Chapter 25: The Mysterious Disappearance of Lilycove

There was a three day weekend off from school. After checking a map, Kiri concluded that she could possibly make it to Mossdeep for her next Gym challenge. She used her memory of attending Vincent's 'funeral' to get to Lilycove. It was the largest city of Hoenn, with tall buildings and beautiful gardens. There were the bars her Dad had warned her away from and the large Department Store. There was the Master Contest Hall, quaint hotels, small shops, restaurants, a lighthouse, and a white sandy beach. It was the most populated area of the region.

It was as quiet as Mount Pyre.

Kiri went through Lilycove, feeling her skin prickle. It was spooky with a haze of mist and light showers. Even the Pokecenter seemed to be empty, without a healer. The Department Store had its lights dimmed. She should have been able to smell food, but there was only a rain and salty sea smell. There should have been chatter and activity all around her. There was just the quiet rustle of trees.

The first lit building she saw was a bed-and-breakfast overlooking the beach. Made of weathered but study wood, it had a rustic charm that tried to earn forgiveness for its lowly appearance. It was decorated with sea gear, like a fishing net, an anchor, a flag with a Wailmer, and seashells. Kiri went there. In front was a sign: 'Cove Lily- Remember us as the Cove Lily of Lilycove'.

It was the only place that seemed to be occupied. She knocked on the door. "Hello?"

The man who answered looked about the same age as her dad, with receding black hair. "Oh, thank goodness. Are you a guest?"

"Looks that way. The Pokecenter is closed down."

"Come on in; welcome to Cove Lily of Lilycove. I'm sorry, but things have been odd today and I'm not sure why."

"What's happened? There's nobody out here but you."

He sighed. "I'm afraid so. Hang on; I'll get us some hot cocoa and then we can talk."

The innkeeper's name was Harold. Kiri gave him a few minutes to collect himself. "I'm just a Mage," she said, "but I know several wizards and can get one or two to come out to investigate."

"Thanks, lass. I'm afraid that I'm not sure what happened to everyone. I used to run this place with my wife, Carolyn, but she died two years ago."

"Sorry to hear about that."

"I've come back around lately. I was able to get this place back in business a few months back, but it's been in need of repairs and modifications. Yesterday evening, I was busy doing some plumbing when I realized that my reserved guests were late. It was a local couple who wanted a night to themselves, so I knew the ship couldn't be late or the like. I called their house, but got no response. I left to look around, in case they were out on a walk. That's when I noticed that everything was dead quiet."

"Nobody around, like now?"

"Yes, exactly. They never showed up. Nobody's come back. Even the Department Store has been closed and silent the whole time. I thought that maybe someone would come by, but as the hours have gone by and no one did, I was afraid that this wasn't the only abandoned city. Look, even the television signals won't come in. The phones aren't working anywhere and I don't know enough magic to mail letters."

"I should inform some people. Hang on; we'll figure this out."

She wrote a letter to her dad, then to Professor Birch. After a moment's thought, she also wrote to Steven; as a former Champion, he could inform the Elite 4. She mailed the three letters off.

Steven appeared first; shortly after, Norman and Roxanne also came. Brendan and Birch came last. "Goodness, this place is dead," Brendan said.

"I wonder how we've missed this," Roxanne said. "Surely someone would complain about the Department Store being shut down."

"They wouldn't be that busy on a Thursday," Harold said. "It's usually Saturday when it's packed."

"Brendan, go check on some of the smaller towns," Birch said. "Verdanturf, Oldale, Pacifidlog, and Fallarbor I'm most worried about."

"Right away." He flew off.

"What's with the magic gate at the harbor entrance?" Norman asked.

"That glow? I noticed it after everyone was gone. The water's too deep for me to go out and look."

Birch looked around, then nodded. "Norman, go check the beach area. Roxanne, go to the north end of town. I'll look around south here. Kiri, you stay with Harold, just in case."

"Okay, sir," Kiri said.

Nothing happened. When they all returned, Brendan said, "All the other towns are fine. No reports of missing people."

"I saw nothing unusual beyond what has been noted," Roxanne said.

"Me neither," Birch added.

"There's a cave on the north end of the bay," Norman said. "I saw electric lights coming from inside, so I went over to look inside. It's a natural cave, but someone has recently added flooring, lights, and magical devices. I didn't want to explore it alone, so I returned."

"Then we'll investigate that."

Harold stayed behind with Brendan while the rest went to the cave. Kiri didn't understand why she was brought along until they arrived in the cave. "We might trigger some of those devices with our developed mana," Norman told her. "But they shouldn't trigger as easily to you. It's a bit dangerous, but if we run into a sensor like that, we need you to deactivate it."

"Okay."

There was an entrance room with natural walls and various pieces of office equipment. Two halls went past there, but a quick check showed they went to the same location. Further in, they began to hear voices.

"This new light is the Truth! This is the true destiny of humans and Pokemon, to follow the real power of our world instead of the usurper Arceus and his followers. Allow the new light to fill you. This is the Truth."

"This is the Truth," a crowd of people said. They sounded tired, as if they had been listening to this for some time.

"The light of Lokire will tear our world asunder, but it will restore it in a more glorious fashion, into a perfect world where you will not have to worry, you will not have to suffer, you will not have to work hard. This new knowledge may seem strange, but it makes more sense than what has come before. You will know the full power of your soul when this light touches you. Open yourself to it."

Kiri felt like she'd just swallowed a live Weedle. "There's something horrible here."

"If that is his light, it is no such thing," Roxanne said. "This is an evil power."

They arrived at an enormous auditorium, packed with the residents of Lilycove. On the stage were Archie, Maxie, and the two females that were in Hope's memory. There was a large black globe in the middle of the stage, attached to the ground by something like dark blue vines. It radiated that evil power the invaders were feeling. All of the audience seemed exhausted but in rapture of the black sphere.

Archie was the one speaking. He did not see the newcomers in the shadows of the entrance. "Your transformation is almost complete. You will soon feel no pain, no sorrow, no guilt. You will be perfected."

But Maxie did see them. He and the two females soon appeared near the intruders. Before any of the experienced wizards could do anything, one of the women grabbed Kiri's wheelchair and teleported off with her.

"Hey!" Kiri called. "You're going to pay for that."

"Don't interfere with the work of Lokire," she replied, then teleported away.

She was left in a dark room. But that wasn't an issue. She cast Flash to look around. To her dismay, there was not a single door into or out of this room. There were vents, so she didn't have to worry about suffocating. There was a black column at one end of the room with no apparent purpose. Also, there was a definite teleport block, unless one had some key or device to pass it by. Key...

She summoned Choora. "There's a teleport block in here, I know. Can you sense some way around it?"

The Alakazam gazed into one of her spoons, thinking. She turned around, looking at everything in reflection. Then she brought out her Arcane cards and looked through them for a reading. Finally, she shook her head. 'Not without the right device. We might be able to slip through, but I'd rather not risk it. However...' she looked into the spoon again.

"What is it?"

Choora pointed to the black column. 'You saw an evil device in the auditorium above us. That is carrying power to that device. It's protected, but Fred could interrupt the mechanical components, stopping the device and freeing the people above before their hearts are sealed.'

"It'll end that problem, at least." She called out Fred and explained the situation to him. "So would you stop that?"

He spun his main body around. "Certainly, leave it to me! E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-I-T-Y, electricity is mine!" While he chanted this, he attached himself to the column and started fiddling with its power.

The lights flickered as Fred's magnets activated. The column retaliated by sending black sparks into the air, but the Magneton didn't let it bother him. He kept right at it.

"Dang, but this thing is T-O-U-G-H. I'll take it down and save everyone, don't worry."

A worried look crossed Choora's face. 'No, this might be too much for him,' she told Kiri. 'The evil device is strong now that it almost has everyone.'

"Be careful, Fred."

Fred's three eyes narrowed at the column. "No, I won't be defeated by this thing! We can't let evil thrive. I will destroy this thing or my name isn't F-R-E-D Fred!" Focusing his power, he sent an enormous jolt of electricity into the column.

Upstairs, there was the sound of a glass object exploding, followed by screams and yelling. The evil magic lashed out at Fred, throwing him onto the floor. But instead of dissipating with the destruction of the sphere, the evil power in the room condensed.

"Ugh," Fred said, drooping against Kiri's wheelchair.

She patted him, but looked around warily. "You'll be okay, Fred. You did a great job."

But as she put her hand on Billina's Pokeball, Choora stopped her. 'No. Don't call her out.'

Kiri felt a flicker of annoyance from the Blaziken. "Why not?"

'We could be in a lot more trouble if she's out. I'm not sure how, but I sense it strongly.'

"Did you come seeking glory?" a stranger called out to her. "Or did it just find you?"

"Who is it?" she asked.

The Pokemon that appeared looked as if it had come straight from Choora's Arcane deck, Lokire with his triplet snake tails. He looked even stranger in person, for the card artist had missed one detail. The middle snake had two stick-like formations growing out of its head. Various strings came from those sticks and controlled the main body as if it were a marionette. The movements of that body were jerky and loose, while his snakes moved smoothly and naturally.

But it was the marionette body that spoke, not the snakes. "Is it who you expected? Or did you not come looking for one like me?"

"I had no idea you would be here personally."

"Still, you ruined my pretty sphere." The snake twisted the control stick, causing him to twitch his long ears and lift his hand to his chin. "What sort of Guardian do you have, Mage?"

'Don't,' Choora repeated.

"A great one," Kiri replied.

"I'm always curious about those strange Pokemon. They're not like the others." When it became apparent to him that she wasn't going to call hers out, he floated closer to her. His yellow body turned red-orange. "I suppose I could forgive you for acting out of ignorance. I am the true power in this world. I could do anything for you if you would follow me."

"No, I'm fine as it is."

Lokire tilted his head. "I could even allow you to walk again. The others would have you suffer, but I am gracious."

"In exchange for helping you? No, I'd rather not."

"You don't understand. I'm seeking to bring in a perfect world..."

"I don't believe you and I'm not going to listen. You ruined Hope, and that's all I need to know."

"Hmm. You are a stubborn one." The lead snake put the marionette's hands together, then drew them apart, summoning a reddish black blade. "Then your heart must pay for what you have destroyed." Then he sliced right through all three of Fred's units, killing him instantly. His Pokeball splintered, then turned to dust.

"Fred!" Part of Kiri's mind hoped he was alive, but the destruction of the ball was a clear sign of his death.

Lokire swung the deadly blade to point at her. Despite the looseness of his body, the blade was firm and steady. "And this is why you don't mess with me."

"Kiri?" Norman called as he teleported into the room. He froze when he saw Lokire. Laura was with him.

The eyes of the central snake and marionette took on a look of pure hatred when he saw the Glaceon. He pulled his blade back. Choora noticed and quickly drew one of her Arcane cards, Nine of Cups. Hydro Blast erupted from the card right into Lokire, knocking him into the wall. Hissing, he leapt into the air and retreated.

Norman ran over and knelt by Kiri. "Are you okay?"

"He killed Fred," she replied, shocked by the death. "Fred destroyed that sphere, but Lokire killed him."

Norman touched the Magneton's body. "He was a noble Pokemon; it's a terrible loss."

Laura walked over slowly, her ears hanging low with some residual fear. "Choora, I believe you just saved my life," she said shakily.

"But it was my idea to have Fred attack the pillar in the first place," she said with regret. "I couldn't save him."

Instead of challenging the Mossdeep Gym, Kiri and her family wound up at Mount Pyre to say goodbye to Fred.

One of the priestesses inscribed his name and kind on a gravestone inside. Most Pokemon were cremated and their ashes spread over the mountain or the lake, whichever the Trainer preferred. Since he was a Steel type, he was melted down and what metal could be extracted was used to create the structures on this sacred mountain. Someone had thoughtfully kept out some of the metal to reform into a small heart-shaped charm, which he gave to Kiri free of charge.

While his death had saved thousands of people, Kiri still felt it should not have happened.

Choora felt bad. She may have saved Laura, and therefore Norman. But she hadn't been able to do anything for Fred. Everyone felt the loss of their teammate and friend, but she felt it hardest.

On a whim, she left Petalburg and went south. Teleport couldn't work very far, but there were hundreds of rocks on the way to Dewford that she could target. When she got to the island, she located her father at Kyogre's shrine. He was asleep on the pillar. Once she arrived, he teleported off.

He came back a moment later, awake. It was odd to meet him like this again, she being fully developed and he still at his first stage. But as Mewtwo had said, there was something different about him that she now noticed. Something about his scar shimmered with importance despite his small sleepy eyes.

"Hello father," she said.

"Hello, Choora." He took her hand. "The death of a friend is a terrible responsibility to bear."

She sat by him. "Yes. I wasn't prepared... none of us were."

"Death comes for us all, and yet this one was unnatural and undeserved."

She looked down at him. "That acuteness is one of the things I've been wondering about lately. You're more powerful than an Abra should be. And older, if the tales are true."

He nodded. "I know."

"That's all you tell anyone."

"That's all I could. It was until one of my children mastered Psychic powers and came back to me. That's how long I was told to keep quiet."

"Until one of us came back?"

He brought out his Arcane card and seemed to idly shuffle them. But he drew the Devil card. "This is who scarred my face."

"Lokire?"

"When I was young, I witnessed something that I should not have seen. And when I should have acted, I did nothing."

(Seven hundred and fifty years ago)

The Sableyes were pestering him, keeping him from his proper rest. Dusack decided to go out to the shore to sleep for a while. He wasn't sure what other Pokemon were there, but certainly there wouldn't be any dark-loving Sableyes. And if he slept near the shrine of Kyogre, even fewer predator Pokemon would dare hunt him.

He got a good hour of sleep in before he was disturbed again. Once he woke up from teleporting, he realized that a teenaged boy had tried to capture him. He could hear him complaining. "Rats. I finally find one and it's gone like that. Hmph." He looked over at Kyogre's shrine.

The sharp aura of the boy indicated that he was a Mage, clever and intelligent. Dusack was intrigued. What would it be like to work for a smart Trainer? And would the boy leave the island? He would like to see other places. He teleported back, to test the boy and see if it would be worth it.

The boy turned to him and grinned, glad to see his luck going up. But what happened next seemed to come completely out of the blue. Latios rushed overhead, flying low, but then sharply climbing. Lokire dropped out of the sky, bearing a blood-red sword. Screaming, he glanced over at Dusack.

The Abra was frozen by the intense hatred from the devil. Lokire was infuriated at the escaping bird and in the mood to strike whatever he saw next. Dusack felt fairly certain that he was about to die.

In a flash of blind heroism, the boy Mage rushed over to grab Dusack and get him out of the way. Lokire's sword killed the boy instantly; the tip of it slashed Dusack's left eye, less than an inch from killing him as well. The boy's Guardian Totodile summoned himself, looking shocked. "Nathan!" He clasped his partner's arm.

Lokire growled softly. "Weak. You can't do anything."

"B-but we just started," the Totodile sobbed, putting his snout against his dead partner's chest. Trails of mana began to drain from his body, undoing the magic that had brought him into the world. "I don't want it to end now."

Forgetting about Latios for the moment, Lokire turned to the Guardian. "It doesn't have to," he said, softly now. "Would you do anything to bring him back?"

Dusack was about to tell the young Guardian not to agree; it was foolish to work with the devil, even in the face of death. However, Lokire's center snake turned and glared at him, stealing the moment he had to stop things from happening.

The Guardian hesitated a moment. He knew he wasn't supposed to do this, but he felt it was unfair that he was facing this decision this early. And alone, for Latios was nowhere in sight now. Then he nodded. "I care about him. We should have a second chance."

Lokire smiled smugly as he put his sword away. "I can fix things. Just watch."

Then he snapped his fingers and disintegrated the Totodile's form. He remained alive as something different, as a dense glittering fog. Lokire then took what he had and placed it within the young Mage. He revived; the only sign of the sword was a pair of long scars on his chest and back. But the boy was no longer human. He looked human, but his aura felt different. He felt like Lokire and the changed Guardian now, a greasy evil that repelled Dusack.

The Guardian clung to his Mage. "Thank goodness; you're alive again."

The Mage looked blankly at Lokire, then to Dusack. There was nothing in him now, dead thoughts, dead heart, dead soul. While the Abra might have been thinking of leaving the island, he was not going to leave with this group. He teleported away.

Several minutes later, he began feeling dizzy. The cut was still bleeding. "Will I die because I left?"

"No," Latios told him. "But you may wish otherwise."

Strong magic hit him and the blood finally cleared. Dusack looked around cautiously and found Latios perched on a rock beside him. "I still feel strange... was I corrupted too?"

The bird twisted his neck around and looked at him. "No, but being so close to that unholy transformation has affected you. You will find that your powers have changed." Then Latios looked back at the sea and shook his head. "Lokire may seek to corrupt you, since you were a witness. We are not sure what this forebodes, and yet... the balance was broken." He closed his eyes.

"I'm just an Abra," Dusack said, fearful. "My power sleeps. I couldn't do anything if he comes for me."

"Then you must remain silent. That may be the wisest course for you. I can offer some protection, but it will mean a large sacrifice to avoid drawing his attention."

He felt suspicious, after what he had seen Lokire do. So he asked, "Do you hold one maker of this world, or many?"

"Many, for we all worked together to build this world. None of us hold enough power to create a world singly."

He nodded. Lokire would not answer that way. "Thank you for your protection."

"Then Dusack, heed my words well. You cannot leave this island. You cannot bond with any human. You cannot speak of what you have seen or heard today, not even with me. You will always bear that scar, as there is nothing I can do to remove it. But for what you can do," he summoned a deck of cards that appeared in front of the young Abra, "You can help others with what you see in these cards, and what you see in your dreams. Word of you may spread, but it will be positive and therefore Lokire will ignore it."

He took the cards and felt knowledge of their mysteries begin to open up to him. "It sounds tough, but... it would be worse under him."

"Correct. You..." he tilted his head, "you must obey those conditions until a sign appears. That sign is when one of your children grows to the fullest potential of your kind, to an Alakazam, and returns to you for advice. This will happen; you will live until then."

"How long would that take?"

"That I cannot tell. Keep your faith, Dusack." Then Latios flew away.

(Present day, 04/19)

"So you'll die because I came back?"

He shook his head. "Not for that. Not yet. I have not unturned the final card. But I was finally able to tell what happened." He paused. "I feel that could help you solve some problem."

"It does," she replied, thinking of Missingno.

"But you have returned for advice and some comfort. Stay with me, as you can."

She nodded. "Thank you. I misunderstood you and your motives. You were always looking for the best for me."

Pokenav Extra

Latios and Latias: The spirits of romantic love and marriage, these two are among the few immortals for whom a specific gender can be applied with certainty. They are recognized in many regions and are spotted perhaps once a century within each. Never apart, they have been known to take young Pokemon under their wings as they are unable to have children of their own.

Poor Fred... he never did anything wrong, only be himself.