After Suicune called for folks to share their tales, Kiru looked curiously as people stepped up. He took a moment to glance at the terrifying landscape again… perhaps he could help empower everyone as well.

Once his chance arrived, Kiru hovered up to the log, resting there and looking into the crowd in an effort to build up courage. "Well, we've all seen and felt what's happened here. It strongly brings to mind an old legend that I have heard and spent many hours contemplating." Should they accept it, those listening then felt in their minds his intent to share the ideas and feelings of the story through more than only his words.

Kiru's Tale: Light's Final Journey

Impending Darkness

Imagine a world like ours. A distant land full of simple life for Pokémon of all types. Villages are scattered between towns and cities. They thrive and search the world for new places to visit. Some want the thrill of defying danger. Others want to find resources. Still others want to learn more about the world or themselves. Worthy goals, all of them.

As the long years went on, there came a time when people began to notice something wrong. Some noticed it sooner than others. The Ethereal Typhlosion looks out to the ocean, noticing the spring sunset. Only recently had he noticed that it was no longer vibrant and colorful like it once had been. The clouds are blurry and dull. The sunlight is not a bright orange reflecting off those clouds and the clear air, but a grayish yellow that blends into a diffuse mass that he cannot not tell apart. Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for Morpheus, it invokes depression. Nothing was peacefully calm, but terrifyingly stagnant. With a progressively worried expression, he glances around the entire field of view from the hill, about 20m above the water. After a brief stretch, he sits down in the grass, then slowly focuses himself into his meditative state to feel the world around him, trying to peek into the Ethereal Plane that interfaces the otherwise disjunct Spiritual and Physical Realms.

Several minutes pass, the sun continuing to move downward. With the dark purple flames wavering on his back, Morpheus slowly begins to see the surrounding Ether, but it's even more blurry and gray than the clouds, approaching black in the places where the sunlight fails to reach. He cannot see past it, not even a single soul or ghost who may still be roaming. The energies feel very out of place. They flow, but not in their usual healthy ways.

Once the sun begins to touch the ground, the shadows it traces seem darker. Wherever they reach, they bring a cold sting, worse than the mere absence of the warming sun. Morpheus feels a blooming tiredness wash over him as the daylight vanishes. Even the trees surrounding him seem to share that kind of fatigue.

Just like everyone else, Morpheus had mostly brushed off these negative feelings and assumed he was tired from the day. No, something was changing. It's a sinister feeling that moves through him while he is focused. He lets his interdimensional vision fade to silently return his mind to the material world. He slowly gets up to walk to his home town, feeling a cold wind pick up around him that moves away from the dim horizon.

Morpheus feels more tired with each step that he takes in the shadow of the trees surrounding the town. Several buildings of various sizes adorn the area that is bordered by forested hills. He pauses to look that way, seeing several other Pokémon moving rather slowly, much like him. Keeping his gaze that way, he can sense that they too are feeling the effects of this evening darkness.

He steps toward his own house that stands away from the rest, calmly sitting between some trees. It's not totally isolated, nor is it anything too fancy, but it provides him enough solace to keep his mind and body strong. It is a log cabin sitting on top of a stone foundation. He opens the front door to reveal a large living area on the left with a wide circular fire pit in its center, a cemented stone chimney above that. Along the room's perimeter are several full shelves, tables, and chairs. Unsurprisingly fitting for a Ghost 'mon to have a place for the arcane arts.

After grabbing an Oran berry to munch on, the tired Ghost 'mon walks up the stairs to reach his bed. Laying there under his blanket is like dropping a very heavy weight. He quickly falls asleep and awaits his observations of any dreams.

Rallying

Once the next day arrives, Morpheus awakens and pulls himself out of bed to peek out his window. It seems some folks outside are already starting their work plans for the day while the sun peeks over the hills. He thinks for a moment, expecting that the local Absol in town may at least have an idea of what is happening.

While Morpheus walks through town, he looks at everyone passing by him. Not a single smile looks his way. Like the beauty of nature, the positive disposition of the people seems to have melted away. He heads toward one of the houses, but sees its resident outside. He waves to the Absol, who looks about as distressed as expected.

"Khloris."

She looks back. "Oh, hey."

Morpheus looks to her and glances around the landscape. "How's everything been out here?" She looks down for a moment. "Mmhh….. could be better. I'm OK, but…" She also looks at the hills behind him.

He adds "You've noticed the evenings?"

A sliver of relief is seen in her face. "Yes, I have. I've been out near the bay to try and see it. I've never felt anything like this."

He nods back. "Same. I was out there last night. The sunset was so.. dark, depressing.. But when I looked at the spirit life, there was… nothing, just shadows, like the ones shaped by the sunlight. I've seen shadows in the Ether, but never like these. Something's happening."

"I've asked everyone else, but… They have no idea." She shivers. "I-I don't know what's coming, I… just can't tell, but it's…. it's going to be deadly. Whatever this dark force is, it's massive."

He scratches his cheek, one ear flicking. "I wish I knew more about it. I wonder if the library in Solveig might have anything I can dig up."

She seems curious but hopeful. "Oh? Hm.. maybe. I haven't been there in so long, so I wouldn't know. But if there is anything, then yeah, that'd help. I'd join, but I need to take care of some things here."

"That's fine. I can't promise anything, but… we've got nothing else to go on." He glances over the hill again, then back at the houses. "Probably should bring the others on this trip, though. I feel…. Who knows what could happen?"

She looks down with distress once more, then nods. "Yeah. Well, take care. Best wishes on this. I just hope we can…" She looks around at the Pokémon in town, as if she were witnessing widespread death.

Morpheus rallies his friends that have been together for decades, acting as warriors for this small town.

Tarin, an upbeat Ampharos that is known for his blinding light that could be seen for many miles and brighten the entire town. With focus, he can call forth lightning that could strike down a tall tree.

Nyura, an analytical Floatzel with a relaxed approach to exploration. Perhaps not the strongest on land, but she can slice through any water without effort.

Serath, a quiet Gabite that is working his way up with the team and strengthening himself. He is always trying to improve, but is close to his next evolution.

Once they all assemble, Morpheus summarizes what's happening. "You've all seen what's been happening. The sky is gray, the evenings are cold, and the sunsets have brought an impending darkness. I have spent some time looking out there. I can only see shadows in the Ether. It worries me, because this is not a natural event. I know not everyone here may understand these things, but I wish for you all to accompany me to Solveig. I don't know how long our journey will be from here, but I hope we can discover more."

They all nod and agree, giving good-byes to the other folks in town and packing up on supplies for their long travel. Morpheus leads the group, wearing his protective robe while others wear different styles of armor. They walk along the road that leads out of town and through the hills. The wild Pokémon out here seem strangely inactive, even lethargic.

Several hours pass, and they find a clearing where they can set up a brief camp to sleep. The sun goes toward the horizon once more, even more dull and lifeless this time. While they have some food and drink for the evening, the sunset descends and once again brings its intense cold that cuts through everyone. They look and see the shadows cast by the trees starting to waver like leaves in the wind, something nobody has ever seen. Nyura blinks and shivers. "Oww… what's happening?" Morpheus groans with concern. "I hope we can find out." Tarin grumbles and lifts his tail behind him to cover the area in light, which the shadows seem to almost bend around. Nyura looks at Tarin. "Ahh, thanks. Feels better now." Morpheus focuses and can see the Ethereal shadows moving as if the light and shadow are pushing against each other. "Light can stop this shadow… that could help us." They look at him curiously, unsure what he's thinking, but they continue to eat and share other news from recent days.

After a short while, the shadows seem to stop wavering, but the following night feels even more dark and cold, yet not as biting as the shadows of the sunset. They all rest through the night uneventfully, but very heavily.

Worldly Studies

When the group awakens with the sunrise, they pack up and keep heading through the forest roads. The sunrise also does not emanate its past beauty, but also does not bring that terrifying darkness they saw at night. Several more hours of travel and they see the city of Solveig. Stone walls surround it, many buildings of different stone and wood types inside the borders. As the group approaches, the gate is open to travelers, a duo of Arcanine standing guard and eyeing the visitors as they walk in.

Most folks in the streets seem fine for now, though a few look to be in much discomfort, some looking sick or injured. A few minutes pass before they reach the library, a stronghold of equal parts stone and dark wood with rather artistic designs, reflecting the knowledge within. They step inside and check in before navigating the shelves and cabinets. Many old and new books alike surround them while they search for anything regarding natural forces beyond material physics. They spend the day going through and taking notes on anything they can find regarding shadows and darkness in the metaphysical sense.

As the sunset approaches once again, the group gathers together at one table with their notes, beneath the chandelier that bears light crystals to keep the room lit without needing flames.

Morpheus sighs and looks at everyone. "Well…. Have we found anything?"

The rest of the group looks at each other with uncertain expressions.

Tarin shuffles through some papers. "I skimmed through some old stories that spoke of dark forces, though nothing specifically about dangerous shadows at sunset. Some that mention souls wandering through other planes after death, depending on their personality and life history and stuff."

Nyura glances at the notes. "Mmhm. I looked through some about Pokémon interacting with the Divines. Tales of Pokémon fighting over elements and the forces of nature."

Serath blinks and glances between the others. "But they only control their own domains of nature, so they can't do that much otherwise, right?"

Morpheus shakes his head. "There is very much we don't know, especially in our material lives. When we pass on through the Ether.. yes, we could theoretically learn more. But we simply return home to Arceus and the Guardians, sometimes choosing to return here later. That's what I've helped many of them do from here, but with these shadows…"

Nyura looks at her notes again and finds a quote that she had underlined. "Oh, wait, there is one thing I found…"

When darkness fell upon the land, the brave ones would pass through the ancient gates to face the spirits and calm the warring forces.

Morpheus blinks and seems quite interested. "Where'd you find that? It sounds like it'd point us in the right direction."

They share some final info and then decide to pause at the nearby inn. The next day, they awaken, but feeling less refreshed than nights before. On the streets, one can hear the groans of people who've been afflicted by the twilight shadows. Some are struggling to stand or walk, some being tended to by those who can help. The team returns to the library and continues their search.

After a long day of looking through the information, they discover some old places believed to exist around the world. The gates that Nyura had mentioned are supposedly found in old shrines, built as a way for the living Pokémon to directly connect with other worlds through the Ethereal Plane. The team exchanges info on what they need to do. They could not do this alone and realize they can only hope to find others like them to step up from other regions and do what they are about to, possibly leading to their demise.

With their routes mapped out, the team heads to the local mail service. They hand off letters to friends and family, Morpheus including a pair of envelopes to two different cities' leaders summarizing the info and requesting help from any teams able to take on the task.

The team stocks up on supplies. They sleep through another night and wake up early to get to the city's travel service. A Tropius stands ready to take the team up to the mountain forest where the Mystery Dungeon leading to the region's shrine is said to be. They mount up and hold on tight for a couple of hours while the cold wind whips them.

Ancient Paths

Morpheus looks at his map, then at the clearing where the forest dungeon is supposed to be. "Right there! Can you land us there?" The Tropius slows himself down and looks at it nervously while trying to stay upright in the turbulence. "Aaaghh… I'll try. Hold on..!" He leans several times from the harsh winds, evoking some yelps and hard grabbing from the passengers. His wings beat hard to keep stable and reach the ground, but another gust pushes them all over for a slow crash landing. The team plops into the snow and pull themselves up. Nobody is hurt, but it doesn't help morale. Morpheus hands the Tropius a few Oran berries for the intense effort. "Thank you. I'm so sorry to make you come all the way out here. It really is important." The Tropius shakes in the cold. "Hhghh.. tha-that's alright." Morpheus nods and waves when the Flying Grass 'mon takes off and struggles to stay up in the rapidly changing winds.

The team gathers themselves for their entry. The sky is very dark, storm gray in most spots, completely overcasting the sun with snow. They all wear sandals and cover themselves in blankets to keep from freezing in here. They step through the snow and the trees. The snow is shallow enough inside the dungeon that they can walk without much effort. They fend off a few Ice and Rock Pokémon, and even a few Houndour that fight the cold. Still, it's relatively inactive out here.

Across the world, there is another city where the warning message about the incoming shadows has been received. Another team from there assembles to take on the task: Archeops, Weavile, Togekiss, and Rhydon. In another corner of the world, a third group gets the news and does the same as the others, heading out and preparing for the next part of their trip: Tyranitar, Luxray, Swampert, and Salamence.

It takes several days of travel through the dungeons, and each sunset brings more shadows. One can only think of the sun's movement down past the horizon as if it were pushing the darkness out into the world. Each team is forced to protect themselves from the incoming shadows that rip through them like an intense wind of death and pain. The trees around them seem to slowly wilt and change color as if it were the fall season.

In the populated areas that face these sunsets, they have learned what that time of day means. Everyone rushes back to their homes, community halls, anywhere that they can light a fire or have some light source to keep away the darkness. Unfortunately, while every fire burns hot and bright as always, the light itself is overtaken, causing it to severely flicker and leave everyone vulnerable to the forces that surround them. Anyone who awakens the next day is left exhausted. In weeks past, it has all only been an inconvenience, then a major concern, now a serious emergency. Many tears are shed for those who could not survive, as the shadows slowly rinse away their life energies.

From the sky, Flying Pokémon can see the effects of the emerging shadows. On the twilight edge of the world, it looks like a constant raging fire that blows away from the edges and faces of objects that are obscured by the sunlight. Even in places where the sun cannot be seen through the clouds, the shadows still emerge from its last light that slowly disappears from the sky each day.

Tarin lights up his tail to keep the team protected, but even his strong light is being challenged by the strengthening shadows. Everyone huddles around to allow the light to cover them, while Morpheus steps up and faces the shadows, raising his hands and emitting his own Ghost power to counteract them and add more shielding.

After the sun is down, the shadows begin to subside, but once again leaving a lingering darkness that chills everyone. Morpheus nearly collapses and turns back to the group, everyone left weakened even with their protection. "Gaaahh….. I… I don't think we'll be making it back." Everyone looks at him with fear, both for themselves and for everyone worldwide.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to expect out here."

Nyura shakes her head. "It's all part of this experience. We always head out knowing that we might not return. Everyone knows that."

Serath whines and curls inward. "But I thought we could handle this! What's going to happen to us?" Tarin grumbles. "We'll stop whatever this is, or the shadows will carry us into the Ether." He looks at Morpheus. "I.. think that's how you'd say it?"

Serath looks at Tarin, speaking more sharply. "Gh, well that's not comforting. I'm not ready to die, and if I do, I don't want this… shadow stuff to keep hurting me! If those stories are true-"

Tarin turns back to Serath. "Hey, calm down. We're doing everything we can, and if it doesn't work, we'll be no worse off than if we stayed home!"

"Yeah, well maybe you could have gotten more people with us! Instead of sending out some stupid letters hoping that someone might pick them up!"

Nyura looks at them and waves her hands. "I understand, you're still young and growing. But no matter what happens, you'll be far stronger after this. You already are."

Serath shakes his head, tears from his eyes. "I know, but this still scares me what can happen. If something out there wants to really harm us- I- This is too much for me!"

Tarin puts one hand on Serath's back, sounding stern. "What's done is done. We're out here now and we have one chance to shine and fix this. We are impromptu world heroes and we will endure like ones."

Serath turns toward the others, shoulder pushing Tarin's hand away. "You can't be serious! We came out here on a whim and now you think we're heroes from some old books!?"

Morpheus lets out a burst of fire above the group that shakes the area and echoes through the woods.
"EVERYONE STOP IT!"

The other three yelp and look his way, Serath flopping on the ground. His neck flames are raging now. "If we waste our time and energy like this, then yes, these shadows will carry us into the Ether!" He pauses and everyone stays quiet. A few seconds pass, Morpheus' flames relax a bit as his anger turns to remorse. He rubs his snout with both hands. "Hahh…. I'm sorry. Look, I really am. I didn't think it would get this bad. I wasn't expecting us to be in so much danger or for this event to get so bad so quickly. We don't even know what we're actually up against. But Tarin's right: we're out here now and our only chance is to keep going. The odds may be against us in every way, but whatever happens, at least we all tried. But let's focus on the task at hand and get some rest. We have some potions and berries that should help get us going in the morning."

Once the next day arrives, they finally make their way through the end of the dungeon to find a clearing where a shrine resides. It is a triangular stone roof held up by stone pillars. The carvings in the floor beneath it look in perfect condition, as if they had been recently carved, or simply preserved through time. Morpheus has a look of surprise and relief. "This must be it…" They all step inside and to the markings on the floor. Nyura looks at them curiously. "What are all of these?" Morpheus kneels down and looks at the stone while Tarin lights it up. He stands up after a moment. "Everyone close to me. Stay quiet and relaxed…"

They stand practically touching him as he focuses his Ghost affinity. His mental state reaches out to everyone to help them focus as well. They all start to feel energy building up, as if it was trying to pull them out of this world. The sounds of spiritual winds pick up around them as they start to shift, their bodies becoming more ghost-like. Their senses are briefly overwhelmed, seeing and hearing intense patterns that they cannot grasp. It is like being caught in a hurricane.

Eventually the feelings give way to a quieter environment. They all look around and can see the shrine and each other. Their bodies have converted to a form that can float within the Ether, leaving their spiritual forms still closely connected in this manner. The shadow that fills the plane is dense, leaving all of them in a chilling pain, not unbearable, but very uncomfortable.

Morpheus steps forward and turns to his team. "We are in the Ethereal Plane, where souls pass between worlds. I believe we can find the source of the shadow this way."

Serath looks around. "How?"

Morpheus reaches his hands out. "Grab on. We will travel to the sunset."

The Sun's Shadows

Everyone together, they leap over the trees and through the sky. Everything is foggy from the shadows that have infected this region of the Plane and seep into the material world. Faster than anyone could travel in that world, they float across the mountain range face and toward the time zone where the sunset has begun once more. By entering the space between dimensions, they can see the shadows, but this time they are blasting away from the sun, a deep black sharp cloud that floods out into the evening and the night, like an enormous wound in the space around the planet. They hop over this cloud and land on a wide rocky area. The other teams join in at almost the same time, 12 Pokémon in total. Everyone feels both burning and freezing pain from the rumbling dark wind.

As if awaiting their arrival, a silhouette stands in the front and center, arms crossed with a cold stare, completely unmoving like a statue. Everyone can barely make out the figures inside or what they might be. Darkness pours out of the fuzzy and seamless rift, looking like an endless tunnel, dark purple lightning flashes appearing within it that emphasize the depth and rip open more of the Ether to force more shadow into the planet.

Everyone stands close to Morpheus. "What is all of this about?"

A voice speaks from the right. "You cannot stop the shadows."

Nyura blinks. "Why? What do you want from us?"

The left figure speaks. "The disorder will be cleansed for the new era."

Morpheus shakes his head. "You are killing people and making them suffer!"

The right voice sounds excited. "They've turned down real power! What has Arceus done for you, huh?" The left figure moves slightly, as if drawing a sword. "Wouldn't you all want to strike back against those who have wronged you?"

Morpheus reaches his hand out as everyone takes a stance. "Yes. You've wronged us. You know that-"

A thundering pulse of shadow bursts out from the rift, pushing the hero teams back and making all but a few tumble, everyone yelping from the painful concussion. The center being speaks loudly in the most serious and impatient tone.
"You will join us or burn in the darkness forever."

Still unmoving yet, it looks straight at Morpheus. "I can see which one you prefer."

Morpheus gets up and unleashes intense fire that sprays across the 3 in front. His flames are infused with positive spiritual energy, perfect for washing away corruption, if it is strong enough. It cannot break through the shadows in the rift. Black-purple figures emerge from the rift, a Noivern, a Tyranitar, and an Ethereal Samurott. Others soon follow, their original colorations barely distinguishable. Some are lifeless transparent ghosts forged from the shadows, disappearing when defeated. Many bursts of both light and dark powers are exchanged between both sides. The shadow flows quickly through the rift and impairs anyone within them. Lightning explodes across the field, fireballs are tossed everywhere, water slices through its paths, some bursts of elements are even bounced back with a well-timed strike with a tail or a wing.

The fight rages on for a while. Both sides start to weaken, becoming increasingly tired from the attacks on each side. While the sustained focus from the corrupted Pokémon gets more disrupted, so does the rift. It slowly begins to recede. The Noivern is struck by Dragon flames, then by Ghost energy. He falls and Morpheus tosses him away from the rift. Everyone keeps up with the fight, too many exchanged attacks, claw scrapes, and ethereal bites to feasibly count.

Nyura screams out when she is hit with a burst of the shadow and falls, slowly disappearing into the Ether. Progressively, more suffer similar fates, being crushed, blasted, or scraped by the fighting. For each of them, a brief flash of silver light bursts out from them when they disappear. From a distance, Morpheus feels the whipping snap of these flashes, looking out with panic as the Pokémon are lost and absorbed into the void like those in the world below.

While the fighting continues, most of the corrupted Pokémon are pushed back into the dark cloud, which is sealing up faster now. Both sides exchange one last burst as the evil ones begrudgingly escape and the shadow rift finally closes with an explosion that Morpheus and the few that remain all firmly push back against with their opposing forces. The incoming shadow has stopped, but the world is still flooded.

Morpheus groans and pulls himself up. "We've… done all we can. The world needs time to heal. Return to the shrines. May we meet again and… and the Guardians protect us." They all nod, exchanging a few parting words. Morpheus picks up the Noivern, bringing him along and leaving his fainted soul by the shrine.

Morpheus focuses to activate the connected shrines once more, returning everyone back to their world in the same manner that they left it so they can start their long journey home. The night has just begun for Morpheus and Serath, so they prepare to camp for the night, mourning the loss of their friends and everyone who fell.

Morpheus takes a moment to approach the wounded Noivern with his spiritual flames to help subdue the corruption, though not strong enough to erase it. His power lets him reach into the Ether without the shrine. "Return home. The Guardians will guide you. They will help you make up for everything."

Covered only in a blanket, Serath looks up with sobbing tears painting his face, barely able to speak. "W-wha…. what's ha-happened to… th-them? Unuuggh..nghh…." Morpheus looks back and shakes his head slowly. "I don't know. I couldn't see through all of it. They just… disappeared." Serath clutches his chest, shaking with heavy breaths characteristic of a panic attack. Pulling his arms away reveals a faintly glowing purple/tan/black syrup-like liquid seeping out of his chest, despite his skin being fully intact. "Ggngnhh, aaghh! Aaahh!?" Morpheus looks with a horrified face. "Oh.. no…" He approaches and immediately activates the return beacon to call for their flight. "Try to relax, we'll fix this…" Even with Morpheus' cleansing flame, Serath whines from a pain that he could never describe.

Days and nights pass without the terror of the shadows. Still, the world feels cold and dark. Everyone must stay strong to push through. Even in the best of times, even after the shadows fade, the scars that the darkness left - not only on their minds but on their very beings - radiate a searing feeling that time and friendship never truly relieve. Many of them live out their remaining years without ever smiling again. Thousands were left completely changed.

Sitting alone one day, Morpheus looks out into the bay once more, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"How can we stand up to this?"