the glow in her eyes dimming for a split second. She clenched her jaw, pushed harder, and the light returned, brighter, sharper.

  The Tyranitar roared again. It had recovered enough to charge, smashing aside everything in its path. Sia met it head-on with [Spectral Thief]. It caught the Tyranitar’s charge, stopping it mid-stride with a force that cracked the stone beneath their feet. For a moment, they were locked there, the giant shadow straining against the sheer physical power of the beast.

  And then Sia stepped in close, twisting, and her attack slammed the Tyranitar sideways into the wall hard enough to send cracks spiderwebbing through the rock. Before it could recover, she drove her paw forward in another [Superpower] and delivered a crushing blow to its chest. The Tyranitar collapsed in a heap, unmoving.

  Silence followed. For the span of three heartbeats, nothing advanced.

  Auri thought, just for a second, that she’d done it. That she’d burned through the whole room and come out standing.

  Then the rest of the swarm moved. Not in a chaotic rush this time, but in perfect, terrifying unison, as if the Dungeon itself had taken command. And it probably had. The walls seemed to shift, the ground shuddering as the air filled with a new, oppressive weight. Dozens of eyes glinted in the dark, all turning toward them at once. Even a new Tyranitar and two Rhyperior came from somewhere, joing the horde of Dungeon Pokemon that advanced towards them

  Sia’s stance didn’t break, but Auri could see the tension in it now. Her breathing was faster, the shadow constructs slower to reform. She’d spent much of her type energy reserve, and still the chamber wasn’t empty.

  "Get ready to run," she said, low and without looking back. "I still have one last trump card to play but after you need to grab me and get us out of here."

  Neither Auri nor Yuki argued, instead slowly stepping back.

  The Dungeon Pokemon closed in again, every exit sealed by bodies and silk. Sia’s shadows writhed at her feet like restless smoke, then drew inward, collapsing back into her frame, condensing until the air around her felt charged, heavy. Auri felt the hairs on his arms rise, static prickling at his skin, and even Yuki took another cautious half-step back. Because there was no mistaking that anymore. Strength on the same level of a weaker Mythical.

  Sia exhaled, slow and deliberate. "Alright," she muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. "One last play."

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  Her stance shifted, low and forward. The glow in her eyes sharpened to a piercing gold. Shadows streamed upward from the cracks in the floor, curling around her limbs like ribbons, then seeping into her skin until her whole form pulsed with an otherworldly light. The air smelled faintly of ozone and cold stone.

  Sia vanished. Not a step, not a blur, she was simply gone. A split second later, she reappeared behind a Mightyena at the far edge of the swarm. Her fist struck with a sound like shattering glass, and everything in an radius of a dozen meters around her simply ceased to exist. Then she was gone again.

  Seven flashes. Seven precise, devastating strikes, each landing before the sound of the last had even faded. The chamber lit with brief bursts of gold and violet each time she appeared, her fists and feet carrying the force of something far beyond simple muscle.

  The last strike landed on the Tyranitar. The impact rang through the chamber, rattling loose stones from the ceiling and sending a crack down the wall behind it. The Tyranitar went limp instantly, the ground beneath them spiderwebbing from the force.

  For a heartbeat, all was still. Sia landed lightly, the glow in her eyes flickering once… then fading entirely. The shadows drained from her frame like water down a crack, leaving her small and visibly trembling.

  Her knees buckled. Auri stepped forward instinctively, catching her by the shoulder before she could fall. Up close, he could feel how she was shivering, her breath shallow. She didn’t meet his eyes.

  "That," she murmured, "is why I don’t usually go all out. Now we have to run."

  The silence didn’t last. The Dungeon stirred again, the sound of shifting rock echoing from deeper within the tunnels, the next swarm of Dungeon Pokemon was without a doubt closing in. Sia tried to straighten, but Auri could feel her weight leaning into him. Whatever strength she’d summoned was gone now, burned out entirely. Auri grabbed Sia and together with Yuki he started to run towards the closed exit.

  That was when a new presence hit the chamber, bright, sharp, and unmistakably powerful as if the sun itself had descended on the chamber. And then, threading through the oppressive air like a blade through cloth, came a voice, smooth, amused, and utterly unbothered by the ruin all around. "Hmm. This is messier than I expected when I came here."

  A warm light rolled into the chamber ahead of the speaker, curling like a slow wave before bursting into a flare. From it stepped a small, cream-furred figure with ears like sharp flicks of flame and eyes that gleamed with quiet calculation. Vian. The mythical Victini from Newleaf Village.

  Auri felt that same immense power as the day they’d first met, the way it pressed into every sense without overwhelming him, like a sun hidden behind thin clouds. Only that this time it wasn't restricted, instead this time truly pressing Yuki and him into the ground. There was no way either of them could move right now. Vian's power was still on an entirely different level compared to Sia or the Phione.

  "Vian," Sia started, but her voice was raspier than usual, and the name carried an edge that sounded halfway between exasperation and relief.

  Vian glanced at her, gaze flicking over the tremor in her legs, the faint drag of her stance. His smile thinned by a fraction. "You’ve been overextending yourself again. I thought Lord Noctems instruction on using the [Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike] had been quite clear."

  Sia snorted, looking away. "Thank Miu. It was necessary."

  He didn’t argue. Instead, he turned his eyes on the approaching horde of Dungeon Pokemon. This was still a Monster Room after all, with Dungeon Pokemon constantly reappearing. A flicker of psychic-type energy danced across Vian's brow, and in the space of a heartbeat, the entire chamber brightened up from his psychic-type energy.

  The ground rumbled. The shape in the tunnel hesitated, and then… stopped. Vian floated forward without hurry, raising one small paw. fire-type energy braided together around it, condensing into a sphere so bright Auri had to squint. The air shimmered with incredible heat.

  "You’ve had your fun," he said to whatever lurked in the dark. "Now you’ll cease your futile resistance. [V-Create]."

  The sphere shot forward, exploding in a burst of scarlet-gold flame that roared into the tunnel like a living storm. The pressure dropped instantly, the restless type energy of the Dungeon curling back on itself as the threat was snuffed out. Vian exhaled, not tired, simply done. The chamber felt smaller now, quieter, the weight of danger lifting in a way that made Auri’s body suddenly aware of how tense he’d been, while Vian contained his opressive type energy into himself again.

  Only then did Victini turn back toward them. His gaze lingered on Auri for a long moment, then on Yuki, before finally settling on Sia again. "You’ve been shirking your duties and ignored everything going on in the Umbral Abyss for… what, decades?” His tone was calm, but there was something in it that made Sia’s eyes narrow. "And yet, the moment they’re involved, you push yourself to the brink. You broke the only rule Lord Noctem, Noah, Ray and I once gave you. Care to explain why?"

  Sia’s shadow shifted, curling around her ankles like smoke. "Not here," she said flatly.

  Vian’s smile returned, light and easy again. "Fair enough. But you know what this means, don’t you?"

  Yuki looked between them, feathers puffed in confusion. "What means?"

  Vian tilted his head, the firelight catching in his eyes. "That your friend here," he gestured lazily at Sia ",isn’t exactly who you think she is." Auri felt Sia go very still beside him.

  Vian went on, tone almost playful. "She’s not just some strong Dungeon-dweller with a knack for shadow tricks. As you've probably already noticed she's a Mythical, just like me, if not as strong just yet. And she's not just any Mythical. She's the daughter of Lord Noctem, and princess of the Umbral Abyss.”

  The word seemed to hang in the air. Yuki’s beak opened, closed, then opened again. "She's… what!?"

  Sia groaned, rubbing at her eyes. "Thanks, Vian. As subtle and understanding as ever."

  He just smiled, entirely unapologetic. "Well, I figured it was about time someone said it out loud."

  Yuki blinked at Sia as though she’d just grown a second head. "Princess? As in… royalty? And wait, daughter of Lord Noctem!? That Lord Noctem? The lesser Legendary ruling the entire Umbral Abyss? The one from the story Elder Seori tells every year at the festival!?"

  Sia’s shadow flickered faintly along the stone floor, curling inwards like it wanted to hide her. "Yeah, that one," she muttered, tone edged with resignation. "And before you ask, no, I didn’t exactly come here to make that public knowledge. Although that was probably Miu's goal."

  Yuki’s feathers fluffed even more. "Then why... how... what..." She threw her wings up. "You’ve been following us around! You’ve been talking to Auri for weeks! And you’re… the princess of the entire Umbral Abyss!?" She took a half step forward, clearly torn between outrage and sheer bafflement. "Do you even realise how huge that is?"

  Sia tilted her head, almost bemused. "Honestly? Not really. Titles don’t mean much in a place like this. My father rules, sure, but because of him being a Lesser Legendary, the day I have to rule in his stead will never come. All that doesn’t make me any different than I was yesterday."

  "That’s-!" Yuki’s voice cracked before she caught herself. "That’s not the point! You could’ve told us!"

  Auri stepped in before the sparks in Yuki’s tone could ignite into something sharper. "Maybe she had her reasons,” he said quietly. His eyes flicked to Sia, and he could acknowledge the choice that she most likely hadn’t made lightly.

  Sia returned it with a faint, crooked smile. "He’s right. And it’s not just about keeping secrets. You two see me as I am and not as some Mythical you have to bow to or treat like I’m made of crystal. I like that. In my eyes, I'm just a normal Pokemon, nothing else. I've had great mentors back then who made sure I knew what humility was... But that doesn't matter right now."

  Yuki’s beak tightened, but the immediate fight in her posture loosened a fraction. "…That’s still not fair," she said, though her voice had dropped to a mutter.

  Vian, still hovering casually nearby, glanced between them like he was watching a mildly entertaining stage play. "Well, now it’s out. And whether you like it or not, it changes a few things."

  Sia shot him a flat look. "Such as?"

  "For one," Vian said, tone light but edged with meaning, "there will be those, even here in the Umbral Abyss, who would use this information for their own gain if they learned it. So you may want to think twice before letting it slip around others."

  "Like we needed you to tell us that," Sia replied dryly.

  Yuki folded her wings across her chest, but the suspicion in her eyes had been tempered with thought. “So… you’re a Mythical, but you’re also our friend. And you’re the daughter of the ruler of the Umbral Abyss, but you don’t care about the title. And you… help us. Is that about right?"

  Sia smirked faintly. "More or less. I’d add ‘very good company,’ but I’ll let you come to that conclusion yourself."

  That earned a huff of something halfway between irritation and amusement from Yuki. "You’re impossible."

  "And yet here we are," Sia said, with that same easy shrug.

  Vian’s ears twitched, and he glanced toward one of the side tunnels. "Speaking of 'here we are', we shouldn’t be here all that much longer. This Dungeon’s already incredibly dangerous, that will only get worse the longer it feels threatened by two, if not three, Mythicals. Time to leave."

  The words hadn’t even finished leaving his mouth before the air warped around them from the massive amounts of psychic-type energy leaving Vian. Unlike Miu, he clearly didn't use a single move like [Teleport], but instead stacked multiple other moves atop each other to achieve the same effect.

  The jagged stone walls blurred, the stale Dungeon air swept away, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing back at the northern shrine of Newleaf Village. The sun was just starting to rise above the crater wall. They'd been gone the entire night.

  Auri exhaled slowly, tension bleeding out of his shoulders. Yuki gave a quick look around, then back at Sia, still clearly turning over everything she’d just learned. Sia, for her part, seemed almost… smaller now that the immediate danger had passed, though her shadow still curled close like a second skin.

  Vian floated a little higher, the faintest spark of a grin still playing on his lips. "I’ll let you three… or rather, you two, sort out the rest. But don’t wait too long. Conversations like this don’t get easier the longer you leave them. And Sia? I expect you later. Don't you dare to just avoid me. We'll have a talk."

  Without another word, he vanished in a flash of light, leaving only the fading warmth of his presence behind.

  Yuki turned towards Sia. Her wings were tucked in tight, and she fixed her gaze squarely on the Marshadow. "Alright," she began, voice low but firm, "before we go any further, I want the rest of the truth. No dodging, no teasing. Just… tell us what we should know."

  Sia rocked back slightly on her heels, her shadow shifting faintly in the dirt. "You already know the main points," she said after a moment. "Yes, I’m a Marshadow. Yes, I'm a Mythical in my own right, if a weak one. And yes, Lord Noctem is my father. But that doesn’t mean I’m sitting on some secret royal plan or plotting to drag you into politics. I like my independence!"

  Sia looked down in contemplation. "In fact, I've probably made myself some problems by blatantly moving into Miu's territory, even if I was invited. I don't want to know what the consequences for Vian will be, seeing how he just completely ignored the accords existing between us Mythicals."

  "Then why not say anything sooner?" Yuki pressed. "We’ve been in Dungeons together. We’ve… trusted you. And you never thought to mention it?"

  "I thought about it," Sia admitted, her tone steady. "But most Pokemon react to my name alone like it’s a badge or a warning. I wanted to know if you’d treat me for who I am, not for what I am. That’s… easier to figure out when the title’s not in the way."

  Yuki’s beak pressed into a thin line, the tension still there but not quite as sharp. "…That’s a risky way to find out."

  "Maybe, but you stuck around anyway. Guess that says something," Sia said with a shrug. "Honestly... you two also kind of remind me of my mentors. That might've affected my decision on how to act around you as well. I just... uncounciously expected you to react the same way they would."

  "...Are you willing to talk about that?" Auri asked carefully. He could already see that was a painful subject for her.

  Sia sighed. "It's okay. Their... disappearance was more than a century ago. And I think you deserve to know at least the basics. Noah and Ray were a Raichu and a Blaziken. I don't know if they were just incredibly powerful Mythicals or lesser Legendaries. But together with Vian, who wasn't a Mythical yet back then, they entered the Umbral Abyss shortly after the 'Storm Menace' apeared. He's a Zeraora named Zuko, by the way and a lesser Legendary as well. But that doesnt matter right now.

  Sia took a deep breath. "Noah and Ray offered my father their support in defeating Zuko, but in exchange they demanded his help at a later time. My father agreed and shortly after, Zuko was defeated and banished. Noah and Ray weren't around much longer, but their third companion, Vian, decided to stick around."

  "Okay, but how did Noah and Ray become your mentors then?" Yuki asked confused.

  Sia send her a flat look. "I was coming to that part. Noah and Ray at one point in time had apparently saved the world. I don't know much more about that as I've never been outside the Umbral Abyss either, but they were very well-known around the world as its protectors in the darkest of times, or something. And for some reason, they feared for the future of our world and believed another calamity would come. And they feared that they would not be around to protect the world once more. So they decided to gather the support of certain Legendaries to carry out some kind of ritual. And they decided to do said ritual in the Umbral Abyss."

  "Do you know what that ritual was?" Auri asked interested. He'd never heard of something like that. But his hopes were dashed almost instantly.

  "I have no idea," Sia said with a shake of her head. "I was your age when their ritual was ready. No one would tell me something apparently important for the future of the world. But they had prepared their ritual two years long and during that time they, together with Vian and my father, taught me pretty much everything I know today. And as I said, they were incredibly similar to you two."

  "But... if Vian was a close friend to Noah and Ray, shouldn't he know what the ritual was? Couldn't he just tell you?" Yuki asked.

  Sia snorted. "Of course he could, but he refuses to. All I know is that whatever they did was a success. That's why my father has been asleep for over a century now. It's not that he has to recover from his fight against Zuko. No, he just utterly exhausted his powers in that ritual, whatever it was. That's unfortunately all I can tell you."

  Auri shook his head. "That's okay. And thank you for telling us. It's probably the first time we actually got some ansers. And if we're so similar to your mentors... it explains how I got your atention in the first place."

  "That doesn't change the fact that I want to befriend you two for who you are, not because of my mentors," Sia said quickly. "If you're willing to give me a chance that is."

  Yuki glanced between them, her gaze softening a fraction. "I still don’t like surprises like this. But… I guess if Auri’s fine with it, I can live with it."

  He of course nodded along to Yuki's words. He had the feeling he understood Sia far better now.

  "Not exactly the glowing vote of confidence I was hoping for," Sia said with a faint smirk, though the edge of relief in her voice was real.

  Yuki rolled her eyes but stepped closer, enough that her wing brushed lightly against Auri’s side. "Just don’t make a habit of keeping things that big to yourself. That's truly everything now, right?"

  Sia’s grin returned in full. "No promises, but I’ll try. And yes, I have no more world-shattering relevations for you. If you want to know more, you'll need to get the answers from the other Mythicals."

  "Luckily we have two free questions for Miu now!" Yuki shouted in triumph and Auri nodded along.

  He gestured towards the main street back into the village. "Alright. Let’s get moving before someone wonders why we’re just standing here. And Sia, come visit once you're done with Sia, yeah?"

  Sia nodded. "I will. I have some other things to do, so it might take a few days, but I promise."

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 15

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 71

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 41

  Defense: 49

  Speed: 55

  Total: 263 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Brick Break], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball], [Swift], [Thunder Bolt]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  Torchic (Yuki) – Level 16 (Evolution Requirements Not Met, Stat Boost Applied)

  Ability: Speed Boost

  Battle Nature: Hasty

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 80

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 47

  Defense: 55

  Speed: 40

  Total: 269 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Scratch], [Quick Attack], [Feint], [Fire Spin], [Flame Charge], [Aerial Ace], [Counter], [Slash]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Ember], [Sand Attack]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Detect], [Dig]

  Marshadow (Sia) - Level 79

  Ability: Technician

  Battle Nature: Quirky

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 416

  Attack: 276

  Ranged Attack: 221

  Defense: 316

  Speed: 276

  Total: 1.504 (Strength Level: Mythical)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Thunder Punch], [Fire Punch], [Ice Punch], [Feint], [False Swipe], [Thief], [Counter], [Assurance], [Acrobatics], [Blaze Kick], [Sucker Punch], [Drain Punch], [Mega Punch], [Mega Kick], [Spectral Thief], [Outrage], [Superpower]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Shadow Sneak], [Shadow Claw], [Shadow Punch], [Force Palm], [Will-O-Wisp], [Hex], [Phantom Force], [Shadow Ball], [Poltergeist], [Aura Sphere]

  Utility Moves: [Copyat], [Role Play], [Psych Up], [Laser Focus], [Protect], [Agility], [Bulk Up], [Calm Mind]

  Victini (Vian) - Level ???

  Ability: Victory Star

  Battle Nature: Brave