Preamble + Summary + Part One
Magyk
Mommy's Little Helper
- Pronouns
- they/them, she/her
Hey guys, a lot of you won't know me, but this fic was originally meant to be a one shot that turned into a small fic. At the point of publishing it here to TR, I have completed the main story and currently working on an epilogue. This was mainly an exercise to see if I could complete something for once, and while it's not perfect, I'm happy with it. Reviews/criticism is welcome, but please be kind.
This takes place after the main story of the Explorers games, and is just an AU spin on the Darkrai plot that follows. No knowledge of the game is required, just know your Pokemon stuff.
As a warning, while the violence is not graphic, there are dark themes and character death involved. If you do not like character death, then please don't read and get upset.
Huge thanks to Namohysip for helping me get there. You're an inspiration to many of us.
I'm sorry, I don't really have a proper cover image for this.
Summary from FFN: Raiden and Seraphina had done it. They had saved the world from temporal collapse, but Raiden didn't get the happy ending he thought he'd get. Now lost and alone, he's made himself the perfect target for a certain dark spirit. Will the nightmares ever end? Explorers AU. Rated T for dark themes and character death.
They had really done it.
Raiden the shinx walked happily down the path that led back to the Rainbow Stoneship. There it would be, waiting for their long journey home. He and his best friend, Seraphina, had just saved the world from temporal collapse. The future would no longer be paralyzed beyond recognition. Grovyle and Celebi...they'd get to live in peace.
Most of all, Raiden would get to spend the rest of his life with Seraph. He was certain about his feelings now more than ever. He loved the vulpix. He didn't care that she used to be a human. That didn't matter to him at all. They'd go back home and celebrate with Wigglytuff's Guild...he'd confess and hopefully, she felt the same.
They could continue their adventures together! This time, without any pressing world-saving to do. They could relax and grow old together... perhaps evolve and even start a family. Raiden had it all planned out-assuming tonight would go as planned.
Now that Temporal Tower wasn't collapsing, Rai could finally appreciate where they were. The duo was high in the sky-falling off any floating islands they walked on would mean certain death. Aside from that, the area was certainly beautiful, even when looking back to see the looming tower they came from, he couldn't stop the excitement he was feeling from just being up here. He never thought he'd be high enough to see some clouds at the same height as himself. Raiden had heard rumours about dungeons ascending into the sky and beyond-those were the kinds of places he wanted to explore.
The places he wanted to discover with nobody but Seraphina by his side. No, wait, that was wrong. They had another teammate, Roger, who was a Barboach. They'd been in such a rush since coming back from the future that he'd almost forgotten about him. Raiden wondered how he was doing, and hopefully, Roger would forgive them for not taking him along.
The three of them could go on plenty of adventures together! Raiden couldn't wait to get start-
"Rai…?" a small voice called out.
He turned back to see his partner, who'd been lagging behind for some reason. "What's the matter, Seraph? Let's hurry home!"
"I... can't," she said. Her expression tightened as she avoided looking Raiden in the eye.
He felt a weight grip his heart. "Why... why not?" he asked, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong?"
Seraph sucked in a breath as she studied her paws and the ground below. "...Sorry, Rai, I've kept this to myself for a long time…"
A golden orb rose softly from her body and vanished into the air. Now that he was closer, Raiden could see that his partner's feet were beginning to go transparent. More orbs started to rise from the vulpix, as more of her became see-through.
No. Nononono. This wasn't how this was meant to go!
"S-Seraphina?" his voice cracked as he watched. He was confused. What was happening to her?
"It looks like... I have to say goodbye…"
Raiden's eyes widened. "Wh-What?!" he moved closer. He was sure he couldn't even see Seraph's feet anymore. "Goodbye?! What do you mean?"
Seraph looked up at him and Raiden could see the tears in her eyes. "Dusknoir told me. If we changed the future, then the Pokémon from the future would disappear…" then she smiled, "That means... I'm destined to disappear, too."
"That... that can't be!" he cried. "W-Why? Why?! I don't understand!"
His partner's eyes softened. He saw her front leg move but the end of it was already gone. Yet he felt a phantom caress on his cheek. Raiden sniffled.
"Thank you for everything. I'm going to be taken away now…" the orbs grew in number as less of Seraph was visible. Raiden had no choice but to step back a little. He had no idea what touching one would do. "But Rai... I'll never forget you."
"But wait for a second!" Raiden sobbed. "I only made it this far because you were with me, Sera! D-Don't you understand…? You made me strong… if you go, I-I don't know…"
The vulpix shook her head. Her eyes shimmered in the light. "No, Rai. You need to be strong on your own. You must live! You have to go home... tell everyone what happened here."
Seraph's expression turned serious. "So that... nothing like this ever happens again."
The light from the golden orbs became brighter as they increased in number. Raiden wanted this to be a dream. It had to be, right?
But it wasn't.
"D... Don't go, Sera, please!"
"I'm glad we got to train together at the guild... I'm glad we got to go on adventures together…"
"N-No, Sera-!"
"But most of all... I'm glad... I got to know you, Raiden."
"S-Sera, wait, please!"
Tears matted Raiden's face at this point. He couldn't see clearly past them. It was too much.
"I'm sorry," she told Raiden. "I'm so lucky that you were my friend…"
Their victory was long forgotten by now. All that mattered to Raiden was telling Seraphina exactly how he felt. "Y-You were more than just my friend! To me, Sera, y-you were... more important than anything!"
She let out a soft chuckle, staring up at the sky briefly before lowering her head once more. Seraph was now missing the entire lower half of her body. "I...feel the same way. I always wanted to tell you, but I never found the right time…"
Then there was a bright glow, blinding the shinx temporarily. When it faded, golden orbs were fading into the air.
Seraphina was gone.
"S-Sera? Sera?!" Raiden called out desperately.
But it was no use.
The shinx's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. Heavy sobs wracked his body.
"Nooooooooo!"
Every day was harder than the last.
Seraphina wanted him to keep living... but what was life without her?
Raiden's guildmates couldn't even cheer him up; suddenly saving the world just didn't mean that much to the shinx anymore.
All he could do these days was stand at the shores of Treasure Town's beach, seemingly waiting for something to wash up. He didn't eat or sleep unless his guildmates forced him to. The master's singing was often used to make Raiden unconscious for a few hours.
Despite her wish, he just couldn't carry on. It was too hard.
"I know it's hard, Raiden," Wigglytuff would say, "But you need to push on. It'll be the hardest thing you'll ever do but I know you can do it!"
Raiden didn't think he could.
Bidoof, Loudred, and Sunflora all tried to invite the shinx on their missions, but he always declined. "Exploring just isn't the same without her, sorry," he'd always tell them.
He tried asking if he could move out of the guild, sleep in his old home that was inside Sharpedo Bluff, but Wigglytuff and Chatot wouldn't let him, out of fear he'd do "something drastic," as they put it.
Days had bled into weeks, then bled into months. Being in the guild was agonizing. Everything reminded Raiden of his partner. Eating in the mess hall, sleeping in the room they had shared, looking at the message boards... even shopping in Treasure Town became a memory he'd treasured. Nothing felt as exciting with her gone.
Every sight brought back a memory of her. His heart ached day in and day out.
His guildmates stopped inviting him on their missions.
Then the shinx guessed that they couldn't handle him anymore because Chatot approached him one day and pulled him to the side.
"Raiden, please, it's been months. You can't mope around like this any longer... it's starting to affect the whole guild…" he said gently. "M-Maybe some time away ought to do you some good?"
Raiden's voice was quiet. He'd lost any kind of pep he had when Seraphina was around. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Hmm... perhaps a trip to the hot springs might be in order?" suggested Chatot. "You need to get out and relax for a bit... get your thoughts together. What do you think?"
"I guess…"
Chatot flapped his wings happily. "I'll take that! Do get yourself ready. I've already arranged it all with Torkoal. I imagine he's been wanting to talk to you."
"Right…"
Chatot nodded, then scratched at the ground with his talons, debating on whether he wanted to add anything more or not. He sighed and turned his back to the hero. "I'm sorry, dear boy. Please, hang in there…"
He quickly took off, leaving Raiden to himself.
The shinx didn't really have anything to pack, since the trip was short. On Chimecho's insistence, he took with him several apples just in case he got hungry.
"Now, I want to see those all eaten up before you get back!" she chided the shinx.
"No promises," he mumbled back.
By the time he'd left the guild, the sun was already high in the sky. Even its rise and fall taunted him.
Seraphina would never get to see it again.
Even though it was a warm day, by the time he'd reached the crossroads, he was cold. Unnaturally cold. The shadows cast by the signpost and trees seemed sharper as if they were coming alive, writhing and consuming the light. If Raiden stepped on a shadow, he imagined he might just fall through the ground.
The fur on the back of Raiden's neck stood up as he looked around. Of course, nobody else was here, was he seeing things? He must have finally lost it.
"Hello?" he called out, not expecting an answer.
"Hello," answered a smooth, friendly voice.
On instinct, Raiden was immediately preparing a discharge, electricity threatening to jump from his body at any moment. "Show yourself!" he shouted.
"My, my... is that how you greet everyone?" the shadows from the crossroad stretched out, first growing long legs and then a wispy body. A white cloud was the first part to emerge from the shadow, which turned out to be more wispy than cloud-like. One bright blue eye stood out completely, with the other being covered by the rest of the white plume. Around its neck was a spiky red growth, which seemed too natural to be a scarf. Everything else about this strange creature was dark and shadowy. Skinny arms with tatters coming off its shoulders, something resembling claws were at the end of the appendages. The wispy body rounded out in jagged spikes, like that of a torn cloak or scarf, and long, skinny legs helped the creature be much taller than Raiden's small frame.
The shinx gulped, still wary and ready to strike at a moment's notice. "Wh-Who are you?" he asked, "what do you want with me?"
"Want with you?" echoed the creature. The single visible eye was enough to know it was smirking at Raiden. "I want to talk to you, of course. As for the first question... I am known as Darkrai."
Darkrai... the name didn't sound familiar to him. But after Dusknoir's betrayal, he wasn't willing to trust anyone right off the bat. The shinx remained guarded. "I'm a little busy, so if you have something to say, make it quick."
"Oh, you're not busy," Darkrai dismissed the statement with a wave. "You saved the world, and yet all you want to do is talk to an old croon in a hot spring?"
Raiden tensed, already feeling the anger rise in him. "What's it to you?" he spat.
"A hero like you deserves a reward... I've been watching you, carrying all that grief and gloom with you. That's not a fate a hero should have to endure…"
It wasn't. But who could Raiden blame? His partner had come from the future with the aim of saving the present. Despite her initial amnesia, she came to know that she'd disappear. She'd been out to sacrifice herself from the beginning.
But that didn't stop it from hurting so much.
Darkrai had inched closer. "Your partner... you could see her again, you know."
His heart jumped at those words. Could... could he really…?
Raiden shook his head. He had to be cautious. It was too good to be true. "How do I know it's not a trick? You can't travel to a future that doesn't exist anymore."
"No, you can't," Darkrai lamented. "But I can help you see her. I know how much you want to…" then he leaned in towards Raiden's ear, its voice lowering to a whisper. "And I know how much she wants to see you, too."
His mind spun at the thought. Seraphina was… waiting for him? She wanted to see... him? There were so many things he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to do. He could finally get the life he wanted this way. He and Seraphina could be happy together.
A small part of his mind screamed out: "Don't listen! It's a trick!" but Raiden didn't want to pass up this opportunity. Life without Seraphina wasn't living. It was impossible. It wasn't fair. It wasn't the happy ending Raiden wanted at all. It was everything but.
"So…?" Darkrai had drifted away to give the shinx time to think. "Will you see your darling Seraphina again? Will you save her?"
That sweet, tempting voice of Darkrai's. Raiden wanted nothing more than to believe him.
"How do I do it? How do I see her?" he asked.
"Close your eyes, Raiden. I'll take care of the rest..."
The screech of wild wingull and the crashing of waves were what woke Raiden up. His eyes opened slowly as sunlight poked into his vision from the makeshift eye sockets of Sharpedo Bluff. A groan escaped the shinx as he sat up, stretching his legs out in the process.
Today was the day. He was going to finally join Wigglytuff's Gui-
Raiden paused as that thought sunk in. "I'm joining the Guild?" he asked himself aloud. A quick look around told him that none of his stashed away treasures he'd collected with Seraphina were in his home anymore. The chunk of crystal he'd taken from Waterfall Cave... a perfect apple seed from Apple Woods... other small things like that. Even if they weren't worth much in money, they were everything to Raiden's heart. Memories he'd shared with his partner. What did Darkrai do?
The shinx stepped over to his makeshift pouch he'd gotten from his parents. It was to hold some things until he got his official explorer's bag. If his treasures were gone and he had planned to join the guild, then… Yup, there it was.
At the bottom of the pouch sat a small, stone object. It was lined with intricate grooves and lines that made absolutely no sense, but at the same time, it all created a strange, peculiar pattern.
It was the relic fragment.
Raiden's eyes widened as he looked over everything once more. It was almost like he'd never joined the guild, with only his memories to tell him otherwise. Did that mean..."He... sent me back in time?"
Nothing answered him back, as expected. Raiden couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face. He was back! He could find Seraphina all over again! He stuck his head through the loop of the pouch, letting it hang from his neck. The shinx felt excited all over as he quickly climbed out of Sharpedo Bluff and darted to Treasure Town.
He weaved around townsfolk and jumped over smaller ones. Wurmple shrieked in terror as he was suddenly turned into a hurdle, but had no other reaction. Raiden took no notice of anything, except for his feet, to make sure he didn't trip, and his rapidly beating heart as he neared the beach.
He was so close…!
There were no bubbles out that day. Raiden assumed that he turned up too early to see them. But that didn't matter. He saw a patch of red on the far side of the beach, exactly the place he remembered. The shinx wasted no time in darting over, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Seraphina was unconscious in the sand. Unconscious but alive.
Raiden took a moment to just stare at his partner. He missed her. Everything hurt when she wasn't around. He placed a paw on her back, shaking her body gently. "Come on, Sera, please wake up..!" he said, desperation leaking into his voice.
Seraphina's vulpix body stirred, a light groan was enough to fill Raiden with joy. He waited for his soon-to-be-partner-once-more to get up, stepping back to give her some space. "A-Are you alright? What happened?" he asked.
"Uhm…" she paused, staring out at the water briefly. Raiden recognised the vacant look in her eyes from when they first met. "Sorry, I don't remember."
"You don't?" Raiden frowned a little. That meant she didn't know him at all. But he had Sera again. She was right here! That's all he wanted.
"Actually... I remember that my name is Seraphina," said the vulpix, "And... that I used to be a human." When Raiden didn't appear shocked, she only tilted her head in confusion. "Um... do you know what a human is?"
"I do," he said. "I believe you. I've heard more bizarre things before."
"Uh-huh... um... what do I do now…?"
Raiden could barely contain himself. This was it. The chance to do it all over again. They could save the world and he could figure out a way to stop her from leaving. He'd stop at nothing to keep Seraphina in his life. "Come with me!" he said with newfound determination. "We can sign up to the nearby guild, and we'll go on hundreds of adventures together! Something out there is bound to jog your memory!"
Confused eyes met Raiden's determined ones. Gentle waves brushed against the shore, yet made no sound. It was just the two of them.
Seraphina blinked. "Uh... sorry, who are you?"
Raiden snorted and chuckled. "Hehe! Sorry, I got ahead of myself there...my name's Raiden, nice to meet you!" He held out his paw towards her. She was the reason he even had that name. It felt right, introducing himself to her this way.
She smiled and returned the gesture, holding out her own paw and placing it against Raiden's own. They shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Raiden. And yes, I think I might just take you up on that offer...it's better than any plans I had, which was nothing."
He grinned. "Yes!" he cheered. "Don't worry, Sera, we'll get your memories back. You can count on it!"
Where did it all go wrong?
Raiden hadn't been able to find anything about time travel at all during their journey. The only ones capable of it were Dialga and Celebi. The passage of time just simply wasn't a thing that could be studied.
So once again he bore witness to the golden orbs of light that taunted him. Each one that floated from Seraphina's body was another part of her gone. He had thought things this time might be different, that her disappearing was just a stroke of bad luck. So why..?
"N-No..." Raiden stammered. "It... It can't be! I don't understand!" he wanted to be sick. He wanted to disappear too. He didn't want to be alone again.
"I'm never going to forget you," Seraphina said, holding back tears. "Thank you for everything, Rai…"
"No, wait!" he cried, running over to grab her as her remaining body flashed before him. He leaped, his desperate paws only phasing through the last of the orbs. In a sudden moment, his life had vanished once again.
He was alone once more.
His body fell forward. Raiden's front paws drifted to the sides of his head as he screamed. It echoed around in his mind as he released all of his raw emotion into the air. "No, no! No no no no NOOOOO!"
This wasn't it. He was promised he would see her again. Raiden could save Seraphina. He had to!
Then he stood up and glared at the sky. "You promised, Darkrai!" Raiden yelled. Without hesitation, he leaped off the path and began his dive into the clouds. His descent was rapid, he felt no wind.
"YOU PROMIIIIIIISED!"
And then his world rippled and shifted before him. Darkness swallowed him whole.
"Today, I would like to share some excellent news with you."
Raiden glared at Dusknoir like he always had this time, but his expression somehow went unnoticed all the while. Everyone in Treasure Town Square behaved as if they hadn't noticed his clear hatred for the ghost in front of them all. Not even Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, the three lake guardians that protected just three of the time gears, the beings of Knowledge, Emotion, and Wisdom.
Not even Seraphina, who stood loyally beside him as they watched Dusknoir give his speech to the whole town. Everyone was too busy being enamored with the false explorer, the agent to Primal Dialga. Grovyle stood useless and bound between two of Dusknoir's lackeys, some sableye. Purple gremlin creatures with gems for eyes. The passage that would take them, Seraphina, and himself to the future awaited behind Dusknoir. It rippled and threatened to suck in anyone who would dare approach it. Raiden wanted to avoid going near it this time.
"Finally...Grovyle...has been captured!" Dusknoir declared dramatically. Raiden wanted to zap them all here and now. He couldn't believe how naive everyone was being. They all cheered for the capture of the one Pokémon trying to save the world. "This was all made possible by your selfless support and cooperation! I can't thank you enough!"
The cheering seemed so loud that Raiden couldn't pick out any specific voices, but when he looked around, he could see everyone but Seraphina celebrating with Dusknoir. Focusing on any one voice was impossible, even trying to pick out Ursaring and Teddiursa's roars from behind him wasn't happening.
Dusknoir continued with his speech. "As you can see," he said, gesturing to his prisoner. "Grovyle is a vicious and wicked Pokémon. His capture should result in lasting peace for your world."
"No, it won't!" Raiden shouted. Everything paused as Dusknoir's single eye became trained on him. It flashed blue so quickly that Raiden wasn't sure if he actually saw it or not.
Seraphina didn't move. It was like she was just as stuck as the rest of the Treasure Town residents.
"S-Sera…?" Raiden felt his voice crack as he waved a paw in front of the vulpix's face. Nothing responded. There was no breath, no movement, no recognition of Raiden whatsoever.
"Sera?!"
"Grovyle was a problem."
"H-Huh…?"
Raiden turned around to be face-to-face with Dusknoir. His yellow eye was now a bright, piercing blue.
Dusknoir's voice remained the same-deep, repulsive, and fake. But it sounded like it came from someone else. If anything, it was like Dusknoir had shown his true colours early.
"You heard me," he said. "Grovyle was a tiny thorn in my side. He tried to play hero...I'm glad he was stopped."
Raiden gritted his teeth as he stared up at the malicious ghost. "He was trying to save the world, and the future!" he retorted. "That's more than I can say about you!"
"Temper, temper," Dusknoir chided, turning away from the shinx. "Besides, he was only a tiny thorn...merely a prickle."
Floating back to his original position, Dusknoir faced Raiden and the frozen crowd once again. Just how was he doing that…? "What are you... what do you mean?" he asked the ghost.
"There are bigger obstacles in my way... and you were one of them."
"M-Me? I...I don't understand-" Raiden quickly shook his head. "What game are you playing at, Dusknoir?! What did you do to everyone!?" his shout didn't even leave an echo. Then Raiden paused. He took a moment to consider his surroundings. Everything was quiet. There was far less sound than there should have been. "W-Wait, where's the wind? I... I can't even feel the sun!" he panicked, looking around. "What's happening?!"
Everything seemed brighter for just a moment. A pink glow started to invade his vision. This felt soft, comforting...and real.
"Come on, Raiden! Please wake up!" pleaded a voice.
"Wh-What…? Who are you?!" Raiden cried. Nothing was making sense anymore. The entire world around him flickered briefly.
Dusknoir's abnormal blue eye glowed brighter. The pink glow suddenly vanished, replaced by only darkness. "You wished to see Seraphina all over again, did you not? This is what you wanted."
Fogginess took over Raiden's mind and his surroundings warped once again.
Raiden and Seraphina were walking happily, side by side in Apple Woods. It was a simple dungeon filled with grass and bug-type Pokémon, with trees clumped so close together they almost formed walls side-by-side, and fresh, soft dirt under their paws with each step. Even if the job wasn't great-fetching Guildmaster Wigglytuff some perfect apples-he was still with his partner, Sera, and that's all he cared about. It was another adventure they could go on.
Their peaceful moment was disrupted by a butterfree, a small, winged, insectoid Pokémon that was no match for either of them. His body crackled with electricity as he slammed into the butterfree with a jump. Once he landed, Seraphina followed up with a small burst of flames that she spat at their opponent. It had no chance as the poor butterfree flew off in retreat.
Raiden looked back and grinned at his partner, and she grinned back. At first, he'd been wary about adventuring with her. Seraphina had claimed she was a human and had no memories of anything when he had first met her at Treasure Town's beach, but she had learned quickly how to handle herself. He felt invincible when he was with her, it was amazing how much courage and confidence he had when Seraphina was around.
"C'mon!" Raiden said with a cheer, "We should be nearing the center of Apple Woods, that's where Chatot said all the perfect apples were!"
The vulpix nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We'll have this job done in no time, though if we're going anywhere else I'm getting my paws and legs cleaned first. As nice as this dirt feels...it's giving me a huge urge to get clean."
He snickered in response, it was one bit about Sera he enjoyed. She had a habit of being clean, while he didn't care if his fur was a little messy. Raiden was often chided for it.
"Jeeze, Rai," Seraphina huffed. "The least you could do was look nice for our clients!"
Raiden glanced back at hearing his nickname, only to find that they were now back in their room at the guild, they were both up and ready for the day ahead of them. Sera had a cute pout on her face, her tails curled up so the tips were touching the middle of her back. He knew that as a 'tell' for when she was mildly annoyed.
"Aw, Sera!" he heard himself whine in response. "But they don't care how I look, what matters is that we get the job done!"
She rolled her eyes in response. "You could at least look neat for the guild, you know, image and stuff."
"Naaah, I'm pretty sure they don't care either," just talking with his partner like this made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It reminded him of the good memories, the times they saved the day, completed an errand, or discovered something new about the world.
He was going to save his darling Seraphina.
Then in a flash, his surroundings changed again. Once more, they were walking away from Temporal Tower, approaching the rainbow stoneship. Fresh off their victory against Dialga. The two of them had saved the world. They were invincible! They faced all odds and won!
Raiden couldn't wait to confess his feelings to Seraphina once they got back. Hopefully, she'd felt the same way and they could start a new life together.
Raiden stopped. His gut dropped. Once he realised what was about to happen he refused to turn around. He didn't want to see what was about to happen again.
"Rai…?" a small voice called out.
No. No no no, not again!
He forced his eyes shut. He couldn't will himself to do it again. "No! Not again!"
Raiden had thought he closed his eyes, but his vision blinked and the vulpix he loved with all his heart was disappearing once again. Those taunting gold orbs…
Sera's taunting, sad eyes. They burned into his mind.
"...I'll never forget you," Seraphina told him.
"N-No, Sera, please!" Raiden begged. "Stop disappearing!"
But no answer came. With a flash, Raiden was back on the beach. The waves were loud, the sand was extremely gritty under his paws. But what had his attention the most was Seraphina.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Instead of answering, his breath hitched and Raiden took off into the water, which wasn't even making him wet. He didn't even hear Seraphina react at all. A large wave washed over him and before he could hold his breath, his world flipped and he was back at Temporal Tower.
"...I'll never forget you."
"Wh-Why is this happening?!" Raiden screamed. He turned and ran from his growing nightmare. The path seemed to go on forever. He ran and ran and ran, faster he went, not looking back.
He couldn't see it anymore.
The shimmering form of Darkrai appeared beside him. Without thinking, Raiden pounced at the one who as far as he knew, was behind all this.
"Stop messing with me!" he shrieked.
Suddenly he crashed into the sand at the beach, his surroundings having warped again. He was sure he would have tasted the grains against his tongue.
If it was real.
Darkrai was floating behind a frozen Seraphina, who was staring at nothing. The shinx glared and watched as Darkrai stretched out his phantasmal legs. "What's wrong, Raiden?" he asked, his single blue eye trained on Raiden.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?!" Raiden demanded. "You were just out to mess with me!"
"Who are you?" asked the vulpix, still facing nothing.
Darkrai appeared to shrug. "I was wondering if you'd ever notice...though there was a time you nearly got pulled out... I made quick work of that."
"I…" Raiden paused, trying to think back. "Someone was...trying to rescue me?"
Darkrai's laugh echoed through the beach and in Raiden's mind. "Of course. But you see, your bad dreams specifically have given me so much power...I've become unstoppable. Not even that pesky Cresselia can counter me anymore. You hero types are so gullible, your love turned into the strongest kind of despair under the right circumstances, so thank you for helping."
He had so many questions. Who was Cresselia? Bad dreams? What power was Darkrai talking about?
Darkrai continued. "You're more gullible than I thought. Your love for your dead friend made you desperate...you reeked of opportunity. You see...the whole world did."
Raiden choked. "Wh-What?"
"Even in your dreams, this world is too bright for my liking…" Darkrai scoffed, and a wave of his wispy hand made the whole image vanish. It was just the two of them in overwhelming darkness. It made Darkrai almost blend in. "I wish to cover it in darkness and become its king. So I meddled with Temporal Tower and hoped to cause the Planet's Paralysis. But then those two-" he conjured up a bipedal creature that seemed to stand protectively in front of Grovyle. It had red, frizzy hair and brown eyes, like the ones Raiden loved to stare into. "They got in the way and planned to travel through time. So I intervened during their trip, but then Seraphina just had to protect Grovyle, and in doing so she became a Pokémon with amnesia." What Raiden then presumed was Seraphina's human form morphed into a vulpix. "I thought that was it...but they became way too resourceful."
If Raiden had been awake, he imagined his head would be spinning by now. Darkrai had been behind everything this whole time? "I...I don't believe you!" he cried. "You're lying!"
Darkrai crushed the two figures he'd made, turning them into nothing. "I know I lied to you before, but this time it's the truth. Why, your emotions inside this little nightmare of yours gave me enough power to take over for real!" his eye narrowed. "Because of you, everything has been plunged into darkness!"
His eyes widened with fear. No...please be okay, everyone! I'll wake up and help you!
"Now listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once…" Darkrai said. "If you join me, we can rule the darkness together. You'll never have any more nightmares...and I'll get Seraphina back to you for real. It'll be the three of us…"
Raiden faltered. He was promising he'd get to see Sera again. That's how he'd gotten into this mess in the first place, he'd been fooled into thinking he could see her once more.
"You have to live!"
The shinx blinked. "Sera…?"
"Tell everyone what happened here...so that...nothing like this ever happens again."
It was happening again. Darkrai had presumably taken over. Now Raiden was trapped and all alone. Was this how it was going to end for him? Was he just going to be stuck in this eternal nightmare?
"Well?" Darkrai asked. "Will you join us?"
"I'm glad we got to train together at the guild...I'm glad we got to go on adventures together…"
"...I'll never forget you, Rai"
Raiden bared his fangs and glared at the being of darkness. "No!" he shouted. "I'll never join you! I'm going to wake up and take you down! Seraphina would never have wanted this world to become darkness, not after she sacrificed her life to save it!"
Darkrai regarded him for a moment. His eye closed, then opened again. "Fine," he said. "I've had a change of heart. Wake up and take me on. We'll see if your courage remains once you see what's become of the world you hold so dear…"
...
...
"...Gee, he's never going to wake up is he?"
"Golly...Cresselia said he will, you just have to have hope!"
Raiden heard voices, but everything was still dark. It took him too long to realise his eyes felt glued shut, so he tried and struggled to force them open. A groan escaped his parched throat as many gasps and hushed voices filled his ears.
"H-Hey, hey! He's waking up!" said a voice.
"About time, chaw-haw-haw," said another.
"Hold up, give him some space!" squawked a third.
Once he finally managed to get his eyes open, Sunflora and Bidoof were the first ones he saw. But he wasn't at the crossroads anymore.
"O-Oh, golly, Raiden!" Sunflora squealed with relief, handing him a small oran berry. "It's so good to see you awake, but please, don't rush!"
He was so busy gulping it down that he struggled to get words out. "Wha…?"
Bidoof looked like he was about to cry. "I-I saw you passed out at the crossroads a-and I carried you back, yup-yup!" he explained. "You were asleep for a month!"
The shinx forced himself to get up. "A-A month..?" he gasped.
His companions nodded their heads solemnly. Corphish stepped forward next, with Skuntank next to him. Raiden never considered they'd be standing in the same room like this. A quick scan of the room he was in told him most of his guildmates and others were gathered in his own room at the guild. The purple Kecleon brother entered, along with Chansey, who seemed quite relieved to see the shinx.
"What…?"
Chatot was the next to speak up. "Raiden... you need some rest. We can talk about this later…"
Raiden shook his head, then took time with his words. "N-No. I've been asleep for a month thanks to Darkrai... what's going on?"
Skuntank glanced out the window, prompting Raiden to do the same. The room was silent enough for him to hear enraged roars coming from the ocean. Then the window lit up and the whole guild trembled, presumably from the aftershock of a powerful attack. "Chaw-haw... Kyogre and Groudon are fighting violently... and that's not even the worst of it."
Sunflora tapped her leaves together as she spoke up. "Darkrai showed up a few days into your sleep... I don't know how... but he has many of the legends under his control!" she cried. "He makes them fight or destroy things for fun! The ones he doesn't have must be in hiding... but nobody has been brave enough to stop him! Not after what happened to Treasure Town…"
A powerful silence hung over the room. Everyone lowered their heads, like they knew something Raiden didn't.
"...What happened to Treasure Town? And wait, where's Loudred?"
Chatot sighed. "I'm sorry, Raiden. We tried to stand up to Darkrai in your place, but…"
Bidoof gulped. "Darkrai targeted Treasure Town in retaliation...We tried to evacuate everyone we could while Groudon was preparing to burn it to the ground. Loudred rushed back to save more Pokémon, but it was too late.
The purple Kecleon brother sniffed. "My brother...Loudred...and others...not everyone made it."
Raiden's breath hitched. No... no... it can't be…!
The shinx bit into his front right leg, much to everyone's surprise. His teeth dug deep, drawing blood. It tasted bitter on his tongue. It made him dizzy.
"R-Raiden!" Sunflora whimpered.
There were no lies this time. It was all real. Darkrai had taken over.
Seraphina had sacrificed herself to save this world-had asked him to tell everyone their story. But no, he'd despaired so much that just about everything he'd treasured was gone.
And it was all his fault.
This takes place after the main story of the Explorers games, and is just an AU spin on the Darkrai plot that follows. No knowledge of the game is required, just know your Pokemon stuff.
As a warning, while the violence is not graphic, there are dark themes and character death involved. If you do not like character death, then please don't read and get upset.
Huge thanks to Namohysip for helping me get there. You're an inspiration to many of us.
Darkrai's Gift
Summary from FFN: Raiden and Seraphina had done it. They had saved the world from temporal collapse, but Raiden didn't get the happy ending he thought he'd get. Now lost and alone, he's made himself the perfect target for a certain dark spirit. Will the nightmares ever end? Explorers AU. Rated T for dark themes and character death.Part One
They had really done it.Raiden the shinx walked happily down the path that led back to the Rainbow Stoneship. There it would be, waiting for their long journey home. He and his best friend, Seraphina, had just saved the world from temporal collapse. The future would no longer be paralyzed beyond recognition. Grovyle and Celebi...they'd get to live in peace.
Most of all, Raiden would get to spend the rest of his life with Seraph. He was certain about his feelings now more than ever. He loved the vulpix. He didn't care that she used to be a human. That didn't matter to him at all. They'd go back home and celebrate with Wigglytuff's Guild...he'd confess and hopefully, she felt the same.
They could continue their adventures together! This time, without any pressing world-saving to do. They could relax and grow old together... perhaps evolve and even start a family. Raiden had it all planned out-assuming tonight would go as planned.
Now that Temporal Tower wasn't collapsing, Rai could finally appreciate where they were. The duo was high in the sky-falling off any floating islands they walked on would mean certain death. Aside from that, the area was certainly beautiful, even when looking back to see the looming tower they came from, he couldn't stop the excitement he was feeling from just being up here. He never thought he'd be high enough to see some clouds at the same height as himself. Raiden had heard rumours about dungeons ascending into the sky and beyond-those were the kinds of places he wanted to explore.
The places he wanted to discover with nobody but Seraphina by his side. No, wait, that was wrong. They had another teammate, Roger, who was a Barboach. They'd been in such a rush since coming back from the future that he'd almost forgotten about him. Raiden wondered how he was doing, and hopefully, Roger would forgive them for not taking him along.
The three of them could go on plenty of adventures together! Raiden couldn't wait to get start-
"Rai…?" a small voice called out.
He turned back to see his partner, who'd been lagging behind for some reason. "What's the matter, Seraph? Let's hurry home!"
"I... can't," she said. Her expression tightened as she avoided looking Raiden in the eye.
He felt a weight grip his heart. "Why... why not?" he asked, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong?"
Seraph sucked in a breath as she studied her paws and the ground below. "...Sorry, Rai, I've kept this to myself for a long time…"
A golden orb rose softly from her body and vanished into the air. Now that he was closer, Raiden could see that his partner's feet were beginning to go transparent. More orbs started to rise from the vulpix, as more of her became see-through.
No. Nononono. This wasn't how this was meant to go!
"S-Seraphina?" his voice cracked as he watched. He was confused. What was happening to her?
"It looks like... I have to say goodbye…"
Raiden's eyes widened. "Wh-What?!" he moved closer. He was sure he couldn't even see Seraph's feet anymore. "Goodbye?! What do you mean?"
Seraph looked up at him and Raiden could see the tears in her eyes. "Dusknoir told me. If we changed the future, then the Pokémon from the future would disappear…" then she smiled, "That means... I'm destined to disappear, too."
"That... that can't be!" he cried. "W-Why? Why?! I don't understand!"
His partner's eyes softened. He saw her front leg move but the end of it was already gone. Yet he felt a phantom caress on his cheek. Raiden sniffled.
"Thank you for everything. I'm going to be taken away now…" the orbs grew in number as less of Seraph was visible. Raiden had no choice but to step back a little. He had no idea what touching one would do. "But Rai... I'll never forget you."
"But wait for a second!" Raiden sobbed. "I only made it this far because you were with me, Sera! D-Don't you understand…? You made me strong… if you go, I-I don't know…"
The vulpix shook her head. Her eyes shimmered in the light. "No, Rai. You need to be strong on your own. You must live! You have to go home... tell everyone what happened here."
Seraph's expression turned serious. "So that... nothing like this ever happens again."
The light from the golden orbs became brighter as they increased in number. Raiden wanted this to be a dream. It had to be, right?
But it wasn't.
"D... Don't go, Sera, please!"
"I'm glad we got to train together at the guild... I'm glad we got to go on adventures together…"
"N-No, Sera-!"
"But most of all... I'm glad... I got to know you, Raiden."
"S-Sera, wait, please!"
Tears matted Raiden's face at this point. He couldn't see clearly past them. It was too much.
"I'm sorry," she told Raiden. "I'm so lucky that you were my friend…"
Their victory was long forgotten by now. All that mattered to Raiden was telling Seraphina exactly how he felt. "Y-You were more than just my friend! To me, Sera, y-you were... more important than anything!"
She let out a soft chuckle, staring up at the sky briefly before lowering her head once more. Seraph was now missing the entire lower half of her body. "I...feel the same way. I always wanted to tell you, but I never found the right time…"
Then there was a bright glow, blinding the shinx temporarily. When it faded, golden orbs were fading into the air.
Seraphina was gone.
"S-Sera? Sera?!" Raiden called out desperately.
But it was no use.
The shinx's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. Heavy sobs wracked his body.
"Nooooooooo!"
Every day was harder than the last.
Seraphina wanted him to keep living... but what was life without her?
Raiden's guildmates couldn't even cheer him up; suddenly saving the world just didn't mean that much to the shinx anymore.
All he could do these days was stand at the shores of Treasure Town's beach, seemingly waiting for something to wash up. He didn't eat or sleep unless his guildmates forced him to. The master's singing was often used to make Raiden unconscious for a few hours.
Despite her wish, he just couldn't carry on. It was too hard.
"I know it's hard, Raiden," Wigglytuff would say, "But you need to push on. It'll be the hardest thing you'll ever do but I know you can do it!"
Raiden didn't think he could.
Bidoof, Loudred, and Sunflora all tried to invite the shinx on their missions, but he always declined. "Exploring just isn't the same without her, sorry," he'd always tell them.
He tried asking if he could move out of the guild, sleep in his old home that was inside Sharpedo Bluff, but Wigglytuff and Chatot wouldn't let him, out of fear he'd do "something drastic," as they put it.
Days had bled into weeks, then bled into months. Being in the guild was agonizing. Everything reminded Raiden of his partner. Eating in the mess hall, sleeping in the room they had shared, looking at the message boards... even shopping in Treasure Town became a memory he'd treasured. Nothing felt as exciting with her gone.
Every sight brought back a memory of her. His heart ached day in and day out.
His guildmates stopped inviting him on their missions.
Then the shinx guessed that they couldn't handle him anymore because Chatot approached him one day and pulled him to the side.
"Raiden, please, it's been months. You can't mope around like this any longer... it's starting to affect the whole guild…" he said gently. "M-Maybe some time away ought to do you some good?"
Raiden's voice was quiet. He'd lost any kind of pep he had when Seraphina was around. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Hmm... perhaps a trip to the hot springs might be in order?" suggested Chatot. "You need to get out and relax for a bit... get your thoughts together. What do you think?"
"I guess…"
Chatot flapped his wings happily. "I'll take that! Do get yourself ready. I've already arranged it all with Torkoal. I imagine he's been wanting to talk to you."
"Right…"
Chatot nodded, then scratched at the ground with his talons, debating on whether he wanted to add anything more or not. He sighed and turned his back to the hero. "I'm sorry, dear boy. Please, hang in there…"
He quickly took off, leaving Raiden to himself.
The shinx didn't really have anything to pack, since the trip was short. On Chimecho's insistence, he took with him several apples just in case he got hungry.
"Now, I want to see those all eaten up before you get back!" she chided the shinx.
"No promises," he mumbled back.
By the time he'd left the guild, the sun was already high in the sky. Even its rise and fall taunted him.
Seraphina would never get to see it again.
Even though it was a warm day, by the time he'd reached the crossroads, he was cold. Unnaturally cold. The shadows cast by the signpost and trees seemed sharper as if they were coming alive, writhing and consuming the light. If Raiden stepped on a shadow, he imagined he might just fall through the ground.
The fur on the back of Raiden's neck stood up as he looked around. Of course, nobody else was here, was he seeing things? He must have finally lost it.
"Hello?" he called out, not expecting an answer.
"Hello," answered a smooth, friendly voice.
On instinct, Raiden was immediately preparing a discharge, electricity threatening to jump from his body at any moment. "Show yourself!" he shouted.
"My, my... is that how you greet everyone?" the shadows from the crossroad stretched out, first growing long legs and then a wispy body. A white cloud was the first part to emerge from the shadow, which turned out to be more wispy than cloud-like. One bright blue eye stood out completely, with the other being covered by the rest of the white plume. Around its neck was a spiky red growth, which seemed too natural to be a scarf. Everything else about this strange creature was dark and shadowy. Skinny arms with tatters coming off its shoulders, something resembling claws were at the end of the appendages. The wispy body rounded out in jagged spikes, like that of a torn cloak or scarf, and long, skinny legs helped the creature be much taller than Raiden's small frame.
The shinx gulped, still wary and ready to strike at a moment's notice. "Wh-Who are you?" he asked, "what do you want with me?"
"Want with you?" echoed the creature. The single visible eye was enough to know it was smirking at Raiden. "I want to talk to you, of course. As for the first question... I am known as Darkrai."
Darkrai... the name didn't sound familiar to him. But after Dusknoir's betrayal, he wasn't willing to trust anyone right off the bat. The shinx remained guarded. "I'm a little busy, so if you have something to say, make it quick."
"Oh, you're not busy," Darkrai dismissed the statement with a wave. "You saved the world, and yet all you want to do is talk to an old croon in a hot spring?"
Raiden tensed, already feeling the anger rise in him. "What's it to you?" he spat.
"A hero like you deserves a reward... I've been watching you, carrying all that grief and gloom with you. That's not a fate a hero should have to endure…"
It wasn't. But who could Raiden blame? His partner had come from the future with the aim of saving the present. Despite her initial amnesia, she came to know that she'd disappear. She'd been out to sacrifice herself from the beginning.
But that didn't stop it from hurting so much.
Darkrai had inched closer. "Your partner... you could see her again, you know."
His heart jumped at those words. Could... could he really…?
Raiden shook his head. He had to be cautious. It was too good to be true. "How do I know it's not a trick? You can't travel to a future that doesn't exist anymore."
"No, you can't," Darkrai lamented. "But I can help you see her. I know how much you want to…" then he leaned in towards Raiden's ear, its voice lowering to a whisper. "And I know how much she wants to see you, too."
His mind spun at the thought. Seraphina was… waiting for him? She wanted to see... him? There were so many things he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to do. He could finally get the life he wanted this way. He and Seraphina could be happy together.
A small part of his mind screamed out: "Don't listen! It's a trick!" but Raiden didn't want to pass up this opportunity. Life without Seraphina wasn't living. It was impossible. It wasn't fair. It wasn't the happy ending Raiden wanted at all. It was everything but.
"So…?" Darkrai had drifted away to give the shinx time to think. "Will you see your darling Seraphina again? Will you save her?"
That sweet, tempting voice of Darkrai's. Raiden wanted nothing more than to believe him.
"How do I do it? How do I see her?" he asked.
"Close your eyes, Raiden. I'll take care of the rest..."
The screech of wild wingull and the crashing of waves were what woke Raiden up. His eyes opened slowly as sunlight poked into his vision from the makeshift eye sockets of Sharpedo Bluff. A groan escaped the shinx as he sat up, stretching his legs out in the process.
Today was the day. He was going to finally join Wigglytuff's Gui-
Raiden paused as that thought sunk in. "I'm joining the Guild?" he asked himself aloud. A quick look around told him that none of his stashed away treasures he'd collected with Seraphina were in his home anymore. The chunk of crystal he'd taken from Waterfall Cave... a perfect apple seed from Apple Woods... other small things like that. Even if they weren't worth much in money, they were everything to Raiden's heart. Memories he'd shared with his partner. What did Darkrai do?
The shinx stepped over to his makeshift pouch he'd gotten from his parents. It was to hold some things until he got his official explorer's bag. If his treasures were gone and he had planned to join the guild, then… Yup, there it was.
At the bottom of the pouch sat a small, stone object. It was lined with intricate grooves and lines that made absolutely no sense, but at the same time, it all created a strange, peculiar pattern.
It was the relic fragment.
Raiden's eyes widened as he looked over everything once more. It was almost like he'd never joined the guild, with only his memories to tell him otherwise. Did that mean..."He... sent me back in time?"
Nothing answered him back, as expected. Raiden couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face. He was back! He could find Seraphina all over again! He stuck his head through the loop of the pouch, letting it hang from his neck. The shinx felt excited all over as he quickly climbed out of Sharpedo Bluff and darted to Treasure Town.
He weaved around townsfolk and jumped over smaller ones. Wurmple shrieked in terror as he was suddenly turned into a hurdle, but had no other reaction. Raiden took no notice of anything, except for his feet, to make sure he didn't trip, and his rapidly beating heart as he neared the beach.
He was so close…!
There were no bubbles out that day. Raiden assumed that he turned up too early to see them. But that didn't matter. He saw a patch of red on the far side of the beach, exactly the place he remembered. The shinx wasted no time in darting over, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Seraphina was unconscious in the sand. Unconscious but alive.
Raiden took a moment to just stare at his partner. He missed her. Everything hurt when she wasn't around. He placed a paw on her back, shaking her body gently. "Come on, Sera, please wake up..!" he said, desperation leaking into his voice.
Seraphina's vulpix body stirred, a light groan was enough to fill Raiden with joy. He waited for his soon-to-be-partner-once-more to get up, stepping back to give her some space. "A-Are you alright? What happened?" he asked.
"Uhm…" she paused, staring out at the water briefly. Raiden recognised the vacant look in her eyes from when they first met. "Sorry, I don't remember."
"You don't?" Raiden frowned a little. That meant she didn't know him at all. But he had Sera again. She was right here! That's all he wanted.
"Actually... I remember that my name is Seraphina," said the vulpix, "And... that I used to be a human." When Raiden didn't appear shocked, she only tilted her head in confusion. "Um... do you know what a human is?"
"I do," he said. "I believe you. I've heard more bizarre things before."
"Uh-huh... um... what do I do now…?"
Raiden could barely contain himself. This was it. The chance to do it all over again. They could save the world and he could figure out a way to stop her from leaving. He'd stop at nothing to keep Seraphina in his life. "Come with me!" he said with newfound determination. "We can sign up to the nearby guild, and we'll go on hundreds of adventures together! Something out there is bound to jog your memory!"
Confused eyes met Raiden's determined ones. Gentle waves brushed against the shore, yet made no sound. It was just the two of them.
Seraphina blinked. "Uh... sorry, who are you?"
Raiden snorted and chuckled. "Hehe! Sorry, I got ahead of myself there...my name's Raiden, nice to meet you!" He held out his paw towards her. She was the reason he even had that name. It felt right, introducing himself to her this way.
She smiled and returned the gesture, holding out her own paw and placing it against Raiden's own. They shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Raiden. And yes, I think I might just take you up on that offer...it's better than any plans I had, which was nothing."
He grinned. "Yes!" he cheered. "Don't worry, Sera, we'll get your memories back. You can count on it!"
Where did it all go wrong?
Raiden hadn't been able to find anything about time travel at all during their journey. The only ones capable of it were Dialga and Celebi. The passage of time just simply wasn't a thing that could be studied.
So once again he bore witness to the golden orbs of light that taunted him. Each one that floated from Seraphina's body was another part of her gone. He had thought things this time might be different, that her disappearing was just a stroke of bad luck. So why..?
"N-No..." Raiden stammered. "It... It can't be! I don't understand!" he wanted to be sick. He wanted to disappear too. He didn't want to be alone again.
"I'm never going to forget you," Seraphina said, holding back tears. "Thank you for everything, Rai…"
"No, wait!" he cried, running over to grab her as her remaining body flashed before him. He leaped, his desperate paws only phasing through the last of the orbs. In a sudden moment, his life had vanished once again.
He was alone once more.
His body fell forward. Raiden's front paws drifted to the sides of his head as he screamed. It echoed around in his mind as he released all of his raw emotion into the air. "No, no! No no no no NOOOOO!"
This wasn't it. He was promised he would see her again. Raiden could save Seraphina. He had to!
Then he stood up and glared at the sky. "You promised, Darkrai!" Raiden yelled. Without hesitation, he leaped off the path and began his dive into the clouds. His descent was rapid, he felt no wind.
"YOU PROMIIIIIIISED!"
And then his world rippled and shifted before him. Darkness swallowed him whole.
"Today, I would like to share some excellent news with you."
Raiden glared at Dusknoir like he always had this time, but his expression somehow went unnoticed all the while. Everyone in Treasure Town Square behaved as if they hadn't noticed his clear hatred for the ghost in front of them all. Not even Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, the three lake guardians that protected just three of the time gears, the beings of Knowledge, Emotion, and Wisdom.
Not even Seraphina, who stood loyally beside him as they watched Dusknoir give his speech to the whole town. Everyone was too busy being enamored with the false explorer, the agent to Primal Dialga. Grovyle stood useless and bound between two of Dusknoir's lackeys, some sableye. Purple gremlin creatures with gems for eyes. The passage that would take them, Seraphina, and himself to the future awaited behind Dusknoir. It rippled and threatened to suck in anyone who would dare approach it. Raiden wanted to avoid going near it this time.
"Finally...Grovyle...has been captured!" Dusknoir declared dramatically. Raiden wanted to zap them all here and now. He couldn't believe how naive everyone was being. They all cheered for the capture of the one Pokémon trying to save the world. "This was all made possible by your selfless support and cooperation! I can't thank you enough!"
The cheering seemed so loud that Raiden couldn't pick out any specific voices, but when he looked around, he could see everyone but Seraphina celebrating with Dusknoir. Focusing on any one voice was impossible, even trying to pick out Ursaring and Teddiursa's roars from behind him wasn't happening.
Dusknoir continued with his speech. "As you can see," he said, gesturing to his prisoner. "Grovyle is a vicious and wicked Pokémon. His capture should result in lasting peace for your world."
"No, it won't!" Raiden shouted. Everything paused as Dusknoir's single eye became trained on him. It flashed blue so quickly that Raiden wasn't sure if he actually saw it or not.
Seraphina didn't move. It was like she was just as stuck as the rest of the Treasure Town residents.
"S-Sera…?" Raiden felt his voice crack as he waved a paw in front of the vulpix's face. Nothing responded. There was no breath, no movement, no recognition of Raiden whatsoever.
"Sera?!"
"Grovyle was a problem."
"H-Huh…?"
Raiden turned around to be face-to-face with Dusknoir. His yellow eye was now a bright, piercing blue.
Dusknoir's voice remained the same-deep, repulsive, and fake. But it sounded like it came from someone else. If anything, it was like Dusknoir had shown his true colours early.
"You heard me," he said. "Grovyle was a tiny thorn in my side. He tried to play hero...I'm glad he was stopped."
Raiden gritted his teeth as he stared up at the malicious ghost. "He was trying to save the world, and the future!" he retorted. "That's more than I can say about you!"
"Temper, temper," Dusknoir chided, turning away from the shinx. "Besides, he was only a tiny thorn...merely a prickle."
Floating back to his original position, Dusknoir faced Raiden and the frozen crowd once again. Just how was he doing that…? "What are you... what do you mean?" he asked the ghost.
"There are bigger obstacles in my way... and you were one of them."
"M-Me? I...I don't understand-" Raiden quickly shook his head. "What game are you playing at, Dusknoir?! What did you do to everyone!?" his shout didn't even leave an echo. Then Raiden paused. He took a moment to consider his surroundings. Everything was quiet. There was far less sound than there should have been. "W-Wait, where's the wind? I... I can't even feel the sun!" he panicked, looking around. "What's happening?!"
Everything seemed brighter for just a moment. A pink glow started to invade his vision. This felt soft, comforting...and real.
"Come on, Raiden! Please wake up!" pleaded a voice.
"Wh-What…? Who are you?!" Raiden cried. Nothing was making sense anymore. The entire world around him flickered briefly.
Dusknoir's abnormal blue eye glowed brighter. The pink glow suddenly vanished, replaced by only darkness. "You wished to see Seraphina all over again, did you not? This is what you wanted."
Fogginess took over Raiden's mind and his surroundings warped once again.
Raiden and Seraphina were walking happily, side by side in Apple Woods. It was a simple dungeon filled with grass and bug-type Pokémon, with trees clumped so close together they almost formed walls side-by-side, and fresh, soft dirt under their paws with each step. Even if the job wasn't great-fetching Guildmaster Wigglytuff some perfect apples-he was still with his partner, Sera, and that's all he cared about. It was another adventure they could go on.
Their peaceful moment was disrupted by a butterfree, a small, winged, insectoid Pokémon that was no match for either of them. His body crackled with electricity as he slammed into the butterfree with a jump. Once he landed, Seraphina followed up with a small burst of flames that she spat at their opponent. It had no chance as the poor butterfree flew off in retreat.
Raiden looked back and grinned at his partner, and she grinned back. At first, he'd been wary about adventuring with her. Seraphina had claimed she was a human and had no memories of anything when he had first met her at Treasure Town's beach, but she had learned quickly how to handle herself. He felt invincible when he was with her, it was amazing how much courage and confidence he had when Seraphina was around.
"C'mon!" Raiden said with a cheer, "We should be nearing the center of Apple Woods, that's where Chatot said all the perfect apples were!"
The vulpix nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We'll have this job done in no time, though if we're going anywhere else I'm getting my paws and legs cleaned first. As nice as this dirt feels...it's giving me a huge urge to get clean."
He snickered in response, it was one bit about Sera he enjoyed. She had a habit of being clean, while he didn't care if his fur was a little messy. Raiden was often chided for it.
"Jeeze, Rai," Seraphina huffed. "The least you could do was look nice for our clients!"
Raiden glanced back at hearing his nickname, only to find that they were now back in their room at the guild, they were both up and ready for the day ahead of them. Sera had a cute pout on her face, her tails curled up so the tips were touching the middle of her back. He knew that as a 'tell' for when she was mildly annoyed.
"Aw, Sera!" he heard himself whine in response. "But they don't care how I look, what matters is that we get the job done!"
She rolled her eyes in response. "You could at least look neat for the guild, you know, image and stuff."
"Naaah, I'm pretty sure they don't care either," just talking with his partner like this made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It reminded him of the good memories, the times they saved the day, completed an errand, or discovered something new about the world.
He was going to save his darling Seraphina.
Then in a flash, his surroundings changed again. Once more, they were walking away from Temporal Tower, approaching the rainbow stoneship. Fresh off their victory against Dialga. The two of them had saved the world. They were invincible! They faced all odds and won!
Raiden couldn't wait to confess his feelings to Seraphina once they got back. Hopefully, she'd felt the same way and they could start a new life together.
Raiden stopped. His gut dropped. Once he realised what was about to happen he refused to turn around. He didn't want to see what was about to happen again.
"Rai…?" a small voice called out.
No. No no no, not again!
He forced his eyes shut. He couldn't will himself to do it again. "No! Not again!"
Raiden had thought he closed his eyes, but his vision blinked and the vulpix he loved with all his heart was disappearing once again. Those taunting gold orbs…
Sera's taunting, sad eyes. They burned into his mind.
"...I'll never forget you," Seraphina told him.
"N-No, Sera, please!" Raiden begged. "Stop disappearing!"
But no answer came. With a flash, Raiden was back on the beach. The waves were loud, the sand was extremely gritty under his paws. But what had his attention the most was Seraphina.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Instead of answering, his breath hitched and Raiden took off into the water, which wasn't even making him wet. He didn't even hear Seraphina react at all. A large wave washed over him and before he could hold his breath, his world flipped and he was back at Temporal Tower.
"...I'll never forget you."
"Wh-Why is this happening?!" Raiden screamed. He turned and ran from his growing nightmare. The path seemed to go on forever. He ran and ran and ran, faster he went, not looking back.
He couldn't see it anymore.
The shimmering form of Darkrai appeared beside him. Without thinking, Raiden pounced at the one who as far as he knew, was behind all this.
"Stop messing with me!" he shrieked.
Suddenly he crashed into the sand at the beach, his surroundings having warped again. He was sure he would have tasted the grains against his tongue.
If it was real.
Darkrai was floating behind a frozen Seraphina, who was staring at nothing. The shinx glared and watched as Darkrai stretched out his phantasmal legs. "What's wrong, Raiden?" he asked, his single blue eye trained on Raiden.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?!" Raiden demanded. "You were just out to mess with me!"
"Who are you?" asked the vulpix, still facing nothing.
Darkrai appeared to shrug. "I was wondering if you'd ever notice...though there was a time you nearly got pulled out... I made quick work of that."
"I…" Raiden paused, trying to think back. "Someone was...trying to rescue me?"
Darkrai's laugh echoed through the beach and in Raiden's mind. "Of course. But you see, your bad dreams specifically have given me so much power...I've become unstoppable. Not even that pesky Cresselia can counter me anymore. You hero types are so gullible, your love turned into the strongest kind of despair under the right circumstances, so thank you for helping."
He had so many questions. Who was Cresselia? Bad dreams? What power was Darkrai talking about?
Darkrai continued. "You're more gullible than I thought. Your love for your dead friend made you desperate...you reeked of opportunity. You see...the whole world did."
Raiden choked. "Wh-What?"
"Even in your dreams, this world is too bright for my liking…" Darkrai scoffed, and a wave of his wispy hand made the whole image vanish. It was just the two of them in overwhelming darkness. It made Darkrai almost blend in. "I wish to cover it in darkness and become its king. So I meddled with Temporal Tower and hoped to cause the Planet's Paralysis. But then those two-" he conjured up a bipedal creature that seemed to stand protectively in front of Grovyle. It had red, frizzy hair and brown eyes, like the ones Raiden loved to stare into. "They got in the way and planned to travel through time. So I intervened during their trip, but then Seraphina just had to protect Grovyle, and in doing so she became a Pokémon with amnesia." What Raiden then presumed was Seraphina's human form morphed into a vulpix. "I thought that was it...but they became way too resourceful."
If Raiden had been awake, he imagined his head would be spinning by now. Darkrai had been behind everything this whole time? "I...I don't believe you!" he cried. "You're lying!"
Darkrai crushed the two figures he'd made, turning them into nothing. "I know I lied to you before, but this time it's the truth. Why, your emotions inside this little nightmare of yours gave me enough power to take over for real!" his eye narrowed. "Because of you, everything has been plunged into darkness!"
His eyes widened with fear. No...please be okay, everyone! I'll wake up and help you!
"Now listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once…" Darkrai said. "If you join me, we can rule the darkness together. You'll never have any more nightmares...and I'll get Seraphina back to you for real. It'll be the three of us…"
Raiden faltered. He was promising he'd get to see Sera again. That's how he'd gotten into this mess in the first place, he'd been fooled into thinking he could see her once more.
"You have to live!"
The shinx blinked. "Sera…?"
"Tell everyone what happened here...so that...nothing like this ever happens again."
It was happening again. Darkrai had presumably taken over. Now Raiden was trapped and all alone. Was this how it was going to end for him? Was he just going to be stuck in this eternal nightmare?
"Well?" Darkrai asked. "Will you join us?"
"I'm glad we got to train together at the guild...I'm glad we got to go on adventures together…"
"...I'll never forget you, Rai"
Raiden bared his fangs and glared at the being of darkness. "No!" he shouted. "I'll never join you! I'm going to wake up and take you down! Seraphina would never have wanted this world to become darkness, not after she sacrificed her life to save it!"
Darkrai regarded him for a moment. His eye closed, then opened again. "Fine," he said. "I've had a change of heart. Wake up and take me on. We'll see if your courage remains once you see what's become of the world you hold so dear…"
...
...
"...Gee, he's never going to wake up is he?"
"Golly...Cresselia said he will, you just have to have hope!"
Raiden heard voices, but everything was still dark. It took him too long to realise his eyes felt glued shut, so he tried and struggled to force them open. A groan escaped his parched throat as many gasps and hushed voices filled his ears.
"H-Hey, hey! He's waking up!" said a voice.
"About time, chaw-haw-haw," said another.
"Hold up, give him some space!" squawked a third.
Once he finally managed to get his eyes open, Sunflora and Bidoof were the first ones he saw. But he wasn't at the crossroads anymore.
"O-Oh, golly, Raiden!" Sunflora squealed with relief, handing him a small oran berry. "It's so good to see you awake, but please, don't rush!"
He was so busy gulping it down that he struggled to get words out. "Wha…?"
Bidoof looked like he was about to cry. "I-I saw you passed out at the crossroads a-and I carried you back, yup-yup!" he explained. "You were asleep for a month!"
The shinx forced himself to get up. "A-A month..?" he gasped.
His companions nodded their heads solemnly. Corphish stepped forward next, with Skuntank next to him. Raiden never considered they'd be standing in the same room like this. A quick scan of the room he was in told him most of his guildmates and others were gathered in his own room at the guild. The purple Kecleon brother entered, along with Chansey, who seemed quite relieved to see the shinx.
"What…?"
Chatot was the next to speak up. "Raiden... you need some rest. We can talk about this later…"
Raiden shook his head, then took time with his words. "N-No. I've been asleep for a month thanks to Darkrai... what's going on?"
Skuntank glanced out the window, prompting Raiden to do the same. The room was silent enough for him to hear enraged roars coming from the ocean. Then the window lit up and the whole guild trembled, presumably from the aftershock of a powerful attack. "Chaw-haw... Kyogre and Groudon are fighting violently... and that's not even the worst of it."
Sunflora tapped her leaves together as she spoke up. "Darkrai showed up a few days into your sleep... I don't know how... but he has many of the legends under his control!" she cried. "He makes them fight or destroy things for fun! The ones he doesn't have must be in hiding... but nobody has been brave enough to stop him! Not after what happened to Treasure Town…"
A powerful silence hung over the room. Everyone lowered their heads, like they knew something Raiden didn't.
"...What happened to Treasure Town? And wait, where's Loudred?"
Chatot sighed. "I'm sorry, Raiden. We tried to stand up to Darkrai in your place, but…"
Bidoof gulped. "Darkrai targeted Treasure Town in retaliation...We tried to evacuate everyone we could while Groudon was preparing to burn it to the ground. Loudred rushed back to save more Pokémon, but it was too late.
The purple Kecleon brother sniffed. "My brother...Loudred...and others...not everyone made it."
Raiden's breath hitched. No... no... it can't be…!
The shinx bit into his front right leg, much to everyone's surprise. His teeth dug deep, drawing blood. It tasted bitter on his tongue. It made him dizzy.
"R-Raiden!" Sunflora whimpered.
There were no lies this time. It was all real. Darkrai had taken over.
Seraphina had sacrificed herself to save this world-had asked him to tell everyone their story. But no, he'd despaired so much that just about everything he'd treasured was gone.
And it was all his fault.
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