• Welcome to Thousand Roads! You're welcome to view discussions or read our stories without registering, but you'll need an account to join in our events, interact with other members, or post one of your own fics. Why not become a member of our community? We'd love to have you!

    Join now!

Episode 18: Vestiges of war

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 18: Vestiges of war



I had chosen to depend on Ptero to rescue Diantha. Despite the circumstances, I knew her character too well to risk going myself. I was afraid of screwing up, making a mistake during the battle, and having Mirror defeat me. But above that, I absolutely had to ensure that Ariala did not come to harm.

Something Shota had told me had given me a lot of questions. Under the pressure of being completely surrounded by four formidable armies, Ptero still agreed to my ludicrous plan of attempting to rescue Diantha, to the point that he even died for it. That Emolga was definitely smart enough to cut his losses and say no to me, yet still he went, perishing at my flawed orders.

I did not see it, but something that presumably Mirror did caused Diantha to unleash her forbidden powers, provoking Tapu Koko to descend on the battle and take her life. Poor Galen was caught in the strike and perished as well. But this god only functions as coldly as a machine; it was his duty to protect Faernians and dispose of the forbidden powers that Diantha had within her, even if it meant taking her life. He did what only a god would do, so I hold myself accountable for the death of this poor trio.

But at the same time, as crown prince, I held the hopes, dreams, and wishes of every Erinian Pokémon that supports me. I could not hope to reason with them besides treating the situation as an act of war. And in a fit of rage that drowned my whole being, I retaliated in kind, declaring that I would kill Tapu Koko at all costs.

I sent word of what had happened back to my father and embarked on my own trek to the Tower of the Tapu. It was there that the Queen’s attendant and other figures of their royalty came and took Ariala’s army. They promised we would be reunited soon, yet hours passed with no sign of me even being allowed to speak to her again. Their actions fed into my rage and told me all I needed to know about their thoughts on the matter.

And then I learnt the truth of what had happened ten years ago. I never would have imagined that words I mindlessly said to Ariala would change her way of acting and thinking, but she told me everything, and all under her own personal act of rebellion.

She broke out of her own castle with powers that matched those of my Diantha’s. She longed to flee with me to the Stardust Treasury, escaping from the wrath of Faernia’s gods. They did not give chase, confused as to what they could do. They were placed in the same situation I was, unable to put their all into their personal wishes of simply eliminating the darkness entirely. Killing Faernia’s princess would turn their believers against them, especially in such rough times as these.

Ten years ago, Father had sealed the dark powers of a powerful god within Ariala. Me and Diantha’s intervention caused Diantha to have those powers sealed within her as well.

He knew everything. He knew of my devotion to protect her, that was why he had us marry. That was why he trained me to become a knight, why he gifted me with a powerful weapon of legend. And yet, why didn’t he just tell me that this was his aim from the start? What reason did he have to withhold such crucial information? Especially until the very last minute, when everything was said and done?

This changed what I had to do. What we had to do. It changed how I felt about this world, both Eris and Faernia. It changed how I felt about Father, the gods of our world…

It changed everything.






banner_leos_aska_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagtwg-fullview.jpg


“And that’s it. That’s the last entry. That was a bit over sixteen years ago,” An Oshawott said, having just finished reading aloud from an old book. He used a hand to swipe fur out of his left eye, re-reading the start of the diary passage again. “Thracia seven-sixty. We’re now Thracia seven seventy-six. Mother and Father have been missing from the world for sixteen years.”

“Oh, now I get it!” A Pikachu responded to him. He was short and his voice sounded very high pitched, smooth, and young. The Pikachu wore a poncho themed after Charizard in its mega evolved form, complete with a hood that resembled Charizard’s head. The poncho even had eyes, teeth, and a tail with a real flame on the end of it. It was almost like the Pikachu was wearing live Charizard skin, but his naturally cute appearance prevented that from being intimidating in thought.

“You see now why this is so concerning, Prem? And the worst part is, Mother won’t even tell me exactly what’s wrong,” Oshawott said. He sighed as he closed the book and stood up. This Oshawott was as studious as a professor, but a lack of glasses and his unusually short height kept him apart from that trope. His head fur was a wild mess he didn’t care about, a cheap backpack held several books for him, and his voice secreted pompousness with every word.

“So like, the whole world’s at a standstill,” Prem said. “But because the prince and princess ran away with their legendary weapons, the war didn’t start. Those two are geniuses!”

Oshawott paused. “I wouldn’t quite call Mother a ‘genius’. She’s doing exactly as Rune lamented his father for: keeping information from me,” he said as he put the book into his backpack. He hung it on his back, but stumbled a bit because of the weight of all the other books in there. There were so many that the corner of two poked out of the bag and stopped it from closing. “It’s time to study. We’re going to find out exactly why Mother and Father live in hiding.”

“Okay. If anyone can figure it out, it’s you, Leos!” Prem said goofily. There was another pause from the Oshawott.

Why did Father’s diary even stop there? Did he not have time to keep writing?” Leos thought to himself. “I can’t confirm that the Constellars have a large part in this, but their powers resemble those of Diantha’s too much. I’m yet to find concrete proof of any connection.

“Er, Leos?” Prem was shy all of a sudden. “I’m hungry.”

Leos barely heard him, muttering to himself as he began to pace. “What you said just now about Mother and Father preventing war – that hasn’t happened. There are still battles of war going on, and far greater than what is written in Father’s diary. Them living in hiding hasn’t prevented the war between Eris and Faernia at all.”

“It was supposed to though, right? The fighting would be terrible if Rune decided to actually fight Tapu Koko,” Prem replied.

“You have faith in them, don’t you? Sounds like you like them more than I do.” Leos shook his head and walked off.

“I just don’t like fighting,” Prem said. He had to jog to catch up.

The duo barely managed to go a few steps before they encountered a large group of ruffians, Zangoose and Mawile. Both parties stopped and stared the moment they caught sight of each other.

While these dirt marked Pokémon gave Leos and Prem a snarl and a spit, Leos was already ten steps ahead of the encounter he had walked into. He was silent, but his eyes made sharp notes of everything around him. Seven enemy Pokémon, three Zangoose and four Mawile. The ground was sloped and slippery with wet soil, and a single tall tree kept Leos in the shade. If they did end up fighting this group, he would have the advantage.

“I spy with my cranky lil’ eye, a rich kid! Hey sod, yer mam give yer dat fancy do?” one of the Zangoose laughed. “Think yer can spare us a pretty penny or two? Lend a fella a hand.”

Erinians. Only tramps from Eris would open that way. But what are they doing on Faernia, and with fairies, no less?” Leos asked himself. He didn’t answer them, remaining in the same smart pose.

“Hey, I’m talkin’ to ya!” Zangoose raised his voice. His comrades stood beside him and prepped their claws.

Those Mawile have weapons. Not royal weapons, but there are staves on their backs.” Leos realised. “The only fairies smart enough to use staves are those that have once fought a dragon. Could those Mawile be ex-knights?

“Oh I see how it is. Yer think yer too smart ta talk to the likes of us, don’tcha?” Zangoose shouted, gritting his rotting teeth. “We’ll show ya! Let’s get ‘em, boys!”

“U-um, Leos?” Prem said.

“Are you serious? You’re really going to fight me just because I wouldn’t respond?” Leos finally answered. The group hesitated. “Or was this really just an inevitable encounter, where you feel good about yourselves for dressing it up to look like a civil conversation that gives you an excuse to fight?”

The Zangoose let out a confused grunt. “You know, make it sound like you’re being all friendly to me, but try and cheat me out of my obvious money. Either way, I end up fighting or giving you all of my money. I said it resembled a civil conversation, but really it was less social than a toddler talking to another toddler. Why bother with the pantomime if you just want to steal my money?”

“Why you smartass!” Zangoose growled and bared his claws. He shouted as he rushed forward with his pack, but the group of them ended up stumbling on the hill and slipped on the wet soil. Leos took their tripping up as a sign to act, and spun his scalchop in his hands. A Razor Shell erected from it, but not like any Razor Shell they had ever seen before. Leos’s attack jutted out from both ends of the scalchop to resemble a double-sided lance.

“Don’t worry, Prem. I’m only going to scare them off.” Leos relieved the Pikachu behind him. “That said, I wonder if my recent studies can let me do something fancy?”

“After telling them off for trying to be fancy,” Prem sighed.

“Hey, the difference is that this move actually is fancy,” he said. He held his Razor Shell to his side. “I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing. Provide me an attack to make ease of this conflict! Star Metronome!”

The words Leos had just said did in fact grant him a mysterious power. His whole body flashed with white light before letting out a thin stream of dark energy above him, which formed into a rotating black star. The Star quickly grew and burst into a blurry light, showering the floor around Leos with streams of energy just like the one he was feeding into the star. Once it all stopped, those streams turned into clones of Leos, all shaped just like the Oshawott with his double-sided Razor Shell.

“Metronome came out as Double Team! And with spectres, too!” Prem said.

Still smiling and boastful, especially now that the ruffians were clearly regretted this confrontation, Leos gestured a dash forward. His clones dashed without him, and each of them targeted one of the Zangoose or Mawile at random. They copied his exact movements even though he hadn’t moved from the spot, smacking them around relentlessly with their weapons. In just a few moments, the quiet scene had been drowned out by cries and groans of Pokémon in pain.

Leos’ triumph was short lived, however. Soon after he had ordered his spectres to attack, he found himself short of breath and drained of strength. It didn’t take long for his heavy breaths to get Prem’s attention, and soon he was leaned forward gasping for relief. His spectres vanished with that, which left the ruffians at their angriest.

“L-Leos? Are you okay?” Prem said.

He couldn’t respond, anxiously grasping for breath. His energy sapped at an alarming rate, to a point that he could barely keep himself upright. Suddenly it felt like the books on his back could crush him into the ground from their weight, and he fell onto one hand.

“Now you’re definitely gon’ get it!” Zangoose growled. He roared out loud as he charged up the hill, bringing Leos into a real panic. He had to move and now, but his body couldn’t manage better than a tremble.

“Leos! O-oh no, Leos!” Prem cried and cowered over him. The Pikachu stood over the weakened Leos just as the ruffians arrived, but all he did was guard his face. “St-stay away! Please!”

“Keh, after your little friend’s fiasco? If you don’t wanna get hurt, stand aside, pipsqueak.” A Mawile spat and swiped his hand aside.

He hesitated to attack Prem however, as if something had distracted him. Nothing out of the ordinary besides the slight ruffles of the tree behind the children. Mawile still held still for a moment to ensure nothing was really there, and then roared as his head glowed for an Iron Head attack.

“Leos!” Prem turned his back and hugged Leos. It felt like minutes before he realised that he was unharmed. He dared to look behind him, shocked to find the Mawile under the control of someone’s Psychic attack. The other ruffians were too surprised to make a move, even though they weren’t targeted.

“What?” Prem whispered. Ariala stepped beside him and stopped there, her arms casually at her sides. “M-Mummy?”

“Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?” Ariala said, half lidded at the ruffians. “You would truly target young Pokémon, even after seeing them so helpless on the floor? Surely ruffians of your kind know not to stoop so low.”

“Y-you- shut up! Why should I listen to what a cranky ol’ Clefable’s gotta say?” Zangoose snarled and snapped his claws together.

“Wa-wait, you dolt! Mawile growled. His voice was strained due to the Psychic hold on him.

“Na-uh, not after that embarrassment! Y’all kid’s definitely getting’ what’s comin’ to ya now!” Zangoose shouted. He charged toward Ariala with both claws hung loosely behind him, a crazed smile on his face. Ariala sighed and swiped her right arm across her front, effortlessly creating a Reflect barrier in front of her. He bumped against the barrier so hard that he bounced back straight to the floor from it.

Knowing he wouldn’t give up there, Ariala revealed her fan and spun it around in front of her to fill it with energy. The energy burst out from within as a charged Moonblast, which she fired with a flick of that same hand. The Zangoose could only look up comically as the attack took him and his comrades off their feet, sending them tumbling back down the hill. Mawile had been freed from the Psychic due to the hit as well, and landed face flat in the dirt below.

“Leos, Prem, are you two okay?” Ariala asked as she turned around. Prem gave a hearty nod whilst Leos forced himself to his feet, but quickly stumbled to the side.

“I didn’t need you to rescue me!” he growled.

“Then don’t treat it as a rescue. Treat it as me taking you home where you’re supposed to be, young man,” Ariala replied. She wasn’t wearing anything right now, so she had to tuck her fan neatly into her tail. “Come on now, you two. I have something important waiting for you back at the hut.”

“Ooh ooh ooh, a surprise? What kind of surprise is it?” Prem bounced up and down. Leos gave up and looked away.

“Wait. Stop right there!” Mawile shouted desperately. The one that had been hit by Psychic had clawed his way back to his feet to trip after the trio. But Ariala tried ignore him, but he picked up the pace. “Damn you, are you really going to run away again, Princess Ariala?”

That got Ariala to stop. She silently sighed, but still refused to turn around. The other ruffians were surprised at Mawile’s statement, but even more surprised that they got a reaction of sorts.

“You’re seriously thinking of running away and hiding again, huh. Do you even know what’s happening to Faernia, now?” Mawile raised his voice. Ariala still didn’t respond. “It would be remiss of me not to recognise you. I used to work in the Faernian Royal Army, after all.”

So it’s true. The Mawile were ex-knights, but they’re paired up with Erinian ruffians,” Leos confirmed in his head. Ariala started walking again, and held Leos and Prem’s hands to ensure they went with her. Mawile growled and leapt forward.

“Tapu Fini is dead!” Mawile shouted. Ariala froze with a sharp breath that could be heard. “Maybe if you didn’t just run away from the world, you’d know what the heck’s going on. Tapu Fini is dead! The other Tapu are heck knows where, they don’t answer anyone’s prayers anymore. And why do you think I’m here, taking money from a child? I got nowhere else to go anymore!”

Ariala turned around at last. She looked like she wanted to give him a response, but no words came. Mawile was stood firm with both hands at his sides clenched tightly into fists.

“What the hell else am I supposed to turn to? Erinians and Faernians are ransacking each other’s homes, beating each other up for gold and shit. Our fields and rivers are startin’ to look like Eris’, dying and dried up. We’re starving and killing each other out here, and what are you doing about it?” Mawile shouted.

Ariala hesitated yet again, her eyes locked onto Mawile’s the whole time. Even then, she ever slightly showed a hint of tears, but hid them behind a few blinks. “What are Queen Magearna and King Jyararanga doing?” she asked.

“Wasting all our resources looking for you and their precious legendary swords, no doubt,” Mawile spat. Ariala didn’t respond, and turned to walk off for good. “You bastard.”







It didn’t take long for the trio to get back to their residence, which was actually just a gazebo hut hidden within the quiet clearing of a deep woodland. The central hut was where Ariala slept, worked, and where she had full view – and clarity of hearing – of everything for countless miles around. Several soil paths marked into the ground split from the central gazebo, which led towards different areas that Ariala and her small family had claimed as their own. They had their own field for growing crops, a makeshift temple with a Tapu statue in it, and their own campsite to sleep in.

“I’m off,” Leos said the moment they got back.

“To where, mister?” Ariala asked.

“There’s much I need to plan. It would be best if you weren’t to bother me,” he said.

“Well that’s just too bad. I’m your mother, Leos, and I won’t have you talking to me that way,” she replied. “There is someone waiting for you in your room, anyway. Remember when I said I had something special waiting for you? Your new personal retainer passed her recruitment test today.”

“Her?” Prem said with a hint of disappointment.

“Why did you bother getting me a retainer? I don’t need any assistants, and I might as well not be royalty.” Leos shrugged.

“Will you at least meet them? I’m sure you will like her. She’s been trying very hard to get this position.” Ariala smiled.

Leos sighed and dismissed that, making his way to his room as intended. It was a short walk through a few trees and bushes whose branches he had to push aside to get through. He always emerged from them with sharp leaves and things stuck in his head fur, but he ignored them until they would start to itch. Prem voluntarily plucked them out for him this time, which earnt a gleeful smile.

Leos’ room was exactly as he liked it, despite a new retainer supposedly waiting there for him. A huge board stretched across one wall above a desk, both plastered with dusty notes all over them. A tall pile of worn out books towered to almost window height along another wall, each one in a messily organized order. The bin stunk of a need of emptying, filled with messes of food like banana skins or inedible nut shells. Even a cupboard of sorts had materials and papers overflowing out of it, with the actual clothes slapped on top of the pile rather than hung neatly. Ariala insisted that the clothes were sophisticated and needed to be looked after, but each item had never been used.

“Good. She’s not here yet,” Leos said as he kicked a few papers aside, dust puffing into the air in large clouds with each kick. He dropped his backpack sort through a few notes, and practically tore them off the board and desk as he searched them all. Prem caught his backpack and happily got to work putting the books inside with the others, but made sure that Rune’s diary was set aside.

“What’re we doing?” Prem asked, wiping his eyes.

“I want to make sure I carry the right evidence. We’re getting out of here, and we’re going to check out Castle Faernia. If I can prove who I am, I should be able to get access to everywhere in the castle,” Leos said. “There’s got to be something in there that’ll help me out with all this.”

“If you just tell them who you are, they should let you in, won’t they?” Prem tilted his head.

“No. Oshawott are Erinian species. I’ll have to prove my identity in more ways than one to get through,” Leos replied. He started to breathe heavily again, where his movements slowed.

“Leos? Le-Leos, take it easy!” Prem came to his aid. Leos stopped him with a hand and took the time to stop what he was doing and catch his breath. He couldn’t help himself however, and twisted around to lean against his desk so that he could stay upright.

“Curse- this fatal- genetic- ack,” he struggled between words.

“Is he weakened?” a new voice asked. A Mime Jr. was stood in the doorway and came in before she got an answer. She took Leos and laid a hand on his chest. “Please, hold still.”

“What’re you going to do?” Prem asked in worry.

Mime Jr. ignored him for a few seconds, and then stood Leos up to guide him out of the room. There was clear incentive to disobey and stay in the room, but Leos was clearly too weak to resist at all. Once outside, she helped him stand for a bit more, where his breathing gradually began to settle and return to normal. Once his strength came back he broke away from her, shocked by her act of seemingly nothing helping him.

“Your room is incredibly dusty.” She answered his question. “And you’re a fragile young Oshawott, Leos. Breathing all that dust in will hurt, especially if you haven’t taken the time to recover from your earlier trip.”

“I am not a child. I—”

“But you are very frail, and you did just come back here with your strength barely recovered,” she said. “P-pardon me. My old master was fine with me interrupting them, but I have no idea if you are.”

“So you’re that new retainer Mum mentioned,” he said.

“Yes. I am Blossom, your new, personally appointed retainer. I was chosen for a very important reason,” Blossom said as she bowed gracefully. Her movements were constant but fluid, as if well-rehearsed and planned. She ended by pointing to the red bump on her stomach, which was shinier than that of a normal Mime Jr. It was as shiny as a marble, and had the Libra star sign marked within.

“You’re a Constellar!” Leos gasped.



 
Last edited:
Episode 19: The Tapu’s omen

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_leos_aska_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagtwg-fullview.jpg


Episode 19: The Tapu’s omen



“It’s quite cunning of Mother to make my personal retainer a Constellar,” Leos said, back to rummaging through his notes. Prem and Blossom watched him with paws on their lips. “Don’t beat around the bush. What are you truly here for?”

“Exactly what you wish for, Master Leos. Ariala told just how much you want to study the Constellars and their powers, so I guess she opted for one when it came to finding a retainer for you,” Blossom said, using Psychic to help the Oshawott out. She lifted a few books that he seemed to be tossing aside. He paused until he realised it was her.

“Constellars are always in groups, and you have your sermons to attend. You can’t be a Constellar and serve me that obediently,” Leos said. There was a pause.

“You’re good. That’s right, I’m not a Constellar right now; I left the religion a while ago. But as you can see, I’m branded, so I have a good amount of experience that I can help you on.” She posed proudly. “I can also still perform some artes, as well as maintaining the right to enter and leave their churches as I please.”

Leos stopped what he was doing to twist around and face her, his face one of interest. Finally having his full attention, Blossom giggled and posed. “Do you get what I’m saying, Master Leos? I’m here to help you do what I know you want to do right now.”

“Which is to go to the capital to find out what is really happening to our world.” He put his hands on his hips. She copied him right down to his facial expression.

“Yet still, in the back of your mind, you’re quite excited, aren’t you? A living Constellar, free of will, is standing right before your eyes. You don’t want to pass this opportunity up, that’s why you’re not directly objecting to me being your retainer anymore,” she giggled.

“I’m not objecting to that because I likely don’t have a choice in the matter,” he replied, straightening up. She copied in perfect sync, her perfect mimicry getting Prem’s attention.

“Mother won’t let it go easily, so there’s no point right now,” Blossom said at the same time as Leos. The Oshawott gasped and edged back a bit, antagonized by how perfectly she had copied him. “This is also why I was chosen. I’m a very special Mime Jr., Master Leos. When I mimic, I can get the exact thoughts and feelings of my target. That will let me pinpoint your true feelings and needs. With the exception of the discomfort mimicking can cause, you couldn’t have a better retainer.”

“That’s so cool! Can you do it to me, too?” Prem said.

“I could, but I have sworn to only do it when necessary. Mind reading can be a crime, you know,” she said, and returned to her own pose. “Back on point, you could say that I’m basically here to fulfil your wishes to study the Constellar religion. I’ll do my best to aid you.”

Leos didn’t reply, and stared directly into her blank eyes.

“Didn’t you tell me not to beat around the bush? You’re the captain, Master. You decide when we set off,” she said.

“Even if it’s right now?” He cocked a smile.

“I’m impressed that you’re this excited to let me help you. Normally Pokémon don’t have that friendly an impression of me, especially when they learn that I can read their thoughts,” she replied. “I believe you were searching for proof of your royalty, though. Ariala has that, doesn’t she?”

“That would make sense,” Leos muttered as Ariala made herself present. He didn’t know what to say as she arrived in unfamiliar clothes that he knew the function of, but unfamiliar because the Clefable was rarely in it. She was wearing a dress of sorts, decorated with the iconic patterns and colours of the Tapu. Thick white fluff covered the top and bottom edges of the dress like that of a royal robe.

“You want to leave that soon? For some reason, I did not think you would be that excited about getting your retainer,” she said with a giggle, stood in the doorway. Leos was quiet as he stared back with half-lidded fatigue. “We’re not leaving today. You haven’t even eaten, young man. But either way, a chaperone will be here tomorrow morning to pick us up. So make sure you pack your bags since we will not be returning here for a long time.”

“Wait, you said ‘we’,” Leos replied.

“Yes. You should know how this is. If the public get anywhere close to where we currently live, we will have to relocate. You getting caught earlier puts us in that situation,” she said. His face tensed up. “That said, I’ll admit that I have concerns about the capital.”

“About time you got shaken up. Former Faernian knights teaming up with Erinian rogues is quite an extreme, if I’m understanding our world’s history correctly,” Leos said. Ariala went quiet and shut her eyes.

“We will be departing before sunrise, so ensure you are ready or I will leave without you,” she said. Leos frowned as she left.







Ariala’s idea of a ‘chaperone’ just so happened to be Naomi and a few soldiers in a very basic, cheap wagon. The group couldn’t have looked more casual, their royal status hidden only by a white sheet that covered their cart’s interior. It was quite cold and noisy as a result, but Leos didn’t care. He always felt sick anyway, so some chilly conditions weren’t worth complaining about.

Ariala sat in front of Leos, but their seats weren’t facing each other so she had her back to him and the others. To his right, Blossom watched the silhouettes of the outside world through their sheet, lost in her thoughts. On the opposite side, Prem bounced eagerly and played with his hands and feet constantly.

“What’s got you in a buzz?” Leos almost complained.

“We’re going to the Tower of the Tapu and the castle, right? I’ve never been before. I’m so nervous I could burst!” he said.

“We’re not going for a field trip, you know,” Leos raised an eyebrow.

“Aw c’mon Leos, you know I know we’re going to study,” he said. His hoodie bobbed up and down with the cart’s unsteady movements. “But that’s what’s so exciting about it. Who knows what we’ll find! Plus, well…”

“Well?” Leos said slowly. Prem started giggling, and he started blushing a little.

“I might get to meet your family, too. That’s pretty exciting,” he said.

Leos sighed and looked down at his feet. “My family won’t be there. I don’t have grandparents. Well, direct grandparents. You live with my Mother, and gods knows what’s become of Father. It’ll just be a bunch of royal bigshots while Mother sorts out her business. No one else important to me will be there.”

“Right right. I got it,” he said.

Leos glanced at him, surprised to see a peppy smile on the Pikachu’s face. His own face flushed red a bit, yet he dared to face the Pikachu and scratched his messy head fur. “Then again, maybe you’re right. We’ve never been out this far, so it’d be wrong if we didn’t commemorate or something.”

“What do you fancy? Food? Shopping? Whatever Leos wants, I’m happy to do, too!” Prem said.

“I’m here to study. I ask about the side trip because that’s what you want to do, right?” Leos cocked his head.

“If you wanna focus on work, then let’s focus on work.” Prem leaned towards the Oshawott. Blossom had turned to watch them now, confused by the light-hearted topic.

“Prem, you’ve been helping me out with all sorts of stuff for like, the past two months now. I thought this was you implying you wanted to take a break for a bit. So come on, just choose something you want to do,” Leos said.

“Okay. And I choose to do what Leos wants to do!” Prem said.

“That’s not- is this going to be another one of those times where you just be difficult for the sake of it?” he frowned. “I’m letting you choose anything for once, Prem. Take it or leave it!”

“Wait, anything?” Prem slowed down and tilted his head. “Even, uh, the Luvdisc Lookout?”

Leos’ eyes widened and his heart picked up. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We probably won’t even have much time if we did go there.”

“So much for choosing anything.” Prem pouted.

“Please don’t be like that. I didn’t say no, just that we won’t have time.” Leos looked away. He noticed Blossom staring, and shut his eyes with a rough sigh. “Don’t get any ideas. Keep your mouth shut. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Leos, please! If the two of you are planning a date, just call it a dinner,” Ariala giggled as she glanced back at them.

“It’s not a date. It’s just a break from studying,” Leos replied. “Then again, no surprise you have no idea what an actual date is.”

Ariala’s face switched instantly, but she didn’t argue with him. “We’re here, anyway. We’re taking a secret entrance into the castle, so keep quiet now, please.”

Prem still laughed in excitement anyway, until everyone stared him into silence. Minutes later, they had to deal with heavy bumps that made the whole carriage jump, as well as an almost unnoticeable rise in temperature. Wherever they had gone, he still felt cold, yet his body felt some need to sweat as if he was boiling hot. The ending result was him breathing through his mouth rather heavily. Not enough to warrant a health concern, but it did keep him on edge.

“All of you please follow my lead. I dislike saying this, but refrain from making comments unless necessary,” Ariala said as she got up from her seat. Their ride came to a stop a moment later.

Leos made sure he was carrying his own backpack, which was filled with nothing but books. He ignored Blossom’s obvious concern to look around freely, impressed by the clean and smooth hallway they had stopped in. They weren’t inside a carriage depot or parking lot or anything, but a hallway within the castle itself. He took note of the electronic lights on the ceiling and the fact that they were off. Prem copied him, only with more excitable sounds and eagerness to look around.

“This way now. Stay close,” Ariala said. She had the guide of the soldiers and Naomi, but Leos could tell that she was walking her own way. He still played it safe and stayed within the boundaries of the soldiers, where he had to look between their rigid formation to admire all of the rooms and alternate paths they passed.

The lighting became more pleasant as they ascended the castle, the temperature levelled out, and the background noise became more of what was expected. Pokémon practicing chants and taking on orders, hurrying back and forth throughout the castle’s bustling halls, the smell of extravagant foods seeping out from rooms where they might have been prepared, and more.

He never grew up with it, but he knew enough about it all to feel stifled and bored by the predictable setting. The way the knights, butlers, and maids rushed back and forth, fretting about the orders of their superiors and whether they were doing them right or not. Even the soldiers that were escorting him felt like a bother, their stale formation and robotic movements dulling any excitement he hoped to have from this visit. They had barely been here for a few minutes, and yet he already wanted to leave.

After minutes of excessive stairs and winding hallways, they finally reached the throne room. A set of eight Granbull clothed in elite knight armour guarded the way, and two of them shoved their spears across the door the moment they saw Ariala’s group approaching.

“Queen Magearna is in an extremely important audience right now. None may see her, no objections!” one of the knights shouted. Ariala pushed her two protective knights aside to stand beside Naomi, and the elite knights to staggered back.

“Your highness! With the high priestess mark as well,” the same Granbull gasped. She exchanged a glance with her partner, who nodded. The duo knocked hard on the door before pushing it open.

“Your highness!” Granbull said, interrupting a conversation. Ariala and Naomi were the first to gasp, and froze in the middle of the doorway.

“Do my eyes deceive me? Did you receive the news and decide to return?” Azu asked first. Four Pokémon were present: Azu the Azumarill, a Purrloin wearing a feather hat, Queen Magearna, and an old face that Naomi and Ariala hoped that they would never see again, the blue faced monster of an unrecognisable species, Master Lin.

“Who or what?” Leos whispered. Ariala immediately reacted to his words with a frightened shift, and stuck her arm in front of him as if to protect him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in a low tone.

The humanesque monster didn’t answer, and instead remained formal as he turned to her. Both of his wrinkly hands clasped each other, barely poking out from his dark-brown robe. Leos was mostly drawn to the large sash around his neck, which was adorned with the twelve zodiac symbols. His dark eyeballs made Leos uncomfortable however, so dark that it was almost as if he didn’t have eyeballs at all. If it wasn’t for the light reflecting off of them, or the piercing gleam of his red pupils, they would surely be seen as empty sockets rather than eyes.

“Master Lin has proven to be an invaluable asset over the past week when this ordeal started. Aren’t you aware of what’s been happening?” Azu replied, a hint of bother in her voice.

“Only from what the public has hinted to me. Very little has been reported to me as of late!” Ariala cried.

“Your highness, if I may,” Master Lin said in his ragged, elderly voice. Despite saying so little, every word reeked of conniving intention, yet the Queen acknowledged him with a nod. “The princess has been absent for a long time. It would be best to catch her up to speed by letting her see the current situation for herself.”

“That would save us a lot of trouble, actually. Follow me,” Azu said. She walked off before they could respond, but stopped at Leos as if she only just realised that he was there. “This might be unsuitable for children.”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with me,” Leos replied, a little offended by the comment.

“My son will be fine,” Ariala said.

“Very well then. You’ve been warned.” Azu shook her head. Master Lin and the Purrloin followed, but Ariala made sure that there was distance between their group and hers before doing the same.

“Mother, what’s going on? Who is he?” Leos asked, taken by her weariness. She didn’t answer him however, urging Blossom to speak up.

“He is Master Lin, the high priest of the Constellars. Of all the Constellars, he is the direct link to the stars themselves, and the only one able to translate the will of the zodiac into modern language,” she said. “But this is news to me as well. I was sure that the Constellars were enemies of Faernia, since they followed the will of entirely different gods.”

“That’s what’s immediately got my concern. Why would the Queen ever request his help?” Leos rubbed his chin. “It’s time to study.”

The group were escorted right out of the castle, where a new group of knights took over. Leos’ thoughts raced on possibilities of everything he’d learnt so far, too much to care about the unnecessary protection. They quickly reached their destination, a large temple not far from the castle that was home to Tapu Fini, where Pokémon could consult the goddess to get their fortunes told. The temple was off limits and guarded by more knights, even though the city felt empty in this area.

“I’ll warn you again. This will be visually displeasing,” Azu said. She stepped aside to let Ariala’s group through first. The Clefable marched in without hesitation, so quickly that Leos and his friends had to jog after her. They all came to halt at the same time, jaws dropped and hearts heavy with disbelief.

The temple was damp and cold, just like Tapu Fini’s Misty Terrain. However, said terrain wasn’t up right now, revealing the temple’s decayed stone walls and dark, spacious, single room interior. Right in the middle of that was Tapu Fini with her arms hung lifelessly to her side, head hung forward, and eyes strained shut. An iconic sword was stabbed directly into the top of her head so deeply that the blade couldn’t be seen.

“I-it’s a dead body!” Prem turned away.

“No, no! How can this possibly be?” Ariala cried. She had to force herself not to dive forward. The Tapu’s body had taken on a stony appearance, and wrinkles could be seen across her arms and face. She looked like she’d had the life drained out of her in every way imaginable, and barely retained a recognisable body shape. “What is the meaning of this?”

“She’d locked herself in the temple about two weeks ago. Now we’re used to Tapu Fini doing that, but when she wasn’t even responding to our prayers, we had to investigate,” the Purrloin said. “Master Lin was the only one who could open the temple without collateral damage, since it had a magic seal that only priests could open. When we got in, this is exactly what we found. Faernia’s royal treasure, the Sword of Divine Elements, stabbed directly through the goddess herself. We even checked the chamber where the sword is kept – it was stolen from right under our noses.”

“Who is responsible for this? Haven’t you started an investigation?” Ariala raised her voice.

“Calm yourself, princess!” Azu said. “Of course we did. That is what we were just discussing the results of. We’ve reached a wall in our findings.”

“A wall?” Ariala replied.

“Yes. Everything we’ve managed to decipher from the evidence is not only vague, but collectively makes no sense,” Purrloin said. “We decided to let Queen Magearna decide based upon our findings.”

“Wait wait wait, Leos! You’re really smart; you can figure it out, right?” Prem said excitedly. “You should share your findings with Leos. He’ll figure it out in no time!”

“If our group of professionals couldn’t come to a solution, what makes you think a kid can?” Azu said.

“Actually, my son is rather intelligent for his age, I’ll have you know. Either way, you’ll be sharing your findings with me, so he is now involved,” Ariala replied.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious now, too. I don’t approve of Prem’s excitement, but please, allow me to have a crack at it.” Leos folded his arms. Prem scratched the back of his head and snickered.

“Hmpf. This ought to be a much needed laugh.” Azu folded her arms as well. “Keep up, now. When we entered the temple and discovered Tapu Fini, we immediately set out to seal the scene off and use forensics to find out who had been here.”

“Good. You have paw prints from any possible entrances and any handprints on the sword, right?” Leos asked. Azu hesitated.

“We found no recent prints on the ground, walls, or ceiling. We found proof of very aged prints, likely from long before Tapu Fini died, but they had all been washed away by her Misty Terrain. It has that effect,” Azu continued. Leos made a sound and started tapping his foot. “However, on the blade itself, only Tapu Fini’s handprints were found.”

“Only Tapu Fini’s? And no recent footprints?” Ariala began to shudder.

“Exactly. Whoever committed this crime has covered themselves exceedingly well. We just don’t understand how it’s possible. Someone managed to get in here while Tapu Fini had been sealed, used Faernia’s royal treasure to stab her with it, and then replaced their handprints with Tapu Fini’s,” Azu said. “Stealing the royal treasure without us even knowing how is an impeccable feat in itself. I can’t possibly think of a species that is capable of doing that. Very few Pokémon even know that Faernia has a royal treasure.”

“Tapu Fini would know that, right?” Leos asked.

“Naturally, she would. She is one of the creators of that blade, alongside the other Tapu gods,” Azu answered.

“And Misty Terrain erases any prints, right?” he said.

“It erases them to the point that they’re unrecognisable. We can still decipher how old the prints are, and all of the prints we found in the temple minus the handprints on the sword were from before Tapu Fini sealed herself in the temple.” Azu explained. “It’s actually fool-proof to a frightening degree.”

“No, it isn’t,” Leos answered quickly. “Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“You mean to say you have a solution? Already?” Azu said mockingly.

“The only Pokémon who could have done this is one who leaves no footprints, can erase prints with Misty Terrain, and knew about the existence of the Sword of Divine Elements,” Leos said, slowly turning to Tapu Fini. The others slowly copied and raised their eyebrows at him. “The only Pokémon who could have killed Tapu Fini this way, with this evidence, is Tapu Fini herself.”

There was a mass gasp. Azu flipped out and stomped a foot down in front of Leos. “That’s absurd! What possible reason could our intelligent goddess have to murder herself, and with our planet’s royal weapon of all things?”

“I can’t speak to know why. That lies in Tapu Fini’s thoughts. But if everything you told me is true, then that’s the only solution,” he replied, unfazed by her. “You didn’t even know that the sword had been stolen until you found it here, yes?”

“Y-yes, that’s right. There were signs of Misty Terrain having been used in the castle as well, I believe,” Purrloin said.

“My divine goddess and mother of health and fortune,” Ariala said, slowly putting her hands together in prayer. “If this is truly an act of self-harm, for what reason have you done this? Have you forsaken us?”

“You mean to tell me that you believe this ludicrous claim?” Azu cried.

“Whether I do or I don’t matters not. That was a prayer in request to Tapu Fini,” Ariala said. “The fact of the matter is now, we are without Tapu Fini’s guidance, and this poor goddess is deceased. Do the mass public know about this?”

“Rumours have spread, at most. Between you and me, the other Tapu have been shirking their duties as well, so most Pokémon are starting to lose faith,” Purrloin said.

“Ida!” Azu shouted.

“The Pokémon need their princess, Azu. Right now, more than ever, we need to cooperate to understand what our planet is going through,” Purrloin said as she spared the bunny a glance. She nodded back to Ariala. “The Tapu’s blessings have been dwindling, and most recently, have almost completely stopped. They no longer answer our prayers, nor have any of them been seen by anyone recently. If this is what has happened to Tapu Fini, then I fear greatly for what may have become of the others.”

“Mother—” Leos gasped.

“It’s okay, Leos,” Ariala said, and gulped. She put a hand out to stop him from moving. “I know. I’ve waited too long to return. As princess of Faernia and high priestess of the Tapu’s teachings, it is my duty to do everything in my power to resolve this situation.”

“And if we don’t, the war you ran away from will undoubtedly start,” Azu stated. “Our armies have only been ready and waiting for the past sixteen years.”
banner_leos_aska_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagtwg-fullview.jpg
 
Last edited:
Episode 20: The lone product of the stars

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_leos_aska_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagtwg-fullview.jpg


Episode 20: The lone product of the stars



A painful silence had swallowed the room long enough for Leos’ allies to become restless. After learning about Tapu Fini, the group headed back to Faernia Castle and were finally let free from Ariala’s business. Leos, Prem and Blossom were allowed to use her room as well, still as pink and well looked after as ever. Despite free from the troubling tasks that Ariala had taken on, none of them could bring themselves to say a word, all sat lifelessly in different spots in the room.

It wasn’t even the death of Tapu Fini that had irked Leos so much. He hadn’t been mature enough when the legendaries were worth his respect. He felt he had no emotional attachment to the situation - for however long he could remember, they were just gods that Faernians looked up to through prayers and begging.

It was what Ariala had said to him that kept him quiet.



“I apologize for getting you involved in this as far as you have. But please, do not concern yourself with me or the state of society any longer. You are still very young and have so much to learn. I want you to be free from such harsh duty, and live happily with your friends.



Leos stiffened. It felt uncharacteristic of her, so patronising, so empty of honesty. His mother was clearly in mental turmoil, yet it felt as if she pushed him away from it all, like he wasn’t worthy, like he wasn’t a crown prince that would one day have to deal with harsh situations like this. Did she honestly think that he was going to sit on the side and ignore everything to frolic in the fields with his friends for the rest of the time?

No. I won’t. Even if she thinks I will,” he told himself as he finally stood up off the bed. “That’s enough loathing. It’s time to study.

“Leos,” Prem said. He looked like he wanted to say something. Leos blinked at him, but he stood down without a word.

“Blossom. You said you can get us into the Constellar church, right? We’ve got to get to the bottom of Master Lin,” Leos said.

“I knew this was coming.” Prem sighed.

“I see. You’re still shaken up by the fact that he was here,” Blossom replied, rubbing her chin.

“Ariala and the other royals are going to stop us from doing any investigating around here, so we’ll do our own attack elsewhere. Is their main church somewhere you can get us?” Leos asked.

“It’s in the Stardust Treasury. We can easily get a ride there. I can get us in, too. But what do you intend to do once you’re there?”

“Just find out as much information as I can. Learning about how these Pokémon use their powers would be a bonus,” he replied as he began to pack his books into his bag. “It’s pulling at strings, but Master Lin must be here for his own motives. There’s just no way that someone in his position would cooperate with Faernian royalty without personal gain. It just can’t be a coincidence that something this tragic happened at the same time.”

“If you’re hoping to get to the Stardust Treasury, you won’t get there easily,” a familiar voice said. The Purrloin with the feather hat was stood in the doorway, now only wearing a small band around her right ear with a single feather coming off it. She strolled in without a care for the bothered eyes on her, earning folded arms from everyone but Prem. “You said it yourself: Master Lin wouldn’t be welcome here. Why would there be transport going there?”

“You’re saying we’ll have to walk?” Leos asked.

“Not if I come with you. Pardon me for inviting myself, but there’s a reason I’d like to go there, especially with you all,” Purrloin replied with a bow.







“My name is Ida, the current commander of the Cat’s Brigade. Yes, that same Cat’s Brigade that revolted against the Faernian royal family sixteen years ago,” Purrloin said. She sat with her legs crossed and head resting on one paw, and half paid attention to the outside of their carriage. “Don’t worry, we’re not evil. That revolt was led by my husband, Charle. After Charle escorted Ariala to the Stardust Treasury, he said he learnt much about the truth of the royal family. He wouldn’t even share that info with me, though.”

“So you’re coming with us to see if you can figure it out yourself,” Leos said. Ida nodded and smiled at him.

“But wait, if Charle’s your husband and he’s against the Faernians- wait, your marriage is in trouble!” Prem cried.

“No its not, silly.” She giggled. “Charle’s not some villain. We married after he’d revolted, so there’s no warrant for us to oppose each other. On top of that, aside from the fact that I’m a little lonely while he’s away on a pilgrimage, I’d say our relationship’s the strongest ever. He loves me more than a girl he’s been chasing all his life.”

“Focus on topic please, Prem,” Leos said. “Don’t you have any hints of what Charle found out?”

“S-sorry, Leos! I was just worried,” Prem said, scratching his back. Ida sighed and looked away. She checked to make sure that the Mudsdale pulling the carriage weren’t eavesdropping. Certain no one was listening in, she leaned forward and urged the others to do the same.

“Between you and me, I managed to squeeze some hints out of him. Something to do with Ariala’s missing retainer, the hybrid called Vincent,” she mumbled.

“Mother doesn’t have any retainers other than Naomi, and she’s not missing,” Leos said.

“You sure about that? Surely you know by now of your Mother’s secretive agenda?” Ida said. Leos sat back and his heart became heavy. “Naomi is Ariala’s personal chaperone; all she does is escort the princess everywhere. Ariala’s real retainers were a Meowstic couple, but the male was a hybrid Pokémon. In all the years they served her, the only Pokémon that ever saw his form were those that fought him in battle.”

A hybrid, a combination of multiple Pokémon.” He scratched his head.

Before he could ask himself a question about it, the whole carriage skidded to a stop and flung everyone to one side with a scream. The cries of the Mudsdale and the sounds of a battle brought them right to their feet, where they scrambled out to see what was going on.

Thankfully no one was hurt and they had clearly reached their destination, although they were a good hundred metres or so away. A large group of Pokémon were fighting against spectres; ghostly forms that resembled Pokémon species, but with a white, highly transparent texture. The Pokémon were gathered behind a knight a little taller than Leos, who was clothed so heavily in armour that its species couldn’t be deciphered.

“Those are Constellars!” Blossom cried. “I think the city is under attack from those spectres.”

“Aren’t spectres the products of Constellar magic, though?” Leos said. He shook his head and readied his double-sided Razor Shell. “Never mind. Follow my lead, you two.”

“We-we’re going to fight?” Prem said.

“Yes. We’re only doing what we do as citizens of Faernia. We’re fighting the spectres, though. So you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone.” He smiled. “Since they’re spectres, would you do the honours?”

Prem shuddered and moaned. “Okay.”

Ida had prepared her weapon of choice, a lengthy lance. She froze when Prem revealed his weapon: A dark blue orb decorated with a beautiful, spatial texture inside of it appeared in his arms, which allowed him to levitate. The orb floated in such a way that Prem could hug it to stay afloat, but the wings attached to his poncho flapped as if he was flying using them.

“What kind of powers are these?” Ida gasped. Blossom’s jaw was on the floor as well.

“Wait, I didn’t tell you guys that I’m a Constellar as well, did I?” Prem blushed. “I’m not very good, though. All my artes can do is weird stuff. But I can heal wounds.”

“We’ll talk about this later. Now’s the time to engage!” Leos pointed forward.

Several of the spectres had noticed them and came charging. Since he was at the front, Leos was the first to get hit by a spectre, a Raticate that tackled him. He let out a winded cry even though he blocked it with his Razor Shell, and tried not to panic as its enormous teeth gnashed away at his scalchop. He couldn’t stay balanced as he tried to rip his weapon away, but eventually retaliated with Water Gun.

Raticate was pushed a few steps back by the water, but remained on its feet. It let out an angered growl, but hesitated as Leos was already crouched on one hand with his Razor Shell holding him up. It attempted to take advantage by going in to bite him again, but he was prepared this time, and stood up to whack it as hard as he could with his weapon.

“Why now?” he huffed as he fell back over to one side.

Thankfully the Raticate had been knocked away in defeat, but his clash with that one enemy had drained him of breath and focus. He felt like a vulnerable liability, yet it would take all of his strength just to stand right now. Even when another spectre took notice and came running, he couldn’t bring himself to stand up at all. Ida slid in between them both and took on the enemy with her lance.

“You okay?” She Glanced back at him. Before he could reply, she pushed her weapon hard enough to floor the enemy, tossed it high into the air, and then stretched her nails out to enormous lengths. Fury Swipes, as Leos recognised it. The way she ripped into the ghostly figure to knock it down, and then caught her lance with a perfect pose was all he needed to see to know why she was the head of the Cat’s Brigade.

Still down and catching his breath, Leos scanned the battlefield to summarise the situation. No matter how many times they were hit, the spectres kept coming back for more, almost as if they weren’t taking any damage. Someone had to be in command of them, someone that wasn’t nearby, from the looks of things.

“Prem!” he called out. The Pikachu rushed to his side, flustered and covered in sweat. With a squeak and a mumble of words, he brushed some glittery dust off his spatial orb, which seemed to restore Leos’ energy a bit.

“I tried to calm down the spectres, but they’re really disoriented right now,” he said. “One of the Constellars back there summoned them. Some kinda psychic force making them go crazy is also stopping the Constellars from recalling them!”

“A psychic disturbance is disorienting them,” Leos muttered. He breathed in deep as he revoked his Razor Shell. “Blossom, Prem! We need to side with the Constellars. There’s no end to these enemies.”

“I can see that. They’re being powered from a long distance,” Ida replied, still standing guard over him. “So our best bet is to just charge through them and get to the city.”

“You’re that desperate to get there?” Leos asked, mentally prepared to do that anyway. Blossom returned from her conflict as well, and both were unharmed but panting.

“I’ve never had to fight a spectre before. They’re impossible to mimic, even for me,” Blossom said.

“We’ve got our opening. Charge with me!” Ida said before they were ready.

Leos coughed but followed after her, impressed by the way she ran right through the crowd. The order came so suddenly that he had to see if she was telling the truth or just being rash. But there was indeed an opening for them to charge through, a space between a few enemies and individual battles that was large enough for them to get through. Ida ran on all fours with her lance held tightly in her jaw, still having to use it to slash a few enemies, however. She put little effort into whipping her head with the weapon, almost as if this was something she had done countless times before.

With his focus fixated on her, Leos hadn’t noticed the armoured fighter from the side. He caught sight of them just before it was too late, and tripped up to stop himself from running right into their lance. The knight slammed their heavy weapon right onto Leos’ Razor Shell, and both bounced back with comical force.

“Wha-what? Why me, I’m on your si—” he said, cut short by eagerness to fight.

The knight pulled back and thrust at him to force him to defend himself with his scalchop. The knight never rested their weapon on Leos’, always pulling back to try a new slash every time he blocked. They smashed their weapons into each other a few times before the Oshawott fired a surprise Water Pulse attack with a free hand to separate the two.

N-no!” Leos cried in his head. He fell onto one hand again as his body ached and lost all its breath. “No matter how hard I try, my body just won’t let me battle. Blast, I can’t move!

For a brief moment, it was as if the entire battle had frozen around the two of them. The knight stared at Leos through its armour, while he stared back in fury. He fully expected to be finished off while he was on the ground like this. But nothing of the sort happened, and a brief glance at the rest of the battlefield unveiled that the spectres were being kept busy by the other Constellars. So what did the knight want with Leos?

“Master Leos.” Blossom popped up beside him. “I’ll use my Psychic to strip their armour. Permission?”

“Why do you need permission to do that? Just do it, defeat them for me!” he said. Prem soon popped up beside them to help Leos to stand.

“Very well. Watch this.” Blossom posed with one arm stretched forward.

Her body flashed with a pink aura, centred around the marble on her belly. With a thrust of her other hand, the same pink light outlined the knight and lifted them into the air. A struggled growl came from them as they fought back with twitched movements. “Wait, it’s not very effective? Someone, quick, strike them down!”

Leos had questions, but set them aside to force another Water Pulse attack out. An orb of water formed over his right hand, which engulfed the knight completely when he threw it. Once submerged, they fell to the ground, and Blossom’s Psychic attack was able to rip their armour off its body. Doing so burst the orb of water, but at least the Pokémon within was revealed.

“A woman? Wait, what?” Leos gasped. Now the battle was really at a standstill, all eyes stuck on the creature that emerged from within the armour. “Who or what in the world are you?”

The creature, a cross between an Oshawott and an Espurr, responded with a panicked shudder as she retrieved her lance and posed with it, prepared to protect herself. She had an Oshawott’s scalchop on her belly as well, which she used as a shield. Her ears, eyes, fur, and overall body shape was that of an Oshawott, rounded and slightly chubby. However, her fur was tipped with coils of grey fur like that of an Espurr, whilst her feet and hands belonged to an Espurr as well. Since he couldn’t see her tail, Leos assumed it was an Espurr’s as well.

“Speak of the devil – that’s Vincent’s spear!” Ida said. The hybrid refused to say anything, but she nervously glanced back and forth after she heard that.

“Wait. You’re on our side,” Leos said, regaining his composure.

“N-no I’m not!” she cried in her young and high-pitched voice. “I ain’t never seen an Oshawott with a two sworded Razor Shell before! Yo-you’re the freak, so I’m gonna stomp you!”

“My weapon? That’s just an ordinary Razor Shell. I input the energy for the attack in a unique way for some different results,” Leos said as he showed off the double-sided sword. He used his free hand to create a Water Pulse over his hand. “It just takes a bit of thinking outside the box. But you, you’re a special case.”

“N-no, not like this. Please, you’re just like the rest!” she cried and pointed her lance at him. Leos let up his attacks and raised his arms. “I’m just here to stop the bad guys! These spectres were causing trouble, and—”

“And I have a solution. I had an idea, and it’s confirmed, now that I’ve seen you,” he said, approaching fearlessly.

“Master Leos!” Blossom cried.

“Blossom, Prem, restrain her weapon!” he said. The duo immediately used their Psychic and Thunder Wave attacks to pin the hybrid down, making her cry out in panic. Leos could hear the commotion from the crowd around him as he walked. The spectres had suddenly started moving erratically, and the battle had stopped.

He kept his hands raised to try and settle her, but she still shut her eyes and scrunched up her face once he was close enough to touch her. He didn’t hesitate to clench down on her ears to keep them closed as tightly as he could. To everyone’s surprise, the spectres began to calm down after a few moments, and their movements stopped entirely. Keeping his hands over the hybrid’s ears, Leos looked around, jaw dropped by their realistic reactions of relief. “I knew it. Whoever summoned these spectres, relieve them right now!”

“Ye-yes!” several of the Pokémon called out. With a few prayers and an incantation, the spectres vanished into thin air.

“Leos, are you okay?” Prem cried.

Leos didn’t reply right away, fixated on the hybrid’s shamed appearance. She still scrunched up her face, knelt down and shivering as static fizzled over her.

“I wish you hadn’t used Thunder Wave so hard. Can you heal her?” He folded his arms. “My assumption was correct, thankfully. Espurr are known to need their ears to keep their psychic powers under control. It must have been her lack of control that made the spectres go crazy.”

“Wha-what? No way, it’s my fault?” She shot to her feet. She dropped her lance and scalchop, and scrambled to pick them back up. “Waitwaitwait, it can’t be my fault, I- I just—”

“Of course it’s your fault. You saw the spectres stop,” one of the Constellars shouted, and she cringed.

“Freaks of nature aren’t allowed into the city,”

“Who knows what’ll happen if we let the hybrid in?”

All sorts of derogatory lines started to fly around as the crowd disbanded, but a number of Pokémon stayed behind to impose some authority. Their comments quickly drove the hybrid back to the ground, and she burst into tears right there.

“I just wanted to be a hero!” she wailed. Leos tilted his head and shrugged to the others.

“Can I have a moment?” he asked. Her wails softened and she nodded. “You’re an interesting one. I’ve never met a hybrid Pokémon before. In fact, I just learnt about the aspect of them. Seeing you is getting me quite excited. A whole new world of possibilities has opened up!”

“Uh-uh, er, Leos?” Prem said, eyes widened. Ida giggled and Blossom sighed and shook her head, whilst the hybrid gawked at him, her eyes widened as well.

“Inconveniently, I’m in the middle of an important task right now. But will you let me try some experiments with you? There’s so much I wish to learn about you!” Leos said. His overexcited tone brought on a long moment of silence, and the hybrid blinked once. “Well? Will you accompany me?”

“I er, eep, I didn’t think I could- wait, is that really what you want?” She started to blush hard. Leos tilted his head with a hum. “N-n-no, I mean, it’s fine! You just want me to go with you, right? I’ll try!”

“Oh brother,” Blossom sighed and shook her head. Prem let out a squeak as well.

“You’re not seriously saying you like me, are you? Who would’ve thought that to get someone to like me, all I had to do was fight them with my armour off?” the hybrid said.

“I’ll reserve the judgement of whether I like you or not for later down the line. I just want to learn things about your physiology and potential,” Leos replied, making Prem sigh in relief. “Where did you ever get that assumption from?”

“Leos, are you serious? Didn’t Ariala ever teach you about how to talk to a lady?” Blossom said with a giggle. “Either way, this Pokémon is a hybrid. You heard the others; you won’t even be allowed into the city if she comes with us.”

“I um, could put my armour back on or something,” the hybrid muttered, playing with her hands.

“What does talking to a lady have to do with- you know what, no, don’t answer that,” Leos said. “What’s your name, if you have one?”

She stared at him for a moment. Despite having the face of an Oshawott, she still had the static appearance of an Espurr, which made her thoughts unreadable. “It’s Griselle,” she eventually answered with clear hesitation in her voice.

“Leos Aska, son of crown princess Ariala and prince Rune,” Leos replied, making the crowd of onlookers gasp. He gestured a handshake to her. “I suppose that position is suffice to enter with the hybrid? She will be under my group’s custody and watch constantly.”

“We’ll have to leave that to Master Lin, but,” one of the Constellars replied.

“Wait really? No way, you’re that Pokémon? No wonder you’re talented!” Griselle started bouncing. “Yes! It’s all the more important that I go with you, now. Yes, I totes need to! Please, take me with you, my prince Leos!”

“Good, you’re okay with it. Pardon me for having a bit of business to take care of first, but please bear with me during that time,” Leos said with a bow.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s fine! I know exactly who you are, my prince!” Griselle said. She ran right up to him. “My blade is your blade. Whatever you want me to do, just say the order. I’ll do it, my prince!”

“My prince?” Leos said slowly.

“He’s not your prince!” Prem barged in between them. “Don’t say things like that!”

“Yeah, he’s my prince! He just admitted it. And I accepted it,” she pouted.

“That doesn’t mean he has to. He just wants you for research.”

“That too, but if I show my devotion, I’ll become more. What’s it to you, anyway?”

“More than you’ll ever be!”

“Is somebody jealous that I already have attention?”

“Prem- what’s gotten into you two? Whatever, cut it out. Let’s get back to work,” Leos said.

“Yes sir my prince!” Prem and Griselle saluted in perfect tone and sync. Leos blinked at them both and then palmed his face.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this all of a sudden?” he groaned. He dismissed the remainder of the battle to lead the way toward the city. “Never mind. I’m liking my luck lately, honestly. Being able to meet a hybrid Pokémon just after learning about them is something else. But Griselle, what were you doing here, anyway?”

“Being a hero. I saw those Constellars summoning spectres, so went to fight them and keep peace!” she said.

“Being… a hero?” He tilted his head. “I… don’t think aimlessly fighting spectres constitutes to being a hero.”

“Wha? It doesn’t?” she gasped.

“I mean, they’re quite far from the city, right? Or any city. Sure, it’s odd to have a bunch of Constellars summon spectres for no reason, but if they’re not causing any harm, what reason do I have to concern?” he said.

“Ah! Yes, you’re right. I er, didn’t think right. But then again, that’s because I don’t have a subordinate yet. Yes, that’s why I made that mistake,” she said.

“A subordinate?” he said, and folded his arms.

“Yeah! Every hero needs a subordinate. You know, that guy that tells ‘em where to go and all the juicy intel,” she said excitedly. “My prince, you’re really smart! If you can think that fast, you can be my subordinate!”

“Wait, that’s not fair! You’re supposed to be Leos’ subordinate, not the other way around. And he’s not your prince!” Prem cried.

Leos groaned. “Will you let that go already—"

“Either way, he’s the brains and the tech, I’m the brawn! All he has to order me. My prince Leos, I am at your service.” Griselle bowed.

“No, that’s no fair! You’re not allowed that kind of relationship!” Prem cried even louder.

“This again? Will you two quit it with the ‘my prince’ thing already? You’re both loud, whiny, children, that’s what.” Leos palmed his face.
 
Last edited:
Episode 21: Anger of the gods

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 21: Anger of the gods



“Well this place looks welcoming,” Leos said after a lengthy silence. After short negotiations with the Constellars outside of the Stardust Treasury, the group had been allowed inside so long as they kept a constant watch on Griselle.

“I like it though. It looks pretty,” Prem said, prancing alongside him. The Constellar Church was still in the centre of the city, surrounded by a lake that let out an ominous, spatial atmosphere around it. Specs glittered in the air like stars, whilst a light fog made everything dark, hazy and blurry to look at. “I still don’t wanna come here, though.”

“Pretty? You can barely see it,” Leos said, sceptical. If not for the warm light coming through the stained-glass windows, the building would be nearly invisible from their distance.

“This place was built here for a reason, you know,” Blossom said. All was silent, minus their conversation. “Ignorant of Faernia’s seasons, this lake gets bathed in moonlight every night. But Etheria’s moons can’t be seen from here, not even with a telescope. It makes it perfect for communicating with the stars or viewing our star signs.”

“So much has been happening that I’ve forgotten to ask you about why you have Libra branded on your stomach,” Leos said.

Prem beamed up excitedly. “I can tell you that one! Constellars get branded by the star gods they worship – the star gods are just the zodiac signs. So me and you would be Aries, Leos.”

“And by getting branded, you gain access to Constellar magic akin to your brand,” Blossom finished for him. “Constellars can use the magic of any star god, but only the one of which you are branded will your magic work correctly. Outside of the ability to summon Spectres, Constellar magic is very much identical to Pokémon attacks.”

“Wait really? What’s the point of going through all that complex magic stuff if it doesn’t let you do stuff Pokémon can’t already do?” Griselle asked.

“I imagine it lets Pokémon perform attacks they couldn’t normally learn,” Leos said.

“Exactly that! And then there’s a few super special tricks. Like, my orb can summon items and heal wounds if I try hard enough,” Prem said.

“Constellars are weird,” Griselle pouted. Leos smiled.

I’ve not been branded. That could explain why when I used Double Team that time, it tired me out instantly,” Leos thought as he recalled his recent battles. He remembered that Ariala had saved him back then and cringed, so he dismissed the thought to enter the church.

The instant Leos set foot inside however, an overwhelming fatigue struck him. It was like a rush of cold wind blasted his front, causing him to gasp and his head to spark with pain. He let out a sharp, dry, growl, and grabbed his head with both hands as he struggled to stay on his feet.

What the? Stop!” he cried in his mind. His eyesight blacking out as quickly as he had been hit. He couldn’t even tell whether he had lost consciousness or not, just that he spun and stumbled from lack of balance as his view faded to darkness.

Seconds later, he was surrounded by gravestones in a grey, swamp-filled clearing. Heavy fog obscured everything that wasn’t centimetres in front of him, so he grabbed the graves around him to stay on his feet and keep track of where he was. His focus returned as quickly as it had vanished, but he had been warped to this unsettling location.

“What is going on? Prem? Blossom? Ida?” he called out. A single gust of wind blew past him for a second, erasing all of the fog in an instant. In its place, dark walls surrounded him on all sides in the distance. Around him, the swamp began to flow like fire, only its texture was purely black.

Directly in front of him was Tapu Lele, who laughed childishly with a cryptic echo applied to her voice. Her arms were stretched out as she used her tremendous psychic powers to torment a struggling Ariala. The Clefable was suspended in the air, screaming and crying out as if her body was being torn apart, her death imminent. She couldn’t open her eyes and her body twitched in very uncomfortable spasms.

“No! Mother!” Leos cried.

He was stopped by another blast of wind, only this time, it was a powerful wind accompanied by the black flames. The flames morphed into a tornado of fire that engulfed Tapu Lele completely, degrading her innocent laughter into sinister grunts. The dark flames had infected and transformed her into a monstrosity right before his eyes. He couldn’t properly identify the one-eyed monster she had become; just that the way it loomed over him, laughing, mocking him, spreading its toxic, dark flames in every which direction, terrified him beyond his greatest fears. And Leos knew to never be afraid of anything.

The creature fell on top of him, and he screamed at the top of his voice. In a flash of heated darkness, just as quickly as he had been warped there, he found himself staring at the stained glass artwork on the windows of the church. His breathing was unsettled, but not hoarse or tired like it was when he battled.

“Leos! Leos, are you okay?” Prem cried in his face. He took a moment to blink at the Pikachu and settle his breathe, and quickly returned to his feet.

“Yes, I appear to be fine. I don’t know what happened there,” he said. He could still feel himself shuddering a bit, the appearance of the shadowy monster fresh in his mind.

“Are you sure? That happened out of nowhere! Please don’t push yourself, I’m worried!” he cried.

“Me too! I’m the one the weird stuff should be happenin’ to. You sure you’re not tired?” Griselle cried as well.

“I’m fine. Just some kind of strange dream,” Leos said, and shook his head. As he looked over at his allies, several Constellars gathered around him. “I mean it, I’m fine.”

“A premonition, and caused by nothing more than stepping into the church. You young man are a gift from the stars!” A Mimikyu came forward. Leos could only assume it was a Mimikyu, anyway. The Pokémon was shorter than Prem and had no visible feet of any kind at all. An aged, yellow rag designed to look like a Pikachu covered most of its body. “Tell me, child. What did you see in your vision?”

Leos’ face tightened and he hesitated, but he explained the contents of his vision anyway. To his surprise, his description caused a wave of chatter and concern to take over the room, and the Mimikyu edged backward.

“I don’t- Prem darling, who is this Pokémon?” Mimikyu asked. “Such a nasty vision is befitting only of a Constellar Lord.”

“This is why I didn’t want to come here. I’m not your darling,” Prem moaned and hung his head.

“So much is goin’ on you’re losing me,” Griselle said.

“Then just keep quiet and focus. We’ll explain later,” Blossom hissed, keeping back with her. Ida was stood over them both with her lance out.

Mimikyu approached and slowly unveiled its long, dark arms to hold Leos’ head up. He flinched away but calmed down once he realised she meant no harm. “I see it in your eyes now, actually. The only other Pokémon to get such a detailed, terrifying premonition was Master Lin. Someone go and contact him, please.”

“Constellars only get premonitions when they get branded. But normally they’re super vague and don’t really mean anythin’,” Prem explained while the Constellars got to work. “If you got one straight away, then that means you’re like, a super powerful Constellar, Leos!”

“Prem!” Leos said, making him cringe.

“O-oh, right, your name. S-sorry,” he said. Mimikyu giggled, and a hint of blush showed through her rag by her real eyes.

“Oh Prem, you’re as goofy as ever. You came back to get this Pokémon branded, didn’t you?” she asked. “I’ve missed you ever so much, you know. Sessions aren’t as fun without your character around.”

Prem shuffled away behind Leos. The Oshawott shrugged and sighed as he stood guard over his friend. “Pardon me, but you haven’t introduced yourself yet. Who are you?”

“My name is Rosie. Master Lin has chosen me as his right hand. I… I love Prem, though,” she bowed. Only the top half of her rag bowed however, as her main body was too short. “And I mean love, with all my being. I didn’t have much to my life until I tossed away my old appearance and modelled myself after him. Since becoming a Constellar and a Pikachu, my life has so much more meaning. I owe him every last hint of love and gratitude I can muster!”

“Right,” Leos replied. “Wait. Prem, is that what you meant when decided to start wearing that Charizard poncho?”

“It suits him wonderfully. Our Pokésonas, identified by well-crafted ponchos – how could we not be a match made in heaven?” Rosie said with a dreamy sigh. She actually started rambling aloud, talking about nothing but Prem until Leos cleared his throat. “A-ah! I’m sorry about that. I’m just so excited to see you again! I truly cannot express more just how much I miss you, darling.”

“I’m not staying, though. We only came to learn about Constellars,” Prem said with clearly lost patience.

“Where is he? There!” Master Lin said, coming from deeper within the church.

He was sweating and his eyes were wide, but it somehow gave off a feel that was as excited as Rosie was earlier. Leos couldn’t reply, surprised to not be intimidated by the creature. “To think that it would be you of all Pokémon! Your deduction in Tapu Fini’s chamber should have given me the hint, and yet here I find myself losing words by your appearance right now!”

“What’s gotten into everyone?” Leos raised his voice.

“Within no given timeframe, a Constellar is chosen by the star gods, one that is capable of being branded by all twelve. They receive a clear premonition that allows them to lead Pokémon safely through the future,” Master Lin explained. He surprised everyone by bowing on one knee. “That Pokémon is no better the choice to become the successor to me, as the new Constellar Lord.”

“Please stop bowing. It really doesn’t suit you.” Leos wanted to look away. “I hate to break it to you though, but I’ve no intention of becoming a Constellar, especially now that I’m supposed to be your leader or something.”

“Of course. You are Ariala’s son. You’re devoted to the blessings of the Tapu, aren’t you?” Master Lin said as he stood up.

“Actually I’m neutral. I don’t believe in any gods or goddesses to lead my life. I’m guided by fact and reality.” He folded his arms. Griselle made a sound of surprise and stared. “I came here to find out why you were in a place you weren’t supposed to be.”

“We Constellars are segregated for our differing beliefs, but truly, the reason for our segregation is to prevent needless conflict. The Tapu have never taken kindly to our religion,” Master Lin said. He patiently cupped his hands together. “Set our differing beliefs aside however, and you will find that we both wish for the same thing – the salvation of all Pokémon in Etheria. When I heard of the news of Tapu Fini’s absence and my ability to access her chamber when no one else could, I had only one answer. You may investigate as you please, but you will find no evidence of malicious intent, I assure you.”

Leos stared at him for the evidence he needed. Lin didn’t even look offended by the obvious accusations, but he wasn’t about to give up. Inviting him to investigate was Master Lin’s biggest mistake however, and he was going to ensure the priest knew that.

“Wait, Tapu Fini? Has there been much I’ve missed?” Rosie said, tilting her ‘head’.

“Leos. Even though you declined leading the Constellars, I implore you not to ignore your premonition,” Master Lin said. “What you saw can affect the entire world, so even if you would not guide Pokémon to avoid the outcome, you can still save yourself. To that end, it would be remiss of me to not work with you in these pressing times. Rosie has already informed me that your premonition foreshadows Ariala in danger to Tapu Lele.”

“I will deal with it my own way,” he said.

“Listen to me! All Constellar Lords get a premonition. Mine foretells of a terrifying war between the Tapu and Eris,” Master Lin raised his voice. Leos and the others went quiet. “News of Tapu Fini’s death have no doubt gotten to the other Tapu. They’re preparing for a massive assault as we speak!”

“What?” Ida said above everyone else’s cries. “I am a commander! I would have heard about this if it was happening. Don’t spread lies!”

“If you haven’t heard, then we have time yet,” Master Lin said. “Think about it. Princess Ariala is opposed to war between the two planets. I am certain that she would even go as far as to oppose the Tapu to prevent them from leading a war. If my premonition tells of a war and yours a grave battle between them both, then I believe we have a pair of fitting puzzle pieces.”

“We can’t let Ariala confront Tapu Lele,” he said, looking at the floor. He realised what he said and glared back up at Lin. “Don’t talk like you know my Mother!”

Master Lin nodded. “Do as you will, but you must heed these warnings. Together we can prevent this war.”

“We have to move. Now,” Leos said. He stopped in the doorway and half turned to look at Master Lin. “I still don’t trust you, but if it’s true, I’ll find a way to stop that premonition my own way. You do you.”

“Leos?” Griselle squeaked as she bounced after him. “Er wait for me!”

“Yes, Prem, wait please!” Rosie cried. Prem stopped for her, making the others stop as well. “You’re going to go just like that? C-can’t I get something like a cuddle or a kiss? Pretty please?”

“I think we all know the answer to that. Why even bother asking?” Leos said with a shrug.

“I love you so much, Prem. I could never not ask,” she said, going quiet. Prem groaned and started playing with his hands. “W-will you?”

“Master Lin, where could we find a graveyard?” he asked. Rosie moaned and sighed.

“I could give you that information. Just one quick snuggle, darling. That’s all I ask!” she said.

“Behind the church,” Master Lin said, making her moan even louder. “Go across the bridge and walk around the lake. You may find something unexpected there.”

“Unexpected?” Leos raised an eyebrow.

“A certain tomb. Whatever you are planning, go with careful respect,” he said. Leos’ face tightened and he left at that, the others following in silence.

No one spoke until they reached said graveyard, surprised to find that there was soil here. Unlike everywhere else in this section of Faernia, soil and greenery surrounded the countless stones making up the fields of the graveyard. There were paths, but those were made out of shorter cut grass rather than roads or stone walkways.

Being this close to the lake and the church, the fog surrounding the church wafted here to keep the area cold and hazy, but it was also lighter and easier to see through. The glitter from around the lake was there as well, but less prevalent and mostly scattered across the tops of the gravestones. Bug Pokémon could occasionally be spotted amongst the grass, either foraging for whatever nutrients they fed on or singing along with the Kricketot.

“Uh-um, Prince Leos, aren’t you scared?” Griselle asked.

“Scared? Of what?” he replied.

“Your dream. I’d be frightened if I had a dream about Mama getting killed. Times ten since its Tapu Lele.” She prodded her paws together.

“I can’t be afraid. If I let detrimental feelings like that affect me easily, then I’ll never deal with situations like this,” he said. “I must decipher the meaning of this daydream. Why it happened, whether it’s a real premonition or not, and why I even had it.”

“Tha-that’s why I’m here, though!” she said as she pushed her way in front of him. “Mum and Dad said that if I was ever to meet the new prince or princess, that I should help them out with all my being. So let me handle big feelings like that! Don’t say I must do this, ‘cos we’re here to do it with you!”

“I thought you said you didn’t understand what was happening?” he said.

“I… I don’t, but I—”

“Then don’t say things like that. It won’t be long until I can start my research on you, but don’t feel like you have to stick around me for no reason.” He dismissed her. She stopped moving completely, her face of shock mirrored across everyone else.

“Now now my lord, there’s no need for that attitude. We’re all here on our own terms, remember?” Blossom tapped him.

“Except for- wait, you’re right. Never mind then, do as you will,” he said, unfazed.

“Don’t worry, he likes acting tough,” Prem whispered as he passed Griselle. “Stay around long enough and he’ll warm to you. I promise.”

“Yeah… yeah! And either way, it’s pretty admirable. That’s my prince, shouldering the world’s greatest problems all on his own!” she said.

“He’s not your prince, though,” Prem said.

“If you’re done arguing, get over here. This is what Lin wanted us to see,” Ida called out and grabbed their attention. She was off in her own place, stood over a triad of stones. Leos didn’t waste time in reading them.

“Ah. These are former members of the Faernia royal family. So the royal family get buried here,” he summarised. Every grave here was put into a pattern that fitted within a large court, whilst each being grander than the other graves. One of the graves on the opposite side at the far end had been damaged however, so he walked over to investigate.

“Why are the Faernia royal family buried in the Stardust Treasury?” Prem asked.

“Better yet, why are Eris’ royal family buried here as well? This side has their gravestones,” Leos said. He followed the pattern of the stones while talking aloud to himself. “The graves are ordered based on the generation that each family reigned over. There’s over a millennia of family history for both planets right here. But if we follow this pattern right to the end, then that means…”

His theory took him right up to the broken grave. It had been dug up excessively and the headstone was chipped off and covered in cracks, but still readable. Sparkly glitter was littered all over this grave and more than the other graves, making it stand out even more. Diantha’s name and some respects were carved into it, as well as the dates of when she was alive.

“Princess Diantha perished at only age sixteen at the hands of our God Tapu Koko. It was tragic, and yet, it seems someone likes to drag tragedy further,” Ida said, clearly disgusted with the state of the grave. Leos was flicking through Rune’s diary like mad, and stopped at a page to glance up and down at the grave and the book.

“The dates match. This is actually Princess Diantha’s grave. My auntie,” he whispered in disbelief. “Did Master Lin know about this? Or was he the one that dug it up? Callous bastard!”

“Language!” Blossom smacked his head. “My lord, I am still your retainer. And that means advising you.”

“I never even agreed to you being—”

“Leos, listen and look at yourself! You’re holding in your anger like a prissy, spoilt teenager!” she said, making him flinch. “We were given the right to investigate. This is our starting point. You need to calm down, look at everything logically, and respect that everyone else is here to help.”

“Argh,” he growled and looked away.

He dared to look over at everyone else; surprised by the mixture of emotions they all showed. Prem and Griselle were clearly worried, Blossom was right and angry with him, and Ida resembled a look he had seen Ariala give him many times before. A stern combination that hinted at taking responsibility, as well as expectation of a turnaround of the current mood he was showing her. He stelled himself with a deep breath and shut his eyes. “I’m sorry, everyone.”

“Sorry?” Prem replied.

“When I dragged you all into this, I thought it would be an easy case to solve. But it’s gotten so complex that I don’t actually know what to do anymore, and that’s turning into me mistreating others,” he said, facing Diantha’s grave. “Tapu Fini’s suicide, Master Lin’s presence, my premonition, and now Diantha’s open grave – there’s no clear connection to any of it.”

“That’s what I meant. It’s hard and it’s super scary, right? So let us handle some of the trouble, too!” Griselle said.

“You can count on me, Leos. It’s just like all those other mysteries we solved so far,” Prem said. “We’ll just focus on one thing at a time until we’ve got a connection.”

“Right, yes. It’s time to study. That’s how we’ve solved all our other cases so far,” Leos said, rubbing his chin. “This is why I count on you, Prem. Seriously, thank you.”

“A-aww, but it’s all you, Leos,” the Pikachu said with a giggle, and scratched his ear. “So uh, what do we do first?”

Leos took a while to answer, deep in thought. “The open grave is an immediate problem. Diantha’s body actually isn’t in there.”

“So the missing Diantha,” Ida said. “If you want my thoughts, it’s the state of the grave that bothers me. It looks like someone was really in a hurry to get the body out.”

Leos stepped back to get a proper look at it. The glitter all over it was impossible to ignore. It didn’t even look dug up properly. There was a deep hole with the soil spread out like something underneath had gushed out of it, while the headstone was dislodged. “Actually, it almost looks like…

A sharp revelation hit Leos and his eyes widened. He almost couldn’t breathe for a moment, lost in the danger that his possible solution had thought up. Desperate to disregard it as a guess, he spun around to check every fact he could.

The glitter wasn’t in the air like it was around the lake; it was all on the floor or the headstones. And not surrounding headstones, only the ones that led right up to this one. By walking backwards, he could see clear as day that the glitter was making a path.

“Prem! These sparkles. Please tell me what they are!” he cried.

“What’s gotten into you? Figured it out already?” Ida replied. Prem moaned a bit and then rubbed some of the glitter onto his arm, trying not to scratch the headstone. It disappeared into his hand without any discomfort.

“These are Tapu scales. They’re just like the ones that come out when I use my healing magic,” he said, widening everyone’s eyes.

“And Blossom! Look at the way the grave was dug. That doesn’t look like it was dug at all, does it?” he said.

She gave it a round of thought, and then mimicked Leos. “You think Tapu Lele did this, didn’t you?”

“Think about it. Tapu Lele is known to release scales that can heal when she flies at high speed. And with her Psychic, she could just pull the body up without digging. That would create this ‘gushing’ effect that the soil is in,” he said.

“Why in the world would Tapu Lele want a dead body, and Princess Diantha’s of all Pokémon?” Ida asked, still sceptical about the idea.

“A bargaining chip. An edge,” Leos muttered, flicking through Rune’s diary again. “She must know how much Diantha means to Rune. A challenging act for the death of Tapu Fini – Master Lin’s premonition could actually come true!”

“Wait wait wait, but that’s a guess!” Prem cried. “What is true is that once Ariala finds out that Tapu Lele might have done this, she won’t stand for it. The two could fight! Then your premonition could come true, Leos!”

“So either way, our next stop is to find one of the Tapu at all costs, right? More than anything in the world, we need to find one of ‘em, and quick!” Griselle squealed.

“Right. We have to find out why Tapu Lele did this and stop her from fighting Ariala. We can’t waste time—” Leos stated, freezing completely once he turned around. Someone was watching them, a Dewott.

The Dewott stood close enough for its features to be identified, and that was what stole Leos’ mind. It was tall and proper, with its arms held firmly at its sides. Its head fur was excessive, messy, half covered the tops of its eyes, and stretched to neck level around the back of its head. A ragged, slightly torn red cape flowed behind it, which half hid a multi-coloured sword in a sheath. Its face was bold and calm, unlike Leos and his friends.

They stood here for what must have been upwards of a minute, doing nothing but staring at one another. Eventually annoyed with his thoughts, Leos curled his hands to make fists and tightened his gaze.

“Now you decide to show up. Come to get your diary back?” he said.
 
Episode 22: On the precipice of conflict

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 22: On the precipice of conflict



The tall Dewott stared at Leos in rigid silence. Annoyed, Leos stepped forward and clicked his teeth, scalchop in hand. “Well? You want it back, don’t you?”

“What are you doing here?” Dewott finally replied in his deep tone. Dewott was totally unfazed by Leos’ aggression, which only made him get even madder.

“Answer my question first,” he said.

“Hmpf. Keep it, it’s outdated. And you’ve read all the embarrassing parts already, anyway,” Dewott said with a small smile. He finally folded his arms.

“Wait a minute, diary- is this? Are you Dad?” Prem cried.

“Look at the sword he’s carrying. That’s the Sword of Earthly Elements,” Leos said, pointing at it. The others gasped and joined his side. “What are you doing here? Why did you go missing for all this time?”

“I answered your question, but you now won’t answer mine. I didn’t realise this was an interrogation,” Rune sighed and shut his eyes. “I won’t play coy anymore. Stop what you’re getting yourself involved in. You won’t investigate this any further.”

“After coming this far out? Why should I?” Leos raised his voice.

“You’re going to accuse the Tapu of the missing body, aren’t you?” Rune asked. Leos glanced back at the grave, reminded of the clear evidence he had to it being Tapu Lele’s doing. “Think about what you’re doing and how it affects others. I’m sure Ariala raised you with that thought process. You’ll be putting yourself and many others in more danger than you realise.”

“So what, I should just sit here and let them get away with something so callous?” he said.

“You’re still a child. You should leave it to the adults,” Rune said. Leos showed his teeth now.

“To hell with that! I’ve known you for less than five minutes and I can already tell that you and Mother are the same,” he said. He formed his double-sided Razor Shell. “I’m not going to sit around and do nothing. I’m not a child!”

Rune opened his eyes and hid a deep sigh behind his stoic pose. “Are you going to fight me? Is that your solution?”

“Uh-um, think about this one, Leos. It’s not good for family to fight,” Prem said.

“Plus, this is Prince Rune we’re talking about. I mean, I’d love for the chance to spar with him, but is this really worth it?” Ida added.

“Aren’t you guys with me? We’re going to stop a war from breaking out our way, no matter who gets in the way,” Leos said.

“I like that attitude. Let’s give it our best, yeah!” Griselle replied with a bit of a laugh. She posed with her lance. “I still don’t have my armour, but I should be alright!”

“I hope you have a plan, my lord,” Blossom said, mimicking Leos. Her own double-sided Razor Shell formed from her imaginary scalchop, which glowed with pink energy.

“Griselle and Blossom are already here. So that’s why you’re so brave,” Rune muttered. He withdrew one of his own scalchops, but didn’t form a Razor Shell with it. “Very well then. I will show you just a fraction of the power that you’re planning to challenge. Strike me down, and you win. Take a fatal blow, and consider yourself dead.”

“I’m not a child. Don’t expect me to just sit around and do nothing!” Leos shouted as he charged a Water Pulse around his left arm. He fired it with a thrust and immediately sprinted afterwards. He chased his Water Pulse attack to slash at Rune once he got close enough, but before his mind could register it, Rune had vanished.

What the?” he gasped in his mind. He was sure that his Water Pulse had hit something; it exploded in front of him. So why didn’t his Razor Shell hit? A quick glance to the left showed him that Rune had avoided both attacks, but was frighteningly close. Leos let out a cry and swung at him again, not seeing even a flinch of attempt to block or dodge.

Once again, he nearly toppled over from swinging his Razor Shell at nothing. A mere instant ago, Rune was in the spot he clearly saw, but was now behind Leos. He growled as he spun around and swung his Razor Shell once more, this time continuing to attack afterwards. Every single swing he made, he was sure he hit, yet Rune was somewhere else. It was almost as if his eyesight was playing tricks on him, telling him his target was in one spot, while it was actually in another.

“This- I- guys, can you see him?” Prem said, frozen in shock. Blossom and the others had stayed back to try and survey the battle, but to them, Rune was just as illusive.

“I can’t!” Griselle rubbed her eyes.

“There can’t be that big of a difference between us – going up against him is a death wish!” Ida said, angry at her hesitation to join the fight.

Before long, Leos ran out of breath and had to stop to reconsider what was going on, where Rune suddenly appeared behind him. The Dewott’s single Razor Shell poked his back, giving him a sharp spike in his senses that made him shiver.

“Do you know what this is? This would be the time to surrender, lest you suffer great damage,” Rune said.

Leos growled and chose to disobey. He stomped one foot on the floor to surround himself in water for an Aqua Jet attack, shooting straight forwards to escape this supposed inescapable position. Less than a second after he boosted however, he felt his neck get struck hard enough to choke and fall over. He couldn’t breathe for a few moments, causing him to panic and spasm on the floor, all until he realised what had happened. Rune had appeared in front of him, where he rammed directly into Rune’s Razor Shell.

“And if you had pulled that in a real battle situation, your enemy would not hesitate to kill you from there. Your life would be over, your future stolen from you,” Rune said, pointing his Razor Shell down at Leos’ chest.

Leos was livid, but more so speechless at what he had just experienced. Was this really the end of their battle? He didn’t even last a minute. If Rune was really some ruthless scoundrel in a war battle, would he really have died that easily?

Rune revoked his attack and sighed. “You know, it was my leniency with Diantha that caused her death so. She hadn’t nearly understood the danger that she was putting herself in, the danger that I was willingly allowing her to be part of. We both paid the price for it. I’m not going to let that happen to you.”

“Wh-why don’t yo-you just- te-tell me what’s going—” Leos said, unable to stay upright. His neck ached so much he couldn’t stop rubbing it.

“You’ve seen that Diantha’s body has been dug up from the grave. That is as far as you go. Do I make myself clear?” Rune said furiously. Leos didn’t answer. “I said, do I make myself clear?”

“Y-yes- ahem, yes Father,” Leos replied, the same bitter fury coming out in his own voice.

“Leos,” Griselle muttered.

“Return to the Tower of the Tapu at once. I do not expect to see you at a place like this ever again,” Rune said, putting his scalchop back on his hip. He walked over to everyone else. “Try to be better role models, okay? He’s only sixteen; stuff like this he shouldn’t be exposed to.”

“Don’t treat them like children,” Leos said.

“Wa-wait, Mister Dad- Rune- I mean your highness sir—” Prem said.

“Just Rune is fine,” he said. Prem paused.

“Rune, at least tell us where you’ve been and what you’re doing!” Prem said. Rune didn’t answer. “O-only if that’s alright and all that.”

“If I tell you, will you keep it a secret?” Rune folded his arms. Leos’ eyes widened.

“O-of course! No really, I mean it!” Prem said.

“You have my word.” Ida bowed.

“I’ve been working with Ariala from a distance. We’re the reason that neither army has made a real move to attack each other yet,” he answered. Leos gawked. “If you start trying to spark things by accusing the Tapu or the Constellars, you could mess up our plans. So don’t get involved in these affairs. Children need to stay at home.”

“Wait, if you’re really stopping war, then let me help you! I’m—” Leos cried.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Rune lowered his tone. The stern look on his face silenced Leos. “Children need to stay at home. That’s an order. Ida.”

“I understand,” the Purrloin replied and put away her lance. “Gotta admit I hate to do this, but come on everyone. We’re going back to the Tower of the Tapu.”

“Father,” Leos growled, watching him while his allies were rounded up.

Just as they left Rune crouched down at Diantha’s grave. The messiness of his head fur and some ripped parts of his cape caught Leos’ attention the most. He hadn’t noticed it right away since he was so overwhelmed by his Father’s sudden appearance, but the way he looked now said a lot about him.

His head fur was so messy and dirty, unlike Leos’ own. Sure, Leos didn’t care too much about his appearance, but at least his head had no black marks and was smoothed out to look orderly. It was so long as well, it was almost as if Rune never had the time to care for it. His cape was just as aged and weathered, falling apart with holes, loose threads, torn slits and more. Burns, bits of fluid, coloured stains and all sorts told of the many battles it had been used in. Why didn’t he ever get a new one?

Unknown feelings flared up inside of Leos, just from staring at his Father like this. He didn’t know what they were, but they were making him regret everything he had just said to the Dewott. He wasn’t glad to see him and he knew it, so why was he so hesitant to leave now? Why did he want to say he was sorry?

“Leos?” Ida called. The others were all a good walk away already, so he cursed himself, shook his head, and joined them.

“Um, I don’t know if this is a bad time but, I’m starving,” Griselle said, rubbing her belly.

“It is a bad time,” Leos said as he took the lead.

“Is it? I don’t believe we’ve eaten in a while, either. It’s a good call, my lord,” Blossom said. Leos growled and smacked his forehead.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry, I can’t help it!” Griselle cried.

“It’s technically my fault since I was in charge of you during this trip, anyway. Since we’re heading back, it’ll be an easy diversion.” Ida smiled.







About an hour or so later, the group had found their stop to rest and refuel, but Leos couldn’t bring himself to eat a morsel. Those unknown feelings lingered, and now that he was in a calm enough atmosphere to think about them, they were becoming clearer to him.

As he stared across the mess hall of the Stardust Treasury’s dining district, the image of Rune’s battered appearance melted in with the friendly faces of all the other public Pokémon around. He hadn’t seen his father in real life at all, or maybe once when he obviously wasn’t old and aware enough to get a good look. To only know him now as this old, gruff adult with an obscene level of combat experience over his own, hurt him.

That was his first real encounter with his father. He would never admit it, but with the way his Mother always acted, he wanted his first encounter to be a cliché family reunion of sorts. He wanted to meet Rune by surprise in a sunset field of flowers, and to run up and hug him without a care in the world. He wanted to be embarrassed by their comments towards the way Prem and Griselle acted. He wanted to show off his knowledge of moves and history that he had spent years researching and for them to praise him for it. He wanted them to be parents to him, just like the family of Pikachu sat a few tables across. The child was crying over spilt juice, the mother was comforting them, and the father was roasting a berry pie with his electricity.

He didn’t believe Ariala and Rune’s wishes to stay out of royal affairs. He knew too much, and it hurt too much to just sit and watch. But without being able to come close to Rune’s powers, what could he possibly do? Could he challenge Ariala instead? Or was it simply fate, and he was actually wrong to get involved? He shook away that thought as it only made him angrier.

“U-um, I know you’re paying, but it’s alright to go for another round, right?” Griselle said, piling a plate in the centre of their table.

“Another one? That was your fourth! How can you still eat?” Prem gasped.

“I dunno. This is nothing compared to Mama’s cooking, but it’s still good. It makes me have to eat more to feel full,” she said with a giggle.

“That doesn’t make any sense, but help yourself. Between you and me, Queen Magearna pays for it all,” Ida snickered.

“Swe-eet!” Griselle said. Blossom was the one to get up and purchase more for her. “My prince, aren’t you gonna eat? It’s best when it’s hot!”

Leos turned to her, unable to smile at all. “Just going to remind you that Tapu Lele has my Auntie’s dead body. That Goddess is physically holding her dead body. Think about that.”

“Leos,” she replied, going quiet. “C-c’mon, don’t say things like that.”

“There’s nothing you can do right now. You’ve been spoken to by your Father, you lost a duel, and in my case, I have direct orders to keep you safe. Whether you like it or not, I have to return you home,” Ida said, her legs casually crossed as she swirled her paws around some leftover sauce. She made room on the table for Blossom who returned with some plates. “You said you wanted to observe Griselle as a hybrid, right? Why don’t you focus on that for a while?”

“I did, didn’t I,” Leos said, and looked up. He immediately caught sight of some Mawile soldiers jogging towards them. “Faernian soldiers?”

“Commander Ida!” the duo saluted at the same time.

“Sheesh, what is wrong with you both? Don’t come barging into a public diner and call me that! You’re scaring everyone.”

“A-apologies, but it’s an emergency! We just received word from a messenger back at the Tower of the Tapu,” the soldiers said. Everyone sat up. “Tapu Bulu has returned to us, but has taken control of Faernia’s combat divisions. He’s preparing to mount a massive attack on Eris as we speak.”

“What?” Leos kicked away his seat. The others lost their minds as well.

“Apparently even Queen Magearna emerged to order the attack off, but Tapu Bulu and his followers refused. They have a fleet of airships at the ready. Something about getting revenge.”

“The news of Tapu Fini’s death,” Leos whispered. He slowly turned to his friends. “I knew I should’ve kept challenging him. Rune and Ariala can’t stop this. Guys, we need to—”

“Leos, no!” Ida said right away. “Damn, this has really put me on the spot. What’re the orders from headquarters?”

“They ordered an evacuation of the capital. The centre of the city is entirely Tapu Bulu’s fleet now,” the Mawile soldier reported.

“They’re that aggressive towards their own Pokémon?” Leos said.

“Send the message that I’m on my way. All units attack the fleet, keep them in Faernia’s airspace. We can’t let them leave!” Ida said.

“Roger!” the Mawile soldiers saluting.

“Wait, you two. I have a task for you two as well. This group here are Ariala’s son and his allies,” Ida said, surprising the two knights. “They need to get back to the castle. I’ll send the message and head back, but can I trust you to keep them safe here?”

“Are you serious? Ida, my Mother’s in just as much danger!” Leos said.

“Regardless, orders are orders. It’s my duty to protect you, and my responsibility for bringing you out this far when I shouldn’t have. You’re staying out of this,” Ida said. “Please keep these guys safe. I’m counting on you.”

“Roger! Our lives depend on it.” They saluted again.

Ida charged off after that, but Leos still tripped in petty effort to give chase. She was out of sight in in no time. Surprising, since she wasn’t that fast when they battled the Constellars.

He was made to flinch by a sudden blast of electricity that struck one of the soldiers from behind, knocking them out instantly. Blossom and Griselle were the first to react, and stood over Leos as they scanned the diner for their potential attacker, but no one was an obvious threat. Everyone else was thrown into a panic.

“Who?” Leos whispered. He flinched when another electric blast struck the other knight, this time directly on the head. The knight almost fell on top of him if not for Blossom yanking him away, but at least he could follow the attack to find the aggressor now. “Up there!”

“Ah!” Prem squeaked as he hid behind Leos’ group. A Togedemaru was latched to the ceiling with his spines, and wiggled himself free to bounce off the fallen Mawile.

“Well that was easy. I honestly don’t feel safe knowing our planet is protected by such incompetent fighters,” he said with a bored expression. “No time to waste though, huh? You sure you’re up for this, kid?”

Leos didn’t realise that he was the one being addressed. “Hmm? Who are you?”

“Just a bored guy looking for some action, really. But now’s not a time for a backstory about me. You wanna go up against Tapu Bulu, God of Earth and nature, right?” Togedemaru said with an implied a shrug. Leos tensed up. “I can get you an airship. But I’m only gonna do it if you’re planning to go all the way with it.”

“Wait, you can?” Leos said.

“Master Leos.” Blossom smacked her forehead.

“You don’t have to come,” he said.

“It’s not that. Ariala taught you to not to trust strangers, right? Especially not ones that openly attack the royal army,” she said, hands on her hips.

“Then don’t come,” Leos said. He turned back to Togedemaru. “I can’t begin to express just how annoyed I am about all this. I’m not going to sit around and do nothing while some self-righteous gods do whatever they want with our world.”

“You said it. I’m with you all the way, my prince!” Griselle said.

“I-I don’t like fighting or disobeying family, but I do trust you more, Leos. We’ll be okay, won’t we?” Prem said.

Togedemaru stared at them with a bored expression. “Hmpf. Don’t say you didn’t get warned. The name’s Shouta. I’ve had my fair share of crisis aboard airships, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

“Can you really get us an airship, though? What’s the plan?” Leos asked. Togedemaru hesitated again.

“That’s the thing: you’re the leader, here. This is your plan, so you should be the strategist, right?” he replied, and walked off. Leos exchanged sceptical looks with the others, who shrugged and followed.

Shouta sped up after he left the diner, leading the group through the crowded streets until they reached a damp alleyway. They were away from the public here, but he still scouted the area before revealing a heavy manhole sat in between them. He had to glow in the dark with Flash, brightening dung covered walls to their left and right.

“Is that stench?” Prem said.

“I just ate, too,” Griselle said, jerking away from helping him open the manhole.

Shouta snickered a bit. “Well pardon me for picking a spot. The poor have gotta go when they’ve gotta go, you know?”

“Pokémon without designated restrooms could at least litter the grass, couldn’t they?” Leos said, holding his nose. Shouta stopped partway down, now annoyed.

“Tell me, kid. Since you got here, when’s the last time you saw grass?” he asked. Leos didn’t reply.

To their surprise, a sewer system ran beneath the city, but this one was higher tech than anything seen above ground. The area was still dark, but unlike the alleyways, was a little lit up by the pipes of energy along the walls. Leos was immediately drawn to one and dared to touch it, and flinched at how hot it was. The yellow energy flowing through was hotter than an iron.

“There are different colours, too,” he muttered. “These are terrain extenders? Underneath the Stardust Treasury?”

“Yep. Keep up and you’ll learn a bit more.” Shout’s voice echoed. He wasn’t waiting for them at all.

Thankfully Shouta didn’t take them too far. A few turns left and right and the group found a room amongst the sewer’s square twists. It was clearly intended to be a maintenance room or something, well protected by a heavy metal door with a huge warning on it. A massive padlock had previously been in place, but had been mashed up and now hung attached to the handle.

“’Kay kids. Time to throw a party. I brought ‘em,” Shouta said as he stepped into the room. He immediately made for a beanbag and sunk into it.

“Shouta please, you scared me!” a Sylveon cried. “Is this really them? Prince Leos and his group?”

“You can see the hybrid, can’t ya? Sheesh,” Shouta replied. Sylveon groaned.

“Er,” Leos said as he warily examined the room. The variety of Pokémon here had no clear connection, as did the operations taking place. There was a single table littered with wrappers and newspapers, many different kinds of seats, and the left wall had a map on it. The map was plastered with notes and scribbles.

“Pardon the messy setup. The lazy hedgehog there likes to treat this place like it’s his bedroom,” a Greninja said. “We don’t have much time, so I’ll get to the point: we’ve been looking all over for you, your highness.”

“Is this a trap?” Blossom tensed up.

“Far from it.” Greninja shook his head. “We’re remnants of an old battle. We’ve all suffered from that battle and didn’t get the things we were promised – we lost those things instead. So now we’re part of our own division, separate from the two planets. Instead of raging war against the royalty that did us wrong, we’ve banded together to fight battles against the wrong and simply build our own world – to deliver justice to all. We are the Deliverance.”
 
Episode 23: Battle in the sky

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 23: Battle in the sky



It didn’t take long for the group to set off. It didn’t feel long to Leos anyway, as an hour flew by while they got acquainted with their new ‘army’. The Deliverance had done a good job introducing themselves and giving him confidence in his objective to stop Tapu Bulu. There weren’t a lot of them, but each and every one of them had a story to tell that gave them a drive to do what they were doing.

Their airship was as fancy as it needed to be. Leos stood at the front and stared out at the cloudy sky through the glass roof. Iron bars made a spiderweb pattern across the upper half of the ship, but only around the front. Otherwise, propellers carried the ship from the top, whilst giant, feather shaped oars rowed in perfect rhythm from the sides. It was all automated, where only the altitude and turning were manually handled by electricity and an awkward switchgear system.

Blossom had been behind him for a while, and finally sighed. She mimicked him for a minute, and then took in a breath. “Master Leos—”

“Don’t bother with it. When you dragged yourself here, you decided to go through with it all the way,” he said.

She moaned and shrugged. “I was actually going to advise you that you’re too tense right now. Is there something I can do to make you loosen up?”

He didn’t reply, so she continued. “Listen. You’ve given these other Pokémon a lot of hope, you know. So you’ll need to be able to plan well when it comes to this battle. You can’t be stiff and tense.”

“Yeah yeah! Not many Pokémon are brave enough to confront a god. But you’re doing it anyway, despite all the odds and everyone saying not to. That’s why you’re my hero, Leos!” Prem said as he skipped into the room. It was obvious he’d been hidden for a while.

“I guess I have to go along with that.” Leos rubbed his face.

“Hmm. I notice you immediately bent to Prem’s support, but not mine?” Blossom said. She giggled and rubbed her chin.

“You’re only doing your job of supporting. Words from you aren’t genuine,” he replied. The other two silenced. “What?”

“Don’t you trust Blossom? She hasn’t done anything wrong,” Prem said, rubbing his face.

“This isn’t about trust? I never asked for a retainer because I already have you to help me.” He folded his arms. “I know you’re only trying to be helpful and nice because it’s your job, or because I’m royalty.”

“Then fire me. You’ve been the one in charge this whole time, so you’ve had that option,” Blossom said with a smile. “I’m sure you knew that, but you want to ask me all the more about Constellars, don’t you?”

Leos gawked, unable to reply. “Precisely. Remember that you can’t hide ulterior motives from me. Either way, our motives just so happen to align with each other right now. I’m tired of letting the Tapu get away with the crimes they’ve done, and you want to stop them from starting a war.”

“How often have you been reading my mind?” Leos asked.

“Not a lot. You’re just that transparent,” she giggled again. Prem giggled with her.

“Prince Leos!” Griselle sung as she skipped into the room. “What’s everyone so giggly about?”

“And here comes the rest of the noise,” Leos said.

“Hey! Don’t be so grumpy. We’re about to fight,” she pouted.

The rest of the Deliverance gathered around a moment later. Each of them stood before Leos like soldiers. He wasn’t as bothered by their appearances as he was with the soldiers at the Tower of the Tapu however, as they all still held their character in their appearances. Tundra looked impatient as he stood tall and tapped his folded arms, Shouta barely gave an effort to look respectful, and Kelsith clearly wanted to look as proper as possible. The rest of the Deliverance barely had a ‘uniform’; they were just other normal Pokémon that looked ready to fight by his side. Something about them being normal put a smile on his face.

“It’s time to study, huh?” he muttered.

“We’ll be in contact in about ten. If those clouds clear up, we’ll likely spot them first,” Tundra said.

Leos turned back to the window, and surely enough, the enemy fleet came into sight after a few clouds passed. The number of enemies they would be dealing with intimidated him, but he knew he daren’t show it right now. Countless airships, possibly hundreds, filled the sky in a formation that resembled a swarm of Beedrill. All of these army airships were equipped with cannons, a drill on the front, tinted armour, and less vulnerable propellers and oars.

Fortunately for the Deliverance, they were set to intercept the very front of the fleet. That meant that Tapu Bulu was in their sights, coolly stood at the very front of the fleet on his own personal airship. It looked like a section of forested mountains had been pulled from the planet and planted on top of airship technology, as said airship had no protection outside of giant trees and steep, mossy hills across its surface.

Tapu Bulu himself was at the very front of it, rigid despite the heavy wind that must have been pushing against him. The black-scaled god resembled a bull, complete with long, green horns atop a tough red crown. His hands were large hooves, but his arms were even larger and muscular, whilst he stood on a single bell instead of having feet. The ring through his nose made it unmistakably Tapu Bulu, even though Leos had never seen him before besides the ancient artwork he’d seen all over Faernia.

“There he is. We’ll be in their airspace in seven. Hope you can come up with a strat that won’t get us all killed before then,” Shouta said. Leos glanced at him and blinked, then back at the army.

“There’s a lot of ‘em. How many soldiers do you think are on board?” Prem asked.

“Far too many to fight, that’s for sure,” he replied, tightening his gaze.

“Hmpf. Don’t underestimate us now, kid. We ain’t pacifists,” Shouta said. Kelsith pinched him with a feeler.

“We’re crossing their flight path, right?” he asked. Tundra nodded. “We’re not in space yet, either.”

“What’re you thinking?” Blossom said, a hint of concern in her voice.

“We leave this ship and jump straight on as a select group,” he replied. “Tapu Bulu’s airship is completely unprotected. If we land straight at the target, we’ll have a good amount of time to fight him without getting swarmed. Airships aren’t exactly built to transfer soldiers across them.”

“Ah. So we’ll technically be dealing with just one of those airships rather than the whole lot,” Tundra said.

“Suddenly, a thousand enemies shrinks to a hundred!” Prem cheered.

“Uh, is anyone listening to him? How’re we gonna jump on the airship?” Griselle cried.

“We get as close as possible, jump, and whoever’s controlling this thing just flies back to Faernia,” Leos said. “We split up as soon as we land. One group takes control of Tapu Bulu’s airship, while the other attacks Bulu himself. That way we can give ourselves more time, as well as get ourselves to safety back above Faernian ground.”

“Hmpf. I like it. Logical, yet suicidal,” Shouta snickered. “Looks like you guys made a good call in choosing Rune’s kid.”

“I-in-in case you didn’t realise, I’m a little on the fat side? You can’t expect me to make a jump like that!” Griselle squealed.

“You shouldn’t even be here, technically. Sorry for dragging you into this,” Leos said.

“Oh never mind that! You’re my prince, I said I’d help you!” she said. She moaned a bit. “But you know, this is a bit—”

“You there in the delivery wagon!” a voice echoed through the sky. Their voice was unnaturally clear. Someone was speaking through a very powerful megaphone. “Move your airship, or we’ll run right into you!”

“Like it or not, sounds like we’re going through with it. Weapons ready!” Tundra announced, raising an arm. The Deliverance rallied with him, some Pokémon spitting harmless attacks into the air instead of raising their weapons.

“Did you hear us? Move your flight path! We won’t hesitate to run right through you,” the megaphone ordered. Leos and the Deliverance gathered near the exit of their airship, with Kelsith stood at the back to get a good view of how close they were.

Leos’ heart began to race as he could tell just how close their airships were. The sounds of propellers and wind smashed against the door beside him, and he could only imagine how cold and powerful it was. If they couldn’t get close enough to Tapu Bulu’s ship when they jumped, that wind would likely just blow them out into the sky, and then it would be up to fate to decide what to do with them. He knew it was a ludicrous plan, yet he knew that if it worked, his parents would change their views of him entirely.

He shook his head. He came this far in his disobedience to them; why did their opinions on him matter? He wasn’t doing this to impress them and he knew it, so why did thoughts of them come up now, of all times?

“Get ready to jump. Open the door,” Kelsith said, her fears in her tone.

Leos shook his head again and gulped, getting a hand from Blossom and Griselle to get the door open. The heavy wind immediately smacked their faces and forced their eyes shut, while the temperature dropped considerably. The propeller noises from earlier intensified as well, no longer muffled at all by the walls around them.

Leos growled and tried to keep his breath in focus, but his heart raced at the realisation of what he was doing. Tapu Bulu’s airship was so close that he could make out the blades of grass upon its surface. This was the timing they’d been waiting for. With a quick glance to ensure nothing else could stop him, he cried out as he leapt as far as he could. The wind immediately struck and forced him to glide in another direction, and chilled him to bone so much that his eyes watered.

In fact, it literally carried him. The scenery of the trees and hills scrolled past him as he fell, so he began to swim through the air in hopes of somehow beating it and latch himself to the ground. He was just too light, and he was soon spiralling helplessly through the air.

“Leos!” Prem cried, doing the same just beside him. Leos held his breath and struggled to find something, anything that he could grab a hold of. He eventually did grab Prem’s paw, who then linked both their paws tightly. “Ready? Hold tight now!”

Leos didn’t reply, but Prem worked anyway. The Pikachu’s magical orb formed in between them, which flashed as if it released a spell. The familiar black star of a Constellar move appeared above them briefly before their weight multiplied by many times. The duo shot straight to the surface of the airship like a paperweight and almost smashed into the floor. They staggered and shivered upon landing, but both of them were alright.

“Gravity? Nice thinking!” Leos said with a little laugh. Prem’s Gravity move had affected the rest of the Deliverance as well, and they all to had an easy time landing on the ship. Once he was sure they were all there, Prem let up on the move and his orb stopped glowing. “This is why I count on you!”

But their celebrations were short lived. Once gravity returned to normal, soldiers surrounded them on all sides possible. The trees separated the soldiers’ formation however. They were all Faernian, from Mawile, to Granbull, and a single Alolan Ninetales.

“We have a saying for when we start our battles, you know,” Tundra said, keeping his back to the others as he strafed.

“Is now the time for childish rallies, though?” Shouta groaned.

“Doesn’t matter. Now’s the time for us to deliver the future!” Kelsith replied with enthusiasm.

“For the Deliverance!” the Pokémon chanted in perfect sync with their weapons and attacks raised high.

Leos smiled, and then slowed to a complete halt as they took over the battle with even more expertise than he imagined. Tundra tore through knights in single hits with Water Shuriken attacks that tore holes in their armour. He must have been hitting critical spots too, because each shuriken brought a knight to the floor, where Shouta rammed right into them with a sparkly Zing Zap attack. Being in the forested layout played well to Tundra’s advantage too, since he could jump from tree to tree like any Greninja would.

Kelsith was on the opposite side going completely against the docile character Leos had seen of her so far. She took on five knights at once, using four of her feelers like stretchable hands to trip, tangle, and strike them from afar. She took on the fifth one directly with Fairy Wind attacks fired from her mouth, and didn’t hesitate to use Draining Kiss on the enemies who were vulnerable.

Every member of the Deliverance was giving it their all to keep the Faernian army back. Leos and his group did not have to do anything at all because of how well they were fought, but he knew that he couldn’t sit around like this. Other soldiers would land on this ship at the earliest opportunity and turn this battle around. If the generic soldiers were taken care of, then he needed to take advantage and go straight for the boss.

“This way, Leos!” Blossom called out.

He signalled for Prem and the others and followed her through a bundle of trees and bushes, much of it so congested that he couldn’t run or see the scenery around him. If it wasn’t for the strong, constant wind, as well as the stale light from the sky, he would believe they were in an actual forest.

Surely enough, Blossom had taken them through it all and into the clearing where Tapu Bulu was waiting. He hadn’t moved from the front tip of the airship, and only turned around to keep his eyes on the battle.

He wasn’t alone, however. Two Primarina guarded the way to him, both sat either side of a Meowth with light blue-grey fur. The Primarina were well protected by armour fit for their species, and the Meowth held a long sword in his left hand.

“I’m impressed! You managed to get this far, and all with a plan that could get past the formation of Faernia’s greatest royal army: The Cat’s Brigade!” the Meowth greeted, pointing a finger at them.

“The ship is covered with forest. Your soldiers could barely hold a formation,” Leos replied, stood one foot in front of the other. His right hand was ready to draw his Razor Shell at any moment. “Also, is this really the Cat’s Brigade? Primarina aren’t cats.”

“Hey, I make the rules around here. This is as far as you go though, you little troublemakers. I don’t know who you are, but your charade is punishable by death. Prepare to face the full might of Faernia’s most powerful enemy, Paladin Charle, head of the Cat’s Brigade!” Meowth said, and point to himself. He posed as he spoke with quick and fancy but excessive movements with his sword.

“Ida’s husband,” Prem whispered.

“Figures a big fighter like him would be guarding a Tapu like this. If Ida’s skill is anything to go by, then we need to be careful,” Blossom said.

Charle went on to emphasize that fact. He crossed his arms over his front and floated off the ground, where a deep, black aura of energy formed around him. With a roar, he released that energy in a shockwave that surrounded himself in a sphere of spatial darkness. “Wait, Constellar magic? What move is that?”

“You don’t know? Wait, why is Faernia’s royal army capable of Constellar magic?” Leos gasped. He drew back and readied his Razor Shell.

“Get them first,” Charle said. His voice completely changed from energetic to cold and merciless. The water types slid forward a bit, stood on their tails, and then both used Sparkling Aria at once. A high-pitched sound emitted from their mouths as orbs of water began to form in the air.

“On your guard!” Leos retracted his Razor Shell to protect his face.

A second later, the orbs exploded into countless more orbs of water, which each flew across the battlefield and exploded into bursts of water and deafening sound. Despite blocking as best he could, Leos felt himself knocked this way and the other, and cringed at the pain that blasted his eardrums. His breath wasn’t knocked out of him yet though, and he merely tripped up from the attack.

“I’ve got it!” Blossom said, glowing a bright blue. She mimicked the Primarina and managed to create her own Sparkling Aria attack. The exact same animation played out in their favour, and Charle’s party were forced to block just as desperately as Leos’ group. This gave Griselle the chance to charge forward and thrust at one of the Primarina with her spear.

Impressed with her reactions, Leos drew his Razor Shell again and aimed for the other Primarina, but his first slash was blocked by the armour on its arm. They both growled at each other, but Leos didn’t give up there. He began to twist and spin his scalchop as quickly as he could to slash at different parts of the Primarina in hopes of hitting it somewhere its armour didn’t protect. He barely got off about six hits before the water type slapped him away, where it forced him back on the defensive with an impatient Bubble Beam attack.

“Prem!” Leos said.

The Pikachu knew the order before he’d even spoke. He let out a Thunder wave attack which pierced right through the Bubble Beam to hit the Primarina. It cried out as volts sizzled all over and stunned it to the ground.

Leos quickly fired a Water Pulse and then chased it with his Razor Shell out. The Water Pulse caused the Thunder Wave to flare up and electrocute Primarina, giving him the perfect chance to stab its vulnerable point with Razor Shell.

“To think we thought up that combo one day, and it even works on elite soldiers,” Leos said to himself as the enemy fell in defeat.

Meanwhile, Blossom and Griselle took care of the other Primarina. They had teamed up to power their way through its armour rather than find a way to strike around it. Blossom was stood at a distance, continuously using Psyshock to pin it to the spot while Griselle kept hitting its armour with heavy sideways slashes. Although they weren’t critically damaging it, the cries from the Primarina told of the concussive damage it was taking and its inability to defend. Eventually Griselle foresaw an end, and she roared at the top of her voice as she put full effort into one more slash, and swiped so hard that she spun her whole body around.

A high-pitched scream took over the ship as the Primarina’s armour was torn off from the attack. It panicked and used Aqua Jet to arc through the air and escape, but it slammed into the ground beside Charle from how hastily it used the attack. He was smiled cockily despite the obvious loss of his two elites, which kept Leos on edge.

“Good. You didn’t let yourself die from that,” Charle snickered. “Can’t you take on multiple opponents, though?”

“We can, but we’re long distance attackers. The other soldiers should be fighting upfront while we attack from a distance, but they all ran off when you ordered them to,” the Primarina said with a weak huff.

“Of course it’s my fault. Could you have expected these kids to be this problematic?” he said with a shrug. “I won’t waste time. You know what to do.”

“Sir yes sir! Which star sign?” Primarina asked.

Charle thought for a second, and snickered again. “Go with Taurus. It’s fitting for Tapu Bulu’s presence.”

“Watch your step. He’s going to try something,” Blossom said Prem and Griselle stood guard on either side of Leos.

“Hey, you there. Constellars. What position are you in with the religion?” Charle asked.

“I’m not with them anymore. Don’t think of me as a Constellar,” Blossom replied. She gasped and started mimicking him.

“I-I was pretty high up, but I left, too,” Prem added. Charle started laughing.

“Then let me show you something new. The newly discovered power that Constellars are capable of, moves granted to us by the star gods themselves,” he said with a snap of his fingers. His sheathed his sword on back. “Let’s go! I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!”

As he began his chant, both Charle and Primarina began to move in the exact same way in perfect sync with each other. They crossed their arms across their chests and then stretched them out in front, keeping them crossed. As they did, dark, glittery energy that resembled the starry night sky began to surround them in a fiery aura.

“Guys, spread out!” Blossom screamed, her face pale with fright.

“Let darkness brew no longer. Give me full reign over the cold grasps of the suffocating outer space!” Charle continued, still posing.

He and Primarina crouched and curled their arms around to draw a circle, and then stood tall to gesture horns on their heads. The aura around Charle flared up even more, and the Taurus star sign appeared in front of him for a brief moment.

“What is this?” Leos whispered.

The spatial sphere that surrounded Charle before suddenly appeared in the centre of their group, only this time, it resembled some sort of three-dimensional portal that distorted the air. The dark space violently began to suck everything into it, even the two Primarina knights.

“Your defeat is at hand! Black Hole Eclipse!” Charle shouted, now using his hands to control the black hole. It grew in size, making short work of sucking in Leos and his group despite them spreading out so far from each other.

Leos couldn’t even begin to register what happened next. It was already cold out in the sky on top of the airship, but once he was drawn into the centre of that black hole, he felt like he was stuck in the middle of a frozen lake, or worse. It was so cold that he felt like the moisture in his body froze instantly, causing him to choke on his breath and his body to go stiff. It ached all over, and every squirm of pain resulted in more pain, burning from the inside of his body to steal every bit of energy his little breath had left to give him. His eyesight succumbed to agony as bright, burning colours gave him unbearable spasms.

Outside of the chaotic attack, Charle was laughing maniacally, even though both of his Primarina had been trapped inside as well. When he reached the peak of his laughter, he crossed both arms and gestured crushing of the black hole with both paws. Right on cue, the black hole burst into a giant explosion of dark flames that scattered across the grassy floor. Leos and his friends screamed at that climax, left hovering in the air for a moment before they fell to the ground like lifeless dolls. Their bodies showed no visible damage, but the black flames that lingered told of the attack’s success.

“Hmm, figures that even the elite soldiers couldn’t resist the greatness of my attack. If they’re the best Faernia has to offer me, then it shows that no one can stand up to me,” Charle said. He approached Leos’ discard body and scratched his chin. “Master Lin was right, though. The hybrids are a great danger to all of Etheria. To think Rune and Ariala’s kid would go through all of this trouble just to stop Tapu Bulu.”

He gave a sorrowful sigh and then raised his sword in preparation to stab Leos. “Goodbye, Leos, prince of nothing.”

He stabbed downwards with all his might, but he stabbed the ground instead. Leos’ body had been pushed away somehow, and he gasped. To the left, Blossom was barely holding herself up with one hand while her other hand used Psychic.

“Whoa. You survived that?” Charle said with a laugh. He raised his sword to renew the spatial sphere that surrounded him before. “But what good is it now? You kids are as good as dead. You couldn’t do anything useful now even if you tried.”

Blossom replied with a struggled breath as she forced herself to her feet. She thrust one arm at him to hit him with a blast of Psychic, but it fizzled out over him. Charle didn’t even budge.

“You idiot. I’m dark type. Why not just do things the honourable way and accept your crimes with death?” Charle said. “What more honourable a way to end your criminal lives with death delivered by the paws of the almighty Paladin Charle? I’ll be sure to make the tale of our battle a legend. At least Pokémon will remember you for making it this far.”

Blossom didn’t reply. Instead, she thought desperately for a way to get out of this right now. Without being able to damage Charle at all, as well as Tapu Bulu watching patiently behind him, she had very few options. One fact that popped up in her mind as she surveyed was that Leos and the others were each close to the edge of the ship. She glanced back at Charle, who was still talking about himself, and settled on her last-ditch plan.

“Please for the love of the gods, survive!” she hissed as she used Psychic just three more times. She only had the strength to use blasts on her three friends, sending Leos, Prem, and Griselle right over the edge of the ship.

“You little- you suicided them!” Charle cried. Blossom tried to ignore him and turned tail to jump off the ship herself, but her effort only brought Charle to just as much impatience. He didn’t hesitate to run right up and stab her in the back. He pushed his sword until it pierced right through her back to her front. At her strength, all she do was utter was a sound of agony and slump forward. “I gave you a proposition, and you still said no? You terrorists are too much sometimes.”
 
Episode 24: The Second Country ~ The Legend of Etheria

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 24: The Second Country ~ The Legend of Etheria



Leos sprung awake with a sharp jolt. A nightmare caused him to move too quickly, and he ended up squirming from a horrible pain in his back.

“Prince Leos!” Griselle cried, leaned over him as he slowly fell back down.

He didn’t look at her, but he recognised her voice enough to know it was her. He also recognised the nightmare that caused him to shoot awake this way. It was the premonition he had when he entered the Constellar Church.

It took him a while to settle his breath and open his eyes, where a worried Griselle was leaned over him. Her face brightened when he looked at her though, her sunny smile a big relief to the darkness he’d just seen. He felt like he was lying on damp sand or something of the sort, and stretched to try and scratch the itches it was giving him.

“Prince Leos, are you alright?” Griselle said as she helped him up.

The moment she touched him, the reality of his condition hit like a truck: he was at one percent right now, barely awake and functioning. It hurt to sit up, his vision was blurry and dizzy, his ears were muffled, his body ached from famine, and more. He could barely raise a hand or utter a sound to reply, and instead fell forward onto all fours.

Darn it, not now!” he cursed in his mind as he gasped for life. He was so sore and fragile that it hurt to breathe. “I should be used to this by now but… if I don’t recover, I really will just pass out again!

“I’m gonna take that as a big no no. B-but on the bright side, I know where we are! And Prem is safe, too!” she cheered. “We don’t have far to go. Prem, Leos is awake!”

“Prem,” Leos managed to huff. No doubt Prem was beyond worried, but he didn’t say anything at all. He just put his hands together and stared. He looked like he was going to cry at any moment.

“Can you stand?” Griselle asked again. She barely gave Leos a chance to try since he was still puffing and panting on all fours. She nodded to herself and her thoughts and hoisted him onto her back.

“Gr-Griselle, what’re you d-doing?” Leos said.

“You’re not gonna make it, so I’ll take you as far as I can. It’s really not far to the tents, so you won’t have to worry about me,” she said with a smile. With that, she jogged off.

Thankfully, the unusual act caused Leos to wake up a little. He was still fighting to stay awake, but he could at least see and hear properly now. Wherever they were, it was nothing like anything he had ever seen.

Griselle led them out of a tight enclosure of uniquely shaped towers of rock and into the vast expanses of a desert, but they appeared to be near to the edge of that desert. Sand, dunes, and heat fluctuations were all he could see to one side, whilst their destination, a prairie, covered the other side.

The biggest concern was that no one was around. Leos hadn’t seen a real desert before, but he knew of all the dangers and comforts that led some Pokémon to live in them. Why not a hint of life was in sight worried him, but in his current state, he knew not to question it.

“Griselle, what is this place?” Prem finally asked. Once they reached the grassland, the heat from the sunlight seemed to cool. That was probably more due to the fact that the sun was setting, though.

“It’s a place called the Second Country. Grandma can explain it better.” She huffed between sentences.

Leos gave a groan and squirmed in discomfort. He hadn’t heard of this place before. A large collection of tents and structures that looked like cheap treehouses soon came into sight, just as Griselle had hinted at earlier. No one was around still, but these tents lifted any worries he had as to whether Pokémon lived here or not.

“Now where is everybody?” Griselle sung. Prem searched with her as if he knew the place, but soon gave her a perplexed look. She ignored him and ran into one of the bigger tents at random. Nothing was there except for a few soft mats on the floor. She set Leos down on one and brushed her paws. “There we go! I guess everyone’s just out right now. I wonder what happened?”

“Griselle,” Prem groaned, while Leos didn’t answer. He just sat there with his arms wrapped around himself. His stomach growled, and he groaned.

“Okay okay, I get it, too hungry to move and all that. I-I can try and find some fruit or something, but until the others show up, I can’t get a proper meal,” she said with a nervous laugh. Leos glared at her, and she started sweating. “I guess I’ll just go and find that! So stay right here, ‘kay? I’ll be right back.”

Silence fell. Leos and Prem stared for a while until the latter sighed and sat down, a troubled look on his face. Leos ignored it for a while until he strained to sit back and try to relax. As the sun set, a dim lighting came through the cloth that gave the room a warm feel.

“Leos,” Prem said. He struggled to look at Leos.

“Prem. Really, where are we?” Leos said.

“I don’t know. Griselle just said this place is called the Second Country. She seemed pretty happy that we ended up here, too,” Prem replied. Leos was quiet.

“We’re dead, aren’t we?” he eventually asked.

“Wha-what? N-no, we’re not dead!” Prem gasped.

“We fell to Charle’s attack. I have no doubt he killed us!” he said.

“No, we’re not! I know it doesn’t make sense that we’re alive, but I can just tell. It feels too real.” Prem shook his head. “Besides, I refuse to accept that I’ve died without- without telling you I—”

Leos turned to face him at that, straight faced and bothered by the wording. Seeing that, Prem hugged himself and turned away to hide his face. “Prem. What’re we going to do?”

“I- I don’t know, Leos.” Prem slumped forward.

“I’ll tell you what we’re going to do,” he said. Prem looked up in surprise. “We’re going to figure out where we are, get back to Eris, and stop Tapu Bulu. We’ll find out what the Tapu are up to and stop them, too. And once all of this is over, we’ll get some ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” Prem said.

“Yes. We’ll talk about that over ice cream,” he said. “Over at the Luvdisc Lake. I still haven’t forgotten that you wanted to go there.”

“Leos,” Prem said. His face went bright red.

“Until then, please try to focus. If we’re alive, then we need to find out where we are and how to get back,” Leos growled and scrunched up his face. “I can’t have you getting distracted by feelings like this. Not now. We have too many important things to do.”

“Isn’t talking about this important, too?” Prem said.

“Only if your priorities are in the wrong place. I’m on the verge of starving to death while my two families are about to engage in war that will destroy the world. Your feelings can wait,” he said. Prem moaned again. “Urf, listen. It really is because of that Rosie character, isn’t it? I can’t see why else you’re so fond of me.”

“Rosie?” Prem said.

“Yes. That Mimikyu Constellar that was with Master Lin. She clearly has her whole life set on being with you. She even dressed herself in that Pikachu cloth to look like you. Yet still you’re here, dropping obvious implications that you have feelings for me,” he said. Prem jolted around to face him and his face went completely red.

“Waitwaitwait, that’s not what I- that’s—” Prem squeaked, shaking his hands.

“C’mon, Prem. There’s no point in trying to style it out now. I’ve already seen how you’ve been reacting to Griselle,” he said. Prem’s breath turned heavy and he clutched his chest with both paws. He couldn’t stop blushing, but forced himself to look at his friend.

“She’s… she put me off girls. No, wait. I don’t know how to put this,” Prem mumbled. “She changed me, Leos. We go way back, but she inserted herself into my life. I was only nice to her for a short while, and she started obsessing over me. She wouldn’t even let me use a litterbox without following me and saying how much she liked me. Back then, I didn’t even like myself very much.”

“I can see why that much affection would be off-putting.” He rolled his eyes.

“When I left the Constellars- no. That’s a story for another time,” Prem muttered. “Just know that she’s the reason I left the Constellars. And then I met you, and you’re kinder than anyone I’ve ever met. Or just, I feel like I understand you. I’m happy to do what I do best, which is following and helping you in any way I can. I think I would like you this much even if I liked girls.”

“Listen to me, Prem,” Leos said. He went quiet, shuddered in pain.

“Leos?” Prem replied.

“Think about things more carefully. I’m the first royalty of both planets at once,” he said. There was another moment of silence until he faced Prem with a serious look on his face. “If I was to have a husband rather than a wife, would the world be ready for that? When the world already struggles to accept our planets joining together?”

“Oh,” Prem gasped. Leos looked away again.

“I’m not declining you. I don’t actually care about romance. But think about how I might feel, as well as whether you’re ready to deal with it or not,” he said, and shook his head. “And talk to Griselle and Blossom, okay? They’re girls, but they’re not Rosie.”

“Oh no, that’s fine. I’ve already made up my mind on that.” Prem blushed again.

Before he could continue, Griselle returned along with two other Pokémon, two Meowstic at first glance. Once Leos’ eyesight focused however, he realised that the male Meowstic was a combination of said species and a Dewott, sharing similar mismatched features to Griselle.

“Wait, you’re?” he whispered as he tried to stand.



Later that evening…



“That’s quite a story. I kinda can’t believe that you guys almost went up against Tapu Bulu,” Nier said, rubbing the back of her head. Griselle’s parents had sorted out food and tended to any pain Leos’ party had, and had just finished listening to their story up until now. Time seemed to fly as darkness had fallen over the world, but it only felt as though an hour had passed.

“If you had battled him, you would definitely had died. The gods don’t spare those that oppose them.” Vincent scratched his chin. “About your waking up here in the Second Country. I fear we may be able to answer that,”

“Good. I need to know where this is and how to get out of here,” Leos said as he stuffed his face with apples and berries.

“You’re in the Second Country, the second planet in the world of Etheria. It’s located directly in the centre of Etheria’s central planet,” Vincent said. He promptly stood up. “Follow me for a bit, please.”

“In the centre?” Prem asked.

“In some undocumented generation in ages past, Eris and Faernia were once one whole planet that floated high in the sky. That planet surrounded this one we’re on now, and shrouded it in eternal darkness,” Vincent explained. “Eventually we ended up with what we have now. This is the planet that was once in darkness. It came to be known as the Second Country, the second world discovered by the ancients.”

“Whoa, cool. The more you know. I didn’t know you knew stuff like this, Papa!” Griselle giggled.

“This isn’t ‘cool’. How do we get out of here?” Leos said.

“Well I got outta here. I’m pretty certain we can do it again,” she giggled even more.

He turned his attention to where they were going to try and make connections to the story. Clouds covered the sky almost completely, and in the small spots where there weren’t any, the night sky peeked through. However, this darkness wasn’t like the nights on Faernia. Not a single star was visible. It was pitch black, almost like the darkness had been digitally coloured in behind the clouds.

There were a lot more treehouse tents than he realised, and each one had been individually constructed and so was different from another. They weren’t even put up in a coherent pattern, scattered across the prairie like an actual campsite the size of a village. Vincent weaved around them until he reached a particularly large one that had a strange, greenish-orange light coming from it, and held the cloth up to let everyone through.

“Blossom!” Leos gasped immediately.

Lying on a mat in the middle of the room was the Mime Jr., currently being tended to by a very small hedgehog Pokémon. Grass and tiny yellow flower buds sprouted from the Pokémon’s back, while pretty pink flowers grew from the sides of its cute face. Right now, the Pokémon was straining as it used Synthesis on Blossom, but it came to a stop when Leos shouted.

“I had a feeling you’d know her. We found her with a fatal wound yesterday,” Nier said. Blossom had been bandaged around her stomach and wasn’t awake, but was breathing. “Shaymin, how’s her recovery?”

There was no reply, so Leos looked over at the Pokémon he hadn’t seen before. The tiny hedgehog stared right back, its face straight and saddened.

“But why? Why is she severely injured, unlike the rest of us? What happened to her?” he asked.

“She had been stabbed right through her back. My guess is she managed to save you by throwing you all over the edge of the airship, but took a stab from Charle in the process,” Vincent said. “The thing that concerns me is the fact that your father didn’t lead you here. Did he even mention the Heaven Seal?”

“Blossom had no reason to try and protect us like that,” Leos said. He grit his fangs. “How do you know my father?”

“It’s only a plan that the lot of us set up. If you’re here and you’re trying to fight Tapu Bulu, then it’s only right that know full well what you’re getting yourself into,” Nier said. “We’re Ariala’s old retainers. And you’ve obviously gotten to know our daughter, who we sent out to help you out.”

“That’s right!” Griselle said. Leos spared her a glance, so she waved happily.

These must be Mother’s other retainers that Ida mentioned,” he thought to himself.

“Please listen to our story. You know about the legend of Faernia and Eris, don’t you?” Vincent asked.

“Which legend? There are quite a few,” Leos replied.

“Of the hero that created the peace treaty,” Vincent said. Leos folded his arms. “Many generations ago, the two planets were at war. Dragons and fairies opposed each other for land, treasure, food, and other things. It was a worldwide war that raged seemingly without end, all until it threatened to destroy the world. The dragons planned to use a powerful tool called the Dragon Weapon which could have brought all to ruin, but a lone hero stood up and sacrificed themselves to prevent its use.”

“Seeing the danger that the weapon posed, while having their attentions brought to the destruction that the war had already caused, the dragons and fairies stopped fighting. They made a peace treaty that would stop them from fighting ever again,” Nier said, paws on her hips. “That’s why your parents are who they are. They came together and had you as a sort of ‘renewal’ of the peace treaty. But when you were actually born- actually, a little before you were born, things changed.”

“So that’s who I am. Just a little symbol of your peace treaty,” Leos said. He sighed and looked away.

“That hero from the past? That Pokémon was a hybrid,” Nier added. Leos’ eyes widened.

“Whoa, so just like Griselle? Does that mean Griselle’s this generation’s hero?” Prem said.

“No. It’s Leos,” Vincent said.

“I’m not a hybrid, though,” he said.

“You really couldn’t figure that out? Your father’s a Dewott and your mother’s a Clefable. Those two can’t breed, yet they had you,” Vincent said with a cocky smile. “On top of that, even when interspecies breeding is involved, the female always takes precedence over the male. You should’ve been born a Cleffa, yet here you are an Oshawott. An Oshawott that should excel at magical powers.”

“You do! You can do Constellar magic without even being a Constellar, Leos!” Prem cheered. “And you’ve got that double-sided Razor Shell, too. You’re a hero, Leos! A living, breathing, hero of legend!”

“A hybrid,” Leos whispered. He stared into his hands. “It makes sense. I can’t prove it right now, but it’s certainly a point of interest to follow. My body struggles to fight for long, almost as if my genetic structure isn’t built for it. It’s mixed up between an Oshawott and a Cleffa, limiting my natural abilities.

“When you met Prince Rune, he should have given you a special Master Seal called a Heaven Seal. You can use that to become strong enough to do what you need to do,” Vincent said. He folded his arms. “Instead, he made you fight him and then refused to say anything. I wonder why?”

“Well, what is it I’m supposed to do?” Leos asked desperately.

“That’s enough,” Shaymin finally spoke up, revealing her high pitched, girly voice.

“Grandma?” Griselle said.

“Grandma?” Leos and Prem gasped.

“That’s enough of this conversation. You’re not ready for the Heaven Seal. That’s why he didn’t give you it,” Shaymin said. The tent fell to silence. “… Go on, leave. Go find yourself something to do.”

“Wait, what? Are you serious?” Leos replied.

“Shaymin is the Goddess here. I’m afraid her word is final.” Vincent unfurled his arms.

“Then forget the Heaven Seal and this whole legend thing. I need to know how to get out of here and back to Eris,” Leos cried and shook his head. Shaymin gave him a saddened glare.

“So you can do what, exactly?” she said. “Listen, hybrid. I’ve been watching you for a long time. I’ve seen you fight. I’ve seen you react. I know what will become of you and your friends if you leave here now. Well, if they’re really your friends, that is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Leos said.

“You’re a prideful jerk, you know that? You didn’t care about your friends until I challenged your relations with them,” she said. She cut Leos off before he could respond. “How about right now, huh? No interest in the state of your friend?”

He stopped to give that some thought, realising that she meant Blossom. The Mime Jr. was still unconscious, and thankfully showed no signs of discomfort. “She’s not a friend yet, though. She’s just my retainer.”

“Just your retainer, huh,” Shaymin muttered. “Get out of my sight, all of you.”

“Shaymin, I desperately need to—”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to experiment with Griselle and the fact that she’s a hybrid? Why don’t you focus on that for a while!” She raised her voice.

“How did you know I- urf, I did say that, but there’s more important things right now,” he said.

“You’re not getting the Heaven Seal and you’re not getting out of the Second Country. That’s final,” Shaymin said. Leos glared back at her, but her expression didn’t budge.

“C’mon, Leos. There’s nothing left we can do,” Prem said, tapping him on the back. He growled and continued to glare as he stepped away.

Minutes later, the group was gathered outside, surprised at how dark it had become. Vincent and Nier didn’t waste a second in directing Leos and his group to a tent they could sleep in. It didn’t take long, and conveniently, there were mats and blankets already laid out inside the one they found.

“Well this is a predicament,” Leos said. He sat down and folded his arms. “We’re stuck here until we either figure out how to leave, or Shaymin decides to give us a pass.”

“Y-yeah,” Prem mumbled.

“Is something on your mind, Prem?” he raised his voice. The Pikachu flinched. “Hmm. She mentioned the way I treat my friends, but what could that possibly have to do with getting out of here, or a seal of evolution?

“Grandma can be hard to figure out sometimes. She is a grandma, after all,” Griselle piped up and giggled. “It gets super dark and super light super quickly in the Second Country, ‘cos it’s such a small planet. I think it’s something like an hour for it to go between day and night?”

“Two hours, hun,” Nier said.

“Just two hours between day and night here?” Leos said, surprised. “That’s not long to sleep. I’m not even tired.”

“Well yeah. That’s why everyone lives in these tents,” Nier said, putting her paws on her hips. “Here is basically paradise, you know. Nothing much fights, Pokémon share because we don’t have currency, and nature’s thriving. You could honestly just live down here no problem.”

“It’s not like I have a choice in that matter right now,” he groaned and looked away. “Wait a minute. Nature is dying on Eris due to lack of support. It’s only on Faernia because of the Tapu. How is it here?”

“Beats me. Just one of those miracles,” Nier said.

“Are there evolution springs?” he said.

“Loads! I could take you to one tomorrow, if you want,” Griselle said. Leos rubbed his chin.

Nature without aid of the Tapu, Pokémon that coexist in a civilisation without currency… and Mother’s missing retainers are here, have been living here for quite a while,” he thought hard. “Sounds like I have a lot of work to do. When the sun rises, it’s time to study.

“Er… see the thing is, Prince Leos,” Griselle said, twiddling her feet and hands. “I was wondering if you’d let me show you around tomorrow, anyway. Just the two of us.”

“Just the two of us? You know your way around so I don’t see why not, but why just us two?” Leos asked. Prem started squeaking, sweating and backed away.

“There’s something I wanna talk about, of course,” she said with a smile.

“If there’s something important to talk about, just say it now,” Leos replied.

“Psh, no! It’s one of those things. Ya’know, those things, that has to be talked about alone. I-it’s about me being a hybrid and all, and it’s sorta embarrassing,” she cried.

“I guess. Okay. Prem, I’m counting on you to—” he said. He froze at Prem’s surprised appearance. The Pikachu was leaned against the wall with teary eyes. “Erm, yeah. I’m counting on you to explore the other areas. If we only have two hours of daylight, we’ll report back here when it’s dark.”

“O-okay Leos,” he moaned and slumped forward.

“I’ll figure something out one way or another. We’re getting to Eris before Tapu Bulu, and I don’t care how,” Leos said as he raised a fist. Vincent and Nier exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and then promptly left the tent.
 
Episode 25: Leos’ Awakening

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 25: Leos’ Awakening



“This way, Leos!” Griselle sung as she skipped far ahead of him. He refused to run after her, but he did walk faster to keep up. He didn’t say anything either, paying too much attention to his deserted surroundings.

After a rest in the tents, the strange time functions of the Second Country came true and light returned to the world. A few other Pokémon showed up from out of the tents as if it was a normal morning even though there was only two hours of night. The sun even rose fast.

As they traversed the desert away from the prairie and tents, Leos’ mind wandered. Prem clearly didn’t want him to go out with Griselle like this, but couldn’t work up the courage to outright say it. He felt that the Pikachu had acted strange from since they woke up here, but without anything bad coming out of it, he had no reason to complain. Yet still it almost distracted his thoughts from what he knew he should’ve been thinking about.

“So, what do you actually wanna see?” Griselle asked as she twirled to a stop. Leos slowed down and gave her a weirded-out look.

“For someone walking across a desert, you have a lot of energy,” he said.

“Eh, it’s not so bad. It’s not super-hot or anything. Plus, I’m really happy right now,” she giggled.

“Hmm. Well, everything’s up in the air right now. My only idea is that evolution spring. I want to see if I can find out how nature is growing down here,” he said. “I was under the impression that the Tapu were absolutely required for nature to function. But this place has nature even without their blessing. I’m curious how.”

“Oh okay. Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m so happy?” She batted her eyes. Leos gave her another look. “Heh, c’mon Prince Leos! No need to be that closed up. We’re out to have a good time!”

“Are we? I came out to try and find a way out of here,” he said. “Oh yeah, you did say you wanted to talk about something. Now’s a good time.”

“Huh, really? You’re quite literal,” she said. She resumed their walk, heading back to the tall towers of rock where he’d woken up yesterday, much to his confusion. “There’s a dungeon here, but there’s no Pokémon around except for a few Zubat. They know me, so they won’t bother us.”

“That’s helpful,” he said.

“As for what I was gonna talk to you about,” she said, and slowed down. “It’s a bit of a bad confession. You won’t get mad, will ya?”

“Tell me some good news,” he sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Okay then, I will!” she said. She spun around to face him, and her cheeks flushed a bit. “I really like you, you know!”

Leos didn’t reply, but stopped with her. He barely reacted with a slow folding of his arms. She responded to his silence with a cute pose, and began to twiddle her feet and hands together. “Hey c’mon, I mean it you know! I’ve never had anyone treat the real me this well.”

“What do you mean? Blossom and Prem have been treating you just fine. The Deliverance didn’t seem bothered by you being a hybrid, either,” he said.

“But you’re the only one that’s ever said they’re interested in me. And I’m like- Papa always said to cherish the Pokémon that like you. And I’m not a slow Pokémon either, so I’m ready to go in, if you know what I mean,” she said. “C’mon. Let’s get you to that spring.”

“Hold on, I’m losing you a bit. I said I’m interested, but only because I’ve never seen a hybrid Pokémon before. If it were up to me, we’d be in a lab and I’d be testing all sorts of reactions with you.” He unfurled his arms.

“That’s fine, too. Instead of a lab, we’ve got a little lake.” she said.

In the middle of the towers, the shade darkened much of the area. They could still see all the exits as the place wasn’t exactly maze-like, but it was hard to see the ground around them. Leos took note of the how the sand felt wetter here than out in the desert, but that didn’t seem to bother Griselle. She searched the area a bit before stopping by a hole and pulling him over.

“Down here. It looks dark, but there’s candles and stuff.” She pointed.

Leos examined the hole in caution. A rope ladder had been tied to the top of the hole by sturdy wooden pegs, which were stuck down with sticky webbing. It clearly went down a long way and was jet black.

Griselle nodded to him and then slid down first, so he set aside his concerns and followed. He climbed each step carefully, surprised to find the ladder wasn’t built for a Pokémon his or her height as the steps were so far apart. Griselle playfully hopped up to yank him down, making him scream and fall on his backside.

“Wow, you got scared!” She laughed at his surprised face.

“G-Griselle!” he cried. He froze, surprised to be able to see her clearly. There really were candles down here, and the lit up a long hallway littered with small mounds of sand. Strange markings covered the walls to the sides, while grains of sand trickled from the ceiling in various spots. “What is this place?”

“We call them the Ruins of Origin. No idea why to be honest, but they’re super interesting. C’mon, I’ll show ya around! There’s something you’ve gotta see,” she said, jogging away. He watched her for a moment, still surprised by how much energy she showed. He had only been walking, yet even he felt like he needed to take a seat somewhere. It was almost embarrassing, being outdone by a Pokémon as fat as her.

At first glance, there wasn’t much to these ruins that stood out. The markings were clearly decorative and served no deeper purpose, the Zubat Griselle mentioned could be spotted asleep on the ceiling, and the sandy floor was uneven as they walked across it. Otherwise, it just felt like a long hallway; humid, quiet, and devoid of the excitement Griselle had. That was until about minute of walking brought them to a circular room with multiple exits. Some sort of ancient apparatus was sat in the centre of the room, with several iron bars holding a perfectly spherical ball.

“Think you can figure this one out?” Griselle said.

He walked up and stared at the mechanism from top to bottom. Two tall pillars made of stone blocks, where the iron bars jutted out of the stone to make a web of hands and claws to hold the ball in place. The ball was intriguing in appearance, with the top half black and the bottom half white. The top half had the design of chains across it.

“What is this? Some kind of seal?” Leos tried to pull the ball out. It didn’t so much as budge, even when he growled and put effort into it. He clutched it with both hands and pulled as hard as he could, but the action proved fruitless. “It’s stuck tight. Whoever put this here clearly doesn’t want Pokémon taking it.”

“I pulled it out once, but Papa put it right back. You’re smart, though! You could figure it out, right?” she said.

“I guess. I couldn’t figure it out here, though. Take it out for me, and we’ll bring it back,” he said.

She cheered and then took a few steps back to brace herself. Leos flinched when she threw her whole body into the ball to knock it out of place. She recoiled harshly and was winded from the hit, but the ball came free. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, j-just, ow,” she whined as she rubbed her side. “That never doesn’t hurt.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Leos sighed and shook his head as he retrieved the ball. “What material even is this? It’s smooth like metal, but it’s so light.”

“Ooh ooh ooh, and get this!” She snatched it from him. She tapped the button on it and flipped it around to point the button at Leos. He flinched again when a laser shot out of it, surrounding his body in warmth. The next thing he knew, he was travelling at high speed, getting sucked into some kind of void of darkness.

“What? Griselle!” he screamed.

He blinked a few times, finding himself in some kind of world of comfort. He had fallen on his backside, but the ground below him was softer than a cushion. The sky was what took his attention however, as it looked like a faded projection of the outside world had replaced it. He could see clouds, blue, and sunlight like it was a normal, beautiful skyline view, but the transparent image of a smiling Griselle and the sandy ruins around was melded into it. He could even hear her boastful snicker, which was just as distant as he expected it to.

“Okay, I’m gonna let you out now. Prepare to land!” she said.
His view turned away from her and faced the ruins floor, and then a light surrounded him just as suddenly as the one that had sucked him into this world. It pulled him out with comforting momentum despite the fact that it pulled him against his will. Soon Leos was back in the outside world.

“What was that?” he gasped, glancing left and right again. Nothing had changed. He had been sucked into a world via the ball, and then sent out with so much ease that he couldn’t believe it.

“It’s called the Lock Ball. We don’t exactly know how it works or anything, but it can seal Pokémon inside and call them out at any time! Papa was sealed inside of it for the longest time. He left it down here because he doesn’t want anyone to mess with it.” She played with the ball in her hands.

“A ball that can seal Pokémon inside of it. And that world I entered within the ball… it was comforting, yet convenient, capable of seeing and hearing the outside world,” Leos muttered, taking the ball back. He cradled it obsessively. “This has got to be the most remarkable piece of technology I’ve ever witnessed. That something like this exists, again, outside the awareness of the Tapu!”

Griselle didn’t say anything, so he looked up at her, and then gazed around at the rest of the ruins. “I’ve not been here for long, yet the Second Country has proven to be a wondrous world. Two hours per day and night, an abundance of nature – Griselle, you’ve got to show me the rest of this place!”

“You’re excited to look around? I didn’t take you for much of an explorer, you know,” she giggled as she directed him down one of the paths.

“Experimenting doesn’t mean sitting in a lab or a room reading books all day. The best way to gain information is by doing, having your own experiences and trying things out,” he said, fixated on the Lock Ball. “If the situation calls for it, I will gladly travel the world to discover and learn.”

“And to do that, you’ll need to be strong, right?” she asked, going quiet.

Leos slowed down as well. “Of course. Etheria is a dangerous place. And with Master Lin and Tapu Bulu doing what they’re doing now, I can’t even think about this.”

“Oh no no, that’s not what I meant! I’m here to help you, so like,” she cried, shaking her hands. She started walking beside him. “We’ll all help you, you know? We’ll get back to Faernia and all that, but when this war is over… we can travel together or something.”

Leos looked up at her. “You can’t possibly mean what I think you mean.”

“What do you think I mean?” she said with a giggle, walking backwards.

“You’re starting to give me the same vibes as Prem. You gush out these little hints that you like me romantically,” he said. “The difference is, I’ve known Prem all my life. He’s practically a member of the family. I’ve known you since… er, not long at all.”

“And? How long does it take for you to get a judgement?” she replied. He blinked and tilted his head. “You know, I’m either pretty enough for you, or I’m not your type. Which is it? ‘Cos you’re my type.”

“I… don’t get that philosophy. I couldn’t possibly decide on a romantic partner after being with them for such a short space of time. If you’re just trying to stay on my good side so that you can stay as my bodyguard, you don’t have to. I’ve seen your physical strength and determination. I trust you enough to be by my side.”

“I’m not! I’ll do that anyway. You know like, Pokémon are either scared of me ‘cos I look really weird, or they don’t mind me. But you straight up said you’re interested, so…” She twiddled a foot. “Maybe it’s the Oshawott in me talking, but I honestly think you’re pretty cute, and you’re trying really hard as the new prince. I can only look up to that, you know?”

Leos stared at her. His face was straight and unclear, making her nervous. “S-so which is it? Am I cute, too?”

“I won’t make any comments,” he said.

She puffed her cheeks at him. “Oh c’mon! You’ve got to think something. Can’t even give me a rating outta ten?”

“You want me to rate you? That sounds horrible!” he said.

“It’s not horrible! Everyone does it, right?” she said.

“I couldn’t possibly apply a rating to someone, especially not based solely on their appearance. That’s all there is to it,” he said. She whined at him and faced forward, finally giving up.

The path didn’t change direction much, but Leos could tell that it sloped down further into the planet. After a few minutes it finally turned into a steep slope that he could see himself slipping down if he wasn’t careful. Luckily there wasn’t much sand here so the ground was rough enough not to, but the darkening colours of the area still slowed him down.

“Down there is the Evolution Spring. Urf, I kinda wanted you to be on a high note when I told you this,” she said as she began to play with her hands. She ignored his obvious question and jogged down the slope.

The Evolution Spring was a complete transformation from the Ruins of Origin. It was a shallow pond filled with luminous water that reflected off the rocky walls and ceiling, giving everything a humid, turquoise hue. In the centre of the lake was a glowing white Master Seal, an orb surrounded by strands of fluctuating light.

“That’s the Heaven Seal. The thing that Shaymin didn’t want to give you. It’s been here the whole time,” Griselle said.

“What?” Leos whispered.

“The truth is, you’ve been knocked out for quite a few days, Leos. And I don’t mean Second Country days, I mean Etheria days. We woke up before you so I went to get help, and then Shaymin told us to keep it a secret from you.” She twiddled her feet again. “But me and Prem knew how upset you’d be. So I knew I’d lead you here when the time came, anyway.”

“If I’ve been asleep for that long, then that means- and here you are trying to talk about silly little relationship fluff!” he shouted. “Tapu Bulu must’ve reached Eris ages ago! Gods knows what’s happening up there.”

“Shaymin wanted to test you. She said she knew what you would have to do to stop Tapu Bulu. The Heaven Seal will give you the power, but it won’t do anything if you have a low support level from your friends,” she said. “I thought, maybe if you sincerely had a little time away, we could bond a bit and it might work for you or something.”

Leos coughed and maintained his anger with a shake of his hand. “You thought wrong, Griselle. I’m actually really mad right now. That’s what’s been bothering Prem, not this silly love stuff. While we’re faffing around here, Pokémon are dying left right and centre. And the power to prevent it all has been right here the whole time?”

“Leos!” Griselle gasped and stuck a hand out. She couldn’t stop him from dashing after the seal. The water went up to his head in height, so he wasn’t that fast and had to splash through to reach it. He didn’t seem to notice the oddity she spotted running towards him however, and her heart skipped a beat. Someone had leapt past her and aimed for a critical hit on him. “Leos, look out!”

“What?” He spun around.

His moment of blind anger sunk into shock and panic when he saw the situation he’d put himself in, that he was seconds away from being torn into by a claw that was twice his size. He could barely react with a sharp squeak, but thankfully for him, Griselle was ten steps ahead already. She threw her lance, having it lodge into the ground in between them both. This made the mysterious attacker’s claw hit the handle of the lance instead of Leos, which slowed it down enough for him to go into the water to get away.

He scrambled through the shallows and dared to look back after a moment. The Pokémon hadn’t followed him, so he stood up to get view of them. It was an Absol in a mask, with only one eye showing through the mask. One side was jet black, the other side white. It stood in front of Griselle’s lance, motionless and unfazed by its obstruction.

“Whoa. Griselle, you saved me,” Leos whispered, staring at the Absol. “Wait, I know you. You’re in Father’s diary. Mirror, Princess Diantha’s murderer!”

“Murderer?” Griselle said.

“I see. That’s the title I’ve been given,” Mirror replied. “Surely you’re more intelligent than that, young man?”

Leos quivered. He had to keep calm. “Why are you here?”

“To do what my species does. To enact what you and I have been destined to do,” he said, motionless. “You’re pushing forwards, yet you don’t have the qualifications. To do so guarantees death to us all, and you know it. Your father knows it. Your friends and the goddess of this land know it, as well. Yet here you are, defying them.”

“That’s what I am. I defy what future Pokémon want to give me and make my own fate, based on the logic of my own experiences,” Leos replied. He put one foot forward. “I know that Absol foretell disasters. But unless you outright tell Pokémon what you’re up to, it doesn’t excuse your actions.”

Mirror remained still for a few moments, and then shifted a foot forward as well. “Your determination is admirable, but it’s in the wrong place. I will have to redirect it by killing you.”

Leos growled and then flicked his scalchop to pose with his Razor Shell at the ready. “I’d like to see you try!”

“Wait, Leos!” Griselle cried. “Let me help! I just need to get my lance back.”

“Griselle, get away. This is my fight!” Leos said without turning around. Mirror didn’t move, so it was now obvious he was guarding the weapon.

“Stuff that! I’m not gonna leave you here,” Griselle cried.

“You don’t have anything to do with this battle. Stay back!” he shouted even louder.

“Argh, don’t you get it you royal dolt?” she cried at the top of her voice. “I love you. Prem loves you. Blossom and everyone else really like you, too! We’re not here to just do what we wanna do. We’re here ‘cos we’re your friends! Think about us for once!”

Leos heard her loud and clear, but he couldn’t reply as Mirror finally attacked. The Absol twirled his head around to surround himself in dark waves of energy, and fired it all forward a second later. Leos dove to avoid the Dark Pulse, swam to his feet, and then rose both hands to charge his Water Pulse. He threw it with all the force he could, but Mirror sliced it in two with an effortless slash of a single paw.

“No, I’ve got to get him away from this so that I can get my lance,” Griselle whispered, having a lightbulb moment. “Leos, the Lock Ball! Use it!”

“The Lock Ball?” he muttered as he realised. He retracted his Razor Shell and revealed the ball, copying Griselle’s actions from earlier. Mirror seemed to recognise the potential danger and leapt into the air to avoid the laser. Of course, this let Griselle run over and grab her lance, where she wasted no time in making herself the centre of attention.

“You picked the wrong Pokémon to mess with. I’ll never let you kill Leos!” she shouted. She held her scalchop as a shield.

“Griselle—” Leos coughed.

Mirror landed right behind him with claws enveloped in Shadow Claw, and he panicked. He instinctively held the Lock Ball in front of his face to shield it. Mirror’s attack struck hard, not only smashing the ball to bits, but sending him flying as well. Griselle cried out and stood over him.

“For the love of the gods Leos, shut up! I’m not letting you fight this alone,” she said, not looking back at him. “This is my fight as well. Even if it’s just to protect you or to fight who you want me to fight. It’s my fight too, so I’ll stand to protect you any way I can!”

He sat up weakly and stared at her with a gawk. “To want to protect me so much, even though I never once asked for it. Even though I never treated her like a friend, she’s putting her life on the line to protect me. Blossom did the same thing.

Griselle and Mirror broke into a battle of their own, but the hybrid struggled from the get-go. Her scalchop wasn’t big enough to block his Dark Pulse attack, and she was too slow in the water to dodge it. She braced herself behind her scalchop to resist two shots of the attack anyway, and then charged through the water with a war cry, thrusting her lance the moment she was in range. Mirror moved at the last moment he could and swiped the weapon aside with a single slash of his paw.

Griselle and Blossom don’t really have any noble ties, either. They have no reason to put that much effort into kissing up to me,” Leos thought to himself as he watch their battle intently.

Now that Griselle was close to Mirror, he resorted to Slash rather than Dark Pulse. Griselle blocked each attack, but the size difference caused her to topple side to side with each hit. Despite the obvious pain taken from each hit, she stayed on her feet and struck back as hard as she could, and never wavered.







“Then forget the Heaven Seal and this whole legend thing. I need to know how to get out of here and back to Eris,” Leos cried. Shaymin gave him a saddened glare.

“So you can do what, exactly?” she replied. “Listen, hybrid. I’ve been watching you for a long time. I’ve seen you fight. I’ve seen you react. I know what will become of you and your friends if you leave here now. Well, if they’re really your friends, that is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a prideful jerk, you know that? You didn’t care about your friends until I challenged your relations with them,” she sighed. She cut Leos off before he could respond. “How about right now, huh? No interest in the state of your friend?”

Leos realised that she meant Blossom. The Mime Jr. was still unconscious, but thankfully showed no signs of discomfort. “She’s not a friend yet, though. She’s just my retainer.”

“Just your retainer, huh,” Shaymin looked down. “Get out of my sight, all of you.”








Now that I think about it, what Griselle and Blossom have both said is visually sincere. Especially Griselle, right now. The way she gives her all in a fight like this, and thought of me when choosing to do so…” He shuddered with his thoughts.

All of a sudden, Mirror leapt back to the entrance to the spring. Griselle gasped but didn’t give chase, wary of what he might try. To her and Leos’ surprise, he simply turned and started walking away without a hint of aggression.

“What? Where are you going?” Leos gasped. Mirror stopped and glanced back after a moment, his single eye piercing right through Leos’ calm stance.

“My work here is done for the time being. I’ve no reason to continue fighting you for now,” he replied. “No one came to harm during your realisation right now. Keep those thoughts safe, and we might not ever have a real battle.”

“So much for trying to kill me. Why can’t you just explain yourself? What is it you’re really up to?” Leos shouted.

“Remember this: when the time comes to search for the final Shadow Partition, find me in the temple of the shadow’s first descent. There, we will decide this world’s fate,” Mirror said. He disappeared into the darkness of the ruins.

“You’re really gonna leave after all that? After leaving a scary message like that?” Griselle said. The duo waited for a few moments in silence before they moved.

“Griselle.” Leos was first. He waded over to her. “I’ve made a serious error in my thinking, and just now, I’ve realised something I should’ve been doing. For now, thanks so much for standing up for me there.”

“Leos!” she squeaked at the top of her voice and jumped on top of him.

“G-Griselle?” He backed off. He ended up catching her and held her up for a brief moment. Their eyes met and he blushed, but her weight quickly got the better of him, and he began to stumble backwards. “G-get off m-me- Griselle, I’m gonna—”

He didn’t get to finish as he fell right back into the water. She sat on top of him in an uncontrollable giggle fit the whole time. “What is wrong with you? Get off me already!”

“Na-uh. I like it here.” She batted her eyes at him.

He growled at her and wiggled under her weight, as he tried to push her off with his hands. It was only when he looked up at her face that he realised exactly what position they were in, and he slowed down to stare. She didn’t feel heavy right now, but she still pinned him to the spot by sitting on his waist. His mind wandered from the cheeky smile of her face to her other features, like how soft she felt, or how happy she earnestly looked. He could feel his face began to heat up, so he leaned back to hide his head underwater and retracted his hands.

“Griselle, seriously! Please get off me!” he shouted from beneath.

“Aw fine,” she said, hopping off.

He stood up and brushed himself off, making sure to face away from her. “Geez, right after I said something nice for once. What is wrong with you?”

“You thanked me! Someone actually thanked me, and that made me really happy!” she cheered and skipped around to face him. He kept turning away while rubbing his face to try and erase the blush.

“For real? Forget it. You’re so weird,” he said. “Look, I thought wrongly of you and the others. That’s all.”

“Whatever you say, my prince,” she giggled and batted her eyes. He groaned and rubbed his face as he returned to the task at hand: the Heaven Seal. It was still at the far end of the room, floating on top of the water. He stared at it, and then the shards of the broken Lock Ball floating not too far away.

“Griselle… he broke the Lock Ball,” he said as he gathered it up. She leaned back and the colour washed from her face. She looked like she was screaming in silence. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have my scalchop at the time.

“O-oh no, that’s fine, I guess… you did what you had to do.” She looked away. “Oh Gods Papa is gonna kill me!

“But it’s an ancient artefact, and it had an amazing mechanic, too. I’ll keep it in case somebody can repair it,” he said.

“Uh-er, it’s probably better not to ask around. Everybody told me to leave it alone, yeah? ‘Cos nobody knew what it was,” she said, a heavy sweat on her face. “More importantly, how’s the Heaven Seal? We actually need that one.

“It’s untouched. Mirror could’ve destroyed that too, but he left it behind,” he said, approaching it.

“Are you going to try and use it?” she asked.

“Of course. My main aims still stand that I really need to get to Eris and stop the Tapu. It’s just this time, I…” he said. He turned back to her. “I’m asking you for help. And I’m not going to force you to—”

“You already know the answer, silly! C’mon, I just confessed to you. Why wouldn’t I say yes?” She giggled.

Leos breathed out and smiled at her. “Thanks, Griselle. You’re right. Let’s try the Heaven Seal.”
 
Episode 26: A painful truth

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Episode 26: A painful truth



“So despite everything I told you, you went there anyway.” Shaymin shook her head. She sounded heavily disheartened, depressed even, unable to look at Leos’ party at all.

“Well unlike what you said about me, the Heaven Seal worked. I’m now a Constellar Lord,” Leos replied, arms folded. “I believe you owe us some info and how we get out of here.”

Behind him, Prem, Griselle, and her parents watched with bothered faces. Night had fallen when they all got back to the tents, so they were all gathered inside Shaymin’s spacious tent to keep out of the way of others.

As he told his story to Shaymin and the others, Leos couldn’t get the experience out of his mind. From Mirror’s inexplainable appearance and departure, to his activation of the Heaven Seal, he couldn’t forget how miraculous the whole thing was. As far as he knew, Constellars could only become Constellars when granted the title through their priests, since it was a strict religion and all. But here, a mere magical seal was all it took for him to be granted a title that put him beside Master Lin in terms of rank.

His appearance didn’t even change. Dark energy resembling space had swallowed him and then sunk into him, as if he had absorbed a great power. Yet he looked and felt the same, even ran out of breath in his attempts to sprint back here. It was as if the seal hadn’t worked at all, but it did work, and he was beyond excited to test out its new capabilities.

“Follow me.” Shaymin slowly turned to leave. They followed her through an unfamiliar route to the hospital tent where Blossom had been resting, and gasped upon entry. The Mime Jr. was awake and snacking on bowl of sliced fruit.

“Blossom, you’re alive!” Leos immediately knelt by her.

“Master Leos,” she replied with her own sigh of relief. “Prem and Griselle, too. I’m so glad you’re all okay!”

You’re glad we’re okay? You’ve been mortally wounded!” Leos cried. “And by throwing us off that airship, too.”

“So you know. I apologise. It was an act of desperation after I saw you all get defeated by Charle’s attack,” she said. She looked at her feet. “Had I been stronger, I should’ve been able to protect you, even teleported you all to safety. I’ve done a poor job so far.”

“Stop that, now,” Leos said. “I’ve been stiff so far, but that’s changing. Blossom, when I think about what you’ve done for us so far, even despite the way I treated you… I want to change that. So I’m sorry, Blossom. I’m sorry for getting you so involved in this and letting you get hurt.”

“I told you before. I’m in this for my own personal reasons. Me getting hurt doing that just means that I wasn’t strong enough. Master, you needn’t concern yourself with my well-being,” she said.

“Well thanks for accepting my apology. I’ll make sure to remember that.” He turned away. “And that just means I’ll have to do my part to be stronger. Strong enough for you to not need to get hurt or do much to help me.”

“Master Leos, I’m your retainer. That’s my job!”

“Why do I get the feeling this convo isn’t gonna go anywhere?” Griselle giggled as she stepped between them. “Just say you’re sorry already and get to it!”

“She has a point,” Blossom sighed as she stood up. She flinched twice, laying a hand on her bandages. “I-I’ve been incapacitated for days. It is likely that the battle we sought to prevent has already started.”

“And you want to go in that condition? I couldn’t. You’d definitely get killed,” Leos raised his voice.

“Master Leos, if I would die protecting someone who would prevent war, then I couldn’t ask for a more honourable death,” she said. “And like I said, I’m going regardless. This is for my own gain, at the very least.”

Leos growled and shut his eyes, retracting his words just before they came out. “I really appreciate it, Blossom. But please, for the love of the gods, don’t push yourself.”

“Shall I begin?” Shaymin asked.

“Yes, please. Tell us everything we need to know,” Leos said with a nod. The others gathered around him, some sitting down to listen.

“Etheria… I’m sure you’re aware that Etheria was originally a whole planet, split into two to create Eris and Faernia,” she began. She spoke softly, and looked like she was forcing herself to look up at Leos. “The truth is, this is a feral world. Etheria was wracked by conflicts, however petty. Pokémon fought each other all across the planet, tirelessly searching for habitats, food, and mates. Etheria’s Pokémon were primitive for generations, and showed not a single sign of ever advancing further.”

“Sounds like Eris,” Nier said. Vincent pinched her.

“Eventually, we gods and goddesses were appointed to different places across the planet in hopes of creating law and order. To make Pokémon intelligent creatures worth keeping alive. However, we were to do so without touching Pokémon themselves – we were to remain legendary, to only ever influence nature,” Shaymin continued. As she spoke, she began to glow and release a magical projection of imagery. Everyone gasped as their surroundings transformed into the world she was talking about, a sunny, colourful field of varying plants and woodland.

“For example, I brought plants to life. I travelled the lands, allowing nature to flourish where I could. I never met a single mortal. Some saw me, but never got the chance to share a word. Pokémon would discover the miracles of nature I gifted them, learn their importance, and in turn, protect and generate more. Pokémon learnt to grow flowers and trees and more, how to build their habitats out of nature, and the nourishment it could give them. Society was created and began to advance.”

The world around them rapidly transformed right before their eyes, going from the primitive world of fields to a utopia bursting with nature. Villages sprouted up. Rivers were redirected. Large groups of Pokémon, even those differing in species, looked like they were having fun as they worked together to make buildings, play together, and more.

“There are Swirlix and Shelgon! You’d never see those two playing together!” Nier said, pointing at them.

“It’s incredible,” Leos whispered, unable to help but smile at it all. The joy on the Pokémon’s faces, their efforts, and the results of their coexistence – it was true peace in the form of a dream. That was what he felt until a dark shadow took over the sky, and a huge crack split the ground in two. The once smiling Pokémon transformed into a disorganized crowd of Pokémon scrambling and fighting each other to escape the chaos. Many of them fell into the fissure splitting the ground.

“But the reality is, the gifts of us legendaries can only be temporary. Just like mortals, gods and goddesses can grow old. When we grow old, our minds and our directions can become warped and twisted. If we are not put in our place, the order of the world can fall out of control,” Shaymin continued. Her tone changed to match the imagery.

After the fissure split, dragon types were left on one side, whilst fairy types were left on the other. The two sides stared at each other with bloodlust and hatred in their eyes.

“The most intelligent Pokémon that had become leaders within this new world had begun to take sides with their beliefs. Many of these leaders were aware of the primitive world Etheria once was. They believed that order and the world would revert and fall apart without the leadership and blessings of the gods. Hearing that, the gods, the Tapu, took advantage. The Pokémon followed every order the Tapu gave without protest. In time, the order of the Tapu became a religion. They turned their half of the world into an ark, a split planet that flourished with the blessings of the Tapu. Only select Pokémon that the Tapu chose would be allowed on this planet.”

“Faernia,” Prem whispered.

“The other half of the Pokémon felt that the gods were not to be blindly obeyed, that they remained out of reach of the mortals so that they could maintain a sense of freedom. When their gods began to grow old and their intentions changed, these Pokémon fought the gods, killing them so that they could continue to live in coexistence with the nature that they had been gifted,” Shaymin continued, evoking gasps from a few. “When killed, the gods temporarily transform into the very part of nature whence they gifted. They are eventually reborn, where they judge the current world as they see it. If they foresee destruction, they awaken and guide the Pokémon once again, as I am now. If they foresee peace as it should be, then they sleep, remaining out of mortal reach until the forces of nature awaken them.”

“Eris is that second world. So what you’re saying is that the Tapu are guiding Pokémon?” Leos said.

“The Tapu are guiding Pokémon, yes, but their guidance has grown beyond what they should be doing. Pokémon have grown so attached to the Tapu that their guidance has turned into religion, the very law of the world. Faernians are spoilt by the gifts of the Tapu, unable to fend for themselves should the nature of their world ever change. The reality is, the Tapu are old, now. Old and mad. The mad gods and goddesses are destroying their own world by keeping them as separate planets, disjointed from the Second Country, the core of Etheria’s natural planetary energy. They seek nothing but conflict with the Erinians. Faernians won’t see reason,” Shaymin explained. “Likewise, the Pokémon of Eris grew to be driven by conflict and aggression. They grew hardened as they thought that they failed to control nature. Their planet lacked planetary energy and without the gifts of gods and goddesses, died, forcing Pokémon to resort to eating each other, pilfering from one another to survive. In time, they grew to live with their natural disasters, creating an infrastructure that relied on forced mass breeding and slaughter.”

“But then how do we stop this? If both planets are bad, what can we do?” Prem said.

“Kill the Tapu,” Shaymin said. “Remember that the gods return to the part of nature that they gift when they die. The Tapu’s bodies would restore nature to both Eris and Faernia, enabling peace to return to both planets.”

Leos had been in deep thought the whole time. “No. That won’t work.”

“You don’t think so?” Nier asked.

“No, wait. That will work, but it won’t be substantial. On top of that, how do we kill gods? The entirety of Faernian society is built around that religion. We kill the Tapu, we declare war on the whole planet,” he said.

“He’s got a point. Technology, the weather, and the growth of Faernia’s crops – everyone looks to the Tapu for that. We can’t just expect everyone to be fine with killing them.” Vincent scratched his chin. “Not even I have any idea of how to do this. On top of that, the Tapu are remarkably powerful. They won’t go down without a difficult fight.”

“The Heaven Seal. It gave you, and only you, the power to kill the gods,” Shaymin said. Leos’ eyes widened. “You must kill them in one strike using a Z-Move.”

“A Z-Move?” he replied.

“The Z stands for ‘Zenryoku’, which means ‘one’s full power’. It is attained through your bond with another,” she said.

“In this case, Prem,” he muttered and glanced at the Pikachu. Prem shyly stepped forward.

“Leos, what’s your star sign? You and your friend will need to draw that sign with your bodies as you give your incantation,” Shaymin said. “Your thoughts and feelings will combine, and you will power up to max for the duration of your attack.”

“Oh, I know about this. It’s like this.” Blossom perked up. She crossed both arms to make an ‘X’ shape, then unfurled and stretched them straight forward, again crossing them. “Er, then you would move into the position that draws your star sign.”

“Let’s give it a try, then. Prem, with me now, please,” Leos said. Prem nodded enthusiastically and hopped behind the Oshawott, and the two of them began to move in sync, crossing their arms.

“I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing,” Leos said as he slowly unfurled his arms. As Prem copied, light energy burst and surrounded them both in auras of fiery energy. They both crouched, spun as they rose, and then flicked their arms up and curled them, drawing the same shape as the Aries star sign.

“Provide me an attack to make ease of this conflict!” Leos finished. The energy around him and Prem spiked and expanded greatly. Pulses of wind came from them both, but then the auras burst harmlessly and dissipated completely. Leos and Prem were left dumbfounded in their poses, confused as to what should have happened.

“It failed,” Griselle said, disappointed.

“What was supposed to happen? I suppose we’re not really fighting anything right now, so,” Leos mumbled.

Shaymin’s eyes were closed and she shook her head. She sighed deeply. “As I suspected. You can’t do it yet, even with the Heaven Seal.”

“You mean it actually failed?” Prem cried.

“Z-Moves don’t work unless the two Pokémon doing them are totally in sync. They don’t have to be perfect, but the line between their intentions has to be clear enough for them to share energy.” Shaymin glared at the duo. “One of you has doubts about the other.”

Leos and Prem glanced at each other, and then shook their heads. “That’s preposterous!”

“Preposterous or not, you can’t use the arte. That’s fact. Despite that, will you still attempt to return to Eris?” Shaymin said.

“You saw the energy appear, though. The Heaven Seal worked,” Leos said.

“I never said the Heaven Seal didn’t work. Your Z-Move didn’t work,” she said. Leos gulped and stepped backwards. “I can still send you back to Eris, but until you learn to perform your Z-Move, you have no chance of defeating the Tapu. Will you still go?”

“U-um, sorry for asking but,” Prem squeaked and stuck a hand in between them. “I noticed that attack was similar to the one Charle did on us. He drew his star sign with that Primarina knight he had with him. But was their bond really that strong?”

“It’s a type of arte that only high ranking Constellars can do as well. What’s a knight of Faernia doing knowing a Zenryoku arte?” Blossom said. “In case you’re wondering, I was briefed on them years ago while I was still a Constellar myself. These artes were… very elite, though. They were intended to be used as absolute last resorts. I had never seen one get used until then.”

“I won’t have the answer to that question. You will have to ask this ‘Charle’ Pokémon yourself,” Shaymin said.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about that since they came here, too,” Nier said. She put her paws on her hips. “The last time I saw Charle was when he showed up at that battle. That one where Princess Diantha fell… do you think Master Lin did something when we left him there?”

“I’d safely gamble on it. I still can’t figure out exactly what that monster’s up to,” Vincent said.

“You two know Master Lin? And Charle?” Leos asked.

“It’s a long story, but yeah, we’ve got history with ‘em,” Nier said.

I’ve got history with them. You just can’t seem to tell the guy to buzz off,” Vincent said.

“Hey I was there too, okay? Don’t count me out just ‘cos you got that fantasy tale with ‘em,” she pouted. “Listen, Leos. If you’re heading back up there, I wanna come with you. I’ve gotta make sure that everything’s alright.”

“M-Mum? And Dad, too?” Griselle cried. “Really? It’s hard enough trying to be in public without you guys around.”

“This is important. Regardless, it has been a long while. It’ll be good to be beside Her Highness again,” Vincent said. He patting Griselle’s head, and she grumbled at him.

“I’ll go back. Whether or not we can do the Z-Move, we can’t sit around here and do nothing now. We’ll find a way to stop the Tapu, somehow,” Leos said.

“I can’t give any predictions about the current state of the planets. I can only transport you to one location on either planet, too. Where would you like to go?” Shaymin replied.

“Eris. That’s where Tapu Bulu was headed.” He nodded.

“You’ll land in the Terrihstoric Wasteland. Make sure you are prepared for that travel,” she warned.

“Oh- right, yeah! I’ll go get packed and stuff real quick. Gimme a little bit!” Nier squeaked. She hopped to her feet and ran off in a flash.

“Me too, actually! There’s some stuff I can grab from our tent now that I’m back here. Be back in a sec, my prince!” Griselle giggled and skipped away.

“What could you have? You seemed prepared enough when I met you on Faernia,” Leos asked.

“A new armour set. Gotta dress properly if we’re going to a proper war, right?” She waved to him playfully.

“That’s a good point, actually,” he muttered to himself. He put his hands on his hips. “I doubt I could wear a convenient armour set, but I could at least get myself a decent shield or something down here.”

“You’ve got your scalchop, and my Reflect and Light Screen moves. That should be enough, right?” Blossom said with a cheeky look. Leos glanced at her and then at his scalchop, and groaned.
 
Episode 27: The Heavenly Execution

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg


Episode 27: The Heavenly Execution



“What are you, nuts?” Nier screamed, pulling her head fur up.

“No? I made a perfectly sane and sound decision,” Vincent replied. His arms were folded while he leaned against the back wall of the treehouse.

“You attacked the fricking prince! With a spear! You should be hanged for that!” she cried.

“I told you why, I told you what happened, and you yourself can see the result—” he said.

“It’s perfectly sane and sound, huh? It is, isn’t it?” Nier began prodding him with her rapier.

“Ow- hey- quit it, okay- stop, I get it!” he hissed.

“It’s sound! It’s sane! Hold up a sec, lemme try and kill ya ‘cos you don’t agree with me!”

Leos groaned as he watched the two Meowstic dance around the treehouse. The others exchanged awkward glances with him or shrugged, and soon the couple crashed to the ground. They resorted to playfully slapping each other, though they clearly put in enough intent to actually hurt one another.

Besides that, everyone was ready. Mentally ready to return to the world above and deal with the war that was inevitably happening. Griselle had a heavy metal costume that hid most of her appearance, Blossom had been given a leather shield, and Leos and Prem had their Z-Move. There was some uncertainty about whether it would work in the face of Tapu Bulu or not, but either way, the duo was prepared to set off and try it. If it didn’t work, Leos would think of something.

Shaymin finally showed up, causing the room to go quiet. She set down some sort of mat with some puzzle piece shaped cards in it. Three pieces filled a space on top of the mat.

“Prince Leos. Take this.” She gave him another mat. His one had the cards separated from it. “They’re called Entercards. They’re ancient tools to summon Magnagates, portals that can lead anywhere in the world. This one is pre-set to return you to the Second Country, should you ever need it.”

“Shaymin,” he said. He didn’t know what to say.

“This one I’m about to use will send you to the Terrihstoric Wasteland. From there, the show is yours.” She turned her back. “I suggest you seek out a library or something. Learn how to make Magnagates on your own. I won’t be around to make them for you after this.”

“What do you mean? Couldn’t we just come back here and ask you?” Griselle asked. Shaymin turned back around, looking solemn about something.

“Either way, you’ve dropped a blast seed, there. Being able to make portals that go anywhere, of course I’d research how to do something like that,” Leos said. He looked over everyone and gulped. “Our army is small, but we have to do something. Let’s go.”

At his call, Shaymin inserted the last Entercard into her mat, and then stamped on it with a shout. Psychic power surrounded her in an intimidating blue emanation of energy. This colour took over Shaymin’s body completely, followed by the cards, and then some markings on the ground. The markings were all circular, and grew wider and wider until the energy finally burst, almost blowing everyone away.

“Whoa,” Leos whispered, taken aback by the glowing portal before him. It was flat on the ground, like a swirling puddle of blues. The light from it stretched up through the roof of the treehouse in a perfect cylinder, while heavy wind blew away from the portal constantly.

“Grandma!” Griselle drew their attentions to Shaymin. The tiny hedgehog was still surrounded by blue energy, and she was panted heavily.

“That’s it for me, I’m afraid. That’s the last thing I can do for the time being,” she said. She puffed and panted between every word.

“Wait what, you don’t mean- you’re not gonna die, are you?” Griselle cried.

“In your mortal eyes, yes, I am going to die. But that’s what fate chose. Don’t mourn for me. It was bound to happen, and it’s not without great cause,” Shaymin said. Her voice sounded positive for the first time, despite how tired and weak her posture showed. Her voice echoed as well, like she was getting further and further away from them.

“You helped us raise our child. You aided me to no end when I first showed up here, even though I was a hybrid that no one trusted. And now, you’re giving your life to help us all the more,” Vincent said. “Don’t tell us not to mourn for you. That’s impossible for someone who’s done so much for us all.”

“You’re like, basically my mother! You can’t just do this suddenly,” Nier gasped.

“Your mother?” Shaymin replied. There was a pause. “That’s a wonderful thought. I knew Griselle called me ‘grandma’, but I just saw that as a cute gesture from a child. I never considered that I could be called a mother. I’m not even allowed to be one.”

Despite being made of the blue energy, it looked like she changed form right there. The shape of flowers bloomed on her back, like many Gracidea sprouting in season. It almost looked like Shaymin blushed and smiled, and she lifted her head high. “But it means a lot. Thank you, Nier! But remember everything I told you. We legends don’t really die. I’m simply returning to my slumber.”

“Shaymin!” Nier cried. In a flash, Shaymin disappeared completely, leaving nothing but a brief sparkle of blue glitter.

“I’ve told you my story and given you all the information I can. Now you can return to the realm. With that, I have given you everything I can. Don’t let me down, now. When I come back, I’ll be able to look upon Etheria and smile!”

And those were her last words, echoing from beyond reality into their minds. No one said anything for a while, letting the sound of the Magnagate take over the scene. It wasn’t until the portal made a new noise, like an alarm of some sort, that everyone realised their time was short. Leos swiped his arm aside and they all jumped into the portal.

Just like that, the full group were whisked away almost too fast for their liking. The colours of the portal took over their surroundings completely, rolling past like a never-ending backdrop that they flew through at light speed. They were still able to stand still while they travelled like this however, so after a short moment, they got used to the light.

“She must’ve known that this would happen. That’s why she was so mad at me for failing her.” Leos curled his hands. “Why didn’t she just stay strict and keep us down here?”

“Because you were so intent on getting back and fighting Tapu Bulu. She must’ve also known that she couldn’t hold you back,” Nier replied, paws on her hips. Leos gawked at her. “I know Shaymin. She was always doing things for the benefit of other Pokémon. She was definitely harsher with you, but I suppose that’s only because of the legend thing.”

“… So it’s my fault again, huh?” Leos sighed and gritted his teeth.

“Don’t see it that way, my lord. She wouldn’t have done this if she knew you weren’t determined to see this through,” Blossom replied. She rubbed his back, so he spared her a little smile.

“That was so sudden, though. She didn’t really just die, did she? She couldn’t have killed herself just opening the portal for us,” Prem cried.

“She’s gone, that’s for sure. But like she told us in her story, legendary Pokémon don’t really die. They return to the part of nature from whence they came,” Vincent replied. “Chances are, we’ll go back there and they’ll be a bed of Gracidea and flowers.”

“And if we don’t win, she’ll have to revive, right? So she can tell another group of Pokémon what she told us,” Griselle said.
“That’s right. It’s just like her to leave us guessing if that was her intent,” Nier said. She ruffled Griselle’s head fur. “Except that this time, I’m certain that’s what she wants. So nothing to do but to do our best, right?”

Leos didn’t reply. He stared down at the Entercards and squinted in frustration. “No, wait. It’s not going to happen overnight. All I can do from here on is learn. Keep paying attention to other Pokémon, and learn all I can about them. She saved Blossom’s life, taught me a Z-Move… Shaymin. Thank you for everything.

He put the Entercards away and scanned his party, locking eyes with Griselle. “You okay, Griselle? If you need a moment—”

“No way. I’m fine, Leos. Really!” she cried and stood straight. “Let’s focus.”

“A-are you sure? You don’t need to push yourself or anything,” he said, sweating a little.

She slowly shook her head. “When I decided to devote myself to you, I knew I’d have to face things like this. Pokémon risking their lives and Pokémon I care about getting hurt… I couldn’t do anything about it this time, but when it comes to battle, I’ll do everything I can to protect them. I’ll die before you do, if it comes to it.”

He couldn’t reply with anything more than a slight shudder. His eyes were wide and he gawked a little, but kept his fangs together.

“That’s our girl! Tougher than the metal on her shoulder. Us too, Prince Leos! We’re part of your army for the time being. So hang back and let us do the heavy lifting!” Nier said.

He only managed to glance at her before they reached their destination, signified by the background fading back out into reality. A cold wind had everyone cringe while they got used to their new surroundings, but that was just the start of it.

Leos gasped. He had to look through the group at the dead area they had landed in. Grey clouds buried the sky as far as the eye could see, while fragile, cakey earth covered the rest. Cracks, fissures, and other uneven edges dotted the scenery, which if it wasn’t for the land going uphill, had no form of cover whatsoever. Not a tree or a dune or a shadow was in sight, letting the land stretch on like an endless void.

“Wait,” Leos whispered as he slowly turned around. He took in a sharp breath, silenced by the emptiness that sat before him. But a conflict of nature had settled here, as trees, thorny bushes, and patches of tall grass seemed to grow amongst the cracked ground. It was all green and healthy, and it wasn’t coming out of the cracks, but the planet itself. Everything downhill was fighting against the various vegetation, ignoring the obvious scientific laws to grow to unrealistic size.

“What is all this? How is grass and stuff growing here?” Blossom asked.

Leos shook his head and growled. “Grass isn’t growing here. Tapu Bulu was here.”

“Oh, right. If we follow the stuff, we’ll reach him and the army, right?” Nier glanced at the group. “Not that I had any doubt, but this at least proves your story, though.”

“We don’t have time to lose. Let’s go,” Leos said, but Vincent stopped him before he could move an inch.

“A moment. This also means that the battle is already under way, and gods knows how far it has progressed,” he said, readying his naginata. “We’ll be jumping into the war mid-battle. We should take advantage and plan a proper strategy. There aren’t many of us, so if we can jump Tapu Bulu right from the start, we’ll save a lot of trouble.”

“That’s true. I’ll be thinking,” Leos said. He nodded and they set off.







It didn’t take long for the party to lose their cool. As they trekked through the forested wasteland, the vegetation grew more and more mutated and disfigured. The further they walked, the more the trees gradually towered higher than mountains, leaning in various directions from their uneven weight. Oversized vines swirled and weaved from the ground in a congested tangle that almost made a natural maze. The stench of pollen mixed with a ripe, damp smell to irritate their noses, like an excessive amount of perfume had been sprayed everywhere.

They couldn’t even walk quickly, as every few moments or so, a step that someone took would generate a nasty vibration or crumbling echo. It felt like they were walking on layers of paper - parts of the ground chipped away or fell into the planet with every heavy step, particularly around the spots where the larger plant life grew. No wind blew, so every sound was enough to make someone yelp or freeze up in expectation an ambush or something. But nothing came.

It felt like hours passed in their trip, and barely a word was shared during that time. So when Blossom suddenly skipped off the obvious path the plants made to investigate a spot, Leos cheered inside. She carefully dug around a bush, and eventually used Psychic to retrieve whatever she spotted in there.

“Good gods!” she hissed and dropped her move in fright. She had pulled a dead body from the bush, a body so mangled and burnt up that its original species couldn’t be recognised.

Leos was the first to calm down and realise that the Pokémon was dead. He felt his body grow cold as he identified the countless methods of damage the poor Pokémon had suffered, all until he spotted the main cause of death: dark type damage. The Pokémon’s wounds were recent, and its body actually still bled in places – the Pokémon had died before taking the stabs, burns and such, likely due to the mental damage dark and psychic type moves deal. Its eyes were even still open, but lifeless.

“Wait, if he’s still bleeding, then—” he whispered. He climbed a nearby arching stem to get a good look at the horizon, and almost choked on his own breath.

They were on the border of the no man’s land that the war had created. The mutant vegetation stopped growing past this bundle of giant vines and bushes, making way for a great clearing of wasteland. This clearing was littered with groaning corpses, from Pokémon on the verge of death to those already passed, lying lifeless with weapons piercing their vitals or parts of their bodies missing.

Leos shuddered as he looked over the suffering combatants. Hakamo-o, Goodra, Charizard, Tsareena, Azumarill, Froslass, Mawile, and more littered the battlefield, all stinking of rot and stained with blood and burns from the heavy impact of Pokémon attacks. Neither side was at a clear advantage, sharing equal casualties.

“But why?” he whispered, unable to believe his eyes. “Just because the Tapu are mad? Is that truly why all this has to happen?”

“Leos, get down,” Vincent said and pulled him flat onto the stem. He could barely balance on its rounded surface by lying on his belly like this, but it presumably did a decent job of hiding him from sight. “Look to the left and right. Both armies are taking stalemate.”

Leos let out a trembling breath as he slowly gazed at both ends. The dragons had created a trench that looked like a fissure, despite the fragile ground they had to work with. Meanwhile, the fairies had a combination of damaged airships and well-constructed forts on their side. The forts were mostly made from the vegetation that Tapu Bulu grew, since he was stood on top of it all with his hooves pressed together.

“There he is. Right at the top of that big castle thing made of veggies,” Nier said, looking through binoculars. “Is that Charle, next to him?”

“Give me those. How can you not recognise him?” Vincent snatched the binoculars to get a look himself. He let out a growl of wonder. “Wait, why is he?”

“See? He looks different. Like, darker or something.” She folded her arms.

“We just won’t be able to reach him with all the fairies protecting his perch. And no matter what we do, the terrain is disadvantageous. Out in the open like this, and with height advantage, we won’t be able to flank them, either.” Leos rubbed his chin.

“So no easy plans. If they were fighting, maybe we could sneak by or something,” Nier said.

Leos shook his head. “They have height advantage. That means they have scouts. Sneaking is impossible.”

“Leos, look!” Prem squeaked and pointed. He was already floating with his orb.

“Father,” Leos muttered as he spotted Rune amongst a huddle of dragon types. He led a group across the clearing. “Wait, what? What is he doing?”

Rune was focused straight forward. Many of the dragon types followed him from a distance. Even with them all of them put together, they were a small group, an easy target for the cannons on the airships. Surely enough, some callouts soon came from the Faernian side of the field, followed by cannons taking aim.

“No! They’re sitting Ducklett!” Leos cried.

“What does he think he’s doing?” Griselle cried.

None of the airships took off, but the way their cannons moved, it was obvious that they were locked on. A few moments later, white energy began to gather at the front of the cannon as if it was charging a Moonblast attack.

“Griselle, put your shield up!” Nier shouted.

“Why? We’re so far—”

“Don’t question, just do it!” she said. Griselle hid as much of herself behind her scalchop as she could. The moment she did, Nier lifted her up using her psychic powers and flung her like a ball. Griselle screamed of course, but with her trajectory, she would have no trouble intercepting the cannon shot to block it.

A second later, gasps sounded out from both Leos’ and Rune’s parties. The cannon fired, sending the huge Moonblast up into the air. It arched quickly and fell down straight towards them, big enough to engulf Rune’s group entirely.

“Ooh boy, that’s not good!” Griselle cried as she landed in front of Rune. She maintained her balance, but skidded to stop in place. “D-don’t worry, your highness!”

“Get behind me!” the Dewott snapped and skidded in front of her at the last moment.

He held the Sword of Earthly Elements tightly, one hand firmly on the hilt while the other pushed against the flat side of the blade. This stance surrounded the duo in a magical barrier, but that didn’t stop the wicked force from the attack from blowing everything around them away. The dragons behind Rune were all overwhelmed and sent back into their trench, defeated by the single attack, while Rune and Griselle escaped unscathed.

“Whoa, how did you do that?” Griselle asked excitedly. Rune slowly glanced at her, and then faced forward.

“You were with Leos. What’re you doing here?” he replied.

“Father!” Leos called, sprinting over with the others.

“I should’ve guessed,” he sighed and shook his head. “All of you. Stay clear. I will take care of this.”

“No. What’re you doing here? I thought you were trying to stop war? That’s what you told me!” Leos raised his voice. Rune sighed again.

“I just got here. The Faernians attacked so suddenly that they got a lot of casualties in. If it weren’t for Erinians being such savages, they could’ve taken a town or two of ours,” he said sternly “Once I learnt that Tapu Bulu was involved, I went out of my way to come here. They haven’t gotten anywhere, and won’t. Not with the sword on my side. And he knows that.”

“Let me help you. If you’re really going to stop this war like you say, then you have no reason to refuse us,” Leos said. “With me, Prem!”

“You can’t do anything here. Get to safety,” Rune said.

“We’re both on the same side, aren’t we? Let me fight,” Leos raised his voice.

“This isn’t a game. You’ll die here, Leos. You and your friends need to leave. Now.” Rune became cross.

“We’re not children. Don’t treat me like one!” Leos shouted.

“Guys,” Prem said as the water types bickered. Rune silenced them both with an arm in front of Leos’ face. Leos grumbled fidgeted out of the way but saw why, as Tapu Bulu had jumped from his perch to land on the battlefield.

“He came to us? What?” Vincent said. No one else questioned it, but shivered as the grass type legend approached. He was slow and barely moved out of his initial pose where his hooves were pressed together.

“This sword protects its user. It allows me to confront the enemy directly, challenging them to a duel. Once again, he cannot stop me unless he defeats me while I’m using this sword,” Rune said. Tapu Bulu stopped a few metres in front and stared at their party. “Tapu Bulu knows that. Me coming here and using this is a declaration of battle. If I should fall here, then our army forfeits. If I win, the Faernians leave.”

“Just like the battles written in history,” Leos muttered. He stared right into Tapu Bulu’s motionless, empty eyes. The legendary stared back in complete silence, unnerving the others into fidgeting. Leos himself couldn’t help but wipe his forehead of sweat he couldn’t feel.

“Well what do you know, you survived that fall!” Charle laughed as he stepped around Tapu Bulu.

“You! Charle, what in the world do you think you’re doing?” Nier cried.

“Is that- Lady Nier?” he gasped. “Fortune smiles upon me today. I should get what I want now. Wanna make this quick? Come here, honey.”

“Answer the question, Charle,” Vincent said firmly.

“Shut up, hybrid. Come here, Nier honey. We have a lot of catching up to do,” the Meowth said. He snickered and held a palm forward.

“Heck yeah we do! Like where you disappeared off to when we left you back in the Stardust Treasury all those years ago. Or why you’re here fighting with the Faernian army? We were supposed to be stopping war from happening, not starting one!” she replied, paws on her hips.

“Don’t worry about any of that. Come with me, and you won’t have to worry about any of that ever again. Or any difficult things, for that matter,” he said. He held his paws up. “I’ve seen the way. The powers I have now, the control over everything that I have – I always get what I want, so I could make you a queen! All you have to do is return my love. The pleasures of your dreams would only be the start of it!”

Everyone turned to Nier, who let out an exasperated groan. “Oh. My. Gods. You’re still on about that? Don’t you have a wife now or something?”

“A mate. That’s what I have. A dignified mate. And I want you to be my primary mate. That’s all you have to do for me,” he said. Nier raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps you’re worried. Don’t be. I know how to make both of us come together every time, if you know what I mean.”

“Urgh, knock it off!” she cried. “Listen, Charle. I have a husband, and a kid. And although I find you funny, I’ve never been romantically attracted to you. So please, just knock it off. We have more important stuff to deal with.”

“Looks like you don’t understand exactly what I’m talking about here,” Charle said, getting cross. He stepped forward, and Leos and the others stepped back the same distance. “I always get what I want now. And what I want now is for you to be my primary mate. I decided that. With these powers, you don’t have the strength to resist me. But you’ll like it in the end, anyway. I know you will. That’s just the kind of quality I have. No one listens until I show them what I can do. Once they see it for themselves, once they feel it… you will want more. You will never want me to leave your side.”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough of that. I underestimated you last time, but you won’t defeat me again,” Blossom said. She stepped forward. “The lady said no. That’s that.”

“I said shut up!” he raised his voice to shriek at them.

“Well this is getting noisy,” Rune groaned. Charle snapped to silence, and suddenly smiled maniacally at them.

“Fine then. If you want it to be that way, then fine! It’s already setup, anyway. You fools will fall to my might. Meanwhile, Tapu Koko’s plan will reach stage one,” he said. He started to snicker.

“Tapu Koko’s plan?” Leos whispered.

“Boy,” Tapu Bulu spoke up, surprising everyone. His eyes were locked on Leos, who flinched at the tone of his rough, deep, and powerful voice. “You have it, don’t you? The Z-Move.”

Leos gulped and nodded, to which Prem shifted to his side.

“Then your opponent is me! While our lord Tapu Bulu deals with the main issue, I’ll deal with your rabble,” Charle said, fangs showing.

Vincent was about to make a snide comment, but choked on the first word when Charle appeared right in front of Rune and slammed his sword into the Dewott’s chest. Rune blocked it, but not without a cough and a growl at the speed of it. The attack was so quick and forceful that Charle pushed them both backward for a second, and then Rune started to push forward to stop them.

“Wait, what?” Nier gasped. She struggled to watch them exchange slashes. They hit their blades against one another so hard that the sounds of their battle echoed far. They eventually hopped a good few paces from each other, but Rune was focused and furious, now.

“Leave my son out of this! The duel is between you and me, Tapu Bulu!” Rune shouted.

“But it isn’t. It isn’t even a duel involving you, prince,” Charle said. He laughed snidely. Everyone’s eyes widened when he began to levitate off the ground slightly, releasing light shockwaves of darkness from his feet. “Come at me! I’ll take you all on at once. You’ll see just how worthless you all are before me!”

“Oh pipe down already,” Vincent said as he jumped towards him first.

Charle only moved at the last moment, but he was fast enough to block Vincent’s attack completely. Vincent kept at it however, with spins, kicks, stabs, and swipes of his naginata. Charle avoided or blocked it all with fluent floating to keep Vincent moving across the battlefield. Vincent eventually tripped over a body, which gave Charle an easy hit with his claws.

“Vincent!” Nier cried, raising her ears to use Psychic. The hybrid had only been hit by Slash, but it sent him staggering away to make room for the others. Nier’s Psychic blast came in not a second later, but Charle didn’t so much as blink from the impact. “What?”

“He’s showing characteristics of a dark type. Psychic type moves are having no effect!” Blossom said.

Rune was next, shooting a Water Pulse with just one hand. He chased it before it hit Charle, who blocked both the Water Pulse and Rune’s sword. The two ended up face to face and ground their blades against one another.

“Killing you is going to be especially fun, prince.” Charle hummed with delight.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he retorted and growled.

They pushed against each other for a moment, until Charle revealed a free paw. He held a Dark Pulse around that paw and threatened to fire it at point blank range, but Rune Kicked back and surrounded himself in water to use Aqua Jet and escape.

The next moment had the others in states of shock. Rune and Charle zipped around the battlefield so fast that they couldn’t be followed. They smashed against each other periodically with mighty hits. Each collision created a burst of energy somewhere in the space, half water and half darkness. This carried on until Rune finally got the upper hand, catching Charle by the neck to smashed him into the ground. Charle jumped right back to his feet, but not without snarling at his predicament.

“So you do have some fight in you. I expected a lazy royal like you to rely on your weapon,” he said as he stretched his neck. It clicked loudly. “Where’d you get that speed from then, huh?”

Meanwhile, Leos, Prem, and Tapu Bulu were still staring at each other. Leos waited for the legendary to speak or act, to give some sign to say that their duel had begun. But Tapu Bulu didn’t move at all, his empty eyes fixated on the Oshawott. The reason why soon became apparent, as the Faernian army began to gather behind him.

“Wait, is this an ambush?” Leos whispered and glanced back. The Erinian army had done the same for his side, and their presence had halted Charle’s fight against the others.

“I must admit, I’m impressed, boy. You survived Charle’s attack, and a fall from a great height. If you should truly be capable of a Z-Move, then you might entertain me with a good battle,” Tapu Bulu said. Leos lost his tension. “You are aware of how duels work, correct? You will be the deciding factor in the outcome of this battle.”

Strange. He sounds sane. Does he know that the Z-Move will kill him?” Leos asked himself. He shook his head. “No. We’ve thought about this already. We’ve seen the casualties and the damage. This god needs to be put down, and this is my chance to do it.

“I accept your challenge. I’ll stop whatever crazed reign you intend to have,” Leos said, and stepped forward.

“Good. But do not misunderstand my intentions. I simply wish to have an engaging battle,” he replied. Leos and Prem loosened. “The Pokémon of Eris are said to be more savage in combat, raised in harsh conditions. This has proven true by the prowess they’ve shown in combat thus far. But none of them compare to me.”

“You’re really doing this just so you can have a good fight?” Leos asked.

“Their power pales in comparison to mine. There is nowhere or no excuse for me to unleash my full strength, and I have grown bored. I wish to fully engage in combat, but there is no satisfaction to be had if the opponent falls at my simplest action,” he said.

“That- that’s so wrong,” Prem whimpered.

“You’re literally killing hundreds of Pokémon,” Leos cried. “Are you really doing this just because you’re bored and want a good fight?”

“You spout similar nonsense to the fallen kings of ages past. But don’t you Erinians kill simply for nourishment? What difference lies between yours and mine wishes that deems me morally wrong?” he replied. Leos looked down. He shook uncontrollably. “Perhaps it is time to put Erinians in their place. To right the wrong ways of your citizens by punishing you all with death. The least you could do is make it entertaining, however. You, the boy capable of a Z-Move.”

“For a moment there, I thought you weren’t insane. A small part of me thought that there was some remarkable reason that sparked your travel to Eris, gave you a valid reason for all this death,” Leos said, slowly looking up right into Tapu Bulu’s eyes. “Now I know Shaymin wasn’t lying. You’re just a god gone mad that’s lost his heart. The Pokémon of Eris don’t eat each other because they want to – they have no choice! Your blessings don’t reach them, and so nothing on their planet grows!”

“Spare me the details, boy. I am done with pity. If that was so much of a problem, then why do the Pokémon not do anything about it? Instead they prepare themselves for battle, hardening each other before they kill themselves from the inside. Killing them for enjoyment is a kindness,” he replied.

Leos’ glare intensified, and he crossed his arms. “I’ve heard enough. You think killing them for circumstances beyond their control – circumstances you yourself could help – is acceptable? And for your own sick enjoyment, no more? I won’t let you go any further, Tapu Bulu! This ends now!”

“Good, you do know it! Hit me with it. Show me the true extent of your power. Hit me with the power only true gods can achieve!” Tapu Bulu laughed with rising excitement.

“I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!” Leos began, glowing with aura. Prem copied in perfect sync, besides the worried expression on his face. A heavy wind blew from them both as golden light surrounded them, both Pikachu and Oshawott posing in the shape of the Aries star sign. “Provide me an attack to make ease of this conflict!”

Just like last time, the energy around them spiked, and then burst harmlessly. All the light and energy dispersed into a single burst of wind that only ruffled fur. Seeing that, Prem panicked, glanced left and right and whimpered. “Oh no, it still didn’t work!”

But Leos ignored that. He was too angry to care if it looked like it worked or not. With the gamble in his mind that he had absorbed the aura or something, he swiped his scalchop aside, formed a Razor Shell, and threw himself at Tapu Bulu with a loud, angry cry. He impacted with all his strength, so much force behind his swing that he winded himself on hit. But Tapu Bulu didn’t so much as blink or shift. He stared down at the Razor Shell harmlessly laying on his chest.

“What?” Leos choked.

“I’m disappointed, boy. Perhaps it was all a fluke. You are mortal, however. It was to be expected that you couldn’t do any better than that,” he said, his tone of voice telling of that genuine disappointment.

Leos vaulted away from him the moment his hooves moved, avoiding a Wood Hammer attack that was so fast he didn’t see it. That wasn’t the end of Tapu Bulu’s attack however, as he rose his decorated hooves with a triumphant cheer. At his call, several vines and roots magically sprouted from the earth below their feet, all from random spots that shifted everyone into full focus.

“Stop!” Leos gasped. He almost tripped over one that sprouted near him. Many came from afar and grew to stretch across the air, threatening to pierce him like thrown daggers.

“Leos!” Rune roared at the top of his voice, caught in the middle of his own battle with the vines. In fact everyone was, even the Faernian soldiers behind the god were having to hop, shield, or attack their way out of the onslaught of plants. There were so many that no one could do a job of looking out for each other, and countless Pokémon were pierced right through as the seconds went by.

It didn’t take long before Leos joined them. He jumped, spun, and even managed to cut one in two before he was overwhelmed by three stems at once. If he didn’t trip over one as he stumbled backwards, the stem might have hit him through his chest, but instead it hit him just above his left arm. It went right through his bubble collar and back out the other side.

He let out an agonizing scream at a higher pitch than he himself knew he could let out. All seemed to recognise it was him, as the plants suddenly retracted at Tapu Bulu’s command – even the one that went through Leos. It forced its way back through him, unplugging his wound to bring a gush of blood and flesh with it, as well as another scream from the Oshawott.

“Leos!” everyone screamed.

He did his best to stay standing, but the sight of a puddle of blood at his feet made him lose his strength and confidence in an instant. He fell forward onto all fours. His breath was desperate and trembling as the blood stained his hands and feet. He couldn’t believe how much he was losing, nor the pain that drank his strength by the bucketload. He couldn’t even hear or feel anything anymore, aware that he was likely going to die at any moment.

It’s all my fault… it’s my fault… all my fault!” Prem whimpered, unable to turn away.

No one moved as Tapu Bulu let out a taunting laugh and bashed his hooves together. Charle made an effort to look threatening as well, and kept everyone away with his sword and an evil smile.

I failed. After everything, I still failed,” Leos whimpered in his head as well. “I can’t hurt him. I can barely move from this spot. He’s going to kill me!

The world blacked out for both Leos and Prem. Time slowed to almost a complete standstill, too. Leos couldn’t feel his breath as all of his surroundings turned to complete darkness. Only his pathetic, fallen figure, Tapu Bulu’s mocking laughter, and Prem’s terrified noises could be heard, whilst his blood spread across the ruined ground.

For Prem, the very same thought stormed through his mind. His memories with Leos played through on repeat, running through his head at blinding speed. Over and over and over, every last day he spent with the Oshawott hybrid, right down to the words they shared together repeated in his mind ceaselessly.



I don’t want you to die… I really don’t want you to die. You can’t die now,” Prem told himself.



I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die! I want to live!” Leos begged to himself, and scrunched up his face. “But it didn’t work! My body isn’t working! My Z-Move, after everything…



All of a sudden, Prem let out a scream louder than any of the sound in the area, silencing everyone. He twirled his head around and stomped both feet into the ground while cupping his hands into fists. Gasps sounded out before silence fell besides him, all eyes drawn to the Pikachu’s feral outburst. The wings of his Mega Charizard hoodie spread wide, the tail lit up with real flames, and the eyes on the hood glowed a bright blue.

“Leos, stand up! Do your best and stand up, Leos! It’s not over yet!” he shrieked, straining his voice to its limit.

The Oshawott couldn’t believe Prem could reach such a volume, but it sparked just as much shock in him as it did everyone else. He stared straight forward while Prem continued to scream orders of support to him, eying Tapu Bulu in expectation. The legendary didn’t move, and watched them with widened eyes.

“We’ve got one shot and I know we can do it. We can bring out our fully powered strength, I know we can!” Prem cried. He sweated and huffed from exhaustion.

The Z-Move… he’s r-right. I’m not dead yet, and if I really don’t want to die, then it has to work. I have to try,” Leos shuddered from a sting of pain.

His vision went blurry for a moment and he growled from pain as another spurt of blood leaked from his wound. Surely enough, with a growl of maximum effort and a stumble backwards from weakness, he got to his feet. His body felt like fire burned everything inside of it, and his feet were ready to melt and bring him to the floor, but he ignored it. His face was fierce and focused, despite his eyesight was blurred from fatigue.

“Do it, Prem!” he shouted, crossing his arms.

“We have to win this. We can’t lose!” Prem replied, still shouting.

The duo crossed their arms at the same time, and the surrounding area to darkened as their bodies glowed with golden aura. The aura grew over Prem as they unfurled their arms and stretched them forward, keeping them crossed. Leos didn’t voice his incantation this time, and moved into a crouch. The duo spun as they rose back up, spread their arms out in a curl to pose in the same shape as the Aries star sign.

The moment they struck this pose together, the golden aura around them spiked and raged around each of them with continuous pulses. This time however, the aura shot out of Prem and arched through the air to slam onto Leos, strengthening his aura to the point that it was blinding. It stayed around him and transformed Leos into a golden form that overflowed with energy.

“Is this it?” Rune whispered, his jaw hung open.

“Yes, yes! This is what I’ve been waiting for!” Tapu Bulu said and smacked his hooves together. “The Z-Move, one’s full power! Hit me with it. Show me everything you’ve got!”

Leos heard him, but was too busy shuddering in awe. He had just been basked in more pain than he’d ever felt in his entire life, and now he was the opposite; overflowing with so much energy, confidence, motivation, and every other uplifting notion that he could barely keep still. He stared at his hands as he tried to control his body’s irritable trembling.

“Finish it, Leos! Hit ‘em with everything you’ve got!” Prem threw his fists forward.

Leos heard him loud and clear, and with this much power in his hands, he was more than ready to try again. He stomped one foot as he swiped his scalchop aside. The action magically generated countless copies of himself.

“Double Team?” Blossom said.

“No, look in his hands! His Razor Shell!” Rune said.

The clones of Leos all looked identical to him in his normal form, complete with normal Razor Shell attacks. Each of them rushed forward and dove into Tapu Bulu to stab him with their blades. He pushed his chest forward in a cocky attempt to block them, but the very first one that hit him had enough power to make him flinch and grunt. A second one hit and he cursed, followed by a third that instinctively made him guard his body. Either way, dozens of Leos clones kept hitting him with Razor Shell to pin him to the spot seemingly without end.

Meanwhile, Leos concentrated on his target with full focus. He held his scalchop tightly with both hands, and when he finally tensed, a Razor Shell formed from it.

Unlike the double-sided sword he normally formed however, his attack turned into a scythe over three times the Oshawott’s size. He spun the weapon around into a comfortable position and then burst forward at wicked speed, and hacked into Tapu Bulu without mercy. His last hit pierced the very bottom of the deity, and all the Leos clones dispersed in a beautiful explosion of blue particles.

“Wha-what?” Tapu Bulu cried. His body stretched up to try and resist the pain. “H-how is this- possible?”

Leos didn’t answer him, but stalled for just a moment. Tapu Bulu glared down and met his livid stare with a surprised snort. He then closed his eyes and relaxed, letting his hooves fall limp at his sides. “Well done.”

At that, Leos roared out loud and pulled his scythe up as hard as he could. It sliced right through Tapu Bulu in a clean, straight cut that split the legendary in two, both halves separating briefly before exploding into enormous blasts of wind and glowing particles. It was all harmless, and the others only had to shield their faces as their fur ruffled from the wind.

Leos was left behind in the centre of the glowing specks, which quickly slowed to fall like glittering snow. His aura lingered for a short while afterwards too, but soon faded in another harmless burst of wind. He struggled to turn around, and lost his balance just as suddenly as he had gained it.

“Leos!” Prem cried, being the first to trip and scramble over to his friend. Leos’ wound had returned, though it no longer bled. His eyes were shut tight, and his body shuddered from cold and a struggle to move. “Are you alright?”

He responded by raising his right arm straight up, as if calling Prem closer to help him stand. Prem wasted no time in reaching out, but to his surprise, Leos snatched his grip and pulled him to the ground. He pulled Prem into an embrace, breathing lightly with a big smile on his face.

“L-Leos?” Prem gasped as quiet as a whisper.

Leos’ face was so close to his that he could feel his breath on his cheeks, and their bellies and feet were touching. He refused to move though.

“Stay here,” Leos said after a short while, and moved his other hand to Prem’s back. His right hand continued to clench Prem’s left, his relaxed affection finally causing the Pikachu to go bright red all over his face. “You’re warm.”

Prem couldn’t even reply with anything better than near to silent stutters and squeaks. Leos let out a weak giggle at that, and patted him on the back. “Thank you. I mean it.”
 
Episode 28: Love versus duty

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg


Episode 28: Love versus duty



A knock came from the other side of the room. There was no door, but the candlelight in the hallway told him someone was waiting. “You can come in,” Leos called out. Rune came in alongside Prem, but the latter looked pale with nervousness.

“You’re awake. You didn’t sleep at all, did you?” his Father asked. He shook his head. “Well, good morning, anyway. I wish you had told me that you had learnt the Z-Move when you jumped into the battle yesterday.”

“You still would’ve fought against me, anyway.” Leos turned away.

“No. The Z-Move is the very attack I wanted you to learn. It appears you’re aware of more important things now, like the choices you have to make as this world’s new leader. You’ve already acted on that path, but I have much to tell you,” Rune began. He looked away and gave a huge sigh. “The Heavenly Execution… that’s your Z-Move. The power to execute even a god with the onslaught of a thousand clones. With this power, you have the potential to kill the Tapu. But why—”

“But why would I want to kill the Tapu? Because they’ve grown mad with age, and their dictation of civilisation has grown twisted. I already know, Shaymin told me everything.” Leos folded his arms. “I know everything. About how I’m a hybrid and how I have to uphold the legend of Etheria.”

Rune hesitated and scratched his chin. He eventually folded his arms as well, and cleared his throat. “If this Shaymin is the one I’m thinking of, then that means you obeyed a god despite being aware that the gods are coming of age in our time.”

Leos tensed up, but Rune ignored him. “Regardless, you’ve started what you need to start. I’ve spoken to your allies already, and we’ve gathered an army.”

“This isn’t a sustainable solution, though. The Tapu will just be reborn, and the same thing that’s been happening will happen again, thousands of years later. We need to find a real, sustainable solution to the planets and their energy crisis!” Leos said. “I’m not going to just play into this, ‘legend’ or not. I’m going to find a way for us to live without relying on the gods.”

“Oh? Do you think that’s possible?” Rune said, surprised.

“Of course it is. It has to be. We just need to change our scientific approach,” he replied, beginning to pace. “I believe Faernian research at the moment goes into the development of new technologies that make use of the Tapu terrains and their blessings. But if we change the direction of that research, to figure out how to actually grow plants and things, for example…”

“You’ve already killed Tapu Bulu, though. We don’t have time for that,” Rune said.

“What do you mean? I executed him because he attempted to start a war. We don’t have to feed into that,” he said.

“The other Tapu are undoubtedly aware of his death. If Eris doesn’t act, they will come to us, seeking revenge. That’s why I gathered an army. We’re to set off this afternoon,” Rune said. Leos let out a small gasp. “This is the path you chose when you decided to kill Tapu Bulu. If it’s not the one you wanted, then you should have thought about it sooner. There’s no going back, now.”

Leos looked away. “The Pokémon won’t stand for this, though. You’re talking about starting a full-on war, here. Is that really what we’re going to do?”

“It’s the only thing we can do. There’s no debating this now, Leos,” Rune said. He turned his back. “I suggest you prepare yourself. Rested or not, an even bigger battle will soon be upon us.”

The poor Oshawott could only sigh in frustration as his father walked out. He was well rested, despite barely sleeping a wink. His mind stirred so quickly that he felt drained from just that conversation. He wanted to find solutions or excuses that could prevent a battle. Here and now it all felt hopeless, as he knew that he was now the cause of the war he wanted to prevent.

“Leos. Do you mind if we talk for a bit, please?” Prem said. Leos gave him an angry glare. “It’s not about- well it’s sorta about Tapu Bulu, but-”

“What is it? You don’t want to drill me for this too, do you?” he said.

“No, not at all. I wanted to talk about us. Us and, well, you know…” Prem played with his hands and grew quiet. It took Leos a moment to realise what he was on about.

“Is now really the time?” he said.

“Yes. Yes it is. We have to make time. This is important,” Prem closed his hands into fists.

“Go on, then,” Leos said, hand on a hip.

“I felt it when the Z-Move wasn’t working. Do you remember what Shaymin said? She said our thoughts and intentions needed to be in sync. At first, I was worried that you wouldn’t like me after all that stuff that happened down in the Second Country… then I was worried that you didn’t feel the same way I do about you when the move wasn’t working,” he said. He sighed and became stern. “But when I saw Tapu Bulu hurt you that badly, where he could have killed you, I knew what I really felt. I realised what I had to do. Right there, in that moment, I knew I didn’t want you to die. No matter what, I have to give it my all to make sure you don’t die.”

“So our success was a bit of a fluke. I desperately didn’t want to fail, either. It only worked because in that moment, I didn’t want to die a failure,” Leos said.

“I don’t think it’s a fluke. I know just how fragile life is now. Seeing Shaymin just suddenly disappear like that, and then almost losing you not even a day later,” Prem said. He clenched his hands together and looked Leos in the eyes, becoming stern. “I have to be honest with my feelings. Something I want to say could never be said.”

“Prem-” Leos shuddered.

“Leos, I was worried about how you’d react, but I can’t hold back anymore. I l-love you. You’re closer to me than anyone I’ve ever known. I want us to be able to live together,” Prem said, leaning forward.

Leos breathed out quietly, shut his eyes and shook his head. “This is a bad time. I’m sorry Prem, but my response remains the same. I can’t make a choice like that, especially not right now.”

“Maybe you can’t publicly. But as my closest friend, you can let me know how you really feel. And if it’s still a no, will you at least let me harbour these feelings about you?” he asked.

“Prem, listen—” Leos began, but quickly paused. He blinked a few times, and his heart grew heavy thanks to Prem’s desperate tone. However, Prem’s confident and rigid look told him just how serious and honest he was being, and he was brought back to what Shaymin told him. He gave it another round of thought, and chose his words carefully.

“No. You know what, you’re right. That’s fine. Pokémon feel like that about other Pokémon all the time. Especially the famous ones, right? It shouldn’t be a problem for you,” he said.

Prem loosened up a little.

“No, wait, that’s wrong. I don’t want to give a solid yes or no because I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I’m not saying no, either. Because I really do want you around me. You made growing up bearable for me, you know,” he said, looking down.

“Hold my hands,” Prem said. Leos glanced at him in surprise, surprised at the fact that he wasn’t blushing. Leos obeyed though, and slowly wrapped his hands in Prem’s fingers.

“You just want things to go back to how they were before, don’t you? When we were younger and life was simpler. Back when we’d spend hours sneaking away from Mother to explore Faernia, reading and learning to fight in secret. Those times when we didn’t have to stress over what we’re doing and how it affects other Pokémon,” Leos said. He could barely look Prem in the eyes.

“There’s no point in harbouring the past. I’m happy working with you to try and save Etheria. It’s not easy, but it’s because you’re working so hard that I look up to you so much,” Prem replied, clenching tighter. “I just want to know how you honestly feel about me.”

“I’m fine with how you feel. And I do want you in my life. I couldn’t live without you. So I guess I’m saying yes? But also no, because I couldn’t—”

A rhythmic knock on the side of the room’s entrance silenced them both, and they both glanced at the hallway. Nier came in a moment later, waving happily.

“Oh good, you’re awake. Mornin’, you two!” she greeted. They glanced at each other and then quickly withdrew their hands, turning away from one another. Prem’s face went bright red, while Leos laughed awkwardly, and had to look away to hide a small blush of his own.

“N-Nier, what br-brings you here so early?” Leos asked at a high pitch.

“Huh? What’s with that look? What were you two up to?” She cocked her head.

“Nothing! We clearly weren’t up to anything,” Prem cried, still bright red. Nier giggled and gave him a half-lidded look.

“Fine then. Your little secret’s safe with me, boys. I came in to tell you breakfast is ready, anyway. I’m not big on Erinian food, but I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t look like a feast. So you two better hurry or we’ll eat your share,” she said, skipping out. The duo shared a glance with one another and snickered when their stomachs growled.

“Oops! Guess I was so nervous I forgot about food. I haven’t eaten in ages!” Prem giggled. “Let’s go, Leos! Let’s go see what everyone made for us.”

Leos was left behind, but stopped in the doorway. “… Thanks, Prem. If anyone’s going to help me change, it’s you.

He turned back to his room and blinked. “So this is my path… killing the Tapu, regardless of what the Pokémon say. This might generate more trouble than it prevents, but if I can get the Pokémon to listen and work together, we might just figure this out. If the Second Country can survive without the god’s blessings, so can we. There just HAS to be a way. That’s the priority: to find a way for us to survive without the mad gods.







Hours passed in the blink of eye after that. There were some disagreements over the meat dishes served at breakfast, but aside from that, nothing eventful happened even though Leos and his group were heading towards the next biggest battle of their lives. Routine supply checks, a run through of their plan to get to Faernia, a speech to the commoners around the castle, and then they were off in a swarm of manually operated airships.

It was only when they were in the airspace between the two planets that Leos started to feel his fear and nervousness kick in. Their army was bigger than any army he had ever seen, with countless airships not nearly in the condition of the Faernian ones he was used to. Each one was overcrowded with generic soldiers like the ones he’d seen in yesterday’s battle, and each and every one of them did their best to hide their fear behind a soulless stare and pose.

The idea was to hit Faernia hard to draw out Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele. This meant attacking the capital with this oversized army, even though Ariala was there. She was obviously just as aware of what was going on as the Tapu were, and that was what scared Leos the most.

How would she react after learning what Leos had done? What were her thoughts on the Tapu’s behaviour in general? If she agreed with them like the priestess she was, then would that mean she would fight to protect them?

That last thought made him physically shiver hard enough for Prem to notice. Leos’ personal group were all stood around him at the front of their airship, with their army in formation behind him. The way they were positioned, they could dash right off the airship and go into battle at a moment’s notice.

“The Tower of the Tapu should be coming into view in about three minutes, now. Descend through the clouds,” Rune ordered, using his hands to signal to the soldiers in the back. Leos gulped.

“Well, this is it, everyone,” Leos said.

“Remember, our aim is just either Tapu Koko or Lele. The less damage we deal, the better.” Vincent glanced at him. “We don’t have to do this violently.”

“I know that, but still.” He sighed. His attention was taken as the city came into view. Even from their height, everything looked different. “It looks like they’ve been expecting us.”

The city was devoid of the upbeat life that made the planet’s capital. Instead of crowds of harmless Pokémon going about their business, fairies equipped with armour or lances were positioned in clever formations throughout the city. It would be impossible for the Erinian airships to land without getting attacked.

Leos growled. Amongst the groups of enemies, he spotted Charle with his two elite Primarina guards, Tapu Koko at the foot of the castle, and about a hundred metres in front of him, Ariala. She had her own platoon of soldiers lined out in front of her, making a perfect wall to block the walkway to the castle. They weren’t getting to Tapu Koko without dealing with her.

“Stop descending, we need a strategy,” Leos called out.
“Erinians don’t go by ‘strategy’, Leos. They go by cold, raw power. That’s how we’ve survived for so long,” Rune replied. He turned to the soldiers behind them. “To arms! Show no mercy. Tear those fairies to shreds!”

“What the- your wife is in that group!” Vincent said.

Before any argument could start, the airship shook with force, and then a blast echoed through the sky. Explosions went off in the distance, and a brief look at the windows showed many of the airships already under attack. The fairies special attacks caused the ship to quake, but the dragon type soldiers cheered, raised their weapons, and leapt off into the city anyway. Others charged up Flamethrower attacks and set the world below alight, aiming for the buildings and other burnable targets.

“Wait, stop!” Leos cried.

“There’s no time to wait. This is war, Leos!” Rune shouted and leapt off. Leos could only stick his arm out as his father disappeared into the flames below, followed by a group of chanting soldiers. Another Moonblast rocked the airship and he almost fell out, helped by Blossom.

“The ship’s gonna come crashing down. We’re gonna have to jump, too!” Nier said. Bursts of fire ate away at the airship’s wings and roof, and it soon began to nosedive.

“Aah, this is worse than when we had to jump!” Griselle cried and hugged Leos tightly.

“Griselle- gah! Let go. focus!” he said.

“I’ve got this. Everyone around me, now!” Blossom shouted as she pulled everyone close to her. As soon as they got into a huddle, she erected a large green Protect barrier around them all.

“I didn’t know you could use Protect,” Prem said, impressed with her work. His orb appeared in his arms and he used Protect to strengthen their barrier.

Even with all of that, the crash land into the city below shook them all hard enough to bring them to the floor. Noises of destruction deafened their ears as the airship skidded across the paved streets. The floor quaked constantly until the ship came to a sharp stop by crashing into a building. Thankfully their Protect barrier kept them safe, and they only felt pain from bumping into each other and the floor.

Once everything settled and all he could hear were flames, the barriers were dropped and Leos sprinted out of the wreckage. He immediately stopped at the magnitude of the battle around him, unable to do anything but gawk at the way the Pokémon fought each other.

The dragons were savage. They gave no care to the city around them, tearing into anything and everything in sight. Charizard bathed shops in flames, Salamence snapped streetlights and apparatus like twigs, and the Faernian soldiers were spared none of it. Even though the dragon type attacks should have had no affect on their divine bodies, Dragon Claw and Outrage attacks from Dragonite were being used with such physical force that the fairies were being crushed or even pierced. For those that could use the attacks, Iron Tail or Steel wing sliced whole bodies in half and painted the streets in blood and organs.

The fairies were no better in the ordeal, however. Their half of the city was difficult to look at thanks to continual use of Dazzling Gleam and Moonblast from several Sylveon and Aromatisse, while Mawile and Granbull took the front lines with their lengthy lances. Those weapons combined with Play Rough attacks, resulting in the dragons being ground to nothing but mounds of shredded flesh and blood. Barely a scream could come from the targets of these Play Rough attacks, silenced the moment a lance connected.

Leos slowly spun around. No matter where he looked, this level of extreme violence was all around him. Screams, flames, weapons clashing, roars of aggression, and splashes of red. The heat and pressure of the great battle all around him made him feel dizzy and lifeless, like he was falling into a void that would soon kill him. He had almost lost his mind when he saw the amount of death the battle on Eris caused, but now that he was here seeing how all the death came to be, he felt like he was being tortured.

He wanted to scream, but the thought that nobody would hear him in this chaos frightened him. He felt sick enough to throw up. He grabbed his ears amongst his head fur and pulled at them as he curled himself up into a ball. His head hurt like explosions were going off inside it. He could feel his chest squeezing up, tightening as the contents of his stomach forced their way up his throat.

“Leos!” Prem squealed and dove into him.

The duo rolled along the cold ground, and Prem’s body squeezed against Leos’ so closely that it muffled the sound of a blast somewhere to the left. Leos snapped back to reality after that, spotting several Moonblast attacks the size Snorlax soar through the air. The fairies were using their Moonblast cannons to eradicate whole groups of dragons with each shot.

Although aware, Leos scrambled to sit up and then crawled backwards, heaving desperate breaths. The others stared at him in surprise, and he stared back, slowly shaking his head side to side. “T-take me away. Please, get it all away from me!”

“Leos?” Vincent said, trying to keep his eyes on the battle.

“I-I’m a scholar, not a fighter! Get me outta here!” he shrieked and curled up again.

“Leos, get a hold of yourself!” Vincent shouted. He glanced to his right and spun to kick away a Mawile that had approached him, then used his naginata to push against a Slurpuff that came a second later. “You’re the only one that can stop this. So get a hold of yourself and get a move on!”

“I know it’s gruesome and hard to look at. But this battle can’t be won unless you reach Tapu Koko,” Nier said. She used Light Screen to block a Dazzling Gleam, but a Hyper Beam shattered it a moment later and hit her head on.

Leos barely had time to fret for her as several more conflicts took over the spot where she just was, followed by another blast from the Moonblast cannon that swallowed all the combatants, fairies and dragons alike. Vincent and Nier weren’t hit but disappeared into the battle, leaving Prem, Griselle, and Blossom as his only allies.

“I’m the only one?” he whispered with heavy breaths. He stumbled to his feet and was too light-headed to stand straight.

“Let everyone else do the fighting. That’s what we decided, remember?” Blossom said. “We’ll cut a path straight through. Me and Griselle can hit the enemies in front, then as we run past, Prem, you shock them with Thunder Wave to stop them from following us. Leos, you just stay in the centre of our group.”

“U-uh, yes.” He nodded. He was quieter than a whisper.

Their plan was immediately put into practice. Still nervous, Leos prodded his hands together as he warily followed his allies, paying more attention to the stray attacks going off than what they were doing. Even though Blossom and Griselle were doing good with moving enemies out of the way, he had to stumble and trip side to side to avoid Flamethrower and Hyper Beam alike, often hesitating to move due to the smoke and rubble that rained after each attack.

As they weaved through the war in the streets, Leos began to focus a bit more. The way Blossom screamed with each use of Psychic and brought enemies to the ground groups at a time, told of just how much effort and desperation she put into this. Griselle was the same, bashing enemies with her shield and tackles, her voice full effort and emotion. Prem apologised with each Thunder Wave, and was soon out of breath even though he followed by floating with his orb.

They’re all doing this together. Not for me, but for their own goals. All of them, even the soldiers fighting. Because the only way to put a stop to this is to kill Tapu Koko,” Leos told himself. He could barely keep his eyes open. “The effort everyone is putting in… I can’t be selfish anymore. I can’t just think about myself anymore. The only way to save all these Pokémon is to do what only I can do, with their help!

Before he knew it, he was approaching a grand, wide staircase. This area was quiet and somehow devoid of the war going on. The group stopped to catch their breaths, so Leos glanced back in disbelief – they had indeed reached the foot of the road leading to the castle, and the battle was at least fifty metres behind them.

“We’re almost there. My lord, Prem, prepare yourselves.” Blossom nodded at them. She and Griselle took the lead, where Leos’ senses finally spiked, and he foresaw the danger they were running into.

“Girls!” he shouted, getting them to stop just in time.

A blast of dark energy struck the stairs and sent them both tumbling back to Leos’ side. Neither psychic type was hit, thankfully.

“Ah. For a second there, I was about to complain that you were going to make this too easy,” Charle said, laughing as he floated from beyond the top of the stairs. He was posed as if he was sitting down, and scratched his chin with a nail. His sword floated beside him at an arm’s reach, while his elite Primarina guards slithered to his left and right. An empty expression filled their gazes.

“St-step aside, Charle!” Leos said.

“Ha! Please. Telling the big baddie to step aside? When has that ever worked? Especially when you sound so unsure of yourself?” he said. He laughed under his breath. “Listen to me, prince. The Tapu know what’s best for our world. What they want, we give them. In turn, they give us what we want. Is that so difficult a world to live by?”

“Do you think Pokémon should accept being killed for the sake of entertainment? Because that’s what Tapu Bulu was doing on Eris!” Prem cried.

“Who the heck cares? Erinians eat each other anyway. He was just making their job easier, and looking for enjoyment at the same time. When you have overwhelming prowess over peasants, you tend to feel good about doing that kind of thing.”

Leos’ glare intensified. “We’ve been through this. There’s no use reasoning with someone who thinks like that.”

“Finally, you’re getting’ on my wavelength. Skip the bullshit and let’s get to the fight,” Charle said. He spun and stopped in a pose where he pointed at Leos. “I always get what I want.”

He spun again, posing by pointing at himself. “And what I want, is your head hung up on my wall.”

He spun again, this time not stopping. “And when I get that,”

He stopped, holding both arms out to his sides. They were surrounded by black flames, which pulled his sword into his right paw. “I’ll be crowned champion. From paladin to champion of Faernia, that is to be my tale! And an anticlimactic one, since even the lot of you stand no chance against me.”

Leos and his party didn’t reply. They stretched their feet apart and tightened their grips on their weapons. Leos’ heart raced and he still breathed through his mouth, but he was able to conjure a Razor Shell, so he had some hope of doing well.

“You’re still going to fight back? Maybe you think you stand a chance after forcing us to retreat on Eris. But this is our home ground, this time. We can’t afford not to put full effort into killing you. But think about it. Have you ever beaten me?” Charle crossed his arms. A golden aura appeared around him, and the Primarina copied his pose. “I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!”

“No, not this attack again,” Leos gasped.

“Not gonna stand around and let you do it again!” Griselle cried as she rushed forward. She pulled back and thrust her lance with a roar of effort, but the fiery aura surrounding Charle blocked her attack completely. Her lance poked through the aura, but not nearly enough to harm the Meowth. He smiled at her snidely, and she hopped back with a gasp.

“Psychic still doesn’t work. It’s like he’s a dark type!” Blossom cried, continuously trying to blast him with the move.

Seeing their failure to stop Charle’s attack, Leos’ panic came right back. He stood there and stared at the posing Meowth with shaky breaths. His eyesight blurred with the growth of the aura, and when the wind started to blow against him, he started crying out and covered his face.

“Your defeat is at hand. Black Hole Eclipse!” Charle shouted as he thrust a palm forward. Just as the black hole formed at the tip of his paw, a huge shuriken lodged itself into his head from above, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Although the shuriken visibly pierced him, it disintegrated and left no stab wound where it was. “Who dares?”

“S-someone… stopped him?” Leos whispered, daring to look up. One of the Faernian airships floated high above their battle, and a few sparkles from Pokémon attacks flew off its surface. Prem was quick to use Protect and defend the party from the moves, leaving Charle to dart about to avoid them. Leos recognised the attacks as more Water Shuriken, coupled with Fairy Wind and a ring of electricity, Zing Zap.

Charle defended against each one with growls and careful moves. Once the attacks ceased, the attackers made their move, popping up behind him in a puff of smoke. The main attacker, a Greninja, didn’t waste time in thrusting both arms forward to hit Charle with Water Pulse from point blank, sending him flying. He rolled across the ground before flipping back to his feet, where he came to a stop behind Leos and the others.

“What?” Charle shrieked. Leos was reluctant to look back at the new faces, but flinched when he realised who they were.

“Wait, you’re- I can’t believe it, you survived?” Leos gasped. There were four Pokémon: a Greninja, Sylveon, Togedemaru, and Purrloin.

“Of course we did. I’d ask what the heck you’ve been doing all this time, but it can wait. We’re clearly in the right spot, anyway,” Tundra replied, ready for battle. Shouta and Kelsith did the same, stood beside him.

“Long story short: I ran into these guys a little while ago,” Ida said, taking centre stage. Charle kissed his teeth and shifted back, so she glanced back. “We’ll take care of this oaf. You kids hurry up and do your thing with Tapu Koko!”

“Wait… Ida?” Leos gasped.

“Didn’t you hear me? Hurry up and kill Tapu Koko and end this mess. Me and the Deliverance have got this covered!” she raised her voice.

“I know you want to talk to them, but she’s right. Let’s hurry, Master Leos,” Blossom said. He nodded at her, exchanged one final unsure glance with everyone, and then jogged up the stairs.

“No, wait, stop!” Charle pointed at them. The Deliverance closed the gap between them to stand in his way, making him tremble with fury. “Get outta the way! I can’t afford to let ‘em fight Tapu Koko!”

“What’s gotten into you? You leave me for a few months and suddenly you seem like a whole different Pokémon. How could you come back and not say hi to me?” Ida said, paws on her hips.

“You have nothing to do with this. And as you know, I’ve been busy! Forgive me for letting war take priority. I planned to come back as soon as I was free,” Charle said. He folded his arms and turned away.

“Seriously?” Ida sighed. “Anyway, you’re fighting for the wrong side. Let’s not actually do this and go calm down the battle, alright?”

“Uh uh, can’t do that. My whole life is on the line!” Charle shook his head and hands.

“I can already tell that you’ve changed. Dunno if it’s for the worse or better, but so far it’s looking bad,” she said. “The Charle I married took pride in being a paladin that put his all into everything he did, even if he was doing something stupid. The Charle in front of me now just seems to be brainwashed or something.”

“No no, you don’t understand! If the Tapu die, I’m gonna lose my powers, my powers that let me get anything I want. The powers that will make me a champion! Don’t you want a champion for a husband?” he cried.

“You big oaf. I’m fine with you being you,” she said, and put away her lance. She casually strode toward him, holding out her paws. “Paladin, champion, or even just a Meowth that knows how to put up a fight. I don’t care what you are, Charle. I’m happy to say I love you either way. But you must understand that what the Tapu have been doing is wrong.”

“Bah, what do you understand, woman? You don’t know what it’s like getting what you want. Once you have that power, losing it is not worth it!” he shouted. He slapped her aside, but she stopped him from storming off by grabbing his arm.

“I’ve seen it all for myself, Charle. I’ve seen what Tapu Bulu has done on Eris. And I’ve seen what Leos’ army is fighting for,” she said, a desperate tone taking over her voice. “Please, fight with us. We can’t rely on the Tapu’s blessings when they act in these unjust ways.”

“The Tapu do what they do for a reason. That’s why they’ve given me these powers! I won’t turn my back on smart gods like them.”

“Hate to interrupt the passionate love troubles, but can we wrap this up? Pokémon are dying,” Tundra spoke up, holding onto a Water Shuriken. Ida nodded at him.

“If your almighty ‘powers’ are more important to you than the peace that the Tapu are disturbing, then our marriage means nothing. I will fight you,” Ida said, readying her lance again. “Pick wisely for once. ‘Cos it’s clear which side has the favourable odds, here.”

“Really? The lot of you are gonna get in my way? Even my own wife?” Charle said, and drew his sword. His Primarina guards moved as well. “Well, you know what they say. True heroes must go through the biggest of hardships.”

“I don’t think that includes fighting your wife,” Kelsith said.

“Like you’d ever know, you oversized hag!” he cried. “I’ll push you all aside and save Tapu Koko. Then you’ll see just how wrong you all are for ever disagreeing with them. You’ll rue the day you challenged paladin Charle!”

“Sheesh. Do you ever not go on about yourself?” Shouta growled, sparkling with electricity. “We’ll see about that, though. I tend to not regret things.”
 
Episode 29: Vengeance is Mine

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Banner Rune Midgard adult.png

Episode 29: Vengeance is Mine



The bridge to Faernia Castle was quite high up, but it didn’t overlook any river, moat, or even cliff. The distant below was filled with woodland and cityscape, more interconnected than the main city. Leos wondered whether Pokémon lived there or not. Given the untouched state of the land, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the public had been evacuated there.

In the centre of the bridge, Ariala waited. Leos’ group slowed down as they got closer, although they were surprised to find that Rune had passed them during their battle and had already confronted her. The two stared at each other a few paces away, their weapons out and eyes completely fixated on each other.

“Father!” Leos shouted and tried to push the Dewott aside. Rune almost retaliated, but realised it was Leos. “What’s happening? You haven’t hurt her, have you?”

“It’s what it looks like,” Ariala answered him. She was unharmed, but the dark storm clouds blanketing the sky and strong wind said otherwise. It was like curses were being whispered along the wind, curses that warned of a disastrous end to the battle. “We’ve said our words. And now, every action is beyond consequence. Whether it’s karma from the gods that have transcended our mortal realm, or judgement from the gods still amongst us, we will see hardship for our actions. I only wish to stop those hardships from getting any worse.”

“How can they get any worse than they are now? Have you seen the way the Pokémon are killing each other? I’ve never seen anythin’ like it!” Griselle cried.

Ariala looked down and moaned. “The Pokémon aren’t fighting this way because they can. They’re doing it because they have to, for their survival. With the Tapu gone, we can’t sustain ourselves, Leos!”

“But they can. The Pokémon on Eris are able to do it. And they don’t even have all that technology,” Prem replied.

“Don’t bother bringing Eris into this. We don’t live that way because we want to,” Rune growled and looked back at him.

“No. It’s not that. The Pokémon are afraid. I’m afraid. We could resort to eating meat and sustaining ourselves as the Erinians do, but what would become of our world if we did? Pokémon can’t just suddenly adapt to that kind of life. It’s too unjust!” Ariala said. She spoke slowly.

“They don’t have to,” Leos said, looking down as well. “I wouldn’t need to kill them if they weren’t disturbing the peace treaty. This war wouldn’t even be happening if Tapu Bulu didn’t go to Eris to kill so meaninglessly.”

“We can atone for the mistakes they have made—” Ariala said.

“No we can’t! We have to take their position as the leaders of our own civilisation. They grow our food, they energise our electronics, they control our weather, and our healthcare. But these are all things that we can do as Pokémon. We can control them, maintain them without their help. I know we can!” Leos said, and faced forward. “This isn’t a battle for conquest. It’s a battle for freedom from their ever-growing madness. When we stop being lazy and learn to survive on our own, a way that is just for all, there will be no need for the gods to govern our world. They’ll never return!”

“Leos, where did this come from?” Ariala asked, sounding desperate.

“I’ve seen a place. A legendary place called the Second Country. Your retainers had been there since you dismissed them and went into hiding,” he said. Her eyes widened. “They survive. There’s nature there. The weather is fine. They don’t need electrical technology to entertain themselves. And there are no gods or goddesses there. We just have to come together and work together to figure out how this place sustains itself. If we work together, we can find it, I’m sure of it!”

Ariala stared for a moment, and her eyes began to water. “Vincent and Nier… even they’re here?”

“And they’ve seen everything. They’re out there fighting the Faernian army just so that I could get here.” Leos leaned forward.

“Possibly already dead, given the chaos that was going on back there,” Blossom said, stepping forward as well.

“My friends, no!” Ariala cried.

“It seems you finally understand what’s at stake here.” Rune spoke up and approached. She faced the floor even when he was stood in front of her, but he helped her up with a calm hand. “You also have the power to stop this battle. You tried to instigate it before when you learnt of Tapu Koko’s sin, but they didn’t react. They hid from you.”

Ariala was still looking at her hands. As he spoke, dark flames wavered over them, and she clenched her fingers to dispel them.

“Listen to your heart and do what’s best. That’s why you travelled on your personal pilgrimage and hid Leos from the world, right? So that you could see the truth for yourself. Now’s the time to finally put that into practice and do what needs to be done to lead your Pokémon to salvation,” he said. He sighed and walked around her. Ariala’s platoon of soldiers moved in his way to threaten him with their weapons. “It’s what we both have to do. I need you to be with me on this, though. If we don’t cooperate like we originally intended, this will only lead to more ruin.”

“I know you’re right, but I still find this so difficult to—” she said, shaking her head. She stood up and slowly looked around, mostly at the flashes and blasts going off where the main battle was. “Rune, Leos. I want you both to fully understand what you’re proposing with these actions. We may be crucified by whole world, and have our positions stripped down to the level of fugitives. We may even be wrong, and plunge our world into complete ruin. Even knowing that, are you still willing to go through with this?”

“You say that like I haven’t spent half my life struggling to survive,” Rune replied.

“Like Father says, that’s why you went into hiding when I was born, didn’t you? Either way, I’ve come too far to back down. I’ll see my actions through to the end,” Leos replied.

Ariala nodded at them both and took a deep breath. She regained a confident appearance and waved to her soldiers to command them to put their weapons down. They all exchanged glances and obeyed, but were clearly unhappy with the instruction. “Go to the city and issue the command to surrender. Spare all remaining Pokémon, and get medical help for those who need it.”

“Your highness,” one of the soldiers said.

“That’s an order,” she said, lowering her tone.

They saluted her and marched away. Once they were out of sight, Tapu Koko floated forward, staring silently at the group. Ariala shuddered and tried not to lock eyes with him, but his heavy presence demanded it, forcing her to face her decision in the flesh. She felt sick enough to throw up right there, but a nervous swallow kept it all down.

“My lord Tapu Koko, I am sorry. But I can no longer let your murder go without justice,” was all she could say with a hand on her her chest. The electric god didn’t respond.

“So what do you have to say? I’m right here. And an army is in support of our opposition,” Rune said, holding his arms out to his sides. “Now’s the time to explain everything. Why did you kill my sister? Why did you keep Ariala from me after you did?”

Tapu Koko didn’t respond. He just floated and stared at him. Leos shuffled back a bit, half expecting it to lash out at them and strike them all down at once, but not a single other movement came.

“That’s it?” Rune continued. He drew the Sword of Earthly Elements and pointed it forward. The blade released a bright flash as it came free, and glowed bright in the darkness. “Don’t you get it? I’m going to execute you for what you’ve put me through. If you can’t appeal through words, then I’m not going to hold back.”

“L-Leos, he’s going to—” Prem whimpered. Rune heard him somehow and held an arm out. “B-but only the Z-Move can kill him.”

“So can this sword. But this fight is personal, so let me do it,” he replied. “Tapu Koko, speak to me! Tell me why you killed her!”

Tapu Koko finally made a move, but it was a sluggish action, as if tired. He floated back a bit and then screeched like a bird to release several pulses of electricity. Electric Terrain took over the bridge, giving everything a bright yellow hue in the darkness.

“That is your choice as mortals. If you’ve made it this far, then show me how much further you are prepared to go,” he spoke, shifting one arm forward. “If you are prepared to learn the reason and deal with the consequence, then strike me down. Only then do I know that you have the strength to lead this world in our stead.”

“Are you testing me?” Rune replied.

“Examining. Judging. The path you’re following will lead to no better than that of your sister. You’re both fools guided by no better than your duty. If you carry on the way you are now, you will lead this world to destruction,” Tapu Koko said. He squinted, and his body became stiff.

“Damn you Tapu Koko. Damn you!” Rune shouted, stretching his sword forward. “Don’t you get it? You took everything from me! My sister, my fatherhood, even my wife! I’ll kill you!”

“Then come. Attack me if you dare,” Tapu Koko replied in his aged, deep voice.

The Dewott roared at the top of his voice and charged, dragging the blade of his sword across the stone ground as he approached in an arc. He jumped high into the air to slam his weapon straight down onto the mythical electric type. Tapu Koko used his right mask as a shield, and shoved it forwards to push Rune away.

“Rune!” Ariala cried. The duo ignored her, going at each other with deadly intent in each of their attacks. Rune stabbed and slashed with roars of effort, whilst Tapu Koko evaded or shielded every hit, darting around the battlefield. While they fought, many soldiers from both armies began to gather behind both parties and locked them into a duel zone.

After one more clash, Rune hopped back to catch his breath and make distance between them. Tapu Koko didn’t chase him, but stared with the same judgemental look he had earlier. Annoyed of that, Rune fired a Water Pulse at him and came charging again, relentlessly trying to cleave the legendary in two. Time and time again, Tapu Koko only blocked the attacks, and even when one of Rune’s attacks missed, he did nothing more than shift away to gain space.

“What the hell is this?” Rune eventually shouted and stabbed his sword into the ground. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Tapu Koko didn’t respond. He only stared. Rune growled and pointed his sword forward again. “I did not struggle for all these years just to have you mock me in my time of revenge. Fight back!”

“It’s… it’s true. Why isn’t Tapu Koko retaliating?” Ariala whispered as she realised. Her eyes watered a bit, and she shook them clear to focus.

Tapu Koko was tired. She could hear him breathing heavily but near silently. He sounded like he couldn’t fight back or even speak, but hid it behind that heavy presence that intimidated them all. He looked like an old man staring at a tsunami of flames, helpless but accepting of their destructive path. “He’s old…”

“You damn devil. If that’s how you want to be, then curse you. I’ll send you to hell where you belong!” Rune shouted. He leapt up with his sword raised high again, and swung down with incredible force. Tapu Koko blocked it, but the sheer force behind the attack could be felt by everyone around. Tapu Koko’s shields were about to break.

But he still didn’t fight back. The surrounding soldiers began to mutter amongst themselves in grief, but Ariala could hear exactly why he couldn’t fight back. The electric type god whined, grunted, and huffed in ever-growing desperation, and now failed to dodge Rune’s onslaught of offence thanks to how fatigued he was. She shuddered, and then skipped forwards.

“Rune, wait, stop!” she cried.

But she was too late. Rune was already charging in for another attack, and that turned out to be the last. He had his sword held with both hands, pulled back in his sprint, and thrust it with all his strength. It pierced right through Tapu Koko’s right mask and through to the legendary’s body, stabbing right into it. As soon as he hit, the Electric Terrain shattered like glass, along with an ear-piercing choke of a cry from Tapu Koko. The choke turned into a painful groan as Rune pushed the sword deeper and deeper, all until the blade pointed through the other side.

“No,” Ariala whimpered and turned away.

“He did it. He actually did it,” Leos said. Prem moaned hugged him, unable to watch.

“Is that it? Is that really it? After everything you put me through, you let me kill you?” Rune said, ignoring Tapu Koko’s struggled breaths and coughs. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

It took a while, but the legendary responded with struggled breaths. “You have done well, prince of Eris. You wield that sword… with great conviction and emotion.”

“I don’t need your praise,” Rune replied. Tapu Koko looked up at him.

“You and Ariala… stay on your chosen path. But do not let duty stand in the way of your love or your feelings. Let your emotions define the world you want to create and protect it until your dying breath,” he said amongst his weak shivers. Rune’s eyes narrowed.

“So you fully relinquish the world to us,” Rune said. Tapu Koko didn’t answer, but slowly shut his eyes. A few seconds later, his body began to glow from top to bottom, where it began to fade away into sparkly particles. They flew away with the breeze, leaving Rune to pull his sword back. He held out a hand as if to feel the particles, surprised at the beauty he was now surrounded by. The particles spiralled and spread out around everyone like seeds until the whole area was filled with them.

“Tapu Koko… his dust is spreading, just like Tapu Bulu’s.” Leos gazed around. “We did it, though. Three down, one to go.”

“Leos!” Ariala cried.

“Sorry for saying it that way, but this feels overwhelming, now,” he said with a hand on his chest. “I-I was frightened, but we actually managed to stop this battle. It’s like, what we want to do with a world not ruled by gods… this could actually happen, now.”

“A Faernia not led by the Tapu,” Prem muttered.

“We can do it! You just gotta tell everyone what to do, Leos,” Griselle cheered.

“And work out a way to sustain ourselves. There’s no doubt that with three of the Tapu gone, we’ll start seeing some detrimental effects on the planet,” Blossom said. She folded her arms. “But that’s why we’re here. Like you said back in the Second Country, we’ll figure this out. I’m sure there’s a way.”

“Thanks, you guys,” Leos said. Before anyone could say more, Charle came sprinting past them so hard he brought a gush of wind with him.

“You idiots… you idiots, you idiots, you idiots! Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?” he screamed. No one replied, but he stuttered at their unbothered appearances until Vincent and Nier joined them. “You’ve all just doomed yourselves, that’s what. You had your chance with me, but now you’ve got to settle for true hell. True chaos, true pain! The likes of which only the true god of this world can create!”

“We’ve been puttin’ up with this guy going nuts ever since we faced him earlier. Anyone have any clue what he’s on about?” Nier said.

“You’ve lost, Charle. It’s over. We’re making our way to the castle,” Rune replied with a shake of his head.

“No you ain’t. That’s not what I want. And what I want, I get,” he said. He started snickering as he floated with his dark energy. Leos’ party prepared to fight again.

“What he means is me,” a childish, girlish voice announced, getting everyone’s attention. High above the bridge, Tapu Lele descended to their height. She was surrounded by a blue aura as if she was using Psychic, and her face was furious.

“This one’s on you, Leos. Use your Z-Move,” Rune said, glancing back. Leos nodded and gulped.

“I didn’t expect we’d have to face both of them right now, though.” He shuddered.

“Don’t be dumb. Of course I’m here. Why wouldn’t I be here? You sinful mortals stood up against my brother, and he pitied you, yet still you killed him. I won’t forgive you for that,” she said. “But I’m smart, unlike you or my family. You think I’m going to fight you, knowing that you have some fancy weapons and moves that ignore my godly position? You want to fight me, you play by my game.”

“This isn’t a game. We can spare you if you would prefer to settle this diplomatically,” Rune replied. She laughed at him.

“Politics! Tell me, when has that ever worked?” she sung. She suddenly returned to fury. “No, sinful prince. I’m going to pummel you all. I’m going to pummel you all until your spirits beg for mercy. Then I’ll shred your bodies until there’s nothing left.”

She flicked an arm down to control whatever she was carrying with her Psychic. A wave of gasps, conversations, and widened eyes took over everyone as that came into view. Diantha’s body, the corpse of Rune’s sister, was held in her grasp. Oddly, Diantha’s body was intact and healthy, retaining its colour and shape as if it hadn’t been in a grave for sixteen years.

“Diantha. What the hell are you planning to do with my sister’s body?” Rune pointed his sword at her.

“So Tapu Lele did steal it. What does this mean?” Leos gasped.

“Tapu Lele,” Ariala muttered, staring in disbelief. The sight had turned her body pale.

Tapu Lele laughed at them all, and teased by floating the body in front of them, just outside of Rune’s reach, and then yanked back when he motioned to grab it. “Follow me. If you want this body back, come and find me. Rune, Leos, and Ariala only. If anyone else interrupts,” she said, pointing upwards. Thunder boomed. “I will destroy the world with the weather. And don’t even try some fancy trick to defend yourselves, because you know that I can.”

“Tapu Lele, no!” Ariala cried and skipped to the front. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Preparing to set you mortals straight. If you really want to lead your world to your so called ‘salvation’, then you know you have to obey. You have to try and kill me. And don’t keep me waiting either, or I’ll destroy everything anyway. So come. I’m waiting in Tapu Fini’s chamber,” she replied. She spun around and soared away back into the city. A trail of glittering scales rained from her path to point directly to where Tapu Fini’s temple was.

“So what’re you going to do, fools?” Charle said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t keep an angry Tapu Lele waiting. She could strike the world with a tsunami at any moment! And you’d have nothing of it. Better go and stop it while she’s giving you the chance!”

“Tsk. Leos, Ariala, we’re going,” Rune said, turning sharply.

“Wait, but it’s obviously a trap! Plus we’re not allowed to fight with you? Leos won’t be able to use his Z-Move!” Griselle cried.

“Hmpf. And what? Got any better ideas?” he replied.

“I don’t understand it. Tapu Lele, why,” Ariala said. She clutched her chest hard, and shook her head. “We don’t have time to dawdle. I will speak with her. If that fails, then Rune, and Leos, I will do my best to help you stop her.”

“You as well, Ariala?” Nier cried.

“I don’t want to do it either. But we have no choice. Like she says, we have to go and stop her, anyway. If we can prevent her from rampaging, then it is better,” she said. “It is my duty as princess of Faernia to stand strong at times like this. On top of that, I am a priestess to the Tapu. I have to face them.”

“That’s true but…” Vincent growled. He looked like he didn’t know what to say.

“Vincent, Nier. It has been too long. But I’m afraid our reunion will have to wait. I have orders for you,” Ariala said, becoming stern.

“Of course! Oh geez Ari, we know what we’re in the middle of here. But this is a whole different thing. You guys are about to destroy like, our whole planet’s tradition! If we’ve not got your back, then it just feels wrong. So just this once, let us keep watch outside the temple or something,” Nier said.

“Outside the temple? What can we do from there?” Vincent cried.

“It’s the best we can do. If things go sour, we’ll jump in and make her play by our rules, not hers. Plus, we’ve got Leos’ group. These kids can pack a real Mega Punch, you know,” Nier said.

“My friends… I owe you all deeply.” Ariala sounded like she was going to cry.

“Alright, enough fluff. Let’s move,” Rune said.

“Leos!” Prem and Griselle cried just as they were about to sprint away. Leos stopped and glanced back and forth at both parties.

“I know I can’t use my Z-Move if you’re not there, but I’ll be fine. You guys don’t need to fret,” he said.

“I-I’ll be outside like Nier said and all that, but you know,” Griselle replied.

“It’s more like… please, for the love of the gods, be careful,” Prem said. “I know you have to do this, and I’ve told you what I wanted to tell you. But you still haven’t shown me your answer, yet. Y-you can’t let anything happen to you before you do, okay?”

Leos didn’t answer right away, but gave Prem a saddened look. Prem’s face tightened, and he raised his voice. “I said, okay?”

“I-I go by facts, Prem. If I don’t die, then maybe some other day I can give you an answer. That’s all I can say,” he replied.

Prem moaned and threw himself into a tight hug with the Oshawott, surprising both parents. They held each other tightly, arms wrapped around one another’s backs and all. When they detached, their faces were in perfect sync, staring into each other’s eyes. They nodded to each other, and then Leos turned to run with Rune and Ariala.

“You two truly are the perfect candidates for the Z-Move,” Blossom said with a warm smile. Prem didn’t reply, staring at the rest of the city. “Let’s do our best in our part.”
 
Episode 30: The Rite of Awakening

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Banner Rune Midgard adult.png

Episode 30: The Rite of Awakening



The temple was unguarded. It was dark inside, and a very shallow layer of murky, coloured water flowed out from within. The surrounding area was devoid of life besides the soldiers that had been hurt in the battle, but even they were a far distance from the temple. The obvious assumption was that Tapu Lele scared them all away, but it felt more like Tapu Fini’s lack of care for the temple in her absence led to the area’s decay.

“Weapons out. We need to be prepared for anything and everything,” Rune said. Ariala took a deep breath and tiptoed silently behind him, but kept glancing back to make sure that she hid Leos from view.

It was very dark and quiet inside, and an eerie chill wafted through the air. Leos could see and hear everyone’s breath, and the only sound he had to break that chill was the light splashes him and Rune made as they walked. The black walls were barely illuminated by his Razor Shell and Rune’s sword, but it did the job until they reached the centre of the temple, where lit candles lined the walls. Tapu Fini’s stone body was still there with the sword in her head, and Tapu Lele was right at the back wall. Diantha’s body was hung up beside Tapu Lele like a decoration.

“Wait. Master Lin?” Leos gasped, coming to a stop the moment he saw him. The dark monster had his back turned until he heard his name, where he smiled and waved at his audience.

“Greetings, your highnesses. It is quite the honour to be in the presence of Etheria’s proud royalty,” he began.

“Who or what are you?” Rune asked with widened eyes.

“Has your wife or son never once told you about me? That’s a shame to learn. We’re both important figures, so it’s also a shame that this should be our first meeting,” he replied. A Mimikyu beside him slid forwards.

“Wait, where’s Prem? You guys didn’t let him get hurt, did you?” she cried.

“Rosie, it is fine. Tapu Lele requested only them, as they are the only ones we have business with,” Lin said.

She moaned and slid back. “I really wanted to see my darling, though. It pains me to be parted from him.”

“Don’t fret, my dear. You’ll be with him very soon.” Lin patted her on the head.

“Look, we don’t have business with you. I ask that you leave this place,” Rune said. Leos’ heart began to race.

“Oh but I do I’m afraid, your highness. For pledging my loyalty to Tapu Lele and becoming the new high priest of the Tapu, I was granted a meeting with the three of you. And she has kept her promise, as you can see,” Lin said with a sinister grin.

“You see, I always get what I want. With my power, no one can stop me from getting what I want. That’s how it’s been for years, and yet now you want to take that away from me? That’s not what I want,” Tapu Lele snickered.

That tone. Why does she sound like Charle all of a sudden?” Leos thought, and gawked.

“You have something that I desire, and now is the time that I will have it. Give it to me,” Lin ordered, lowering his tone. The trio shifted back and tightened their poses. “To be more specific: Ariala, give it to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking—” she began.

“The shadow partition! Give it to me!” Lin raised his voice.

“Shadow partition?” Rune said. Ariala shuddered, but didn’t reply.

“I won’t waste time for this. I’ve waited too long to get my hands on it. Tapu Lele, if you will.” Lin clasped his fingers together.

Tapu Lele let out a grunt and a cry, and then everything of their dark surroundings turned into a glowing mess of pink patterns. The walls vanished, replaced by an endless backdrop of these patterns and irritating sounds, as if they had all been warped to an entirely different world. The next thing they knew, the trio had lost control of their bodies and began to float in the air.

“Wha-what? Damn it, I can’t move? The hell is this?” Rune growled. He struggled anyway, but could only manage to twitch.

“Ps-Psychic Terrain.” Leos struggled as well. His body being held against his will like this hurt, like his whole body was aching at once. His head especially, which felt like it was splitting in two. It hurt so much he had lost his voice and could barely let out a sound.

“If I were you, I’d just comply. Master Lin and Tapu Lele always get what they want, and they mean it,” Rosie said with a giggle.

“Damn it, the sword should be protecting me. Why can’t I—” Rune growled. He silenced when Master Lin unveiled a barbed wire whip. He stretched it out and snapped it at the ground, having the sound echo throughout the void of Psychic Terrain.

“The Psychic Terrain prevents any strange powers that would grant you priority movement. And then, her Psychic is unstoppable. In this weird space of hers, nobody can hear or reach you. It’s just us,” Lin said, approaching Ariala. Leos’ heart picked up even more, and his anxiousness to move multiplied. “Now then. You know what I’m going to do with this. So if you value your life, you will release the shadow partition.”

Ariala only struggled, and shut her eyes when he was right in front of her.

“You stay away from her!” Rune shouted.

That only made Lin snicker, and he whipped Ariala’s chest so hard that the others could feel it. The Clefable cried out, and her breathing became rapid. Red marks landed on her body where the barbs of the whip hit, and more appeared when he struck her again. Her cries got louder.

“Ariala!” Rune screamed at the top of his voice.

Leos could only whimper, forced to watch the Clefable get shredded by the continued strikes. Her cries and screams pierced his heart to bring him to tears. Lin eventually stopped, but by the time he did, her body was covered in red cuts and scratches, and she was breathing hoarsely.

“Give it to me. Or do you want to know the meaning of death? Because this is barely the beginning of your suffering,” he said, stretching the whip again.

“I’ll- never give you- what you want,” she shuddered between weak breaths.

“Hmpf. Play heroine all you want. There is no way out of this, princess,” he said. He wrapped the whip around her and then pulled on it, causing it to tighten right into Ariala’s skin. Her cries turned to screams at a tone and volume that made it out as though she was dying, her volume gradually weakened as her body stopped tensing against the whip and fell limp.

“Ariala!” Rune shouted repeatedly, managing to thrash about. He was crying like a man-child, eyes shut and tone shaky, but no tears came. Rosie watched him intently, and hung the head of her rag to hide her eyes.

Why is this happening? Gods, please,” Leos whimpered.

He had to blink continuously to stop his tears. Even as he could force himself to look away from it, he could mentally feel Ariala’s pain, hear her flesh getting ripped with Lin’s merciless pull on the whip. The worst of the sight was Tapu Lele’s jovial look however, as she sat back and watched like it was a theatre scene. Her eyes showed no concern to what she was advocating whatsoever, even when Ariala’s cries fell to nothing but lifeless breaths.

“Don’t you dare faint on me. Torture’s no fun if you’re passed out!” Lin hissed, as he thrust a palm at her. A weak Swift attack came out, which hit her in different areas to the wounds and threw her back into consciousness. She jolted and her back arched, sending the tightened whip to a different position, where it tore into her more. When she fell back forwards, she spat out a dollop of blood, which disappeared into the patterned terrain.

“You will only die, your highness. Would you truly have it that way?” Lin said as he pulled the whip free. She didn’t reply. He whipped her again, and she let out a scream.

“Well? Would you? Would you? Would you?” He kept raising his voice with each hit, striking the same spots until streaks of blood were flicked away with each lash. “Nothing will come of this unless you give me what I want, the shadow partition. Give it to me!”

“No! Stop, that’s enough, please!” Leos cried at the top of his voice. Tears were raining from his eyes uncontrollably, as well as wails amongst his words. He was even louder than Rune was earlier. “Stop it. You’ll kill her!”

“Silence! The two of you are so noisy,” Lin finally snapped. He clearly hatched a plan in the moment, and approached Leos with a snarky smile. “You know, this whole ordeal was your fault.”

“What?” Leos whispered.

“You’re the one that told me how all of this was going to happen. Your premonition as a Constellar. How you thought you could stop that from happening. Because of you, I was able to prepare for this,” he said.

“Hey, this ain’t all, is it? I was enjoying seeing her look so pathetic,” Tapu Lele called out.

“Damn it. You bastards! The lot of you are devils!” Rune shouted.

“Oh, my lord Tapu Lele, the show is only just beginning. Let’s see how you handle the whip, shall we?” Lin said, stretching it out again. He faced Leos as he did so, and show his rotten fangs in a vile snicker.

“Leave him,” Ariala huffed on a gritty breath. There was a pause.

“Come again?” Lin replied, half turning back.

“Leave Leos out of this.” She shuddered.

“So that’s what it is. You don’t care about yourself, but your pathetic excuse for a son,” he said, and Ariala’s eyes opened. She could barely breathe right, but everyone could see that she had regretted what she had just said. There was a slight tremble as well, as if she was trying to move. “Then I suppose you won’t mind if I perform my own Heavenly Execution.”

With that, he swung the whip so that it wrapped around Leos’ neck, and instantly, he felt himself at his limit. Several of the barbs pierced into his neck while the whip strangled him, causing him to let out a pained choke. He cringed and arched back as the wind was strained from him. His eyesight swerved with dizziness as pain and deprived oxygen took over all of his senses. He couldn’t even beg for mercy, and his mind did nothing but yell at him in desperation for relief.

“Leos!” Rune shouted.

“Leave him, stop, leave him out of this, please!” Ariala begged, shutting her eyes.

Lin didn’t reply, he only yanked at the whip even harder, causing Leos’ chokes to get louder. Without a doubt, in a few moments he would be done for, and both parents knew it. Fearing that, Ariala finally snapped, and tensed her whole body. Before Lin realised what was happening, a powerful shockwave of dark hued energy burst from Ariala and knocked him to the ground.

“What the—” he choked as he scrambled to his feet.

Ariala had freed herself from the Psychic hold, and was now gathering energy around herself. Dark energy that resembled flames and electricity. It surrounded her like a powerful aura and grew larger the more she tensed herself. She faced him and swirled her fan around to create a Moonblast about twice the size of her usual Moonblast attack, and shouted as she thrust her arm to shoot it at Master Lin.

“No!” he shouted and crossed his arms over his face. A wicked blast of energy erupted from the hit and the heavy force pushed everyone in the room to the ground.

Tapu Lele quickly righted herself and went back to holding Leos and Rune with Psychic, while Ariala was left out of breath, barely standing with both arms still pointed forward. Smoke lingered from the Moonblast, but Lin’s figure couldn’t be seen within.

“Rosie, quickly!” Lin shouted after a few moments. The Mimikyu was on the move before he even ordered her, and latched herself to Ariala from behind. Ariala cried out and struggled to break free of the ghostly grip. She released more of the black aura to try and blow Rosie away.

“What’s going on?” Leos cried.

“I’ve won, that’s what,” Master Lin announced, drawing a rune with his hands. He cast his right arm as if to command his magic, and then a bright light shone over Ariala. She took in a sharp breath the moment it appeared, and then was brought to the floor in agony once again as the light sucked the dark energy out of her, draining it all into a single spot in the air. It went on for a while, causing the spot of darkness to grow bigger than a Snorlax.

“Okay, I’m with the kid on this one. What is happening?” Tapu Lele asked, finally looking like she was paying attention.

“I’ve done it. I’ve finally done it. After generations, I’ve finally done it! My lord, the true god of this world can come to be!” Master Lin rushed back over to Tapu Lele’s side. He performed the same magic as before, but this time, the magic drained dark energy from Diantha’s dead body. Once he was done there, he rose both his arms and offered up his own energy, gathering up all of the fiery darkness into that same spot. “The Rite of Awakening is complete. The time has come, my lord! Come forth, and do unto this world as it has done unto you!”

“Now hold on a second.” Tapu Lele let her Psychic go. Rune and Leos dropped to the ground in a squirming heap. Ariala was out cold on the ground. “I’m your goddess, here. There is no other god. I’m the one who gets to judge this world, now that my brothers and sisters are gone. You bow down to me, and no one else!”

“How charmingly petty. You gods truly did go mad, childishly mad,” Lin said. “Come now. Did you honestly believe that I had changed my heart? To go from high priest of the Constellars to high priest of the Tapu just like that?”

Tapu Lele’s eyes widened, and she shook with irritation. “Anyone who doesn’t bow to me feels my wrath!”

In the centre of the room, the dark energy brewed and swirled into some sort of form while they spoke. Rune and Leos didn’t dare move out of fear of what would come out of it.

“I just needed your influence. Your power. And like the fools your royalty is made up of, they allowed me to join your ranks. But my pledge has always been to the great god of the stars: Marshadow!” Lin said. He had a smile of pure excitement the whole time. “Had you not been an aged, mad goddess, this might not have been possible. But that is all the more reason to overthrow you – to right this world with the power of its true god!”

“How dare you! I’ll just punish you all for this!” Tapu Lele screamed. She was stopped by the sound of thunder, and all eyes turned to the swirling darkness in the centre of the room.

Master Lin’s ‘god’ was emerging from within. A long, sturdy, wood textured appendage grew from the bottom of the orb, stretching out to the side in a long claw shape. Another one appeared on the opposite side, and they both curled up. Several smaller claws appeared in the bottom centre to make a mouth of some sort. The upper half of the monster took on a jellyfish-like appearance, just about transparent and squishy as it took on an ovoid shape. Within the ‘jelly’, a cellular fabric of dark coloured nuclei and veins filled the space, all of it beating and pumping whatever fluid ran through its body.

“What… what is that thing? It’s huge!” Rune gasped, gawking up at it.

“Is that the god of the stars that the Constellars look up to?” Leos asked, frightened to the bone.

“What? What is this? You’re not the god of the stars!” Lin coughed. “Marshadow? Where is Lord Marshadow?”

“Looks like your plan backfired. Whatever that monstrosity is, I’ll just destroy it along with all of you. You’ll regret the day you thought you could play me!” Tapu Lele shouted, confronting the monster.

She began the battle by thrusting both arms to release a heavy wave of Psychic that struck everyone and knocked them all back, but the monster didn’t even budge. It screeched at her and widened its claws instead. Seeing her lack of damage, Tapu Lele conjured a Moonblast with one hand and threw it, engulfing the monster in a blast of glittery energy.

What followed after that was a blur of indescribable attacks and strikes at high speed. The monster had sped out of the smoke of the Moonblast and tackled Tapu Lele, to which she teleported in the blink of an eye. But the monster seemed to know where she would reappear and tackled that spot, and soon enough, the two were darting around the room as trails of pink and black energy, crashing into each other with mighty blasts of force. The others had to shield themselves and take cover from how ruthless the both gods were.

And then, just as suddenly as the fight had started, the battle came to an end. Gasps rang out as Tapu Lele was pinned to the ground with overwhelming force, smashed straight downwards so hard that her Psychic Terrain shattered completely. She squirmed helplessly beneath the weight of the monster, letting out a scream as she stretched her hand out towards Rune and Leos in a desperate plea for help. The latter turned away as she was getting crushed alive, so hard that cracks appeared all across her pink shell, and one even across her eyes and face.

“What? They’re—” Rune growled as he stumbled backwards. Leos forced himself to look back at the gruesome spectacle, only to find that the monster hadn’t crushed her, but had half consumed her instead. It spat out her lifeless body after a few moments, revealing its new state where it seemed to be infected by the dark energy.

“No,” Leos whispered as he stared up at her new form. It was familiar. It was just as Master Lin had warned. It was a Tapu Lele he had seen before, one obscured by dark colours and soulless eyes.

“A part of me still doesn’t know what’s going on, but things keep getting worse and worse, that’s for sure,” Rune said. He held his sword tightly, and didn’t waver in the slightest. “Steel yourself, Leos! Get your Razor Shell out.”

“Leos!” Prem cried from behind them. Leos spun around at his call, overly relieved to have the others finally run in to join him.

“Wh-whoa, okay. I was not expectin’ an evil Tapu Lele and… whatever that thing is,” Griselle was the first to say.

“I should’ve guessed you’d have a part in this!” Vincent said as he rushed straight to the front.

“Nier, Ariala’s down there. She needs you, now!” Rune said, keeping his eyes on Master Lin.

Tapu Lele examined herself, and then faced forward with folded arms. “And then the heroes arrive just in the nick of time. Makes me wish I’d just killed her, instead.”

“That voice,” Leos said with a hard shudder. Tapu Lele’s corrupted voice was exactly like that of a spoilt, young, rich boy, but with an overwhelming level of echo and distortion applied. It was like the voice came from many different places at once, and all around Leos rather than the direction he was facing.

“But alas, this is a vessel that will allow me to talk with you for the time being. You are not far off the mark, Lin,” Marshadow said, staring down at all of the Pokémon stood before her. All of them except for Blossom and Nier stared up at her, trying their best not to look intimidated. The two girls were used Heal Pulse on Ariala, and so were occupied. “There were four shadow partitions. If you should find the fourth one, my real form can return.”

“Four. But where is the last one? We must find it at once!” Lin replied.

“We will find it. Even in this form, I have a great amount of power. That’s all thanks to you. To be honest, I don’t mind this all this much. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to my true form since… oh I don’t remember when,” Marshadow said. Her eyes twitched at the sight of everyone. “You’ve seen me take down a Pokémon considered a god. Why do you still stand before me, as if you have a chance?”

No one answered, but Rune glanced at his sword. It was still glowing.

“You need showing. That you can’t entertain me, that you can’t give me what I want. You can’t even provide me with a little bit of sustenance! You’re just mere practice fodder for my moves. But if you insist,” Marshadow said. She pointed a palm forward.

“Here it comes!” Vincent said. “Get back. We can’t damage it!”

“What?” Leos gasped. A dark sphere of energy formed in Marshadow’s palm, which exploded into several beams of purple light that spread off in many directions. Everyone had to shield themselves as the beams exploded against whatever they hit, filling the room with smoke and a painful temperature. Even Rosie had to squeal and jump to avoid some.

“I don’t know what it is because I’ve never figured it out. But that monster and Master Lin are protected by the god of the stars’ power. It’s sort of like a divine protection barrier,” Vincent said.

“Fools. I am the god of the stars, Marshadow! It is my own might that renders me and my devout subjects totally invulnerable. Are you still going to waste my time trying to stand up to me?” Marshadow said.

“Nonsense. I refuse to believe that!” Rune said, and threw himself forwards. He jumped high into the air and swung down hard on Marshadow’s head. To everyone’s surprise, Marshadow recoiled sharply and cursed, grabbing the spot where he hit. The slash hadn’t cut her at all, but a red mark appeared on her body.

“Blast, what?” Marshadow shivered from pain. She scanned the party, breathing heavily. “Wait, that’s it- that sword, where did you get that damn sword?”

Rune glanced at it again, then back at his enemy. “My Father gifted this to me. He gave it to me so that I could protect the Pokémon I love.”

“It’s the Sword of Earthly Elements,” Ariala said, surprising everyone. She was still weak, but she was standing. Most of her bad wounds had been covered over thanks to Blossom and Nier’s healing. “It can damage you gods, can’t it? Whether you have a protective barrier or not.”

“Ariala,” Rune whispered.

“Mother,” Leos did the same.

“You are to wait until I gain my full form. Until then, you are fighting me at my imperfect state! Me at reduced power. Wouldn’t you like it if the fight was fair? Me at my perfect form and strength. Wouldn’t that be an epic clash? You know you want it!” Marshadow replied.

Ariala didn’t reply with words. Instead she stepped back, keeping her gaze fixed on Marshadow. Once she was at Tapu Fini’s side, she reached out and grabbed the sword jutting from the legendary’s head, and pulled with a grunt. Bright light sprung from the blade as it was drawn from Tapu Fini.

The light blinded everyone until it was fully drawn, where it dulled down and was replaced by a spire of pink water. Ariala pointed the weapon at Marshadow, to which Tapu Fini gave a mighty cry and stretched her arms out wide. Pink mist took over the room in similar fashion to the Psychic Terrain, causing Marshadow and Master Lin to choke and cry out.

“No! No one should be able to draw that sword!” Master Lin cried.

The Sword of Divine Elements wasn’t much of a sword, despite its name. It had a hilt that was wrapped around with feathers of varying colours, while the ‘blade’ was a streak of light that flowed like flames with a steady shower of glitter coming from it. It was short and small enough for Ariala’s stubby fingers to hold it, but a little longer than a dagger.

“You. You baited me! You had me believe you were slain so that I could be thrown off. You and your blasted powers of premonition!” Marshadow shouted. Both her vessel and monstrous form shook around the air in anger. “But the day is mine. The world is mine! Because I always get what I want. And an old fish like you isn’t going to stop me. Master Lin! We are retreating. Find that last partition!”

“No you don’t!” Rune cried and lunged forward. Marshadow darted back to where Master Lin was, smothered him, and then the duo disappeared in flash of spiralling darkness. They teleported away, leaving just Rosie.

“Wa-wait! Master Lin, Lord Marshadow!” the Mimikyu cried, glancing left and right. She tried to make a break for it, but Rune reacted and stood in her way, and she began to panic.

“Are they really gone? They could still be here!” Leos gasped. The group all stood back to back and wary, but after a long moment, quiet fell. “They… really left.”

“I should’ve guessed that they were capable of teleportation,” Ariala said. She turned back to Tapu Fini. “But to think that you predicted this event this far in advance.”

“What happened? The Sword of Divine Elements couldn’t be drawn until now, right?” Leos said.

“She spoke to me whilst I was unconscious. She told me to draw the blade. She used it to stall her death so that I could have it when Marshadow was summoned here,” Ariala said. She turned to Rune. “She told me that she foresaw your death against Marshadow just there.”

“I… lost?” Rune whispered. “You mean if I had fought on my own there, I would have died?”

“You do not have much time,” Tapu Fini spoke up. “There is much to explain, and very little time for me to do so.”

“Yeah, everyone’s got a lotta stuff to explain, ‘cos I’m more confused than ever. What was all that?” Griselle cried. Everyone ignored her and gathered around Tapu Fini, although they were clearly anxious to move.

“That monster is exactly as he calls himself: Marshadow, the god of the stars, and the Pokémon that the Constellars worship. He is powerful, but those powers are split into four partitions. When those partitions gather, his power grows stronger, and the lives of others become his to manipulate,” she said. She laid a hand on her chest. “We Tapu did what we could to supress him for many countless centuries. But your time has come, mortals. Your time to take care of this world in our stead.”

“You mean… the deaths of the Tapu,” Ariala gawked.

“I have foreseen it all. Our madness in old age, our exploitation of your devoutness, and our fall from grace. All until now, where we pass the torch onto you, prince and princess of Etheria,” Tapu Fini said. Her body began to glow a heavenly gold. Her Misty Terrain faded with her. “For the sake of your own survival, you must stop Tapu Lele and Marshadow. This world cannot see peace until you do. Our powers will protect you, but only those who follow the swords and believe in their wielders. When the swords glow, they have the power to strike down the gods.”

“A-and, I’m guessing my Z-Move can still kill, too,” Leos said. Tapu Fini nodded slowly, and then shut her eyes as she faded into glitter. Leos’ eyes watered a bit, and Ariala gasped and hopped after her as she disappeared, left with an arm hung where the legendary just was.

“This is as far as my premonitions have shown me. Do not let Marshadow have his way. The future is in your hands,” Tapu Fini’s final whispers echoed.

“Rest in peace, Tapu Fini. I’ll never forget what you did for us,” Rune said, raising his left arm. A ring of light appeared around it, and the same appeared around Ariala’s right arm.

And then silence fell. No one knew what to say. They exchanged glances with each other and Ariala’s saddened face. Rune took notice of their swords, which had stopped glowing and darkened the area. A few moments later, their situation kicked everyone back into focus, as the sudden shaking of the ground almost threw everyone off-balance.

“An earthquake? Now?” Prem cried as he hugged Leos. The Oshawott hugged back to keep his balance.

“No, these are shockwaves. I can hear them. Something is happening outside!” Ariala cried.

“Be careful, Ariala,” Rune said.

“You don’t need to worry about me. We have bigger problems. Everyone outside!” she raised her voice. The others did their best to stumble out of the temple, but Rune grabbed her arm and gave her a stern look.

“I mean it. Please. I almost lost you back there, and I couldn’t go on living if I did,” he said. She stared back and blinked, but took in a breath. “Just take care of yourself from here on. Please.”







Back on Eris, a situation had begun. Upon hearing the guards and soldiers around the castle shout panicked commands at each other, King Jyararanga rushed out to see for himself what was happening. He got to the castle’s front entrance and was confronted with a giant spectre, another Kommo-o that had almost the same size and shape as he did. Surrounding that spectre was an army of Erinian soldiers, but all of them were spectres of dark and dragon types.

“I recognise that face,” he muttered as he prepared for battle.

“How did an army this big get this far so quickly? And without us noticing?” one of the soldiers cried. That was when it clicked in Jyararanga’s head.

“The old king, and an army of fallen soldiers. Their spirits rise and walk the planet as enemies. There’s only one Pokémon capable of this heinous feat.” Jyararanga tightened his gaze. “All units prepare for battle! Maximum aggression!”

Meanwhile, Faernia castle was facing the same crisis. The Pokémon that had lost their lives in the battle against Tapu Koko were coming back to life right before the eyes of those who survived, standing back up with the texture of spectres. Their bodies were transparent, white, and ghostly, while their eyes were red and lifeless.

At the castle, Azu gathered behind a group of guards to protect Queen Magearna, but the group of them were confronted by a Gardevoir spectre that towered over them in its mega-evolved form.

“Reports of the dead rising and fighting against us, and the ancient queen of generations old. Why?” Azu whispered, glaring furiously at their new foe.

Outside, sitting on the edge of a tall building to watch down on it all, Charle casually kicked his feet and snickered at the aggressive sounds echoing up to him. “So, it’s begun.”
 
Episode 31: A forgotten history

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg


Episode 31: A forgotten history



“There are spectres everywhere. And they’re all from the Pokémon that fell during the recent battle.” Ida huffed from fatigue. She had to fight her way back through the city to meet the others outside the temple, where the absence of the spectres gave her a respite. “What’s going on? What did all of you do?”

“I apologise,” Ariala said.

“Why are you apologising? This isn’t your fault. We need to do something,” Rune replied. Ariala didn’t move.

“No. Please, allow me to explain. It’s a long story,” she said, walking back into the temple. Everyone exchanged glances and followed.

“Does this have something to do with Charle? He ran away from me during that last fight, and I haven’t seen him since. He’s been acting so weird since he came back.” Ida put a paw to her chin.

“It might. But this roots back to when I first met Rune. That was twenty-six years ago, back on Eris,” Ariala began. Leos shuddered but paid attention, not expecting to hear about something from so long ago. “As many of you may know, I was kidnapped by King Jyararanga. Many thought it to be a strange act of war, but it actually wasn’t. It was Tapu Koko’s doing.”

“Tapu Koko?” Rune repeated. Ariala opened her eyes and kept walking, but she was slow.

“He conferred with the king at some point, and I was delivered. They said they needed my body and my powers. But I was just a child, so I was frightened and didn’t understand anything. That was until that showed up: that shadow. Those dark powers you saw me expel when I tried to fight Master Lin,” she said. She stretched an arm out, but no power came. “King Jyararanga sealed a shadow partition within me. He said it gave me powers, but that I wasn’t to use those powers unless I absolutely needed to. It was the partition of a greater Pokémon, one that possessed god-like powers. Even with just a fraction of it sealed within me, it had some control over my actions and sometimes came out beyond my will. I did training to supress it and learn to use it, but it was never fully under my control. Only now do I fully understand that.”

“Those powers that Diantha had. Why didn’t Father ever tell me?” Rune said.

“Yes. You and Diantha’s obstruction to the sealing caused her to take some of the power as well. From there on, the Tapu had planned to destroy any remaining hint of it. They knew they couldn’t afford to let any of the partitions get out. So when Diantha released her powers during that battle, sixteen years ago…” she said. She turned to Rune.

“It attracted Tapu Koko, and he destroyed the source of the partition,” Rune finished her sentence, and she nodded.

“I never knew why, though. I never fully understood. I thought it a curse they merely deemed too powerful for Pokémon to use. But to think they would kill the princess – it was the first time my faith in the Tapu wavered. I had to test their reason, and provoked them myself. But when I released the power in the same way as Diantha, no one came. Thus, me and you were left to quickly plan our method of stalling the war.”

“Yeah,” Rune said with a sigh. Leos’ eyes widened. “This might be the only chance I get to apologise for being your missing Father for all this time. But I simply had to. You were too important to the world, and us. We agreed to ‘go missing’ from the world, so that we could stall our planets from attacking one another while you grew up. Our parents knew of our activities and absence, but the opposing planet did not, leading to our planets’ own falsified crisis. Our armies were pretending to search for their prince and princess, so there was no time to attack one another.”

“Why couldn’t you at least live with me still, though?” Leos said.

“I declared I would get my revenge for my sister. But first I had to understand why it all happened.” He folded his arms. “I kept in contact with Ariala through letters, but I was too busy sneaking around Faernia to ever see her. In time, I formed a group I called ‘The Deliverance’, who would work towards freeing the Pokémon from the Tapus’ increasingly questionable actions.”

“The Deliverance?” Leos spun around. He spotted the Togedemaru, Sylveon, and Greninja in the group, who waved at him.

“Yeah, sorry we couldn’t tell ya earlier, kid. Needed to keep our activities as underground as possible.” Shota snickered. “But as smart as you are, I’m surprised you never once thought about how I suddenly showed up one day, knowin’ so much about ya.”

“When I found out you’d snuck out to the Stardust Treasury, I was overcome with guilt and worry. I knew what I had said wouldn’t keep you from what you were doing. I had to get these guys to protect you. Thinking back then, it’s clear now why Tapu Lele stole Diantha’s body. Master Lin’s plan to gather those shadow partitions was in motion by then,” Rune said.

“He was also the one in charge of investigating the Tapu’s strange behaviour. He was the only other religious figure that they could rely on to do so,” Ariala said, now addressing everyone. “What I’m saying now is that our world faces its greatest of dangers: Marshadow. We must destroy it in its current form and prevent it from encountering its last partition. Master Lin had attempted to steal the Shadow Partition from me before, but he couldn’t drain it from me unless I wasn’t holding the power back, keeping it sealed within me. But just now, he forced me to use it… If it wasn’t for me acting so slowly, for daring to keep faith in the Tapu after they had done such unforgivable things, we might have been able to avoid even half of our losses.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. You had to do some very difficult things. And you saved Leos when I couldn’t,” Rune replied.

“It’s just like Lin to go after some godly power. First it was harnessing the power of the hybrid hero, now it’s the god of the stars,” Vincent said, tapping his foot.

“But where are we gonna find the last partition? One was in Ariala, one was in Diantha, and the third one he had himself,” Nier said.

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you, Rune?” Ariala said expectantly. The duo nodded at each other.

“Leos, you’ve read my diary, so I’m sure you know him. Mirror, the Absol responsible for provoking Diantha to release those powers in the first place,” Rune said. “If we find him, we have the last partition.”

“There is just one thing about this that I don’t understand,” Ariala said. “Lin tortured me to get me to release the power so that he could drain it from me. We can assume that he can only drain the shadow partition when it is leaking from the Pokémon that has it. But he drained it from Diantha now, a dead Pokémon.”

Rune walked over to Diantha’s body and inspected it. It was cold, wet, and stiff, yet retained a healthy appearance. You couldn’t tell that she was dead until you felt her heart. “Maybe it’s just easier to get from a dead Pokémon? If the partitions can affect the Pokémon they’re sealed in, then it’s clear what drives Mirror to do what he does.”

“But then why not just kill me, then? Why not kill all of us? He had us right where he wanted, yet resorted to torture. Tapu Lele even allowed it to happen,” Ariala said. Rune stood up and spun around, unable to come out with a response. “What possible ulterior motive could he have to keep us alive?”

Vincent raised a hand and stepped forward. “I understand your concern, but it’s no use worrying about something like that. All we understand is that he wants to bring Marshadow to life, and the Tapu were keeping that sealed for all this time. We should focus on stopping him at all costs. And this time, you’ll kill him. Erase him from this world for good.”

“That’s not how we do things, Vincent,” Ariala said. She went quiet when she noticed his fury and faced him properly. “I know your history with him is deep. But please, we mustn’t be rash. He can only be tried for his actions as of his time in the Tower of the Tapu.”

“This monster literally almost killed you. He is partly to blame for all those spectres outside – how can you possibly say that?” Leos cried.

“Leos, the Tapu taught us—”

“Forget what the Tapu taught us; they’re not our dictators anymore!” he raised his voice. Silence fell, and the Clefable stood down, gripping at her chest and belly.

“We’ll execute him on sight. But first, finding Mirror. He told me this: ‘when the time comes to search for the final Shadow Partition, find me in the temple of the shadow’s first descent. There, we will decide this world’s fate’. So Father, where did the shadow partition first descend?” Leos said.

“Leos,” Rune whispered. The look of determination on his son’s face made him settle his thoughts, and he folded his arms.

“Castle Eris. The temple at the top, where they keep the Dragon Weapon,” a girly voice spoke up before him. The royals turned to their army in surprise, finding them all to be just as clueless as to who spoke. “Over here, you big dummy.”

“What?” Rune choked and flinched so hard that he almost fell back. Leos and Ariala were no better, their jaws on the floor at the sight of Diantha standing, talking, in full motion. Her eyes had pupils again, but they were a bright yellow. She didn’t look as stiff as she did earlier, and gave them a cheerful wave.

“Surprised to see me? I woke up at the perfect time!” she said. Rune drew his sword and pointed it at her. “Whoa whoa whoa, the heck gives?”

“What kind of witchery is this? Don’t play me for a fool!” Rune hissed.

“I’m not I’m not!” she cried, flailing her arms. “Well uh, I guess it’s sorta tough to convince ya. I’ve only been M.I.A for sixteen years.”

Everyone stared. Rune’s face only tightened, and he pushed his sword a little closer.

“Okay okay, I get it! So like, that Marshadow guy is why Pokémon can make spectres and all that, right? He makes ‘em outta dead Pokémon. So now that he’s strong enough, he’s able to bring ‘em back with their bodies, too. So that means I’m a spectre, but I get to walk around in my body and all that?” she said. Rune loosened and lowered his sword to his side. “I-I mean it. I dunno any other way to convince you, but it’s me, sis. And I don’t need many intros, ‘cos I know that you’re big bro. You’ve got his sword.”

He hesitantly approached her, and she stood perfectly still and stared back. She lacked her skirt and her head fur wasn’t tied into a ponytail like it used to be, but he could tell that both bothered her. She kept swiping fur out of her face to throw it to the back of her head, while her other hand rubbed at her thigh, as if the skirt not being there created worries.

Then his feelings all came rushing in at once. Her voice and tone were nostalgic, and the way she stared at him with hopeful, spoilt eyes, just waiting for him to give in to her petty wants. He dropped his sword and knelt down to her, blinked several times, and then hugged her tightly.

“U-uh, erm, big bro? P-Pokémon are watching,” she squeaked and tensed up. He could tell that she was still dead as she was still cold, but the response warmed him all the same. He didn’t need to see her face to know that she was blushing, so he only tightened his grip, trying to convey how he felt without saying it. He wanted to cry, but he forced himself not to. She eventually got this and hugged back, patting him on the back.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you,” he said with a tremble and a sniffle.

“And I’m sorry I was a total ass,” she replied in similar vein.

“I hate to interrupt the meaningful fluff, but two things. She’s still a dead body, and is only temporarily here. Two, we really need to get going if we’re going all the way to Eris. The more time we waste, the more time those spectres spend wreaking havoc,” Ida said.

“Make time. This is important,” Rune said, and broke away.

“N-no, she’s right. I know me being back means we can party and all, but we can make time for that later. For now, we’ve gotta get to that temple and protect Mirror. I don’t exactly have cool powers or anythin’, but I’m pretty good with special attacks, so let me at ‘em this time,” Diantha said.

“And risk you getting hurt again? I couldn’t bear the sight, not after—” he said loudly.

“Big bro,” Diantha said teasingly.

He sighed. “Just don’t do anything stupid. You don’t have those powers anymore.”

“I know I know! But I can still do cool stuff like Trump Card, remember?” she said, hands on her hips.

“We’ll have to make our way to the castle. I’m sure there’s an airship there,” Ariala mumbled.

“We can use the Entercards to warp straight to Eris, actually. I figured out how to use these, but I can only go where I’ve been before,” Leos said, searching his belongings.

“Entercards?” Ariala replied, tilting her head.

“Just follow my lead,” he said.







Their objective turned out to be as gruesome as the battle they had just endured. Leos had managed to calm himself down after being frightened by the war, but being thrown back into those conditions only put him right back to square one.

The party emerged from the Magnagate right at the foot of Castle Eris, where spectres – the ghostly figures and animated dead bodies alike – were deep in combat with the ruthless soldiers of Eris. Being dead bodies in motion, the gory offence against them didn’t put them out of action. Arms and legs were being cut off by swords and rampaging dragons, chests and heads pierced by claws and swords, and many Pokémon were even getting beheaded. But the spectres would keep fighting anyway, unhindered by their missing body parts. The only difference was that they were silent. It all still turned Leos’ face pale, and he hid behind his friends as they escorted him through the chaos.

Thankfully, he was able to quickly tear himself away from it since they were right by the castle’s entrance. The castle itself had gone into a defensive mode, so many guards were well positioned and the hallways weren’t busy. None of the spectres had infiltrated yet, so it was a simple task of turning his back on the battle, finding and explaining the situation to Jyararanga, and then making their way to the temple at the top of the castle.

Everything will be so much worse if you don’t stop this now. So just focus – it’s time for action,” Leos kept telling himself as he and his army quickly paced up the castle. When they reached the very top, silence took over. There was no one around in the area.

“It’s just as I remember it. No one here, and just the barrier. It’s like it’s disconnected from the rest of the castle,” Rune said. The barrier at the end of the hallway had been renewed, but it was just as basic. A few planks of wood that could be jumped or climbed over. In Rune’s case, he drew his Razor Shells and smashed it to pieces with little effort.

“Did you have to?” Jyararanga said.

“Saves time,” he said, and led the way.

Leos and Ariala followed behind them, the former nervous again even with his inner chanting. He felt that ‘disconnection’ from the world once the aged, ruined temple came into sight, along with the scenery faded by distance. There weren’t even any insects or Pidgey here, just the ruined temple, the large green hexagon, and of course, Mirror. The Absol was at the far end of the temple staring at its weathered murals.

“So you came,” he said, not turning around.

“You invited me. You foresaw all this, didn’t you? Absol can do that, after all,” Leos said, walking ahead towards him. He stopped when Mirror swiped his front paws aside to summon three spectres in front of him. They were all Kingler. “Wait what? What’re you doing?”

“The only thing that is to be done, now. To see whether you have what it takes. After all, you’re only about to deal with the most powerful being in existence.” Mirror finally turned around.

“Listen. I hate you more than anyone else in the world. Just the sight of you makes me want to kill you a thousand times over, right here and now,” Rune said, and drew the Sword of Earthly Elements. It was glowing.

“Rune,” Ariala muttered.

“But what’s at stake here is more important than my personal agenda. It’s the same for all of us. So we’re here now to take you someplace safer, and protect you. There’s no need for us to fight right now,” he said.

“And what will you do when I am in this safe place?” Mirror asked.

“Destroy Marshadow’s incomplete form. Ensuring he can’t get to you is the priority now,” he answered. There was a pause.

“You are as pitiful as ever, Prince,” Mirror sighed. “Even after everything I did to you, you never once learnt what it really takes to protect someone.”

“The hell do you know you psychopathic murderer?” Rune shouted.

“Rune, please,” Ariala said, and came forward. He allowed her to approach. “Please, our planets face a dire situation right now and there is little time to lose. We must put our differences aside and cooperate for the time being.”

There was another pause, but Mirror never moved at all. “Tell me, princess. What drives your desire to protect? What need have you to prevent Marshadow’s birth?”

“As crown princess of Faernia, and the mother of Leos, our world’s unifying person, it is my duty to protect our world from every crisis. The birth of Marshadow and the Pokémon involved threaten Etheria’s already delicate peace,” she answered.

“Why should she even have to answer to you? Look we’re just here to protect you. Cooperate with us or else,” Leos said.

“None of you have learnt a thing,” Mirror said/ He slammed a paw on his mask. Everyone flinched and readied themselves for the worst, but when he removed the mask from his face, his spectres vanished.

“Have they become invisible?” Rune guarded himself.

But nothing came. Mirror crushed the mask in his paw, stumbled a bit, and then trashed it aside. It clanged against the stone wall in the only standing corner of the room, maintaining an odd feature even though it had been crushed. The single eye visible through the mask turned out to be part of the mask itself, an eye that wasn’t visible on the other side of the mask.

Mirror’s face was as normal as an Absol’s could be, but he kept his eyes clenched tightly shut. His eyelashes were long and stood out the most, whilst a long curl of fur burst out to the side of his face. And then he collapsed onto his side as if he had no energy.

“Mirror!” Rune rushed over to him. He shook the Absol and held up his head, trying to feel for a pulse. His heart was fine. “Hey, hang in there! Get up, what’s wrong?”

It took a moment, but eventually Mirror’s eyes twitched and he moved to stand up, but his eyes never opened. He made a few sounds that were the total opposite of his usual stern, dark voice, and turned his head to look around in confusion.

“Wait, what? I’m… awake? Why am I- oh gods, is anyone there?” he cried. He sounded like a little girl, lost and frantically huffing to try and calm themselves. “Hello? Please, someone, anyone, who’s around?”

“Open your eyes. What’s wrong with you?” Rune said, and folded his arms.

“Th-there is someone there! Please, you’ve got to help me. I’m begging you, there’s no time to lose,” he cried. He tried to sprint and tripped up, falling face flat.

“Is he blind?” Ariala asked slowly, a finger on her lip.

“I-I think so. Hey, calm down a sec,” Diantha cried and helped him up. He kept whimpering and flinched at her touch, but knew where to turn to face her.

“You’re somebody! Please, my mask should be nearby. You’ve got to pick it up and give it to me! Please, or terrible things are going to happen, I mean it!” Mirror cried.

Diantha giggled at him and stroked his side. “Sorry, but I can’t do that. And you know exactly why.”

“Sis?” Rune said. His heart jumped when she raised an arm and channelled a huge orb of dark energy in it, making everyone flip out. They had only a second to act before she slammed that hand down to release the energy. It came out in an enormous shockwave that took everyone off their feet. Fortunately Ariala reacted with a Light Screen, but had barely gotten the shield up to reduce the damage properly.

“Now, drain him, Master Lin!” Diantha called out.

“Diantha!” Rune shouted.

Lin, Tapu Lele, and the shadow partition had emerged from the broken roof, as if they had been hidden behind the temple the whole time. Lin didn’t waste time in performing his magic spell to drain the dark energy from Mirror, causing the Absol to scream in pain.

“No!” Ariala cried and stuck a hand out.

Leos couldn’t manage anything more than a sharp breath in, and stared with watering eyes as the last of the shadow partition formed in the air, slowly merging with the rest of its monstrous form. He wasn’t speechless in awe, fear, or even worry, but that they had been so easily duped.

He had too much to think about. His Mother and Father’s story, the death of the Tapu, and his own friends and position in the new world they were heading towards – he truly never thought to question the sudden resurrection of Diantha and what it could mean, to be wary of what Marshadow could accomplish while its form was as close to completion as it was. And now, thanks to his haste, inability to act or think clearly, it was complete. The god he so badly didn’t want to deal with.

Marshadow’s form stabilised whilst this revelation came to light. The jellyfish-like monster shrunk greatly in size and stature, becoming just a little taller than he was. Two glowing yellow eyes surrounded by outlines of dark red poked through the head of the Pokémon, while a cleaner, more shadow-like texture took over the Pokémon’s humanesque body. A fluffy, shadowy collar flowed around its neck, a shadowy helmet with three horns flowed around its head, and its feet had flowing, shadowy trails coming from them.

It admired its final appearance and the audience it had to witness it, curling its small hands into fists repeatedly. It jabbed the air a few times and then stretched, curling its body to get a good look at itself. Finally content, its small mouth turned into a smile, and its eyes met Leos’.

“Ah. It’s good to be back,” he said, sounding familiarly childish.
 
Episode 32: The power of the Spectre

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg


Episode 32: The power of the Spectre



Marshadow hummed in a familiar tune, and cheerfully twirled as he sung. He didn’t at all look or act like the intimidating monster they imagine would come of the combined shadow partitions, but more like a young fighting Pokémon routinely showing off its muscles as it exercised.

Everyone stared up at him intensely, and half expected his movements to come out with a Pokémon attack. But nothing came of his enthusiastic spins and bows, or even he teased everyone by occasionally pointing at one of them. He just kept showing off his posh, young voice.

His song eventually paused, to which he bowed and snickered about something. He looked up and batted his eyelids at Rune, who scowled in response. “If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it, anything you want to, do it—”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rune finally said, and pointed his sword at him.

“Ah. You interrupted me. Can’t a guy sing when he’s in a good mood?” Marshadow said with a snicker. He stretched his arms and back again. “Just look at me. I’m a marvel! A true figure of manliness and beauty. And it’s all thanks to all of you. That I’m out here, able to stretch my legs, appreciate the singing birds and, maybe catch a few z’s in the sun.”

Rune growled, showing his teeth.

“I’m not gonna lie, considering the appearance of your other form, I was expecting somethin’ a lot more intimidating,” Nier said.

“Size means nothing. Everyone on your guard!” Vincent shouted and stood over Ariala. Nier joined him, but Marshadow ignored their gathering positions. He stretched until his back made a loud click.

“Ah yeah, that’s the stuff. Now I’m ready for a good old-fashioned comeback. Yeah the god of the stars is back baby, and he is in full form!” Marshadow announced, making a peace sign with his fingers. “And the lot of you are lining up for the special event already. I feel bad for keeping such a dedicated fanbase waiting for the show, but this one’s invite only. The rest of you can watch if you want.”

“Okay, is this guy serious? I’m totally confused here.” Griselle slumped forward.

“I’m talking about you, darlings. I mean, I’m a literal god! Do you really think I can be hurt by anything other than your fancy little swords? I know the lot of you are just itching to have a good time, but only the royals can compete right now, and even then, do they even compare?” he said. “I have to hand it to you all, though. All of you settling your differences to come together and help ‘protect the world’ and all that is pretty commendable, considering the show you’ve put on so far. I was convinced you all were gonna destroy this world for me, what with the faith you all had in the Tapu!”

“What are you talking about?” Leos said in a low tone.

“The Tapu sealed me. When Etheria was built and I came across it, those Tapu fought to protect it from me. Well not really fought, more like, flailed pettily. They put up a good one they did, but in the end, they all fell like Magikarp. Their only way to save you guys was to split me into partitions and then split the planet in two so that those partitions could never meet. But you see, I can do anything I want. I get anything I want. So even with all those efforts, I could watch the world and act through my partitions. So I’ve seen everything,” he explained as he hovered lower to Diantha’s side. “Seeing the world through the eyes of this spunky lil’ thing was a joy. But like everything, it eventually got boring. So I got my other partition to start spicing things up a bit, maybe influence a war or two, you know?”

“You were controlling her,” Rune muttered, shuddering. “And Mirror. You made Mirror do all those twisted things.”

“Everything the Tapu had done, it was all in attempt to keep you sealed and secret,” Ariala whispered and covered her mouth.

“And you ate it up like the emotional sucker you are every time. Even now- I mean, how obvious was it that I was Diantha this whole time? And you still walked right along with it all. Your precious sister means that much to you, yet you didn’t die before her trying to protect her. Makes for a petty tale, in the end,” he said.

“You, how can you say such awful things? Do you have any idea how much suffering you’ve brought upon Pokémon?” Ariala cried. She gripped her sword tightly, but didn’t draw it.

“I’ve seen it all, darling. I’m the god of the stars. Every living thing and world has a star that tells its story, its future. If you can comprehend that, then you understand that I’ve seen every last possible reality there is,” he said. He slowly folded his arms. “I can do anything I want. I create worlds out of these stars, and get rid of them when they become a nuisance to watch over. And when you can do that, you eventually see everything that can come out of life. Every last possible outcome, ending, beginning, and all the fluff in between – I’ve seen it all. And those Tapu tried to take it all away from me. But now that I’m back, I’m the one in control again.”

“Tsk. Forget it, you’re just as mad a god as the Tapu. I’ll tear you shreds!” Rune shouted and raised his sword.

“Father!” Leos cried and stuck an arm out as Rune charged at Marshadow. Diantha dove in the way, making him stop just short of an overhead slash.

“Wait Rune!” Diantha cried. Rune shuddered before her, and Marshadow burst out laughing.

“Look at him, Ariala! And you can honestly say you love this delusional dolt? He’s unfit to even be a guy!” Tapu Lele laughed as well.

“Stop it!” Ariala cried.

“Oh man up. You’re not going to stop me by whining about it, darling,” Marshadow said. Diantha and Tapu Lele said the same words as he did just there, and all in his voice. “You know how you’re going to stop me. By fighting. That very thing you seemed to avoid whenever you could.”

Ariala moaned a bit, but stood tall and never took her eyes off of him. Snickering at her determination, he floated away from Rune and right up to her, to which she didn’t even flinch. Leos and Rune were in shock, but trembled with dread.

“You’re a unique one, if I had to give any praise. Underneath all your non-violent preferences, you actually have a shocking amount of power. And that’s even without my partition in you. So show me that. Show everyone what you can really do,” he said, floating back to stretch his arms to his side. Diantha and Tapu Lele made space. “I want you to hit me as hard as you absolutely can. Just you. Then the rest of you can fight.”

“You’re giving her a free hit?” Rune asked, sceptical.

“Yep. Ariala. Me. As hard as you can,” he said, smiling in glee. There was silence.

“I- I can’t,” Ariala replied with a whisper, and looked down.

“You can’t,” Marshadow said. His tone was sympathetic, yet not condescending, and a smile never left his face. “Here you are faced with the god of the stars you tried so desperately to stop from coming to life, and now you can’t even attack when given the opportunity? Not even a Pound attack? Huh. At least you’re not giving up like the peasants who don’t get their way.”

He turned to Rune, who was growling at him. “Well then Dewott, that just leaves us. We do as tradition does, don’t we? Have ourselves a little fist to fist. But do know that I mean business, Prince. If you lose, you won’t like to hear what’ll come next.”

“Tsk. Don’t bother, because you won’t even get the chance!” Rune shouted, charging at him again.

This time the army of Pokémon scattered, Tapu Lele and Diantha included, and Marshadow engaged him in a real battle.

Rune swung at him with a furious overhead slash with so much force that the ground was left with a large indent. Marshadow had dodged it with a simple lean to the left, and then took a small step to avoid the following horizontal slash. The dodging continued for a while, but each attack had Rune shouting and grunting as he tried, and every time he hit something by accident, it broke apart from the force.

“You weren’t kidding about wanting to tear me to shreds. A sword that can smash rock like yours is nothing to shake a stick at,” Marshadow said, and then jumped away. He started thrusting his palms forward at high speed, and each thrust sent a Shadow Ball attack flying at Rune. The Dewott slashed the first one in half and then blocked the rest, guarding his face with his sword. “Can’t you do better than that? I can keep this up all day.”

And he wasn’t lying. The Shadow Ball attacks kept coming, forcing Rune to plant his feet to stand his ground. But each one that hit his sword blew up into sparks and smoke, which crackling over him and singed his arms.

“Mother, do something!” Leos cried.

Before she could, Rune finally left his pose and disappeared from sight, reappearing as a blur for the briefest moment possible. That blur faded into a gush of wind that struck Marshadow hard enough to knock him backwards, to which he snickered and started dodging again.

“Oh yes, that one! You’re quite something, you know?” Marshadow said, looking excited as he hopped and stepped in various directions to avoid Rune’s wicked speed. “Double Team, right? The act of moving so fast that one creates the illusion of being in multiple places at once. But rather than using that power to throw off the eye, you use it to actually out-speed your opponent! Marvelous fighting tactics!”

“That’s what that was?” Leos said. He couldn’t see Rune at all, only the swipes of light that indicated when he was attacking.

“The big issue with that strategy, my prince,” Marshadow said, and shut his eyes. He came to a stop and clapped his hands, catching Rune’s sword in between them.

“What the? How did you?” Rune coughed, trying to pull back.

“You put all your energy into your speed, so you lose that wonderful power that had you crushing rock earlier. Such low power won’t even scathe me,” Marshadow said. He quickly removed one hand and punched Rune’s stomach, sending him rolling backwards. “C’mon now. Don’t let that get you down. You were doing so well, so keep it up.”

“Grr, curse you,” Rune snarled as he rose to his feet. He tried Water Pulse next, forming the watery orb at the tip of one palm and firing it in a similar fashion to Marshadow’s Shadow Ball earlier. He shouted as he threw multiple, but he fired then hardly as fast. Marshadow lazily rose one arm to guard his face, and flicked the back of his hand to knock away every single Water Pulse.

“Really?” he said, with a bored expression. He flinched when Rune popped up in front of him amongst the Water Pulse attacks, shrouded in water himself. Rune crashed into him with Aqua Jet while holding his sword at the front, piercing Marshadow right through.

“He actually- oh my goodness! He actually did it!” Leos gasped on top of everyone else’s surprise.

Rune was pushing the duo back into the wall with the force he was put into his attack, and both of them growled as they pushed against each other. They hit the wall hard enough to make it break down, but Rune flipped to kick his feet off Marshadow to escape the impact.

“Don’t underestimate me. I have the power to protect,” Rune said, landing perfectly.

The broken stone and rubble moved to reveal a snickering Marshadow. He didn’t look like he had suffered any damage at all. “Good good, just like that. Keep it up, make me put some effort into this. Fight like that and I might have to start trying!”

“Enough of this. Just keep being cocky, I dare you!” Vincent shouted, charging in.

“Wait Vincent, only the swords can- aw darn!” Nier cried and flew after him. Rune was surprised to see them take his place in the battle, but could only stick out an arm.

“You two? I already told you, you can’t compete with me,” Marshadow said, laughing while holding his hands out. He didn’t attempt to block Vincent’s attack at all, but the hybrid ended up passing right through him as if he wasn’t there.

“What?” Vincent gasped. Marshadow punched him in the back right afterwards, hard enough to wind him and bring him to the ground.

“And if me being god status wasn’t enough, you forget that you’re a hybrid. That sickening mess of biology you try to call a Pokémon. Without Pokémon attacks, you can’t even touch me,” Marshadow said.

“Then try this on for size!” Nier said, pointing both arms forward, ears lifted for a full power Psychic attack. A blast of pink force hit Marshadow and made him flinch, followed by him cringing in attempt to try and resist it. “Not so tough now, are we?”

“Oh no, the invincible lord Marshadow defeated by a mere pawn’s normal attack, what dramatic irony, ohohoho- no,” Marshadow said, suddenly breaking free of the attack. His right hand burst with dark energy briefly, which expelled as a large, smoky black hand. Nier cried out as it flew at her at high speed, too fast for her to avoid. She guarded herself with her arms, but the shadowy hand flew right through her, smothering her in its tainting colours. She fell quiet after a few moments, but a dark aura surrounded her. Marshadow laughed at everyone’s hesitant poses as they waited for the result of his attack.

Once Vincent stood up and growled at him, Nier began to mov. She drew her rapier and engaged Vincent in a close quarters fight. If he wasn’t as into the fight as he was, he would have been stabbed right there and then. He desperately blocked her stabs and slashes a few times before realising what was going on, and retaliated with a slash aimed at her sword. The two clashed and push against each other.

“Nier what the heck? It’s me!” he shouted in her face. She didn’t respond at all.

“Spectral Thief. Her soul and actions are all mine. I guess you’ll just have to kill her,” Marshadow sighed and shook his head. He turned back to Rune. “Now then, where were we?”

“Let her go!” Ariala cried.

“I told you darling, whining isn’t going to do anything,” Marshadow groaned.

Ariala scrunched herself up and growled, and then look up with a glared that showed her fangs. With a hard flap of her wings, she leapt off the ground and flew towards Marshadow in a single jump, drawing the Sword of Divine Elements behind her in the process. “That’s enough you vile fiend!”

“Oh, I guess we’re doing this now? I’m not gonna complain,” Marshadow replied. He crashed into her with a barge of equal force. The two pressed their right arm and heads against each other, while their free arms were drawn back with Pokémon attacks at the ready.

“G-guys, help out Vincent! We can at least stop Nier with status,” Leos ordered, glancing at the rest of the army. They nodded in response and made space, leaving Rune, Ariala and Marshadow to do their battle alone.

The fairy and ghost kept pushing against each other for a while, until Marshadow finally found the strength to punch with his other hand. His Shadow Punch sent her skidding across the ground, but she stayed on her feet. Rune rushed in with Aqua Jet the moment she was punched away, forcing Marshadow to hop about to avoid him.

“Excuse me, it was the lady’s turn!” Marshadow said. He charged up Shadow Punch again and then collided his fist with Rune’s Aqua Jet head-on, sending the Dewott flying into the air. With Rune knocked away, he went to resume his fight by charging at Ariala with a Shadow Punch still at the ready.

“Psychic!” Ariala cried as she thrust an arm at him. It was a repeat of the effect from Nier’s attack, only this time, it seemed to actually take Marshadow by surprise and pin him to the spot.

“What?” he screeched and trembled from pain. Ariala didn’t waste her chance, and quickly stood up. She charged at him with hands glowing with white energy. She tore into him with a variety of punches, slaps, scratches, and more, finishing it off with punch that knocked him down onto the ground.

“Play Rough?” Rune said, gawking at the attack.

But Ariala didn’t stop there. Marshadow was floored at her feet, yet she pulled back her divine weapon and then whipped it, to which a sparkling strand of energy came out and wrapped itself around him. She pulled back again to lift him above her head, and then with a great shout, threw him back down, sending him into a ditch within the crumbling ground of the temple. Smoke surrounded them both for a moment, which soon disappeared to reveal only Ariala.

“Gah! Dang, ahaha, ow! The heck is happening, how did that work?” he cried furiously. Ariala pointed her right palm at him in the ditch, and charged a far larger than normal Moonblast. “Okay, now I see the light.”

“Walk towards it!” Ariala shouted, letting it loose. A huge blast erupted from the ditch she had made, this one big enough to cover everyone in dust and smoke. When it began to clear up, only Ariala was standing.

“D-damn Ariala, where the hell did that come from?” Rune said with his jaw still on the floor.

She slowly turned to him and laid a hand on her chest, looking down at the ground. “I’ve been trained by the Tapu and the finest knights of Faernia. I was always capable of that kind of combat, but I never wished to go that far. But when he threatened Nier and Vincent…”

At the mention of her name, all eyes turned to the couple. Nier was knelt down and fatigued, but clearly no longer under Marshadow’s control. In the corner, Master Lin was slowly edging away from the army, gawking and staggering to say a word.

“Prem’s Thunder Wave worked a little too well. But she’s fine,” Leos said.

“That’s- no! That’s impossible!” Lin screeched and grabbed his head. “The god of the stars, felled in mere moments? The two of you cannot possibly be that powerful!”

Rune snapped his sword at the ground, making the monster flinch. “If the swords were forged to fell gods like him, then this is only natural. Unfortunate for you, devoting your whole life to that cause.”

“This- this isn’t over, you fools! While you were busy fighting, I to-took advantage. In this particular location, a backup plan was always a given!” He guarded himself with one arm. His breath was erratic, and he wouldn’t shuddering. The others gathered around Rune to intimidate him further, but he shook his fear away and sprinted backwards. It wasn’t until where he stopped that they realised what his ‘backup plan’ was, and froze. “Tha-that’s right! You daren’t make a move, lest you want my revenge.”

“The Dragon Weapon,” Rune mumbled, staring at him. Lin had his palm on the green hexagon in the middle of the room, and it was reacting to his touch.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jyararanga shouted.

“What does it look like? If Marshadow falls to you, then I’ll succeed his plan to destroy Etheria with the only other power that can!” Lin replied, his eyes twitching. “Come forth O mighty spirit of Eris. Gather the many and bring forth the complete Zygarde! Destroy everything in your path and force this star to reset!”

It took a moment, but the hexagon reacted to Lin’s order, flashing and releasing a black, smoky aura around itself and his arm. Rune, Ariala, and Jyararanga barely reacted while the others flew into a panic, speechless as the world around them began to rumble and shake.

It started with the bursting of the black aura around Master Lin, which was filled with the pattern of black and green hexagons, millions of tiny hexagons close together enough to irritate the eye. This dark aura kept bursting and enlarging every time it popped, enveloping the whole temple and possibly more around them in its cold, windy embrace. Even Master Lin began to get unnerved by its frosty grip, and nervously looked around.

Then, beams of green light soared across the sky to one spot directly in the middle of the temple, each beam coming from countless miles away. It was like a swarm of insects had been magnetically pulled into a single spot by a command from their queen, where they fused together right before all their eyes. The figure it was creating was big enough to force everyone to run away and distance themselves, as just its foot was larger than the temple itself.

“There it is,” Master Lin snickered, but stared up in awe.

Zygarde stood tall in a humanoid shape, the black and green hexagon theme carrying across every scale of its body. Long, draconic wings jutted from its shoulders and back like serpentine dragons, flowing from an invisible flow of wind from somewhere. Its bulky hands were tipped with three nails each, those nails flat and sharp as a sword. It bore an unusual face of white hexagons that resembled eyes, while a ring of green ones made up a ‘mouth’ like the protective armour of a helmet. There were green hexagons making armour plates on different parts of its body, such as its hands, chest, and knees.

“Perfect Zygarde! At long last, you stand again!” Lin said, raising his arms. He pointed at Rune and his army, his face a mixture of madness and joy. “Unleash your wrath upon this sinful world. Destroy everything in your path, and wipe out this mortal realm!”

“Um, Father, Mother?” Leos cried as he pushed his way to the front. The two of them didn’t say a word despite him and the army’s panic, and simply put their arms out to block him.

Leos choked and span around, anticipating a new crisis to befall them. He wanted to shout and scream for his life, but then he noticed King Jyararanga just as unbothered as his parents were. The Kommo-o had his arms folded and stared straight forward. Seeing that, he turned back around, realising that several moments had passed without Zygarde doing a thing.

“Did you not hear me? Zygarde!” Master Lin raised his voice.

“Don’t waste your breath. It won’t obey you,” Rune said.

“But how? It is the Dragon Weapon, a creation made to destroy Faernia and Etheria itself!”

“Use your head,” Jyararanga said, and stepped forward. “Do you honestly think that we would keep such a dangerous weapon in a place that can be reached this easily if any old codger could command it?”

“Gah- I- but you—” Lin choked.

“The Dragon Weapon was created and controlled by the ancients, Erinians from god knows how many generations ago. Despite that, it’s a living Pokémon. I’m privy to give you this information, but… there actually isn’t anyone in this world that knows how to use Zygarde anymore. It is useless,” Rune said.

Master Lin’s mouth dropped, and he stumbled backwards, uttering sounds of disbelief. “B-but it worked! I summoned it. I brought it to life. It should obey my every command!”

“Why did you tell him that?” Leos said.

“Because trespassing here and messing with the Dragon Weapon is punishable with death. On top of the many other crimes you’ve done, and your current being here on Erinian soil,” Rune said, stepping forward. “I suppose Vincent would prefer to do the honours.”

“N-no! You can’t! I have the protection of Lord Marshadow, anyway. I am invincible! And my faith in the stars is unyielding. I am next in line to become that god. Defeating Marshadow only gifts his powers to me!” Lin shouted. Vincent ignored every word, readying his naginata as he approached. “Don’t you dare come closer!”

“So your true colours show at last. You poor, poor thing. The misguided devoted are the least devoted,” Marshadow’s voice echoed, mostly coming from Tapu Lele and Diantha. Rune and Ariala spun around in shock this time, and grit their teeth as the ghost type floated out of the ditch. He appeared to be totally unharmed. “You just wanted my power, didn’t you?”

“I will put your power to use and set this world straight. I will do your handiwork for you, my lord! I will control the mortals, destroying all who aren’t Constellars. I will guide all using the stars, all in your name!” Lin said, and held a hand out. “But I can only do it with further gift of your power. A mere invisible barrier isn’t enough.”

“Oh-ho that’s just sweet. But I’m afraid there are plenty more mortals that I’d give my powers to before I’d lend them to you,” Marshadow snickered, drawing back a fist. Everyone shielded themselves while Lin slid backward, letting out more sounds of shock. “And your kind is the sort that makes me sick, to be honest. You were only in this so that you might become equal to me, weren’t you? And let me guess, you planned to try and overthrow me in the process?”

More struggled sounds came from Lin, and he flinched even harder. “Thought so,” Marshadow sighed.

In a flash, Marshadow sped through the air and passed right through Lin with his fist pointed forward. There was a pause as everyone couldn’t believe how suddenly it had happened, nor what Marshadow had actually done, but once it became clear, many faces turned away or eyes were covered.

Master Lin couldn’t utter even a word. Marshadow’s attack had left a gaping hole in his chest, a clean hole that didn’t even begin to bleed until a few seconds later. He didn’t say anything or even let out another breath, and fell forward flat on the floor, eyes open and body frozen in the position he was in when Marshadow struck him. His flesh and organs seemed to stay within him, but blood soon began to overflow from beneath his body, forming a dark puddle.

“You- you just,” Ariala whispered and shuddered.

“Oh don’t get all petty on me now. You were literally about to execute him yourselves. I just saved you all a bit of trouble,” Marshadow said.

“You! Why are you still alive?” Rune said.

“I’m the god of the stars. I can do anything I want. You can’t kill me, but I can make it so that you guys think you can kill me. Whichever one does a better number on you,” Marshadow said. He snickered and shrugged. “And for my next trick, I’m going to shred every last hope for survival you all have.”

“You won’t. As long as we have these swords, we can defeat you,” Ariala replied. Marshadow shook his head.

“Like so,” he said. He let out a cry as he stretched his body tall. An aura of golden energy erupted around him, which flowed vigorously like a flame. He strained for moment, and then pulled back both arms, charging them with ghostly power. He thrust both arms to unleash a storm of ghostly claws that tore through the air at high speed.

“Spectral Thief again?” Rune growled, barely reacting in time. He swung his sword upwards and it cut away the hands, pushing them away from the army. Ariala did the same with her divine weapon, only with a cry of effort.

The storm didn’t stop however, even with the swords protecting the Pokémon. Before they knew it, a draconic shriek took over the area, echoing throughout the distance. All eyes turned to Zygarde, who the Spectral Thief attack was swarming. The giant dragon was helplessly engulfed by the claws from all over, and soon began to grow discoloured.

“The Dragon Weapon!” Leos gasped. Within moments, Zygarde’s black and green hexagons had been replaced with Marshadow’s colour scheme, while an aura of darkness surrounded it. Its white eyes had the same glow as Marshadow’s, gold but faded and ghostly.

“You insane—” Rune growled. Marshadow floated out of reach and shrugged as he glared down at everyone.

“Stop for a moment and think. Even if all of you were to attack me now, Zygarde there would just crush you all. And you’ve seen that you can barely harm me as it is. You would just be killing yourselves,” he said. Rune shuddered and grinded his teeth together, but shifted backward. “That’s right, stand down like the good little toy you are. You said no one could control Zygarde, but here I am gaining perfect control over it. I’ve taken away every last shred of hope you have, yet you’re alive, because I’m sparing you, with one condition.”

He held out a palm, and then reduced his fingers so that three were pointed up. “Three days, excluding today. You have three days to find a way to challenge me. I’ll be waiting at the Stratos Palace in outer space.”

“To find a way to challenge you?” Ariala repeated.

“I’m not gonna explain that to you. But if those three days are up, I’ll wipe out this world and all of its stars. You won’t stand a chance, but this wouldn’t be entertaining if I didn’t give you one anyway,” he snickered. He tensed to flare up his aura again, and Zygarde did the same movement.

“Wait!” Ariala cried and jumped forward. He was about to fly away, but halted. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

Marshadow hesitated, and then gave her a gleeful look. “If you can comprehend that,” he said, and darted off at high speed. Zygarde took off as well, but its movement caused a small quake and a heavy wind that threw everyone to the floor.
 
Episode 33: In the Depths of my Heart…

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
Banner Leos Aska - Copy.png

Episode 33: In the Depths of my Heart…



It didn’t take long for everything to fall into chaos. Rune, Ariala, and their combined armies had their hearts heavy at their situation, but once the public of the outside world saw Zygarde take to the skies, everything fell into true panic. This was on top of the issue that hundreds of dead Pokémon were walking the planets as ghosts, spectres that attacked any living Pokémon they came across.

King Jyararanga sent Altaria messengers to warn everyone to stay in their homes. The castle was opened up as a temporary refuge for nearby Pokémon to stay in so that they wouldn’t have to travel, too.

“Despite the efforts of the soldiers, casualties are being reported in increasing numbers in several regions across Eris. The spectres are attacking in great numbers, and entire villages are falling,” a Druddigon said, skimming through a stone slab with writing etched into it. “Damage is being extended to Pokémon homes and feral habitats, while the breeding grounds are being completely ravaged. They seem to be targeting anything that isn’t a part of the natural landscape.”

“Faernia is no better. Queen Magearna and Azu have been evacuating entire cities of Pokémon in a bid to escape the rampaging spectres,” an Audino said, reading as well. “Our scouts say they’re mostly gathering around areas with Tapu technology, but none have gone near Stardust Treasury.”

And then, silence fell. The throne room was filled with Rune and Ariala’s army, and a few other soldiers from both planets. But none of them said a word of reply, not even a groan of thought.

“Your Highness. This is a worldwide crisis,” Audino said.

“I can tell that,” Jyararanga said in a gruff tone. He grumbled something under his breath as he hung his head, then slowly looked back up at the two armies. “All of this was to be expected, though. We will start with any new information we can learn.”

“Give us some good news,” Nier said. Vincent pinched her.

“You there. You were Master Lin’s right hand Pokémon. Can you shed some light on his plan or our current predicament?” Jyararanga said, drawing all eyes to Rosie, the Mimikyu. She was sat by Prem, and yelped when everyone stared.

“There’s nothing to tell you, though. Master did what he did, and now we’re here,” she said.

Rune drew his sword with a loud sigh. “Then you’re useless. I might as well go ahead with the execution now.”

“Eek! But I- I just got back with my little Prem. You can’t—” she said, sliding back.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t stall for time. He really will kill you right here and now,” Blossom said, arms folded. Rosie made a scared noise. “I can read your mind. If it doesn’t come from your mouth, we have no use for you.”

“Okay okay, I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Spectres can only be stopped by defeating the one who summoned them. That would be Lord Marshadow, of course,” she said. Beads of sweat leaked through her rag. “But there is another way to stall them. The one power Master Lin always feared was for that reason. Aura bypasses Constellar magic.”

“Aura?” Rune replied.

“You know, like the golden energy that surrounds Leos when he uses his Z-Move thing. When that energy is around, spectres can’t move or anything. Even the weakest attack with an aura will destroy a spectre. It’s like, the light from the aura makes them disappear,” Rosie said. “I can give Pokémon the aura, if they want to fight. But if I do, will you let me have my little darling Prem back?”

“I’m not your darling,” Prem groaned.

“Wait, you can give aura? Like, just give any Pokémon a Z-Move?” Leos said.

“No. Only high level Constellars can use those. But any Pokémon can provide the energy to use that kind of move if their thoughts are in sync and their wishes are the same. Many say a bond is needed, and it is, but simply having earnest belief in another Pokémon is all the bond that’s needed.”

“So it’s not as exclusive as only me and Prem needing to use it,” Leos said. The duo exchanged glances.

“If two Pokémon that earnestly love each other use it, the aura is bigger and stronger, strong enough to use an actual Z-Move. Like, I don’t know, let’s say two Pokémon strongly in love would be able to really dent a legendary. If the Pokémon isn’t a Constellar, then they simply get an aura boosted attack,” Rosie said. “Because Marshadow is a spectre, it’ll bypass his defences entirely. Those same defences are what protected Master Lin from damage, so he chose to hide that knowledge from Pokémon. He only told me because he could tell I desperately wanted Prem to come back. He wanted me to help him.”

“So you know the poses and all?” Ariala said. Rosie nodded using the head of her disguise.

“That means Marshadow can make use of the aura by himself. He did it right before killing Master Lin,” Rune said, coming out of a thought pose. “That solves the issue with the wild spectres, but—”

“What? No, it doesn’t. I can’t go around and clear out every single spectre. They’re on both planets!” Leos said. “And besides, that’s the least of our worries. How do we defeat Marshadow? He has Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Princess Diantha under his control. Even if I could gather the aura to kill him with Heavenly Execution, how would I even get the chance?”

“Our airships can reach outer space. But we’d have to be able to fight him somehow. That’s a whole other problem we haven’t considered,” Ariala said.

“Then we’ll have to delegate ourselves to this cause. Leos, you’ve got a way with technology. Perhaps we can pair you up with the scientists of Faernia to come up with something in time,” Rune said, unfurling his arms. “Me and Ariala are the only ones who can attack through Zygarde and Tapu Lele’s defences, so we’ll focus on them. The others will have to do what they can against the spectres here.”

“Stop being optimistic. Outer space travel? I’ve never even considered the idea!” Leos raised his voice.

“We have three days. We have to start somewhere, and it’s now or never,” Rune said.

“If we don’t do something, the whole of Etheria is done for. We just can’t have any doubts. It’s our duty,” Ariala said. Leos looked down and tensed up.

“I know that look, Rune. You have an idea, don’t you?” Jyararanga asked. The Dewott smiled at him. “Go on. Don’t withhold information, here.”

“The idea that anyone can give aura is a huge revelation. If we rally the Pokémon from both planets and have everyone give their hopes to Leos, the power we could generate would be unthinkable. Far above Marshadow, for sure,” he said, raising a fist. A lot of Pokémon gawked at him with widened eyes. “… What?”

“It’s just, wow. I never expected an idea like that to come out of you. You’re always so stern and realistic,” Shouta said, snickering at them all. “So everyone’s hopes and dreams and powers of trust and friendship makes your boy into a little god, and then he saves the day, right?”

“As ludicrous as it sounds, we have already seen him kill Tapu Bulu with just one Pokémon aiding him. There is no limit to your potential,” Rune said with a smile.

“Stop- just stop. Rallying everyone? We’re in the middle of war. Tapu Bulu killed thousands, and we killed god knows how many when we went to stop Tapu Koko,” Leos said.

“And now, everyone is under threat from Marshadow and the spectres. Once the Pokémon learn the magnitude of this crisis, they will work with us,” Rune said, and stepped forward.

“You just don’t get it, do you? This isn’t just going fall into place because you want it to. I can’t just magically come up with a way to fight in space, and there’s no way I can fight Marshadow!” Leos said. He grit his teeth and stared at the floor. “It’s a miracle I even beat Tapu Bulu. My body’s not strong enough to fight. And I can’t even stand war. I can’t do anything useful!”

“Where has this come from?” Rune said.

“It’s come from everything I’ve done since I got to see the outside world. Nothing’s gone right. I’ve done nothing useful at all. And when it really counts, someone else is always having to dig me out,” he said, sounding as if he was about to burst into tears.

“You’re the legendary hero of Etheria, Leos. Have some faith in yourself.” Rune folded his arms.

“This isn’t about legends or heroes or anything. Y-you saw me in that battle! You’ve seen me fight, as well. I can’t do it. I can’t do these things you want me to do,” he cried.

“Then what do you suppose we do?” Rune said.

Leos kept shuddering and looked back at the ground. “I- I don’t know.”

In a flash, Rune stepped forward and smacked Leos’ head hard enough to make him spin around. “I did not raise my son to be a quitter. Steel yourself and think about what you’re saying!”

“O-ow. Th-think about what I’m saying? Think about what you’re saying. You didn’t raise me at all!” Leos said, raising his voice to a new high. He sounded like he was going to cry, but no tears formed, only rigid, grinding teeth and veins of frustration. “You didn’t teach me anything. You didn’t do anything. You were never even there. You’re barely my Father! You just did whatever you wanted while I was kept in seclusion, like I was some kind of backup weapon!”

“Leos,” Ariala gasped.

“You don’t know anything! And just when I’m finally going out to try and fix where you messed up, you decide to come out and tell me that I’m just in the way? And now you want me to just work with you like everything’s all roses?” Leos shouted. “That’s not how it works. I can’t fight Marshadow or the spectres. I can’t just magically build this ship to fight in space. That’s just not me. If you’d actually chosen to be a real father rather than just caring about yourself, then maybe you’d actually know that!”

The room fell to silence again, minus Leos’ sniffles and growls of frustration. Rune didn’t reply at all, and stared at him with the same stern look he had since the meeting had started. Seeing that he wasn’t getting a response, Leos let out a roar and stormed off towards his room.

“Le-Leos,” Prem said.

“Leave him be. He needs time to think,” Rune said, stopping the Pikachu from following. Prem played with his hands.

“But he’s right, ain’t he? You beat him up that one time, and you’ve not been around anywhere else. You can’t just like, start talkin’ like you own him,” Griselle cried, leaning forward.

“We don’t have time for this, Rune. You, Leos and Ariala are the only ones who can damage Marshadow. If your son is unable to fight, it puts us at an extreme disadvantage, especially with this new discovery of what we can do with aura,” Jyararanga said. He looked unbothered by what had just happened, which made Prem close his fists.

“What’s more important? Leos’ feelings, or the fact that he’s Etheria’s hero?” Prem said, raising his voice as well. “The way you guys are talking, it’s as if he’s not even a Pokémon!”

“There is a time and a place for this argument, and it isn’t now. I understand your feelings, but as things stand, we need to act as soon as possible. Harden your emotions,” Rune replied.

Prem squinted. “Why should I listen to you?”

“Prem?” Ariala whispered.

“Have you decided that you don’t want to help us?” Rune asked. There was a pause.

“I just- I want to be with him right now,” he said, running off on all fours. Rune sighed and shook his head.

“Consider the battle dependant on us. We don’t have long, so we should get started on the development of that airship that can take us to Marshadow’s location,” Rune said, turning back to the crowd of Pokémon. “Speaking of which, you all said that he’s in space. Where exactly is he?”

“On top of Fairy Hill on Faernia, a palace has appeared high in the sky. Our telescopes tell us that it is beyond the distance of our atmosphere. Marshadow’s palace is in outer space,” Audino said as she flicked through the notes she had. “They also speak of an ‘unsettling darkness’ that seems to be spreading from the palace, covering the sky.”

“Giving the Pokémon something to fear. I have no idea what Marshadow really wants from all this,” Rune said. He shook his head. “I can’t speak to Leos like this. And he’s the only one of us that can use aura.”

“Got a backup besides that aura plan you thought up?” Shouta asked. Rune glanced at him, then turned his back.

“Me and Ariala put up a fight against Marshadow. I’ll just have to try again while the rest of you take on his cronies,” he said with a growl.

“Pardon? Hold on a second. I know fairies have an easy time against dragons, but in case you didn’t notice, Zygarde is an invincible weapon of destruction that threatens to destroy Etheria altogether. You want us to fight that on top of Tapu Lele?” Kelsith said, stepping forward.

“We’d be lucky if we could buy you even a few seconds,” Tundra added, arms folded and leaning against a wall. “You’re gonna have to do better than that.”

Rune shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh, letting silence fall on the scene again. When he opened them, Ariala spotted them glisten a bit, and he unfurled his arms. “Leos really is our only hope, huh? But we can’t decide to make him fight. It’s up to him.”

“Are you really going to try and fight if he says no?” she asked.

“I’ll have to. And I know you’ll object to this, but you’ll stay here,” he said.

“I refuse to stand by idly when my world is in danger. Whether I’m crown princess or not, I will fight,” she said, getting cross.

“You get it more than anyone, right? I can’t afford to lose anyone again,” he said, putting his hands at her sides. She didn’t react. “You have to stay safe. If you or Leos get hurt, I’m lost.”

“You have to let us fight beside you again, Rune. You’ve done it before; you can do it—”

“This isn’t the same damn it!” he said, shutting his eyes. “You saw what he did to Master Lin. I couldn’t bear to see that happen to someone I love again. That’s why I’m who I am. I blamed Tapu Koko, but I gave up my chance at being a decent father just so I could give it my all to protecting you both. Please, even in the face of this hopelessness, let me keep doing that. It’s the only way I can keep giving this my all.”

“And how I feel doesn’t matter to that? Rune, I spent all those years exchanging letters with you, just praying that one day you’ll be able to be with us, to be the father Leos wants so badly.” she clenched her hands. “If you got hurt doing something that reckless, then where does that leave us? What about me?”

“You being safe is what’s most important. I love you too much to risk it.”

“Then why did you spend all these years away from us? If you really wanted to protect me, then you would have done it fighting by my side!” she cried, swiping an arm aside. “This is not up for debate, Rune. If we fight, we fight together.”

“Ngrk. Fi-fine. But please, for the love of the gods, stay safe,” he said, hanging his head with a loud sigh. He turned to the crowd. “We will still need to be very careful with this. Set off immediately, and begin to rally what Pokémon you can. Those that can fight, they will keep the spectres at bay. Those who can support, we will have them stand by just in case Leos does arrive to fight.”

“We’re really going through with this suicidal plan?” Tundra asked.

“And we’re going to put all our heart and strength into it. If we can’t stop Marshadow and his twisted delusions of power, then the whole of Etheria is lost. We have no choice,” Ariala replied. “This is all the same as when we went to try and save Princess Diantha. Prepare yourselves for the toughest battle you have ever fought.”

“Speaking of that battle, where did that Absol go? The one that had the last partition?” Rosie asked.

“I had him escorted to a room in the castle. He was far too panicked to properly engage with us. And to be personally honest, I don’t think he has anything worthwhile to contribute. He’s blind,” Jyararanga said.







“You’re fine. You’re on a bed,” Leos said, arms folded. Mirror was in his room, but he was trembling and restlessly searching for something. The Absol’s eyes were shut tightly, and his nails were curled. “It’s just me, Leos.”

“O-okay, if you say so. I-I’m fine,” Mirror said, searching for him. Leos couldn’t believe how girly he sounded, almost like a little boy that was barely double digits of age.

“Tell me what happened with you. Why you were who you were,” he asked.

“I’ve been blind since birth. I can’t see, so I always had to have Pokémon help me get around and stuff. But we Absol, we’re like, attracted to disasters and stuff. You know, like if there’s an earthquake or a Pokémon goes berserk or something,” Mirror said, still searching. Leos put his hand on him to settle him down. “I think I lost my family to one while they were travelling with me. But I still went to look for disasters so that I could help save Pokémon in need. One of them gave me that awful spirit.”

“Marshadow. Or in your case, the Shadow Partition,” Leos said.

“I think. But the spirit was something my Dad warned me about years ago. He said that if I ever felt possessed, to wear that mask. It’s supposed to contain ghost Pokémon that try to possess their enemies,” Mirror said. “But it didn’t work. The king said I’ve done terrible things. I’m so sorry! I only wanted to save Pokémon, I swear! Not hurt anyone. But that partition made me do so many bad things.”

“It’s fine. It isn’t me you should be apologising to. We have bigger things to be worrying about. I just wanted to see if anything you had to tell me could help,” Leos said, folding his arms. “Ugh. It’s time to study, but I can’t work with Father. I barely know what we can do. I don’t even know where to start.”

“O-oh, yes! I’m sorry, I forgot, please don’t punish me for forgetting!” Mirror said, becoming restless again.

“You don’t need to panic. I’m right here. You’re okay.” Leos put his hand on him again.

“There is a way to stop Marshadow! Now that I know what we’re dealing with, I’m sure we can do it,” Mirror said. Leos could tell how enthusiastic and happy he looked, even though his eyes were still shut.

“There is? H-how do we do it?” Prem gasped, revealing that he was in the doorway. He jogged in after that. “S-sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was way too worried about you, so I came.”

“Never mind that. Mirror, what’ve you got to tell us?” Leos said.

“It’s a legendary item that’s sealed in a hidden place. It’s hidden in Planet Etheria’s core. It’s a ball that can turn stuff into energy,” Mirror said.

Leos stood back, and his eyes widened. “He couldn’t possibly be talking about…?

“It’s called the Lock Ball. I don’t know if we can get there in time, but if we can get it, we can turn you into energy. Then you can fight Marshadow,” Mirror said.

“Wait a minute, slow down. Etheria’s core? Turning me into energy? Explain, please,” Leos said, sweating slightly.

“Oh er, I’m sorry. Maybe I’m just talking all excitedly and stuff but, I foresaw it, I’m sure of it! Etheria’s destruction and Marshadow’s coming. We can stop him by proving ourselves to him in battle. But because he’s in space, we have to use the Lock Ball from Etheria’s core to turn you into energy, so that you can fight without worrying about your body,” Mirror said. Leos and Prem exchanged glances.

“But where is Etheria’s core? It’s—”

“Shh, let him talk!” Leos hissed, putting a hand over Prem.

“Etheria’s core is where all the natural energy of the planet comes from. It’s like, er, imagine the planet has veins in it that send planetary energy all around it. That energy lets Etheria’s nature work, and that’s the energy that we Absol can feel in our horns,” Mirror happily explained. “But sometimes, that energy overflows or something, and that can cause problems. We can feel these vibrations of energy, and they make earthquakes or tsunamis and stuff. That’s why we Absol travel far and wide to make sure we protect Pokémon all over.”

“But Etheria is split into two, now. What happens then?” Leos asked.

“I guess there isn’t much planetary energy. Since it can’t get it from the core, but… wait, the planet is split?” Mirror replied. Leos’ mouth hit the floor.

“To think that you of all Pokémon held this knowledge, that not even the gods knew of,” he whispered, shaking himself off. “Yes! Yes, it all makes sense, now! The legend, the history, the second country, the aim of the gods, the Tapu, Marshadow’s words- it’s a punishment!”

“Leos, I er, I take it you’ve figured something out?” Prem said, leaning away. Leos squealed, hugged him tightly, and spun around him while laughing.

“This is it, Prem! Eris and Faernia’s energy crisis, the Tapu’s deaths, I understand it all now!” he cried. He broke off and went into a battle pose, ignoring the Pikachu’s blushing face. “The Tapu split Etheria in order to prevent Marshadow from destroying the planet. This was at the same time as splitting Marshadow himself. You could say that something happened during their original battle that caused Marshadow to split into partitions along with the planet.”

“Uh huh.” Prem nodded blankly.

“You’re losing me a bit. Etheria is split? Since when was there another planet?” Mirror asked.

“When the two planets were born, Etheria’s core became the Second Country – the source of Etheria’s planetary energy. With only the Tapu feeding Faernia, Eris fell into decline. Nature stopped working there,” Leos said, pacing. “Fast forward to now, the Tapu are old and needed to die due to their aging madness. But when a god or goddess dies, it becomes part of the nature from whence it came. The Tapu became Eris’ new, temporary source of energy. That’s why you can’t tell that Eris is any different.”

“It does feel the same as it used to. The only danger I can feel right now is Marshadow,” Mirror said, still cocking his head.

“Then that proves my theory. Marshadow is back now, but so are you. So we just have to stop him, then we can work on saving Etheria. If we could somehow return the two planets to the core, everything should go back to normal!” Leos said, raising his arms. “Ah, but the Lock Ball, it broke…”

“Wait, seriously?” Prem gasped. “How did it break?

“Mirror… one of your attacks destroyed it while you were under Marshadow’s control.” Leos hung his head. “We’ll have to come up with another way."
 
Intermission: A puzzle for the deep thinkers

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
zodiac signs.jpg

Intermission: A puzzle for the deep thinkers



“Leos, are you there?” Ariala said, knocking on the wall beside the room before entering. Leos flinched and hid the Lock Ball in his bag, facing her as she came in. “I knew you’d be awake still. It’s tough to sleep here, isn’t it?”

He looked away and sat on his hay bed, only just realising that. “Yeah. It’s colder and rougher than I’m used to.”

“They do have blankets and things spare. You only need to ask,” she said. He didn’t reply, so she sighed. “I apologise for what happened back there. And let me apologise on behalf of Rune as well.”

“The guy needs you to apologise for him?” he said, turning back to her.

“You mustn’t be so hard on your Father, Leos. He has had to make some very difficult choices, but he made them full well knowing what he would sacrifice for them,” she said, laying a hand on her chest.

“Clearly he doesn’t. He hit me! And really thinks he raised me?” Leos raised his voice. “He doesn’t know anything about me!”

“We exchanged letters for a long time. During those, he would set rules and gave me advice. He was there, but he wasn’t there. It was his rule that you weren’t to go out on your own, you know,” she said, joining him on the side of the bed.

“He had to choose between love and duty, and he chose duty. He might as well have given up on being a father,” he said. “That’s what both of you did. You only had me because of your stupid legend and peace treaty!”

“Don’t say things like that, Leos. You are our son first and foremost, and nothing will change that. That’s why I am here now,” she said, laying a hand on his side. “Look at me, please. There isn’t anything that hurts more than knowing you feel this way about us.”

Leos grumbled something to himself and slowly twisted round to face her. He didn’t look as furious as he sounded, as if he was holding back tears rather than rage. “Please. It was never Rune’s intention to make you feel this way.”

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked, staring at the floor. “To stop Marshadow, I mean. What is there I can actually do?”

“That is what we’re working tirelessly to figure out. Rune wanted you to work with us that way because he has that much faith in you,” she said, putting a hand on his.

“What if… what if – and this is purely hypothetical – what if I died stopping Marshadow? What then?” he said, still staring. There was a pause.

“That is the very same choice that we have both once made,” she replied. He gawked at her. “There’s no doubt we would be heartbroken. And to tell the truth, the fact that you’ve even asked worries me. If you got hurt during this battle, I don’t know what I would do with myself. It would be a regret I would bear for the rest of my life. On top of what happened to Diantha, especially.”

Leos went back to looking at the floor, and she went back to holding his hand. “It would be your choice between your duty as prince, and your love for your family and friends. And believe me now, whatever decision you decide to make, no one in the world has the right to judge you on it. But that is not the case, now. You don’t have to die to do this.”

“I- I know. Thanks,” he said, looking away. There was another long moment of silence.

“I’ve brought you the letters me and Rune exchanged while you were growing up. I think it’s important that you read them. Read them, and try to understand why we’ve both done everything we’ve done until now,” she said, laying a stack of them on the bed. “I am not going to force you to help us. But I do wish to know how you feel. Please, tell me—”

“It’s not that I don’t want to help you. I don’t want Marshadow to do anything, either. It’s that I can’t help,” he cried, and thrashed forward. “Everything I’ve done since leaving home has caused nothing but problems. It’s all gone wrong. And then even when I was listening to Father, we got into that war and I just- I just couldn’t take it. I can’t fight, my knowledge is useless, and my body won’t even let me use half my powers. I’m completely worthless!”

“Don’t say that about yourself!” Ariala said, closing her hand into a fist. “So many Pokémon would not rally behind a leader who is ‘useless’.”

“They only follow me because I’m that ‘legendary hero’, though.” He glared at her.

“Legendary hero or not, the Pokémon who follow you do so because they have that faith in you. There is not a single Pokémon in this world that follows a deity without their own feelings or ulterior motive taking precedence. You even saw it with Master Lin.” She raised her voice and stood tall. “When your allies chose to follow you, they did it because they like you. Your intentions and motives align with their own, and as time goes by, a bond forms between you all. Your army was not an army built on patriotism, but of your own and other’s feelings on the state of the world.”

“Mother,” Leos whispered.

“You getting this far with what you’ve built up is exactly why Rune and the others have so much faith in you. And even now, I know you can come up with something,” she said. She quietened down and looked away. “And even if you don’t, we’ll fight for you anyhow. At least, that’s why I’m going to fight. So that future generations such as yours can live.”

“Alright. I get it. And if I spoke to everyone individually, they’d give a similar answer to you,” he said, going quiet.

“Well I hope they would. That’s what I believe, knowing your allies for the brief time that I’ve known them for,” she said, calming down as well. Leos looked away.

“… Where do I start?” he asked. She blinked at him. “With this idea of reaching Marshadow. Where do I start looking?”

“We don’t have much time. Again, I have no intention of forcing you into this. But if you truly wish to help,” she said, and shut her eyes. “Think about everything we have access to and everything Marshadow has done. Consider our options from there and what we can work with. We can cross between the two planets with your Entercards, so gathering materials or Pokémon should not be too great of an issue.”

“Oh right, the Entercards. I didn’t think of them for some reason,” he said, going into a thought pose. “It’s time to study. Do you mind leaving me alone?”

“I haven’t heard you say that so enthusiastically for a while. And I know I said we don’t have much time, but please, don’t stay up too late. If you tire yourself out, this will have all been for nothing,” she said, smiling at last.

“Well, I was getting ready to sleep until you came in.” He shrugged.

“Okay then, mister,” she said with a half-lidded smile.

“… Thanks, Mother,” Leos said, struggling to look at her. She blinked at him. “Seriously. Thanks.”

“You’re my son first and foremost before everything else. If you should ever feel that way again, do not hesitate to speak to me. No matter what you have to tell me, I will listen,” she said. He nodded at her. “Sleep well, Leos.”

“You too, Mother,” he replied. She skipped out after that, leaving the room in silence.

To tell the truth, I already have an idea, thanks to her. I completely forgot about the Entercards. Their ability to transport groups of Pokémon anywhere in the world is definitely going to prove to be the key to this,” he thought to himself, beginning to pace. “But the main issue right now is exactly what Marshadow is plotting. Why not just wipe us out right away? Why test us like so?







And then, suddenly, a loud crash, as if a giant glass sheet was smashed to pieces. Leos was blinded and his head panged hard enough to make him cry out. He rubbed where it hurt, grit his teeth, and turned around to find he was no longer in his room. Or maybe the room had been transported elsewhere, somehow. Either way, the surrounding walls and floor had completely vanished, replaced with a silent, swirling, visible wind of dark greys and black colours. The furniture of the room remained where it was, as if the walls and floor had turned into a projection of this dark tornado.

Leos opened his mouth to ask what had happened but gasped instead. In front of his bed was Mirror, still unmasked and eyes shut. The Absol had one foot on top of Leos’ bag, while the other was pressed into the invisible floor, surrounded by broken shards of metal. It was easily recognisable as the Entercards.

“You-you broke it? H-how? What in the world just happened?” Leos cried and grabbed his head. That set off Mirror’s maniacal laughter, which sounded exactly like Marshadow’s pompous, young tone.

“Come on. This is just too easy. You really couldn’t figure it out?” he sniggered, showing his fangs. Leos shuddered, unable to close his mouth. “Oh for goodness sake. And you’re supposed to be the smart one.”

“I… I struggle to comprehend exactly what just happened. I was talking to Mother, and then,” Leos said, trying to calm down.

“Think about it. Diantha died. She was dead for how many years. Then I brought her back, and she’s fully under my control. So I made Mirror ‘free’ himself. He may not have the shadow partition anymore, but he’s mine. I almost slipped up a bit, though,” he said. He laughed at Leos’ surprised look. “Oh come now! How could Mirror possibly know about Etheria’s history, that it was once one planet? That the Tapu split it? But still know what the world is like now?”

“From his time,” Leos whispered, gasping again.

“Yeah he was alive then. That story he told you is the truth, after all. But he’s dead. There’s no way he could live for all that time until now!” he said as he pranced around. He stopped in a prideful pose. “I just needed to crush your remaining hopes.”

“No,” Leos whispered. He fell forward onto his hands.

“So you were planning on using that were you? The Entercards to enter space and fight me. I can’t let you get that far that easily,” he sung.

“But then what’s the point? Why challenge us to reach you if you’re going to destroy our only chance?” Leos cried.

“To have my fun. Crushing you physically is much too easy. You’ve seen the power I possess, anyway. You know I could kill all of you with just a flicker of effort. So I must crush your spirit, as well,” Mirror said, smiling cheekily. “Remember: I can do anything I want to. I can get anything I want to. And what I want is to see you all struggle.”

Leos’ mouth wavered.

“At first, I wanted to see you kill yourself with your father’s dumb strategy. But you’re a little too smart for that, it seems. So I’ll crush you in spirit, and stop anything you come up with. You’ll be the hero that everyone’s counting on that let everybody down anyway!” he sung. “Remember what they said about the shadow that was covering the sky? Well that’s me, too. It’s the closing of the void. All the stars and planets and everything in this very solar system is being squashed together by that layer of darkness. And when it closes in enough, this whole world will go poof!”

“Have you no emotion whatsoever?” Leos said with a hard shudder. He tried his hardest not to glare at Mirror.

“Sure, I totally do. But it’s like I keep telling you. When you can do anything you want, and watch these worlds from start to finish, the true weight of these things begins to lose all meaning. It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s that I don’t care,” he replied, pointing a foot at Leos. “I want to see you struggle, saviour. I want to see you scream for mercy, to cry for mother and wet yourself like a little baby! Mummy, Marshadow’s bullying me! Waah!”

Leos let out a quiet cry of fury. He was on all fours, grinding his fangs together. “Go on! Cry for your parents! Struggle. Beg and plea that you can stop me. But you can’t. I’m going to keep letting you think that you can until I break you. And when I’m done with you, then I’ll bring everything to an end. All to show you all that no matter what you do, no matter how much you hope, dream, and fight, whether it’s for your duty as a living being or the love of your friends and family…”







Heroes don’t exist. You are all destined for meaningless death. And as the god of the stars that manages the worlds, this is the fate you have chosen.







“So, which is it?” Marshadow shrugged. Leos was knelt before him, still in the room surrounded by dark winds. “Are you going to fight me?”

Leos stood up to oppose him, but the moment he did, anxiety struck like a truck. Marshadow was only a little taller than he was, yet the dark appearance of the god made him shiver and try to avoid eye contact. Knowing what Marshadow could do was the main thing stopping him, but not knowing how the god would react to anything he did frightened him more. So he stared, making a variety of faces and never looking the enemy directly in the eye.

“No? Just going to stand there like a peasant? Disappointing for someone of noble blood. Must I rile you up, first?” Marshadow said, posing for battle. His feet spread and his hands curled into fists, one held forward while the other was drawn back.

Leos cursed under his breath. He tensed up and stretched his feet out, and nothing more.

“Go on. Bring out that Razor Shell we love so much. Come at me with your only hope, your Z-Move. I’m actually giving you the chance,” he said, smiling cockily. Leos still didn’t react. “Have I got to beat that into you, too?”

“No one can hear me here, can they?” Leos asked. Marshadow paused. “I’m starting to think, now. Why and how do you have the powers you have?”

“Because I’m a god. Does that really need an explanation?” he replied, shrugging again. Leos paused.

“In fact, there’s a lot of whys and how’s to this. Why didn’t you order Lin to kill Ariala? Or why didn’t you kill us when you had us where you wanted? Boredom can’t truly be the reason,” Leos asked.

“And if it is?” He smirked.

“If you’re going to destroy the whole world, why not answer me honestly? You lose nothing but a bit of breath,” Leos said. “No one knew what the god of the stars was. Of all the gods, yours is the one without any history written. Perhaps because there is no history, or… you’re not the god they wanted.”

“Okay now you’re just throwing words out. Get to the point before I grow bored.” Marshadow’s eyes narrowed.

Leos gulped. “It’s possible you’re not the god of the stars the Constellars look up to. And that for whatever reason, you can’t kill us. That you’re bluffing.”

“How much do you want to bet? Your life? Prem’s life? Your parents?” Marshadow said, snickering again.

Think Leos, THINK! There must be a reason Marshadow keeps stalling like this. There isn’t any way that any living thing could do this out of sheer boredom. It’s too uncharacteristic of any being, mortal or god,” he thought to himself, now staring intently at Marshadow. The ghost type glared back, keeping that cocky smile on his face. “No. It’s no good. I don’t have enough information yet to come to a conclusion. All I know is that he won’t kill me like he says he will.

“Still nothing? Perhaps you’re at breaking point already. I was sorta expecting a spasm or something,” Marshadow said. The palm he held forward formed a Shadow Ball. “Last chance, buddy. You got nobody to blame but yourself if you lose here.”

Leos still didn’t respond. “Mother got me thinking straight, so it’s time to study. There’s no way that a Pokémon can do the things Marshadow says he can. So the question isn’t believing it or not, it’s HOW he’s doing what he’s doing,” he thought. He started to squint. “During the battle against Father and Mother, he survived everything they threw at him, but he took damage and sped up as the battle went on. Only when it was over and Master Lin was in disbelief did Marshadow take his life. He could have done that at any time, yet he waited until the moment Lin’s mentality was broken. It’s almost like this is some kind of-”



The realisation hit him like a truck, and his heart skipped a beat. Never before had Leos felt so relieved, but it was enough for him to scream out loud, flinch straight upwards, and widen his eyes and mouth to the point that they hurt.



“That’s it!” he shouted. Marshadow raised an eyebrow. “It’s just a hunch, but I’ve figured you out. Yes, that’s the only way that you make any form of sense.”

“Is that your answer?” Marshadow replied with a cocky smirk again.

“Yes. That’s my answer,” he said, stretching out his arms and legs as if offering himself. “I gamble my life. You would gladly take it, yes?”

Marshadow’s face flattened, and he erased his Shadow Ball without throwing it. “Seriously? That’s all?”

“Is that all? Yes. You wanted us to fight, but I’m giving up. I know I can’t beat you, so,” he replied.

“But I want to enjoy this. It’s no fun if you aren’t trying to fight back, giving it your all. Don’t you believe that you still have a chance to win this?” Marshadow said. Leos didn’t answer, to which Marshadow’s glare began to intensify. “The hell are you playing at?”

“Nothing. I want you to end the suffering. Kill me, now,” Leos said.

“You think you’re a smart little hero, don’t you? No, I’m not going to do what you want to do here. I’m going to get what I want, and what I want is to see you suffer,” Marshadow said with growing aggravation. He stretched both arms out and formed globs of black energy around both palms. They dribbled to the floor like sludge, which then bubbled with a sickening sound. “You can suffer in silence. When everyone you know and love is totally gone, maybe then I’ll check back and see how you’re doing. But I want to see you scream and beg.”

Marshadow threw both of his attacks one after the other, and Leos dove to the side to avoid them. The two orbs burst against the invisible floor, disintegrating into nothing. Huffing in annoyance, Marshadow formed two more and threw them more carefully this time, to which Leos fell backward to avoid the second one.

“You’re afraid, aren’t you. You said all that to look tough, but at the sight of one attack, you’re limping about like a Chimchar,” Marshadow snickered, posing for battle again. Leos got to his feet and tensed up, keeping his eyes on the enemy. “It’s finally time to give you a whirl. Show me what you’ve got.”

And then a Shadow Punch was launched toward him, but Leos could only guard his body with both arms. Marshadow’s attack felt like it pierced right through him, winding him and blanking his mind for a moment. Thankfully the ghost type didn’t follow it up with anything, giving Leos the chance to stumble forward and jump away. He instinctively reached for his scalchop but hesitated.

I can’t let him take an attack he hasn’t taken before. If my hunch is right, he’ll steal my attack or learn to parry it in reality,” Leos told himself, concentrating. He was already breathing aloud, but decided to fight back with Water Pulse. Marshadow lazily smacked it away with an annoyed look.

“Seriously? Get your head into the game, child. I’m a god, you’re going to need a lot more power than that to even hurt me,” he said.

Perhaps there’s another way to get out of this nightmare. Think Leos, think!” he cried. Marshadow’s eyes narrowed, and he readied another Shadow Ball in each hand. “The way to bypass Marshadow’s power is through aura. But Prem isn’t here, so I can’t erect my aura right now.

The attacks were thrown at him, forcing Leos to dive to the side again. He fell to the floor, taking a long moment to catch his breath and look back up. Marshadow didn’t look sympathetic at all, but he was watching rather than attacking, as if letting Leos get up to fight back rather than taking advantage.

Wait, but any Pokémon can get aura. So maybe if I—” Leos told himself as he stood up. He took in a deep breath. “I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!”

“Oh, here we go. You get it now, right?” Marshadow said, smiling again.

Leos ignored him and crossed his arms, and then unfurled them in the motion for a Z-Move. When he stretched them forward, he launched into a different star sign however, making the Pisces sign as best as he could. Aura still surrounded him in a golden light that wavered like flames. “Grant my friend the power to make ease of this conflict!”

“Wait, what? What do you think you’re doing?” Marshadow said with a frown. To his surprise, the aura flew from Leos, taking off high into the sky and arching over into the distance. It landed so far away that it was a blur, but it settled around a Pokémon, like a tiny flame amongst the swirling darkness.

“It’s true. Any Pokémon can get aura. That means that they’re still here,” Leos said, a bright smile on his face. Fatigue swept over him and he fell onto one hand. “It’s only- a matter of time now.”

“They can’t use Z-Moves, though. They can’t stop me!” Marshadow shouted.

“They don’t- have to. Just- having the power should be enough- to get me out of your nightmare,” he said, unable to recover at all. “I know that I’m- in a nightmare right now. A nightmare made by you- so you can steal my powers.”

There was a pause, and then Marshadow smiled at him. “So you are smart. I’m looking forward to our little showdown, then.”

Leos looked up at him in surprise, but just then, it all started to make sense. The dark winds around him began to calm ever so slightly, while the flaming aura he had given to Prem began to approach, travelling across an invisible set of stairs and paths toward them. The closer it got, the slower the winds got, while the darkness began to fade into the warmth of sunlight. Soon enough, even the image of Marshadow began to fade out of reality.







“Leos, are you there?” Ariala said, knocking on the wall beside the room before entering. Prem rushed in before he could respond, and he turned around to face them both as they came in. “I knew you’d be awake still. It’s tough to sleep here, isn’t it?”

“We-were you trying out what Rosie said, too? Why did you put the aura around me?” Prem cried, shaking his hands. “Aww, I’m all full of energy now. I can’t stand still.”

Leos looked away and sat on his hay bed, only just realising that. “Yeah. It’s colder and rougher than I’m used to. Wait a minute.”

“They do have blankets and things spare. You only need to ask,” she said. He didn’t reply, so she sighed. “It’s good that you two are awake, though. Please allow me to apologise for what happened back there. And let me apologise on behalf of Rune as well.”

“This is- you’re going to give me Rune’s letters now, aren’t you?” Leos said, raising his voice. Ariala shifted back a bit, but revealed the envelopes in her hand. “That’s- I was right about the nightmare, but Marshadow projected the future?”

“Projected the future? What’re you talking about?” Prem asked.

Leos shook his head and scrambled for his bag, finding the Entercards in there, perfectly intact. “Never mind. Just gather everyone again. We don’t have time to lose!”
 
LAST EPISODE 1: Break The Nightmare

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg

LAST EPISODE 1: Break The Nightmare



“So basically, what I’m trying to say is that Marshadow isn’t nearly as strong or as intimidating as he is making himself out to be. The powers he’s been showing us are nothing greater than nightmares projected into reality, an illusion so real that we can feel it physically,” Leos said, pacing back and forth. All the Pokémon involved in the upcoming battle were around him, from the Erinian army to Ariala’s group and Leos’ friends. “Even though I’m the only one who can use Z-Moves, giving aura to a Pokémon is enough to break a connection to reality and bypass those illusions.”

“In other words, if we give each other aura, we can fight Marshadow and actually damage him.” Rune folded his arms. Leos nodded.

“You’re so cool Leos! Only you could’ve figured out something like that. I would’ve been so scared!” Prem said, waving his arms about.

“I’d like to play about with your theories a bit more, but we are pressed for time. Breaking the illusions and being able to fight Marshadow is one thing, but how do we get past the Pokémon that he controls?” Rune said. “Tapu Lele and Mirror on their own are difficult combatants. Having Zygarde and Marshadow himself to deal with only adds to that. If we knew how to free them, we could stand a chance.”

“Aura, still. We free them from the nightmare by attacking them with aura infused attacks. Yes I haven’t proved whether that works or not, but that’s a gamble I’m willing to take. Heavenly Execution should deal with Zygarde,” Leos said.

“There’s something that’s bugging me a bit, still,” Ariala said, and raised her hand. Everyone went quiet to let her speak. “If our recent confrontations with Marshadow were nightmares he projected onto us, then why keep us alive still, and why give us the solution to our problem? Why did he literally tell you that aura was the answer?”

Leos took a deep breath and hung his head. “Shadowboxing. Mimicry.”

“Mimicry?” Prem cocked his head.

“Marshadow learns from copying Pokémon. The way he battled you and Ariala, think of how observant and defensive he played. He chose only to retaliate when he was sure that we weren’t holding back,” Leos said. Quiet fell for a moment.

“You’re saying that like he wasn’t fighting back at all. But he was, you know? It wasn’t like the fall of Tapu Koko or anything,” Nier said with a shrug.

“Emphasis on the holding back part. Think carefully. He parried, dodged, or blocked our attacks, despite already having the potential to kill someone like Master Lin in one strike. Throughout the whole battle, he played with our mentality, like he was trying to train or something. He wanted to see our strongest attacks. The way he tried to pin Mother and Father down, and tried to urge me to use my Z-Move in my nightmare,” Leos said, scratching his chin. “I’m sure of it – Marshadow is a Pokémon that can mimic power perfectly. If he learnt how to defend against an attack in his nightmare, he would learn it in reality. So if he learnt how block aura infused attacks…”

“He would bypass his sole weakness and become invincible. So your strategy is to break his nightmare realm and then defeat him in a raw test of power,” Rune said.

“Precisely,” Leos nodded. “That black aura that’s taking over the sky, and the spectres rising from the dead – those are all his nightmares projected into reality. If we gather enough aura, they’ll disappear.”

“Okay so you figured stuff out that far. But then what do we do?” Rosie asked.

“Father’s plan,” Leos said. There was quiet again.

“You mean that ludicrous idea of gathering all the aura in the world?” she said, leaning back in surprise.

“How else would you breach a nightmare that can cover the whole of Etheria?” Leos replied. She staggered a bit, and sweat showed through her rag. “An army of ours will take him down while the two planets provide us with aura. As long as a steady amount is coming in, we should be able to bypass his nightmare and defeat him, freeing everything. So not everyone has to be sending aura.”

“I hope you know what you’re suggesting, my boy.” Rune stepped forward. He ruffled Leos’ hair, to which the Oshawott growled and shifted away. Rune snickered at him, turning his attention to everyone else. “I for one am on board with it all. I truly believe that the lot of us can defeat our biggest crisis if we all put our blades together. What you can’t do alone, you can do with friends by your side. Something Diantha taught me.”

“Rune,” Ariala said quietly.

“But this is a colossal undertaking that will require all of our effort. Etheria is currently broken in terms of society – many Pokémon still believe me to be missing, while the Faernians do not have the Tapu to answer their prayers anymore. The Pokémon will require a lot of convincing to rally and get their support,” he said, addressing everyone. “And of course, we still need to deal with getting to the Pokémon safely, as well as reaching Marshadow.”

“The Entercards. We can reach Marshadow and Faernia just fine,” Leos said, a slight frustration in his volume. He folded his arms and shut his eyes.

“You’ve really thought this through all the way, haven’t you? If this works, I’ll truly be impressed,” he replied, glancing at Leos. “We do not have much time. We’ll need to act as soon as possible. The powers of the royalty will no doubt play large in our favour. That means you, Father.”

“Why are you talking as if that isn’t a given? Of course I will speak out and rally the Erinians,” King Jyararanga said. “You’re not king, yet. Therefore, these are still my Pokémon. It would be remiss of me not to do everything in my power to gain their trust.”

“Thank you, Father,” Rune said with a nod.

“This is a lot of work, Leos. Forgive me if this sounds patronising, but this is going to make for a long day for us all. It’d be best if we were all to rest until morning, would it not?” Ariala said.

“No. Wait. I’ve just realised something, a better way we can do this,” Leos replied, raising a hand. “I said an army would go to fight Marshadow, but only me, you and Rune will go.”

Both parents turned to him with widened eyes. “Just us three?”

“Marshadow is still a god. Only the legendary weapons can damage him anyway,” he said. A wave of sighs went over the Pokémon. “Given Marshadow’s time limit as well… it would be best if rather than multitasking, we each took on roles of our own.”

“Wait, are you for real? We’ve been through all this, but you’re gonna hog all the glory of the final fight to yourself?” Griselle cried. “How am I supposed to protect ya if I’m just taking on one of your chores?”

“And we’re talking… letting you go on your own… to a dangerous fight like that,” Prem said. He slumped a bit. “We’ve always been together. Now we’re in more danger than ever, and you want us to separate?”

“Don’t be selfish now, you two. I appreciate the concern, but you won’t be able to hurt Marshadow. You being there in the battle will be detrimental to your own safety,” Leos said.

“… So you’re sayin’ we’re actually gonna be in the way?” Griselle moaned.

“If you really want to help me, you’ll do this. Lead soldiers through Eris and Faernia to the individual towns and locales, and rally the Pokémon to send aura,” he said. “If you all go your separate ways with this, we’ll gather all the Pokémon in shorter time. Meanwhile, me, Mother, and Father can immediately get the aura during the battle itself. You’d be saving us.”

“I agree, but we need a way of signalling to each other when to start praying,” Jyararanga said.

“You’ll know that for sure. Of that, I’m certain,” he said, laying a hand on his chest.

“And then you go and bet something like that on a hunch,” Blossom said with a sigh. “My lord, I hope you realise what you’re asking, here.”

Leos turned to let her speak. “You’re asking your friends to rally all the Pokémon of the world to pray in your name. Meanwhile, you fight a megalomaniacal god who has an army of dead Pokémon and fallen gods on their side, alongside just two other Pokémon, your parents. Do you truly believe all of this is going to work?”

Leos shut his eyes. Now, he really felt the pressure. He hadn’t thought about the whole idea in hindsight, and it made him feel stupid. But speaking of megalomaniacs, he was just as certain of his counter play working as Marshadow was believing he was all-powerful.

On top of that, he knew his parents and friends wouldn’t let him down. If what Ariala said about them was true, then that meant that they would have to go through with this with just as much conviction as he would. Settling his thoughts, he became stern and nodded.

“Definitely. If it doesn’t work, then all is lost,” he replied.

“Then I suggest you take up her highness’s proposition. We’ll each depart in the morning,” Blossom said, and folded her arms.

“Blossom?” Griselle cried.

“I know what you two are like, Griselle. Even if we convinced Leos that this was a bad idea, he’d go through with it anyway,” she said. Griselle silenced. “Exactly. And you know I’m right because I can read thoughts. So our best bet is to put our backs into it and save his life.”

“We will make preparations immediately. By the first sunrise, we set off,” Jyararanga said, standing tall. The soldiers saluted him.

“Um, gonna have to be more specific. There’s sorta a giant black aura covering the sunrise,” Nier said, smiling sheepishly.







Leos wasn’t afraid of the upcoming fight, but of the revelations he was going to learn during that fight. Everything he had proudly announced to the others in that meeting was unproven conjecture, and he knew it. He could only guess that Marshadow was utilising illusions, or why the god wanted them all alive. Whatever the truth was, it was sure to be something beyond his imagination, and Marshadow would have a bigger effect on the world than he was ready for.

The remainder of that night went about as well as he expected it would go. He was allowed back into his room for peace and quiet, and even though he got those two things, he felt like he barely slept a wink.

Well, he got peace and quiet enough to sleep, actually. He had requested that Prem sleep in the same room, and that meant that Rosie came with him. With only one bed in Leos’ room, the Mimikyu couldn’t stand the sight of them in the same bed together, so there was quiet bickering and snide comments all throughout the night. When he awoke, he found Prem and Rosie muttering to each other in the corner of the room, and the latter was troubled by something.

“Oh, Leos, morning!” Prem said with a cheerful wave. Leos blinked dozily.

“Please don’t try and run away from the subject. Awake or not, this isn’t the time to butter things up,” Rosie said, revealing one of her claws. “Do you really trust Leos and this whole plan?”

Prem looked away. “Of course I do. I’m upset because I wanted to be there all the time. Of all the times to not be there to protect Leos, it had to be now.”

“So that’s what this is about,” Leos said, approaching with a stretch. “Be concerned about yourselves. I actually fear you’ll be fighting a harder battle, going out into the world on your own like this.”

“Tha-that’s no problem! I might be shy, but if it’s for you, I’ll do anything. The spectres won’t stop me,” Prem cried.

“Oh dear, even more sappy dialogue,” Rosie said, shaking the head of her decoy.

“I meant convincing the Pokémon, actually. They won’t listen to you right away, considering what’s happened,” Leos said, shaking his head.

“Listen, you. You’re a mad Pokémon, and you’re walking right to your suicide,” Rosie raised her voice. “I’ve been with Master Lin since the beginning. I know how powerful he is, and the way he spoke of Lord Marshadow. The god of the stars being capable of finishing him in one shot like that is nothing any of us can stand up to!”

“You know, that’s why you’re still able to walk free amongst us,” he replied.

“Come again?” she gasped.

“You’re Master Lin’s right hand. I also presume you’re the next in line for the Constellars to look up to. You can convince those Pokémon to lend their aura. Only you can do that,” he said. “If that wasn’t the case, I’m sure Rune would’ve had you arrested at the earliest chance.”

“Oh stuff it. You’ve only not done that because you don’t have any bars to put me behind!” she shouted. “And now you’re being nice because you need my status. But hear this: if my precious Prem’s not involved, then I don’t care!”

Leos paused for a moment, and loudly breathed in through his nose. “You’ve followed Master Lin almost all your life, right? That means that you too, believe in the god of the stars and the salvation they promise. So tell me: is Marshadow and his actions really what you were looking for?”

Rosie made a sound but staggered back a bit.

“I don’t go by speculation and hearsay. Well, most of the time. I study and discover the truth for myself through what is happening in reality to me. And the truth I’ve seen is that you Constellars work towards salvation all the same as those who follow the Tapu,” he said. “Be as honest, now. Is Marshadow really the salvation you wanted? The kind that you’ve been working towards?”

Rosie kept making sounds of nervousness, and eventually hung the head of her decoy. “No. It’s not. I don’t know what Marshadow is, where he came from, or why he’s doing what he’s doing. In fact, I’m scared of what he’s going to do.”

“Then you’ve got to help us. You’re not standing on our side, you’re just helping us as we share a common goal. That’s all I ask,” Leos said, laying a hand on his chest.

Rosie looked up in surprise, then at the floor for a moment, and growled. She eventually looked him in the eyes and putt away her claw. “You just need me to get the Stardust Treasury to pray for you, right? To call out in your name and stuff. I can do that, but that’s all I can do.”

“You can come with us afterwards!” Prem said cheerfully. Rosie flinched. “Me and Leos have actually been trying to help the Pokémon of Stardust. So after we’re all done with this, you can help us out to help your Pokémon. After all, you’re like, their leader now, right?”

“That’s… right. I am. The head of the Stardust Treasury. All the Pokémon have to look to, since Master Lin isn’t around anymore,” she said, hanging her head yet again. Leos let out his breath.

“Prem, can I ask you a really big favour?” Leos said.

“Sure? What is it?” he said.

“… I’ve never actually seen you without your hoodie. Do you mind if you take it off? Just this once?” Leos asked.

“Huh? I mean I don’t mind, but how come, Leos?” Prem replied. Even Rosie was confused.

“It’s something I’d like to see just once. It’s fine, right?” he said. His eyes were darting all over the place, but Prem seemed to accept his nervousness and nodded.

“Sure. To be completely honest, I only wear it now because it helps me keep my head fur in check. It used to be because of Constellar magic that helped me fly, but I can barely float off the ground, so I barely use it,” Prem said. He loosened the mega stone themed button that kept the hoodie wrapped around his head and then slowly pulled it off with both hands.

The aforementioned head fur exploded out the moment the hoodie left his head. There was so much excess fur that it was a wonder how it all fitted below the hood, and almost all of it went down to the Pikachu’s legs in length. Despite being tucked under a hood for months, it was all smooth and straight as well, not as messy and picky as fur should have been. Two thick, well tied strands curled around Prem’s head and went just below his shoulders, one of which he had to brush out of his face.

“I… I hope this isn’t too surprising,” he said, blushing a bit. “I really don’t like it being in the way, so I’ll keep it under the hoodie, if that’s okay?”

“Y-you, how much- how did- how could—” Rosie said, her eyes widening beyond their sockets. Leos was just as speechless, though he smiled at Prem’s remark. “I-is it just me, or is it like, super hot in here all of a sudden?”

“Hmm? I don’t notice anyth—” Prem said.

“It is! We need to like, open the windows or something. Come on you lot, it’s morning anyway!” she cried and rushed out of the room. Leos and Prem watched her and then exchanged shrugs.

“Sorry, I really should’ve shown you this sooner. I th-think her obsession with me is because of the head fur, actually. She’s the only other Pokémon who’s seen it, after all,” Prem said, rubbing his face. “I think she really likes me because of it.”

“I totally get her,” Leos mouthed, staring.

“Pardon?”

“I-I mean yeah, that’s probably it. It’s pretty shocking, after all. But she’s grown a bit, don’t you think? She’s right about us getting a move on. I’m pretty sure I overslept. Thanks for showing me, still,” he said, shaking himself. He couldn’t help but wipe his forehead of a bit of sweat, but thankfully, Prem looked oblivious to it all. The Pikachu nodded cheerfully and then led the way out, but not before stuffing that miracle of a hairdo behind his head, where it vanished into his hoodie again.







The morning was dark and unsettling after that. A large breakfast awaited the royals, and then right afterwards they addressed a large army of soldiers near to the castle’s front entrance. Groups of soldiers were assigned to units that would be directed by each of Leos, Rune, and Ariala’s friends, who were then to protect each other as they made their way to set locations. King Jyararanga had planned out routes for them each to take to get to the towns, rescue any Pokémon they came across, and then to stay in those towns until it was time to pray to Leos.

As for Leos, Rune, and Ariala, the trio were fiddling about with the Entercards almost the whole way through the meeting. Marshadow’s lair was located in the same place as Fairy Hill, but that was all they knew about it. And so, they set their course for a little bit just before Fairy Hill, that way they could get there, hide, and then remake a course for whatever Marshadow had actually set up.

All the time during the morning, the sun never shined. Complete silence seemed to drown the noise of nature. Feral Pokémon were in hiding. The air was a stagnant cold. Everything that the Pokémon needed to tell that the world was ending was right there, right before their eyes.

“We better get a move on,” Leos said after seeing it all. He looked to Rune and Ariala, who seemed to be watching him. “Aren’t you going to give the order?”

“What do you mean? This is your order, Leos,” Rune said with a smile.

“This is your first act at the agreement of the royal families. It is up to you to lead,” Ariala said, smiling as well. Leos nodded at them both.

“Very well then. It’s time to stu- I mean fight. It’s time to fight! Everyone, do your best!” he said, and held his scalchop high. The soldiers all cheered with his movement, raising their own weapons, claws, and all else. Amongst the activity, Leos locked eyes with a troubled Prem. He reassured the Pikachu with a light smile and a wink, which looked like it calmed him down a bit.

And then he slammed his scalchop down to input the last Entercard into the formation they had. The cards reacted and a portal exploded on the floor with a heavy wind that forced everyone to cover their faces. Leos and his parents slowly walked into the portal and were soon whisked away to its destination, leaving behind nothing but a spiral of dirt where the portal was.

“You guys, please stay safe,” Prem muttered as he prayed.

“Right, they’re off. Let’s get going, too,” Vincent said. His wife nodded, and they both shook hands quickly. “Stay safe, Nier.”

“Feelin’s mutual, hun,” she replied. She took off into the air with Psychic, letting her soldiers jog after her.

One by one, the units left the castle with heartfelt goodbyes and wishes of fortune to their friends and loved ones. Prem watched them all until he and King Jyararanga were all that was left. He barely moved, stood at the castle gates with a distant lust in his eyes. A formula of Entercards sat before him, ready to send him to the Tower of the Tapu.

“Your target is the big one, Queen Magearna. Don’t get cold feet now,” Jyararanga said, tapping him with a nail. The Pikachu didn’t react.

“I just… really hope this works,” he said, still staring.







The moment Leos came out of the Magnagate, he and his parents retrieved the Entercards and hid behind the nearest hill they could find. There was no need however, as they quickly discovered where they had emerged: near the peak of Fairy Hill, where the fateful battle to rescue Diantha had taken place.

But it was the most affected area when it came to Marshadow’s influence, and in the most fear-inducing way than anywhere else they had seen. The sky had no texture or sense of depth at all, completely made up of black colour and nothing else. The stars, the moons, and all other distant wonders that should have lit up the dark sky were no longer visible, like a static sea of black had consumed everything.

It was so quiet that Leos could hear his own heartbeat, or if he wasn’t mistaken, the blood pumping through his veins. His breath came out in puffs of white smoke that vanished into the stagnant air around him, and just that experience alone had him shivering. He wasn’t cold, but some uncertain feelings about this whole place had him shaking beyond his control.

Maybe it was the hundreds of weapons jutting from the ground. He knew they marked the graves of those who fought in Etheria’s last war, but he still felt the lost emotions they carried, or something like that. He gazed around at all this before focusing on the dark castle now sat in the middle of the battleground.

The castle itself was up in the sky, and a tall, wide, spiral staircase of magical steps with no barricades climbed right to the castle’s entrance. Those steps and the castle itself were all just as black as the sky, but stood out thanks to a weak, light glow of light surrounding them all. It was like the burning glow of light that surrounds the moon during a solar eclipse – only it was all the castle had to not camouflage with the rest of the dead sky. Leos and his parents didn’t say anything once they spotted the castle. They just nodded to one another and led the way, being careful up the steps.

“This castle is,” Rune muttered soon after they entered. The inside was empty but bore the same look as outside. Everything was dark and texture-less, but where there would be walls, stairs, or decorations, that burning glow resembling a solar eclipse was present. “Why does it have exactly the same layout as Castle Eris?”

“It does? You can tell that at just the entrance?” Leos asked.

“Of course I can. I only lived here for my whole childhood. It’s almost like he wants to mock me, modelling after something that obviously means a lot to me,” he said, leading the way.

“Don’t feel that way, Rune. Focus, and don’t let him get to you,” Ariala said.

“Of course. What Marshadow doesn’t realise is that this makes it easy for me to go straight to him,” Rune said.

And that was proven by the Dewott’s confident navigation of the place. The trio stayed wary in case a spectre popped up to ambush them or something, but nothing of the kind confronted them during their advance.

The layout of the castle was familiar, and after a few stairs and hallways, Leos could see that. But he still felt that shivering omen that he had outside. No matter where he looked, deep darkness and sheer silence surrounded him on all sides, illuminated only by that burning glow. Without the standard decorations a castle should have had, or even the basic materials necessary to make up the walls and floor, it was almost like he was stepping right into a torturous nightmare.

The darkness and silence swallowed him. His steps made no noise and the usual presence of Pokémon working throughout the place was absent. With only his body making any sound and his breath vanishing into the atmosphere, he was beginning to learn what true loneliness was. Sure, his parents were right there leading the way the whole time, but he was pretty certain that they were beginning to fade and disappear into this illusive void.

“Up here is the throne room,” Rune said. Leos gasped at the words, relieved that they came. “You know why he put his throne room at the top of a long staircase?”

“There’s a purpose for that besides elaboration?” Ariala said.

“Yeah. He did it so he could kick attackers down the stairs when he beat them. It sounds kind of stupid in hindsight, but I’ve seen him do it enough times to credit him for it,” Rune said, glancing at his two allies. “What I’m saying is if he’s up there, watch your back. Falling down the stairs always ends the fight.”

“That’s quite a way to pep talk, Rune,” Ariala sighed and shook her head. He snickered at her and the duo continued on their way up, leaving Leos behind a little bit.

He couldn’t help but stop and stare at them casually walking like this. Here they were, the end of the world occurring right before them, and his Father was still able to snicker at a distasteful bit of humour. Mother didn’t bluntly tell him off for it, either. They didn’t shiver and their hearts weren’t beating fast, if he was listening to them correctly.

He took in a deep breath and swallowed to calm himself as much as he could. Yes, their actions just now felt distasteful, but on the other hand, they were acting like parents for the first time in his life. He was frightened and had a big battle ahead of him, so they were being strong for him. When he reopened his eyes, he spotted them stopped to look back at him, Ariala with one hand on her sword while Rune cocked a confident smile.

He didn’t say anything as he took the lead. He thanked them in his mind, though. Knowing he had such strong, mature Pokémon backing him up, he soon found himself stood before a grand doorway at the top of the stairs and pushed his way in with his heart full of confidence.

“So you are here. Marshadow,” Leos said, locking eyes with the ghostly god. Marshadow was at the very end of the room, sat in a black throne illuminated by the same fiery light as all the other walls and splits. The Pokémon that Marshadow controlled lined the sides of the room like royal guards, only a familiar face that wasn’t expected was stood beside Marshadow.

Charle, the now dark-furred Meowth. His fur had gone a dark grey while his eyes seemed to be permanently cross and half lidded. He stood beside Marshadow with his royal sword held stiff in both paws, pointed at the floor as if to help him balance. Master Lin, Diantha, Tapu Lele, and Mirror all lined the other positions in the room, while Zygarde’s massive figure stood behind the throne.

“So nice of you to come. You accepted my invitation in the end,” Marshadow replied, laughing a bit. He sat forward and rested his chin on a fist. “Normally when I send out the invites, no one comes. They just wait ‘till I start destroying their world.”

“Normally?” Rune said.

“I of course speak of the many worlds and timelines I’ve grown bored of and erased. But for the first time in however long, you Pokémon have approached me. And there’s only one reason Pokémon would approach me when they’re in this position,” he said. He stood up and stretched his arms out, while a huge smile stretched across on his face. “You obviously believe that you can stop me somehow. I’m interested to see how you try. It should make for good entertainment.”

Leos and his parents didn’t reply, but their weapons were readied.

“But what’s this? You’ve got no snipers or rollcall orbs or Pokémon waiting in ambush… it’s literally just the three of you? Is this some kind of joke?” he said.

“No. It isn’t,” Ariala said. Marshadow’s smile slowly turned into a frown. “Whoever you really are, your delusions of power end today and now. We will put you in your place.”

“And then what? Kill me, then destroy the world with another war? You mortals always do it anyway when you think us gods have our backs turned,” he said, closing his hands into fists. “And then you cry to us through your rituals and prayers to fix your mistakes. Enough with that lunacy. I’m going to keep wiping and creating worlds as I see fit until a truly perfect mortal is born.”

“I’m not even going to argue with that callousness. Without evil, we won’t know good, and none of us will fight for the perfection you’re striving for,” Rune said.

“Says the Pokémon who threw away his morals and dedicated his life to revenge. You didn’t feel any remorse when you mercilessly beat an elderly Pokémon to death, did you? You callous, twisted little prince,” Marshadow said. Rune’s face became intense. “Your solution to this is just as pathetic. But challenging me is an easy excuse to give you the death sentence you deserve. You need only ask your sister, after all.”

Rune made a sound and began to sweat. He snuck a glance at Diantha, who smiled innocently at him.

“But neither of you matter in this instance. Didn’t the two of you spend your lives giving birth to the child who would be your little hero?” Marshadow said, signalling for Leos to step forward. Leos didn’t didn’t move. “You’re the only one who matters here. You’re the peace treaty between Faernia and Eris. The Pokémon whose actions will dictate the fate of your two planets. You’ve come all this way, obviously confident and certain that you can stop me, and that that upcoming reign of yours won’t upset any gods. So show me. Show me what you’re capable of achieving. Show me just how much you want to fix your world.”

Wait, is this it? Is Marshadow directly challenging me?” Leos gasped in his mind, opening his mouth. He quickly focused and tightened his grip on his scalchop. “No. Not yet. We need to break his nightmare first. If I try and summon my aura now, he’ll just learn to counter it and stop me. I need to wait for the one moment his guard is down.

Leering at his enemy with unyielding focus and conviction, Leos swiped his scalchop aside to form his double-sided Razor Shell. Rune and Ariala held their weapons at the ready as well, each weapon illuminating the darkness. “I have to make sure my fatigue doesn’t stop me. I just have to last until the one moment he’ll let up!

Roaring with increasing enthusiasm, Leos charged toward Marshadow with his Razor Shell held far above his head as he ran. Marshadow snickered at him in his approach and made the gesture of snapping his fingers.

In a flash, Charle raised his sword and challenged Leos, charging forward as well. He was met halfway by Rune’s Aqua Jet attack, stopping him from targeting Leos. The duo broke right into close combat with their swords, smashing their blades against the other with death-potential strikes.

Tapu Lele was next, rising high into the air with a Moonblast at the ready. Leos eyed her anxiously as he considered how to deal with the attack, but was made not to worry as Ariala popped up in between them both. She deflected the Moonblast with a hasty Light Screen attack, and then engaged Tapu Lele with her own flurry of special attacks. The two fairies dodged Moonblasts and retaliated with Psychics, each blast taking them to the right side of the room.

No one else seemed to make a move, so Leos was soon within range to strike Marshadow with all his strength. With his heart heavy and fangs bared, he leapt into the air flipped forward, using the momentum from the flips to Strike Marshadow so hard the recoil winded him. It felt like the very air was torn asunder by the force of his attack, yet he landed stiffly, the blade of his Razor Shell blocked by a single arm. Leos and Marshadow got to exchange a glance in the moment, to which Marshadow snickered at him.

“No!” Leos hissed, kicking off of his foe. He distanced himself, but the moment his feet touched the ground, he sprung forward and began to attack with the variety and skill he had. He spun his Razor Shell with full body movements, making for a combo of slashes that would have any other Pokémon staggering backward in their defence.

But Marshadow didn’t budge from the spot, and lazily flicked his arms to parry every single hit. At one point he even faked a yawn, using his other palm to fire a Shadow Ball at Leos from point blank. The shadowy blob floored the Oshawott, but was weak enough to not deal any visible damage.

“Hey. Get to the point already,” Marshadow said, tucking one arm behind his back. Leos ignored him and attempted to tear into him with more Razor Shell attacks. Once again, Marshadow made little effort to defend himself. “I said get to the point already. You already know that normal attacks can’t touch me.”

Leos still didn’t respond with anything other than plain attacks. Losing his patience, Marshadow growled and knocked him back with a strong Shadow Ball, this one making him cry out in pain.

“Don’t waste my time. Get to the exciting part already. If you don’t, I’ll make this next attack kill you,” Marshadow said, pointing a palm at Leos. The Oshawott got to his feet and raised his voice again, to which Marshadow stomped his feet and surrounded himself in energy. Leos stopped, wary of what was coming. “I mean it, boy. If you have any real method of defeating me, do it right now, right this very moment. If you fail to impress me, I will kill you.”

The tone made Leos reconsider his options, but he didn’t hesitate for long. He glared at his enemy and kept his focus steady, deciding to sheath his Razor Shell and charge a Water Pulse instead. He held onto it for a length of time, charging the orb of water until it was bigger than his body before firing. Just that one attack took the wind out of him, firing off with so much force that it pushed him to his backside.

But Marshadow still blocked it, crossing both arms to take the attack. He growled at his combatants, making a signal with both hands. Just like that, Charle and Tapu Lele stopped fighting their opponents and returned to Marshadow’s side, revealing Rune and Ariala’s untouched states.

“Seriously? Do you understand what you’re up against here? That can’t have been your strongest effort,” he said, grinding his fists.

“That was,” Leos said between breaths, starting to sweat uncomfortably. He managed to stand but nearly fell right forward, unable to close his mouth. “Yeah, I put my all into that.”

“Leos!” Rune shouted.

“Seriously? You thought you could just take me down with- there’s no way, you’ve got to be pulling some kind of stunt here,” Marshadow said, stepping forward. Rune and Ariala stood guard over their son. “I have the power to destroy the whole world at the flick of a switch. I’ve proved it. I gave you a chance, and the best you could do is to go all cliché superhero on me? What, did you think that if your ‘heart’ was in it or some rubbish that you’d miraculously be able to hit me? ‘Cos if I was having fun with that then maybe I’d play along, but really I’m just severely disappointed.”

“All in due time you freak,” Rune said, tightening his pose.

“How? You don’t have any ways to contact other Pokémon. Your powers haven’t grown at all since our last battle. You haven’t even acquired any new weapons or tools. You have no way of harming me. Does the fate of Etheria really depend on such foolish Pokémon?” Marshadow said. “Forget it. For your insolence in wasting my time, I’m just going to wipe you and this miserable little world out of existence!”

Leos and his party edged away and grit their teeth. He started laughing maniacally at them, edging closer to push them back. “But perhaps I’ll have my own little bit of fun in the process. I’ve seen you get tortured once before. I think maybe I’ll take that to the next level and have you torn limb from limb… literally. Tapu Lele!”

Before they could object, the royals were struck by a heavy force which took them off their feet, rendering them helpless in the air. The pink, wavy patterns of Tapu Lele’s Psychic Terrain quickly took over the whole area, stunning the three Pokémon. They could barely utter a cry of pain as their bodies were constricted in place against their will, stretched and strained as far they could go.

“Now then. Zygarde. Perhaps the thing you most fear would do the honours of plucking you to bits. Start with the arms,” Marshadow said.

“N-no, how could—” Leos growled, barely managing a wiggle.

Zygarde just about fit into the room, but with the Psychic Terrain around, it looked like there was more than enough space for the scaly giant. As it approached, Leos lost his cool more and more, fearing that it would crush him and his parents rather than tearing parts of their body off. Either one sounded agonising.

He wiggled as much as he could, fighting through the intense burn that straining of his body caused. For a moment it felt like if he tried to move any harder than he was, his arms and legs might drop off; his imagination of that being so painful that he would lose all feeling and pass out.

That was what he felt until a sense of familiarity took over him. He was warm, his eyesight was brightening, and Zygarde was beginning to hesitate despite being within range to crush him. He had been crying out in desperation but slowed to pay attention to what was happening.

It was becoming easier to move, so much so that he could bend his head. How? Tapu Lele was still upholding her Psychic Terrain, but her eyes were clenched shut and her stature looked irritated by the sight of Leos. The warmth, his brightening view, the aversion of Marshadow’s subjects – Leos took one look at himself and his heart skipped a beat. He had aura, and it was gradually getting stronger and stronger, pushing away the darkness that made him afraid of this place.

But why now and not before? Was it because of—” he said in his mind, gasping.



“The Psychic Terrain prevents any strange powers that would grant you priority movement. And then, her Psychic is unstoppable. In this weird space of hers, nobody can hear or reach you. It’s just us.” Master Lin said.



It’s a new reality right in the middle of Marshadow’s realm, and all his subjects are here. As long as we’re in Psychic Terrain, we’re playing by Tapu Lele’s rules, not Marshadow’s. He finally let his guard down. This is the ONLY chance I’ve got for everyone to reach me!” he told himself. Leos shook himself with all his might, and his weak aura erupted around him, breaking him free of the Psychic hold.

“What? How did you—” Marshadow gasped and stumbled forward.

“I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing. Provide me with the power to end this conflict!” Leos said, pointing his scalchop toward the sky. His aura spiked again, and erupted in a thin stream of energy that fired toward the heavens.



 
Last edited:
LAST EPISODE 2: Battle for Order

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
banner_rune_adult_by_sg_mijumaru_dcagu1s-fullview.jpg

LAST EPISODE 2: Battle for Order



Over at the Tower of the Tapu, Prem, Queen Magearna, her attendant Azu, and countless other soldiers and Pokémon were gathered at the front of Castle Faernia. All of them besides Prem were staring at the sky, and caught sight of the golden glow that Leos had fired upwards. Amongst the cold darkness, a star had beamed toward the heavens, illuminating the sky the slightest bit.

“There it is. It is just as he told us. The hero of Etheria has made his call for our help,” Azu said.

Prem stopped praying for a moment to gasp, and smiled at it. “That’s it. He’s counting on us, everyone! Just pray, pray and believe that Leos can pull through and free us from this darkness!”

The Pokémon cheered at the top of their voices and raised their arms in unison. The crowd that had gathered filled every last square metre of the streets, so the noise of their cheer shook the planet. With their cheer came beams of golden, fiery glitter from their arms, all of which shot up into the sky towards the star Leos had shown.

Over at the Stardust Treasury, Rosie had managed to gather just as impressive a crowd of Pokémon around the church of the Constellars. What was once an eerie old building had become a venue of hope and cheer overflowing with the many Pokémon that lived in the city.

“Now it’s my moment. Brace yourself, Marshadow, for the sting of my revenge! You’ll pay for what you did to Master Lin!” the Mimikyu said, raising both claws with great enthusiasm. Aura released from her and her Pokémon as well, creating another gold beam of light that tore into the darkness.

Even the small town of Marble Rock had gathered its Pokémon enough to fill the space. Mostly centred around Kelsith’s mansion, the Sylveon stood on its roof to address them all, holding her feelers together in prayer.

“This will be our last opportunity for salvation. We refuse to fall!” she announced, raising her head with those feelers. Golden light burst from her and her Pokémon, joining the other beams in the sky.

Down in the Second Country, Nier had every Pokémon she could come out of their tents and homes. Even from here, they had full view of the aura that was being gathered. Smiles washed over the Pokémon’s faces, and they gathered together in prayer. Nier snickered before joining them, and raised her rapier to the sky.

“I knew you could do it. Let’s go little guy!” she shouted on top of the Pokémon’s cries. “Now, open up wide Marshadow, ‘cos this one’s for you!”

And finally, at the peak of the mountains of Castle Eris, King Jyararanga had a brilliant view of the enormous amount of aura illuminating the world. Awestruck by the hopeful glow, he raised his arms, and the Pokémon gathered around him did the same.

“Over two decades in the making. Hold on, young hero. The moment of peace is upon us!” he announced.

One by one, the cities, towns, and villages all over Eris and Faernia lit up the world with their release of aura. Not every Pokémon was helping out, but with every one that was, there was more than enough aura to fill the sky completely. The beams arched as they sped toward Leos, erasing Marshadow’s dark aura like a storm of flames tearing through paper. Within seconds, the darkness was no more, replaced by a sunny glow with streams of glittering gold particles.

The spectres disappeared with it, too. The soldiers that had each travelled with Leos’ friends had been helping to protect them during their travel to the towns and cities, and had been fighting the whole time. Many were faltering, but were shocked and equally relieved to have the miracle occur right before their eyes. Soon after the golden light filled the sky, the spectres fizzled away into nothing and abandoned the soldiers in the middle of their fight. Cheers of triumph rang out amongst the soldiers, and they soon joined the prayers of the others.







Back with Leos, all eyes were on him, staring with angst. He had raised his scalchop with the incantation, but from their spot in the middle of the Psychic Terrain, they couldn’t see or hear anything else. And with Leos’ aura fading fast, as well as his strength, it was almost as if their call went unanswered.

Yet even Marshadow stared with a glare of concern. He hadn’t given an order for upwards of a few minutes, prepared to retreat if some kind of new attack showed. But when nothing did and Leos fell forwards from lack of breath, he snickered and assumed a pose for battle. Rune and Ariala stopped him from falling face flat.

“Well now, you had me worried there. I have to congratulate you for that. You actually had me afraid of what was about to happen. Using Tapu Lele’s terrain as an out to summon some aura – I have to hand it to you! You’re not as brain-dead as you made yourselves out to be,” he said with a laugh. He swiped an arm aside, and Tapu Lele released her terrain, returning them to his void of darkness. “But a chance to survive is nothing more than that. A chance. You took your chance, and failed.”

Leos and Rune uttered a response and grit their fangs at him.

“I’m not going to give you another chance. I doubt I’m going to get one, anyway. My dear heroes, I feel I’ve received all the entertainment I can from you,” he said, holding one hand up. A Shadow Ball began to grow within it, taking seconds to grow bigger than Leos and his family put together. It crackled with instability, surrounded by white bolts. “Farewell intrepid heroes. I’ll be sure to remember your little surprise. After all, it’s the most excitement I’ve had in generations.”

Thunder boomed in the distance, making him go quiet. Marshadow snuck a glance up at the ceiling, but didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. Leos thought it weird until Marshadow ignored it, regaining his cocky smile. But a few seconds later, the thunder rumbled again, and this time it shook the ground below them. Marshadow glanced upward again, and then let out a petty squeak.

Leos immediately looked up and gasped, too. A pillar of golden light spiralled toward them, the light so glittery and flashy that the short moment he got to look at it was blinding. He barely had a second to shield his face or look away as the light came crashing down and engulfed the whole scene in gold, white, fiery particles and beams of fire. Leos, Rune, and Ariala all took in a sharp breath and shielded their faces from it, even though after a few seconds they realised that they were unharmed by it.

Marshadow on the other hand wound up screeching at a volume so high pitched that it hurt to hear. The light swallowed him and his dark Pokémon completely, tearing away their dark colours with ease. It looked like Marshadow’s skin, his aura, and everything that made up his body was being burnt to nothing. Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Marshadow’s other controlled Pokémon simply had their dark colourations burnt off before they fell unconscious.

The light didn’t seem to stop, either. It kept going, striking Marshadow without mercy. What felt like minutes later, the dark god finally began to retaliate against it. His screeches became deeper, darker, and more aggravated than he had ever sounded. Soon enough his voice was so deep and distorted that it frightened Leos enough to not want to know what became of him. But that voice was no longer crying in pain. It growled, roared, and shouted in effort.

A blast of black flames burst from around Marshadow, countering against the beam of light. The light had done its work on him however, leaving him with a look that was so ravaged it was hard not to feel sorry for him. The armoured helmet shape that normally surrounded his head had been reduced to a large, violently flowing wisp of green and yellow flames, where only his livid, pupil-less eyes showed through. The rest of his body struggled to remain intact, becoming melted, patchy, disconnected, and bleeding a black substance all over.

“You… you. What is this? What have you done?” Marshadow shouted. His breathing was hoarse and maddened, and he grew even angrier as he examined his state. He clenched his fists and strengthened his aura even more. “How dare you!”

“He’s completely broken,” Leos whispered, readying a Razor Shell. Seeing that he was okay to stand, Rune and Ariala stood up and readied their legendary weapons, which were now glowing gold with the aura they had received.

“This is it you three. Leos’ plan has surely worked, and Marshadow’s nightmare is broken. Now he stands in our world, vulnerable to our weapons,” Rune said, his glare intense. “This ends today!”

“Do not let your guard down, though. This isn’t over until it’s over,” Ariala said.

Leos didn’t need to say anything else. His eyes remained locked with Marshadow’s until the god made a move, dashing forward at wicked speed. Rune reacted first, standing guard over Leos to protect him from that opening strike. The Sword of Earthly Elements clashed with Marshadow’s fists, and the force behind that strike was so strong that a painful gush of fire and embers burst from them, scalding the observing Pokémon.

To everyone’s surprise, Marshadow was the one to back off from recoil, and grunted in pain while shaking his fists. Rune didn’t let him go with just that though, taking a great step forward to swing his whole body with his sword, both hands on its grip for full effort. He struck Marshadow clean across the front, earning yet another agonising roar. Black blood sprayed out from the cut, which continued until the god was on one knee.

“He’s completely powerless!” Ariala gasped.

“This is not an opponent to have mercy on,” Rune replied.

Before he could attack again, Marshadow darted forward and split into several copies in the blink of an eye. With each copy throwing Shadow Punches at blinding speed from all over, it didn’t take long for Rune to falter, knocked to the ground metres away.

Ariala didn’t waste time calling out, she just got involved to protect him from further harm. She cast a Reflect barrier in front of her and then began to charge Moonblast behind it, but Marshadow didn’t seem concerned about her strategy. He pummelled away at her Reflect with Shadow Punch, and the sound that each punch made wasn’t anything like anyone had ever heard. The sheer volume had Ariala lose concentration a bit, and the crack on her shield that appeared a second later had her rethink.

“Mother!” Leos cried. He couldn’t watch as she fell victim to the continuous beating of the Shadow Punches. She stayed on her feet and tried to take the attacks, but was soon sent rolling back across the room at an unrealistic velocity. A scream barely escaped her lungs, which drowned out as she vanished behind him. Fearing the worst, Leos turned back to Marshadow and crossed his arms over his front.

But Marshadow halted this time. It looked as though he was beginning to smile at Leos, though it could only be seen from the shape of his eyes through the flaming remains of his head. Confused, Leos slowly unfurled his arms, ready to cross them again and brace for the worst pain.

“Don’t you get it already? You cannot win,” Marshadow said, his voice coming out surprisingly calm. “That’s not how I want this to end. That’s not how I decided this should go. That’s not what I want to happen.”

“I won’t listen to you!” Leos cried. “Things won’t end the way you want them to.”

“And you’re the one that’s allowed to say otherwise? You can’t even comprehend what I’m talking about,” Marshadow said, glaring at the three royals. The three of them looked beaten up, yet they stared up at him with determination in their eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t. The whole purpose of this is to stop you and move on with life,” Leos said. “The attack that hit you was the collected aura from every Pokémon in Etheria. All those Pokémon who pray that they can see peace again, who throw aside everything in hopes that the hero of Etheria will save them from the darkness you cast.”

“But peace is a collective effort. Unless everyone wants it and works toward it, true peace will never happen. The miracle we achieved just now was nothing more than evidence that it’s what we all want,” Rune said, stepping forward. He tightened his grip on his sword. “That so many Pokémon could pray in the name of a single Pokémon that they have only heard of, all knowing that in this darkness it could lead to salvation from your twisted accusations… that alone speaks volumes of our growth.”

“Faith alone won’t bring about peace and salvation. But in the moment of terror you’ve created, Pokémon have seen and feared the end like nothing they’ve ever experienced before. This experience has shown them what it means to make the most of their lives. They’ve gone through the hardship you’ve given them, and by overcoming it, can work towards the peace they really desire,” Ariala said, posing with her weapon as well. “If defeating you means we have a chance to change our world for the better, then I would go through eternal suffering for that chance, no matter how much pain I must endure!”

“You fools, you fools, you fools! Spouting nonsense after nonsense after nonsense. Do I look dead to you, like I’m dying? Like you’re winning this fight? The only way this ends is with the death of you,” Marshadow said. Parts of his face drooled off of him with his movements, like his body really was melting. “I’ll kill you. I’ll kill everyone, just like you’ve seen that I can. I’ll crush your heroic delusions of hope and salvation!”

Once again, Rune and Marshadow clashed in the centre of the room, smashing blade against fist as they attempted to crush one another. Ariala didn’t stand on the outside this time however, she held a Moonblast at the ready and threw it at Marshadow every time she saw she had a chance to hit him.

Already wounded by the aura attack, Rune’s prior slash, and then Ariala’s well aimed fairy attacks, the battle very quickly shifted into their favour. Marshadow’s melting body seemed to slow him down, so he stopped trying to dodge or block the attacks and took them instead, forcing himself to strike through them so that he could wound his opponents.

At one point, Rune had even stabbed his sword directly through Marshadow’s chest, earning an agonizing roar from the god, but Marshadow physically ignored it. He held Shadow Punch in both fists instead, taking the chance to punch Rune’s chest and stomach at the same time. The force behind the attack stole Rune’s breath completely and sent him flying into the wall at the far end of the room. He smashed against it so hard that the whole room shook, and the Dewott fell face flat.

A Moonblast struck Marshadow a moment later, causing him to screech and turn in Ariala’s direction. The attack tore his body apart, but he maintained enough form to snarl and gallop over on all fours. She prepared to engage him with the Sword of Divine Elements, but he again ignored an agonizing stab to strike her at full force with two fists shrouded in Shadow Punch.

The castle once again shook with the impact, this time hard enough to make Leos lose his balance. He could’ve sworn he spotted some rubble falling from the ceiling, as well. That was until he realised that it kept going, continual rumbles of the room and the palace around them, soon followed by the crumbling of the ceiling. His eyes widened and panic took over as the ceiling began to fall apart.

“My palace?” Marshadow said, his voice weak and fizzled. He gawked up at all the damage, making easy work of punching or destroying parts of them ceiling that threatened to fall on him.

Meanwhile, Rune and Ariala had to force themselves to their feet once they realised what was happening, and scrambled over to Leos. Ariala did her best to hold a Reflect shield together, and although her barrier protected their bodies, they were soon buried in rubble and huge chunks of magical rock coloured like an eclipse.

It felt like minutes until the destruction of Marshadow’s palace stopped, but once it did, all mouths were brought to the floor. The entire the palace had been reduced to nothing but large chunks of eclipse coloured rock. These rocky platforms floated in the air, the fiery lights that surrounded their textures now flowed underneath them like propulsion jets that kept them in the air.

The rest of the world was made up of the golden trails of light and glitter that Leos had summoned before, and all of it spiralled toward a single spot in the sky. It was like they had been transported to a realm of conflicting colours; a beautiful backdrop of sparkling lights and heavenly sky stained by the ruined palace and its sludgy, dark auras.

The reason for the palace’s collapse was at least apparent. The Dragon Weapon, Zygarde Complete, soared across this realm with free reign. Its four, snake-like wings had smoke trails coming from them to signify their recent use. It curled around the air and positioned itself to attack Marshadow.

“You,” Marshadow said, livid in tone. He was on a stone platform barely big enough to stand on, but he didn’t look too bothered by what he was staring up at. “Don’t get cocky just because you’re a god as well. Your powers don’t compare to mine!”

Leos and his family were jaw-dropped by the spectacle. Zygarde ignored the remark and pointed one of its wings down at its target. The wing opened up like the mouth of a snake, and a huge amount of rainbow coloured energy swirled within, charging up a Dragon Pulse attack. With an explosive bang, a huge beam of purple and navy energy shaped like a dragon flew towards Marshadow, looking like it would swallow the platform whole. But Marshadow leapt off the platform to avoid the attack completely. The draconic blast engulfed his prior position completely, leaving nothing by suspended rubble.

Marshadow jumped from platform to platform until he was within range to attack the giant dragon type. Each jump left behind that horrible, black, sludgy blood that leaked from his body, but it didn’t seem to hinder him at all. With a final jump straight towards Zygarde’s chest, Marshadow cupped both his fists together at his sides and thrust them together to release countless ghostly arms in an overwhelming Spectral Thief attack.

“Zygarde! Not again!” Ariala cried.

They had full view of the giant as the arms of the Spectral Thief attack clawed their way all over Zygarde’s body, smothering it in Marshadow’s colours. Unlike before when the attack had taken control of Zygarde however, the attack vanished from it after a few moments, showing only signs of lingering damage.

“It resisted it?” Rune said. Leos blinked and then looked around for an answer.

“Those lights are the aura we’ve gathered. Zygarde destroyed the castle so that we’d be fighting within our aura. Like this, Marshadow can be beaten, and his powers don’t work,” he said, turning back to the battle at hand.

“I suppose that works. But how do we get you to use your Z-Move in these conditions?” Rune said.

“The same way Marshadow is,” Ariala said, drawing their focus back to the fight.

Marshadow didn’t question the resistance to his powers. He kept jumping from platform to platform at almost random, while Zygarde swerved around the sky. Both combatants flew at high speed throughout the arena to get into a good position to attack each other. The moment they did, their fists or special attacks collided. Shadow Punch met Zygarde’s fists, Shadow Ball met Dragon Pulse, and all other forms of attack with deadly intent, all crashing against each other with enough force to quake the world around them. Despite Marshadow’s size and his melting form, he was able to hold his own against Zygarde, and some of his attacks even won out against the giant’s.

“Even with all of this, Marshadow is still this powerful,” Ariala said, sounding the slightest bit disheartened. Rune clicked his fangs and clenched his fists.

“Come here, boy!” he said, and scooped up Leos before the Oshawott could get a chance to respond. He stomped his feet and surrounded them both in Aqua Jet, then used the move to fly from platform to platform in similar vein to Marshadow.

“Rune! Argh,” Ariala cried and stuck a hand out. She swallowed her fears and gave chase, having to crouch and carefully plan her move before jumping. Thanks to her wings and lightness, she was able to float right over to another platform with ease.

“Now this is an exercise. A god versus a god, an opponent truly worthy of my skill level!” Marshadow said, smiling again as his fists collided with Zygarde’s. He used his speed and size to his advantage, and punched twice before Zygarde could rear back for another punch. The direct hit tilted Zygarde’s body so that Marshadow could land on its knee, where he sprinted up past its head just as it righted itself to grab hold of one of its wings.

Lingering in the air a bit, Marshadow kept his grip tight and used the momentum of his fall, as well as all of his strength, to pull Zygarde over his head. To everyone’s surprise, he had enough strength to pull Zygarde perfectly, and tossed the enormous dragon overhead into the world below.

His moment of triumph was short lived however, as Rune crashed into him not even a second later. Rune’s Aqua Jet was inaccurate, but it did push him across the air, where he only had the time to gawk at Rune’s cupped fists. The Dewott hammered him down as hard as he could, sending Marshadow flying.

“Wait that worked?” Leos gasped.

“The water,” Rune said, skidding to a halt on another platform. Marshadow righted himself in the air and skidded to a halt on another platform, where he snarled at them. His melting form kept bleeding, creating an ugly puddle where he had skidded.

“Why are you still alive?” Marshadow roared as he surrounded both fists in Shadow Ball attacks. He started firing them at a rapid pace, forcing Rune to Aqua Jet away again.

“We need to get close enough for you to strike him down for good,” Rune said, realising where he was about to land. Marshadow had zipped over to the platform he was heading towards, both arms surrounded in Spectral Thief. Just as he cursed Marshadow’s speed, a Moonblast smothered the god and turned its attention to Ariala, who was surprisingly close to them. She was flying with her wings.

“You as well?” Marshadow said, becoming even more furious.

He leapt after her, throwing her into a slight panic. Rune and Leos landed, both in the mind to use Water Pulse at the earliest chance to try and stop him from aiming after Ariala, but Zygarde soared in between the combatants to intercept everything. Ariala wound up latching onto Zygarde, though she was so surprised that she couldn’t hold on properly. After a few flips, she righted herself in the air, but was left staring at Zygarde’s back.

“Leos, ready your Z-Move,” Rune said.

“Wait what? But I’ll never hit him in all of—”

“Just do it! You’ve got one shot at this,” he raised his voice, using Aqua Jet to leap away again. Leos could only stick a hand out to stop him, but with how fast everything moved, he decided not to question it and try Rune’s gamble. He crossed his arms, stomped his feet, surrounded himself in aura, and then observed the battle.

What followed was just as unplanned and crazy. Rune and Marshadow flew across the platforms to try and attack each other with their physical attacks, occasionally stopping to attack with Water Pulse or Shadow Ball. All the while Zygarde and Ariala soared through the air, firing special attack after special attack in hopes of wearing down their target. There were direct hits, dodges, clashes that had to be won, even moments of fearful combat where the combatants landed on the same ground and had to hack at each other from close range.

And the whole time through the battle, Leos’ heart was heavy. Whenever an attack hit Marshadow, he hoped that would be it and that the god would falter, where he could finish it. Every time attacks clashed, he prayed that Marshadow would lose and he’d get a chance to strike.

But it just wasn’t happening. Marshadow’s vulnerable appearance made no difference to his ability to contend with all these opponents. Three on one, all with a legendary status that made it possible to harm him, and yet he just kept going. He blocked, dodged, and destroyed every attempt they made to bring him down. And unlike Rune and Ariala who shouted and roared with each attack they took and dealt out, Marshadow didn’t make a sound or show any hint of fatigue. The rate they were going, Leos wouldn’t get the chance to target Marshadow at all, and that kept his fear at its peak and his eyes watering.

Minutes later, Rune and Ariala were on Zygarde’s back and had to be carried across the darkening world. The stone platforms were getting destroyed, reduced in number so much that they would have to jump off Zygarde, fight Marshadow in mid-air, and then be caught by Zygarde again to avoid falling. It made no difference to Marshadow though, as he leapt off or shrunk into every shadow he could, melding with the tiniest bits of rubble to gain footing before jumping off into the air again.

“Damn it, give up already!” Rune roared at the top of his voice, clashing with Marshadow’s fists yet again. They met face to face this time, butting their heads together as their fists and weapons pushed against one another. But Marshadow screeched, his face shrouded in maddening joy. This made Rune lean back, and he knew he wouldn’t be avoiding this next hit.

But a new attack struck them both, a heavy tornado that shook them both off balance. Rune cried out as he was helplessly flung into the air, while Marshadow fell backwards, knowing he was heading towards another rock that he could sink into.

“What?” Marshadow hissed, realising that the surprise attack didn’t come from Zygarde or Ariala. It was a tornado of grey wind, and it lingered for a little while. Another one appeared right in front of him, and before he had time to react, a dark Meowth sprung from within, holding his claws back and ready to use Night Slash. Marshadow didn’t block it, and Meowth’s attack sent him flying right through the rock that he intended to land on.

“He’s right in front of you!” Tapu Lele’s jovial voice called out.

Marshadow spun around during his fall, eyes widened at the sight of Tapu Lele physically holding up Mirror. The Absol raised his head and let out a Dark Pulse from his mouth, hitting from point blank to send Marshadow straight in the opposite direction.

“That’s Charle? Tapu Lele and Mirror?” Ariala cried, surprised to see them all. Zygarde showed no surprise, and caught Charle before he fell, while one of his wings opened up to let out a Dragon Pulse. Marshadow could only turn around and cry out once again as the draconic blast engulfed him completely.

“Charle?” Ariala said.

“No time to chat, your highness. Time to pay this guy back a whole plate of revenge!” Charle replied, getting ready to leap off Zygarde.

Leos couldn’t believe it, even though it made sense. The aura in the area freed Zygarde, so it was only a matter of time before the other Pokémon that were under Marshadow’s control would wake up. But to have them join the battle, that was a miracle he didn’t realise he needed.

Observing more closely, Charle still had the dark colouration he’d developed through his years under Marshadow’s control, while Tapu Lele was still covered in damage, cracked shell parts, and more. She could still carry the blind Mirror without trouble, though.

“What… what is happening to my body?” Marshadow said, his voice muffled by gurgles and echo more than before. He examined himself with a fearful look before staring up at his enemies, who weren’t holding back in their oncoming onslaught. “Th-this doesn’t end here. This can’t- this is not the way- this ends!”

But his words fell on deaf ears. Zygarde stopped a good distance away, but glared down at him alongside all the other Pokémon, who were just as beaten down and furious with him. He gave them a panicked shiver and then masked it with an attempt to laugh.

He tried to jump towards them, but his body would no longer let him. His arms were dripped constantly, smothering the floor below him in sludge. He could barely make out the shape of his legs, which were mostly squashed in with the rest of his sludgy waist. He still maintained his dark colour scheme, but the only part of his body that seemed stable and maintaining a form was his head, and even that was engulfed in fiery aura that failed to mask his melting lips and eyes.

“Leos!” Rune and Ariala called out.

They’re right. This has gone on for long enough,” Leos said to himself, glaring at Marshadow’s sorrowful state. He wiped his eyes and tensed his body to renew his aura. “It’s time to bring this to a close.

“Mother, Father, quickly! Before he tries something!” Leos shouted, crossing his arms.

“Go for it,” Rune said, doing the same.

“Do you best,” Ariala said, doing her best to cross her arms as well.

“What? No, don’t you dare,” Marshadow shouted with widened eyes. He raised his sludgy fists and held Shadow Ball attacks in them, but they took much longer than usual to charge. They were hardly at the size of a regular Pokémon’s Shadow Ball after a few seconds, filling Leos and his family with confidence in their act. He’d been bleeding ever since the aura had struck him, and finally, he was too weak to stop them now.

“All together now. Nobody left out in the act!” Charle cheered, copying their movements. Tapu Lele just watched from a distance, keeping a hold of Mirror.

All the Pokémon that crossed their arms had an aura around them flare up, and the symbol of the Aries star sign appeared in front of Leos briefly. They all unfurled their arms in perfect sync, stretching them forward and crossing them over again. Once they did, the aura around Leos spiked, flowing just like the flames around Marshadow.

“St-stop! I can end it all. You’re fools. You’re only fighting the inevitable! I c-cannot… this is not… the way I want this to…” Marshadow said, straining between words to continue charging his attack.

He didn’t stop rambling, but Leos and his group ignored every word, carrying on with their movements. The trio tucked their arms in, crouched, spun and unfurled them as they rose back up to pose in the shape of the Aries star sign. Their synchronization was perfect, and it fuelled Leos with a blinding, explosive gush of golden light, comparable to that which struck Marshadow before. The energy kept streaming from Rune and Ariala for a while as well, all until it began to strain them and they fell on one knee. At that point Leos flashed, and swiped his Razor Shell aside to cut the energy flow.

He glared at Marshadow for a moment more, just hoping for that one signal of mercy from the dark god. Marshadow didn’t beg or plea or show anything other than confidence however. He growled and roared in expectation of the continued battle.

“In the end, you’re pitiful.” Leos shook his head. Upon stretching his feet out, countless clones of himself spread out around him, all of which dove toward Marshadow with double-sided Razor Shells made of golden light. Each one took a stab at Marshadow, some getting knocked away by his melted arms which held Shadow Balls, while many cut him up ever further, each slash tearing away at what little of his body wasn’t sludge.

It all happened in the blink of an eye as well, degrading the ghostly god until he was nothing more than a puddle of black and grey substance with arms and a head desperately trying to maintain form. Yet still Marshadow continued to fight back, punching and throwing those Shadow Balls at the army of Leos clones. Leos himself tensed up after a few seconds, enlarging his blades until they were twice his height, and then dove down toward Marshadow

“Finish him!” everyone shouted at the top of their voices.

With their shouts and enthusiasm backing him, Leos roared triumphantly, stabbing the ground just below the Marshadow. With all his strength summoned up, he pulled his sword up in a wide arc in front of him, ripping the blade through the ground, then the puddle of Marshadow’s body, until it was finally slicing through his head, free and pointing toward the heavens. When the Razor Shell had fully sliced him in half, the flames around Marshadow’s head disappeared in a flash, revealing his wounded, melted, and terrified face.

Marshadow let out another heart-wrenching screech, left with both arms raised and his eyes wide in agony. A white glow lined the centre of his body from head to toe where he had been cut, and the liquid appearance of his body solidified, becoming flaky and fragile. He attempted to utter words, but nothing but struggled breaths and weak noises came out. In the end, his body split before he could say anything. He burst into black particles which filled the air all around.

Leos stayed in the same pose for a while, keeping his golden blade pointed upward in expectation of some kind of reformation. When he was sure that nothing else was going to happen, he warily pulled back and stared at where Marshadow had just been. His Razor Shell quietly faded back into a normal scalchop.

“Is it really over?” he said. The uncertainty in his voice was shared by everyone else, who watched on, unmoving. The mixture of dark and gold that had illuminated the area during their battle started to fade.

“The ruins!” Ariala cried and pointed down.

Leos turned his attention to broken platforms, worried as they disintegrated right before his eyes, including the platform he was currently stood on. He spun around to look for a way out, finding Zygarde ten steps ahead already. The Dragon’s arm was held out to let him climb on, so he scrambled over and joined his parents on its back.

Together, the group stared and watched in awe as the ruins faded away completely, leaving nothing but the streams of aura. As natural colour began to take over the scenery, a heavy layer of white clouds lined the area below them, while the streams of aura were difficult to look at with the amount of sunlight. Staring down below, the distant lands of Faernia below them could just about be made out, foggy thanks to the distance.

The sight may have been heavenly, but the reality of what had just happened hit Leos like a truck. They must have been on the border of space, as he could hardly breathe. He was freezing cold, and even though he hadn’t done much of the fighting himself, his body ached all over. Soon enough he collapsed, his last sight being the streams of aura.







It felt like hours before Leos came to but when he did, he sprung right awake, filled with energy. He was laying back on cold, stony ground, and staring up at a deep, black, starry sky. He shook himself off and sat up to find his parents, relieved to see them getting up just as easily as he was.

“Mother, Father!” he said.

“Not so loud, please,” Ariala moaned, and raised a hand. Rune watched her until she looked comfortable and then smiled at Leos.

“Well well. For the first time in a while I can say that this is a good morning,” he said. Leos raised an eyebrow. “For the first time ever, I’m waking up beside my wife and my son. And for two, you’re calling me Father instead of Rune.”

“What? I,” Leos mouthed and looked away.

“Never mind that, you oaf. It isn’t even morning. Where—” Ariala said, glancing around. She stopped and gawked quickly, and Leos and Rune joined her when they spotted Tapu Lele watching over them. But the normally pink goddess had a very pale, ghostly blue colour scheme around her, and looked as weak as a Magikarp. She was still battle worn as well, covered in large cracks and marks of damage.

“Tapu Lele!” Ariala cried.

“Do not fret for me, your highness,” Tapu Lele replied, sounding as weak as she looked. “Hear me now. You have all done exceptionally.”

“What do you mean? What’s happening?” Leos said. “Yo-you’re the one that saved us!”

“Marshadow is no more, and his influence is gone. As is our rule over Etheria. For the first time in many a thousand years, the baton is passed onto you,” she said, shutting her eyes. “When gods pass away, they return to the part of nature from whence they came. Many generations later, they will be reborn… for you see, we Tapu govern this world when are reborn. Should the world not require our guidance and power, we will sleep.”

“It’s like what Shaymin told me,” Leos whispered.

“All of the gods that protected Etheria are now part of the planet, and their blessings will be cast in silence. This is our gift to you; our reprieve. It is down to you, your highnesses. You fought for your chance at freedom from our rule; now lead your world to the peace which you so rightly deserve. Should we awaken in a world where our blessings and powers are no longer needed, the events of this genealogy will not transpire ever again.”

“So if we fail, you’ll go back into power,” Leos said. Tapu Lele didn’t move or make a sound, so he laid a hand on his chest and nodded. “You have my word, Tapu Lele. I’ll do everything in my power to see this through in my lifetime. Etheria will no longer rely on the blessings of the Tapu. We’ll make our own fate.”

The goddess didn’t say anything else. She shut her eyes and tucked her arms into her shell, which closed up and began to fade into nothing right before their eyes. The trio watched in awe until she was nothing but barely visible particles which faded into the air, leaving them in the middle of Fairy Hill. Around them were the unconscious bodies of the Pokémon that Marshadow had taken, minus Zygarde.

“Argh, the heck man. I feel like I slept on a Graveler,” Charle grumbled as he stood up. Rune and Ariala exchanged glances and watched him get to his feet, soon followed by a just as grumpy Master Lin.

“H-huh? Wait a minute, why are you alive?” Leos gasped at him. The human-esque monster stood up and flinched back in just as much surprise, but he didn’t say a word. He examined himself in disbelief, barely making a sound. Mirror soon stood as well, his unexpectedly young voice coming through.

“Wait, if those two are alive, then does that… could that mean?” Rune gasped.

All eyes turned to Diantha, who was still face flat on the ground. But surely enough, seconds later, she began to squirm and groan in discomfort. Rune flinched forward but Ariala stopped him with an arm, continuing to observe.

With a moan and a slow, childish stretch, Diantha sat up. She blinked and shook herself off, then looked around, stopping when she saw all the Pokémon gawking at her. She locked eyes with Rune, but neither said a word.
 
An Epilogue: What Next?

HaruMiju

Hero in their dreams
Location
London
Pronouns
They/them, She/her,
An Epilogue: What Next?



“We started with the restoration of the damaged towns and villages. Everywhere that was attacked by the spectres or damaged during the war is being repaired, with priority given to the Pokémon’s homes,” Ariala said, walking a little behind Rune. “The restoration is going pretty smoothly. It’s like the areas where we would normally harvest materials have restocked themselves, so we have plenty to work with.”

Rune couldn’t help but snicker, keeping his hands tucked behind his head. His head fur was messier than before, but all of it was flung back and went down to shoulder length. “That’s the Tapu’s reprieve for you. Gifts and blessings galore, all without a lousy devout in sight.”

“Rune, don’t say something like that,” she said. “There are many Pokémon who would still prefer to keep their faith in the Tapu. They taught us many respectable values and ideals to live by. We can’t just change that way of life.”

“I know I know. It’s no different here,” he said. He habitually scratched a tree as he passed it. Woodland surrounded them on all sides and the suns rays shone through the leaves overhead to keep the forest floor well lit. Even that was rather soft and pleasant, as if well curated by a gardener – some plants and mushrooms were growing here and there amongst the roots of the trees. Everything was colourful and natural. “Any news on you know who?”

“We haven’t heard from Master Lin, if that is who you mean. He returned to the Stardust Treasury, but activity there has gone… quiet, to put it simply. I wish to believe he won’t try anything again, but I’m yet to visit and investigate for myself,” she said. She slumped forward a bit and her stomach growled, making her partner giggle again. “Is there a particular reason you asked me to come out like this? I haven’t eaten breakfast.”

“Because it’s pretty bad that we haven’t ever had breakfast together or anything. I think so, anyway. You becoming queen just pushed me all the more to organize the occasion.”

“That’s- Queen Magearna is still the one giving the orders, you know. She has stepped down, but she’s still to guide my activity. And if you wanted us to eat together, why bring me to… wherever we’re going?”

“Because I wanted to surprise you. Ah, here we are,” he said, coming to a stop just as they breached the woodland. A short hill below let them overlook a large facility built of pretty white metal, similar to the buildings of Faernia. A colourful field of corn and berries was fenced in around the facility, and not a Pokémon was in sight. “There. That down there. You wouldn’t believe what that is.”

“It’s a field. We have those all over Faernia,” she said.

“… I should’ve said you wouldn’t believe what that used to be. That was once one of our breeding grounds. It’s now a farm where Pokémon are paid to grow and harvest berries, which they then get to sell to all the nearby habitats.” He put his hands on his hips.

“Wait, when did we get on an airship? We’re on Eris right now?” Ariala glanced back at the forest. There were a few Pidgey, Spearow, Foonguss, Caterpie, and other shy, forested Pokémon spying on them. Many hid when she looked back at them.

“We’re on Eris right now. That’s right: in the span of three months, we’ve got farms, forests, sunlight, wind, the whole mess. So er, let’s hurry up and go take our pick, huh? What do you fancy?” he said.

“That’s- Rune, I appreciate it, I really do, but please do not neglect to tell me all the details. How did we get here? And how in the world are you coping?” she said.

“We got here via a makeshift bridge that was built to go between the two planets. It uses Magnagate technology, warping Pokémon to and fro with ease. That way we can get carriages and stuff through. It’s so seamless that you didn’t even notice we’d gone through it,” Rune said, and tucked his arms behind his head. “As for how we’re coping with all the changes… the same way the Faernians cope? There really isn’t much else to it.”

“Rune!”

“Alright alright. Don’t take your hunger out on me. Yeah we’re in the process of getting rid of our breeding grounds and stuff. Breeding Pokémon and slaughtering them for their meat is our biggest sin right now. But not everyone’s on board with the sudden erasure of meat dishes. Some Pokémon just need to eat meat, after all. Myself included,” he said. His tone went lower as he spoke.

“That isn’t something that can just be gotten rid of, though.” She looked away.

“I know I know. We’re thinking of maintaining a law in which the feral Pokémon outside of towns and locales can be hunted. That way Pokémon can work for their own food. It’s complicated. But hey, on a more positive note, that forest we just passed through – we’re looking to name it. The council are in favour of calling it Aska Forest.”

“You’re so positive. Alright then, what about Leos? I haven’t heard from him since he visited you a while ago.” Ariala sighed, finally making her way down the hill. Rune raised his fist and jogged after her.

“He went to the Second Country with Prem and Mirror. Something about trying to find a way to link the two planets to the core. I admit I didn’t understand that one bit. But Nier and that lot went with him, so he’s in good paws. From what I could tell he seemed really happy, too. Nothing I should get involved in.”

Ariala opened her mouth to reply, but out came breath of dismay. She slowed down her walking until her stomach growled again, making her blush.

“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk about, actually,” he said, not looking back.

“… My stomach?” she squeaked.

“Good one. But I mean like, yeah we’ve got a lot of work to do. And I know we promised the Tapu that we’d see it through. But now that things are calming down a lot I… I miss my friends,” he said, and looked away. “I see Diantha run off every morning, sunny as a Charmander in a children’s park, and I realise I never got the chance to do all that. Leos almost didn’t get the chance do that. I know we’re royalty, but I don’t want it to just be work work work, you know? There has to be time for love, too.”

“… So you feel it too, huh?” she replied, looking away as well. “Married for sixteen years, and knowing each other for far longer than that, yet I don’t know a thing about you. Wait, is that really why you wanted us to have breakfast together?”

“Just to get to know each other. Yeah I know, not very masculine, huh?” He rolled his eyes.

Ariala stopped dead in her tracks, letting him take the lead for a moment. He didn’t stop for her, so she took a deep breath and walked quickly to catch up. “So, what’s your favourite colour?”

“H-huh? What?” he replied. She smiled at him and held his hand, forcing him to walk at the same pace as her. “E-er, red, to be honest. But not like lava or fire, sort of like that uh… wow, I don’t know how to explain that.”

“You sure it’s not pink?” she giggled. He made sure he held her hand properly, unable to hide a light blush. “Pink is mine. Known that for a long time.”

“Ew no. Nothing against your fur, but pink makes me think of fairies too much,” he said.

“Ew? I daren’t invite you to my room, then. There’s pink everywhere, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She smiled.

“No no, I don’t hate the colour, it’s just… why do all fairies have to be pink?” he said.

“They aren’t all pink! There’s Gardevoir and Azumarill, they aren’t even close. And just then, I thought you were bothered by stereotype.”

“Okay, you got me there. Well now it’s my turn: what’re we eating? Tomato salad? Custap soup? I’m still new to this fruit thing, so tell me your favourite.”

“Don’t let it bother you, but simple food. Apple pie’s an unhealthy favourite.”

“Wait, you guys have apple pie, too?”

“Of course we do! Not eating meat doesn’t mean everything’s green. Mince pies, ice cream, chocolate cake – I’m rarely allowed the sweets, but they became my favourite anyway. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve been told off for getting Nier to sneak them into my room.”

“Ahaha, trust that old Meowstic to do that. I used to do the same with Diantha before I started my training, actually. She had so much trouble losing weight when I started training. She’d get all the sweets to herself then, so she really piled it on.”

“Wait really? You’d never guess, looking at her now.”

“Yeah! We snuck all kinds of sweets. Though we were a little more naughty and er… look I don’t drink, but Father’s wine cellar, let’s just say that was our little secret.”

“Oh goodness, alcohol. I’m afraid you lose me on that one. Priestesses weren’t allowed to drink.”

“Oh no I regret every moment, haha. The odd glass of fine drink never hurts, but that’s become rarer than a luxury for me. Even so, I was always more of a juice kind of guy.”

“Juice and not water? You really aren’t masculine.”

“Hey! Who’s the one generalising now, huh?”

“I kid I kid! I’m the same, though. I’m fine with water, but with no taste around, I just get so bored of drinking. If Eris gets to grow any exclusive berries, you’ll have to let me try them.”

“The feeling’s mutual. I missed my chance to try all the Faernian cuisine after all!”






Ending.JPG




…Fin…
 
Top Bottom