Chapter 16
The Garden of Moonlight
"I can't believe I allowed you to convince me to do this," Bolt grumbled the second the group regained their bearings. "This is incredibly foolish, not to mention going against the Tribunal's wishes!"
"And Dr. Kuren's," Furno pointed, wobbling slightly, still not used to teleportation.
"Don't remind me!" Bolt howled, collapsing in an over dramatic fashion.
"But we're not even in a mystery dungeon!" Zero argued. "It's perfectly safe."
"Not perfectly," Angela interjected. "As I said, while the jungle itself is not a dungeon, it is still an area that houses wild Pokémon. While it is unlikely that they will attack us as we venture to the center of the garden, we must not lower our guard."
"Right…" Zero said, sounding unconcerned as he looked around their environment.
True to Angela's words, they were in a jungle. Towering trees and an obscene amount of other foliage surrounded the group on all sides. However, unlike most jungles, the typical green color of the vegetation was absent. Instead, the vibrant green was replaced by, blues, purples, and, oddly enough, pink colors. The various shades of color on the leaves gave the entire jungle a scintillating look. The tall trees nearly completely blocked out the sky, bathing the jungle in darkness. Or, it would have had it not been for the odd glow the vegetation seemed to be giving odd.
"Weird," Zero muttered, walking closer to one of the ferns, taking one of the leaves into his paws. "What makes it glow like this?"
"Bioluminescence," Angela responded, "the biochemical emission of light by living organisms."
"Huh?"
Angela glanced at the former human. "It is what allows Volbeat to create light without using a move."
"Oh…so they glow from something in the actual plants?" Furno questioned, coming to stand next to Zero. "But…what—"
"I am not a scientist," Angela replied tersely. "I cannot answer all your questions. As such, we should continue forward. We have a ways to go before we reach the garden."
"How come you couldn't teleport us directly to the garden?" Furno asked, Bella grunting in agreement.
"As I explained, there are locations that I am incapable of teleporting to places that possess a strong psychic presence," Angela explained. "As the Garden of Moonlight is said to be the home of Cresselia, this is not unexpected. Instead, I brought us as close to the garden as I could."
"R-Right," Furno grumbled in reply, blushing slightly despite his haughty response.
Bolt glanced at Angela, frowning almost unperceivably. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but the off-colored Gardevoir simply turned and began to walk down the natural path through the jungle.
Blinking, Zero stared after the Gardevoir. To the Riolu, she seemed almost impatient. Like she was in a hurry to get to their destination.
Frowning, much like Bolt had done just moments ago, Zero took one last glance around the odd jungle, he began to follow Angela, Furno, Bella and Bolt following close by.
The group's journey felt a little odd to Zero. For one thing, it seemed that Angela, by either some divine means or simply knowledge of their location, could easily navigate through the jungle. Granted, the group essentially was walking straight forward, but with the various forms of vegetation sticking out, it would have been rather simple to lose your way.
What's more, Angela seemed to be rather impatient. She was silent, but she would frequently cast quick glances back at them. Normally, this could be attributed as her making sure that they were following her, but the look in her eye, well…Zero wasn't a Riolu for nothing.
Admittedly, psychic types, as Zero had found over his time as a Pokémon, were harder to read, even with his emotion sense, possibly more so than ghost types like Bella. He assumed this was because most of their abilities came from their mind, granting psychic types a larger resistance against mental intrusion and more control over their own emotions when compared to other types. That would also explain psychic types' resistance against moves of their own type. Regardless, while Zero couldn't 'read' Angela like he could other Pokémon, he could still notice the agitated look in her eyes every time she looked back at them.
Zero was also sure that he wasn't the only one who noticed Angela's strange behavior either. Bolt was constantly side-eyeing the Embrace Pokémon with suspicion in his eyes. Even Furno was frowning at her, though it may have been more out of agitation rather than suspicion.
Eventually, far later than Zero expected, Bolt snapped.
The Discharge Pokémon stopped abruptly, nearly causing Zero and Furno to crash into him. "Alright, that's enough, Angela," he barked.
The Gardevoir glanced at him, annoyance and exasperation clear within crimson orbs. "We must continue. We are close to the garden."
"Not until you explain yourself," Bolt said, stubbornly sitting on the jungle floor.
Angela fully turned around to face the Manectric. "I do not understand what you are asking for."
"Don't play dumb!" Bolt snarled. "This mission is more than just retrieving a Lunar Wing, is it? Had it been just that, you wouldn't be as impatient as you are. What are you up to?"
"…I do not know what you are referring to," Angela responded after a few seconds of silence. "Our purpose here is to obtain a Lunar Wing for Furno."
"Then why the rush," Bolt sneered. "If it were simply a matter of finding the item, should it even be there, you wouldn't be in such a rush to reach the Garden of Moonlight." He then got up and marched right up to Angela. "What's the real reason for bringing us here? What did you see, Angela?" he asked.
Angela said nothing. Her gaze remained blank, revealing no emotion as she met the electric type's glare. When she didn't answer, Bolt began to growl ominously.
"Judging by how you're not refuting my statement, I can assume that you did in fact see something," Bolt said. His voice was eerily calm, but Zero didn't believe it for a second. "So, tell me, what exactly did you see?"
"…What I saw is not important," Angela said stiffly.
"Cut the crap! We could be walking into a deathtrap for all we know!" Bolt snapped. Small bolts of electricity began to jump from the Discharge Pokémon's fur in his anger.
"No harm will come to us once we reach the Garden," Angela replied coolly.
"And we're supposed to just believe you?!" Bolt demanded incredulously. "I get that you can see the future, and you help the Resistance with that ability, but you have a tendency to put the needs if the many above the needs of the few!"
"As is necessary," Angela said. "Much like in chess, in order to win a war, one must make sacrifices of their pieces."
"Lives are not chess pieces!" Bolt roared; the sparks shooting off of him more ferociously. "The Resistance exists to protect all lives! We can't just sacrifice Pokémon to reach our goals! If we did, we'd be no better than the Emperor!"
"It is that mentality that is keeping us from winning," Angela said coldly.
"What was that?" Bolt growled dangerously.
Both Zero and Furno took a step back, the anger rising between the two older Pokémon reaching palpable levels; Intent from both Pokémon blanketing the entire area. The bolts of electricity coming off of the Manectric had stared to singe the nearby foliage, but Angela seemed unconcerned. On the contrary, the air around the Gardevoir seemed to shift and warp, a glowing blue ring growing within her eyes.
Next to him, Zero saw Furno stumble backwards, fear radiating off his form. Zero didn't blame him, the Intent surrounding them felt like it was choking them. On his other side, Bella hissed threateningly, but, compared to the monsters in front of them, she might as well be a Togepi growling at a Tyranitar. If things persisted the way they were, Zero feared the two adults would come to blows.
Swallowing thickly, Zero prepared himself to step in before the adults could actually try and harm one another, but froze when he heard a twig snapped.
As if a spell had been lifted, the Intent dissipated in an instant. The sparks around Bolt receded and the air around Angela returned to normal as both of them spun towards the sound of the twig.
Standing just under the foliage around the group was a very small Pokémon. Hardly reaching past Zero's knee, the Pokémon resembled a mushroom. It was primarily white in color with two large black eyes with light green half-circle markings on either side. Its body was thin, especially considering the size of the Pokémon's head, and split into three green 'roots' at the base. Three large mushrooms grew from the top of its head, the middle one being larger than the other two. The cap of the middle mushroom was dark pink with a lighter pink tip while the other two were purple with lavender tips.
The odd-looking Pokémon slowly exited the foliage before freezing before the group. Its eyes widened as if just realizing the group was there. It gave a shrill shriek before bolting back into the jungle.
The group stared after the Pokémon. The once tense and highly-charged air had disappeared, replaced with surprise and confusion. Zero frowned. While he wasn't overly familiar with the world he currently resided, he had seen quite his fair share of Pokémon while living at the Latios Division. That being said, he had never seen a Pokémon like that.
"What was that?" Furno asked, still somewhat pale from the Intent Angela and Bolt had been giving off.
"A Morelull," Angela responded, her voice returning to its previous stoic tone. "A rather rare Pokémon to find within Lyore. Even rarer to find in the wild."
Zero blinked, Angela's words registering to the former human a few seconds after the fact. "Wait, on Lyore?" he questioned.
"Of course. Lyore isn't the only continent in this world," Angela responded. "We simply haven't explored as the Emperor as blocked Lyore off from the rest of the world."
"Why would he do that?" Zero asked.
"He feared that the other continents would assist the Resistance in usurping him," Bolt answered. "To ensure that his reign was absolute, he enlisted several water types to patrol Lyore's borders to make sure no one is capable of entering the continent."
"I didn't know that," Zero said. Granted, he really should have realized that Lyore wasn't all that made up the world.
"The Emperor has done a lot of things," Angela said. "It is why he needs to be stopped…" She glanced at Bolt, "by any means necessary."
Bolt turned, his glare returning full force. He opened his mouth to say something, but the Gardevoir had already turned around and began to walk further into the jungle. "Come," she said. "We must continue."
"This conversation isn't over!" Bolt shouted, but Angela appeared not to hear him and continued onward. Bolt growled angrily, sparks once more jumping off his fur."
"Um…Bolt?" Zero questioned tentatively spoke up, partially fearing that he would garner the Manectric's anger. His worry was, however, for naught, as Bolt exhaled loudly, the electricity around him dissipating.
"Sorry about that, you two," he said with a resigned sigh. He gestured towards Angela. "We better catch up."
Zero and Furno nodded instantly, neither of them wanting to give the Manectric any reason to get angry again. Angela had already gotten a bit of a head start as Bolt was calming down, but it was still easy to see the off-colored Gardevoir's tell-tale blue and white body stood out among the vegetation. Bolt kept a noticeable distance between himself and the Gardevoir, most likely to avoid any other altercation between himself and the Embrace Pokémon. It was clear to Zero that the Manectric was still smarting over the argument, the anger radiating off of him was practically palpable, but Zero wasn't sure what to do.
Bolt wasn't part of his team. He had no authority or right to question Bolt's motives, though they were fairly clear, but Zero couldn't help but feel like there was a deeper reason to Bolt's anger towards Angela.
After several more minutes of silent travel, Bolt sighed. "I am sorry about all that."
"You already apologized," Furno pointed out.
"I know, but that doesn't excuse how I acted," Bolt said. "I allowed my temper to get the better of me and I used my Intent without thinking."
"Why were you so mad anyway?" Furno questioned, alarming Zero with his brazen question. "I get that you weren't happy with her view, but was getting that worked up necessary?"
Zero blinked, trying his best to keep the incredulousness off of his face. That was a rather hypocritical thing to say given how Furno had been acting a couple weeks prior.
"It wasn't just what she said," Bolt confessed. "Angela and I…we don't see 'eye-to-eye' on many things."
"Clearly," Furno snarked.
"Furno," Zero chided, elbowing his friend.
"What?" Furno demanded, unabashed.
"It's fine," Bolt said, a ghost of a smile on his face. He then became somber. "Anyway, as I'm sure you know, Angela's main purpose is to use her visions to assist the Resistance, specifically the Latios Division. She can see visions consisting of several possible outcomes to a specific event in the future. She then tells us the best course of action given what she sees. Her abilities have been proven helpful in numerous situations, but she never tells us everything. She always speaks cryptically. Whether this is how her vision come to her or not, I'm not sure, but part of me thinks it's because, if she told us everything, we'd be reluctant in following through with it."
"The cost outweighs the reward," Zero realized.
Bolt nodded. "Exactly. In the grand scheme of things, we've come up on top more in those instances, but not without losses on our side. To some, it's just the casualties of war, but the thought of willingly sacrificing my comrades." Bolt shook his head, a low growl rumbling from the back of his throat. "I can't abide by that."
"…something happened," Zero said after a few moments. "Specifically, something involving you and her."
Bolt's entire body went rigid and, for a second, Zero thought he overstepped his bounds. Eventually, Bolt started walking again, his shoulders sagging ever so slightly. "Angela sent us to Razed Ridge several years ago," he said after a couple of minutes.
Zero reeled back in shock, not having expected Bolt to respond and definitely not expecting the answer he got.
"Wait, you mean the mission that…crippled your teammate?" Furno asked.
Bolt whirled around. "How do you know about that?"
"The Temple of Memoria," Zero answered. "One of the floors was Razed Ridge and had a Kirlia. Stride mentioned that you lost a teammate on the mission."
Bolt huffed, shaking his head. "We didn't…lose a teammate in the literal sense. She's still alive, just…"
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Zero said hastily.
"It's fine. It's not like it's a secret," Bolt assured. "Back then, it was just the three of us; Stride, myself…and Flare. We were the cornerstone members of Team Surge, much like you and Furno are to Team Dawn Breaker."
Bolt smiled wistfully; his mind submerged in blissful memories of his past. His smile soon turned somber. "We were so confident in our abilities, and for good reason. We had a perfect track record in our missions, we had defeated numerous soldiers despite not being at our final forms. We were on top of the world. It's only natural that we be brought down to reality."
Zero felt a shiver run down his spine. A virtual miasma of depression, fear, and fury hovered over Bolt like a cloud. "Angela approached us, regarding a mission to Razed Ridge. She said that she saw a Pokémon fleeing through Razed Ridge, a soldier chasing after them. She said that the Pokémon possessed information vital towards the war effort and that our team had the best chance of gaining the information they carried."
"So, you went to Razed Ridge," Zero finished.
"Yeah. We did," Bolt said. "Everything was fine for the first few floors. The dungeon Pokémon were strong, but we were well stocked with items: blast seeds, petrify orbs, reviver seeds…we had everything we could ever need to get to our target." Bolt gaze sank to the ground; his shoulders slumping. "…but all of our preparations meant nothing when we encountered Aster."
Bolt shivered, bringing up a paw to touch a spot just over his right shoulder blade. Zero had never noticed it before, but there was long jagged scar, peeking out from beneath the sharp, yellow fur above his leg.
"We underestimated him. Aster. We thought he was a pushover. A Kirlia being a dangerous enemy?" Bolt gave a hollow chuckle. "We were completely caught off guard by his strength and skill. I don't remember much of the fight, he took me down in a matter of moments, but when I came to…" The Manectric shuddered. "The one we were supposed to rescue was dead, Stride was practically catatonic, and Flare…Flare lost her ability to use her Flame."
"Her Flame?" Furno asked, his trembling slightly. "You don't mean…" Bolt just nodded; his expression solemn. Furno blanched, his expression becoming disturbed. It looked like he was going to be physically sick.
"Um…what exactly is a flame?" Zero asked, feeling out of the loop.
"Not a flame. A Flame," Furno clarified. "To a fire type, their Flame is their life. It allows us to control and manipulate fire, gives us strength, it's our very life." He held up his own tail, the fire upon it burning brightly in the shadows of the jungle. "If it were to be snuffed out, we would die as a result."
"Seriously?" Zero asked in horror. Looking at his partner's tail, he couldn't help but worry about how fragile the small light seemed. One lucky hit from a water type could end his life.
Furno seemed to realize what Zero was thinking and chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not so easy to extinguish a Pokémon's flame, even those of us that have our flames exposed. Even being completely submerged in water won't kill us outright, though it does hurt a lot."
"Oh," Zero said with no small amount relief.
"Even so," Furno began turning back to Bolt. "To lose access to her Flame…most fire types would choose death rather than live their life like that."
"Well, not Flare. She's far to stubborn to even think about giving up like that. Even so…" Bolt sighed, "it was hard for her, not being able to use her abilities, practically invalid. It shattered her confidence and broke her spirit. She could hardly look at me and Stride without shame coloring her expression. She left Team Surge shortly after."
"Where is she now?" Furno asked.
"Oh, she's still at the division," Bolt answered. "She just does odd jobs around the place. Unfortunately, it's all a Combusken without fire can do for the Resistance."
The bitter tone of finality in the Manectric's voice caused Zero to flinch. Despite this, Zero had a burning question that he had to ask. "You said that Angela believed your team had the best chance of gaining the information. Did you…get that information?"
Bolt regarded the Riolu with a blank stare. The former human swallowed, thinking that he had finally overstepped his bounds, but Bolt just sighed. "We did," he confirmed. "It was our team that learned that Razed Ridge was essentially a short cut through our two territories, but the information wasn't worth it."
Bolt glared at Zero, daring him to say otherwise, not that Zero would. While it was true that knowing how Razed Ridge operated was crucial to the Resistance's survival, knowing that it cost another Pokémon what was essentially her life, it all seemed like a double-edge sword. Had Flare been given a choice of sacrificing her ability, and done so willingly, it would have been different, but neither her nor the rest of her team new of the dangers that faced them. That wasn't something Zero could abide by.
A cold hand touched Zero's shoulder, causing the Riolu to jump. Zero whirled around, a disgruntled glare aimed at Bella, however, the Marionette Pokémon was undeterred. The ghost type frantically shook Zero's shoulder, pointing in front of them. Confused, Zero followed where she was pointing and gasped.
While Bolt had been talking, they had reached their destination. Before them was an open grove, the oddly colored trees forming a perfect semi-circle around the clearing. The trees were also spread out at the canopy, allowing moonlight to illuminate the garden. With the natural light bathing the garden, the already bioluminescent foliage glowed even brighter. Glowing spores rained down like snow, flashing and disappearing as the entered and exited the light. Flowers grew around the clearing, leaving a single patch of grass in the very center of the garden. The petals, which were the same color as the leaves, shimmered animatedly, adding to the ethereal aura the garden seemed to have.
"Whoa!" Furno openly gaped. He stepped into the clearing, his eyes filled with wonder and awe. "It's beautiful."
Zero could only nod his head in agreement. The image looked right out of a fairy tale. Some of the Pokémon from before, Morelull, were loitering within the flowers. Zero noted that, while they appeared wary of the group, they were much calmer than the previous one they had encountered. Almost as if the garden was calming them.
Bella too seemed to be entranced; her mouth unzippered and hanging open. Her pink eyes were wide with wonder. Though, considering the way she was eyeing the Morelull, Zero was curious as to how long her calm would last.
"I didn't realize it was so late," Bolt said, worryingly glancing up at the moon. "We need to get back soon."
"We will leave when we have retrieved what we have came for," Angela, who stood in the middle of the garden, said.
"Well where is this Lunar Wing?" Bolt demanded; hackles bared. He mockingly gestured to the garden. "I don't see it anywhere."
Angela didn't reply. She simply stared at the Manectric with her calm, yet unreadable gaze. Bolt frowned, tensing his body as if preparing to lunge at the Gardevoir.
"What are you—?" Bolt never got to finish his question.
Angela's eyes pulsed red, the glow looking even more ominous in the dim, silvery light. Bolt's eyes glowed with the same light before he stumbled. The Manectric swayed on spot, his legs shaking underneath his body as if suddenly struggling to hold himself up.
"Damn…you," Bolt growled feebly, before collapsing onto the ground.
"Bolt!" Zero and Furno both shouted, rushing over to the downed Manectric, Bella close behind. Upon reaching the Discharge Pokémon, the young team found that Bolt was unconscious yet showed no sign of injury.
"What did you do to him?!" Furno demanded, rising to his feet, his arms raised in preparation for a fight.
"He is simply asleep," Angela explained nonchalantly, appearing unphased by Furno's anger. "He would simply be a hinderance to our conversation."
"What conversation," Zero questioned warily, rising to match Furno's stance. Beside him, Bella growled; the shadows around her seeming to grow darker in rhythm with her emotion.
"The one you'll be having with me," an unfamiliar bright and bubbly voice.
A bright light erupted from next to Angela, momentarily blinding the young trio. When it finally died down, the group saw an odd Pokémon floating beside the Gardevoir. It had a black head and torso with a white ring around its chest and two half circles underneath its bright blue eyes. Above those eyes, mimicking eyebrows, were two curved, pink lines, separated into three segments. Its hands possessed no fingers and puffy pink bracelets on each wrist. On top of its head was a mass of pink, tentacle-like hair with two larger strands framing its face. Its lower body was encased by what appeared to be a shell resembling an insect.
The 'shell' was light pink in color with a white rim and two connected diamonds connected to the rim. On either side of the shell was a hexagonal pattern consisting of five, dark pink triangles, almost resembling compound eyes. The ridges on the back of the shell resembled Butterfree wings. Resting on top of the Pokémon's 'hair' was a pink conical shell, a similar diamond pattern on the front of it.
The strange Pokémon eyed the unconscious Manectric before turning to Angela. "You didn't need to knock him out," she, at Zero thought it was a she, admonished the Embrace Pokémon.
"He would have kept interrupting," Angela replied simply. "It will be a lot smoother now."
"Hmm," the Pokémon responded, sounding exasperated yet fond. She then turned to the trio. Despite having no mouth to convey her feelings, her eyes were bright and warm, giving the impression that she was smiling. However, instead of being put at ease by this, Zero felt all the more cautious.
The Riolu's instincts were screaming at him to run. To get away from this seemingly kind and harmless Pokémon. The sheer aura they gave off, while not visible or corporeal, rolled off them like a fog. The power they possessed was comparable to that of Regigigas.
Zero was certain of it. The one before them was a Legendary.
"Are your Cresselia?" Zero asked tentatively. It would make sense. They were supposed to be in her garden after all.
The legendary chuckled brightly. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not Cresslia," she explained. "Like all the other Legendaries, she left this place a long time ago. I am Tapu Lele."
"Tapu…Lele?" Furno repeated, cautiously. "I haven't heard of you before."
"That's not surprising," Tapu Lele said, unconcerned over Furno's lack of recognition. "Myself and the other Tapus and I didn't frequent Lyore very often, so it's not surprising that you haven't heard of me." She then chuckled when she noticed Furno's nervous expression. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna' smite you for not knowing my name, Furno."
"O-Oh," Furno muttered, blushing a little. Zero noted that a small amount of tension left the Monferno's shoulders. The tension returned twofold when he registered what she had said. "H-How do you know my name?"
The Legendary chuckled again. "Just because we Legendaries left your world doesn't mean we haven't been watching. Granted, we don't see everything, though maybe Arceus does…" she added as an afterthought. "Regardless, we've taken special interest in Lyore, especially now that you and Atlas have entered the playing field."
Zero stilled at the mention of his human name. "How do you…"
"As I said, young Atlas, the Legendaries have been watching," Tapu Lele said in a very cryptic manner. "Not to mention, it wouldn't be wise to not keep an eye on our champion."
Zero had a million questions. Champion? What did she mean by that? What exactly was he? The immense feeling of starving with food just within arm's reach. All of his questions about who he was and why he was here were right there in front of him.
Zero's mouth felt like sandpaper, his throat crackling with every breath he took, but he wouldn't be deterred. He had to know. "What…am I?"
Tapu Lele regarded the former human, her gaze becoming sympathetic. "A survivor," she replied. "A human, left among the wreckage of his former life. The sole survivor of his species and last surviving bearer of the Silver Soul, taken from time to in order to fulfill your destiny and face Lyore's emperor."
"I…what?" Zero managed to get out.
"The Legendaries took you before you could perish with the rest of the humans and transformed you into a Pokémon in order to hide you from the Emperor," Tapu Lele explained.
Zero was at a loss for words. Deep down, he knew he had some purpose. Some reason for being transformed into a Pokémon. He had no delusion of grandeur, but something like what happened to him doesn't happen to just anyone.
The former human moistened his lips, trying to formulate the words he wished to convey, but Tapu Lele spoke before he could. "Unfortunately, we don't have ample time. Arceus only allowed me a few minutes to speak to you. I've come to warn you."
"What? Warn me about what?" Zero questioned.
Tapu Lele's expression became solemn. "Arceus ordered the Legendaries to leave this world because he feared that your dependence on us would hinder your growth. We left so that you all could grow and prosper, and you did, for a time. All of the continents grew and prospered under their respective leaders. There was strife, yes, but you all grew and there was peace. That is, until Lyore's fourth emperor came to power."
The air seemed to take a noticeable chill as Tapu Lele spoke. "After such a benevolent emperor as the Third, we Legendaries were shocked and appalled by the treachery and cruelty a single being could possess. We had hoped one would come to oppose them, but the Fourth was far too powerful for anyone Pokémon. Only one thing could stop him…"
"The Silver Soul," Furno said, causing Zero, who had all but forgotten that he wasn't alone in the garden, to jump.
Tapu Lele nodded. "Yes. The Silver Soul is a great power, one that uses the bearer's own soul as a power source to strike at another's. It is especially strong against those whose essence comes from a more metaphysical configuration. In other words, a soul with a physical body," she explained when she was met with blank stares.
"Ghost types," Furno supplied, remembering the Dusclops Zero…defeated during the fall of the Groudon Division.
"Precisely," Tapu Lele said.
"So, the Emperor is a ghost type," Zero said.
"Yes. A Gengar to be specific. One that has lived far longer than should be possible," Tapu Lele said grimly. "Because of the Silver Soul's effectiveness against ghost types, more so than the type has on itself, you, young Atlas, are the only one that can stand against this monster."
"So, that's why I'm here?" Zero asked. "To defeat the Emperor?"
"Whether you are able to defeat this monster or not is yet to be seen," Tapu Lele said. "The previous emperor, the Third, too wielded the Silver Soul, but he was unable to defeat the Fourth."
"The what am I supposed to do if the power that's supposed to defeat him won't cut it?" Zero asked.
"The Silver Soul is but one component in defeating the Emperor. More is required to defeat the Fourth. That is why I'm here."
The Legendary floated closer to Zero. Her bright blue eyes held none of the previous mirth or warmth, instead holding a deadly seriousness that made Zero swallow thickly. "While we want you to succeed, Arceus' word is law. We cannot interfere within the progression of the world. That being said, we cannot stand idly by as your world falls into disarray and chaos. You must know that, by itself, the Silver Soul is not enough to overcome the Fourth. I can't go into details, but there is an item that you require to reach a level high enough to combat the Emperor."
"What's the item?" Zero asked, sounding almost desperate. "Where is it?"
"I cannot tell you," Tapu Lele said regretfully. "Arceus has only permitted this one hint."
"Well that's hardly a hint!" Furno exploded angrily. "Look for some item somewhere in the world…that's useless information!"
"I'm sorry, but that's all I'm allowed to tell you," Tapu Lele said, sounding genuinely regretful. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, her gaze narrowing as if seeing something. "You'll see the signs, I promise you, but that's all I can tell you. I am sorry, but I must go."
"Wait! I still have questions!" Zero exclaimed desperately, reaching out a paw as if it would stop the Legendary from leaving. There was so much he still wanted to know. Like what happened to his people? His parents? Why did he have the Silver Soul?
"I truly am sorry," Tapu Lele said as she began to glow brightly. "Look for the signs. That is all the advice I can give you. Farewell and good luck." With that, Tapu Lele erupted in light and vanished from the garden.
"No…" Zero whispered, his paw still outstretched. He fell to his knees, mind reeling with more questions than answers. Out of the blue, a Legendary had told him that the weight of the world was essentially on his shoulders. That he was Lyore's only hope of ending the Emperor's reign.
The former human cringed, an uncomfortable dull throb beginning to pound at his chest. Zero suddenly found it hard to breath, his breaths coming out as ragged pants. His lungs felt like they were being constricted by an Arbok. How was he supposed to do this? He was just one Pokémon, one human. He couldn't control the Silver Soul, let alone even activate it. How was he supposed to fight the Emperor or his army? He couldn't do it. He couldn't…
A hand fell upon his shoulder, warm and comforting. "It'll be okay," Furno said, smiling reassuringly. "We'll figure this out. You won't have to do any of this alone."
Bella churred, nearly startling the duo as she had crept up behind them. The ghost type encircled her arms around the former human, conveying her silent support. Zero smiled gratefully at them, his eyes beginning to water.
"Thank you," he said gratefully, warmth spreading over him. He had forgotten, for moment, that he wasn't alone. He had friends, a team, that would stand by him through thick and thin. Despite the responsibility he now carried, he wouldn't have to bear it alone.
"We must depart," Angela interrupted, reminding the trio that she was there. She crouched over the place Tapu Lele had floated, picking up something from the ground. "A final gift from the Legendaries," she said as she stood back up and offering the item to the group."
Curious, Furno stood and took the item, observing it in his hands. Looking over his shoulder, Zero saw that the item appeared to be a feather. The tip of the feather was an almost neon green that bled to an equally bright yellow as it got closer to the hollow root. The entire thing seemed to give of a low, ethereal glow.
Furno tilted his head, his brow furrowed. "This is…"
"A lunar wing," Angela answered, moving towards Bolt. "The item you sought."
"This is the lunar wing?!" Furno exclaimed in shock, looking at the item with a newfound reverence.
"Yes. With it, your nightmares will no longer plague you," Angela said.
"So, the story about the lunar wing wasn't a lie you came up with to get us here,"
"No," Angela responded simply. She looked down at Bolt, her eyes flashing red. A second later, the Manectric stirred.
"Ugh, what?" Bolt grumbled, clearly still disoriented. He climbed to his feet, wobbling slightly as he fought to clear the cobwebs from his mind. When he finally focused, he eyes locked onto Angela. Immediately, the Discharge Pokémon bared his fangs, a low, threatening growled rumbling from the back of his throat. "You!"
Just before Bolt could launch himself at the Gardevoir, Zero shouted. "Wait! Bolt! It's okay! We've got what we came for!"
Bolt paused in his charge. Turning, he gave the group a confused look. His eyes zeroed in on the softly glowing feather in Furno's hand. "What? How…?"
"All will be explained once we return," Angela interrupted. "We have spent enough time here. Let us depart."
Before anyone could say anything in the contrary, Angela closed her eyes and a bright light consumed their vision.
-Resistance-
Zero gasped, nearly falling over as his feet abruptly met solid stone. Blearily glancing around, he saw that Angela had teleported them just outside Team Dawn Breaker's room.
"Ugh," Furno groaned, holding his stomach. "A little warning would be nice next time."
"What happened back there?" Bolt demanded, stepping towards the Gardevoir. Fury burning in his eyes. "What happened while I was asleep and why did you put me to sleep in the first place?!"
"You would have been a distraction and a hinderance to the conversation. That is why I put you to sleep," Angela responded coolly.
"What conversation?"
"The one that had to be had."
"Dammit, Angela!" Bolt roared in anger.
Zero sighed at the two adults before looking away. His mind was still reeling from he had just learned. Even with Furno and Bella's reassurance that they would stand at his side, he was still lost and concerned about what the future would hold.
A jaw cracking yawn tore its way out of Zero. He was tired. The events of the day were catching up with him and there was nothing he wanted other than to sleep and deal with everything in the morning.
With that in mind, he turned to enter his team's rooms when he saw a note stuck to the door. Curious, he removed the note and began to read.
"What was so important that you dragged us to a random jungle under false pretenses?!" Bolt demanded, oblivious to everything around him other than the source of his ire.
"There was no false pretense. I said that there was a chance at obtaining a lunar wing for Furno and there was. I never lied," Angela pointed out.
"You know what I mean!" Bolt snapped angrily. "What was this conversation you had and why was it so important?"
"I did not participate in the conversation, however certain truths were revealed that will be crucial in the coming final battle," Angela said.
"Will you just speak normally?!"
Bella gave a chittering laugh as she watched the two adults argue. Furno shook his head at the Marionette Pokémon's antics. "At least one of us is enjoying this," he muttered, turning back to the quarreling duo. In all honesty, he suspected Angela spoke the way she did because it infuriated Bolt. Then again, it was hard to get a read on the off-colored Embrace Pokémon.
Shaking his head, Furno turned to Zero only to frown when he saw the former human was reading a note. "Zero?"
Zero didn't respond. He just stood there, staring at the paper in his paws. Stepping closer to his friend, he noticed that his paws were shaking.
"Zero?" Furno asked a little louder, gaining the attention of the other three in the hallway. "What's wrong?"
Zero finally looked up, his red eyes wide and full of fear. "Quill and the others…they've been captured."