Joan walked through the dark corridor, a candle held firmly in her hands. As the youngest member of the king's council she was honor bound to stand at his side as he took his final breaths. As someone who had come to view the king as a father figure, she desperately hoped that his message was somehow wrong, and that his death would be postponed. She walked past the king's honor guard, a long line of her fellow Gardevoir and their cousins, the Gallade. She saw their silent tears in the lamplight that shone intermittently through the hallway. She felt their sadness as she passed them, their minds caressing each other naturally as they shared their grief. Even the Honedge and Doublade that the Gardevoir carried sobbed silently in the half-darkness. As Joan approached the ornate gilded doors of the king's chamber, she placed her hand on the door handle and sobbed. After a moment of gathering herself, she opened the door and walked inside.
At the far end of the large room was a tall bed covered in soft pillows and blankets. In the center of those cushions lay an ancient Mew, King Siebold, Ruler of God's Breath. Two Togekiss floated in circles around the ceiling of the room, humming and singing softly to their monarch. Joan could feel the sadness in their voices. Lamps filled with flashing Joltik lit the elegant room with somber light. Eighteen powerful Pokémon stood guard around the bed, each one wearing the symbol of the type they led somewhere on their body. Most wore scarves, one wore silver gloves, and one had the imprint of the ghost-type just below his mouth. There wasn't a dry eye among them. Joan was not the only one who loved the king as a father.
"You come just in time, Joan," said a tall, broad shouldered Gallade standing next to the bed. He wore an elegant, blue silk scarf around his neck with a picture of a red fist embroidered in its center. "Our king is not long for this world."
"Is His Majesty content, Gallah? I fear to touch his mind, for that might cause discomfort."
"I am well, child," the ancient Mew said, projecting his thoughts into the air as if he were speaking with his mouth. "Though my life fades within this ancient shell, my soul is strong and ready for its journey to the next world. Do not fear for me, my children."
"You have led the Pokémon of our temple city for generations," said a deep voiced Cofagrigus whose body glowed softly with pictures of burning meteors. "Long before I passed away and became spirit, you led this city in its sacred duty. For that, and for the love we hold for you, my ghost-types shall see you to the highest plane of honor in the Land of the Dead. You deserve no less, my king."
"I thank you for your kind words, Lord Ra. I do look forward to my journey, but there is something that I must do before I can enter into the afterlife. Is the ritual site prepared, Joan?"
"Yes, my king. It is just as you asked."
"Then I shall depart to oversee the journey of our king's soul," Lord Ra said. The next moment he had vanished, leaving the rest of the council to oversee the final ritual of King Siebold.
The walk through the corridor was heartbreaking. Lord Bartholomew, leader of the Starter's Council and Lord of the Water-types, sobbed quietly as he made his way down the hall, his large black tail fin dragging behind him. He nodded to the line of guards, gave a soft "Swampert" in command, and the honor guard saluted their king as he passed. The Gardevoir held their Honedge and Doublade crossed high above their heads, while the Gallade saluted with their bladed arms.
King Siebold extended his aura of peace to his subjects, letting them know that it was going to be alright. Even so, the atmosphere was full of sorrow. As the procession left the hallway and entered the grand atrium of the castle, the grieving faces of one thousand Pokémon greeted them. Every Pokémon in the city had turned out to say goodbye to their king. Some stood in distant streets watching the scene through large video screens that hung from the sides of buildings. Some stood round large mountains formed by their ancestors in the far off zones of nature, where they watched the events unfold on screens possessed by Rotom. Some stood on the outer walls of the city where they guarded its boarder. The king's aura extended to touch them all as he sought to comfort them in their sorrow. Teams of electric-types maintained large video screens on the ceiling, calling to each other as they powered the machines that were lowering the screens in place.
As the crying Pokémon said their goodbyes, the honor guard flanked the council and escorted their king to the site of his final ritual. The procession walked through the central social hall of the palace, past the masses of grieving Pokémon, and through the platinum doors of the Ritual Chamber. The chamber was a large, circular room at the heart of the king's palace. The floor was made of ancient crystal that resisted all but the strongest attacks. In the center of the room was a large silver throne surrounded by flowers and bowls of blessed oil. Lady Harmony took the king in her arms and placed him on the throne with a sad "Audino". As the king was laid in place, a team of Pikachu sent bolts of electricity into a machine panel at the far end of the room. The machine hummed to life, as did the video screens outside. The council came to stand beside their monarch's throne as several Pachirisu moved a video camera into place directly in front of him. As the king sat on his cushions he looked directing into the camera and addressed his city.
"I greet you now for the last time, my precious subjects," King Siebold began. "It is with a heavy heart that I do this, for I know that, as I make my journey to the next life I shall miss you all. But do not fear for me. I shall be fine. Instead, you must focus your attention on the task ahead. For I have seen great tribulations in your future. Our duty is unending, and many more of you shall join me at the table of our ancestors before this trouble is through. For now, I give you my final gift."
The king raised his arms and tail in unison, humming softly as he pooled his psychic power into working the mechanisms above him. Gears shifted and cranks turned as the ceiling opened up and a massive ball of obsidian energy floated gently into the room. There was a foul, ominous taint to it that the entire city could feel as it left its powerfully insulated prison. Joan knew that a terrible storm had just begun in the world above, pulling forth the most evil souls from the vilest depths of the underworld where they lay sealed. It would last for an entire month before it finally blew out. Normally, the city would send an army of fully evolved Pokémon to protect the innocent, but in this case they had been ordered to let the world above fend for itself. Joan's visions had told her what was coming, but as the moment approached she couldn't help but feel the terror of their situation.
The council members arrayed themselves in a semi-circle around the king's throne as the enormous ball of darkness floated down. The grand, blue wings of Lady Lorna engulfed the party in a comforting embrace. She looked down the row at the Talonflame, Lady Potpourri, whose small wings burned low in grief. Despite their rivalry, they would never disrupt such a grave event. From the short, mousey form of Lord Gil to the sleek, steel claws of Lady Suzuki, each type was represented within the High Council. Lord Ra floated down from the ceiling followed by a host of powerful ghost-types. He took his place in the center of the semi-circle and King Siebold nodded his head gratefully at his old friend.
"In the beginning there was Arceus," the King began, recounting the tale of his city to his people for the final time. "Arceus created the universe with its one thousand arms, and then our God rested to look upon that which it had made. It saw that we were capable of acting on behalf of the greater good without concern for our own needs or wants, opinions or ideals, but for the good of all. It also saw that we were capable of violence, hatred, greed, envy, and evil. But of the two choices, many people and Pokémon preferred to serve themselves rather than serve others. This observation saddened Arceus greatly.
"For you see, my children, Arceus knew of the nature of its arms but it did not understand the effects they would have on its creation. In regret and sorrow at the destruction we sowed upon one another, Arceus cast a third of its arms aside, leaving the evil it had once possessed to float through the universe. Great destruction was caused such that we can never understand, and many lives were lost as the Dark Arms of Arceus made their way to earth. For many years, the Mew of the world had seen horrific visions of the arrival of a being of pure evil in the form of the God we worshiped. When the darkness finally came to earth we thought ourselves prepared, and we were proven woefully wrong. The ensuing battle cost the lives of nearly my entire species. Millions upon millions of Mew, and millions upon millions of their fellow Pokémon, gave their final breaths to seal the darkness in the ball of energy before you.
"I was left to pick up the pieces as the strongest of the survivors. I sent the remaining Mew out into the world to bring back the most powerful individuals of each species of Pokémon. We made many friends, and built a society rooted in love and harmony, but also in watchful strength and defense. Millennia passed and our city grew. In the world outside, Pokémon and humans learned from one another and became more kind and compassionate. I watched this with great pride, knowing that the reasons for the dark one's hatred had been proven wrong.
The darkness has remained sealed since that ancient time, not by the strength of any one individual, but by the love and joy we share together. For, though evil can never be truly defeated, love and friendship can hold it at bay. It is this harmony that has become my greatest power, and channeling this power in my rituals allows me to reinforce the seal on Dark Arceus' prison."
King Siebold paused a moment and closed his eyes, his tiny chest heaving as he struggled to gather enough strength to continue. As a natural reaction, the psychics within the council joined minds with their peers, and together the entire council gently lent the king their strength, enveloping their monarch in an invisible, loving, psychic embrace. He slowly turned his head to one side, eyes still closed, and smiled at them before continuing.
"Behind me is arrayed a group of Pokémon who represent every known type. They are the strongest, not only of their species, but also the type they represent. Even among our few legendary citizens, these Pokémon have no equal. Their strength lies not just in their skill in battle, but also in the strength of their character, the power of their convictions, and the bonds of their friendship. That is why I trust you to their leadership. I have foreseen this day for many years, my children. Though some of the council members have their differences, I trust them to lead you until my replacements are found."
"Forgive me, lord," Gallah said through the psychic link. "You are irreplaceable. Surely this is the end for us all."
"Is that what you think, Sir Gallah?" the king responded, turning his head to face the leader of the fighting-types. To those not connected to the king through psychic means nothing was heard. The Pokémon watching their monarch's passing saw only their leaders standing in place, looking at their king in confusion and concern.
"Of course, sire. You are the one who holds this kingdom together. Without your power, Dark Arceus would have consumed everything long ago. It is your will that keeps us alive."
"Yet I am in this room to die, Lord Gallah. But do not fear, for all is not lost. There will be much fighting to do, my friend, and you must help lead our people in the coming conflicts."
The king turned his face from the knight lord and addressed the screen once more.
"This final spell I cast will only hold a portion of Dark Arceus at bay. The dark god's power will throw the city through time and space until you find the land in which live those who will replace me. I have not foreseen their faces, nor have I foreseen their names, but I have seen the symbols by which you will know them."
King Siebold raised his tiny paw and cast it through the air. Seven strange symbols appeared before the council: three apples, a rainbow colored lightning bolt descending from a cloud, three balloons, a crystal heart with a gilded frame, three butterflies, a pink star with six points and six small white points poking out from behind it, and three shining diamonds. Both the council and the Pokémon amassed outside stared at the symbols in amazement.
"Look for the creatures bearing these marks. Their love and friendship shall push back the evil and complete the seal that holds Dark Arceus. Through their aid you will find a permanent means of defeating this evil."
The king raised his paws once more; urgently imprinting the symbols he had shown into the minds of his council, refusing to let them forget. They winced slightly in pain, but knew that his intentions were for the best. Joan had foreseen what would happen next. She watched as her king forced himself off of his pillows and into the air before the giant ball of evil. He began a simple chant that she had heard him repeat many times before, in leisure and in lessons. The darkness shifted in the air, anger and agitation seeping through the psychic barrier that began to surround the soul of Dark Arceus. Slowly, the shifting ceased and the ball began to pulsate. Joan had the uneasy feeling that it was anticipating the king's death.
King Siebold floated slowly back to his pillows where he lay, heaving with his recent exertion. After a minute, he forced himself to his feet and turned to face his council.
"With my final breaths I bless you," he said and the air suddenly filled with energy and emotion. "With my final breaths I change you."
Joan felt a strange sensation that she hadn't felt in years, not since she had been a Kirlia. She closed her eyes as bright light enveloped her and she evolved. She looked to her left and right, sorrow, unease, and excitement battling for dominance over her mind. Others among the council had assumed their mega evolutionary forms, though some had gone unchanged.
"Those of you who can mega evolve are now permanently changed. To those of you who have no known mega evolution, you are now empowered to be the equal of those who do."
The king took another heavy breath and the psychic link embraced him further, as if tightening in a desperate, loving hug.
"This power is my final gift to you. Use it well. Find… the bearers of love and harmony. Endure, my precious children."
The king's eyes closed, his heart beat one final time, and the psychics within the council lay his still warm body gently on his pillows. Lord Ra looked up to the ceiling as if he saw something that the rest of the council could not see. The ghost-types on the ceiling followed his gaze and bowed to an invisible specter as the presence of King Siebold left the room. A moment later the ghost-types had come to stand on the ground, and the room was heavy with grief. None moved, and Joan began to wonder if the final part of her vision had been wrong. As relief flooded her, mixing strangely with her deep sorrow, a hateful, triumphant scream tore through the city. The portal to the underworld opened wide and the dark god breathed destruction upon its creation once more.
