To my anonymous guests: funny you mention Full Metal Alchemist, because I wasn't actually thinking of it. Happy accident, I suppose. And yes, an Alolan Vulpix using Morning Sun is quite strange. Quite strange indeed.

Chapter 42: Astral Rebirth

Shane and Espeon stood silently in the middle of the tunnel. Porygon2's static bursts provided the only sounds in the whole lab area. Null had stopped struggling against the hexed chains. "Riolu?" Shane called, his voice sounding uneasy.

"Stay back! I… I need a second," Tessa said. Shane tensed up despite being far away from her. He knew how much Null meant to Tessa. The video must've devastated her. He imagined that, if their roles were reversed, he'd have blown up. Shane peered around the emera ore Tessa hid behind. She sat against the wall with her legs tucked in, head buried in her thighs, and her paws grabbing her aura feelers.

"What am I supposed to do? I know Null is really a good person deep down, but what if he loses control again?" she whimpered. "It was only dumb luck that he calmed down when I put him to sleep in Moonrise Marsh, wasn't it?"

Shane didn't have a straight answer for her. It was taking every ounce of his willpower not to dwell on Moonrise Marsh. "I think… Null will listen to you." His words lacked confidence, but they were better than nothing. "S-So, let's get back to freeing him."

"I... I..." Tessa curled into a tighter ball. "I want to help him, but I can't watch any more of that." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Shane. It's... " Tessa took a deep breath. Though the video made her sick to her stomach, it certainly explained why Null told her he was hearing voices.

"I'm sorry. It just— this is a lot to swallow." Tessa rubbed her eyes. "The spirits… they're what made Null fly into a rage in Moonrise Marsh, aren't they?" She didn't wait for Shane to answer before continuing, "I'm so conflicted right now. Null's my friend. I want to believe in him. Help him, too." Tessa sucked in a breath. "But his mask is coming off. What if it breaks… and he flies into an uncontrollable rage? I don't want to lose him, but I'm not strong enough to save him if that happens."

Tessa grabbed her shoulders. "I need time to think. I can't let myself be useless again." She looked up at Shane. "So, please… give me some space."

Shane frowned. He opened his mouth to respond, when a fresh round of snarling rose up from the middle of the room. Their hearts skipped a beat.

"See? This is why… you shouldn't have trusted them!" Null shouted. His head banged against the wall. "They want… to keep the mask on. They don't… care about us. No one cares." Null coughed. "Kill the beast! Kill his friends! They used us! They must pay! Pay! Pay!" He resumed struggling against his chains.

Tessa stared wide-eyed in Null's direction. Shane stepped back from the emera ore, heart hammering against his chest. Null's outburst had left him at a complete loss for words. It had the same effect on Tessa, too.

"R… Riolu…"

Tessa stiffened. She lunged toward Shane and wrapped her arms around him, eliciting a surprised yip. "Hear that? I'll bet he's worried about losing control, too," she squealed. Tessa let go of Shane and lightly rapped her head. "C'mon, think! Think! I have to come up with something!"

Shane stayed silent. His gaze fell toward the ground, mind plagued by memories of cold, slimy swamp water suffocating him.

"Riolu… h-help. You're… my friend. I trust you… to help me," Null wheezed. "I trust you… to keep me… under control."

He bashed his head into a wall. The cavern shook. "Liar!" Null roared. "We're nothing to her! She works… for the beast! She must die! They must all die!"

Again, helmet struck steel. "Shut up!" Null's voice cracked. Shane's ears swiveled forward. "Get out… of my head. I won't… hurt my friends!" Null lurched forward. The chains dug into his hide. He howled in pain.

"You will hurt them. They are… nothing to us. We exist… to kill. We exist… to destroy," Null snarled. "Remember… what we were... created for."

Null scratched his claws against his chains. "… Riolu. I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I don't… remember… how any of that happened. Please. You have to… believe me. I don't… want to hurt… any of you…"

Tessa believed him, but couldn't come up with anything to say to comfort him. She worried about drawing another angry outburst. Still, staying silent wouldn't help, either. Swallowing her fear, Tessa stepped toward the pit.

"It's going… to be okay," she whispered. Tessa got onto her knees and forced a shaky smile onto her face. "We'll get you out of this. I promise…" She glanced back at Shane.

Shane got the message. Still, he held the same doubts Tessa did. The only reason he had managed to keep working with Null after Moonrise Marsh was because of their shared desire to help Tessa. If Tessa didn't know how to help Null, what could he possibly do?

"Hey, human. You better get over here! Something's wrong with Porygon2," Espeon called. Shane walked back to the tunnel to find Espeon staring up at the ceiling. Porygon2 had manifested another projection, but with the damage Tessa had done to him, it was heavily distorted.

"… is… fourteenth update," Golem declared. His rocky beard was missing several pieces. Multiple jagged scars ran across his body. "It… considerable work. But the failed prototype… imprisoned underground…"

Shane glanced down and noticed Porygon2 trembling each time the projection descended into static. "Ugh, we're not going to get anywhere like this. Hey, Espeon, give that Porygon2 a thwack on the head, will ya?"

Espeon raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I'm a human. I know a thing or two about fixing broken machines," he lied. Espeon did as instructed. To her surprise, the flickering projectiong steadied.

"After careful evaluation, I, the Illustrious Golem, have concluded that my first attempt failed because of an error in approach. It was entirely the fault of my late assistants! They didn't point me in the right direction. Instead of using the power of the void to tie a thousand spirits with hundreds of Unown, I should've found one spirit with tremendous will power!"

Golem scratched his side. "Yes. If I can harness a spirit with a strong will, it can control the power of the void without descending into madness! Better yet… I can try a different alchemical hex." He traced a pointed star in the air with his claw. "Namely, a hex that will use the power of the void as a base to combine power crystal energy with pure, raw light!"

He nodded to himself. "Such brilliant energy could not possibly be tainted." He raised a fist. "I'm sure of it. A strong will, combined with the sanctity of light energy, will yield a God Killer with a pure soul that I can properly control!"

The shot veered to the side to show off gray, lifeless emera ores. "These depleted power crystals will serve as the perfect framework for my new creation." He stroked his beard. "Of course, there is still the matter of finding a strong-willed spirit to turn into the God Killer." Golem paused to smirk at the camera. "But I think I know the solution. I will summon a human and make it the God Killer's core!"

Shane's tails ducked between his legs. "But I thought only gods could summon humans. He can't do that, can he?"

"That's… that's what I had figured. But he sure sounds confident," Espeon said.

"Plus, humans are easy to manipulate. After all, Mew forced one to fight Dark Matter. The way I see it, what I'm proposing is no different," Golem continued. "There is much prep work to be done. But I'm confident this will work."

The footage cut out, but quickly shifted to another scene. This time, a Growlithe sat atop the table, whimpering loudly. "What's going on?" he said. "This doesn't make any sense. I'm supposed to be dead. Did... did the pills do this? Oh, god... am I in a coma? Is this some crazy coma dream?"

"Quiet him, please," Golem ordered. A Claydol hovered behind Growlithe and pressed one of its floating limbs to the fire-type's snout. "Good. Now then." He turned back to the camera. "Though this may look like a normal Growlithe, it is, in fact, a human. I, the Illustrious Golem, brought him over from the human world. And it appears that, in the process, he acquired a body that is more natural to our world."

"It's no matter, however. His mind and spirit are human. His will is strong enough to wield the power of the void," Golem said. "All I need to do is entrap him in the empty power crystals using the proper alchemical runes, then let him incubate. The results will be exactly what I'm looking for."

Claydol floated back from the Growlithe and he immediately shouted, "Hey, I asked a question! Why isn't anyone answering me? What's going on here? Why am I Growlithe? This doesn't make any sense. I'm a human!" he barked. "Besides... I'm worthless. Just... send me back or whatever. I can't help you out with anything."

"Don't say such ridiculous things," Golem scoffed. Growlithe's tail fell between his legs and his whimpers intensified. Golem approached him. "Let me ask you something, human. How would you like the opportunity to be a hero?"

Growlithe lifted up his head, frowning. "Dude, do you realize how cheesy that sounds? What am I, five? I told you I'm not interested. Send me back. I don't want anything to do with any of you."

"Now, now, there's no need to get testy. I really mean it. With my help, you can become something truly special. You see…" Golem stroked what little remained of his beard. "You are our chosen one. Our savior. It is your destiny to become our protector and save us all from terrible calamities."

Growlithe's face scrunched up. "I don't believe you. You're lying to me. Just like everyone back home did. I'm not falling for it." He growled threateningly at Golem.

"Oh dear, it seems I picked a lousy human." Golem shook his head. "But fear not, boy! For I, the Illustrious Golem, am going to help you. Even if you don't believe me, I'll make you beloved by every Pokémon around the world!"

"And how exactly would you do that, huh? You're just a Golem. A weird, ridiculous Golem... with facial hair." Growlithe lowered his head, face contorting in anger. "I'm so sick and tired of everyone's lies. Just look me in the eyes and tell me the real reason I'm here, already! Looks like we're in a lab. So, what, am I gonna be your experiment? Man up and tell me!"

"My, my. You must've been through quite the ordeal in your world to act so hostile," Golem said. "But don't you fret. I'm a 'mon of my word. When I say I'm going to make you special, I mean it. You'll have so many friends, you won't even know what to do with yourself."

"God, you're still going on about that? No deal. I'm not working with you. You're just going to take advantage of me!" Growlithe said

Shane's brow furrowed. Growlithe's combative attitude felt familiar. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end. He tried to concentrate, but his thoughts were still jumbled up with unwanted flashbacks to Moonrise Marsh. He even heard Tessa consoling Null in the distance.

Epseon gulped. "They used a child. Dear gods, they brought a child here to experiment on?"

Back on the video, Golem sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. "Well, I tried to be reasonable." He turned to Claydol and whispered, "Do it."

One of the repaired lasers descended behind Growlithe, and a beam struck him in the back. Growlithe briefly hollered, before collapsing on his side. "Now then, it's time to get started," Golem said. He snapped his fingers. Claydol levitated Growlithe into the air. The shot turned to the right, where five depleted emera ores sat arranged in an upside-down pentagram. Claydol lowered Growlithe into the center of the structure. Golem's magnet whirred to life. He electrocuted the ground, tracing over the outline of the pentagram and then drawing in a circle around it.

"Now, for the runes." Golem approached the nearest crystal and traced a circle. He added a small semicircle on top of it, and then a tiny cross sticking out. "Mind," he said. The sigil alighted. Golem sidestepped to the second crystal and drew a circle with a horizontal bar running through it. "Body," he whispered. The second rune glowed.

Porygon2 followed him to the third crystal. Golem traced a triangle, with a cross protruding from its base. "Spirit," he said, lighting up the rune. Golem moved onto the fourth crystal and drew a circle with a dot in the center. "Sun," he said. The rune lit up. Finally, he walked to the last crystal and traced a crescent into it. "Moon."

He stepped back outside of the circle. The five runes flashed in unison. Their light spread out across the dead emera ores. One by one, the crystals melted into shining, bubbling piles of molten rock. The liquid ore swirled around, forming a circle around Growlithe's slumbering form. It progressively shrank in size, until the liquified ore swallowed Growlithe up whole. Golem turned and electrocuted a nearby cluster of emera ores. The crystals burst apart. Black chains surrounded the silver and gold bubble encasing Growlithe.

"And now, we wait for the void's power to cement itself," Goldem declared. Static overtook the projected screen again.

Shane cautiously approached Porygon2. But he froze when he heard an unseen voice say, "So, this guy's actually recording all of this? Am I, like, supposed to say something?"

Shane looked up at the ceiling and barked in fright. "What the–? What am I looking at?" He dropped to his belly, instinctively curling his forepaws up in an attempt to shield his face. Above him, the projection showed off a blinding light that seemed to fill the entire screen. Espeon stared utterly transfixed at the projection, noting the crystalline face staring Porygon2 down. It blinked its rainbow eyes and curved its beak into a warm smile.

"Huh. That thing's face looks a bit like Null's did without his helmet. I think it's the angles of the eyes and the beak," Espeon said.

"Now, now," Golem chided from offscreen. He stepped into the shot, blunting some of the light. "Do be careful. You're giving off an awful lot of light. You wouldn't want to blind poor Porygon2 over here, would you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The glowing dimmed somewhat, allowing Shane and Espeon to see a large light dragon sticking out against the darkened world. Its head resembled a pointed star, with its multicolored eyes lacking pupils. Four ethereal wings sat folded against its crystalline chest. Its tail was made of crystal rings spaced out between segments of light. The dragon curled its tail around its crystalline legs.

"It's quite alright," Golem insisted. "I just need to give my progress report and then you can go practice channeling your energy."

"Fine," the dragon huffed. Shane realized the voice was similar to Growlithe's. "I've gotta ask, though… what happened to your moon? Does it just not exist?"

Golem sighed. "We've been over this already. Our world has no sun. And no moon. They were taken from us by selfish gods who you're here to save us from."

The dragon blinked. The yellow and green in his eyes expanded. His tail vibrated. "Well, can't we just bring them back?" he asked.

Golem's brow furrowed. "Of course not. There's no way to—"

The light dragon frowned. "I don't believe that." He looked up. "There's a fix. I can feel it… deep inside." A rainbow of colors swirling through his eyes. His chest flared with golden light, revealing a winged-heart carved around his central chest spike.

Golem's eyes widened as the dragon hovered into the air. "Now wait just a second. You are my creation, and I'm ordering you to cease this at on—"

An Ultra Wormhole opened behind the dragon. He vanished inside of it, leaving Golem standing there slack-jawed. "Ah! That can't be." Espeon backpedalled in surprise. "Those are just like the portals Lunala could make."

"They're the ones Zero used," Shane added. "But why– agh!"

The projection erupted in a brilliant flash of light. Shane and Espeon turned away, scrunching their faces in pain. He briefly wondered how Porygon2 held up through all of this in the past. But those thoughts went away when Claydol shouted, "Golem, look! The sun… daytime! It's back! It's back!"

Shane and Espeon turned around. Their jaws dropped. Claydol was right. The sun shined brilliantly from a bright-blue sky. And the light dragon had returned. He now floated in front of Golem. Claydol hovered up to him, cheering enthusiastically. Several other Pokémon streamed in after him.

"The sun's back! Our creation's saving us already!" a Druddigon cheered.

"We have light in our world once more!" a Bronzong bellowed.

"Praise be to our vaunted protector! Praise the Guiding Light!" a Clefable declared.

"Guiding Light! Guiding Light! Guiding Light!" they all shouted in unison.

The light dragon's tail thumped against the ground. Colors swirled around in his eyes. He opened his beak, looking like he wanted to say something, but all that came out was a joyful squawk.

Golem stroked his beard. "Remarkable. This is even more of a resounding success than I, the Illustrious Golem, could have predicted. Yes, this 'Guiding Light' shall protect us all. And I, as his creator, shall be revered for all eternity. Ho ho ho ho! This is truly a great day for Pokémon everywhere."

The dragon continued to bask in the praise of Golem's assistants until static cut the footage out. Shane jolted up and looked at Porygon2 "No, wait! Go back! That stuff looked important." He jumped next to Porygon2 and jostled its body. However, it shifted to a new recording. Enraged cries made Shane's ears twitch, then fold against his face. Espeon likewise grimaced and looked away.

"Let me out of here! You can't take my light from me! I'm doing good!" the light dragon roared. "I'm a good Pokémon! I have friends now!" He slammed up against an blue energy dome. It flashed brightly. "Zek! Latios! Xern! Please, help me! Help me!" Blue and purple expanded in his eyes, pushing the other colors to the peripheries.

"Silence!" Golem declared. Another bright flash exploded across the projection. Shane's pupils shrank and he stumbled back, rapidly blinking the stars out of his vision. "What were you thinking, making a new Solgaleo and Lunala? I didn't tell you to do that!"

The dragon release a blinding burst of light, but the barrier held firm. "I was doing it for my friends— for my mate! Something a bas[size=4]t[/size]ard like you wouldn't understand!" he barked. "You're wrong about this world! It can function with gods! Let me go! I can show you! I can prove it! Please…" Shudders wracked his body. "Give me a chance!"

"Backstabbing cretin!" Golem shouted. The light dragon winced. "I created you to kill those contemptible gods. Not befriend them!" He shook his head. "And, did I just hear you say you had a mate?" Golem slammed a fist into a metal table. "You let them brainwash you!" He pointed an accusatory claw toward the dragon.

"No! Nobody brainwashed me! I saw the gods for what they are… well-meaning 'mons who need help!" The dragon released another series of blasts. Shane and Espeon looked away. Neither of them could say a word. They knew what they were watching disgusted them, but couldn't force themselves to stop.

"That's what you brought me here for. To help people." The dragon slammed into the energy dome and bounced off it. "I want to help! I deserve to be happy! I gave you all light! I brought your happiness back! It was me… me… me!"

Shane tensed. It was brief, but he saw the winged-heart carving flash red. Dark shadows had rippled through the dragon's eyes.

"I gave you permission to go out unsupervised… with the understanding you were faking winning over the gods' trust so you could destroy them!" Golem snarled. "I will not be made a fool of, human!"

Shane finally found his voice. "It's really true, then. The Horizon legends were wrong. Ho-Oh didn't make Solgaleo and Lunala. This 'Guiding Light' did."

Golem shook his head. "And you know what? I might have been willing to look past your transgression, but then you went and shared your life energy with those blasted Tapus!" He stomped his foot angrily.

"I was helping!" the dragon thundered. "You complained the gods did a bad job protecting the world, so I was giving them means to do a better job!" He trembled with rage. "If you'd let me out, I could show you exactly what my plan is. Please! I'm confident it will work!"

"Not a chance!" Golem huffed.

The dragon resumed struggling, roaring in anguish. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Xern? Xern?! Where are you? I need you! P… please! Save me!" His eyes shot open and he looked around. The golden glow began to fade from his head and tail. He shook his head "N… no. She can hear me. She's coming. She'll save me! I can't… I can't… be used… again!"

"Hmph. You've made a mockery of me. Perhaps some time without your precious light will do you some good, child," Golem scoffed. "Then, maybe you will understand the importance of the fate I've created for you. Now, Claydol, engage!"

The rune above the barrier glowed blue. The light dragon let out a hair-raising scream as energy erupted inside of the barrier. Shane and Espeon shut their eyes and looked away. The projection glowed so bright it made Porygon2 tremble. They sensed the bright flash die down and slowly opened their eyes. In the projection, they noticed the light dragon was gone. Dark black crystals littered the ground. A triangular prism sat outside the forcefield, filled with small patches of multicolored light. At the center of the pile of crystals lay Growlithe's colorless, unmoving body.

Golem's eyes widened. "What's going on here? What happened to the human?"

Suddenly, the triangular prism rose into the air. Black electricity crackled around it. "You… YoU!"

Shane's tails shot between his legs. There was a voice coming from somewhere, but it was incredibly distorted and hard to make out.

The prism twitched in midair. "No! P-Please, I—"

"I wArNED YoU! YoU CoST Us OUr LiGhT!"

One by one, the black crystals lying on the ground shot up toward the prism, slamming against it. What was one the light dragon's head became a torso around the prism. The tail rings formed into a head. Each leg attached itself to one of the dragon's lower wing bones. They forcibly inserted themselves into the beast's body, giving it two new arms. It flailed the arms about wildly. "N-nngh… you're wrong! I can fix this! I can—"

Golem staggered backwards. "This is impossible. I stripped you of your power. You shouldn't have any energy left! You should be a Growlithe again!" He looked toward Claydol. "Claydol, Where did this prism come from? Dispose of it, now!"

"Wait… prism?" Shane's eyes widened. "Oh my god!"

The light dragon's upper wing bones jammed themselves into the base of the black, crystalline beast. They dangled uselessly in midair. The beast bashed its face with its arms. "yOU hAd YoUR cHAnCE. I wIlL… I…" Its arms trembled. "VoId… TeR—"

"G-Golem, please!" the original voice shouted while the beast lurched away from Golem. "Give me back my light! Give me… back…"

The beast looked up and belted out a loud scream. Rainbow energy gathered around it. Claydol had managed to float behind the prism, but it detonated the energy it was gathering. The rainbow light burned Claydol and the comatose Growlithe into ashes and blew their remains away. Golem turned and tried to run, but the prism released another rainbow laser. Golem turned to dust before Shane's and Espeon's eyes.

"Light! Where is… my light? I need light!" the prism howled, the distortion fading from his voice. He swiveled about, looking around the empty lab.

"Human! Look, on the back of that thing's head!" Espy's tail ducked between her legs.

"It's that star pattern Zero had on her chest," Shane said.

"And Lunala was covered in black armor that looked exactly like this thing!" Espeon squeaked. Violent tremors racked her body, nearly causing her to faint.

"Heeheeheehee! Your friends… didn't come. Your precious Xern didn't come. You called them... and they didn't come. Everyone turned their backs on you. They used you, just like I said they would!" the beast shouted, hovering erratically. "It's time to forget about them. You don't need them. You don't need anyone! Not anymore!

"Give yourself up to the void and destroy them! Destroy everyone who hurt you!" The beast looked around. "I'll get us light. I will consume. I will destroy!"

He shot a burst of psychic energy above him, blowing apart the lab's roof. "I am Necrozma, Devourer of Light!" he shouted. Black crystals jutted out of the ground around him, spreading across the floor and racing up the walls. Necrozma flew into the air and looked down at Porygon2. "You. You have… light. I want your light. I must have your light!"

The shot grew smaller. Presumably a result of Porygon2 trying to flee. The gesture proved futile. Rainbow lasers streamed down everywhere. Porygon2 seemed to fall to the ground, because Necrozma disappeared from the shot. A furious roar sounded and a portal appeared from the ground.

"Hey, that's Solgaleo. And he's got Lunala with him," Shane said.

The rainbow lights in Necrozma's prism dimmed. He raked his claws across his face. "G-Guys! Puh… please! H-help me!"

Necrozma's arms flailed. His lights flared up. "No. You abandoned me! I gave you life… and this is how you repay me?" Necrozma drift offscreen and screeched. "No matter. You're filled with plenty of light. My light. And I'm going to take it back. Your light is mine! All light is mine!"

Solgaleo and Lunala darted out of the shot. More black crystals suddenly shot out of the ground, growing steadily closer to the camera. The shot rolled upward, offering Shane and Espeon a glimpse of Solgaleo and Lunala striking in unison. Another explosion of light emerged, and static filled up the projection.

"A single burst of light… gave the world its stardust," Espeon whispered. Her gaze fell to the ground. "It's true. All of it's true!" She started to hyperventilate. "Th… this is… I…"

Shane stumbled back from Porygon2, his heart hammering in his chest while his mind struggled to process everything. His hind paw struck something soft. He yipped and whirled around, ice particles forming in his mouth. But his attack faded when he saw a small doll lying on the ground. It was worn out and covered in dust.

"Are you alright, human? You look a bit shell-shocked," Espeon said, shakily walking toward him

"I found this doll," Shane whispered, beckoning Espeon over.

"It's a Pikachu," Espeon said. "Do you suppose it belonged to Growlithe?"

"I think so," Shane said. He looked down and his brow furrowed at the sight of some torn cloth attached to the doll's stomach. It felt oddly familiar, but he couldn't put his paw on it.

Espeon turned to face Porygon2. "You owe us an explanation. What were you thinking, trying to make Pokémon with alchemy?"

No… trust, Porygon2 muttered. Ruined… never… us. Protect ourselves… danger.

"And just what's that supposed to mean, huh?" Shane huffed.

In response to this, Porygon2's body stiffened. Power cells… drained. Cannot sustain life force.

Shane's eyes widened. He had gotten so engrossed in the video, he forgot the real reason behind freeing Porygon2 was to figure out how to stop the booby trap. And that opportunity was about slip away. "Whoa, hold up! You're not going out on us like that." He turned to face the other room. "Riolu! Get up. We need an oran berry in here, stat!" But his shouting proved a wasted gesture. Porygon2's eyes shut and its head slumped over against the rocks. Its body glowed bright-blue and burst into light particles that disappeared before Shane's eyes.

"Dang it! We need answers from him!" he hissed, slamming his forepaw on the ground.

"We forgot to ask him about the trap Null's stuck in," Espeon added. "Though, after what we just saw, I don't exactly blame Riolu for not wanting to help him out. That was… tough to stomach."

Shane frowned. "Yeah," he sighed. "You have no idea how tempted I am to ditch him and get out of here. But…" He took a deep breath. "We shouldn't do it. Because Tessa was right. None of this is Null's fault. She believes there's a way to fix him, so I'm going to trust her. Besides, if we just left him down here to rot… we'd be no better than Golem and his ilk."

Espeon grimaced. "I see your point."

Before either could say anything else, an explosion echoed from the main room, followed by a loud, throaty roar. Shane and Espeon abruptly turned around. "Do… do you smell smoke?" Espeon squeaked.

"Yeah. And did it get hotter in here all of a sudden or what?" Shane said.

They heard a scream. Their ears twitched and they exchanged panicked looks. They sprinted out of the tunnel and back into the main laboratory area, where they found Tessa hiding in the corner behind an inactive emera ore, shivering.

"What the— Entei? What are you doing here?" Espeon gasped, her tail falling between her legs at the sight of the fire-type god standing in front of the remains of the earlier cave-in.

"You! You collapsed the cave on us. You tried to kill us!" he roared, smoke billowing from his nostrils. Entei pointed his forepaw at Shane, whose eyes widened.

"That's not Entei… it's the Unown!" Shane cried. "Crap! How they heck did they survive that?"

"We'll make you pay. We'll burn you to ashes!" He stomped the ground with his forepaws. Molten fire erupted around him. Shane and Espeon had no escape from the Lava Plume. The flames washed across them, upending both of them and sending their scorched bodies rolling back to a stop by the emera ore that Tessa sat hidden behind.

Tessa roused herself from her stupified state. She grabbed a pair of oran berries from her bag and shoved them in her teammates' mouths. They managed to get back to their feet. Entei roared his fury. He shot forward, paws leave a trail of flames on the ground. Shane's tails scrunched up in a panic. "Ah, no! Move, move, move!" he shouted, shoving Espeon next to Tessa behind the emera ore.

He pivoted and screeched at Entei. Roar's sound waves stopped Entei in his tracks and sent him skidding back along the ground. "You will not escape. We will make you suffer as our kind have suffered," he snarled. More fire gathered around him. Shane squealed in terror and scrambled over toward a rock shard. He dove for cover just as the Lava Plume raced forward. He pressed himself against the rock and hugged it for dear life. Shane didn't see a way out of this. After all, he had to resort to causing a cave-in to beat the Unown-powered Golurk. What chance did he have against a copy of Entei?

Sweat pooled up under his fur as heat from Entei's attack raced around him. Shane looked over and spotted Espeon poking her head out from cover. Her eyes flashed blue, only for the glow to fade. She bit her lip. Espeon shot a pink Psybeam toward the ceiling, much to her relief. The drill apparatus detached from the wall and fell right onto Entei's head. His eyes shut and he staggered backward, howling in pain.

"There's your opening. Go!" Espeon shouted, charging forward. Shane leaped over the debris and sprinted toward Entei, a layer of water coating his tails. Tessa remained rooted to her spot, trembling in fear. She heard a roar of pain and looked up to see Espeon using another Psybeam to knock Entei toward Shane, who clubbed him with his Aqua Tails. Entei hissed as he stumbled backwards.

"Nice work, Espeon," Shane said. But any further celebration was cut short as a blue glow encased Entei.

"We will not submit. Not until we've destroyed you all," Entei snarled. He reared up on his hind legs. Blue light erupted around him. When the light faded, what landed on the ground was most definitely not Entei.

"It changed to Suicune?" Espeon gasped. "They can do that?"

"You saw the recordings for yourself," Shane said, dodging a blast of steaming-hot water from Suicune. "Get a bunch of these little guys together in a room and they can do all kinds of crazy stuff."

Espeon gathered purple energy above her head. But before she could throw the Shadow Ball forward, a gray Ice Beam struck her right in the muzzle. She recoiled and the Shadow Ball detonated prematurely. Smoke filled up the area.

"No, Espeon!" Shane cried, but found himself backpedaling to dodge Suicune, who had jumped between him and Espeon. He then saw a small blur rushing through the smoke. Tessa lunged for Suicune, electricity rippling across her fists. Suicune turned in time for Tessa to connect with her cheek. She howled in pain and fell onto her side. Tessa hit the ground and shot a panicked look at Shane.

"Look, the cave-in's cleared. We need to get out of here now," she said. She started to reach into her bag when the strap gave a violent lurch upward. Tessa yelped as her item bag hoisted her into the air. Her torso started to fall through the open strap and she looked down to see Suicune's eyes glowing. Suicune stood tall against a Psybeam from Esepeon. Her eyes flashed purple. Tessa felt a burning sensation race across her paw and looked up. She stared at her glowing item pouch before it burst into flames.

Suicune shifted back into Entei in the process. Tessa screamed as fire engulfed her body and she plummeted down to the ground. "Tessa!" Shane cried. He leaped into the air and wrapped himself around her. They both fell to the ground, rolling into a heap by a dead emera ore.

"One down. Two to go," Entei said. His eyes burned with anger. He lunged for Espeon. She raised up a pink barrier and Entei bounced off of it, though the contact made Espeon flinch and grit her teeth. She looked back and saw Shane standing over Tessa, looking despondently at his teammate. Her fur was charred from head to toe. She lay unmoving on the ground.

Flames enveloped Entei's body. Roaring, another Lava Plume exploded out from him. Espeon gritted her teeth and concentrated. A Psybeam flung Shane and the unconscious Tessa behind a large crystal. This left Espeon to take the Lava Plume by herself. She yelped in pain and her knees quivered. She fell to the ground, but before all her strength failed her, she managed to shoot a ball of light over her head. Morning Sun energy washed over her, erasing the burns in her fur and restoring her vitality.

"Stop it! You're not allowed to do that. You have to pay. You all have to pay!" Entei barked.

"You don't understand. We're not trying to hurt you," Espeon said. "We saw what happened to those Unown. How they got made into Null. That wasn't us!"

"You all let it happen! You are guilty!" Entei bellowed. In a flash of light, he transformed into Raikou.

He sent electricity surging forward, but a cloud of frosty air stalemated the attack. Shane charged in, his eyes flashing pink after Tessa's injuries had sparked a second wind. "Entei, Suicune, or Raikou. It doesn't matter how often you shift between them. You hurt my friend and you're going to pay!" he hissed, sending Extrasensory waves surging toward Raikou.

Raikou pivoted and fired his own Extrasensory ripples. The psychic waves collided in midair. A pink blast enveloped the area, followed by a fresh cloud of smoke. Another flash of light ensued and a gust of wind immediately dispelled the smog. Suicune spun around, a Hydro Pump gushing from her muzzle. In the midst of running, Shane had no means to dodge. The torrent swept him up and the force of the water blasted him directly into a wall with a sickening crunch.

"N-no…" he wheezed, the air rushing out of him. "This is… not fair…" He sank down onto the ground and his eyes slowly closed. Espeon hunched over in fright.

"That just leaves you," Suicune said, her voice far calmer and serene compared to Entei's. "And then we can properly dispose of the Abomination."

"You're making a mistake," Espeon said, shrinking back toward the wall. "We didn't have anything to do with Null's creation. We ended up here by complete accident."

"But you're associating with him," Suicune pointed out.

"Because he's part of Team Radiance," Espeon retorted. "You're blaming the wrong Pokémon. Null's as much a victim in this thing as you Unown are. Attacking him won't change anything. It's not going to bring back all the Unown that were used to make him. You'd need powerful alchemy to make that happen!"

"That's not true," Suicune growled. Her form shifted back to Entei. "The emera ores. He could've used them. He could've reversed the hexes. But he didn't. He's kept our kind bound together… suffering as that monstrosity! We will wipe him off the earth, so that our fellow Unown can pass to the spirit realm peacefully."

Espeon squealed in fright as she stared down an oncoming fireball. She dashed to the right, watching the fireball detonate into a wall of blue flames. Her eyes widened. If Entei's Sacred Fire connected with her, she wouldn't stand a chance of surviving the blow.

"Get back here!" Entei roared. He leaped forward, shifting to Raikou, and sprinted toward her. Electricity crackled across his body. Espeon channeled a tiny amount psychic energy and flicked her tail. A Psybeam fired out behind her, catching Raikou by surprise. He was forced to discharge the electricity he'd gathered to negate her attack. Espeon found herself standing next to the hole where Null was trapped.

"Null, you have to get out of there," Espeon begged. "I need your help. Riolu and Vulpix… they're… they're…"

Her eyes widened at the sight of a wall of electricity racing toward her. She dived into the hole, landing on the chained-up Null. The lightning surged over her. She sighed in relief. However, it didn't take long for her plan to backfire tremendously. She looked up to find Suicune glaring at her. Suicune opened her muzzle. Espeon yelped as torrential waters pummeled her and Null. Espeon's strength failed her. She went limp on top of Null. He glanced up at Suicune and resumed struggling against his chains.

"How does it feel to be bound up by a magical force, unable to break free no matter what you try?" Suicune asked, tone full of malice. " That is how our brothers and sisters felt in their last moments before they were turned into you." She tilted her head up. "And now, we'll bury you in a watery grave and toss your so-called friends in alongside you."

She pointed her head down. Null howled in pain from the onslaught of high-pressure water. His heart raced as water pooled up around him, quickly reaching his underbelly. Though Suicune strained to maintain her Hydro Pump, it eventually reached a point where Null was completely submerged. Espeon briefly floated along the surface, before the bag around her torso dragged her underwater.

Null resumed thrashing, grimacing as the chains rubbed up against his fur and scales. This wasn't fair. His friends didn't deserve this. None of this was their faults. It all went back to him. And Golem. All that "power of the void" nonsense had led to this. Espeon was about to drown. All because of him.

Let her drown. She is worthless.

The rising water blurred his vision. Null had to shut his eyes while he struggled against his chains. Yet, he found a single eye with a violet, reptilian iris staring back at him. The slit-like pupil expanded.

These so-called friends were never worth your time. Forget them. Embrace the powers bestowed upon you to break your restraints and dispose of these vermin.

Null's breathing grew heavy. Vermin? No, his friends weren't vermin. He thought back to the guild. Of how Tessa went up to him, offering to let him join her team. She wasn't coerced. It was all voluntarily. There was never any pressure.

He thought about the evenings spent talking to Tessa. She made him feel welcomed. It was the first time he thought he actually mattered. Null remembered how Tessa rushed to his defense against Sticky's accusations, then was there to stop him from flying off the handle at Shane. She could've— no, should've abandoned him after that, but she didn't.

Worthless memories. The eye staring back at him rippled. They will do you no good. You cannot have friends. You are a destroyer! Act like it!

But Null didn't want to hurt anyone. He hated the things he heard in Golem's recordings. He wanted his friends to be happy. And he wanted to be happy, too. Null lurched his head upward. It broke the surface of the water.

Suicune's brow furrowed. "Not backing down, are you? Fine. We'll flood this whole lab if we have to. Anything to ensure you do not leave here alive."

Anger burned deep inside of Null. The calming sensation that his Lunar Wing provided subsided.

Happiness means nothing. Only destruction matters. Accept it! Accept my power!

Null shook his head. He tried to block out the eye with thoughts of Shane offering to buy him TMs and sessions with Bruxish. By all accounts, Shane had no reason to go out of his way to help Null like that. Yet he did. And, even if it didn't amount to anything, Null appreciated the gesture.

He squirmed. His helmet brushed against the chains. The existing cracks widened… and a cacophony of voices rose up in his mind.

Weak!

Pathetic!

Good for nothing!

You should have killed Vulpix. We're going to die because of him!

We are supposed to be strong enough to destroy anything. Your spinelessness will cost us our life.

Get angry! Destroy the chains!

Kill the Unown! Kill Espeon, Riolu, and Vulpix!

You see? You have resisted far too long. It's time to accept your calling. Toss your emotions aside and destroy!

Null thrashed his head about. He flashed back to Azure Cape. Sitting there with Tessa, listening as she spilled her heart out to him. He remembered saying how Tessa matters to him, followed by her response...

If it's for you... I guess I can give it one more try.

He jerked his body forward. His head smacked against the wall. The mask's pressure faded slightly. The hisses and snarls in the back of his head grew louder. A chorus of voices chanted, "Destroy!" in unison.

Null shooks his head again. He thought of Shane. He'd almost given in to his instincts in Moonrise Marsh. And yet, things between him and Shane were turning around. Shane poured his heart out to Null after Tessa's breakdown. Shane gave him credit for Tessa's hatch day party… all for his friendship with Tessa. And, even before the Unown had showed up, Shane was willing to help save him.

His teammates cared about him.

They liked him.

And he liked them.

You are deluding yourself! Accept my power now!

Null refused. Nobody had to die. He could save his friends! If he could just dig deep… dig deep… dig deep.

You will fail on your own.

"That's it! I've… had… enough!"

Howling his fury, Null strained every muscle he could think of against his restraints. The chains squeezed his body and mask, but he refused to give in and relax.

His friends needed him.

Null squeezed his eyes shut, clinging to every pleasant memory he had made with Team Radiance.

Every hug Tessa had given him. Every smile he'd seen on Tessa. Shane inviting him into a group hug.

All of those moments cycled through Null's mind on an endless loop, blocking out all the voices and spurring on his struggle against the chains.

Before Suicune could muster up the energy to fire another Hydro Pump, Null tucked in his head. He tensed up his entire body, then jerked his head and neck upward. The chains strangled him. Null didn't care. All he could think about was Shane and Tessa lying up above… hurt and in desperate need of help. Just like his situation in Moonrise Marsh. Tessa had pulled him back from the brink of disaster. Now, he needed to save them. He had to save his friends.

Rocks crumbled. Metal snapped around him. The chains loosened. Water splashed across Null's eyes.

His mask was breaking.

Water flooded his vision, so Null shut his eyes even tighter and pushed against the ground with all his might.

"Tessa! Shane!"

The chains burst apart. Shards of metal flew upward. Yipping in fright, Suicune backpedaled.

Null leaped out of the hole. His stone helmet crumbled against the jagged remnants of the booby trap. Pitch-black blood trickled out of gashes the chains left in his body, splashing on the ground. Null landed beside the hole, panting heavily. Espeon's unconscious body slid off his back, landing in a puddle of black fluid. The Lunar Wing gently drifted down to land atop her torso.

Null locked up. A flood of sensations raced into his mind. Air brushed against the face he had forgotten. Dust tickled the tip of his metal beak, making it tingle. His field of vision had greatly expanded. The weight — the agonizing, crushing weight that had born down on his shoulders had vanished. He pointed his head skyward and opened his beak

What came out was a mixture of roars, shouts, howls, and angry caws.

The feathers around Null's face bristled. His head crest fanned out. Three white blades of solidified energy burst forth from the back of his crest, bathing his body in white light. The shabby-gray coloration of his tail instantly changed to match the white of his eyes.

His vision blurred. The cave vanished, along with Suicune. Suddenly, Null was staring down a Druddigon, thorny limbs and all. Then, in an instant, he found himself looking at a Prinplup with the smarmiest expression imaginable. The scene continued to shift from Persian to Turtonator to Chestnaught to Tyranitar. All of them sneering at him, silently judging him. Each scene— each memory from a past spirit made Null boil with rage.

When he managed to snap back to the present, Null reared up on his hind legs. Holographic swords encircled his body. His white aura intensified. Null dropped back to all-fours and sprinted forward, bulging muscles rippling with every step.

"That's impossible!" Suicune gasped. She got over her momentary shock and blasted a Hydro Pump right toward Null. But he strafed the massive water tunnel and lunged at Suicune.

"Nobody hurts my friends! You hear me? Nobody!" he cried. Null bludgeoned Suicune across the head with glowing talons. She staggered backwards in a daze. Her body distorted, giving Null a brief glance of a cluster of terrified Unown. However, Suicune restabilized. A soft, healing glow encased her body. The cuts Null inflicted vanished before his eyes.

Again, Null experienced a flashback. He was a Magikarp, flopping up and down while a haughty Milotic showered herself in the warm light of a Recover.

Null shook his head, dispelling the memory. He refused to let the Unown dismiss him. Null raised his head high and a ball of wind gathered at the tip of his crest. He thrust his head forward, hurtling Air Slash crescents toward Suicune. She got her legs tangled trying to weave through the attack. Several blades nicked her fur.

"Th-That power… where did you get such power?" Suicune whimpered. With a roar, she shifted into Raikou. She lunged for Null, lightning at the ready. He jumped into the air, hardening his head and face into steel. His Iron Head bashed Raikou's ribcage in.

Raikou buckled from the blow, barking in pain. But Null latched onto Raikou as he fell to the ground. The two Pokémon rolled across the laboratory floor, Null slashing at Raikou's hide with his talons and Raikou desperately biting down onto Null's neck with his massive fangs. Black blood splattered against Raikou's face. The blow brought the voices back, but they were incomprehensible. They only added to Null's swelling anger.

Both Pokémon broke off from one another. Null darted to his feet, gazing at the wound on his neck, while Raikou staggered back up, panting heavily. Null redid his Swords Dance ritual. The glow surrounding him grew so strong that Raikou was forced to look away.

"This isn't right," Raikou snarled. "You can't do this. You're making our brothers and sisters suffer. You must let me strike you down, so they can finally know peace!"

Null landed back on all-fours and glared at Raikou. For an instant, he saw Golem staring back at him, followed by purple eye. Null squeezed his eyes shut. "You think I wanted this? I never asked for this!" he shouted.

"There are thousands of voices screaming at me to kill you. To tear you to pieces!" He slammed a foreleg on the ground. "I have all these memories running through my head and I can't control them!"

He tensed. Null found himself standing over a Lopunny, watching it bleed out with an empty look in its eyes. Then he snapped to a cliffside just in time to kick a Luxray off and watch it fall into a dense cloud of fog, screaming like a banshee. A second later, he was in a dark, murky swamp, hearing the screams of Gastlys and Duskulls as they dissolved into nothingness.

With a startled gasp, Null returned to the present. His breathing was labored. He could faintly see the violet eye in his periphery. But, more importantly, Raikou still stood in front of him.

"I keep seeing horrible, painful deaths. Pokémon burnt alive or drowned or left in the middle of a dungeon, broken and bleeding!." Tears streamed down Null's face. "I don't want this! It's miserable! I'm in so much pain. My head still hurts…

He looked over at his limp teammates. "But even when I was at my lowest, my teammates were there to pick me back up. They believe in me! They support me in spite of all the hardships they've faced!"

Null crouched low to the ground. "I'm sorry about what happened to all those Unown. But I'm not about to let you do the same thing to my teammates… to my friends!" He howled in fury and raced forward. As he sprinted toward Raikou, the white glow enveloping him shifted to a golden aura.

Raikou staggered backward. His eyes widened as Null's aura encircled his chest and took the shape of a wheel-like object. Raikou shifted to Entei. He shot a massive fireball straight at Null, who sidestepped it. Null didn't even flinch when the Sacred Fire erupted behind him in a blue glaze. His golden wheel burst into balls of light that raced around Null's body, coalescing around his forelegs.

"N-No… stay back! Stay back!" Entei screamed as Null lunged for him. The glowing talons struck Entei's side, leaving trails of golden energy behind them. The force of the blow rocketed Entei back into the nearby wall. He struck it and exploded into two dozen Unown. They all fell to the ground, their tiny bodies twitching. Null landed in between them, panting heavily.

An Unown R managed to flip onto its back. "P-Please… don't do this," it sputtered. "We're sorry! We won't hurt your friends anymore."

"It's too late for that," Null hissed, slamming his talons against the metal floor. "You almost killed them! And you destroyed our quickest way out of here!"

Unown R teared up. "It was an honest mistake. I swear!"

"Then it's a mistake you're going to fix," Null ordered, running over to put his teammates onto his bloody back one-by-one. The voices were growing louder again. A heaviness gripped his chest. Null doubled over in pain. He had to keep fighting it. His friends weren't saved yet.

Trembling, Null tucked the Lunar Wing into his looplet. The voices faded, though he could still hear them murmuring about abandoning everyone. Panting hard, Null forced himself to stand tall and look at Unown R. "Rally your siblings and help me get out of these caves. After that, I'll be out of your guys' lives forever. I promise."

Unown R floated shakily into the air, nodding the top half of its body. "Of course! Of course! We'll get you out of here. Just please don't hurt us anymore!"

~Glyphic Falls~

Gallian landed on the rock pathway, wincing as the shock of the impact rattled his legs. Behind him, Toucannon landed in a puddle with an unceremonious fwump.

"Sk-rr-aww," it weakly cawed, raising one of its metallic wings upward. The limb fell to the ground, and the black crystals littering its body shattered. Toucannon's metal wings dissolved into thin air, along with the rest of its colors.

"Good riddance," Gallian scoffed, flicking his snout upward. His eyes returned to their normal coloration. He limped back over to his teammates.

"Captain, is that Toucannon—"

"Dead? Most likely," Luxeira said. "It appears that defeating it drained it of its life force."

Gallian's muzzle stiffened. "Does that happen to all the Pokémon who get infected by the Prism Virus?"

"It's not an unreasonable hypothesis," Sticky responded. "Now do you see the importance of sticking with us and wearing that harness?"

Gallian winced. "Whatever," he whispered.

Then a nearby portion of the cliff face exploded, sending rock shards flying forward, followed by a large cloud of smoke. "What the heck?" Gallian snarled, throwing a foreleg over his face. His scythe flickered with pink energy and he swiveled his head around. Psycho Cut blades raced into the smoke, dispelling it. He looked ahead and spotted Null running down the pathway, flanked by a few Unown.

Sticky gasped. "Captain, it's the Beast Killer! We need to give chase, or it'll get away."

Gallian narrowed his eyes and sprinted forward before either member of Team Paradox could stop him. However, to his utter shock, he failed to make up any ground with Null. In fact, Null had managed to widen the gap. Gallian jogged to a stop, flanks heaving. "But that… doesn't make sense," he panted. "That guy's… supposed to be slow."

Sticky and Luxeira caught up with him. Worry filled Sticky's expression. "If he's moving that fast, I fear he may have broken free of the restraining mask. Captain, did you get any energy signature readings?"

Luxeira shook her head. "No. I think we should just cut our losses and call it a day."

Gallian's eyes widened at this. "Call it a day? Are you kidding me? With those lying guild members wandering around and that freak free of its mask and running off with my sister?" He glared at them. "We're going after him. He's probably heading for the Observatory, so we can try to ambush him there."

"Rookie, stop. We could barely hold our own against the smattering of guild members we found earlier. There's no way we're going to take an unrestrained Beast Killer and whatever terrestrials are lingering at this 'Observatory' place."

Gallian's claws dug into the rocks. "But… that's… you…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "You know what? Forget this! I'm done with you guys. I'm done with all of this!" He stormed off down the path.

Sticky's eyes widened. "Gallian, wait! We can't keep the Prism Virus infection in check if you just leave. Stop!" He floated after Gallian, with Luxeira running along beside him.

~Aeon Observatory~

Primarina and Serperior lay on a cushion in the assembly area, tails coiled around one another. Serperior's head rested in Primarina's lap. He slowly stroked the leafy scales on her back.

"There, there, Serpy. Don't despair.
You'll reunite with Dragonair.
As far as friends go, she's a fantastic find.
I'm sure she has Team Captivate fresh on her mind!
Shooo-bee-do-doo.
Sha-zippity-doo-bop-bah-woo."

A loud thump jolted Primarina out of his song. He looked up at the ceiling. "Whoa. Vappy, you're not trying anything risqué up there, are you, babe?"

A frightened squeal echoed through the Observatory, followed by a panicked shout of, "Hey, wait a second. You can't just run through here like that. Stop! Thief!"

Primarina and Serperior uncoiled and sprang up, ready to meet whatever threat awaited them. But to their utter surprise, they saw a pair of chitinous forelegs appear on the railing. Null leaped over it and soared over the duo's heads. He struck the ground in front of them and sprinted off toward the infirmary, leaving them standing there in shock.

"Was that… Null?" Serperior asked.

Vaporeon ran down the stairs, his fins quivering. "Did… did you guys just see a big Pokémon run by here?"

Primarina pointed a flipper toward the infirmary and Vaporeon ran off down the hallway. He managed to make to make it halfway to his destination when he heard Comfey gasp, "Null, is that you? Your helmet… it's…"

"Gone, I know. But who cares about that? My friends are hurt. You've got to heal them up. I'm begging you!"

Vaporeon heard the thumping of multiple bodies hitting the floor. Comfey's startled gasps made him resume walking. "Good gracious. What happened to you all?" she said.

"We were attacked," Null said. "Please save them."

"I'll see what I can do. But don't you want to someone to tend to your injuries, too?" Comfey asked.

"N-No… I have to go," Null whimpered.

"Are you sure? Because—"

Vaporeon jolted stiff. Null sprinted toward him, only to turn his face away. Vaporeon frowned. "H-Hey, hold up. I just want to ta—"

"Get away from me!" Null cried. He tucked his head into his chest and ran right past Vaporeon, leaving him standing there with a confused expression plastered on his face.

This chapter underwent a rewrite in April 2019 because I was deeply unsatisfied with the original version. Still, it has the fic's official "roll credits" moment. Yes, "Guiding Light" was an antagonist title.

Next time: a friendship needs mending, but Team Radiance will need to find Null... assuming he wants to be found.