Routine. That's pretty much all the days have become for Doom.

There's routes she usually takes, cities she passes through, biomes she usually traverses. A good amount of them are ones she knows like the back of her hand. And yet, each day brings something new, whether it be items discarded on the roads, new Pokemon getting in her way, advances in the communities she visits. Of course, as a traveler, she can't stay long, and she'd rather observe from afar than commit to helping (for free, anyway). At the very least, it staves off the boredom; at most, it keeps her going in a world determined to see her die alone.

On this particular day, she's walking down a mountainous road, flanked by cliffs on either side of the well-travelled path. There's a headwind making her leafy scarf flutter behind her, the various rocky formations in the biome whistling to pass the day. Much to Doom's displeasure, it's a quiet day, so while she's scouting for supplies she has to pass the time somehow.

The odd tree here or there marks the path as it twists and turns over small hills. Under one, the pale Celebi notices a fallen stick, and goes to pick it up. Small and flimsy, but still useful as a backup projectile. Aerodynamic, too.

Just as she stuffs it in her back, she hears a wooshing sound come from behind her, unlike the winds of the region. A slicing whip of a sound that activated her fight-or-flight instincts, reactively rolling off to the side. As she rights herself, she notices the tree she was just under had been cut at an angle straight through the trunk, witnessing it slide off and its branches bounce against the ground.

Doom whipped her head around to see the attacker, a screech signaling its position. A Mandibuzz glared down at her from high. Having been put through her paces, she's able to recognize she's at a disadvantage. As she waited for the buzzard to make another move, she thought of ways to combat it up close, considering her Psychic powers were null against it. She relished the thought of defeating it to show even the differences in their types mattered little compared to their difference in power. But as she stared it down, it simply stared back as well. It was the first to avert its attention, squawking and turning its body around to fly away.

She thought it odd that a Mandibuzz would be the first to strike, considering they only pick off the weak. Its hesitation to continue fighting means it saw her as healthy, and not an easy target despite her obvious type disadvantages. Perhaps it was because of her pale skin, and that she knelt when it decided to strike; after she proved herself capable of dodging an attack she couldn't even see coming, it thought she wasn't worth the effort. Or, perhaps the lack of resources has driven it to be more active in its hunts, even though its instincts betray it pursuing a fight. If it had wanted a fight, she would be more than willing to give one; being capable of levitation, she could easily fight it on its own terms without it swooping down with its talons, had it deemed she worthy enough. But it lived another day, and to that, Doom scoffed.

She knew it'd be a waste of energy to chase it down. There were more important things to do: first and foremost being to gather supplies for the pub. While she could joke around and give them that stick she found, she knows they wouldn't appreciate the humor of it. Killjoys. At least the brewery is only a few biomes over from the one she's in.

The pale Celebi got back onto the path, heading north out of the canyon biome. The cliffs on both sides of the path eventually came down like hills to be flat at the border. At the edge of the biome, a pink line in the ground marked where it and the biome next to it met; however, in front of it, and in front of Doom now, was a blockade.

A gate had been set up on the main path, along with various signs that read "TURN AROUND" and "BIOME CLOSED." A sharp-dressed figure in blue sat in a chair in front of the gate, leaning back and holding a walkie-talkie up near their head. They hadn't noticed Doom until she nearly walked entirely by him.

The figure then jumped up out of their seat. "Whoa-ho-ho! Sorry, young'un, can't let you go any further." The person, a male Ursaring in police uniform, stepped in front of the gate. Doom continued to walk forward, a determined glare on her face. "There's been an accident at the town up ahead and the whole biome's been blocked off as a precaution...u-uh, miss?"

Doom stopped just a few feet from the bear, looking up at him with a slight hint of disgust. "So you're saying I have to turn back. How dangerous are we talking?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. There's a mutated Pokemon that's made the whole town uninhabitable. The air is unsafe, so we've set up a perimeter around the outer edge so passersby don't wander inside and get infected." He tried to act sure of himself, but just peeking down at Doom glaring at him is enough to make him sweat.

"...Feh. They didn't protect themselves." Doom looks off to the side. She was hoping it wasn't that - even if she's been hardened by loss, the thought of lost life still stings in her cold heart.

An all-too-common occurrence with small communities sprouting up is not being able to defend themselves from the threats of the merged world. Not having the defensive force of a city means it's easier for smaller towns to get overrun, especially if the people they give this task to aren't strong to begin with. The biome ahead had a small village of sorts, a stopgap between larger settlements, but it served as a stop along the way to a regular stop of Doom's.

"Sorry, pal. We're reaching out to neighboring cities to see who can come clean up the mess, but it's still a bit of an active situation. If you head back to the fork in the road, we got signs set up for a detour around the biome."

It took Doom a few seconds to remember that sign. Of course, it said nothing about the entire biome being inaccessible, just a bare detour sign with an arrow. She, understandably, didn't think it was for her. But she wasn't about to turn back now. All she needed was a plan.

She sighed. "Fiiine. Which way will it take me?"

"Oh, no probs. If you're lookin' to head straight north, just follow the path west and you'll-" The Ursaring had looked towards the path he was talking about. That was all Doom needed to bolt forward past the bear's feet. By the time he noticed, she had already zipped past arm's reach and vaulted up to the top of the gate.

"H-HEY!" The Ursaring held out a hand towards Doom. She shot an evil grin back at him seconds before jumping towards the border of the biome, disappearing beyond it in a mocking pose.

He panicked, reaching for his walkie. "Ey, we got a runner on the north side of Orange Canyon headin' up to Valley Creek. Dang thing jumped the gate on me."

A buzzing voice responded. "Dangit, hold the line! Help's on the way. No more civilians can pass through, got it? Don't endanger yourself."

"Got it." He sighed. Hopefully that won't come out of his paycheck.

Another voice came through on the walkie, different from the one before. "Sir, could you describe the person that went through?"

That's weird, he thought. That wasn't a responder's voice he recognized. "Uh...A pink Celebi. Looked kinda pale, green scarf."

"Doom..." The voice turned despondent.

---

"Right! And so I said..."

The inside of the Half Time pub, still morning. Max is at the door as usual, Mute is on kitchen duty, and Snowy is making small talk with a pub regular, a light-blue Manaphy whose arms are somewhat melting on the counter. Fortunately, as it's still morning, the only people around are those there for the food. The Manaphy is no exception, being one to guzzle down everything on the menu at least once, and with what looks like a half-eaten full-course meal spread haphazardly in front of it.

One of its hands plops against the counter with a squishy sound as it makes a quick laugh. "Ah, that devil! And then what'd she do?"

"Not a single thing more through the whole evening. It shut her up pretty good getting called out like that." The frostbitten 'bi is so eager to share his story that he's not even multitasking. Not that he needs to, as there's only a few things he could really do behind the counter to pass the time.

"Aye, can't really come back after that. Hey, you wouldn't mind...putting in another order for some of those Torchic wings? Put it on the tab, o' course."

"Of course, right away." Snowy took a note and wrote on it, floating over to the window of the kitchen and hooking the note up to the line. "Order in for a plate of wings!"

"I got it, I got - eep!" The clanging of a fallen utensil can be heard from beyond the window. Mute hurriedly takes the note before Snowy can return behind the counter, appearing as only a quick-moving hand.

The pale Celebi shakes his head as he runs his hand across the counter. He mutters under his breath, "That girl's trying her hardest, but..."

Just then, the office door swung open with a click. Snowy tensed for a moment and bit his tongue. Max looked over. Gali floated out, shutting the door behind her with her tail.

The Manaphy perked up from its meal, seeing her. "Hey there, Gali. Looking fine as always, ya?"

She half-heartedly raised a hand to acknowledge them. "Hey." She continued past, towards the lounge area with the couches, and promptly sat down on one of them. It was uncommon enough to see her on the pub floor that Snowy took immediate notice of her mood, and Mute too hurried with her orders after hearing Gali's voice.

Gali's elbow rings rested on her knees while her hands supported and gripped her head, her long green hair flowing in the air behind her with a mind of its own. She sighed, closing her eyes.

Snowy leaned in towards the Manaphy. "Do you mind if I...?"

It raised one of its flippers and grunted agreeably, speaking with its mouth half-full. "Not at all, not at all." With that, the icy bibi slowly made his way over to where Gali was sitting. Before he had reached her seat, she had decided to reach over for the remote for the TV they would use for sporting events, switching it over to one of the news channels.

"Hey, boss. What's up? Something on your mind?" Snowy floated from behind and into Gali's field of vision, flapping his icicle-shaped wings. She briefly scanned the TV screen: coverage of an unrelated incident in a biome far away, whereas the ticker was slowly rolling with the day's economic news.

"Snowy. How much do you trust Doom's abilities?" She looks at him. He attempts to be careful not to make a wrong face, tensing up a little.

"Ah...well, I mean, she gets the job done, right? And she's come back...alive...so far." He wears a nervous smile.

"Mmmgh..." Gali sighs and looks down at the table in front of her. She can see the reflection of the TV on it, as well as the various scuff marks and scratches it's gained. "I got word from the radio. One of the biomes she usually goes through is blocked off for some reason. She ignored the blockade..."

Snowy put a fist under his chin, in just as much thought as she. "That's trifling. She's strong, sure, but headstrong too. You think she's in over her head?"

He glances over. Mute had brought out some of the Manaphy's orders, collecting the empty dishes before fluttering over. "Phew...Gali, is everything alright?"

Gali looks back up to the TV screen, then to the green 'bi. "...Yeah. Don't worry about it, Mute. You just keep doin' what you're doin'." There's a hint of a smile on the corner of her lips.

Mute, however, didn't buy it. "You sure you're fine? You wouldn't come out of your office unless you had something important to say, or something on your mind." Despite holding the plates with a single hand, she looked as though she was ready to take Gali on with her façade.

Seeing Mute's determined look and keeping eye contact with her for a few moments was enough to make Gali look away, being the loser in the staring competition. She looked down and away with a "tch" sound.

"Don't tell me you're overthinking things again, Gali..." Mute dipped in the air slightly to match her tone of voice. She's become so emotional since the merge...

"I'd say you are." Snowy, with crossed arms, though with a playful grin. "Just 'cause I don't like how Doom acts around here don't mean I don't trust her abilities. You of all people should know that, since you pretty much hired her for the job. And I imagine you wouldn't have done so without knowing she'd have been capable of handling a scenario such as this."

He floats around, lit by the TV behind him, which has the effect of making visible the puffs of cold air escaping the holes in his body. He finishes by looking straight at Gali, now having her hands on her legs, unable to fully cross her arms...as she has none now.

"Alright, smarty-pants. Sure, I did hire her for that, knowing she can handle herself out there, and that she knows the world better than I do. And sure, I did tell her something along the lines of...achieving her goals, no matter the cost." Her gaze turns downward. Her voice wavers somewhat, though it fixes itself quickly. "But her life is a cost, and blatantly ignoring a blockade makes it more likely she's gonna get herself into trouble. More than what she'd usually get into. I dunno, you could probably tell me millions of things she's done."

"So what you're saying is she'll come back with a doozy of a tale. Sounds fine for me. Maybe it'll humble her, finally."

"If..." Gali raises a finger. "...she comes back to tell it."

"Don't say that, Gali." Mute pouts. "Look, I gotta get back to the kitchen...just don't beat yourself up too hard, okay? Trust in her." Again she gives Gali a determined look, and a nod. She then keeps eye contact for a few more seconds as she floats to the corner towards the kitchen.

Snowy, too, watches her round the corner. "...You know, boss, you can go yourself if you wanna. I can hold the fort just fine."

The Hoopa-Celebi shook her head. "No. I should trust her. It's just...hard to."

There's a flash of red as a breaking news bulletin comes across the TV screen. Gali instinctively looks up towards it. A well-dressed Xatu then appears behind a desk.

"We have breaking news for you at this hour: the Sunny Ridges biome, just east of Falmaire City, is off-limits until further notice. Local authorities have told us that a mutant Pokemon has taken over the region and has been contained. Detours have been set up to guide pedestrians around the biome for the time being while the threat is being dealt with. We go now to our reporter live on the scene with one of the residents of Sunny Ridges and an exclusive look at the biome moments before being ushered to safety..."

---

The sky is clouded, with nary a ray of sunlight peaking through, though there are thinner sections of clouds to see that it is still indeed daytime. The dirt and even the grass is a lighter, blue-ish shade, and as Doom walks forward, it is eerily silent. Not even the wind is blowing. There's no road where she's walking.

All around her is open fields, but she knows where she's going. Up this hill, then through the town ahead. A quaint village, barely anything to speak of. It is at least notable for being on her path, and as such, she's used to getting hi's and hello's from the friendlier residents, and is one of the rarer communities she's stopped for requests at. Enjoyable for being a reminder of civilization while also not overstaying its welcome in her psyche. And due to it being civilization, there's a good chance it doesn't have any invading Pokemon looking to impose themselves on the will of the people.

As she gets to the top of the hill, marked by a dead tree, she thought of how useless the blockade she had to pass was. All it did was make her exert energy to pass it.

And as she gets to the peak, touching the trunk of the dead tree...

She sees why the blockade was put in place.

The village...is no more. From her memory of what it looked like before, some of the buildings were entirely gone. Every single other structure has suffered some, if not total structural failure, with piles of wood and stone everywhere. While this would have been the most obvious sign of a rampaging Pokemon that was unable to be stopped by the local defending force, the destruction of the village's houses and land was unfortunately not the visual tell that struck the shiny Celebi. That honor belonged to the massive pile of glowing green-and-purple sludge at the far end of the village and in front of the canyon passage she'd usually go through. There are several pools of the same glowing acid that seem to have eaten through the ground, or even the buildings themselves, as some of the pools look like they'd occupy the same space as some of the houses, with logs and rocks scattered through the liquid. Even the giant mound had bits of black metal stuck in it. The sludge radiates an eerie green glow that lights up the destroyed buildings and shines on the wall of the canyon, as if to mark its presence.

Even from the distance she was at, Doom could feel a toxic pressure in the air. That feeling was overshadowed by another that took hold on her: that of loss. Once again she is reminded of her beloved, of time she cannot get back. So too will the residents of this village never truly regain the peace they once had. She did not know them all that well; she had barely caught their names passing by, and even then, did not make a note to memorize them. Now, she might never get the chance to learn.

She clutches her chest and buries her head down, down into her leafy scarf. Even her hair had drooped down to match her mood, with a distant green reappearing in her eyes all but briefly. After a few moments of letting the chill and shock run down her spine, she shook her whole body to try and rid herself of the feeling. It was no time to feel sentimental, especially for nobodies. Not when there's danger in the air, thick enough to cut.

Regaining her usual gait, she makes her way down the hill and approaches the ruins of the village. She's assaulted by multiple feelings as she steps forward, threatening to distract her from her senses. Her jaw shakes as she clamps her teeth down, trying to keep focused and use her weak emotions as fuel for the disdain she's giving to the world through her face. No time to think of the innocents; the monster responsible might still be nearby, and if it rears its ugly head, she's going to give it a piece of her mind.

She passes by pools of sludge, only giving their liquid a cursory glance. She steps over piles of fallen lumber, looking down to see if she might step on a nail. From the center of the village, she can see the massive mound of sludge at the valley entrance is flanked by a large pool of the same substance for a good ten feet or so. Fortunately, at least along Doom's path, there's no debris in front of it, though she can see several pieces of lumber sticking up out of it and at least one house that has partially fallen into it, a collection of fallen stones extending out into the pool.

As close as she was, she could see steam coming up out of the pool, especially near the materials still lodged within. The only path forward would be up and over the sludge, and through that mound at the end. The viscous liquid flows down it, as if it were generating from the center, though the levels in the pool did not rise with it. Doom was puzzled by its physical form, looking for a rock with which to throw at it to see how it reacted.

A sound bellowed out, loud and deep enough to make the ground shake under the Celebi. "GUUUAAAAH..."

The pace at which the sludge rolled off the mound increased ever so slightly, and it dipped and bulged in a frontward direction. Then, from in front of Doom, several bumps in the sludge rose up to form gross, green-glowing light-purple tentacles. Those tentacles then formed hands, heads...

...and the faint outline of bones begun taking shape from inside the sludge, and even poking through it entirely. Faces begun forming: if not around skulls, then by a haphazard memory. Doom took a step back, equal parts horrified and pushed to anger from the adrenaline she was forcing herself to endure.

"Ruuu...uuun..." A voice came from one of the beings overtaken by the sludge, one too muffled by glorps and glunks to recognize.

"Saaave...yourssshheeelf..." Another vocalized, again unrecognizable. The arms of the makeshift sludgy bodies extended outwards towards Doom, taking steps towards her inside the pool.

Another step back, but this would be the last the Celebi would flee. She was going forward through this. She wasn't going to back away so easily. She brings a hand to her chest, taking a deep breath while letting the fear she was feeling shake up through her spine, up her arms and then to her hands. Internalizing it once more, she grips the two leaves hanging from her scarf, pulling them loose.

Doom holds out the leaves in front of her, bringing her other hand forward and taking one of the leaves. She held her fists in a stack, one leaf pointing up from the top fist, the other below the bottom. She closed her eyes and turned her head down, exhaling.

A quiet voice: introspective, focusing. "Honey...I need your strength again."

Green balls of light circled Doom's arms, coming from her body and enveloping the leaves in her hands. The light coats them completely, then continues amassing into a longer form. She brings her arms to her side, striking a battle-ready pose as the light fades from the leaves, revealing twin Leaf Blades as long and sharp as she is tall.

With the red in her eyes again, blinking the blood away, she swipes one of her blades forward, ending with her pointing at the sludge-beings. "Get out of my way."

The part-skeletal, mostly-goopy bodies step forward out of the pool, with more tentacles raising behind them to form more bodies. They repeated their chants, some moaning in agony, some silent, all extensions of the large sludge mound in Doom's path.

Expecting them to not heed her warning, and glad that they didn't, she strikes an insane grin. A chuckle erupts, quiet at first, then turning into a louder maniacal cackle as she takes the first swing, slicing one of the mucky beings in half, going to the next one before the top half splatters against the ground.

She was dying for some fun.

---

"Uh huh...yeah. That sounds like her, alright."

Right outside the front doors of Half Time, Gali talks with a Gothitelle dressed in dark blue, its pancake-like hair extensions pulled down and bunched up behind its head. The Celebi-Hoopa has a hand on her hips, looking tense as the Gothitelle writes on a clipboard. Despite being outside, the air feels dense enough to cut, and the humidity and warm temperature wasn't helping. Even she, in her open shirt, was sweating bullets from the combined warmth and stress.

"Right...so then, we'll pass on her information as fast as we can, but there's no guarantee of her safety." The Gothitelle speaks in a plain, almost deadpan voice.

"That's a risk I'm aware of every day I send her out. It's just...y'know, undue stress." Despite the fusion's larger size in comparison to the Astral Body Pokemon, as well as her more imposing appearance with her wildly floating hair and rings, she acts meek in the officer's presence, trying to force a smile that comes off more awkward than friendly.

"Uh-huh." The Gothitelle rips a piece of paper from her clipboard. "This is who we're sending, their agency number, all that good stuff. If we hear anything about your employee, uh..."Doom", you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks." Gali casually took a hold of the piece of paper with Psychic energy from a finger, bringing it to her hand without moving from her position. "I'm always tuned in to, uh, the defense channel, so I hear most of the chatter."

Slowly blinking and looking back up to Gali, whose worried smile twitches at a corner, the officer scoffs. "Like I said, no promises. That biome needs to be secured first."

Gali sighs, seeming a little dejected. "Right. I'll...get in touch with these guys. Thanks."

"Mmm. Have a good day." With a good-bye wave, the Gothitelle floats away rather hurriedly.

Having calmed considerably since first getting the news, all Gali can do is sigh. She waits at the door until the Gothitelle is out of sight, then looks at the paper in her hand. "Tch...not even well wishes." She looks over to Max, who was floating there the whole time, staring off into nothing but still very aware. "Can you believe it? We haven't fallen that far, have we?"

Though she attempts to make light of it, Max's expression doesn't change. Staring, with his arms crossed behind his back. There's a slight hint of his cheek moving upwards. "...Can't see the future..." Coarse and deadpan, like the Gothitelle's.

Gali tilted her head to think, then it flashed in her head. "Ah, right...their powers. They're affected too..."

She closed her eyes and shook off the feeling. "Ugh, that doesn't matter. What matters is Doom. Not that...you probably don't care all that much about her, right, Max?" She held up a hand to the smaller Celebi. Her entire floating hand was just as big as he was.

Max looked up at her suddenly, then back in front of him. His body shakes, and his head dips a little.

"...Yeah. I know. But it isn't about that. She's a living being, like the rest of us...like the rest of us." She had a thought to correct herself, but let it pass.

Max looked up at her again, his mouth quivering. He attempted to speak again, but all he could do was mouth his words, muted by his own body. His brow twitched, his head shook to try and help get the words out.

Gali looks to the paper in her hand again and sighs. "Guess I should see if they'll answer. At least they won't see us as monsters over the phone." The hand closest to Max retreats to Gali's side, and she gave a small smile in his direction. "Let me know if there's anybody that comes knockin'." With that, she floats back inside, ducking so her head doesn't hit the frame.

Inside, the Manaphy at the counter from before was finishing up his last dish, with an exhausted Mute gathering the dishes up as best she could, with Snowy helping as well. Gali wished she could simply sneak by without comment, but without much room for teleporting herself with her rings, she had to settle with lugging her large body through to her office.

Her presence again was something Mute couldn't ignore. "What'd they say, Gali?"

With a slow blink, Gali once again curses under her breath for being so involved. "Well, we got the contact information for the guys they sent out to deal with that mess. Now, hopefully I can get in touch so they don't consider Doom a part of that mess to clean up."

Snowy's grin briefly widened. "They'd have to be mighty capable to do her in. More than whatever it was that guy on TV was talking about."

The Manaphy raised and disapprovingly waved its flipper. "Now now, no need to doubt her. She's always raving about the battles she fights in. Why, just the other day she told me about the time--"

"Err..." Mute held a hand up to the Manaphy while facing Gali, who abruptly then went into thought about that memory. "I hate to be a broken record, but...like Snowy said, if you're really that concerned, we can look after the place just fine. If you think her life's in danger..."

Gali's eyes went dark and her hair flared up with a stronger gust of wind blowing it up. "Not another word, Mute." There were hints of a growl in her voice.

She snapped back to reality quickly, covering her mouth briefly. The others had a worried look on their faces, having stopped entirely what they were doing. Dead silence filled the pub for a few moments. "Er...l-look, let me just...call these guys. Okay? And then...I-I'll think about it." The Celebi-Hoopa quickly excused herself, a blush starting to form on her face from her outburst in emotion.

The slamming of the office door behind her finally broke the tension between the remaining mythicals.

Mute was first to clear her throat. "U-uhm...well, let me take these..." She hurried off to the kitchen with the plates in her hand.

"H-hey, hey, wait up...!" Snowy gathered some more of the empty dishes and floated behind her to catch up. Since the kitchen door was near the front entrance, he only got to chasing after her as she rounded the corner. And when he did, he was right near the front entrance...

Right when he just about bowled over a coworker coming in for their shift. Snowy stopped just short of slamming into them with his handful of dishes.

Were he alive, he'd have died right then from the glare he received, his near-permanent smile faltering. It was Anne. And she did not look happy.

---

The sounds of slicing fill the air.

Doom moves from sludge-being to sludge-being, using her twin Leaf Blades to cut right through them. Instead of being on foot, she's now floating, with her movements being precise enough for as much velocity as possible to run her blades through the army rising up out of the pool.

She maneuvers swiftly around their lunges, making every action seem intentional. Not a single hit was landed on her by the zombie-like beings, who simply didn't have the mind nor the reaction speed to keep up with her.

She lands on a particularly tall metal piece lodged in the sludge pool; a vantage point with which she could see enough sludge-persons to fill the town and then some. The mound at the end appeared more alive than ever, actively bobbing up and down as it generated more beings from within its liquid.

One by one, she thought, was getting too slow. She didn't have to worry about her energy for now, but something had to be done about these bodies being generated from the pool. When she cut one down, two more took its place. Even whatever bones she was able to slice through got rearranged and put onto separate sludge figures, the entire army becoming simple humanoid structures at this point.

All the while, she was laughing. Laughing. Battles were where she felt the most alive. Even though she knew what she had to do, and that this was simply another stop along her journey, she felt as though she needed to savor the moment, though she knew not to prolong it.

She brought her twin Leaf Blades together at their hilts, quickly generating some vines to tie them together. She then began to spin the combined blades like a fan in front of her; with her height advantage atop the metal spire, she could safely take time to prepare an attack. The blades spun faster and faster, glowing green as they did and leaving a circular afterimage at their tips. Keeping them spinning with her Psychic, she then generated a pink energy in her hands, which she then thrust forward into the blades.

What followed was an utter storm of petals being thrust forward with the momentum and wind generated by the blades, acting like a fan throwing them forward, eviscerating every sludgy being caught in the cone. Each petal pierced like a bullet and cut just as deep, lodging themselves into the pool from the angle. The Celebi laughed as she adjusted the position of the blades to catch more victims in its fire, quite enjoying seeing the purple mass of the bodies be torn apart.

Ending with her pointing her Petal Blizzard at the mound, she focused her stream onto it, the petals turning from pink to red. At the distance she was at, the petals didn't cut it up as much as the sludge-beings that were closer, but they still upset it enough to cause it to lurch in different directions as a response. The attack was effective enough for it to launch a counter-attack of its own, spinning a large purple sludge ball from its top in an attempt to slime the Celebi.

Doom stopped her attack, jumping forward and catching the spinning blades by the hilt. Gliding across the murky pool, she dodged incoming meteors of purple sludge, until she was within striking distance of the mound. Thinking she could finish it off easily, she began to slash at it...

...but the large mass easily absorbs her attacks. It didn't just absorb her strikes: it took her blade within its grasp, holding it still. Doom stops abruptly as she no longer has power over her Leaf Blades, and her attempts to yank it free of the sludge prove fruitless. The blades eventually get pulled in by the toxic mass, forcing Doom to act fast.

"L-let go! Let go of my DARLING!" She sneers, tugging with all her might to dislodge the blades stuck in the goop. With no other option, and with the blades sinking in, she detached the vines holding them together and took one of the blades back. With her other hand, she formed a green ball of energy inches away from the sludge. It grew large enough to fire, with Doom pushing her arm forward...

...but she failed to realize the mound of sludge was caving in on the spot. With her in the middle, sludge rises up above her to vaguely form a mouth-like shape with curved sludgy teeth. It was only when some of this sludge dripped from above that Doom noticed, but more than just the looming threat above, she misjudged the power of her own attack.

Enraged at the thought of losing what little of her loved one she had left, she put so much power into the Energy Ball she had formed that, despite its small size, it exploded with a magnificent force, enough to push herself away with its blast. The entire sludgy mound burst into many smaller projectiles that coated the canyon behind it and some of the surrounding area with dots of purple, while the pool of sludge itself took in most of the debris.

Far above, on the top of the cliff overlooking the village, a lone, black figure stepped to the edge to look below.

Doom was flung to the far side of the pool, bouncing and rolling on solid ground while gooey globs fell all around her. She grunted in pain, quickly turning to anger as she realized she no longer had her blades in her hand. A few feet from her were one of the blades, having been blasted free of the vines holding it and the other together.

"Where's it? Where's the other one?" She quickly ran over to pick up the blade, looking around for its twin. Every second she couldn't spot its bright green coloration, she growled with increasing intensity, reaching a fever pitch before the bloody tears falling down her face began to fall more rapidly. Anger turned to sadness, and her body shook with rage. Her grunts quivered in pitch.

The slime that had fallen all around Doom began moving on their own, receding back into the pool. Doom stood still, unable to process her emotions, blood dripping down her cheeks.

"I...I caN't...lose him aGAin..." She gritted her teeth. Her eyes had become almost entirely red.

From behind her, an unrecognizable voice. "You left something behind when you took that explosion head-on."

Doom turned to look. It was...another Celebi. This one was pitch-black in coloration, with blood-red eyes and missing the skin off one of its arms, leaving it skeletal. It had a cocky grin, pointing towards the mound that the shiny Celebi had attacked. She followed its finger to look at it, too.

Upon closer inspection, the mound had been blown apart to about half of its size, and sticking up out of the middle of it was the blade that she lodged into it. She looked over just in time to see the mound regenerate, the upper half of the mouth forming...and then it grew further. The mound then developed two holes out of which bright yellow eyes shone out, and next to it in the pool, the sludge gathered to form a gigantic tentacle that grew a ball at its tip, with smaller spikes resembling fingers poking through.

"You're a fool to go up against a Miasmuk with no protection. One touch of that stuff and your skin melts clean off the bone." The black Celebi formed a gigantic scythe in its hand, with which it tapped against a skull that had been ejected from the sludge pool, breaking its brittle cranium as if it were nothing.

Doom growled, taking her single Leaf Blade with both of her hands and gripping its hilt tight. "I don't care WHAT it is. NOTHING takes my dear Grovyle from me and lives." She begins to channel power into her remaining blade to lengthen it.

"Hmph..." The black Celebi floated down to the ground, resting its angel-like wings. It examines Doom, who doesn't notice as it is staring down the Miasmuk in the distance as it reforms. It then shrugs. "Well, whatever. A job's a job. Stay back or die, it doesn't matter to me." It then casually walked forward to the edge of the pool.

The sludge was a good few inches into the ground, letting the black Celebi get a foothold against the edge. It swung its giant scythe low, cutting into the sludge. As it touches the blade, the liquid fizzles and pops, though the golden cutting edge of the scythe wasn't affected.

Doom stepped forward as well, enraged and enflamed. Each deep breath through her teeth made her seem more beast-like, with the blood dripping from her eyes now getting in her mouth. "That thing will PAY..." she growled with such intensity that even the pool of sludge reverberated with her rage.

The Miasmuk on the far side had fully reformed, the Leaf Blade stuck in its mouth losing its glow and returning to its leafy form before getting absorbed entirely. Stony spikes adorned its lips, while several skulls and bones had rose to the surface of its restored hand-tentacle: trophies for it to display.

It let loose a low, rumbling roar that generated more of its sludgy army.

Doom and the mysterious Celebi leapt forward at a blistering speed.

---

With the Manaphy having said its goodbyes, things had quieted down in the pub. With Anne now on-shift, Mute was kicked out of the kitchen and was now serving as waitress once more, though the pub was eerily empty. Quiet enough for Mute to take a seat on one of the tables, looking despondent.

"She doesn't usually get mad at you, does she?" Snowy, cleaning his glasses, spoke up.

Mute's gaze turns up towards him lazily. "Yeah. It's really eating at her that she can't do anything to help..."

The strumming of a bass guitar could be heard to fill the dead air in the pub. Its slow, drawling chords served to keep Mute from falling more into her disruptive thoughts than she already was, pulling her out of it with each note.

"Mmm. It's not my place to say whether or not she's capable, but it does feel like an internal fight."

In the kitchen, Anne prepares for the dinner and evening rush, hearing every word and having been caught up. She so wishes she could say her mind, but to do so would be to engage them in conversation. Still, she smirks at the thought of Doom getting hurt because of her own decisions.

---

The Miasmuk stood no chance against the mysterious Celebi's cutting scythe. After each slice it attempts to reform and make a counterattack, but the black fairy was too quick for it to keep up with, and any sludge it did manage to fling its way was swiftly dodged. Doom took to keeping its tentacle busy, her own lengthened blade making good cuts in it but not enough to slice it off completely.

Doom was no stranger to playing second fiddle, but she so wished to be the one to cut this overgrown puddle of filth into atoms. Despite her rage, she knew she stood little chance of fighting off the Miasmuk on her own, bringing her more to tears than she already was. Regret was a feeling far removed from her.

She went in for another slice on the tentacle's thin column, causing it to lurch before sludge filled in the gap once more. What was taking them so long to finish off the main body?

Doom looked over, seeing the black Celebi hold its scythe above its head. The head of the Miasmuk was reforming from another deep cut to it. "Enough toying around."

Just then, the tentacle spun around, generating momentum. Doom could tell from the way it was swinging around that it was intending to smack the angel-winged 'bi from its hovering position. However, she liked the feeling of having skin, so she couldn't be too brash. A direct approach was necessary.

She vaulted herself in its arcing path towards the black fairy, striking the skulls at the tip of the tentacle to stop it in its tracks with a loud cracking sound. She was pushed back from her position, but she managed to stop it from hitting its intended target.

"Hit it already!" She yelled back at the 'bi. However, in that short amount of time, a counterattack had been launched. More specifically, the solid teeth of the Miasmuk were launched upwards, nailing Doom from below and launching her upwards.

The black Celebi, all too aware of its surroundings, deftly made small movements to avoid the spears, as well as the tentacle that was now free to swipe at it, though that did little to impede the following strike. The gold cutting edge of the scythe came down hard enough that the Celebi had to do several flips to recover from the power put into its attack, a projectile in the shape of the scythe's head slamming down onto the Miasmuk's still-recovering head. It roared in pain as the gold mark left on it shined brightly, seeming to cause more pain as time went on with its sludge pool bubbling.

Doom's body fell from the sky. Having noticed it, the black Celebi readied a palm, thrusting it forward just as she passed by to launch her to the pool's edge with both a punch and the resulting gust of wind. Her body tumbled to a stop, having fallen unconscious after the attack that sent her upwards.

The Miasmuk's roaring eventually faded as its head and tentacle became lost in the pool, unable to reform. The golden slice continued to shine as its energy was sapped away, with the sludge draining as its vitality lessened.

Admiring its work, the black Celebi smiled down at the remains of the Miasmuk.

It then looked towards where Doom landed.

Its work had yet to be finished.

---

"What?!" A voice from behind the office door, loud enough that even Snowy and Mute could hear. Their tender conversation interrupted, they glance towards the door.

"ALL life? Ridiculous! What about the stragglers and the people left behind? Do you have no morals?!"

Snowy and Mute quickly looked at one another. Each had feared the situation would make a turn for the worse from the raised voice. They didn't have to wait long, as the office door flung open, startling the two. Gali stormed out, clearly upset and gritting her teeth.

"Inconsiderate FOOLS! Snowy, Mute. I'm taking you up on your offer from earlier." The Celebi-Hoopa's stare was enough to bore holes through her subordinates.

It took a few seconds for Snowy to speak up, not having seen Gali this rattled before. "The one about...looking after ourselves?"

Gali nodded. "Doom's life is at stake. I'll be back." With a snap of her fingers, one of the rings from her 'arms' floated up above her head, a purple portal formed inside it. She then pointed down with the same hand, and the ring fell, her body disappearing within the portal. After it took her body, the ring shrunk out of existence.

In her perspective, she travelled from her spot in the pub to the edge of the biome. Her powers were such that she could not warp across the edges of the biomes, so she needed to stagger her teleporting: one end of a biome to another, cross the biome border, teleport. Now, all she had to do was rocket herself forward, crawling along with her hands to ensure she was making each warp correctly; like climbing a ladder, she flung through the biomes. Colors flash before her in quick succession as she goes through portal, border, portal, border. She had to be quick - to save Doom, and to return to the pub before anything bad happened.

As if to curse her luck, right then as she made her exit, a family of beasts set their sights upon Halftime.

---

*Cough! Cough!*

Doom's vision came back as she awoke, cloudy and spinning. The first thing she saw, though, was the end of the black Celebi's scythe pointed right at her. Forcing adrenaline in her system, she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Who...who's side are you on anyway?" She went to grab for her blade, but it wasn't on her chest. Looking ahead, the black Celebi had the leaf under its foot. She snarled and pounded her fist on the ground. "You! Don't you DARE."

"Hmph." It retracted its scythe into a ready position. "You should be thankful I'm paid to reunite you with your loved one. You've no use for worldly trinkets."

Doom could only stare on, trying to figure out what emotion she should be feeling. A release from her mortal coil, or to continue living? That one second of confusion was enough for the black Celebi to lurch forward and strike. No life must remain.

Wind cut across her cheek as a thudding sound filled the air. A hand made of shadows, brought forth by a shining ring, stopped the scythe mere inches from claiming Doom's head.

The black Celebi remained unsurprised, instead scoffing. "...Figures there'd be another." It pulled on the scythe, but found it impossible to move out of the disembodied hand's grip.

"You have no business with a civilian." A deep voice echoes in the air, coming from an unidentified source, close as it sounded. Doom recognized the voice and shuddered, a brief relief washing over her.

"No exceptions. That's what the fine print in the contract says. We wouldn't be reputable if we didn't follow our word." The black Celebi said to the air. Its red eyes began to glow, appearing to gain in power.

In its vision, a large figure materialized behind Doom, distorted and cloudy. Its channeling was cut short as a second hand sprung forth from out of nowhere behind it, though its reaction was quick enough to block it. A third hand sprouted in front of Doom, delivering a fierce gut punch. The hand holding the scythe, turning a hue of green as the shadow around it dissipated, quickly yanked it from the black Celebi's grasp and flung the weapon high.

Another hand grabbed Doom, dragging her through a portal to the edge of the biome and flinging her across the border before she could protest. "W-wait! My leaves-!" She tumbled into snow, taking a moment to fully awaken and get up before moving back towards the biome border.

"Go on and finish your route, Doom. I'll get your leaves back. Give me some time to talk this out." A telepathic voice, weakened due to the strength of the biome border separating the two.

Doom gritted her teeth. "That's...my hubby you're talking about."

"I know. Grrh..." The voice alters in pitch, the instability of being separated by the border cutting the telepathy short. "Just trust...me..." With that, the line fades out completely.

Doom is left in a dark blizzard, now having to find the strength to turn around. She...had not gotten used to trusting others. Not again. Not after all that's happened. But without her leaves, she's entirely outmatched by that mysterious Celebi, and she still had a mission to complete. She could still defend herself, but she's going with even less of her beloved Grovyle.

It pains her to turn around. It stings deep in her soul to take those first few steps down the barely-traveled road, covered in white. But she had to trust her boss - no, trust Gali. Doom had heard tales from Mute of Gali's life, how selfless she was. Now, some of that was extended towards her. She still wouldn't hesitate to rip her a new one if she was lying, but...there was at least some justification to trust her. Even if she looked like a monster.

Doom walks until her body is obscured by the falling snow, the deep blue fog masking, hiding her footsteps behind her. Each step impaling her heart more than the last, the weather an apt visualization of her existence: a barren wasteland trapped in an endless night, whose bitter coldness turned away all, even herself.

---

A roar shakes the walls of the pub. Snowy and Mute pause to look around. Had they hearts, they would have sunk in the stunned silence after the roar stopped.

Seconds later, the entire pub shakes, the ground reverberating. Anne, in the kitchen, desperately tries to keep everything off the floor as utensils get knocked around, and Snowy expends precious reserves of psychic power to catch the glassware before it shatters.

"G-guys!" The Manaphy from before ran up to the door of the pub. Its body is eerily more glitchy and darkened than before. "You gotta...uh, where's Gali? Is she out?" It looks at Max, who was hovering unwaveringly at the other side of the door. He slowly nodded with his usual super-focused glare.

"Doom was in some trouble, so she had to go, uh...physically." Mute floated closer to the door, setting the notepad in her hand on a nearby table. "Don't tell me that roar we heard was..."

Mute looked behind the Manaphy. As the others in the pub regained themselves and gathered towards the entrance, the dark green Celebi backed up slightly, her pupils shrinking. "No..."

Straight south of the pub, where the entrance was facing, was the road leading to their home in the southern half of the biome, nestled in the forest there. But all Mute could see was fire. Fire that burned and blended in with the orange, sun-baked grass and with embers that carried on the already-scorching winds.

She collapsed to the ground, unable to process her thoughts. Snowy, who was just approaching her, at least kept her from outright slamming her head against the ground by propping her up - even if it meant feeling a cold shock from his touch. "Hey, he-whoa...just our luck." He ensures Mute wouldn't completely fall over as he observes the fire.

But it wasn't just that. There were figures approaching, the haze from the heat obscuring them until they got close. A pack of Charmeleons, their scaly skin mutated and torn with a green underskin showing as if they were mid-evolution, scampered towards the pub on all fours, their tails spreading embers as they ran.

"Shit, shit, think fast..." Snowy couldn't help but curse, knowing Gali wasn't there. They hadn't practiced their own defenses in the case that Gali wasn't there - since she was almost always there, there was no need. A lack of preparation was now coming to bite them, and in a dire way.

"Max! We need your super strength right about now." Even as he tries to give orders, there's a shaking in his voice. A shaking Anne picked up on, as she stays slightly away from the group just inside the kitchen, but with enough of an angle to see what's going on outside.

"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of a little spice, Snowball." She leans up against the kitchen entrance with a smug grin, crossing her arms.

"Not the time, Anne. Or would you like to be the first line of defense?" He turns his head just enough to stare at her with a single eye. It was enough for Anne to become unnerved and look away.

The stalwart Anne, introverted and violent as she was, was still among the living, and as she was not hindered like Max, she was the pub's top fighter on duty. The others were limited in their ability to fight; the undead or otherwise non-living Snowy and Mute were frail, and Max's powers weren't in his control and could spike or fade at a moment's notice. All, except the Manaphy, were especially weak to fire, and as they watched the beasts come closer, that weakness began to set in.

Max threw his arm out, motioning for the others to stay back. "I...will try."

He floated forwards, to the middle of the road in front of the pub. The Manaphy ducked inside the pub, but couldn't help but peek out. Mute shook herself conscious and stared on from the floor, while Anne quietly hovered up to look outside from a higher vantage point.

The Charmeleon growled as they approached, flames pouring out of their mouths as if they couldn't contain their ferocity. Max held up a hand towards them.

Mute gasped, unsure if she wanted to keep looking. Snowy shivered, feeling as though he should step in to assist, since he knew of Max's unpredictable nature.

Just then, a bright light shone from Max's location, blinding everyone still watching. The Celebi protected their eyes, trying to see through it, while the Manaphy was outright stunned and KO'd. As the light settled, several Charmeleon bodies could be seen lying on the ground, flung from the attack Max had conjured; even he looked mildly surprised he was able to pull off that strong of an attack.

But that was not the last of the hoard.

"Look out!"

From above, one of the lizards had scaled the nearby building on the corner and had leapt down to strike at Max. He had barely enough time to react, only managing to ready his arm before someone stepped in front of him.

A strong blast of icy wind blew forth, tossing the Charmeleon back and dousing its flames. The immediate area in front become frosted over, with the icicles forming on the reptile before it landed. Snowy, with his hands held forward, floated back down to the ground in front of Max. He landed with some force, his levitational powers weakening to let gravity take over, and with the rest of his body drooping in exhaustion. "Krr...even that took a lot out of me..."

Suddenly, footsteps from behind. Another Charmeleon, sneakier than the others, had leapt from atop the pub itself down at the Celebi! It did not roar to announce its presence until after it hit the ground and swiped at the two fairies, knocking them in separate directions as it took them by surprise. Each tumbled on the pavement.

"Snowy! MAX!" Mute screamed. A reaction occurred in the lizard, with it stumbling around before focusing on Snowy. Mute thought it was due to her Psychic abilities, and tried again to tap into them...when she was stopped by a hand on her back pushing her forward out of the pub.

"Go get Max!" A harsh voice spurred Mute on, dashing past her so fast only a shadow was left behind.

The green half-Celebi scurried over to Max, who was weakly getting up on his arms, and she tried again to tap into the healing powers she had hoped to inherit from Gali. "Please work...!" She held her hand above Max, a faint pink wind blowing down on him from it.

The Charmeleon hovered over Snowy with a raised claw. The blue fairy was knocked out, no eyes in his sockets. Before the claw could even get an inch down from its position, there was a pause and a lurch. A searing pain from its back - Anne's stake. It flails, with Anne attached to its back, trying to drive the stake into its back further, a sadistic grin on her face as she holds on.

"Get up, get up, get up..." Mute looks between Max and Snowy. Max grumbles; it's obvious her healing will take more than a few minutes to work, if it's working at all. She curses herself for her uselessness, but even the voice inside her is drowned out by the fight and the heat from the approaching flames.

The Charmeleon tosses itself around, trying to throw Anne off as it can't reach behind itself. Before it could think to throw itself to the ground, Anne hit a nerve. She had twisted and dug her stake in far enough, and re-stabbed so many times, that the Charmeleon had lost its energy, and fell forwards. Anne kicked its back to flip off of it, just in time for Snowy to regain consciousness.

"You owe me, Snowflake." In Snowy's vision, Anne stood above him amidst a backdrop of fire. Though they were in the road, they weren't safe from the encroaching flames, embers flying towards them.

As his vision clears and focuses, he looks up to Anne. "Unngh...t-th...th...!"

Behind the chef Celebi, Snowy spotted a large figure looming over them in the wildfire. A Charizard: the leader of the pack, mutated like the rest with an unrecognizable face and body patterns, and with torn, molted wings. It roared with the same sound they had heard before, its head held high and its eyeless eyes shining a bright yellow.

Terrified, Mute stops her healing to grab Max and tries hauling him to safety, but her one arm was making it awkward to move him safely. Anne was scared stiff by the Charizard's roar, turning with stake in hand to face it, though taking a step back. The imposing figure was several times her size, inhaling with its neck upright. Anne could sense the danger, but couldn't get her legs to move. Snowy, behind her, couldn't even get to his knees in time.

A shadowy hand appears in front of the Celebi and grabs the Charizard's neck with a crushing grip. Instantly it flails its stubby arms and tries to break free. The hand, accompanied with a ring behind it, lifts the entire dragon off the ground, a glow in its gut. Smoke begins to billow from its body, through the cracks in its uneven, mutated skin, and especially making its neck glow as it attempts to roar in pain.

Before the result of its inner flames being cut off could be seen, the Charizard is entirely flung upwards with a motion of the hand. The ring behind the hand quickly ascends, creating a ring portal above which takes in the flaming reptile, and several hands, similar to the first appear, and toss up the defeated Charmeleon after it.

Confused but relieved of what just happened in such a short span, Snowy and Anne breathe a sigh of relief. Just then, though, the smoke from the wildfire had blown their way, causing Anne to cough and hold her arm to her mouth, embers blowing at her. Snowy ducks back down and tries to cover himself with his usual icy aura.

The ring portal above closes, and another opens close by. Hands upon hands fly from the portal outwards towards the blaze, each commanding their own smaller ring portal. Water flows forth from the rings, dousing the flames immediately endangering the nearby buildings before spreading to the southern region to control the fire. Not a second was wasted in controlling the damage; a calculated effort from a concealed mastermind.

Out from the same large ring portal steps Galiana, materializing out of the purple haze from within. She observes the fire, a glow to her eyes; as she's controlling every single hand and portal, her powers are certainly being tested. Her hair waves wildly behind her as she jerks her body around, controlling the many hands and portals being used.

An eerie warp in her voice is made apparent. "Get inside. I'll be with you shortly."

"Don't gotta tell me twice." Anne begins floating off towards the pub. She takes a split second - small enough that not even Snowy notices - to look back at the icy 'bi getting up off the ground before continuing onwards. Snowy himself was slower to act, floating at half the speed. He didn't expect Anne to help him, though he didn't hold it against her and said nothing on his way back inside the pub doors.

Inside, Mute had placed Max on one of the chairs closest to the door, trying to heal him from there. He sat upright, observing the new scrapes and bruises on his arms, along with a cut on his shirt. Mute made note of Snowy entering. "Feeling better, Max? Er, nod or shake." He nods his head, though he seems a little disappointed in something.

"If you believe so..." Mute began to float away while still facing him, then after a few feet, turned towards Snowy and rushed over as he sat right inside the door. He grips his chest in pain, his icy aura more visible than before when he was merely idle.

"Snowy, you could have gotten yourself killed...you know you've got nothing under there. I don't know if I can even do anything to help..." Mute holds her hand up to Snowy's chest, flinching a bit from how cold it was just to be near him, but bearing with the distance as a similar healing pulse is sent out from her palm.

"Heh...well, I'm still living, aren't I? But...I think I'll leave the fighting to Gali from now on, urgh..." His toothy smile returns. Snowy looks around; the Manaphy from before was still knocked out on the ground, Max was stretching his arms, and Anne...was floating into the kitchen. "Hey, Anne." He raised his voice.

She stopped before her head got out of sight, but kept her eyes hidden. "Thanks for the save out there." He says, loud enough for everyone to hear. Even the Manaphy, starting to wake up and still groggy, was aware enough of the tension Snowy was creating.

It took a few seconds for her to look back at him. The same eyes that glared at him many times before, again glare at him now. "I didn't do it for YOU. Don't think for a second I saved your sorry hide for any dumb reason." The intensity of her voice, coupled with her body unmoving from its spot, was enough to convince Mute.

But Snowy merely grinned. "Heh, I suppose I'll just keep those thoughts to myself, then. But don't sell yourself short, too. Starin' down that Charizard's gotta be one of the bravest things I seen a Celebi do."

Anne broke the gaze between them, closing her eyes and hiding them once more behind the kitchen entrance. "...When you get healed up, get ready for the night rush." Then she disappeared around the corner, with a blink-and-miss-it smile.

The pressure in the pub changes as Galiana enters through the front door, accompanied by only two hands and their rings. "Phew. Apologies for being so late. But, all that mess out there's taken care of now."

"Even the..." Mute started. Gali gives a thumbs up towards her, with a smile. Mute sighs in relief, though her expressive body language meant she had placed her hand firmly on Snowy's chest, which she then immediately pulled it up from due to the intense biting cold. "Yeowch! Uh...how're you doing, then?"

Snowy took a deep breath, getting up and inspecting his body, especially the torn parts of his skin. "Looks like I'm doing fine, thanks to you, lovely lady." The compliment caused Mute to smile wide. "Though I suppose getting KO'd by one hit's pretty embarrassing. Could have been worse, I coulda got torched and melted right there."

"Ugh..." Gali groaned. "Let's...not talk about what-ifs. What matters is you're all relatively unharmed; nothing a good night's sleep can't fix. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of that beautiful landscape outside. The forest is fine, but a good amount of that gorgeous orange overgrown grass is all singed and burnt. We'll be smelling that for weeks, I reckon."

"H-hold on...how much damage did it do to the buildings out there?" The Manaphy piped up.

"Hm. Nothing really burned on them, but I suppose more damage was done by me trying to contain it by spraying water than by the embers themselves. I think the sign for your orphanage might be a bit muddied...sorry."

"Oh, that's no issue! But I should really check up on all of them, make sure they're alright. Good show, though! Darn my weak body, wish I coulda saw y'all at work." With that, the Manaphy hobbled up and bounced out of the pub. "See ya's around!"

"Take care." Gali waved the water sprite off. With them out of hearing range, she let out a sigh, slumping down a bit.

"Sit down, Gali. You had it rough today." Mute floated up to her side.

"Yeah, boss. Take a breather. Tell us what happened to Doom...if'n that's good news." Snowy slowly floated up in front of her as well, though he kept moving backwards towards the bar.

"Right..." With a disembodied hand, she snaps her fingers, teleporting in the slip of paper the police officer had handed to her earlier. "Y'know how each city's got their own defense force, leaving us to ourselves most of the time? Well, in the case of smaller communities like our little cluster and...that town we saw on the news, sometimes monsters get too tough for their defenses, and then the whole region gets taken over."

"Gosh, that sounds horrible. And it's not like it's this whole undead-versus-living thing, too..." Mute floated around Gali. Snowy was still paying attention as he rounded the bar, still inspecting his glasses from the quake earlier that rattled everything out of place. Max, meanwhile, got up from his seat and floated to the door, taking his post once more.

"I'd wager it has more to do with The Merge than our cultural and... physical, differences. Supposedly, a good deal of these brash n' bold beasts come from other worlds, like Doom's, where it's common for evil to take root in the wild and uncivilized. I suppose it's just been cranked up since then, since now we have entirely new species to deal with, and very little information to go off."

"You included? No offense." Snowy pipes up from behind the bar, wiping the counter with a cloth.

"None taken. Actually, it's more like new evolutions to existing species. Mine is more of a unique situation...anyways, smaller communities aren't equipped to handle these new Pokemon and their powers. So when one of them pops up and needs to be moved elsewhere or otherwise defeated, the police will contract mercenaries to sweep the whole area. That's who these people are. Mercenaries for hire." Gali floats up the piece of paper, having toyed with it by spinning it around her hand, but now points to it. "At least...the ones contracted for that area we saw on TV."

"Yeesh, I suppose that explains a few things. How does Doom fit into this, then?" Snowy seems more interested. Mute takes a seat on the table.

"Well, by the time I had talked to the police, they had already sent out someone from this group. 'Shadow', he's called. This particular group specializes in conducting full sweeps of biomes to ensure 'no aggressive lifeforms remain'. I suppose the police went to them for that so they don't thin their lines elsewhere, but, well, their definition of 'aggressive' is vague. And if it can mean anything like still trying to fight back against the invading monster..."

"Doom, then." Mute has a downward inflection in her voice. "Oh, I wish she'd be a little more careful."

Gali shakes her head. "She had no way of knowing a mercenary was hired to take out that Miasmuk. But, because she was in the biome, she too was seen as something that needed 'cleaning up'. Thus..."

"That's why you took off." Anne's voice. She had her back to the group, leaning on the wall separating the kitchen and main area of the pub. She was flipping her stake up into the air and catching it, having wiped it clean of blood.

"...Yeah. And I nearly made myself into a victim as well. I managed to get Doom to safety, but that 'Shadow' person's really strong. I'm not sure how I kept up, myself, but I managed to talk him down after explaining the situation. He was none too happy about it, and I probably should have just dipped after getting Doom out of there, but I was afraid he would follow me."

"And endanger you and your pub, right?"

A new voice, coming from the door. There stood - or rather, floated - Shadow, the same black Celebi from before, casually leaning up against the pub entrance. Max stared at him, and Anne was unperturbed.

Immediately Gali got up from her seat and turned towards him, tension filling the air. All eyes were turned towards them. "I thought I told you I wasn't a threat to that biome."

"Oh, I believe you. Seeing your cozy little establishment here in the middle of nowhere is an uplifting little thing, it is." He looks around the pub. "Though you don't seem to have much in the way of customers now. So, this could be a hideout for your dastardly schemes, for all I know."

Mute floated between Gali and the new 'bi. "You have no reason to go after Gali. All she's ever wanted to do was bring happiness to everyone, alive and undead." She looks rather angry, but a sane kind of angry that even gets her bad eye in on the look.

"Mute..." Gali looks a little relieved, but still tense.

"Hmph. Quite a mouth on you, girl." Shadow blinks, a red glow to his already-red eyes. His toying smirk then fades after a few moments, looking at Mute, with the glow in his eyes then fading. "...You're not particularly powerful. That courage of yours is to be commended, foolish as it is." He then chuckles.

"Look, I'm sorry for earlier. Doom was my employee, and it's only right I'm responsible for her. But she meant no harm to the biome, and I was merely..." Gali trails off.

"Protecting her? Noble. Or perhaps that's more like what a mot-"

Mute interjects with a certain echo to her voice. "Shut up! Don't finish that word."

"Hmph..." Shadow shakes his head. "How rude. Either way, my job was already done and paid for. I've no reason to come for your head now." He shrugs. "Though you must forgive me for being curious about the person that disarmed me." He then holds up his bony hand. Snowy made an 'ooh' sound, and the rest of the small 'bis flinched. Shadow let out a loud "HA! Works every time." Gali remains unamused.

"You've got a sick sense of humor. But so long as you're not here to harm Gali, then..." Mute still looks anxious, but she's become less defensive in her posture.

"I'm here for fun." There's a lightheartedness to his voice. "Had no idea there was a pub out this way. You guys should really advertise a bit more." Shadow then floats back upright. "Either way, my curiosity is sated. Perhaps I'll inform my team about your pub. Maybe you'll see some of my teammates one day. Maybe that'll be as customers. But either way...we'll still keep tabs on you and your unchained mutt."

He stayed silent for a few moments, letting his vague threat linger and gauging the reaction on the faces of everyone. Then, the black 'bi turns his back to the pub. "Oh, and one more thing." Shadow brings his hand in front of him, materializing an object out of a small psychic, space-defying cloud. He then clutches it between two fingers, throwing it like a dart towards Gali behind him. She catches it much the same way with her oversized hand. "Tell your employees to be more careful with their belongings."

"This is..." Gali looks at the object she caught. Not just one, but two - two distinctly green leaves.

The black Celebi wags his finger. "Pray she doesn't lose them again. Now, have yourselves a good day." With a little flourish, Shadow's body becomes entirely black, vanishing in a puff of smoke. An eerie chuckle is all that remains echoing in the room.

---

That evening, Doom came in late. The pub still had ample resources for that night's rush, so her restocking during the pub's busiest time was more of a hinderance than a help. Being said, her priorities were much different - as was her attitude. Even just coming into the pub, her hair was down, and her voice quieted. Hours on the road has given her lots of time for reflection and thought, and that was the last thing she wanted or needed.

Max signed off on the load, and he would be relieved if he could express emotions to see Doom so melancholic and quiet. She was able to fill the pantry without much trouble as well, lazily getting items out one by one and letting Gali's hands do the rest of the work putting them away, while Anne just feet away didn't even bother to give her as much as a quip. Perhaps she was so entranced by her work and the events of the day that she had spent her social battery already, or that she was finally feeling empathy in her cold, dark heart, enough to spare Doom from what looked like further suffering. Either way, it's not like Doom was willing to respond in her current state. Or perhaps Anne did say something, and she just chose not to hear it - at this point, she couldn't even tell from the voices ringing in her head.

Voices of worthlessness, uselessness, at keeping her love close and sacred. In her attempts to satisfy her urge to explore, she always took the risk that she would perish - and welcomed it, should it ever befall her. But she subconsciously knew she was also endangering the remains of her beloved Grovyle as well. She...had never prepared for the day that she would be separated from them. The last few physical objects keeping her mental state at least somewhat sane. Now, without them, she felt broken and withered. It was as if she lost his embrace once and for all, lost his whispers that she was still acting righteous, lost a promise they shared and long since forgotten.

She made her way over to the bar counter, half-paying attention to the goings-on surrounding her. The pub was a bit rowdy; customers were going every which way, table to table, as if there was a party. Doom didn't care for the occasion nor did she pay it much mind, weaving in and out of their way should they wish to cross paths with her.

"Now of all times, eh?" Snowy's voice. Doom didn't respond. With half-opened eyes, she silently took out and stored the bottles she managed to scrounge up. Everything considered, it was less than her usual haul, but as Snowy was being slammed at the bar and making several drinks at once - with flair! - Doom's presence was but a footnote. The icy 'bi floating around and shaking several drinks at the same time barely phased her, even when those drinks came dangerously close to clocking her.

Over the noise, the clicking of the office door opening could barely be heard.

"Doom?" Recognizing the voice, the shiny fairy glanced over towards the door with a slow blink. Gali's head peeked out, as well as some of her floating hair. "When you're done, can you join me in my office?"

"Mmmm." A dullness to her groan of agreement and with a weak nod upwards, Doom looked back to her bag. She...had none left to put away. So much for restocking. But that was the best she could do. The day sucked so much out of her by the halfway point that she couldn't bear to put in more effort. The office door clicked shut, with Gali assuming she had more to do.

"Ya know, Doom, we didn't have a perfect day either. After you get back from the boss, how 'bout we share our tale?" Doom took her bag and slung it back around her shoulder. She then looked over at Snowy, looking at her as he poured out several different drinks at once. Barely recognizing the iced-over sweat and his face no longer sporting his trademark grin, she responded the only way she could, in the only manner she could.

"Fuck you." With barely a hint of animosity or spice, she turned away nonchalantly. It was something Snowy was used to, but the pub was not, as a few ascending-in-pitch 'oooo's came from the nearby customers. They were quickly assuaged, and Snowy took it as a moment to engage in more small talk as he did his work.

The door slowly swung open with just a hint of noise. "You wanted me, boss lady?" The sputtering light in the office showed and hid Gali's form behind the desk. She had a hand to her ear, listening to her walkie-talkie, though she faced the front and swiveled slowly around in her chair. She looked unfocused.

"Yes. It'll only be a moment." Doom sighed, shutting the door with a *click*. She used the momentum from this movement to turn herself around, her top half not stopping in momentum and being looser than her lower half, showing her tiredness at this point rather than implying it.

Doom sat upon the top of one of the chairs in front of the desk and crossed her legs. "Lay it on me." A furrow to her brow, a scowl.

Gali took her hand off her earpiece, looking at Doom. "First thing's first. I'm...glad you weren't hurt. Things could have gone a lot worse, from what I've been finding out about the damage caused."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Doom crossed her arms. "I've dealt with worse. That hobbit at the mill that keeps asking me to massage his back is scarier than any mutant I've seen. Or fought."

"Heh, well taken. You're the most versed of all of us, so I'd expect you to know better than even I. But I called you in here to do more than massage your ego." Gali placed her hands on the desk, balled into fists, though she didn't seem to be angered.

"What, then?" Doom's gaze slowly left Gali and found its way towards examining the walls. With the light flickering on and off, she was counting the cracks and hole she could see.

Gali sighed. "Do you know who it was that joined you during that fight?"

"No. Should I?" Doom closed her eyes with another blink, a fresh coat of bloody tears running down her cheek as she tried to squeeze it out.

"Considering you may meet them again, perhaps. Just know that when you ignore barricades, you're putting...everything, at risk. They don't mess around. The police hired them this time to take care of that...Miasmuk, was it? But it's not just that. It's all life in the biome they're after. So if you're not in the same biome as them, you're not in danger."

Doom sighed, raising her voice. "Boss, I think I've said this a thousand times before, but so what if I get killed? It literally makes no difference to me." Doom switches which wall she's looking at, left to right, still not giving Gali eye contact. "I've already...lost everything. Before, and now. I have more reason to get into fights that don't concern me now than ever. Getting stuff for the pub's just extra."

Gali shakes her head. "You've lost your purpose long ago. That's not me being mean...that's just what you've accepted. It's not up to me to change your course in life. And as I said, you're free to walk away at any point. The choice is entirely up to you."

Doom reached up and clutched her leavy scarf, the only remaining piece of Grovyle left with her now. She looks down, sullen. "...Actually, I...I don't know what to do anymore. Why am I still allowed to live...?"

"Then...may I offer at least one reason to keep going?" Gali snapped her fingers, drawing Doom's attention towards a bright flash right above her hand. From it, two crossed leaves formed. "He...would not want to see you suffer so, right?"

Doom stared, stunned. The amount of energy building up, the skipped heartbeats making her tears recede, she wasn't sure what to do with herself but fling forwards and grab the leaves. Her hair, previously down and subdued, now alights and blows like a fire above her head, along with her antennae.

"M-my dear! My dear, sweet Grovyle!!" She spun around, hugging the leaves to the point of crinkling them, but as soon as she stopped they sprung right back up. A genuine smile brightened her face as she attached them to the underside of her scarf, where they were before. For a moment, there was not a hint of red in her eyes, neither from her torn tear ducts nor her bloodshot veins.

Gali smiled. "That mercenary you met paid us a visit. Told me to keep you leashed, and to watch out for you more. But I know you better than to do that. All I can do is let you be as free as you want to be. As much as I want to ensure your safety in this strange world..."

Doom floated down to Gali's oversized hand, taking its finger with both of her own, shaking it up and down elatedly. "Thank you...thank you so much, boss! You don't have to worry about a thing. I...don't know how much I can change, but I'm not gonna make stupid mistakes like that again. Promise! For you, and...for Grovyle."

Gali refocuses. There's a face peeking through the door. Notoriously quiet to open, and loud to shut. *CLICK!* Doom is a bit startled. "Ah...the others are curious about your exploits, since they heard from the mercenary themselves. I know you're not the most social, but if you find it in yourself to indulge them a little, I think they'd appreciate it."

Doom looks back to Gali. There's a smug grin on her face, and the red of her eyes slowly return. "Hmph. They want a story? I suppose I should get out in front of it before Snowy starts fibbing again. Get the facts straight."

"Heh, fair enough. Go get 'em, tiger. Tell 'em that village is gonna be rebuilt, too." Gali gives the shiny 'bi a thumbs up. Doom takes this as a sign that she's good to go, so she hurriedly floats over to the door to head out. "Oh, and you have that mercenary to thank for those leaves. You owe no debt to me. We are still...equal."

Doom swings the door open. "Had no intention to think that at all, boss." She flashes a wide smile, a hint of smugness. Then, the door slams shut. *Click.*

Now returns the faint hum of the light working, then flickering, then working and humming again that Gali was so used to. There was a commotion on the other side, no doubt from Doom being pumped up to share her side of the story and to contrast against Snowy's own version. They still had to tell their day to each other, after all, and the night was still young for them to enjoy the next few hours amongst themselves.

"..."

Gali set her rings on the desk and took a deep breath, bringing her hands together and folding them in front of her. Her body appeared, disappeared in the light and dark. Only the shine from her rings remained in the dark. Gali, there when the light shone. Disappearing when the darkness overtook.

Yet she was not alone.

She was never one for the darkness. She liked being in the light. But now, as she was, she had power. She reveled in both the light of day and the dark of night. Twisted as her current form was, she had...benefits. Her senses were turned up.

She knew the space around her room well. She has been sitting in it for weeks. She knew the hum of her busted light, the nooks and crannies of her desk, the smell of the wood and the oft-unused rug on the floor. She could sense it all with just a pulse of her heart. It did not surprise her to feel the daggers of eyes shining on her at all angles, in a place she thought safe. Daggers she felt right as Doom entered, and remained after she left. Piercing.

"...It is rude to enter a room without introducing yourself."

Moments passed, and she remained unflinching. Silence. A yellow cone emerged from the ground when the light flickered off, disappearing when the light flickered back on. Gali, then the cone, rising further. The cone, then Gali. The buzz of the light masked the silent sounds. Two cones on each side, and then below them, red eyes on a pale face. All dripping with the inky blackness of shadows. All silent. Even Gali was not sure this being was visible to her, considering it was flashing in and out of existence. It did not seem tied to reality. But in this new world, what was?

"..."

Gali stared down at it. A slow blink. Her, then the figure half-steeped in the shadows, light then darkness as the swinging lightbulb above struggled. It was not hard to piece the information together.

"...You may keep tabs all you want. I have welcomed all who have entered my life before with open arms. And so, I welcome you to Half Time."

The eyes sink back down below ground, not breaking eye contact with Gali all the way down. Dark, then light. The yellow hat no longer appearing in the shadows. Swallowed, with nothing remaining but utter darkness. Gali, looking down at where the figure was, a grin behind her folded hands.

"Enjoy your stay."