Ch.137: A Bitter Meeting! Rival vs. Rival!

Wes didn't know where he was. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't smell, hear, or feel anything, not even his own body. He felt suspended in darkness, numb to the world. Everything felt hollow and empty.

"What…happened?" he groaned no louder than a hoarse whisper.

"You poor child. The strain of my magic took a great toll on your body. I pray for your safety."

"Huh?" Wes looked around with his disembodied vision in search of the soft, angelic voice calling to him. "Who's…there?"

"You called upon my magic when you needed it most, though you were unprepared for the backlash. You must steel your resolve, for the worst has yet to come."

"Seriously, who are you? What happened?"

"You must wake up, Wes Ravenfield. Time is short."

A blinding light shined through the darkness, washing over the treasure hunter's mind.


Wes let out a startled gasped, accidentally banging his head against the wall. "Yow!" He winced and tried to cradle his head, but something prevented him from moving his forelegs. "What the—" He turned to both sides of himself and saw rings of darkness shackled around his ankles and pinning him against the wall, same for his hindlegs.

He tried to pull his legs free, but they tightened at the sign of resistance, coiling hard on his poor ankles. He yelped in pain and ceased his attempted escape. The shackles eased up to his relief.

Wes stared at the ground for a moment, puzzled by a realization. "I'm alive?" Last he remembered, the Shadow King knocked him unconscious with a blast of magic. He was certain he died the second he blacked out, unless he was in some weird limbo that had the most unusual welcoming ceremony.

Wes looked around and realized, however, he was still in the maze chamber, still as destroyed as he remembered. Across from him, he spotted Arid, strung up to the wall in a similar manner with his gauntlet removed and thrown onto the other side of the chamber.

Wes leaned forward a bit. "Psst! Arid?" he called out in a hushed voice. The Darmanitan captain made no response. He looked like he was unconscious. "Hey Arid, wake up. You're still alive, right? Hey, wake up already!"

"You'll have your time for final goodbyes, Ravenfield." Wes' eyes shrunk, suddenly detecting the ominous presence of the man who knocked him out. The Shadow King, with his light-vanquishing aura, stepped out from around a pillar, arms crossed and eyes burning red.

Wes grinned uneasily. "Ah. You're still here."

The Shadow King approached the trapped Umbreon. "I never expected your family possessed Ancestral Magic. This…disturbs me more than you can know."

Wes leaned as far back as he could into the wall. "Yeah, well, hasn't been the most exciting learning experience for me either."

"But now, I'll have all the time in the world to exact my revenge. For once, I can take this slowly."

Wes bared his teeth, trying to look intimidating. "You better watch it. Thanks to that last attack of yours, everyone will come flooding in to save me."

The Shadow King shook his head. "Do I look like an amateur to you?" He pointed up at the gaping hole in the ceiling.

Wes followed his finger, then paled at the black, swirling aura covering the top of the chamber, reminiscent of the aura that he vaguely recalled swallowing an entire legendary library months ago. "Oh no…"

"No one but I shall enter this space." The Shadow King cracked his knuckles. "I've waited an eternity to exact my revenge on your family. No one shall keep me from my satisfaction."

Wes gulped. Uh, mysterious voice? Can you please pray harder?!


Ella skipped along the walls, dodging the rampaging punches of Nightmare. Each blow left a bowling ball sized crater, almost perfectly spherical. She sidestepped a punch, but casted a psychic shield as spikes grew out of his arm. They slammed her up against the wall and grinded against the barrier, which cracked under the pressure.

The Shadow Chesnaught grinned eerily. "How do you like my true form, Espeon? Does my mere presence send you cowering to the afterlife?"

Ella bared her teeth. "F-Frankly, you looked less ugly as a generic phantom."

Nightmare sneered, then reared his fist back as it crackled with a dense black magic. "Terror Breaker!" His fist rocketed forward in a blazing aura.

Ella steeled her body as the fist pierced through her barrier and rammed her exposed stomach. Though her psychic aura shielded most of the damage, the force carried through just as hard. Ella spat a silent scream, coughing up droplets of blood, and slammed through the wall. Daybreak slipped out of her hold and clattered down the tunnel.

She fell from the wall, but Nightmare pinned her back down by the head. She grimaced as his claws pinched down on her skull. "I wonder how strong that psychic aura of yours is. Can it withstand the force needed to turn your skull to dust?"

Ella growled. "Screw. You."

"I'll take that as your compliance." He squeezed down, sending her into a symphony of bloodcurdling screams. The claws dug into her head, drawing the first signs of blood. The pressure weighed on her skull, threatening to break at a moment's notice.

Fortunately, a cannon shot from across the tunnel ceased her suffering, exploding into Nightmare's oblivious face. The Shadow Chesnaught roared irritably and threw Ella away, rubbing the dust from his eyes. As he did, Jeffery swooped down and scratched the shadow's head, tearing wisps of shadow out in his talons.

"Gah!" Nightmare growled, matting down the ragged wisps from his head.

Jeffery flapped high above him, sneering triumphantly. "You made a grave mistake facing against the Desert Beasts' second-in-command. Now you will face the true glory of Jeffery!"

Nightmare glared at the bragging Chatot, then morphed his arm into tentacles with claws growing out from all over. "Wretched Chatot." He swung the tentacles at the bird.

Jeffery understandably squawked with panic and did his best to avoid the flailing tentacles. "Ah! Let's talk about this! No need for violence!"

"Screw that, more violence!" Nightmare gasped as Julius suddenly grappled around his neck and pressed his pincer cannon into his face. "Enjoy yer trip to Davy Jones' Locker!" He fired the close range blast and obliterated Nightmare's head off in a fiery explosion.

Jeffery laughed, mostly in relief, and watched the shadow wisps dance through the air. "Ha…Hahahaha! How do you like that, you stupid sack of—"

"He's still alive, you idiot!" Ella reminded furiously after recovering from the ground.

The headless shadow grabbed Julius' leg, lifted him high, and smashed him into the floor. He lifted the Crawdaunt again, swung him around, and threw him at Jeffery, who was too stunned to dodge. The pirates tumbled across the floor with Julius landing on top of Jeffery.

Nightmare cracked his knuckles as his head reshaped. "Very well, I'll kill you both before the Espeon." He took one step forward, then got battered across the face by Daybreak as it soared past him. He twisted his neck and glowered at Ella.

Ella panted, then lifted her paw, catching Daybreak as it lapped back to her. It extended to its staff form, then broke off into its seven batons. "I'm still kicking, asshole." She flickered her paw and sent six of the batons flying at him.

Nightmare split his arms into six tentacles and lashed at the flying batons. Ella mentally guided them around his attacks, then set them to assault all exploitable openings. As he aimed high to batter a couple, the rest swooped down and struck the legs. Some too his attention on both sides, the others rammed him in the front. She flicked her digits with the grace and speed of a Ninjask racing through an obstacle course, expertly weaving her weapon around the Being of Nightmares.

Nightmare, however, wasn't having anymore of her tomfoolery. "Terror Chord!" He let out an earsplitting cry. The sonic waves held the batons at bay while Ella recoiled from the shock. She closed her ears and pressed her paws down on them, cringing from the insufferable noise.

Nightmare snatched the batons from the air and punted them to the ground. They lodged in place, then Nightmare stomped down to further bury them. With the weapons partially disposed, he lunged at Ella and threw a right hook at her face.

Ella recovered from the sonic scream and barely blocked his punch with a shield. The force dragged her off her haunches and tossed her in the air. She fired a psychic pulse to push Nightmare back, but the Shadow Chesnaught stood resilient with his feet digging into the dirt.

Ella held herself in the air, then tried to call upon Daybreak. The six batons struggled in the ground as they tried to wiggle free. She gave up on her attempt and dodged an extended punch from Nightmare. To her shock, more arms sprung from the stretched arm and battered her senselessly into the ground.

Nightmare retracted his arm, then grew sharp quills out. "Abyssal Shard Storm!" He fired the needles, which were coated in black flames.

Ella remained on her back and did a break dance-like spin, creating a psychic whirlwind that blew the needles around her. She flipped to her paws, then roared with a psychic pulse, blasting Nightmare off his feet.

Nightmare just grinned as he flew back. "Do you intend to keep proving your worthlessness?" He flipped back and landed on his legs, then immediately broke into an alarming sprint.

Ella couldn't dodge the figurative bullet train that was Nightmare as he caught her neck and dragged her through the floor. He dug her from the floor to the walls, pulled her out in a cloud of dust, then threw her down on his elevated knee. Ella wheezed, desperately clinging to consciousness, and went limp to the ground.

Nightmare rested his foot on her head and kept it in place. "Are you not satisfied yet?" he asked smugly. "You try and try, but you remain inferior to the pinnacle of creation. With the return of my master, I grow stronger by the day. My limits are boundless while you creatures remain tied to the mortal coil called life. That fear is why I'm the Being of Nightmares."

Ella glared up at him, feebly pushing on his leg while her hind legs squirmed with discomfort, digging into the dirt. "I'm sure this would be a lovely conversation if I didn't have enough existential issues to deal with."

"You cannot compete with your friends—"

"What are you, a broken record? I get the picture!" Ella sneered. "And I don't care. Until you man up and kill me, I'll keep getting strong."

"You have failed countless times to subdue me."

Ella scoffed. "Oh? So you actually count those warm-up rounds? My, my, you are desperate for validation—GAH!" Nightmare pressed down on her head for a moment.

"Silence," he ordered.

Ella's eyes wandered from the hulking Shadow Chesnaught to the pirate duo, who were thankfully still in one piece. With Nightmare distracted, they used the moment to dig Ella's weapons out of the ground. Perfect, she thought.

Ella smirked back at Nightmare. "If you need to tell me to shut up to win the argument, I seem to be the clear winner."

Nightmare tensed his foot against her head, applying the faintest bit of pressure. "You have yet to best me, Espeon. I will not let anyone best me, not ever again. To fail my duty is to fail my cause. That is the failing of a true knight: the inability to protect their king."

"Knight?" Ella questioned in surprise.

"A shadow isn't particularly a soulless creature, but it is without a soul. I suppose in the simplest way I can explain, they are living grudges."

"That means Nightmare is one, too. Makes me wonder why he of all shadows was made into the big boss general. I wonder who he was in a previous life."

Ella narrowed her eyes curiously. Nightmare has a history before the war, just like all the other shadows. What's his story? How did he get mixed up as the Shadow King's acting general?

"I will not fail His Majesty. Your death, and the death of your friends, will pave the way to his glorious vision. A world blanketed in the dark, transforming this desolate world into the perfect abyss." Nightmare pressed down on Ella's head. "And a mere Espeon cannot match me."

Ella grunted, but resisted the pain. "Don't count me out…so soon. This Espeon hasn't used all her tricks yet." With a fast flick of her digits, her batons sprung from the looser dirt and rocketed toward Nightmare with a blast of psychic propulsion.

They rammed his armored shell and threw him off their wielder. Nightmare tumbled along the ground, but regained his footing and caught himself. He shook the dirt off, then raised his head with a tight glare as Ella stood up, wielding Daybreak once more.

"I haven't reached my full potential yet, Spooky," Ella taunted. "So, don't go doubting me when there's still plenty of butt to kick." She spun her staff and threw out psychic slashes into the Shadow Chesnaught.

Nightmare expanded his forearms into shields, nullifying the attack. Ella psychically enhanced her hindlegs and lunged under his shield, then rammed Daybreak into his chin. With a burst of psychic propulsion from the other end, Nightmare flipped backwards through the air, leaving him open for a downward spike by Ella.

Ella jumped back, spinning the staff around herself, and marveled at the armored shadow as he flailed on his back. "Ha, I've seen many shelled Pokémon incapacitated like this. Need help, old timer?"

Nightmare bared his teeth. "You do have some fight in you, then?" His body faded into fog and reshaped itself with him back on his feet. He extended shadow blades from his arms and crossed them. "Endure my strikes, Espeon, and I might grant you your just respect."

Ella spun her staff, pointing an end at her opponent. "I like those odds."


Holly stared at the fallen Electrivire, who remained kneeled and motionless with his bleeding face covered. The shadows worked hard to repair the damage, taking noticeably longer than repairing his eye. Tony's rambling theory about Voss' arm struck a chord in Holly, working the gears in her mind at the astounding truth to Voss' invincibility.

Yet that did not occupy the majority of her brain power, more invested in the glow emanating beneath the nigh unbreakable armor: the glow of the origin keys in close proximity of each other. She sensed their intense rattling. The power of seven mystical keys connected to the Idol of Origin reacting with each other as they closed in on their intended use. It made Holly wonder what bringing all ten together will entail.

She also wondered how she was going to take them back!

Several issues stood in front of the frantic Lurantis. She had hoped during the separation that Voss lost the keys. It wouldn't have made the theoretical search any better, no doubt entailing lots of digging and hopelessness, but it certainly sounded better than being guarded by an unstoppable titan.

The second prevailing problem was that they were hidden under his armor which, as established, was nigh unbreakable. Potentially breakable, yes, but certainly not in the ball park for illusions and hurricane winds.

Unless one of us can secretly become intangible, or risk getting close enough to do that, those keys are untouchable. Holly wrapped her sickle claws tightly around Last Breath. Calm down, Holly, you need to rationalize this out. How am I going to sneak those keys out from under his armor? Maybe if Mack was here, he could use Eclipse to fish them out. Ugh, but there's no way he would be fast enough to reach them before Voss stops him.

She noticed the shadows dissipating around Voss' face. They were nearly finished healing his face. Holly narrowed her eyes softly, then sheathed Last Breath back onto her back.

One thing's for sure. If Tony's theory is correct, Voss has no durability. His body, it's like it has the fragility of paper. The constitution of a sand castle. A cannon made of glass. Powerful, but easy to shatter. Holly flinched. But with that armor, he's completely unstoppable. Anyone can hurt him, but that armor evens the playing field. Actually, no, because that armor requires the strength of a god to break through.

Holly crouched down and pumped her legs with magic. Her limiter extended across her body once more. Blue web patterns reached her claws and traveled down from her waist to her legs. She felt her body tingle with the power stored up inside her, stolen from years of taking dying victims' last moments of pain and sorrow.

But you aren't a god, Voss. Your illusion of strength has shattered.

Holly kicked off the floor and sailed across the tunnel. She stretched her long legs out and shot towards Voss like a ballista spear.

Voss sensed the incoming mantis and raised his arm. He put up a fight as Holly struck his arm, pushing back with great force. One knee dug into the dirt while his right leg extended back and pushed into the ground. He glared through the bit of darkness covering his face. "Good. You were trying to break my neck with that kick, weren't you?"

Holly held her stance for a moment, glaring back at him, then sprung back a couple feet away. "I know your secret, Voss. Your body, it is actually frail and weak. You can't withstand any of our blows, can you? Why, I bet a standard punch could break a bone or two."

Voss huffed, then picked himself off the ground. "I was right to believe the Dewott was too dangerous. I don't care what Puck says, I will cleave that Dewott's head from his shoulders when I find him." He pointed his sword at Holly. "Then I will take your head next."

Holly glared, eyes blazing with blue. "So, it's true. You won't deny it?"

Voss sighed. "Let me ask you a serious question, Holly. I do not deny the unfortunate state of my body. It's a sad existence, I must admit, living as glass. I've only known this pain since I could retain memory. I remembered the first time I broke my foot all because stubbed a wall too hard, or how my body ached after a mere jog. I had to overcome that weakness if I wanted to live a normal life.

"But answer me this, dear Holly." Voss snapped his fingers, rematerializing the helmet over his head. "How will that information serve you if you can't breach through my shield?"

Holly's eyes shrank as Voss sprinted forward, dragging his sword through the ground and leaving a trail of black flames. Holly whipped out Last Breath and waved a powerful gust through the tunnel. The ground torn asunder, ripping chunks from the ground and pelting them into Voss, but no wind nor earth deterred or slowed him.

Holly quickly raised Last Breath and blocked the brutal sword slash, but couldn't stop the force from throwing her into the ceiling. Her limiter's power basically nullified the damage, but her heart pounded hard just thinking about the power behind the weapon.

He has no natural defense, but his offensive power is absolute. Holly fell from the cracked ceiling and landed dizzily on her feet. Over a decade of chasing this monster, and none of us came to understand the monster underneath that armor.

Voss coated his sword in flames once more and swiped at Holly's head. She dodged in the nick of time and swiped at his legs. Unlike Tony's attempt of the same nature, Voss was prepared and resisted the strike. He punched down and smashed her head into the ground. He kicked Last Breath out of her claws, then slammed his foot down on her back.

"AAAAHHHH!" Holly screamed, blood spouting from her unseen mouth. The magic coursing through her body fizzled under Voss' weight and pressure. The magical energy exerting from his body crushed her with an intense gravity. The overwhelming difference in their power couldn't be more obvious. Though skilled in illusion, Holly didn't have the physical strength to match Voss aside from her limiter.

Voss spun his sword and aimed the blade down at her shoulder. She expected a quip or some longwinded speech about his purpose, but the emotionless gaze under his helmet informed her he was done with conversation. Without a word, he plunged the sword for her shoulder.

Holly bent her arm back and deflected the sword with her sickle claw. The blade went off course and barely grazed her face. She tried to turn her head to activate a spell, but Voss stomped on her head and buried her deeper into the dirt.

Voss raised his sword once again and ignited it in black flames. Holly tried to rise, but Voss' aura kept pushing down and holding her in place. Her limiter receded back into herself, leaving her weak and vulnerable. Her magic wasn't cut out for direct fights. She always let Griffin and Mack handle the physical stuff, mostly against superbly stronger opponents like Voss. She could handle a corrupted Pokémon or two, but nothing like this.

Holly squeezed her eyes shut. Damn it, I need help. Tony, Griffin, someone! Please!

Voss tightened his grip, hesitating to strike if only for a second. Though his purpose guided his ambitions, it saddened him to kill someone who once looked to him for advice. He felt like he bonded well with the trio before he turned on the clan. However, such emotions were a hinderance and had to be eliminated.

With his mind made up, Voss swung down, aiming for Holly's exposed neck. "Fallen—"

CLANG!

Holly gasped to the sound of metal grinding against each other. The pressure of Voss' downward swing brushed against her head with wisps of black flames faded before her eyes.

Voss glared at the black sword pushing against his own, then glared at the wielder. "The rumors did say the Blood Moon Rogue sought violence wherever he turned up."

Griffin glared back at the Electivire, struggling to hold back the silver sword. "Stay away from my friend." He put his strength into knocking Voss' sword back and kicking him away. Voss glided across the dirt, hardly fazed by the interruption.

He did, however, take interest in the smoking hole behind the Grovyle that glowed red from his magic. Mack popped out of the hole, followed by Leigh, Zerif, and Jones. Mack spun his staff around, grinning like a fool. "Ah good, we made it in time."

"I can't believe they talked us into following," Leigh grumbled through chattering teeth.

Griffin reached down and helped Holly up. "Sorry we didn't get here faster."

Holly shook off the dirt and cracked her aching back. "Heh. I totally had everything under control."

Mack's grin stretched. "Oh? So, that isn't fear I'm sensing from you?" She promptly flicked him in the forehead, which made him laugh. "A joke, a joke!"

Griffin picked up Last Breath and handed it back to Holly. "You can sit this one out now. Mack and I will take over."

Holly huffed. "As if." She opened the fan and squatted into an attack stance. "I want payback just as much as you two. I'm not letting a setback slow me down."

Griffin rolled his eyes, but he was glad she wasn't backing out. It was, of course, a matter of pride for all of them. He raised Endless Regret and coated it in his magic, glaring daggers at their armored foe. "Then we won't let him get away."

Mack spun Eclipse around, snickering through clenched teeth. "This is going to be fun."

"Head's up, you two," Holly informed. "Voss has the keys hidden under his armor. Those are priority number one."

Griffin tightened his grip. "Understood. Anything else we should know?"

Holly glared. "Yeah, you're probably going to get pissed once you hear what Tony discovered."

"How wonderful."

Voss ignored their idle chatter. He held his sword by his side, carefully studying the trio and the magic blazing around them. How long has it been since I fought all three of them at once? Separately, I can't imagine they would do much. But together, that might be worth the time. I wish we were on a larger battlefield than this maze, but it will have to do.

"Draw your weapons and face me, children," Voss ordered, gripping his sword in both hands and setting the blade ablaze. "There is no defeat in battle. Only death and survival. Slay me through this unbreakable armor and quench that which I long for."

The trio settled into their stances, each activating their limiters. They raised their signature weapons as Griffin took the lead. Though he wanted to settle the score, his objective changed. His eyes stared solely at the magic hidden underneath Voss' armor, his new target.

"Holly, Mack. Focus your effort on that spot. We're going to keep pounding into it until he cracks open like an eggshell and spills out the keys. Don't let up. Slaughter this bastard for everything he's worth!"


Tony challenged Aeternus under the notion of false confidence and poor foresight. In his anger, he failed to realize the stark disadvantage on his side. Right as he charged at the mad clown, pillars of stone sprung from all around to skewer the speedy Dewott.

Tony naturally flipped and leaped over the spires without a scratch, but the sheer quantity dwindled his chances as the seconds passed. Every shot he had at entering Aeternus' space was met with a face full of deadly spires that he narrowly avoided. The entire tunnel shook and changed shape as Aeternus waved his hands around, laughing like a lunatic child who was given control of a shiny new weapon. The joy Aeternus felt sickened Tony to his core.

The thief tried in vain to tag Aeternus, but the mad clown's intellect proved infallible as spires kept cutting off his paths. Tony should've been moving faster than Aeternus could detect him, even with a magical sixth sense. Tony knew Aeternus was guessing, and accurately so. No matter what angle Tony came down from, spires would block his path and attempt to skewer him. Every possible way of approach was quickly and precisely calculated by Aeternus before being completely thwarted.

Aeternus casted a crooked grin, listening with glee to Tony's aggravated shouts. "I had time to calculate and understand your speed. Factoring growth and statements from Gelid Peak, I have your speed locked down. How sad, your only admirable trait made futile."

Tony bared his teeth. "I'm not a one trick Ponyta. Lightning Shot!" He fired through the spires, but more sprung out and took the hit.

Aeternus lifted a finger over his shoulder. "Particle Beam." He fired through the rocks, barely getting Tony in the arm. Tony managed to kick off a spire as the beam singed the fur off.

Tony covered the burning patch of fur, then flickered around the tunnel once more with Light Speed. Aeternus merely held a hand up and waited patiently for Tony's next move.

Meanwhile, Indigo and Rico held up further down the tunnel, hidden behind a wall of stone that fell out of the ceiling. Indigo peeked out once in a while to see if Tony gained any ground, only to be disappointed each time. She bit her lip worriedly. "If Tony doesn't beat him, we're next."

Rico scoffed. "Worst of all, he still has that injury from the Electivire. He's going to keep pushing himself all his bones are shattered."

"I wish we could do more than sit here and support."

Rico held up his gun. "Yeah, and I don't think I'll get lucky with another surprise shot." Rico peeked around quickly, then glared. "Although, maybe that's not a bad idea."

"Huh?" Indigo huffed curiously. Before she could ask, she saw Aeternus blasting Tony in the chest and knocking him to the ground. "Tony!"

Tony hugged his torso, groaning at the blast aggravated his previous wound. It felt like being dipped in a deep fryer, sizzling and bubbling the charred skin. "Sh-Shit."

"Tsk, tsk. Is that all?" Aeternus asked with a mocking hand wave. "I expected more out of you. No matter, I can beat those bad habits out and turn you into the pinnacle of murderous mafia manpower."

"What are you, a broken record?" Tony grunted as he got back onto his feet. "I will not be your effing apprentice! Ventusphere: Wind Lance!" He compressed a ball of air and threw it like a spear.

Aeternus lifted his hand and dispelled the attack with a pulse of magic. He doubled over, however, as Tony sped into him and socked his gut. Tony threw his knee into the Mr. Mime's chin, then spiked his clasped fists down on his head. "Impetus Pressure!" He pressed his fist to Aeternus' skull and drove him into the ground with a pressure wave.

Aeternus flicked a finger and fired a spire from the wall into Tony's side. Tony gasped aloud and flew into the opposing wall. Aeternus stood up and cracked his aching neck. "Note to self, get a massage when I get home." He grinned wicked and lifted his hand. "Hey, hey, remember this one? Particle Incineration!"

Tony's eyes widened to the inferno of magic slamming into him. He darted out of the flames as they burned his aura, leaving burns over his arms and legs. He dragged his fingers through the dirt, stopped himself, and rocketed back at the mad clown with a dropkick.

Aeternus casted a barrier and stopped the Dewott, then crushed him with a pillar from above. "This entire maze is under my control. You can resist all you wish, but I'll always have an ace over you." He jumped back as electric slashes cut the pillar to ribbons. He summoned a pillar that barely stopped Tony's electrified water blades. "Well then—"

"Flash Splitter!" Tony poured more juice into the water blades and drove them hard against Aeternus. The shield he casted shattered on impact, leaving him open for a surprisingly powerful slash. Aeternus skidded off his back and crashed into the wall Indigo and Rico hid behind.

"Eep!" Indigo ducked back behind the wall and covered her mouth.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…" Aeternus sat up and gently rubbed his head. He still smirked despite the pain. "Oh, if only I could extract the full essence of that fighting spirit." His delighted expression stretched wider as Tony teetered on his legs. "You're on the last of your fumes, Tony. Those injuries are catching up with you."

Tony gritted his teeth. "Shut up."

"You got some decent hits off, but I'll keep finding ways to counter you." Aeternus stood up and dusted his clothes off. "You're so predictable, and yet you're not. What a conundrum. You're trying to outthink me, but you won't reach my level without my guidance."

Tony scoffed. "How about I shove my foot up your ass and rip your arms off?"

Aeternus tutted with a wag of his finger. "Eye for an eye, Tony."

An electrical charge surged through Tony's arms. "Oh yeah, I'll rip those out, too."

Aeternus smirked at the stone barrier currently hiding the two pirates. "You know, I could've sworn this Sneasel…lusted for you." He tapped his chin with a playful, yet obviously sinister demeanor. "So many ways to use that against you, you know."

"Touch her and I'll break your knee caps with your own decapitated skull!" Tony snarled.

"Whoa! Such violent language! You really do get heated when loved ones are the concern!" Aeternus frowned, staring with a look of disappointment if Tony had to guess. "That's the cruel truth of it all. Brilliant minds like us, when we succumb to our emotions, lose our logical minds at the drop of a hat. It's crazy, and I know crazy. I never believed in attachments or companionship. And I certainly don't believe in family." Aeternus grinned. "Do you know how much stronger you'd be if you'd just cut these pathetic mongrels from your life? Cold, rational minds working at their best. Doesn't that sound like heaven?"

Tony snorted through his nose, holding back a rumbling growl that could be felt roaring inside his chest. "Oh, that does sound brilliant, but I'm gonna have to stick to good old fashion wit. I'm not one for sociopathy, you see."

Aeternus sighed, then pressed his hands together. "You say that now, but you just need a little push." Tony's eyes widened at the familiar glow building between Aeternus' hands. "Don't worry, they won't even feel a thing. They'll just feel all their atoms being violently ripped apart until they lose consciousness. Hmm, now that I say it out loud, it's not painless at all."

"No, don't!" Tony cried.

Aeternus turned and partly opened his hands. "To the afterlife, kiddies! Particle Erase—"

An arrow fired from behind the barrier and struck the ceiling. The crystal tipped exploded against the ceiling and released a blinding light. Aeternus lost his concentration and recoiled in pain, pressing his hands into his face and stumbling back.

"Agh, for darkness' sake! Why do you people always go for the blinding tactic?"

"Tony, now!" Rico hollered.

Tony tensed his legs and lunged at the incapacitated clown. He came in like a spear and rammed his feet into Aeternus' back, then grappled his neck and flipped him to the ground. Tony swiped a kick across Aeternus' face, then blasted him with Impetus Pressure.

"You're complaining, yet you fell for it!" Tony taunted. "Guess your old age is finally wearing on you!" Aeternus swiped in what looked like blind fury. Tony easily dodged him and leaped back in the air. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" He riddled into the clown multiple electric beams. Aeternus covered himself like a defenseless child curling into a ball. It was almost pathetic.

"Yeah, that's it!" Rico cheered.

"Kick his ass, Tony!"

Tony skipped back a couple more steps and rubbed his hands together. "You two might want to stand clear for this one." He rubbed his hands swiftly and formed an electric charge, smirking at the fallen clown. "What do you have to say for yourself, Aeternus?"

An icy chill trickled down Tony's back. From behind the pathetic display of defense by his rival, a smirk poked through, enhanced by the glimmering shine of his now red eyes.

"Eye…for an eye."

Tony's eyes shrank. Indigo and Rico cheered him on, unaware of the spike slowly growing out of the ground. Its intended angle…right for Indigo's head.

Aeternus, keeping up his charade for the two pirates, winked at the thief before flicking his finger.

Indigo didn't know what happened next, but a flash of light crossed her vision and shoved her to the side. The push was hard and graceless, like a palm strike delivered to her chest with a handprint burned into her shirt. It carried her off her feet.

Indigo took a moment to register what happened. Her mind took ages to catch up with her body until it sparked like gasoline exploding. Her eyes shrank to the sight of blood spraying in front of her eyes. A blue shape took her place as a rock spire drove into it.

By the time she landed on her rear, she heard herself crying, "TONY!"

Though he wasn't skewered through the head, Tony flew back as the jagged rock grinded against the right side of his face, tearing into the flesh and sanding his eye socket. The tiny imperfections poked into the flesh, digging themselves beneath the skin, and ripping out fur and threads of pinkish skin. Blood sprayed like a soft rain arcing over his head. He wished that was the worst of it. He took surface level damage much worse than this, right? It could heal.

Now imagine that same pain also digging into his eye.

"GAAAAAAAH!" Tony hollered a bloodcurdling scream, crashing onto his back. He covered the bloody mess spilt over his face, screaming and flailing his legs. He rocked side to side, unable to describe the agony exploding through him.

"TONY!" Indigo ripped her bandana off and rushed to his side. "Tony, hang on!"

Rico's legs trembled as he watched in horror and disgust. "Holy shit…"

Indigo tried to cover his eye with the bandana, but blood soaked through rapidly. It wetted her claws, which heightened her panic. "I don't know what to do! I don't know how to treat wounds like this!" Tony's screaming didn't make it any easier either.

As the two panicked over Tony, Aeternus rose to his feet and laughed his head off. "Hey, would you look at that? I made a pun! I didn't even mean to do that! Kehehehehe!"

Rico glared furiously towards him. "You sick, twisted monster!"

Aeternus smirked. "Oh? Are you going to try and stop me?"

Rico knew it was a bad idea to go up against the herald, but Tony was pretty much out of commission now. Their only real hope is to find Gwyn or Ambrosine to treat Tony's wound. There was no telling how long that would take, and someone had to keep Tony stable.

Rico stepped in front of Indigo and Tony with his arms spread out. "Don't you take another step forward, you hear me?!"

Aeternus laughed behind his hand. "Ooh, conflict." He raised his finger and lit it up. "Is that a challenge then?"


The pirates took moments to recover from the rupturing blast still fresh in their minds. The sight of the Anguis goons being utterly disintegrated into undefined particles played endlessly in their frazzled minds. A massive hole stood between them and the other side of the tunnel, and they feared what lay at the bottom of that cavern.

Tyrone gently bit his nails while pressed against the wall. "What…was that?"

"That power was intense," Cheshire commented. "Who could've outputted something like that?"

"The Shadow King," Ray answered in a quivering voice. "There's not a shred of doubt. He's down that hole, much closer than before."

"If he can blast holes that big through the maze, we have no chance of escaping alive," Drake commented in a grim tone that brought everyone's mood down further.

Malcolm inched towards the whole, sparking complaints from Pain Train. "What are you doing?! If he sees us, we're screwed!" the Klefki shouted in his ear.

Malcolm shoved the floating keys aside. "Relax." He peeked down the fresh, smoking whole, squinting through the deep abyss of darkness below. Though difficult, he made out something shifting close to the bottom, or what he assumed was the bottom. "I see a dark void below us."

"A void?" Drake questioned.

Ray glared worriedly. "The Shadow King can create spaces only he and those he deems trustworthy can enter, just like the Immensus Library."

"Why fire at the ceiling, then make an impassable space?" Malcolm mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes and thought it over for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Ravenfield."

"Huh?" his allies gasped.

"Why else would he need that space? He wants to keep us out and Ravenfield in." Malcolm pointed down firmly. "Ravenfield's down there with him."

Cheshire stretched an uncomfortable grin. "Oh, swell. Guess Ravenfield's toast."

"Maybe, or maybe not." Malcolm stood up. "If he wants to create a space to keep everyone out, he has no interest in immediate execution. I think he's prolonging Ravenfield's death, perhaps savoring his kill."

"How can you be sure?" Drake asked.

"Tch. An obsessive maniac like him? Of course he would want to savor his time killing Ravenfield. There's literally no other reason for the barrier, unless he's being stupidly cautious today."

Tyrone gulped, feeling a hard lump form in his throat. "O-Okay, that's nice and all, but why should we care? We're clearly not much help against that monster, so I say we resume finding the exit."

Drake crossed his arms. "I agree with Tyrone. We'd be committing suicide going down there. It's better to leave it to Ravenfield's friends."

"But we can't let them die," Ray pointed out. "There's some big prophecy surrounding those treasure hunters. If any of them die today, we may see ourselves at the cusps of death soon enough."

"What do you expect us to do about it?" Pain Train argued. "And so what if a prophecy says something? You think I believe in that junk? Some old guy spouted an ancient riddle and everyone thinks it's fate?"

"Well, the end isn't set in stone, but…" Drake started to say until Pain Train rudely cut him off.

"No, the only end is the one we make. If we can escape and find sanctuary out of Mysto, we might stand a chance of living!"

"If the Shadow King is left unopposed, we wouldn't make it out within the week," Malcolm stated, growing annoyed with the dark topic. "I don't like either option, but I'm betting more on the ancient proverb than our luck."

"And still, how do you propose a rescue?" Cheshire asked. "If you demand a curse or two from me, even I doubt I can inflict bad mojo onto our tyrannical adversary without getting my head lobbed off. I may be a ghost Pokémon, but I'm certainly not going to survive against him."

Ray groaned, sat on his haunches, and rubbed his temples. "This is so stupid. We shouldn't be arguing about this. We need to come up with a plan and fast or we're all dead."

Malcolm sighed and tapped his chin. "What we need is something else to draw the Shadow King's attention. Something that could contest with his power and spare us of greeting Death at his door."

"Didn't that Medicham chick put up a fight?" Cheshire asked, calling back to when the Shadow King waged battle against the illustrious fortune teller in Ironworks. "She's around—"

"And above ground with no way of getting down here," Malcolm pointed out. "No, we need something just as vicious and powerful as the Shadow King. Where it stands, not even Team Ravenfield can match him. They're on opposite fields of power. We need someone more…" Malcolm trailed off as he wracked his brain for solutions.

Pain Train sighed and shook his head. "This is stupid. I'm looking for an exit. You all can wrack your brains for solutions all day. I'm—" Yet right as the Klefki turned to fly off in another fruitless search for freedom, gunfire rang through the tunnel. Pain Train froze as a bullet grazed off his metallic body and disappeared into the darkness behind him.

Deranged laughter followed afterwards as shambling figures stepped from the dimly lit passage. Another wave of goons armed with all matter of weapons, and yet these goons bore striking resemblances to familiar creatures. Monsters oozing in a black liquid with animalistic features. Their shining red eyes overwhelmed the dark abyss of their bodies, each varying from disturbingly skinny, sticklike limbs to hulking masses of pure muscle.

Tyrone stumbled over onto his rear, pale as a sheet with teeth chattering uncontrollably. "Th-Those are…!"

Malcolm sneered. "Great. Corrupted Pokémon."

"Just like the Devil Wakers," Drake noted with his katanas raised. "Shit, this is bad."

"We were barely able to hold them off until the captain sent them packing," Ray reminded. "And I think they may be stronger than their brethren."

"Anyone else want to run?" Pain Train asked in a hushed, panicked tone.

"Where? There's a giant hole behind us leading to death," Cheshire reminded.

The corrupted figures shambled forward with the most unsettling grins the Desert Beasts had witnessed. Something was indeed different about these monsters. Though they appeared to act on murderous instinct like the late Devil Wakers, there was something obviously more controlled and methodical about their movements, like they weren't resisting the change. The loyalty given to Count Aeternus could even inspire his men to undergo a horrifying transformation such as this. Such servitude was appalling, perhaps admirable if the circumstances were different.

Malcolm held a hand on his gun. "Okay. Army of monsters in front of us. A giant hole of death behind us. Barely any room to work with. Wonderful."

"Go down swinging then?" Drake proposed.

"It's our only option. Ray, stay behind us." Malcolm slowly pulled his gun out. "The rest of you, don't let them come any—"

Right as the words left his mouth, something collapsed behind them. Rock crumbling off the ceiling to be precise. Malcolm was the only one to turn while the others kept their eyes on the monsters. Across the hole, something dropped down from the ceiling. An undefined figure that Malcolm couldn't quite make out in shape or species.

Is it another enemy? Malcolm pondered. He gripped his gun tightly. Shit. There really is no other place for us to flee, is there?

"Hey, Malcolm?" Malcolm didn't look away, but he listened to the scared tone in Pain Train's voice. "What's…that ominous aura coming from behind? It's…something toxic."

"Toxic?" Malcolm mumbled.

The figure rose to its full height. Malcolm could make out more of the shape. A humanoid creature of some kind. He noticed the way it moved its fingers. Stiff, contorted, like a possessed spider doing its morning stretches. Something in the way its hands moved gave Malcolm the creeps.

Though, the solid red eyes staring at him were a strong second on the creepy scale. Eyes similar to the enemy lumbering towards the pirates, yet something more…violent and intelligent. Not the eyes of a monster, but the eyes of a sociopath. Cold, calculating, filled with intent and reason.

That's when Malcolm realized what stood across from them. All it took was the flickering shimmers of magical string dancing around the body. Malcolm could only utter a single word:

"…Shit."


With the burden of protection resting on her shoulders, Gwyn shoved down her anxiousness to push back against the wave of demons occupying the tunnels. She unleashed an overgrowth of plant life through the tunnel and broke through the hundreds of lumbering demons, smashing them brutally into the walls or twisting their bodies until they dispersed into black mist.

Callista and Zaros remained partially on the defensive as Gwyn's roots filled up the tunnel and made it difficult to pass through. Zaros grunted. "It's absurd how much she can do with a handful of seeds."

"That's what makes her the perfect sacrifice." Callista deployed her darkness and shredded through the rooms, carving an opening through. "After you. Be sure to separate her from her two friends."

"Thank you, Ms. Callista," Zaros stated politely before lunging through the hole, assist by his Guardian's legs.

Gwyn touched the ground and sprouted dozens of tree roots around Zaros. "Stay back, you—" Gwyn blinked and gasped as Zaros vanished from sight.

"Gwyn!" She whipped her head around and saw Zaros knocking her friends out of her protective circle of plants.

Zaros bowed tauntingly at the Mew. "I bid you ado, Ms. Belladonna, but I have prior business with these two. I'll leave you to your current appointment." He turned and swaggered toward Flint and Ambrosine.

"No!" Gwyn tried to chase after him, but Callista caught her ankle in her shadow grip and lurched her through the air. "AAAHHH!" The shadow arm swung her around, then bashed her face into the walls like a flail.

"I need you alive," Callista murmured, "but that doesn't mean you need to be in perfect condition."

Gwyn sneered as she was spun around again. "Let. Me. GO!" She dug out a large walnut-like seed and flicked it at the Ariados. Callista batted it away casually just as stems popped out. "Accelerated Growth!"

The seed exploded into roots, digging into the ground and growing out into a wide tree. Callista coated herself into a bubble of darkness as the roots shoved into her and pressed her up to the walls. She lost hold of Gwyn, dropping the Mew onto her butt.

"Oww," Gwyn moaned before shaking it off and standing back on her feet. She freed her thorn whip out from her pockets and swung it, extending it out and growing sharper thorns over it.

A flaming sword swiped from inside the dark bubble and cut the end of her whip off, setting it ablaze. Gwyn retracted her whip and watched as a black knight with flames atop its head stepped out of the darkness with Callista standing by in her black summoning fog.

Callista huffed. "Zolvon, incinerate that Mew until her muscles are turned to ash. Make sure not to kill her."

The black knight briefly kneeled to the spider, stating, "Yes, Mistress. I shall keep thy prize intact." He rose and set his sword ablaze in hellfire. "By the Darkstone Circle, thou shall fall to my blade!" He rushed the Mew, swinging projectile flame slashes at her.

Gwyn summoned a wall of wood and blocked the flames before running off. I wish we were above ground! There's more plants to use up there! Hang on, Flinty, Ambrosine, I'll keep you both safe! She yelped and dodged a wave of flames. If I don't die first!

With the group separated farther down the tunnel, Flint and Ambrosine found themselves in a precarious situation as Zaros approached them. Flint, still winded and drained from his earlier battle, tried to save face through gritted teeth and a glare begging to look intimidating. Ambrosine forced no façade, opting to cower behind the Flareon under the protection of his bushy tail.

Zaros twirled his finger in the air, drawing circles with his magic. He grinned nonchalantly. "You have my respect, Ravenfield. I was certain I killed you last time. I thought something was off at the time, but couldn't put my finger on it." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, what can you do?" He extended his finger forward and built up some magic at the tip. "Guess I'll go for the head this time."

Flint snarled. "You…You don't…"

"Scare you?" Zaros smirked. "That's what you're trying to say, isn't it? Oh, poor Ravenfield. Some bold with his words, yet so obvious."

Flint couldn't hide the shaking in his posture. It may have been a couple hours or more since he briefly overcame his trepidations, but facing the source of his internal conflict brought back all his fears over the past month. Even if he could move past them, his magic wasn't available to him at the moment. He could maybe summon a shield or two, but not much else.

Flint looked over his shoulder to Ambrosine. "You need to stall him."

Ambrosine's eyes shrank. "Me?!"

"You're the only one of us who can fight right now."

"You're asking a lot from a doctor, you know! I can't fight! I don't have any offensive moves!"

"I won't be able to defend us both. You need to try something."

"Enough of your blathering." The duo gasped as Zaros took Flint by the collar and lifted him. He pressed his finger against Flint's forehead, who can feel the burning sensation of the magic. "I'll make sure your brain gets skewered beyond repair. Magic or not, I know very few who can recover from a good brain scrambling."

"Zaros!" Flint growled, trying to kick the Watchog, but couldn't get the strength in his hindlegs.

Ambrosine covered her mouth in horror. "No, Flint!"

Zaros smirked at her. "Oh, you'll have your turn soon."

Ambrosine felt tears building in her eyes as Zaros' attack glowed bright against Flint. I can't let him die! What do I do?! She looked ahead as Gwyn continued running from the demon knight. I need to slow the witch down and distract Zaros at the same time. But how can I—

Her mind lit up in realization. Wait, that's right!

Zaros pressed Flint against the wall and prepared to fire. "Don't worry, Ravenfield, I'll make sure your name is at least remembered in the history books. I've grown a special fondness for you, anyway." Flint clenched his eyes shut. Zaros grinned. "Ever—"

"Zaros is planning a coup against the Shadow King!" Ambrosine screamed at the top of her lungs.

Zaros' eyes shrunk as her words carried down the tunnel. Instantly, he heard the fighting behind him come to a halt. He turned and saw the black knight frozen in place while Gwyn got ready to counter with one of her Naturae Fruits.

Callista stared in silence, flabbergasted by the Steenee's announcement. "Excuse me?"

"Zaros intends to overthrow the Shadow King once he takes over!" Ambrosine yelled, freely letting relieved tears drizzle down her face.

Zaros bit his lip and dropped Flint unceremoniously. That bitch. Zaros spun around and grinned casually at the witch. "Madame Callista, please pay no mind to this rube. A woman of your superiority shouldn't fall victim to such baseless accusations. Me? Oppose the Shadow King? How absurd could you—"

"I don't care what becomes of that mad king." Zaros gasped as his own voice projected behind him. He whipped his head around and listened as Ambrosine, hand aglow with magic, repeated his words precisely as told before. "In actuality, I'll be glad when he does start to rid life. Pokémon survived a fifty-year war; they can survive this. Still, the damage will certainly be absolute. Many lives will be taken, much civilization will be razed, and all shall suffer. Soon enough, the Shadow King will lose to an ambitious Pokémon and his kingdom will once again fall."

"And you to pick up the pieces of his fall?" Flint's voice projected after.

"Exactly."

Zaros stumbled back, mouth hanging agape. "What did you—"

Ambrosine canceled the spell, smirking uneasily. "Usually, dying patients request for their last words to be recorded. We can't afford to write everything down, so we use a voice memorization spell to record for later. Works on arrogant loudmouths, too."

Zaros felt a chill run up his spine, feeling Callista's cold, stinging eyes bore a hole into the back of his skull. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right or is my age finally catching up?" the spider hissed.

Zaros turned and raised his hands defensively. "Madame Callista, it's a trick. Don't fall for such an obvious ruse. They're trying to confuse you."

"She's…telling the truth." Zaros gritted his teeth as Flint picked himself up. "He boasted about it…before he attacked me. I heard everything."

Callista stamped her leg down. "You dare meditate such traitorous thoughts behind His Majesty's back?!" she screamed.

Zaros sighed, then sneered. "Is this really the time for—" All of a sudden, an orange crystal fist bashed across his face and slammed him into the tunnel walls.

Ambrosine gasped and turned to Flint. His Guardian flickered weakly over his body. He panted weakly, but stood strong. "Feels like my magic's kicking back in thanks to your healing." He closed his eyes and activated Soul Blaze, taking away most of the pain. "I can feel my body relaxing again."

Callista snarled and projected shadow tentacles from her back. "I won't stand for this debauchery towards the Shadow King—"

With Callista's attention diverted, Gwyn shoved seeds into the ground. "Accelerated Growth: Carnivorous Fields!" Monstrous plants sprouted out from underneath them, with one popping out and biting down on Zolvon's midsection.

Callista lifted herself from the ground and stuck to the ceiling as the monster plants chomped at her. "Of all the—" She called back Zolvon and summoned Ozaran, the mist reaper. "Ozaran, clear these plants out!"

Ozaran clicked his skeletal jaw in annoyance. "I prefer the souls of flesh and blood. Do you take me for a gardener—"

"Do it and I'll let you kill that Watchog over there!" she yelled impatiently.

"Okay, hold up!" Zaros called out, massaging his jaw.

Ozaran smirked. "Deal." He spun his double-bladed scythe and cut through the monstrous plants, sending their bulbous heads flying.

Gwyn jumped back from the scythe and popped a fruit down her throat. She changed into her Informis Oak Form and stretched out wooden tendrils towards Callista. The Ariados leaped off the walls and scuttled to safety while Ozaran kept both plants and tendrils at bay.

Zaros sneered and faced toward Ambrosine again. "You'll pay for that, you—"

"Signum Disruption!" Ambrosine tackled the Watchog and slapped his lightly across various points of his body. Zaros gasped as her magic coursed through his body, feeling it slither mostly through his brain. She skidded past him, panting frantically.

"What did you—" Zaros tried to crane his neck, but his leg suddenly jutted backwards and knocked him onto his face. "What the—" He tried to move his arm, but that ended up twisting his neck instead. He restrained from moving, now worried he'll snap his own neck from turning too hard. "What did you do to me?"

"I redirected the electrical signals from your brain. Any command the brain makes will send the wrong signal to the wrong body part." Ambrosine sighed and collapsed onto her knees. "Oh man, I can't believe that worked, though."

Zaros bared his teeth. "I didn't know it was possible, but I found someone I want dead more than Ravenfield." His Guardian appeared above and lunged at Ambrosine. "You should've stayed dead, you worthless bitch!"

Ambrosine covered her head and screamed, but felt her body suddenly into a pair of limbs. She turned her head as the Guardian struck where she last stood, much to her brief confusion until she realized who was holding her. Her face lit up bright red, dazed by the determined scowl on her fiery savior's face.

"Don't you dare call her that," Flint growled as his own Guardian appeared beside him. "If you want a fight, I'll gladly oblige. We're both on even playing fields now. Guardian against Guardian."

Zaros huffed through his nostrils. "What a joke. Guardian, kill them both!"

Both Guardians lunged and grappled with each other, sharing in their users' animosity. Magic blazed from their bodies with the intensity both rivals felt. This time, Flint wasn't running from his fears, knowing he had to play his part as protector.


Wes was grateful to his absurd endurance, otherwise the repeated blows he took would've done him in by now. He trembled and hung limp in his shadow restraints while the Shadow King took his time laying blow after blow against the Umbreon, venting out his frustration in increasing ferocity.

"You cannot comprehend the hatred I feel towards your family!" the Shadow King roared, socking into Wes' stomach. "The hate I feel for all of you is immeasurable! Everything I was, everything I could've been, vanished as soon as that wretched Dougal came into the picture! He made me what I am! He tore me away from my life, and this is the thanks I get for everything I've done!"

Wes spat the blood pooling in his mouth out, then glared with an annoyed weariness. "I'm not responsible for what happened to you."

"The Ravenfield clan is a cesspool of chaos. Dougal went too far researching the magic of this world, tapping into the element of the gods. Look at what he did. He brought magic to a world that shouldn't possess it. A sin that the gods refuse to acknowledge. Why, why must your family thrive, and I suffer for my duty?!" The Shadow King slammed his fist hard into Wes' stomach, pushing the air out of his lungs. "Why was I made like this?!"

Wes coughed and sputtered while the Shadow King briefly retreated, tending to his sore knuckles. He clenched his teeth so hard, they teetered on breaking apart. The anger in his panting lessened as he calmed down, but the storm in his mind kept going.

"I had to endure a burden I never wanted, and I got nothing for it. Your family succeeded as heretics while I suffered for the good I was tasked for. What justice is there in my deeds?" He curled his fists. "Why?"

"…So, Morgan was right." The Shadow King sneered at the weary Umbreon. His eyes narrowed at the possessed Scrafty, beaming with stubborn resilience. "You really are the first grudge. The very first of your kind."

"What are you—"

"I know your true name, Shadow King." The Shadow King's eyes shrank. Wes panted for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "You are the legendary hero who first wielded the Idol of Origin.

"You are…Apollo."