Ch.101: Realm of the Abyss! Survive Pt.2!
The harsh, blistering storms of the Snow Zone seemed to grow stronger after the corruptive wave hit Mysto. Even for those who have adapted to the frigid climate, the environment became opaque in endless white and more chilling than ever, capable of freezing the fur of the most vigor of Ice-Types.
However, this didn't stop Gene and Wolf from venturing out into the snow. With the safety of their crews hanging in the balance, they took to surveying the area for signs of danger. A difficult task to be sure, especially with the tainted air disrupting their senses, but they proceeded on with their mission.
Eventually, they saw a large mass moving in the distance. They dared themselves to get closer until their vision became clearer. They ducked behind a pile of snow and peeked out around it.
As they expected, an army of shadow monsters marched through the snow, led by corrupted Pokémon, both wrapped in shadow and coated in some sort of toxic shadow. Strange creatures in armor marched alongside the army, making up four identical groups of them. One of them had the same putrid aura as the green corrupted Pokémon. Their army seemed to range within the thousands based off the sheer scale of their formation.
Leading the army were three Pokémon that, at first glance, seemed normal. However, Gene and Wolf could sense the darkness lingering inside the leaders, like it had a stranglehold on the auras inside. They consisted of a Whimsicott, Pangoro, and Kecleon.
The three leaders stopped and turned to their armies. The Pangoro's eyes flash purple, then he said, "Orders received. Divide and conquer."
"Wipe out the resisting Pokémon," the Whimsicott continued.
"Bring all into the void, or bring all resistors to despair," the Kecleon finished.
The three leaders turned and continued their march. The Whimsicott and Kecleon went in opposite directions, leading a fraction of the army with them, while the Pangoro continued on his route.
Gene ducked back behind the snow and glared. "That's something Gene doesn't see every day."
"That's insane," Wolf said. "They have an army like that at their control? There's no way we can fight something like that!"
Gene shook his head. "It seems impossible, but Gene doesn't believe in the impossible. Gene thinks we can take them." He stood up. "However, Gene also thinks we need a plan."
"A plan for what?! There's no way in this life or the next we can beat them! Didn't you see the big wall of darkness that slammed into the library?! That could've been us if we didn't get inside in time!"
Gene wagged his finger. "It's over when Gene says it's over. Let us return to the others and go over our findings first, then we'll make our move from there."
Wolf groaned and covered his face. "You're as insane as the boss…"
Gene and Wolf pushed opened the doors to the Immensus Library and slammed them shut before the cold air could get in. In their time taking over the library, the Wild Fangs and Maelstrom Thieves had renovated sections to make for suitable living quarters. When the shadow wave struck them, the library's natural defenses shielded them from the corruption, though with the downside of rattling their living space like they survived an earthquake.
Hazel finished cleaning up some books just as the doors opened and closed. She and the rest of the Wild Fangs raced over. "Y'all are back in one piece?"
Gene brushed the snow off his arms. "Don't act like Gene can't take care of himself."
Orville crossed his wings. "Well, how bad is it out there? Is it safe enough to relocate?"
Wolf glared. "Relocating is the least of our concerns. The wave that hit us did more damage than we anticipated."
Gene nodded. "The storm's getting worse. If Gene didn't keep track of our directions, we would've gotten lost. Gene can barely see anything out there, less so than usual." He scratched his chin. "Even so, as the kid said, navigating out of the Snow Zone isn't the issue. It did more than just affect the weather. It—"
"Spread an infection that influenced the shadows of every living creature exposed to the atmosphere to become overtaken in their own darkness." All eyes fell on Wilbur, who stood in the back of their group with his arms crossed. He raised his brow at their stares. "What? Seemed pretty obvious. The shadows don't exactly want to kill us, so why else fire a region-spanning blast wave like that?"
Gene sighed. "Right on the money as usual."
Yon glared. "But why were we not affected?"
Wilbur looked around. "If I could hazard a guess, any sort of strong magical defense or spell to isolate you from the darkness could negate the corruption from reaching living targets. This library was built by the gods, so naturally it's one of the few places out in the Snow Zone that could take a hit like that."
"What about dimensional areas like Ironworks?" Hazel asked.
"A similar mechanism." The Wild Fangs and Wolf turned as M hobbled up to them. He raised a finger and explained, "The dimensions between this realm can be accessed through tears in reality invisible to the mortal eye. Though they can be pierced by low-level space magic, the point of entry isn't wide enough to allow that much corruption to slip through. It would simply disperse before it reached anything substantial. At worst, you would have to be standing right in front of the entry point."
Wilbur crossed his arms. "In other words, the dimensional realms are mostly unharmed."
"I wouldn't call them safe, though," M continued. "They're still vulnerable to attack. These last several months have weakened many defenses around Mysto. I believe that was the shadows' main objective. They needed to break our spirits to ensure total annihilation in case of survivors."
The Linoone, Hendrix, poked his head from around a bookshelf and asked, "What does that mean for us, though? We only have so much in rations."
Wolf glared. "That's where the worst of the news comes in. There's a massive army marching through the snow. I think they plan on spreading across the region and eliminating anything that wasn't touched by the corruption. Like the old man said, they've been whittling us down for months for this moment."
Yon grimaced. "And those accursed monsters know we liberated the library from them."
"Meaning we're stuck and on a time limit," Orville concluded.
Hazel shook her head. "It might not be the end of the world. Gene said so himself that the snow's gotten worst. Them varmits will have to look mighty hard to find us again."
"But they'll lock onto our position eventually," Wolf said. "We can't run, and we certainly can't fight back. We were barely able to hold our own against that mad clown. This is way out of our league."
Orville nodded. "We certainly can't rely on children to fight an entire, unstoppable army."
Hazel scratched her chin. "Well, if we're still conscious, doesn't that mean there's other folk who avoided the blast?"
Wilbur shrugged. "Well, we know the other dimensions are mostly untouched. The blast wave was unexpected, but there was enough time to formulate a defensive strategy even if you wouldn't know the effects of the corruption. Of course, that doesn't do us much good since there's an entire region's worth of people to consider."
Gene crossed his arms. "It's a start. If we want to fight back, we'll need all the help we can get. We can branch out to some of our contacts and see if they're okay. They can spread the word of the shadow army and arm themselves for battle. As for our situation—"
Hendrix walked over and raised his paw. "There is the academy Mr. Sapienti wen to. There's plenty of magical students and professors there who could help us with the army presiding in this area."
Yon nodded. "The kid's right. There's a chance they survived the blast, too."
Hazel winced. "Yah, but ya do realize there's several hundred miles of snow surroundin' us. It'd take a while to find anyone, assumin' they survived the corruption."
Wolf glared. "I can fly through the storm."
"Kid, no offense, but ya—"
He raised his hand at her. "Save it, I've made up my mind. If there's a chance we can get some help, I'm taking it. I may be a kid, but Tony put me in charge of the Maelstrom Thieves. Therefore, I'm going to risk my neck to find some help for us."
"…" She sighed and shrugged. "Ya're the boss, kid. Just try not to do anythin' reckless, ya hear?"
He nodded. "I promise."
Yon nodded. "Alright, so we need to spread the word of the invading armies and lead a scouting mission to find survivors in the area. Still, this all feels so hopeless. All of this couldn't have happened by shadow hands alone."
Gene glared. "You're right, but Gene isn't going to run away. Let be either god or shadow, Gene won't let despair take hold. This is our home, and we'll fight for it to our last breaths." He punched into his fists and smirked. "We've got a lot of work to do, and plenty of shadow scum to beat to a pulp! They want to start the apocalypse? We'll give them one of our own!"
Wolf grinned. "Yeah!"
Orville laughed. "I suppose, yes."
Wilbur groaned and shook his head. "Of course you're getting this heated up…"
M smiled wistfully. "I, too, look to see this world come back together."
Yon bowed his head. "Even in despair, we remain steadfast in death. To war, and to peace."
Hazel crossed her arms and grinned. "Alright, Ah guess we've got some work to do. Kid, gather some supplies and head on out!"
He saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"
Orville stepped up. "I'll assist you. You may need an extra pair of eyes for the journey."
"I appreciate it, thanks."
Gene glared at Wilbur. "Gather as many crystal orbs and balls as you can. We're making some calls."
He nodded. "Of course, sir."
Gene turned and pointed at the Maelstrom Thieves listening in. "And Gene expects the same efforts from the rest of you! We're spreading the word to all the remaining Pokémon in Mysto! Your success means the success of our futures!"
The thieves straightened up and nodded. "Sir! Yes, sir!"
Gene raised his fist and roared. "Alright! Let's show those shadow scum what Pokémon can really do!"
Monsoon Village, Storm Zone
Holly, Edwin, and Fernando thought they were doomed as soon as they saw the corruptive wave passing over the terrain. Edwin shielded them under a barrier and prepared to wait out the dark tsunami, but it never came. He didn't feel anything rattling against his barrier. In fact, he barely felt anything aside from minor tremors in the village.
He and the others lifted their heads to see the dark wave passing over the village. A golden dome surrounded the ruins of the Grim Ash Clan, purifying any darkness that breached its walls. Edwin soon felt the effects of the barrier as his shadow hissed from the holy atmosphere.
The darkness completely passed through the untouched village and continued on course to corrupt more of the land. As the trio stood up, they looked ahead to see Hugo with his staff raised above his head. He lowered it and tapped the ground, dropping the holy dome.
He sighed in relief and turned to the others. "Everyone unharmed?"
Edwin grunted and brushed his shoulders off. "Showoff."
Fernando punched the Simisage's shoulder lightly before saying, "Yes, we appear to be alright."
Holly leaned on her crutched and asked, "What was that?"
Hugo glared over the trees, catching sight of the darkness before it dipped below the trees' horizon. "I could feel the corruptive energy slamming into my shield. Had that wave passed over us, it would've ignited the inner turmoil of Pokémon's hearts."
Holly glared. "In other words, it was going to turn us into shadow freaks."
"Yes, that would be the simpler explanation."
Edwin looked up at the sky. Black lightning rained down from the storm clouds. "Did more than affect living creatures. So, this was his plan."
Fernando raised his brow. "You knew this was going to happen?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes. The Shadow King intended to corrupt the world. Of course, to do that—"
Holly gasped. "Oh no…"
Hugo glared. "It means he has obtained the Idol of Origin."
A chilling silence fell over the group. To think, the last time they saw Griffin before he left their party, he spoke with conviction on taking out the Shadow King and saving Mysto from destruction. No other ally of theirs would wish such devastation upon the world like this, meaning their foe had likely triumphed in their critical confrontation.
Hugo covered his face and shuddered. "Dear Arceus, your land has been tainted by unchecked darkness. O Holy Father, pray forgive us mortals for not ending this travesty."
Edwin scowled. "I don't think praying is going to do us any favors. Just look around! The Shadow King got what he wanted, and now we're standing in the aftermath of it all!"
Fernando frowned. "Does that mean we've lost?"
Holly growled. "Griffin, you idiot. You…You promised you wouldn't…" She clenched her eyes shut and fell to her knees. "You promised Mack's death wouldn't be in vain…"
Edwin frowned. Cautiously, he reached over and touched her shoulder. "I'm sure he did his best."
"…I know." She wiped her eyes and shuddered. "I-I know."
Fernando turned to the priest. "Father Hugo, can you sense how bad the corruption is?"
Hugo raised his staff and concentrated. He grimaced at the sensation he was feeling. "Oh…Oh, this unrestrained sin. It is terrible. I sense barely a speck of light for kilometers through the Storm Zone. This darkness reaches out to great lengths across the land."
"The entire region could've ended up like this," Edwin muttered.
Fernando glared. "Father, you said barely a speck of light? Does that mean there are those who survived the corruption?"
Hugo nodded. "Indeed, though they're far too spread apart."
"Then what should we do?"
Holly glanced up at the sky, watching the black lightning streak across the clouds. Looking deeper out into the forest, she saw the leaves losing their natural color. Darkness seemed to encroach on every bit of life around the village, already at home in its ruinous state. Monsoon Village already felt dull and lifeless, reminding her of Voss' carnage. The pained memories of that day remained scarred into her mind.
That was their dream. Griffin, Holly, and Mack planned on rebuilding the village and the clan from scratch. With Mack gone, that dream seemed almost impossible. There may have even been a chance Griffin was gone, too. It would be just her. Just her to rebuild the Grim Ash Clan.
…She refused to be the last of the Grim Ash Clan.
She pushed herself back up with her crutch and cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her. She sighed and looked at them wistfully. "Let's finish the funeral first, then we can plan from there."
Dead Man's Mountain, Earth Zone
The corruptive wave slammed against the imposing mountain, threatening to corrupt all inhabitants laying inside. However, its darkness would not breach the impenetrable rocky side, for it collided with a dome of black-tinted static. Mere seconds before the wave reached the mountain, a digital dome wrapped around it and forced the darkness to splash across its surface, parting to the other side without a single stone corrupted.
Minutes passed after the corruption hit, as if waiting in case of a secondary assault. When no such disaster followed suit, the Mage of Darkness snapped his claws and dropped the barrier before gazing out over the forest from his balcony.
Seth stroked his chin, taking note of the corruption done to said forest. The lush greenery had lost its pigmentation, turning dull and gray. Turning his eyes up, the sky went from a brilliant blue to a foreboding black. Even the air turned cold as he saw his own breath from an irritated huff.
"What a waste of valuable data," he said. He raised his hand and summoned a blue cluster of magic surrounded by wisps of numbers. "Tabula Rasa, status report."
"We have lost ninety-nine percent of the forest from that blast," the magical A.I. stated. "Your range of influence in the territory is rapidly depleting. The mountain will not prove safe for long."
He groaned. "Typical. I put so much into managing this place, and some jerk decides to spill his evil shadow goop over my hard work. No respect these days." He summoned his digital keypad and started typing in commands. "Ugh, I can't even summon my remote Guardians. The corruption knocked out everything."
"Conclusion: we have failed in our quest to stop the shadows," Tabula Rasa determined.
"Don't be so dour. It's over when I say it's over."
"Sir, your magic is only as good as the data you've collected. You've lost substantial amounts of territory."
"Much can be achieved with some scraps and willpower, Tabula Rasa." He pulled up a screen across his command construct and swiped his claws across it to magnify the image. "Besides, admitting defeat has never been one of my strong suits, so take faith that we will…"
The A.I. turned to her master upon his sudden pause. "Sir?"
Seth expanded the screen more until he got an image of the edge of the forest. His eyes widened. "Oh…no."
The screen projected the clear image of an army advancing on the forest. Shadow monsters lumbered through the forest while shadow phantoms took to the skies, cackling as they closed in on the mountain. Two green-hooded shadow monsters with sickly claws directed an army of zombified Pokémon, coated in the same toxic green darkness.
Leading the pack was a familiar sight: the Death knight. The shadow nuckelavee raised its two massive broadswords, cutting down any trees that stood in their path. A single stroke of the weapons cleaved down dozens of trees from the wind pressure, toppling away from the pathway leading toward the mountain.
Seth closed his console, pressed his hands together, and breathed through his nose. "Oooookay, this changes everything."
"How did they get here so fast?" Tabula Rasa asked.
"My best guess: some of them rode on the coattails of the shadow wave to get here. Or maybe they simply teleported. Either way, that corruption did a hell of a lot more than neutralize us."
"What is our plan of attack?" she asked.
Seth glared at the floor. Luring the army into the mountain would give him a fighting chance, but it put the circus crew in danger. Plus, there was no guarantee the data he collected would be strong enough to combat the shadows. He could create his own disposal army to get everyone out of the mountain, but that would require leaving and risking danger on the outside.
From where he stood, though, a little danger might just save their lives.
"Tabula Rasa, gather my equipment and my snacks. We're going on an emergency road trip."
"An army's coming?!"
Seth winced as the circus troupe went into an uproar of panic, running around and screaming that they were doomed. They all felt the tremors of the darkness wave moments ago and knew of the potential crisis they would be in, but never did they expect an army to be coming their way, too. He couldn't blame them. Their combined effort could only manage to slow down an unkillable foe, not defeat. They weren't prepared for something of this scale.
Seth conjured a megaphone into his hand and spoke through it. "Everyone, listen to me!" His voice tremored across the cave, startling everyone's attention onto him. He sighed and spoke calmly, "I'm aware you all are afraid. That is why we need to make an emergency evacuation before they get too close to the mountain."
"But where would we go?!" Vince exclaimed. "If what you said about that darkness was true, nowhere will be safe for us. We might die out there!"
"Our current situation doesn't bode well, either," Seth reminded. "The corruption knocked out a significant chuck of my magic interlaced in the forest. I can't defend all of you without risking harm. Our only mode of defense left is evasion."
Tucker the Tranquil raised his wing. "How could we possibly escape them? They'll probably have us surrounded by the time we've collected ourselves."
Seth shook his head. "Not while I can help it. You all may not be fighters, but you can take care of yourselves in a pinch when it counts. We don't need to fight. We just need to escape."
Vince crossed his arms and grimaced. "I don't know. This seems like way too much. I wasn't even onboard fighting that last monster, now you're telling us a second one is leading an army? What chance do we have at escape—" He froze as Abby walked up behind him and touched his shoulder.
"Dad, if we can handle an unstoppable killing machine, we can escape these bozos. It's time to discard fear and show we're not afraid to bite back."
Carrie nodded. "She's right! We're not just weirdos or clowns. This is our home, too, and we won't those monsters tell us how to live our lives."
"Yeah!" Micah and Susan exclaimed. "We won't let them bully us any longer!"
Vince grimaced. "Kids, be reasonable. Don't forget your mother nearly died fighting that monster. Now there's another one plus more of those freaks!"
Nebula slid forward and wagged her flipper. "Tsk, tsk. You may be our ringmaster, but we're the masters of our own destinies. I rather not be mauled by a bunch of freaks. Besides, it's like Seth said, it's either attempt a shoddy display of guerilla tactics or escape while we still have the element of surprise."
Faye glared. "We've been through too much to run away now. I say we give it a shot!"
Vince gritted his teeth. "You can't all be serious…"
Angel stepped forward and chuckled. "Vince, you must understand you raised a mighty fine group of rebellious entertainers and tricksters. In light of our situation, we are not as weak as you think. Dark my words, we will see another sunrise."
Cheri withheld her urge to groan from the puns and nodded. "We proved we're stronger together. Let's show them what Pokémon are truly capable of!"
Vince looked around as those initially reluctant about the army's approach became swayed by the displays of confidence. To see even his own children putting on braver faces than him, he felt a pang of shame in himself. He was willing to do so much for Ava even if it meant putting himself in danger. The crew knew this, too, yet were still willing to go along with her plans.
…Perhaps it wasn't just Ava's influence, but their own strengths that kept them together.
"…" He sighed and looked up at Seth's perch. "What would you have us do?"
Seth grinned. "Glad to have you onboard, old timer."
"I'm not that old," Vince grumbled.
Seth pointed around at the troupe and explained, "I'm going to drop the rest of my magic from the mountain and apply it to your caravans. I'll need exact measurements and data on everything. We'll need weapons, too. Powerful as these things are, exposure to blinding light should do the trick."
Faye grinned. "Fortunately for us, we have fireworks stored away."
Abby rubbed her hands together. "And I have a few concoctions that should give them an extra boost."
"What about us?" a Tauros asked, his group nodding in unison. "What if we can't outrun the army?"
Nebula smirked. "We don't need to outrun them necessarily. We just need to move further than they can keep up."
Seth nodded. "Looks like a plan's formulating. Raid the mountain for every scrap of food I have stashed away and load them into your wagons. We have precious time remaining, so let's hustle!"
The troupe saluted to the mage. "Yes, sir!"
Monsoon Village, Storm Zone
Everything was set. The Grim Ash graveyard had been decorated with what little they could find in the ruins. They set up a tattered purple carpet and rolled it out to the freshly dug grave. Since they didn't have a body to bury, they used the remains of purple ceremonial robes to make a swaddle for the urn. Finally, Holly went through the village records to prepare the traditional eulogy. Since they were kids when the village was slaughtered, they never did conduct a proper funeral for their clan.
Fifteen years late, but she was going make up for lost time.
Holly stood next to the grave, balancing against her crutch while practicing her speech in her head. Once she was certain she had it down, she signaled to the others to begin.
Edwin, with a lute laying in his lap, stretched out his fingers and began playing the Grim Ash Funeral March. Ever since they arrived, they needed someone to play the song, so he opted to practice as much as he could. It wasn't the most elegant tune, but it did enough to carry the somber mood. The thunder overhead added an extra touch to the melody.
Next, Fernando walked down the carpet with the urn held above his head. He took one step at a time as instructed, going in time to certain beats of the march. Hugo followed behind Fernando, raising a custom staff with withered bells attached to a ring. Each bell possessed a faded color, one for each of the five Emotion Animas. Four of them hung from the bottom of the ring while five purple bells rang from the top. He gave it a gentle flick in time to the march.
Once they reached the end of the carpet, Fernando knelt to one knee and closed his eyes. Hugo tapped the staff down and closed his eye as well.
Holly shook off the jitters under her skin and took a deep breath. No amount of practice could prepare her for the real thing. It wasn't normal for someone to host a funeral for their best friend, especially at such a young age. It took all her willpower not to breakdown into tears again. She had to do this for their village. For Mack. And for Griffin.
Once the last of the jitters left her system, she stared ahead firmly and began:
"We here of the Grim Ash Clan gather today to pay our respects to a departed soul who left us too soon." She shook her head. "No. We are here to pay respects to all who lost their lives too soon. In the few centuries we tried to make peace with our sins, we opened our hearts to strangers once seen as enemies. Our kindness, thought to be the next step to growth, came at a cost. The man who tarnished our legacy and struck us down almost singlehandedly wiped out our clan from existence. In the eyes of Grim Ash, he will pay for his transgressions. For now, that doesn't matter. We are here to celebrate the lives of our people.
"The Grim Ash Clan were seen as the pinnacle of magic among Pokémon, power drawn from our thoughts and feelings. The five major aspects of the mind: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. The light of the world, the somber notes of reality, the fury of opposition, the terror of the unknown, and the aversion to all that may harm us. All of these made up who we were. We failed to understand the power we were blessed with. Our ancestors misused this power and its secrets to bring havoc to the undeserving. We, of the new generation, sought to bring an end to our legacy of sins.
"All who perished in the massacre are to be honored as heroes, defending their home to the last stand. We have much to thank from the heroes who stepped in and saved the remaining survivors. Three scared children unable to cope with the emotional power of their animas. One consumed by revenge, one stricken with despair at the world, and the other driven mad by his own fears. A consequence of our bloodline that brought much harm. Were it not for the love and trust of friends, we would've been completely consumed in our own despair.
"Though we honor all who died in the massacre, we are here to honor the bravest of souls among the survivors: Mack Crowgaze. A troubled child consumed by fear and driven mad, yet he channeled that anguish into a single goal. To take revenge for our people. Though he changed much since childhood, he perhaps cared more about the Grim Ash Clan than any of us did. He cared for his friends. His remaining family. He would do anything to protect them, for his greatest fear was losing us. He'd risk life and death for our sake.
"Mack Crowgaze is not to be remembered as a maniac, but as a true hero. A true friend. A true brother. Let his legacy continue throughout generations, and may we remember his sacrifices. Fear may be hard to confront, but it takes great strength and courage to conquer those fears. There is no other I can speak of that embodied that sentiment more than Mack."
She paused a moment to wipe her eyes. Fernando opened his mouth to ask if she was okay, but she raised her claw and nodded, assuring him she was fine. She wiped the tears away and collected herself before continuing.
"Mack. If you are here with us today, thank you for everything you've done for us. You've put yourself through so much mental turmoil for us. Please, rest well in the great aether and watch over us. We will rebuild the Grim Ash Clan. We will do better to fix the faults of our history. Mack Crowgaze, you will forever be remembered as the Hero of the Grim Ash Clan."
She took a deep breath and stepped away from the grave. Fernando nodded and approached it. He lowered himself down and set the urn inside. Edwin stood up from his spot and walked over, getting one last look at the man who helped him come to terms with his own mistakes.
Goodbye, Mack. Thank you for giving me a chance.
Fernando and Edwin grabbed shovels and began filling the grave. Holly turned away, trying to contain her tears. Hugo walked up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He was truly a magnificent warrior," Hugo said. "You should be honored to have had a friend as devoted as him."
She sniffled and clenched her eyes shut. "I…I know."
Fernando and Edwin finished filling the grave and patted the dirt down. Everyone stepped back to get a good look at the grave.
Mack Crowgaze
"Fear will never conquer the love for our family"
Holly took a deep breath and turned away from the grave. "It is done."
Edwin patted her arm. "You feeling okay?"
"…Honestly? I'm feeling a little better." She placed her claw over her heart. "Like a weight's been finally lifted off my chest. I'll miss him, but I'm…happy we could finally let the village rest in peace."
He frowned and touched his own chest. "Well, not everyone…"
She touched his shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, you've done enough to warrant the use of that soul. I'm sure the elder would be proud to have someone like you carrying on his legacy through his magic. So please, carry on our legacy by using that power responsibly."
"…" He closed his eyes and smiled. "Of course."
She nodded and glared out into the forest. "Alright. I think it's time we see what's going on out there. Father Hugo, would you lead the way?"
He nodded. "Yes, of course. Follow me. Let us see the extent of this harm."
Immensus Library, Snow Zone
For several hours, well into day turning to night, the Wild Fangs and Maelstrom Thieves worked to contact as many survivors across Mysto as possible. More often than they wished, their crystal orbs couldn't connect with any strangers, either because the receiving vessel was out of reach from a recipient or corruption had taken over.
They barely managed to reach a few of the Wild Fangs' contacts, some bunkering down within panic cellars or taking up arms to defend their town again. Some even spoke of shadow monsters encroaching on the land led by even more monstrous creatures. In other words, no hope of raising an army for their side.
Wolf and Orville had departed some time ago in search of potential survivors from the Grandmaster's Magic Academy. With any luck, they'll hear back from the duo in the next few days. If they find survivors, there would still be a chance to gather enough forces to fight back, assuming their help wasn't too weakened from the perils of battle.
Morale was dipping with each failure, and the Wild Fangs weren't sure how much longer they could go on.
Hazel pushed her crystal orb aside and leaned back in her chair, groaning. "Welp, Ah can't reach mah family."
"Perhaps they have relocated in haste," Yon suggested.
She smirked bitterly. "Ah doubt it, but thanks for the fraction of hope."
Yon shook his head. "I, too, find nothing but failure. I cannot reach my fellow poetry club members."
Wilbur drummed his fingers on the table. "Failure on my end, too. I cannot reach my father's shipwright company or any of my engineering acquaintances."
Gene growled and slammed his crystal ball onto the table. "Gah! Gene hates to admit it, but Gene can't reach his contacts either. Not even Gene's weightlifting buddies!"
Hazel pressed her fist to her cheek and sighed. "We informed as many people as we could, but it's fruitless. We can't warn every possible survivor when there's plenty more corrupted out there. It's like lookin' for a needle in a haystack." She grimaced. "Or a piece of hay in a needlestack in this case."
"Gene's not quitting yet. We need to spread the word and warn everyone of the armies." He picked up his crystal ball and waved his hand over it. "Call anyone that Gene doesn't know!"
Yon sighed. "Times, oh so tragic. We race against the damned clock. Is this all hopeless?"
Hazel glared. "Were ya always this dour when ya spat poetry?"
"Oh, now you decide to listen to my haikus?"
Wilbur rubbed his temples and groaned. "Will you two not start anything? I rather mitigate any migraines to my cerebrum while I still have function brain cells to spare. I've called just about everyone I know, and still nothing."
Hazel and Yon shared a look, then looked back at the intelligent Fraxure. "Uh, not everyone, dude," Hazel pointed out.
"Hmm?"
"Think about it for a moment, lover boy."
"…" His eyes widened. "Fleurette."
"Right on the money. Ya seriously didn't consider contactin' yer fiancé?"
He groaned. "I…admit I've been ignoring the possibility. I cannot risk my focused intelligence on potential, emotional distress. If I don't check in on her, I can focus on the mission ahead."
Hazel shrugged. "We're all stressed, and ya always think logically before emotionally. We get that. But since we ain't getting' anywhere, might as well test it. Do ya really want to live with yerself knowin' ya didn't check on her status? Even if it's not logical, it's what ya want."
"…" Wilbur took a deep breath and placed his hands on the crystal orb. "Contact Fleurette Glowkeeper." He shook his head and looked away. "I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment."
Hazel sat up. "If it works, she would appreciate the call."
Yon bowed his head. "Reality stings. Questions asked, answers unknown. You—"
The orb suddenly beeped, startling the Wild Fangs. "You got a connection?!" Gene gasped.
"—have a call, friend!" Yon finished.
Wilbur juggled the orb in a panic. "Sh-Shit, what do I say?"
"Don't look at me!" Hazel exclaimed. "Just stop freakin' out and get a grip of yerself!"
Wilbur grasped the orb firmly in both hands and held it steady as the image of a Cinccino came through. It seemed strange for someone as logical as him to find love, but something about this theatrical Cinccino made his heart flutter in a way he never imagined in years. She was a nuisance that bothered him when he tuned up his cannon or performed research on data magic, but he couldn't deny a part of him enjoyed her company whenever they met up.
And he was relieved to see her alive and well.
"Cosette, is that you? Are you okay?"
A pang of disappointment hit him as her garbled reply came through the orb, finalizing its connection. Though, he couldn't blame her. No doubt she was worried about the safety of her sister more than his. "Um…sorry, not her. Sorry to disappoint you," he muttered.
She seemed shocked to see him, but relief fell over the Fraxure as she smiled with red in her cheeks. "Heh. Don't sell yourself short. It's been a long day. But I'm happy to see one more face in this disaster."
Wilbur casted a subtle glance over at his teammates, who waved him on to say something in return. He shook off the nerves and stared into the orb.
"…Hey. I missed you, love." Was that too much? Could I have said that better?
Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind his awkward statement. "Hey, Brainiac. I missed you, too."
Wilbur leaned back in his chair. "I am so sorry I didn't contact you sooner. I've been…preoccupied all day with other matters."
Fleurette sighed. "I wouldn't have agreed to marry you if I wasn't aware of your…eccentricities." She smiled. "Still, I'm glad you called me. It's been a day for the lot of us."
"Are you and your crew okay?"
She winced and played with the tip of her fur scarf. "Trevor's fine, but…the others were hit by the corruption. I accidentally, but thankfully, compressed myself when it passed over the village. We must've been spared from the effects."
"Is anyone else with you?"
"Just this family I'm looking after." She held up the orb a bit to show the Espeon, Pyroar, and Absol in front of her before making eye contact again. "What about you?"
He smirked a bit. "Would you believe me if I said I was in an ancient library in the middle of nowhere?"
"Sounds about right." She sighed and leaned back against the walls of wherever she was staying. "But anyway, we managed to escape the village. We barely have enough rations to get through the next couple of weeks."
"Hmm. Well, I've been getting the word out regarding something our group spotted. Where are you exactly?"
"Still in the Aqua Zone, a few miles or so away from the village. Why?"
He glared. "Listen, you need to be careful. The shadow army is marching out from the Snow Zone and crossing over Mysto, likely to pick off survivors."
"WHAT?!" an adult woman's voice shrieked in the background, possibly the Espeon. "There's more of those freaks coming?! Oh Owen, I'm going to faint…" Wilbur heard a thud in the background.
"Um, ignore that," Fleurette said. She frowned. "Are they heading in our direction?"
"I'd put my money on it if they want to be thorough." Wilbur glared. "I can't possibly leave you to fend for yourself."
She smiled uneasily. "Brainiac, while I appreciate the sentiment, sounds to me you're working yourself up for a war. I don't want you jeopardizing anything over me."
He shook his head. "No, absolutely not. How can I possibly focus on war when I'll be worrying about your safety?"
Hazel leaned over and punched the dragon's shoulder. "No one's stoppin' ya from rescuin' yer fiancé, dude. If ya want to save her, get it done."
Wilbur frowned at his team. "I am unsure—"
Gene raised his hand. "Silence. Gene would do the same in a heartbeat. Though your firepower is most beneficial, we can handle ourselves without you."
Yon nodded. "Agreed."
"Are you all absolutely sure?" he asked again.
Gene slammed his hand down. "As your leader, Gene demands that you march into the Aqua Zone and rescue your fiancé! That is an order from Gene!"
"…" Wilbur took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright." He looked back at the crystal orb and said, "I'm coming to get you and your party."
"Wilbur—"
"I'll need to rest of today to upgrade the remaining firearms for the thieves. After that, I'm heading toward you position. I should be able to track your magical signature."
Fleurette frowned for a moment, then sighed with a defeated smile. "I remember when you would brush off the idea of doing anything romantic. I guess I've had an influence on you." She nodded firmly. "We'll keep traveling up the main road until we reach the Storm Zone border. How does that sound?"
"Perfect. I'll arrive as soon as I can."
Fleurette nodded. "Please stay safe. I love you." She blew him a kiss, and the call ended.
Wilbur pocketed his crystal orb and bolted from his seat. "Maelstrom Thieves, bring me all your remaining firearms! I need to make some last-minute modifications before I depart!"
The Wild Fangs smiled as the Fraxure organized the thieves. Hazel leaned back against the table and chuckled. "Ah remember when he used to be more robot than Pokémon. Good times."
Yon nodded. "Indeed."
Gene crossed his arms. "This is his path to follow. We'll be ready without him."
Hazel frowned. "Are you sure we stand a chance against these freaks?"
"…" He gripped tightly into his arm and bared his teeth. "Gene hopes so."
Dead Man's Mountain, Earth Zone
The shadow army soon arrived at the entrance into the ominous mountain, sensing the uncorrupted life festering inside. Death, leading his army, pointed his sword at the entrance and commanded his legion of monsters to march forth. They and the zombified Pokémon marched around the shadow nuckelavee and toward the entrance.
Two Pestilence knights floated down to Death's side and snickered. "Such foolish Pokémon," one said.
"They will fall into darkness, or join the Pestilence," the other said. "Either way, they will know the bliss of darkness."
Death glared. "I care not for the outcome, only that they are reaped from the earth. I sense one powerful aura within, but it shouldn't be a bother. The last of Pokémon kind shall be expunged from this land, and soon the rest of the world will be joining them."
The Pestilence knights chortled with glee. "Good, good, good!"
They ceased their laughter as a commotion rang out from inside the mountain. Death and the two Pestilence squinted into the darkness and listened to their monsters roaring out against something. They couldn't figure out exactly what was happening. They didn't sense any bloodshed taking place either. Was a fight even breaking out?
They listened closer as something overpowered the monsters' roaring. It sounded like a chorus of thunder, but the sound became clearer as it drew toward the tunnel's entrance.
A stampede?
Their eyes widened as a horde of Tauros came blitzing out of the dark, tossing aside any monsters that stood in their way. They dragged a chain of caravans behind them, kicking up a curtain of dust as they rumbled across the earth. The Tauros saw the three knights in their path, but ducked their heads and continued on the path forward.
One of the Pestilence knight's hissed and raised her claws. "They're actually insane. How desperate can these Pokémon get?" She lunged at the Tauros, readying to inflict them with her virus.
The second Pestilence gasped. "Wait, get back!"
It was too late. By the time all the trailers were in the light, they failed to notice the cannon strapped to the top. Garland and Faye aimed and fired at the attacking knight. A ball of molten, sparking metal sailed out and sniped the toxic mage out of the way, burying her face into the earth while she wailed in pain.
Commanding the Tauros from the driver's seat, Vince yelled, "Hard right, now!"
The Tauros steered right and ran around Death and the second Pestilence. Death glared and forged a spear from his hand. "No one escapes Death." He tossed the spear at the cannon operators.
Garland and Faye covered their heads, but a bubble arced from inside the wagons and intercepted the spear, teleporting it away. They gasped and looked over the edge, spotting Nebula hanging out the window. "You can thank me later! Let's get this train moving!"
Death stomped his hooves down, and his steed blew black flames from its snout. "They will not escape." He and Pestilence chased after the caravan. Death dragged his massive broadswords through the earth while Pestilence flew up into the sky.
On the caravan, Faye spied on them through a telescope and said, "They're hunting us down!"
Nebula ducked back inside the wagons and raced to the front. She passed by Seth and exclaimed, "They're all yours!"
The Zoroark cracked his knuckles and summoned up a command console. "The key isn't to win the battle, but to survive to fight the war. Let's see how you freaks handle this!" He furiously inputted commands.
As Death and Pestilence gained on the caravan, digital magic crawled across the caboose and took shape into several turrets. They locked onto the shadow knights and peppered them with bullets. Pestilence shrieked as the attacks blasted through her body. She dove out of the sky and hid behind Death, who charged through the bullets unfazed.
"They fight like cowards," Death stated. "They cannot escape Death."
Faye and Garland turned the cannon around and took aim. "We're not going anywhere, you macabre menaces!" she shouted before firing another firework bomb.
Death reared his fist and punched through the bomb. The inner core ignited and released a powerful blast of blinding light. Death charged through it, but Pestilence hissed and squished herself behind the nuckelavee to avoid the stinging rays.
"Is that all you can manage?" Death taunted. "You will not escape—"
"Yeah, yeah! We heard you a million times!"
As the light receded, Death peered at the caboose and spotted a young Pikachu hanging on the guardrails. She raised her hands, channeling pale blue magic between them. She took a deep breath and fired a laser into the ground, creating a trail through the earth.
Death ran over the pale blue trail. At first, it didn't seem to do anything to him. However, the further he chased down the caravan, the slower he started to get. The magic infused with the dirt pulled on his hooves and dragged them down like anchors strapped to his ankles.
Cheri smirked. "Mr. Highwind taught me some neat tricks for just this sort of occasion! As my big brother would say: been nice knowing you morons!" She hopped down and returned inside the caravan.
Meanwhile, Nebula reached the front with Vince and peered around the corner. She grinned when she saw Death slowing down. "That crazy kid bought us some time."
Vince grimaced. "Fantastic, but how exactly will this help?"
"Because we're taking my way out." She inhaled and cupped her flippers together. "Keep moving, and don't stop for anything!" She exhaled and fired a large bubble over the Tauros like a bullet.
It sailed into their path and expanded in a bubble portal. Catching onto her plan, the Tauros increased their speed and charged through the bubble without hesitation. They passed through it and disappeared on the other side, taking the whole of the caravan with them.
"NO!" Pestilence gasped.
Just as Death's hooves became unanchored, the whole caravan vanished inside the bubble portal, which popped out of existence.
"They escaped?!" Pestilence growled and clenched her fists. "Those stupid mortals are wasting our time! We may have won, but the Shadow King wants every loose end dealt with before the day of reckoning occurs. What do we do?"
Death glanced over his shoulder, seeing the remnants of their forces limping out from the mountain. Since he couldn't mark any of the troupe, they had no easy means of tracking them. That meant they needed some other way to hunt them down.
"…Pestilence. We may need the assistance from one of the king's puppets. Summon them to us."
Meanwhile, somewhere above the Fire Zone…
"You're getting tired, old man. You can't keep this up forever."
As shadow phantoms poured out through the sky, the maniacal laughter filling the atmosphere, a bolt of lightning sped around them. An unseen force sliced their bodies to ribbons. They wailed and shrieked as their tattered pieces burned from the hot blue electrical glow.
"Your soul is tainted with sin and despair. A wicked mind from unrepented negligence. Why? Why do you continue to fight it?"
A monstrous Hydreigon with wings resembling more heads descended from the sky, firing shadowy flame onto the scorched earth. An electrical slice passed through three of the heads and decapitated them instantly. The monster roared in agony and turned its flames toward the attacker, only for its face to be sliced open. It backed away, covering his face as shadow oozed out like smoke.
"How can you possibly still fight against your shadow? You should be drowning under the weight of your sins!"
The monster Hydreigon tried to find the attacker using its untouched heads. It nearly finished its regeneration, but was dealt a critical blow from behind. An X-shaped slash crossed through its body, erupting out in a blaze of electricity. The monster reared its head back and screamed, but its voice went silent to a final impalement through the back of its skull.
Leroy Sapienti grunted and pulled his seamitar out from the monster, watching it careen into the earth in a glow of electricity. He settled onto his Nebula Rider and growled. "You don't know me."
"I know you better than anyone else."
He glared. "Then why am I still here? Why do you ask why I still stand?"
"How can you bare the weight of your own shadow?!"
The unrelenting warrior, at first glance, seemed perfectly fine. He moved and struck with the same speed and ferocity he was legendary for. However, appearances could be deceiving, and sometimes the wrong angle told a different story than what was truth.
Thought the left side of Leroy appeared the same, the right side became engulfed in shadow. His entire frame was cut symmetrically between mortal flesh and shadow possession. One seamitar remained the same, and the other became infested with dark blue crystal across the edge, as did his shell armor. Even the tip of his horn adorned a half-completed spiral of jagged crystal.
The right side of his body snarled. "Sink into the abyss, Leroy Sapienti. You cannot bear the weight of your darkness forever."
He scoffed. "If you really were me, you know I'm in no position to obey. Besides, I've already accepted the darkness in me."
"Yet a part of you still seeks atonement. You are not fully absolved of your own troubles. You have yet to fully accept me."
"I've accepted you enough to stave off possession. I refuse to let my guard down."
His right side smirked. "You can't hold me off forever. Your biological mechanisms will shut down without proper restoration. How long have you been running without sleep lately? Two days? You'll have to sleep soon, and you'll be at your weakest."
Leroy glared. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's impossible. This world will become corrupted, and all you'll accomplish is delaying the inevitable. Resistance is futile."
He scoffed again. "You're nothing more than my own insecurities speaking back to me. That fear of looking weak." He clenched his fist. "I couldn't accept being a father. I've always found comfort in battle. Look what I ended up doing to my own family." He closed his eyes and snarled. "I will not fall to my own darkness. You want to see the depths of my determination?"
He kicked on the Nebula Rider and flew on ahead. He set his sights on another swarm of shadows and aerial shadow monsters. He pulled out his seamitars and charged them with storm magic.
"Allow me to educate you in a lesson of failure!"
