With the desert firmly behind the heroes, Hiwaka Shrine now looms ahead, ready for Amber and her children to return. Amber alone fully understands what Hiwaka houses, and the information she volunteers is… not exactly the most helpful. However, when Amber is firm, her daughters know full well that she knows what she's doing.
"You're Mawhile, aren't you?" Justyn asked, looking at Amber expectantly.
"Mawhile? I don't know who you're talking about," Amber said, turning from whatever she was working with.
"Mawhile, the most famous and powerful knight… well, dame… to have ever lived. She served this land valiantly, fending off some of the greatest dangers this land has ever seen… like that crazy Hoopa or that giant snowflake thingy… what was it called?" Justyn asked.
"You mean the Bittercold?" Amber asked.
"Aha! You did know what it was!" Justyn said.
"No, not really. I'm just a history buff. You've got to know the threats to your daughters in order to protect them. Hiwaka is my one and only home, and my daughters my life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm still a little bitter about you going and arresting them for no good reason, so… shoo," Amber said, turning around.
"She has to be Mawhile… no one else has the guts to shoo the king…" Justyn said under his breath.
"What?" Amber asked. Justyn realised Amber's type advantage, and dropped the issue, leaving her be.
"How's your Psychic power going?" Madeline asked, watching Giac practicing his throws. They looked not half bad.
"Could be better. At least Suzin taught me quite a bit," Giac said.
"Listen, Giac… it doesn't matter how far you still have to go. There's one thing no other Psychic can take from you: you're one of us. Me, Chibouk, Aaron… we depend on you, and you alone," Madeline said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Madeline," Giac said.
"You're welcome!" Madeline said.
"Madeline…" Giac started.
"Hm?" Madeline asked.
"Er… it's nothing. Can I continue training?" Giac asked.
"Sure," Madeline said, nodding. She walked off, and Giac took in a deep breath.
"So… you're a water archer, aren't you?" Gwarhar asked. Chibouk looked up at him.
"Yes…" he said, a little scared. "Water sniper, actually."
"Back when I was your age, I was quite the fine water marksman. But I had a little bit of trouble, this led to that, and I eventually went to piracy. But I should know quite a bit about water marksmanship. Need any pointers?" Gwarhar asked.
"Well… I consider myself to be a great water sniper, thank you very much!" Chibouk said.
"Water sniper, yeah. But water marksman?" Gwarhar asked.
"A water marksman… what exactly does that entail?" Chibouk asked.
"Oh, there's quite a bit in there that water snipers don't do. Let's start with the… uh… what's the word? They're not basics… they're…" Gwarhar said.
"Fundamentals?" Chibouk asked.
"…That'll do. Let's go with that," Gwarhar said.
"Hi, Melody," Jadit said, approaching Melody.
"Oh, hi, Jadit! What brings you here?" Melody asked.
"Nothing much… just this…" Jadit said, holding out a Soothe Bell.
"Oh my… Jadit… is this for me?" Melody asked.
"Yep. Same one Darien and Serena used," Jadit said, smiling slightly as he held the bell out for Melody. Melody looked into his eyes.
"I, Melody, have complete and total trust in you," Melody said.
"I, Jadit, am happy to have earned that trust," Jadit said. He gave Melody a massive hug, and stepped back. She glowed brightly, her little head-tails curling up, a white skirt appearing at her waist, and her tail disappearing.
"Blissey… will you accompany me, in sickness and in health, wherever I may go?" Jadit asked.
"Jadit… of course I will…" Melody said, tearing up a little.
Amber led the group to Hiwaka Shrine. After Malachus's attack, the place was in ruins, houses spread out all over the place, rubble making the familiar land unrecognisable. Amber, Darien and Serena took the lead, wiping away the vast majority of the rubble on the path to Amber's destination.
"Oh my…" Amy said, pointing to one side. A skeleton of a Panpour was draped over the rubble. Everyone looked up, and noticed it.
"Raye… wherever you are, I hope there aren't any boys there," Darien said. Serena chuckled.
"Here they are!" Amber said, pointing to the only wall left standing. She tugged at a corner, revealing a bunch of stones, similar to the one she herself wore, but with different colours on them.
"Now just to find them… no, this is the Metagrossite… why did I even bother with this Beedrillite… I don't even know what this one is… ah, here we are! Lucarionite and Gardevoirite!" Amber said, tossing aside the stones to find them. The stone Amber couldn't identify found itself in Madeline's hands.
"What do these things do?" Darien asked.
"These are Mega Stones. In times of great danger, they can be activated by shouting something, and grant the wielder exceptional strengths. There are Mega Stones for several Pokémon… lucky that both Lucario and Gardevoir have known Stones!" Amber said.
"…Mother… I love you, but this is weird by your standards," Serena said.
"…Justyn, you've heard of Mega Evolution, have you not?" Amber asked.
"No," Justyn said.
"Nope," Madeline said.
"Yes," Luna and Artemis said in unison.
"Vaguely," Amy said. Before anyone else could chip in a no, an odd sound rent the air. It sounded like the hiss of an Ekans, but more Steel-type. Everyone looked around, to see a dark-creamish field approach them. Amber reached her hand out, only for a high-pitched wail to sound. Amber drew her hand back, and everyone stepped far away from the light. Hissing noises sounded, and several creatures emerged. Birds with a certain incorporeality to them, skeletal Aerodactyls and Kabutops, and weird, indescribable Pokémon made themselves apparent.
"This…" Amber said.
"Is corruption," Justyn said.
"The Type Trinkets have been vanishing… there has to be a reason that's a bad thing… but this?" Amy asked.
"Glitches. The Glitches were The Great Lord Arceus's first creations, banished to the gap between the third and fourth dimensions for their tendency to mess with true matter," Artemis said.
"Artemis…" Luna said, shivering.
"If the Bittercold and the Dark Rust had a baby, this looks like something that baby would draw. I'm not scared…" Amber said. She looked around.
"I'll distract them while you run. Far away…" Amber said. "POWER OF MAWHILE ACTIVATE!"
"Mawhile…" Justyn said, watching as Amber underwent her evolution to the dual-jawed beast she took on in times of crisis.
"GO!" Amber said.
"No. We're not losing you again," Serena said. She looked at the Gardevoirite, wondering how to activate it. Her heart grew larger, and she felt the power call to her ear.
"DARIEN'S MIGHT TWICE OVER!" Serena called. Her long dress expanded, becoming a battle ball gown. Long gloves coated her arms, and her red horn split in two. She prepared a Moonblast and Psychic.
"WATCH THE POWER OF THE AURA!" Darien called. Like Serena, the Lucarionite called to him. The locks at the back of his head extended, and war markings coated his body. His locks, arms and legs became red-tipped, and more spikes were added. Both Darien and Serena were ready for the Glitches.
The spherical birds went first. A trio of three Signal Beams went for Serena. Serena focused, and launched a Power Gem, neutralising the Signal Beams on their way to them. She focused, thinking, before sending a Moonblast forward. The attack reached the glitch field, and disappeared in an ear-rending sound.
"OK… that's not the solution…" Darien said. A pair of the birds of prey shrieked, and dived forward with a Sky Attack. Darien stepped back, waiting, before firing his Aura Sphere. The creature shrieked, and dropped, vanishing.
"It's not fair how they can come on our side and we can't go on theirs," Darien said.
"Good one, Darien," Amber said proudly.
"Amber… we may need to make some kind of retreat," Darien said. Amber looked up, noticing the birds firing Water Guns at the group.
"I suppose there is no hope of winning this match…" Amber said. "They don't seem willing to chase… let's give it a shot."
"OK then… now's our shot… Ultimate RETREAT!" Darien commanded.
"…Can you see them?" Serena asked, panting. The group turned around, looking in the direction of Hiwaka.
"Nope," Amy said. Serena nodded, and she, Darien and Amber dropped their heightened states, dropping to the ground in exhaustion.
"Wow… that is a problem for you, isn't it?" Lita asked. Amber nodded half-heartedly.
"We'll help you…" Luna said.
"Glitches… Let's hope we can stop Malachus and bring balance back to your world…" Artemis said concernedly.