Sunlight scraped by on the black surface of the Nightlight tower. It leaked in through the windows more and more with every passing minute of the sunrise.

"Kite, we're ready for you. Just a few questions."

"Ah. Right."

A Jirachi's reflection greeted Kite when he stared through the crystal clean window to the city skyline below. As he turned around, his eyes had to adjust.

Considering the room belonged to the Nightlight Council, he had been surprised by how empty it was. Most of the room's open space was occupied by a circle of plain cushions of varying sizes. He didn't imagine it to be comfortable sitting on them with the silvery, metallic floor underneath. As for the Overlord, they would have their own stand depending on the height of their species, presiding over every meeting in the room.

It would be his stand if he got the job, and it seemed it would be.

Azumarill Raphael and Victini Anne stood side by side. Kite couldn't help but mirror Anne's small smile.

"Well, Kite," Raphael said, smiling, "you have the best resume out of anyone else, and you certainly back it up. Namely, our decision was based on you working in the World Peace Organization and some of your accomplishments as an explorer."

"Thank you," Kite nodded. "I was nervous that me having worked for the WPO would leave you on edge."

"Oh, nonsense. Here at the Nightlight Association, WPO members are always welcome. They do good work. My questions are simply personal, if that's alright with you."

"Of course," he said. "Ask away."

"Well, I've heard that you have been known to have issues with stress," Raphael's smile lowered. "Being Overlord means that stress management is a must. Would you be willing to come walk with me to our mental health facilities in the future? I just want to make you aware."

"Yes," Kite answered. "I would gladly."

"Good," he nodded firmly. "And as for this last question, with current placements, Anne would act as Vice Overlord. Do you think we should reconsider this placement given your relationship?"

"That won't be necessary. We work well together."

Raphael glanced between Kite and Anne's smiles. Relief passed through his stance, making him slouch.

"That's good," he said finally. "I don't think there's anything else. I wish you both the best of luck, and I'll be off."

Art: Kite's glorious obsession, first bought him Anne's attention when he drew a portrait of her out of a feeling. As a Jirachi, everyone had expectations of him, too. They said that his species could grant wishes, and slept for thousands of years at a time. For Anne, they always expected her to bring victory and success as a Victini, which was why her parents forced her into working for the Nightlights at a young age. Kite never met them, and Anne seemed to have put them behind her.

On a cold night, thin, gray clouds dusted over the full moon. Kite had been particularly cozy that evening; reading a book in Anne's room while she took a nap on his shoulder. Once he was ready to go to his room and sleep, he gained clearance to take down a group of marauders. All of his usual help already went to sleep for the night, leaving him on his own to trek through the woods.

For Kite, the mission wasn't especially dangerous. His concern lied in the fact that they were stealing food and essentials from stores on Valor's edge. He never felt comfortable arresting those stealing for necessity, and avoided it as best he could. He needed to approach carefully.

The silence of all but crickets and owls carried on until he heard loud voices far in the distance. It only lasted an instant, but it changed his direction.

The leaves grew thicker as he continued. Once Kite could make out the voices, he floated over the ground and tangled weeds to keep his footsteps from making noise.

"No, I haven't heard anything about it," a gruff voice said. "Just looks normal to me."

"But he's not back to normal, yet, right?" a high, shaky voice asked.

"He's getting there. He can talk now."

"That's terrifying… Are we sure this is worth it?"

"I'm not, obviously. Barely anyone is by now. Trying to back out is tough."

"We could just pack it up and go home tonight. Not to brag, but I kind of got a girl waiting for me."

Jirachi Kite floated out of the bushes. A small campfire cast dancing shadows on the faces of a Growlithe and Skwovet. They both turned around and stiffened.

"If you don't resist," said Kite, "any sentence you have will be over in time to see her by autumn. That's a promise."

Skwovet shared a glance with Growlithe, then turned back.

"Okay," Skwovet said, "honestly, sure."

"Good," Kite said, growing a smile. "Would you care to include me in on your conversation?"

Kite landed on the dirt and walked close to the smoldering pile of wood with his hands behind his back. He loved it when they were willing to talk.

"It's a long story," said Growlithe, "but, for starters, our group is from around the mountains up north in Acuity. An earthquake ruined our crops, so we came down here and scrounged for food and money. Most of us were just farmers."

"Sorry to hear," said Kite. "I've heard Acuity has been tough, lately."

"It's been a lot colder. We were all just having a meeting one night when this stranger offered us a job to protect some weird trinket. Some sort of 'special' rock."

"Description?"

"It was a Ralts. All he had on him was a leather jacket."

"I see. Go on."

"He paid us a lot," Growlithe emphasized. "But, when one of our guys touched that rock, he keeled over in some kind of panic attack. He's been like that all week. He only just started to shake it off. Now, we all just want to get out of here."

"What does this 'rock' look like?" he asked.

"It's round, sort of like an orb. Has a bunch of shifting colors inside, tends to be on the creepy side. Even our chief is having doubts, and he was the one who volunteered us all to take it."

"Do you think your chief would be willing to speak with me?" Kite asked. "I feel as though we could work something out."

"I don't know," he huffed, staring at the flames. "I mean, we'll take him to you. You'll have to talk yourself up."

"Gladly. Lead the way."

As Growlithe and Skwovet walked away from the campfire, Kite snapped his fingers and put out the flame with a smothering of psychic energy.

A tiny, small path guided their way through a tight maze of trees and foliage. Growlithe and Skwovet kept their eyes straight ahead. Kite's intuition that they were being truthful could be wrong, but it gave points in their favor.

Together, Growlithe and Skwovet led Kite to a small clearing lit by torchlight. Small conversations stopped in their tracks. An Arcanine reacted the most. He walked forward and met Kite halfway across the field of dirt and torn up grass.

"Greetings," Kite nodded. "I hear you hail from Acuity."

"Indeed," said Arcanine. His dark eyes hid his emotions well. "What business do you have here?"

"Dealing with reports of theft. I believe I can help your situation personally, but I would like to see this artifact you're protecting and that person afflicted by it."

"And what's in it for us if we do?"

"I know of free farmland closer towards Valor's coastline," Kite said slowly. "I may need a week of your time, but I can guarantee it to be yours because of our immigration policies. I talk often with Lord Valor on these matters. Tell me, have you seen this Ralts after he first appeared?"

"No," he answered. "We have not seen him, nor think he intends to come back. I will show you, but you will have to take precautions."

"Naturally," said Kite. "What are they?"

"Only observe the afflicted person in question. Mentioning the event causes him to go into a fit. Secondly, do not touch the artifact, by psychic means or otherwise. It's not safe."

"Understood."

More praise tended to follow after flashy combat with criminals, but Kite preferred the outcomes that made more of a difference. Acutian immigrants were common recently. Cold weather that year had interfered with lots of farms. He doubted the effects would be permanent, but all Valor really needed to do was share.

Jirachi Kite followed Arcanine through another small, shadowy path. Uncomfortable beds sat spread out on piles of weeds and dirt. At the path's end, a small Nuzleaf laid on his back in one. He reacted to their footsteps and opened his eyes.

"Hello," said Kite. "What's your name?"

"Who the hell are you?"

Nuzleaf definitely seemed strange to him at first glance.

"My name is Kite," he said. "I'm here to help, from the Nightlight Association."

"You?" Nuzleaf questioned, calming down. "The Overlord? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to help. What do you say to getting doctors to have a look at you, to feel better?"

Nuzleaf shifted his gaze to Arcanine. Arcanine lent him a reassuring nod.

"Okay then…" he muttered. "When do we leave?"

"Five minutes," said Arcanine. "Stay here. We'll be back for you."

Kitre followed Arcanine back out towards the open area. When they returned, more pokemon had appeared out of the bushes and shadows. Arcanine walked to the center to address them.

"We leave in five minutes," Arcanine spoke loudly, but not overly-so. "Kite has promised us land near the Valorian coastline if we cooperate. This is the best long-term plan for our survival. If we turned him away now, it wouldn't be long until more authorities came after us for our little food trips. Get ready."

"Would you care to show me that artifact?" Kite asked quietly. "Do you have a method of transporting it?"

"It sits in a stone. We have to be careful not to touch it."

"I'll carry it, then. It's only fair."

A Skwovet walked forward and set himself apart from the crowd. Kite saw it in his arms: an orb with swirling, dark magenta colors resting in a gray, stone bowl. Seeing how Skwovet's arms trembled carrying it, Kite walked forward to take it into his own hands. As an explorer, he hadn't heard of anything like this before. He felt some sort of energy and presence inside, as if it was alive.

Similar to a Sacred Treasure, a small pulse of electricity ran through the air.

"Suspicious," Kite observed. "We'll take great care to analyze this. Shall we?"

Getting the villagers settled on the land had to be discussed with Lord Valor. As usual, Kite's request went through, and as promised, the villagers were all settled for their departure in a week. The N.A. took great satisfaction in this job in particular.

The hard part came with the artifact. Nuzleaf's mental condition sorted itself out in time, but his testimony as to the artifact left an uneasy feeling in his chest. He didn't sleep well with it.

Jirachi Kite walked down long, quiet hallways at night until he reached a doorway. He knocked on its cold surface and waited.

Leafeon Charlotte opened the door. Fatigue bogged down her gaze and usual greeting smile.

"Hi," said Charlotte.

"Can I talk you into sleeping?" Kite asked. "You don't look well."

"Perhaps after I finish one more thing. But do come in."

Kite entered a dark room with tables and papers stren about at random. A lamp cast the brightest source of light on the artifact, still resting in its stone bowl. Physical analysis turned up with nothing, and the limitation of not being able to touch it or observe it in any way the required such limited their search to books, much to Charlotte's annoyance. Unfortunately, Kite remained too curious to lack an answer.

"I just can't find it," Charlotte said, growling with every breath as she walked towards another table. "This has never happened to me before. I've turned up nothing."

"What have you checked so far?" Kite asked, holding his gaze on the orb.

"Everything you can think of. Cultural, historical… I preferred that day I spent finding a needle in a haystack."

"Have you checked associations with Sacred Treasures?"

"Well… Not specifically. Why?"

Kite smiled to himself. "Well, I promise you to keep a secret. Whilst an explorer, my partner wielded a Sacred Treasure. It reminds me of that feeling."

"Really?" she inquired. "But I thought partners stayed together for… for life."

"We decided to separate for a few years to have some different experiences. We are still very much partners. But, in any case, you feel the slight buzz being around it, yes?"

"Yes."

"That's like a smaller feeling of what it is like being around a Sacred Treasure," he explained. "I hope that after a good night's rest, you'll think about-"

"I've found it."

Kite shifted his stare. Charlotte held up a piece of paper in her paws like gold.

"I found it," she sighed in relief. "Oh thank heavens. I'm going to sleep…"

Charlotte flopped on the ground. The paper lifted up in the air and floated back and forth as it fell to the floor. Kite snagged it with Psychic and pulled it to his hands. His eyes darted about with what little energy he had left.

"Well," Kite mumbled to himself, "shit."

Kite sulked on his way to Anne's room. His thoughts slowed his steps to a crawl. He stood idle in front of her metallic door for a few seconds before he knocked.

Victini Anne answered wearing a short, pink nightgown. She smiled, folded her arms, leaned against the doorway, and stared with a hint of sass.

"I thought you weren't into night visits," she said quietly. "Have a change of heart?"

"I came here to talk to you about something," he explained. "I, uhm, still, you know…"

Anne's face hardened when she noticed Kite's grimace. She moved back to the side, allowing him to enter.

Anne preferred to use the city skyline, visible through her large windows, for light at nighttime. It eased Kite's tired eyes. He swayed on his way over to a small, brown couch. Anne sat next to him without glancing away.

"Hey," said Anne, "did you learn something about that weird, glowy thing?"

"It's some kind of… cursed artifact, I fear... I have to go on a journey towards its place of origin."

"Where would that be?"

"All the way in Vantaa."

Anne frowned. "That's as close a country as it gets to the south pole."

"And unfortunately, that would leave me unable to perform my duties as Overlord. And because you're the Vice Overlord… I don't think you can come with me."

"Of course I can," she bit back. "It would be the Nightlight's problem to deal with."

"People need you here, Anne. If it weren't for you, all sorts of people that needed help would've stayed under the radar. I don't trust anyone else to do this."

"Why do you have to go all the way to Vantaa?" she demanded. "What did you learn?"

"I think there's some pokemon trapped inside. The seal originates from Vantaa, so I have to go there and ask people."

Anne's face fell. "Someone's… trapped inside?"

"Based on the readings Charlotte performed, as crazy as it sounds, it's possible. I don't know the means or reason, but I can't ignore it."

Anne smiled with a soft glint in her eyes. Kite stared back, surprised.

"You never ignore the problem," she said, "no matter how small. I really admire that."

Kite's heart fell into his stomach. He leaned in and hugged her.

"I swear, " he resolved, "I'll come back as soon as I can, and not a moment later, okay?"

"I know," she sighed. "You keep your promises."

Anne's belief in Jirachi Kite to succeed and come back kept him warm. Gray clouds blocked out any sunlight that would help his cause. Numb from the cold, he tied the yellow streamers on his back into a small bun weighing on his shoulders. It weighed on him along with the round, black metal case on his back. From the edge of a ship, he gazed out at green and white snow-dusted land and dark southern ocean.

Once he landed, Kite would be right where he needed to be: a small, oceanside village the artifact originated from, according to Charlotte's materials. From an additional cloth bag over his shoulder, he retrieved his phone to check the time. He smiled at a close-up picture of Victini Anne's wide, carefree smile. It was noon.

Kite stood alone on the edge of the ship when it pulled in. His rush outpaced six other passengers that rode it from Bogota. The village lacked a proper harbor, and the ship opted to lay down anchor close to the beach. By the time it reached it, Kite had flown away to a horde of dirt pathways veiled by snow and red and tan buildings.

After some research, he knew to look for the village chief. Because they held meetings, their house would be the largest building in the village. Kite didn't fly too high to avoid freezing up in the ocean winds, but the village's size made his work easy. The path swirled around buildings and connected them altogether. Towards the center, a building with a roof like an arrowhead towered over the rest. Pierced by winds, Kite opted to walk.

From looming silence, he suspected no one else might be in the building at this time. Unable to see past the foggy glass doors, Jirachi Kite pushed open the doors with a bit of gusto to get out of the cold.

To his surprise, people were inside; possibly the whole village sat at a rectangular dinner table that reached all the way across the floor. Chandeliers hanging up top shined down fake sunlight. Countless faces belonging to an Ursaring, Skunktank, Armaldo, and more turned his way as he entered. At the other end of the table, a Gogoat eyed him with particularly harsh focus.

"Kite," Gogoat called, "we've been expecting you. Please, have a seat."

His words clicked in Kite's mind as the glass doors shut behind him. "Uh, yes. Of course."

Kite walked forward and sat on the itchy cushion at the opposite end of the table.

"We were called in advance," Gogoat said, "and we decided to share information with you, based on your stellar reputation, of course. But, also…" he leaned his face near the table, "because your old partner was a Scion."

Kite failed to formulate a swift, safe response. As everyone's faces remained the same.

"Some twenty years ago, a curse ravaged our village," said Gogoat, "We still suffer the grief. Officially, that's the information available to the world, but the curse itself didn't kill a single person. It was a Legendary dragon."

"Legendary dragon?" Kite asked. From what he knew, the outside world thought it was a plague.

"The dragon… mutated. From its body, it unleashed a curse that stopped our warriors cold. The after-effects were non-existent for those afflicted, but all of our warriors who got close were slain because they couldn't even fight back. That is what we have sealed there."

Kite trembled. It sapped strength to hold his current demeanor instead of ripping it off his back.

"We cast it to the ocean," he continued. "Unfortunately, our seal won't last forever. The void is leaking back out again. If the world were to learn of what happened or what will happen, panic will consume all of Vantaa and beyond. There are no warriors left here to help."

"Then what can I do?" asked Kite. "I don't think I'll have any better chance if this curse does what you say."

"There's only one option to try that doesn't involve more lives being lost. An underground tunnel network runs deep through our village. At its heart, legends and writings say there's a portal to another world. The only option is to seal it again by leaving it there. If it exists, we'll be safe."

"It's well worth a try. I'll go."

Gogoat's face softened. "I'm relieved you agreed so easily, although we have our doubts if success is even possible. If the secrets of the Scions were known to all, it would bring chaos. We thank you, Kite."

"You have my gratitude for enlightening me. For the sake of us all, I'll make haste straight away. Where's the closest entrance to this place?"

"There is a tunnel on the side of the cliff."

"Alright, I will leave for it immediately."

Kite pushed up against the table and offered a short bow. He turned around and reached for the glass doors.

"Young man," Gogoat called. Kite turned his head back. Gogoat's eyes shivered. "Before you go, get your affairs in order."

"I kept up with my partner," said Kite. "I'll survive."

Kite's resolve strengthened as he said it. Back home, Anne was waiting for him.

Jirachi Kite endured another walk on a solid, cold path. He arrived at a rocky cliff under attack from high reaching waves. The round tunnel entrance hovered inches over the waves' range. Kite floated down and entered. He unraveled his yellow ribbons and used Flash to light his way.

The round tunnel had formed with rings of rock etched in. Kite suspected something dug through to form it.

As he traveled deeper in, he grew nervous. He struggled to ascertain the reason why. The tunnel didn't lead him deeper underground. He had nothing to be suspicious of.

A small, popping sound made Kite flinch. He glanced back at the ground. A black metal shard popped off the orb's case. A flashing, purple light flickered on the shard.

Kite broke out into a run. In the worst-case scenario, being further underground could limit its movements. His adrenaline spiked with every pop. His head ignited with extra thinking power he couldn't even use. As the orb shook his back, he broke out into a sprint.

A light broke out at the end of the tunnel. As Kite got closer, he could make out its shape.

A gold ring hovered above the ground in front of a rocky dead end. Jirachi Kite pushed himself even harder. If there was any hope in the stories about their being some other world, he saw it in the swirling, gray colors inside.

He leaped through..

The tunnel's ceiling opened up to twinkling starlight. Kite landed on hard, gray rock. His eyes darted around, and behind him.

The ring had disappeared. Beyond crumbled pillars and chunks of rock, the floor dropped off into a night sky. It seemed as if he had landed in some arena floating about in space.

As Kite completed his full turn around, his eyes locked on. A lone Ralts stood in front of him, thirty or so paces away. He stood straight with his arms stiff at his sides.

"Only us Pharaohs have the honor to see where the world will end," said Ralts. "You should count yourself blessed."

"Who are you!?" Jirachi Kite demanded.

"I'm the second comet," he answered. "I've been wanting to meet you, Kite. Well, to be more accurate, I have use for your help."

A snapping sound echoed in the vast, empty space. Kite's head shot left and right when the weight on his back lifted off. Over his head and surrounded in dark smoke, the orb flew into Ralts' embrace. The smoke around it settled.

"As it's Scion, you have a duty to perform," Ralts whispered. "Kite, kneel."

Kite's body kneeled. He winced from pain trying to stop himself. His muscles had a will of their own.

"Stand," said Ralts.

Kite stood. He couldn't summon up any power to attack.

"Come here."

Kite walked closer. Ralts did the same, and the distance between them closed. They stopped far enough apart to where Kite couldn't see details of his face.

"It's called Fearmonger," Ralts explained. "It triggers anxiety and fear. Not even the Valorian royal blessing can withstand it. For you, it will be your new master."

Kite cut through the pain. He raised his arms and drowned the Ralts in psychic power.

He didn't hold back. Pink light and flames expanded out in a wave. Patches of the floor were torn up and charred black. Through all of it, Kite saw the wave ripple away from the Ralts' form. Ralts walked forward and swiped his arm to the side.

Kite's psychic blast petered out. His body stopped moving.

"I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy for you," said Ralts. "Willpower always wins in the end."

Kite couldn't believe it. He wasn't being held or forced like the last time his body didn't function; Ralts' psychic power held him in place. After Kite's long years of training, it shouldn't have been possible for him to be overpowered to this degree. It took an enormous difference in strength for Psychic power alone to hold someone in place.

"Scions have a special defense mechanism," Ralts' voice lowered. "When under threat and unconscious or unable to survive on their own, their spirits are put into a deep sleep, and their host takes over. I don't need you to obey orders, I just need you to sleep. And as luck would have it, your species is known for taking long naps."

Kite fell. His vision went black. He tried to fly up and out, but could only reach his arm out to hang on to something. Nothing came.

"Stand."

Jirachi Kite stood up from a kneeling position. Ralts nodded.

"Kite might still break through on occasion," said Ralts. "You need to be careful when that happens."

"Yes," said Kite. "He is strong. I'm proud to call him my Scion."

"And now, you're strong too," he smiled. "I have to throw you right at something. Y'see, it's about the Old World."

Ralts turned away. Kite stood still as he paced.

"I can't let anyone discover it," Ralts said. "Unfortunately, I think they've done it. I've felt a ripple."

"Are you appointing me to protect the Old World?" asked Kite.

"I am. I can't let Luke do as he pleases everywhere. And I have a mission for you." Ralts turned to him. "They're going to enter the Old World if we do nothing. You have to act."

"When?"

"Just before they do. That way, they'll all be there."

Jirachi Kite waited on the other side of the forming portal. He rose up through the first sliver; he didn't want to give them time to react.

Once he broke through to cold, night air, he sent his power out at random. Plumes of grass and dirt rose into the air, and fell. He continued to shred apart anything nearby. With luck, he would finish with only that.

Fires ignited and spread across the grass hill. The wisps of soil combined into a huge, falling brown cloud that blotted out the night sky. Kite didn't bother searching through it. Anyone in the vicinity would be scraps.

He needed to make sure no one else had escaped. Behind him, Ralts walked through the portal and stepped out onto the grass.

A heaping mound of burning, crumbling wood and smoke rested outside the cloud. Kite floated up in the air and looked down across the grass, scanning for survivors.

"Check there!"

Kite looked down at Ralts and observed the direction he was pointing in. Chunks of a marble structure had been blown apart, but a trail of red dots betrayed signs of life. Kite floated down and followed it into the flames.

Ornate, red walls melted under the heat. Kite stomped as he followed the trail inside. It didn't lead very far.

"Help…!"

The young caller fell unconscious in the middle of her plea. Kite lit up his yellow ribbons with Flash to see better.

An Audino lay face down on her stomach. Blood trailed out from her feet. Deep wounds coated her body.

"Hold on."

Kite released the heavy breath full of smoke he inhaled. He waited as Ralts walked past him.

Ralts bent down at Audino's side. He leaned in to observe her face.

"Let's help her live," said Ralts.

"Why?" asked Kite, hissing with rage hidden underneath his voice.

"She's probably too young to even know about the Old World. No point in letting her die."

"Yes there is," he argued. "So that the mission is foolproof. You've no reason to preserve this bloodline. They aren't even capable of becoming the Peacekeeper."

"Not necessarily true. Just do as I say."

Blue water manifested from Ralts' hands. It grew and surrounded the Audino's body. He used it to lift her off the ground. Kite watched her grievous wounds close and morph into non-life-threatening cuts.

"Go back now," Ralts commanded. "I will be out here for sometime. Continue to stand guard."

Kite scoffed, "Pointless. Do you want me to save a daffodil I missed, too? Maybe we can keep her as a souvenir right next to the vase."

"That's an order."

"Oh, I know it is. It's an order that will come back to bite us in the ass. Just let me know when I can finish the mission once your next little charity service is over."

To quell his fury, Kite slammed his fist towards the wall. His Psychic power pierced clean through. He turned around and stomped out as the roof collapsed.

"Surprise, surprise..."

Jirachi Kite gazed out over a small field of grass in the woods. With his arms folded behind his back, he waited patiently as Ralts walked within speaking distance.

"I don't even need to say anything," said Kite, "that face says it all. I told you... it was a mistake."

"No," Ralts bit back, "it wasn't. It's a problem I'm willing to deal with."

"You're spending eight hours a day going soft, aren't you? That's just rich..."

"I need you to scare her off. Every time, we're more at risk of them discovering Stargazer Castle. And what's worse… her visions are showing about me. I'm officially operating on borrowed time. I need you to hold out."

"Till what?" Kite asked. "She hopefully sees it your way?"

"I'll need a replacement eventually. And honestly, I've made my choice. You have your mission now, alright? If you kill her, there will be consequences."

Ralts turned around. He waved his wrist in a circular motion. A golden ring leading to a dark place with a tiled floor appeared. It vanished as Ralts stepped inside.

"Neon Star," Kite whispered. "What a shitty joke. And if you really cared about her, you wouldn't be trying to make her your replacement. It'd be a mercy to just kill her now compared to that. Perhaps if I warn-"

Kite fell to his knees and grasped his forehead.

"Dammit!" he screamed, "shut up, Kite!"

Kite stared down at the dirt. When the pain subsided, he stood.

"No," he said. "No… Consider it a mercy kill."