Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Broken Ideals

Chapter 78: Stop Running

Chapter 78

Stop Running

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This isn't happening.

Zekra was sure that the Sableye standing before her and the Eon family was nothing but a delusion she was suffering from. She was undoubtedly exhausted from running so much, or perhaps the Greninja's sleeping toxin had tampered with her mind enough for her to start hallucinating.

This isn't real. That Umbreon I was hanging out with didn't just pop up into this house out of nowhere.

It didn't just turn into a Sableye just now.

It isn't Venri.

Zekra touched the pin attached to the inside of her cloak with a shuddering paw and felt its cold surface push against her fur. The Sableye remained where she was, staring at Zekra with a blank expression.

Venri's locked in my head thanks to this pin. She can't escape. She can't talk to me. She can't do anything as long as I'm wearing this thing.

This isn't real. That's not Venri. It's... it's something else. It's a Zoroark. It has to be. It's just pretending to be a Sableye so it can scare me. A Zoroark was the thing that was pretending to be Crystelle and leading me back here to Shiron.

"No Zekra, you know who I really am," the Sableye said, a tinge of venom in her voice. "You can try to deny it all you want just like with Zev's death, but it's me, the other you. Your inner monster as you like to call me sometimes. I'm Venri."

The Zorua cringed back as a deep, primal fear overwhelmed her and made her entire body shake. She could no longer lie to herself; there was no other reason why this Sableye was able to respond directly to her thoughts. This Sableye truly was Venri and though she didn't know how she was projecting herself into reality, it didn't matter at the moment. Venri was speaking to Zekra once more for reasons that Zekra knew couldn't possibly be benevolent.

"Oh great, there you go again!" Venri cried in exasperation, marching toward Zekra. "Always thinking that I'm going to hurt you! Even after everything I do for you, you still HATE ME! For Arceus's sake, would you just stop thinking I'm out to get you and actually believe me?! I am so SICK of you constantly pushing me away and telling me how much of a monster I am! I'm NOT A MONSTER!"

Zekra found she couldn't do anything as the Sableye closed in on her, her gemstone eyes flickering with spite. The Zorua could only stand there in petrified horror as the living embodiment of her worst fears approached her to do who knew what. She tried pushing the pin more into her chest, trying to smother out Venri, but the Sableye didn't disappear. Her form didn't even fizzle out for a brief second as she neared the Zorua.

Just as Venri was to close the gap between her and Zekra, a blast of fairy energy struck the Sableye, knocking her over and sending her crashing into the dining room. She snarled as she clawed herself back to her feet, but a beam of ice was soon to follow, sealing her to the tile flooring. Not even a second later, another ball of magical energy and dark power impacted the Sableye, sending up a cloud of smoke and debris. It didn't take Zekra long to turn her head to find Lyra, Frazil, and Crystelle all shooting her a tense, nervous glare.

"Hurry! Get out of here!" Crystelle urged. "We'll hold off this Sableye or whatever it is!"

"But she-"

"Go!" Lyra insisted, flinging the front door open with a ribbon-like appendage. "Please, flee from here and find somewhere safe! We'll be fine! Just save yourself from this awful creature!"