Sean climbed to the top of a rock and glanced around with wary hope.

He'd been looking for days now. It was weird to be on his own for so long. He had run into wild pokémon, but they weren't up for much chatting. None of them had seen a meowth and audino around, or at least none of them said they had.

He entered a few local dungeons to see if there was any idea in there. Still, they shot him around all over the place, and any hope of knowing his location fizzled by the second trip.

He knew rollcall orbs did not remain keyed to a person indefinitely, and Guardian would undoubtedly be getting nervous by this point. He didn't have much longer before it was used, so he pushed himself to explore faster.

He had stamina the others didn't have and could push himself for longer safer than, say, Striker could with his Overgrow.

Although he was still a 'baby pokémon', that still came with some risks, as Keira had slapped into him one day.

He wasn't fighting, however, just exploring and searching.

Exploring, sensing, and searching.

The Silver Bow was tied around his neck now, and he touched it often, trying to feel something from it. It left his paws feeling tingly, and goosebumps crossed his body; he always released it as the sensation began to get too much and continued on no wiser.

As the sun was cresting down towards the other end of the sky, his tassels picked up on something new. The constant quasi-buzzing they were doing to keep his aura senses up had given him a pressuring headache that ached constantly, but he had no one to complain to.

He picked up on the wild pokémon around him when he drew close, and while they were largely unhelpful, he still approached the vague feeling of someone. He usually had to be nearly on top of them to realise they were around, but he walked for almost ten minutes following a stunningly clear sense.

He hoped that meant his senses could pick up someone familiar easier and that this was Scout; his walk quickened.

The sight that met his eyes wasn't as relieving as finding Scout, although finding him meant finding Soothe as well. There was purple fur, but he knew audino didn't have horns.

"Hi!" Sean called his greeting, making sure not to startle the indeedee. She, he knew it was a female because of the shape of her horns, turned to him with a curious expression.

"Why hello," Indeedee called back, giving a wave and then a curtsy. A voice almost musical with a touch of weight to it. Fairly deep for an indeedee.

"This might seem like an odd question," Sean said, closing the distance between them. "But I'm looking for a purple audino and blue-ish meowth around here."

"Ah." Her eyes lightened for a moment before a frown crossed her face. "You must be Riolu of Team Sunrise."

Sean blinked; he… couldn't imagine how she could have guessed that.

Chuckling softly at his bamboozled expression, she explained. "There was a cry for help sent over the continent for aid to find Meowth of Team Ion, and we made our way here. It might be a little forward for me to assume who you are, but I know your two teams are close."

Sean nodded, feeling a wave of relief hit him. "Oh, thank you so much for coming," he breathed, feeling so tired for a moment. "I've been looking for days on my own with no luck." He tapped one of his tassels. "These aren't helping much."

She smiled kindly at him and offered her hand. "May I?" He wasn't sure what she was asking but nodded. She brushed a finger over his brow, and the headache receded.

"Oh!" His ears flicked up. "How did you do that?" He smiled thankfully. "Oh, also, thank you!" He then caught something else she said. "We? You brought someone else?"

"Just a small empathy trick," Indeedee explained, taking out a flask of water and offering it to him. He had been rationing his water and took a deep gulp gratefully. "My own senses are powerful. Between us and my eyes in the sky, we may be able to find them." She pointed up. Sean squinted as he drank, spotting some colourful feathers.

Sean handed it back with a cough after swallowing too quickly. "Thanks," he croaked, coughed again, and cleared his throat. "I wasn't sure if anyone would come."

"Meowth did so much for us all," Indeedee replied sadly. But a light of determination was in her eyes. "I was fortunate enough to meet Team Ion when they were hunting that outlaw Pyroar."

"Py…oh! You're the mayor of Blackstone Village!"

She smiled, surprised at him. "I am! Very sharp of you."

"You guessed who I was," Sean laughed. "But I can put two and two together myself." Headache gone and thirst sated for the moment, Sean felt leagues better than he had five minutes ago. He glanced up again. "So that's…uh, that's why you came?"

"I think others will come too," Indeedee said. "But we made the trip as soon as we could. We will find them. It can't be THAT hard to find a pair of shiny pokémon."

Sean nodded, not correcting Scout as it was more than unnecessary. "Alright, thank you for coming so quickly. How did you manage that?"

"A magnagate," a soft voice nearly caused him to jump. He hadn't heard Chatot drift down, but the Flying-type had, and Sean needed to blink more than once upon seeing them. He almost saw…someone who wasn't there for a moment; he couldn't sense others' aura terrifically well, just general feelings.

"A magnagate?" Sean replied, alarmed as Indeedee sighed. Chatot's eyes held firm on Sean, but he had eyes only for Indeedee.

"Did you have to tell him that?" she complained good-naturedly. "I know it's illegal," she said, wincing at Sean. "But…with the circumstances involved, I wanted us to get here without any time to waste."

Sean nodded slowly; that was…fair enough. He could ignore it for the sake of having help. She smiled at him, and Chatot took flight again. "I will continue looking from the sky," he said, flapping over the trees.

"Someone in the air will be good." He nodded. "By the way, do you know where we are? I have a map." He pulled it out.

Indeedee studied it for a moment before pointing a finger. "About there." She lied.

Sean nodded gratefully. "Thanks! Let's get going; I want to keep going as long as I can."

"Don't we all?" Indeedee nodded, a small curious smile curling over her lips.

Sean glanced curiously at her but didn't comment.

The conversation continued as they began to explore together, Indeedee asking a few questions. "Unfortunately, the details of the event were brief. Could you explain why this has happened?"

"I don't actually know," Sean replied, frowning. "Why Soothe, that's the audino, would want to kidnap Scout. Apparently, though, she's been in Treasure Town for a while and probably knew Team Ion were looking for her."

"They were looking?"

"Yeah, it's…well it's a complicated thing to explain, really. But Scout thinks she's the last thing to wrap up from all this going on, and we want to save her."

"Save her?" The words were eager. "I heard she was a Shadow Pokémon? You think that's possible?"

"I know it's possible," Sean declared. "We spoke to Giratina! Saniya is out learning the celebi side of purification, and I used to be human. Together, we can do it, I know." He raised a fist.

"Incredible," Indeedee breathed. "Very inspiring. To think there's a way…."

Sean smiled at her; it was a lot of things. A little sad, a little happy, a little nostalgic. "I know Shadow Pokémon have been a big problem here," he said heavily. "I want to get into talks with Team Go-Getters and Paradise as well. Three humans would be better than just one. That way, we can stop this thing for good. And we'll save Soothe first!"

The fool.

"Very heroic," Indeedee said, casting a furtive eye at their surroundings. They were meant to be…looking after all.

Sean glanced around himself, tassels floating. "I swear I've seen that rock a bunch," he complained, pointing at a perfectly flat rock.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's-"

"Okay." His voice suddenly cut out with a squeak. "Nothing is worth listening to your chatter."

Sean's eyes bulged from both shock and pressure as something just…clamped around his throat, cutting his breathing off and then lifted him off the ground by his neck. His legs flailed as his paws scrambled at his throat for something to pull off, but there was nothing.

She wasn't looking at him, just still glancing ahead and around for anyone. "Oh, I should." She threw him fast and hard against a tree, shaking leaves off it.

Sean choked for breath, gasping and coughing and trying to make sense of what just happened. His paw immediately shot into his travel bag to pull out something.

"Nope." His bag tore itself from his grip, but he snatched it with his paw. Normally a physical pull would break any psychic hold with ease, but he found himself getting dragged trying to hold onto it, the bag beginning to rip.

She drew a wand from her own and swished it at Sean, staggering his body as his limbs just locked up. "What? I can use items too."

"I don't understand!?" His mouth was still working, although it was stiff.

She levitated his bag to hers and emptied it, taking his stuff before stashing his bag in her own. "Someone might as well use it."

"You're a thief!?"

"A thief?" Indeedee giggled. "Oh dear, I guess I didn't choke you long enough." She met his eyes and began to approach, and underneath the paralysis, he shivered. That was not a look he'd ever been on the other end of. The look of a predator approaching their prone prey.

She stopped a few feet from him before raising her right hand facing up before clenching her fist. He felt the paralysis break, and the air got stolen from his lungs as another Psychic gripped his whole body. He tried to resist it, struggling, but he couldn't break this! He'd never been held by a Psychic so strong, not even Saniya playing seriously when he needed to burn out the build-up in a dungeon.

"W-W-Why?" Sean managed.

"Why not?" Indeedee purred. "If you're still curious afterwards, I might even tell you." Afterwards? After WHAT? She smiled, seeing the panic flashing through his eyes.

Sean clenched his jaw slowly, like biting through thick rubber, before snapping his whole body to the side. Indeedee had a flicker of acknowledgement across her face. In his paw, Sean had managed to grab one thing before he had been paralysed, and he crushed the blast seed.

The blast hurt him far more than it'd hurt her, but the force of it knocked him free and her back a few steps. Sean landed on three feet and immediately bolted for the trees.

Only to trip on something he hadn't seen.

"AH!" He didn't even get the chance to crash before the psychic hold gripped him again, and he was pulled back as she chuckled at him.

"Well, that was actually quite impressive," Indeedee complimented.

"Dammit!" Sean yelled. "WHO ARE YOU?"

He was spun around until he was facing her again. "Who am I? I'm Mayor Indeedee of Blackstone Village."

Sean snarled, pulling on his Power. He had another idea cropping up; he just had to get her talking. "I know that's not all you are!"

"Clever puppy," she replied. "But as I said, if you're still curious, I'll tell you later."

"After what!?"

Her smile was chilling, and dark fire began to spread across her fur lovingly. His tassels screamed as his senses took upon something dark, darker, hungrier, and awful.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but she tutted at him. "Now, now, it's not as fun if they look away. Although you do look very cute cringing like that."

He felt his eyes be forced open, having to meet her deep, brown ones again as she tilted his chin with her hand. "I'm offended, really, Sean." She knew his name. "After you'd heard so much about me."

"M-Mayor…?" Wait….

The dark fire was getting closer, cresting down her arms to where she was holding his chin.

Sean's eyes widened as a piece clicked in his head. He swallowed, hesitating, before just going for it. "Violet. She... she wanted to say that she forgives you."

Indeedee froze; the fire froze too. "I... excuse me?" Her Psychic hold on him loosened slightly.

"Yes. I don't know how she was there; she is some sort of spirit trapped in the Circh dungeon. She wanted to say that she forgives you."

Indeedee trembled gently in the wind, her hold on Sean loosening until he was on the ground. Tears pricked the deep brown eyes of his attacker, and she lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I... I know," she replied, smiling gently. She raised her hand and clenched it again, completely cutting Sean's breathing off. "Why do you think she was still there? There are times when I'm feeling down, so I'll go around there." Sean was lifted towards her, kicking and gagging. "Enjoy myself again."

She reached forward and cupped Sean's chin, lifting his head once more. "Why do you think she had to mouth that to you? There's just some awareness in that hollow shell. Just enough... just enough to hope that I'll let her die." She laughed at the idea. Laughed and laughed.

She dropped his chin and even most of her hold on him, floating him back from her and tilting her head. "Since you care to impart Violet's message so much, why not see her yourself?"

He had tripped over something earlier. Sean felt something breathing on the back of his neck.

"Ask her if she still forgives me."

Something was touching his fur.

"Well, Sean? Cat got your tongue?"

He was spun around, and he screamed as he came face to face with the monster in the painting behind him. Numbly, Sean was aware that the psychic hold had been removed, and he immediately bolted away from the setting sun.

He was let go as The First Fallen crooned to her pet monster. "Oh, Violet," she said, stroking the shivering runerigus, feeling the bubbling remains of pain and regret be smothered by the shadowy hunger. "It has been too long since you've hunted. Well, go on. Kill him."

The runerigus did not move at first, the body still trembling in place, before the headpiece cracked towards where Sean had run, and it snarled, the body of the runerigus sinking into the shadows and going on a hunt.

)(*&^%$# !~~! #$%^&*()

Sean slapped branches out of his way, not caring of the path he may be leaving. Twigs like fingers snatched at his fur and body, one particularly sharp one catching his borrowed bow.

It was almost yanked off his body, but he snatched it back, a tear ripping through it as he pried it free and continued running.

He had no idea why Indeedee had turned on him so suddenly. For someone to be so friendly, pleasant, and helpful to suddenly sigh and deem him not worth the effort. The effort to what? Act normal?

Who WAS that person?

Nelia.

The name hung in his head as firmly as the path of the setting sun. Violet had cried it into the stale air of Circh enough times for him to not forget. And what did she MEAN that creature was Violet?

It was all so confusing and terrifying. She was going to kill him, and he had only a few brief ideas on what might work to bolt to safety.

His mind repeated moments he'd shared with Violet. As she showed them around, she expressed such kindness and sadness.

Had she been trying to warn them? With her frantic cries of "NELIA?" Were they perhaps a cry of pain rather than want. Had Nelia done that to her?

How was Nelia even still alive!? It was three thousand years ago that Violet had died in the firing of the weapon, and if she knew Nelia, then Nelia must have been alive back then too.

A runerigus' claws ripped out of a shadow of a tree, and Sean yelped and ducked, sensing the tree suddenly become a threat just in time. He fell into a duck and roll, evading the claw and was back on his feet and running.

Violet, no, he wouldn't think of her like that. That creature hissed something at him, and he began to serpentine to avoid any attacks, but none came, and he looked around furtively for another threat, tassels nearly buzzing through his head.

The headache was still gone, banished by the gentle touch of Indeedee. Why did she help him like that if she was only going to try and kill him? What kind of sick game was this that she'd let him run and set this monster on him?

Sean may have lost his bag, but he was not a defenceless child. He'd met the children of this world; they were more dangerous than most feral dungeon crawlers in their cunning savagery.

He could fight if it came to that.

He didn't want to, however. He didn't. As his senses flared, sending panicked bolts of aura through the surroundings, hoping desperately that Guardian would just use the rollcall orb already. He had felt the creature's aura.

Slimy and hateful and loathing.

And a flicker of someone he'd almost known.

He was so relieved he hadn't thought to tell Nelia that someone had a rollcall orb on him. He shuddered to think of what she might have done had he revealed that along with everything else he'd told her.

He just had to keep running. Eventually, eventually, Guardian had to use it. He had to? Right?

As the sun set on the land entirely, Sean did his best to hide and curtail his flaring aura. Violet, he meant the creature, would be able to track him forever if he kept on broadcasting his position with massive signs and lights screaming he was here, come kill him now.

Calming down, however, was not an easy thing on the cards. Not when every shadow became a potential vector for a burning purple eye.

Even more so when Violet seemed to ramp up her attacks on him. He tripped over bands of shadows, spraining his ankle for claws tried to spear right through his belly. He managed to roll out of the way of the first and deflect another with Endure, body shining white and the stab scratching off fur instead of piercing his body.

She grabbed him by the leg, and he tried to Force Palm out of that paw, but her ghostly form shivered instead of being forced off, and she raised a club-like limb to smash his head in.

He Endure'd, and it bounced off, but he still felt like some screws were knocked loose. And she just raised her arm to hit him again.

"STOP! STOP!" Sean yelled, raising his arms over his head and pushing back as she beat him. "STOP! Aren't you Violet? PLEASE!"

The subsequent blow was almost half-hearted and her grip on his leg loosened. He slammed another paw down and blasted the ground, jarring himself loose and breaking off into another run.

The runerigus just watched him run before hissing and melting back into the shadows.

He ran again, bleeding from the forehead, and that headache has returned with a vengeance. She was wise to his tricks, and without her attacking him with a move, he couldn't bounce it back. Everything else wouldn't work on an enemy like this.

It was a runerigus. A runerigus! He'd only heard about them on scary online message boards. It was said if you spoke Bloody Mary three times into a mirror from Galar, an ancient runerigus would appear out of it and eat your soul.

Rumours and hearsay like that which scared him when he was young.

He never wanted to come face to face with a real one. It might not be eating his soul, but bashing him over the head was a close second worst. He called on Keira's guidance, tears streaking his face as he panted for breath.

Fuck, Keira was gone. She was gone, and there were monsters still around. He missed Striker, out to see Azelf, wanted to see Saniya with Celebi, and wished for Guardian to summon him back with the kitties. Team Sunrise had never been split up like this before.

A tree fell, he turned on a dime. A rock tore up from the ground, and he leapt over it, it almost catching the fur between his legs.

He landed and ran, dodging a graveler that slumbered with some geodude. They all stirred, woken by his fear crashing over everything.

It would be a feast for some Ghost-types if his panic managed to take root in the wild pokémon. It could drive things to a forest riot if threats made themselves known, which they were.

Violet was only hunting him, but he had no idea what Nelia or…he didn't even want to think about it.

Who was Nelia, and why?

It took a human soul, fresh or yamask, to create a runerigus. It was said the most powerful of runerigus was formed out of pure human souls, the creation of yamask not being truly human anymore.

Every shadow was a threat. Every turn was a risk. Every step was a step towards the next attack.

He wanted to stop, curl up in a tree, and hide. But he had to curtail his aura first, and he couldn't do that when Violet kept on attacking him.

She was going to exhaust him. Was she just playing with him? Sean didn't want to stand around and find out.

"Hello. I am Violet." It spoke with her voice. It spoke with her words.

It was a trap, however, one he knew he had to fall into. To stop was to invite her; to run was to exhaust himself. He couldn't hide; she was everywhere. If he fell asleep, thinking he was safe, she could strike.

He just had to run with a mouthful of water an hour ago to sustain him.

It was a beautiful night to die.

A tapestry of stars lit the sky, absolute darkness not even coming close to gripping the world in a sinister grip. Petals floated on the air, stirred by playful winds and brushing along slumbering pokémon.

It was a night to dream, and Sean could only hope to wake up from this walking, running, sprinting nightmare.

Sean wrapped the Silver Bow around a part of his leg that was bleeding, feeling the power within it dampened by the light of the moon. It was not time.

Just a few more hours….

His legs hurt.

Sean slumped behind a big boulder, wishing that he just had a drop of water to drink. His panting felt like it was drying out his tongue, and he gagged slightly on the dryness in his mouth, swallowing around little moisture.

He'd wasted valuable water on tears, but those had dried up now. He'd moved into survival mode. Nicks and scratches marred his whole body from continuous attacks from a shadow-moving demon.

The worst of it all, the absolute worst, was when the runerigus had spoken to him.

As it spoke with her voice.

"Have you not seen many humans before?" In a gentle, kindly, understanding tone.

He couldn't rest for long; the rock was the enemy. They all were.

He was past fear; he was too tired for that. His fur was matted with dirt and dried blood.

"May I ask who 'Sean' is?"

It spoke without meaning, only repeating things someone kinder had once said.

"Nelia!?"

The word carried far and wide. It could be a cry to let her know he was here. It could be a scream to demand why she had done this. It could just be a word trapped in the mind of a ghost, failing to understand why it was there, only that it was.

"NELIA!?"

"Pokémon truly are wonderful beings."

"NELIA!?"

"I will look forever if I must."

"I know you brave pokémon will not be staying long." A claw nearly punctured his neck. "No one new stays for long." He darted back into a wall. "I am greatly ashamed of myself." The sightless eye of the runerigus leered in closely. "You came looking for something yourself, did you not?"

"Violet," Sean whispered. "Don't do this, please."

"I hope, if you see Nelia, tell her to come home."

"Please."

"I'm afraid I cannot."

"Violet, listen to me!"

"I must obey Nelia before sunset, or we will be late for dinner. NELIA!? NELIA!?"

Sean punched a hole through the rock, the fragments striking the runerigus speaking with a stolen voice in its hateful eye, and he ran once again.

She caught him yet again as the dawn began to peek at the hills. "Let. Me. GO!" Sean roared, kicking out with everything he could muster on dying embers.

"Oh certainly," Violet spoke blandly. "I'd need permission first. Nelia? Nelia? Nelia!? NELIA!? NELIA NELIA NELIA NELIA NELIA-" She just began to scream that name over and over again.

Sean ran for the hills as the morning light began to crest over the world.

The Silver Bow clung to his body in a bond of ties and blood.

A cry tore from Sean's throat as he ran into the light.

And then onto the other side of the hill as nothing happened.

"H-huh?" Sean mumbled to himself, was he going delirious from exhaustion, dehydration, and blood loss, or did he just imagine all the signs. The tingling, the curious power, the dawning pool within him reacting to the sunlight that he quashed at every turn.

Wasn't this…?

Violet shadowed him, blotting out the rising sun with the dread form of a torn soul. Sean cracked a weak grin; he was sure that was the time. That was what he had to do. Survive the night and transform to do more than survive, but win.

But his body was so small, so tired from a night of running from a spectre that tracked his every shadow.

He had no items, he had no bag, he had no backup. He raised his paws in defiance, nonetheless.

"It's not over yet," he whispered, waiting for the monster to blink first.

Violet watched him stiffly, not moving a fragment even as a morning wind began to blow.

"I wish I could help you," Sean whispered. "Violet, I…I don't know if there is anything left of you in there. I can't even imagine…"

"Your forgiveness is difficult to handle," Violet spoke. "May I ask who 'Sean' is? Sean, Sean, Sean is?"

Sean's eyes were so heavy, all he wanted to do was close them for just a moment….

For just…one…moment.

Sean nearly tripped when the treecko bit him. "Hey! What was that for?"

A first meeting to restart the sun.

"It's not a sunrise," Sean said apologetically, as Striker cried at the first sight of the sun. "Not even close. But it's the sun. You're going to be alright."

The first tears as their mission became everything.

"Sean…?" The voice was so strange, deep, familiar yet unfamiliar. He was so short, was he meant to be? How tall was he meant to be? Who was he? "Sean, is that you?" Sean…that was his name, yeah. Yeah, that's right. Sean and Striker and- his eyes snapped open.

The first time he had heard his voice, so deep and full of concern.

"Oh no!" Striker had been warned about meowth on the road, but he hadn't been able to articulate that to Sean. So, he tried to tug on his leg instead. "Striker! Come on, look at it? I'm so sorry. He's a bit jumpy. Are you able to walk?"

A cute little bandit.

Then.

"Boo." A dusclops startled, and the meowth stole his stuff.

"Dammit!" Sean cursed his bleeding heart. "That's mine!" And took chase.

A difficult first impression, but one that would create a team.

"Hello everybody," A pink pixie pokémon said grandly, coming out of hiding. What was more amazing was that Sean could understand every word. "My name is Celebi, and today I'll be explaining the truth to life, the universe, and everything."

Such energy and life in a bitter, dark place. She gave them new energy, new hope.

"You got carried off by a flying rock monster?"

Such an odd pokémon, butting into their conversation like that. But, he couldn't have known what a spirit lied crackling beneath the smirks and the flirts.

"SEAN! SEAN! SEAN!" The shinx calling his name so much confused him for a moment. "Oh my gosh, GUESS WHAT?" He almost wanted to ask just to be cheeky.

The light was awfully bright.

The Silver Bow blazed in the light of the sun.

Violet could have been drawn into the light herself; it was pulling, she pulled back…and then didn't.

Sean opened his eyes. Runerigus didn't look so big and scary anymore. Or, perhaps, just not so big.

"HAAAH!" Sean roared as all four tassels rose as his aura surged in the light of the risen sun. The Silver Bow remained around his ankle, but it would express no strange buzzing aura anymore. It had done his job.

Sean had evolved.

The metal on his paws had extended into spikes while a spike extended out of his chest, four tassels swung in the morning breeze, as the fur on his abdomen became a sun-dipped yellow.

Sean cocked his head slightly; Violet followed it; his aura was blazing, burning light blue lights along his paws and streaming off his body. Into Violet.

He felt something pull, yank, on something within him, and his first instinct was to recoil and pull back, but he saw the eye of the enemy, and it stayed in his hand. Something had happened, and Sean let it.

He bit his lip as his bursting energy was drawn from him, his aura at its peak upon evolution being sapped at by a parasitic force. To stop it was to act reasonably, but something still stayed his action just enough until Violet spoke.

"Sean." And spoke with words that were not garbled and recycled.

"Can…can you understand me?" he ventured.

"I…can," Violet managed. Suddenly, the body of the runerigus cracked, and she staggered back, falling to the corroded blocks she used as hands. "I…I cannot…be…for…long."

"Be? Be what?" Sean raced to her side, laying a gentle paw on her body, frowning as she quivered. "Violet?"

"I don't…know how you are doing this," she managed. "I think…Nelia…I am tithed to her. Without…the Shadow…I would die. Without its…power, I would…fade into nothing."

"You're drawing from me," Sean whispered, feeling the pull on his aura. But he had only so much, and she was guzzling it at a rampant pace.

"Yes. For just a moment, I can be myself. Sean…."

"What. The Fuck?"

They both jumped as the dry voice cut across the tender moment, Sean spinning to see Nelia approaching with a look of abject disgust on her face. "Get your disgusting furry soul away from my pure untainted girl." She waved her hands and threw Sean aside, bringing a cry of despair from Violet.

"Do not hurt him!" she pleaded. "Nelia, please don't!"

Nelia turned her gaze to her with little more than haughty contempt. "Violet, sweetie, I taught you better than to cavort with something so unclean." Sean struggled against the tree she had pinned him against, with renewed strength pulling at the tension restraining his body. "And what did I say about talking to strangers?" She lifted the runerigus head, meeting the curling purple eye fighting against the darkness bleeding across it.

Violet struggled for a moment, but only for a moment before her head fell limp and her body slumped. "That's my girl," Nelia crooned, stroking the idea of her chin. "Now, let me dispose of him."

She straightened up and turned to Sean with a glare. "I don't know what blend of anime powerup bullshit you just did to release Violet from the Shadow, but it was pretty short-lived. A bit like you're about to be."

Sean broke the tree and her hold and fell into a prowl with a snarl. "Let her go."

Nelia smiled. "No."

Sean bellowed, and grass and ground tore up as he sprinted for Nelia. Expecting a berserker approach, she floated backwards, raising an arm to snare Sean in another telekinetic hold.

It slowed him down, but he'd traded away that weakness to the Psychic arts and began to power through it. Nelia's lip curled, and her other hand lit up with a fireball. "One weakness for another." And threw it.

It exploded upon impact but did not force him back. A flash of white split the smoke as Sean swept the fireball aside with a Bone Rush.

"Oh, what the fuck?" Nelia spat, evading back further. "How did you learn that upon evolving?"

Sean snarled. "Keira already taught it to me," he shouted, closing the distance and swinging for her head. She ducked, weaved around it, and behind him. He spun around, striking out, but she kept darting around him until he realised she was trying to make him dizzy.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," she allowed, stopping as he did and blocking a heavy overhead strike from the Bone Rush. "You don't have her finesse, though."

She pushed back, splitting his two-pawed grip and planted a hand into his belly, fireball detonating and smoking his fur.

"What would you know?" Sean coughed up smoke but kept his eyes and ears and aura senses on the indeedee. It was clearer now, much clearer, and he could track her better even as his eyes stung from the smoke.

"Ooh, I know," Nelia crooned behind his ear. He gasped and slashed back blindly; how did she get there? He just hit smoke and echoes. "I know so much more than you realise." He swung again, missed again. "I know how strong she was, how much fire was in that heart of hers. As well out of that heart. And everywhere else."

"Shut UP!" Sean yelled. He copied her fire attack and sent a brilliant red flame at the twisted indeedee.

"Aren't you curious as to why?" Nelia crooned above him. She floated there, legs crossed daintily with something held in her lap. "Aren't you curious…as to why she's not here anymore?"

A pang of pain crossed Sean's heart, one that Nelia drank up delightedly, but he set it aside. "I know why," he said lowly. "She decided her time was done. Her mission was fulfilled. And she was going back to Felix."

Nelia raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm…." She met his eyes and then had the gall to pout. "Pity, you know what really happened."

"What…really happened?"

Nelia landed and then revealed the item she held. It was a gleaming silver sword, once shown off to a thoughtless Team Voyage with a tale spun about it. No. That was not what it was.

Nelia smiled and tilted her head. "I dug up her grave." Sean's eyes went wide. "Melted her metallic bones." He felt sick. "And made myself a fun little toy to play with."

Sean's eyes fell on the sword in utter horror. "…that."

"I would have liked to claim I'd killed her myself and then defiled her body." Nelia shrugged as if it was no big deal. "But it's not like you're going to survive this to tell anyone the truth."

"You're sick," he whispered.

"Now you're catching on," Nelia said, and then she moved.

It was like fighting Keira all over again. As Sean's aura flared around him, he could almost feel her presence again, confusing his senses and flustering him.

Nelia came at him with left hand first, blasting a fireball into his chest and sending him into the air. A psychic tug pulled painfully at his tail and slammed him spine first into the ground before mopping the floor with his fur as he was dragged further by his tail, right into the path of the falling sword.

He kicked out, slammed a paw into the ground, and he flew as his Force Palm rose him over Nelia. The silver sword flicked up as he sailed over her, nicking his chest.

He landed and turned on a ballpoint and struck with an emerging Bone Rush, cracking into Nelia's forehead and knocking her back this time.

She flipped over quickly as he grabbed at the cut on his chest and brushed some fur out of her face. "Not bad; I can see why you were her student."

She tilted her head at Violet, still on the ground. "What do you do if I do this?" She quickly raised a hand and sent a fireball at Violet.

"NO!" Sean yelled, copying the attack on instinct and swallowing the compressed ball in a plume of Mystical Fire.

His action cost him, however. She had already begun to move.

The silver sword cut a cry through the air itself as it fell like the guillotine towards Sean's neck. He managed to form a Bone Rush to match it, but the blade passed through his staff like air and struck his neck with the force of a cracking whip.

Nelia fell to her feet as she felt the blade slice and took a few gentle steps forth, waiting for his body to realise it was over. "I wish I could say the meme language for you are already d-"

A palm struck the back of her head as a bone apparition broke her right arm near the shoulder. "GAH FUCK!"

Nelia tasted dirt as the sword clattered to the ground and flipped herself up, spinning around in shock as Sean took the silver sword made of Keira's bones in his left paw.

"…how the fuck?" she asked; there was a line of blood seeping down from his neck; the cut wasn't too deep, however. "This…that is the most broken piece of shit weapon in this entire fucking world. How did you SURVIVE being decapitated? It goes through Protect like it goes through an onion."

Sean glared at her with hateful eyes before a smirk crossed his handsome lucario face. "I Endure'd it."

He remembered the lesson Keira had taught him way back then. That Protect, for all that it was powerful, could be fragile and limiting. But an Endure could and would deflect some of the damage no matter what. Once the blade had touched his neck, it began to slide off his body, slicing as the edge was wicked sharp, but not the decapitating strike Nelia had intended.

"…son of a bitch," she said, actually rather impressed and cracking a smirk. "But I'm gonna wanna have that back."

Sean snarled, holding the remains of Keira up. If this weapon could be so dangerous, it'd be to her as well. And he could see it, see how her eyes didn't quite leave it, and the way she didn't immediately attack him like she had before.

They circled each other for a while. For all that he had the weapon, he was still bleeding. Whatever wound the sword had inflicted on him, it wasn't stopping bleeding, and he knew he'd start to get lightheaded very soon.

And Nelia knew it too, a smirk not quite leaving her lips, circling him calmly. "You're not going to survive this," she said simply. "Fighting is admirable but pointless. But I think you'll be a fine Shadow Pokémon; you're almost definitely strong enough to come back like the strong ones. Like Rumble, Clefable…like Trill."

Sean's eyes fell wide, and his heart did a funny flip.

Nelia suddenly pulsed, knocking him flying. He immediately copied her attack, but it was too late. She tore the sword from his grip, and as he tried to snatch it in his own Psychic, he couldn't overcome her mighty hold, and another pulse sent him flat on his back.

She darted forth, swung the sword down. He rolled, nearly losing a tassel. She snared him and flipped the blade up to needlepoint, and rammed it into his chest.

Or tried to as, again, something stopped her.

A very big something.

Nelia gasped painfully, gagging on her tongue as she was tackled by a monster from her own shadow.

"Violet!" Nelia shouted, slashing out furiously and slashing her 'abdomen' in half. The runerigus screeched and recoiled, black essence oozing from the thoughtless strike. "Ah, shit," Nelia cursed. She meant to reach forth to soothe the wound, but Violet disappeared into the shadows again.

Sean, taking this chance, scrambled back, and Nelia turned to him with a look of growing anger. "I think my fun is about over," she growled. "I should have simply killed you where you stood rather than letting you run for my own entertainment." She smiled; it was more of a grimace, ironically. "Ah well, 'live' and learn."

Runerigus arms appeared around her, dragging her back before she could attack, and she yelled out. "VIOLET!" One of the arms smoked as the other one began to crumble.

Nelia scowled and telekinetically grabbed Sean by the tassels and threw him up and then down head-first into the ground to daze him and focused on Violet.

The runerigus was physically convulsing as she fought the Shadow's hold on her, smoke steaming in the air as her body was slowly breaking down and shrinking. "Dear," Nelia said, strained. "You're going to get yourself hurt."

Pressure erupted around Violet's head, inside and outside, and she keened and fell down, holding her head as Nelia glared at the creature grovelling at her feet. "…How are you doing this?" she asked. With a flick of her eyes, she pulled Sean up and over, slamming him onto the ground behind her. Violet quivered. "Is it really his anime protagonist bullshit?"

Nelia reached forwards and lifted Violet's head, meeting her eye with her baleful brown ones. "Enough," she decreed, and the runerigus shuddered entirely, body rippling and quivering, dust falling and body cracking in several places, Nelia never relenting on the psychic assault until she felt the last of it crack.

To be sure, she reached in even further, to where a stubborn mote of light burned and followed the rope, snapping it between proverbial teeth, Sean and Violet both gasping and moaning in pain as their bond was physically severed.

"Turns out I'm a little bullshit too," she chuckled, having stepped past Violet and raised her hand, lifting Sean up into the air by his neck again, feet just tantalisingly close to the ground, enough to feel as he kicked. "But I'm done with you."

"I...recall the virtues I stood for," Violet gasped, her voice coming clear, and Nelia froze, eyes flicking off Sean to Violet. "I recall the struggles...and the things that we have done." She raised her head, the painted serpent flexing into an expression of resolution. "I will NOT be deterred." Nelia, unable to respond correctly, instinctively took a step back. High in the air, Trill saw it and flew off.

She recoiled and raised her hands, aiming to crush Violet into fragments. The Psychic was snapped with a Shadow Claw. "I am Violet, one of the Kalosian Children. I am Violet, and I had wanted to believe you could be capable of empathy. I am Violet. I am the keeper of rights. Nelia...I won't let you trample the people we had fought so hard to save. I reject you now. Now and for always."

In her hand, Violet revealed what was clasped within.

The tool of The First Fallen way back when.

The ability to feel like they were everywhere. That nowhere was safe. That you could not run fast enough to escape.

Like everything, it was an illusion. An entercard shone in Violet's broken claw, having been tuned and primed while Sean fought, and now it was activated.

Nelia, stunned and stricken by this chain of unbelievable actions, stared at the entercard, almost uncomprehending before she realised what it was. "NO!" she shouted, racing forth desperately. A bubble of pure shadow erupted around the entercard as Nelia grabbed onto Violet's hand, concealing the card and suppressing its power.

Violet bellowed and struck with her free arm. Nelia formed a shining Protect around herself, blocking the blows as Violet battered against it.

After pulling himself to his feet, Sean noticed that Nelia had dropped the sword in her rush to stop the attack. He snatched it up and attacked the Protect, shattering it like glass, the sword bouncing off. He brought it in for a second volley, but Nelia kicked out, fire erupting around herself in a pyrokinetic pulse that scorched Sean's fur and pushed him away.

"Violet!" Nelia cried. "Violet, STOP THIS!"

Violet's growl shook the wind, but she did not respond. She was not showing mercy.

"Violet, sweetie, I cannot lose you," Nelia sputtered rapidly, soothingly. Her voice became that of an older sister, one that had raised their much-younger sister. "Violet, think, this will end in your death if you do not. You cannot, I will not, just release, just release, quickly, swiftly, sweetie please I love you; I cannot lose you to HIM!"

Violet could not close her eye, but she could turn her head.

"Sean," Violet spoke to him instead. "…run."

Sean coughed, trying to get to his feet. "W-Wha? No, I can end this."

Nelia yelled out in enraged frustration, a shockwave impacting him with enough force to make him vomit if there was anything left to spit up.

"Sean," Violet repeated, her voice losing lustre. "…please, run. I cannot hold her for much longer."

"You cannot hold me at all!" Nelia roared. "Violet, ENOUGH OR YOU WILL DIE!"

"Better to die as myself," Violet said, still speaking to Sean. "Then to live as a monster."

Nelia's expression became something truly, unfathomably, ugly. "…so be it."

"No!" Sean cried as the light began to flare again, but this was no light of evolution; this was a burning fire that began to crack Violet's body from the heat, burning through her body's core and setting everything ablaze. Yet, she did not cry, nor did she release her hold on the entercard. It was the only chance.

Not to win, no, but for Sean to escape.

"Run! LIVE!"

Sean felt tears strike his face. He couldn't…but he could. They couldn't win, could they? But he couldn't…he couldn't…he…had to live.

A deep hook suddenly yanked at his core, and Sean gasped as something came flooding back. "G-Guardian?" He almost tried to resist the pull, wanting to be there for Violet, reaching out to her, but it was already over, the tug was impossible, and to Nelia's final furious cry, he disappeared.

Sean fell into Guardian's stunned hold with no tears in his eyes due to the dehydration, but an ache in his heart and a cry on his lips, the silver sword clattering to the ground. "Violet just sacrificed herself for me! We have to move quickly because She knows about Soothe and what Saniya and I can do to help her." And then he lost consciousness, slumping in his friend's steady grip.