Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ace knows their part and plays it well.

This involves hindering those who would challenge the family. So when four Trainers show up to Mosswater, they do just that.

It’s mostly just for distraction and show— something they themselves are an expert at— as the data is wiped. This facility isn’t really needed, anymore. But they must stand firm. To instantly give in to or run from a foe would be folly. So the grunts fight, and Ace taunts, the two Trainers that run through the main area. A girl with long, dark brown hair, and a boy with darkish green hair.

They’re actually not half bad! Ace ends up offering them both a job after trapping them in the elevator, although they both refuse, banging on the walls and demanding to be let out.

Oh well, Ace tried! And they were being sincere. The result may have been expected, but you never know— the offer to join, a hand extended, can be just what someone needs.

It was for them, after all.

The debacle ends in a victory for the family, more or less. Sure, they lose Mosswater, but as said, it isn’t really needed anymore. The little heroes do not get their hands on any useful data, but the family now knows who to keep a better eye on. Two Gym Leaders, Julia and Florinia, one of said Leaders’ younger brother, Fern, and the other girl, Carly.

Ace is a bit curious about her, honestly. They’ve never seen her before, that they can remember. If she keeps showing up, they will probably be asked to look into her. If she doesn’t… well, she will probably be better off for it! Those who pit themselves against the family tend to get hurt at the very best, and at worst…

…well, best not to think about that until they must.

— — —

Ace plays the field agent.

Specifically, they, Zero, Eve, and Lumi guard one of the PULSE Tangrowths, as well as the girl Borealis took captive, Victoria, in Rhodochrine. Various others are scattered about the area.

More people show up over time. Taka comes with the news that a Trainer took down the Jasper PULSE, and Borealis shows up from whatever he was up to. Victoria, on the other hand, is eventually taken away by Solaris.

They all wait. Mostly likely for the nearby, “hiding” Water Leader, Amaria, to do something, but perhaps for something else; there are apparently some other little heroes running around.

And eventually, one of them does run right into their midst. Carly, specifically.

And how brash! How unexpected! How unique, her problem solving method is! After all, she is severely outnumbered! And she doesn’t seem the slightest bit worried!

Maybe it is hubris? Taka and Zero identify her as the one who took down the other two PULSE Tangrowth, so perhaps Carly has become cocky?

Or maybe it’s because she’s not so outnumbered after all. Amaria comes to join when Borealis reveals they all know she’s there, wearing a pair of Bracelets that catch Ace’s eye. A purple haired boy joins as well soon after, an appearance clearly planned by himself and Carly, and Fern jumps down from the rocks to the north.

“We’re not about to go down easily!” Amaria exclaims. “Tell us where you’re keeping Victoria, and we can make this quick!”

Ace clicks their tongue. “Ah, but it’s the same show; second act! Had you been sooner, the story might have been different— but the curtain’s closed, the ship’s sailed, and all those other alliterative expressions— sorry, little Leader, but she’s long gone!”

“Uh, yeah, we know that already,” Carly says. “We know one of yours took her somewhere else. So tell us where that is, so we can save our friend!”

That would be nice, but it’s not exactly feasible! Not when it’s Solaris who has the girl.

“That information is not yours to know,” Borealis says. “And like her, we cannot abide by you all simply strolling in here as you please. No matter your rank or numbers, you cannot hope to face us. The only choice before you is to accept the situation you’ve allowed yourself to be trapped in, and capitulate.”

“As if we’d do something like that!” Amaria says.

“Your heroism is mere vainglory. Allow me to remind you of the futility of your reality,” Borealis says.

Carly brings a hand up over her mouth, and lets out a small, stifled sound like… laughter?

Borealis looks to her. “…and what, may I ask, is so funny about this situation?”

“Probably because you’re so edgy,” Amaria says.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just… pffft!” Carly says. “‘The situation you’ve allowed yourself to be trapped in?’ ‘Mere vainglory?’ ‘The futility of your reality?’ Do you really think we ran in here thinking it would be easy? Of course not! But we did it anyway. Maybe you all have no qualms about hurting people, but not everyone is like that! We came even though we knew the risks, because we weren’t just going to let you hurt people!”

Huh. Perhaps it is more than mere brashness after all.

Amaria agrees with her, and soon a battle begins between her and Borealis.

And then a bright pink haired girl comes flying down on an actual Salamence. Meaning, with the nearby Lin, and accounting for the fact that Zero, Eve, and Lumi are counted as one unit, the numbers are not out on either side, but even.

Bright green eyes fix on Ace, and Carly moves to prepare to fight them.

“Well, we’ve suddenly got quite the crowd, hm? But you and I can work our own magic trick here, little heroine, and the trick—” Ace says, taking Zorua’s Poké Ball in hand. “…is that I make you disappear!”

“I think you’ll find that I don’t just disappear so easily,” Carly says, hand going to her belt, but not picking out any one Poké Ball yet. She’s got a full team, Ace can’t help but notice.

Maybe this means Tangrowth will be taken out. And maybe that would be for the best. After all, the PULSE is causing havoc and killing people, actions most would call “bad.” Perhaps even “awful” or “atrocious.”

Maybe Ace is one of said people… not that they’re going to go down with no fight at all.

They send out Zorua who, as they’ve instructed her to, takes the guise of the PULSE Tangrowth.

Carly’s eyes widen in obvious shock as she grabs a Premier Ball and sends out a Pancham. She has it use Work Up, and then… Arm Thrust. A move that is super effective against the PULSE Tangrowth and Zorua both.

Zorua’s illusion fades. She faints pretty quickly, and it occurs to Ace that next time they should at least have her disguise as a Pokémon she doesn’t share a weakness with. Oh, well.

Ace sends out Roselia, and Carly sends out a Swablu that they try not to look at for too long. And because they are looking away, they don’t notice when Carly also looks away until she shouts.

“Holy shit, duck!”

Ace’s head snaps to Carly, then into the direction she’s looking in, just in time to see Taka and Fern duck to avoid an attack that most likely came from Zero’s Umbreon.

“Please stay seated! The main act is yet to come!” Ace says, drawing Carly’s attention back to them.

She must be observant, to have noticed that in the midst of battle. It’s a good quality to have, especially in a place like Reborn— Ace knows that their own observantness has helped them more times than they can count. And they find themselves grateful that Carly was able to warn Taka, even if she was surely doing it for Fern’s sake.

The battle continues. Carly is a skilled battler indeed, utilizing offense, defense, and evasion, and quicker than Ace expected, even the true PULSE Tangrowth goes down. Its eyes close for a final time, and then it crumbles to dust.

“…ah. So that’s the show?” Ace mumbles as they stare at where the Tangrowth was, both surprised at Carly’s strength and unnerved over what happened to the Pokémon.

They have heard that that’s what happens to a defeated PULSE Pokémon. The way they’ve been altered means they’re simply too unstable to take it. But it’s more than a bit disturbing to witness.

They don’t get to dwell on it for too long, though, because the pink haired girl gets launched by Lin up against the now empty machine.

It obviously shocks everyone who is still around to see it. Borealis in particular freaks out, having his Crobat fly the girl away before he tries to question Lin.

“Just what part of your orders included harming a young child?” he demands.

“What part forbade it?” Lin asks, as cold as she always is.

Ace can’t help but think that that’s a horrible way to think about harming a child.

Lin turns the questioning back around on Borealis, and even Ace admits their confusion at his actions— even if they don’t really mind them, considering the circumstances, the bosses probably will.

But even when Ace tries to give Borealis a chance to explain, Lin is quick to interrupt and condemn. And they really aren’t a fan of that, to be honest— the family is supposed to be built on loyalty.

Amaria ends up standing in front of Borealis, arms outstretched in defense of him— compassion, she calls it— and Ace’s eyes once again catch onto the Bracelets she wears as Carly grabs Borealis’ hand and the two run off. Are those…?

Ace watches as Amaria faces off against Lin, and loses almost as quickly as the battle begins… and, like with the last battle, Lin hits her fallen opponent so hard she’s launched back into the PULSE machine. Lin berates Amaria, and continues to attack her.

And then Lin demands Amaria surrender her Bracelets, much to the latter’s confusion, though it confirms Ace correctly identified them after all.

When Amaria refuses, Lin assaults her further, to the point Ace sees it fit to step in.

“That’s enough,” they say, standing between attacker and victim and grabbing the former’s wrist.

Lin stares at them with that gaze that Ace finds so unnerving. “Just moments ago, you chastised another for protecting an enemy. Are a few stray seconds all it takes to break your spirit?”

Surely she jests. If anything, the swiftness with which she is able to commit such acts is the whole cause for concern.

“I expect loyalty to the family, not needless cruelty,” Ace says firmly. “You’ve taken it too far already. For now we capture her without harming her. As your superior, that’s an order.”

It’s silent for a few long moments, Lin just… staring.

She’s an intensely unsettling woman, Ace thinks.

Seemingly showing up out of nowhere, Lin quickly established herself as incredibly effective, to the point it’s even caught Solaris’ eye. But she just seems so… empty. Her voice lacking passion, and her eyes lifeless.

Not that that stopped Ace from trying to get to know her. They try to be friendly to every member of the family, ranked low or high. But Lin had brushed off every attempt— in fact, this might be the most she’s ever spoken to them.

“…understood,” Lin eventually says. “As the superior officer, that order… will be your last.”

She wrenches her wrist out of Ace’s grip and stalks off.

They watch her go, then scoff. How presumptuous! Even disregarding the difference in rank, Ace has given many years of loyal service to the family, whereas Lin is a relatively recent addition. They’ve heard talk that she’s been trying to get some new programmer hired— some even saying in Ace’s place— but there is no doubt in their mind that they will be just fine.

So they turn to Amaria, helping her up and getting her to lean on them— Lin really did a number on her.

“Sorry about her. Though as stated, I do still need to take you in,” Ace says.

Amaria swallows and nods, clearly too shaken up and weak to say anything or attempt escape, and allows Ace to take her away.

— — —

Ace plays the traitor.

Their act of saving Amaria from Lin at Rhodochrine was not looked kindly upon, it seems, even though they brought her in right after.

And it would also seem that that programmer Lin has been insisting upon, “T,” was indeed brought on, and made the new systems manager. She is a Gym Leader, and apparently an even better programmer and hacker than Ace. This means, of course, that she is more valuable.

Of course, with how quickly this change happened, it would be easy to assume that it is, in fact, something the family has been considering for a while. But it’s much easier to believe that it is just a punishment, a response to something done wrong.

Ace tries not to think about it too hard either way. To look on the bright side. To believe that their new job is a sign that the family still holds fondness for them, to keep them in a relatively high position. And their first task is a chance to prove they are still loyal, by acting disloyal.

Though first they have to play keep away for a bit. Make Amaria believe that they are just lying low to avoid Meteor detection after their supposed betrayal.

They could tell her about Blacksteam immediately, sure, but that will probably cause her to head right in, alone, and the whole point of letting her go in the first place was to lure in even more threats. But it seems they’re all busy… until about a week and a half later, when Amaria calls Ace to the police station. When they arrive, they find her with Carly and her purple haired friend, Cain.

Carly, Carly, Carly. Isn’t she an interesting one? Aside from her defeat of the PULSE Tangrowth, apparently she was one of only two survivors on the train the family bombed, which certainly explains why she was at Mosswater, and each location after.

Information gathering isn’t really part of Ace’s job anymore, but they have actually spent some time recently trying to look into her. It was more difficult than usual, since Carly’s only just gotten to Reborn, but with a last name— Lapstel— and a region of origin— Sinnoh— purloined from League paperwork, they were at least able to do some poking around on the internet.

What they found… wasn’t much, actually. It would seem that Carly doesn’t have any real online presence, or at least not one that can be traced back to her— a smart thing, in this day and age!

But Ace was able to find one promising lead. Apparently, there is a star Coordinator in Sinnoh with the same last name, and she has a daughter. They haven’t yet been able to confirm or deny that this daughter is Carly, but it all lines up so far.

It may not be much. But it is a strong lead, for only being based off of a last name and a home. But then, those are both powerful things, aren’t they?

Ace can’t help but wonder if it’s lonely for her. Both to be so far from home, and to be so closely related to a star. But that’s beside the point.

As they lead the other three to Blacksteam, Carly and Cain trail behind a bit, whispering. They probably distrust Ace, but that’s fine, really! The two just need to be willing to give them a chance.

Carly soon speeds up to walk next to Ace. “So, uh… are you, like, in danger? I suppose Meteor probably isn’t too happy with you…”

She’d probably be right, if they had actually been fired. The family is not so keen on letting members, especially those that know as much as Ace does, leave. And their bosses certainly wouldn’t be happy with them for helping the Sapphire Bracelets escape. If this was all genuine, Ace would not be able to walk through the streets in broad daylight, for one reason or another.

But then, this isn’t genuine. So Ace shakes their head and chuckles. “Worry not, I know how to fight and flee both, so I will be fine! But say, little Trainer, what is your favorite Nature?”

“Huh? Like… Pokémon Natures?” Carly asks. “Do people have favorites of those?”

What an unexpected answer!

“Of course they do! Why, I think it would make more sense to ask who doesn’t,” Ace says.

“Oh. Well, I don’t. So all of them, I guess?” Carly says.

Ace chuckles. “Are you sure it’s not… this one?”

They pull off the trick, quickly reaching out behind Carly’s ear, then retracting their hand and holding out a Brave Mint— suited to a little heroine like her, they think.

“Huh. Neat trick!” Carly says.

“Take it. Consider it a gesture of good will!” Ace says.

Carly looks surprised, but then smiles and nods, taking the mint and opening up her bag to put it somewhere inside.

They arrive at Blacksteam soon after. Ace takes Carly and Amaria to the roof, just as planned, then heads back to the ground and knocks Cain out.

They send a quick message, and soon the front door opens, allowing them to drag him inside. They hand him off to some grunts, instruct them to take him to Azurine Island, and then head off to check on the ladies.

Surprisingly, though, as Ace approaches the turn to the hallway that Carly and Amaria should be trapped at the other end of, the former runs up. It startles Ace enough to make them back up a few feet on impulse.

“Ah, you’ve broken through, have you…” they say.

“Thanks to Amy,” Carly says. “Though I’m sure you could tell that on your own.”

It’s true. Although Ace cannot see the Gym Leader over the wall of grunts on the other end of the hall, they can certainly hear the sound of Water Type moves being used against said grunts’ Pokémon.

A couple grunts are running back down the hall, as if they came from the side Ace and Carly are on. This is most likely because they started to chase Carly, only to stop and return to the bigger threat when they saw Ace. As they should— Ace can be trusted to get things done for the family, after all.

The current situation is not ideal. But there is always a backup plan. What kind of magician just admits defeat after a trick is a dud? Ace just needs to get Carly’s guard down, first.

“I’ll hand it to her, she doesn’t hesitate to make an opportunity,” Ace says, grinning and taking a step closer as they continue. “I admit I wasn’t expecting you to split up, and yet… perhaps a slow clap for the good show is in order.”

“Ace,” Carly says as they do just that. “Why were all those grunts there in the first place?”

“Yours truly again, dear fan,” Ace says. “I’d hoped not to have to perform like this now, but it seems that it was simply not in the stars.”

“So it was all a lie, then? I’m guessing you were never even fired in the first place?” Carly asks.

Ace’s grin drops. “…would you believe, even now, that I am simply pretending to be a double agent, working for them that I might better serve you?”

“I wish that I could say yes,” Carly says.

…what an unexpected answer.

Ace had something to say if she said no. They even had something for if she said yes. But not for… whatever that means.

They clear their throat. Put a grin back on. “Well, I’d hoped to preserve this balancing act for longer, but alas— it appears that more dire things than my own wishes are at stake here.”

Of course, this is something they are very used to, so it’s not as bad as they’re making it out to be. But when are they one to not put on a show?

“For the mask to come off so soon, I am disheartened!” Ace claims.

They clutch their chest and put on a sad expression, closing their eyes and everything. “Crestfallen!”

They put the back of their free hand to their forehead. “Inconsolably melancholic!”

They crack an eye open. “…can’t you tell?”

But Carly only stares at them with a frown. “Where’s Cain?”

Ace shakes their head. “Ah, I’m afraid I can’t quite tell you that! But how about something of a compromise?”

They launch into the “reveals,” aka some clarifying information that’s not really meant to reveal much of anything, aside from assurances that certain parties are safe. They can’t just spill secrets, not when there are so many nearby to hear them!

Carly seems quite upset to hear that Ace wiped a lot more information from that chip than they’d revealed, and irked when hearing that the orphanage children are to be harnessed, not destroyed.

“That’s a really awful way to talk about a bunch of children,” she says.

Of course it is. But if Ace shared their actual opinion on everything the family did, especially so soon after getting in trouble… well, it would surely not end too well for them!

Instead, they glance away for a moment. “…even so, not all among us share this value— and not in the way you hope for— but you have my personal gold star guarantee, little heroine, none among them will be harmed.”

Carly doesn’t look convinced, though. “I want to believe it. But does that really mean anything, at this point?”

“I suppose that is a very valid question,” Ace concedes.

Carly huffs. “None of what you just said is actually helpful to me. It was all either obvious things I could’ve or already had figured out on my own, or things you can’t really back up. So let’s just…”

Her hand moves to her Poké Balls, but Ace lunges forward. “Not so fast!”

They push Carly back, then quickly reach into their pocket while she’s unbalanced, pressing a button on a remote. She falls through the trap door with a shriek of surprise.

“Well, hopefully that will be enough…” Ace mutters, frowning. “…inconsolably melancholic… can’t you tell?”

Ace can pretend they’re fine with things all they like. But… they don’t like the way that things are changing, lately. And it feels like there’s even bigger changes on the horizon, and to be quite honest? They fear this new version of the family might not have room for them in it.

And the methods… well, it’s not like they were squeaky clean before. But these new ones are definitely flashier. Have higher mortality rates, and now that seems to be the whole point, instead of simply chasing people away and shutting things down.

But… this is still Ace’s family. The ones that accepted them when their blood one didn’t want them anymore. So they can’t just turn their back on them.

Maybe they should go help with Amaria. Instead, they just walk off.

Perhaps they will head to the old Yureyu building, and check on the kids.

— — —

Ace plays the scout.

The PULSE in Byxbysion was as much of a surprise to the others as it was to Ace, which is… well, concerning! A PULSE is a powerful and dangerous thing when under supervision, so to hear there might be one outside of the family’s knowledge? Worrisome, to say the least.

So Ace heads out to the Byxbysion Wasteland to figure things out. Which is more difficult than it has any right to be— this place is insane! Full of felled buildings, strange objects, and dark tunnels.

If Ace were just here for their own reasons, they’d probably appreciate the magic of it all. Even now, they acknowledge that it is a severely underappreciated place, the average citizen of Reborn just too caught up in their ideas of comfort and how things should be to give Byxbysion a chance and see the beauty in it.

It’s just also an extremely frustrating place to look for something hidden. Ace has been here since before the break of dawn, and has only just recently gotten results.

As they tap away on a terminal, they hear grass rustling, and look up to see none other than Carly approaching. “Ah, done in Apophyll already, are we?”

Carly flinches.

Odd. Did something happen? Ace has heard that the PULSE Camerupt plan had failed, but not the details, yet.

They open their mouth to continue, only to be cut off by Carly holding up her hand. “Wait. I have a question.”

“I may have an answer, but no promises!” Ace says.

“Back at the police station, why did you let us know about the PULSE Camerupt?” Carly asks.

“Well I had to let you all look at something, lest you catch onto the deception!” Ace says. “The best schemes use a bit of truth, after all! And I’ll have you remember, I didn’t actually look at the information on the PULSEs before letting you all see it.”

“But that’s even more suspicious. You could’ve just told us about the Muk, since you were already planning on taking us to Blacksteam, right?” Carly points out. “Even the one here could’ve made sense to tell us about as a backup plan; considering how confusing this place is, it would make at least some sense for that to be a backup trap of some kind. Or maybe you really didn’t know about this one.

“But I just… can’t figure out why you would let us know about the Camerupt. You knew about that one, right? So even if you didn’t know the information was there, you must’ve known it was a possibility. Even if you were planning to trap all three of us, why risk letting us see it? Especially since that cop, Gavin, heard everything.

“Amy trusted you completely at that point— I genuinely believe you could’ve gotten away with just deleting the document, showing us something else, and letting us know about the Muk yourself, if you’d really wanted to. So why?”

…Ace hadn’t expected her to pick up on that.

“I’m afraid I can’t say!” Ace says. “Perhaps there is a reason, or perhaps there is none at all. I would like to remind you once again that I am something of a wild card~ But you are not here to listen to the ramblings of your deceiver. You are here because you— like I— have been deceived!”

It’s a completely obvious subject change, and from the look on Carly’s face, they immediately know that she knows it is. But thankfully she doesn’t push, instead accepting it. “All right, fine. I’ll bite. How were you deceived?”

Ace immediately launches into a flowery little speech about how the PULSE here was unknown even to the family, and then offers the information to Carly, provided she can beat them in a battle. They must at least appear to have tried, after all.

“So is this useless information, or just you being a wild card?” Carly asks as Ace pulls out Zoroark’s Poké Ball.

“You’ll have to find out!” they say, sending out their Pokémon, disguised as Delphox.

“…all right. I guess I can do that,” Carly says. She turns, walks some distance away, takes a Poké Ball in hand, and sends out a Primarina. “Percy, Moonblast!”

Ah. She must’ve figured out that trick after the first time. Perhaps they’ll need to change things up a bit next time.

Ace also learns, during the fight, that Carly’s Swablu has evolved into an Altaria. They try not to look at it too much while it’s out.

Although the same can’t be said for Carly. She stares at Ace quite frequently throughout the battle, head tilted just a bit. It is, if they are being quite honest, a bit unnerving. Almost like she is trying to pull them apart.

“And now might I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground…” Ace quotes as they send out their Honchcrow, because, well, they might as well say something, right?

“Would you?” Carly asks.

“Well, there isn’t much sea here to give!” Ace says.

The battle ends like it began— with Moonblast.

They both recall their Pokémon, and Ace claps. “Bravo, little heroine, bravo~ With a performance such as that, who could complain? Certainly not my higher-ups, that’s for sure!”

“Is that all you care about?” Carly asks.

Ace huffs. “You know, I believe it might benefit you to quit trying to look behind the curtain!”

Carly shrugs. “So… the information, then?”

But of course.

Ace reveals to her that the PULSE in Byxbysion is but an incomplete prototype. Nothing but abandoned old junk, really.

“Regardless, the machine is entirely inactive. Utterly useless to us. You may ignore it in its entirety!” Ace says.

Carly squints at them. “…we both know I’m not going to do that.”

“Of course we do!” Ace says. “But this is no deception, not this time! In fact, seek it out if you so please; it matters not to us. But you truly can consider the matter entirely optional, and otherwise resolved! And that, little friend, is a gold star guarantee~”

They glance away with a grimace. “Besides, the fewer people who have to deal with that creature, the better for us all…”

Carly perks up. “So there is something?”

“Yes, but… oh, forget it. I doubt you’d believe me anyway,” Ace says, shaking their head. “But regardless, the goose has been chased, and it is time for me to be well on my way. You’ve other business in the area, have you not?”

After all, the Badge for the Gym here is a requirement to use Strength, and Strength is currently a requirement to get through the old railnet, and getting through the old railnet is, at least for Carly, a requirement to get to the kids. So Ace points her in the direction of said Gym, before turning back to the terminal.

“The folk who live here aren’t the sort we’d make our targets anyway. Topsy and turvy though this place may be, they’ve settled into it out of gratitude and desperation in equal measure,” Ace says, recalling something Solaris once told them about exiles. They look back to Carly. “We have no quarrel with them.”

“Really?” Carly asks, raising a brow.

“Of course not. After all, they live with the land— rather than against it. There is magic in nature too, and it must be protected. That’s all we really want, don’t you know?” Ace asks.

“Is there not magic in the city, too?” Carly asks.

That’s a strange question to be sure, even putting aside the fact that they would’ve expected her to go for pointing out that the family had been poisoning Azurine Lake.

Maybe the question would’ve made sense before the city’s decline, but Ace doesn’t think they’ve ever met anyone who would describe the Reborn City of today as “magic.” They can’t help but wonder if she’s just trying to be a contrarian.

So they wave the question off, taking out the tool for their getaway trick. “If that’s what you want to believe. Until next time, little heroine, snap, flash, and bang!”

And then they are gone.

Out of sight of anyone else, Ace frowns.

That encounter had not gone how they’d expected.

Because Carly was right; Ace hadn’t had to let her and her friends know about the PULSE Camerupt plans. They’d just wanted to.

The mass murder of a community of people devoted to self betterment, carried out in perhaps the most horrific way possible? Is that really the kind of thing that the family is doing these days?

Ace’s heart had skipped a beat at realizing Borealis may have discovered it. Not out of fear that Carly, Cain, and Amaria would learn about it, but rather the opposite; Ace had realized that that was likely their chance to let people know about it, and possibly even stop it.

Was that wrong of Ace? It feels mostly right… but at the same time, they cannot help but feel twinges of regret at having betrayed the family in such a way. Solaris, Elias, and many others would certainly be very upset with Ace if they found out what they did and why. And that’s a scary thought.

They shake their head— they really do have other things to focus on.

Still, though… what they wouldn’t give for the family to return to the way it used to be.

— — —

Ace plays the guard dog.

Elias has finally tracked down Luna, and with the help of several others, was able to bring her back to the sanctum. In fact, it was Ace themself who nabbed her. And now, he intends to do something about her disobedience.

He really has no grounds for it. Luna is an adult now, and even if she wasn’t, it’s really hard to argue there’s anything morally correct about chaining your child down and performing ceremonies on them.

But Elias doesn’t really care about what the laws of Reborn City say, and is utterly convinced that this is what Luna needs, so Ace is supposed to think the same, and push down a certain thought that occurred to them when they’d first seen her again.

Now, they specifically act as extra security, in case Carly or Cain somehow break free of their confines to cause trouble— as the former in particular is wont to do— or Radomus somehow sneaks in.

And Carly did, in fact, break free from the dungeon, and managed to sneak up to the top floor of the sanctum. She beats down acolytes left and right, and disables the gate one lock at a time. She also uses the Light Shards sitting on pedestals. Elias probably won’t like any of that.

Ace specifically waits until the last possible moment, as Carly runs down the hallway to where Luna is, to confront her. Call it drama. Or maybe something else.

“Oh, little heroine~” Ace calls, causing Carly to turn around. They appear, then spin and bow. “Did you miss me~?”

“Maybe a little,” Carly says. “Better a magician than a cultist, in my book.”

It feels a bit odd to hear, for some reason.

“Well, I’m afraid the nature of show business is such that my work takes me behind the scenes from time to time,” Ace says.

“You mean like kidnapping Luna?” Carly asks.

Ace holds back a grimace. “So it seems! But still, I was ever-so impressed with your display against Radomus! He’s a history with us, you see— an illusionist, much like me— and you taking him out of the picture for just a moment was all the cue we needed! While ‘tis true that a favor done freely deserves one in kind, I’m afraid that this act is one that must go on! Boss’ orders and all.”

Carly scowls. “Don’t say that.”

“Oh? Did I strike a nerve?” Ace asks.

“Don’t talk like I’m the one responsible for Luna’s kidnapping,” Carly clarifies. “That was you all.”

“Apologies, then,” Ace says, taking Alakazam’s Poké Ball in hand. “But the family has business above, and it rather requires you to not interfere.”

“That’s exactly why I have to,” Carly says, grabbing a Poké Ball of her own. “Luna has no desire to be part of this, and family isn’t something that can be forced.”

Of course it can’t be.

But they don’t say that. “Instead of intervention, I must insist on instigating an immediate intermission this instant! Let the curtain fall alongside you!”

Ace sends out Alakazam, and Carly sends out her Primarina, commanding it to use Moonblast. At first, Ace pats themself on the back that waiting to send out Zoroark worked…

…but when they actually do send her out a few Pokémon later, disguised as Delphox, Carly sends out that Altaria that Ace tries not to look too much at and has it use Moonblast.

Hmm. Maybe Ace should have Zoroark disguise as something else next time. They should’ve known, really, with how fast Carly catches onto tricks.

Sooner than later, they are sending in their actual Delphox, and she is sending back in Primarina.

“Perhaps it is foolish to expect the third movement to sing a separate song from the first two,” Ace says.

“Funny you should mention singing… although this might not quite be that, even with a Primarina,” Carly says. “Percy, Hyper Voice!”

“Delphox, Psyshock!” Ace commands.

Hyper Voice hits hard. Though not quite in the usual way it would, in these ever holy halls— from the looks of it, Carly’s Primarina must have the Pokemon’s Hidden Ability.

Delphox puts up a valiant effort, truly. Attacks and stays up for as long as he can. But that doesn’t end up being all that long.

“But then, what am I if not a fool?” Ace mumbles, face falling, as they and Carly both recall their Pokémon.

They really should’ve known this would happen. Carly has started to reach “recurring headache” status amongst the family by now— there are more members that have at least one story of being beaten by her than those who don’t, it seems. And yet…

Ace looks down, sighing. “Well, it’s another embarrassing mishap then. Delightful. Perhaps I truly have outstayed my usefulness. They’ve no need for my real talents with ‘T’ about, and paltry tricks can only keep one relevant for so long.”

“Uh… are you all right?” Carly asks, actually sounding… concerned.

Ace looks back up to her. Examines her face for a moment, and she actually looks concerned, too, what an oddity.

“Tell me, Carly, what is family to you? Is it those with whom you share blood and status, or those with whom you share loyalty?” Ace asks.

“Loyalty, of course,” Carly says without hesitation.

Ace smiles, perhaps a bit more sadly than they intend to. “It is a lovely lie to tell. Yet, what is loyalty but an illusion?”

“It’s not a lie, or an illusion,” Carly says. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it is a promise of intentions in a future which cannot be promised,” Ace says, smile falling.

Carly shakes her head. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve been through a lot, since coming to Reborn, and most of that was done with others. We care about each other. And I do care about my blood relatives, but that’s because they care about me. There’s loyalty there, too.

“And I think that you’re severely underestimating the worth of promises. My friends have had my back, and I’ve had theirs, and so I know I can count on them to keep doing so. All I need to hear from them is a promise they’ll do their best— that’s more than enough to know I’m in good hands.”

“…you’re a lucky one, to be so certain,” Ace says, looking away. “Some of us can’t be. Still, for some of those some of us, we have nothing else. We cling to fantastical illusions because the truth is too empty to face.”

Ace looks back to Carly. She’s looking at them with her head tilted just slightly, and again, a strange look of concern.

“And here was a group that needed such promises,” Ace continues. “Their goals are neither ignoble nor righteous. But they were family, and I needed that.”

“…you joined Team Meteor because you had nobody else…?” Carly asks.

Why is she acting so concerned? It makes no sense, but there’s no other way to interpret her tone and expression. A ploy, perhaps? Or…?

Whatever it is, all Ace can do is smile sadly once again.

And then there’s another voice from behind Carly, causing her to whip around.

“Please, stop this already! Get your hands off of me!”

“Luna!” Carly cries, running off.

Ah. Of course. It’s Luna that Carly is here for, after all.

Ace follows, soon arriving at the central area. And as Luna comes into view, chained to an alter, the thought from before strikes again.

Elias clearly isn’t happy that Carly made her way to the area, but he has a backup plan— threatening Cain’s life. Elias’ new assistant, Bennett, drags the boy in.

Carly looks uncertain of what to do, biting her lip. Cain, perhaps predictably given what Ace knows, makes sexual jokes. And insults Bennett’s hair. He’s clearly offended, but Ace agrees, though much more politely, and in an advice giving way.

Cain grimaces. “I don’t know how I feel about you of all people backing me up here…”

“Ah, still smarting about the taller of my tales, are we? As I said just moments ago, loyalty is but an illusion! We allow ourselves to be deceived when it is most convenient to us,” Ace says. “And was it not convenient indeed, for you then? It nearly led you to your own family— had you but the heart to take a few steps further forward.”

“Hey, shut up!” Carly snaps defensively as Cain looks away with a frown.

Maybe Ace should. Nobody likes a hypocrite, after all.

Elias clearly thinks very little of Cain’s loyalty, or lack thereof, to his blood, so that’s what should matter, even as he uses that sentiment to chastise Luna.

Elias talks about legacy, and faith. Luna talks about faith in herself. About who she is, and that reminds Ace of their earlier thought yet again.

But of course, Elias remains unmoved, soon making his intentions to shave Luna’s head known.

Multiple people protest this move. Luna, Carly, Bennett, even Ace! But Elias insists that it is something he must do.

And then there’s an interruption. A certain Gardevoir appears, teleporting all of the nearby acolytes away except for one, who turns out to be Radomus. He grabs Elias’ arms, keeping him from touching Luna. Gardevoir helps free Cain, and then he and Carly rush to undo Luna’s bindings.

It’s all very touching… to Luna, of course.

Once she’s unbound— although it doesn’t happen before Elias tears one of his arms free and rips the Emerald Brooch off of her— Carly helps her down from the alter, then gets between her and Elias.

“You will not be touching her again,” Carly says firmly, eyes blazing strongly enough that it’s noticeable even in the low lighting.

“How dare you make demands of me regarding my daughter?” Elias asks.

“It’s not a demand. It’s a statement,” Carly says.

“I believe we’ve no further business here then,” Radomus says. “Gardevoir, do we have a retreat?”

“As if I will simply allow you to leave unopposed!” Elias protests.

“No, I think you will,” Ace says, before stepping forward to stand by him. “The show is over, Elias. Whatever you hoped to accomplish cannot be done by force. I won’t allow you to make the matter worse for everyone by trying to do so.”

Elias scowls. “After everything, even you presume to defy me? And what of the family you spoke of?”

“And what did I say about loyalty?” Ace asks. “Is this really the kind of family you want to have? Because I don’t think it is.”

It would probably be difficult to convince anyone else in the room— aside from perhaps Bennett— of the fact, but Ace knows that Elias does care deeply about Luna. Misguided though he may be, that’s why he did all of this.

But it’s not what’s best for her, and what Carly said before is spot on— family can’t be forced. Ace would know, after all.

And then there’s that thought that struck them before. That even passed out, or in chains, Luna looked more like herself than she ever did before running away.

So Ace makes sure Elias’ hand is stayed, and the little heroes teleport away.

He’s not happy. But this was the right thing to do.

Ace just hopes it won’t reflect too poorly on them.

— — —

Ace plays the civilian.

They’ve mostly been stationed at the fake Devon building for the last few days. Helping with smaller tasks, but with not much else to do. They can’t help but wonder if it is a punishment.

It does, however, give them free time, with which they can do as they wish as long as they can be contacted. And today, they decide to find something in the city to do… mainly because of someone else who has shown up.

T. Titawin. Terra. The one member of the family that Ace has not even attempted to get along with.

The reasons for this are obvious. Terra is the one who took Ace’s old job, for one, and anyone would be bitter over that.

There’s also the fact that she is, to put it simply, extremely obnoxious. Very few would probably be willing to put up with the way she talks and cackles, were it not for her usefulness.

But if Ace is to be completely honest… there is another reason. One tied to Terra’s civilian identity.

It is jealousy. Because she gets to spend time with Ciel. They work together at the Agate Circus, serving as its star attraction alongside the Fighting Type Gym Leader, Samson.

Ace, of course, can’t really know everything about their relationship, but by all reports, they seem to get on well enough. If Terra’s own words are to be believed, they get on even better, but… well, taking everything she says at face value seems like a bad idea, even if it weren’t something Ace didn’t want to believe.

For all they know, Ciel secretly loathes Terra, and just pretends otherwise for work. But even then, that thought is hard to swallow— that Ciel could pretend so well for someone else, and would rather have someone she loathes around than Ace.

They try not to think about those things when they can help it. But Terra’s presence makes those thoughts harder to avoid, so Ace changes into less eye catching clothes and heads out into the city to get away from her.

As they walk through Obsidia Park, trying to figure out what to do, they come across someone else they should probably be avoiding, just sitting in the grass under a tree, eating ice cream from a cup. Briefly, they wonder why she’s sitting in the grass instead of on a bench, before realizing there aren’t any— any that were once in the park were probably destroyed by the PULSE Tangrowth.

“Oh, hey, Ace,” Carly says. “What’s up?”

“I’m just enjoying some time off from my duties,” Ace answers, hiding their confusion at the casual greeting. “As you seem to be as well!”

“Yeah, we’re just hanging out,” Carly says.

By “we,” she is clearly referring to the six Pokémon she has nearby, all let out to relax in the park. Now more than ever, Ace tries to avoid looking at the Altaria.

Then Carly scoots slightly to the side and pats the ground next to her. “Wanna sit with me?”

What a completely baffling offer. Sure, Ace has assisted her before, but in the end, the two of them are foes. Carly should be upset to see them. Maybe even attempt to call the police. Not offer her company, as if they are friends, or at least casual acquaintances.

And Ace should really not even consider it. They should escape back to base, now that they have been recognized. Maybe even report Carly’s presence here. And yet…

Ace plays the acquaintance.

They move and lower themselves to the ground to sit next to Carly. “Do you always offer to spend time with your enemies?”

“I wouldn’t say always, but you’re not the first,” Carly admits. “Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“As fine as I have ever been,” Ace says. “Though I warn you, little heroine, if this is an attempt to get secrets out of me, it won’t work!”

“No, we’re just chilling,” Carly insists. “But I did want to thank you for a few days ago. That was cool of you.”

“It was only what was best for the family,” Ace says.

Carly hums, and it’s quiet for a few moments as she eats before Ace speaks up again. “I have some questions.”

“I might have answers, but obviously no promises,” Carly says.

“How do you keep doing it?” Ace asks. They’re not usually one to question others’ tricks, but… well, they’re curious today. “Going up against us, I mean. I know that that is no simple feat. And yet you make it look easy!”

“It’s not,” Carly admits.

“And yet you keep doing it, persistent as can be,” Ace says. “Why don’t you just stop? Run somewhere far away, or at least hide somewhere, and let this whole mess be someone else’s problem? I’m well aware that you only came to this region recently. So why do you fight for it so fiercely, when it would be so much easier not to?”

Carly thinks for a moment. “Well, what’s the use of escaping the future when you can mold it into whatever you please?”

Ace wonders if she really believes that. But before they can say anything, she puts her spoon in her cup and holds up her now free hand. “Wait, let me guess— you don’t know if that’s something I really believe?”

“Did you pick up a mind reading trick somewhere?” Ace asks.

“Nah, I just stole both of those lines from a song,” Carly admits before picking the spoon back up and taking another bite. “It’s true though! I don’t really see the point in running and hiding, much less offloading it all to someone else, when I can do something about what’s happening. What about you? Do you ever think about quitting Meteor?”

All the time. They never entertain it.

“Because you really should,” Carly continues. “You can come hang out with me and my friends instead. It’ll be cool.”

“I have my doubts Cain would be very happy with that,” Ace points out.

“Yeah, but I have friends other than just him. You two wouldn’t have to interact,” Carly says.

This is completely nonsensical. Ace already betrayed Carly once. Why is she offering them a chance to do it again?

“I’m afraid that won’t be happening,” Ace says. “Family hopping isn’t something anyone is keen on! And weren’t you the one to say that family can’t be forced?”

“Yeah. But there’s a difference between forcing and trying. So I won’t force you, but it’s an open offer,” Carly says. “Did you have any other questions?”

“During our encounter in Byxbysion, you said there was magic in this city,” Ace recalls. “That was a joke, yes?”

“What? No, I was completely serious,” Carly says, seeming surprised. “Why would it have been a joke?”

“Because… well, look at this place,” Ace says, gesturing vaguely around at the park. “I cannot think of anyone aside from you who would call this ‘magic,’ and it is one of the city’s more picturesque locales!”

“Really? I can think of a few people,” Carly says. “I first met one of my friends in this park, and she had some fondness for it even though she was very aware of its flaws. Another friend remembers the way the city used to be, and wants to bring it back to that, which wouldn’t be possible if the magic wasn’t still at least a little there.

“And as for me… well, I obviously don’t know the way the city used to be, but I can still see magic in it. In the cracks where most people don’t look. It’s a beautiful, shining place, I think, it’s just gotten dirty.”

“How can you see that under all this?” Ace asks.

“I dunno. Maybe I’m just used to it,” Carly says. “Finding beauty in new things, I mean. I did a lot of traveling when I was younger. That’s part of why I came here, y’know? I’d already seen so much of the regions near my own, and they’re all beautiful, but I wanted to see more.”

Ace isn’t really sure what to say in response.

Carly sets her spoon down again and pulls her Pokégear from her pocket, checking it. “I should go, but it was nice talking to you, Ace. See ya later!”

“I’m sure that you will. Farewell for now, little heroine~” Ace says.

Carly nods, then stands up. Once she’s recalled all of her Pokémon, she leaves.

Ace, on the other hand, stays put. Thinks.

What an odd encounter that was. Ace racks their brain for any evidence it could have been a trick of some kind, but comes up empty handed.

But then… tricks are their forte, aren’t they? No, in the end, the most sensible explanation is that Carly was being genuine. But that’s not just odd. It’s scary.

Carly is… well, she’s in the right, for one thing. There’s a reason Ace calls her a heroine and not a villainess, even though she’s going up against them and their family.

As Ace said before, while the family’s goals may be noble, their actions are not righteous. And it’s only getting worse and worse as time goes on. So it is objectively a good thing, to be fighting against them.

But on a more personal level? Carly is someone Ace can see themselves being fond of.

And that’s a scary thought indeed. Fondness is a double-edged sword, after all, even when applied to a safer target. It both lets one have deeper connections with others, and gives those others the ability to hurt them deeper.

Fondness for an enemy, though? Now that is a fool’s play, something that can only result in pain. An enemy is someone one is supposed to desire be stopped. Struck down, even.

And Ace knows that rings true for the family. They desire Carly’s downfall, or even her demise, and so Ace is supposed to as well. And yet…

They sit there for a while yet, trying to suppress this feeling.

— — —

Ace plays the dungeon master.

DnD is a nice little distraction that they, Taka, Zero, Eve, and Lumi have gotten in the habit of, though this is the first time in a while they’ve all been free to do it together. And thankfully, Terra has not found out about this meeting like she did the last one.

Ace is really glad they can all do this. Zero is getting more agitated recently, which effects Eve and Lumi as well. His bickering with the two has definitely become more common, and that’s no good for any trio, but especially one that shares a body.

And Ace swears that Taka is acting different lately. Part of it is likely the pressure of his role, but there are other things that don’t quite line up with that. He’s been a bit spacey, even, although Ace thinks they are the only one who has noticed it.

So it’s nice to be able to spend some downtime with the four of them, and make sure they’re doing all right.

As is a somewhat common occurrence, however, the game has been paused to talk about other things. In this case, Zero complaining about Carly.

“I just don’t get what her problem is!” he says. “Why does she have to be so… well, such a headache?”

“I dunno, she seems nice…” Lumi says.

“Please. She’s killing the PULSE Pokémon, remember?” Zero points out.

“Only because that is the natural consequence of defeating them,” Eve counters.

“Yeah, well… she also killed Borealis, remember?” Zero asks. “You guys heard about that too, right?”

“Yeah, but… it’s just a rumor, right?” Taka asks. “There’s no solid proof she actually did it.”

“But it makes sense!” Zero argues. “Ace, didn’t you say she and him ran off together, and then he turned up dead?”

“That is what I saw, yes,” Ace says. “But I will remind you that there was some time between the escape and the confirmation of death, so any number of things could’ve happened in between!”

“But who else could it have been, and why wouldn’t she have?” Zero asks. “Doesn’t it just make the most sense?”

“Um… she seemed really upset about killing Tangrowth, Muk, and Abra,” Lumi says. “So no, it kinda doesn’t really make sense…”

“The evidence for it is all circumstantial at best, so I agree with Lumi,” Eve says.

Zero groans. “Well, what do you two think?”

Taka glances away. “…I don’t think she did it.”

“As your companions said, the evidence isn’t really all that strong, and the act in question doesn’t seem to be in her nature to do! And so I don’t believe that she did it either,” Ace says. “Sorry, but it seems you’re outvoted!”

“Are you sure there’s nothing in her past that lines up with it? Didn’t you say you were looking into her?” Zero asks.

He stares at them, and Taka looks over to Ace as well. It’s clear all attention is on them.

Ace plays the fool.

“…nope! I didn’t find anything,” they say after a moment.

Zero looks annoyed by the answer, but Ace could swear something like relief flashes in Taka’s eyes for a moment. They themselves, on the other hand, feel conflicted.

It’s technically the truth. They actually never did finish their research into Carly, too preoccupied with other things lately.

Of course, there was that one tidbit about her possibly being the daughter of a famous Coordinator, which was arguably backed up by Carly’s own claims about traveling a lot. But it’s not confirmed, and it really has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

But it also occurs to Ace that they probably should’ve told the family about that at some point. Confirmed information is best, but suspected information is still good.

Ah, but… Solaris probably already knows, doesn’t he? Terra has probably found out everything Ace has, and even confirmed or denied it.

Zero grunts. “Whatever. Let’s just get back to the game.”

Ace finds themself grateful to hear it.

— — —

Ace plays the errand person.

Amaria apparently recently wound up in the family’s clutches again, this time alongside the Steel Type Leader. This means that the Sapphire Bracelets have also found their way back to them.

The thing is, though, that whoever was last in charge at the Water Treatment Center, where the two girls are, clearly didn’t recognize the Bracelets. So it was only a little while ago, after Taka arrived to take over, that they were radioed in.

Knowing that they’ve been in reach without being retrieved for a few days now has clearly made Solaris antsy. Not only has Ace been sent to retrieve them, but several others prepare to strike at Amaria’s home, should the Bracelets be taken before they can get them. Perhaps by a certain little heroine.

And sure enough, as Ace descends the ladder to the room behind the control room, they hear familiar voices, and pause their climb just a bit above the bottom. One voice is Taka’s, the other is Carly’s, but it’s difficult to make out what they’re saying. Ace strains their ears.

“…I want you to be able to choose,” Carly says, voice… there’s some desperation in it, but is that softness as well?

“…that means a lot to me,” Taka says. “But it’s just not possible. I’m sorry…”

…oh?

Ace decides the best way to hear more would be to get a bit closer, and moves to finish their descent… only to make a mistake. Still focused on trying to listen in, their foot misses the next rung, and they make a sound of surprise on instinct before they readjust.

“…hello? Who’s there?” Taka calls out cautiously.

…oops.

Ace knows that that’s it. The other two aren’t going to go back to their conversation, now that they know someone is here. So Ace climbs the rest of the way down the ladder and walks into the control room. “Well, hello there, little darlings!”

The other two look terrified to see them, Carly in particular backing up a few steps, and Ace isn’t too fond of the way those things make them feel.

But they brush it off, walking over to Taka and holding a hand out. “Little prince, I understand you have something for us!”

“Uh… about that,” Taka mutters.

“I beat him,” Carly says quickly. “I beat him in a battle and took them.”

“I suppose I could’ve guessed!” Ace says. “I, for one, see no need to keep the audience waiting!”

They step forward, taking out Roserade’s Poké Ball and sending her out. “Let us see if we can’t magic those Sapphire Bracelets away from Carly by the count of three!”

Looking unsure, Carly takes a Luxury Ball in hand and sends out a… well, Ace isn’t sure what it is. Something with a pink and white head plume and mismatched legs.

The battle goes a bit differently than usual.

It mostly plays out the same, sure. Carly takes a definite lead, and Ace glances away from her Altaria when it comes out.

But there are definite differences, too. Ace finally manages to trick Carly by sending out Zoroark later and having her disguise as Metagross. But aside from that…

“Ah, is it just me? Or does your heart not seem to really be in this? What are you hiding?” Ace asks as they send out their actual Metagross, although they have an inkling or two.

Carly frowns and looks away, to her Primarina. “Percy. Hyper Voice.”

As always, it doesn’t take long for Ace to lose. And they figure it out… or at least one part of it.

“You don’t have them, do you?” they ask as they both recall their Pokémon.

Carly looks relieved at the question. “No, I don’t.”

Ace turns back to Taka. “Little prince, what’s going on here?”

“They were, uh, taken. By someone else,” Taka says nervously, before glancing away. “That Steel Leader. She held an Aegislash to my throat…”

“That’s right! Titania took them, and I stayed behind to make sure Taka couldn’t reclaim them,” Carly adds.

Well, that’s a bit different than the initial story. Plus, Ace looks around, and sees that there’s no mess aside from the usual and what they and Carly caused, and that Taka’s Poké Balls are vibrant in color, a sure sign that his team’s at full health.

When Ace asks Taka about it, he looks away again, expression ashamed. Ace looks between him, and Carly’s own worried expression… and some things click.

They signal off with their pager, and tell Carly about the team outside. With one last quick, regretful look sent Taka’s way, she runs off.

Once the sound of her footsteps fades, Ace turns back to Taka, asking what’s wrong. He backs up against the wall, conflicted and unwilling to tell, so…

Ace plays the mind reader.

They tell Taka things they’ve figured out under the guise of reading his mind— that he gave away the Sapphire Bracelets freely, that he and Carly had a private conversation and were going to battle to cover things up, only to be interrupted by Ace, that he doesn’t agree with his father’s actions but feels he can’t disappoint the man, and that Lin is putting Taka in a tough spot.

And so Taka, to Ace’s great relief, finally opens up to them about his fears about being a liability. That Lin will do something to him for it, and that his father may be better off without him.

That’s no good at all. Taka is an essential part of this family, one of its core members, and someone Ace cares very dearly about. It hurts to know he’s been carrying an even heavier burden than they realized, and didn’t feel like he could tell them about it.

Of course, Lin is not the type to care about such things. She seems far too invested in the whole “New World” nonsense, and has been making power plays since… well, as long as she’s been around, now that Ace thinks about it. They’ve known for a fact that she was trouble since witnessing her beat down a fallen foe without mercy, they’ve just been fool enough not to say anything.

That will end now. Taka is too fearful of his father’s reaction to say something, so Ace offers to be the one to start the conversation. It’s for Solaris’ sake as well— he must know that Lin is a threat to everything he cares about.

“Rest yourself, tired scion. This will all be resolved soon,” Ace says, tone soft.

Taka looks away, unsure.

Hoping to introduce a bit of levity to the situation, Ace’s expression turns teasing. “And perhaps one day, you will even be able to be with the little heroine~”

Taka’s looks back to them immediately at that, face dusting just a tad pink. “Excuse me?”

Ace chuckles lightly. “Oh, I may be a reader of minds, not hearts, but I have reason to believe she holds some space in both of yours!”

They sigh, clasping their hands together and pressing the back of one to their cheek. “And isn’t that just a tale as old as time? A royal and a hero, intertwined in destiny and love both?”

Taka frowns, glancing towards the door Carly left out of. “…it’s one-sided. Please don’t tell anyone.”

Ace frowns, bringing their hands away from their face and tilting their head. “‘One-sided?’ Are you quite sure?”

“Of course I am. That’s all it can be,” Taka insists.

Ace hums. “So you say. But if you ask me— though I’m well aware that you have not— I think she cares about you quite a bit.”

“Would it even matter if she did?” Taka asks. “She’s our enemy.”

…ah. Right.

Ace glances away. “…well, I suppose it is about time I should go. Next time you and I see each other, we will hopefully be part of a one hundred percent Lin-free family.”

They turn and start to walk off, only for Taka to speak up again, grabbing their attention. “Ace— I wanted to say— um… I really…”

He looks away, and Ace tilts their head. “Hmm?”

Taka hesitates, then looks back to them. “Can you really read minds?”

No, I just overheard part of your conversation with Carly.

No, I just had to be incredibly observant to get this far and remain useful.

No, I just care about you more than you realize.

“What do you think, little prince?” Ace asks with a coy smile before leaving.

— — —

Ace plays the messenger.

They word their message to Solaris very carefully, hopeful that it may sway him.

These are unsettling times. Things really have changed before Ace’s very eyes… or perhaps it would be more accurate, at least in some cases, to say things just became more noticeable.

Ace may have chosen to join this family, but they know that not everyone did, including some of those they consider closest to them. Taka has been unhappy for a long time, and Lumi and Eve were forced into their places just as they were forced into Zero’s body. Luna ran away at the first opportunity, and Ace knows that it is more inability than lack of desire that keeps the other three from following.

And those who are here by choice have become increasingly difficult to approach. Zero seems to grow quicker to anger by the day, Elias has been somewhat sour with Ace since they helped Luna’s rescuers, and Solaris focuses on ever more aggressive methods to achieve his goals.

In truth, Ace knows that Lin is not the only problem with the family, but she is like a deadly infection in an already sickly body— she must be stopped before the other problems are treated, lest she make them even worse.

Ace cannot fix their family by force— this is something they’ve been failing to do since long before they were a part of this one. But they can at least try to make it better.

And… it occurs to them that this might be helpful to Carly, too.

Lin is one of very few in the family who has not yet fought her, but many think that if anyone can defeat Carly, it would be Lin. And with the strength Ace has witnessed from her, quickly beating down a Gym Leader and even an Elite Four member with no struggle, they would not be surprised if it was true.

So Ace’s message is polite as can be, assuring Solaris of their loyalty before sharing Lin’s threat to Taka and pleading he take action. Once it’s finished, they send it with a hopeful smile…

…only for it not to go through.

“…hm?” Ace hums, brow furrowing in confusion.

The room’s lighting goes red, and letters and pictures appear on the screens mounted to the walls, the ones on the four top center screens in particular spelling something out.

GA ME OV ER

Ace backs away, starting to grow fearful. “W-what is—”

The entire room shakes, and there’s a cackle, sounding like it has been digitally filtered, but still familiarly obnoxious.

There’s an invisible pull of some sort. Ace’s vision fades, and they fall unconscious, unknowing that it is the last time they will be in the world they know for a long while.

Chapter Text

When Ace awakens, they are somewhere fully unfamiliar to them.

…or, no, maybe that’s not quite right. The ones and zeros that surround them make it clear that they are somewhere familiar enough. They have just never seen such a place from this side of the screen.

The last thing they remember is… hearing Terra’s cackle, and being pulled into a computer.

That’s… hmm. They have heard of such a thing being possible to do to a human, but in more of a partial way; anything on this scale seemed to be more of a hypothetical. That it could be pulled off in a manner such as it was defies logic.

But then, perhaps it makes sense that Terra would be the one to do it.

Ace holds a hand up in front of their face and sees… nothing. They shouldn’t see nothing, because they can definitely feel their body make the motion to bring their hand into their field of vision. And their vision has not failed them. But they do not see their hand. They clench it, feeling fingertips against palm and thumb against fingers, but see no fist.

They run their hands over themself in an attempt to get their bearings as best as they can without the ability to actually see their body.

They still seem to be wearing what they were before, for the most part. But their bag, Pokégear, and belt— and with that, their Pokémon— are all gone. Troubling.

They try to explore where they have found themselves, but find that they have been put into a box. Or something that can be best described as such. When they try to touch the wall, they learn that here, the term “firewall” is more literal than they would like. They immediately back away and try to teleport to the other side instead, but this yields no results. And so they are forced to settle down.

Ah, but… surely there must be something that they can do. They focus, envisioning a screen, and… yes! A screen floats just in front of them, and it’s just as interactive as they hoped. They quickly get to work.

They look out of the computer they were using before, into the real world. The room is, predictably, empty. But that’s no matter, as they can just use the computer to send a message to someone.

…except it seems that that’s not true. They’re able to interact with the computer they were pulled into, but every time they try to open anything they might use to send a message, it refuses to comply.

Well, it’s still no matter. If this computer will not work for them, they will just use another. It is with very little trouble that they connect to the one in Zero, Eve, and Lumi’s workshop…

…and much more trouble that they find the trio in.

In the real world, a battle against Carly that nobody except Zero seems to want rages. In the computer, the PULSE Magnezone’s data has been absolutely devastated, data corrupted or completely eaten through by a virus that leaves rainbow sparkles, of all things, in its wake.

Zero sends Magnezone into the fight, and Ace knows they have shown up too late to save it. But they can at least save the trio, stopping the virus from touching the data on the three of them.

Carly wins the fight, and Magnzone seems to shut down as it floats out of sight. The trio runs over to it, Lumi begging it to be okay, only to be cut off by an explosion.

Suddenly, Ace can’t see into the real world anymore. They can’t use the computer at all, either. They haven’t been booted out of it, but all they can do is listen to whatever’s happening in the workshop, and there’s frighteningly little to hear.

For a moment, they fear that their efforts were for naught, and the explosion killed everyone in the room.

Then there’s a groan. Carly’s voice hesitantly calls out to Zero, Eve, and Lumi— in that manner, specifically, using individual names. She asks if they’re all right, and then there’s another groan.

Zero says something about it being quiet.

Carly expresses confusion, and says something about his eye.

Zero seems to ignore her, instead expressing concern for Magnezone. After that, he repeats that he’s alone, over and over and over again. He says that he is empty.

Carly gently says his name, but he rejects whatever comfort she may offer, calling her a murderer before retreating.

It’s silent. Ace briefly assumes that Carly has left, too, only to hear her choke out that she’s sorry. Then she does leave.

And so Ace, too, is alone… but surely they can figure out a way to fix that.

— — —

Ace quickly learns how to navigate the digital world from their box.

It’s not at all difficult. With just a bit of thought, they can conjure a screen connected to any computer that they know of, and these days, most people carry a small one in their pocket. The region is at their fingertips, and they are hopeful that communicating their plight to the family will result in them finding a way to free Ace quite quickly.

That hope is soon dashed, though. Any time they try to make a call, send a text or email, or even type out an SOS message in a note taking application, they fail. They can’t open the tools used to do any of these things themselves, and when someone in the real world does, Ace is barred from interacting with it. What they assumed to be a bug in the computer they started in is actually a feature of their imprisonment.

It’s frustrating, but they console themself with the knowledge that their disappearance must be obvious to at least a few people by now, as they were unconscious for a while. Someone will search for them, and figure out what has happened. Maybe they can even come up with a way to communicate less directly, once someone actively has an eye out.

And so Ace waits patiently, watching their family through whatever devices they can.

— — —

When Ace thinks of people who would be looking for them, Taka is the first to come to mind.

Checking in on him is easy. His phone is of the older variety, but they can still connect to it. He’s also in Labradorra City, which is chock full of technology that Ace can connect to.

And of course, he’s the obvious choice. The last person that they talked to at length, and it was specifically a conversation about what they were doing when they were pulled into this box. If there’s anyone who will be searching for them, it is him.

But… he isn’t.

It seems he’s been confined to Labradorra without much to do as punishment for his failure at the Water Treatment Center. They watch him attempt to call them at one point, but when that fails, he doesn’t do much else. It seems like he’s more preoccupied with looking over his shoulder, metaphorically and sometimes literally.

Ace tries to not take it personally. He obviously has a lot that he’s been dealing with as of late. And of course, despite what many think, being the scion of the family means that Taka has less freedom in most areas than others. That fact is truer now than it’s ever been before, with Lin and Sirius clearly plotting against him.

Eventually, he receives an assignment to ambush Carly in Tourmaline Desert. It’s clear to everyone involved, except Solaris, that Taka is not meant to return from this.

He can’t do anything about it, too paralyzed by his fear of Lin to tell his father the truth. So he just starts training.

It’s hard to tell exactly what’s on his mind at any given point, and that feels odd to Ace. It’s not like Taka has ever been incredibly open; he’s always kept his true thoughts and feelings close to his chest. But he’s also, in a way, different than he used to be.

Once, years ago— back in the days when he was shorter than them— they found him curled into a ball in one of the cells in the sanctum, crying. He had hidden away there on purpose so that nobody would see his tears, but did nothing to chase them off when they sat down next to him.

It had taken time, multiple assurances that they wouldn’t tell a soul anything that he said, and the use of their “mind reading” trick, but he eventually opened up about what was wrong. He feared that he was a failure; that no matter what he did, he could never be the scion his father wanted.

Ace had told him, completely honestly, that they liked him just as he was. That they were sure that he would grow into a fine scion, and they would do whatever they could to support that growth.

He eventually stopped crying… both in that moment and overall, actually. It’s been years since he last so much as teared up in front of them. Or maybe just since he cried at all. Now that Ace thinks about it, the same could be said for them.

He continued to confide in them, though. Sometimes it was more direct, other times he would make vague statements that he knew they’d pick up on. Either way, he would tell them things that he felt like he couldn’t tell anyone but Luna, and sometimes even things that he felt like he couldn’t tell her.

But of course, as they recently learned, he eventually stopped doing that, though they’re not sure when, exactly. At the Water Treatment Center, they had assumed that his reluctance to share his fears was a recent development, brought on by hectic schedules and his fear of Lin.

Now, though, they can’t help but wonder if that’s not the case. If maybe he hasn’t felt like he could tell them things for much longer, and they just never noticed.

It’s impossible to say, and equally impossible to tell which of his multiple problems is on his mind at any given moment. But they at least like to believe that he’s thinking of them.

— — —

Zero is the obvious second choice to be looking for Ace.

He is Ace’s close friend, and they’ve known each other for years. Not as long as Ace and Taka have known each other, but still quite a while. Surely Zero would take notice of the fact that Ace has completely disappeared.

Perhaps he has. But whether or not that’s the case, they soon see that he has bigger things to worry about.

Most people that interacted with Zero, Eve, and Lumi were under the belief that he hated both girls, and that the feeling was mutual. Ace was of the opinion that things were more complex than that, but even they wouldn’t call his relationship with the other two positive by any means. And if they are being completely honest, that was largely because of his ego.

He’s always touted himself as being important. Even when Ace first met him, he was claiming that he was going to do big things for the family.

It was a familiar sight, though not an exact mirror. He was scraggly, and had a coat of dirt that made it obvious he had just been sleeping on the streets. He wanted to pay back Solaris for giving him somewhere to belong. The biggest difference from Ace’s own experience was that he talked almost as if he’d already done so.

Merging with the Seijaya sisters just seemed to enhance his sense of importance. He would often claim Eve’s genius as his own, and talk about Lumi as if she was just… there. Extra baggage. He always said that, if the other two disappeared from his head, he’d be happy. That he wouldn’t be any less integral to the family.

But now that it’s actually happened, he spirals over the loss, trying to cling to relevance. It certainly doesn’t help that he believes the other two to be dead, but refuses to let anyone open the life support devices their bodies once occupied.

It’s plain to see that he hasn’t picked up as much of Eve’s knowledge as he once liked to claim. He spends hours poring over her notebooks, and throws one at the wall with a scream of frustration more than once. He’s able to do maintenance on the PULSE machines, but what would only take her minutes takes him as long as hours.

He also begins to talk to himself, pretending to be Eve and Lumi… poorly. The way he talks as “them” is different from the way they actually talk in inflection, tone, and even words said. Even members of the family the trio only knows in passing notice the difference.

At one point, as Zero frantically mutters to himself, he wonders what’s happened to Ace.

Hearing that makes them perk up a bit. He’s noticed that they’re gone after all!

But he still does not do anything to search for them.

Ace tells themself that that’s all right. Zero is going through a lot right now, and has his own duties to the family as well.

It only makes sense that they are not his top priority.

— — —

If not Taka or Zero, surely it is Solaris who would search for Ace.

He is the family’s head, its patriarch, its king. The sun they all revolve around. The one who found Ace all on their own all those years ago and gave them everything.

When they left the circus, they became homeless. They weren’t good enough at battling to make a living from it, and they couldn’t get a job for a few different reasons. Not that it would’ve mattered; given their age at the time, it’s not like they could’ve rented or bought somewhere to live.

They weren’t about to go back to the region they’d come from, though. That would’ve just meant going back to more family who didn’t want them.

One day, Solaris found them. He listened to their story, and gave them a home and a new family.

He is someone who learned to value family in the cruelest way possible. Surely he would notice Ace’s disappearance.

But he is unable to.

They definitely cross his mind. There are multiple times that he has a task specifically for them.

But he never attempts to assign these tasks himself. Instead, he informs Lin or Sirius of what Ace and several other people are supposed to get done, so that the tasks can be assigned efficiently. The jobs assigned to Ace are always finished in a timely manner, and so he has no reason to believe that they are missing.

This makes sense. They were demoted, and Solaris is busier than ever. He does not have the time to personally assign them tasks. It is simply a matter of efficiency.

Still… they can’t help but think back on simpler times. Back when he had the time to sit with them and tell them stories about the way the region once was. When he assured them that, if neither of them had the families they came from anymore, they could build a new one together.

Even back then, he was far from being an exceptionally warm man. But his words had been a comfort that they had sorely needed.

Nowadays, it is hard to imagine him comforting anyone.

But that old version of him still exists, Ace is certain. Buried, but not dead. If he knew they were missing— if their message had reached them— he would be searching.

Surely.

— — —

Maybe it is Elias who searches for Ace?

It is true that their relationship has soured lately, but it’s normal for family to get into temporary spats. It’s been long enough since the incident at the sanctum that he’s certainly softening up. He has probably sought them out to talk, only to realize they’ve gone missing.

But it seems that he hasn’t.

Like Solaris, Elias is very busy. And when he is not, he attempts to come up with a plan to take Luna back once again. His only mention of Ace is to say that they will not be involved in the next attempt. The work of the lord, he calls it.

They… aren’t sure what they think of that. They’ve spent years attending his sermons, praying, and calling themself a worshiper. But these days, they can’t help but wonder if they would have ever spared Arceus a second thought, had they not been taken in by people so devoted to its worship.

But there’s no doubt in their mind that Elias believes that everything he does is in the service of not only his master, but a truly powerful god. That he tries to come up with a plan to not only save Luna’s soul, but make this god happy.

Whatever he comes up with won’t work, though. He may have been able to kidnap Luna once before, but that only worked because he had the advantages of surprise and Ace’s psychic abilities. Now, he has neither of those things. But he refuses to see the truth.

When Ace first met Elias, he was so observant. He may have had his blind spots, but he seemed to use the eyesight that he was blessed with to its fullest ability. When something had an obvious flaw, or someone was upset, he tended to notice.

There was once a time where they were in a funk, feeling worse about their estrangement from Ciel than usual. They tried to hide it, and go about their business as they always did, but he had noticed. He sat with and comforted them, and they felt a lot better afterwards. They felt seen.

Now, it’s as if Elias can’t see obvious problems as they pop up around him. He doesn’t even seem to notice his own assistant’s growing disdain for him.

Or maybe he does notice, and simply pretends not to.

…Ace isn’t sure which of those things they’d prefer apply to their disappearance.

— — —

The family is large, and Ace is on good terms with almost everyone in it. Someone must be searching for them; they only need to figure out who.

But when they try to do just that, they instead make a horrifying discovery.

They knew that Lin had a dangerous level of investment in the false promises the family uses to draw in new recruits. They had heard the occasional whisper of someone discontent with Solaris’ leadership. But as it turns out, things are so much worse than they realized.

Newer members, like Fern. People who have been in the family for many years, like Blake. Almost everyone has fallen in with Lin, secretly turning against Solaris and all that he stands for.

Not everyone has. Even aside from those closest to Ace, there are some that still remain loyal to him, and would not turn against him no matter what they were promised in exchange. But these people have obviously been identified and carefully excluded from the web that Lin has woven. Any discussion of new plans and motivations halts when these people come around. If they show even the slightest hint of suspicion, they are fed lies designed to placate them. They are seen as the enemy, people who are not to be trusted.

And… Ace is one of those people, aren’t they?

Multiple factors make it clear that this treachery started before they got trapped in this box. That means that almost every single person that they regularly interacted with— almost every single person that they greeted with a smile, joked with, and showed care to— was lying to their face for weeks, or even months.

All of these people wanted Ace gone.

Well… they’ve gotten their wish, haven’t they?

— — —

There isn’t anyone else that Ace expects to be looking for them. But that doesn’t mean there’s nobody else that they check in on.

Eve and Lumi are difficult to keeps tabs on. They’re hiding in the vents of the workstation where the PULSE Hypno is kept, and the two of them try to avoid surveillance cameras when they have to leave them. But Ace can at least make sure that the two haven’t been found, and get glimpses of them on occasion.

Given the circumstances, Ace doubts that the two even know that they’re missing. Even if Eve and Lumi do know, it would be impossible for them to search for Ace. But they like to think that the two of them would, if they could.

Ace’s friendship with the sisters started off on the precarious side. Eve was incredibly guarded, after unknowingly putting her trust in another member of the family caused her and Lumi to be forced to join it. The only other members she had talked to were the one whose body she was occupying, and Solaris, who wanted her to make weapons of mass destruction. She assumed that nobody she interacted with would care about her or her sister as anything more than tools.

Lumi was both fearful of and uncomfortable in her new situation. She wasn’t naive, or anything, but she was quite young, had only seen and heard so much. She didn’t even know what the word “terrorist” meant until she was being forced to become one. Zero’s body would often shrink away from Ace for a moment, and his reaction made it clear that this was because of Lumi, specifically.

Bonds were eventually formed, but it took a good amount of time and effort. It certainly would’ve taken even longer if the two weren’t sharing a body with someone Ace was already friends with.

But now they aren’t. They are in their own bodies, and speak in their own voices. Even though Ace only gets small glimpses, it is jarring.

But it’s also a good thing. Eve and Lumi have been sorely lacking in both agency and freedom for years, now. They still haven’t grasped the latter of those in its entirety, but they have more of it than they did before.

Ace isn’t one hundred percent sure why the two of them don’t attempt to flee the workstation entirely. They assume it has something to do with the two young children that have taken Eve and Lumi’s place in the life support devices, but they only caught the end of the interaction that led to said swap.

Whatever the case, sticking around is dangerous for the sisters. If the family found them, they would be captured. Eve would be forced to continue work on the PULSE machines in exchange for Lumi’s safety.

That’s why Ace looks over the workstation’s security footage on occasion, deleting any instances of Eve or Lumi getting caught on camera. It might not be necessary— nobody else ever checks the footage. But it’s good to be cautious.

It occurs to Ace that Solaris would likely be cross with them for doing this. Helping someone they weren’t supposed to is what got them demoted in the first place, after all.

But they also consider what would happen if someone else found out that Eve and Lumi are still alive and around. The two of them would have the agency and freedom they’ve obtained taken from them again. The efforts to get the PULSE Clawitzer back online would speed up immensely.

So Ace continues on as they have been.

— — —

Ace checks in on Luna a few times.

It’s not always easy with her, since she doesn’t have a Pokégear or anything similar to one. But Radomus has one, so Ace can listen in when he’s with Luna.

They know, of course, that avoiding a scenario like this is probably part of the reason that Luna doesn’t own a Pokégear. But… they can’t help but do it anyway, worry for her mixing with a lack of much else to do and driving them to listen.

And they can’t help but be surprised by just how well Luna and Radomus get along.

When they first heard that she had claimed him as her new father, they had honestly assumed, to some degree, that it was mostly an arrangement of mutual benefit. She would receive the protection of one of very few people who had left the family and lived— possibly the only one, back when this started. He would receive access to the family’s secrets. They would both relish the added bonus of getting on Elias’ nerves.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not by this point. They never discuss the family at all, when Ace is listening. Instead, they seem to just… enjoy each other’s company.

Despite Ace’s initial surprise, it’s not all that much of a shock once they actually think it through. Their personal view of Elias is much fonder than Luna’s, and they know that this isn’t without reason.

Elias loves and cares for her deeply, but like Solaris does Taka, he’s also always put an immense amount of pressure on her. She had to be a perfect servant for her master. She had to carry herself in a way that honored the Hazel legacy. She had to assist in the pursuit of the larger family’s goals, no matter how many people that meant hurting.

She also wasn’t allowed to do things that others could get away with without a thought. There were books and such things that were fine for Ace or others to read, but that she was not permitted to. She wasn’t allowed to skip a single sermon unless she was horrendously sick. She was told that she may evolve her Eevee into anything except for an Umbreon, even though Zero had evolved his own Eevee into one.

With all of that in mind, it makes perfect sense that she would take so warmly to an alternative, more permissive father, not to mention that it’s been quite a while since she first ran away. Of course she would be so fond of Radomus.

As for him, Ace can’t say that they know nearly as much about him as they do Luna. But they know enough to have a few ideas of why he accepts Luna as his daughter as easily as he does. And as they’ve acknowledged, there’s certainly been enough time for him to grow fond of her on a personal level.

He also doesn’t seem to mind that she acts as his maid, which clearly makes her happy. That’s no surprise at all; Luna may not have liked many parts of the life she led before running away, but she always seemed glad to serve Taka.

That was definitely something that Ace had to get used to, when they first joined the family. A child who was so devoted to being the servant of another child, and only seemed to become moreso as time went on.

Despite her discontent in most other areas of her life, it was a shock to hear that she had run away on her own, leaving Taka behind. But Ace has reason to believe that she specifically left on his order. He cares for her greatly, but always felt awkward at the very best about being her master. It only makes sense, that he would want her to leave for a better life.

Ace can’t say that they know that that’s what happened for certain, though. Taka once said something to them that implied it, but he claims to anyone else that he doesn’t know why she left, and often tries to avoid the subject of her entirely.

Whatever it is that actually happened, Ace didn’t witness it. One day, she was there. The next, she was gone.

That is, until she was briefly brought back by them.

They wonder if she’s angry at them for that. Or maybe she’s instead grateful that they helped her escape in the end?

They like to hope that she isn’t upset with them, at least. Even if they feel like she probably should be.

— — —

Ace musters up the courage to connect to Ciel’s Pokégear a few times.

They learn that she, Samson, and the circus’ ringleader, Alistasia, occasionally look for Terra in the computer she apparently escaped into, but are having no luck. Ace, of course, knows exactly why.

Other than that, there’s not much that stands out at first. Ciel simply goes about her life as the star of the Agate Circus. The life that she did not want them to be a part of.

The two of them used to be nigh inseparable. They would spend their days side by side, looking at clouds, reading books, or playing a pair of old video games.

The two of them had discovered the joys of a circus together, too. They had excitedly talked about running away to join one for weeks on end afterwards. Ace had assumed that the idea would only ever be a fantasy, but when Ciel decided to make it a reality, they didn’t hesitate to follow.

They had assumed that she would be happy. That they would both be, together. But when she first saw Ace after their arrival at the circus, her face fell.

She tried to avoid interacting with them, and when she had to, she was cold. There were a few times where it seemed as if she might warm back up to them, only for her to shut them out again immediately after.

It eventually got to the point that they couldn’t stand it anymore. They ran away to Reborn City, and swore to never return to the circus… until now, they suppose. If this can be counted as returning.

One day, they hear Ciel talking with Samson. The two trade barbs, but there’s no malice to it. It’s clear that they get along quite well.

But then there is a pause in the conversation. She soon apologizes, and reveals that, for a moment, she had expected Terra to chime in.

There’s another, longer pause. Then, Ciel admits that she never expected to miss Terra’s interjections so much. Or Terra herself, for that matter.

Samson says something in response, but Ace hardly hears it, distracted by their own thoughts.

So… it’s true, then? Ciel really does like Terra, at least enough to miss having her around?

Is that why Ciel and her coworkers are searching for Terra, even? They previously talked about their search in a way that made Ace assume it was merely an effort to apprehend her, but could it also be because they… care for her?

…Ace disconnects from Ciel’s Pokégear, and thinks that they will probably not connect to it again any time soon.

— — —

Someone that Ace finds themself often spying on— because really, that’s what it is— is Carly.

They really have no excuse at all for this. She probably has no idea that they’re missing, and even if she did, it’s doubtful she’d look for them. She’s not someone that they’ve known for years. She’s been friendly with them, but the two of them are still enemies.

But Ace does it, and keeps doing it. After all, they can’t really claim that they have any real aversion to spying, given how much of it they did even before they had little else to do. And checking in on Carly is a nice reprieve from watching the family not seek them out.

And… maybe it’s also motivated by that fondness they couldn’t quite suppress.

They feel like they learn more about her through this than they ever did before. But that’s completely reasonable, isn’t it? The two of them only met a few times, and they were clashing to some degree all but once. Ace also never did pick that research into her back up.

She’s a big eater. Her favorite food is pizza, specifically cheese, but she also has a sweet tooth. She likes a variety of music, but seems partial to Vocaloid songs and similar things. Her sense of humor has a large range, and there are some jokes that she will make whenever she gets the slightest chance. She nicknames all of her Pokémon, something that Ace already noticed but never thought too hard about.

One of those Pokémon is the Fennekin that they left at the Water Treatment Center. Carly calls her Sticks, and Ace is glad that the little one wasn’t abandoned during the retreat.

Carly’s also very sociable. They already knew that she has lots of friends, but she really does spend so much time running around and talking to people.

And not only during the day. She must have some sort of affliction or condition, because surely she can’t be awoken at night so consistently by coincidence.

At one point, they listen as she talks with the Fairy Leader, Adrienn, about how she doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but feels like she may have to. She also talks about how she wanted to help Zero, Eve, Lumi, and Magnezone. About how she fears Lin. About how she doesn’t want to be in her mother’s shadow— it sounds like she’s the daughter of a Contest star after all— but also doesn’t want to worry the people she left back in Sinnoh with the news of what she’s been up to.

At another point, she talks with Victoria about the people she’s met and befriended since coming to the region.

Victoria slyly asks if there’s anyone that Carly might be more than friends with.

She gets flustered, but admits that there’s someone that she has a crush on. But she claims that that’s all it is, because it’s one-sided.

Ace has a feeling that this is not the actual issue.

Another time, they hear her mention… them.

They’re not sure what the full context is. It’s obvious that they’ve connected to Carly’s Pokégear partway through a conversation with Arclight, the biggest radio host in the region. But she’s assuring him that she’s quite serious about a “hacker magician.”

And… she says that she likes them.

That probably shouldn’t come as such a shock, after the talk in Obsidia Park. After all, they had concluded that she was being genuine. People don’t make genuine offers of companionship, especially long term ones, to those that they dislike. And by now, it’s completely undeniable that being part of the family is not enough to make her dislike someone.

But hearing her say it is still a surprise. Not an unwelcome one, but a surprise nonetheless.

They keep listening in on her for a while. Listen to her run around a city that she loves and that loves her back, helping to make it as beautiful as it once was. As beautiful as she’s always believed it could be.

Eventually, though, Ace’s ability to spy on Carly is cut off, at least for a time. The last they hear of her is also the last they hear of Taka, in Tourmaline Desert.

He doesn’t want to battle Carly, but he feels like he has to. He mentions Ace’s disappearance, and they really shouldn’t feel any joy over something he says so fearfully, but it’s something they grasp onto nonetheless.

Taka and Carly battle. She wins, as everyone expected her to, and he knows that this means that Lin will dispose of him. Ace fears that she will do worse to him than just stuffing him into a digital box.

And then he does something that they never thought he would: he asks Carly if her offer is still open.

Ace may have only heard a short snippet of the two’s conversation at the Water Treatment Center, but they don’t need to be told what that offer was.

It’s decided that Taka will lay low, and once he’s no longer in immediate danger, he and Carly will work to fight against the family together.

He drops his phone in the sand, and the two of them leave in search of somewhere for him to hide.

This is undeniably a good thing. It’s the safest course of action for Taka, and taking down the family is the right thing to do now more than ever before. Even Solaris will likely be better off for it, with the way that Lin has sunk her hooks into every part of the family. Maybe he would’ve been better off for it even before she showed up.

And perhaps Taka and Carly will also find something else in the desert, Ace muses. Something not so one-sided.

They dismiss the connection. Then, they simply… sit still, for a while.

Alone.

— — —

Ace sometimes connects to the Pokégears of various people that they at least know of, and so ends up learning about more people than just Carly.

In Calcenon City, there’s a resistance that’s formed against the family. Everyone in it has been hurt by them somehow.

There’s Cain, of course. He’s somebody that Ace themself has kidnapped twice, not to mention the other times he’s clashed with the family. More recently, his sister, Aya, was kidnapped by Sirius, and is being held hostage in Labradorra.

There’s also Hardy. He’s close to Aya as well— a crush, it sounds like— and so is also negatively affected by her kidnapping. He’s clearly anxious over his inability to do anything about it, and talks as if he might storm Labradorra immediately if the barrier went down.

Then there’s the Belrose sisters… or two of them, at least. The middle sister, Laura, was kidnapped on Elias’ order as part of a scheme to get his assistant, Bennett, into the Elite Four. But Saphira and Charlotte don’t know that. They only know that their sister is gone, and that it’s probably the family’s fault.

Saphira is furious. She spends a lot of her time glaring at the barrier, and often has to be forced to rest. She’s constantly worrying about Laura. About Anna and Noel, the children who switched places with Eve and Lumi. About the possibility that Charlotte will disappear, too.

Charlotte isn’t happy, either, but takes everything more in stride than her elder sister. She’s a lot like Ace remembers from their brief interaction in the Yureyu building, with dry sarcasm and a willingness to break the rules if it suits her.

They wonder if she remembers them at all. Maybe not— after all, their interaction wasn’t much more than a brief conversation and letting her steal a key from them.

Aster, a former member of the family, has defected to the resistance. It happened after Sirius killed his partner, Eclipse, who he cared very deeply about. He struggles to figure out who he is without the family, but he finds comfort in staying alongside the others and visiting Eclipse’s father.

Finally, there’s Florinia. She’s in Calcenon because Fern has joined the family, and despite the emotionless way that she acts, it’s clear that she cares about him. She wants to correct— and this is the specific word that she uses— her brother, not necessarily punish him.

It’s a bit of a ragtag group, but they fit together well. Charlotte makes sure that Saphira doesn’t collapse from exhaustion, and drags her back to the building they’re all staying in when needed. Cain and Hardy talk about the things they’ll do with Aya once she’s rescued. Florinia helps teach Aster to do things that he apparently couldn’t before.

They stay strong, leaning on each other whether or not they realize it, and Ace finds themself longing for the days when the family was more like that.

— — —

In Ametrine City, there’s another resistance. Or maybe it’s more of a guard— a trio of people who stay there in case the family comes back again after the failure of an operation to starve out the city.

The oldest of them is Cal. He’s a former member of the family, though he wasn’t in it for nearly as long as Blake, his brother. He left after the PULSE Camerupt operation resulted in the death of his sensei, Kiki. He’s a lot less angry than Ace remembers him being, working for atonement instead of lashing out.

Also in Ametrine is Shelly, one of the children that was taken to the Yureyu building. Ace remembers her as being the most timid of the bunch, but she seems a lot braver now. More confident. From what they hear, it seems like this is a result of all that she’s gone through. Not just the bad things, but also the good ones.

Finishing off the trio is Heather. When they saw her at the Yureyu building, she was completely silent, and seemed to stare right through them. She was clearly reeling from the death of Borealis— her father, as it turns out— and, according to the rumors, some sort of torture that she was put through. Specifically something that Sigmund, the doctor she was kidnapped for, did to her.

Ace has an idea of what that may have been. The family spent a long time surveilling Reborn City from the shadows, after all, and they were one of the people in charge of that.

Whatever was done to Heather, though, she’s completely different than how she was back then… but also not quite the same as she was when Ace first saw her in Rhodochrine. The two of them may not have directly interacted, and they were both more focused on their respective opponents for most of that time, but Ace is sure that she’s different somehow.

The trio gets along famously, as if they’ve known each other for years. Maybe they have— Ace did hear something about Cal and Shelly being friends, once. The three train and laugh together, and it’s clear that Cal enjoys the company of the other two much more than he ever enjoyed the company of anyone in the family.

— — —

In a mansion on Route 2, Amaria lives. She’s forgotten Ace entirely, but this is because she has amnesia, and so can’t remember anything that happened within a certain period of time.

Staying with her is Julia. It’s not a permanent arrangement, but a temporary one born from concern for a friend.

The two of them aren’t up to as much as the other people that Ace spies on. Julia is certainly hyperactive, but she and Amaria mostly just live day by day… although it’s not always easy.

Amaria struggles with both her amnesia and the absence of her girlfriend, Titania. Julia struggles to support her friend, not always sure what to do. But it’s clear that the two of them care about each other quite a bit, and are happy for each other’s company.

Ace never interacted with either of them much. They only ran from and battled Julia at Mosswater, then researched her briefly before their demotion. Their encounters with Amaria were all either taking her somewhere for the family, or warding her off until there were more people to trap. Nothing happened between them and either of the two that could be called friendly.

Yet they find themself wondering if Julia and Amaria would sound as happy to talk to them as the two do each other, had their firing and side switching been genuine.

— — —

In Reborn City, there’s another trio, this one dedicated to the improvement of the city.

Victoria has a lot that she’s dealing with. She was another of Kiki’s students— the one to become the new sensei of Apophyll Academy, in fact. She grapples with grief, anger at the family, and her responsibilities to both the city and the academy.

Adrienn also mourns Kiki, although xe was her friend, not her student. But xe still spends xyr days, and often xyr nights, doing work for the city. Xe’s the one who started the movement to rebuild what the family spent so long tearing down, after all.

Arclight isn’t heavily involved on the bureaucratic side, but he’s still just as much a part of everything as the other two are. He both rallies volunteers for projects through his radio show and leads said projects himself, brushing off any questions about his recently missing eye all the while.

Ace knows what actually happened to it, though.

As it turns out, the reason that Carly was in the secret parts of the Devon building is because she, the other three, and Ame were brought there as part of an operation that Lin both masterminded and led. Ame was killed, like the train bombing that started so much tried and failed to.

But unlike most operations thus far, the others who got pulled in didn’t leave with their lives because they escaped. They lived because… that was the point. To torture them, then release them, so as to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who might oppose the family.

Because that’s just the kind of thing that they do these days.

Yet, in spite of that— or perhaps even because of it— the group keeps going. Instead of keeping their heads down to avoid having such a thing happen to them again, they resolve to make sure that it will never happen to anyone else.

And it’s not just them, is it? It’s everyone. All of the people that the family has taken something from— whether that’s their safety, their peace of mind, or their loved ones— keep going. They rebuild, or they fight, or they simply live with freedom and in places that the family would crush under their heels without a second thought should it suit them.

The people. The region. The world. Everyone and everything keeps going.

Without Ace.

— — —

Ace feels… out of it.

To be honest, they’ve felt that way from the start. Ever since they awoke here, they’ve felt a strange sense of disconnect from both their invisible body and the world that they can only spy on. But it’s increased over time, becoming harder to ignore.

They’ve started to space out, too. They’re never sure for how long— they’ve been trying to avoid looking at clocks, when they can— but it’s undeniable, with the way that conversations they listen in on occasionally skip, or have people added to or subtracted from them out of what seems like nowhere.

It’s troubling. They don’t have much else to do, and not for lack of trying. However painful the constant reminders that nobody is looking for them can be, eavesdropping is the one thing that makes them feel any sense of connection to the world that they’ve been barred from. The one thing that makes them feel as if they aren’t losing their mind. The idea that it might not be doing either of those things as well as they hoped is incredibly frightening.

And so they double down. They keep multiple connections open at all times, switching through them and focusing on anything that catches their attention in the slightest.

That’s why it’s so odd when they come out of yet another daze, and realize that there’s only a single screen floating in front of them.

It’s unsettling, even. Ace knows that they had multiple connections going when they spaced out, and also that this wasn’t one of them. They’ve never dismissed or created a connection during the times where they weren’t fully conscious. They aren’t sure whether to take this as a sign that they’re getting better, or worse.

Either way, they figure that this screen must be important, if they both summoned it and banished all of the others without even realizing. So they focus on it.

They’re not entirely sure where it is that they’ve connected to. The ground looks to be a path made of purplish stone, with a few rocks that are a similar color, a reddish one, or pitch black. There are a few Pokémon skulls that they hope are only realistic looking scattered about. Lava bubbles in pits to both sides. Blocking a golden ladder built into the black stone wall at the very end, a suit of armor stands.

Someone else walks into view. For a moment, Ace isn’t sure who it is they’re looking at— her hair is braided instead of loose, and she’s wearing different clothes than they’ve ever seen her in, these much more suited to desert travel. But then they get a glimpse of her face, and realize that this is Carly.

There’s also, incredibly noticeably, a familiar pair of Sapphire Bracelets gleaming on her wrists.

Lin’s voice comes from the suit of armor, asking for the Bracelets. Inquiring if Carly really believes that she can stand up to Lin, after what happened to Ame.

Carly responds in the affirmative, and then Titania jumps down from behind Lin, stabbing her straight through with an Aegislash.

As she falls to the ground with a crash of metal on stone, it actually takes Ace a few seconds to fully comprehend what they just saw.

Lin— terrifying, untouchable Lin, who had them trapped in this box and turned almost everyone in their family against them— is dead.

She’s… she’s dead. She’s really, actually dead. Struck down. Dealt with in the most permanent way possible. She can’t hurt anyone anymore.

This doesn’t just put things back to the way they were before she first came around, of course. There’s still so many people who have turned against Solaris, and many of them will probably attempt to continue enacting her plans. But without her at the helm, the efforts will be weaker. Easier to unravel.

And… without the fear she inspires in those who know her true colors, and her machinations to keep those who don’t oblivious, surely someone will begin to search for Ace.

They’re filled with a kind of hope that they haven’t felt in… years. A hope for their family, for the region, for themselves…

…only for that hope to instantly evaporate into cold terror as the armor’s helmet is kicked away, revealing someone other than Lin.

It’s nonsensical. Unfathomable. There are multiple reasons why what just happened— what’s currently happening— should be completely and utterly impossible.

But it’s undeniably Taka who lays on the ground. It keeps being him even when Ace blinks, rubs their eyes, slaps themself.

Lin, very much alive, approaches from behind Carly, and Titania attacks her. But Ace barely notices the ensuing confrontation, stare fixed on Taka as he lay dying.

Dying.

It’s painful to even think that, but it’s true. He was stabbed through the torso with an Aegislash; such a thing is not known for being survivable. That he didn’t die on the spot is a miracle of its own.

There’s nothing that can change Taka’s fate, now. Lin has gotten exactly what she wanted, and she even tricked someone else into doing it for her.

Or maybe that was always part of what she wanted.

She’s struck down without any serious physical harm against Carly or Titania, but the victory feels hollow. If it can even be called a victory, at this point.

Titania leaves for whatever’s at the top of the ladder, and Carly stays with Taka, holding him in her arms.

The two lovers— it’s clear that that’s what they are, at this point— have one final conversation that Ace doesn’t hear most of, due to both the roar of their thoughts and the low volume of Taka’s voice.

All too soon, he closes his eyes for the final time.

Carly says his name.

She says it again.

And then she screams it at the top of her lungs, voice wracked with despair.

As she sobs and screams over the corpse of one of the people Ace loves most, all that they can do is watch from their prison, their entire self feeling numb.

They think that they’re crying.