Intermission: A puzzle for the deep thinkers
"Because the Hero of Etheria can make use of Zenryoku artes and aura, they can accept the aura from everyone in the world. Taking the hopes and dreams of all the Pokémon in the world and channelling it into power that can overcome any disaster, saving the world – that's the role of the hero. But that kind of power is too much for any mortal or any god, any thing in existence, for that matter. That is why a sacrifice must be made. That power can only come out when the world needs it, and must go away when it is no longer needed."
That's what Mirror had told him. He couldn't stop thinking about it, staring into the Lock Ball as he cradled it in his small hands. This mysterious technology now frightened and spoke to him wordlessly. The design of the chains on the surface of the ball spoke of sealing his fate. If he used this, perhaps he could save Etheria like he always wanted to.
But he'd be forfeiting his life. And as much as defeating Marshadow and the Spectres would make Pokémon happy, it wouldn't resolve the issues he knew he wanted to resolve. Restoring nature, finding a substitute for meat-eaters, dealing with the injustice towards those of differing religion and hybrids. And then there was Prem – even if he could leave a checklist of things he wanted, he wouldn't be happy leaving this world. And he knew it.
"Leos, are you there?" Ariala said, knocking on the wall beside the room before entering. Leos flinched and hid the Lock Ball in his bag, facing her as she came in. "I knew you'd be awake still. It's tough to sleep here, isn't it?"
He looked away and sat on his hay bed, only just realising that. "Yeah. It's colder and rougher than I'm used to."
"They do have blankets and things spare. You only need to ask," she said. He didn't reply, so she sighed. "I apologise for what happened back there. And let me apologise on behalf of Rune as well."
"The guy needs you to apologise for him?" he said, turning back to her.
"You mustn't be so hard on your Father, Leos. He has had to make some very difficult choices, but he made them full well knowing what he would sacrifice for them," she said, laying a hand on her chest.
"Clearly he doesn't. He hit me! And really thinks he raised me?" Leos raised his voice. "He doesn't know anything about me!"
"We exchanged letters for a long time. During those, he would set rules and gave me advice. He was there, but he wasn't there. It was his rule that you weren't to go out on your own, you know," she said, joining him on the side of the bed.
"He had to choose between love and duty, and he chose duty. He might as well have given up on being a father," he said. "That's what both of you did. You only had me because of your stupid legend and peace treaty!"
"Don't say things like that, Leos. You are our son first and foremost, and nothing will change that. That's why I am here now," she said, laying a hand on his side. "Look at me, please. There isn't anything that hurts more than knowing you feel this way about us."
Leos grumbled something to himself and slowly twisted round to face her. He didn't look as furious as he sounded, as if he was holding back tears rather than rage. "Please. It was never Rune's intention to make you feel this way."
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked, staring at the floor. She tilted her head. "To stop Marshadow, I mean. What is there I can actually do?"
"That is what we're working tirelessly to figure out. Rune wanted you to work with us that way because he has that much faith in you," she said, putting a hand on his.
"What if… what if – and this is purely hypothetical – what if I died stopping Marshadow? What then?" he said, still staring. There was a pause.
"That is the very same choice that we have both once made," she replied. He gawked at her. "There's no doubt we would be heartbroken. And to tell the truth, the fact that you've even asked worries me. If you got hurt during this battle, I don't know what I would do with myself. It would be a regret I would bear for the rest of my life. On top of what happened to Diantha, especially."
Leos went back to looking at the floor, and she went back to holding his hand. "It would be your choice between your duty as prince, and your love for your family and friends. And believe me now, whatever decision you decide to make, no one in the world has the right to judge you on it. But that is not the case, now. You don't have to die to do this."
"I- I know. Thanks," he said, looking away. There was another long moment of silence.
"I've brought you the letters me and Rune exchanged while you were growing up. I think it's important that you read them. Read them, and try to understand why we've both done everything we've done until now," she said, laying a stack of them on the bed. "I am not going to force you to help us. But I do wish to know how you feel. Please, tell me-"
"It's not that I don't want to help you. I don't want Marshadow to do anything, either. It's that I can't help," he cried, thrashing forward. "Everything I've done since leaving home has caused nothing but problems. It's all gone wrong. And then even when I was listening to Father, we got into that war and I just- I just couldn't take it. I can't fight, my knowledge is useless, and my body won't even let me use half my powers. I'm completely worthless!"
"Don't say that about yourself!" Ariala said, closing her hand into a fist. "So many Pokémon would not rally behind a leader who is 'useless'."
"They only follow me because I'm that 'legendary hero', though," he said, glaring at her.
"Legendary hero or not, the Pokémon who follow you do so because they have that faith in you. There is not a single Pokémon in this world that follows a deity without their own feelings or ulterior motive taking precedence. You even saw it with Master Lin," she raised her voice, standing tall. "When your allies chose to follow you, they did it because they like you. Your intentions and motives align with their own, and as time goes by, a bond forms between you all. Your army was not an army built on patriotism, but of but of your own and other's feelings on the state of the world."
"Mother," Leos whispered.
"You getting this far with what you've built up is exactly why Rune and the others have so much faith in you. And even now, I know you can come up with something," she said. She quietened down and looked away. "And even if you don't, we'll fight for you anyhow. At least, that's why I'm going to fight. So that future generations such as yours can live."
"Alright. I get it. And if I spoke to everyone individually, they'd give a similar answer to you," he said, going quiet.
"Well I hope they would. That's what I believe, knowing your allies for the brief time that I've known them for," she said, calming down as well. Leos looked away, letting quiet fall yet again.
"… Where do I start?" he asked. She blinked at him. "With this idea of reaching Marshadow. Where do I start looking?"
"We don't have much time. Again, I have no intention of forcing you into this. But if you truly wish to help," she said, shutting her eyes. "Think about everything we have access to and everything Marshadow has done. Consider our options from there and what we can work with. We can cross between the two planets with your Entercards, so gathering materials or Pokémon should not be too great of an issue."
"Oh right, the Entercards. I didn't think of them for some reason," he said, going into a thought pose. "It's time to study. Do you mind leaving me alone?"
"I haven't heard you say that so enthusiastically for a while. And I know I said we don't have much time, but please, don't stay up too late. If you tire yourself out, this will have all been for nothing," she said, smiling at last.
"Well, I was getting ready to sleep until you came in," he said, shrugging.
"Okay then, mister."
"… Thanks, Mother," Leos said, struggling to look at her. She blinked at him. "Seriously. Thanks."
"You're my son first and foremost before everything else. If you should ever feel that way again, do not hesitate to speak to me. No matter what you have to tell me, I will listen," she said. He nodded at her. "Sleep well, Leos."
"You too, Mother," he replied. She skipped out after that, leaving the room in silence.
"To tell the truth, I already have an idea, thanks to her. I completely forgot about the Entercards. Their ability to transport groups of Pokémon anywhere in the world is definitely going to prove to be the key to this. As is the Lock Ball," he thought to himself, beginning to pace. "If I could somehow save the Lock Ball rather than breaking it, I could perhaps use it on Zygarde, or even Marshadow himself. There would be no need to sacrifice myself!"
…
And then, suddenly, a loud crash, as if a giant glass sheet was smashed to pieces. Leos was blinded and his head panged hard enough to make him cry out. Taking a moment to rub where it hurt, grit his teeth and turn around, he realised where he was. He was no longer in his room, or maybe the room had been transported elsewhere, somehow. Either way, the surrounding walls and floor had completely vanished, replaced with a silent, swirling, visible wind of dark greys and black colours. The furniture of the room remained where it was, as if the walls and floor had turned into a projection of this dark tornado.
Leos opened his mouth to ask what had happened but gasped instead. In front of his bed was Mirror, still unmasked and eyes shut. The Absol had one foot on top of Leos' bag, while the other was pressed into the invisible floor, surrounded by broken shards of metal. It was easily recognisable as the Lock Ball and Entercards.
"You-you broke it? H-how? What in the world just happened?" Leos said, grabbing his head. That set off Mirror's maniacal laughter, which sounded exactly like Marshadow's pompous, young tone.
"Come on. This is just too easy. You really couldn't figure it out?" he sniggered, showing his fangs. Leos shuddered, unable to close his mouth. "Oh for goodness sake. And you're supposed to be the smart one."
"I… I struggle to comprehend exactly what just happened. I was talking to Mother, and then," Leos said, trying to calm down.
"Think about it. Diantha died. She was dead for how many years. Then I brought her back, and she's fully under my control. So I made Mirror 'free' himself. He may not have the shadow partition anymore, but he's mine. I almost slipped up a bit, though," he said, still laughing at Leos' surprised look. "Oh come now! How could Mirror possibly know about Etheria's history, that it was once one planet? That the Tapu split it? But still know what the world is like now?"
"From his time," Leos whispered, gasping again.
"Yeah he was alive then. That story he told you is the truth, after all. But he's dead. There's no way he could live for all that time until now!" he said, prancing around. He stopped in a prideful pose. "I just needed to crush your remaining hopes."
"No," Leos whispered, falling forward in disbelief.
"So you were planning on using that on me, were you? The ball that can seal all. And the Entercards to enter space and fight me. I can't let you get that far."
"But then what's the point? Why challenge us to reach you if you're going to destroy our only chance?" Leos cried.
"To have my fun. Crushing you physically is much too easy. You've seen the power I possess, anyway. You know I could kill all of you with just a flicker of effort. So I must crush your spirit, as well," Mirror said, smiling cheekily. "Remember: I can do anything I want to. I can get anything I want to. And what I want is to see you all struggle."
Leos' mouth wavered.
"At first, I wanted to see you kill yourself with the Lock Ball strategy. But you're a little too smart for that. So I'll crush you in spirit, and stop anything you come up with. You'll be the hero that everyone's counting on that let everybody down anyway!" he sung. "Remember what they said about the shadow that was covering the sky? Well that's me, too. It's the closing of the void. All the stars and planets and everything in this very solar system is being squashed together by that layer of darkness. And when it closes in enough, this whole world will go poof!"
"Have you no emotion whatsoever?" Leos said, shuddering, trying not to glare at Mirror.
"Sure, I totally do. But it's like I keep telling you. When you can do anything you want, and watch these worlds from start to finish, the true weight of these things begins to lose all meaning. It's not that I don't understand, it's that I don't care," he replied, pointing a foot at Leos. "I want to see you struggle, saviour. I want to see you scream for mercy, to cry for mother and wet yourself like a little baby! Mummy, Marshadow's bullying me! Waah!"
Leos let out a quiet cry of fury, trembling. He was on all fours, grinding his fangs together. "Go on! Cry for your parents! Struggle. Beg and plea that you can stop me. But you can't. I'm going to keep letting you think that you can until I break you. And when I'm done with you, then I'll bring everything to an end. All to show you all that no matter what you do, no matter how much you hope, dream, and fight, whether it's for your duty as a living being or the love of your friends and family…"
…
Heroes don't exist. You are all destined for meaningless death. And as the god of the stars that manages the worlds, this is the fate you have chosen.
…
"So, which is it?" Marshadow asked, shrugging. Leos was knelt before him, still in the room surrounded by dark winds. "Are you going to fight me?"
Leos stood up to oppose him, but the moment he did, anxiety struck like a truck. Marshadow was only a little taller than he was, yet the dark appearance of the god made him shiver and try to avoid eye contact. Knowing what Marshadow could do was the main thing stopping him, but not knowing how the god would react to anything he did frightened him more. So he stared, making a variety of faces and never looking the enemy directly in the eye.
"No? Just going to stand there like a peasant? Disappointing for someone of noble blood. Must I rile you up, first?" Marshadow said, posing for battle. His feet spread and his hands curled into fists, one held forward while the other was drawn back.
Leos didn't reply, cursing under his breath. He tensed up and stretched his feet out, and nothing more.
"Go on. Bring out that Razor Shell we love so much. Come at me with your only hope, your Zenryoku arte. I'm actually giving you the chance," he said, smiling cockily. Leos still didn't react. "Have I got to beat that into you, too?"
"No one can hear me here, can they?" Leos asked. Marshadow paused. "I'm starting to think, now. Why and how do you have the powers you have?"
"Because I'm a god. Does that really need an explanation?" he replied, shrugging again. Leos paused.
"In fact, there's a lot of whys and how's to this. Why didn't you order Lin to kill Ariala? Or why didn't you kill us when you had us where you wanted? Boredom can't truly be the reason," Leos asked.
"And if it is?"
"If you're going to destroy the whole world, why not answer me honestly? You lose nothing but a bit of breath," Leos said. "No one knew what the god of the stars was. Of all the gods, yours is the one without any history written. Perhaps because there is no history, or… you're not the god they wanted."
"Okay now you're just throwing words out. Get to the point before I grow bored," he said.
Leos gulped. "It's possible you're not the god of the stars the Constellars look up to. And that for whatever reason, you can't kill us. That you're bluffing."
"How much do you want to bet? Your life? Prem's life? Your parents?" Marshadow said, snickering again.
"Think Leos, THINK! There must be a reason Marshadow keeps stalling like this. There isn't any way that any living thing could do this out of sheer boredom. It's too uncharacteristic of any being, mortal or god," he thought to himself, now staring intently at Marshadow. The ghost type glared back, keeping that cocky smile on his face. "No. It's no good. I don't have enough information yet to come to a conclusion. All I know is that he won't kill me like he says he will."
"Still nothing? Perhaps you're at breaking point already. I was sorta expecting a spasm or something," Marshadow said. The palm he held forward formed a Shadow Ball. "Last chance, buddy. You got nobody to blame but yourself if you lose here."
Leos still didn't respond. "Mother got me thinking straight, so it's time to study. There's no way that a Pokémon can do the things Marshadow says he can. So the question isn't believing it or not, it's HOW he's doing what he's doing," he thought, thinning his eyes. "During the battle against Father and Mother, he survived everything they threw at him, but he took damage and sped up as the battle went on. Only when it was over and Master Lin was in disbelief did Marshadow take his life. He could have done that at any time, yet he waited until the moment Lin's mentality was broken. It's almost like this is some kind of-"
The realisation hit him like a truck, and his heart skipped a beat. Never before had Leos felt so relieved, but it was enough for him to scream out loud, flinch straight upwards, and widen his eyes and mouth to the point that they hurt.
"That's it!" he shouted. Marshadow raised an eyebrow. "It's just a hunch, but I've figured you out. Yes, that's the only way that you make any form of sense."
"Is that your answer?" Marshadow replied, getting cocky again.
"Yes. That's my answer," he said, stretching out his arms and legs as if offering himself. "I gamble my life. You would gladly take it, yes?"
Marshadow's face flattened, and he erased his Shadow Ball without throwing it. "Seriously? That's all?"
"Is that all? Yes. You wanted us to fight, but I'm giving up. I know I can't beat you, so," he replied.
"But I want to enjoy this. It's no fun if you aren't trying to fight back, giving it your all. Don't you believe that you still have a chance to win this?" Marshadow said. Leos didn't answer, to which Marshadow's glare began to intensify. "The hell are you playing at?"
"Nothing. I want you to end the suffering. Kill me, now," Leos said.
"You think you're a smart little hero, don't you? No, I'm not going to do what you want to do here. I'm going to get what I want, and what I want is to see you suffer," Marshadow said with growing aggravation. He stretched both arms out, forming globs of black energy around both palms. They dripped like sludge, bubbling and emanating a sickening sound. "You can suffer in silence. When everyone you know and love is totally gone, maybe then I'll check back and see how you're doing. But I want to see you scream and beg."
Marshadow threw both of his attacks one after the other, and Leos dove to the side to avoid them. The two orbs burst against the invisible floor, disintegrating into nothing. Huffing in annoyance, Marshadow formed two more and threw them more carefully this time, to which Leos fell backward to avoid the second one.
"You're afraid, aren't you. You said all that to look tough, but at the sight of one attack, you're limping about like a Chimchar," Marshadow snickered, posing for battle again. Leos got to his feet and tensed up, keeping his eyes on the enemy. "It's finally time to give you a whirl. Show me what you've got."
And then a Shadow Punch was launched toward him, but Leos could only guard his body with both arms. Marshadow's attack felt like it pierced right through him, winding him and blanking his mind for a moment. Thankfully the ghost type didn't follow it up with anything, giving Leos the chance to stumble forward and jump away. He instinctively reached for his scalchop but hesitated, deciding not to pull it off.
"I can't let him take an attack he hasn't taken before. If my hunch is right, he'll steal my attack or learn to parry it in reality," Leos told himself, concentrating. He was already breathing aloud, but decided to fight back with Water Pulse. Marshadow lazily smacked it away, looking annoyed again.
"Seriously? Get your head into the game, child. I'm a god, you're going to need a lot more power than that to even hurt me," he said.
"Perhaps there's another way to get out of this nightmare. Think Leos, think!" he cried. Marshadow's eyes thinned, and he readied another Shadow Ball in each hand. "The way to bypass Marshadow's power is through aura. But Prem isn't here, so I can't erect my aura right now."
The attacks were thrown at him, forcing Leos to dive to the side again. He fell to the floor, taking a long moment to catch his breath and look back up. Marshadow didn't look sympathetic at all, but he was watching rather than attacking, as if letting Leos get up to fight back rather than taking advantage.
"Wait, but any Pokémon can get aura. So maybe if I-" Leos told himself as he stood up. He took in a deep breath. "I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!"
"Oh, here we go. You get it now, right?" Marshadow said, smiling again.
Leos ignored him, crossing his arms, and then unfurling them in the motion for a Zenryoku arte. When he stretched them forward, he launched into a different star sign however, making the Pisces sign as best as he could. Aura still surrounded him, a golden light that wavered over him like flames. "Grant my friend the power to make ease of this conflict!"
"Wait, what? What do you think you're doing?" Marshadow said, frowning. To his surprise, the aura flew from Leos, taking off high into the sky and arching over into the distance. It landed so far away that it was a blur, but it settled around a Pokémon, looking like a tiny flame amongst the swirling darkness.
"It's true. Any Pokémon can get aura. That means that they're still here," Leos said, a bright smile on his face. Fatigue swept over him and he fell onto one hand, starting to breathe heavily. "It's only- a matter of time now."
"They can't use Zenryoku artes though. They can't stop me!" Marshadow shouted.
"They don't- have to. Just- having the power should be enough- to get me out of your nightmare," he said, unable to recover at all. "I know that I'm- in a nightmare right now. A nightmare made by you- so you can steal my powers."
There was a pause, and then Marshadow smiled at him. "So you are smart. I'm looking forward to our little showdown, then."
Leos looked up at him in surprise, but just then, it all started to make sense. The dark winds around him began to calm ever so slightly, while the flaming aura he had given to Prem began to approach, travelling across an invisible set of stairs and paths toward them. The closer it got, the slower the winds got, while the darkness began to fade into the warmth of sunlight. Soon enough, even the image of Marshadow began to fade, wavering about as if fizzling out of reality.
…
"Leos, are you there?" Ariala said, knocking on the wall beside the room before entering. Prem rushed in before he could respond, and he turned around to face them both as they came in. "I knew you'd be awake still. It's tough to sleep here, isn't it?"
"We-were you trying out what Rosie said, too? Why did you put the aura around me?" Prem cried, shaking his hands. "Aww, I'm all full of energy now. I can't stand still."
Leos looked away and sat on his hay bed, only just realising that. "Yeah. It's colder and rougher than I'm used to. Wait a minute."
"They do have blankets and things spare. You only need to ask," she said. He didn't reply, so she sighed. "It's good that you two are awake, though. Please allow me to apologise for what happened back there. And let me apologise on behalf of Rune as well."
"This is- you're going to give me Rune's letters now, aren't you?" Leos said, raising his voice. Ariala shifted back a bit, but revealed the envelopes in her hand. "That's- I was right about the nightmare, but Marshadow projected the future?"
"Projected the future? What're you talking about?" Prem asked.
Leos shook his head and scrambled for his bag, finding the Lock Ball and Entercards in there, perfectly intact. "Never mind. Just gather everyone again. We don't have time to lose!"