Chapter 85 –A Bright, Dark Storm

As it turned out, God appearing in the town square led to much more activity than usual. Rhys hadn't heard Arceus' name said so often since he'd actually been mortal, blurry as those memories were. Scouts had announced another town to the southwest had been attacked, and the assumption was another rogue mutant or two. Rhys was less certain; it was near the strange, dark blotch on the map that was rarely visited, after all. Void's Basin, they called it. Not even plants grew there.

Still, perhaps there had been a mutant wandering around that area without supervision. There was a Dungeon there, but explorations turned up nothing, not even a wild Pokémon. Then again, it was just a lifeless crater from the first war. With everything going upside-down, perhaps it warranted another check.

But that wasn't important now. What was important was the result: another group of badly injured Pokémon on a voyage that may have lasted the entire day or longer. Fliers had come first, claiming a whole village was coming for help, and in return, Elder had coordinated for their fliers to return and bring the injured back.

One of the Hearts, a Donphan, approached Rhys. He had no badge, for he wasn't a true Heart, but he was with their administration. The countless assistants that kept the organization running, even if they did not participate directly in the rescue efforts. His words were grave.

"We're running out of supplies. We don't have the space or the power to heal another wave of them."

And when he asked again if there were any stray supplies, extra donations, anything, he got the same answer: They didn't know what worked and what didn't.

That only redoubled his resolve. After locating him at the top of the Heart HQ, Rhys tapped Elder on the shell. "I'm leaving to find Emily."

Elder understood within seconds. There was a flurry of activity around them, extra Pokémon at the front desk to gather up and triage Dungeon missions. Elder glanced at his own bulky shell in the way of everyone's footwork and hauled himself to the edge of the room, nearby a small, potted Chesto bush that was stripped recently of its berries.

Rhys knelt down and wrapped his arm around Elder's outstretched neck, careful of his spike like it was muscle memory. Even after all this time, he still remembered to do that. Rhys smiled faintly at the thought.

When Rhys pulled away, he asked, "Will you be able to handle things while I'm gone?"

"Oho, they'll handle themselves." Elder nodded in the direction of the Hearts. "Anam taught them how to self-direct quite well. Even without their leadership, they know where to go, what to do…"

Rhys decided not to comment on the fact that it was probably because Anam rarely gave direct orders to begin with. James had been the main director. "They still need central leadership. Elder, that isn't something you're used to."

"I will last the day," Elder assured him, a confident plume of white smoke escaping the top of his shell. "I have Willow, ADAM, and even Manny and his spirits to help. Manny seems to have experience being a leader, too. So, one Lucario for another, hm?"

Rhys smiled back. "All right. Then I'll be back with Emily." He stood, though he hesitated again, wondering if going alone would be a good idea. But he couldn't afford to bring anybody else with him for something as simple as getting Emily. Everyone else was needed to help with stabilizing Kilo Village.

"Take care," Elder said. "If you aren't back by sundown, I'll send for help."

That only made Rhys' anxieties worsen. "You don't think it's that perilous, do you? Granted, ocean flight may take some time, and I suppose it might be a strain…"

"Would you like me to get someone to help?" Elder offered. "Perhaps Willow? She's a wonderful flier, after all."

"Perhaps that would be wise. But that would take Manny away; we shouldn't risk him transferring to another realm…"

"Could we ask ADAM? Though, he isn't a very fast flier…"

Rhys hummed, mind flashing back to that Smeargle. Perhaps he could check on him one more—no, his aura had been so small and reserved. He wouldn't be of much help should something go wrong. And seeing Lugia might overwhelm him.

"Then I'll be cautious," Rhys finally concluded. "I'll try to call out to you should something go wrong, Elder. Take care."

"I suppose you could also call upon Arceus for assistance," Elder said.

"He may be occupied." Rhys walked toward the Heart HQ exit. "But I will keep that in mind."

With one last smile, Rhys stepped out of the Heart HQ and down the stairs. He passed by an Electrode cautiously rolling down the steps, and then a nearby Ariados looking conflicted about one of the missions that she had claimed.

They were all going to be fighting for Kilo, both the town and the world. Rhys clenched his jaw. This was no time to admire the hard work of the others.

He descended the worn-down, stone stairs, walked the long-flattened streets, trodden by countless Pokémon going in and out of all the buildings and Heart facilities that were, at this point, at capacity.

"Good luck," Rhys murmured to nobody. Then, aura concentrated under his feet and in his paws, and finally, he jumped. In seconds, Kilo Mountain was a small mound behind him, the southern forests emerging from the horizon.

Nobody was coming to check on Rim. Nevren was really busy, but did that mean he had to forget about her? That wasn't fair.

Lavender tried to keep his steps soft, though his hard talons didn't allow for a lot of noise reduction. He'd transform into something quieter, but of the spirits within him, his go-to stealth Pokémon weren't with him, and frustration kept him from trying other forms. Silvally it was.

The backup power he'd provided to the lab's main generator was doing well; the lights no longer flickered, and none of the active incubation chambers had warning lights. However, according to Nevren, whatever species he had accidentally turned Rim into, it was taking up a lot of energy. It was a fully evolved Pokémon instead of the lowest form, which would have been much more energy efficient.

Instead, she'd become a Cherrim, and now, her body was almost completely formed. Hidden behind thick, huge, purple petals, Rim stirred weakly inside the fluid, occasionally trying to move, but never getting very far.

"Auntie Rim?" Lavender said, leaning against the cylinder, pecking gently. He was careful that it wasn't hard enough to leave any cracks or dents in the container.

Rim didn't answer. Lavender's eyes shifted to a cosmic pink, reading for any vague feelings or thoughts that might come from her. It was garbled; Rim must have been drifting in and out of consciousness. Frowning, Lavender backed away and turned toward the sound of heavy paw pads.

"Lucas?" Lavender fanned out his head crest, switching to Fire to help him feel more welcome.

The Houndoom—his Mega state gone—growled in a subdued but happy greeting and nuzzled under Lavender's cheek bolt.

"Aw, hey, Lucas," Lavender greeted, bending down to bump his beak against his snout, and Lucas replied by playfully nipping at the metal. Lavender didn't really understand why Lucas did that. Nevren had said it was some kind of pack respect instinct among feral Houndoom to bite at the muzzle, or maybe it was playfulness? Either way, Lucas' tail wagging was enough of an indicator that he was in a better mood than before.

Lucas got on his hind legs and pressed his paws against Rim's chamber, tilting his head with concern.

"It's okay," Lavender assured. "She's gonna be fine. See? The light's green."

Lucas followed where Lavender pointed, but then looked back at Rim and whined.

"Aww, Lucas." Lavender dipped his head under Lucas' chest and pushed him away from the chamber. "She just needs more rest. It's probably going to be a few weeks before she's out and about again. We just have to wait, alright? Besides, we need to help the mutants take care of themselves. With just Uncle Nev taking care of us, it might be hard to, you know…"

Lucas whined again, his tail between his legs.

"I know," Lavender said. "But don't worry—Dad'll be back one day. He's strong! He's just fighting! Same as Nate. He's still resting, right? Does he seem okay?"

Lucas whined again.

"Oh… He's still weak."

Another whine confirmed it, and then a longer, extended one that nearly became a howl. Lavender sighed and nuzzled him again, trying to stay positive.

"Look," the Silvally said, "everything seems kind of crazy right now, but, umm… but we still need to stay positive! Otherwise, um, otherwise we won't really be doing any good for anyone, right? So… I know!" Lavender perked up. "Let's go see how Uncle's doing! He might know what to do. He's super smart about it."

With a bark, Lucas was already sprinting down the lab, and Lavender followed, empty green cylinders flying past him in a blur. That quickly transitioned to white halls and closed corridors, eerily empty now that most of the mutants were under curfew to keep them calm. At least they were obedient there, each one hiding away in their Poké Balls. That always seemed to calm their minds enough to not escape and cause trouble.

After making their way to the teleportation wall, they took a good guess on which floor Nevren was in and headed to floor nine. There, Lucas sniffed the air and then barked, leading the way.

"You found him?" Lavender kept pace easily, conjuring some tailwind while his eyes flashed into a baby blue.

After a few more turns they stopped in front of a locked door. For an extra second, Lucas' panting and the clicking of Lavender's talons echoed back to them. Lucas whined loudly and pawed at the metallic, flat blockage, but it didn't budge.

"If it's not opening, he must've locked himself inside," Lavender said. Then, raising his voice, he called, "Uncle Nev! You okay in there?"

He pecked at the door. His eyes darkened to a blackish purple. "Maybe I can sneak in," he told Lucas, sinking halfway into the shadows. Before he could go further, the door slid open, revealing Nevren and a medium-sized device that was about as large as his star-shaped head.

"Ah," Nevren greeted, nodding. "Hello. Sorry for scaring you with my silence. I was deep in concentration."

"What's that?" Lavender pointed his beak at the device. It was mostly transparent with a few glowing wires attached to tiny, pebble-sized orbs, one pink, another cyan.

"A prototype using a few knick-knacks around my room," Nevren explained leisurely. "I just need some of the components for a proof of concept. You see, while a lot of chaos has come up, something peculiar that I can actually investigate is Hot Spot Dungeon. And since Step is handling the recovery of the mutants, and Arceus and Nate and such are handling Dark Matter… why not dabble in some research?"

"That sounds fine," Lavender agreed, having no idea what he'd said.

Nevren placed the strange device on his work bench, and Lavender peeked inside. It was surprisingly barren; most of his equipment must have been in Kilo Village. Too bad traveling there wasn't going to be easy anymore…

"Uncle Nev," Lavender said, moving to the side to allow Lucas through the doorway. "How come the sky's falling?"

"Ah, just an incoming war at best," Nevren said. "Nothing we can do for now, but perhaps with some ingenuity, I can change that." He didn't even look up from the notebook on his desk.

"Um… what exactly are you gonna do with that?" Lavender asked, pointing at the odd device with pink and cyan stones.

Nevren raised the device with an aura of Psychic energy. "Well, assuming all goes as planned, which it usually doesn't," he explained, "I'm going to create a Dungeon."

Zero Isle was far behind Rhys; far below, the vast ocean. He knew that, far to his left, Brandon's factory sat in the middle of the ocean. Based on those vague landmarks, he knew where to look for Emily, even as the sun settled into an orange sky. Emily's unique aura, perplexing as it was, but surely due to her Legendary status, was also easy to trace.

Despite this, the closer he got to the other side of the world, the more a horrible, sinking feeling fell over him. His aura felt disrupted, but only subtly. He hoped that was as bad as it would get.

He looked down to make sure the aura he used to push forward through the skies still seemed healthy. Indeed, it was; cyan propulsion trailed behind him. Finally, far ahead, he saw Emily's island.

And what luck, he also saw Emily's silhouette lounging in front of her cave. No having to wait! He could just tell Emily what was happening, and then—

How was he going to convince Kilo Village to submit to Emily's healing methods?

The shadow of Emily shifted. Rhys slowed down, suddenly rethinking his strategy. Practically speaking, Emily was their best bet at restoring the town and minimizing casualties. She was the ultimate healer, even if her methods were undesirable. Would they need someone to demonstrate?

…Would he have to demonstrate?

Suddenly this proposition seemed worthy of a second thought. But no, he was already too close, and the sun was already setting. Still, it gave everything a very nice, orange glow. The sea was beautiful and sparkling like fire, and Emily's island had a wonderful shine to it. Emily's dark form complemented it nicely.

Something didn't fit there. Sunset. Orange glow. Everything was orange. Why was Emily so dark?

Rhys lowered in altitude and prepared to land, the blasts of aura coming from his feet leaving a rift in the ocean behind him.

"Emily!" Rhys called, but the wind carried it away.

Up close, the titanic Lugia's body lost its white colors, replaced instead by a deep purple.

"What…" Rhys drifted forward, but a foul aura made his sensors crinkle in protest. He didn't want to get closer, but he had to.

Why did this aura remind him so much of the wraiths in Aether Forest?

When the water was shallow enough, Rhys flipped and landed in the water, running for a few paces to slow down to a cautious jog.

"Emily?" Rhys called again, unsure if he wanted to call any louder.

"Who's… who's there?"

The wind felt like it had been forcibly squeezed out of Rhys' chest. Emily's voice was so horribly warped and garbled—despite the fact that her tone seemed normal, it sounded like she was screaming it through several sheets. It reverberated in his ears and into his bones and through his aura.

"Please… run away… I…"

The thing curled up, huge wings dripping a black mass into the water, which corrupted the sand near her. Thick, black fog surrounded Emily—the source of most of the darkness—while her body itself was a mixture of purple and a dark silver underbelly.

And then something burst out of Emily's side, screaming. Rhys couldn't recognize it at first; it was some blackened creature, covered in wraith material. But he also saw a blue paw struggling to free the rest of itself.

The Vaporeon—Tanneth—screamed and pulled herself out more, making eye contact with Rhys. She screamed even more, reaching helplessly toward him; her blood was black, and wraiths within Emily were dragging her back inside with barbed tendrils.

Completely stunned, Rhys only stared. He didn't know whether to advance or flee.

Emily groaned; Rhys made eye contact with the Lugia's red, bloodshot eye. There was a flash of recognition in them…

Then Emily stiffened, her pupil rapidly dilating.

Tanneth was still screaming; wraiths tore at her just to pull her back inside.

The recognition faded. With a quiet whimper, Emily went limp. Then, she stood up, slowly; sand and water drifted down her body, wisps of shadows coursing through them. Tanneth's incomprehensible screams became more and more panicked, half her body dangling partway out of Emily's side.

The corrupted Lugia—Rhys had no idea how this had happened—raised her wings. Clouds formed above the island, blotting out the sun.

Then, she beat them once.

Flashes of white light accompanied thick, purple clouds. Waves as tall as Rhys churned the corrupted sands; a cutting wind forced Rhys into a bracing stance, digging his feet into the ground.

"Emily!" Rhys shouted.

He couldn't differentiate the sounds Emily made from the howling wind until she screeched. Bolts of black lightning crystalized the sand through the ocean water. He held still, paralyzed with the sudden sensory overload. One bolt hit uncomfortably close, deafening him, and he quickly learned that the white flashes were always followed by black bolts.

One flash later, and Rhys saw the image of Tanneth trying to escape from Emily's side. He had to flee; Emily, once harmless, was radiating an aura that he simply couldn't overpower. But he could at least try to save Tanneth.

He didn't know if Tanneth would reemerge again. Falling back to his training, he called into his aura and drew out all the power he could. Then, he channeled it around his body, turning it into a flexible, solid armor, and collected the excess into his paws, sharpening them into blades. But he also knew that his cyan glow would attract Emily's attention. Before she could glance at him, he sped forward, using the boost of an Extreme Speed to slam into her side.

He didn't expect to sink inside. She had the same consistency as Anam. Startled, hurriedly wiggled out, blasted an Aura Sphere to further dislodge himself, and grabbed Tanneth by her forepaws.

Tanneth yelped in pain—the wraiths were pulling back. He hissed and channeled extra energy into his free paw and his blade sizzled with heat.

"I'm sorry, Tanneth," he muttered.

He jammed the blade into Emily's body and carved; loud hissing followed, black ooze spilling out and onto him. It still moved and pulsated against his armor, and Tanneth gasped in frantic pain when Rhys accidentally sliced part of her thigh.

He pulled again. Loose. He pulled more, but another flash made him realize that Emily's great wing was looming over him. He braced just in time. Her wing wrapped around his body. Refusing to let go, Rhys pulled one final time at Tanneth, and this time, something broke free, the rest of Tanneth's body falling out of the shadowy wound and into his arms. Her body twitched, half-melted into black sludge, but it was stable and reforming.

Writhing desperately, Rhys held Tanneth with one arm and used his other to slice Emily's wing. It didn't do anything but leak more black fluid, partially blinding Rhys in one eye. It was sticky like honey and stung the Combee it came from. Emily's grip became tighter around him, pinning his arms against Tanneth.

Everything went dark. The storm was muffled by the thick wing-fingers that threatened to snap his body in two if he let up on his armor. Tanneth whimpered weakly, the breath leaving her from the pressure.

"H-hold on," Rhys hissed, gathering his strength. Just one blast was all he needed.

He curled around Tanneth and channeled the energy into his back, toward the opening below him where her wing had not yet covered. He hoped that some trickery would work. His body brightened, and then he fired a thick glob of aura between Emily's fingers and to the ground. The glob quickly shaped into a copy of Rhys, pure cyan—but it looked so similar to Rhys wearing his armor that it was enough to trick Emily.

He briefly thought back to those happy moments when this very same technique had been used to free Demitri and Mispy of their forgetful prisons.

Emily's grip loosened, distracted, as she tried to grab the stationary aura copy.

Rhys had channeled some of his power into that aura. If Emily destroyed it—and she certainly would—that power would transfer to her. But it was negligible compared to what strength she'd already demonstrated. Even as the weak aura copy fought back against Emily, lobbing Aura Spheres at her wings, Rhys waited for his opportunity.

Her grip loosened more. That was his chance.

Rhys fired from his back, landing on Emily's foot and out of her grip. Then, he slammed his palm forward and blasted her toes; she didn't even flinch, but that didn't matter. He used the propulsion to send him rocketing backward, where he skidded along the shadowy, glass sand. Pieces of it broke into his armor, and a cut in his fur—which immediately stung from the salt water—told him that his protection was waning.

But there was no time. With one more burst of strength, he propelled himself along the shallow water and toward the horizon's light. He squeezed his other arm around Tanneth, making sure she was still there—and still in one piece—before looking back at Emily.

She wasn't pursuing. Instead, Emily roared, firing beams of dark energy into the sky. Light clawed down from above, but even more darkness twisted it away. Now, the only light that covered Emily's abode was from the crackling, white-purple lightning that crawled through the black clouds.

Emily flailed, one wing slamming against her head. Another beam shot out and slammed into her cave, blowing huge chunks of it in random directions. The rest of the cave collapsed inward.

Emily doubled over, wheezing. She was muttering something—it sounded like pleas for help, or for something to stop. Her fleeting clarity turned her movements back to something vaguely natural.

Her wings wrapped around her head and then weakly grasped at the top of her neck. She held still for a second, hesitating. Then, a jerking, twisting motion followed, and Rhys heard a noise.

Rhys gasped, nearly sinking beneath the water's surface, and stared in horror. For a second, Emily looked relieved and serene, her massive body about to collapse.

And then she stepped forward, catching herself, and the immortal Lugia roared. It was loud enough that Rhys nearly let go of Tanneth to cover his ears. Another shadowy blast carved the water, exploding in a white flash eclipsed by a black circle.

So transfixed by it all, Rhys didn't realize his armor had faded completely until the harsh chill sank into his fur. Tanneth was still in his arms, though he couldn't figure out her condition. She was at least alive; he sensed her flickering aura.

While Emily was distracted, Rhys used a steady stream of aura from his feet to swim further away from the island, realizing that he had no strength left to fly.

"Tanneth," Rhys said, only then realizing how winded he was. "Are you okay?"

The blackened Vaporeon made a sound, but he couldn't understand it over the ocean's loud whispers.

"I'll get you somewhere safer," Rhys promised, though technically he had already fulfilled it. Anywhere not near Emily was safer.

Still, they were in the middle of the ocean, and while falling to a wraith was probably a lot worse than dying, they still had to deal with the lesser evil. He didn't sense any hungry ocean dwellers yet, but there was no telling when that would change.

He didn't have the energy to swim across an entire ocean. Not anymore.

Emily's roars were getting softer; he could at least take solace in that she probably wouldn't be able to track him now. Precious seconds to think.

A large wave disrupted his thoughts and he held onto Tanneth a little tighter. "I've got you," Rhys said, but he didn't think she heard him.

The cold was getting worse. How much had his powers depleted? He shouldn't have gone alone. Elder was going to worry, and perhaps rightfully so if he didn't find a way out soon.

Arceus, Rhys said, half in realization, half in a plea. Arceus, can you hear me? I've run into trouble, I—

I have already sent Brandon for you.

Don't send him to Emily! She's become hostile!

What do you mean? I can't sense her. My vision there is… obstructed.

Wraiths. They're inside her. I was barely able to get Tanneth out, and she's not doing well.

Wraiths? How? They're supposed to only appear in Dungeons… Where did you go?

I'm off the coast of her island. I don't know which direction. But don't let Brandon draw near the island.

A long pause followed. Rhys felt a chill splash against his feet as his aura propulsion flickered on him. He held Tanneth a little tighter. After bracing through another indifferent wave, Rhys took a gasp of air, kicking to maintain above water. Even without Mystic power, he still had a great amount of natural energy in him, but the cold was rapidly sapping that away.

Tanneth's pulse was weak, but stable. Her breathing was more difficult to determine, but her occasional gasps and mumblings meant she was at least conscious. If she stopped, that was when he decided he'd worry.

I've told him. He's searching for you on the outer coastline. Don't drift too far.

How can I help him find me?

How much power do you have left?

Very little.

Enough for an explosive Aura Sphere?

I don't know.

Rhys kept kicking, tentatively channeling aura into his right paw. It glowed brightly, to Rhys' surprise. He still had energy left after all. He gritted his teeth and channeled all the energy he could into it. Faint, but if he really pushed, it would light the sky in a small flash. But there were also several flashes already in the sky from Emily; would that throw Brandon off?

I can, but Emily's aura and her power would make it hard to find us.

Try anyway. I will try to guide him.

Putting his faith in Arceus somehow felt ironic. The Aura Sphere flew far into the sky, and then, with a tired clench of his paw, it exploded in a blue flurry that forced him to close his eyes. He hadn't realized until then just how dark everything was.

Did he see it? Rhys asked.

Yes. Do not move from your location if you can help it.

He held Tanneth a little tighter and scanned the depths below, but the Pokémon of the sea were wise to not surface while Lugia was rampaging. His lower body felt cold; his aura was going out. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't swim from his location, so he kept kicking, if only to keep his head above water. His body was too dense to float passively.

The sluggish response coming from his legs was a concern. Did that mean he was starting to lose feeling in them, or that he was running out of even the most basic amount of energy?

Another harsh flash in the sky left stars in his eyes. He hissed and tried to block it out; was it raining? Yet the rain felt like flashing, stinging, purple bolts against his fur. This wasn't normal rain. Whatever it was—it not only disrupted his aura sense, but it was sapping him of his energy, too.

Keeping a rhythm was all he could do. Kick, kick, kick, and occasionally turn to search for Brandon. He checked Tanneth's pulse again. Stable. Her breathing—still too hard to tell, but she had stopped making noise some time ago.

"Tanneth?" Rhys called.

Tanneth said something in return, but it was drowned out by another flash and bang. He dipped underwater and frantically kicked harder to stay afloat, gasping for breath when he surfaced.

Where is he? Rhys asked.

Where are you? Arceus said.

Impatient and desperate, Rhys formed another Aura Sphere and burst it too low. The shockwave sent him sinking several feet and he took in a mouthful of saltwater. He squeezed Tanneth too hard, earning a weak squirm from her. Trying to swim up with one arm, Rhys felt his paw hit cold air, then fell back underwater. More kicking—his chest felt like Emily was still squeezing it—and he grasped open air again. He tilted his head upward and kicked more, surfacing halfway.

He took a breath too early. Water went down his throat and he coughed—a head-splitting pain throbbed when he did—and sank back underwater.

Up and down were indiscernible. He held Tanneth again, trying to keep calm. Panic, now, would do nothing.

I'm underwater.

He saw you.

Hurry.

He was going to die. That was what his body told him. Despite this, he refused to let the panic show in his thoughts to Arceus or in his movements. He had to conserve his energy and control his body; his mind would not succumb to primal panic, even as death's wings wrapped around him.

The shadowy sky felt like acid to not only his body, but his aura, perhaps even that small Mystic power he held. It was useless here. Was drowning a real danger? If he lost consciousness now…

Even then, Tanneth still needed medical attention, immediately. He had too much responsibility to die now! He kicked a few more times, no idea which way he was going, before suddenly something splashed above him and wrapped around his neck.

He saw the glint of metal in another flash of light; it looked like a chain at first, but then it twisted and wrapped around his chest with too much carefulness. Out of reflex, he tried to grasp at it, but then the chain molded around his wrist and glued it to his neck, and then something pulled him upward.

"Hey," Brandon said, his metallic body glistening in the shadowy lightning.

The chain on Brandon's end suddenly twisted and shifted, thickening near the end until it became a Blaziken's head.

"Hi, Rhys!" Zeke said. "We're here to rescue you!"

Rhys was certain he was hallucinating.

Brandon pulled Rhys further up with one arm, then dug through a metal pouch slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, good job signaling us." Brandon pulled out something spherical from the bag. He tossed it at Tanneth, and suddenly he couldn't feel her body anymore; she had dissolved into a red light.

"What—" Rhys tried to feel around for her, but only felt a light sphere where Tanneth had been. It wiggled weakly, and shortly after another thunderclap, it clicked and stopped.

The ball left Rhys by Mystic force, returning to Brandon's hand. He mumbled something to the ball and placed it in his bag.

"Your turn," Brandon said to Rhys, pulling out another Poké Ball.

"I—I refuse," Rhys wheezed, already trying to pull away from the chains, but Zeke held tight.

"No choice," Brandon said flatly. "You're too weak and I can't fly you in these conditions." He motioned to the increasing storm. "I'm taking you back to the factory so you can recover. Don't struggle out, alright? If you fall, I might not catch you."

"I refuse to be stored inside a—"

Brandon tapped the ball to Rhys' forehead, and suddenly, he didn't have a body.

Ever patient, Rhys complied with Brandon's request and did not stir from his prison. While he was tempted to stretch his lack of legs and shake his way free, he also could sense with vague yet certain terms that open air was below him, and they were flying at high speeds away. Every so often, he heard Zeke chattering, and Brandon would reply back, but the fatigue of his constant swimming, combined with the admittedly cozy, bodiless quarters, left him in a sleepy haze.

How much had he strained himself with that swim? What happened to Emily? Those flashing lights were from no ordinary storm, and that was no ordinary rain; it was corrosive to his aura. Corrupting. Like darkness had been given liquid form. He still felt it.

It felt bright. Did the storm subside? Rhys wiggled weakly, but then he felt a massive hand pass over him.

"Calm down," Brandon's voice echoed. "We aren't there yet. It's a stable flight, but I don't want to risk anything, and for all I know, you'll pass out the second I release you."

It was demeaning. Disgraceful. Pathetic. How could he be trapped in one of those things? Perhaps he was thinking too harshly on it… But it was some quiet reflex that made him so disdainful. He had half a mind to break out, but the danger of falling, and the humiliation it would ultimately grant him, left him instead trying to enjoy the senseless comfort within the sphere.

Grudgingly, he could at least admit that it was much like staying under the covers after a very long rest. He understood why Pokémon often didn't want to leave if they didn't have to. It played with their instincts; the need to curl up into a ball to recover… The Apricorns and Pokémon had co-evolved in that way, after all. Poké Balls were another version of the same, natural process.

No, he still hated it. He wanted to move his limbs again before he got too used to that feeling, yet they were still airborne. He wiggled again to voice his protest, but this time Brandon didn't reply. So, he wiggled again, this time bumping against his thigh.

"You have a problem?" Brandon growled. "Look, I can see the factory just ahead. Sit tight. Why can't you behave like Tanneth, huh?"

Rhys stopped, flashes of worry washing over him. Was Tanneth not moving at all?

Brandon, perhaps sensing or at least predicting his worry, sighed. "She's fine. You know as much as I do that as long as she stays in there, she'll be fine until we can get her out and healed. You're better at aura than me; maybe you can talk to her and get a feel for how she's doing."

That was true. She was safer in there than anywhere else, even from her own corrupted body.

They were falling. And then, suddenly, they stopped.

"Alright, alright, you've been patient, but be patient for a few more seconds. Don't want you collapsed on the sand."

Step, step, step, and then finally Brandon grabbed Rhys. "Come on out!"

A blinding light enveloped Rhys. On reflex, he jerked to the right, and suddenly he had a body again. He took one step, stumbled, and Zeke was by his side, this time warm and feathery.

"Hi! Are you okay?" Zeke asked.

"I've been better," Rhys grunted.

The factory was the same as ever: clean, gray, and filled with machinery that hadn't been activated in ages. Rhys suspected that it was only by Mystic influence that it remained standing at all.

The metallic Machoke, meanwhile, asked, "Looks like you lost your bag and your badge out there. Sorry."

Rhys jumped and reached for his toolkit, but it was indeed missing. Suddenly feeling bare—and realizing he was still waterlogged—he looked down at the wet concrete below him.

"Cold?" Brandon asked.

"Somewhat."

"Right." Brandon looked to his left, then his right. "I'll check out the back and look for some blankets. I got filled in by the boss on what happened, but what's going on with Tanneth? Should we let her out?"

"No," Rhys said firmly. "She isn't ready. Get the blanket, and I'll see if I can heal her aura from the outside. I've recently tuned my aura for Heal Pulse."

"Right. Do that. I'll be back."

With Brandon gone, Rhys inspected the red-white ball that Tanneth had been captured in. Her aura, within, was so weak… But stable. It wasn't a flickering flame, only a steady, small candle. Tentatively, Rhys channeled a single pulse of energy into the ball—and tried to ignore the dizziness that followed. He was not equipped for fully healing her, even if he wanted to.

Are you well? Arceus called.

Yes. Tanneth is not, but she's stable.

What happened with Emily?

I don't know, but she's corrupted somehow. Her aura is like a wraith's. Like staring into a void.

I see. Arceus paused, uneasy. Do you know why?

You don't?

No.

Comforting. Rhys sighed, but then said, Tell Elder that I am well, but I will be resting with Brandon. I do not have the strength to return, and I need to see that Tanneth is safe. I also need to observe Emily's movements.

Is it safe to intervene?

Rhys briefly fretted. If Arceus was asking, did he not have the confidence to take her on directly? Arceus? I must at least try if you cannot.

I cannot. Dark Matter would expand again if I do, and I cannot spare a strike against her.

It may not even work. Rhys hoped that didn't insult Arceus, but now wasn't the time to sugarcoat things.

Get well soon, Arceus finally replied.

Rhys chuckled weakly, channeling another Heal Pulse into the Poké Ball. A cold pit formed in his stomach and spread to his chest. He realized his mistake too late, and his vision darkened completely.