Chapter 109 – The Light of Hope

Rhys stood at the top of the Thousand Hearts HQ, ready to address them now that he was back at full strength. Countless questions were flitting about, and he had a whole paper of them to answer, as well as notes for each one to guide him. Elder stood next to him, the giant Torkoal surveying the crowd with an anxious hum.

"You don't suppose they will reject your assurances, Rhys?" Elder asked.

As he spoke, a nearby Infernape, slightly transparent, stepped past Rhys to light the nighttime lanterns. Its orange glow flickered against the cool evening darkness. From the top of the stairway, similar lights dotted the wide, wide path that led all the way to the town square. The glowing eyes of nocturnal Pokémon stared back at him, blinking, occasionally looking at one another. Waiting for him to talk. But it wasn't time yet.

"They might, but I have to try." He sighed, running a claw over no line, just the paper itself. The words wouldn't mean anything to him until he started talking. To what was rapidly looking like all of Kilo in his mind. Or all that was left.

No, he couldn't think like that. Even with Waypoints ruined and most supply chains disrupted, there were surely other patches of civilization out there holding their own. Villages and towns and settlements that didn't rely on Kilo Village or its network for everything. They were few and spread far, but they were smart. Pokémon were smart. Especially the ones of this world.

"Where are they?" Rhys muttered, looking to the left.

"They had to wrap up a report from another of their rescues." Elder nodded at the Infernape, who made a wave goodbye before evaporating in a flurry of blue embers. "But if Roh was just here, that means Manny must be nearby."

Rhys wished the Infernape had at least told them. "Right. Mm. I can start without them. Most of this is good news anyway." Relatively speaking. His empty platitudes of hope and perseverance were no longer bluster. Kilo Village had finally stabilized after a moon of uncertainty and decline.

The hospitals were no longer beyond capacity. Injuries were frequent but manageable. Several Pokémon abandoned their old careers and took up a new passion of helping others with all they could. Those with innate healing abilities shined the most.

Of course, the lowered demand was also because so many Pokémon had succumbed to their injuries. Mutants had run rampant, but they, too, were neutralized. And from what Arceus told them, unlike all the other times, they weren't reincarnating. They were gone.

The lives that had been lost due to the world's collapse were impossible to estimate, even now that the initial crisis was over. Communication lines were severed. They had no way of knowing if, for example, Pyrock had been abandoned, killed off, or maintaining themselves in isolation. But for Kilo Village alone, of those who had been rescued or saved, the dents in their populations were a literal decimation. That did not bode well for settlements less equipped.

But he couldn't focus on that. Low morale would only increase casualties. His speech was to show them all that despite the state of the world, they had a path forward.

"Oi, sorry fer that."

A muscular Lucario with fairy wings approached with a firm nod. "Rescued survivors over at Centi River. Lots."

"They're fine?"

"'T's why I took so long."

A Joltik hopped onto Manny's head. "Five people called me a hero! How many times have you been called one, huh?" She raised her body threateningly.

"Enough, enough." Rhys waved them off. "I think it's time I get to announcing. Thank you for coming, Manny, Willow. Please stand here while this happens…"

"Fer confidence?" Manny asked, crossing his arms while folding his fairy wings back.

"Essentially."

With Manny and Willow standing nearby on one side, and Elder firmly planted on his other, Rhys felt ready.

The audience's murmurs died down and even more of those glowing nocturnal eyes were on him, watching and waiting like a sea of tired stars.

The Lucario produced a small orb from his bag, one of the few that were made in the recovering industry. This one was simple, making his voice louder, now that the amplifiers they had once used had lost their enchantments.

A gentle warmth from Elder helped him break through with his first word, and the rest followed.

"Thank you," Rhys began, "everyone, for all of your hard work this past moon. It was not without the efforts of everyone here that we were able to stabilize Kilo Village and rescue countless Pokémon from the brink of death and societal collapse."

The murmurs had come to a complete stop. Now, they were all listening in total silence. His voice, amplified by the orb in his hands, would only be able to carry across Kilo Village for a short while. He had to make this speech count.

"Our work is far from over, but the initial storm has passed. Yotta Outskirts has been recovered with minimal casualties, and a supply chain of berries, grain, and other essential foods has been established along a secure trade route. The survivors of Milli Town and many others like it have been welcomed with open arms into our stronghold here on Kilo Mountain. Dungeons have been guarded to keep wandering souls from getting lost within. And thanks to the good graces of Arceus Himself, Dark Matter is unable to advance beyond his vortex to the north, nor can the shadows beyond the horizon come any closer to our homeland.

"We have stabilized."

No objections and no murmurs. Rhys saw in the eyes of his audience equal parts hope and exhaustion. They needed direction and the idea that the end of their struggles would be over. That helpless feeling couldn't win over the hope to press on.

But they also had to stop and reflect. If they didn't allow that, they would burn out.

"This newfound stability did not come without a cost. Many of us have perished during this new era, and some perished to save many more souls that are still with us today. We all know… at least one person important to us that we have lost. Those that we wished still here today to enjoy what will be a better tomorrow.

"For those who have been lost… let us now have a moment of silence."

Rhys lowered his head, clearing his mind. He used this time to consider the second half of his speech. He was surprised at how deafening the silence had suddenly become. Even the lanterns that dotted the walls had quieted down.

Several important Pokémon had made their way to the front in their respective spots. There was Incineroar Phol, the keystone leadership of the medical facilities, who had risen not because of his natural abilities as a healer, which he lacked, but his clear dedication to organizing a once overwhelmed infrastructure. There was Smeargle Angelo, the multitalented but meek descendant of one of the strongest Hearts of modern history, barring the Elites and Mystics among their ranks. There was Team Alight, Spice and Leo and the rest of their team, as well as so many Hearts who had gone above and beyond to protect their fellow Pokémon. And then, he turned his gaze to the mutants who had come from Trina's former abode. Compared to the implied army that she had once held, more than half had gone missing. He could only hope they were lost, waiting to be rediscovered.

Ani, the Meganium parallel to Mispy, was notably missing, but Rhys was not surprised by that. As one of the best healers left in the world, she was hard at work at the hospital, no doubt tending to the Pokémon Manny had returned.

That silence was enough.

"We can only hope that they have found peace across the aura sea," Rhys said, and while that was possibly reassuring to the Pokémon of Kilo, Rhys had a sinking feeling that it was not true.

"But now that we have made it so far together to bring the world back from the brink, it is time now to seize what we once had. And to do that, our greatest and strongest have all been prepared and briefed on what their next mission will be."

As he spoke, several Hearts straightened their backs and firmed their stances. Spice and Leo turned around to face the crowd. They both held dull badges, no longer imbued with the power of Heart of Hearts Anam, but symbolic nonetheless of their drive to carry on his wishes. Phol held a badge, now. It was new and shiny, and he looked reluctant to have it in his hands, but he held it nonetheless. His tail thumped against Angelo's back, and the black-brushed Smeargle jolted and stood with him. He, too, had a badge. His father, Rhys was sure, would be proud. And then Har, Lygo, and Ax, the mutant parallels to Team Alloy, turned around next, all three of them with the same emblems in their hands. Several in the audience cast them wary, reluctant stares, but the three stood strong and resolute.

"These elite and many Hearts like them will be spearheading assaults against Dark Matter to drive him to the void from where he came. Our top researchers are finding solutions to push back against the dark storms covering the world as we speak, and our elite fighters are on standby to put our mission into action. Arceus, too, is prepared to give everything to save our world.

"And I ask of you all, while we prepare for our most important mission yet, to do what you can at home during your daily lives. Support your neighbor and those in mourning. Conserve your resources and share excess with the needy. And most importantly, remember to care for yourself and those around you, no matter their origins, appearances, or powers. Our hearts shall beat as one."

It felt like the world's eyes were on Rhys. What was left of the world. And then, their eyes trailed to one another, a few glancing toward the mutants that had aligned with them. Others looked at the Hearts, who were tired but resolute. And then, as Rhys' aura sensors twitched behind him, he could tell that many of them were hardened. And this fed into his own confidence. He stood even straighter and took a breath.

"A thousand hands, a single heart, working and beating as one."

Tense silence. Rhys pressed onward. He had to ignite that hope.

"Unite the lands, from worlds apart, until our battles are done."

There were a few murmurs. Those ripples spread as hesitant Pokémon followed the more eager ones. Their voices picked up…

"We serve Kilo and all its parts. Under one name: The Thousand Hearts!"

The sky rumbled. Surprised cries and yelps rippled across the audience, followed by shouts to look north. Even Nate, the great leviathan curled around Kilo Village, turned his many eyes to the sudden light that sailed over the horizon.

The streams came from Destiny Tower to the east, bombarding the dark vortex above Hot Spot. The storm fizzled and shrank, snapping rumbles leaving bright, golden waves in the sky. By the time it was over, the vortex was less than half its size, having crept larger and larger over the course of several days.

Awe washed over the crowd, and then, starting with a few enthusiastic Pokémon, cheers spread next. And then more, and more stomps and roars, flames and sparks and beams of energy tearing through the sky, the same beams that had driven away the darkness just one moon ago.

Manny punched Rhys on the shoulder, smirking. "Looks like we've got work ter do," he said. "Go on, wave at 'em."

He'd nearly forgotten. Rhys held his arm up and waved at the crowd, bowing and firing a small Aura Sphere into the sky. A sign of power, the light of hope. The applause only grew, and Rhys felt that now was the time to take his leave.

As he retreated into the Heart HQ, a voice echoed in his head.

Did that help? Arceus asked, and Rhys was positive he could hear a wry smile.

Rhys found himself mirroring the expression. Immensely.


"And you killed the human because you feared for your life?" Alakazam asked, his gaze stone-like.

"Yes." Owen curled his tail forward, displaying his flame in a gesture of honesty. "And my human's life."

The Charizard looked to his left, where Tim was sitting up in a hospital bed and talking quietly with a police officer, wrapped in bandages while drinking a bitter tonic.

"Did, at any point, the human try to run away from you?"

"Yes."

Alakazam's expression cracked a little, like he didn't want to hear that answer. He glanced at Owen's tail, then back at his face. Owen felt a dull pressure in his forehead. Alakazam was trying to read his mind to see if it had been a lie, which was odd. He'd given the honest answer, and he knew the answer wasn't favorable.

"When running," Alakazam said, "did you think he was going to try to hurt you again?"

"No. But maybe my human."

"Did you feel provoked into attacking?"

"Yes. They were trying to kill us."

"If you could do it all over again, would you have killed him?"

Owen hesitated. He remembered that terrified look in the human's eyes as the light left them and his face grew rapidly paler. He remembered that metallic taste in his mouth, that sticky feeling on his scales. Tim's frantic look when he'd pulled Owen away from the human, who had been grasping at his wounds in futility. Ayame catching up with Ire, covering her mouth in shock.

And he remembered that they had no idea where the rest of his team was.

"I might have," Owen said.

Alakazam stared for a while longer, like he was waiting for Owen to elaborate. But he didn't. He didn't know. He still didn't know if he regretted it. That human probably had friends and family. He probably had Pokémon that looked up to him. And maybe, just maybe, he wasn't a terrible person like he'd been for the few minutes he'd known him.

But he also tried to take Ire away, just like all his teammates. His friends. And he tried to kill Tim.

Burning fury roiled in the back of his mind. It was only when Alakazam spoke again that he broke out of it.

"Would you," Alakazam said, "ever do it again?"

More uncomfortable silence. Would he do it again? Was there a reason to do it again? …Yes, there certainly was. If he ran into someone who would try to steal from Tim again, or from Ayame, or anyone.

But he also knew Alakazam was looking for specific answers. Owen wasn't helping. If he gave the wrong ones, what was going to happen to him?

"Only in self-defense," Owen replied. "If the life of my human is threatened again. That's fair, isn't it?"

"It is." Alakazam said, and while he seemed to be staying neutral, it was clear that the answer gave him some relief. He asked another question, "Do you hate humans?"

"Humans like them," Owen said simply. "But Tim isn't like that."

"Okay." Alakazam stepped back, then looked at his human, who had finished talking to Tim some time ago. They stepped aside and spoke to one another, nodding quietly, and then the officer wrote something down. After confirming, she looked to Tim.

"Alakazam says that Charizard is shaken, but not any danger to civilians. But… we're going to recommend therapy. For both of you. It'll be provided, and I'm also going to make sure you guys get protection against that organization you infiltrated. You're probably a known target. Which means… well, if we get approval, we don't really know if you'll be safe in Kanto anymore."

Not safe in Kanto? Where would they go? How powerful were these humans if even the police didn't know how to handle them?

"But—but what about—I had a journey to go through, a… I was part of the program for, I…"

"Like I said, we're going to see. Right now, you need rest."

And after a few other things were taken care of, the officer left, and Owen and Tim remained in their room. The shock hadn't really registered until then, and even now, Owen didn't totally understand what that officer was talking about.

Sometime later, maybe a whole hour, Tim started crying.


"Goodness! This Treecko sounds like an extremely powerful Pokémon. Imagine how strong she would be as a Sceptile!"

Palkia tapped his claws together excitedly. His tail flicked against the pristine walls of Dialga's chamber, and several rocks meant to accent the false mountainous environment rotated around Palkia's head like moons. Palkia didn't seem to be taking this with the same gravity as everyone else was.

"I don't think this is something to be excited about," Demitri said. "We need to run before she gets Owen! He's—just an apple. He can't defend himself…"

"Well, I think our first order of business is finding a way to transform him back," Palkia said. "Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of power at my disposal, nor does Dialga. And if this is power from Leph, I do not think anybody can very easily override it short of Mew or Arceus themselves. And Necrozma, too… but as we know, he isn't available at the moment."

Gahi's body had his head pressed against the apple.

"Still talking to Owen?" Demitri asked.

The Unown were, and Owen was a little disoriented at a new voice speaking to him. He did claim to have a plan. The Unown themselves, however, did not have the reality-altering powers necessary to override Leph. Unown were able to replicate such powers, but not now.

"Wait, that's right!" Demitri perked up. "Mispy, didn't we read about a story once about how Unown and Arceus are kind of related?"

They were. Unown could link their auras together with some of the greatest efficiencies, to the point where large numbers of them could replicate the powers of Legends themselves, like false Hands.

"Ahh, that's true. The Hands are not the only form of reality-bending powers. All Pokémon have some of that, to an extent." Palkia leaned against a nearby boulder, which toppled over. He hopped away, shrugging at the glare Dialga shot him. "But I suppose with that option also off the table, perhaps we can work within the bounds of what we have. Owen is an apple. If we channel more power into him, can he return to his former self on his own? He can use Protect, albeit limited. His power isn't entirely gone."

"He's also the Grass Guardian," Demitri said. "So, what if—"

This was related to Owen's idea.

"What?" Mispy looked at Gahi. "What did… he want?"

It was a similar idea to what Haxorus might have been thinking of. He needed a source of power, and the help of Dialga, Zena, and Eon.

Zena, who had been pensive and staring at the apple, flinched at the sound of her name. "Me? What could I do?"

"Where is Eon, anyway?" Jerry asked, looking around. "I thought he was with you."

"I am."

The tiny voice startled Jerry and he looked down. "Oh."

"I've… had a lot on my mind."

It was an Applin. The little fruity dragon, nestled within the shell of an apple, looked up at the Aerodactyl apologetically.

"You know, that Impostor thing is pretty rough," Jerry commented.

"I know."

The Unown waited for the others to stop talking.

"Oh, right. What was Owen's plan, then?" Jerry asked, looking at the apple.

Power from Eon, water from Zena, fertile ground, and a lot of time.

"...No." Jerry pointed at the apple. "His brain's applesauce. Don't listen to him. We aren't about to—"

"Oh, that would work," Palkia suddenly said. "At least, it might. Better than what we currently have planned. That is to say, nothing."

The Unown were keen on trying to get things started now before Mhynt caught up to them.

Someone knocked on Dialga's door.

The Unown had a feeling it wouldn't be friendly, but it did not feel like Mhynt.

"I guess we have to check anyway," Demitri said, glancing at the others. "Um… Who wants to answer?"

Palkia was about to suggest it, but Latias smacked him on the thigh. "It can't be us! That would give us away."

"Well, I don't see myself hiding very easily," Palkia said.

"Just-hide in the corner or something!" Latias urged, then motioned for Jerry to answer.

"What? Why me?!"

"Hey! Open up!"

"Oh, it's just Hakk." Demitri sighed, relieved. "Okay, we can answer."

Gahi's body took on a cautious stance anyway, legs tense and galaxy wings flaring to life.

"Hey, is it just me, or does Hakk's voice sound a little deeper?" Demitri asked just as Jerry opened the door, revealing a Sandslash that had gone through quite a growth spurt.

"H-Hakk!" Jerry hopped away. "You, uh, since when can Sandslash learn Growth?"

"Is that a southern thing?" Demitri asked. "Pretty sure Sandslash are usually, you know, sandy. Maybe this is—"

"Listen, I don't really know what's going on, but can you just hand over the apple?" Hakk interrupted, holding out a hand. "Mhynt sort of… needs it. Needs Owen. And if that's gonna be what gets her out of here, better sooner than later, alright?"

"If we refuse?" Mispy slid between Hakk and the Unown controlling Gahi's body.

"Uh." Hakk looked at Mispy, then at Gahi's body, then the literal Legends behind him, and he likely realized that he stood no chance. "Okay, hey, you don't have to spell it out to me," Hakk growled at the Flygon. "And what's with the new look? That more of that… whatever you guys have going on?"

"Leave." Mispy loomed over Hakk.

"Or what, plant?"

Several of Mispy's vines split open into mouths.

Wordlessly, Hakk spun on his feet and walked out of the room.

After he left, and closed the door behind him, the group silently agreed that he was about to report to Mhynt. Hakk was under her command for one reason or another and probably didn't have much of a choice. The fact that he hadn't even put up a real fight meant he was only doing the bare minimum. But that also meant Mhynt would be coming next, since Hakk knew where they were.

"Right." Demitri looked at the Unown. "Can you do anything to, um, hide us?"

Mhynt would easily detect the Unown. There was someone who could help. She was in the corner of the room. She was going to attack Hakk, but when he turned around, she stopped.

Heads turned to an empty corner between two large boulders. Mispy closed her eyes and scanned it, only to see more nothing. When Mispy shook her head, the Unown explained that the illusion had distorted just before the strike, and it was a Zoroark.

"Wait—Enet?" Demitri said. "Enet! It's alright—you can show yourself!"

"Lucky," Mispy remarked.

It was brief, but Zena, Mispy, and Demitri all gathered around her to ask how she was doing, and the Zoroark looked pleased with herself. She growled and nudged against Zena, nipping at a ribbon in greeting. Zena, a little unnerved, smiled and patted her on the head.

"How did you even get here?" Demitri asked.

Enet came with Mhynt. The fact that she attacked Hakk meant she wasn't aligned with her. Probably.

"Okay, so we can hide from Mhynt. Let's not waste any time and try whatever stupid idea Owen has, because it's better than standing around here and waiting. Alright? Where do we have to go? What's a good power source?"

The Unown had been observing from within Gahi for a while and knew a good place to start.


The Unown called out to Owen, informing him that they were nearing the central pillar of Null Village.

Okay. Thank you. Do you think this will work?

It was likely, eventually.

What?

No reply. Owen was getting really sick of not being able to see. Everything was cold and stiff; he had nothing to move and yet he felt cramped. Gahi had been dropping him and he was pretty sure, based on Gahi's worried questions before getting replaced by his Unown, that he'd accidentally punctured parts of his skin at some point. He hadn't felt a thing.

The most Owen had felt was a jostling sensation when Mispy had knocked the apple away from Gahi's mouth which, after some interrogation, had been because Gahi forgot he was holding him, not a regular apple.

But even then, Owen hadn't felt anything. Was that good? Was that bad? The most he could do was try to wiggle, and even that had faded out.

Which meant he was probably something deeper in the apple. Was he a seed? Wonderful.

Being in total darkness, Owen had taken to meditation. Getting back some of those memories was nice. Occasionally, he felt flashes of seeing something, or someone, or perhaps hearing them. He wasn't sure if he could hallucinate if he didn't have a proper brain anymore. It must have been a manifestation of his Mysticism. Unfortunately, he could still not tap into Klent, Amelia, or the other Grass spirits, but he could feel their presence. Despite being unable to hear them, he felt comforted anyway. He occasionally sent them thankful thoughts.

They have arrived at the pillar.

Okay, plant me at the base and have Eon try to channel energy from the pillar into me. Just a little. It won't take too much energy, right?

That was doubtful.

Owen missed talking to Gahi. The way he spoke was always so casual and comforting. These Unown felt like they didn't have any sense of tone to them; it was practically a thought in his head. A thought that wasn't his. Creepy. Did he even have a head? Was the seed his head or his body? Maybe this was how Jerry had felt when he lost his body…

Owen had given the plans to the Unown, and with any luck, he'd have enough power to get away from Mhynt. As an apple, he had a lot of time to think and plan for a lot of scenarios and thank goodness Gahi realized he could talk to him so he could stay updated. It wasn't totally hopeless. First, he needed to stop being an apple, and chances were whatever Aster did wasn't going to be easy to reverse.

It was silly. But it was all he had. He was the Grass Guardian. He had total manipulation of plants and his element. He could summon spirits. He could even change his form. If he had enough power and time, could he do the same now?

There was an odd, tingling sensation on what Owen could only assume was the equivalent of his back. What's happening? No response. Anxiety started to build within his fruity core. Hello?

The Unown assured him that everything was okay. Mhynt was nearby, but she could not see them.

Then, all was quiet, and a few seconds later, the Unown asked Owen how long it had been since they'd last talked.

What? You just talked to me.

This was good, because Dialga had tried something on Owen's body, but thankfully not his spirit. And now, Owen had to brace for the next step.

The former Charmander wanted to enter his usual meditative stance, then, but he had no eyes to close, no legs to cross, and no flame to quell. It had to be something purely mental. Ease his mind, steady his spirit...

He felt hot. Too hot. Energy flowed through him with nowhere to go but up and out. He wanted to shout or yelp but that, too, had no way to escape. Flashes of white filled his vision after what had once been total darkness. Images of familiar faces surrounded him. He saw the outline of Dialga, Mispy, and Demitri, their auras, the flames of their life force radiating like little, anxious infernos. Zena was there, too, channeling energy toward him in the form of a rapid beam of water. He saw Enet, but her aura was all around them—that was her illusions, suppressing detection from anyone else. He saw an aura he only recognized from ancient memories—Palkia.

Jerry looked worriedly to his left, where a Treecko was walking toward them. She didn't seem aware of them, but she was also drawing near. Something about the Applin near Jerry's feet was familiar, but he wasn't sure why. And it was hard to see much more from Owen's current angle so low to the ground.

Can you—

He could only get that thought out when a searing, splitting pain felt like it was cutting him in half. Again, he tried to scream, and again nothing came of it. He tried to kick without feet and flail without arms. Parts of him he didn't know he had felt like they were growing and stretching impossibly. He felt like he was both drowning and taking in too much air. And he still had no way to scream.

He instead yelled in his thoughts, desperately, for them to stop whatever they were doing. His vision of them had been completely blinded by white energy.

And finally, amid all the pain and heat and chaos, a new sensation overtook him. Legs. Did he have legs? No, he had far too many of them, but they were on his lower half, like tendrils that dug through the dirt and tile. He saw flashes of the town around him in more detail, the many souls that lived in the buildings giving enough of an outline of where everyone was. And he saw something else, a great structure wrapping around and completely engulfing that great spire in the middle of town.

More clarity came to him. He didn't know how, but sight of some kind had returned. He was high above the town, atop an ever-growing and widening tree trunk. The leaves were of vibrant greens and reds, mixing his Guardian's colors with the soil of the Voidlands. Gold flashes coursed through the branches in waves, each one like fire through his veins.

No… he wasn't on top of the tree. He still had no arms, no legs. He felt like he was still planted in the ground.

Ah… Owen.

Without thinking, Owen gasped. For the first time, he got the sensation that air had filled his lungs. He had arms, and legs, and he was a Charmander again, floating in a void. This was oddly familiar. He half-expected to see Barky standing before him, demanding allegiance.

But instead, he saw a silhouette of a golden, tall star with eight points.

"Necrozma!"

The shape morphed, some of the points becoming wings, a tail, legs… But it was too bright to look at.

This power is too much for you to contain, Owen, Necrozma told him.

"Wait—where are you?"

I am too far away for now… but you will always know where I am.

"Do you need help?"

Necrozma chuckled a little. Always. But right now, you need help more.

It was true. Even now, Owen felt that heat running through his body. They'd given him too much power. If this kept up, he was going to explode!

The heavens, Necrozma said. Shoot toward the sky… and make a statement for all of Void to hear.

Owen's vision was fading to white again. "How do I do that?" he struggled to get out.

He had a feeling Necrozma was smiling. I will guide you.

And then, Owen's vision returned to the tree. Everything was searing. The tree would burst into flames at this rate, and Owen had a feeling that wasn't going to feel good compared to his usual body. But then, a strange instinct took over. It felt like words from far, far away. The energy stopped flowing chaotically and instead swirled in spirals along the trunk, down into the roots, and then rapidly upward to the branches.

Like fingertips. It was like scorch writing, but hotter. Upward, toward the heavens…

The energy released all at once with shockwaves that cracked the ground far below. Nearby buildings trembled and fell despite any reinforcement; a shockwave kicked up dust and snapped several trees in the outskirts of town.

Radiant, golden energy carved through the impossibly dense clouds and the red skies beyond, dissolving it like cotton candy in water. The red light disappeared, giving way to a deep, black sky speckled with tiny, white dots.

Stars.


Arceus stood at the top of Destiny Tower as he always did, overseeing everything he could through the Mystics' reports, Hecto's regular updates, and his own eyes. The moon was bright tonight, not that it mattered, and Dark Matter's vortex continued its steady expanse. He'd soon have to launch an all-out Judgement again to cut away at it again…

This stalemate was becoming tiresome, both mentally and physically. Emily, on the opposite side of the world, continued to corrode the atmosphere and the oceans, and weather was becoming more and more erratic and hostile.

Was there anything they could do other than this desperate assault? Or would the world simply rot away if they took no action?

It was a suicide mission. Attacking Dark Matter when even his Judgements were only enough to stall him… whatever Nate had done to attack had left the leviathan completely lacking in energy.

Arceus sighed. All he ever wanted was a world where Star was no longer in power, the Hunters were no longer a problem, and he could sit at the top, alone with his thoughts.

Now he had all that. And yet now he wished… that perhaps Star had worked with him instead.

Thunder sounded, and Arceus thought that it was another explosion from Emily's maelstrom. But it sounded different. Nearer. And from another direction, too. Worried that perhaps Emily's influence had expanded faster than expected, he turned his attention to the west.

From the epicenter of the vortex, above Hot Spot Cave, a pillar of golden light erupted into the sky.