Draco: After Wes recovers during this post-game story, I would have it so that you can freely take control of either him or Rui as you please. The only fixed OTs are Wes' Espeon and Umbreon, Duking's Plusle, and Rui's Lucario; otherwise, you can deliberately put off any Shadow Pokémon long enough to Snag whoever you want with whichever Trainer you want.
...In the pseudo-remake, the same party would be used by both, but for writing purposes, they're two separate trainers prepared to Multi Battle.
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo and the Pokémon Company.
Chapter 23: Feeble Light
Wes was recovered; Rui decided to get to the Under through Pyrite, collecting Espeon and Umbreon and taking them with her down the elevator. As they reached Nett's house, they found Wes waiting upstairs; the Eeveelutions dashed ahead of her, knocking Wes to the floor in relief that he was alright.
"Hey- Hey!" Wes insisted, trying to get enough of them off his center mass that he could get to his feet. "I'm glad to see you, too."
Rui giggled. "You gonna be alright?"
"I feel well enough to throw a Snag Ball," Wes admitted, "if you don't trust your aim."
"I don't know anyone whose aim I trust as much as yours," Rui admitted, removing the Snag Machine from her right arm. "I'm just glad I didn't run into anyone with a Shadow Pokémon and have to endure the rest of their team first."
Wes took it back gladly, equipping it on his left arm as he and Rui started towards the elevator back to Pyrite. "So," he asked, "have we got a lead?"
"The Lab," Rui replied. "Lovrina is working on a Shadow Pokémon they call 'XD001'. Ein says she's trying to endarken it until its heart is lost forever."
"Ein?" Wes echoed, concerned. "And you're taking him at his word?"
Rui drew a file out of the Bag, handing it to Wes as they stepped onto the elevator. Wes opened it up to find the header reading Ein File 6: Abandonment by Cipher.
Word has come from Nascour. The Grand Master has declared all Cipher Admins sans Lovrina to be 'not worth retrieving'. Our employment with the syndicate has been terminated.
I should be outraged, but some part of me feels... relief. I joined Cipher in order to have the resources necessary to develop new technologies. But looking back, the technology I've created so far has done more harm than good. Team Snagem has abused the Snag Machines. The Shadow Pokémon project has gotten out of hand.
Miror B. has decided to retaliate against Cipher. He is continuing to abscond with the Shadow Pokémon of any peons who have escaped having them Snagged, now taking them by force. It appears that he and his underlings intend to dominate the colosseums of Orre for glory; he has simply decided that Shadow Pokémon offer improved chances.
Dakim and Venus have voiced their intentions to atone for their actions, and I have decided to join them. Our first course of action is to assist the Snagger - we must find a way to help him reach the Grand Master, and put an end to Cipher's machinations.
"...Huh," Wes mused.
"Yeah," Rui confirmed. "Cipher's been manipulating these guys with false promises. Now that they've been thrown out, they're gonna retaliate."
"Fair enough," Wes conceded, slipping the File back into the Bag. "So, you want me doing the fighting, or...?"
"If you prefer," Rui admitted. "You're a more reliable Snagger than I am."
"True."
+x+x+x+
Wes loaded up with his tactical team - Espeon and Umbreon, Ampharos, Octillery, Altaria, and Hitmontop. Rui kept Lucario, Ho-Oh, and the beasts with her, and the two of them departed for the Shadow Pokémon Lab. It was late at night by the time they arrived; the main gate was wide open, and most of the security was left broad as well.
There were several Cipher Peons scattered in here, who Wes assumed to be Lovrina's personal legion. One managed to block off the elevator that served as a quick route to the Endarkenment Chamber from near the entrance; the two of them were therefore left taking the long route down towards Ein's old computer room. The lights in the hall were dim as they stepped into the hallway that connected them to their destination, and as they reached the far end, an automated voice spoke up.
"Warning. Endarkenment in process. Please equip protective eyewear before entering."
"So that's what Naps was talking about last time," Wes realized, glancing around. "Oh, there."
"You've got it easy," Rui accused as she approached the rack he'd noticed, "you've got goggles."
She picked up a pair of goggles, finding them tinted. Satisfied by the sight that his riding goggles would serve the same purpose, Wes seized them and brought them down before his eyes as Rui equipped the pair; then the two of them stepped inside.
Lovrina was sitting at the computer in the endarkenment studio - and a black Pokémon was standing upon the stage. Its body was avian, but its wings seemed to end in fingers; said wings were wrapped before it, as though imprisoned, and its eyes were closed. For a moment, Wes thought that the endarkenment process was more visible to him than the auras of an endarkened Pokémon - and Rui was convinced that the shadows of endarkenment, encroaching upon it from all sides, were warping her aura-sensitive perspective. But after a moment, they both realized their mistake - this Pokémon, who they knew from the legends to have feathers of radiant white, had been stained deepest black, its fins looking like sharpened steel.
Wes' mouth fell open. "Lugia...?"
There was a display before Lovrina, showing a progress bar whose filling was trying to rapidly extend beyond 100% - and beside it was a heart symbol in dark purple. Yet no sooner had the onlookers realized what they were looking at than a series of aggressive beeps emerged from the system; Rui cried out, and Wes quickly moved to support her as her legs started to falter - a most dreadful aura was coming off of the Shadow Pokémon before them, with a violence that seemed to worsen anyone who sensed it. Lovrina's hand moved to a lever nearby - it currently lay in the forward position, and she quickly brought it all the way down, causing the generators in the corners to draw back and then abruptly thrust, sending forth a surge of darkness that slammed into Lugia from all sides.
The lever jerked back to the central position, and an automated voice emerged from the computer.
"New stage endarkenment achieved."
The symbol on the display became a hollow purple outline, and then vanished.
"Heart lost."
The Silver Stormbringer opened its eyes - eyes that were bloody red, piercing the air around it. Lovrina's hand lifted off the lever, and Wes now saw that it was shaking as it moved to join her other one upon the keyboard; a few taps later, a tremor shook the Endarkenment Chamber. The roof began to part, and they realized that everything between the stage and the concrete lot where the lab lay was retracting - once it was fully open, the endarkened Lugia spread its wings and screeched, shaking the Endarkenment Chamber.
Those wings came down, and XD001 ascended, soaring out into the Orrean night.
A threatening laugh emerged from Lovrina as Rui managed to collect herself; the Cipher Admin set her hands on the desk before her, slowly getting to her feet. "I've done it..." She laughed again, throwing her head back, and they saw the goggles sitting over her brow. "I've done it... I've done it, Nascour... I've done it!"
"What did you do?" Rui ripped the goggles off her own eyes. "What did you do?!"
"I've completed it," Lovrina insisted. "I've reached perfect endarkenment." She laughed again, the sinister sound echoing around the chamber. "XD001... It's lost its heart. There's no purifying that. I've done it!"
Her laughter emerged again as she turned around to face them - and Wes yelled as he saw her face. The eyes were shrouded with black from the outside in, a narrow ring no broader than her iris still remaining white. Rui sucked in a terrified breath as Lovrina's laughter continued, seeing the darkness that seemed to briefly surge out around her, and she realized the cause for the protective eyewear.
The endarkenment process didn't just affect Pokémon - it hurt humans as well.
"You've been causing trouble for us since Snagem blew up," Lovrina reprimanded, "and purified the Shadow Pokémon you've Snagged." She laughed madly, her gaze falling. "But now that we know the XD Project is sound, there won't be any more of that." Her shaking hands raised before her. "We'll take Pokémon by force, lock their hearts away... and then endarken them further, until their hearts are lost completely!" Her laughter became fierce as she raised her gaze to them. "You don't stand a chance!"
She turned away, dashing towards the locked door that they'd noticed when last they'd come here; it opened up before her, and she fled inside.
Rui managed to support herself, and as she released Wes he turned to face her. "Was... was she...?"
"I saw it," she confirmed. "She gave off a dark aura... like a Shadow Pokémon."
"I... I thought I saw something similar," Wes admitted. "When we fought Evice... his eyes were like that - but worse. I thought it was just him, but..."
"It's endarkenment," Rui realized. "He had been endarkened to work with Cipher... and they made him a scapegoat...!"
Wes' gaze fell. "But... that wasn't quite the same. Her eyes weren't as bad..."
"Then... she's not completely endarkened yet?" Rui wondered. "Can... can we even unmake that, if it's happened to a human?"
"I don't know." Wes turned to face the door Lovrina had gone through. "But we'd better try something."
+x+x+x+
The door led to a very short, and very narrow, hallway, with a separate rack of protective goggles that Rui assumed to be in case someone happened to come through the Endarkenment Chamber while it was empty and then came back while the process was in action. The door at the far end led to a rather isolated room, with a large tube standing opposite the entrance; it looked like it was intended to host a human-sized Pokémon in stasis, but was filled with what looked like ordinary water. The bottom surface was lifted off the ground to about chest height, and a miniature oceanic habitat seemed to rest upon the bottom, with what seemed to be coral, seaweed, and sand.
Lovrina was standing before the tube, her head hung low, and as the door closed behind them, she spoke. "XD001 is completely unpurifiable. But it took so long to get there. If the endarkenment of the next XD Pokémon takes so long, the Grand Master's plan won't work. Nascour won't be happy with me."
Wes and Rui exchanged glances. Why was she concerned about pleasing Nascour over the Grand Master?
"Was it because we used a legendary Pokémon?" Lovrina wondered. "Creating a Shadow Pokémon from a legendary Pokémon always takes longer than making a Shadow Pokémon from others. But then, the endarkenment process takes longer on Pokémon that have evolved than it does on Pokémon that haven't."
She lifted her gaze to the containment tube. "What if a Pokémon's age has something to do with their resistance to endarkenment? Could we hasten the endarkenment process if we used a younger Pokémon? How long would it take for a newly-hatched Pokémon to become a Shadow Pokémon? To become XD002?"
Rui was terrified by what she was suggesting; she was about to retort when Lovrina looked back at them, a most threatening smile rising on her face.
"Off the shores of Orre..."
She turned around to face them fully, stepping aside in the process.
"...we found the most beautiful Egg."
Lying in the containment tube was a Pokémon Egg - but it was an Egg unlike any that Rui had seen before. It was deep blue, and translucent; a red shape lie at its core, and yellow dots circled its upper bounds. She had heard stories - stories of a Princess of the Sea, born innocent from the ocean itself - and a great and horrible terror took root in her heart as she realized what Lovrina intended to do.
"All I need to do is carry this Egg with me," Lovrina mused. "Travelling with a Pokémon Trainer helps to hatch a Pokémon from its Egg. And once it hatches, I can endarken the Pokémon inside, and create XD002."
Wes reached for his belt. "You're out of your mind if you think we're just going to let you do that to an innocent Pokémon!"
"Am I?" Lovrina's head twitched as she said those two words, and she giggled, just briefly. "You know, Nascour rewarded me after Realgam. The Grand Master said everyone else wasn't worth retrieving, but I worked my best on the endarkenment project. The Grand Master decided to keep me, and Nascour gave me a reward."
Her shaking hands reached up to her neck, where Wes realized that the chain of a necklace disappeared into the top of her dress; she pulled it out at her sides, causing it to rise up. The charm hanging from it looked like Cipher's emblem, and now he was certain that the crescent was intended as an eclipse.
Because the obstructing body was represented upon her necklace - in the form of a Key Stone.
You are challenged by Shadow Lovrina!
The endarkened girl laughed - a threatening, dominating laugh - as her hands parted from the chain of her necklace; she reached for her belt, seizing two Poké Balls and hurling them forward, and Wes reached for his own belt as her Gallade and Froslass appeared there, both looking somewhat... concerned. Umbreon and Espeon were sent out in return; they only needed a moment's glance before Umbreon charged at Froslass, striking her with a Faint Attack as Espeon unleshed a Psybeam in Gallade's direction.
The Blade Pokémon was left reeling from the blow, and was clearly off-balance as he tried to right himself. Froslass fared better, gathering a Shadow Ball before her that she flung in Espeon's direction; Gallade managed to close in on Umbreon despite his confusion, hitting him with a Fury Cutter that had the Moonlight Pokémon stumbling.
Once he recovered, the Eeveelutions went for another go; Froslass hurled some rapid Ice Shards at Espeon, and promptly found herself on the receiving end of a Payback from Umbreon that knocked her out. Gallade tried to close in on Umbreon for another blow, only to stumble, face-planting a moment before Espeon's Psychic ripped up around him and finished him off as well.
Lovrina laughed again as she withdrew her Pokémon - but this was a more sinister laugh, as though she were anticipating something that she knew would be unpleasant to them. Roserade and Togekiss were sent out to replace the other two; Wes quickly decided not to risk it, withdrawing his Eeveelutions and sending out Ampharos and Altaria in their place.
Both of them were fitted with Mega Stones; practice had taught Wes and Rui that multiple Mega Evolutions didn't work in one battle, but they could focus on one Stone and set it off. Rui promptly drew out her pocket watch, quietly asking, "Which?"
"Neither," Wes replied at a like volume.
"What?"
"Wait for hers."
Roserade clearly didn't want to risk a Petal Blizzard with a Water-type at her side, instead hurling a Sludge Bomb at Altaria as Togekiss unleashed an Aura Sphere to hit Ampharos. The Light Pokémon tanked the blow and retaliated with a Thunderbolt that struck Togekiss harshly; as soon as Altaria's vision was clear, she loosed a Flamethrower to wash over Roserade, in return.
Fire and lightning struck nature and tide - yet they managed to endure the damage, and promptly retaliated. Togekiss vanished in a rush of speed, striking Altaria thrice with Extreme Speed; as soon as she was clear, Roserade flung a cloud of Sleep Powder in Altaria's direction, hoping to incapacitate her. The Humming Pokémon managed to swoop out of the way, retaliating with another Flamethrower that knocked Roserade out; Ampharos quickly loosed a second Thunderbolt to finish off Togekiss, as well.
That sinister laugh emerged from Lovrina again; she withdrew her Pokémon, and then seized her last Poké Ball. "Fine, then," she mused. "If you want to see it so badly, then here you are!"
She hurled her last Poké Ball forward, and her Gardevoir appeared there, opening her eyes to regard Ampharos and Roserade. A Mega Stone was hanging from a necklace around her neck, just as Lovrina's Key Stone was; as the Embrace Pokémon took a prepared stance, the endarkened trainer reached her hands up and set a finger from each upon her Key Stone.
There was no light in response.
Gardevoir was clearly caught off-guard, but chose to focus on the battle; a Moonblast gathered in her hands before she flung it at Altaria, knocking out the Humming Pokémon with a harsh blow. Wes withdrew her and Ampharos, sending out Octillery and Hitmontop to take their place; as he did so, Lovrina's face fell.
"What?" She tapped at her Key Stone, shocked. "What is... No! No!"
Octillery loosed an Octazooka that slammed into Gardevoir; she was still reeling from the blow when Hitmontop, striking her roughly with a Rapid Spin. Gardevoir managed to right herself, retaliating against Hitmontop with a fierce Psychic; the Handstand Pokémon was knocked out from a critical blow, but Octillery promptly followed through with a Signal Beam that struck down Gardevoir in return.
"No!" Lovrina's angry screech seemed to rock the entire room; she didn't even make to withdraw her Gardevoir, bashing at her Key Stone angrily. "Why..? How!? Why won't it work!?" The endarkened girl made to storm forward. "I'll make you pay for-!"
"Lovrina, stop!"
A pair of hands seized Lovrina from behind; Wes and Rui started as they saw Naps standing there, trying to restrain her. Lovrina jerked at the sudden restriction, trying to strike back at him. "Let me go, Naps!"
"I'm not gonna let you go when you're like this!" Naps reprimanded.
"Let me go, you piece of trash!" Lovrina screeched; she tried to bash him into releasing her, but the pseudo-armour of the Cipher Peon uniform was enough to protect him from the blows of a fellow human.
Rui stepped forward. "Naps, she's not-!"
"I know!" Naps insisted. "Lovrina, listen to me! The shadows have been affecting you! You're being endarkened!"
"I'm fine!" Lovrina yelled. "Let me go!"
"You're not fine!" Naps reprimanded. "Rui, help me, please! You can use aura, right?"
"I can sense aura," Rui confirmed, "I've never done more than that!"
Lovrina managed to land a solid blow on Naps' helmet, briefly causing his hold to slack; he managed to reaffirm his grip before she could break free. "Get off me!"
"Please, just try!" Naps begged. "I can't leave her like this!"
"Don't you dare!" Lovrina screeched. "I'll wreck you! I will! I'll wreck you!"
Rui took a deep breath, reaching one hand forward; she closed her eyes, reaching out with her aura, and her braids began to waver as she saw the darkness shrouding Lovrina. As they had suspected, it wasn't as potent as it was around Shadow Pokémon proper - she wasn't as deep as if the endarkenment had been completed.
"She's not gone all the way," Rui insisted. "But... I don't know if I can help her."
"Just try," Naps pleaded. "I can help, but please, try. I'm begging you."
"Don't you try anything!" Lovrina yelled. "Let me go! Leave me alone!"
With a quiet nod, Rui tried to exert herself, reaching for Lovrina's aura beneath the darkness - the same way she had sensed Riolu's aura beneath his own endarkenment. A glow began to appear in her palm as she stepped forward; Lovrina's angry thrashing didn't end, but it did seem to get weaker against Naps' restraint as Rui tried to reach her.
The darkness started to subside - distinct from the way she had seen purification happen. It didn't become stronger, and then vanish abruptly; it slowly started to fade out, becoming weaker. Lovrina glared at Rui as her aura reacted to the provocation, and slowly, her eyes started to change.
The black that flooded in from the corners began to pull back - slowly, terribly slowly.
Lovrina's fight faded out, and she panted angrily; after a long moment, her breathing became shaky, and her eyes widened in horror.
"Wh... What just...?"
Naps took the risk, releasing her and stepping back; Lovrina stumbled away from Rui, who slowly opened her eyes. "What did you... What did I...?" She glanced down at her hands, which were shaking with a new intensity. "That was..."
Rui and Wes loosed terrified sighs of relief. "I can't believe that worked," Wes breathed, withdrawing Octillery now.
"I'm just glad it did," Naps insisted. "Sis, are you okay?"
"That was... awful," Lovrina murmured. "It was... it was like... I couldn't feel anything but... anger... Like everything was just... making me hate it..." She gasped, stumbling back, and Naps made to catch her. "Was that... Is that... what I've been doing...? To the Pokémon we've...?"
"You weren't protecting yourself," Naps reprimanded. "The endarkenment was affecting you - slowly, indirectly, but still the same darkness."
"How...?" Lovrina's voice was flooded with terror. "How could I do that to them...?"
Wes gave her a wide berth as he made to approach the fallen Gardevoir, drawing out a Revive and Hyper Potion. She weakly raised her gaze as Wes knelt before her; he braced the Revive in one hand and struck her side lightly with it, and the crystalline medicine cracked from the impact, a rejuvenating light coursing over the Embrace Pokémon. He cast the depleted crystal aside, letting it shatter where it lay, and gripped the Hyper Potion properly, aiming it forward and pulling the trigger to release the healing spray, washing it over her.
Once the bottle was empty, he let it fall and held out his hand, helping Gardevoir to her feet as Rui spoke up. "The endarkenment was breaking your bonds," she proclaimed. "It was stopping you from connecting with your Pokémon. You were way too close to complete endarkenment. I haven't been able to completely reverse it... but I was able to pull you back from the brink. Which means... your connections should be back."
Gardevoir stepped up to her trainer, setting a hand on Lovrina's shoulder and drawing her attention.
"Mega Evolution requires a bond of trust between the trainer wielding the Key Stone and the Pokémon carrying the Mega Stone," Rui observed. "Your endarkenment stopped her from trusting you." She seized a single Poké Ball off her belt. "If you have it in you for a Single Battle... I'd like to know for sure that you're not at risk of falling in again."
You are challenged by Atoner Lovrina!
Lovrina's gaze fell to the charm of her necklace, just briefly, before she raised it to Rui again. With a quiet nod, she stepped back, prompting Naps to follow suit as Gardevoir stepped forward. Rui threw her Ball forward, and Lucario appeared before her; he glanced back at Rui, who gave him a nod as she drew out her pocket watch.
The former Cipher Admin took a deep breath, and raised one hand to touch her Key Stone at the same instant as Rui's thumb found hers.
Both Mega Stones resonated, and Lucario and Gardevoir were bathed in light. Lovrina loosed a deep breath of relief as the light shattered, revealing Gardevoir standing there; her natural dress had gained in volume, flaring out around her and drifting with psychic power. The horn upon her chest had divided, spreading, and her arms had turned bright white, with formations rising from her hands like evening gloves.
Gardevoir briefly looked over herself before turning back to her trainer, who stepped forward in relief. "Gardevoir... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...!"
The Embrace Pokémon gave a gentle cry, holding out her arms as Lovrina stepped forward to catch her in a tearful hug. Lucario breathed a quiet sigh, glancing back at Rui; she and Wes offered small smiles before turning their attention forward as Naps stepped forward.
"I owe you two," he insisted. "Could you meet us in Gateon Port early tomorrow?"
"Sure," Rui assured him, "but... what about the Egg?"
Naps glanced at the containment tube; it had gone untouched during that unpleasant battle, with the beautiful Egg still lying inside. "I'm not sure," he admitted, "but... we can't leave it in Cipher's hands. I know there's something around here that we used to get it from the shore..."
As he started forward to search the room, a ping sounded from Wes' pocket; he drew it out to find a message... that looked like it should have been written with pen and paper.
Dear Wes; this is Eagun of Agate Village. I just wanted to let you know this is my first electronic mail. I am not familiar with high-tech things, so I have only recently learned to type in words. Incidentally, if you are ever in need of
...The message ended there.
"Oh, grandpa," Rui sighed. "Of all the times to send your first message ever and mess it up."
Wes raised his gaze. "Wait, that's it."
"What is?" Rui asked.
"The Egg," Wes insisted. "If we take it to Eagun, he can keep it safe while we're dealing with Cipher."
Rui blinked. "That's... not a bad idea, I guess."
Naps had found what he was looking for - a small glass case that looked like an old-fashioned lantern. The lid was hinged and clasped, with a handle atop it; the case was filled with water, and contained a small, padded surface at the bottom that seemed to be designed to host the Egg. He quickly made to drain the containment tube, the water flowing elsewhere; once it was empty, the tube itself lifted away, and Naps gently picked up the Egg and set it into the case, resting it upon the bottom before closing and clasping the lid.
He seized the case by its handle and approached Wes and Rui. "Here," he prompted, holding it out. "Keep the Egg in here at all times."
Rui accepted it carefully, taking it in hand. "Thank you. We'll see you in Gateon."
Draco: I really hope that #WhamLine had the impact I wanted it to.
The Sea Princess still and shall ever hold a precious place in my heart. But there hasn't been a legitimate means to acquire a Manaphy Egg outside of Generation IV. They haven't distributed one via any events, and you can't send an Egg to Unova via Poké Transfer or Relocator, nor can you bring one to the Pokémon Bank via Poké Transporter. An event distribution of a fully-trained Manaphy does not have any of the significance of one that you have hatched and raised yourself. If the means to bring her up to Generation VI were available to me, I would unhesitatingly buy a fresh retail copy of the original Pokémon Ranger, unlock the Manaphy Egg therein, and bring it to the core series. Frick, I'm the one* who figured out that the Wii U Virtual Console release didn't allow you to send a Manaphy Egg to the Generation IV games. I knew the chances were infinitesimal, but I was disappointed anyways.
*by which I mean that Bulbapedia did not know at the time of my discovery and I added it to the relevant page.
The Delta Episode of ORAS ended with a legitimate, non-event-based battle against an otherwise event-exclusive Pokémon. So I felt that a similar acquisition for Eternal Colosseum would be reasonable, and used that to develop the threat of XD002. Originally, I intended for it to be Celebi, but decided against it for several reasons. It would be difficult to justify using the Time Flutes if the Time Traveller had been in Cipher captivity for an indeterminate period, a Celebi was already acquirable at a low level in Generation VI, and if I decided to actually have the subject be a Shadow Pokémon and force a Snagging, I would basically be recreating the events of the fourth movie.
To my interest, when they released the Generation I and II games for the 3DS Virtual Console, a glitched Mew is legitimate with some effort and they made the GS Ball available to everyone.
But that initial concept - Celebi as the would-be XD002 - got me thinking. "What if Cipher's subject is from the agency of small-and-cute-and-powerful-beyond-expectation?" (I am so sure that the greater fandom has a better term for that, I'm not even going to doubt it.) So I tried to think of which such Mythical Pokémon would be appropriate, and brought up the list from Generations I-V.
Then it hit me. If Cipher had a Manaphy Egg with intention to turn Manaphy into a Shadow Pokémon, forget what happens to Manaphy after they're stopped. I would be outraged. There are not words. And something that gets an emotional reaction like that out of me? I've gotta make use of it.