PMD: The Dawn of Life
Chapter 20: Value of Mercy
"I surrender!" Giratina suddenly cried, its voice drastically different from before. I stepped back in shock, trying to process what was happening. Giratina sounded like… a regular Pokemon now, "Please don't kill me! I beg you!"
"WHAT?!" All of us cried at once before Giratina's massive form dissolved into particles of shadow that disappeared into thin air. Underneath the veil of darkness was a lifeform levitating in an orb of green goo. The lifeform had two eyes with tears running down it while sniffling.
"I don't want to die. Please spare me!" The lifeform wailed while more tears ran down its face. The Litwick shuffled uneasily towards the lifeform, forming a protective circle around me. We were all too bewildered to interfere, "I'm sorry for everything I've done!"
"Wait, wait, back up a second. Who ARE you?" Deerling demanded, still confused, "We were fighting Giratina and then you showed up. Just what happened?"
"I'm… I'm Solosis," The lifeform confessed, "Giratina was never real. It was just an illusion I conjured up to act as"
"Damn. It must have serious magical power if it's able to project such a realistic illusion…" Espurr murmured, with Eden nodding in agreement.
"So wait, YOU were the one terrorizing Serene Village this entire time?" Deerling pressed, "And captured Pancham and Shelmet?"
"Y-yes…" Solosis nodded slowly, "If you want, I'll give them back to you. Just please don't have me lynched or anything! I only did this to help the Litwick!"
"It's true," One of the Litwick admitted. The raspiness of their voices seemed to have disappeared now, replacing itself with a rather normal voice, "We asked for Solosis's help for our own gain. Really, it's our fault…"
"So please don't cry, Solosis. You did your best," One of the other Litwick comforted the crying Solosis, "It's all thanks to you that we kept this up so long"
"T-thanks, but…" Solosis sniffled, "It's all over now, isn't it? Because I drained so much power casting that nightmare and that illusion… my Hidden Power…"
"Shh, Solosis. It's okay," The Litwick shook its candle head, making the ethereal blue flame dance slightly, "We were bound to be caught eventually. Like I said, we only kept going as long as we did because of you. You're the backbone of this team"
"I-I am…?"
"Of course, Solosis. Now dry those tears before I do it for you," One of the other Litwick jokingly threatened and Solosis giggled slightly. All of us were dead silent in awe and confusion. Seeing the Litwick comforting the Solosis with such gentleness was a slap to the face. Especially considering their diabolical nature before.
"Uhm, if you guys are done, do you mind explaining just what's going on?" Deerling asked, "Why was Solosis disguising itself as Giratina? Why did you guys kidnap Pancham and Shelmet?"
"Let me explain," One of the Litwick began, "We Litwick are on a journey across the continent to scare as many Pokemon as possible"
"Terror is a source of food for us. We feed off of fear to empower ourselves and keep ourselves alive," Another Litwick added, "It's a little strange, but that's how us Pokemon work"
"Bo-o-o-o!" One of the Litwick approached Goomy cried in a ghastly voice while shifting from side to side at high speeds like a mirage.
"Aaah!" Goomy yelped, surprised from the sudden fright and the Litwick laughed, their blue flames growing slightly brighter.
"See? Scaring your friend Goomy here empowered us! Nothing gets us more energized than seeing Pokemon trembling in fear!" Another Litwick exclaimed, "And when Solosis scared all of you guys in the classroom with that nightmare… hoo boy!"
"That almost made me burst with energy! It was a feast for us!" A Litwick agreed enthusiastically and I chewed my lip in irritation because that nightmare alone nearly made me die from fright. I didn't appreciate the Litwick being so happy about death, even if they were ghosts.
"Anyways, we travelled the land from village to village, scaring all the Pokemon we could," The first Litwick continued, "But we'd always get caught and everyone would get mad at us"
"Well, who wouldn't?! It goes beyond merely scaring people if you straight up kidnap them!" Deerling scolded and the Litwick shivered with guilt.
"We didn't mean to go that far. Honest!" One of the Litwick cried, though I doubted that was the truth, "The point is that we got chased out from village to village and had to move. Our tricks were getting stale at that point"
"But that's when we came across Solosis," Another Litwick added, turning over to the levitating lifeform, "He listened to our story and took pity on our plight. Eventually, he even agreed to help us with his awesome psychic powers"
"He can create illusions of all kinds of scary Pokemon, not just Giratina!" One Litwick boasted and Solosis blushed a bit, "Groudon, Kyogre, Dialga, we changed Pokemon depending on who we were scaring"
"And it was a smash hit. We were scaring villagers left and right, time and time again! It was great!" Another Litwick grinned, "It was the best time of our lives honestly. And it was all thanks to Solosis!"
"Aw, you guys…" Solosis smiled, embarrassed as the rest of the Litwick cheered. The rest of us looked on with exasperated expressions, too tired from the battle to really protest.
"Don't act so happy about it. You DID cause a big mess here!" Deerling scolded the Litwick, silencing them, "Which involved the sheriffs, might I add!"
"I agree. You guys took it too far with the kidnapping," Espurr nodded, "Scaring people is fine, but kidnapping kids and locking down a location because of your antics is too much. It's disturbing the peace in Serene Village"
"We're sorry. We really didn't intend to go that far," One Litwick apologized, "We just got euphoric after scaring the crap out of that Watchog guy that we wondered what else we could do. All that terror in the air was enough to satisfy us for weeks!"
"You understand, right? We thought we hit the jackpot here and we… forgot our own morals," Another Litwick pleaded, "Can you forgive us? We're really sorry. There was no harm done here, right?"
"Aside from us having to trek through the Ancient Barrow and nearly being killed by Aegislash…" I thought to myself.
"Okay, but you Litwick do understand that the moment we leave, you guys have to go," Deerling replied and the candles frowned, "The residents of the village will know the truth and-"
"Yeah… that's the problem. We hate to request something of you after putting you through so much but…" One Litwick chewed its lip, "Once you leave, can you please, please not tell anybody about us here?"
"What?! You're expecting us to just-"
"Please! We'll have to find a new home if we leave and we don't want to abandon the friends we made here in the barrow!" Another Litwick begged, "Please let us stay here! We won't pull off a stunt like this again. We promise!"
"We'll do moderate scares here and there. Just enough for us to get by!" Another Litwick pleaded, "That good enough for you?"
"Okay. We'll let you go," Eden suddenly said, shocking everyone.
"What?! We're just going to forgive them?" Deerling cried, "For kidnapping Pancham and Shelmet?"
"Eden… I hope you know what you're thinking. Letting Litwick and Solosis go could open up new problems in the future," Espurr said, troubled, "These are powerful magical beings and mischievous ones at that. Do you really believe they'll keep their word?"
"Oh come on! We're not THAT bad!" One Litwick protested, irritated, "What do we need to do to seal our promise? Gift you a basket of food?"
"No, no! You don't need to," Eden shook his head before taking a deep breath, closing his eyes. I frowned with both anticipation and suspicion on what Eden would say. By all means these Litwick and Solosis should be punished for what they did and Eden was about to let them go? "I believe your word. You guys aren't bad Pokemon. You're simply doing what you need to survive and you overstepped your boundaries this time. But you clearly feel bad about it"
"That's right. So are you…"
"Yes. I'm a firm believer of mercy and second chances," Eden nodded, "We won't tell anyone about this. Maybe because you Litwick need to scare people for energy, you could like, scare in a more moderate amount. Or do a good deed every time you scare someone. Discreetly, of course"
"Wait, hold on! Why are you deciding everything?" Deerling asked, irritated, "You keep saying "we" as if we all agree with this. What does everybody else think?"
"Well, I can't exactly agree with what Eden thinks. How do you scare "in a more moderate amount"? How do you even measure that?" Espurr frowned, "Especially since Solosis is using the guise of Giratina to scare people, "a moderate amount" is an understatement"
"I think it's less about how the Litwick will proceed from now on and more that we should give them a second chance," I suggested, "They're clearly not cruel Pokemon at heart. They care for one another and Solosis especially. Just because we perceive a Pokemon as evil doesn't mean they don't possess morals or care for others"
"Exactly. They're just scaring Pokemon to survive," Eden nodded, "And we can't paint a Pokemon as evil because of their inherent nature and biology. That would just make us ignorant"
"Okay, fair point. But let's look at reality: if you're going to allow these Litwick to stay in the village to continue scaring us, they should at least compensate for their chaos," Espurr said carefully, "What "good deed" do you want them to do for every scare?"
"Maybe they could give an apple to the person they scare? I always appreciate food as a gift," Goomy suggested, "It's not hard to find one and I'm sure everyone would like an extra"
"Yes, because nobody would question a random apple lying on their table in the morning," I replied sarcastically before turning to the Litwick, "Well, what do you guys think? An apple for every scare?"
"Oh, we can do that! As long as we can stay in the barrow, anything's fine!" One Litwick nodded happily.
"Then it's settled then. You guys can remain in the village, but you have to compensate anyone you scare with an apple. And no using big-bag tricks like Giratina," Deerling explained, "That'll cause too much of a panic"
"Gotcha. We'll use less scary Pokemon like… Banette. Or Cofagrigas!" One Litwick exclaimed before turning to Solosis, "You can conjure that up, right?"
"Why do I feel like this is going to end badly…?" Espurr muttered before sighing, relenting, "Alright, I suppose we're all in agreement. It wouldn't sit right with me to deny you mercy either"
"Me too. And I think we all need a scare every once in a while, to jolt us back to reality," Goomy piped up, "A scare may paralyze us in fear, but it also pushes us forward. I never would've faced my fear of ghosts if it weren't for you Litwick and Solosis"
"Me neither. And while I'm still scared of ghosts, I think I learned today that not all of them are bad. Some are caring and sympathetic and the ones who stand in my way are obstacles to overcome on my own path," Eden closed his eyes, smiling, "Some ghosts come with warnings of the future and they spur me on to continue fighting to prevent that destiny…"
"Uhm, Eden?"
"Ah! Sorry," Eden apologized to me, "Was just reminiscing on something. So Litwick, can you please release Pancham and Shelmet? That's what we came here for, after all"
"Ah right. Solosis, do you mind…?"
"Of course," Solosis nodded and hummed with an aura of concentrated psychic power. Suddenly, the same two shadowy prisons appeared above us and lowered down, containing Pancham and Shelmet. The shadows faded away easily and the two Pokemon opened their eyes, running towards us instantly.
"Waahhh! Y-you guys!" Pancham suddenly crashed into me with a hug, with the rest of us joining in. I was tempted to push the panda off, but he was sobbing and vulnerable now, so I decided not to, even if he was a jerk, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all the times we made fun of you guys! It was so scary!"
"Y-you guys were so brave coming down here while we were shaking like cowards…" Shelmet sniffled, "We don't deserve friends like you! Honestly!"
"Hush now, you two. It's all over now…" Deerling embraced Shelmet soothingly, "Let's get all of us home and then this nightmare will be over. Eden, do you mind?"
"Yes. Gather close everybody," The Fennekin pulled an Escape Orb out of his bag and I let go of Pancham, who still looked guilty and devastated, "Bye Litwick and Solosis! Remember to keep your word, alright?"
"Bye, bye and thanks again!" The Litwick waved with their tiny wax arms, "We'll keep our promise! You won't hear a word about us again!"
"I hope that's true. Farewell!" Eden shattered the Escape Orb on the ground and a circle of blue light opened beneath us, warping all of us back to the entrance of the dungeon, which was still underground in the barrow. We'd have to climb the staircase up to the main graveyard and back to the surface.
"Dang… how long were we down there…?" Goomy yawned as we began our ascent up the underground staircase. Pancham and Shelmet were holding Deerling's legs as they walked up, still shaking. It was frankly hilarious seeing the once-arrogant bullies reduced to sniveling children, but I didn't comment on it. I myself was scared out of my wits too, "I hope it's not too late. Our parents are gonna kill us if they found out we were here"
"Let's hope it isn't morning then. We entered a little while after midnight, so it would be four hours until the sun rises," Espurr said, "I don't think any villager gets up that early so…"
"My dad does. He wants to maximize productivity on his farm everyday so-" Eden stopped mid-sentence, realizing what that meant, "... Oh crud"
"We haven't seriously been down there for four hours, right?" I asked, but nobody had an answer. We lost track of time the moment our minds were set on rescuing Pancham and Shelmet, "Hoo boy…"
"And we can't even explain that it was because of the Litwick and Solosis," Eden muttered in discontent, "Ohh, what excuse can I tell my dad…?"
Nobody answered, feeling too tired to talk right now. I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to push off the drowsiness. Not only did we stay up late, we also fought in a dungeon, beat Solosis's Giratina illusion and now we were hiking a flight of stairs back up to the surface. I had half a mind to lie down right then and there and snooze.
"My parents are pretty deep sleepers, so they probably wouldn't find out," Deerling frowned, "Given that I get up for the next day around the same time, that is. I've never been one to sleep in"
"I sleep in, so it wouldn't be much of a difference to me," Goomy said, "I wonder how far it'll be in the day once I wake up though…"
"Hopefully not late to the point your parents get suspicious," Deerling replied with a frown, "I've seen your mom get angry before and it's scary"
"Yeah… mama Goodra's normally as gentle as a lamb, but get her angry and…" Goomy shivered, not wanting to continue, "Oohhh… now I'm just as nervous as Eden"
"You and me both, bud. Both of us suffer under strict parents," The Fennekin muttered.
"Like Deerling's parents, Nuzleaf is a pretty deep sleeper. Heck, most of the time I see him after school, he's sleeping," I commented, "So I doubt I have to worry. That is, unless Carracosta finds out about Eden's disappearance and goes to Nuzleaf…"
"We're both screwed then," Eden grit his teeth, "We're going to be in soo much trouble…"
"Every action demands sacrifice. We were never going to pull this off scot-free," Espurr said, "That's just an unfortunate reality of the world. Even without the threat of incoming punishment from our parents, we set free hundreds of souls in the dungeon to get to Solosis and Litwick"
"That and we likely disturbed the resting place of every dead Pokemon here," Deerling agreed, "Though our intent was good, we lost a lot along the way"
"And to think this all started with Pancham and Shelmet wanting to summon the ghosts and see the rumors for themselves…" I stared accusingly at the traumatized panda and armored bug, "You two don't know how much-"
"Azri, stop it. They've been through enough," Eden interrupted, shooting me a look, "They clearly regret what they did, so there's no need to rub more salt into their wounds. Just like the Litwick and Solosis, we have to give them a second chance and forgive them"
"But not forget," Espurr added and Eden nodded.
"You'll still forgive them after everything they've put us through? The adventure in Drillbur Coal Mine was their doing," I replied. Maybe the stress and heat was getting to my head, but I was feeling unusually confrontational today, "And all the times they bullied and teased us. Not to mention whatever happened between you and Pancham in the School Forest"
"Yes, I forgive them for that," Eden nodded without question, "Because it's like Goomy said, being scared pushes us forward. I never would've accepted and understood my fear of ghosts without this adventure"
"And what does that have to do with Pancham and Shelmet?"
"The point is that everytime they teased me or goaded me into doing something, I learned something from it. I gained experience," Eden replied, "Me and you became better dungeon explorers with the trip into Drillbur Coal Mine. Me being separated with Pancham in the School Forest taught me how to be self-sufficient and how to protect my companions. Their teasing added fuel to my fire and made me a better person because I wanted to prove that I was better than them"
"I think there could've been better ways to build that experience, but I see your point," I sighed, relenting before thinking to myself, "You have a worldview of mercy and compassion, but something tells me that won't last long in the world beyond Serene Village. I hope it doesn't come back to bite you, Eden"
"We're back," Espurr announced, jolting me out of my thoughts. I didn't realize we already made it back to the main graveyard and ascended the stairs back up to the surface. The night sky was lighter than it was when we came in, indicating that it was almost sunrise. We had to head home quickly.
"I'll see Pancham and Shelmet home. You guys can go ahead," Deerling informed us. The panda and armored bug were still clinging to Deerling's legs like she was their mother, "See you guys tomorrow"
"Yep, see you!" Goomy nodded before yawning again, "I'm so ready to go to bed…"
"Same here. Bye everyone," Espurr nodded without much afterword and her and Goomy went off on their way alongside Deerling.
"We better get home too. Wouldn't want Dad to notice us-" Eden shifted his eyes to his house and saw that the lights were on. Very visible in the morning air, "Oh shii-"
Without word, both of us broke off into a sprint towards our houses in the vain hope that perhaps Carracosta didn't wake up yet. That hope was quickly dashed the second we passed by Eden's door and saw Carracosta and Nuzleaf standing by, looking very angry. Well, Carracosta did at any right.
"WHERE WERE YOU TWO?!" Carracosta thundered, snatching us up instantly and dragging us into Eden's house, with Nuzleaf shutting the door behind him nonchalantly, "Do you two foolish children have any idea how worried we were about you?! Where did you two run off?!"
"We uhh… went out to the forest! Lush Forest!" Eden lied quickly, "Me and Azri uhh… wasn't feeling sleepy so we decided to take a walk"
"A walk. And neither of you decided to ask permission from either of us?!" Carracosta roared, "You foolish little children, sneaking out at night! Who do you think you are?!"
"Tired and slightly rebellious…" I muttered and Nuzleaf shot me a look, shaking his head. He conveyed a silent warning of, 'Don't anger him any further'
"That rebelliousness will land you in a world of danger one day! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Carracosta cried, "Urghh, why can't you two be good children and not cause trouble like this? Not only do I have to take care of the farm, I also have to make sure children like you don't accidentally get yourself hurt! Think about how I feel!"
"Now, now, Carracosta, it's not that bad," Nuzleaf said gently, trying to placate the sea turtle's rage, "Azri and Eden are back safe and sound, so no harm was done really"
"Are you kidding me, Nuzleaf? You're far too lenient on these two kids!" Carracosta cried, wheeling on his fellow adult, "Just because nothing happened to them this time doesn't mean they're safe the next! Now they think nothing out in the world can hurt them, right?"
"Carracosta, I'm sure they don't truly think that…" Nuzleaf replied sheepishly, "They just wanted some fresh air and stepped outside for a bit. That's all"
"They have windows!"
"Don't pretend to understand how they feel, Carracosta. Yes, they stepped out of line, but they're clearly sorry about it," Nuzleaf turned to us with a gleam in his eyes, "Aren't you two?"
"Yes! Absolutely, Dad. We're really sorry about this," Eden nodded enthusiastically before yawning, "So with that out of the way, I'm feeling really bushed right now. I'm heading to bed"
"W-wait, hold on! We're not done talking about this, young man!"
"Goodnight guys. See you tomorrow," Eden closed his eyes and curled up on the floor, falling asleep instantly. I stepped back in both shock and amazement.
"EDEN! Get up this instant! I said we weren't done talking about this yet!" Carracosta thundered, but Eden was out cold, already in a deep sleep. I wish I was able to fall asleep that fast, "Argh, damn it! You're a clever one…"
Carracosta turned to me, "Fine! If that's how Eden wants to play, then you alone are going to have the pleasure of being lectured by me, Azri!"
"What?! You gotta be kidding me!"
"I hope you're ready for this!" Carracosta growled and I shot Nuzleaf a pleading look, mouthing, 'Please save me'. Nuzleaf shook his head, looking on with a satisfied smile. I sighed, resigning myself to my fate.
"Gods above, help me…"
...
Carracosta ranted at me for hours and hours, nagging about how inconsiderate and insensitive we were to him as children, why kids should stay in line and all other forms of overprotective garbage. I drowned out the words after a while, but unlike Eden, I couldn't fall asleep instantly and Carracosta wouldn't allow that. So I was stuck being ranted at by the sea turtle from dawn to late in the morning. Which meant he was yelling at me for several hours straight. I didn't think anybody could even talk that long!
"Thank goodness it's finally over…" I muttered as I staggered back to Nuzleaf's house with Nuzleaf himself in tow. The lecture only ended once Carracosta realized it was near noon and he wasn't tending to his farm, so he reluctantly let me and Nuzleaf go. Nuzleaf was as much of a victim as I was, having to stand around in Carracosta's house for hours on end.
"I have to agree. As much of a good friend Carracosta is, I reckon he's quite the overprotective parent," Nuzleaf remarked as he opened the door for me and beckoned me off into my room to sleep, "Now go and rest, Azri. I'm not going to repeat Carracosta's words and sacrifice your health any longer"
"... Thanks Nuzleaf. I'll probably be out until the afternoon," I nodded and headed to my room, setting down my dungeon bag and curling up instantly in my bed. I was so pooped from the adventure and Carracosta's lecture that I fell asleep before my head even hit the hay. In an instant, I was out cold and drowned in the world of slumber.
…
"Did you truly think we were done with you yet?"
"H-huh…?" I opened my eyes, flinching at the sudden murkiness and miasma in the air. I was dreaming, right? This couldn't have happened to Serene Village while I was asleep. So where was I?
"Rise and shine, Azri. I reckon you should take in what's around you"
"Nuzleaf?! Where are you?" I asked, looking around frantically. My awareness was starting to set in and I realized I was in a field blanketed in crimson red flowers and surrounded by a thick red fog, limiting my vision. There was an eerie sense of isolation and hopelessness polluting the air, like this was the last bastion of the world after an apocalypse, "Nuzleaf?!"
"Walk forward and see for yourself. I reckon you wouldn't be scared of the unknown by now," Nuzleaf's voice whispered into the mist. Something about this place seemed very familiar and I was afraid to put my foot forward. The crimson ground, the misty red air, the strange squish in my steps like I was stepping on damp mud…
"What's with the colouring of those flowers?" My mind asked as I glanced to the ground. The nightshades were beautiful, but stained with a strange tint of crimson red, almost like it was, "... Blood. No… it can't be this nightmare again…"
"Come Azri. What are you waiting for?"
But I didn't move, too scared to step forward. I knew what was coming if I followed Nuzleaf's voice. The gruesome scene of all my friends beheaded was still fresh in my mind and I didn't want to repeat it. But that was awaiting me at the end, then why was Nuzleaf's voice the one guiding me?
"Fear may paralyze us in place, but it also stops us from being too comfortable where we are now," Nuzleaf's voice repeated Goomy's words, making me gasp. There was no way he could've known that, "Go, Azri. Or do you want to be stuck in this nightmare forever? Will your fear pigeonhole you into never finding out why you were brought here? Don't you want to know why you became a Pokemon?"
"... Stop using his voice. Nuzleaf would never say things like this," I growled, "Who are you?"
Silence. The voice seemed to have disappeared, but it left a heavy presence in the air. I was apparently going to be stuck in this bloodsoaked garden forever if I didn't step forward and witness my fear. Bullcrap. I tried pinching myself to force myself awake, but no dice. It almost felt like my physical body was separated from my dream body.
"No choice but to move. Let's get this over with," I thought with a sigh and began moving, putting one foot over the other as I proceeded through the mist. I journeyed through dungeons before, but never before have I felt so incredibly lost. Maybe it was because of the mist because in dungeons, I always had the illusion of a solid wall to stand against. Here, it was all open and I felt strangely vulnerable.
"Good Azri. Please, join us at the end. Not long now," Nuzleaf's voice suddenly spoke again and subconsciously, my walk broke into the run and then a sprint. A sense of danger and urgency suddenly welled up inside me and I knew arriving at the end of the field would cleanse it. But the area seemed to go on for forever, tantalizingly teasing me.
"Come now, don't rush it. Slow down and take in the view. It would do you good," Nuzleaf encouraged and I slowed down, heeding both his words and my sore legs. I didn't know what he meant by taking in the view though. There was nothing to see in the thick red mist besides the striking crimson flowers beneath me.
"Oof!" Without realizing it, I crashed against a stone statue in front of me. Was that always there? Examining it a little closer, it looked like a stone statue of a tortoise. Whomever sculpted it was very skilled, given the immaculate detail, but…
"What's with the expression of terror?" I wondered as I stared at the stone tortoise's face. It's mouth was agape, as well as its eyes. Either it was in the process of eating something or it was terrified. And I suspected it was the latter, "How strange…"
"No more dallying around, Azri. Hurry," Nuzleaf's voice whispered and I tore my attention away from the tortoise statue, continuing my walk through the crimson garden. Nothing was changing, but I felt it in my gut that I was reaching the end soon.
"Azri! Azri!" A sudden and familiar voice pierced the air and it didn't sound like Nuzleaf at all. It sounded like… Eden?! "Turn back, Azri! Don't come any closer!"
"Eden?! Eden, where are you?!" I asked in a surprised and strangled voice, "Are you okay?!"
"Don't move, Azri! They'll-" Eden cried, but I already broke off into a run in panic. I knew this dream well enough to know Eden's fate and I had to try and stop it. I couldn't bear to watch the Fennekin get torn apart again. Even if this was a dream, I had to stop it, "Azri! Stop it!"
Ignoring the Fennekin's words, I ran through the suffocating red mist until I seemed to come across a break in the gloom. Tearing through the blanket of fog, I found a truly horrifying sight. Eden tied in chains with his Harmony Scarf burning to ash in the flames of a tall Pokemon's hands.
"Eden!" I cried, quickly noticing the two shadowy figures beside him. One was tall and cloaked in darkness despite the fire burning in their hands, charring the yarn of the Harmony Scarf to ash while the other was shorter and crossing their arms. I couldn't figure out what Pokemon they were, but they captured Eden. Which meant they had to die.
"Hyah!" I summoned my Leaf Blade as I leapt at the shorter figure beside Eden. It summoned its own sword out of nowhere and counterattacked, battering my blade aside with powerful strikes. I stepped back, surprised by its strength before like lightning, the shadow slashed me thrice, cleaving my body with bleeding cuts, "Gyah!"
"Azri!" Eden cried, struggling against his bonds, but to no avail, "Stop this! Please don't kill her!"
"Oh, we won't. All we need is this," The shorter shadow grabbed my neck, lifting up my fallen body. I tried to fight back, but I was too weakened by the enemy's hits. The shadow reached up and ripped the Harmony Scarf off of me, throwing it aside before slamming me back down to the ground, "With these gone, there's nothing that'll stand in our way"
"You fiends! Don't you-"
"Silence," Suddenly, the shadow threw a knife at Eden's neck, silencing him and making his gurgle up blood. My heart leapt out of my throat in terror, but I was in too much pain to scream. Once again I failed to stop Eden's death and now I had to witness it firsthand.
"Ghurgghh… urggghh…", Eden choked on his own blood, trying to speak before his eyes rolled up his head and he slumped in his chains, dead and without any fanfare. I watched in pained despair, trying to convince myself silently that this was just a nightmare. None of this happened and it won't… right?
"Burn that accursed scarf too. Our next target is the whole world," The shorter shadow said nonchalantly, pointing to my Harmony Scarf lying in the dirt next to Eden's pool of blood, "Soon, it'll be all rend in stone"
"Yes.. the world world," The taller shadow replied in a strangely female voice as the last of Eden's Harmony Scarf burned to ash. Lifting a finger, the shadow created another wisp of flame, which she then threw onto my scarf. The flame danced onto the beautiful scarf, adorning it with black spots of ash as it ate away at the yarn, "Tie up the loose ends first"
"With pleasure," The other shadow walked back to me, standing over my head. I was too overcome with pain and misery to fight back, "Goodbye… Azri. I reckon your days of fooling around are over"
"...Nuzleaf?" I thought before the shadow slammed a blade onto my neck and the pain of death finally caused me to scream.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"