Ch.102: Realm of the Abyss! Survive Pt.3!

In a matter of hours, the streets of Ironworks Kingdom became filled with survivors from the Grandmaster's Magic Academy invasion. Queen Margo went about informing her subjects of the situation, prompting them to take up arms and prepare to defend the kingdom once again in case of impending danger.

The kingdom was dealt another shock when the dimension walls separating them from Mysto rumbled, indicating something powerful slammed into them. It would be later confirmed by Queen Margo herself that it was a wave of corruption and alerted everyone to remain within the kingdom.

Ironworks had seen better days, but progressed to better heights after the horrific invasion dealt to them the year prior. Construction efforts proved fruitful as the kingdom slowly returned to its glorious state, though the scars of battle still haunted the streets and its people who mourned the losses of friends and family caught in the attacks.

Despite the disparaging year they went through, they welcomed the students and staff members with open arms, assisting with injuries and offering nourishment for the weakened. It was a well-deserved piece of goodwill they all needed after the horrors they endured.

The remains of Team Shatter Star and Cosette offered their services as well. Saffiro and Oswald prepared meals with the generously donated ingredients provided to them while Ebony and Cosette helped the injured. Though, Ebony's method of healing raised some concerns.

"You can't just keep handing out scotch thinking it's a miracle elixir!" Cosette snatched the bottle from the rabbit's hand.

Ebony pouted. "Heeey, it works wonders for me."

"Frankly, I'm still wondering how you haven't poisoned yourself yet."

She smirked. "Not from a lack of trying, I'll have you know."

Cosette groaned and set the bottle aside. As she finished bandaging the Pawmot's arm, she looked up to see the boys handing out fancy plates of steak and vegetables to the weary students. Her jaw dropped as she watched the Hakamo-o glide by with the aroma hitting her nose. "You were supposed to make simple meals!"

Saffiro handed off another plate before saying, "When you have limited ingredients, you get creative. If we're going to eat rations, we're eating good rations."

"…I can't even complain about this."

Ebony snickered. "Better than the slop I make for myself on the road."

Oswald finished handing out his plates and commented, "After eating his meals, I can't go back to fancy restaurants ever again. It just doesn't taste the same."

Cosette sighed and looked around, noting the beaming faces on what were once dour, hopeless expressions. The sight made her smile a bit. "Well, whatever works, I suppose." She crossed her arms over her lap and frowned. "Wish I could forget my troubles."

Oswald knelt next to her. "Worried about your sister?"

"I lost my crystal orb in the chaos. I don't suppose any of you have any?"

Saffiro shook his head. "Sorry, lost ours in the fighting, too."

She shook her head. "Whatever. I know my sister. She can take care of herself in a pinch. I need to have faith she'll survive on her own." She glared and looked up at the team. "Speaking of having faith, how's…Cybil doing?"

Team Shatter Star collectively frowned at each other, a daunting answer to her question. The Furret sniper barely spoke a word beyond the bare minimum since they arrived. As soon as they entered Ironworks, she went straight to sniper mode, also known as the cold, calculating Cybil they knew, feared, and respected. She only ever got like that when on missions and supporting team from the sidelines

Seeing it outside of missions was…something else.

Ebony broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh. "After that shockwave hit us, she went outside the dimension to survey the area. Personally, I think she's going out to vent."

Cosette frowned at the floor. "The poor thing." She curled her fingers into her skirt and glared through the faint tears. "I was there when Krystal showed Wes and me that engagement necklace. She looked so nervous, yet so happy to have made something with love. She wanted to make the moment special."

Oswald laughed sadly. "She probably wanted to burn the proposal into the sky with explosives."

Saffiro smiled wistfully. "Or perform a grand, choreographed entrance to express her feelings."

Ebony snickered as she wiped her eyes. "Poor Cybil would've been so embarrassed. She would've hated it."

Cosette smiled. "Yeah…but she would've loved it, too."

A silence hung between them, the moment of levity gone as quickly as it came. Krystal meant so much to all of them that…it felt wrong that she wasn't still kicking and fighting.

Ebony glared. "We will find a way to save her. I don't care how deep she is in this whatever abyss, I've clawed my way out of much worse. I'm not letting it end like this."

Saffiro huffed. "Neither am I~."

Oswald cracked his knuckles and snarled. "Those blasted shadows picked the wrong group to piss on."

Cosette curled her fingers into a fist, hiding them beneath her fur scarf. "Yeah. This isn't the end of our story."

The mages convened in Margo's dining hall, still nursing the injuries they sustained in battle with the Shadow King. Valiantly as they fought, they couldn't match the king's unstoppable power. The limited time they were given since his temporary sealing didn't wane the scope of his power. By Margo's own account, having fought him once before, he may have gotten even stronger since then.

The whole of the mages endured much agony by the Shadow King and his heralds before they gave chase after the pirates and Team Ravenfield. Some injuries were superficial and would heal in their own time. Others were more grievous and required immediate medical attention.

Vernon's eyes were severely damaged while fighting the mad clown, forcing him to wear a blindfold as they recovered. Seraphina survived being impaled by the unstoppable titan, leaving her stomach bandaged and skin charred black.

Some injuries were costly. Randolph, who fought valiantly to fend off the shadow witch's summons, would find himself in a vice of teeth as a black hound sprung from her mist and tore his wings clean off. He passed out for a majority of the battle, having to be dragged to safety in their retreat.

Cielo, in his desperation to stall the king, lost his left arm in a clash of magic. At his advanced age, losing the limb sent him a foot deeper into his grave. The timely intervention of Calder saved him from an early fate, as well as providing the necessary distraction to escape into the canyon walls. They would hide out there before retreating with any remaining survivors who hadn't gone through the portals as ordered.

"…What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Cielo opened his eyes as Margo finally broke the silence. The brazen queen, with half her face bandaged, crossed her arms and glared at the old Oranguru for an answer. The rest of the mages turned to their superior for an answer as well.

Cielo took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm afraid even I lack a satisfactory answer. Everything that happened today was a calculated storm of misfortune meant to break us down, and now we sit in the middle of the impending apocalypse."

Margo scowled. "What kind of pep talk is that?! How about some sagely advice instead of moping over one loss?! We're not out yet!"

"Margo," Randolph weakly spoke up. His face was pale, and he had a potion bottle gripped faintly in his fist. "We were trounced. We did everything we possibly could, but it amounted to nothing. If we go back out there, we're not going to make it a second time."

Seraphina crossed her arms. "I hate to agree, but he's right. The prophecy warned us we would succumb an ill fate should we fight the Shadow King."

Calder stroked his chin. "Hmm, but here we are debating over the subject. Mayhaps our fate hasn't come—"

"Or maybe Ravenfield's declaration of war against fate wasn't just him rebelling," Benedict countered. "Ever since the damn prophecy came to light, we've been running ourselves ragged preparing for the worse. We could've done something to stop this while the shadows were still building up their forces, but we let a prophecy hold us back."

Vernon sat on his chair's backboard and nodded in agreement. "A proclamation handed down the by the gods depicting our demises. Though, that leads to question if the gods are as all-knowing as they claim. Is fate truly inescapable, or can it be avoided through cleverness? I suppose one could argue we did die, as in our spirits died in that humiliating defeat."

Cielo shook his head. "Regardless of interpretations or hindsight, it doesn't change the fact we failed. There's no going back after this. There's no do-over from this."

Seraphina pressed her fist to her cheek and glared. "The entire region was hit with a wave of corruption, and now the Shadow King likely obtained the Idol of Origin. Team Ravenfield's status is unknown. We're down on resources. Morale is dropping. We're out of options."

"…" Cielo turned away and glared at the floor.

Vernon sighed. "We put so much of our faith and trust into those kids, and we sent them on a suicide mission. We're supposed to be defending the next generation. We failed them with our cowardice. Cowardice spawned by mystical words and a vision."

Calder shook his head. "Hmm, we could've done more to prevent all of this."

Seraphina looked off to the side. "Still no contact from Cicely, Seth, or Leroy. I'm more worried about Leroy since he's been flying out and about these last several weeks. He might've been caught in the blast."

"…" Cielo closed his eyes.

"Master Cielo, do we have a plan?" Benedict asked.

"…" He sighed and glared softly at his fellow mages. "For now, we just need to recover. When we find an opening to exploit, we'll take it. Rushing into battle won't do us any favors. We'll play this methodically and get it right."

The mages nodded. "Aye, Master."

Cielo leaned his head back and glared at the ceiling. I refuse to die until I see victory in hand. I want the last thing I see in this world to be a new hope.

The Enchanted Bar, Quartz Plain Village

The rumbling stopped some time ago, but most were too afraid to come out of hiding. When word got out about the black wave heading toward the village, most fled in a panic to get to safety. In his haste, Lenny ordered the remainder of his patrons/temporary tenants to bunker down inside the bar's cellar.

Though he didn't know what the wave would do, he built the cellar to protect his alcohol by any means necessary, even getting access to some of the best enchantments to do so. Doubled as a panic shelter if the worst came to pass. Part of the business, he supposed. Being paranoid did wonders to survive in the long run.

When the rumbling finally stopped, Lenny stood by the stairs leading back up top, hesitating to see the damage. He wasn't sure what the intended purpose of the wave was. Could it have leveled the entire village and knocked out every home or bystander in its way? Or did it do something worse that made instant death preferable?

"We're going to die, we're going to die…" he heard someone whimpering further back in the cellar.

Checking over his shoulder, he saw all the surviving patrons were in a fit of jitters after experiencing the tremor. Some hugged onto each other for dear life, others were trying to force open his alcohol supply to drown their worries, and some looked on the brink of screaming in blind panic. Surviving the last several months and losing their normal way of life did a number on everyone in the village. It's been a long year they all wished to forget.

Lenny took a deep breath and reached toward the wall. His explosive armament bracers sat against the stair railing. He picked them up and strapped them on. The internal combustion system revved to the life, heating the knuckles with the imbued fire magic.

"You all stay down here," Lenny ordered. "If someone starts banging on the cellar door, do not let them in."

"B-But what about you, Lenny?!" a patron gasped.

"I'll be fine. I just want to assess the damage. Stay." He ascended the stairs while tightening the bracers' straps. "I'm not letting any of these shadow freaksset a foot on my property without paying their tab."

"Emm. This don't look right."

Hal exited his pawn shop and strolled through the quiet streets of the village. It had been a slow day for profit, though there wasn't much in the way of customers with the region at war with itself. The shockwave that slammed into the village jolted him out of his lethargic state, nearly putting him into an early grave from the start.

When he first stepped out of the shop, he found the streets to be eerily quiet, a far cry to the dismal atmosphere as of late. Everything seemed a little bit off, though. The air turned foggy, the sky went black as night, and the warmth had been sapped from the air. So much changed compared to when he opened up shop in the morning.

Wishing to investigate, the old Krokorok put on a coat and marched outside. The further he went into the fog, the more damage he spotted due to the shockwave. Trash cans were overturned, windows that weren't broken before were shattered, debris from ruined homes was knocked around, and the foul stench of something malicious tickled the ex-pirate's nose.

"Yeeeeah, something ain't right," he pondered, stroking his chin.

He turned a corner and stopped when he saw someone standing in the middle of the street. He went up to them to see if they were okay, but held off as the fog cleared ahead. The figure stood with a hunch and moaned hauntingly, almost like they were lost in thought. Or lost in another sense.

Hal glared and put one foot forward. "Oi! What's eatin' at ye?"

The figure turned and faced the old croc. Hal raised his covered brow, recognizing the creature as a Makuhita, but wrapped tight in shadow. Its red eyes searched the area with an unfocused stare. Its eyes lifted, meeting with Hal's one eye. They held eye contact for a moment, and Hal already had a grip on his prosthetic arm.

Nothing came of the interaction as the monster turned and lumbered away. Hal eased his stance and watched it head deeper into the fog. He snorted and massaged his wrist. "That's problematic."

"Old man?" Hal looked over his shoulder and saw someone approaching him in the fog. When they got closer, he recognized the rotund, yet muscular figure as Lenny. "Hey. What are you doing out here?"

Hal slid his hands into his pockets, protecting them from a passing chill. "I could ask ye the same."

Lenny sighed. "I guess you're out here for the same reason as me."

"Appears so." He glanced the way the shadow creature left. "I saw one of those shadow Pokémon a moment ago. It didn't seem aggressive. It just stared at me before leaving."

Lenny grimaced. "So, it's true. Whatever hit the village did something bad. When I saw the village was still standing, I knew something terrible happened. So, does that mean…?"

"If I had to guess, every villager that wasn't protected by magic got possessed by their own shadows. My shop has natural defenses, so I was spared."

"Same with my underground cellar." Lenny crossed his arms and looked around. "Seems it did more than corrupt the villagers. Even the air feels off."

"Tainted magic." Hal played with his eyepatch as he glared at the sky. "This seems way stronger than anything the shadows could pull off normally."

"What does that mean?"

Hal removed his eyepatch and used the Eye of Silence to scan the sky. Almost instantly, he detected a strong magical presence in the far, far distance. "Something tells me the Shadow King got a power boost. Who else would've thought to do this?"

"Great. More shadow crap." Lenny sighed and glared at the sky. "But why?"

"Well, based off what I saw, to suppress Pokémon's wills by having our worse selves takeover. Peace by subjugation of ambition."

"How does that bring peace?"

"Depends on how ye look at it. The Shadow King, as far as I can see, has complete domination over our shadows once they become animated. They're a hivemind that can act independently from him. All minds connected to serve a singular purpose. No need for conflict, need, or want. Everyone knows their purpose; thus they must follow it."

Lenny shuddered. "Creepy."

"Agreed." Hal placed his eyepatch back on. "I imagine the epicenter of this is coming from that huge power spike I'm sensing. That is where this all started."

The Emboar glared. "Just to be clear, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"It's coming from the sky. Stopping it from the source seems like our best move."

Lenny backed off and shook his head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a moment. I did some bounty hunting in my day, but this is way out of my league. And you're saying this all occurred in the sky? Are you daft?!"

Hal glared. "If we do nothing, the issue could get worse. I can't allow that to happen."

"Old man, think this through. You're not the man you used to be. Even if going up there was a good idea, you're way past your prime—"

"Doing nothing is worse than putting myself in danger," Hal interrupted. "Besides, those Ravenfield knuckleheads are at the center of all of this. They may not be my kids, but I sure as hell would rend everything in my way to protect them. They fought tooth and nail to fix this mess. Now it's time for their elders to get off their lazy asses and fix our mess."

"…" Lenny eased his posture and sighed. "Well, I can't go with you."

Hal shook his head. "No. Ye're better off here. Defending the village. They'll need someone strong to lead them, not some crazy old man. I'm the only one going."

Lenny glared. "Even so, if you're serious about the sky being where this all started, how in Mysto are you going to get up there? Unless you've been hiding a giant airship under the village all this time."

Hal scratched his chin and smirked. "No, nothing like that. Though, I do know where I can acquire an airship on short notice…"

Marrying into chaos seemed like a decision waiting to go awry, and Vivian was aware of that when she accepted Garret's proposal all those years ago. Chaos seemed to run wherever that man went, and she would just have to accept it. At some point, she did, and even took some mild amusement in her late husband's quirky behaviors. A little chaos never hurt anyone.

Only now, she wished she had that fun chaos to revel in.

The lone Sylveon sat by the living room window in a chair, her paw laying against the cold glass. A fire crackled from the fireplace, warming up the house after the sudden loss of heat. Some things were knocked over after the big shockwave hit the village. Cleaning the house kept her mind off what was going on outside, but the house was near spotless now.

She frowned as she watched one of her neighbors lumbered by the house, only to see they were corrupted in shadows. Their behavior was different to what she witnessed from the shadows before. They seemed more lethargic and lost than the aggressive monsters bent on killing. It was sad to watch.

Once again, Garret's overprotectiveness came in handy. The house's enchantments protected her once before, and they did so again. Even when he was so busy trotting across the region looking for the next big discovery, he put in extra effort to guarantee himself a home to come back to. He wasn't perfect, but he cared more about family than any man she met in her life.

She pressed her forehead to the window and sighed. "Flint and Wes. Oh, where are our boys, Garret? Please tell me they're okay."

What was she to do? Bunker down in the house again and wait for everything to blow over? As safe as the house was, she wouldn't last long with the state of the world around her. As much as she hated it, her sons took on their journey with the purpose of helping others. Even if she didn't fully understand it, they were adults now, and she had to trust their decisions.

She felt pride in how proactive they were being, despite the danger. She always tried to avoid danger, even during her younger days with Garret. He never seemed to care where chaos came as long as he got the next big thrill out of it. She would be dragged along into the mess and either feeling absolutely terrified or infected by his contagious excitement. Never a dull moment with that insane Jolteon.

…She remembered what he told her all those years ago, some time before his death. He was planning on saving up money and quitting the treasure hunting business for good. He wanted to settle down and make up for all the lost time with her and their sons. He wanted to get a normal job and start being a part of their lives, not just for every other month. She wished he came to this conclusion sooner, but she was so happy he was thinking about their children. Though the boys never felt like Garret neglected them, she knew they wished he was around more often.

The tragic irony that he came to this decision months before taking one last adventure. His last adventure.

"Those first few weeks were awful," she muttered. "I had to stay strong for our sons, but it was…so difficult. You meant so much to me. You meant so much to everyone in your life. Our sons are on an adventure because they wanted to make you proud." She smiled and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "You were always proud of them. We raised them well."

She furrowed her brow before leaping out of her seat. If her husband were here, he wouldn't be sitting around doing nothing. She couldn't do much, but there were likely Pokémon in the village that needed help.

She walked over to the fireplace and, after taking a deep breath, wiggled her feeler inside. She stayed calm against the heat grazing her skin. She found a notch in the stone and pulled open the secret compartment, retrieving a key. When she pulled it out, it was shown not to be a normal key. It was a black key with star-shaped teeth and a white bauble on the end that looked like it contained an entire other galaxy.

She stared at it for a moment, sighed, and made her way up the stairs. She stopped under the attic trapdoor, where nothing more than stored items sat above her. Though, with her late husband's eccentric profession, storage had to be upgraded.

She raised the key up to the lock. At first, the lock didn't match the shape of the key head. However, when it was close, the lock reacted and morphed itself to allow the key through. She jammed it in and twisted. A white light shined through the trapdoor's cracks.

She pocketed the key and pulled the attic cord down. The stairs unfolded before her, and she made her way up.

What was once an attic filled with cardboard boxes and other assorted items, she stepped into a room alight with lanterns fueled by white flame. Several items lay out neatly in the attic, ranging from treasure chests to different kinds of horns to weird looking bottles stacked neatly in a shelf. Several rugs were bound together in the corner, a jar of water with a miniature island sat on one of the chests, and a glowing saber bound to the wall in chains was violently shaking.

"Cut, cut, cut! I must cut something!" a voice projected from the sword as soon as it detected Vivian's presence. "It has been so long! Cut, cut, cut!"

Vivian stepped fully in the attic and sighed. "Hello to you, too, Ambassador. Don't mind me. Just grabbing some things."

"Cut, cut! Must cut! CUT!"

"Uh huh." She looked around at the attic. "I should've asked Garret how he keeps this place so clean. There's not a speck of dust in here."

"Garret Ravenfield!" The Ambassador screeched. "Cut! Cut Ravenfield! Cut, cut, cut! He denies me my purpose!"

Vivian rolled her eyes. When Garret first brought that sword into the house, she thought he was insane. Nowadays, she found it to be a mild nuisance. Had she become desensitized to the strange artifacts and weapons her husband brought into their house? Most likely. She was just glad that was one of the first things he brought home before Flint was born.

She looked around at the different treasures before spotting what she was looking for at the end of the room. A large wooden kit that sat neatly on a pedestal. It was one of the only items on display, and she smiled at the paw-made plaque.

Vivian's Potion Making Kit.

"Why must you be so over-the-top?" She picked up the kit and carried it back to the stairs.

"What is that? What is it?! Can I cut it?!" The Ambassador screeched, rattling in its chains.

With it secured in her feelers, she started her climb back down. "I can't sit around and do nothing. I studied in medicine, and I'm going to use that knowledge to help as many people as I can." She descended and closed the door behind her.

"Please, let me cut you!" The Ambassador wailed.

Vivian poked her head back into the extradimensional attic and asked, "If I let you cut up some vegetables for me, would you be quiet?"

"…Yes."

Ironworks Kingdom

A dimensional rift opened outside the kingdom, and Cybil stepped through. She shook off the snow in her fur and dusted off her jacket. She took a moment to appreciate the warmer climate before marching down to the kingdom entrance. She paid no mind to the guards as they granted her access through. She did her best to ignore everything around her.

She wasn't entirely sure how long it had been since the ambush. A couple hours? Half the day? Even if it had been a whole month ago, the wounds in her mind stayed fresh. The tragic news, her own screams of anguish, and the memento left behind in Krystal's memory…

Her eyes were vacant and cold, staring ahead with precision that could cut metal with a simple twitch. The gloomy aura surrounding her didn't go unnoticed by the survivors or kingdom residents. Everyone did their best to stay out of her way. Even after so long, it seemed her old reputation as the daughter of two former hitmen continued to haunt her. She ignored their judging eyes and carried on, caring not for their views.

However, before she could sink deeper into her the storm of her mind, familiar voices reached out to her.

"Cybil, you're back!"

She stopped and glared over her shoulder as her remaining half of her team and Cosette ran over to greet her. She relaxed her shoulders, but her expression remained fixed in its cold state. "Hey…"

Ebony grinned. "Brr, you look even more frozen than usual! Hope the snow wasn't too much for you!"

"You must be hungry," Saffiro said. "We have meals planned out for everyone. You should really sit down and eat first."

Oswald patted his muscles. "Got to keep your strength up!"

"…" She turned away from them. "I have to talk to the mages first."

Cosette frowned. "Cybil—"

"The mission comes first. Nothing else matters." She touched the blue gem to her new necklace, rubbing it between her digits. "Nothing…else matters."

Team Shatter Star and Cosette looked at each other worriedly. Saffiro sighed, handed Salamander off to Oswald, and approached the somber sniper. "Cybil, we will get Krystal back. She's not gone yet. She's still with us."

"…I know." She tightened her grip around her rifle's strap. "But I can't think about it right now. My parents always taught me to block out all emotions when doing a job. They get in the way of what's in front of you. That's what it means to be a sniper: to close off your heart before taking out your target."

Ebony frowned. "But that's not who you are now."

"No, but it's who I need to be if we want to win." She clenched her eyes shut. "I hesitated to shoot her. I almost shot Krystal. I was prepared to cripple her with a potent poison just to keep her restrained. I don't want to think about that right now." She covered her face. "At least like this, I can focus my grief constructively. I don't want you all getting in my way."

The team shared a look with each other, silently conversing, and nodded. Oswald smiled and said, "Just…promise us you won't stay like this forever."

"And promise us not to lose hope on Krystal," Cosette added. "We'll find a way to cure her of this affliction. She's alive in there, and we'll pull her back to the surface."

Cybil picked the marble from her pocket and stared at it. To think inside was her girlfriend, her fiancé, raging around inside unable to do anything but destroy. A painful reminder of the kind, wonderful person Krystal was, willing to go to great lengths to protect everything she loves. It was that same infectious camaraderie that attracted her to Krystal in the first place.

She sighed and put the marble away. "I promise."

Saffiro smiled. "Thank you." He patted her shoulder and stepped back.

Ebony crossed her arms. "Anyway, you said something about needing to see the mages?"

Cybil nodded and glared. "An update on the shadows, actually."

"They're dividing their forces to conquer remaining survivors?"

Cybil and Team Shatter Star reported in with the mages at the castle. The sniper narrowed her eyes solemnly. "I saw their forces marching out through the snow and splitting up. Most will be traveling south for the other regions. Some may be heading this way in a matter of days. Sooner, even."

Cielo scratched his chin. "That's problematic."

"Some may have gotten further out. I was investigating in the snow when they corruption wave hit. I shielded myself behind my Ricochet Mirrors to redirect the magic. Some of the army used the corruption to slingshot themselves further ahead. There could already be a fair number of them halfway across the region."

Randolph winced. "And with most of the region barely fending for themselves—"

"It leaves any potential survivors heavily outnumbered," Seraphina finished. She glared. "That was the purpose behind months of assaulting us. The Shadow King was wearing us down to guarantee the maximum number of Pokémon corrupted at once."

"And we barely stand a chance against his knights, hmm," Calder said. "It's almost brilliant how far he's pushed us into a corner."

"He's playing with his prey," Vernon stated. "Now that he has the Idol of Origin, getting rid of us is child's play. Think about it, why leave everything up to chance if not to make a big show out of it? He wants us to feel despair before finishing the deed."

Cybil nodded. "I examined the sky and the distance of the corruption. Based off my calculations, it stopped near the border to the ocean."

"Stalling for the inevitable," Cielo concluded. He grunted. "With the idol in hand, we'd have no chance of getting close to him barring a sneak attack. Even then, there's no way we could get close enough or inflict enough damage to guarantee success."

Margo growled. "Are you saying there's no way out? We're doomed?!"

Cielo shook his head. "Not necessarily. At most, we can limit the damage by the army. It's the Shadow King that we can't plan for."

Benedict crossed his arms. "Perhaps we could find a way to link our thoughts with his. The Idol of Origin, according to legend, can't be wielded by more than one person. Too many stray thoughts or interferences are said to disrupt the spells."

"We'd still need to get close to him, and we can't guarantee he won't instantly disrupt the connection."

"Anti-magic?" Calder suggested.

"No immediate access to it, plus it's a rare talent not many mages can learn."

"Punching him really hard?" Margo asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I don't think I need to explain the ineffectiveness of that one." Cielo grunted. "We can't do much about the other armies, so we should prioritize any that try entering Ironworks."

Cybil crossed her arms. "That leads me to a second observation I discovered. Some of the shadow army has been periodically disappearing."

Seraphina raised her brow. "Disappearing?"

"Vanishing under the snow like something dragged them down. I couldn't get a good look at it. I can't tell if it's friend or foe. All I know is that there's something dangerous out there besides the shadows."

"…" Cielo sighed. "Thank you for your findings. Is that everything?"

"Yes, sir."

"You may go." Cybil saluted and walked out with the rest of Team Shatter Star. Once the doors closed, Cielo leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table. "I wish we could do more, but spreading out what little we have to stop the other armies won't do us any good. We can only pray the other zones find a way."

Benedict stared off into space for a moment before walking toward the doors. "If we don't have a plan, we'll wing it. Margo, do you think you can get your forces to rally the citizens and prep them for battle?"

She nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

He nodded and looked to the others. "The rest of you should get some rest."

Vernon smirked. "You should, too, big guy."

"The job's not done until I say so, even if I have to bash through their frontlines to keep these people safe." He pushed open the doors and let himself out.

Cielo sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Benedict's right. Every step we take on from here needs to be perfect. We still have time, so let's figure out a way to limit the casualties here. We're still standing and fighting."

Seraphina nodded. "Agreed."

Randolph sighed. "I just hope Team Ravenfield is managing with their situation. Do you suppose they're coming up with a plan to stop the Shadow King, too?"

Cielo glanced out the window and glared. "Let's hope so. For everyone's sake."

Quartz Plain Village

Lenny watched with skepticism as Hal loaded up a toboggan with supplies from his shop, including food, weapons, ammo, and whatever magical artifacts he could find. He also attached tarps to the front of the toboggan by thick string.

The ex-pirate dressed warmly in a thick fur coat and hat, dusting it off as he closed the shop door. "Been a while since I went on an adventure. Just like the good ol' days."

Lenny raised his brow. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but where are you going?"

Hal dug a small bag tied into a knot from his coat. "Like I said, I know some folks who can lend me a ship. I plan to take the fight to the Shadow King."

"And who would be crazy enough to go on a joyride with you?"

He grinned. "Why, me old crew, of course!"

The barkeep's eyes widened. "Your…old crew? What are you talking about?"

Hal sat down in the wide sled and explained, "After we went our separate ways, I heard they've been running a shipwright company. We haven't spoken in years, and now seems like a good time to catch up after so long."

"Is that even a good idea? Didn't you say they were mad when you left the crew?"

He snickered. "Oh yeah, they'll be steamed to see me ugly mug again!"

"You're insane! What even makes you so sure they're still there?"

"They're a smart bunch. Besides, even if something happened to them, I could still commandeer a quality vessel. They're the only bunch I know who have a ship that can get me that high up into the sky."

Lenny glared. "Hal, this is crazy. You're too old to—"

"And I told ye that I ain't quiverin' like a baby while the youngins' fight our battles. Them hotblooded treasure hunters wanted a final adventure, and who am I to not lend them some aged wisdom?"

Lenny frowned. "Hal, you do realize if something happens, you might, well…" He looked away, awkwardly crossing his arms. "You mean a lot to the people of this village, you know."

"…" Hal sighed and gripped a set of reins attached to the tarp. "I'm aware of the me choices. I'm aware of me age. I ain't the spry sky demon I used to be. Even so, this world belongs to them, not the shadows. It's our job to nurture and help them grow into competent, independent Pokémon. Besides, I owe too much to that rotten skydog, Garret. He gave me a second chance, so I'm makin' this me final act of redemption."

Lenny closed his eyes and sighed. "You are one crazy old man." He held his hips and laughed. "I guess you'll want me to look after the shop for you."

Hal smirked. "I'll do ye one better." He plucked a set of keys from his sleeve and tossed them into the Emboar's hand. "Do with it as ye wish."

"Huh?"

"There's plenty of supplies there to defend the village. Use them wisely." He wrapped the reins around his arm and started undoing the knock on his bag. "And if anythin' were to happen to me…"

"Yeah?"

"…" Hal closed his eye and pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. "Give this to Ms. Ravenfield as a final token of my friendship with her husband. Tell her she can do whatever she wants with it."

Lenny took the scroll and unfurled it. His eyes widened. "Hal, this is…the rights to your shop?!"

Hal's smirk stretched wide. "What can I say? I've gone senile in me old age, givin' away me treasure to those chaotic Ravenfields!" He undid the bag and tossed it.

It exploded against the tarp and conjured a miniature tornado. The winds pushed under the tarp and lifted it. As the winds picked up more speed, they pushed harder against the tarp, compelling it to drag itself and the toboggan forward.

Hal swung his hat and exclaimed, "It's a pirate's life for me! YAR!" He tightened the reins and burst with laughter as the sled catapulted down the street.

Lenny covered his face from the dust that was kicked up and watched the old pirate disappear down the street, his maniacal laughter echoing through the village and disturbing the shadow villagers lumbering by. He frowned and looked at the keys and deed handed off to him.

"…" He sighed and put them away in his apron. "You really have gone senile, old man." He turned to the pawn shop and made his way inside. He looked around at the junk hanging off the shelves and scratched his neck. "Alright, what am I supposed to do with—"

A buzzing sound caught his attention. He looked to the front counter and saw a crystal ball glowing on top. Curious, he went over and waved his hand over to receive the call.

"Hello?" Lenny answered.

"HA! Success at last!" the voice on the other end celebrated. "There's no time to explain! Gene has a very important message for your area!"

Lenny glared. "Important message?"

"Gene is contacting all potential survivors across Mysto. You must alert all neighboring survivors of the impending danger heading out. The shadow army is spreading to eliminate everyone unaffected by the corruption!"

Lenny's eyes widened. Old man, you picked a terrible time for a road trip.

Meanwhile, in Aeternus' secret dimension…

With the mass shadow invasion, the halls of Castle Aeternus lay silent with inactivity. All serving under Aeternus and the shadows reported to the airships for battle, as the clown no longer needed his hideout when the entire world would soon become his stage. The only ones who would remain within the castle were Aeternus' scientists to conduct more research on shadows, perhaps to further his conquest.

However, if that was the case, why was the castle almost completely inaudible?

The underground lab was overturned like a tornado passed through and knocked everything aside. Papers lay scattered over the floor, equipment lay broken against the walls, and vats leaking out rejuvenation fluid after being smashed open. Was it a result of the morning's departure? Was it a burglary?

No, it was wrath.

Among the pile of broke equipment and wet floor, the truth of the matter lay at the center of the lab. A massive magic circle was carved into the floor, taking up the entire width of the lab. As orbs of light took shape across the ceiling, they revealed the hapless scientists gagged and pinned to the floor with dark crystal. Some tried screaming out in agony while others succumbed to the pain and perished on the spot. All the scientists were mauled with bloody injuries, ripped flesh, and broken bones.

The lab doors flew open as a pair of flunkies dragged a Zangoose scientist into the lab. He, too, was covered in bruises, scratches, and bloodstains. He kicked his feet and attempted to wrestle his arms free from the stone goblins as he screamed.

"P-Please, no! NO! I just work for Count Aeternus! I never did you any—GAK!"

A dark crystal spawned from inside his mouth, widening until his jaw started to split by the skin. His muffled screams continued on until the flunkies dropped him on the edge of the magic circle. They grabbed crystal spikes growing out of the floor and impaled them through his arms, causing the scientist to arch his back in agony.

"Is that all of them?" a withered, hoarse voice asked.

The flunkies turned to the lab doors and clapped excitedly. A figure entered the lab draped in a bedsheet stained with blood. She walked with a staff, carrying herself with the remains of her twin tails. A giant flunky followed behind her, carrying the temporally-preserved body of Chantal.

"Place her in the center," she ordered. The flunky nodded and carried the body to the magic circle.

The remaining scientists trembled as the cloaked witch marched into the magic circle, stopping every few seconds to catch her breath. She kept walking until she knelt beside Chantal's body.

"I'm…so sorry, Chantal," she whispered. "I wanted us to have the perfect life together. It could've just been us with Mistress Callista for the rest of our days, and I would've been okay with that. I just needed you in my life." She glared. "Until he took you away from me."

She waved her staff, ordering her flunkies to get into position. The living scientists gasped as the flunkies jumped on top of them, gripping their pointed fingers into their flesh and cackling.

"I don't give a shit about who wins this war in the end, but I won't be satisfied until I watch him suffer for everything he's put me through." The remains of flesh around her mouth twisted into a cruel smirk. "You aren't the only one who plays the long game, Zaros. If you're as smart as you say you are, then surely you've noticed the signs. If you pursue this godly power, it won't end the way you think it will."

She scooped her hand under the deceased Heliolisk's head. She lifted her just enough to where she could lean down and give her a quick, gentle kiss. She lay the corpse back down and stood up, raising her staff over the body.

"I'm done with this. For us. Wait for me, Chantal. I'm going to live the life we deserved, right after I kill every last thing in my way." A tear fell from within the cloak. Isidore sighed and whispered, "I love you, Chantal."

She swirled her staff over her head. A dark fog manifested around the edge of the magic circle, swirling in a clockwise direction much like her staff. The scientists went quiet, as did the flunkies, sensing the change in the air. Dark magic crackled from the disfigured monkey's staff, and the lab became blanketed in an impenetrable fog.

"Na gnireffo fo hself. A ecifircas deleuf yb dertah. Dnib reh hself ot enim dna ekam em wena. Flah-Nomekop, flah-enots."

She slammed her staff down, causing the magic circle to light up in dark magic. The flunkies bit down on the scientists' necks, causing them to scream through their gags. The crackling magic shot through their bodies and broke them down at the molecular level, absorbing their essence into the magic circle with the flunkies.

Chantal's body disintegrated as well, but the essence swirled around Isidore instead. She spread her arms out and accepted the essence into herself. Her cloak flew off, briefly exposing the skeletal, withered appearance of the Ambipom before being engulfed in a pillar of dark magic.

Her eyes flashed within the magic, glowing a blinding purple.

"I will revel in your suffering, Zaros Delarosa!"

Meanwhile, in the Snow Zone…

The shadow forces on through the deep snow, unfazed by the hazardous winds. A War and Death knight led their group, aiming for the Swamp Zone to purge any potential survivors. The army grew excited at the thought of conflict and slaughter, some cackling behind their leaders.

War glared. "It'll take us some time to reach the border of the Swamp Zone. Survivors are no doubt barricading their towns."

Death shook his head. "Let them. Death comes for all eventually. It is inevitable." His steed blew black flames from its snout.

"And the pyre of War shall incinerate their fruitless defenses," War added. "What pitiful creatures the Pokémon are. No resolve to speak of. Mortality is their weakness."

"Indeed. This land shall become a tomb to build upon the birth of a new—" Death suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Wait." He motioned for their forces to stop.

War stopped and glared up at him. "What is it?"

"I sense something following us."

War looked around, but couldn't see anything beyond the curtain of snow howling around them. "I see nothing. Are you defected and experiencing paranoia?"

"I know Death when I sense it. I sense something clinging on the brink of Death, fighting its embrace." His glared deepened. "There's a faint…stench of corruption coming from it, too. Not of darkness, but…something otherworldly."

War sighed and shook her head. "You really are defected." She waved to the army. "Alright, branch out and search for—"

Just then, a dozen of their soldiers sank below the snow instantly. War and Death staggered back as more shadow monsters and corrupted Pokémon sank one-by-one. Self-preservation kicked in for the army as many used their shadows to propel themselves up into the air.

"What in the name of the Shadow King?" Death asked. "Have we been followed?"

War morphed her arms into crystal blades. "Bah! A sneak attack by some wretched Pokémon. How cowardly to fight where we can't see. I shall rend the earth apart and drag their corpse into the open—"

Something coiled around War's leg and dragged her down into the snow. Death instantly deployed his sword and struck down, splitting the snow open from the force. He caught a brief glimpse of a cable slithering across the ground before retracting into the snow.

"You dare taunt Death, Pokémon?" Death asked, raising both broadswords over his head. "You shall experience the embrace of—"

The snow burst open under his hooves. His steed tried to incinerate the target below, but a giant hand engulfed its head and twisted its wrist, snapping the steed's neck. The hand lifted Death by the steed's neck and dangled him above the snow.

Death pierced into the arm with a reverse grip and tried to rip it apart, but something caught the edge of the blades. It was then that he noticed something strange about the arm. It wasn't a solid mass of flesh. It was hundreds of difference appendages grafted together, frozen solid and preserved under the snow. The fingers of the hand were made up of various pincers, claws, and tails, each coiling around the shadow nuckelavee.

"What madness is this?"

Laughter sounded below him. "Death comes for all? Sorry, but I've been alluding death longer than you've been a thought in Count Aeternus' mind."

Death's eyes widened as a hideous mass of frozen corpses pulled themselves out from below the snow. The limbs and body were composed entirely of frozen corpses, ice splintering off as it rose. The head, another mass of stray parts, opened itself to reveal rows of teeth composed entirely of smaller, mismatched teeth of various species. The tongue extended, its surface writhing with different types of hands clawing at the air.

"The outer wilds of the Snow Zone are so unforgiving. Every year, every month, every week, some poor fool goes missing because they weren't prepared to handle the hazardous cold. Why do you think the Snow Zone has the least cultivated land? It takes someone adapted to these elements to truly live in them."

The mass of corpses lifted Death over its gaping maw. Death peered down the creature's throat and saw something peering back inside the darkness. A single red eye gleamed in the throat of the monster, its ominous glow highlighting the unnerving grin of the figure inside.

"But for a Puppet Master like me, it's basically a supermarket! I'm sorry, my little creation, but your master requires something a bit more stable than ice-burned flesh. Some shadows will do wonders if I am to serve the Shadow King's will."