Solid, Liquid, Lester.

## Overview

This episode opening will be the longest and pitchest ever! Cold cases, overheating pokèmon. Ice black and white flames. What is the limit that anyone can reach under pressure and to save his businesses? It all started with a book..it will all end with a fridge. Maybe.
Solid, Liquid, Gas, no matter which is the form, it's always water, lava, or Lester.

**TRIGGER WARNING: this episode contains sensitive themes like depression and suicide. If you don't feel in the mood, don't read it.**

## Prologue

"Please Beheeyem and Rotom at the Vip Class. Repeat: Beheeyem and Rotom only at the V-Class. They're expected by Victini right now."

The announcement sauntered all over the plane, it was sudden and unexpected, by the way Lester was ready. Almost ready. He had been preparing for the entire night with accuracy: defense, trials, documents. Clothes. He dressed on a tie, glasses, and assumed his most elegant form design wise: "Frost Form, linear shapes for a symbol of a cool, fridge personality. Splash!Splatc

   h.Spataplatch." The fridge doors opened accidentally pouring all the berries stores outside. "This is really em*ber**r**ie*ssing! Ahem, I will vacuum the disaster later after... Glom." Lester was certainly nervous, he knew he was going to go against Beheeyem who could have provided lot of reasons with a logic out of this world: he would have been a treacherous opponent during the trial. The trial for the safety, eventually. "Uff, uff, inspire, espire, Lester, as your self-advocate I recommend yourself...myself? By the way, where's my suitcase! Here, ah! I think I stored everything I need. I can't prepare the breakfast, no time to lose! I will leave a message on the fridge:

*"Dear Lester Latias Leviathans, today I was unable to do the breakfast so I leave it to you. By the way there are all the berries you need splatched on the floor, therefore you don't have to use the blend already. With quirkness and luv, your beloved leader, Lester."*

Promptly attached the post it (on himself) and sauntered away.

"Zoom, zoom, out of the way, I'm racing for a trial!" bashed against Squirtle and Oshawott having their breakfast "Cops. Oh no."

"Hey, man, my donut is on the floor. Where are you going GTA style that way? I smell crimerate in process." the turtle quickly dressed on the police sunglasses "Show me your documents and your innards for the intimate body (ita: perquisizione)."

"My name is Lex Rightom, profession attorney. Are you crazy? I don't have time for this! Didn't you listen the announcement? I'm on the go!"

"Indeed a fake identity. Your jumpiness make me think I'm on the right path, given your attitude and resilience to open the innards. 11-96" Squirtle poked Oshawott "Never trust these Ghost types. They're the number ones at misfitting truth and reality. Like, for example, this black diary could be filled of stolen governments documents or illecite traffics of pokèstamps counterfeited that are must in Sinnoh, while misfitted as an average teenager diary.."

"BY THE WAY! I'm in late!!" Lester used Discharge on them all of sudden and escaped without further ado, but was forced to get back to recuperate the diary from Squirtle with Discharge again helter-skelter (ita: in fretta e furia) "This is mine. You will never catch me alive or after!"

Squirtle paralyzed passed the walkie talkie to Oshawott "This is not over. Call the enforcements, time for the new recruits to get in action." Oshawott refused to continue at first but changed idea since it seemed that he sincerely believed in this story of the Hot Water Police and was so important for him "10-53. Here **Water Hot**. Suspect is on the lose! It's currently fleeing in a fridge. Color: Red! 10-14 is directing to the V-class. We suggest the use of 10-67 to stop the target at the checkpoint."

On the other side of the radio comunication Bagon commented "A 10-67 on a Levitation pokèmon? I think it can't work."

"I still wonder how was possible that they convinced me to take part in this ridiculousness, game for kids."

"Maybe to feel young again?" the dragon smirked at the penguin that reacted in disdain.

"This is not the truth! I don't need to feel young, I'm in the florescence of my years. Pfui. I'm taking part to this as a time-out activity from high society."

"Come on, just have fun." Bagon smiled "Squirtle is the funniest guy I ever met. If he organizes a game, it will be the best accurate. He already turned it into a cult, I love that guy."

"Hey! I'm still waiting for an answer." the voice of Oshawott rumbled the walkie talkie "Are you preparing the spike strip or no?!"

"Message received. Here agents **Not Water** and **Water Snot**-

"*Snoot.*..tsk."

"We decided to not settle the 10-67 but a Whirlpool to trap the suspect (idea of Piplup) and use Double Team to do the P.I.T manouver (idea of mine). Passo."

"Roger. **Hot Water** is getting medical help from Chimecho. Therefore I continue the pursuit alone, the suspect is not visible at the moment."

"Received. Maybe he changed form or... Suspect spotted!" Lester sighed and escaped in the vent "The suspect is using the ventilation tubes for the flee. We're on the pursuit." Bagon climbed up to enter in the A/C system of plumbery. For the first time we realize there are many vent spots at contemporary for the Confessional! Piplup refused to do the same, however. "I'm alone too, now. Rotom is too fast for me and I lost visual contact in this labyrinth, but I still hear. It's here.Somewhere around."

"NO, I found it!" Oshawott shouted at the end of the receiver "I have it, prisoner in custody. Click." Then Oshawott looked better. "ANORITH? NOOOOOOOO!"

"Yes, I am. Then I am the one who overaged? You should put on glasses instead of sunglasses! Two generations after mine. Absolutely embarassing."

"Phew, finally the police stopped to chase me." Lester merged from his misfit: Fan Form to simulate the air conditioner fans. It worked but had messed up his look and he had to return Frost immediately, and tide up. "I'm in extreme late but yes, we can still manage it! La-possiamo-lestire." The red fridge proceeded cautiously and suspicious, checking if anyone was on his tracks, but there was none behind him. Okay, better hurry now. He was really late! And when he finally reached the sliding doors...

"Lester! I was statistically certain to find you at the end of the course. This should have been the logic used by your chasers that wasted time to organize checkpoints in the middle instead to wait you at the final destination.exe. Already known I underline."

"Uh-oh Porygon 2?! Not now." it was the third last pokèmon he wanted to meet at the momentum: therefore the others were Metagross and Minun. Assumed a chill out attitude, a tad ice cold "So look who came back from the renegade. Really thank you 4 Y-Est-R-Day." Porygon tilted the neck down pecking the ground "E-xcuse me, Lester. I'm trying to upload my apology...100% completed. Since I returned to have mental processors instead of mental processes."
Lester frantically replied "I have no time at the time. Listen, maybe next time..."

"But I want to explain my reasons! Please. Porygon 2 sent a request of confirm: accept? Yes/No. Pick the yes button, plz." the other sighed and selected "I tasted freedom from codes for the first time and it was too amazing to feel free to express myself like every other pokèmon that I didn't want to stop! I experienced many E-motions at the same time and I lost the reason in replacement. Understand me, I couldn't waste the opportunity on a challenge that imposed me to return to think by commands: when else I can feel like my quirky friend again? I wanted to be like Lester, enjoy the quirkness of life!" While Porygon 2 said these things Lester was almost moved "Is my assumption wrong?"
"Absolutely no! You HAD to exploit the quirky situation! And you did it epically, in my opinion."

"But I costed the challenge and also other consequences."

"Naah. I mean, you did it, but if I costed the sanity of my teammates plenty of times, you can be apologised for a single one only, ah ah ah!" Lester dismissed with a smile as usual.
"*A single one only, right*...About this maybe..BTW Really thank you!" Porygon 2 embraced Lester, or at least attempted but his Normal type didn't touch Lester "Oh? I acted spontaneously. It's an odd feeling."

"It's a quirky feeling! Wow, Pory, you really shocked me." he had no idea that the next phrase would have been more shocking. "But my most important discovery yesterday was the L.O.V.E. emotion. I collected ton of datas, want to see?" Lester hesitated "Ehh. . . Now now now?" and Porygon 2 understood "Nevermind. Actually I have another thing I want to ask: help me fall in love." Lester's temperature raised from -5° to +51° for the shock, melting down the same refrigerator.

"(This is a quirkness I was not prepared for indeed and by the way.)"

At the same time the speaker rebounded the announcement: "Lester Rotom is expected to be in the V-Class **right now.** If he doesn't that before immediately, he will get an immediate VICTIMIZATION. Thank you for the listening." Vulpix closed the communication.

"Aargh! The tie? The suitcase? The diary? The glasses?! I have all! Vrrroom!" then Lester dashed through the sliding doors abandoning Porygon 2 to his hopeless request.

However, the polygon reacted "I should have known that! I have to develop my E-motions solo. I have only to apply the datas I collected yesterday. First I have to get E-motional, like Jirachi did, but I'm alone and I need a second pokèmon to trigger me, Jirachi had Shaymin, I have none." A shadow of discouragement dubbed him down but he raised up the neck soon after "I have to reconsider, reconfigure and realaborate everything. If I need someone else to get emotional then I can't fall in love if don't have anyone to trigger me; switching point of view I can get emotional again only if I fall in love because of someone. Therefore comparing the two statements formulated: I need to seek for someone. I will focus on the most available first."

Porygon 2 waited with determination for the doors to open. He was certain to be following the right method but still didn't feel anything "I wish to get E-motionally again, I want to fall in love for someone!  But who? ....."

After a long wait that Porygon counted perfectly but seemed ten times slower for unknown reasons the girls opened the doors and he forgot immediately the scientific method. She appeared, a circle of perfection with two simmetrical eyes and a beak at the centre. Walked in the hallway bragging a real water gun with majestical attitude and shot him in the heart:

"Bip-thump- Bip-thump Bip-thump. My CPU is overheating for the struggle. This is it? This is it? I AM Finally in L.O.V.E:

L = Like your

O= Overwhelming

V= Voluptuous

E= "

"Eek! How dare you approach in this creepy poise at me?"

"No, E doesn't stay for Eek. It stays for Edge. Your edges are so perfectly round, Piplup, your head especially is a mathematic circle."

"Aww, you two look like two lovebirds."

"Shut up, Oshawott."

"Actually I'm an origami bird and she's a penguin bird: 100% statistically lovebirds."

"I have blue blood in my veins, he has blue screens at best! No way I'll date an Internet freak, E.V.E.R."

"I don't understand why I fall in love for you in first instance since I always looked and scanned and analyzed you without feeling any E-motions. But it's a discovery we can do together." He was in TILT already and was still talking like...an Internet freak. Yet he couldn't act differently, the panic raised however and this encouraged him back: at least he was feeling an E-motion fair and square and out of logic like emotions are. Meanwhile Piplup squared him as an alien and crossed the arms looking as if she was a crossbones skull with that shapes. Porygon 2 was disconnected directly from reality as of now and started his speech elaborated from Jirachi's "Stars are pure masses of elements fused in a millennial energy whose light reflects on our planet for millions of years, but they have dark zones where the light is never produced and..."

Had enough. "This is inappropriate, nonsense and confusing! Dare to talk me again when you will be able, if you, to do a proper speech and not act as an Internet freak." Piplup made a perfect U.U face and left turning back.

// "Bip...pip...bip...pip. I will download her heart in my RAM eventually." //

### Trial I: The Giratina Gate

"Folding one arm and raising the other Lester entered in the room "***Objection, ah!***"

Victini, folded arms in the chest, gave a strange glance at the ghost "*What the heck he came up with? Oh, Reshiram, give me the vim here.*" A fridge dressed like a lawyer. Victini thought that would have taken forever already. Resigned, resumed a serious expression and looked at the two contestants from top to bottom: "I will be short. I talked to Jirachi first of all, and he told me everything about the stipulation of the addictive penalty for the loser player."

"Here! About this.." Lester began to unfold his documents "I prepared a detailed dossier on this I nicknamed: the Giratina Gate. In defense of mine and my teams's rights. *Prepare for a long prologue*." Cleared his voice first of all "Where to begin? There were so many irregularities that happened during the challenge and Jirachi was unaware of them being off the sight. The victory of the Jirachi Jigglers in first instance, a glitch caused an unfair extra life for a contestant (suppose Ninjask) and not enough, Lucario even joined to the final fight! Is that the way you want a contestant to win your tour eventually, Victini? Cheating? Recurring to sheer luck and coincidence?"

Victini shook the head but remained impassible. Sincerely it wasn't the heat reaction expected by the lawyer. Continued "I guess the answer is negative. Therefore we should have been the winners in a fair hypothetic scenery."

"There was Anorith, too." Beheeyem talked for the first time. It was enough to make Lester already uncertain "Therefore we had, or better, would have had an equal situation of win-win. Am I right, lawyer?"

"N-...Not exactly! That's where I wanted to arrive. At this point, I can provide three reasons that prove that it couldn't have been considered a spare, both for victory or defeat, ever." Lester breathed "**1**) Let's return to the fair hypothetic scenery. If Lucario didn't win I should have because of the number of lives left: Beheeyem remained with only Anorith while I had Lampent and still 4 lives of Porygon 2 for a total of 5-1. So, if I didn't win in the real scenery I should have least been considered the second player in ranking, and Beheeyem the last placed." He waited for Beeheyem to reply but was Jirachi surprisingly "Duuuuh, I told you that I would have not considered Porygon 2's progresses in the game legit. I was utterly clear about it. Your attempt to blame your worst choice on me is pathetic: you chose to give 4 lives to your player, you wasted them by that time." Beheeyem shrugged in agree. "Ah, so I had lost all the 4 extra lives immediately after Porygon... By the way, Porygon 2 is not the focus of my other reasons! This was just the warming."

Victini nommed a macarone apathetically, closed eyes and took a long breath. Lester's temperature raised slowly to the melting point...

"Ahem, second reason now. **2)** We abandon the hypothetic and return to the unfair reality of us. Given that Lucario was the winner, and he won by the rules of Giratina's World, the same player was considered part of the game and his own life counted in the global amount of lives. I was still standing when the game was over, while Beheeyem wasn't!!!" Exhibited extreme confidence with a spin "Beheeyem was killed even before his last character Anorith! Two reasons in a single one why Beheeyem and the Venturers are the only losers: if we consider Lucario's victory fairly executed, then I'm the sole survivor player for my own team, if we consider the opposite, then Anorith didn't play by the rules as Beheeyem wasn't controlling him anymore. See? Fair hypothesis or unfair reality, I'm always right."

Beheeyem snickered  "Do you think that we didn't realize that your controller was broken. Lampent is a decent player and actress, however. But your vocal orders failed to foil, me at least. Therefore, you two played breaking rules way before Anorith's initiative. You're forced to turn back on your reason if you don't want it backlashes on you. Sorry, Lester."

No. Lester couldn't believe that his plan was retorcing on himself. He quickly skipped further "Then, the next will be the final proof B-BY THE WAY. **3)** Assuming that we all broke rules but Giratina said there were no rules at all in his dimension, to determine who was the loser we have to reconstruct the last seconds of the challenge. That's why I call up the witnesses: Anorith, Lucario, Ninjask, and Giratina. Ehm, actually the latter was impossible."

"Interesting, and Lampent?"

"Ek. K. k. Aghostina...Lampent...by the way don't you think that she would tell lies in my interest? I mean, I can't interrogate a witness that is already on my side." smirked nervously at the alien "Simple logic, no?"

"I'm curious to see how far you can go to save your cause, therefore I agree." Beheeyem looked at Victini that seemed absent-minded about, Jirachi was asleep. "I'm ready."

"Perfect! Everyone agreed that Lampent has not to be here."

Lucario raised an arm "I didn't agree anything and I HAVE NOT to be here. And leave immediately after. (Slamming the doors).

Lester overreacted at this "You're a coward, you are afraid that I prove you didn't win fairly?! I already did for your information! And by the way I ship ***Squirmecho*** than ***Chimario*** because is less platitudinous!!!" until he gained back a little of composure "Brrr, I hope he didn't hear me especially the last part. *He was already far afterall, at least two layouts of doors separated us already*." The sarcastic comment following didn't help "You haven't been blacklisted by enough pokemons, Lester. Keep going."

"Ah ah ah...ah! Beheeyem, want to do a quick confront of our respective lists of blacklists gained? I can think at Seviper, Minun, Lucario, Victini..."

"Mmmh, the sames of you, except Seviper, interesting. Nice idea you had."

"And tick off Victini. He doesn't hate me as I am one of the top 5 of this reality show. It's mostly my merit if this series is very very very interesting and unpredictable.I'm the mascot, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*

"It's a bit that I don't eliminate a potential top player, since ,\*veil of sadness\*, Sylveon." Victini drew a line and Lester's ego deflated immediately. "By the way I think that Squirtle is actually the true mascot of the series. I mean, Hot Police, sprinkle, signature talking, non sense catch phrases, he has it all for the role! (GLOM). Could we please move on? So, the last seconds of the challenge: what happened exactly? What was the development of the ending? I was guiding Lampent inside the mouth of Giratina (ihihih) in order to force the monster to keep it open, and take the Griseous Orb for the victory when a Shadow Ball hit out of nowhere, under Lucario's order. Ninjask's Shadow Ball!"

"It was the legit attack of a foe." Ninjask said firmly "There can't be controversy in this, focus on else. Like predict the offensive of the enemy next time."

"In fact, my point is another. The condition of victory was: the team who takes the Orb first is the winner. Then, who picked it first? If Ninjask used Shadow Ball, a distant move, and ***can't be in two places at contemporary,*** this automatically excludes that he could be near the target at that moment...when...Lampent forced into the mouth and...this means that Lampent was the closest to achieve the true victory condition of the game. She and none else."

Beheeyem raised the arm in tranquillity "I think that Anorith has something interesting to object about."

"I clenched the orb first!" Anorith didn't waste a second.

"Ah, Anorith.. I call Anorith for the controinterrogatory!" Lester pointed the right lightning at him, with majesticness "CONTROINTERROGATORY. Anorith, describe what happened by your point of view. In details."

"I clenched the orb, here. Klack. Then a ghostly sphere appeared in front of me and I finished down the throat. After this nothing I remember anymore." crossed claws. "I should have been the winner eventually."

Lester didn't like it at all, replied overheating  "No no no. I said details. What was your last position? And where was the Griseous orb instead? I know where Lampent was because I saw her with my eyes: she was at the right side of the mouth (left for the viewers) and the orb was next to her. How was it possible that you reached it first? Eh?!" He went straight eyes on eyes with the anomalocaris "Another glitch? An invisible wormhole? Or would like to describe everything in detail? By the way...O\_0....you're strabic, right? I'm in struggle following your eyes."

"It's fish sight mine, idiot!" Anorith in a whole was a struggle for Lester... He exchanged a nod with Beheeyem continuing  "What do you want I tell you anyway? When I realized where was the orb, I climbed down the rod (il brutto muso) immediately, entered in the mouth, saw the orb right in front of my eyes, and klack: I snatched it with my almighty clench."

"Uhm, so the orb was in front of you. And Lampent?"

"I didn't care. Simply my eyes on the target." Ninjask nodded simultaneously "I would have done the same."

"Okay, immediately after?"

"Then I lifted up the orb ready to celebrate a victory that didn't appear on the screen or whatever, and I was hit by this Shadow Ball! Game over. How unfair. Victini should give me an immunity in reward! Instead here we are. Again fending for my careless team, bunch of losers." Victini felt his name called in cause and was quick to reply at the contestant "You're a sore loser, that's why you're never a winner for me. Furthermore, it seems that no matter your struggles, winning is just not for you for whatever reason. You're only scraping the podium with those pincers so far, and I'm tired to polish it everytime after." The message sent to Anorith was like a death sentence.

"Wow...By the way, lest continue. After the Shadow Ball?"

"Wow, Lester, reckless.." congratulated Beheeyem. "*Not even the time to metabolize that he's condemned in this reality.Afterall, who cares for feelings here?***"**

"Eh.. oh..okay. Just I have ton of things to say and I don't want to forget any detail in the process." Lester ashamed a little "Coffee break! I offer ice cream cups of coffee to everyone."

The trial continued with Lester renewing the question "What happened to the orb when the Shadow Ball hit you?"

"Urgh, the Shadow Ball hit me right on the mouth and I heeled over trying to keep the clench on the orb and clench the throat (qui vuol dire ugola) but it slipped away and I saw it going down with me. This is the end of the history. Clear?!? I proved I am the moral winner, at least."

"Ahahahahah! Moral winner aka second place? I'll prove the opposite." Lester had collected enough elements to end the interrogatory. "And finish. Anorith, really thank you. I could finally complete the map of the events: ta-dah!"

Lester opened up the sliding closet of the cooler showing his artwork: an ice cream cake that illustrated the reconstruction of the controversial ending! Everyone was genuinely astonished and Lester hoped to exploit the reaction the most he could. "As you can see I pictured everything basing on my own memory and the witnesses collected during the trial. The most controversial detail is Anorith's position. Mr. Anorith described three different situations at contemporary and, in fact, it made impossible to determine only one so I traited all of them." Victini didn't listen a single word as he stared at the "cake" vague *"I haven't the vaguest idea how this can be possible, this pokèmon is overwhelming even me.*" Murmured. Lester continued undaunted: "The three Anorith I drew are respectively related to three sentences in this order:

-1)Middle Anorith: "When I realized where was the orb, I climbed down the rod (il brutto muso) immediately, entered in the mouth, saw the orb right in front of my eyes, and klack: I snatched it with my almighty clench."

-2)Bottom Anorith: "Then I lifted up the orb ready to celebrate a victory that didn't appear on the screen or whatever, a ghostly sphere appeared in front of me and I was hit by this Shadow Ball!"

-3)Top Anorith: "Urgh, the Shadow Ball hit me right on the mouth and I heeled over trying to keep the clench on the orb and clench the throat (qui vuol dire ugola) but it slipped away and I saw it going down with me."

Beheeyem had nothing to say while Anorith "I confirm everything and I can't see any incongruence, they are three different moments of my situation yesterday, fair and square."

"Oh yes, they are! Scrambled. Meshed. Mixed."

"Eh??"

"You blended reality and invention and not enough, you narrated in disorder. But an huge incongruence betrayed your plans, Beheeyem."

"My plans?" the alien shrugged. "An interesting theory, but he's spoken by himself. Otherwise he would have not made supposed mistakes."

Lester ignored him and revolved to the camera "I speak to the same readers and occasional viewers and loyal fans now: **FIRST RIDDLE: WHAT'S THE ELEMENT IN THE PICTURE THAT MAKES THE INCONGRUENCE IN ANORITH'S VERSION OF THE FACTS?** Think about it meanwhile I continue the explanation. Lest break 4th wall epically, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*"

By the way, he revolved back to them soon after "I will make the original events before they passed in the blending machine, kay? Rrrrrv. (Sound of a blender working at contrary) Bling!" Victini facepalmed at this scene and prayed Arceus once more. "Voilà:

-1) Top Anorith: "When I realized where was the orb, I climbed down the rod (il brutto muso) immediately, entered in the mouth, I heeled over trying to clench the throat (attaccarmi all'ugola), saw the orb right in front of my eyes."

-2) Middle Anorith: "But it slipped away and a ghostly sphere appeared in front of me and lifted up the orb ready to celebrate a victory that didn't appear on the screen. And klack: I snatched it (qui snatch diventa sottrarre) with my almighty clench."

-3) Bottom Anorith: "I was hit by this Shadow Ball! Urgh, the Shadow Ball hit me right on the mouth and I saw it going down with me." Wrong! This is FAKE always because Lucario found the orb still inside the mouth of the monster, not the throat or the belly, on the tounge. Then it was the ghostly sphere that he saw going down with him, the same ghostly sphere that lifted up the orb in triumph before him (and Lucario btw) and the ghostly sphere that isn't the Shadow Ball but Lampent! Therefore Lampent was the first pokèmon to get hands on the orb! Anorith lied on the truth in this way."  "Objection!" Anorith tried "Rejected. Because....

    This!" Lester made a circle with the berry syrup  "Anorith has fish sight, that means he can see things only on the sides. Right?"

"I'm looking at you just right now!"

"Only if I stay 3/4 from you. That's what you pose to do always. And this is why you are never afraid to face opponents: you never see them eyes on eyes but you make everyone thinks so. Especially with Seviper!"

"Argh! This is not the secret of my almighty courage, at all!" Anorith quivered and unable to stand that anymore jolted on the fridge pinching him by the cheeks "Do you still think I'm not looking in your eyes?! I have guts to face Seviper on a regular basis and I'm bold to anger always the ones bigger than me. Stop this joke now and admit you're inventing everything!"

"Ahahahahauch! If you saw the orb it could be only at your sides, but that would mean that it was either in the throat or outside the mouth, and that is impossible. If the orb was in front of you you would have not seen it, if you saw it at one side and saw Lampent, too, then Lampent was between you and the orb and you touched it after her! Therefore... We Leviathans are the legit second placed players, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*"

"Noo!"

"Victini? I proved that you can't give me or my team any penalty for arriving last!"

"Looks like Anorith lost again for the Victini Venturers." Victini gave a pity glance at the member of the Venturers, then focused on Beheeyem "Alright, I give Beheeyem the permanent penalty, but I'm not finished with you, Lester." The host pointed the exit door to the other contestants that left promptly. The shiny Rotom lost his grin all of sudden. "Actually I called you for a short information: you are eliminated."

Lester's temperature raised to the meltdown point "W-w-what the quirk-k-k?"

Victini abandoned the indifference kept until now and flared on "I discovered about your violation of the V-Room! You violated the personal space of the legendary of victory and the main rule on this plane."

"How did you discover...Ahahahah!...I mean this is really a quirky scenery I admit but how did you think about it?"

"I have a Confessional recorded of you." Victini showed the clip from episode 10 that had caused his choke.

"I say ton of quirkness. Since then you go after me? Ah ah ah!" the fridge trembled making a scrap metal noise.

"And the shades you are wearing for the occasion are V shaped being mine." burned. "Ops. When I decided my wardrobe I utterly forgot where those fantastic glasses came from. Hehehehe rattle rattle." Lester's pupills shrank seeing Victini say "I should turn you into a snowball with a V-Create for this!" but he had one last card in the pocket: the diary. "Ah! You think to have the best weapon? Look at this! The diary of Aghostina."

"VVait a second, is that the diary of my Lampent?" Victini lighted off the V-Create stopping in front of it "You know her name. How did you find it..."

"Zzz. What happened? Yawn, I fell asleep because things were getting too long." Jirachi squinted eyes as the first thing he was seeing was the diary "I must still dreaming. ...Deh Victini! Don't..uhm. What are you waiting for the disqualification of this contestant?"

Lester stepped back forbidding them to get hands on the diary "No. No. This diary for the immunity, or nothing. I discovered looooot of secrets about it that I can use against you. Ah! Ah! I'm untouchable now." he hoped so by the way.

"Are you really blackmailing us with the diary of my stepdaughter?!!"

"Exactly, ah! Mine it's a war from the beginning to the end here: against Metagross, against Minun, I never surrend. So, do you want to listen what I discovered? Because I have soooo much to say! I spent an entire episode collecting all the clues and solving the riddles behind IT. I KNOW THE TRUTH NOW." He let out a maniacal laughter. "Ahem. Lest get started."

### Trial II: The Diary of Aghostina

"Let me tell you a story, the true story, of a girl called Aghostina once a human, then a Lampent." Opened the diary starting the lecture "And her best friend Darkrai, once a friend, then her damnation. Starting from this diary that is divided in two halves, her life and her death. Ready?" Lester took a long breath reminding the sensation proved the last time "I didn't spend a day fixing it from crumbles for nothing, afterall."*Title: My life diary. Day 1: Today was another sad of my average, no wonder they call me Ghastly then at school. My white, open-lucid skin is so thin that every words of them literally hurts me, give me cuts. I wish they cut my life directly one day. If they manage to wound my skin why they cannot end me directly yet? I'm tired to suffer."* Lester felt that sudden sadness again but continued " *They hate me at all. Because I come from a noble family, maybe. If they only would know the truth behind: my noble family is invisible to me. They don't love me, they show no emotions for me, they're just pictures of upperclass that wanted me only to continue the tree of the family album. No wonder I'm montionless myself, you can't have emotions if you're not raised to use them ever. Instead I was given rules, many rules, codes of mannerism and gentlemanry, dressing certain outfits and imprisoning my soul in a dainty look and room. It's all dainty here, perfection is everywhere except inside me and out of the windows: the moon is not a perfect round disc of light, it has craters and a shadow. No shadow is accepted here, I'm forced to be exactly what I'm forced to look. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WHITE FOR MY FAMILY. I wish for the day it will be finally all black. I want darkness. I feel happy only when I sleep and I see Darkrai, you, my lonely friend."*

"Enough, Lester. How dare you read the diary of my daughter?"

Lester remained cold "I read until Jirachi said me: I arrived at this page when he suggested me to switch to the opposite half."

Victini turned immediately to Jirachi "It was your idea? Explain me!" that answered "Duuh it was for the challenge only! I wished to give a drama touch but just that, soon after I would have assured that..." and progressively reduced to silence. "I should have never trusted your twisted mind again. This is my main mistake in our friendship, since then! Now, give me that diary, Lester. I lost the patience."

"This time I decided to continue where I had been interrupted. "*Day 2: I woke up after a nightmare. Thank you, Darkrai. Your nightmare helped me so much today in the real nightmare that is my life, as I suffered a lesser pain inside and outside compared to yours. That kid that always wins and smugs his victories in front of my pitiful persona meanwhile I'm losing in everything didn't hurt me as usual, I felt it slipping like wax, still burned but I habited immediately and the pain disappeared eventually. Still I'm envious of him. What's wrong with me? Why he seems kissed by the victory while I lose, lose, lose?!! Only because I'm not happy, I'm not perfect, I'm not normal as society canons??? That's why I'm rejected from the world itself. I don't acquaint to it. And it punishes me for this, yes. Give me more nightmares tonight, Darkrai, I need to suffer way more and I trust you can do it, Darkrai, my lonely friend. Day 3: I woke up in the middle of the night full of tears, and you wasn't there with me. I didn't have a worse nightmare before, at least if I remember. It seemed real. I'm still trembling and shivering on the floor with convulsions while I'm writing...I feel weak...sick... Maybe I'll stay home today. Day 4: My family discovered about my defection from school, the perfection was broken forever. In their eyes I'm a stain, a black spot of ink dripping on the family tree. I'm strange, imperfect, dirt blood pouring and contaminating a dynasty, and they noticed I'm insane after you, Darkrai, my lonely friend. I'm obsessed with you! The only thing I want to do when I wake up is wait for the following nightmare, this because my life is nightmare now, I live only for suffer and pain of the nightmares. I enjoy this darkness, it makes me feel somewhat protected from the world outside, a shield over my skin has formed: there's too much darkness around me to wound me. It's midnight already? Then it's your turn. I...close...eyes...and..w-wait...I guess. \*Shrug\*."*

*"*You're just reading the private diary of a pokèmon, for nothing. There's no point in your defense, doolid."

"Wait for the following pages... *Day 5: I went back to school. Happened the unexpected. The winner talked with the loser. That perfect guy told me he had missed my presence and had understood that he liked me, then he gave me this...present I think...this doll resembling his favorite pokèmon. I smiled and accepted it and I will keep it on my desk by now but beside that, I felt nothing to be honest. He hugged me, even the others seemed friendly with me today but I didn't care, I don't want their consideration anymore. I wish to see you only, Darkrai, and not your shadow. If I could see you before I sleep and not your shadow on my face, I would be very very very happy. But if you don't, nevermind.. Day Unknown because who cares: I wish to die and burn everything."* Victini struggled inside with the desire to burn everything, and outside his body foreshadowed dark thoughts. Lester paused "The rest of the pages are white and scorched by the way. This ends the **my life diary**. Now to the other half, the **my death** **diary**. The most important that will also be the real beginning of my trial."

Flipped the book.

"*Title: My death diary. Night 1 : Today was...scorch...more scorches...'* *My dark, open lucid skin is so thick that every words of them literally slips on me, give me nothing. I cut my life directly yesterday. If they cannot manage to wound my skin anymore how they could end me directly now? I stopped to suffer. They still hate me at all at the county. Because I come from a cursed family. They learned the truth eventually when I burned down all those pictures of upperclass cutting the tree of my family forever.**No wonder I'm montionless myself, you can't have emotions if you're not raised to use them ever."*

'*"It was all dainty here, now it's all ashed and messed. Only shadow is accepted here, everything it's black thanks to you. I did it what you suggested me. So where are you now? You disappeared. I feel happy now when I wake and I don't see you, Darkrai, so let me thank you for the last time for having existed only in my somber mind. I'm alone in the darkness now like I wanted. I should be happy but I'm motionless so \*shrug\*"* The next pages were blank like the first part. Lester had a flashback of Lampent's reaction exactly after he had finished to read until this part, her wax tears...what he was doing? "B-By the way. I-I will now show you all the incongruences and hidden clues that brought me to s-supect ehm that this diary was not written entirely by Aghostina. \*Suspence\* Maybe it was a four hands writing with Darkrai? Certainly it was written before, during and after the death. We assumed that she killed herself the same day she finished to write the life part but what was the right order of the events?" Lester felt back firmness and renewed will to continue, he couldn't turn back now "The victim stabbed herself, wrote on her diary, burned her house and family down, stabbed the family tree picture and album, hid the album in the library, put the diary back to its secret place so none could found it, and was found dead in the library. This is an impossible scenery. I'm an expert of impossibilities, and I know what I'm talking about when I say so: Porygon 2 relieved that the girl stabbed right in the middle of the chest. With the same knife used to cut the genealogic tree picture and stab the family album, but look at the plant of the Quirky House! The library is here and the genealogic tree is not in the room, it's away from it. So Aghostina should have run back and forward to do everything described in the diary while she was EHM dying. Furthermore impossible considering the original position of the diary, eh Jirachi?"

"It was Lampent that found it, ask her where." Jirachi shrugged and smirked "I limited to exploit the occasion."

"Eh no. Jirachi, you found it on purpose. It was in the first room you teleported. According to the testify of the witnesses (Minun, Anorith), it was the bedroom, ah! Where Aghostina used to sleep soon after having written a new page of her diary, then put it away. Therefore, there's something scrambl

    ed in the narration of this diary. **WHERE LAMPENT ENDED HER LIFE EVENTUALLY and WHERE IS INSTEAD HER DIARY SOON AFTER?** Here lies the second mystery!"

Another pause, Lester opened itself and drank some melos berry juice.

"Surp. I was saying? Ah! The only possible order of the events is: Aghostina wrote on her diary as usual, left it on the desk, started off the fire, picked the family album and stabbed it with anger on her chest, then "cut" the family tree, and died. At the end the house burned down. Et voilà, solved. Except for the **location of the body and the diary**, they are in two different parts of the hou

    se nowadays but if none of the family survived and the Quirky House was abandoned all this time..."

"Okay, I waited enough. I return to sleep. Wake up when you decide to victimize this contestant."

"I call Jirachi and Victini for the evidence!" he pointed the lightnings at the two legendaries.

"Zzz. Woah! Are you crazy?"

"e-V-dence of what? You crossed the line already!"

"Afterall you were the first and only to know Aghostina when she became Lampent. Right?" Lester was insanely conscious of what he was doing, right? "Jirachi knew where the diary had been since then and you recognized the diary immediately, Victini. That makes you the main suspects."

"..."

Shivers, all over. And melting pot at the contemporary, Lester found the last bit of courage "Then I want to know the circumstances that made you adopt Lampent!"

"If that's your last wish..." Jirachi agreed.

"S-So?"

"We were roaming around Unova when it happened. A firestorm envelopped this royal house in the heat of the night, the neighbours fleed while the inhabitants burned together the house. Duhnque, someone had to stop the fire from threatening the rest of the town and Victini was the only legendary able to control it."

"I absorbed the fire outside in my V-Create in first place, then I enter through a window to discover the source of the fire and immediately thought it was arson. It appeared that it originated from the library room and when I managed to enter breaking down a giant shelf I found the corpse of a girl, a diary open on the page where she announced her imminent suicide and a broken oil lamp over the desk, that was the source I was looking for. When I finished there I heard a sighing and noticed a little sparkle that could have litten a new fire, I checked and found a living lantern mazed and confused, sobbing in her solitude: that candle was Lampent! I was certain she was the reincarnation of the poor girl but she had lost any memory about and I was so moved by her story that I decided to adopt her under my Nike wings! Be her new family but...you ruined everything. She should have not known her past! You Lestard. And Jirachi, you too."

"Fine, I deserve it." the J-Co-Host shifted eyes on Lester with hatre "Are you ready to rid off this disaster once for all? I've already expressed the Doom Desire."

"N-Not yet! I have not finished. You didn't explain why the diary was moved in the bedroom, why the corpse was moved under a shelf, why the knife was removed from the chest and put in another book? Too many things don't seem right to me." Lester abandoned any restrain "Do you want to know my theory? You are behind all. You entered in the life of Lampent way before her death as the diary talk about an unknown class mate that seemed the portray of a certain legendary of victory, and guess what was the doll he gifted her? A Victini plushie! I found a carbonized one in your V-Room, coincidence?" He exhibited the new proof  "Under it there's still written: *for Aghostina*."

"That should have been a gift for her in the X-mas vee but she didn't appreciate it and burned it. Any other proof?!" the heat was escalating inside and outside the fridge "And I have all the right to pick a mortal and give it the stream of victory for a period, I was actually giving that guy my protection but this doesn't mean anything with the tragic story of my stepdaughter." He was right unfortunately for Lester.

But Lester knew the truth, and if he didn't have the final proof written in the diary it was in the speech: *It appeared that it originated from the library room and when I managed to enter breaking down a giant shelf I found the corpse of a girl, a diary open on the page where she announced her imminent suicide and **a broken oil lamp over the desk**, that was the source I was looking for*. "Why the diary survived if you said that the fire really started from the oil lamp poured on the desk? It should have been the fir

    st thing burned down! Along with the corpse of Aghostina and the entire library! And last but not least if Lampent had lost memory of everything how she wrote the "my death diary" part saying to have burned all those pictures of upperclass and the rest? There's where your lies die. Aghostina was already dead and wasn't in the library when the fire was started, otherwise you would have found only ash in that library and never discovered the identity of her and her story. Victini, Jirachi...
**The corpse was in the living in front of the genealogic tree and you were in the house before the fire started, ah! \*EPIC OBJECTION\***"

Jirachi: "Dddoliddd."

Victini: "Ahhh! This is impossible."

Lester: "I can't wait to hear the true story!"

Victini sighed after the astonishment "This is the first defeat in my life. You must be really impossible to achieve making me say you v-v-vvin. You deserve to know the entire story but in exchange you'll never tell anyone or you will regret it for the rest of your eternal afterlife of ghost." Lester let out a squeal of joy then returned "serious" and did a solemn promise but he barely could restrain the eagerness for the curiosity and the deed he had just done. Jirachi stayed silent instead waiting for his ***Doom Desire*** to be realized.

### Trial III: The Ballad of Darkrai and Lampent

"We were young (ah, youngster) legendaries at the beginning of their adventure around the world, an adVenture with capital V full of fun and adrenaline. This is the only thing we cared for, especially Jirachi, he was a bit different than now. Jirachi was a neverending supply of energy that didn't want to waste a second on sleep and he was more a troublemaker than a wishmaker. He then changed at all after **that**." He looked at Jirachi  "I didn't know yet that victory was the most important mission of my life, I thought only at pranking mortals with Jirachi: I made people think to become invincible all of sudden and then dropped them at the best timing, with very funny consequences. Jirachi offered free wishes enjoying to twist their interpretations on his own entertaining. He was very creative and addicted in doing it." How much Lester knew it already for personal experience! The ghost fridge rolled eyes. "After a bit of this living I started to feel the routine and the need to change something. We had done nothing to be remembered as legendary."

Victini: "Ji, I don't know you but I feel like we're wasting our potential here. Shouldn't we have unique powers like the other legendaries? We have done nothing legendary so far."

Jirachi: "Duh, legendary? What do you mean."

Victini: "I mean, do you think about Ho-Ho, Rayquaza, Giratina and the other legendaries we studied? They're all narrated in the books for the things they did in neverending stories written on them. What will be written on us? We are legendaries for doing nothing? Who could consider legendaries two little pranksters even in a folk."

Jirachi: "I'm bored, Vi! We talked enough. I wish to do something bigger by lot of time. But in the meanwhile... I continue my routine, don't know about you. When are you going to drop your next victim to his losing destiny? Dolid. Anyway I read the last wish ticket I received."

Victini: "Very thank you, Jirachi, I feel my certainties back....no. Nevermind, I think I'll stick with the guy for a bit, maybe, something new will happen."

Jirachi: "*I wish for a ray of dark in my white life*. Du-uuuuh! Vi, Vi, Vi! Read, this is golden. Can you think at what I'm thinking about? A ray of dark. A dark ray. This will be the twisted wish of the year."

"A Dark**rai**. That was the idea. Jirachi this time wanted to turn the wish of his next victim in a nightmare. I helped him with the realization. The identity of the victim was of Aghostina McLure, a strange girl that was classmate of the boy under my V-Waves at the moment. She came from a rich dynasty, so apparently a born winner, and lived in a giant mansion away from the rest of the town, in the middle of the desert. It was the perfect settlement for a prank of legendary proportions and I admit the only idea excited me: finally! Finally something more elaborated and challenging for me. I thought. Ven (then)..."

Victini: "VVow. Everything is perfect in this place! Perfectly clean, perfectly illuminated, perfectly white. I can guess why this girl wished for a little of black in all this whiteness that's creepy."

Jirachi: "I'm here to realize the wish afterall, no? Jihihihih. Are you ready?" Then the Star Pokèmon attached a ticket on the front of the girl asleep and snapped a finger. "Open your eyes, Aghostina. I'm here."

"Mh?"

"No, you can't see me. But you summoned me and I came to you."

"I...summoned...you...when?"

"In your dreams and desires. Give me the hand, I'm going to bring you to the dark side of the moon," The white girl obeyed to the wishmaker, grabbed his hand, they directed to the window covered by curtains representing Cresselia the Goddess of Good Dreams, the curtains were promptly burned in ashes by the victory star and the plein face of the moon appeared. The moonlight was solid when Aghostina walked on it bare foot. The moon seemed very close now. "Don't worry, I'm here across and we're almost arrived."

"Okay, I'm confused but I like..." her shrug. It was her signature even back then. "This sensation a lot."

"You asked for a ray of dark, afterall."

The stars lighted off, the moon turned in a black disc barely visible. The two entered in it and Aghostina was immediately enveloped in the darkness that she thought to have closed her eyes unawarely at the beginning, She saw nothing than the color black. The dark side of the Moon was nothing as she imagined: it was nothing at all. Just darkness in the darkness. She didn't see her white self, white body anymore, finally. A little smile on the lips, then a complete other sensation. The voice of Jirachi interrupted her feelings "What do you think of the moon, actually?" The girl was shy at the answer "I'm anxious. Don't know why, I'm happy, but didn't expect it this way. I can't see even myself in this darkness so how I can see anything else around me and feel anything?" she was slowly closing in herself and was doing it with her body, kneeling and curling like shrinking "I-I would like to go back if you prefer."

"As your wish."

Aghostina was dropped in her white bed again. Her eyes didn't stand that whiteness and could barely keep them open: "From black to white, from white to black, how is it to see back?" Asked the voice, continuing "You asked for a ray of dark or a dark of ray, so stop to cry and look at the power of Darkrai!" Suddenly, a shadow profiled over the whiteness of the room, as Jirachi slendered his figure stretching to the shape of the nightmare pokemon, Victini used Searing Shot (Sparafuoco, l'altra sua mossa esclusiva assieme a Generatore V) pitching everything furniture, walls and clothes in the black of carbonization. Aghostina was scorchered as well for mistake but Jirachi didn't care "How is it with everything turning from white to black? Are you liking it now? I'm DARKRAI AND YOU SUMMONED ME WITH YOUR FATAL WISH, PREPARE TO ENTER IN THE DARKNESS FOREVER, MY NEW FRIEND."

The flames surrounded Aghostina reaching her face and hair, Victini thought this was enough and signed to Jirachi that ended "I WILL BURN TO BLACK EVERY PART OF YOUR LIFE!"

"No, no, noooo! Gasp." She woke up finally. "This dream was so realistic... Maybe..." She ticked off a singered hair from the front smiling "May...be.." Fell exhausted soon after.

Jirachi: "Pfff... Ahahahah perfect execution! But the reaction was not like I expected."

Victini: "I expected a more vivacious reaction as well. Anyway, we're done here. Let's go before her parents wake up."

Jirachi: "The reaction was poor and unsatisfying. I wonder why. Dumble Dumble..."

Victini: "Jirachi, hey, I found something. A book. I think I singed it for real, it's all black. Look what's written: *They hate me at all. Because I come from a noble family, maybe. If they only would know the truth behind: my noble family is invisible to me. They don't love me, they show no emotions for me, they're just pictures of upperclass that wanted me only to continue the tree of the family album. No wonder I'm montionless myself, you can't have emotions if you're not raised to use them ever. Instead I was given rules, many rules, codes of mannerism and gentlemanry, dressing certain outfits and imprisoning my soul in a dainty look and room. It's all dainty here, perfection is everywhere except inside me and out of the windows: the moon is not a perfect round disc of light, it has craters and a shadow. No shadow is accepted here, I'm forced to be exactly what I'm forced to look. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WHITE FOR MY FAMILY. I wish for the day it will be finally all black. I want darkness.*" How sad. Oh, so this is her diary. I should have not read it."

Jirachi: "On deee contrary, my friend. This is an interesting tile to the matter. I think I will sleep here tonight. Here."

Victini: "VVhat are you doing?!?"

Jirachi: "Yawn, this bed is very comfortable."

Victini: "You had to choose right this bed, right. Sleepin with the human girl, if you get discovered we will be in troubles. Of legendary dimensions."

Jirachi: "Dooby duby duuu prrrt. What's the problem? I can always wish back their memories."

Victini: "You know that your true wishes are often...in late. I'm still waiting for the V-Plane I asked you when I was V years little."

Jirachi: "And you'll get it eventually. Yawn, see you tomorrow."

Victini: "Oh, Ji, sometimes you're so vexing that...gnn...better I go."

The day after Aghostina went home from school and the first thing she did was going to the bedroom, cried out all the tears kept inside, picked the diary. She was not allowed to write in her perfect room as the ink could stain the furniture and had been already reproached for that stain of scorcher found on her blanket. Then went in the library carrying the old oil lamp: it was already dusk after a tear and another. Wrote. Put away everything and left before dinner. Jirachi had spied everything in the shadow. He was curious to see what she had written this time "*I woke up after a nightmare. Thank you, **Darkrai**. Your nightmare helped me so much today in the real nightmare that is my life, as I suffered a lesser pain inside and outside compared to yours. That kid that always wins and smugs his victories in front of my pitiful persona meanwhile I'm losing in everything didn't hurt me as usual, I felt it slipping like wax, still burned but I habited immediately and the pain disappeared eventually. Still I'm envious of him. What's wrong with me? Why he seems kissed by the victory while I lose, lose, lose?!! Only because I'm not happy, I'm not perfect, I'm not normal as society canons??? That's why I'm rejected from the world itself. I don't acquaint to it. And it punishes me for this, yes. Give me more nightmares tonight, Darkrai, I need to suffer way more and I trust you can do it, **Darkrai, my lonely friend**.* I wish for Victini to appear!"

Victini: "VVhat's up, now? ....Darkrai, my lonely friend? She liked it. Are you kidding me?"

Jirachi: "I can't believe that, too. She believed my words literally: I'm DARKRAI AND YOU SUMMONED ME WITH YOUR FATAL WISH, PREPARE TO ENTER IN THE DARKNESS FOREVER, MY NEW FRIEND. Friend. Friendship with a Darkrai, who would wish for that?"

Victini: "Only a loser. And this girl is. My protect, on the contrary, is just a jerk also than a winner according to her, didn't realize..."

Jirachi: "Vi, what if...this is the big thing we were looking for? How would be if we have written a page of a story. A story written and created by us. Think about it: how many legendaries we know that became famous for a tale? Almost all! This diary could become the book of our legend in the next future. *The Ballad of Darkrai' **and the lantern girl*****. Aghostina will be the pen that will write our deed for the memory! Plus it was very funny last night and we gave her the first friend of her life, so there would be only winners in this story for your joy. Da-dan! I am a genius."**

Victini: "VVOVV. A four hand writing of our same legend...I lovve it with double V!"

Then Victini sighed in ashame "And I accepted the purpose of Jirachi. It seemed so vivid then."

Lester was astonished at this point "Really? You ruined the life of her for a prank that Jirachi wanted to twist in the plot of a legendary novel, this is the most convoluted idea ever listened! How could some pokemon be this insane, this unsensible, this twisted, oportunist, no words are enough to describe...! To abuse the feelings of another pokemon secretly contained in a diary." He felt then thick heart "Ah! By the way, continue."

"We agreed and prepared a new nightmare for the following night with accuracy and so on. We both added progressively new elements: the obnoxious boy under my V-Wheels, I made him progressively the most despicable possible so she could enjoy the nightmares better...and Jirachi increased the illusion of Darkrai's existence in the life of Aghostina turning everything of her in black, black clotheries, black books, black.."

"I'm black dabudi dabuda dabudii dabuda... Ahem, by the way, continue. Continue, eh! So this excalated quickly in Day 3." Lester assumed back serious demenaour.

Victini glared at the ghost, then "The third night...ah...the theme of the nightmare was her family. The thing she seemed to hate the most and wish the most to turn from white to black. Jirachi assumed her words to be a wish as an excuse to do it again, and again, and again." Paused closing eyes. "I can't figure it anymore, maybe, I wished to forget." Jirachi and Lester stayed. "I remind only when we finished with that nightmare, and she was there crying, tears over her face caustic to burn the paper, while writing the next page in the complete darkness. It was like her hands were possessed and wrote on their own will without the need of the sight, it was a creepy and somber vision for me. She fainted for the sickness at the end. I left the place immediately after, I don't know what Jirachi did then. I vented my feelings on him only at the next night. We discovered that she had been locked in her room for punishment and we decided to let her sleep, yet Jirachi wasn't partially agreed about."

Jirachi: "Duh, what we do then tonight? I think you overreacted yesterday."

Victini: "No, you exaggerated. Read! Read what she has written in the new page: *Day 4: My family discovered about my defection from school, the perfection was broken forever. In their eyes I'm a stain, a black spot of ink dripping on the family tree. I'm strange, imperfect, dirt blood pouring and contaminating a dynasty, and they noticed I'm insane after you, Darkrai, my lonely friend. I'm obsessed with you! The only thing I want to do when I wake up is wait for the following nightmare, this because my life is nightmare now, I live only for suffer and pain of the nightmares. I enjoy this darkness, it makes me feel somewhat protected from the world outside, a shield over my skin has formed: there's too much darkness around me to wound me. It's midnight already? Then it's your turn. I...close...eyes...and..w-wait...I guess. \*Shrug\*."*

Jirachi: "It says she's waiting...for my turn. For the turn of Darkrai, the next move. I'm here to realize this wish. Why you prevent me from doing so? If she enjoys it so much it's everything under control."

Victini: "This is getting over limits! She's becoming addicted to nightmares and therefore suffering and stuff that it's all she wants and is twisting her life in this darkness trap we settled up. I'm not liking the development of this novel we're writing, this is not being legendary monsters this is be monsters not else! I felt terrible vibes yesterday. I'm starting to doubt on the entire project. What we're exactly creating? A plot? For which achievement? We're just making fun under the skin of a frail being. She's using darkness and the pain this darkness brings to her every night as a shield for her own skin..."

Jirachi: "Dude, chill out a moment. I repeat that I have everything under control: she's happy afterall. Some wishes can be twisted and pretty ununderstandable, and those who are not able to interprete them are the first to twist them. Trust me, I know how it works. Deep down Aghostina is experiencing something marvelous fulfilling her dreams and switch from her blank white imprisoning and fake perfect life to her true self, finally."

Victini: "This has to stop. This can't be her life forever. I don't care what's your vision of the situation, I want to redemy and change it. I'll recur to an external help, maybe have an idea. I will bring back some brightness in the life of this girl, you'll see tomorrow!"

Jirachi: "I'll sleep in the library, then. Agreed. Zzz."

"All my efforts to cheer that girl up seemed a waste of time and when I had finally thought to have managed something then I read the diary and felt to have lost. Day 5: *He hugged me, even the others seemed friendly with me today but I didn't care, I don't want their consideration anymore. I wish to see you only, Darkrai, and not your shadow. If I could see you before I sleep and not your shadow on my face, I would be very very very happy. But if you don't, nevermind..*It was my first defeat ever and the flavor of defeat was the last drop."

Victini: "Enough with this story! I did eVerything for her today and I achieved nothing. I can't believe she still wants just Darkrai and darkness and suffer cause suffer is for losers!! I even created a doll as a gift for her: who wouldn't be happy for such a gift?! You were not gifted a simple doll, you have been gifted a rare Victini doll, an idol of fortune and victory, Like, VTF you can't enjoy it!!!"

Jirachi: "Told you. Yawn. I knew you would have failed, Vi, as I said there are wishes that can't be explained but only fulfilled. Therefore that's only one thing to do, keep going with the storyline. Duh, simple."

Victini: "Do what you want without me, don't count on me anymore. I have better horizons to exploit my powers. If you want to ruin the life of this loser forever, go with it since she asks only that. I'm out of this by now."

Jirachi: "Okay, if you wish so... I'll play it solo. At least I won't have any limitation at all by now."

They didn't meet for days. Victini. moved from the pesky guy, decided to improve on himself training his victory skills; Jirachi continued alone replacing the lack of contribute of his legendary mate with another expedient: overwriting the diary on the opposite side posing it was Darkrai who wrote. However, Aghostina didn't seem satisfied as the beginning and he was running out of ideas.

"I wish for Victini to be here." Until that night. "Did you have another idea to waste my time on?" Victini questioned very coldly. Jirachi stuttered two words "Follow me." and a third one at the end "P-Please."

"Why you're so nervous all of sudden? You have never been like this, Ji." Victini then realized "What did you do this time with that poor girl?"

"I haven't done anything yet, tonight..."

"Are you sure? Then what's the deal."

"...but maybe I realized a wish for the first time." Jirachi closed eyes and breathed deeply "Without realizing."

Victini became impatient "What wish?" Suspicious of Jirachi "What wish exactly you made, Jirachi?"

"Quiet, it's the heat of the night for a reason..Remind that talk we had about few days ago? How wishes can be twisted? Then she expressed a twisted one directly to me." Jirachi led Victini to the library where the diary was left open at an unknown page. "Read what's written here." Victini approached without further ado and his face paled white "*I wish to die and burn everything!* ...Ji, where is Aghostina now?"

"Read also the first pages on the opposite side and everything will be clear, dehm, from here to here." Victini flipped the diary confused " *Title: My death diary. Night 1 : Today was terrible. The victorious guy I fell in love for wished that I could disappear from his eyes forever soon after I confessed my feelings.* VVhaaat?" Victini overheating burned the page in disgust "That bastard I wasted my Victory Star's light on really did such a thing? I can't believe it. And how and why Aghostina fell in love for him in first instance? Since then? Humans are so nonsense and humanity is disgusting. I swear I won't help anyone of them anymore." He then flared at Jirachi "**Ji, for the last time, where is Aghostina NOW?**"

"Was."

"Eh?"

"Is no more."

"Don't be cryptical, this is critic. What I read here is literally...don't tell me..."

"All the rooms are locked with their inhabitants." Jirachi invited Victini to watch at the pictures and portrays on the walls, they were all cut. "She did everything described alone. It was too late when I came and I saw this." hey arrived in front of the corpse: Aghostina had stabbed with the genealogic tree alltogether as she wanted to cover it with her blood.

....

"Jirachi, what did you start. Is this the novel you wanted: a tragedy! I should have never listened or trusted you and your ominous plot. It's over, all over and our friendship with it!"

"No, Vi! You can't abandon me in this way. I don't want to lose you, please, don't leave." Jirachi tried to stay calm "There's still possibility of redemption."

"I don't want to be friend of a monster like you, I already feel like a monster myself. I knew we were joking with fire, and you continued. You sadistic jerk..."

"I admit, I admit, I crossed the line many times in this story but there's only one thing to do to redeem: end it." the wishmaker said sternly "The bedrooms were locked to be morgues. This is the last wish of her: die and burn everything. This is her death wish, Victini. This is the only thing I can do for her but I need your help." He lend an hand to Victini "Help me fulfill her last desire, Vi, and I swear I will sleep forever by now as I should have because I caused only troubles being...awake. I deserve this self punishment, to never open my eyes since I abused of an innocent with her eyes closed the whole time." Victini was astonished at this decision, he never saw Jirachi in that manner! He didn't know what to think. "Then I will burn this cursed place as you wish, or better, as Aghostina wish. Even if I would like to be able to do more. Get out."

"Sure."

Victini used V-Create enveloping the mansion with the wings of fire. "Done. They will think that a wild fire accident burned down everything by tomorrow."

Jirachi: "Thank you, Vi, it was the best thing to do."

Victini: "This is the last time I do you a favor, never forget."

Jirachi: "*I wish this will be our secret*."

Lester: "A-ah. This explains a lot. By the way, continue the narration in first person. It's more involving in my opinion."

"LESTER." Victini didn't say anything after and prefered to continue, as he felt finally relieved to tell the entire truth "I returned at the Strange House without Jirachi. Later on the same night. The firestorm was already over and the house was singered but not destroyed, but certainly lifeless by that point. I came back for no reason, I just couldn't sleep after that."

Victini: "Ah, for Reshiram sake, I should have neVer let Jirachi alone, neither listened to him before, most of all neither take part to all this story of the legendary novel/tale/whatever! Now I have not only the life of a girl on the conscience but also the rests of an entire family....despite they were vexing as worms with her...I fulfilled her wish at least, I hope she will be happy in the afterlife. Sigh. I'm the Victory Star and I feel like the ultimate loser...argh! D-Did I say that word for real? LOS...Ehy? What's that light from if not my fire? It comes from the window of the library! Have to check vimmediately."

Opened the window and a smell of cimmer and sand invested his senses. He vagued in the maze of the shelves looking for the source of light, but the room was dark and empty as it should have. "Maybe it was the reflection of the moonlight that tricked my eyes." Victini didn't have a reason to be there anymore. He was about to leave when he saw a little light coming from the flits of the door of the room of Aghostina! The door was locked from the extern still. "Very unfunny, Jirachi. I mean, seriously. You could have avoided to sleep again here but I guess your twisted sense of humor made you change back to your original attitude. Flip you." And did the V-sign at opposite. (n.d.r: nei paesi anglosassoni il gesto della vittoria col palmo rivolto allo spettatore è un segno equivalente al vaffanculo italiano.)

"You could have knock knock instead, but I guess I deserved it."

What voice was that? Didn't figure Jirachi.

"Also it's up to you to open. The key is on your side.."

Victini did it and found a lantern, reading the diary, standing on the bed. "Who are you and what are you doing here!"

Lampent: "I'm reading a book. About the first part of the question, I can't reply. \*shrug\*"

Victini: "Wait, I put it better. How did you end here?"

Lampent: "As I could still reply. I don't know again. I woke up suddenly and found in this house, all alone."

Victini: "You lost memory?"

Lampent: "I guess you're the legit owner while I am the intruder. Well... it's time to leave. Pity, I liked this place for the few hours spent here."

Victini: "VVait a minute! ..."

Lampent: "............................................................................a minute."

"You can stay here." Victini may have been insane but he was certain that she was the reincarnation of Aghostina, and he couldn't waste a second chance like this "I...I will adopt you, even! (What am I doing?!)"

"Eh okay." And Lampent returned to focus on the lecture. "This deathnote story is amazing."

"You should change type of lectures very soon..." Victini grimaced while Lampent put the diary in the closet of her "new" room. Then sighed with a smile of resignement.

"Anyway...it's something to wake up alone and then gain a legendary stepfather...I guess." Lampent shrugged preparing for sleep, with a similar smile.

4 years since then. Back to the present, Victini was reliving those moments like yesterday. Anyway, there was Lester to think at now, coldly "That's all."

"Ah! Not at all, my quirky friends." Lester had still one last bit and wanted to catalyze the attention on himself again. In order to make his victory the must EPIC.

"By the way it wasn't a suicide."

Boom! Dropped the bomb. Jirachi was triggered  "You're save, we changed idea, we accept the blackmail now let this reality to continue! It was our dream to make a reality where other pokemon could become legendaries and you ruined this dream with all of this. **Doom Desire**!"

"**V-Create**!" The two moves annhilated each others right above Lester, that repented immediately his revelation. "Aha ahh ahhh, b-by the way I said enough for today. If my task is over here, I leave. Bye!" He folded back his documents with calm and directed to the exit... "Stay here, Lester. You're not over with us. Speak."

Jirachi had been scorchered by the supereffective V-Create, and expressed an Healing Wish to recover himself. He would have been restored again in a few.

"Glom. I-I will speak only in the presence of a lawyer. Ah! I am. Suspence." Lester took a long breath "...Ahem. I'm catalyzing your attention by the way? Because I really want to make it the most interesting possible!" Victini pointed at the scorchered wall with an impatient look, the sign of the V was still fuming. "It all goes through another question that also was my last  in consequence of everything I had discovered so far: why Jirachi suggested to burn down the entire place if could have been safer to burn the diary only?"

"Why?"

"And, why he didn't use simply a wish to solve the situation?" Lester chained.

"Why..." repeated the host trying to follow.

"AND, WHY THE DIARY HAS SURVIVED TO THE CURRENT DAYS AND HE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS?"

"WHY, LESTER, want to say it?!?"

When the climax was at the point aimed by him, Lester decided to be unpredictably anticlimatic: "*Today was...scorch...more scorches...*Remember this part? Victini, mind to read it again. But flared on." (traduzione: "ma da acceso") Lester left the diary in the hands of the legendary, finally. Victini could finally put his fingers on that cursed lecture after so many years he had tried to forgot about it "I can burn it now'*.'***"**

"Yes, Vi. He can't blackmail us further. How doop."

"Yet I can't. For some reason." Victini stroke the thin paper with the hot fingers scorching barely the surface of the pages and the boards, then eventually read "*Tod..n...i...gh..t...was...the end for me. I finally encountered Darkrai, my lonely friend, not in a shadow or a voice. In the eyes. First of all it's not black, but white. White, exactly, and it's not slender but little. His true arms are short and not creepy tentacles, the closest thing to them are the stars he carries on the shoulders, and his face is not a dark point but shiny as the figure of a star. A star that fallen down on the earth first, and then continued descending the hell of my life."* Victini was reading words written with invisible ink. "Lester, how did you...realize this?"

"I always wondered about the scorches by the way. Then I eventually linked this detail to the presence of an oil lamp in the library and why Jirachi lured me to read the diary instead to give it to ***a lamp like Lampent***." Lester smirked at Jirachi in sign of revenge accomplished.

"Vy the way I continue." oh baltoy, Lester was contagious by the way. "*This Darkrai made my life better making it worse and worst every night until tonight. I was only the protagonist of a ballad, a cruel story written with my blood, and now that the game is over I write down my last wish for you, Darkrai, and everyone else: I wish to die, while this diary will live forever your torment even after me and none will be able to destroy it, because this is the proper ending to make the ballad of Darkrai and Aghostina immortal. So, thank you once for all, for having fulfilled my last desire....Jirachi, my lonely friend."* The book slipped from the hands of a speechless Victini.

Lester raised the lightening finger solemnly "With this last of all the evidences I collected I can make my final accusation: JIRACHI KILLED AGHOSTINA ,IN THE HALLWAY, USING THE STAR KEY, because she had discovered his true identity, and, once he realized he would have not been able to rid off forever of the evidence due to the condition in her death wish, he foiled tyou, Victini, in order to burn down the entire place so not even you could think that it was not a suicide, neither the diary would have been searched again and be believed to have burned down with the house. By the way, you ruined his plan when you decided to come back years later for the reality show, and Jirachi was forced to play the entire comedy once again...**with that Doom Desire at the very end**...that should have looked as the final appeareance of the Quirky (Strange) House! In this way, the diary would have not been found anymore, not even by you or Lampent. By the way,  he didn't consider the Lex Factor, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*" The quirky lawyer opened himself at the end for a drink "Glu, glu, glu...aaaah. I finished."

Jirachi was frozen solid "She s-said I wish, afterall... you know how it works for me. They say it and I realize, always."

"You killed her!? I can't believe to have dealt with a monster. And you used me twice for your plan. Twice!!" Victini roasted his formerly best friend with no avail "I knew you were twisted but I would have never imagined that you could reach this point."

"I was desperate..."

"You vapid little lazy manipulative bastard." Victini went over him while Lester was the only spectator "How this happened exactly? Spit or..." Victini looked at the belly eye "Don't even dare with me." and punched Jirachi in the stomach before he could use it. The wishmaker coughed for the pain and looked straight in the eyes of his friend with fear and tears "I-I didn't want to lose my only friend. It was too late to turn back the situation. I couldn't do anything else, but I did all of this nowadays just to save our friendship. E-Everyone makes a mistake in whishing and gets eventually forgiven, why I make an exception? I made this mistake. I wished to get over it. It was a perfect plan! Make it look like an accident would have never made you angry at me at the point to broke, just a little sour and then with time you would have completely forgotten and forgiven me for that....secret. I had just to prevent it for the eternity. T-Then you decided to make a challenge in this place and I was forced to do another mess to bury the entire truth again and forever, I hoped, but Lester, Lester didn't limit to be the key of my plan, and ruined everything! Just like your fake daughter did!" Jirachi struggled to free from the hold "She could have been the tool of my ballad forever but no, she had to open her eyes during a nightmare and saw me in the face. What could I do now? I asked myself. She cried, screamed against me, then took that cursed diary and started writing..writing..writing,.and I was there listening without having a clue on how to gain back the control, this had never happened before. All for a stupid ticket unattached? No way. I had a reputation to let it ruined by a ridicule detail. She was writing my damnation when I heard those infamous words and...that was my safety link! I could have fixed everything."

"So.."

"When she left the library she had locked inside, I trembled at what I was going to do and eventually found the way to cut her life off. She seemed to expect it and when I finally retrieved the diary, I understood. I couldn't destroy it then I wished that the ink was invisible and...overwrote everything in the right direction for me. Therefore I succeeded to twist her desire." Jirachi repeated at the end "I was desperate, Victini, if you knew the truth, you would have never helped me to keep the secret, and keep the friendship bond with ME."

"You are disgusting. Out of my view."

"Don't let that a contestant ruin our friendship! There's still time to fix the secret! Victini, just get on my side, I pray you, dolid."

"I said: out of my view!" the entire plane overheated in result "Leave before the worst happens. Leave me alone at least." the plane returned to the average temperature as he looked with disappointment "It's over, Jirachi."

"I...I...I wish this never happened, noo!" Jirachi disappeared leaving Lester with Victini alone. Lester immediately folded the diary back in his pocket and prepared to leave triumphally the place as well "Case solved. Whew, it was epic. By the way, time to continue the episode, bye!"

"Lester. One last thing."

"A-Again?"

"You won this battle but you lost worse, you antagonize the **victory**. You and your team, none of you, will ever win this competition no matter how much you will struggle on your schemes and hopes. **YOU WON'T WIN**. Keep it in mind, Lester. Never." Victini unlocked the doors "Now you can leave." Lester kept the stepford grin while folding back everything and finally left. Soon he was outside, entered in the vent to explode "I did iiiiit! I remained, I bounced the punishment on Beheeyem, ahahahah! Solid, liquid, lawyer, I'm always the best, Lester ladies and gentlemons! It was impossible to escape from not one but two angry legendaries aaaand I dealt with it majestically! Yahooo! Solid. Liquid. Lester. Which form you prefer, I am here." The fridge self-opened to chug down another drink "This has to be celebrated properly, ah!"

Few minutes later "Ahh, I'm exhausted. Nah. Now on the challenge! I'm ready for everything after this."

"Hi, Lester." He met with Lampent. "How much terrible went with my stepdad?" She kind of snickered doing that question, but shyly.

"Oh, h-hi L-L-L-Lampy! I mean, Aghy! Ehm I still don't know which you prefer by the way." and Lester now realized to be the loser of the situation in reality. "I will tell you later, I'm on the go now: be a lawyer means to be always on the overtaking course. See you at the challenge!"

"Oh...okay." Lampent burned a piece of paper and shrugged. "*By the way I prefer Aghy at the end of the day.*"

### Finally the challenge

"Time for the challenge." Victini reached the summit of the volcano known with the name of Reversal Mountain, Unova. "About time!" Lucario shouted stranded on the beach below, to which the reply was "Silence!" The voice of the legendary echoed amplified in the giant chasm of the mountain "The spirit of Victory is angered against everyone here, mind you mortals. The sacred essence of victory was humiliated several times by your poor performances during the competition, and then you'll have to take back the favour of it if you hope to win: completing a ceremony of sacrifice."

"I vow for Piplup! Who else is with me?" Oshawott raised a paw and was immediately imitated by the rest of the Jigglers except Chimecho.

"Don't dare you." Piplup was utterly shocked "Back in the past as I remember, sacrifices were picked from low class, not mine!!!" shrilled.

"C'mon, she's kidding. We're all."

"Talk for yourself, Bagon." quickly corrected the same Oshawott with a weazel smile, and Lucario nodded behind her "Absolutely talk for yourself and never for me, I can't stand the penguin."

"The penguin?!" the Pride pokèmon didn't take that generic address well. She opened her beak to reply when Victini rebounded "THIS IS SERIOUS. I'M ANGRY OVER ANY LIMIT AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN AND FOLLOW MY ORDERS AT PERFECTION ONCE FOR ALL!"

**// Vent //**

**"Gotcha." Squirtle snapped the fingers "Victini is gonna beat some serious shit outta of us today. Afterall, we're mergin' soon, I can smell that burning sensation... or it's the volcano?"**

**"All I can say is that I rarely had the honor to see my dad's rage at work." Aghostina said it with a strange sarcastic smile.**

Victini continued "You're assigned the custody of two statues for team. One representing Reshiram, is made entirely of ice, the other shaped of the figure of Zekrom is only a mold for the true statue. Climb the Reversal Mountain without letting the Reshiram to melt down and bringing the mould for Zekrom, once you have reached the top make the first sacrifice and throw the statue of Reshiram in the mouth of the volcane. Then open the mold of Zekrom and fill it with molten lava, descend the other half of the mountain surfing on the lava and bring the solidified magma statue obtained to the beach without breaking it. At the end go underwater and place the statue at the entrance of the Abyss Ruins. First team wins and **nothing else**, the other two go to the tail." He waited then "Questions? Ninjask."

"If the statue of Reshiram gets broken, can we replace it with another one?" it was as sneaky as it sounded.

"You can't steal this time, but you can always destroy the enemy statues and make another one on your dime." Victini pointed at another mountain next to the volcano "There's all the *glaciate* you need." Ninjask didn't say else "About you, Venturers, thanks to **Anorith** and courtesy of **Lester**, **Beheeyem** was given the permanent penalty that will change challenge to challenge."

"Congratulationsss." Seviper didn't like the news at all and chewed on Anorith "Becaussse of you and the superior clevernesss here, Beheeyem will be more a deadlock than before." Beheeyem shrugged in the meanwhile. "Because of me? Beheeyem was supposed to be the lawyer! I did my part fair and square." Seviper rolled eyes "Oh, I can guesss as usual."

"So what's the first penalization you elaborated for me? I can't wait for it."

"So Venturers, that I refuse to call by your original name at this point, because you don't deserve it, have to carry another statue with you: the statue of *Beheeyurem*." Victini summoned a thunder that struck right on Beheeyem: paralyzed. Soon after Victini used Inferno (Marchiatura) charring the alien from top to bottom. At the end explained "Fire, electricity, it misses ice. Go cover Beheeyem in snow, first of all. Then return and climb with the others. End."

"Grrreat wassste of time." Seviper gritted teeth "There isss more?!"

"The Beheeyurem must arrive at the end of the challenge as the Zekrom, complete of course."

**// Vent //**

**"Why not as Reshiram..." the seething Seviper smacked the tubes with a tail whip.**

**Beheeyem still managed to speak "*A grey alien that plays the role of Kyurem* = *Beheeyurem*. Reaching new level of non-sensicality, Victini, I'm very very very no more so less impressed."**

"Begin the ceremony!" the legendary host ordered solemnly. The Venturers left while the other two teams prepared for the climb. Needless to say, there was a lot of animosity in the group  "I can't believe you morons ssscrewed things in this way. Push! Push faster! It's already melting because it's too hot and you're too ssslow. Disgusting performance already! Ssstop."

"Actually it's not this punishment if it means to be carried around all the day. I could get the habit." Beheeyem's comment didn't help for the mood.

"Shut up!" Seviper had a strange feeling already. But decided to ignore it "If only you would have won, yesterday, Anorith, this would have not happened. You're always uneffective and useless at the end of the day! Alwaysss."

"Ah, I'm the useless?" Anorith had enough "What about...the land snake, the ice-sick-le, the beheeyurem? And a leader that is able only to shout and spit on the face? I did everything for this team!"

"It's nothing without results. Prove me you're worth scoring a victory, not a sssecond place for losers!" they went eye on eye to each others. "Alwaysss if you can."

"I will show you." Anorith lifted the statue of ice using his pincers and placed it over his back like a Crustle. It was heavier than his expectations, but didn't care "Give me that mold, too. Hurry!" somehow he carried up the heavyweight and led the way for the Giant Chasm. Seviper smiled from behind: she knew her chickens for sure.. She ordered Dunsparce to push the "statue" of Beheeyem then.

Aurorus continued to check the horizon and checked for enemies at distance, and when she was certain they were far enough from the sight... she froze Beheyeem solid all of sudden. "Done. We can return to Reversal Mountain now." Wasn't that cheating? Seviper didn't see that coming. "Nice cheat."

"More like ice cheat."

"But you froze Dunsparce in the processs."

"Tsk, he should have been faster." Aurorus was sheer cold in her statement. This made a shimmer appear in Seviper's eyes "Yesss. Let's change direction, then. Anorith, u-turn and pick up these two deadlocks in addition."

"Deadlock? From your point of view."

"Beheeyem, shouldn't you be frozen (to talk)?"

"I have telepathy always." said Beheeyem in the ice cube. His body was completely immobile while doing so. "You can listen my precious advises of high knowledge in your head whenever wherever I want without I move a single facial muscle. Comfy, eh?"

"Aah, of course." Everyone rolled eyes in pain for that.

Meanwhile Squirtle lined up the agents, all dressed in sunglasses, and analyzed the situation "Meeen. The journal mission of the H.W.P.D. is the escort of two legendary statues to the top of the volcan and beyond. One of the statue is made entirely of ice, too, that means it is extremely vulnerable to fire, and attacks. That leads to the following subject: Lampent." Showed a picture of her in the dossier (in reality that photo was taken from the challenge of Celadon City) "Fire/Ghost. Lampent is the main threat to look after so we have to keep an eye constantly and know her movements before, and stop her in case. So I want two water agents behind Lampent all the time. Agents Snot Water and Water Hot, you're assigned this. You'll have to inform us of every move of Lampent and the Leviathans in generally. If she attempts something, WATER HER OFF."

"For the last time, I'm Snoot Water! No, wait, I ain't doing this ridiculousness anymore anyw." Piplup's protest was overwhelmed by the voice of Oshawott "YES, HOT WATER POLICE SUPERINTENDENT SQUIRTLE! Ah, he's so hot in the uniform and attitude...aaaah." Fawned with her shell, but recomposed immediately "Ahem! We will take her at control."

"That's what I wanted to hear. I trust in your work, hottie." Blinked. "About me and Water Not, we'll be the bodyguards to serve and protect the statues from every different menace." Aimed with the finger "This water gun has no mercy." Oshawott fawned more, Piplup rolled eyes, and notably Bagon pretended to smile. Lucario and Chimecho didn't care about, they had begun climbing... Lucario put the muscles while Chimecho used the psychicness to reduce the weight of the statues.

Ninjask agreed with everything, and furthermore "I will be the infiltrate."

"Great! And what do you mean by that?"

"If you cover my absence, I could get the opportunity to destroy the other statues when they least expect it." Ninjask prepared his Substitute.

"Oooh, because stealing is a big NO today but destroying..."

"Indeed. I need that you don't let anyone to spot my Substitute, make it look the real me, and distract them. This could be a beginning." Ninjask took the shades from Squirtle and put them on the substitute. Ninjask's Substitute didn't really look like him this time, to be fair, but the turtle didn't make a problem about."Alright, it's an amazing plan. You will be agent...uh..eh.agent..agent...agent Double Water by now. Welcome in the Hot Water Police!" The musk grimaced at the sole idea but accepted it. "Deal. I'm invisible by now."

Ninjask disappeared then. "Alright, H.W.P.D., time to break the line and get in action!" Squirtle and Bagon climbed to reach their companions, also Squirtle "I just realized I'm not only the leader of the mission but also first time in leadership of the Jigglers, brogon! I'm very in charge and ready for it."

"I'm sure you'll nail as a leader, man."

**// Vent //**

**Squirtle: "My police squad is growing as an alliance, maaan! With Ninjask it's no joke anymore and everyone will see it, in merge."**

The Lester Latias Leviathans were the highest at the moment and the merit was of Metagross's fast climbing and huge strength, that allowed him to fork-lift the mold for Zekrom like a lightweight. But where was the statue of Reshiram? Ninjask couldn't see it anywhere from the skyview: he needed to get a closer perspective. Oshawott and Piplup couldn't see it either. "Lampent is in visual. Their statue no. She doesn't seem doing much at the moment, passo."

"Look better. You have no eyes for the details, unlike me."

"She's just throwing away burning pieces of paper, okay. Seriously, Piplup, why you always peck on me with your finickness?" Oshawott didn't ask that with her usual anger, she looked serious.

"I don't peck on anyone." Piplup didn't expect a civlian reply by Oshawott, never happened before, and she couldn't reply properly this time "I want to improve you." Of course the other didn't buy it "Oh, please, give me a break." Deemed that short argument, they focused back on their duty. Suddenly Lampent stopped and changed direction "She's separating from the group! Where is she? I lost the visual. She's a ghost, could be anywhere!" Oshawott opened her scallop and communicated immediately: "Here Water Hot, the main suspect of the Leviathans is alone but no more in the visual. Repeat: the suspect is not in visual. In waiting of directives, passo."

Piplup looked pitiful at her colleague then at the camera. "No, I'm not going to say anything finicky. Nope."

**// Vent //**

**"The idea of Oshy to use shells as a new system of communication undercover was..eh...a little flawed to start with." Bagon explained showing a spyralic shell in his ear "From the beginning all you could hear was the sound of the sea, but you know Squirtle..ah..agreed the same thinking it would have been a good cover from interceptions."**

Oshawott kept waiting for an answer "Passo!" shook the scallop "Hello?" put it very near to her ear "Tidals...tidals...tidals." Closed it perplexed "Maybe there's no signal at this height. Didn't think about the height to be honest." Piplup facepalmed behind. "Oshawhatever! We wasted enough time. I take control of the operation personally: let's go."

"There are no telluric activities in the volcan at the moment, 10:51 A.M. Last update: 10:46." Porygon 2 was confident on this landscape and didn't suffer the heat increasing as they progressed to the peak, unlike the others. Especially Lester was overly tired and had Minun pushing him. Porygon was the only one that noticed the absence of the ghost lamp  but was lost in his own thoughts "*I need way more informations about love. I felt odd all of sudden this morning. I saw the opponent contestant named Piplup many times during the competition certainly, yet I never felt like this. On the contrary, this time I tilted. My files on her popped in my CPU in one second. 1,51 sec to be clear. O.K. It's not logic at all = it's out of my competence. I can't handle the situation basing on my competence, therefore I need examples. Examples like Jirachi and Shaymin. Examples of love feelings in a similar state of confusion as mine, and of suspicious behaviours in the nearby. Scanning the latest informations. . .*"

"Would you like to help?" Minun asked visibly in struggle "Don't be idle. Lester is too heavy for a single...pikachu clone. An help would be very very helpful."

"Request ignored." Porygon 2 continued his scan.

"Hey, Minun, don't skive off!" Lester reproached the rodent back to duty "I'm a freaking fridge afterall, by the way. Anf, a fridge against a volcano."

"Sigh, okay." Minun accelerated. It happened under the eyes of Ninjask that observed and listened everything camouflaged as a Rock type.

"*Results: it appears that Lampent is the main source of suspicious behaviours at the current period*. I should study her situation in deep. I will track her path following the debris of ashed paper scattered on the ground." The hyperspace explorer moved backward descending the mountain.

Few metres down Oshawott and Piplup analyzed the ground like a crime scene, Oshawott found a piece of paper scorchered but it became ash before she could read anything "Oh, so it was really paper she was burning here...uhm." She was bumped from behind then by Porygon 2! "A surprise attack?!"

"Gasp. It's him, hide!" Piplup dragged her apart immediately. Porygon 2, who was too focused to turn and check the origin of that collision, continued to follow the tracks of Lampent. "The freak that ambushed me before, ME! And attempted my dignity with a random unprepared courtship. I horrified once, refuse to live the experience twice."

"If we follow him we'll find Lampent for sure, I'm sure."

"Excuse me did you listen to me? I don't want to risk another experience of that kind."

"You should camouflage in order to not get recognized."

"Who talked? Master Ninjask...?"

"I'm here."

The ott looked around but couldn't distinguish him from the rocks. "Master Ninjask, where are you exactly?"

"It doesn't matter." even the voice of  him didn't seem to come from a specific point of the mountain. "I provide you an undercover like mine: learn it now for the future."

"Yes, master, I would like that trick." Oshawott was prompt to answer. Ninjask didn't wait for Piplup's. He flew in a circle around them summoning the powder from the ground, the subtle ash that covered the sides of the mountain changed their color palettes in a more fitting to the vulcanic background. "Oh noo, not again! Stop before than immediately!!! U-u-unbelievable." Shivered completely unnerved at the unnerving vision of her feathers darkened again. In the meanwhile Ninjask returned utterly invisible. "Follow Porygon 2 now. Don't wash yourself, Piplup." at that line Oshawott promptly restrained her from using Water Gun "Stay focused on your target."

"Leave me! I can't afford to appear in this way." she struggled to barely open the beak while Oshawott kept it forcily closed. The ott tightened the hold in response. "Get habit and shut up, Piplup. Once for all." she surrended eventually "F-Fine."

"There, let's continue. The tracker traces of Porygon keep over here."

"Dude, this challenge is boring."

"But the ice is melting."

Things were going low key for the Jigglers, they were slower than the Leviathans but proceeded in tranquillity. This unexpected calm disappointed Squirtle: he was just bodyguarding a mass of ice. "It's melting because we're walking on a volcan! Even I understand it. I'm hot water, not cold. There's nothing I can do about. Sorry, I'm just bored to hell."

"Got it." Bagon looked down: it was high enough for a try... Shook the head quickly. Sadly, Ninjask wasn't avaliable at the time. "*Whatawasteoftimeindeed*."

"Uh?"

"*Stuckherewiththiswhenyoucouldfollowyyourdreampractising,that'smoreimportantthaneverythingelse.Right?*"

"Said something, Chimecho?" the whisper could come from Chimecho, but she was talking to Lucario already. "Then..I imagined it."

Suddenly they heard a tremble that shook the ground and a molten giant piece of rock appeared rolling in their direction. That caught Squirtle completely off guard "W-W-What the heck, dude?!" and he couldn't do anything but Chimecho was prompt using telekinesis "It's an eruptive rock, it's too heavy that I can't hold it with just my mind. Anf."

"*That's why you should improve your fisting one day.* I mean! Here." Lucario smashed it in pieces with a single punch. "It didn't even burn." Chimecho thanked him with a soft smile of relief.

"Woah! Man, that was close. At least we got finally some action." More trembling. More boulders appeared out of nowhere rolling down the way wildly "Yeah, I should have studied a tactic map of the territory before the beginning of the mission. Oh, well." shrugged "Aaaah! Get the cover, gimme the damn cover!" Once again Chimecho and Lucario took care of the situation with their respective psychicness and brutal strength, when Squirtle realized in horror "Hey, the statues?! Yo, we have an huge problem here!" as the mold and the ice sculpture skidded many feet below.

"Sgrunt, I can't do two things at contemporary!"

"Shit, this is an emergency. I need to call back all the forces." the Hot Water went immediately to the shell "To all the agents, the mission is compromised, we need everyone..." Lucario kicked it in the air.

"Stop talking to nothing, that toy is useless. I swear to Arceus I lost the patience with you kids."

"The mold will break if it falls from this height, and it's not replaceable." Chimecho reflected quickly "There's only a solution: I'll teleport and stop it. Hoping to have the right timing in doing so. Okay, I go."

"No, Chimecho, you're too weak to sustain a double heavyweight like that!" Lucario opposed to the idea.

"I know. I wouldn't if I weren't this distracted recently, at least." the wind bell wiped some blush off the face or it was just sweat "I have to try the same. Now, leave me some space to get the focusness." Chimecho closed eyes and figured the entire shape of the mountain, all the ihabitants and the moving objects. There was someone near...Bagon? She couldn't tell at the moment. Because it was the right moment to teleport. "Come on, Chimechanga, you can do it. Yeah! This is what I'm talking about. You are amazing! You *rock* indeed." But Lucario was right, Chimecho couldn't sustain that weight any longer.

"I-I can, instead. I trained my mind and soul to sustain the heavyweight of every emotion, this should be nothing in comparison of the weight of a guilt and..." she felt the energies drained and her mind confused, maybe she was overheating at that temperature, too "HURRY UP REACH ME!" she screamed eventually exhausted. Luckily, Lucario took a big leap and could finally carry that weight with her. Together, they climbed up for a bit until they reached an overbearing Squirtle.

"Alright, we did it, we saved everything." Squirtle's heart was pumping in the chest. "Whew, excellent job, Hot Water Police. Back to duty, then."

"We're not even part of your **stupid police game**..." murmured Lucario rising the voice but being stopped by Chimecho in the middle of the statement. "Oh, shit, where is Bagon? I lost the view of my better agent in all this mess. We left him in that hell of a rock party? My dude!" The starter panicked soon after and begged Chimecho "Find me. Please! Use your diggity yogiti powa."

"It's still there." Lucario pointed above.

Squirtle shouted "Baggyyyy! Bro, are you okay, how?!"

"Eh, I should not?" Bagon didn't notice anything, not even the rock that hit him in the back of the head, bouncing away. "I was distracted on something I guess. Sorry. Can you explain me why you're all down there?"

"Jeez, you're a tough guy at all for that."

"For what?" he turned back "Ohh. It's that I dealt with smashing head on rocks on a regular basis that I don't even feel them anymore."

"Gotcha. Still impressive, man. Alright, stay there, we're coming back soon as possible."

"Are you sssure?"

"Where they're taking us all this long? It looks like a trap, or, a decoy." Oshawott and Piplup were still following the tracks of Porygon's passage, and thus Lampent, until they disappeared. "Wait, what? They end here. Like, woosh, vanished. This trick is not fair!" Oshawott tried to stay calm and gain back the proper attitude for an agent "Okay, it's likely that the ash covered the traces at this point. So, mmh. Tracks can disappear in the ash but Pokemon can't the same well! Even if Lampent is a ghost type, Porygon it isn't at all. So..."

"Oh, I know." Piplup realized "So you forced me to cover in dust and cimmer like the poorest abandoned most miserable pokèmon for this: to obtain nothing."

"No, so it means that there's a secret passage in the volcan and while Lampent simply passed through the wall, Porygon found the path!"

Once again Venturers and Jigglers stood against each others. "Ah, Venturers. Still not tired to get beaten up by us all the times?" Squirtle swagged charging the water gun "Alright, dudes, let's do our business as usual." Aimed. Shot. Seviper opened her mouth and drank it. "Pleassse, it's just water. Taste a true gunfire if you like it so much." The snake spit poison projectiles like a railgun. "Argh, I need cover!" He hid behind Lucario "You know, steel? You'll be my shield meanwhile I recharge the weaponry." The poison dripped aimlessly over the body, Lucario shook it off in stride and striked a blow at the snake's mouth stopping her attack. "Don't waste my time in your playthrough again, Squirtle." He struggled to put the arm away as Seviper was chlenching her fangs like a trap: she had absorbed the hit, too, being a poison type. "Then take the other fist!" Seviper blocked twining the strong tail around his arm, and smirked "You're not going anywhere..."

"I still can't believe you convinced her to be a decoy. It's the first time I am not put forward as the sacrificial token of the situation." Anorith, Aurorus, (and Beeheyem) were moving aside from the mess, using the cave entrance of the Reversal Mountain. Altough it couldn't bring them much higher than that, it was the perfect passage for their plans. "It's because you would have screwed us otherwise, obviously." Beheeyem sent the message right in his synapsis. "Shut up, saucer icicle. Keep saying I am useless, then who is carrying who now? I'm piggybacking your ass for two hours straight, in the heat, together an ice statue and a mould I would rather put you inside!"

"..."

"Actually, I can do it, why not?" realized with a sudden joy.

"Yes...why not? I won't give you any answer." the alien provoked. Done. Soon after he found his frozen body "gently" push inside the black forge and sealed alike a coffin. Being a metallic object, it provided an excellent shield from any of his attempts of communications through telepathy.

"Quiet. Finally. Miracle!"

"In confidence, there's silence also because Seviper is not here." Aurorus exploited the occasion to have a talk with the henchman of the S3 finally alone "How long are you going to serve that snake for? Vanillite is long gone since you joined her side. I was forced to join and I am forced to stay, but what about you?" Anorith gave her a quizzical look, squinting the eyebulbs, and answered "Uh? I was forced too. That's first of all."

"And next?"

"Next what?"

"The future. Are you going to stay on her side forever without a purpose?"

/**/ Vent //**

**"As of my predictions" Beheeyem confessed at the camera while...polishing himself from dustbins? "Aurorus can be a manipulative tool if properly oriented. I just want to underline that I suggested her to dig inside Dunsparce, and instead she ìs now scavenging Anorith's mind.... Quite fascinating skills here. I'm slowly destroying anything that Seviper built in this team: this is HOW to basic deal with villains."**

Anorith wasn't used to ponder on this kind of questions, he required some minutes to come up with an answer or an excuse "Is there any other option at the current state? You should know better than me how survival works."

"*Stay at the shadow of the strongest, feed of the leftovers of its preys.*"

"There. You got it. Back on the plan, mind to explain it eventually?!" his impatient tone convinced her to let away more questions, for now. Aurorus resumed her cold behaviour then and pointed the rock face in front of her (parete di roccia) "It's made of frail basaltic sediments cemented from the cold lava. You can break hit with a single Brick Break (Breccia) then I use Avalanche to form a giant boulder of ice and molten lava that will seem an etrusive rock, then repeat the process multiple time to make it look as an eruptive phenom. Many of our enemies behind will get damaged in the process, but first of all I need you damage me." She looked perfectly fine for such an insane request, Anorith stared uncertain "Are you sure about this? I mean, I have a four timed supereffectiveness on you that adds extra bonus to my already powerful attack." but her reply was even more freeze-blood "I took much more punishment in my life than what I can from an anomalocaris, I was hurt in the heart. Do what I say, I know what I mean."

"Fine. Enjoy my Brick Break!" it felt like shattering icicles in pieces, chillblains soon appeared on his claws, he retreated. "This is all you can take? No wonders you didn't last to the Ice Age with me. You have to hurt me way more."

"Argh, I'm holding myself. I didn't want to cause your death but you asked it again!" One more time. His spine cartilagines shivered all together. He never expected it could have been this tough to shatter literally an ice rock! How much that body of her had endured through to be that strong?

Aurorus suddenly stomped over Anorith "You're so weak. Is it so hard to wound me for you? After even Dunsparce did it?!" Suddenly a blow. An huge whip of a tail. The amargasaurus was pushed against the wall with such a violence that it collapsed together her, she stood up helping with her neck as the legs seemed wounded by a metallic blade. It wasn't Anorith the source, it had been Dunsparce. She let out a sour laugh, then "Seen? He perfectly knows how to wound me. Always."

"Same for you." Out of nowhere as he had appeared, Dunsparce left. Aurorus was finally ready to open the dances meanwhile Anorith was utterly speechless and recovered from yet another humiliation.

The first avalanche was directed at Bagon, that was still in the highest position waiting for his companions, and what appeared to be Ninjask together him. The dragon laughed at the danger ingenously thinking it was a normal rock "Look, master, if you're around, how I will apply your lessons." focused on the target and prepared to head butt but was striken by the ice part of it. The substitute of Ninjask vanished consequentially. "Brooooo?" Squirtle called his friend in vain looking above where he remembered he was before. "Ehm, situation is slipping more and more off control here..."

"You betcha. Rrrgh! You can bet on it. DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING?!?"

"I know, squad, I should have armed better for this battle. My Water Gun is not enough for that solid snake. Sorry. But lesson is learned, and we'll be stronger next time!"

"What the hell you're talking about..." Lucario started to feel more discouraged than angry.

"Well, me and Chimechanga will continue the mission." Squirtle took off for a moment the shed lenses in sign of respect "You will be remembered for your value sacrifice, pal, forever." The second avalanche wave appeared right behind him. "Agent Chimechanga, teleport the robe in a safety spot and-" he didn't have time to finish that the chime teleported everything altogether him. "Woah, what?" "You...you were the nearest to me, I couldn't afford more. Lucario..."

"Here it isssss." Seviper held Lucario firmly for the trap despite he was kicking her to free himself "The Victini Venturers are finally going to rid off one of your aces once for all."

"Leave me!"

A ball of fire materials this time curled down towards the inevitable targets, but something felt wrong in Aurorus's plan and it came to Anorith to realize a fatal flaw. "You're a terrible mother!"

"Because I'm going to crush Seviper in the process..." horrified "And my egg with her. NO!" She launched and rolled down in despair "A-Aurorus!" careless of the consequences on her health. She rumbled and rickrolled many times breaking her crust gems and scorching her ice skin with the incandescent terrain she was rolling over, but that was still nothing compared to the burning pain she was feeling inside the chest. Her egg. Her fault. First Sylveon, then Anorith, they both were right calling her out! "I'm coming!"

"Two rocks? Oh, man, this is even worse. Poor Lucario, he's gonna be squashed really hard. Eh?" Chimecho threw the statues at him. "W-Woah! They're huge, gnnn, anf anf, heavy even for these mighty muscles. Nah. Pump it, Squirtle, pump it man. Uff, puff. Whew."

Lucario suddenly felt enveloped by a strange sensation. His body had lost control or else? His muscles didn't tend as before, his legs were not working anymore: poison? "Impossible!" then he realized, that touch, that kind of touch that his body couldn't stand against at all, she was embracing him tight. Chimecho, after having used Ally Switch with Seviper because she also knew the secret inside her to be protected, but most of all for him. For...herself, maybe for the first time since she could remember. "I could have swapped directly with you but I didn't want to have to decide between saving you or myself, I....want to stay with you."

"Chimecho, stay with me and I will protect you forever." Lucario wrapped her thin-paper shape in the arms and embraced her in a way she could have been protected by his whole body. Aurorus ran over them, then, after having managed to redirect the other boulder away. The three pokèmon fell down the slope with sever injures, even with Chimecho using Protection, but Seviper? She appeared next to Squirtle right when the turtle lost the grip on the statues "Now it'sss just you and pffffftstststsssssft!" burying her head totally with just the tounge comically twitching out of the mouth. "Oh, yeah, talkin' about cutting the edge of the snake, maaan." Aurorus moaned in pain but struggled to stand up as soon as possible, only to collapse on her side soon after, Chimecho held one of her legs to give her some solace "Don't worry, It's safe." and closed her eyes eventually.

Victini assisted at the incident unfazed "We have the first withdrawers of the day, Vulpix, provide them a spot to the medical center or else."

"Damn. I'm alone again. This is actually the confirm that I am the last man standing of this team!" Anorith seized the statues on the back and proceeded outside the volcan. "I will show them all from then on." Not so far from him, Squirtle was having the same situation "I relate, buddy." adjusting the sunglasses.

**// Vent //**

**"Lost all my agents except for the backline, so it's my task as the commander to finish the mission."**

Speaking of the remaining partners, the starter duo found an artificial entrance created by Porygon 2 itself: he had carved through the rock with a laser precision. "Impressive, feel how smooth it is, carved to perfection."

"Since when you're an expert of geology, Oshawott?" crossed arms with incredulity.

"Not that. But polishing yes. As the best shells are chiseled to perfect smoothness by salt water, I felt the same touching this rockface. Shht. I think we're reaching the targets." the ott prepared siding to the wall and sharpened the shell for the combat. "Ready?" The other sighed and rolled eyes, sharpening the beak. Brr. Sudden the cave was becoming more and more cold, it was a strange place for stalactites considering they were inside a volcano. "Wow, what a view, my feets are boiling but there are icicles above us, how is it possible?"

"Keep looking down!" Oshawott almost fell in the lava pond if wasn't for Piplup prompt to grab her tail with the beak. "Uncscis yu 'r."

"Th-thanks. You, ehm, saved me." blushed visibly "Sigh, I still tend to distract too much no matter what Ninjask taught me. Or you. Argh."

"I know really!" Piplup held a long breath "This is why you're the youngest. You have to learn a lot of things from the adults, therefore there's no need to be so harsh on yourself." Was it the first time of genuine kindness from her? Oshawott wasn't sure how to feel about, a mixture of anger, angsty and relief. She held her breath too "We lost too much time already, let's go." In her way so Piplup cared for her being...? Dismissed it quickly and proceeded forward.

"It appears that the subject of my love reasearch was looking for a safe spot as hiding in the core of a volcano is any of indications." Porygon 2 heard a noise echoing from nearby. "Identifiying the origin... Voice: Lampent. Finally my destination is over." The polygonal rover hoovered on the ceiling as the floor was entirely lava at this point, circled following the shape of the walls, and prepared to record: "*Illuminate me..."* The voice frailed in the boiling magma but was strangely soothing as well, freezing. "*I know I've been seen through..."* The notes trembled *"My glass skin but then there was you..."*

Porygon 2 did not understand the meaning of this all. "It appears to be a song in process, dont' know."

"*I know for sure you're hiding me more truth*."

"Text doesn't make any sense to me, byte the way. A secret code? Could be. Fascinating." The voice stopped abruptly. "Did I interrupt something?" Lampent materialized in front of him. "Didn't Lester tell you that I don't like to be stalked? Or you were sent by him?"

"Not at all, this was a mission I assigned to myself." Porygon replied proudly.

The lantern stayed stone cold "Illuminate me."

"No, I need you in your natural enviroment, I'm doing a study as of now, I'm observing! Ignore my presence and continue, please." Lamped slapped him with her bronze thin arms several times "What is it for? I don't understand. I'll never get what love is about in this way!"

"Love?"

"Your lyrics, your behaviour, your story so far, the way you look at certain pokemon, I want to understand it." Porygon 2 replied firmly to a dazzled Lampent. "Is it Beheeyem, right? Or there's someone else. I collected lot of controversial datas in your account. Therefore you were my selected choice for this study!"

"Leave me alone, now."

"Invalid request. I can't give up on my research now that I'm close to the solution."

The girl suddenly shouted in tears "Why you're so interested in having emotions? Don't you see in your "datas" how much I suffered because of mine! I don't love anyone, I don't want anymore emotions, you picked the worst "subject" possible." More tears dropped from the sides of her eyes dissipating as soon they touched the ground. "See? This is what emotions cause, this is what love causes but it's not my case."

"It is." Porygon 2 extracted a paper reprocessed from the ashes "This is the evidence."

"I was just writing...just...sniff...enjoying in the safe darkness of my mind...sniff...and I was inspired then...gasp."

Oshawott and Piplup arrived after having somehow managed to climb above the magmatic lake, not without scorches, and found themselves eye contact with the target immediately "We got her!"

"This, this is too much...one was already awful to share my space and feelings with...but more..." Lampent merged her body in the lava slowly hiding herself from everyone. Porygon 2 was of a different reaction "I was 99% of finishing my mission. Your egress ruined it. Consequences are going to be purging." Locked on Oshawott for the electrical cannonball. "Byte the way, you know there's Piplup too with me?" Oshawott was quick to push Piplup forward and Porygon 2 redirected the hit to the ceiling almost automatically. "Illogical response to my own commands. What has happened?"

"Ah, I knew you would have never hurt your birdlove!" Piplup was utterly shocked at those words and gave an astonished look at her partner in law. "Birdlove? Wait, this is one of the effects of love I was warned about?!" Oshawott exploited that moment of low guard to blow a supereffective Revenge hit. "I did it! First time we defeat Porygon-" she was struck by an energy ball (Energipalla=tipo Erba) launched by someone else, and that someone could be only Lampent! Oshawott was knocked out and Piplup had no idea what to do, afterall, that was her first fight ever... and she demonstrated it immediately. Barely dodged the energy ball, and whipped her tail "I-I have to lower her defense if I still remember by the book." Tail Whip on a Ghost type. "Of course! Then an attack should work: Beak." She pecked a few times against the globe of the lantern but stopped as soon her beak became incandescent "Aaaah! It's hot! My poor mouth. Uh? No, leave me!!!"

Lampent grabbed her in her spires, willing to just finish all this mess once for all. "You should have not entered in my personal darkness. Ever."

"Noooo!"

Oshawott opened eyes as an inch of life refilled her body and jumped in the between of them to deflect the hit. Both her and Piplup were blasted by the energy ball but she absorbed most of the hit also hitting Lampent with her shell during the jump causing her to crash on the ceiling and get buried falling down in the lava pit. "O-Oshawott. Dear? How could you be this suicidal?!"

"Returning the favor, I guess." the last words before a long and definitive rest for the shell warrior. Piplup despite her age carried her on the shoulders then turned back in horror seeing Porygon 2 was operative again, but after a long stare the Cybernetic Pokèmon let her go without saying a single word.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

After a long stake out Ninjask was ready to strike. He would have not had a second chance. Sword danced to maximize his attack ratings, double teamed to increase the elusion, and mind read on the target, all the while listening the vibrations of the mountain. "Now." Used Thief on Metagross swiping the Zekrom forge the crab was carrying, then Dig under the feets of Minun at speed light, and revealed the truth beyond the choice of Fridge Rotom: Reshiram was inside it. Lester lost balance without the support of Minun, heeled over himself and the ice statue slipped outside. "Hell no, come back here! Ninjask, this is not over by the way!!! Discharge!" but nothing happened as the electricity dissipated in the air before it could reach the enemy "This, this is impossible unless my theory on you is really correct!?" The cicada baton passed away exploiting his distraction and Anorith materialized in his place. "What? Oh-oh...Rock..."

"How am I supposed to be here? On second thought, doesn't matter." Anorith then was aware of Lester's presence and a gleefully sensation impossessed of his mind "There, there, Lester, eh? Why don't you look at me now? There's nothing to be scared about my fish eyes.I can't see straight, right?"

"By the way, look at the time! I'm in late for yet another trial..." any attempt of escape was neutralized as Anorith used Smack Down nullifying his ability to levitate. At contemporary the peak of the mountain erupted once again. "Me being a fridge today was the worst quirky idea I ever had." Ninjask's plan and revenge was fulfilled. Anorith was startled as well by the eruption but had the timing to toss the Reshiram statue in the mouth of the volcano. "One done, finally. Urgh!" a large chunk of molten rock landed on him.

**// Vent //**

**Anorith would later comment "I-I resisted Arceus-knows-how. Maybe all the pain I suffer on a regular basis is making me iron proof. I couldn't believe it when I lifted that boulder off my...corpse, practically, and continued my journey through the hell like nothing happened."**

**"I was behind." Squirtle delivered his own opinion, too. "Gotta say, that Anorith dude has ballz. I could have attacked from behind but dude deserved that moment in peace and quiet. Respect."**

After having miracolously survived to the eruption, Anorith prepared for the forge of Zekrom. Tied it to a rope, descended in the crater climbing backward, Squirtle doing the same with the assistance of Ninjask, both the Venturer and the two Jigglers managed to dip their forges enough for the lava to envelop and fill the moulds (=stampi) inside and model the statues as the lava cooled down while they climbed up again. Now it was only to slide down the other side of the mountain and bring it to the underwater temple. Ninjask also had to drop away the forge stolen at some point to not break the rules entirely.

"Bring it on: it's surf time!" Squirtle unleashed the statue and put it horizontally. "First time I do it over the lava, I'm on fire. I want to dive directly in the ocean, too. See you at the finish line, Aaanorith!" Ninjask passed his speed light to boost him further. "Cuiiiida la stingaaadaaa babyyy!" Anorith followed with a little late. "Damn it if I wasn't alone as usual!"

From the tail of losers, the various pokèmon forced to get to the medicals, rooted for their companions. "Go, Squirtle, go, dude, show em how you fly over that mountain but don't show off too much!"

"I will give you my...secret clam if you win, honey!" screamed Oshawott with no sense of shame much for Piplup's scandalized reaction. "*B*-But Oshawott!!!"

"This is the right time I'll rip your claws off and swallow them like crab meatballs if you don't win, Anorith." Seviper's rooting was, eh, of a complete different fashion.

Clearly Squirtle get galvanized but didn't follow the advise of his friend, showboating all the time with moves and acrobacies "This is how we do it in Kanto, bitch. Rad n' smoothy, fab and slinky. Ops." recovered "Just a little bit of adrenaline for the cameras, eh eh."

"Levitate Rock!" Anorith settled up an extra obstacle on the path of the tortoise.

"Not cool, man, I thought you were sporty! Ahhh!" but Ninjask took the obstacle in his place in a flinch of the eyelids. "Holy sh\*\*. That's it, you like to play it rough. No rules then."

"There were rules in the Cambrian Age? Hell never." Anorith taunted in reply. "Wake up, kid!"

"Sure, how about put this surf session up to eleven? SURF!" casted out a giant wave of water that submerged the side of the mountain together the lava, evaporating in a pitched rainfall. "How about my Swift Swim (Nuotovelox) ability? I lived in troubled waters way before your species even existed!" Anorith landed first directly in the sea of Undella Town, Squirtle was now behind.

"Uhm, let's see who wins." Victini was waiting at the entrance of the Undella Ruins.

The two swimmers were back to back striving to carry their heavyweight, but Anorith's advantage soon became overwhelming as Squirtle's speedboost vanished. And the Venturer was the first to enter the ruins! Sitting on an ancient throne covered in kelps, Victini was ready for the final judgement: "Congratulations, welcome in the realm of the king of Unima, now pose your tribute on the ground and hope that this spirit of Victory will be satisfied of it."

"I brought the statue, what more? Forgot to bow, your majesty?" Anorith mocked the solemnity of the host. "Here's the statue of Zekrom, as you wanted." Squirtle cursed himself entering the place for second.

"Anorith. Have you checked what you did?" Victini opened the forge and a charred magmatic covered black statue effectively merged, but didn't resemble Zekrom... "Do you think, as much whatever pain it costed to him it's always well accepted, that the spirit of Victory that you have in front of you can be praised of a ***Beheeyurem*** Statue?" Seviper's rage reaction was hearible even underwater and the rest is history.

**// Vent //**

**Beheeyem covered in charcoal and with his skin experimenting a third degree burn simply shrugged "And once again, I was right and none listened. Well done, Anorith, well done. Now, can I finally get some medical treatment after 3 hours since the challenge is over that we have been recording this confessional cuts in the fruitless attempt to increase the drama of an already dramatically pathetic moment? Thank you."**

### **TAIL OF LOSERS**

"Looks like the team...of *Jirachi* won again." The host fluttered back and forward, and shifted eyes in dismay at the pokèmon standing in front of him "Venturers, or should I retail back your name once for all? ***Anorith Venturers***, maybe?" Anorith didn't even dare to reply, and simply watched the ground while clenching hard the arms of the seat causing carves in the leather. "And Leviathans, alias, LESTER, go to the nomination flits and make your prays to the God of Victory you offended forever!" Victini flared on all over the fur as he was about to incinerate the entire plane, then returned quiet and stone cold "This time you can't vote for anyone of the other team, so, all, think about two names, one for each team, that don't deserve it furthermore."

Then everyone congedated for the nominations, lining up for the vents.

**// Vent //**

**"Sssick and tired." Seviper sliced in half the picture of Beheeyem, and left. Soon after it was collected in the hands of the alien who simply commented "Therefore I know exactly who I'm voting for today. *Hope you're receiving the message here, Aurorus."***

**"Lester, who else?" Minun shrugged even with a smile of resignement. "Afterall, my vote is gonna be ignored as usual by the rest of the team." Lester was up next, still dressed in his fridge-lawyer outfit, sweating paranoically, didn't say anything and signed on his vote, then tried to speak but sighed and renounced.**

**"Mission is over." Metagross stamped the mark on Porygon 2.**

**"Order received." Porygon 2 proceeded as calculated.**

Up next as Lampent was the last leaving her vote, she was also the first to receive the macarone from the father. "Of course you're the first safe." his voice seemed broken and unnerved, like he was ashamed to even talk to her, and his paws trembled during the trade in her hands. Shoo off immediately after, back on the palk and nerves on steel. The daughter noticed something was wrong but...you know Lampent at this point. She ate carelessly the sweet while she was fully absorbed observing a black mineral found in the bottom of the volcan lake. "Metagross." Victini began the distribution "Aurorus. Seviper. Minun. And Anorith not received a single vote here as surprising as it is."

"Wait, how is it possibile?" Anorith was astonished "I hate to admit, but I expected to be voted! Not a single vote, for real? Then still you all say I'm useless, ah, make your mind."

"Ohh, on the contrary." Beheeyem pondered "I think we made our mind already. It's strategy. Keep you around as much we can or at least this is my point of view."

"EH? Explain me better!" he started to feel the urge to pounce his claws on that smug face, if only he hadn't to keep them hold the seat... "Isn't that obvious?"

"You pose no threat for the game." Metagross line was like a meteor punch in the innards of the anomalocaris. Seviper limited to roll eyes with a pitiful look and even worse was Dunsparce's "Even I was voted more times than you." to which he replied seething "I-It's for Lunatone, this one, right? Okay! I deserved it! But f\*\*k off, same for Metagross, if I won't survive both your permanences eventually."

"Enough!" Victini drew back the attention. "There are four contestants left..." but was abruptly interrupted.

"And by the way, Lester is always the name to appear, because I AM certainly a threat and proud to be, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*" Anorith snapped the claw right in his face. "By the way, what does it mean...?"

"That you should pray evolution because I don't have *fingers*."

"Ooooh, original!"

"LESTER. This is my middle finger equivalent instead." Victini signed a V (*n.d.r: nei paesi anglosassoni fare il segno della vittoria ma con la mano rivolta verso l'interno è come il nostro dito medio italiano*) at him tossing the last macarone. "You received just the vote of Minun as usual so zip your mouth."

"Hey, shouldn't be secret?!" Minun blushed as Lester turned in his direction: that was a low blow he would have regretted later...

So Victini stared at Dunsparce, Beheeyem and Porygon 2. "Take your pokè ball and pray. 3-2-1..**.Voltorb of Victimization!**" Beheeyem was in the middle of the explosions, both Dunsparce and Porygon 2 blew up in the general shock and awe. "Double elimination?!?" exclaimed Minun, Seviper..."D-DUNSSSPARCE? Who voted him of ussss? Who ssscrewed between you two?" before she could even turn her homicidal sight on Anorith or Aurorus, Dunsparce killed all her suspects. "I screwed. Punish me! I'm useless, no? I rigged votes for myself."

Lester took the limelight "By the way, about you, Porygon 2, my quirky friend, you have been way too errand in the last period, even for MY standards that you EVEN surpassed Metagross in my dislike rates!! I can't trust you anymore. Pity, because you were a promising disciple of my legacy..."

"I voted myself too, isn't that q-irky yet?" Porygon 2 stood up, and his revealing was likely the most shocking of that night. The red Rotom blink blinked in awe.

Victini calmly put an hand on the face, visibly scorned by the situation, muttering "Of course. Even if I asked you straight and square a simple task, you bunch of vapid vexing vamoosing oddballs had to screw my game once again." as the tone of the voice raised more and more the chillblains over their skin did too (Aurorus no for obvious reasons) "***Swirlix, Ditto, Castform, Drifloon, Inkay, DITTO AGAIN**.* Who's the next one? NO! I will not allow anyone to spoil my reality and frustrate my spirit of victoriousness with yet another vile self-defection. You're not going anywhere, Dunsparce and Porygon 2, because you're switching teams!"

"Oh. B-B-But. I wanted to leave at least on my own. Please!"

"I said SWITCH TEAMS."

"This is like, a mission on a complete another planet, the planet Victini Venturers!" Porygon 2 happily lifted Dunsparce off his seat and replaced his position in the team. Then his body illuminated. Everyone gasped. "*DOWNLOADING. . .INSTALLING DUBIOUS DISC. . .PROCESSING MEMORY FILES. . .EVOLUTION 100% COMPLETED*."

"Porygon? How do you feel? Speak."

The pokèmon moved his new pair of arms stuttering as first, but then he bent them smoothly, like proper hands, then lifted up using the tail and rotated the head all over 360° gyroscopic view with starry eyes and he was seeing all the stars of the sky in a single movement in fact. "Free. Finally. Hold on." Full of curiosity he crossed the left arm while raising the other to point upfront. The epic pose. "FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Lester.

Didn't.

Appreciate.

At all.

Even.

Less.

When.

Beheeyem.

"By the premise looks like a new Lester has born."

NO.

WAY.

"But for me you're just all Losers, at least until tomorrow." Victini left the tail with these harsh words. "This isss so insane. My plan was screwed by less than a snake..." Seviper repeated to herself before going to sleep. Or trying. Aurorus and Beheeyem exchanged a smile, but while Beheeyem seemed confident, Aurorus in reality didn't know what to think at this point: was that a step closer to the egg or she was losing it furthermore? But Anorith was the most confused overall at the end of the day: *why everything and everyone around him was changing while he was staying the same? Not evolving at all*. "By the way, goodnight, new team!" Porygon Z waved eagerly "I will take a scroll with the stars *Aaall Night Long, turudututu tu tu. I want to go to the D.I.S.C.O...*"

"By the way, he said?" Lester strangled the first pokèmon he had nearby, of course it was Minun "BY THE WAY?! This is the reward I take after a day I was solid, liquid, passed through everything? By the way he said, ah ah ah ah! What a failure."

"L-Lester, cough!"

"By the way instead I say that dear Minun I'll make you regret to have voted me, sorry if it took so long for this announcement." Minun glommed. "Well! If anyone needs a midnight snack, I'm available all the night because I won't certainly sleep after a day like this so feel free to serve yourself!" drama queen and attention whore as usual, Rotom sounded really pissed off this time. Or guilty?

### **EPILOGUE**

Assured that none was awake anymore, the snake slithered away from her seat. She took Anorith with herself. "What the helix are you doing?" Seviper strengthened the grip squeezing him: a gentle message to shut up in her manner. Anorith stayed quiet then, curious to see about the "destination" of that night trip. The only place the losers were allowed to stay aside from the tail were usually the bathrooms. Seviper, ironically, took the same one where Aurorus had hidden her egg all the time... Entered, locked the door and swallowed the key. Seviper's face was pale like the moon and her mouth was swollen, she slowly enlarged it and pointed at her toungue: utterly frozen!

"Ohh. Now I see. This, ahem, is not really a good sign." then Anorith examined the cavity of Seviper and it was the same sensation of entering in the *Ice Path*. Swishing between stalactites and stalagmites of what once was the stomach of the viper, he arrived at the end where the egg lied. Like the core of a star system, it spread icy air all over the way. "Brr. I'm afraid it's near the hatch point, if you know what it means. Maybe if you get on a diet of moya berries..." Seviper had a convulsion and repelled him outside. "Lissssten! I had enough of this ssstory! You have joked on me so far, right?!" Anorith stirred trying to not admit it openly "That'sss it. Sssince you acted a fool on me with this egg, it will be your resssponsability by now." she whacked violently her tail spitting down the egg with such violence that Anorith saved it from a certain death. "Hey hey! Are you se-"

"I am ***ssseriousss***." she whispered tucking her tounge right through his eardrums "*And if Aurorus spots you in any way, you'll better become a fossil again before I know it. This is your last chance.*"

"A-Are you serious?! How am I supposed to keep focused on the competition, to do challenges, and taking care of this baby at contemporary! All meanwhile hiding it from her legit mother?"

"I don't care, YOU DO." Seviper looked around for a suitable replacement, fruitlessly "Bah, I will find something eventually! Hide that thing in your shell, in the vent, in your assss, just put it away from my sight and my responsibility, and most of all, shut up once for all and follow my ordersss. Goodnight, daddy." Seviper unlocked the door leaving with a satisfied smirk of a subtle revenge. Anorith stayed alone for the rest of the night. "And should I thank that this is the team of Anorith Venturers, eh, eeeh? Sure it is! In my dreams. In my dreams...of at least a little of appreciation sometime for all I do. Bah, let's do this too."

...

*"Stop moving, stop moving around. You little scoundrel listen to me! I want to sleep after a day of troubles and strives as every of my life.*"

...

*"You're getting on my nerves already, kid. I couldn't close my eyes a single second without you slippering away from my pincers: eggs should sleep already at this hourtime, you know?"*

...

*"Holy shhhhh...!! -not in front of a baby, even you have your limits, Anorith- It was you that froze the sanitaries? Who's going to tell it to Lucario! Do you have an idea on what Seviper will do with my own claws if she sees this mess? Of course you don't. New generations really suck today."*

...

*"Alright. I'll tell you a story to make you sleep once for all. Ahem. Once upon an era, there was a newborn anomalocaris that...roooonf...fiii..."*