Ch.81: Secrets of the Shadow King! It All Comes Together!

Fernando and the bounty hunters were understandably iffy about taking Vernon's word. Yes, as a Mage of Life, they had no reason to suspect he was evil (as far as they knew), but he was allowing three complete strangers into the tomb of the greatest warlord to ever touchdown on Mysto. It was a bit ludicrous for the mage to put so much faith in them not backstabbing him for whatever reason.

On the other hand, would it be wise to backstab him? Basic logic says they would be opposing a Sawk who seems to have usage of Plant Magic, which is already a red flag for betrayal. Why? They were surrounded in vegetation for miles. That is like challenging a Water Mage in the ocean or even a professional painter in an art competition. You were asking to risk everything and lose.

Vernon seemed too laidback to be the protector of the Key of Life and keeping watch of an empty tomb that adverted his attention at the worst time.

Reeling back to the main point, Fernando did ask for anything on the tomb after the Shadow King fled. According to Vernon, there wasn't much left to investigate in the tomb, possibly having been in there only once. If Fernando wanted to be lifted from his contract, he couldn't leave any stone unturned. Besides, even if it is an empty tomb, there was something that could be used to his advantage.

Alex Ghostwind was a fighter, so his priorities are to survive the fight. What would he have done right before the Shadow King took full possession of his body? Did he tried to fight back? Or something else? Hard to say for sure, but Fernando was betting on a dire clue that may lead to some hope for beating back the darkness.

Vernon led them to the Grand World Tree, which was expectedly being visited by the villagers and the tourists who swung by. Vernon stopped for a moment to gaze upon the tall tree. "Have you ever stopped for a moment and…really appreciate the beauty of things?"

Mack blinked and tilted his head. "Not following…"

"I mean the tree. To have created this whole forest on its own is…truly majestic. I find myself admiring it whenever my eyes gaze upon its beauty."

Mack leaned close to him with a weird look, then pulled his robe. "Do you need a moment along with the tree?"

Vernon sighed and faced him. "Mock me as you wish, but those who feel a connection with nature learn to appreciate everything about it."

"Sort of like Gwyn," Holly pointed out. "That girl and her plants, I swear…"

Vernon held his chin. "Ms. Belladonna, you mean. Ah yes…I would be interested in testing her abilities if Team Ravenfield ever arrives for my key."

Fernando crossed his arms. "Anyway…what can you tell us about the tomb?"

"Not much. Aside from runes to make in untraceable, it was also designed to be impenetrable should the Shadow King ever find a way to break from his coffin. It would give us time to restrain him again." He looked at the ground. "Five hundred years isn't a bad number for lack of disturbances, though I wish we didn't skip straight to the escape."

"So, you've been in there yourself?"

"Obviously. I can't just ignore something and not check it out. Think you've noticed from my invasion of privacy." Vernon rubbed his head. "I refused to touch anything or obstruct the scene. Frankly, I wasn't sure about getting a professional detective to look into it…but, I guess some aren't as worried about letting out a few minor details."

Holly held her hips. "And from what we heard, he immediately darted off to kill his host's allies."

"That is correct."

Fernando held his chin. "What can you tell us about the Shadow King's hatred for the Ravenfield family?"

"Pardon?"

"I had Team Ravenfield give me all they could regarding their encounters with the shadows. From what they told me, their encounter in Marble Stone City left an impression. The shadows seem to know the Shadow King had encountered Garret Ravenfield at one point, though that wouldn't make sense seeing as they were resurrected not long after the map was obtained."

Vernon held his chin. "That is indeed odd."

"Made even odder by the word choice," Mack pointed out. "Something about a Ravenfield always being the problem. Sounds to me someone wants a black and orange pelt to wear into battle, if you catch my drift."

Vernon narrowed his eyes. "That does sound peculiar…the Shadow King must've loathed Garret far more than we thought."

Holly sighed. "Those Ravenfield brothers are really in for it. Hopefully we won't have to attend their funerals."

"If the shadows get their way, a funeral would be a party compared to what they have in store." They walked around the Grand World Tree, moving around the crowd as they approached the unoccupied back. "We make sure that viewing takes place at the front of the tree."

"What goes on in the back?" Mack asked with a cheeky grin.

"The entrance."

They stood upon a small grass field behind the tree, where Vernon got into position. He felt around the ground before feeling an out of place spot. He stood back and waved his hand across the ground. A green aura sprung from the ground, carving out the shape of door before opening outward like a pair of cellar doors into the basement.

Fernando, Holly, and Mack gazed upon the entrance, led by a set of creepy stone stairs. Appropriate setting for a tomb, especially with the self-lighting torches once the doors were open. With the light, they could make out the long way down into the tomb, where even light was hard to see.

Mack pulled away and looked to Vernon with his usual grin. "Ah, I see, you're leading us down a murder hole. How swell, but I personally prefer impalement over death in a tomb."

"I'm not taking you down there to kill you," Vernon said, though with the knowledge of the Sudowoodo's playful nature.

"Just saying, the mood is perfect. Is this also the catacombs where skeletons are made into the décor of the walls? Do I get made into the décor? If so, I have some demands. Number one, put some fancy artwork on my skull. I'm talking nice engravings etched right into my skull. Can you also put 'Mack was here, but now he is in Hell now.' I don't like my chances of getting upstairs." Holly bonked him on the head.

"Quit blabbering, you weirdo," she mumbled. She pulled him away before facing Vernon. "I understand you haven't fully investigated what has happened down here, but can you at least tell us what we should expect? We want to be thorough."

Vernon smiled. "You will hopefully find some useful information. I trust your assistance to Team Ravenfield will help us all in the end."

Fernando bowed respectfully to the mage. "Thank you for helping us. How can we repay you?"

"By making sure the world doesn't get consumed in a forever darkness." Vernon tapped his staff down twice, where a root popped from the ground and lifted him into the trees. He hopped through the trees, silently vanishing into the green.

Fernando looked back down at the tomb. "Are you all ready to meet Ghostwind's fate into a host?"

"Ready as we can," Holly admitted.

"I just hope we get to see a dead body," Mack joked.

Fernando sighed. "Well then…let the search commence." They descended down the stairway, with the doors shutting behind them, blending back into the grass.

Flint never had so much fun in his life. He may not say those exact words in front of Wes, as to not insult him and the rather distressing, yet exciting adventures they've been on before. However, none of those adventures was ever to an ancient library where Flint could do all the reading he wanted.

'I wonder when this is all over if Uxie can let me come back here any time I want.' Should permission be given to do so, every window within a fifty-meter radius would shatter from the Flareon's deafening screech of joy.

Speaking of which, he got Gwyn interested in some of the books he read as a kid. From her wide-eyed curiosity, she seemed to be getting heavily invested in the 'Lance Wolfe' detective series. All about a Houndoom named Lance Wolfe who was a suave detective investigating the crime ridden streets of Kalos with each new mystery being more clever and convoluted than the last. Flint would always make a game out of it to see how it happened, who did it, and why.

Gwyn stuck her tongue out. "Wow…I never would've thought the grandfather clock was reset an hour back to fake the time of the murder. He's good."

Flint chuckled. "You can chalk that up to common sense once you realize something's off with the clock, but I guess when you're in a panic, you don't bother thinking about it."

Gwyn grinned. "Maybe you could be a detective, Flinty!"

"What, me?" He laughed and waved it off. "Nah. I'm…nowhere near as cool as Lance Wolfe."

"Aww! You're cool in my eyes!"

'Keep complimenting me like that and I'll be the complete opposite of cool.' Still, her words touched his heart. 'Maybe I should consider buying the cap just for the heck of it…I wonder if she would want one.' Flint smiled. "You're too much."

"I call it as I see it!" She giggled and kicked her feet. "By the way, what's Battle Warriors? You mentioned that one earlier."

"Oh, I think you might like that, too. Imagine an apocalypse spreading around the world and a five man team of hardened warriors banding together to-" Before he could officially get his geek on, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up and met a pair of ruby red eyes. "…Can I help you, Wes?"

Wes grinned sheepishly. "Is this a bad time?"

"Kind of is," he grumbled through his teeth, "but you're my brother, so I'll give it a pass. What do you want?"

"Can I talk to you? Privately? Brother to brother?"

Flint blinked. It wasn't an unusual request, but a pretty sudden one. It could've had something to do with what they talked about regarding the Umbreon bottling up his feelings. It would be a good show of growth on his part. While he would rather spend the minutes chatting away with Gwyn, his brother did matter to him.

Turning to his crush, Flint said, "Heh…sorry Gwyn, but…"

She immediately understood and waved it off. "Go ahead, I get it. Water is thinner than blood and all that."

"Gwyn, you…kind of mixed that expression up, but close enough." He stood up. "I'll be back in a bit. Oh, and tell me how you loved the ending of the first book! It's one of my favorites!" Wes dragged Flint away as Gwyn waved to him.

The Umbreon brought them to a private sector of the library, where they could be alone to chat. However, before Wes got onto what he wanted to say, he worked in a playful grin towards his brother. "Don't think I didn't see how you were acting back there."

Flint's ears flopped against his face, which was burning up. "Um, well…"

"You haven't geeked out that hard ever since you introduced Ella to those books." Wes poked him in the chest. "You and Gwyn are perfect for each other~."

Flint swatted his paw away and covered his reddened face. "Did you pull me away just to tease me?!"

"I'm not teasing you and no, that's not why I brought you over here." Wes then got serious and sighed towards the ground. "You can be honest with me, right? Like…if I told you something ridiculous that even I think it's ridiculous, you would tell me it's…ridiculous, right?"

Flint raised his brow. "First off, pick up a thesaurus…seriously. Second, what are you talking about?"

Wes waved his paws around as he tried to find the exact words. "Well…you know how much I love treasure hunting. I love exploring the vast regions of Mysto and everything that has yet to be uncovered. So much mystery and excitement that I just have to find it for myself. That's what got you into it in the first place." He snorted a laugh. "You are the last person I would imagine getting excited over analyzing a skull."

Flint rolled his eyes and lightly shook his head. "You can find a lot of history in bones, you know. Hardly the weirdest thing in the world." He shrugged. "You are right, though. The mystery aspect is what drew me to the hunt in the first place."

"Exactly!" Wes looked off to the side. "The thing is, though…this whole adventure is not only us trying to prevent the shadows from drowning everything in darkness, but…it's also my big journey to see if this is what I'm capable of." He pulled his hat off and looked at it. "…When Dad gave me this hat, it became the only reminder of his adventures. This hat has been through so many realms, battles, and travels. It's like his torch to me. He knew I wanted to become a treasure hunter, so he passed down something he had with him all the way through."

Flint stroked the hat gently. "You used to steal this thing off his head to wear it for yourself. He never let you wear this thing."

"Remember when he kept holding it out of my reach?" Wes waved his balled paw. "Curse my adorably short Eevee legs!"

Flint chuckled. "Guess Dad knew he might not have been coming back…" The Flareon frowned sadly.

Wes followed suit as he patted the hat. "I couldn't stop hugging this thing after what happened. Mom had to fix it up because of how I was holding it against my chest. Practically bent the rim out of place." Wes placed the hat back on his head. "I want to carry this 'torch' for Dad's sake. He had so many more adventures to endure and…it just wasn't right for him to lose it all in the end. He could've lived…but he didn't."

Flint looked down. "After a while, I did think you should've given up on treasure hunting for…your own sake. Seeing your resolve again, though, made me realize that you have a good idea of what you want to do. You…want to carry on Dad's memory and surpass it. Ambitious enough to last you a lifetime."

"Yeah…" The Umbreon closed his eyes. "So…would that be all I'm good at…is what I'm asking."

"Hmm?"

Wes scratched his neck. "Let's be real for a moment…I could've never gotten through high school without you or Ella backing me up. I was too unfocused half the time and never gave consideration to my grades. I always thought treasure hunting was the way to go and that I didn't need anything else. I can read maps, I'm in pretty good shape, and I know how to fight. I thought I had everything set…everything except a treasure hunter's greatest weakness: chance.

"Chance, chance, chance…that word delights and scares me sometimes. A chance for success or failure. Frankly…I wouldn't say I have a fear of failing, but rather…I fear not succeeding in what I'm good at. It makes me feel like that if I can make my dreams come true, I'll never have the ambition to do anything else.

"Flint…be honest with me…would you see me becoming a teacher?"

"A teacher?" Flint repeated, unsure if he heard that right.

"Yeah…a teacher. Like…I don't know, a college professor."

"I…" Flint scratched his head. "Wes…where did this come from?"

He sighed and rubbed his foreleg. "Professor Geno and I were talking and he brought it up. Obviously, I laughed it off as a joke, but he was dead serious about it. He actually thinks I could make it as a teacher." Wes shook his head and laughed. "I mean…I just kept telling myself how ridiculous that sounded. People in high school thought I would go to jail rather than have a successful career. Doesn't say much of people's confidence in me!" He looked down. "But…I have to admit, Professor Geno always tried to bring out my confidence, so I never take his word for granted.

"But…still, me as a teacher? That has to be ridiculous, right?"

Flint blinked. For once, he was unsure how to answer that. He wouldn't say outright to Wes' face he was stupid, but even he had to agree with the Umbreon that he didn't seem to fit the role. It seemed like an odd suggestion to come from the professor, as he should know what Wes' strengths are. Learning isn't his strong suit through academics.

Magic was definitely his strong suit. Wes could get absorbed into reading spell books to master new spells. It's how he learned some of the spells he refined along their journey. He couldn't personally picture his brother standing in front of a room of students and giving a lecture and grading homework. Wes was typically the student that skipped out on that stuff. Wouldn't be the best show of responsibility as a teacher.

That said, is it wrong to assume Wes has no future as one? Flint knew Wes better than anyone and, while he had problems focusing on something that didn't pique his interest, he was far from unskilled. He could always learn to be a teacher. There were classes for that, after all. It wasn't easy to speak in front of a crowd for a certain amount of time. Some can speak naturally, and Wes wasn't quite that prone to stage fright, but he could improve on it.

What about actually teaching? Flint definitely didn't see his brother as a math or history teacher. Those were the subjects he had to tutor the Umbreon in whenever he fell behind lessons. Though, history could have some application for Wes. No, where the Umbreon succeeded was with magic. He had a talent for learning the stuff. He could very well see him teaching a course regarding the history of magic.

He did see the core of his brother's plight, though.

"…Wes?" He placed his paw on the Umbreon's shoulder. "I don't think that's ridiculous."

Wes blinked, then stretched a grin. "Heh…you don't have to spare my feelings. I understand if you think-"

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this. You…could do better in school. Like…really do better. Actually trying, for starters." Flint pulled his paw away. "If you asked me this before we went out looking for the idol, I would've probably said 'no.' You're dead set on becoming a treasure hunter, even though things were all that good for you. But, now that I'm seeing some sides of you that haven't shown me, I'm starting to think otherwise."

Wes scratched his cheek. "You think so?"

"You would obviously have to try harder to get a degree. However…there would be nothing wrong with it. You wouldn't have to give up on treasure hunting, either." Flint looked to the side. "…Plus, it might be better for you to stay home more often." Wes tilted his head in confusion. "Dad left a lot and we often worried if he'll make it out alive. I never thought he would abandon us. He wouldn't. But…if you ever get around to starting a family of your own, maybe you could do better than Dad.

"No offense, but treasure hunting is game of risk. Maybe it's better to not set your standards so high when there's so much more left to discover." Flint held his paw over his chest. "My dream is to become an archeologist and I don't want to give up on that dream, but I could do more." He rubbed his nape as a blush crept up on his cheeks. "Gwyn and I were talking earlier and…I thought it would be nice to run a potion shop with her. Maybe the one in Marble Stone City if she still wants to run it."

"Aww!" Wes gushed, holding his cheeks. "Two lovebirds running a shop together! How sweet!"

Flint deadpanned. "First of all, we are NOT dating…yet. Second, stop acting like Ella."

Wes snickered. "If she isn't here to crack jokes, I should fill in."

Flint rolled his eyes, then smiled. "My point is that an archeologist isn't the only thing I have going for me. Ella's entire life even follows that logic. Her parents want her to run their business, but she doesn't see herself taking after them. She doesn't need to have a predetermined future. Tony has one goal in mind, but that's more or less flexible. I…can't say for certain about Griffin, but I doubt he'll have trouble getting what he wants.

"And you…are very talented. You're not flawless…at all-"

"Ouch, that hurt," Wes joked.

"-but you have high potential to achieve anything you set your mind to. Dad got where he got through hard work and determination. He didn't get lucky one time and thought he could do it all. Obviously, don't give up on your dreams, but set your standards reasonably." Flint shrugged. "Again, treasure hunting is a win or lose gig."

Wes looked down, expressing uncertainty. "…Are you sure I can?"

"Hey, if it helps…you have me to help." Flint placed his paw on his shoulder. "You've always had my back. I will always be here to return the favor."

Wes smiled. "Have I ever told you that you're my favorite brother?"

"Wes, I know the punchline to this joke. Either hug me or I'm having my Guardian chuck you across this library."

"Hug time, it is!" He threw his forelegs around the Flareon, which he happily returned. "…You know I mean it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" He chuckled and pushed the Umbreon off. "Now…what do you say?"

"I say…I still need more time to think about it," he answered. "It's a big change to what I know, so…not totally on board with the idea."

"You'll do find with whatever you decide. I know you…you can do anything."

"Still working on that whole 'growing wings' thing."

"When was that a thing for you?"

"Just now! Think I'll ever grow wings?"

Flint smirked. "Sure…if you evolved into a Flying-Type Eeveelution, maybe."

"Is that even a thing?"

"Heck if I know." He pushed Wes away. "Now, get back to what you were doing. I'm busy."

Wes smirked. "Trying to lay the moves on Gwyn? Shall I come in with some romantic music to add to the atmosphere?" His smirk dropped to a nervous grin as Flint's Guardian materialized behind him. "Heeey, just remembered this book I should be reading! Called 'Stop Talking' by Runfur M. Life!" He dashed off, laughing his head off.

Flint sighed and dispelled his Guardian. "If he does become a teacher, that bad behavior of his is going to rub off on his students…" He shook his head and made his way back to Gwyn.

Ella stuffed one of the training books inside her bag, then threw the others into the air, allowing them to fly off back to their proper place. "Hey Uxie, are there any more Psionic Martial Arts books around here?"

Uxie flew over, tapping his chin. "Everything else is more or less a copy of what you've been reading." He held his finger up. "I can recommend researching some of the famous users of the martial art. Might give you some inspiration for a fighting style."

"Ah, cool, thanks." She got up and headed for a shelf when Uxie blocked her. "Um, yes?"

"One more thing…" He pointed a few bookshelves down. "Would you mind…keeping an eye on your professor friend for me?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Call it a feeling, but I just don't want him wandering off…on his own." He sucked his bottom lip in, having nothing more to say, so he awkwardly floated away.

Ella raised her brow. "Odd…" She shrugged and headed for the bookshelf he pointed out. Stepping into it, she found Jonathan searching through a collection of books. "Set up a few beds in this place and you and Flint could live here for the rest of your lives."

Jonathan chuckled. "Charming thought, I admit. Who wouldn't want to live in such a vast library?"

"Don't see a whole lot of food here, so I'm going with those who are sane." She smirked. "I think you and Flint are those few people that'll be told to stop reading because it's unhealthy for you."

"Better to be a reading addict than to foolishly play with firecrackers mere inches from your face," he mumbled. "I've had many students miss class because of a burnt eye or two."

Ella chuckled. "I prefer my time to be spent relaxed and void of danger."

"Yet you take thrill in adventure?"

"Better than my boring lifestyle, I can tell you that."

Jonathan placed a book away. "So, never got around to asking in detail, but you've been getting into martial arts?"

"Psychic marital arts, really. Combining fighting with telekinetic abilities."

"And how are those abilities coming along?"

"Trying to perfect them." 'Though, I have learned to do this recently.'

Jonathan jumped, then held his hand over his heart. "Good lord…" He glared at her briefly. "I have enough voices in my head, thank you very much."

"Come again?"

"N-Nothing…" He picked out another book. "How is career hunting for you?"

"All I've got is the bar, so…not well."

"You seemed well liked there."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Lenny's a cool boss, sure, but working in a bar where everyone is drunk and off their filters loses its charm after a while…okay, except for when they tip me more than normal." She snickered. "This girl is the master of persuasion." She smirked. "What about you? First time out adventuring must have brought some exciting stories."

"Oh, you have no idea…" He held his head. "I shouldn't even be alive from what I had to deal with, but the gods seemed to have graced me with unnaturally high luck. If I wasn't born without magic, I'd think I had Luck Magic."

"Or you're daft mad and this is all a hallucination," Ella joked. "Ooh, I'm a hallucination in your miiiind~!"

"Yes, I see why many find you charming, Ms. Cipher." Jonathan placed a book away. "…I have a question for you…and your team."

Ella tilted her head. "And that is?"

"…How confident are you all in fighting the Shadow King?"

She blinked. "…What do you mean? I…mean, we know we'll have to face him, but…"

"I've been through a lot on this journey of mine," he stated. "I've seen things…done things…that I didn't know possible." He pulled out another book. "And now I fear for the worst to come." He looked at her. "Ella…I told you all about those dreams I had…about the Shadow King haunting and showing me the horrific deaths he intends to execute onto each and every one of you. He knows about the prophecy foretold of his battle with you all…and he has it out for Wes and Flint the most."

"But why?"

"I do not know where his hatred towards the Ravenfield family started…it couldn't be just their father. It sounds too personal." He narrowed his eyes. "These nightmares…I fear something will happen when we least expect it." He faced her. "Ella…understand that I say this with a show of trust, but I need you to promise me something should the worst come."

"And…that is…?"

Jonathan looked away…almost sadly. "Alex…Ghostwind is the one who hosts the Shadow King, yes?" She nodded slowly. "…A shadow is connected to its host. If they don't escape in time before the host expires, they will die as well. For as powerful as the Shadow King is, he, too, must follow the same logic as his minions.

"No matter who you face, whoever the Shadow King possesses…none of you must hesitate, even for a second." He glared. "If it must come to it, kill Alex Ghostwind…"

Ella stared in silence, with her mouth hanging open a little. She blinked twice, then looked at the floor. "I…know that's what we must do, but…his fiancé…we met her…she'll be devastated."

Jonathan looked to the side. "Much more devastation will come if the Shadow King isn't stopped. I just don't know what other way there is…" He patted her shoulder. "Take my words to heart, please…we can't let the Shadow King continue to live…"

Ella looked at him solemnly. After seeing what Willow had to go through, losing Alex the first time, left the Espeon sympathetic for her hardships. She has been put through enough stress in her life. Loss, death, her own death…she wouldn't bear to see the death of the man she loved.

But…maybe in time, Willow will understand what needed to be done, even if the revelation will crush her. Ella hated thinking like that. There had to be a way to separate the shadow from the Pokémon without death becoming the deciding point.

"…I'll keep it in mind…" She backed away a few steps, then headed down the bookshelves with an air of dread hanging over her.

Jonathan sighed, holding his head. '…Alex Ghostwind…I do hope you aren't the man I think you are…for my own sake…' He turned to the shelf and traced his finger over the books. 'The best I can do is give them something to help…anything. Just anything we need to know about…the shadows…'

His thoughts stopped as his finger landed over a black spine, with an ancient text written on it. He looked at it suspiciously, then pulled it out. He stared at the image of the Tribe of Shadows' symbol on the cover. It was a creepy image, but different from all the books he uncovered.

He tried to open it, but something kept the pages bound together. "What is this?" He looked it over a few times, seeing there was nothing keeping the book bound. No locks, chains, or wire attached. "Magic…it must be magic. This library must've replicated the book upon its existence in Mysto. That means…whoever write this intended to keep it locked away." He narrowed his eyes. "What is this book about, though? It has the symbol on it, so…"

It couldn't be brand new, despite appearances. It was likely kept in good condition based off the properties of this world. The original was probably withered and aged by now, wherever that one is. Could it have been written by the shadows? It didn't seem like something they would make, though. If it contained their secrets, it would be foolish to make something so dangerous against them. Someone else must've written it.

"Then…who wrote-AGH!" Jonathan was hit with a wave of pain through his head. He dropped the book and fell to his knees, clutching on his head as the pressure built up against him. "S-S-Something's…not…right..." He shook his head, taking a few stumbling steps forward before supporting himself against the bookshelf. He felt his vision darken in that timeframe before everything seemed to pass. He breathed quietly and lightly shook his head.

'It's getting stronger...I've got a bad feeling about all this...'

The stairs to the tomb felt like they went on forever. They knew it would be deep, but not this deep. The original mages must've wanted this place completely hidden from conventional forms of tracking. They put in a lot of hard work into it, that's for sure.

Mack glanced at the walls and saw some runes carved into the walls. "Hey Holly, what do you make of these?"

Holly stopped and ran her sickle over them. "…They're trap runes. Designed to remove or eliminate anyone who comes down here?"

"So…how come we're not being fried to a crisp?"

"That's why." They followed Fernando's finger as he pointed down the stairs. Sear marks were seen over the walls. It didn't look like ordinary fire was the cause, though. Aside from being seared, it looked like the earth itself melted against the intensity of the flames. Or…was eaten by the flames. "Dark magic of the shadows…"

"The Shadow King must've went nuts after escaping," Mack commented. "Then again, I'd be pretty cranky after spending five hundred years in a coffin…when I was still alive." He held his hips. "Could've been stretching his magic muscles, too."

Fernando felt the sear marks and flinched to their touch. "They're ice cold…even with the torches lit down here…those flames aren't like ordinary fire…it left this spot completely…dead after burning through it."

"So…it burns really, really hot when used, then leaves behind a deathly chill?" Mack crossed his arms. "Sounds like a weekend in Hell, alright."

"The shadows might as well be apparitions spawned from the darkest reaches of Hell for all the blight they've brought on us," Fernando muttered. He glared down the steps and continue walking with the two tailing closely. "To think, a being so hard to put down that they couldn't kill him, but seal him. Their only option for victory."

Holly narrowed her eyes. "And our chances of surviving are next to nothing. Would divine intervention be the answer?"

"If the Legendaries feared what they are capable of, then no. Makes me wonder what makes Team Ravenfield the key to it all."

"…I've heard of some legends," Holly started, "of mortals challenging the might of a god. Ludicrous for its time, for the gods were respected in their wisdom, but I guess some saw it as a curse. A righteous soul beating back the all-powerful, even when it shouldn't be possible"

They reached the bottom of the steps as Mack said, "All I'm hearing is 'we need to him really, really hard.'"

"A simpler way of putting it…" Holly grumbled.

Fernando shook his head. "I don't consider the Shadow King a god. He only wishes destruction."

"Ah, but who are to decide that?" Mack asked with a light cackle. "Anyone who amasses a following like that must be akin to a god."

Fernando stopped and looked at the walls. "The old mages certainly think so…"

The walls depicted the battles fought between the shadows and Pokémon. Farther down they went, the worse they got. Every bloody battle lost, every feeble attempt to survive, every crying anguish…it was all shown on these walls. Standing above all was the Shadow King, accompanied by his four heralds.

The Monferno placed his hand on the image. "…I'd fear the day we'd challenge the heralds, much less the Shadow King himself."

"As history says, the calling of the Heralds of Darkness was a sign of death approaching," Mack brought up. "They're like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, only cooler." Holly glared at him. "What? They're evil, but I have opinions!"

The Lurantis sighed and marched down the tomb. "Images of a losing battle doesn't bring us closer to looking at that coffin."

"No…but it tells a history." Fernando stopped and raised his brow a particular image. "Hold on, who's this?"

He tapped his finger on two images. One showed the mages seemingly helpless. If memory serves, the mages weren't confident in their numbers to defeat the darkness. They were too few. The next image, however, was of a Meowstic standing above the mages with…what appeared to be his son. The grand pose of this Pokémon indicated a change in mood for the mages, who were displayed as self-assured and just.

"Who is this guy?" Fernando asked aloud.

"I believe that's the survivor of the initial rise of the shadows," Holly mentioned. "Though, I've never seen an image before. So…he was a Meowstic?"

"All that fame and glory for bringing about a new age of magic and this guy doesn't get a cut of that action?" Mack complained. "Dude! Your entire family would've been legendary!"

"Well, you're not wrong. Look at this." Fernando pointed to the image of the son taking charge in battle. "There's some text. Can't read much of it, but…this is the son of the survivor and the head mage's daughter. He was born with magic and led the newly found armies into battle. Huh…"

"Why keep them secret?" Mack grumbled. "Hell, my family could've been related to this guy! I should be soaking up that glory!" He threw his hands up. "All shall bow to the descendant who helped spread magic to all of Mysto! Mack Crowgaze!"

"Let us hope that is not the case," Holly joked, lightly jabbing him before continuing down the hall. "So…this Meowstic was the one who encouraged magic to become a well-known practice than an isolated secret?"

"And his son was quite talented. He slayed dozens of shadows in his wake, brought about drive in his soldiers…he gave them hope."

Mack sprinted down the hall before stopping. "Our dark monarch didn't seem to like having the past shoved in his face. One of the murals was incinerated."

Fernando and Holly walked up and saw that, indeed, one of them was gone. It was between the mural of the Shadow King going into battle as the soldiers ganged up on him and of the Shadow King being sealed away in a coffin. The image that was last displayed here seemed to have triggered some bad memories for the evil king.

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "If we're at the end of the timeline, that means…"

"We're at the coffin," Holly pointed out. At the end of the hallway was a large black coffin, shaped like a cube. Its decorative lid with golden bars on top was shattered into three separate pieces. More of those singe marks were seen around the coffin. "This is where he was sealed for five centuries…" She felt a small chill run up her back. "Frightening…"

Mack leaned forward with his arms behind his back. "And I found where our good pal, Alexander, was standing." He pointed to the footprints in the dust floor, which were surrounded in a vortex pattern. The dust was burnt solid, forever a permanent feature to the floor. "Yikes…someone didn't have a good day."

Fernando looked around the coffin. "Vernon said there might be something worth looking for, but I don't see…" He stopped when his foot struck a metal object. "Ow…hmm?" He bent down at the dust covered objects. One quick breath blew the dusty blanket away. "…Guys…Alex Ghostwind was a brawler, right?"

"Yeah," the bounty hunters agreed.

"Found his weapons." He held up the two golden gauntlets in plain view. The large, three fingered gloves glowed from the shine of the surrounding torches. "The only thing that remains of him." He narrowed his eyes. "…Let me do a quick test to see what these were designed for." He set them down and checked inside.

Holly walked over to where he found them and carefully looked at the floor. "…Mack, come look at this." The Sudowoodo sauntered over in boredom. "Look at this. He wrote something…desperately."

"He must've been fighting back for control and knew he was at his last breath," Mack guessed. "He must've wrote this in case anyone saw. However…I cannot read this." They were in a foreign text. "It must be Ancient Text. Why the hell did you leave your dying message in a useless language?"

"Maybe that was the point. A useless language the Shadow King may not have known."

"Wouldn't the Shadow King have known?"

"Perhaps it was too irrelevant to care about. Besides…I think he was more interested in escaping." Holly took a book out and wrote the symbols down exactly as she saw them. "That Espeon chick reads this stuff. Maybe she can translate."

"Meh…maybe."

They turned back to the hitman, who squirted a quick hardening goop into the gauntlet. He then pulled it out like rubber and got a match on the arms. The entry point into the gauntlets was slender, indicating they were designed for a creature with slim arms. Stubby looking hands with three fingers, too.

It was the arm of a Scrafty.

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "…This…may be a problem."

Holly glared. "I'm afraid to ask."

"Based off the arm and what I've been told about Ghostwind, I think I know what Pokémon he is." He gritted his teeth. "…This is bad…really bad."

Mack crossed his arms and glared as well. "You're saying we shouldn't have let him go so easily."

"With the condition he was in…the gaps in his memories…they truly were artificial…" Fernando growled. "Dammit!" He punched the ground. "How can we be so careless?! We should've been more suspicious of his behavior!"

Holly tensed up. "Then that means…"

"We let the Shadow King escape right under our noses!"

"You're saying this book might have answers?" Flint asked as he examined the book handed to him.

Jonathan nodded. "Yes, though it is a shot in the dark. I still can't get the darn thing open. It's magically sealed."

"No kidding," Griffin grumbled. He and the other magic users could see the transparent chains wrapped around the book, flashing in brief flickers of light. "If it's the only thing we could find, it may be our best clue."

Tony held his head up and shouted, "Yo, Uxie!" The Knowledge Legendary floated over. "Mind telling us about this book here?"

Uxie took it and gave it a quick once over. "Keeping track of all the books in the world is a chore, though I believe I've seen this one before. Never bothered with it myself since the shadows weren't an issue I wanted to look into."

"Can you open it?" Gwyn asked.

"I could try, but it may take me some time. The one who placed these chains over it must be able to undo them themselves."

Ella crossed her forelegs and grinned. "Sweet! We can finally get some answers about these creeps and shove them off for good!"

Wes grinned. "Looks like things are coming up our way after all!"

Uxie fiddled with the chains when he felt a sudden impulse through his mind. "Wha…?" He looked over his shoulder. His closed eyes widened, feeling a dark presence coming from the perimeter of the library. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Flint asked.

"You all need to hide, now!" Uxie shouted.

"W-W-Why?!" Gwyn shrieked.

"I think he's worried about us, dearie."

Gwyn's blood froze at the chilling voice. "W…Where did that…is that…?"

A dark fog spread along the floors. The group bunched together and raised their guard as darkness filled the room, with malevolent laughter coming from all around. The magically sensitive could feel the aura of a single being surrounding them, with more popping up from all around.

"Who's there?!" Wes shouted.

"I don't get it…I should've felt someone break the seal open," Uxie muttered. "How did they get through?"

"You gods are so pretentious. Did you think such an amateur seal would keep us out if these brats could make it through just fine?"

Tony glared. "Wait…I know that voice…"

"Someone needs to knock you pathetic gods down a peg. Allow me to make the first move."

The team froze when Uxie threw his head back and screamed as a narrow beam shot through his shoulder. He raised his hand to fire a psychic blast in that direction, but then felt a sword slash his back, punting him across the library before taking down an entire shelf.

"Uxie!" Jonathan shouted.

"We are not concerned with a puny god," a gruff voice mocked. "We've come for something more important."

Chills went up Griffin's spy. "No…"

"Are you surprised?! Kehehehehehe! Did you think you could get away with everything you've been doing without someone stepping up to where all others failed?!"

Wes silently gestured his team to back away. "What's going on…?"

"Payback, Ravenfield."

Wes stopped and looked ahead in the darkness in shock. "C…Captain…Arid?" He turned his head and saw not just the Darmanitan's form in the darkness, but most of crew as well. "What is this?"

"This is a culmination of all your actions coming back to haunt you," a particularly evil voice told them, coming from all around them. "The prophecy of the six heroes shall not come. Today will be a day of death and rebirth. Your precious seconds on this world have now been cut down by the masters of darkness itself."

The fog pulled back and swirled into a singular mass above their heads. Taking shape from the darkness was Nightmare, the Boss Shadow. He smirked down at them evilly and snapped his fingers.

The team jumped back as the Desert Beasts took one step forward, with the collective sound echoing far out. Team Ravenfield looked at them in disbelief. "Captain Arid…you're…working for the shadows?" Wes mumbled. This was a new low, even for his rival.

Arid glared to the side. "…Yes."

Unbeknownst to the others, though, Tony was staring in horror at Indigo, who was trying advert his gaze. 'Indigo…you can't be serious…you're working for the shadows? What's going on?'

Griffin pulled out Endless Regret and aimed it at Nightmare. "What…is the meaning of this?"

Nightmare crossed his arms and snickered. "Just looking for the right help. Captain Arid agreed to work for us in exchange for his life…and for power far greater than he could ever imagine."

"What does that mean?" Jonathan asked fearfully.

"You're looking at the man who will give away his pokemanity to become a Herald of Darkness…just like us."

Everyone, even Ella and Jonathan, could feel the chilling aura emanating from behind them. Gwyn's face was twisted in fear. Tony's eyes were slanted in confusion. Griffin was breathing with rage in his eyes. They whipped their heads around, desperately hoping what they heard was fear messing with their heads.

They wanted to be wrong…but they were right.

Aeternus laughed as he floated above Callista and Voss, with his hand emanating with magic. "Hello, Team Ravenfield. It's been a while."

Callista clicked her mandibles together. "You were pretty tough when we last fought, dear Gwyn. And your friend wasn't half bad. I may actually have to make an effort." Gwyn hid behind Flint's tail. The Flareon wished he could do the same.

"My offer still stands, boy. I want you to join me…even if I have to force you to," Aeternus warned. Tony grabbed his scalchops while cautiously looking around.

"Maybe now you can prove to me you're not some weakling, Griffin," Voss said with one hand on his sword. Rage induced magic burned off Griffin's body, with the Grovyle snarling.

Wes stumbled back and breathed heavily. "I…I don't understand…you guys are working for the shadows, too?!"

Aeternus smirked. "We aren't just working, boy. We are the shadows. We are the Tribe of Shadows." He held his chin. "I may not look it, but you have to admit…I look good for a five-hundred-year-old war criminal!"

The team's eyes widened in horror. "No…that's not possible…you can't be…!" Ella shouted. "We beat you guys before!"

Aeternus made air quotes. "Yeah, sure…beat us. I never got my hands dirty…and I'd be pretty pissed if these two actually struggled in their fights. Like we should treat you younglings as actual threats. HA! Please, keep making me laugh! I so enjoy mocking your pathetic views!"

Wes gritted his teeth. "Then that means…you three really are…"

Aeternus smirked evilly. "The Heralds of Darkness…and we're not playing around this time."

Callista hissed. "We all came here for something we want. I want my sacrifice…" Gwyn whimpered and covered herself into Flint's tail. "However…we have one important job to get done." She glared at Jonathan, who jumped back. "…You're on our list, Mr. Geno."

Jonathan backed away slowly, clenching his teeth. 'Oh no…"

"This can't be happening…" Griffin growled.

"You can't be the Heralds of Darkness!" Tony shouted. He spun around and glared at the Desert Beasts. "And what are you idiots doing working for these murderous freaks?!"

Indigo bit her lip. "Tony…"

"Don't feel stressed, Team Ravenfield," Nightmare assured them. "This was inevitable, but we should thank you. You've helped set the pieces in place. You don't even know that you've helped us get to the one thing we've needed since we first met. Now you get the honor…to experience the true rise of the shadows."

Gwyn panted in her panic. "We…They…were…Heralds…this…whole…time?!" She was hyperventilating, holding onto Flint. "Flint!"

"Gwyn, it's going to be okay!" he assured.

Wes turned and ran. "Everyone, get to the exit!"

Aeternus slammed his hands on the floor. "Who said you could leave?!"

The team pushed past the pirates and ran for the door when a yellow magic washed over it and manipulated the walls to mixed around the door, sealing it off in a solid thick wall. Wes rammed his head into it with Mystic Burst, but was bounced off. He flew into Griffin's arms.

"The walls are too strong!" he shouted.

"Cowards…" They turned back as the heralds walked forward. Voss drew his sword. "Is this how you wish to go? Such dishonor you bring…"

Griffin clenched his teeth. "You're the one calling us dishonorable…when you sold your life away to these freaks?!"

Voss glared. "You will never understand the heart of a warrior, boy."

Callista hissed, then sprouted a mass of darkness from her back, which took the shape of two clawed hands. "Hand the Scrafty over…then the Mew…your deaths will be far quicker."

Hearts were racing within the team. Before, these guys were life obstacles to get through, with personal fears and vendettas to accomplish. Those feelings were flipped, replaced with true terror. No longer could they see them as evil Pokémon with their own agendas. All they saw were the monsters that waged war and agony on their kid hundreds of years ago. This was no longer a fight to win…

It was a fight to survive…and their chances were drastically low.

Arid glared cautiously at the team, then sighed. "Desert Beasts…prepare to fight." They drew their swords and faced their enemy with some hesitance among them.

Nightmare smirked. "Well…what's your answer?"

The team took a step back, with eyes on Wes now. "Well bro…you're team leader. What should we do?" Flint asked.

Wes faced their enemy with wide eyes, running through every solution he could think of. There were no quick escapes he could pull off in such a spacious library with no none exit points. The door was seal shut and they won't have the time to chip their way through it.

Sadly, there was only one option and…while the odds were against them, what other choice did they have? Maybe it'll buy them enough time to escape.

The Umbreon took a deep breath, then glared. "Team Ravenfield…brace yourselves…and fight with everything you got!"

It was the answer they expected. Jonathan wrapped his hand around his gun. Ella pulled out Daybreak and spun it around. Tony electrified his water blades. Griffin held up Endless Regret while also wielding Pride of Leones. Gwyn hesitantly pulled out her whip, still remaining close to Flint. The Flareon held her shoulder and nodded at her, then materialized his Guardian. Wes clenched his teeth as he reactivated the Star Amulet and blazed with magic.

Aeternus' smirk curled as his side prepped themselves for a fight. "Enjoy the next few minutes of Hell, kiddies."