Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I own the story and all characters, unless otherwise stated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.Kira was never one for Pokémon battles. Much rather, she stayed around the Professor's office, often helping with the Pokémon in the area or filling in for her while she was gone or busy. During this time, she had made many friends with the Pokémon she helped to raised. But even then, she never got the experience of a trainer or of the world. It wasn't like she actually minded, though. She liked staying where she could have a comfortable life.
One day, during a very uneventful time of her life, Kira received a letter from the Professor of Alola, Kukui. Kira had never met the professor, nor had she really wanted to, but, well, this was quite the shock. Kira knew she wasn't very well known, especially outside the region, but Professor Juniper had probably spoken to him about her on her trips. She really didn't know, so she didn't question it any further.
Within the next week, she was already walking along the sandy shores of the Alola region. When she had told Juniper, she was told to pack and head to the region as fast as possible, which was what she did. She felt a bit worried, especially since she was leaving her friends behind, but this was something that she couldn't pass up, even if she had wanted to.
Shaking her head, Kira headed towards the run-down shack that Professor Kukui lived in alongside his Pokémon. At the door, she knocked lightly, only to hear a loud thud from inside. She had been warned that the house was a bit weak, but she hadn't expected it to be like that. If it was still standing, though, then how could it have been weak? That was something that actually confused her.
After a moment of silent, she heard a muffled shout coming from inside. She moved back a bit, rubbing her arm as the familiar cries of Corsola and many other Pokémon reached her ears. Perhaps this was a good environment to study them; out in the open and alongside them as neighbors.
As she was thinking, the door quickly opened, revealing Kukui as she thought it would. "Hello, Professor Kukui," she said with a light, yet very faint, smile. "I came as quick as I possibly could, sir. Your letter said there was something you needed me to do here?"
"Right," Kukui panted as he looked back at his Pokémon. "There have strange occurrences around Poni Island for the past five months. I've been trying to find out what they were, but no one can get close enough to the island. Any inhabitants have had their connections to us cut, even though there are no clouds in the sky or around the island. I was hoping you could help with the investigation."
"Umm... I could probably help, but I know next to nothing about Alola," Kira responded. "I know a lot about your Pokémon, and even some of the legendries you have here, but I know nothing about the islands themselves, especially Poni."
"That's why we're sending you there with someone who does," Kukui responded. "Please, come inside while I get him. He's a bit shy during the day, but he's really nice. He knows Poni inside and out, and possibly can help in your investigation."
Kira nodded lightly and moved into the house. She looked around, noticing that it was actually a lot neater than she would have thought. Perhaps it was just the outside appearance people were talking about, but the inside was surprisingly neat, especially with how Kukui did his research. Shaking her head, she moved out of Kukui's way so he could go to the basement.
Out of his sight, Kira moved over to the few Pokémon who roamed in the house freely. She noticed Rowlett, Stufful, Rockruff, and even Pikipek, but she was sure there must have been more somewhere. She studied every nook and cranny she could, which wasn't actually all that many. Kukui was extremely organized, unlike what she was told.
As she was watching the Pokémon play, Kukui walked up behind her, placing a Pokéball beside her; she turned and looked up to him curious. She hadn't expected this of all things. She thought that he had been talking about someone, definitely not a Pokémon. This was quite shocking, metaphorically of course.
"Be careful, kay?" Kukui said with a proud smile. "There's a ferry right off of the shopping district of Hau'oli City. You can use that ship to get as close to Poni island as possible. Promise me you'll be careful, Kira. Juniper was really worried about you when I asked her for your help."
"You should worry more about the Pokémon," Kira responded as she slowly stood, looking at the Pokéball for a moment before looking to Kukui. "I'm no trainer, sir. I've never trained a Pokémon myself, only helped and kept healthy. I'm no good for this kind of challenge."
"I'm not sending you in because I want you to become a trainer." Kukui smiled and rubbed her head. "I'm sending you because you understand Pokémon better than even most trainers. I'm sending you in hopes of finding out just what's happening on Poni island."
After a moment, of silence, Kira clenched the Pokéball tightly and nodded. "I understand, sir," she whispered lightly. "But how am I going to get on the island from a ship? You said no one could get close to the island. How could I be any different."
"I just have a funny feeling about you," Kukui responded before turning and chuckling to himself. "Besides, your partner there should be able to assist you in reaching the island with no problem. Just keep an eye out for any mysterious behavior, and you'll both be fine."
Nodding once again, Kira then left, heading to Hau'oli City quickly. While she was even more terrified now, especially since she'd been here less than an hour, she couldn't complain. Going on an adventure sure sounded fun right about now, but research came first. If Poni Island was in danger, then so was the rest of Alola, and perhaps the world. She had to find the cause of this disturbance before it spread, even if she was scared.
Before long, she was on a ferry and on her way to Poni Island. She stood on the bow of the ship, watching the waves coming towards her and smiling at the familiar breeze that gave her warmth and strength. It reminded her of Unova, but she knew she was a long way from home now.
As she was thinking, the Pokéball on her belt shook, distracting her from her thoughts. Cautiously, she reached down and pulled it off, clicking the small button that expanded it. With a faint smile, she held it up, then allowing it to open and release the Pokémon inside: Pidgeot.
"So Professor Kukui gave me a Pidgeot," she chuckled as she looked over the Bird Pokémon. "It's really nice to meet your acquaintance, Pidgeot. I hope we can solve the mystery of Poni Island together."
Pidgeot nodded and hopped closer, looking over the ocean and to the approaching island. Kira frowned lightly and leaned to look a bit closer. It had been a while, yes, but it wasn't long enough to already be reaching the island.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked Pidgeot, moving back to give it room to prepare for flight. "I think we should take off now, before anything bad happens. I don't want this to fail any worse than it already might."
Pidgeot nodded in response and spread his wide wings. Kira looked behind her to make sure no one was watching as she got on Pidgeot, who, before she could usher the command, took off. Kira gripped Pidgeot's feathers tightly, not having expected it to be able to move as fast as she had read. Pidgeot didn't seem to mind her grip, but slowed down a bit so she could relax a bit more. By this time, the island was approaching faster than ever.
Kira looked over Pidgeot's side and to the island. She sighed lightly and watched the island for any strange behavior. But from where they were, there seemed to be absolutely nothing wrong with the island. There was no cloud cover, no unusual winds, and nothing seemed to be wrong with the island. It was all as Kukui had told her, but a lot more peaceful than expected.
As they were starting to descend, the familiar sound of thunder reached Kira's ears. She flinched, which made Pidgeot's descent a bit harder to control until she had relaxed once more. Kira, once having calmed, looked around for the source, but there was still no sign of cloud cover or anything of the sort.
"That was weird," she whispered lightly as they came closer to the island, eventually reaching just a mile away from it. She could tell Pidgeot, much like herself, was terrified. "But we need to push on. This is for Pokémon and humans alike."
With a nod, Pidgeot quickly folded his wings, then flying at the island faster than ever before. Kira saw it for only a moment, but Pidgeot wasn't quick enough to move as lightning then struck, slamming into them both and sending them to the ground.
Kira groaned as she hit the ground, which, lucky for them both, had only been about a twenty or thirty foot drop. Kira slowly stood, only to collapse once more as pain coursed through her, taking every bit of strength from her.
"Pidgeot? Are you okay?" Kira groaned as she looked over to the Pokémon, who seemed to be struggling from the same thing as her.
"F-fine, ma'am," he responded, shocking her greatly as it spoke. "Did you see a ghost or something, Kira? Come on. We need to get off the ground before something stumbles across us." No matter how much he tried, Pidgeot found himself unable to move.
"Status effect paralysis," Kira pointed out as she forced herself to her feet. "I can't suffer from the same state, but I can't feel anything. I think my nervous system was short-circuited."
"If it was, you'd be dead by now," Pidgeot responded before to electricity soon faded and allowed him to move. "I think you might have broken something. If not that, then you might be in some sort of state where you feel awake, but your body isn't."
Kira nodded before eventually regaining feeling in her body. By that time, the sun was already fading over the horizon, turning the island to night. She had really wanted to finish this before night, but it wasn't like that could be helped. This was a mission, and she had to go through with it until the very end.
When she could finally move, she sat next to Pidgeot, who had caught several fish from somewhere. She didn't bother asking, seeing as of how that would just make matters worse. It was already weird enough, with him talking and all, but she didn't care at the moment. Both had been struck by lightning, so she knew something was bound to happen.
"You seem tense, ma'am," Pidgeot pointed out through a beakful of fish. "I think it would be best if you relax. We're on the island, and the only bad thing to happen was the lightning. That and the fact that the only living souls are in the water. I found no other signs of life apart from the surprisingly lush vegetation."
"Right," Kira mumbled as she lowered her shoulders, looking into the fire they had started. "But I was just thinking about everything that's been happening. There was no cloud cover, so how did the lightning strike? How did we even get close enough to this island, and yet we landed on it. And how did we survive that fall with no major injuries. From that height, I'd have at least a few broken bones."
"We're on an island where mysterious events have been occurring for a while now," Pidgeot reminded her, wrapping his wings around her to provide warmth. "I wouldn't be surprised if that lightning shot a bit of that mysteriousness into you and me. Perhaps that's why you can understand me!"
"Maybe," Kira mumbled as she yawned and settled into him. "Thank you so much for caring for me, Pidgeot. I'm sure it must have been hard for you to just meet me and take me on a journey to Poni Island."
"Actually, I've been with professor for the past year," Pidgeot laughed as he moved away and looked to the sky. "If it weren't for you and his instinct, I'd be stuck in that Pokéball for Arceus knows how long. Because of you, I'm actually out and about."
Kira nodded and response and looked at the blazing fire. As she was watching the flickering of flames, a feeling of dread washed over her. The fire became dark, eventually giving off a cold warmth. How was that even possible? Kira instinctively stood, looking to the sky as it started to become dark, almost as though becoming covered in a dark cloud.
"I don't think this is the cause of something accidental," Kira pointed out as thunder and lightning began to strike and echo more often than ever before. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon could cause this kind of damage to light."
"Necrozma," Pidgeot growled. "We have to get to the Poni Altar as soon as possible! That's where Necrozma usually appears when an Ultra Wormhole will open when it needs to feed. If it's absorbing light, we need to stop it before it can consume our world!"
"You mean the Necrozma?" Kira asked as she turned and looked towards where the alter would be. "If that's true, then we better hurry and try to get it through the Ultra Wormhole. This is not how I expected my first night on Alola to play out. I thought it'd be so much more peaceful."
"As did I," Pidgeot snarled as he allowed her to get on his back. "When we reach the altar, you have to be careful, Kira. Necrozma doesn't like humans, especially those who don't have any light to give him. There is only so much we can do to stop it."
Kira nodded as Pidgeot took off, heading straight towards the top of the altar. Lightning struck from all directions, but they were lucky enough not to get hit a second time. Above them, the sky had begun to grow darker and darker, a sign of Necrozma's light-stealing powers. It seemed to take forever before they were finally able to land, but by that time, the entire sky had become dark, and lightning no longer struck.
"Is it just me, or does it feel colder all of a sudden?" Kira said as she slowly looked to the darkened sky. Even during the night, she had never felt so cold. That was when it started to snow. "Snow? In Alola? What the hell is Necrozma doing?"
"I have no idea, but I say we better hurry and stop it before the light is stolen away." Pidgeot then spread his wings and started forward, only to be thrown to the ground by a powerful beam of light.
"Human and Pokémon shall not pass," a deep voice resonated within their heads. "Human and Pokémon have entered forbidden land. Extermination must occur. Light cannot be allowed to be taken away from me."
Kira groaned and slowly moved over to Pidgeot. From there, she could see the dark being that was stealing their light: Necrozma. It looked a bit weird, especially with how bright it was compared to the surroundings, but she was more worried about what it was saying. Why would it want to exterminate them? Then again, why was it even here, taking their light? Was it trying to take it so no one else could?
"Human spotted," it said, its voice becoming robotic and emotionless. "Human and Pokémon subjects show no sign of hostility, and are much rather curious and lost. Extermination terminated." It looked at them with dark eyes, a small chuckle escaping it. "You humans are weird. I never allowed anyone on my island, and then you appear, as though the barrier couldn't stop you. Why is that? How did you come to be here?"
"I am here because I was sent to investigate the events happening upon Poni Island!" she snapped at it, walking closer to try and avoid its questions. "You are stealing the light from a world where it belongs! Why, out of all the worlds you could go to, are you doing this to us? What did we do to deserve this?"
"You avoided my questions, so I'll just ignore yours," Necrozma responded, lifting a hand aiming a powerful attack at her. "Now, give me a good reason not to obliterate you right here and now, human. No matter what you tell me, even if I do decide to spare you, you'll die to the darkness anyways."
Kira was silent for a moment before she stepped closer to Necrozma. She didn't know whether it was the adrenaline in her or her mind telling her to fight, but she didn't care. "What do you want? I'll give you anything if you leave the light in my world alone, Necrozma. I'll jump through any hoop and crash any barrier!"
"A human asking me to give the light of their world back?" Necrozma laughed. "How silly, and yet so fun to use. I have an idea, child. Chase me down and battle me. If you win, then I'll give the light of your world back. But if you fail to do so, your world will die, and you will be stuck wherever you end up. You said you would do anything, and I think that's rather fair, wouldn't you say?"
"Don't trust him," Pidgeot growled as he quickly flew over, spreading his wings wide. "Necrozma is a liar. He would do anything to get the light from any world, including ours. We can't trust him, Kira!"
"If that's how you're gonna be," Necrozma sighed. "Prismatic Laser!" A beam suddenly flew from Necrozma's hand, slamming into Pidgeot and knocking him several feet away. "Now, human, decide your fate. Find me and defeat me, or give up your world's light."
"I don't have a choice, do I?" Kira whispered as she looked to her feet. With a light chuckle, she then raised her head. "It's a fine deal, Necrozma. I accept your challenge!"
Necrozma chuckled lightly and aimed his attack at her. "That's the kind of vigor I like to hear coming from you humans," he responded as the light became brighter. "But for now, your journey to capturing me begins. I'd wish you luck, but I'm gonna enjoy watching as you try to chase me down. Goodbye, human."
Kira's eyes widened in realization at what he meant. She tried to move out of the way of the attack, but it slammed into her nonetheless. Within moments, it had stopped, but the pain remained. She closed her eyes, chuckling lightly to herself while all sense of feeling disappeared.
"Screw you, Necrozma," she whispered as everything became dark. "I'll find you and make you give my home back its light." She then fell unconscious, unaware of the journey she was going to be put through due to the challenge.
Input: Hello. If you are reading this, then it means you have finished Prologue: Black Light. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. If you notice any errors, please inform me and I will fix them as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please ask me and I will try to explain them to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading.
