I am absolutely blown back by the support as of late. Seriously, you guys bring a smile to my face. Just a quick reply to Guest: it's quite alright. No one's forcing you to enjoy everything. I just needed those little scenes there to set up some stuff for the next couple of episodes.

Onto the chapter, then. The title here is actually from a cutscene in Spyro: Year of the Dragon. But I think it'll make sense in context. As a recommendation, you might want to look up the main menu theme to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and have it playing in the background as mood music. I've put a lot of elbow grease into this one, so I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 41: A Monster to End All Monsters

~Glyphic Falls~

"Captain, are you okay?"

Sticky swooped down and attempted to hoist Luxeira to her feet. She slowly got up and adjusted her helmet. "What exactly was that? My scanner picked up seismic activity right below us. But I don't see any shifting landmasses."

"It was another earthquake, genius, but it passed," Gallian growled.

"Another earthquake?" Sticky looked around the area. "Hmm. I hope there aren't subterranean terrestrials here. I fear their lives may be in jeopardy."

"Who cares? I can't believe they just lied to my face like that," Gallian huffed. He dug his claws into the ground. "My dad trusted them! They were his friends. How could they just betray him like that?"

Sticky poked his nubby hands together. "Not to question your judgment, Gallian, but it did seem like those organized terrestrials disagreed with your assessment. Are you sure you have the right side of this story? I believe you may be hallucinating."

Gallian whirled around and pointed his glowing scythe at Sticky, whose face blanched. "I am not lying! Those two are murderers! They led Dad here… and pushed him off a cliff to his death!" His irises disappeared and his eyes turned pitch-black. "I want them all dead. You hear me? Dead! The whole guild has to pay for what they did to me!"

The rocky crags beside Team Paradox trembled. Pebbles cascaded down to the ground. Gallian looked over his shoulder. The rocks exploded. Dirt and debris threatened to pummel Team Paradox. Gallian swung his scythe, slicing the rocks in half with ease.

"Skraaaw!"

A pair of metal-coated wings smacked together, dispelling the smoke and dust in the air. Toucannon stepped forward, its fierce eyes focusing on Team Paradox. Sticky's eyes widened. "C-Captain! That Toucannon—"

Luxeira nudged her helmet. "Yes, there's clearly something wrong with it. It looks a bit like a Celesteela. Could this Pokémon have become an Ultra Beast?"

Toucannon opened its beak and out came a stream of rocks. Gallian leaped over them. Luxeira and Sticky hid behind a nearby boulder. Gallian landed and slashed with his scythe. Pink energy crescents hurtled toward Toucannon. It threw its wings up to cover its torso.

Toucannon heated its beak. It stared Gallian down. He turned and spat onto the ground, saying, "Just so you know, I'm in a pretty foul mood right now." Toucannon spread its wings apart and launched itself at Gallian. He collapsed into a cloud of shadows. Toucannon flew right by the spot Gallian once stood in. Sticky bathed Toucannon in a cloud of toxic air. However, to his shock, the toxins harmlessly washed off its feathers.

"Impossible," Sticky gasped. Toucannon turned to find Gallian behind it and screeched.

"Not gonna stand down, huh?" Gallian growled. "Fine. Then you're about to feel my rage!"

His eyes went pitch-black once again and he lunged at Toucannon with a ferocious roar.

~Nocturnus Laboratory~

Shane slammed his body against the rock pinning Espeon's tail. "Espeon!" he keened, bouncing off the rock and staggering backward. He turned to his teammates. "What are you two doing? Don't just stand there! We have to get rid of this thing!"

"Shane," Tessa whispered.

"She's trapped under there. We need to get out her out," Shane cried. He turned and pressed himself against the rock. It failed to budge even an inch. "No! No! Move, you stupid rock. Move!" He slid down onto his belly.

"Shane… think about... what you're doing," Null said. "If you move that rock… the ones on top of it will just fall down. You'll end up… getting yourself crushed as well."

Shane teared up. "No, I won't believe that. There's gotta be a way to free her. She can't… she can't be dead! B-Because… if… if she is… then that means…" He tucked his head into his chest and squeezed his eyes shut. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "… it's my fault." He resumed pushing against the rock with renewed vigor.

Tessa bit her lip and looked at Null. "What should we do?" she whispered.

Sighing, Null shook his head. "Help him out… I guess. I have an idea… but it's definitely not the safest thing to do…" Tessa flinched, hesitant to try another risky gambit with how disastrous the last one turned out. "Don't worry… it's not risky for you. I'll be the one… sticking my neck out… literally." He leaned over, coughing hard.

"A-Are you sure?" Tessa said.

"Guys, help me! Please!" Shane sobbed. He banged his head against the rock and staggered back in a daze. Null took in a few heavy breaths and charged forward. His mask hardened as he ran. He struck the rock pinning Espeon's tail and kept his helmet pressed against it. A massive crack splintered through the rock.

Null fell forward as the rock crumbled. Tessa yipped in fright, worried the rest of the rocks would crush Null. With a loud groan, Null threw his body backwards. Shane's eyes widened. Espeon's limp body flew threw the air, landing between him and Tessa unceremoniously. Null fell to his side, hissing loudly. Cracks and discolored splotches peppered the top of his mask. His grotesque, swollen right leg throbbed.

Tessa grabbed an oran berry and sprinted toward Null. She smooshed it against his ankle. "Even if you can't eat anything, the nutrients can seep in through your scales." Whining, Null tensed his hind leg. The berry juice stung.

"Tessa, I need the item pouch over here. Stat!" Shane barked, sitting next to Espeon. Tessa got up and joined her teammate. Her stomach knotted at the sight of Espeon.

"She's… she's…" Tessa struggled to find any words. She squeezed her eyes shut and jerked her head away.

"She's breathing!" Shane cried.

Curious, Tessa cracked open an eye. Shane had a forepaw on Espeon's chest. "But why is part of her chest sucking in while the other part moves out?" Tessa asked.

Shane's brow furrowed. "I saw this on TV once. Her ribs must be broken." He looked up at Tessa. "Give me the item pouch. We've got to fix this!"

"Fix it? Shane, look at her." Tessa pointed a shaky paw at Espeon. Bruises littered her body. One of her ears was bent against her face. Blood trickled out of it and seeped into her fur. "She needs serious healing."

"You think I don't realize that?" Shane snapped. Tessa shrank back, frowning. "Sorry, I…" He took a deep breath, but it couldn't stop his racing thoughts. "Please, just let me try this. I did this to her. I've got to fix it." Tessa reluctantly handed over the item pouch. Shane first pulled out one of their Escape Orbs. He frowned at its dull-gray coloration. "Dang it! This isn't fair!" he hissed, shoving the orb back into the bag. Beside him, Espeon let out a watery cough.

The scene in front of Shane dissolved into a swirling mist of colors. His limbs locked. He found himself staring not at Espeon, but a battered Lunala. She lay curled up in a ball much as Espeon did, letting out wheezing gasps.

"Hang on!" Shane felt himself shout. "Lunala, you've got to stay with me. I'm gonna force this Reviver Seed down and try something with Morning Sun. Don't you die on me! I can't lose you!"

Shane stumbled forward, returning to the underground lab. He snapped to attention and quickly dug through the pouch. Multiple berries rolled out to his side. He found a Reviver Seed and gingerly pulled it out in his mouth.

"What are you going to do with that?" Tessa asked. Shane leaned down toward Espeon's head. He bit down on the seed, then forced Espeon's muzzle open. Blood trickled out onto the floor. Tessa's face turned an odd shade of yellow. She looked away, throwing a paw up over her muzzle. "Augh, gross!" she said, grimacing.

Across the room, Null's eyes widened. A small fireball appeared over Shane's head. Orange light enveloped him and Espeon. "What the—" Null wheezed, before the glow got so bright he had to look away.

By the time Tessa opened her eyes, the glow had faded. Shane pressed Espeon's snout closed and hefted her head up. He grabbed the berries he had gotten from the team's bag and, just as Tessa did to Null earlier, smooshed them against Espeon's hide. Berry juice splattered across her fur, filling the room with a sweet aroma. Shane stared intently at Espeon. He noticed her chest movements gradually return to normal, though it was clear she was shuddering with each breath.

Espeon coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "U… ungh. W… what happened?" She blinked slowly and tried to lift her head up.

Tessa stepped forward. "Easy there, Espeon. You got hurt by the collapsing cave." She shot Shane a curious look. "Does this mean she's okay?"

"I… I don't know," Shane said. "Espeon, how are you feeling?"

Espeon tried to lift her head up, only to squeal in pain and collapse. Shane opened the item pouch and pulled out an oran berry. "Here. You need to get your strength back up." He nudged the berry forward. Espeon nibbled away at it until she was able to sit up. Shane sighed in relief

"The last thing I remember were rocks falling toward me," she whispered. "Did…" She gulped. "Did I get… crushed?"

Shane nodded slowly.

Horror crept across Espeon's face. Her gaze fell to the floor. "No," she whispered. "No!" she shouted. Her head jerked to the right. Espeon stared off into space. "Shut up!" she cried, ears folding flat against her face. "I'm not going back. I never want to see any of you again. Get away!" She staggered to her feet. "Get back, you awful Void Shadows. Go away!"

Shane stepped in front of her. "Espeon, I'm sorry! This was my fault! I never should have suggested such a stupid idea." He slapped a forepaw on the ground. "Stupid! Stupid! I'm such an idiot!" he shouted. Tessa flinched from his shrill cries. Espeon looked at him in confusion. She blinked a few times, took in a deep breath, then exhaled. Espeon lifted her head up and summoned a warm, glowing orb above her. Soft light sprinkled onto her body. Some of her wounds faded, though many of the larger bruises and welts still remained.

"Morning Sun," Shane whispered. A shudder ran down his spine. He had an awful sense of déjà vu, but wasn't sure why. As he though about this, a silhouette of a blazing fire appeared around Espeon. Fierce red eyes looked back at him through the fire. Shane shut his eyes and shook his head. The hallucination vanished. Shane's attention returned to Espeon. "How are you doing now?"

"A little better... I guess. Unlike your berries, recovery moves like Morning Sun can restore my life energy," Espeon said.

Once again, spectral flames gathered around Espeon. The red eyes stared at Shane. He jumped back with a yip, only to find Espeon staring at him in confusion. He quickly forced a smile onto his face and ran up to embrace Espeon. "Oh, thank god you're okay! I thought… I thought I'd…" He gritted his teeth and look away.

Espeon's face flushed and she stepped back from him. "W-Well… it's not perfect." She rubbed her neck with a forepaw. "My ESP… feels fuzzy." The gem on her forehead flickered with dull light. Espeon's eyes widened. "Oh no, I can't call on my telekinesis! Or my telepathy!" Her shivers returned. "My psychic powers... they've been crippled," she whimpered.

"Seriously?" Shane gasped. "What's the problem? Can I do anything to help?"

"I don't know!" Espeon squeaked, looking about in a panic. She shut her eyes and forced herself to take slow, deep breaths. Even though she wanted to scream, she managed to keep herself under control. "It looks like we have to find a way out of here. Otherwise, I'll never be able to get this fixed." She looked around. "For that matter, where exactly is here?"

With Espeon's health restored, Team Radiance finally familiarized themselves with their surroundings. Black crystals lined the walls, floor and ceiling. The crystals distorted the room and gave it a jagged appearance. Shane could barely make out metal grates under the crystals. Had they grown over whatever this room originally was?

Alongside the crystals, emera ores lay scattered around. Tessa's aura feelers curled against her head. "I don't like the look of this place. It's almost like it was completely frozen in time. What are those things hanging down from the ceiling?"

Shane craned his neck upward and clenched his jaw. "That's… but… no way. Sure, they're covered in crystals. But some of those look like lasers. And one of them's a probe!" His eyes darted about. He found other instruments bolted to the walls, buried under a layer of pitch-black crystals.

"Lasers? Espeon, do you know what those things are?" Tessa asked, clasping her paws against her chest.

"No. In all my travels, I've never seen anything like them." Espeon meekly lowered her gaze. "But it looks like they're all focused on that fossilized table."

Shane approached the dark-gray slab of a table. His tails jolted upright. "Ah!" He scampered back toward a nearby cluster of darkened crystals. "There are chains welded to this table," he said, pulse quickening. His rear struck the darkened crystals. He jumped forward, yipping.

Null squinted at the crystals. "Are those… emera ores?"

"If they are, they've been drained of all their power. I didn't even think that was possible," Espeon said. Her brow furrowed. "Look." She pointed a paw forward. "There are lines running from the crystals toward the table. Were they powering something down here?"

Shane looked to his right. Scattered scraps of brown stuck out against the metal floor. He cautiously approached them and hesitantly reached a paw toward the nearest paper. He tapped it with a digit, then yanked his paw back. When nothing happened, he grabbed the paper and held it up toward the cave's dim lighting.

"Guys, I think I may have found something important," he said.

Tessa and Espeon trotted toward him, but Null hung back. He fixed his gaze on the table. His limbs locked up. "Ch… chains. I… I remember… chains," he whispered, head pounding. He tried to shake his head, but his body wouldn't listen. His talons scratched against the steel. Null whimpered, wanting nothing more than to leave this place behind.

"There's writing here," Espeon said, looking at the papers Shane had gathered. "This looks like the Unown language."

"Well, that makes perfect sense, considering who we ran into earlier," Shane said. "I guess this is some sort of ancient lab, then."

"Can either of you read this?" Tessa asked. She poked her digits together and looked down guiltily, muttering, "I know what Unown language is, but never learned how to decipher it."

"Oh, yeah. I can read it. It's super easy," Shane chirped, drawing bewildered looks from the girls. "Like this line on the top here. It says: 'God Killer Unit: Schematics.'" A beat followed, then Shane's eyes widened. He looked back down at the paper. "Wait. 'God Killer?' Th-this is—"

Espeon tried to levitate the paper up, but failed to move it. She huffed her frustration and bent over. "This is what Latias told us about this morning," she said. The trio looked at the page. It was full of sketches. There were more lines of Unown script underneath them.

Design based on invader's memories extracted using Dream Eater.

Four legs for optimal ground speed. Infuse primal energy into paw pads for water and air-running capabilities.

Must have talons for traction and close-ranged combat. Bird design with bug exoskeleton for protection. Vikavolt can help with that.

Tail of a water-type for optimal subaquatic maneuverability. Position dead-center between its hips.

Feathers around the head and chest are critical! Head crest should have solidified primal energy for redirecting air currents. Conduit at the tip of the crest can concentrate the air for attacking purposes. Be sure to speak with Sigilyph about this.

Ears need basic sonar functionality. See Noivern for working demonstration.

Steel-plated jaw to bite the toughest Pokémon hides imaginable. Examine Tyrantrum specimen for good reference!

Layer body in scales, but cover them with dark fur for better camouflaging.

Shane frowned. "Is… is this what I think it is?"

Espeon nodded grimly. "There's no question in my mind. These pictures and the stuff they're describing… they're just like your friend, Null."

Shane examined the page closer. His head tilted to the side. "Is that what Null looks like without his mask? He has a bird's beak. That's so weird."

Tessa grimaced and looked down. "Then… it's true? Null's some sort of experiment?"

Shane bit down on his tongue, fighting back the urge to belt out an, "I told you so." This wasn't something he was happy to be right about. Instead, all he felt was an overwhelming sense of dread. He took a deep breath and looked around at the other papers on the ground. "But who would do something like this? The paper mentioned 'God Killer Unit.' But why?"

Espeon squealed, drawing Shane's attention. She was staring down at a piece of paper, eyes wide and tail curled up against her belly. "No, it can't be," she whispered, staggering back.

Shane approached her. He followed her gaze. His limbs locked up. Tessa joined her teammates, only for her aura feelers to shoot up. "That's the Prism Virus symbol, isn't it? The winged heart? It... that..." Tessa shook her head. "That's impossible. Why's it on this paper?"

"It's not just on the paper," Espeon said, pointing a shaky forepaw forward. Off in the distance, the familiar sigil lay painted on the wall, distorted by the crystals on top of it.

"So, then this place... it must've held a group hating the gods. Latias mentioned something like that, right?" Tessa said, suppressing a shiver. She knew Null was still staring at the table and wanted to say something to comfort him. However, she feared anything she'd have to say would only upset him further.

"Hey." Shane beckoned the girls over. "There's more over here." He held up another page in his mouth. Espeon recited its contents.

"We want to power our creation with primal energy entrapped in the power crystals abundant in this part of Horizon. But the problem is finding a way to do that safely. After all, these are crystallized remnants of the raw power wielded by the gods in their many clashes. If we tried to transfer this energy into another Pokémon, what would happen? We can't simply ask Pokémon to volunteer for such a task. So, as lead designer on the God Killer Project, it falls to me, the Illustrious Golem, to figure out a method by which we can use this primal energy. Even if we succeed, there's still the question of what the creature will look like. But that is something we can continue to investigate…"

"It looks like it's a journal entry of some sort," Shane said, dropping the paper to the ground.

Without warning, Null roared. His teammates jumped in surprise. Before any of them could say anything, Null bashed his head against the table.

"Null! What's wrong?" Tessa cried. Null stepped back from the table, shuddering. He looked up at the instruments that hung from the ceiling, then rammed his mask into the table once again. This time his mask hardened into iron. Cracks and splinters appeared on the table. Null jumped back, hissing loudly.

"… destroy it… destroy it!" he shouted, dropping to the ground and clawing at his helmet. "It hurt us! Get rid of it!"

Tessa tried to run up to him, but Shane stepped in front of her. "What are you doing? He's lashing out. He could hurt you."

"But he's my friend. I can't just let him suffer," Tessa said, though she knew he was right. Null was bigger and far stronger. She wondered if she should deploy a seed or an orb and put him to sleep like in Moonrise Marsh.

"Graagh! Make it stop! Make… the pain… stop!" Null thundered. He got to his feet and charged the table down. He struck it with Iron Head once again. This time the table shattered. Null lumbered forward, only for his eyes to widen as the ground gave out under him. He fell down into the newly-created hole, roaring in anger. Claws scraped metal. Shane's ears reflexively folded and he winced.

"Null, no!" Tessa shouted. Throwing caution to the wind, she shoved Shane's chest and ran forward. However, she immediately skidded to a halt. Metal chains launched themselves into the hole where the table had previously stood. The metallic scratching noises got worse. Null cried out in agony. Tessa's aura feelers stiffened. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"They must've booby trapped the table," Shane said. "What should we do? If we try to free him, we could get wrapped up in chains too!"

"Are you serious? We're not about to leave him here," Tessa said.

"I wasn't saying to leave him here. Just that we shouldn't go right for the chains," Shane said. "I'm sure that there's something around here that can tell us how to deactivate that trap. We just need to do some more investigating."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Espeon asked.

Shane winced. "Okay, I'm not exactly certain. But the trap activated from the table breaking, right? Which means it's not controlled by a Pokémon. So, it stands to reason that there are instructions for it, just in case someone triggered it accidentally."

"But where else are we supposed to look?" Tessa said.

Espeon tapped a paw on Tessa's shoulder and pointed ahead of her. Tessa followed Espeon's paw and went rigid. Shane also looked where Espeon pointed and his stomach squirmed. "H-How did we miss that when we got here?" he gasped.

"It's not exactly well-lit," Espeon said. She walked toward the hidden room she had discovered. Her eyes glowed blue in an effort to provide some light. But her head throbbed, forcing her to stop.

"Espeon, I think there's something wrong here," Tessa said, shivering. "These crystals don't look anything like the emera ores we saw in the other room. They're more like the one's that are covering everything else in here... but ten times bigger!"

"Yeah, this isn't good. It's like they're sucking in all the light…" Espeon's voice trailed off and her gaze fell to the ground.

"What's wrong?" Tessa asked.

"N-Nothing!" Espeon yelped, skirting back from Tessa.

"Um, guys? There's something inside one of these crystals," Shane said. He gulped and crouched low to the ground. His teammates walked up to him.

Tessa's aura feelers tightened. "Not something… someone."

Espeon nodded. "It looks like a Porygon2," she said. "Should we try to free it?"

"No!" Tessa blurted out. "I… I mean… what if it's hostile?"

Shane was inclined to agree with Tessa. At the same time, however, he knew ignoring this discovery wouldn't help Null. "It might have answers for us. Besides, it's three of us and one of it. Plus, it's sure to be weak if it's been trapped in this crystal," Shane said.

Tessa's ears flatted against her head. The idea didn't sit well with her, but neither did letting Null sit inside a booby trap. "Fine," Tessa said, walking toward the other end of the room. Shane's eyes flashed. A small Extrasensory wave destroyed the crystal. Porygon2 fell to the ground, unmoving. "Is… is it dead?" Tessa asked.

Shane reached a forepaw toward it, only to hastily yank it back when Porygon2's body shook. "Gah! Nope, it's alive! Very alive!" Shane yelped, assuming a fighting stance. Slowly, Porygon2's eyes opened. It hovered into the air, but only made it a few inches before collapsing to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Espeon asked.

Who… are you? Porygon2 asked, its voice filled with static that made the trio flinch.

"We're explorers with the Horizon Guild," Shane said.

Porygon2 looked around the cavern. Why… underground? Don't… Its voice descended into static again.

"We found you imprisoned inside a crystal. By the look of things, you've been inside it for a very long time. Is there any chance you can remember what happened?" Espeon said.

In the distance, Null roared. Claws slashed metal. Porygon2's eyes widened. Impossible, it said. We… experiment… sealed. How did… escape?

"No, our friend Null got stuck in your booby-trapped table. We need to free him. Tell us how," Tessa said, worried Porygon2 might try to attack Null.

Voice… recognize. Experiment… here… Porygon2 tried to rise into the air, only to collapse on the ground. Danger… flee… Its voice was heavily garbled.

"Null's not dangerous," Tessa growled, though her voice was riddled with uncertainty. She tried to focus on the good memories she had with Null, but his anguished cries made that an uphill battle.

"So, you were part of the group that created Null," Espeon said, confirmed what his teammates both feared. "What do you remember? You have to tell us."

Porygon2 shook its head. No time. Must flee. It again failed to rise more than a few inches off the ground.

"Look, we're trying to get out of here ourselves. So, how about a deal. You tell us what you know about what happened down here, and we'll get you to safety," Shane said. Porygon2 looked up at Shane. "Like Riolu said, Null's stuck in your booby trap. He's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Accepted, Poryton2 rotated its head. Light flickered in its eyes, before fading out. Then its eyes glowed white and a dim, static image projected onto the wall across from the group.

"Are you recording, Porygon2?"

An unfamiliar voice came from Porygon2's body. Shane tilted his head in confusion. "Is that supposed to be a Golem? What's with the facial hair and the magnet on its head?" he asked. Tessa opened her mouth to reply when Shane held up a forepaw. "No, no, wait. I've got this one. 'That's what they look like in Horizon, Shane.' Am I right?" Tessa slowly nodded. Shane turned back to the video. In it, Golem stepped back.

"This is the first log for the God Killer Project. I, the Illustrious Golem, am the project lead," Golem said. The shod had the same table Null had broken, but it clearly showed Golem was in a building with strange metal panels on the ceiling. Emera ores served as the only source of light in the area.

"If you're watching this in the future, then I hope this means we succeeded in our endeavors. See, I have assembled a group of fellow researchers. Like me, they share a distrust in the gods. We have strong doubts about their abilities to protect us," Golem said. He paced back and forth. "However, you must try to understand where I am come from. You see, calamity befell our world." He looked straight at the camera, which Shane assumed was Porygon2.

"Do not let anyone twist the truth of the matter. The fact is that, as it currently stands, our world... is a world of darkness," Golem continued. He turned his back on the camera for a moment, but it was long enough for the group to spot the winged heart sigil carved into his back. Shane glanced nervously at his teammates, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"A world of darkness?" Tessa whispered, blinking in confusion.

"We were attacked by—" Golem stopped and stroked his beard. "Well, I can't even call it a Pokémon. It was really an entity. An entity known as Dark Matter." He resumed his pacing. "Dark Matter lay siege to the world, turning many Pokémon to stone." His expression darkened. "Pokémon like me. Pokémon like my assistants."

"Our spirits were somehow pulled from our bodies and cast off into a twisted landscape. Though I cannot sense energy, I found psychics who confirmed that this prison, for lack of a better word, had a warped aura. They described the place as a void. Hence, we dubbed it the Voidlands," Golem continued, shaking his head. "No matter where I went, I was besieged by strange images and stranger voices. Saying that our negativity had birthed Dark Matter. That Dark Matter would purify the world by restoring it to its natural state."

Golem turned so that the winged heart sigil was visible yet again. "This symbol... it was scattered around Dark Matter's prison. It was said to represent the true power that forged our world. A power that the specters in the Voidlands claimed the gods have tried, but ultimately failed, to properly control."

"I... I don't understand. Does this mean the Prism Virus is all Dark Matter's doing?" Tessa said. "That's impossible! Dark Matter was destroyed for good by Team Gaia. Everyone knows that."

"Dark Matter was stopped, but from what I've heard, there is a chance it could reappear. And, in the meantime, our world is still shrouded in darkness," Golem continued, turning back to Porygon2. "Before Dark Matter rose up, the constant quarrels between Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, left the world in a state of chaos. One of their battles led to a perilous storm that nearly destroyed Ho-Oh."

Golem shut his eyes and shook his head. "Ho-Oh was saved by two other gods, Solgaleo and Lunala. However, they saved Ho-Oh at the cost of their lives." He clenched his fists. "Somehow, their deaths led to the loss of light from the world. No sunlight. No moonlight. The sky is awash with a strange, twisted vortex reminiscent of what lay in the Voidlands. Perhaps this is the 'greater power of the void' at work."

"I would've thought Arceus would be able to create a new Solgaleo and Lunala to restore our light. But that hasn't happened," Golem said. "It seems as though the gods really don't have all the power that we thought."

"No, that can't be right," Tessa gasped. "The Horizon legends… they say Ho-Oh controlled the light! And she imparted that gift to her saviors."

Shane's chest tightened up. He immediately recalled his nightmare, where Solgaleo's impostor claimed the Horizon legends were lies. Based on what Golem said, it sounded like the impostor was right. Which begged the question, how did Horizon's legends come about? And why were they wrong?

Golem's brow furrowed. "If, indeed, Dark Matter were to return, I firmly believe the gods can't be trusted to keep us safe. We are taking matters into our own hands!" He put a hand on the table behind him. "This power... the power of the void. My team and I will find a way to utilize it. And with it, we'll make a protector we can trust. Our creation will kill the gods before they ruin the world and, most importantly, listen to the will of normal Pokémon." Golem nodded, smiling.

"It will surely be a tough endeavor, but I believe…"

The scene descended into static. Footage… corrupted, Porygon2 announced, its eyes flickering. Before anyone could ask it what it meant, a new image appeared.

"God Killer Project, second update," Golem said, stepping to the side to show off a number of pictures that a Sigilyph levitated in the air. "I, the Illustrious Golem, have ironed out the mechanics for powering our creation. We will infuse it with primal energy from power crystals. They are abundant in Horizon. My associates are gathering as many as they can get their hands on."

"Power crystals?" Shane said.

"That must've been what they called emera ores back then," Espeon figured.

"We do have to be careful how many we gather, though. That much energy is dangerous," Sigilyph said, his flat affect sending a chill down Shane's spine.

"Yes, yes, of course," Golem said, stroking his beard. "In the meantime, let us discuss the body framework. I, the Illustrious Golem, did not develop this idea. Rather, my colleague Musharna proposed it." He snapped his fingers. Sigilyph levitated new pages over. Along with those pages came two Unown. Both of them looked to be in a great deal of pain.

"These are Unown. Very mysterious Pokémon," Golem said. "Alone, they are insignificant. Only capable of using Hidden Power…"

"Puh-please, sir," an Unown I squealed, its body trembling in Sigilyph's psychic grasp. "Let us go!"

Golem shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible. Now then, where was I? Ah, yes. Alone, Unown are meek. But, when brought together, they appear to generate tremendous power." Golem pointed toward Porygon2 and the papers flew forward, expanding to give Team Radiance a look at their contents.

Shane's eyes widened. "No way. They can't do that, can they?"

"Power that some theorize can bend time and space," Golem continued. "In fact, I, the Illustrious Golem, had pioneered the idea that the Unown are, in fact, the remnants of the Thousand Arms that Arceus used to shape our world during its creation."

He walked up to an Unown K and examined it. "Yes. Testing has shown we can combine Unown to create an entirely different Pokémon. Thus, we're gathering Unown."

"I still have concerns about this avenue, sir," Sigilyph said. "Can we really control a large quantity of Unown? They develop hive mind tendencies when grouped together."

"Your concerns are noted. Luckily, I, the Illustrious Golem, have the means to do so. See, it all goes back to 'the power of the void.' It took time, but I figured out what those cryptic messages meant: alchemy!" Golem said. A strange, distorted light rippled through his claws. Even the sigil on his back glowed briefly. "The gods have used this power maliciously, but I intend to use it for the good of all Pokémon everywhere."

"Sir, again, I fear we may not be able to do this successfully," Sigilyph said. "What if a god can sense your use of alchemy?"

"I've already been able to use a few basic runes without detection. The power crystals help shield any strange energy these spells create," Golem said. "Fear not, Sigilyph. For I, the Illustrious Golem, will alchemically fuse Unown together by using these power crystals as a base. And the result? Our God Killer will be born! History will forever remember our names!"

Espeon staggered backwards. "No way. Alchemy? My parents told me that's a forbidden art."

Tessa's aura feelers shot up. "This can't be. Null's really… a bunch of Unown?"

Bile bubbled up in Shane's throat. "Could that have been what the Unown were talking about? About how Null hurt them?" It didn't sit well with him. Especially since Null himself didn't have any control over this.

"No wonder he told me he's always in pain," Tessa said, crestfallen by the revelation.

"I thought that was just the helmet?" Shane said.

"Shh! There's more," Espeon said, pointing at Porygon2's projection.

"Yes, I agree, Sigilyph. We must ensure the Unown's hive mind tendencies don't create obedience issues," Golem said, nodding. He tapped his claws on the table. "I believe there's a solution to this. The Unown are a hive mind, so we simply need minds with stronger wills to counteract them. So, we should infuse the God Killer with memories from Pokémon that have already passed to the spirit realm."

Shane's fur bristled and his tails jolted upright.

"What's wrong, Shane?" Tessa asked.

"I don't know. Something about that statement just… just feels wrong on, like, a personal level," Shane squeaked. His muzzle twitched. "A part of me just wants to lash out at this guy for some reason."

"Could it have something to do with what this guy's saying? Because it makes me sick," Tessa said, shivering.

"Well, yeah. I mean, Golem's clearly off his rocker," Shane said. "But there's also something else to it. The part about the spirit realm really chaffed my tails."

"It could be your instincts. Ninetales are believed to have spiritual powers," Espeon said.

"As in?"

"They commune with the spirits of dead Pokémon," Espeon said.

"Oh," Shane whispered.

"With the help of Horizon's Totem Ninetales, I will search out restless spirits from the spirit realm and summon them. Then, like with the Unown, I can bind them together through the power of the void. The result is a God Killer with rational thought and obedience,"Golem said, nodding approvingly at himself. "Of course, we'll have a contingency for this. I, the Illustrious Golem, will forge a custom-made looplet that will house some of the spirits."

A new paper floated toward Porygon2. The design lacked notches for emeras. It had a small wheel in its center. "I'm sure you notice this part in the center. I will cram spirits of every manner of Pokémon inside the looplet. Then, with the right alchemical runes, the God Killer will be able to change its typing at will."

"Dear god. Null isn't just some experiment. He's an attempt to make another Arceus!" Shane said. He barely managed to stop himself from hurling. "How… why… what am I even watching, here? This is lunacy! You can't just make a god with magic… can you?"

Espeon and Tessa gave Shane astonished looks, but they then heard Golem say, "I suppose you could say that I'm playing god to rid the world of the gods. I prefer to think of it as using the power of the void correctly. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. Given the irony, I think it fitting we call the God Killer's ability... the RKS System!"

Behind Golem, Sigilyph shifted about uneasily.

"You see? No wonder Null's a walking disaster. What were these sickos thinking doing something like this?" Shane said. After a moment, he winced, fearing his wording was too harsh. Tessa didn't seem to give any indication Shane's words bothered her, however.

Espeon's ears drooped. "I can't believe it. This is what researchers were like back then? They're no better than Umbry and I were with the Prism Virus." She gritted her teeth. "I guess that makes sense... if they've got the same symbol."

"Guys, look! It's that purple Pokémon that Gallian was with," Tessa said, pointing up to the screen. On the projection, a Poipole slumbered soundly on the table. Sigilyph and Musharna floated next to it. Unlike Sticky, it lacked a harness.

Golem turned from the table to face the camera. "God Killer Project, third update. Progress on the design hit a snag. We were hard-pressed to think of a body that could adapt to all manner of terrain," Golem explained. "But fortune has smiled upon us."

He gestured toward the Poipole. Musharna had taken her place beside one of the crystalline lasers. Psychic energy pulled it down from the ceiling so it hovered inches above the Poipole's head. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Musharna released a cloud of pink gas. The Poipole's expression relaxed.

"As you can see, this mysterious invader showed up in Horizon," Golem continued. He turned toward the table. "She presented herself as some sort of goodwill ambassador from a place she called 'Ultra Village.' Bah!" He waved a hand dismissively. "She's no doubt here to use the power of the void to try and finish what Dark Matter started. But did a god appear to dispose of her? Of course not. So it falls to me, the Illustrious Golem, to deal with her."

He rubbed his hands on the edge of the table. "Musharna has told me she displays a remarkably different aura from Pokémon in our world. She seems to have memories of creatures from other worlds that can adapt to different situations. So, Musharna will extract those memories. We will use them to construct the God Killer. And then, we will incorporate her spirit into the God Killer, so that it can recognize these alien auras… and dispose of them properly."

Musharna glowed brightly. The Poipole lay there in silence as the laser engulfed her body. Tessa threw her paws up to cover her eyes and looked away. The projection faded to static.

Shane wrapped a foreleg around her. "It's okay, Tessa. It's okay. It's gone," he coaxed.

Espeon turned her disgusted gaze on Porygon2. "How could you willingly let something like this happen?" Porygon2's eyes flickered, producing a new projection.

"The time has come," Golem said. A ball of blue light hovered in front of him. Fluorescent liquid dripped off it, landing in the center of a triangle traced in the ground using chalk. A chalk cross extended off the base of the triangle, while a gigantic chalk circle expanded out from the tip of the triangle. Emera ores surrounded the circle, bathing it in purple light.

Shane's jaw dropped. He gulped. "That's a lot of Unown."

Espeon slowly blinked. "Why is there a pentagram inside the circle? The Unown look completely frightened!"

"The spirits are amassed," Golem continued. The ball of light vibrated angrily. More liquid splashed against the runes drawn in the ground. "I will now activate the binding rune. Sigilyph, prepare the elements!"

Four balls of light hovered toward the circle. The Unown struggled against the forcefield trapping them in the center of the pentagram. Their chorus of panicked cries reached a fever pitch. Sigilyph's body glowed. He lowered a ball of fire into one of the pentagram's points. The second it touched the ground, a beam of orange light shot up toward the ceiling. Sigilyph lowered the remaining three balls of light to the ground: a lump of dirt, a ball of water, and sphere of air. They each touched a tip of the pentagram, sending different-colored beams of light up to join the orange one.

"And last but not least," Golem said, chuckling. His magnet crackled with electricity. Sparks raced ahead of him and settled in the empty pentagram tip.

"What is he doing?" Espeon cried, shrinking back against the wall.

Shane blinked his eyes. "It's some sort of ritual," he whimpered.

A yellow beam of light shot up. Together, the five beams of light pivoted to point at the forcefield of Unown. Hundreds of voices screamed in terror as grotesque, star-shaped runes surrounded the forcefield. "And now, for the spirit core to stabilize everything!"Golem shouted. He traced a pentagon in the air, causing a rune to encase his hand. He touched the rune to the ball of light, shooting it inside the forcefield. For a brief moment, a rune of a winged heart with horns and a piercing red eye appeared. Then, it shattered along with the forcefield. The ball of light swallowed up the Unown. It expanded outward, reaching the edges of the chalk circle.

Golem's eyes lit up. "It's working. It's working! Ho ho ho ho! I'm a genius!" A flash of light overtook the projection, then quickly subsided.

"Look, that's Null! But there's no helmet," Shane said. He stared transfixed at the footage, watching the helmetless Null look around the room curiously. His metal, beak-like mouth opened and closed at random intervals. His fish tail wagged slowly.

"At last. I've done it. I've finally done it," Golem said. Sigilyph's body glowed, and a metal table raised out of the ground, hoisting Null up with it. Golem walked up to Null. He slowly pet Null's feathery crest. "It took four hundred Unown, fifteen power crystals, and over a thousand spirits pulled from the afterlife with the help of Totem Ninetales…"

"P… please, leave my name out of it," a female voice squeaked from off screen. "If the Voice of Life finds out what I've done—"

Golem waved dismissively. "You need not worry. When the God Killer has done its job, we will have no need for the Voice of Life." He stroked his beard. "In any case, as you can plainly see, my creation is awake and alert. That's all that matters."

A Stufful doll floated by Null. With lightning-fast reflexes, he stuck his neck out and grabbed the doll in his jaw. He pulled his head back and bit down on the toy. It squeaked. Eyes brimming with excitement, Null trilled.

"I don't understand. How could Null go from that to… well…" Shane jerked his head back toward the main room, where Null gave another frustrated roar.

"I am going to test the Memory Looplet. I, the Illustrious Golem, shall apply the looplet. Sigilyph, Vikavolt, please record notes for me." Golem turned his back to Porygon2 and slowly slid the looplet onto Null's right foreleg. The second it reached a point where it snugly clung to Null's limb, Null went rigid. His irises faded, his head lolled to the side, and his beak fell open.

"Um, sir? I think there's something wrong," Sigilyph said.

"Relax. He's just incorporating the additional spirits into his life force," Golem said. "Any second how he'll reawaken and—"

Null's eyes shot open. He struck Golem with glowing talons. Null raised his head and roared his fury. His eyes narrowed. He lunged off the table, shrieking in rage. Sigilyph's previously-emotionless voice erupted in a pained warble.

"Oh god!" Shane's eyes widened. His tails shot between his legs. There was nothing he could do to stop memories of Moonrise Marsh from flooding his mind. Shane stood there, petrified.

Null hurled Sigilyph into the laser diodes. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Null jumped onto Sigilyph. He plunged his claws into Sigilyph's torso and yanked them out. Blood spurted out of Sigilyph's body. He abruptly went limp.

"No… dear gods… no!" Espeon cried, curling up defensively against the cavern wall.

Golem had managed to stumble back to his feet, a dazed look in his eyes. "S-Something's wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen!" he said. "Porygon2, what are you doing? Shut off your blasted recorder and help me deactivate the God Killer, quickly. Or—"

A bloodcurdling scream sounded. Locks of white fur float across the projection. Shane's heart hammered in his chest. "No. He didn't… did he?" Shane whispered.

Null shot across the screen. Blood dripped off his chest, beak and talons. Golem's magnet whirred to life, crackling with electricity. However, Musharna's scratched up body hurtled into him. She struck Golem and fell to the ground, eyes hollow and drool seeping out of her mouth.

"Turn it off," Tessa whimpered, pulling on her aura feelers and squeezing her eyes shut.

Roaring angrily, Null stomped toward Golem. Blood trickled out of his beak, staining his fur and the pristine white feathers of his plumage. "What do you think you're doing? You are my creation! I… I command you to stop. Stop I say!" He shot bolts of electricity at Null, but they bounced harmlessly off his body. "No… get back! Get back… I order to you to get back! Stop!"

Null responded with a primal scream. He sank his bloody beak into Golem's hide. Golem cried in pain. Null hefted the rock-type into the air and hurtled him directly at Porygon2. The footage went askew as, presumably, Porygon2 fell to the ground.

"I said… turn it off!"

Tessa blindly charged forward. She struck Porygon2 with a glowing fist. The projection abruptly cut out. Porygon2 slammed up against an emera ore. He sank to the ground.

Espeon's eyes widened. "What are you doing? You're gonna cause another cave-in," she cried.

"E-Easy there, Riolu. Nobody's going to hurt you," Shane said, reaching a forepaw toward her.

"No, get away!" she barked, swatting Shane's paw aside. "I… I need air. I need some air!"

She turned her back on her teammates and ran off toward the far corner of the room, tears streaming from her eyes. Shane and Espeon could only stand there watching, pained expressions on their faces.

What were they supposed to do now?

Okay, debrief time. First off: Espeon. Yes, she was always gonna survive this. It was more meant to set up a bit of an odd moment for Shane that will be popping up again in the future. If you didn't like it, or thought it's OP or whatever, that's fine. No one's forcing you to like the story and everything in it. Secondly: Null's creation. I'm pretty confident that no one was expecting this to be the end result, but this was, pretty much, the plan from the start. I opted to take the "false god/failed Arceus clone" aspects of the canon and expand on them to literally have him be made from remnants of Arceus. And, naturally, with no tech, I needed a good alternative. So, the Unown felt like a reasonable workaround.

It's also where the alchemy comes into play. Gen VII is a generation that has a lot of lore elements plucked from alchemy. Which is why I decided to incorporate some of the broader strokes into this story. In fact, the story's opening monologue about mind, body, and spirit directly references that. Because mind (mercury), body (salt), and spirit (sulfur) are the tria prima of alchemy. Or, essentially, the base elements that material things are composed of. I hope you still found it enjoyable. But, if this backstory wasn't to your liking, then all I can say is I'm sorry. You may not like some of what the next chapter brings, either. Let me know your thoughts either way.

Next time: the answer to life, the universe, and everything.