In the hovering gunship, far over unknown waters, a council had been called.
Along the sides of the table, the various Commanders, Admins, and Captains of the Eclipse Alliance sat. At the end of the table, farthest from the doors, sat a man that all others were absolutely terrified of. Cypress sat tall, brooding, and eyes glowing like embers.
"I regret, as well as you all do, the death of Admin Tyler. Along with our explosives being sabotaged, one of my most loyal servants has perished. He shall be remembered as one of the most loyal crusaders for the new world. I believe that Commander Linda will be a appropriate replacement for him." All eyes fell to the woman in a commander's garb. In only a relatively short time, she had risen through the ranks so quickly it was as if she had unlocked some sort of hidden power within her Pokémon.
"Thank you, my lord. I shall serve you well as one of your loyal Admins, perhaps even greater then the late Tyler." Cypress smiled, pleased. "Thank you for your sycophantesque views, Admin Linda. However, some of the recent actions by my staff have displeased me greatly." Cypress was no longer smiling.
"Henry. I will remember your failure to subdue to Pokedex Holders as I remember you failing to capture the Beast of the Earth. Despite your loyalty, your mission success rate has fallen greatly. Amend this, or I will find someone more capable to fulfill your role."
Henry shuddered and bowed his head. "Thank you, sir, for your mercy and tolerance of my fallings."
"Silence." Cypress lazily waved his hand in dismissal. "I care not for your bandied words. However, I request to be called 'lord' or 'master,' not 'sir.' I think that you would have learned that such common titles are below me!"
"Eric. Despite your survival of your injuries, you still managed to lose control of the Beast of the Sea, due to the actions of children. I hold you with the same charges as your brother. However, you will not be punished, due to your successful capture of Darkrai, and your unending loyalty to the cause, which I value. But do not think I will be so merciful as to lift the hand of judgement from you next time you fail." Eric squeaked, trembling with dread.
"Emrett. It is, of all my servants, you who I hold with the least umbrage. You have consistently spread the message of the new world to the nations, and you have been the single greatest source of new recruits and manpower. I still will levy you with the charge of failing to subdue the Pokedex Holders, as I charge every member of our nation with. Also, you handled the bottle that contained my new power with undue dread, as no harm would have came to you. Indeed, your true master lied within it, as your own spirit-guide, Ba-al Enamorus, would have already told you so." Emrett nodded, submitting in relief.
"As I wish to tell all, the late traitor Kett had the highest mission success rate of any of my officers. He perished, as he did not recognize my authority and rebelled against my command. He died for nothing, as the explosives failed regardless. Let that be a lesson to all." Cypress turned to a frail man near the end of the long table.
"Ghetsis, I assume you do not regret your choice to join my cause? Or did you prefer prison, and a life of withering away as you plotted your own devices?" Ghetsis turned, his pale face reflecting his poor, stressed mental state. "No, my lord." He replied in a hoarse whisper, his vocal cords tense with fatigue.
"Good." Cypress said. "Of course, do you understand that your son, N, will inevitably be left behind due to his foolishness in allying with the Pokedex Holders?"
"He is not my son!" Ghetsis emphasized. "I never have loved him! Let him perish. It is his own downfall to not have joined already."
Cypress grinned. "Very good! Perhaps I will give you a opportunity to kill him yourself! We can't have a little thing like parental affection getting in our way, no matter how much you may deny that it will."
Ghetsis looked away. Cypress once again addressed the council. "I am sure you all know that we have captured a Pokedex Holder, much to his disdain. He and his Pokémon are to be treated well, and he is to be given full freedom to roam the gunship and the headquarters. I have...plans for him."
"Also, as a benevolent lord, I wish to answer some of your queries that I have sensed after our assault. Some of you may be wondering why we attacked the city, instead of continuing to consolidate our power? Do not wonder. I shall reveal the logic, to he who has ears and who can hear."
"Firstly, we have planted a seed of fear in this attack that shall continue to grow and fester at the heart of our enemies. The name of Eclipse shall send a shudder of fear in the hearts of our oppressors. Second, the foolish bureaucratic processes of out enemies would have eventually have suppressed us out of blasphemy as they have done now. Those who may have joined us will find such ways to do so, for the wise will go down the path that is true."
Cypress seemed to get very much larger. His eyes glowed ever brighter. "Fear not, for I am the great deliverer, who will lead you out of Sheol to the promised land. I am the very savior the old prophets of Hisui predicted! I have come like a conqueror, great and terrible. I roam about like a roaring lion, seeking who I may devour! I have fiery darts that none can quench! I am the lord of the air, and all the powers in heaven and earth shall bow before me!"
The room darkened, and the temperature definitely dropped. The only one who seemed to be completely unafraid was Colress. He was looking intently at Cypress, examining him as is he were a very interesting experiment. He did not regard Cypress as a god, only a very powerful entity. He could sense that the tides of the world were shifting in his favor, however, and Colress knew he needed to jump on the only possible lifeboat.
Cypress held out his hand, and a hatch opened above the table. A body was floating on a magnetic stretcher, although the person on it was still alive, although completely bound. Cypress glared at the man, who was clearly terrified.
"This man was found in the central reactor room. I assume he somehow teleported in by the means of a Pokémon, but that is of no concern." No one spoke. They could hear the supreme hatred in their leader's voice. "After questioning, he revealed that he was in Anthien at the time, preparing to challenge Gym Leader Stephan. He believes that humans cannot amend the world by their own will...rather, only Arceus can do such a thing."
Cypress stood, and suddenly, a blazing rod of purple fire with a black stone guard and handle burst out of space and into his waiting hand. "Yes, it's a pretty thing, no?" The Eclipse Lord crooned. "My Chandelure has gathered the necessary souls to form this blade. And now, it will slay the rebel, the fool, the UNBELIEVER!"
Cypress roared, and the blade cut down.
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Silver was tired. He had been without sleep for over three days, tracing Team Rockets movements. He had recently heard of an attack on Anthien City, the capital of the Roria region. He did not care. That was no longer his life. He would find his father, and make him turn over a new leaf.
After checking the captured Rocket grunt's bonds, Silver lay on a thin rice paper mat. He had found the grunt trying to sell Slowpoke tails in Blackthorn City, but Silver had captured him. The grunt so far did not have any useful information, not revealing much under substantial duress, but he knew of some movements near northern Sinnoh which would be Silver's next target.
Sometimes he regretted disappearing from known life, but if that was his calling, so be it. Still, Silver did not hate the world, he only moderately disliked it. He still had friends and allies, yes, but they were spread far and thin in between. He hadn't even seen Gold or Crystal in six months. Silver was beginning to doubt whether he would even be able to ever find Giovanni. He had heard some rumors that he had became the leader of the Team Eclipse group, although that had recently been proven false, judging from the news that went about. Some Professor from Roria was the true mastermind, and he had confronted the other Pokedex Holders in the attack on Anthien. That was the only thing about it that had even gotten his attention, and he hoped that it had not gone for ill.
Trying to get some sleep and clear his head, Silver began to feel more awake than ever. But it wasn't the normal restlessness. He actually felt relieved and well-slept. Something was happening, something that had not happened before, or would never happen again...
Silver could feel himself gradually being pulled up, up out of his body, as if a gentle hand was plucking him out of his earthly shell like pit out of a peach. He looked down, and there was his sleeping form, world-weary and undisturbed.
Rather then being confused or on guard, Silver felt a overwhelming sense of peace. He knew he was not dead, and that this was the most peaceful, enlightening, exhilarating experience ever to happen to him. Silver was being pushed out of the spartan hovel's roof, above Blackroot City's lights, above Johto, into the atmosphere, floating away from the very planet itself. He was floating among the stars, perfectly calm.
Now in the depths of space, Silver looked at the spiraling galaxies, massive nebulae, and the most beautiful stars he could imagine. The nuclear bellows of the universe raged about him, but he heard nothing but faint singing. It was so calm, so quiet, away from the plastic chatter and gaudy lights of the earth. Silver wondered if he could stay here for a very long time, just to have a break from the weariness of the world.
Silver was moving far faster than lightspeed, due to the speed at which the sights were moving at. After a few more hours (but were they hours?) Silver could begin to see a blinding light quickly approaching. Entering it completely willingly, Silver saw the most incredible face he could imagine.
It seemed forged out of light, burning with such intensity that Silver would have had to quickly cover his eyes, but somehow he looked directly into the radiance of this incredible creature. It looked back with a almost fascinated curiosity.
"SON OF EARTH!" The being declared, its voice as the peal of a billion trumpets across the vastness of space.. "YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED INTO THE VERY HEAVENS TO VIEW A GREAT CONFLICT, ONE THAT HAD BEEN REINSTATED FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL!"
Silver trembled with awe, yet he could endure the presence of the beautiful being. "Please, sir, are you the very creator of the world?"
The being seemed to find humor in this. "NO, MY CHILD, I AM BUT ONE OF HIS PRINCES. I AM KNOWN IN YOUR TONGUE AS PALKIA, LORD OF SPACE. YOU HAVE SEEN MY EARTHLY FORM YEARS AGO, HAVE YOU NOT?"
Silver was shocked. The only time he had seen Palkia, it had been a mute beast captured by Team Rocket. There was no way in heaven or earth that this incredible being could be the Palkia he knew.
"YOU ARE CONFUSED, SON OF EARTH. THE FORM YOU SAW OF ME, ENSLAVED AND BESTIAL, WAS A MANIFESTATION OF MY EARTHLY NATURE. IN THE HEAVENLY REALM, I AM GIVEN AUTHORITY TO MANIFEST MY TRUE NATURE AS A BEING OF LIGHT AND POWER."
Silver was still confused. "Why have I been called here, sir, and what is this battle you speak of?"
Palkia seemed to grow smaller to make room for a larger view. "BEAR WITNESS TO THE THRONE ROOM OF THE ORIGINAL ONE!"
The cosmic throne room would have likely killed Silver with awe if he was on earth, but he was somehow actually perceiving it in a way that would not harm him. In the middle of a great cloud of heavenly smoke and fire, with many censers, trumpets and spirits floating around it, was a great golden throne where Arceus Himself dwelt.
His body was forged of light, and piercing beams of fire came out of his eyes and head. His legs were like great pillars of stone and energy, and chest and mane made of the most regal of jewels and silk. Yet the glory of Arceus somehow was greater than the throne, greater than Palkia. It was all-permeating, but not judging or fear-inspiring. It was subtle yet grand, loving yet stern, great yet personal. Silver bowed immediately in the space surrounding the throne.
Palkia summoned Silver back to his care. "AS YOU HAVE SEEN THE CREATOR AND MASTER OF ALL, NOW YOU SHALL SEE HIS FALLEN RIVAL. BEHOLD, THE EVIL ONE."
Palkia gave Silver full view of the throne room, his celestial hand pointing in uttermost contempt.
Across from Arceus, was a direct opposite of the glory and power of the One. It was a consuming void, blazing with hate and without anything that Silver could call a body. And yet it spoke to Arceus in vibrant, solicitous tones.
"Why do you contend with man, great one? They are not deserving of your praise. If you hand them over to me, as I have taken one, they will become a force nearly as great as the stars!"
"NO!" Arceus thundered, its voice deeper than heaven, and more piercing than the light of the sun, on a chord lower than the Abyss, and higher than Deep Heaven. "THOU SHALL NOT TOUCH MY CHILDREN!"
The mass retracted and seethed. "Let them come to me and I will-
"NO!"
"I will do what-
"NO!"
"I-"
"NO!"
The creature reeled and screamed. "I MAKE A MOCKERY OF YOU! I WILL TAKE THEM TO BE MY SERVANTS AND PLUNGE THE WORLD INTO MY OWN IMAGE! THERE, I WILL ASCEND TO A THRONE HIGHER THAN YOURS!"
The mass continued to screech and blaspheme against Arceus. Then Silver noticed it was getting smaller. It began to solidify into a vaguely humanoid shape, and then became less and less intimidating as it flew in, pleading for peace and pardon, into some kind of bottle. With a final wail, the creature disappeared into the vial, which dropped through a portal into the depths of the earth.
"YOU HAVE WITNESSED THE ANCIENT PUNISHMENT FOR THE EVIL ONE'S DEEDS," Palkia said. "AND THE PLEA IT MAKES NEARLY EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY HOUR IN THE THRONE OF THE FIRMAMENT AFTER ITS TERRIBLE RELEASE INTO THE FORM OF A MAN. LET IT BE CAST AWAY, FOR IT WILL SUCCEED IN BECOMING THE LORD OF THIS WORLD AND ALL OTHERS IF AUTHORITY IS NOT GIVEN TO ME OR MY BROTHERS TO DESTROY THE FOE, OR THE SONS OF EARTH TO DESTROY THE SLAVE OF THE EVIL ONE AND CRUSH HIS DESIGNS. LET IT BE KNOWN, SON OF MAN, THAT A PART YOU STILL HAVE TO PLAY IN THE PLAN OF ARCEUS. RETURN TO THE EARTH WITH THIS REVELATION, AND LET YOUR CONDUCT BE KNOWN IN THE HEAVENS AND THE DEPTHS. MAY THE BLESSING OF THE ONE BE UPON YOU! MAY IT BE SO."
With a final glimpse of the cosmic glory of Arceus and his throne, Silver felt a great throwing motion as he was cast back into his body.
It was night out. The alarm clock read 1:08.