Draco: Took a long break between writing Chapter 7 and writing Chapter 8. {sigh} This happened when I tried to write disOrder, too. I mean, it might have just been the time limit wrecking my mood (it says something about the length of my Pokémon fanfics that starting in February and trying to get it done before Christmas is considered a threatening time limit), but writing an extensive Pokémon fanfic is trying.
The annoying bit is, my comment about the glitchy Copy-N-Paste function still applies on both ends of the break.
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Chapter 8: The Forest of Time
Duking and Silva were waiting atop the Pyrite Building when Wes and Rui came out of the cave - with a familiar small Pokémon riding on Rui's shoulder.
"Plusle!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
The Plus Pokémon gave a cheerful cry, leaping forward into Duking's arms as Rui giggled. "She's not hurt," she assured him. "She's not even hungry; there was a huge supply of Poké Puffs back there. Say what you want about Miror, but he kept up his end of the bargain."
Silva sighed. "Duking... I don't know what to say."
"Forget it, Silva," Duking insisted. "We're all unharmed. That's good enough. And that Miror's been driven out, even." He turned to Wes and Rui. "I can't thank you two enough. Come with me, please."
+x+x+x+
Duking's daughter, Marcia, was waiting for them outside the Pyrite Building, and joined them on the way back to Duking's house.
"Not only did you save Plusle," Duking observed, "but you drove out those Cipher goons in the process, and stopped their Shadow Pokémon distribution. You've done us a great service."
"I'm glad everything's fine, Papa," Marcia cheered. "And Plusle, too!"
Plusle gave an approving cheer, drawing Duking's attention. "What's the matter, Plusle?" he asked. Then, as the Plus Pokémon leapt onto Duking's desk. "Oh, you want to..."
Wes blinked. "What's this about?"
"Plusle wants to go with you," Duking insisted. "Would you be willing to have her on your team?"
"Of course," Wes assured him. "Not only would it be great to have another member, but she might be able to help us with the Shadow Pokémon, too."
"Help you?" Silva echoed. "How?"
"We've been trying to rehabilitate the Shadow Pokémon we've caught so far," Rui explained. "The more we battle with them, the more they seem to be recovering. Justy in Phenac City said that by being friendly with them like any other Pokémon, we might be able to reverse what's happened to them. I feel like if they're around more normal Pokémon, it might speed up the process a bit."
Duking chuckled. "Well, there's more ways to be friendly than just battling," he observed.
+x+x+x+
After some rehabilitation advice - and an exchange of contact info in case of future discoveries - Wes and Rui stepped out into Pyrite.
"So," Wes mused, "is there a reason you didn't want to tell him about the files we found?"
"I don't think he really needs something else to worry about," Rui admitted. "Does he really need to know about how endarkenment works to know that Shadow Pokémon are bad news?"
Wes nodded. "I guess not," he conceded. "And the other one?" They'd found another file in Plusle's back room of the cave, titled Ein File 3: Deviations in Endarkenment.
Endarkenment is known to take longer periods of time for evolved Pokémon than for Pokémon which have yet to evolve. Endarkenment of Legendary Pokémon further takes longer periods of time than any common Pokémon.
A Pokémon's growth is stunted after becoming a Shadow Pokémon; the Pokémon cannot become stronger than it was before the endarkenment process, and Pokémon normally capable of evolution are prevented from evolving. If a Shadow Pokémon should be purified, it will abruptly benefit from the battles it has endured as a Shadow Pokémon.
Administering continued darkness to a finalized Shadow Pokémon will deepen the endarkenment, causing the Pokémon to require extended rehabilitation in order to be purified. It is theorized that by subjecting a Pokémon to the endarkenment process for exponentially longer than is required to create a Shadow Pokémon, that Pokémon's heart may be lost entirely.
When a Shadow Pokémon is in battle, there is the possibility for its emotions to spike. In this state, dubbed "Hyper Mode", the Pokémon attempts to act beyond its limits, strengthening its battle prowess at the cost of self-harm and a refusal to accept healing items. Calling the Pokémon by name will snap it out of this state, and partially open the door to its heart.
There is a possibility that the synthetic darkness used in endarkenment may be harmful to humans. For this reason, protective eyewear is required for all individuals present during the the endarkenment process. Failure to be properly equipped while witnessing the process will be punished with reassignment.
"You mean the theory about losing a Pokémon's heart?" Rui shook her head. "Let's just hope it never gets proven."
The two of them started back towards Wes' bike - and as they were passing one building, an voice spoke up. "Ahhh... I might be imagining it, but the town's atmosphere feels less dirty, somehow."
Wes turned to find an elderly-looking woman standing outside a large building decorated with a crystal ball. "Ma'am?"
"But not all is well," she mused. "I can feel the presence of the dark auras coming from Shadow Pokémon."
Rui started. "You can sense it, too?"
"Not quite the same as you can, miss," the woman insisted. "I don't see them in the present, but I do see them in your future. There is but nothing that eludes the notice of my fortune-telling." She stepped forward with a low chuckle. "The key to freeing Pokémon from that darkness... it is in the north. In the only verdant land of Orre, you will find the key to the locked hearts of those poor Pokémon."
"Verdant land in the north?" Wes echoed.
"You mean Agate Village," Rui realized. "That's where my grandparents live..." She gasped. "Oh, no! I was on my way to meet up with them when this whole thing started! Grandpa's gonna be worried sick!"
Wes shook his head. "He'll understand when he hears what's happened," he assured her.
+x+x+x+
'Verdant' was an apt description; Wes hadn't thought there was any forestry in Orre, yet Agate Village was bright green from top to bottom, with a river of sort pouring from the higher regions. Buildings were arrayed on a series of hills - old stone buildings that didn't clash with the nature from the outside - and most of the residents were rather old sorts who looked like they enjoyed the peaceful life.
Rui took a deep breath as she and Wes got off the bike. "The air tastes so different here," she mused. "Most of Orre is all barren and dry, but this place... it's nice and refreshing."
"It's different, all right," Wes mused. "Don't suppose there's anything to cause this?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rui accused.
Wes spun his keys on his finger again, causing light to bounce of the shards on his keyring. "Remember the Ice Rock we found in Pyrite Cave?" he mused. "It's actually one of a pair that you'll find in a lot of regions. The other is called the Moss Rock. The same way that the Ice Rock makes things colder, the Moss Rock helps things grow. I would be surprised if there's one somewhere in this village."
"Interesting," Rui mused. "Anyways, let's get going. I should tell my grandma and grandpa that I'm alright."
She led Wes through the village, pointing out a few buildings on the way up - a Pokémon Center, Poké Mart, and a Pokémon Day Care. Her grandparents lived in a house that seemed to have had a giant tree grow atop it at one point - although there wasn't much left of it but a half-trunk and the beefiest roots Wes had ever seen. As they stepped inside, two elderly figures turned to them from a kitchen/dining room - a very old man in a faded blue traveller's robe, and a similarly old lady dressed in pink and white - and a Pikachu emerged from around the table.
Rui dashed forward as their attention turned to her. "Grandpa! Grandma!"
"Rui!" The old lady seized a cane and got to her feet. "We were so worried about you, dear! We heard you were coming, but you never arrived!"
"Whatever held you up?" the old man asked, similarly rising.
"I'm so sorry," Rui pleaded. "On my way here, I was kidnapped by these horrible people..." She turned to Wes. "But Wes here happened to be there, and he saved me."
Wes chuckled awkwardly, moving his Snag Machine behind his back awkwardly. "Pleasure to meet you," he greeted.
"And to you as well," the old man returned. "My name is Eagun."
"And I'm Beluh," the old lady added. "Thank you so much for saving our granddaughter."
The Pikachu gave a cheerful cry to make sure he wasn't left out.
Eagun crossed his arms, turning to Rui. "Why would anyone want to harm you?"
Rui's gaze fell. "The people who kidnapped me... They're called Cipher. They've been creating Shadow Pokémon - Pokémon that have had their hearts sealed away to turn them into fighting machines. What they do to the poor Pokémon leaves a residue - they give off a dark aura."
Beluh gasped. "And they realized that you can see it, did they?"
"Help! There's trouble!"
The gathering turned as a younger fellow charged into the house, panting. "Eagun... we've got trouble! Some outsiders went into the Relic Forest!"
"What?!" Eagun demanded. "Who were they?!"
"I don't know," the man insisted. "They shoved me aside without talking to me..."
Eagun nodded. "That's enough!" he insisted. "I'm off! Pikachu, come on!"
Pikachu gave a battle-ready cry - and to Wes' bemusement, Eagun proceeded to dash out of the house with the Mouse Pokémon on his tail, the younger fellow quickly following suit... and trailing behind.
"...How...?"
Beluh and Rui both giggled. "He's always been like that," Beluh admitted. "His energy hasn't come down one bit over the years."
Rui nodded. "Yeah. Even I can't keep up with him sometimes." Her face fell. "But, if someone's coming here unwelcome..."
"Yeah," Wes agreed. "It might be Cipher. We'd better back him up."
+x+x+x+
Relic Forest was on the other side of a cave whose mouth was on the bottom level of the village. Sure enough, three Cipher Peons accosted Wes and Rui on their way through - including one who had been clinging to a stalactite to get the drop on them - and as they stepped out of the cave, they found Eagun battling another - one in a dark grey suit instead of the standard white, with a blue neck gaiter hanging for color contrast.
Pikachu was looking rather worn - and for good reason. A Hitmontop was spinning on the Peon's side of the battle, and Rui's reaction was all Wes needed to know. Sure enough, the Handstand Pokémon twisted towards Pikachu for a finishing blow - one that had shadows bursting around the impact as Pikachu was sent flying.
"No!" Eagun cried. "Pikachu...!"
The Cipher Peon chuckled, withdrawing his Hitmontop. "Didn't I tell you?" he reprimanded. "An old man shouldn't overdo it."
Rui charged forward, Wes hot on her heels. "Grandpa! Pikachu!" The Mouse Pokémon gave a weak cry as Eagun picked him up, and Rui rounded on the Peon. "How dare you!?" she demanded. "You'll never get away with this!"
The Peon chuckled. "Now here's someone who might show me a more enjoyable time," he mused. "They say you gave Miror trouble in Pyrite. Let's see how much he just failed to take you seriously! En garde!"
You are challenged by Cipher Peon Skrub!
He slapped the Hitmontop's ball to his belt and seized two more, flinging them forward as Wes did the same. Plusle and Remoraid opened their eyes to find themselves facing a Geodude and Wynaut.
"Just the one," Rui observed.
"Good to know," Wes mused. "Give it to 'em!"
The Wynaut took a defensive stance that looked meant to deflect close-range blows; Plusle leapt into the air, voltage gathering on her tail before she twisted and flung the Electro Ball towards the Bright Pokémon. Wynaut's Counter was ineffective against the long-range blow, leaving her tumbling as Remoraid unleashed a Bubble Beam at Geodude; the Rock Pokémon managed to fling a Rock Throw in Plusle's direction before it made contact, knocking him out in one shot.
Skrub quickly withdrew Geodude and threw another Poké Ball forward, releasing a Clamperl. Wes withdrew Remoraid as Plusle leapt between the Peon's two Pokémon; Clamperl tried to withdraw into her shell, and Wynaut raised a reflective barrier before the Plus Pokémon unleashed a Discharge that struck them both. Wynaut was knocked out before she could retaliate, and Clamperl's Iron Defense wasn't enough to stop the blow from taking her out as well.
Wes sent out Umbreon in Remoraid's place as Skrub withdrew his Pokémon. "Not bad at all," he admitted. "But that won't last long!"
He threw his last Ball forward, and Wes withdrew Plusle as Hitmontop appeared. Sending out Espeon as well, the Snagger quickly commanded; "Hold Back, you two!"
"Ah, the Snagger!" Skrub accused. "There's the catch-centric tactics!"
Espeon and Umbreon both charged forward as Hitmontop spun towards the Moonlight Pokémon; their withheld blows connected one-two as the Handstand Pokémon slammed its shadowy strike into Umbreon. The Eeveelutions retreated, and then charged forward again; Hitmontop went for the other target this time, striking the Sun Pokémon with another blow as their own attacks connected.
Wes quickly drew out a Great Ball and held it out at his side; light ringed the sphere as his Snag Machine converted it, and he hurled it forward, sending it arcing straight towards the Shadow Pokémon. The Snag Ball opened up as it approached, the rings of light enveloping the Shadow Pokémon and drawing it in before it closed and fell to the ground.
Shake... Shake... Shake... Click!
The Ball bounced back, and Wes caught it as Rui turned to him. "How many Balls do you have left?"
"One Great Ball," Wes admitted, his catch vanishing in response to his full team. "We should've detoured to the Outskirt Stand."
Skrub groaned. "And here I was instructed to destroy an old rock," he mused. "But things have not gone according to plan. I'll have to report to Dakim!"
He took off towards the cave, and Wes turned to Eagun. "Sorry you had to see that," he admitted. "You alright?"
"I'm fine," Eagun insisted. "But, Pikachu..."
The Pokémon in his arms gave a weak cry.
"He's fine," Rui insisted. "Let's head to the Pokémon Center, and he'll be right as rain."
"Good, good," Eagun mused. "You battled with honor, little one." He sighed. "So, that was a Shadow Pokémon..." He turned to Wes. "Thank you for helping us. We should go home for the time being."
The three Trainers started back towards the cave, and Wes noticed something lying on the ground near the entrance: a binder marked with a familiar symbol.
+x+x+x+
"You really had me worried. Please don't do anything so rash and dangerous again."
Beluh's scolding when Eagun got home earned her a nervous chuckle from her husband. "I'm sorry, dear," he insisted. "But I couldn't very well let them have their way." He shook his head. "Those crooks... they said there were out to destroy the Relic Stone. But why?"
"I'm sorry," Wes asked, "what's the Relic Stone?"
"It's that pillar in the middle of the Relic Forest clearing," Rui explained. "It's a monument to the Time Travel Pokémon, Celebi."
"Might there be a connection between Celebi and these Shadow Pokémon?" Eagun wondered.
Wes hummed, drawing out the file he'd found. "Let's see what Cipher has to say about it," he mused.
"What's that?" Beluh asked.
"The thug that we fought off dropped this," Rui explained.
Wes opened it up, revealing the header: Ein File 2: On the Subject of Purification
Endarkenment is not a permanent affliction; devoted rehabilitation by a caring Trainer can reverse the endarkenment process, known as purification. However, the door to the Pokémon's heart will not be fully unlocked without a 'key' to return the Pokémon to how it once was.
Purification can be achieved in many ways. The fastest means is by battling; a Pokémon's emotions spike during battle, and if the Trainer calls to the Pokémon in this state, it will reach the Pokémon's heart. Massages with the use of scents, which Pokémon in general find pleasing, may also gradually open the heart's door. Other means by which a bond may be forged, such as devoted training or showing affection, are suspected to have similar effects.
The 'key' required in order to complete the purification process must be something that invokes a positive memory for the Pokémon to be purified. Individual Pokémon may have their purification finalized by returning to a place they lived before endarkenment, or meeting a human that they have spent much time with.
The Relic Stone in Agate Village is saturated with the power of Celebi, the legendary Time Travel Pokémon. By touching the Relic Stone, any Shadow Pokémon's purification can be completed, unlocking the door to its heart. It is theorized that exposure to Celebi itself may result in instant purification, regardless of how deeply the Shadow Pokémon has been endarkened.
"So that's it," Rui realized. "Cipher wanted to destroy the Relic Stone so that the Shadow Pokémon they created couldn't be purified."
"It's not just a theory, either," Wes observed. "It's being stated as fact. It sounds like they've actually had Shadow Pokémon be 'purified' before. But... hmm." He narrowed his gaze. "It looks like the Shadow Pokémon has to be right up to the edge of purification. How would you even tell something like that?"
Rui hummed. "Let's try it anyways," she suggested. "We've been doing a good bit of rehab on a lot of the Shadow Pokémon we've got so far."
+x+x+x+
After healing up at the Pokémon Center, Wes switched out his team for the four Shadow Pokémon he'd given the most rehab to - Flaaffy, Noctowl, Skiploom, and Quagsire. Then he and Rui made their way back through the cave to the Relic Forest, hope in their hearts. Once they had arrived in the clearing, Wes drew out the four Poké Balls, took a deep breath, and threw them forward.
He regretted his haste almost immediately. Not because of anything to do with the Pokémon themselves - but because trying to catch numerous Poké Balls flying back at you is much harder than trying to throw them. One Ball was caught in each hand, as he tended to do after sending out Pokémon for a Double Battle; he managed to pin the third one between his wrists, only for the fourth to bounce roughly off his nose. Rui managed to catch the last one before it hit the ground, and plucked the one from between Wes' arms so that he had the freedom to move his hands.
"Okay," Wes mused, setting the Balls back onto his belt. "They just need to touch the stone, right?"
The Shadow Pokémon were regarding the clearing around them as though wary; Noctowl was the first one to turn its attention to the Relic Stone. With a wary hoot, the Owl Pokémon lifted off the ground, rising up and then making to land upon the monument.
Rui yelped as she saw how it reacted. In her eyes, a light seemed to gather around the Relic Stone; the dark aura that surrounded Noctowl seemed to intensify, just briefly. Then the light surged forward, cleaving through the darkness like a blade; and when it subsided, Noctowl was devoid of the darkness that had filled him before.
"It... worked," she gasped.
Wes turned to her. "It did?"
"The aura is gone," Rui murmured. "He's... not a Shadow Pokémon anymore. It really worked!"
Quagsire, Skiploom, and Flaaffy all made to approach the monument as well; as they touched it, Rui saw the light coming off the monument disperse the darkness that surrounded them. For a moment, four ordinary Pokémon stood around the Relic Stone - the same four Pokémon that Wes had caught in Duel Square.
Then a different light began to surround Flaaffy and Skiploom - a light that Wes could see, as well. He yelped as the two of them began to shine, the light flooding the clearing around them; their bodies began to change, and Wes knew in an instant what was happening. Just as Cipher's files had reported, the endarkenment had stunted their growth; now that they were freed of it, they were free to grow.
To evolve.
When the light faded, Quagsire and Noctowl were now joined by an Ampharos and Jumpluff.
+x+x+x+
Eagun and Beluh were happy to hear about the results; Wes and Rui were discussing whether to put in some dedicated rehabilitation with the other Shadow Pokémon when a chime emerged from Wes' pocket.
"Is that your PDA?" Rui asked.
"Yeah," Wes confirmed, drawing out the device. "Duking must have heard something about Cipher."
It was indeed from Duking - and it seemed rather concerned. Wes, we've got trouble! I just got word from our people that Mt. Battle's under attack by a mysterious group of thugs. Please, can you go help? We think it's the same group as the one Miror B. belonged to. We're counting on you!
Wes sighed. "New it," he observed, tapping out a quick reply in the affirmative.
"First Pyrite, then Agate, and now Mt. Battle?" Rui murmured. "They sure are busy little Beedrill, aren't they?"
"Mt. Battle is northeast of here," Eagun observed. "You should be able to see it from outside the village. Good luck, Rui, Wes."
Wes nodded. "We'll be back as soon as we're wrapped up," he insisted. "We've still got more Shadow Pokémon to purify."
The two of them started out of town. "Pokémon Center first," Rui insisted. "If at all possible, let's see if we can purify who we've got left while we're fending off Cipher."
"Then we've gotta stop by the Outskirt Stand," Wes observed. "If they've got Shadow Pokémon with them, I don't want to take my chances with just one Great Ball."
Draco: We're going to evo-o-o-olve... Listening to Bentley Jones's music before a Pokémon kick was not my most fortuitous interest drift.
The Small Tablet was really just an excuse to work in an #ExpositionBreak. There's really no reason why you need to bring some random tablet to the Relic Stone before it can be used to purify the thing. I've relocated the exposition to the Ein File and streamlined things a bit.
When Plusle joins Wes, you have three non-Shadow Pokémon - which is enough to play Pokémon-Amie minigames, and thus get more Poké Puffs. You unlock Pokémon-Amie in the same scene as the recruitment. Heh, 'recruitment'. That sounds like I'm talking about a Mystery Dungeon game. You know what I mean.
Speaking of Plusle, she's got another move that's normally event-exclusive - namely, Happy Hour. Not sure this one's gonna feature in my fight scenes, though. Simply put, money is a little harder to come by in Orre, and it only takes a few bad throws to screw you over. Double the income, halve the risk. (Also, I think I'd put her a few levels above your most probable team average just to compensate for the fact that Plusle don't have the best stats.)
The Moss Rock is in Agate Village. Where else would you put it? Since the battles in the cave and the forest are all one-time on your first trip, I think I'd have the Rock be in the main village part. Level up your Eevee outside Eagun's house and you've got yourself a Leafeon.
Also, I feel like they should make you purify at least one Shadow Pokémon before you get Duking's email about Mt. Battle. Obviously that's not really an option in the original because the only means of purification is battle, but in the pseudo-remake you've got alternative means if you've really been skimping, so I'd make it happen.
And finally, I don't think I'll be making use of Hyper Mode in this story. I just don't think I'm capable of fitting that in my writing. Sorry about the #GameplayAndStorySegregation.