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The Gorebyss fainted from the onslaught of Meganium's SolarBeam, the eel returning to her pokeball.
"Nice work," the punk Labet reluctantly congratulated as he fished out a handful of Pokedollars from his pocket. He tossed the bundle into Lovrina's hands with a brisk, "here's your winnings."
Lovrina didn't say anything, merely returning Meganium to her pokeball and pocketing the cash. She kept her head down as she departed the Duel Square, allowing the other awaiting trainers to begin their own matches.
So it has been for a few weeks. The former head of Cipher's Research Division had taken up shelter in the old hideout underneath Pyrite Town, figuring the place was simply too big and largely forgotten for anybody to reasonably find her. She'd only come out of hiding every now and then to battle in the local makeshift fight ring so she can win some money to pay for food, medicines, and other supplies.
That hadn't been the only change she made. Following her appearance, she needed to change her look and fast. So she ditched the scientist outfit and fished out one of her older garbs she wore whilst wandering the wasteland. It wasn't much, just a dusty old jacket, a pair of combat boots, torn jeans, and faded red shirt.
She even needed to cut her distinguishable twintails. As much as she hated to admit them, her long bright pink hair was a dead give away. So she cut her hair to about shoulder length and swiped a bandanna just for safe measure. Couldn't be too cautious when you're on the run.
Luckily for her, she had managed to avoid trouble for the most part. The local cops weren't particularly competent, but Duking had been making the rounds, asking everybody about any potential leads on either her or Cipher. And even she didn't want to tangle with that guy any time soon.
Lovrina sighed. She lost count of how many days she spent in her hideout. She was waiting for a call to come in from her radio, hoping, waiting…
Waiting for what?, a voice inside of her asked.
She wasn't sure, and those images of Salamence and XD-001 that kept popping up in her mind…
The former admin shook her head. She needed to keep her head in the game as she walked into the local Pokemart. Lovrina grabbed whatever she could afford, mostly canned foods and nonperishables as well as a few potions and ethers. Then she went up to the register, made her purchases, and went on her way.
Lovrina was making her way up to the old hideout when she passed a couple of punks talking.
"...thinking about joining up myself. Cipher's supposed to be back..."
She ducked around a corner and pressed herself against the building. Craning one of her ears, she leaned over to hear what was going on.
"Same. Have to give Greevil credit, he's the only one around here willing to stand up to O.R.F. and those thugs from across the sea. Especially that psychic chick from Kanto. Who knows what they've got in mind for Orre if they have their way."
O.R.F. had gotten support from the other regions? Lovrina did know that the International Police was allying with them, but when did Kanto get involved? If they were willing to send over a psychic of all things…
"Couple my buddies are gonna start looking for their hideout. They apparently got a tip from one of their recruiters. Looks like the old man's hiring more muscle for his gang. I'm probably gonna join in."
"Count me in. I lost my parents in the Ore War. Once we get XD-001 back, we're gonna kick O.R.F. out of Orre and make those regions pay…"
With that, she could hear the two stomp off. Lovrina let out her breath that she had been holding the whole time. Everything had just turned upside down. Was Greevil recruiting again?
If that's so, why didn't they send out an agent to find her?
Why didn't they even call?
…
Lovrina blinked as she walked towards the hideout. She needed to think a few things over.
Especially on what exactly she was waiting for.
Michael couldn't help but smile as he heard Jovi squeal with delight as the boat sped through the water.
They had just arrived at the Orange Archipelago a few hours ago, Kumquat Island specifically. It was a dizzying experience, seeing all the life and color everywhere. The resorts and beaches alone almost felt like Gateon Port on steroids. Lily almost had to put Jovi on a leash to keep her from running after every new sight and smell. Even Michael and Espeon felt a little hard pressed to resist their natural inclination to go explore.
But of course, they weren't here to sightsee. Their first order of business was to head to the harbor where they would meet with a boat captain that Looker got in touch with. Apparently the boat captain, Maren, had some connections with the locals on Shamouti Island, so she would serve as a sort of guide. Granted she did say that the natives were pretty friendly, but it always did help to have somebody who knows the local customs on hand to explain everything.
"You guys having fun down there?!" Maren asked over the laughing Jovi.
"This is amazing! Never thought I'd be out on open water!" Jovi responded as she looked out over the sea. Lily was standing right behind her with a rather subdued but equally jubilant smile on her face. Although she did have a hand on her daughter's shoulder in case she did get a little too rowdy.
"Translation: we're having a blast!" Michael also said as he gripped the railing. It was one of those rare times where he believed Jovi was one hundred percent correct. The wind flowing through his hair. The taste of sea salt in the air. Even Espeon was balancing himself on the prow of the boat, his ears flapping in the breeze.
How exactly he was able to manage that on a speeding boat, Michael had no clue. Must've been a thing with being a cat and a Psychic-type.
"I'll admit, you guys are probably the first visitors from the Orre region I've ever ferried. Maybe even the first to Shamouti Island for that matter! Don't get too many visitors from that part of the world to the Orange Islands," Maren commented.
"Can't imagine why!" Michael said as he leaned back on the railing. "Although we're not exactly here to sightsee. We just need to check up on a few things and then we're outta here."
"If that's the case, then at the very least take the time to sightsee a little! Who knows when you're gonna come back here. Besides, Shamouti and the other islands are pretty beautiful. It really would be a shame if you miss it all."
"I'll try to remember," the teen concluded as he looked back over the sea. The waters here were calm and crystal clear, practically the opposite around Citadark Isle back when Greevil was in power. The sunlight almost danced on the ocean's surface. It was practically picturesque.
He also felt Shadow Lugia's aura in the Master Ball remained relatively calm. The calmest he felt from the legendary ever since he snagged them. It made sense since technically this was their home.
And as Michael looked deep within the deep blue of the sea, he couldn't imagine a better spot to remain hidden and call home.
Although he had to admit, something about lurking in the dark abyss sounded rather...lonely.
His attention was brought up when he heard Maren call out "There it is! Shamouti Island!"
Michael along with Jovi rushed up to the prow of the boat to join Espeon in getting their first glimpses of the island they had only heard about for so long. Lily followed them, although not as excitedly as her two children.
There, seemingly rising out of the sea was a small, pristine island covered in tropical greenery. Amongst the vegetation, they could see a village dotting the edge of the sheltered lagoon. It almost seemed something out of one of those fantasy novels that Michael used to read.
He felt the Master Ball, as well as his three other Pokeballs shake on his belt. The teen nodded in understanding as they began to pull into the lagoon.
If there were any answers to be found, they would be found here.
As they pulled into the harbor, they noticed that something was a little...odd. They couldn't see anybody milling around the village. Michael couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. Wasn't this the height of the tourist season? Where was everybody?
Maren didn't say anything as she threw a rope around one of the wooden posts on the dock to hitch the boat (Michael drew up a blank on what they were called). Cautiously, they got off the boat, their eyes peeled as they began to head into the village.
Again, there were signs of people being there. Posters for sales, vendor stalls, what looked like decorations for the upcoming festival. It's just there weren't any...well...people.
Michael looked down at Espeon, hoping the mystic cat could sense something. He just got a confused head shake in return, indicating his partner sensed zilch.
"Where is everybody?" Lily asked a little nervously, clutching Jovi near her out of concern.
"I'm...not sure. They're not usually this shy around tourists…" Maren said.
They made their way to the village center, right at the steps of what looked like a large, opened air hall. Given the size of the building it must've been where they held village meetings and the like.
Suddenly, Espeon's eyes widened as he ran over to some kind of structure in the center of...well, the village center. Michael looked where the cat was running, and took off after him after laying eyes on what he was running to.
The structure appeared to be a kind of totem pole, carved from a great tree. Strings adorned with lanterns were placed running towards it, with offerings of what looked like food and trinkets at the base of the pole.
But the carvings are what caught Michael's attention. At the base was a trio of great birds stacked on top of one another, each one painted a different color and with a different plumage of feathers. The images were strikingly familiar. He unlatched the three Pokeballs on his belt and held them out towards the totem pole in one hand. His fingers tingled as he felt the powers of fire, ice, and lightning pulsate from right near the carvings.
There was no doubt who those carvings where depicting.
Michael's eyes wandered up, and widened as he saw the top of the totem pole.
On top was a magnificent beast with great outstretched wings. While it did seem vaguely birdlike, there was something a little more reptilian about it. Like someone designed to crossbreed a bird and a dragon of some kind.
Instinctively, he reached down with his other hand and brought up the Master Ball.
Within, Michael could feel the darkness swirl within his mind. Feelings of...well, confusion and disbelief. The carving looked familiar alright.
But there was one key difference.
The wings and the plumage...were white.
How...how could that be?
"MICHAEL!"
Michael blinked as he heard his mother scream. He looked down-
-only to see a horde of masked villagers surrounding them with spears in their hands.
The teen backed up worriedly to Lily and Jovi, who his mom had placed behind her. Instinct kicked in as he reached for one of his Pokeballs. If this were a movie, this would be the part where the angry natives capture people so they can be sacrificed to their god.
"Espeon! Get over here, quick!" he said in a panic.
...only to hear the cat roll around on the ground, laughing his tail off.
"Whu-?" Michael exclaimed, before hearing Maren struggling to keep her own snickers under control.
"I-HAHAHAHA-I can't, I can't believe you fell for that!" she said to him as she wiped a tear from her face as she walked up to the villagers, quite a number of which were taking off their rather elaborate looking masks and laughing uproariously.
"Relax. It's just a little fun we sometimes have with some of the newcomers," a woman in a costume said as she came up. It was only now that Michael had realized that almost all the costumes resembled one of the titans. Granted some of them were superficial, but the resemblances were there.
The woman (who Michael assumed was their leader), took off her mask and held out her hand with a smile. "I'm assuming you're Michael then. We heard you were coming."
Michael paused a moment before nodding and shaking her hand. "Y-yeah. And you're…?"
"Carol. I'm in charge of running the Legend Festival," she said. "Although to be fair, we were almost considering canceling it this year. Especially after hearing what happened in the Orre region."
He looked down at the Pokeballs in his hands, feeling the immense power swirling inside the capsules.
"Are…are they okay?" Carol asked, concern in her voice.
"Ye-yeah. As good as they can be. Although if you want to see them, we can't do it in front of everybody. The legendary birds I'm not worried about. It's…"
"Lugia…"
"…right," Michael said hesitantly. It never occurred to him that this would be the first time Lugia had returned to the island. And thus, this would be the first time the locals would've seen their guardian since he was captured.
Problem was, they were expecting Lugia to return.
There was no telling how they would react to Shadow Lugia.
Not to mention, there was no telling what Shadow Lugia would do with large crowds. It was true he had been opening up more to people on facility grounds, but concentrated crowds was another thing entirely. Gateon Port was one thing. That was in the heat of battle.
"I do know of a place where we can see him!"
Carol and Michael turned to see a red-haired teenage girl walk up to them. She wasn't as dressed as elaborately as everyone else, but she did have a subdued poncho on, indicating she was indeed from the island.
"This is Melody. She's my little sister, unfortunately," Carol said rather snidely.
"Ooooh. I feel your pain," Michael said in all honesty. This was followed by a sharp "hey!" from both Melody and Jovi.
"Hey wait a minute." A thought just occurred to him as he looked back towards Espeon, who at this point had gotten up from his little laughing fit.
"YOU KNEW ALL ALONG!" The teen exclaimed, throwing up an accusatory finger. "You must've sensed everybody hiding, but you didn't let me know!"
Espeon said nothing, though a knowing smile spilled all the beans.
Michael was about to throttle his backstabber of a partner when Melody got in his way. "Before we start throttling our Pokemon, why don't we just head to the shrine that my older sister was talking about."
"...yeah. Sure," he said, giving Espeon a glare as the cat trotted beside him. Taking a deep breath, he looked behind him. "You guys wanna come with?"
"We'll be fine, dear. I was gonna talk with Carol about our accommodations anyway," Lily answered back. Already, Michael could see his little sister mingling with some of the younger villagers while Maren was getting into a discussion with that woman who greeted them earlier.
Nodding with satisfaction, he went after the girl called Melody up a path leading to a flight of stairs.
"How come your sister's not coming with?" Michael questioned. "Isn't she the leader of the village or something?"
"She is, but I spend a lot more time up at the shrine. Carol's usually busy running things for the Festival," Melody answered. "I wouldn't be caught dead doing her job anyways. Overseeing things really is not my forte.
"Besides. I've been waiting for you guys to show up for almost a year now anyways."
"What?! I only just snagged Lugia about a month ago. How could you be waiting for that long?" While he could imagine the islander knowing about their coming a day or two in advance, waiting a whole year was a whole nother story.
"We figured somebody would return Lugia to us in one way or another. Ever since that night…"
Her voice trailed off as she came to a stop. Michael and Espeon halted in their tracks. The Master Ball shook, the dark energy swirling inside.
"That's when Lugia showed up to capture the titans...wasn't it?"
Melody turned with a forlorn look in her face. "It...it was horrible. We were setting up things for the Festival like every other year, then the birds appeared in the sky. We thought they were going to fight again like all that time ago, but then we heard...screaming and winds howling. None of us could see what was going on, but we knew things were really bad out there.
"By the time the storm stopped, the village was a wreck. Huts were smashed, roads were destroyed...and not everybody made it."
Michael frowned as he folded his arms. It sounded almost like Gateon Port back during the assault on Citadark Isle. And they got lucky. He managed to calm Shadow Lugia down before things got real bad.
There was no telling what kind of carnage Shamouti faced.
Old memories resurface, though not necessarily his own. Images of elements flying, titans warring, and…
"The worst of it was the singing. There was this...song in the air, if you can call it that. It sounded an awful lot like Lugia's song, but this was...different. Like it was some sick, twisted parody of it or something. I don't know how else to describe it," Melody continued. "By the time we realized what was going on, the birds were gone. We had no idea what happened.
"Cut to a year later, and we hear reports from the Orre region about how they were captured from this group called Cipher. Except they were, well, changed somehow. More violent than ever. The birds never were the most peaceful lot, but that was nothing compared to what they were turned into.
"And then there was the stories of Shadow Lugia…"
Michael gulped. Melody looked up, taking note of this. "Sorry about that. You probably know better than I. It's just...Lugia's been our guardian for so long. To see him be turned into a monster…"
"Greevil turned him into something he's not."
Melody almost flinched from the firmness in Michael's voice. "He never chose to be corrupted. Greevil took everything he ever believed in and tore it up to pieces. I'm only now getting him to open up to other people, but it's still pretty difficult. Same with the birds. They're Shadow Pokemon, sure. But they're still Pokemon. Which means somewhere in them, their real selves are still there. We just haven't been able to coax them out yet.
"I can't blame you for being afraid. But it's also why we're here. If there's any solution to helping out Lugia, they've got to be here."
At this, Melody clenched her fist and nodded with understanding. "Lugia's done so much for us. It's time we did something for him in return," she said.
Now it was Michael's turn to be surprised. There was iron in that voice. Iron forged from experience.
And it was then he knew that they had come to the right place after all.
They walked up the staircase in silence, up the mountain and towards the other side of the island. The tropical plants swayed lazily in the wind as the sounds of distant Pokemon filled the air. Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the path before them.
Just as Michael was beginning to sweat from the impromptu hike, the trees opened up to a small meadow dotting a cliffside. Flowers dotted the grassy field, as the ground gave way to the blue sea.
Across the sea, the trainer could see three small islands in the distance. One looked to be dominated by a volcano. Another was home to a huge mountain peak that soared high up into the clouds. The last appeared to have some kind of crater amongst the rugged terrain.
At the center of the meadow, rested what appeared to be a kind of shrine. Great slabs of crystal surrounded the shrine in a stone circle. An altar of sorts waited at the circle's center, although this wasn't anything like the shrine back in Agate Village. This was more ornate, with what looked to be a stone carving of some kind of creature with a gaping maw.
Michael walked closer to get a better look at the statue. The resemblances were pretty superficial, but it certainly appeared to be a depiction of Lugia. Or at least, what the stonecutters thought he looked like anyways.
Gazing inside the maw, he could see a trio of pedestals, each one looking out of a hole towards the three distant islands.
Looking up, Michael could see what appeared to be text of some kind on a slab between the carving's wings. He couldn't exactly make out what it said though. This was a writing unknown to him.
"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning
Lest these titans wreck destruction upon the world in which they clash
Though the water's great guardian shall rise to quell the fighting
Alone its song will fail, thus the earth shall turn to ash
Oh, chosen one
Into thine hands bring together all three
The treasures combined tame the beast of the sea"
He blinked as Melody finished the verse. "You can read that?" he asked.
The girl smiled sheepishly. "This is our culture we're talking about. We learn it from an early age."
"That's the prophecy, foretelling the arrival of the Chosen One, he who would bring an end to the warring titans and restore balance and harmony to the world."
"Yeah…I heard about that," Michael said to the Slowking. "The one at the center of the crisis all that time ago, about the trainer who teamed up with Lugia to calm the birds down."
…
Wait a minute.
"GAAAAAH!" Michael yelped as he jumped backwards from the suddenly appearing Slowking, who currently was having a hearty chuckle. "Whu-? How-?! YOU CAN TALK?!"
"My line had trained ourselves to carry on the wisdom of the ancients and the tenets of the prophecy," Slowking explained as he composed himself. "Learning how to talk is a natural extension of that."
"I...I guess," the teen admitted. He looked down at Espeon, almost expecting the cat to give another sly grin...only to see that he too had jumped back with his hair raised up.
Glad I'm not the only one, Michael admitted. Espeon turned and nodded his head in agreement.
...oh right. Psychic. Gotta get used to that.
"This is our Slowking. He oversees the shrine and the ceremony portion of the Festival," Melody said with a sly grin. "He also oversaw the original crisis and helped Ash with getting the treasures to the altar."
"...Ash. Was he that trainer who helped save the world?" Michael asked. He did recall reading about a boy who was at the center of the whole thing and helped bring an end to the fighting between the legendary birds. They had chosen to remain anonymous, but they still had the gratitude of the entire world.
"He's the one! We haven't seen him in a while, but I heard he's off having adventures somewhere," Melody confirmed. A nod from Slowking indicated that she was correct.
Michael also sensed a wave of familiarity coming from the Master Ball. Ash...that name does ring a bell…
"Sooo...he's in there?" Slowking asked.
The teen gulped as he nodded. "Are you sure you want to see him? He's...not what you guys might be thinking."
"If you're a bit uneasy, you could try getting the three titans out first."
"Slowking! Are you sure that's a good idea?" Melody asked in a bit of a panic. "I know they aren't as aggressive as they used to be, but they're still the titans we're talking about! Not to mention being…" She turned towards Michael. "What do you call them?"
"Shadow Pokemon, and trust me, they're not as bad as you think. They were a little rowdy when I first met them, but they've calmed down considerably since then. They won't be a problem."
"Well let's see them then!" Slowking exclaimed. Melody nodded in agreement, that iron that was in her voice now appearing in her expression.
Getting out the three balls from his belt, Michael clicked them all and tossed them up in the air.
"COME OUT YOU GUYS!"
The Pokeballs opened, each to a brilliant explosion of flame, electricity, and ice. Three pairs of magnificent wings emerged from the balls as a chorus of shrieks heralded the return of the fearsome avatars of the very seasons and elements themselves.
As the light faded, the birds landed gently on the meadow.
At long last, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno have returned home.
The trio stretched their wings and exerted their powers, just happy to soak in the fresh air of their old territory. A year away from their sovereign islands is a long time to be away indeed.
Melody gasped as the three made their presence known. Slowking merely looked and smiled warmly.
"The last time I saw anyone of them this close was at that crazy narcissist's flying machine...thing," she recalled.
Micheal tilted his head in confusion. "...am I missing something?"
"Some idiot thought he could try and capture all three birds so they could be part of his collection. Tried to put them in cages and everything. It's part of the reason why they went berserk in the first place," the girl clarified.
Slowking walked towards the trio with his hands clasped behind his back. "I must admit though, you did what he couldn't. You managed to win the trust of all three." He chuckled. "I'll bet he's kicking himself right now. Wherever he is."
The trainer walked over and began to stroke Moltres's neck, feeling the warm flames under his finger tips. "I don't get it. I thought it was bad to try and capture all three."
"That creep was doing it all wrong. He used these machines to capture them and hold them in tiny cages instead of challenging them the normal way," Melody explained. "And trying to cage up even one of them against their will is the worst thing you can do. Especially when they still have a lot of fight in them.
"And when all that anger comes out at once…" she shuddered as she remembered what happened next.
Michael frowned as he went over to Zapdos and pet his plumage. The thunderbird crooned as he ran his fingers through the static infused feathers. "Even still, doesn't capturing them disrupt their power over that ocean current? The one that caused all that mess to begin with?"
"The titans are able to maintain their areas of influence subconsciously. They only lose control if they are in severe distress, which that human put them through. Add to the fighting between all three, and you've got a recipe for disaster," the Slowking clarified.
"And something tells me Greevil wouldn't want them to lose control even accidentally once he had them under his thumb," Michael thought out loud as he rubbed Articuno's wing. The cold of the feathers was soothing. "Probably was one of the reasons he went after them in the first place. If they have this much power and Shadow Lugia was able to control them, there's no telling what that mad man would have accomplished."
Melody and Slowking looked at each other in confusion. "...Greevil?" the girl asked.
"He's the guy that captured Lugia and the titans to begin with. Turned them into Shadow Pokemon. And the one still out there," he said, grimacing.
The birds growled as they heard the name of their former master, their powers flaring. Michael wisely retracted his hand before it got frozen.
"I can imagine that. If this Greevil wanted to control the world, subduing the titans would be the way to do it," Slowking commented.
"It was a good thing you snagged them. In more ways than one."
"What do you mean by that?" Michael asked the Royal Pokemon.
"Part of the reason they were so aggressive was because they had a hard time empathizing with humans," the salamander explained. "When you've lived for untold millennia and have seen civilizations rise and fall whilst embodying the very forces of nature with all its splendor and danger, it becomes pretty difficult for you to understand those whose lives are born and extinguished in a fraction of that time."
"Oh...that makes sense," the trainer admitted. It never really occurred to him since the birds never really caused too many problems with him.
"Which is a good thing you caught them the right way," Slowking continued while smiling. "The more time they spend with humans, the more they can understand them. And thus gain a better appreciation of their role in the world as a result. That way they aren't as prone to violence as before."
Michael nodded with understanding. It was the same logic used for working with Shadow Pokemon in a way. He did have to admit that the birds had become a lot more lax with other people as the days went on. While he was still reluctant to bring them out on missions (he didn't want to risk be seen as no better than Greevil), he did admit they were getting better with everybody else.
Again, it made him wonder how far they were along to opening their hearts…
"So, Michael's performing the same role Lugia did with them?" Melody asked.
"Essentially," Slowking confirmed.
The trainer frowned as he heard those words.
It was time.
He unhooked the Master Ball from his belt. Everyone on the plateau held their breath as they knew what was about to happen.
"I have to warn you guys right now, Lugia's not like the other Shadow Pokemon," Michael explained. "Greevil wanted him to be the first Pokemon to be immune to purification. And as a result...well...are you sure you guys want to see him?"
Melody just stared him in the eye with that look again.
That was all he needed to know.
Click.
The Master Ball burst open, with waves of darkness spilling forth from the opened capsule. Melody and Slowking backed away as the shadows began to coalesce into a pair of great wings. Red glowing eyes stared at them from within the dark.
Shadow Lugia shrieked to the sky, announcing its arrival.
Michael waited for a moment, anticipating to hear gasps of horror. He knew just how terrifying the ultimate Shadow Pokemon could appear to many. Even he was a bit intimidated when he first met the legendary.
Instead, he got a different reaction.
"Oh Lugia...what did they do to you?" Melody asked. She clasped her hands as she looked upon the black giant. "I knew they made you into something you're not...but I never thought they would go this far."
"I had a feeling something like this may have happened," Slowking said sadly, closing his eyes. "I sensed something dark had arrived to Shamouti during the day of the attack. It did feel like a corruption of the spirit had taken hold."
Lugia shuffled back from the two, red eyes widened from shock. Michael placed a reassuring hand on his wing to calm him down. Nodding, the corrupted guardian relaxed, although still visibly shaken from their unexpected reactions.
"Sorry. He's not used to reactions like that," the trainer said sheepishly. "A lot of time around Greevil and any of those Cipher admins will do that to you."
"I can imagine," the Slowking responded as he approached the legendary. "They took what you feared most inside and used that to twist you into a weapon. Anyone would change when that is used against you so effectively."
Something clicked in Michael's head.
"Wait...Sabrina said something similar. About how Lugia hid deep beneath the sea in order to contain his power."
Slowking looked towards Michael, nodding in confirmation. "Indeed. It's part of the reason he remained hidden for so long. One of the legends my line passed down said that upon Lugia's birth cry, a great typhoon was unleashed upon the world, churning the waters and threatening to throw it into chaos. The violence of the elements also resulted in the birth of the birds, who through their influence stabilized the flow of the currents and tamed the beast of the sea."
The trainer knew that was a fancy way of saying it managed to get the gargantuan sea current at the bottom of the Shamouti Islands under control. He did know enough about the crisis in order to get a pretty good idea of what happened.
"So...you really thought you were a destructive force this whole time?" Michael asked Shadow Lugia. The Diving Pokemon closed his eyes in thought for a moment, before opening them and nodding his head. A sensation of guilt and honesty washed over the teen, confirming what he already knew.
"Then you know why we've come to Shamouti then," he then said with firmness in his voice. "Greevil made Lugia think he was a monster. Something that can only bring destruction. We need to show him that's not the case. That there's more to him than what he fears."
As he said this, Lugia walked forward to the edge of the cliff, looking out on the water. The red eyes gazing upon the calm waters and the distant islands.
It all seemed...familiar. XD-001 knew it was here once before, that was clear. When it tamed the legendary birds and brought them into the fold.
But there was something else. Long distant memories and forgotten events.
Vague recollections of a great battle spurned by man's arrogance…
Shadow Lugia latched onto that last thought. His partner brought him here to find their lost memories. Their forgotten purpose.
If he could only just…
There!
He could feel them above. The titans were embroiled in their war so greatly, they failed to realize the havoc they were wreaking upon the earth. For the currents were getting out of control, and soon its chaos would spread to the entire globe.
More importantly, their fighting was taking them too close to the shrine.
And those taking shelter in the shrine.
One of them had run forward, screaming to try and get the birds to stop. But his voice was lost amidst the chaos, a mere whisper in the clash amongst the gods.
But it was a voice nonetheless. And all he could do in the face of oblivion.
He would make sure his efforts would not go in vain.
Twisting his body, he forced the waters of the sea to obey his power into a devastating Whirlpool, catching the titans within its turbulent waters and throwing them away from the shrine. He then traveled up the waterspout, putting his body between the raging gods and the innocents.
At the apex of his climb, he swung himself around to face the titans and spread his wings, releasing a huge burst of psychic energy to dissipate the raging waters around him.
The world held its breath. The titans hung back in shock, paralyzed for once in their fighting. The humans could only stare in wonder.
For the water's great guardian, Lugia, had finally revealed itself.
Lugia roared, his song filling the air. For most, it would've been a soothing sensation, enough to calm down the angriest of creatures.
The titans' powers merely flared up in anticipation. Their anger consuming them utterly.
Mentally, he sighed. Lugia hadn't counted on his song to reach them.
But it wasn't just a cry for peace. It was a stern warning.
Lugia didn't like to exert his full strength, but if he can just give the humans some breathing room, lead the titans away…
His mental energies flared as he prepared for battle.
For fate had finally arrived. And he would race to meet it.
Shadow Lugia gasped as the memory ended. Was that...him? But...but it didn't seem right. Nothing about it seemed right. How could he be a guardian of all things? Let alone one who the fates of the entire planet seemed to depend on.
And those wings. They were white. How could something at wretched as he possibly be able to possess such magnificent wings? For his were naught but shrouded in shadow.
He was XD-001. A destroyer. A monster. Whose sole purpose was to wreak havoc and destruction in its wake. It could not possibly be capable of being a guardian and defending the innocent.
It...him...who was he?! The memories don't lie, but how could he have once been capable of such majesty? He who nearly covered the world in darkness?
None of it made sense.
"Lugia. Any of this ring a bell?"
Lugia was taken out of his thoughts by Michael. His partner was looking upon him with concern. Reluctantly, the legendary shook his head no. The memories were simply too jumbled, none of it matching up with who he was right now.
"This is the problem we're dealing with," Michael said, turning towards the human named Melody and the Slowking. "He can remember, he just can't make sense of it all."
"He has forgotten who he truly is…" the amphibian stated sadly. "And now he is unable to understand the conflict in his soul."
"That's why we came to Shamouti Island. If there's anywhere in the world that can jog his memory, make him believe he has more worth than just being another weapon, it will be here."
The girl thought for a moment, obviously trying to think of something. "I'm...not sure-wait." Lugia could almost see the lightbulb going off in her head.
"What about the Legend Festival?"
Michael blinked, evidently trying to process what she just said. "The...festival?"
Melody turned toward him with excitement in her eyes. "Yes! It's the ritual we do to honor Lugia and the Chosen One every year. Think of it as a pseudo recreation of the incident from a few years back!"
"But without the fate of the world being at stake of course," Slowking added.
"If we can do this year's ritual with you in the role of the Chosen One and have Shadow Lugia aid you, that could help remind him of who he really is!"
"That...could work," Michael concluded. Shadow Lugia nodded in agreement. The logic was certainly sound. If this ritual really was heavily connected with the Lugia of old, then perhaps that could be the way of judging whether or not the beast was worthy of such a distinction. And if they were…
Maybe...there really was some worth in this twisted shell.
"Well for that to happen, we're going to need the cooperation of the titans themselves. Are you sure they're feeling up to it in their condition?" Slowking asked. A hole opened in Shadow Lugia's gut. Of course there was a catch. None of the birds had been purified yet as far as he knew. How could one possibly rely on three Shadow Pokemon for such a sacred ritual?
Michael's jaw tightened as he looked in the direction of the birds. Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno looked at him expectedly. None of them didn't seem to object to the idea...but none of them seemed overly eager either. The same fear that gripped Lugia's heart gripped theirs it seemed.
Taking a deep breath, Michael strode forth to the titans, stopping right in front of them. He stared each of them right in the eye, one after the other. Lugia almost swept forward to put himself between the boy and the other legendaries. To gaze right in the eyes of a being as old as time itself...you'd either have to be mad or that Pokemon's trainer. And even then, these were Shadow Legendaries we're talking about. Shadow Pokemon weren't always known for obeying their trainers.
The child nodded.
"Do you guys feel confident in doing this?"
They looked at one another, evidently not knowing how to respond.
"Cause I do."
Suddenly, the birds snapped their attention right back to Michael, disbelief written on their faces.
"You guys helped prevent a disaster at Gateon Port. You've opened up to practically everybody back home. And while I haven't been using you in battles, I have been training with you inside the simulator. So I can safely say, you've earned my trust. I know you guys are capable of doing this. I just want to know…
"Do you guys have faith in me?"
Again, they looked back at one another, almost as if they were deliberating.
Then, Moltres nodded.
Followed by Articuno. And then Zapdos.
Michael smiled with confidence as he turned to face Melody and Slowking.
"They're ready."
Shadow Lugia's heart swelled with pride. There was the trainer that won him over from the very start. And somehow...he felt those words weren't only directed at the birds.
The titan nodded. Michael put his trust in him.
And so, Lugia shall return the favor.
Following the descent from the altar back to the town, Michael and Melody told everyone about the plan to have him play the role of the Chosen One for the Festival. Following the collective cries of "Pokemon trainer?!" (another tradition apparently), the villagers proceeded to set up decorations and began to dress up for the night of celebration. In the meantime, a feast would be prepared for the year's Chosen One along with family and friends.
Lily had already arranged with Carol to have them stay at a hut with one of the older natives, a man named Tobias. Apparently he was the village elder before he stepped down.
While they were still setting up dinner, Michael and Jovi took the opportunity to check out the festivities. It was a dazzling display of lights, elaborate puppets, colorful costumes, and a whole menagerie of different smells. Practically the exact opposite of what one would expect in the Orre region. Jovi of course wanted to see everything so her big brother was constantly trying to rein her in. But it didn't hurt to let her go exploring as long as she didn't go too crazy. At the very least the chances of her running into another thug and him risking learning about the "pecking order" were slim. All Espeon could do was shake his head at their antics.
In amongst the various sights and sounds, they spotted a puppet resembling the Water's Great Guardian himself. Granted some of the details were a little off, but the resemblance was still there. Jovi was delighted by the puppet.
All Michael could notice were the white wings.
And he could feel he wasn't the only one.
After a little bit of time, both siblings headed up the steps to the open air building. As it turned out, it was in fact a dining hall, set aside for the Festival and other special occasions. They joined their mother, along with Carol and Maren who were sitting at their table. Michael wasn't sure exactly where Melody had gone off to, must be some business related to the Festival or something.
They were starting to dig into their meal when Lily asked the million dollar question.
"Michael, what exactly do you even have to do for this ritual?"
The teen gulped down his last bite before answering. "It's really simple. I need to travel to the three islands surrounding Shamouti: Fire Island, Ice Island, and Lightning Island. Once there, I have to challenge each of the three birds to a battle to gain their favor. When I do that, I claim their treasure and take them all back to the altar."
"Sounds fun!" Jovi exclaimed. "You're already their trainer so it should be pretty easy since you know them!"
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Letting the birds go off on their own? They're still Shadow Pokemon after all…"
"I trust them Mom. I've been working with them a lot so they should be calmer than when I first caught them," Michael said firmly.
"Well with that attitude, you should be fine," Carol responded as she took a bite from some bread. "I heard the treasures were formed long ago from the titans' power. That way if they ever lose it, their power can help calm them down."
"Sounds like quite the insurance policy," Lily joked, eliciting a few chuckles from the other two women.
"I'm just glad I'm not having to fight some crazed maniac this time around," the boy said with relief. "Somehow just fighting a few legendaries without the fate of the world at stake is a little more...well, relaxing. Almost."
Espeon's back hair stood up. He didn't even need to look up from his food to show that he wasn't exactly keen on fighting legendaries.
"Besides, I've got Lugia on my side," Michael reassured. "That should even the odds a little bit."
"I'm curious big brother, once you bring the treasures to the altar, what happens next?"
Before he could answer, a beautiful sound filled the air. Michael instantly forgot what he was going to say as he looked towards the source of the music. It was...Melody? She had appeared on the small stage of the dining hall, playing an ocarina made from a conch shell. To his surprise, she was donning a veil around the back of her head. It was practically impossible to take your eyes off her as she danced around the stage playing that music.
That song…
Words couldn't describe it. On one hand it was simple and rather subdued. On the other...there was something almost magical about it. It soothed the soul and made all other concerns just fade away.
And above all, there was something familiar about it.
Michael found himself lost in the music. Something about it sounded…right.
It took him a few seconds to register that Melody was talking to him. Well, trying to talk to him.
"Michael? Hellooooo? You there?"
She snapped her fingers a few times to get his attention. "Whu-?! Yeah I'm here!" he replied back, coming out of his daze.
Melody's face went flat. "Did you hear anything I said?"
"Uhhh...no," he admitted rather sheepishly.
The girl grunted as she just realized her whole rehearsed speech just fell on deaf ears. All that practicing just so her intended audience can zone out.
She sighed as she turned to Jovi. "Well, to answer your question, once the Slaking here," which elicited a chuckle from the little girl, "retrieves the treasures, I'll play that song and the ritual will be over.
"Besides." She took a seat right next to Michael, putting an arm on his shoulder. "Shouldn't be a problem for an accomplished trainer like yourself. Especially one that seems to be a fan of music," she said with a sly smile. The teen couldn't help but blush, much to the amusement of Espeon.
"Ooooh! I didn't know you had a girlfriend, big brother!"
And somehow Michael found a way to blush even harder. "JOVI! WE JUST MET FOR ARCEUS'S SAKE!" Espeon couldn't help but snicker at his trainer's outburst. Lily, Carol and Maren were also valiantly trying to keep a straight face.
Keyword being trying.
"I don't know Michael," Melody playfully said. "I do kinda have a thing for tough trainers like you."
"I-I mean you're pretty an-OH SWEET ARCEUS! SOMEBODY HELP ME OUT HERE!"
"She's just messing around. My little sis has a habit of flirting with the Chosen Ones every year," Carol told him.
"I dunno. Something about this one seems awfully cute. And he did seem awfully interested in my music earlier…" Melody said casually.
"You should go for it Michael! I always wanted a big sister!" Jovi squealed excitedly. He held his head in his hands as he couldn't handle the embarrassment. At the very least it couldn't get much worse than this...
The Master Ball on Michael's belt shook once.
This caused the trainer to yank the ball out of its holster.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I SHOULD GO FOR IT?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE LUGIA! HOW COULD YOU STAB ME IN THE BACK LIKE THIS?!"
Cue the uproarious laughter from everyone in the hall, including Michael who had enough sense to laugh along with everyone.
It was only later did he realize that Shadow Lugia was actually playing with him.
Night fell on Shamouti Island. The waters of the sea gently swayed upon the cliffside of the altar. Slowking had retired to his cave for the night. For tomorrow will be a busy day.
With everyone on the island back in the village, no one noticed a small light suddenly appear hovering above the altar.
The presence looked left and right before spotting the lights in the village. It proceeded to make its way, almost as if it were drawn to the celebrations.
In the morning, a number of people would claim to have seen the strange light, just passing it off as another tradition the islanders did.
Although something about it felt...well...timeless if one could believe it.
A/N: In my defense...I did have to work this July the Fourth weekend. Not. Fun. At all.
So yes, we're finally at Shamouti Island, the setting for Pokemon 2000. We were going to end up here eventually since in this particular story, the Lugia and birds from that movie are the same individuals in this fic.
Not really much to go over here. We check up with Lovrina, seeing what she's doing. As you probably might guess, she's gonna play a bigger role down the line. Particularly the arc after this one.
We also get to see what Cipher's been up to. As you might've guessed, they're starting to take in recruits again...
The incident I mentioned was when you first go to Gateon Port with Jovi in XD and she runs into a thug named Zooks. The "pecking order" was something I came up with myself.
As for Melody flirting with Michael...yeah. That was a thing she did with Ash in the movie. And since Michael doesn't have another female friend around...well...yeah. Although I do promise that this isn't leading anywhere, trust me.
And yes, a certain onion fairy is back.
Up next, we've got the first of the three trials. Stayed tuned for more. Thank you for reading. Make sure you leave a favorite if you enjoyed and a review if you've got anything to say.
Until next time...take care. And thanks to everybody for the support.