Chapter 115: Losing Control

Chapter 115: Losing Control

Everything happened at once, instantly filling me with dread. This was exactly the reason why I asked the women to become part of my system.

I knew that I was weak and that my Pokémon weren't that strong yet, but what did this all mean now?

[You don't have time to worry about any of that right now. Catch the girls and return to Prisma, now.]

Cryo's voice was different, and it gave me chills. This was not a request.

'What do you mean, return!?' I demanded, but Soliera spoke up.

"You and the women need to hide in that world of yours. They cannot find you," Soliera told me, snapping me out of my thoughts with Cryo.

"Wait! What are you three going to do?! We can't just leave something like that in this world!" I demanded, but Dulse walked in with Zossie, both with dark looks on their faces.

"That is why we are here. Our mission is to protect you, and make sure that you don't fall into the hands of the enemy," Dulse said, and Zossie nodded.

"I may not like you, but I am an Ultra Recon Squad Member, and this is part of our job!" She declared, but I could see she was shaking.

I wanted to say something, but my body suddenly froze up.

[I am sorry, Landon. This is for your own good.]

Almost instantly, my body started to move on its own, summoning a Paradise ball to my hand. Without a word, my body walked over and pressed it into a confused-looking Tallia. Instantly after her energy disappeared, the ball vanished, and another appeared, and my hand pressed it into Jolene.

'Cryo... What are you doing? Why can't I control my body?!' I demanded, but there was no response as the Paradise ball vanished, and my body turned to face the recon squad.

"There is no going back now, Landon. I brought you to this place for a reason," Cryo said, snapping out of my head.

I was getting too lost in my thoughts lately. No wonder he took control.

"What is this place? Is this not just another layer of Prisma?" I asked, looking around, momentarily pausing my internal castigation.

"This is inside of Prisma, but this is your training area. A place that you have had access to for a few days now. While inside of here, time in the rest of Prisma, and the outside world will move at 1/4 its normal speed, turning 1 second there four here. The dilation can be adjusted at a later point, but you currently don't have enough points to do that," Cryo explained, but as he did, I started to feel angry.

While I was clearly to blame for this, why didn't he help me more?!

"Why? Why didn't you tell me to put points into it? Why didn't you force me to train more?! You clearly have the power to do that!" I yelled, but Cryo only sighed.

"Unlike you, I have specific instructions on how to assist and take care of you. You are the one who chooses your path. You are the one who makes the choices unless they would put you on the path of certain death. When that happens, only then can I intervene," Cryo explained, and I clenched my fist but kept silent as he continued.

"I answer any questions that you have. I teach you the things I am allowed to do without prompt. The rest is up to you. If your actions put you at risk of death, I will always force you back to Prisma, along with everyone you have caught. Nothing is more important than your life. I shouldn't have to explain why."

The weight of Cryo's words sank in, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and gratitude. It was true that I held responsibility for my choices, but the realization of the missed opportunities left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I understand. I'll make better choices from now on," I replied, my voice determined.

Cryo nodded, the glow of his form pulsating gently. "Good. Use this training area wisely. You have potential, Landon, but you need to unlock it yourself. Train, learn, and become stronger. The challenges ahead will not wait for you."

With those words, Cryo disappeared, leaving me alone in the training area. The surroundings were vast and filled with a serene energy. I took a deep breath, pushing aside the frustration and focusing on the task at hand.

Soliera, Dulse, and Zossie were all going to fight my battle right now because I was too weak. I needed to train, to grow stronger. The Endbringers were a threat, and I couldn't afford to remain weak. With determination in my heart, I stepped forward into the training area, ready to use every second I had.