Anthien City. A true marvel of human invention and genius. A dwelling in the sky, geared up for the digital millennium, the age of concrete...
Housing five thousand citizens as permanent residents, and many visiting tourists numbering in the thousands, it was a true frontispiece for the capital of a United Roria. A brainchild of the new Aether Foundation and the Devon Corporation, it had been selected to be a symbol of engineering and progress, and the heights that Man and Pokémon could achieve, and a flight from how low they could fall.
Housing a hypermatter annihilation energy core, electromagnetic levitation rings and static discharge veins caused the city to float nearly ten thousand feet above the sea. Solar panels covered every building, clear as glass, providing substantial energy yields for domestic activity. More energy intensive devices were powered by imported dicerium gas cells, with many Electric-type Pokémon contributing to the power needs of the city. With a full emergency retrorocket and repulsorlift system, Anthien City was rather safe for it's perilous environment and geographical placement.
Electrostatically suspended bridges connected the Storage and Power sector, the Gym sector, and the Residential center to the main complex. Housing many hotels, casinos, shops, and recreation centers, along with a famous museum, Anthien City was a wanderer's dream. Maintenance, especially on the lower levels, was dangerous enough for workers to use specialized Pokémon and equipment. Cellular communication was frowned upon, as the signal could disrupt the sensitive plasma igniters surrounding the energy core, a weakness of the city's infastructure that the Devon Corporation hope to solve.
Two pairs of anti-aircraft guns laced the northernmost and southernmost borders of the city, complete with automated Poke Ball launchers that deposited military-trained Pokémon to dispel a invading threat. It was a unpleasant reminder of those who would wish to destroy Anthien, although the weapons were mostly afterthoughts from the original construction of the city, a time where the Terramist Jihad was still in its last stages.
Bronze walked alone on the crowded streets of the main plaza, his path slow and measured. Tess and Jake had gone to get a room for the coming night, while Bronze decided to scout out the city. In the more rarified air, some citizens, and even Pokémon, were wearing oxygen masks, or staying inside the pressurized buildings. Bronze was not bothered by the thin air, however, as his red blood cell count was already above average.
In passing, Bronze decided to avoid the casinos. For all he knew, the only worth of them was a place where you could get broke, drunk, beaten, put in prison, pregnant, robbed, join a Terramist revolutionary cell, and high all in the same night.
Seeing a large building with a granite statue of Arceus out in front, and a giant Poke Ball on the roof, Bronze took a detour to enter the building which so proudly proclaimed:
Anthien Historic Museum
Free Admission, Open at All Hours.
New exhibit as of 8-12-56: Mysterious Vial.
Intrigued, Bronze slid into the main anteroom, with artifacts, statues, fossils, and inventions of every sort greeting him. Relicanth fossils. Mega Evolution stones. Hisuian texts. Logarian relics. There was even a guide giving a presentation to some visiting students about the earliest Poke Balls.
"Capture devices, back when they were first invented by Laventon of Hisui, were incredibly crude. Instead of seamlessly converting the Pokémon's matter into data, they used special fluids and materials to physically shrink the Pokémon. This was very inefficient, did not work on all Pokémon, and caused some health issues. Eventually, scientists managed to perfect the system, but don't forget that a Poke Ball is just a capture device! Let your friend out at least twice a day, or leave them out permanently! That being said, let us move on the Z-Crystal exhibit..."
Marveling at a antique Apricorn Ball, Bronze looked to his side and saw another artifact, secure in a plastiglass case with a information card to its left. Interested, he turned away from the modified Poke Ball and peered at the strange, even unsettling object.
It was a bottle with a white, toroid shaped base, with gold bands bearing jewels on them interlacing the donut in regular intervals. Up the skinny neck of the bottle, the color scheme changed to purple, with a cap on the top that vaguely resembled some sort of horned demon. The information card told Bronze all he needed to know, and he was greatly troubled.
Mysterious Vial
Found at Mitis Town Archeological Dig-7-2-56.
Unknown properties. Extremely durable. Could not be opened. Do not touch vial or glass. Discovered by Lily and Robert Tercano on 7-2-56.
Long-term exposure to surface leads to negative psychological effects. Most researchers described the object as 'evil,' and 'dangerous.' When asked to elaborate, no substantial answer was given. May have hallucinogenic properties, as the lead archeologist, upon making physical contact with the bottle, saw a vision of a event that he only described as the "War of Wrath." Such a event is believed to be mythological.
Originally was kept a private discovery. Lily and Robert have stated that they wished for it to remain out of the public eye. After their suspected defection to the Team Eclipse organization, the vial was placed on display as of 8-12-56, there being little reason to secure it. Team Eclipse has come forward with intentions to buy the artifact. Requests have been denied as of now.
Scans indicate a seemingly infinite amount of space inside. All physical values such as mass, weight, and temperature change regularly, and Samual Oak has said that he considers the object anomalous. Considered extremely dangerous by the discoverers. Logarian texts in various ruins describe a object shaped in a similar fashion to this, the object being dubbed the "Prison Bottle." Further investigation into Hisuian legend is ongoing.
The possible similarity of this bottle to the fabled 'Prison Bottle' of Rorian mythology, in which the entity known only as the 'Enemy' was imprisoned in is 'quite disturbing,' as Jonathan Rowell Cypress, Professor of Roria, said in his statement on the artifact. Several petitions by him and his acolytes to deliver the artifact into their hands have been unsuccessful, as Yanase Berlitz has consistently advised against it.
Bronze was shocked. This was the artifact that his parents had been researching before they left? He had overheard their conversations about a dangerous thing they had discovered, but when Bronze asked about it, he could never get a straight answer. Now, he understood why. This thing was...wrong.
Bronze considered his own Bronze Brick. If it's mass and temperature changed regularly, was it somehow related to this Vial, did it merely share similar characteristics to it?
Taking out and fingering the Bronze Brick, he saw that it was quite warm. Looking at the vial again, Bronze couldn't help to hate the thing. It seemed wrong in a fundamental sense of reality, a nihilo, a absence of good. Peering deeply into the demonic surface, Bronze felt a dull calling to run, run away as fast as possible, and never, ever come back to this place where this horrible thing was stored...
Shaking his head, Bronze gave one last glare at the detestable vial, put the Brick away, and decided he wanted to leave the museum after all.
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Bronze was heading toward the Gym district, when Jake and Tess ran up to him from a hotel's doors, him being right where they thought he would be.
"Bronze!" Jake said. "This place is a tourist trap. These hotels are running at ten thousand bucks a night! Something about heating, and electricity, but I don't believe a word of it. We can't find anywhere cheap, and we aren't exactly made of money."
Bronze considered this. "Well, where can we stay? I could pay for a night, but I still want to save my funds. I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep in an alleyway, and the City Guard might kick us out."
Tess sighed. "There is one other place we can go, actually. My uncle Gerald's Mega Stone shop. It's in the Merchant distract a bit from here. He should have a some room and board for a night, considering I'm his brothers daughter. But, this should be a absolute last resort. My grandfather has cold relations with him, and I personally think that Gerald is a bit...eccentric."
Jake grinned. "Why didn't you just tell us? Let's go!"
The three weaved there way through the streets, which were jam packed with people, Pokémon, and devices keeping the city running. Bronze was fascinated by the waste disposal system, being a afterthought to most, but a critical part of the infrastructure of Anthien City.
The city generated many tons of toxic hypermatter runoff a day, and it was directed down reinforced concrete sewer tubes, and packaged into canisters to be launched into the sun at specialized sites on the mainland. The power grid was something as well, yielding the most efficient possible absorption and storage rates, with multiple proton-charge containment towers and electrical discharge dispersers. This gave the area around the power district a staticky feel, although it was not dangerous, as the flying particles were not able to penetrate the skin of human or Pokémon.
The shopping district was, like the rest of the city, buzzing with activity. Signs advertising food, items, and even hoverboards were everywhere. Bronze was looking at the Cafe Cottonee, when he saw a small, blond woman in a large wicker hat, with purple boots and all kinds of Pokémon surrounding her run past. She looked out of place in some way, but Bronze didn't think much of it.
Seeing the Mega Stone Shop bunched between a berry market and hotel, the trio walked up to the plastiglass front door, a sign proclaiming:
Gerald's Mega Stone Emporium. Open.
Tess turned around, and stopped Jake and Bronze. "Once we get a room, try to buy something. Money is Gerald's love language, regardless of us getting a free room. It should make him happy enough, and mind your tongue! Gerald will try to get you in one of his deals."
Viewing the clean, white counters that held the boxed stones, along with a winding staircase heading to the upper rooms, Bronze was impressed by the quality of the place. A smaller, Alolan man peeked out from behind a set of boxes he was sorting, surprised to see the visitors, and even more shocked at who they were.
"Heyyyyy! Little Tessa! I guess the old man let you out of Rosecove. What are you and these boys doing in Anthien, at my shop of all places? Do tell!"
"I will, Uncle Gerald. I'm traveling with these boys, one of whom is trying to get the Badges for the Championship. We need a place to stay while we're here, due to our lack of funding. The hotels were too expensive, so I thought that you could help us by giving us a room for a while, five days, at the maximum..."
Gerald squinted at Bronze and Jake. "These two look like strong fellows. Anyway, I have one spare room. You two can sleep in the old attic extension, while Tess can take the guest room. Be warned, the air is thinner the nearer you get to the roof, so you may have trouble sleeping. You can come to my house anytime you like, Tess."
Tess went upstairs to get settled, while Bronze and Jake decided to heed Tess's advice and by some sort of item. As Gerald eyed them, Bronze and Jake browsed the Mega Stones, and read the information on them. A few were for Pokémon Bronze had only heard of, and two were for Charizard, for respective Mega Evolutions, One in particular interested Bronze. The caption read: Absolite. Mega Evolves the rare Pokémon Absol.
Remembering running into Absol earlier on his journey, Bronze felt a feeling that he would need this stone, for whatever reason. Ringing Edward up, he payed the thousand unit fee for the stone, and Jake also purchased his, before going upstairs to get settled.
"I don't even know what's going on with my stone," Jake said, closing the sealed attic hatch. "It seems to be constantly changing color. It said it was for the Pokémon Houndoom, but I don't even have one. The other ones were more expensive, sadly. He does seem very pleased that we bought something, though...
"I need to challenge the Gym Leader, Stephen." Bronze said. "I actually would prefer that we get out of Anthien as soon as possible, in my opinion. Something strange happened in the museum, and I feel like something is about to go down here, and that something is not a thing that I wish to be apart of. A aura of dread surrounds this place, I don't understand why. Can you feel it?"
"Sure, in a thousand years, maybe." Jake replied. "Let's stay for the night, and then you can go to the Gym in the morning. Really, Bronze, I'm sure everything is going to be fine."
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In a far-away dwelling...
If you could see it, the first glance would show that a ink-black void was crossing the little Unovan town. Streaks of sulfurous odor and red smoke trailed the little creature, and the sound of flapping wings, buzzing like a horde of locusts, filled the still night air.
A closer examination revealed a tar-dark hide, a pair of amber eyes glinting with their own jaundiced glow. Fangs of stained ivory filled its lopsided maw, acidic drool dripping of the knife-like points. Totally invisible, totally evil, totally demon.
The foul creature phased through the wall of a building, passed by a bulletin board containing announcements for food drives, and that a lost Pokémon had been found, all petty things to the demon. It had its own purpose: to further the reign of the Great Djinn on Earth, and route his foes.
It drew a sword from the void around it, curved and wicked, black-encrusted with streaks of hell-forged red within its oblivion coating. The creature flew through a table, fluttered up a flight of stairs, readied its blade, moved to pierce through a door-
Wham! The demon was hurled back, ugly head over heels, through the house. The light that had rejected it faded, a warning. Undeterred, the creature screamed, and charged at the door again.
"YA-HAAAA!"
A luminous blade of pure light swung down, bisecting the demon with the thunder of a million bolts of lighting, unheard to all but the denizens of the Spirit Realm. The two halves of the servant of darkness spun, passed through separate walls, before fading into red smoke, a scent of tar being washed away on a cool breeze.
Cobalion cleaned his blessed blade, while Terrakion and Virizion looked on. "Another one! A demon of despair, if my skill has not wholly left me. And that was one of the smaller ones! Arceus Elyon, what evil that now moves through this land is waxing in strength by the day."
The Swords of Justice left the house, footfalls as silent as the rustling of grass in far-away flower-meades. While they had long lost the ability to take nonphysical form, they could still combat the powers of darkness that operated in it. Those inside the house would have heard nothing more than a faint thump as Cobalion banished the demon.
"The Evil Djinn has risen again," Terrakion said. "And his slaves know it as much as we do. Never since the days of the War of Wrath have so many of the Mbelekoro-spawn walked free and unchallenged. A dark cloud has fallen across these lands. Our forces have grown weary and dulled. And even now, the Evil Djinn is but a wisp of his former strength, commanding the dark powers with a sliver of spirit, escaped from a weakened cage."
"Do not despair!" Virizion said. "Our enemies are waxing in smight, yes, but not wholly uncontested. Latios and Latios travel the skies, banishing the dark powers that come from the Outer Lands. And we have earthly allies, and Arceus Elyon shall have the final word in this long war. We were given a respite with the Fall of the Evil Djinn scarcely two thousand years of the sun ago. Faithless is they who forsakes their companions when the road darkens."
Cobalion sighed. "Earthly allies? Not enough, and most are faithless! Do you remember what the Logarians did? Do you remember the War? I weary of these mortal lands. We became enamoured with the Earth, and loved it too greatly. We are banned from returning to Deep Heaven, until our task is done, and the Last Battle and the Day of Doom comes about. I cannot recall the undying lawns of Beulah. It has faded from all my knowledge."
The Swords of Justice, cloaked in night, looked through the lamp-lit window of the house that the demon had tried to assault. A man was sitting by his bed, weeping and praying.
"What is he doing, Cobalion?" Terrakion asked.
"He is praying. Praying to Arceus for the future of the world. He is in sorrow, deep sorrow. He is one of the last allies that we have...the fight will only grow in terror and horror until salvation comes from a source unseen. The future is clouded. We can do little but hope, hope and fight. For Arceus Elyon."
"For Arceus Elyon."