Roads To Remedy

Prologue

Cold air, warm light.

The winter had finally arrived to the towering peaks and rolling plains and valleys of the darkened kingdom's surface; kissed goodnight by the receding sun, the fields of snow and pine'd trees blanketed white glowed softly, flushed a hushed pink. As daylight creeped away, pulling the land into night, the only light that remained was that of the emerging tapestry of stars tinkling above, and the fleet of beheld paper lanterns flickering below.

It was quiet. A large crowd of Pokémon had gathered tonight, few alike. Hooves, talons, paws; stone-hides, coats of fur, or naked skin; eight-legged, none, and all between. It was like a sea of mismatched colors and shapes. Many of them softly held colored paper lanterns, a faint glow burning inside each and every one. Some were unbothered by winter's embrace, seeming at home in the cold heart of the season; others shuddered, clinging tightly to the small ember in front of them. They had come with their offerings before a bronze statue sitting in the snow: it held its wings up from its sides, a faceless gaze cast skyward, as if it would take flight any second.

A beautiful recreation in the vision of their eternal guardian, their god: Ho-Oh, the Sacred Fire.

Cold, empty braziers sat lifeless at the corners of the platform the statue was seated upon, awaiting the kiss of life they desired to ignite their fire- to be freed of the icy grip that had caught the land.

Only two souls possessed the privilege of setting foot upon this frosted stone floor; to stand together in front of the revered god of flame when others would not.

A pristine, shining dress of pure white, layered in pink gems and glittering jewels, floated serenely above the ice. Her calm gaze swept over the crowd, meeting every pair of eyes she could, a tranquil look settling nervous hearts.

Princess Mayala: the fair, beautiful, commanding, Diancie that had been one of few rulers to the Undercast, the buried home of these huddled souls. Her appearances in public had been rare, and when she had been seen in the public eye, it had always been as she is now: in a powerful form beyond her usual form.

Behind her, a golden figure knelt in front of the bronze statue, quietly finishing her prayers to the god whose responsibilities she would inherit.

A Ninetales, clothed in the finest scarlet and white silks that hugged close to her body; accents of her god's colors dying the tips of her many tails.

An honest feather from Ho-Oh themself, tucked behind an ear.

Star: the child of the previous champion of Ho-Oh, whose mission and faith she had come to inherit tonight.

"And as I will do all that I can to guide them," Star whispered underneath her breath, her quiet words only audible to herself, "guide me, so that I never lose my way."

The Ninetales finished her prayers. She inhaled deeply, drawing in a lungful of the chilled air to calm her fluttering heart. Once her nerves calmed, Star stood up, offered one last bow to the phoenix, and turned to join the princess of gems' side.

Many faced her, their eyes betraying different emotions. Some were misty-eyed, caught in the historic moment of their faith happening before them; some did not dare to look, eyes locked to the snow beneath their feet, either caught in silent prayers or other thoughts.

Mayala's head looked down, meeting Star's eyes straight-on, waiting for an answer. Star's head dipped ever so slightly- a nod. She was ready.

A tender smile pulled at the Diancie's lips. She moved forward towards the crowd, a hand crossed to her chest. "My friends, one and all," she spoke, her voice as loud and clear as a ringing bell. "For too long, you have endured uncertainty- afraid of misspoken words and muddied action, afraid of dampening your relationship- our relationship- with the Sacred Fire. Ever since our loss of a most cherished friend many moons ago, I- like many of you- wondered with bated breath who would be the next to lead us and our love, our hope, and our faith forward towards brighter days." Mayala stopped, letting only the sound of passing wind touch ears as she turned towards Star. She reached out far from her side, waiting as a pink energy swirled and manifested into the palm of her hand in the shapes of small crystals. They floated in the air gracefully, dancing like the falling snowflakes they found themselves introduced to, pulled to precise positions in the open air and stopping in place. Between them, light shined from their points, forming the visage of a slim sword that Mayala held at its handle. With the newly born blade in hand, her eyes fell onto Star.

No words were exchanged; she knew what was expected of her. Star lowered her head and body, kneeling onto a front leg, closing her eyes.

"Star, child of our late champion of faith and flame," Mayala spoke, "do you swear to act only ever in protection and benefit of the people, to forfeit temptation for their sake?"

"I will do all I am able for them," Star responded in turn, each word articulate and meaningful.

"Will you act justly, so that all who follow you and the Sacred Flame may be inspired by heroic action, ingraining wisdom, faultless integrity, and unyielding resolve?"

"I will guide them."

"And do you swear that in the face of evil, of all the blackness of heart the world may threaten, you will protect them."

Star raised her head, meeting Mayala's stern, expectant gaze and locking herself to it like a steel trap. "I will fight for them."

Mayala remained still for a moment, letting Star's words resonate with the shaking crowd. "Very good." Raising the sword of light over her, she guided its tip to Star's shoulders and head, letting the point only just touch the Ninetales without an inch more. "In all of the power and authority vested in me, between all of the crusts of the earth and serene heavens above, I decree Star as our next champion of Ho-Oh: as our next Illumini."

With that, the sea of Pokémon had finally released all of the excited energy that had pent up over the course of the night. Many hoots and hollers, cheers and claps, erupted in the cold air, so loud that it was impossible to even hear one's own thoughts amidst the ruckus. They were excited; they had their new Illumini.

Star gave another bow of thanks to the Diancie, then traveling to each of the four low braziers sitting on the platform and spitting fire into them, igniting them to life in an emerald blaze, banishing the grip of ice.

The crowd still had been caught up in their own excitement, not even quieting a little bit. Truthfully, Star herself was swept in the moment, her attention lost in the crowd that adored her.

A small, difficult to notice wave finally dragged her focus back; Princess Mayala had been trying to call her attention, her body still facing the clamoring people as her hand beckoned towards the newly dubbed Illumini behind her back.

Arriving at Mayala's side, the princess's voice entered her mind, peeling back the cacophony of noise with telepathy. 'Feeling nervous?' the inner voice asked.

'I'm not too sure, to be honest,' Star thought back, looking over the pining sea of limbs ahead of her with furrowed brows. 'I spent all night yesterday steeling myself for this, and I feel… strange.' It was as she said, a strange emotion bubbled within her, tickling her spine and face the longer she observed the crowd. Truthfully, she could not make out what it was she was feeling.

'I wouldn't think too much on it,' the princess hummed back. 'When your mother first was consecrated years ago, she was like a statue- so stoic and motionless- so much so I worried she had taken too much relaxant herbs prior,' she smiled. 'It wasn't until after the ceremony that she told me her mind was racing a hundred words a second throughout the whole affair, and that it felt like her stomach had gotten itself in such a knot she worried she might be split in half any second!' The smile on Mayala's face dwindled as she remembered who it was she was recounting the memories to. 'I apologize if it's too soon for me to speak so casually of her. She was a great friend to the Undercast, and helped so many find hope as we counted the days until we might see the sun again. Though it pained many, I know her loss could not have hurt more for anyone but you.'

Star shook her head. 'Thank you, and it's okay. I've had time to mourn.' A sharp frown took hold of her, pulling the corners of her mouth down as a thought rose. 'But now, I just wonder if I can be even half the great leader she was. She had so much more experience in every facet of the world before becoming the Illumini than I've ever been alive. It's… worrying, and I'm afraid they might know it.'

'It's perfectly understandable to be afraid; I doubt any would fault you for it. The faith your mother led, and the dreams she inspired for my people, is something I am forever grateful for. You don't have to be perfect for her and what she stood for. You just have to be good.'

Star did not respond, her mind swimming in thoughts.

'Look up for a moment.' Following Mayala's instruction, Star looked up, following her gesture as she levied a hand out over the crowd. 'Take a long look over them,' Mayala continued. 'These are the people whose burdens and dreams you will shoulder.'

Star looked more deeply into the crowd, finding many faces. A crying Snubull, flushed with tears; a yearning Ursaring, still clutching at the lantern nestled in their great chest; a Corsola, rocking her body back and forth while wearing a broad smile. They all were here for her.

'I trust in you to be the champion they need, and I know Hachi would, too.' Mayala lowered herself down, laying a soft hand onto Star's shoulder.

The sea of Pokémon had begun to release their lanterns into the night sky.

Flickering lights behind shades of green, red, and white began to cluster the stars above, drifting in the wind and floating serenely up and away. Tonight marked an important occasion for them, that they might find security and hope in their prayers once more, and to honor these feelings, they had let them rise to the kingdom above.

But Star did not notice.

Her attention was once again lost in the crowd, that uncertain, unknown feeling bubbling inside again, twisting and whirling inside her mind.

She was not nervous. She had felt nervous before; felt small and hesitant in memories prior.

This feeling had not been it.

She was not excited, not losing herself in a fervent burst of energy and initiative.

The feeling could not have been it.

What she had felt, looking over the crowd, the sea of hearts and minds expressing their gratitude and love for her, and for the Sacred Flame she served, it settled within her. The murkiness had cleared, bringing forward an earnest, small smile as she let herself be swallowed in the night.

Pride.

—-

"Hey, hey man," a familiar, shirking voice called out. "You seeing that?"

"Yeah, I'm seeing it," another gravelly voice responded. "The heck you think it is?"

An Electabuzz stretched his arms, stirring himself awake from his nap from the two chatterboxes. Taking a burly finger, he opened his mouth and let a spark of electricity zap his tongue, finally waking him fully. He was still here, seated beneath a network of steel cross-beams and amongst a maze of crates filled with who-knows-what. Looking to his side, he saw a familiar, heavy metal door still locked with thick chains and a formidable padlock- as it should.

With a grunt, he rose from an old, creaking chair, and crossed the cold, concrete floor to the broken window where a Pawniard and a Morgrem were at. "What are you two idiots talking about?"

The small figure of blades raised a shining digit to the dark sky beyond, pointing past the raised walls of snow-laden stone and frozen cliff-faces their dimly-lit warehouse was nestled in. "You see those? In the sky?"

The Electabuzz leaned out, eyes peering up. Amongst the stars in the sky, there were drifting lights, flickering in the clouds above. It took a moment, but he eventually recognized them as countless paper lanterns floating above. "Oh yeah," he muttered, "guess that was happening today." He impatiently pulled himself back inside, bumping his head on the open window as he did so. "She should'a done everyone a favor and never'a done it."

"What was happening today?" another voice asked. From behind a corner, a Raichu crossed the floor towards the three, her scarred ears pricked towards the conversation. It took only a brief glance out the window for her to see what they had been confused about. At the realization at what it had been, she frowned. "Oh, yeah, miss sunshine."

The Pawniard and Morgrem both exchanged one another quizzical glances as the Electabuzz and Raichu shared in their bitterness. "Who we talking about?" the Pawniard finally asked.

The Electabuzz turned to him with a face mixed with contempt and superiority. "You don't remember? Of course ya wouldn't, you dolt. For being someone who's essentially walking pile of knives, you never were that sharp."

That Pawniard glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, you don't have to remind me. So enlighten me: what's going on?"

"The new 'Illugmi,' or whatever," the Electabuzz snorted. 'She's finally made official or whatever. After that last one did the world a favor and shuffled off the mortal coil, I thought we might'a had some peace and quiet a bit longer, but her brat's went ahead and took over for her." He shrugged. "It was a year or two, at least." A sharp smack slapped against the back of his head, making him wince. The Raichu had slapped him with her tail, leaving him rubbing the new ache. "What'd I do?"

"It's not 'Illugmi,' idiot, it's 'Illumini," she corrected. "Ill-loom–in-eye. But he is right. The self-righteous fox always made our jobs more difficult. With her daughter stepping up now, hopefully she stays well enough away for her own sake. I hear the boss hasn't been in the most patient of moods recently."

As the group talked, a small, hollow thud knocked at the side of the thin metal wall from outside, pausing them as they exchanged looks. "Ain't my job," the Electabuzz finally said.

"It literally is."

"Nah, I said 'ain't my job.' You still owe me for convincing the boss it was Brunie's fault for your screw-up last week, and last I hear, Brunie's only just started walking again- on three legs." He leaned closer to the Raichu and flicked her nose with a sparking finger. "So you go out there. Probably nothing, anyway. No one ever comes out here, and why would they? There's nothing here but that thinga-ma-bob that keeps those space-time-ball-things out, and nobody's interested in that- believe me, I checked."

The Raichu grumbled to herself and left, crossing past stacked crated and beneath the flickering lights until she was out of sight and out the door with a click.

With the matter settled, the Electabuzz went back to his groaning chair and slunk down it, sighing. "So friggin' boring here. And cold! Where's the guys that work the next shift at, anyway? We should'a been taken off shift by now!"

"Beats me," the Morgrem said.

The Electabuzz wiped his face down with his hand, pulling down his cheeks. "You think that security group is still hiring? I hear they're always looking for more muscle."

"Yeah, I hear they're always looking for new bodies. Problem is, they're weirdly selective about who they take. I heard a Machamp got hit hard with the rejection, but they took some scrawny Girafarig? Can't say their method doesn't work, whatever it is; they seem pretty good. The weird part is they seem to be everywhere lately, too. Why's everybody hiring them lately? Or is it just one super paranoid dude?"

A sudden chill racked their bodies. In the midst of their conversation, they had failed to notice that it had been getting even colder, as if someone had left a door open. Before they comment on it, the flickering lights that buzzed above finally failed with sudden darkness, flooding the room in motionless black.

It was silent.

The Electabuzz grunted, some sparks flying off him in annoyance. "Hey, Sparky!" he shouted towards the door, past some crates. "Light's out, check the power box!"

"You know she hates being called that."

"Whatever. Sparky!" he continued.

No sound returned.

'Sparky, I know you can hear me! The lights turned out again, check the box!"

Nothing responded back from down the hallway. It had only gotten colder.

"Lazy rat." The Electabuzz took a finger and pointed it at the Pawniard. "You fix the box, I ain't getting up."

The Pawniard's shoulders drooped as he dragged himself around the corner towards where the power-streaming box lay- he knew better than to argue. Covered in small specks of snow and concerning amounts of dust, he found the rusted box in question raised up on the wall, beyond his reach.

It was even darker further within the decrepit building, away from the fleeting light of the outside, which made finding something to help him harder than it needed to be. He eventually felt an old wooden stool and dragged it across the floor until it was beneath the box, then climbed on top. Sticking a blade beneath the panel, he twisted it open and saw the familiar power lines within- glowing tubes of crackling, vibrant energy, chaotically humming behind glass in shades of yellow and blue.

He leaned closer to the tubes, noticing the lines they had been connected to had been cut at their top, disconnecting them from the lights or the rest of the building for that matter.

He leaned even closer.

A small footstep whispered behind him.

"Sparky, that you?"

A sudden force rammed the back of his head and crashed it into the box, sending a dizzying display of crackling energy and blinding lights flooding the hallway as he screamed.

From beyond the corner, the Electabuzz and Morgrem both stood up immediately, eyes locked on the hectic display of color in front of them. As quick as it happened, the lightshow disappeared.

Blackness and quiet ensnared them once again.

"Aye, what's going on here?!" the Electabuzz shouted, speeding towards the corner with the Morgem. When they finally turned the blind spot, their eyes adjusted to the crumpled heap in front of them: the Pawniard's face was scorched black, having been smashed into the volatile tubules of energy.

His breathing was there, but faint.

"What in the…" The Morgrem began backing away. "This ain't right, man! What happened?!"

The Electabuzz scowled, curling his hands into fists radiating bolts of electricity. "We're finally getting some action, that's what." The Morgrem's face turned to a scowl. He too had been looking for a good fight, and his hair twisted into a sharpened point.

Another small, dull thud arrived from the metal wall behind some crates, leading towards a corner they both knew to be a dead-end. Someone had gone there.

"Not the wisest place to hide, friend," the Electabuzz cackled, turning the corner, coming closer. He placed a hand onto the chest of the Morgrem, stopping them. "Nah-ah," he said. "I want some one-on-one time."

Placing his hand on a box, he thrusted himself around the bend with a fist raised and found… nothing. Wandering closer, his foot hit something. Looking down, there had been a small rock. It had only taken him another second to spot a dent in the wall beside it.

The next thing he noticed was far harder to miss as the Morgrem screamed behind the boxes and a loud crash rang out.

He rushed back around the tower of crates, and could not find the Morgrem where he had been a second ago; all there had been was a mess of splinters on the floor, and shattered, toppled boxes laid out.

His breathing hastened, his heart beating faster and faster.

"Where you hiding!?" he shouted. His body spun in quick circles, trying to catch even a glimpse of the shadow that had taken the others. "Come out and fight!"

A crumbling of snow and dust fell to his feet from the cross-beams above.

He looked up.

Hiding in the darkness was a cloaked figure with pointed ears, and sharp eyes leering back down at him. He didn't even have time to shout as the shadow lunged at him.

He was laid out on the floor in a second. He attempted to raise his arms, but another two blows fell upon him and knocked his head back against the floor, filling him with terrible pain. He tried to push himself off the ground, but a foot stomped down, pushing him by the throat back to the floor as he gasped for air.

The shadow had gotten him.

"The locked door," it spoke, voice gravelly and raw. "Where's the key?"

The Electabuzz finally had gotten a good look at them as he lay sputtering on the floor. It had been a Lucario, one wearing an old jacket littered with muddied stains and worn tears. His eyes traveled up to the Lucario's face, and he froze. It was smeared in a dark black and layered with a white like bone marrow; like the Lucario had covered his own face in dirt, soot, and ash.

"L-Like I'd ever tell you!" he shouted.

The Lucario bent down and pummeled his sides with a series of painful strikes, then pressing down again on his throat even harder. "Let's try that again. The key. Where. Is. It?"

The Electabuzz felt the air being choked from him, his heart racing, body aching, and broke. He lifted an arm towards a steel beam bolted to the side of the wall. "T-There!" he said with choked words. "It's there! Tucked behind a little hole in the wall!"

The Lucario glanced towards the spot he had pointed, then back to the sputtering, squirming Electabuzz beneath his foot. "Thank you." He released his foot off the Electabuzz's throat and in one swift motion, swung a full-motioned fist squarely into their face with a crack.

They didn't squirm after that; knocked out cold.

Taking brisk strides towards the metal beam, he saw that there in fact had been a small hole bent behind it in the wall, nearly invisible to the passing eye. Fitting his fingers behind it, he felt around until he felt a smooth, metallic object and dragged it out. It was then he held a slim key in his hands.

The door was close by. It was obviously never meant to be opened- at least without a specific purpose. It looked heavy, far too heavy and thick for any normal door, and it was covered in rows upon rows of thick chains, held together by one sturdy looking lock.

Taking the key, he inserted it into the lock and twisted.

It clicked, and the chains fell to the floor in a loud series of metallic clacks. Grabbing the freed handle, he turned it and stepped inside.

The room held no lights; no fire or glare to offer sight.

But it was so bright.

At the room's center was a strange machine: one of turning gears and dials whose meaning was lost to him sat comfortably in the middle of the room, toiling without end. More of those tubes of energy lined sockets in its dashboard, and atop its heavy frame, a spherical glass dome beheld soft light, pulsing every few seconds.

This had to have been it.

Reaching for the tubes, he grasped each of them and yanked them out in turn as they spat out defiant bolts of energy once they were liberated of their frame. Once they settled into gentle hums, he reached for the satchel at his side and flipped it open, gently storing them as the machine fell silent and dark.

That had been part one.

He continued to peer inside his bag, pushing aside various tools and oddities he had amassed before until a faint glimmer caught his eye.

Pulling the feather out, he beheld it in front of him.

A genuine feather of Ho-Oh, one of few, gifted to him by a friend a month prior.

He knew she wouldn't approve of this, but didn't let that stop him.

He stowed back inside and found the true object he had been seeking: a bundle of cloth wrapped around something heavy, shaped like a brick. Old, stained wires spiraled into a battery tied to the outside. This final test he had been given forbade him from unwrapping the cloth, and that he must deliver it to this device before midnight.

He followed orders.

Placing the device on top of the machine's dashboard, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Stepping over the many unconscious bodies that littered the floor around him, he made for the exit, stepping out into the snow and darkness of night from the rusted warehouse.

He had gotten what he needed to, and left what he had to.

Glancing upward, the moon had already nearly reached its peak. Crossing through the snow, he left without a second thought through a cave, one of many that could be found in the cayonous area, slipping back into shadow.

Midnight would be here soon, and he did not want to be here for it.

.

.

.

Author's Notes

Here with a story I am super excited to get into!
Just a real quick point I want to state, super brief, but if you like this story, maybe try it out on the Ao3 version! From there, I can upload pictures of scenes and characters for Roads To Remedy, like this chapter for example! If you check out the Ao3 version right now, you'll see artwork of the main characters this work will follow: Star the Ninetales, and the (currently) unnamed Lucario!
Be sure to check it out if you're interested!