The winds were still, perhaps due to the presence of the vengeful god. In the still night air, an extraordinary cold began to emerge. Where was this cold coming from, they wondered? It was clear they didn't know, but soon they would find out. The air grew far colder than before as the ghostly quadruped approached. Step by step, the air grew to a staggeringly low temperature. Breaths suddenly became almost opaque as they hung in the air until dissipating. A harsh numbness began to grow in everyone, even the Zoroark. This power, it was unfathomable for the guild. The Zoroark beamed widely. Instead of being scared by this display of power, he was proud. Proud of his son for making even him feel the bite of frost. For what may have been the first time in a long while, the Zoroark let out a laugh which wasn't deranged. It was happy, mirthful. It was a laugh which was almost scarier than his usual one.

"Thatta boy!" He shouted, cheerily laughing once again. A wide smirk formed on the Zorua's face. Did the Zoroark- no. Did father expect anything less? I have been gifted with this extraordinary power by a goddess of revenge; I may as well be a bit showy with it. It would do me well to showcase my capabilities, proving myself as equal at the absolute minimum. I looked at my former colleagues. They all looked scared, frightened. Good, they deserved to be. They've earned every single bit of what's coming to them. A quiet laugh escaped my lips. Oh yes, they earned it. They treated me like a kid, even plotted to murder me! That was too far, I knew. I was too weak, cowardly to ever admit it willingly before. I was much too timid. Now though? Now I was free. The chains of my morality had been severed, the bonds which once linked us were no more. The others advanced slowly, but a sudden gust of illusory wind knocked them back half a step. This was my time, not theirs. I would get my fun, and they would get no part of it. After all, this is what they wanted from me. I deserved this.

"This is my moment, mine and mine alone." I growled. The others looked at me, then at each other. Silently, they all gave a single nod. They wished to see my capabilities it would seem. Well, why should I disappoint them? Slowly, I circled the group, all of whom were quivering and shaking in fear. They tried their best to be brave, but it was incredibly obvious how frightened they were. Shivering, shaking, their eyes dilated, fingers grasped as tightly and possible, breathing shallow, quick breaths, they all were afraid. It was perfect. I could live in that moment for the rest of my life. Should I break the sweet, innocent Nera? No, she was too young, too stupid to remember much. It wouldn't stick Perhaps one of the other adults would work, or perhaps- ah, yes. That shall be perfect to an absolute degree. That is what I shall do.

"Who to pick, who to pick? Ah, Nera!" I stated with a façade of friendliness. She turned towards me, shaking uncontrollably. I could almost taste the fear dripping off her, how wonderful.

"Don't worry, you're much too dense to be any fun breaking. No, instead I'll let you decide. Who do you want me to mentally cripple, Star or Ray?" I questioned. She jerked back for a second, looking everywhere. She was planning something, not that it mattered. Her brain could only think of so many ideas, and with her power set it was obvious what she was thinking. With blistering speeds, she tried to run. However, Weavile reacted far faster than the frightened bunny, pinning her to the ground. Predictable, even my denser compatriots had seen that coming.

"Come now, Nera. Did you truly expect you could run off?" I questioned, laughing. She was cute, I would give her that. This was my time, my moment in the spotlight. I was going to gorge myself on their fear for as long as I possibly could. No divine powers would prevent this, no god could stop me now. No one would stop or control how I felt anymore. Only I am in control of my actions, no fearing what would happen to the few family members I used to care about. I had no regrets about leaving on this adventure. I no longer feared growing up. I was freer than I have ever been, no responsibilities besides removing the filth from the word before sending it to oblivion.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Nera, would you like me to break Ray or Star?" I questioned. I had little doubt she would choose Ray, seeing as he's tough. She may think his powers would prevent this, but they did nothing to shield his mind. I already had something planned for him, too. Of course, when she chooses Ray, I will break his mind thoroughly. Nera looked towards her friends, clearly distraught.

Oh, the joy of pain! How I love thy indiscriminate method! Whether man, woman, child, or elderly, you treat all as you wish, only worsening as many a year pile on. I shall worship you. I shall become you! All will be left under my whim, to where even the toughest can no longer take my burden! All will be under the whim of true pain. All will suffer and wither under the strain, none would endure. I would become the Prince of Pain. I would be the Lord of Laceration, the Knight of Nightmares. The Crown of suffering would no longer just belong to my father. I was the rightful heir to the title, the crown-prince of pain. However, for father, I was willing to share the title of Lordship. After all, it was his actions which gave me everything. He and my Lady Hoopa would have my undying loyalty. I would be her Lord to rule over my domain, alongside my father. Yes, a lord. That shall be my title.

"Everyone." I stated loudly. My sudden outburst shook everyone out of the minor trance my allies had fallen into. Even the guild looked towards me, clearly not eager to find out what my next words would be.

"I shall be referred to as Lord. I shall remain watching over the domain of destruction our queen has graciously gifted me until our ultimate task is finished." I stated. Our queen turned towards me. Without a word, we all were given the feeling of a nod of approval.

"So be it. Forever more, you shall be known as Jake-" I did not like that, I had to speak up.

"Jake is gone. Personally, I feel you should call me… Jay." I stated, smirking. Why waste a perfectly good name, after all? It wasn't like he was using it, in any case. Everyone went silent. The only sounds were the raggedy breathing of our prisoners. A cheerful feeling emenated from the glowing wisp.

"I agree. Jake is gone, and you shouldn't be burdened with a dead Pokémon's name. Much like your father chose a new name, you too, shall be renamed for your rebirth. Jay, Codename: Lord, welcome." Our Queen stated. I gently bowed, graciously accepting the official invitation. Like father like son, the Zorua had been given a new moniker fitting of his new form.

"Now! Back to the matter at hand. Nera? What do you wish? Who shall be spared, and who shall lose their minds?" I questioned. Her head raced back and forth between her two friends. She tightly closed her eyes, as if this was a bad dream, and she would wake up in her soft bed. She wasn't going to wake from this nightmare any time soon, however. The brief, single syllable word was uttered from her mouth. She had made her decision.

"Star." She stated. Alright, Ray it- What. I looked at her for a few moments. Did she legitimately tell me to mentally torture Star and not Ray? I had already made up my mind to attack Ray, anyway. Her choice was merely an illusion from the start, but this was odd. It seemed both Ray and Star were surprised by her choice as well, though Star looked far angrier than Ray did. I looked towards my allies, who seemed equally as shocked by this sudden statement. Shaking my head and taking a breath, I readied my powers.

"I- can't say I expected you to choose Star. I am certain none of us did. Was there any particular thought process behind this?" I questioned. Nera and Star tended to get along fine; Star even had a little crush on her. Oh, thinking on it, it was just too cute! Getting back on track, why, then, did she choose Star? Did she not like him as much as I thought? No, perhaps she just chose randomly.

"S-star's gots a- a 'uffp brain. H-he cn' handle ih." She answered. Oh? Perhaps there was more going on in her mind than I previously thought. She chose Star because she thinks he has a stronger mental fortitude? Hah, that was incredible! While her opinion never truly mattered, this was interesting. As perplexing as I found her choice and reasoning, I found it equally as humorous. A cackling laugh emerged from my lips. My choice remained on Ray as it always was going to be, but the order of which I ended the others had changed somewhat.

"Hah-hahahahah. You know what? For that, I'll leave you for last." I stated. She earned that much, at least. I walked over to Ray, who straightened out in fear.

"Eh, I'd have killed the bunny first, but that's your decision." Zoroark stated, shrugging. I could see his point, but she was entertaining at the least, she earned the right to see her friends perish. In any case, it was not as if it truly mattered, they were all living their last moments.

"Unfortunately, I have already made up my mind. Heh, who knows, maybe I'll be gentler than I would be. Unlike you, Dragonite, right? You, all of you, plotted to kill me, after all." I stated. Everyone jerked their heads back in surprise, except for the guildmembers. They simply looked down in shame. Even Ayrill didn't know about this, hah! Such perfection of secret keeping and deception, even our resident genius hadn't discovered our plot. I laughed, cackling, wheezing out breath after breath for several moments. Oh, I wished I could savor it forever, but unfortunately, I must continue.

"You see, the guildmembers told me about this beforehand. They lacked the conscious to kill an innocent child like myself and plotted to put a stop to this. Of course, your plans put a foil to ours, uprooting the guild's machinations. If one thinks on it, the world renown "heroes" wished me dead, but the villains wanted to spare me! Oh, the irony is truly delectable! Though, I feel I should ttell you this, I already knew." I stated. The guildmembers shot their heads up. Once more, all attention was on me, just as I wished.

"What? You expected me to listen and be a good little boy and sleep when I was told? Was it not my wild soul, my defiant mind, and heart of chaos which led you down the path to my early demise? Why would you ever expect me not to spy on you? Even once walked right into me, but no one ever noticed a thing. Hehahahah!" I questioned. My cackling continued for several moments before I stopped, abruptly for them. I wasn't truly laughing near the end, I simply wished to fill them with a dread, and it seemed to have worked. Ray shook his head.

"N-no. That-they would never!" He shouted, shaking in a mixture of fear and defiant anger.

"Kid, I'll tell you this once. All creatures are horrible, human, Pokémon, t doesn't matter. Me, them, we all are terrible in our own ways. I've just been more willing to admit it." I stated bluntly. My voice dropped to a much more normal, calm tone. Simply, it was jarring, sounding like advice from a normal person than the raving of a madman. It had the exact reaction I was hoping for. Ray gasped slightly, and the others stared directly at me.

"If you don't believe me, ask them." I stated, widely gesturing toward the guildmembers. Ray turned his head, expecting, hoping they would tell him it wasn't true. However, they simply looked to the ground in shame. Only Nera seemed oblivious to what this implied. Star and Squared looked sad and betrayed, but Ray looked beyond devastated. Ayrill, a high-ranking official in the guild for his entire life, someone he no doubt looked up to, turned out to be evil. The guild had plotted to kill his friend because he was "too wild". It was enough to hurt anyone, but Ray simply collapsed into the sand. He lost the will to live, it would seem. Truly incredible, this was. I was planning on breaking him with my illusions, leaving him a screaming husk of who he once was before I mercifully ended him, but this went so much better than I could have ever hoped!

Hah, if Nera hadn't chosen Star, I'd- Wait. Wasn't this? No, I-ugh. My memory was strained from the surge of power my fair queen has given me. Some things were missing, clearly. No, it's- it is fine. It matters not, I can ask them to restore it-no. My purpose is to ensure the suffering of others, not to remember my past. I don't need it. I can't need it. If I haven't completely shattered Jake- urgh. What? What an odd way of phrasing that. Shattered? He's deleted, gone, wiped from existence. He's dead. Why shattered? What does that mean? A lingering doubt ran through me. A festering piece of who I was couldn't linger, could it? No, there was no possible way. I can ask them to remove all traces of who I once was, I won't need it. I turned towards Dragonite. He will be the first death of tonight. After all, he can reap what he sowed, and I am the direct result of his idiocy. I knew I would enjoy this.

Walking up to the stunned dragon, a dark bolt of energy struck him in his chest, forcing him to the ground. The others gasped, trying to help but finding their limbs wouldn't move.

"Surprised? I took the liberty in making it so you can't willingly move your body. Now, where were we…?" I questioned, lingering on the final word for a moment. A sadistic smile held on my face. Oh the possibilities! I could make him see all the wonderous horrors from the depths of my imagination! If there was any one thing Jay would credit Jake for, he was wonderfully imaginative, there was so much chaos and potential to cause fear and pain in his mind. It was beyond glorious! It truly was his birthday, a birthday he would remember for the rest of this planet's life. With that thought, why should I go through so much effort when something far more simple would work just as well?

With a thought and grin, his body twisted and squirmed in pain. The powers of the mind, controlling all which the mind can, and the illusions to make pain. Without any morals holding me back, I could do everything I wished. Every single nerve fiber in his body was being activated at once, screaming that he was dying. Every fiber of his being shouted that he was in insufferable pain. A piercing, animalistic screech rang out through the night. The haunting, pained wail continued unwaveringly for several seconds before stopping, and abruptly beginning once again. A screech the likes of which would haunt the nightmares of the others for years, if not the rest of their lives. To me, the screech will bless my dreams for the rest of eternity. A musical choir better than a thousand angels in unison.

I ended the pain for the moment, I was going to make him suffer. I watched as the others looked at the writhing, pathetic form of their courageous leader gasp for every breath he had. Once he recovered, the pain would begin once more. They couldn't look away, they couldn't blink, their minds forced into a state, unable to look away no matter how much I wish. Finally, I stopped it for one last time. He wheezed, shivering in cold, fear, pain. Everything in his body told him he was going to die, and so he would.

"You've kept me entertained for the moment. I shall spare you a few parting words. Have you any final words to say to us, or to your friends?" I questioned. I let out a small laugh.

"Y-you're insane!" A voice rang out from behind. I smirked, turning around. A bold Larvitar stood, mouth agape, eyes wide, seemingly surprised at his own courage. He was shaking worse than a leaf on the breeze. I trotted over there, happy to hear his voice ring out. Maybe I could do something to him before I get to Dragonite?

"Yes, that's the whole point, isn't it? I have become insane, the exact thing which Dragonite and the guild feared I would be! That's the irony of the situation. That's why it's funny!" I shouted. A dark, spectral knife floated up next to me. Sure, I could deal with him first. It didn't matter, after all.

"W-wait!" A voice called from behind. I growled. This was getting far more tedious than it needs to be. Who was that and why are they so eager to die first?

"What?" I grumbled. I stared at the source of the call, Dragonite.

"I-I have my final words. Just come here and I'll tell you." He stated. I groaned, extremely annoyed.

"Fine, but this is the last time. Should anyone else say or do anything to interrupt the process, I won't play around anymore, you will be taken care of." I stated, staring at everyone for a few seconds. Taking a single breath, I turned back towards Dragonite.

"What is it you have to say?" I questioned.

"You once told me that if you ever went too far, to tell you one single word and you'd stop." He stated. I rolled my eyes, of course I did. I was a pathetic coward. What I said then doesn't matter. Still, an odd uneasiness filled me.

"And I would like to say that word." He finished. That's it? I suppose it's funny enough in a strange sort of way, but why? It didn't matter, did it? I should just end him now, since he had already spoken several words, but something was keeping me from doing so. I had to hear this, then I could end him.

"Speak." I demanded. I tried to remain calm. There was nothing he could do, no words he could utter which would cause any problems. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I get this feeling off my chest. He took one final breath.

"Manitowoc." He stated. That was it? That gibberish word was all he had to say? That was utterly- urgh. What? The world began to spin. Everyone stared at me, surprised by my sudden dizzy spell. I felt my body wobble and my legs collapsed.

"F-father…" I cried out. As the world faded, the last thing I noticed was father rushing to my side in an extraordinary slow manner. What was going on? My final thoughts rang out, echoing for just a moment, before everything went dark. For a short while, there was nothing but blackness. However, it wasn't long before a solitary, angry voice rang out in my mind, echoing throughout the dark halls of my consciousness.

"Get out of my body you son of a bitch!"

"What? Who-No. It can't be. That's impossible!" He shouted. The ghostly white Zorua stood in the endless void of green and black, interchanging from one to the other. From the depths of the void rose a shadowy figure. A single entity which stood defiant to the powers of a god. A Zorua, seemingly regular in every which way, floated there, glaring. A green scarf, matching the surrounding seas of green, floated there. A menacing feeling emanated from him. He was angry, perhaps more so than the ghostly version of himself, if that was possible. The two Zorua stared at each other for an unknown amount of time. The white Zorua, Jay, felt an extraordinary pain rush through him. He felt his body crumple and curl, feeling the worst pain he had ever in his existence. He knew he was screaming, yet no noise would come out. Through the spurts of pain, he knew. Jake was putting him through what he himself just put Dragonite through. Every nerve ending was being tricked into sending out impossibly immense pain.

This wasn't possible! How could-argh!

"I am taking my body back." Jake growled. His eyes hadn't broken contact with the ghost. He hadn't even blinked, not that he needed to in his own soul.

"What! T-this is my body now! You can't take it back!" Jay cried. Another impossible amount of pain shot through the ghost. He had made Jake angry. If there was any time to stop Jake, it was then. Utilizing his own control over the power, he leapt toward Jake and tackled him, pushing him into a psychically created barrier. The barrier shattered like glass, the shards convening onto Jake's position. Jake floated, stunned by the sudden attack. Jay flew high above his opponent, feeling quite smug. Jake looked up at his opponent. He shook ahis head, looked at his evil twin, and smirked. The battle for their mind had begun. Utilizing a form more comfortable to him, Jake reformed his soul to his human form, wearing some simple clothing, shorts, and a t-shirt. Jay reformed himself into a similar version. However, his hair was jet black, he was far more toned, taller, and was in a shining black suit of armor without the helmet. A long, purple cape flowed behind him. A sword rested in his hands, which he swung around wildly, yet with deceptive amounts of grace. Jay reached out his hand and pulled a rocket launcher out.

Blasting the rocket outward towards the villain, he simple held his sword near his face and slashed. Behind him, two colossal fiery explosions grew. He smirked. Jake looked on with a bit of frustration. He was hoping this wouldn't take long, but it seemed he would not be so lucky. Even still, he wouldn't give in just because this failed. Far too much was on the line this time. The entire world depended on his victory. If Jake lost, the group had more than enough power to combine and destroy the world outright. Grabbing a spear, he held it in his hands, bobbing it up and down before it felt natural in his hands. The duo charged forward, clashing sword versus spear. Shockwaves flung out unknown distances as green and black clashed over and over, neither gaining the clear advantage for a time. The sky began glowing a golden, shimmering color as long tendrils reached for Jake. However, the flying man was far too agile for any of the slow attacks to come close. This wasn't going to do more than exhaust them both. The evil half growled, flinging his hands to the sky.

The tendrils suddenly retreated, and it soon became apparent why. A massive torrent of yellow light cascaded from the golden storm, sending thin golden spears raining across the battlefield. Jake flew and weaved around the storm of bullets, but ultimately was speared by one. Stopping for a moment, he winced. This was all the time Jay needed. Every needle of light converged onto his form, piercing his body with several thousand lines of light before they began to glow. The only thought in Jake's mind was how much the needlelike spears of light hurt. If he couldn't, he would have recognized what was going to happen next. A colossal explosion ripped through, the shockwave blowing past the evil double, who didn't even flinch.

Nothing seemed to be left. However, he turned and sliced something from behind him. A small, metal projectile had been fired towards him. Through the void stood the good human, holding a small handgun. With a flick of his wrist, the gun went flying out from Jake's hand. Jake desperately flew towards it but was intercepted along the way. Jay smirked, thrusting his ornate sword forward. Jake flung himself upwards, managing to launch himself off the shoulders of his double. Grabbing hold of the firearm, Jake turned and fired several bullets until the magazine was empty, which the villain simply deflected. With a flip, he prevented the boomeranging bullets from piercing through his head. The bullets returned, regaining their casing, and reloading his ammo.

"Did you truly believe that silly trick would work?" Jay questioned, smirking. The smug confidence made Jake angry. Charging forward with a spear once more, he aimed to for the right. He knew his own weaknesses, he just had to hit them. When he attacked, the sword simple shoved the spear to the side. Grabbing Jake by the throat, he threw him away before rushing forward to impale Jake once and for all. Thinking quickly, Jake teleported himself away, out of range from the sword. Jay thought about teleporting after but elected to ignore it. His other half was giving such a pitiable performance, it was hilarious. Yes, he would play around just a bit more. He could finish him off at any point he wished. The black background was beginning to overtake the green.

"Hahahah. Your anger only fuels me, making me stronger. Face it, I know your every trick." Jay stated, folding his arms. A smug grin was plastered on his face. This infuriated Jake even further. The battle was still far from over. If he couldn't hit his weaknesses, he would outthink his opponent. Shouldn't be too hard. Can't go right, shouldn't go left, but that's why he would go right once again. He knew how he thought, and knew he wouldn't not not do that, right? Uh, sure, let's say yes. Always the master of the unexpected, Jake charged forward. His spear was smacked away by a shield. Teleporting away, he wasn't going to let him follow up on this like he had last time. Why didn't that work.

"I know you more than you know yourself, fool." Jay stated. Jake snorted out a laugh.

"You are me." Jake retorted. This was stupid! How did this work, why didn't it?

"You're probably wondering why your plans didn't work, aren't you?" Jay stated. This shocked Jake. How did he, can he read my mind, no. They just have a similar thought pattern, that was all. Everything Jake could think of his counterpart could as well, right? Fear welled up in his stomach. What should he do, is there anything he could do to beat him?

"They didn't work because I'm better than you in every way imaginable. Once I'm through ending you, I will return to killing off Dragonite and the others." The evil copy stated, pointing his sword towards his original. Jake took a breath. How was he supposed to beat himself?

He couldn't overpower him; he couldn't outthink him. His violent half would only grow stronger as he got angrier. His violent half. That was it, that was the key, maybe. At this point it didn't truly matter, it was do or die. Taking a breath, Jake prepared himself until his double went for the attack. It didn't take long for that to occur. Instead of charging forward, Jake instead waited. The villain slammed into his good twin, smiling smugly before wondering why Jake wasn't dead. Looking to his weapon, he found it had been turned into a rubber chicken.

"What? What is the meaning of-" Jay questioned, but a pie was shoved in his face, quieting the questions. Jay teleported backwards, around, taunting him in several ways. Jake was going to make him mad, very mad.

"Where are you going? Get back here coward!" Jay shouted chasing after the fleeing form. With a small laugh, Jake flew upwards. Jay turned to follow, but found a weight suddenly sent him tumbling downwards instead.

"Stop that!" Jay screeched. The black was wavering, weakening under the chaotic assaults. Charging forward, Jay slashed towards Jay's exposed back, but he disappeared in a puff of feathers.

"Gragh!"

From behind, a voice whispered, "Make me." Turning towards the voice, Jay swung wildly. However, nothing was there.

"You see, you are stronger, you're just as smart as me, too. However, your mind is clouded. You only see hate, anger. You only see ways to cause pain, and you only want to use these powers for pain. I, however, am free to use it as I wish. You lack that spark of creativity I have! That will be your undoing!" Jake cheered. Jake's evil doppelganger scoffed.

"I care not for your idiotic assumptions. Now reveal yourself and die like you should, peasant!" Jay shouted. Something raced paced Jay's face. What was that? A searing pain filled the evil double. He doubled over, reverting to his white fox form. Such a simple thing, stall for time until he could pierce through everything and rewrite him slightly. It was pitifully easy to do when your opponent is so easy to infuriate.

"You- can't kill me. I will always be inside of you, every time you get angry, I will be there." He stated. This wasn't a big surprise, however.

"I know, that's why I have a plan to deal with you, permanently perhaps." Jake stated. His clone blinked. He wasn't going to-no. Even Jake wouldn't do that. What was his plan, then? Whatever it was, it filled the ghost with a deep fear. The ghostly body began fading away.

"No. No!" He shouted, desperately clawing at the nothingness surrounding him. He had only been alive for a short time, and now he was disappearing? It wasn't fir, how could he lose? He couldn't! He couldn't lose to a peasant, especially one such as him! Yet his body slowly turning translucent, fading into a purely ethereal form was a reminder that he had been utterly defeated by his original. The bitter Zorua let out a series of wild, feral screams and screeches, trying in vain to not disappear from the forefront of his own mind. He thrashed and lashed out at the void nearby. However, it was useless. He was going to vanish, banished to his subconscious.

He knew if he could get Jake angry enough, he could be freed for at least for a while. He could act as he pleased then. However, Jake also knew this, and he knew Jake wouldn't let him act out if he could help it. What plan could he have come up with that would prevent him from ever returning? The only one which would work is not something Jake would ever do! R-right? This was impossible, beyond any shadow of a doubt. He had to be bluffing, yet it didn't feel like it. Jay had finally realized he was not capable of thinking beyond inflicting pain, so it was possible he was missing something. Argh, no! He needed more time to think! He couldn't, he wouldn't…

"I'll return! I will be back! You haven't seen the last from me!" He shouted. The black spots had finally become consumed by the green lights. This was it; Jake knew. Soon he would awaken, he would have to distract the seven of them for a short period of time, but then he would be free. The world wouldn't be completely safe, but it'd be in good hands. Taking a deep breath, Jake prepared his body and mind to awaken. The green background rushed past, fading into sheer nothingness once more. This was the final step in his plan. Hasty as it may have been, it had worked so far.

All he needed now was to hold out for a few minutes, then he was home free. Then he would win, all he needed to do was stall for time. Easy, right, just hold off a god of revenge and her several superpowered acolytes. Lucky, if there was one thing he could do, it was talk and be a nuisance. He hoped he could remember his ability to hold the attention of strangers as a salesman, before he started working at the toy store, of course. Finally, he might be getting some use out of that horrible experience! Maybe, the future wasn't set quite yet. Preparing himself mentally, the human turned Pokémon opened his eyes once again to the cold, moonlit night.

The moment my eyes opened, Zoroark was standing above me. A feeling deep in the back of my mind told me to call him father, but I knew better than that. He looked at me with concern, an odd expression for the demon who called itself a Pokémon. I shook my head and stood back up. My pure white fur remained, it seemed that was not something which would go away. Why would it? I was dead, permanently. I had been forcefully transformed into a spirit of vengeance. They wanted this, and so I would have my vengeance- against them.

"Son?" Zoroark questioned. I laughed. Son? What a dad he would be, huh? This guy would be worse than my own dad! It was lucky I wasn't bothered by that in the slightest anymore, or that could have just fueled my double. That was something I had come to terms with long ago, even if I did think about it from time to time. I looked at him and then looked back at my friends.

"Just a few minutes." I thought. I had already begun my plan. I only needed to stall for a few minutes, then it would all be over. Good would triumph for the moment. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but it would last long enough for them to grow up, train and practice with their abilities. It was me the villains were after, they would leave them alone for years, believing they were superior until the end. My friends would grow stronger, working together until they put an end to the villain's shenanigans once and for all, and I would… well, I only needed a few minutes to accomplish everything I needed. If my allies got out of here, everything would work out just fine. I turned towards my allies and smirked. A black bolt of illusory lightning formed, held aloft for several moments, dangling in the air above my head and slightly to my left.

Dragonite seemed horrified for a moment, tightly shutting his eyes. However, the bolt flung behind me, striking the Zoroark in the chest, flinging him into the sand. Everything around us went dark. "Nera, Star! Move everyone!" I shouted. For several moments, they stood, shocked by this. However, they shook their heads. Utilizing their power, the two of them effectively juggled the guild back into the airship. This confusion didn't last long, however, and the seven of them caught up all too soon. They all rushed inside. I slammed the door behind them, still out in the cold wastes.

"Go." I commanded. Unwillingly, the engines began firing up and the others stood, frozen. They could hear us, but not do anything about what I was doing. The seven of them stood in a line, growling in extraordinary anger. I laughed.

"What? Did you think I wouldn't plan ahead?" I questioned. Ayrill took a deep breath, clearly frustrated, but also clearly thinking they still had the upper hand. Why wouldn't she? My allies were fleeing, and they were no where near capable of stopping any of them.

"How." She demanded. Time to spill everything. The engines began roaring louder, crackling, and the propellers slowly began to spin, stirring up more sand as the propellers churned faster. This was it, then. All I needed to do was talk, and I could stop them for a good, long while. With my illusions and the ability to utilize them without focusing, everyone could hear me over the loud clattering of the engines

"What would you like to know? I believe Jay had already told you I had snuck into several of your meetings, correct?" I responded. Ayrill growled.

"How did you escape our control? You were gone." She questioned.

"Ah, that. Well, it was the prophecy. You are certainly aware we were also aware of it, or at least me and Squared were. However, one thing I hadn't said to even Squared was my suspicions. Kricketune can confirm that this little adventure of ours played out like a show of some kind. Back home we'd call it a Saturday Morning Cartoon. When I heard mention of "The shadow will be corrupted" I knew I would be turned evil. When it said "mind was evil" I figured the obviously evil second was, you know, obviously evil. You didn't exactly hide your disdain for us, you know." I responded. I took a breath. Not much longer, now.

"Thus, I prepared. You heard what I said, didn't you? That if I ever went too far, Dragonite only ever needed to say 'Manitowoc' and I would calm. This wasn't just an expression of kindness. It was a trigger." I responded. I looked at Ayrill, who's eyes went wide at the realization.

"Ayrill? What's he saying?" Zoroark questioned. Ayrill shook her head and glared at me.

"He used his powers on himself, giving himself a codeword which would free him from out control." She stated. The villains took a half step back, staring towards Ayrill. Soon enough they turned their heads towards me. I laughed. Almost there, just a little longer. The airship less than a few feet behind me early droned out all sounds. They were just beginning to lift. Less than a minute, I had to stall for at most one more minute

"It was so much easier than I expected, too. Luckily Dragonite is smart. He was able to figure out this last part. Everything relied on him saying that word. After that, I just had to beat my own evil self. It was far more difficult than I had planned, but I did it. Now they're getting out." I responded. The airship was almost fully in the sky now, slowly turning around to head back to base.

"Ayrill. You likened us to chess pieces. Nera the Knight, Star and Ray the Rooks, Squared a Bishop, and me a pawn who was near the end. However, what's a game of chess without another player? Up until quite recently I was playing a game of chess against you. I was your opponent, even if you never knew it. It seems I have finally found you in check." I stated. Finishing turning, the airship began to slowly fly away.

"We'll kill you, then kill them." She growled. I looked towards everyone. It was too late, they already lost. I laughed.

"You know how I said, 'Until recently'? Because after I was freed, it stopped being a game of chess. This time, it was a game of poker. Your hand was tough, but your minds cracked under the pressure." I stated. Ayrill took a step back, looking towards the other villains.

"I had all the information I need to win. Some of which you provided yourself! That's how I succeeded You, however, had one big problem. You had one colossal obstacle in your path: me. I am the wildcard in this game. The Joker, the pawn on its way to the end. I am the one hurdle you can never hope to overcome. Now, with that all said, I must say goodbye to everyone. I hope someday you could forgive me for what I have done here, even if I wasn't fully in control of my actions." I stated. This will hurt me more than they think, but I know they understood that this was the only way to ensure everyone would make it out alive. I had to make them disappear, make myself disappear.

Jay's voice cried out in anger. He figured out my plan, after all. I figured he'd be too stupid to put the pieces together. I thought I would be. Perhaps I underestimated myself, or maybe he just had enough time to think on it, not being able to do much else. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. Soon he and I would be no more. An extraordinary pain shot through every single one of us, ally and enemy alike. For a moment, everything was coated in darkness. I utilized this time to run away as fast and far as I could. The others collapsed on the ground. I turned my head towards them as they slowly became specks in the distance. I could only make them out due to the wisp's power enhancing my vision.

Zoroark looked towards me and stretched out a hand, a pleading desperation was on his eyes. Did he still want me as a son? That made me hesitate for a moment, but I shook my head. I had to continue running. I couldn't stop, not for him, not for my friends, not for anything. I had this power for only a short time, I knew. I had to reach somewhere safe, far away from them. I had to do it while I still could. Further and further inland I traveled, crashing through dunes and the occasional bit of dry shrubbery.

I ran and ran, only seeming to pick up speed despite plowing through several dunes in a row. I had already taken care of the townsfolk as we left. Now, all I needed to do was run before I was gone, too. At a blistering speed, I ran. If I found somewhere to stop, good. If I remained lost in the desert, fine. Anything was better than Jay sticking around. If only things could have gone differently, but I didn't have time for that. It was either one hundred percent or zero. I couldn't do anything less with the minimal time I had.

A few small sources of light shone in the distance. As I ran closer, a small village began to take shape. This was it, then? This was where I would be for the rest of eternity, I would assume. On this cold, moonlit night, I stopped short of the village. I had to walk in so I wouldn't cause any damage to the houses. I managed wandered into the village before I collapsed. The powers had finally faded, it seemed. Soon I would be gone. The village was pretty small, probably only a few hundred people. Actually, that probably meant it was quite large. Tears welled up in my eyes as I took one last, long look towards the moon and stars. I weakly smiled. Even in a new world, the stars remained a familiar and calming sight. I closed my eyes, knowing I had done the right thing. With a single deep breath, I forced a one last big, quivering smile onto my face. I would go out with a smile, like I always wanted.

"Goodbye, friends." I thought. Right after that thought, I felt myself slip away.

The ghostly form raised its head, eyes not focused on anything in particular, at least until it noticed two strange beings rushing towards it. Who are they? Ugh, where am I?

"What-What are you? Where did you come from?" One of them asked. It was a large black fox, bipedal, with long, red hair tied back with a bead. This one was probably a male. They seemed surprised at the ghostly form in front of them, but shook away their confusion. It was clearly a lost child, so it didn't matter what it was. The Zorua looked around, completely confused before he looked to the big black masses. What was he? Nothing, it was entirely blank. He saw the confusion in the eyes of the big black creatures, hurriedly looking to the ground once the moment he made eye contact. The other form seemed to pick up on his apprehension and quickly interjected.

"What's your name?" A female of the same kind questioned. The Zorua tightly closed its eyes and thought for a moment.

"Well?" The male questioned gently. He shook in fear. Tears welled up in the young toddler's eyes. So many thoughts ran through his head, but none of them provided any answers.

Who were they? What were they? Who was I? What was going on!

"I don't know!" He shouted, shaking in fear. Tears began to drip from the Zorua's face. Everything in his mind was blank, as if he had been born just a few moments before. He had no name, no recollection of family, he just existed, nothing more. The two adults looked towards the teary-eyed toddler, and then towards. He looked like a Zorua, but not exactly. Whatever he was, he was scared.

"We-I mean, you know what I- what we-" The female stated. While she did not finish the sentence, the other knew exactly what she was on her mind. The male silently nodded. This was something divine. A child, and a Zorua at that! Well, it appeared to be a Zorua, anyway However, their thoughts turned to his family. His parents would certainly be looking for him, but until then, they could house him. This was what they always wanted but were cursed with never having. This was a divine gift, it had to be. God-some god had answered their prayers. The female creature walked over to the shaking and sobbing toddler, giving him a long, gentle hug, feeling his cold, furred body. He was probably a ghost type, judging from the lack of pulse. The large creature looked towards the scared Zorua and smiled.

"It's okay, you're okay." She stated. The Zorua looked into her eyes, noting her genuine smile. She seemed nice, and she was warm. He let out a long yawn, eyes half closed.

"Why don't you come with us for tonight, we can't just have you falling asleep outside, now can we?" She questioned. The large creature gently picked up the tired fox, who's eyes slowly drifted downwards. The two large foxes made their way indoors and brought the Zorua into his new home.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Thus concludes the Shadow Fall arc, and what an arc it's been! This was far bigger and far longer than anything I had ever expected. Heh! Sorry, dirty mind, anyway! I was planning on doing the whole "hero turns evil" thing far earlier, but somehow I just kept writing and ended up with something much bigger. I'm glad I took my time with it, though. I was able to flesh out each character and their personalities much better. I feel because I forced myself to slow down and write, this came out 110% better than it would have. Ultimately, at over 90k words (of which about 3k is from authors notes), this has turned into something far more grand than I was intending.

I was intending it to be a goofy, silly story about five friends who save the world, no super powers. However I accidentally wrote myself into them having divine super powers. This was supposed to be a goofy, cheesy story about five friends saving the world, now it's T rated. Ah well, I wouldn't have it any other way. So, thank you all for reading. Join us next chapter as we find out what exactly happened to Jake! Did he truly lose his memory? What will happen to the other heroes? Can the forces of evil even be stopped without the power of the scarf? Find out next chapter as we begin our nextarc!