there are two oddities within this situation: firstly, that this man is certainly not of this time ( a fact that leaves his hands clenching and loosening ‘round the straps of his pack ), and secondly, the much more pressing ( and intriguing ) matter: he was lingering far too close to the beginning crackles of a rift than any normal person would.
“they’re quite something, aren’t they?” he calls from overhead, footsteps quick in pursuit down the grassy slope. ( these gaping wounds dealt to space-time... if this stranger watches as one unfurls, why won’t arceus? ) “though i wouldn’t get too close to one of those if i were you, good sir! they’re far too dangerous to take more than a gander at!”
“Oh- a uh..” He snapped his fingers a moment to try and jog his memory. “Ahhhh.. Oh-! Holo caster? Man, real fancy stuff they are-- Man if I got one o’ those I’d be set!” He realized he’d gotten a bit close though, and backed off slightly. “O-oh, sorry I didn’t mean to be all up in your face or nothin’, I was jus’ curious to see it work an’ all..” He doubted something like that would even function with his old pokenav. That thing was an embarrassment in comparison. “Name’s Adrian- I was kinda trainin’ in the area.”
“Wow! Right out of the gate, it seems like both of the challengers are giving it their all! This is unfamiliar territory, but both are leaping from platform to platform, trying their best to keep their weight centered! They’re practically neck in neck!”
“Well… They certainly were. It seems Jaideep has fallen off his second-to-last platform and is now having to swim back and try it again. He doesn’t have a Repeat Ball like Zero does, so he won’t be getting an extra hand from Bali, either.”
“Zero’s already got a huge lead on Jaideep… Let’s see if he can keep it up!”
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Zero (ahead): 10 seconds (PERFECT!)
“I… I’m amazed, viewers! Jaideep is still trying to get past the first obstacle, but Zero just blew past the Big Red Pokeballs as if he knew exactly what he was doing! I’m amazed! He’s going on to the third obstacle now… Let’s see how he does!”
“Uh-oh… This new obstacle seems like quite a challenge, doesn it?”
“Mr. Chairman, I have to ask again: Whose idea was it to make an obstacle where the entire point is to see who can withstand getting punched in the face the best?”
“Hmmm… I think I see what you meant when you called this a litigation nightmare now…”
“Zero seems to have slowed down considerably, watching the wall to see if he can make out a pattern before attempting to cross. Ah -- he managed to get about halfway before getting knocked down into the water. But wait -- he’s holding up his Repeat Ball Pin!”
“Bali, use Teleport! Roll back the timer, Oleana!”
“On it, Chairman.”
“Zero’s back on the platform now -- still dripping wet, but no worse for wear. He seems to have a better understanding of how it functions now and is trying to get across as fast as he can without slowing down. He’s almost across now -- can almost taste safety… But -- oh! He took another punch to the face, and down he goes for a second time! This time he WILL have to swim all the way back to the beginning and reset himself… But let’s see how things are going with Jaideep!”
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Jaideep (behind): 131 seconds
“Not too good, I’m afraid… Jaideep finally got past the first obstacle, and is struggling with the second one. The first bounce he took sent him flying into the water, and he now has to reset himself yet again. Time is quickly running out, but if he can get past the Big Red Pokeballs on his next attempt, he has a chance to sneak the win…”
Obstacle 4: Fishious Render -- Zero (ahead): 208 seconds (Eliminated)
“Oh, hold that thought, Oleana! Zero managed to swim back and get across the Sucker Punch! Now he’ll be the first to take on the intimidating Fishious Render! If he can do this, he’ll get to take on Quick Ball Guy, but if he falls, there won’t be any time for him to try again! He’s watching the swinging of the pendulum, and… He’s going for it! Run, run!”
“Ouch… He tried to go as fast as he could, but ended up getting hit by the crooked second arm. And into the water he goes… He’s likely out for the rest of the match, but if Jaideep can pull out a miracle, he can still finish first.”
“Ah… Apparently, some miracles are just too fantastical to believe in! Jaideep saw how much Zero was struggling with the Sucker Punch, so he pulled out his Timed Ball to slow down the assault of the fists… But he still tried to make his way across too slowly! The timer went off just as he was in the final stretch of the Sucker punch… Too bad! But it was a great attempt! Bravo, you two! I’m sure your teams are very proud of you!”
// Pull up a chair and a cup of Hot Drink because this turned out a L O T longer than I intended. I accidentally 1048 words and I’m not entirely sure this even counts as a dying kiss but I was already 922 words in when I realized. So. uh. enjoY??
warning for, uh. character death. and blood. and maybe a little more blood.
The sky above was vast and impossibly empty, spreading endlessly across a horizon of paradoxical geometry. Sanctus could no longer tell where his body ended and space began. His skin--or something approximate which covered and contained him--tingled with an incomprehensible energy. The air around him rippled and warped, sheets of miragelike silk encompassing what he had become. Colors gleamed over this ethereal fabric, each hue shimmering with alternating gradients representing each legendary creature assimilated into his being.
How many had he consumed now? How many of those deified stepping stones had he surmounted so far? No matter. He now had yet another, but that battle against the pearlescent dragon had not been effortless. He could feel the blood and ichor trickle down his back from the fiercely burning symbols across his shoulders, and the brilliant colors that enveloped him would not last for much longer. Just as with every previous battle, he would have to rest and regain his strength. And there was but one place he could do so safely; that world outside of the world, that home away from home he shared generously with one certain being.
“Wonderful!” Sanctus beamed--literally--as the chorus of his voices rang out in cheerful victory. He turned around to look for his ever loyal companion, wanting to praise him for his aid in yet another successful conquest. “Another job well done, Zero! It’s time to head back to the distortion world, shall we?”
Through the vision wrested from Palkia itself, Sanctus could see the space around him. He looked for a certain metallic structure--his companion’s prized Megarig--and found it lodged diagonally into the ground quite some distance away, a bit like a metal giant with one leg sinking into the mud. Parts of the construct were displaced as if cut cleanly and scattered about, and it was finally beginning to dawn on Sanctus that it was caught in Palkia’s last, desperate spacial rend.
It was nothing to worry about. It was hardly the first time the Megarig had faced significant damage, and Zero surely must have escaped on that funny little flying scooter of his when the ship was no longer safe to operate. It was just a matter of finding where he landed, that was all.
Sanctus took a hovering step towards the airship, his form blinking through space and appearing here and there as he searched. But as time wore on, he felt the color and focus of his vision begin to fade as the residual power withered away. No longer able to hover, his bare feet touched the ground and something squelched wetly beneath them. When all the other colors faded, just one remained.
Red.
There was so much more of it than he expected, even considering the amount shed between himself and the dragon of space. He looked down at the sickly crimson rippling below, noting a silhouette resting amid the pool. The blood made every detail, every surface and dip and curve of that man’s form visible. What was left of him.
“Hold on.” Sanctus said, his multitude of voices fading into nothing until just one remained. His words were not a plea but an expression of confusion. Of disbelief. Indignation. You can’t be hurt. I won’t let you. Stop that. Get up. All those demands would not be borne, stopping short in Sanctus’ tightening throat that burned with bile that threatened to rise up and out of the depths of him.
I can fix this, he thought, gulping down the burning feeling. What can’t I do? He knelt down into the bloodied earth that gave wetly under his weight. One hand slipped beneath to lift the man’s back while the other supported the weight of his head until he was cradled close. It was strange how cold he felt--that wasn’t right. Humans don’t feel that way. Not this human, certainly. Was this really Zero? Maybe in the twisting of space, some other human got terribly displaced and wound up in the crossfire. It certainly couldn’t be his human.
Sanctus scrutinized the human’s face. He traced his fingertips gingerly down across those cheeks, across those lips, across that jawline. How strange. It felt like his human.
“I can fix this,” Sanctus finally spoke, though his voice wavered in a way that disgusted him. Were it not for his weakened state from the battle, one might think he was shaken. What use did he have getting attached to those ephemeral apes that called themselves humans? There were plenty of them. This one in particular may have been especially useful, but he was still just a tool. A gundog sent off into the undergrowth to flush prey out of hiding. Just a hunting dog. A bit wild and sharp of tooth, but... nonetheless eager to please. Desperate to earn one more gentle touch and kind word. To belong. To not be lost anymore.
But Zero was just a tool. Nothing more. Sanctus had to keep reminding himself of that.
Sanctus brushed his hand over Zero’s hair. Maybe he didn’t have the power to resurrect him right in this moment, but once he rested... after just a short rest, he could bring him back good as new. Everything would be fine. Things would be back to normal soon enough. Sanctus smiled at the thought that soon he would get to hear that voice grumble and complain about the indignity of it all.
“I’ll allow you to be mad at me this once,” he crooned. “You did very, very well, Zero, so look forward to your reward. I’ll see you soon.”
Sanctus leaned down to press a soft kiss against Zero’s lips. That was something else the awkward scientist could grumble about later, all flustered in that way that amused Sanctus so greatly. He lowered Zero down and laid himself down beside him. Just a quick rest, and everything would be fine. He closed his eyes and slipped into the abyss of sleep.
Deeper and deeper into dreams, so deep that there would be no awareness of reality bending and cracking high above him.
He did not stir, even as a rift opened above.
Not even as the judgement of a grieving and outraged Demiurge descended upon the killer of its beloved creations.
// ZERO GETS TO LIVE THIS TIME. but at what cost (the cost is his pride)
It was such a simple outing. There was mutual ogling of electronics (though for entirely different reasons; Sanctus never would have imagined a little metal pancake that scoots around vacuuming up dust! Amazing!), a visit to a nearby food truck for crepes, and a lot of walking in general. The city lights gradually switched on as the sun descended past the horizon, though it was still a bit too dark for Sanctus to confidently navigate on his own. But he wasn't on his own, for once. Everything was going quite well, and while neither party would dare admit to it, it almost felt as if they were proper friends.
Which made what happened next all the more upsetting. It started with a passerby pointing at Zero, shouting something like 'you're that guy from TV!' and spouting off talk of ending the world, with plenty of colorful language sprinkled throughout.
There was a punch, then a kick. The punch was from the passerby and connected solidly with Zero's face, but the kick was a swift retaliation against the attacker, courtesy of Sanctus. While Zero had been knocked backward, he was still able to get to his feet quickly enough. His attacker, however, had been sent a fair deal further from the force of Sanctus' kick. It would take a brief while before the man could stand up again in a daze, but in that time Sanctus and Zero had fled down a nearby alley to avoid any further conflict.
Once Sanctus was certain they weren't being followed, he reached for his companion's shoulder, only for his hand to be shrugged away.
"Let me see," he urged, his grasp the second time firmer and he turned Zero to face him before there was any chance to shrug him off a second time. Just as he suspected, there was blood. Despite the darkness of the unlit alleyway, Sanctus could see that vibrant red trickling down Zero's face from his nose and lips. For a moment he had to question himself on why he felt such awe at the sight--like a piece of negative space art. Blood contrasting against the darkness, highlighting lips that trembled with anger and shame.
"I can heal it." Sanctus reminded him, though his voice was a bit distant as if his mind was elsewhere. While Zero stayed put and waited very impatiently for Sanctus to wave a sparkly hand over him and heal him, Sanctus instead used both hands to gently cup the man's face and leaned in for a bloody kiss. By the time Sanctus pulled away, Zero would find that the worst of the pain had indeed stopped. The physical pain, that is. The blow to his pride was something not even Sanctus could heal and he could tell Zero was making quite the face from such an unexpected and brazen action.
"... Sorry, I thought I'd try a different method." Sanctus smiled sheepishly with blood-smeared lips. "It worked though, didn't it?"
“Next up is a somewhat mysterious competitor from outside of Galar… The trainer called Zero from Sinnoh. It’s odd, but… In a way, he kind of reminds me a little of myself!”
“Mr. Chairman, are you… sure? He looks nothing like you!”
“Perhaps it’s just a kindred spirit sort of thing. Regardless, I look forward to seeing more from him!”
Levitating Steps -- 54 seconds
“Already, Zero is making a strong showing for himself, scaling the Levitating Steps with ease! While he doesn’t show the same comfort as Gordie did, he does manage to shave a few seconds off of the average. Hats off to you, sir!”
Machamp's Low Sweep -- 43 seconds
“Wow, just look at that confidence! This is the quickest we’ve seen anyone clear the dreaded Low Sweep yet!”
“Indeed, Mr. Chairman. Instead of running straight in, he seems to have paused for a moment to try to glean any sort of pattern, and ran across when it would be at its most clear. A very good strategy I suspect we’ll see a lot of in the future since so many people have struggled with it.”
Falinks Hill -- 131 (Repeat Ball Save!)
“Ooh, it seems all of that earlier momentum has been lost! He actually struggles to surmount Falinks hill, and falls into the water!”
“Worry not, Chairman. He has a Repeat Ball pin. We’ll reset the clock back to when he first attempted it, and start it again whenever he has a chance to reset.”
“Ah, how tragic… This newer attempt isn’t going too well, either, although I suppose it’s good at least that this time he didn’t fall entirely into the water… Let’s hope he makes it up with the final stage!”
Shapeshiftin' Ditto -- CRITICAL FAIL
Zero took a deep breath, trying to time the passing of the various cutouts. There wasn’t much time to dally, so he chose to take his chances with the Togedemaru cut-out, springing from the trampoline to his destination.
Unfortunately, he seemed to either vastly misjudge the clearance the opening had or the trajectory of his jump. But either way, the result was the same: as he went through, his face slammed into the top frame of the cutout, sending him flying into the water with an inelegant splash.
Rose screamed and jumped to his feet. “N-not again! Oleana! Please tell me you still have the hospital on speed dial!”
“Of course I do, Mr. Chairman. But first, a reminder for our viewers: Macro Cosmos is free from all liability relating to injuries that may occur while participating in this event. Everyone involved signed an agreement saying that they agreed to hold Macro Cosmos entirely free from any liability, including financial responsibility for injuries incurred.”
“OLEANA, CAN’T THAT WAIT FOR--”
“Just a moment, Mr. Chairman. By signing said agreement, all parties agreed to forfeit all right to bring a suit against Macro Cosmos for any reason in order to participate. They also--Chairman? CHAIRMAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
“If you’re not going to call, I’ll just do something about it myself!” Rose huffed, taking his shoes off again and racing back to the water.
