Forsaken by one master, is it my destiny to be forsaken by another? I don't understand, what have I done to anger him? To strive for anyone else's sake is pointless. All I need is my drink and my pay, everyone else can go to hell.
In a large and spacious room, ten pedestals stood, purple lights shining across the edges. All ten were situated around a center area, where people would stand and face the high-ranking officials of the Gloom Organization.
This time, however, only one pedestal was occupied. The Voidcaller was seated next to where the Consumer would be. He was in his Shadow Form like usual, his armor and physical characteristics completely shrouded.
Below him stood two men, The Ideal One and Abaddon Faust. The Ideal One had recently recovered from the injuries he sustained from fighting the Ultra Beast, and Abaddon had come back from a series of missions alongside Andras.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said The Voidcaller, his figure nor voice giving off any emotion.
"Talk about short notice," said Abaddon, crossing his arms. "You're technically not even here."
"My duties required my physical presence to be elsewhere," said The Voidcaller, already growing irritated. Of course, Abaddon had brought this fact up multiple times, just to annoy him. "That, however, doesn't matter to you."
"It does matter considering it's your task I'm doing."
The Ideal One gave him a withering look, even through his mask. "Drop it, Faust."
"Please, use my first name. After all, we're going to be doing this mission together. There's no place for unfriendliness."
"Quiet!" shouted the Voidcaller. "The two of you will be heading deep into the Outlands. We have reports of a specific energy signature emanating from a small Outland village. The same as the Legendary Pokémon cell we discovered."
"Why are we collecting these Pokémon pieces again?" asked Abaddon.
"Like I said earlier, it's a Legendary Pokémon. By collecting all of its pieces, we'll have another Legendary Pokémon in our grasp. So far, we know of the existence of thirty-five, all stolen from various laboratories after Pokémon raids."
The Ideal One nodded. "So, once all the cores are united, a Legendary Pokémon will form?"
"That's what we believe."
Abaddon gave him a look. "Who's we?"
"Shut up," growled The Voidcaller. "Is your objective clear?"
"Almost," said Abaddon. "I have one question. What are we going to do with this Legendary Pokémon once we have it? Not only that but what are we going to do with Marshadow. No known sorcery can exert complete control over such powerful Pokémon. The only person who could've possibly done so is currently in a coma. In my personal opinion, it would be a better use of manpower and time to either eliminate the Chosen or find the Tapu Pokémon."
The Voidcaller opened his mouth, an angry retort forming. Then, considering Abaddon's question, paused before replying.
"A fair question, which is surprising since it's coming from you. While we cannot control the Legendary Pokémon directly, there is a process using a forbidden art of sorcery to force a Legendary to select a Chosen. All that is left is to find someone worthy of wielding the power of Marshadow."
"Do you have any candidates?" asked The Ideal One.
"Not yet. But that is something I'll deal with. Now, be on your way you two. Don't fail this mission."
"Of course," said The Ideal One, bowing. "The Consumer's wish is my command."
"Yeah yeah," said Abaddon, turning around. "Make sure you pay me at the end."
The sun shined above the wide and expansive plains, shedding a brilliant light upon the scene below.
Armed with whatever they could find, whether it be heavy sticks, various steel tools, or the occasional gun. The residents of Silverbrook Village stood together, prepared to turn away the invading forces.
At the head of this ramshackle army was a young girl who looked to be around eighteen, maybe even younger. She had raven dark hair that fell over her dark face, reaching just below her chin. She had light brown eyes and was of average height.
She wore a very medieval set of clothing. A white shirt underneath a brown tunic, a black cloak, loose brown pants, and a pair of boots that extended her height by multiple centimeters. The most striking detail was the bandolier of knives she wore strapped across her chest, as well as the ones holstered in a waistbelt.
So far, no fighting had broken out. However, they could see the rapidly approaching Pokémon. It was merely a matter of time before the battle would start.
A young boy holding multiple pouches ran towards the girl, his chest heaving.
"Lady Melissa! I brought what you asked for!"
The girl accepted the pouches, looking inside. Contained within were various steel balls, files, and other steel items. Satisfied, she tied the pouches around her waist. Now that everyone was ready, all that was left was to address the people.
She took a deep breath and turned around, mentally readying herself. "Hear me, people of Silverbrook! Before us stands an army of Pokémon, a gathered force like we've never seen before! Tell me, how long has this village existed?"
"For hundreds of years!" shouted the gathered villagers.
"And how long has my family been protecting it from those who wish to bring harm upon it?"
"Since the very beginning!"
Melissa nodded. "And this is why I'll fight alongside everyone to protect our fair village from the Pokémon. That is my duty as the heir to the Aetos name and their sorcery! No matter the odds, we will turn away this threat and prevail!"
Everyone behind her cheered. This, however, did little to alleviate her fear. No matter what everyone thought, it was hard for her. The passing of her parents required her to be the village head at fifteen. Now, she was tasked with defending her village as its sole sorcerer. She had no one close to talk to, no one to support her.
But all that had to wait. She didn't need to talk to anyone about her struggles, she had to appear strong, capable, and ready. She lived every day like this, ever since she'd been appointed. That day had been the last day she'd ever shed tears, publicly or privately.
"They're approaching!" shouted a man from a watchtower.
Melissa nodded, her eyes glowing as she readied her sorcery. "Let them approach."
The first wave of Pokémon charged forward, the assembled villagers rushing forward to meet them. The two forces clashed, the villagers attacking the nearest Pokémon with their weapons.
Melissa found herself facing a Weavile, the Pokémon brandished its claws leaping at her.
Melissa sidestepped the attack, moving faster than the average person. The glow in her eyes intensified as the knives floated out of her bandolier, floating next to her.
The Weavile attacked again, its claws flashing. Melissa directed the knives forward, stopping the Weavile's attacks. Stepping back, she summoned multiple metal shards from her pouch, sending them flying at the Pokémon.
Dodging a Floragato that attacked her, she brought the knives around to fly at her opponents. She produced a slender metal rod and sent it flying at a Hitmonchan, causing it to bend and wrap around it before striking it with a kick.
Gravitating the broken metal pieces around her, she sent the shards flying into a group of Pokémon, heeding the fighters around her. She produced more steel objects from her pouches, using them to fight the invaders.
Despite the success of the initial charge, the Pokémon were quickly recovering from this unexpected resistance. After all, these weren't heavily armed agents or Chosen.
An Arcanine plowed through a crowd of people, fire spewing from its mouth. Multiple people attacked with sharp weapons but to no avail. It slammed a foot on a helpless person, turning around and lashing at another. Multiple people grouped together to subdue it, but not without heavy loss.
Melissa continued fighting, hefting a large spear and balancing it above her hand. She struck a Pokémon with it and knocked it to the ground, sending multiple knives flying at it.
However, there were simply too many Pokémon. As she took another one down, a Luxio pounced on her, its claws digging into her back.
Holding back a cry of pain, she caused the back of the spear to extend forward, striking the Luxio and knocking it off of her.
They weren't going to last long, fighting like this. But Melissa had expected this, Pokémon was simply too powerful. This is why they had a backup plan.
"Fall back!" shouted Melissa, gripping her spear. "Everyone back to the village!"
With that, she threw the spear into the ground, causing it to explode and sending the shrapnel flying. All around her, the people who'd been fighting abandoned their weapons and headed toward the village, where open gates awaited them.
Melissa, on the other hand, remained on the battlefield. Her job was to distract the Pokémon as long as possible. However, she wasn't doing so to die. She gathered the metal of the discarded weapons to form a shield around herself, warding off the attacks of the Pokémon.
A Gurdurr charged for her, hefting a Tinkaton and throwing it at her. The Tinkaton hit the shield, only for the portion it hit to explode, sending it flying. Its hammer however remained suspended in the air before crashing down upon the Pokémon.
A horn from the village blew, its bellowing sound resounding clearly over the cacophony of the battle. It was time, she'd put all of her effort into this final attack.
She dismantled her shield, sending pieces of metal flying amidst the armor of Pokémon. She broke into a sprint, using magic to enhance her physical capabilities. Behind her, Pokémon attacks flew, a beam of fire hitting her directly and throwing her to the ground.
Melissa hit the ground, still several meters from the village gates. She decided then that it didn't matter. She'd die a respectable death in the line of duty if that's what it took.
Focusing her magic, she connected to every piece of metal around her. She felt their properties, every single bond, and atom holding them together. Then, she willed everything to let go and explode.
The result was immediate. Whether broken or whole, every single piece of metal around her shattered, exploding into thousands of fragments that flew in all directions. Every single one of these fragments was altered to be sharp and deadly, to pierce through the enemy like bullets.
She didn't enjoy it, all this killing, all this fighting, but it was her duty. She had to protect her people, and that was what was meant for her the moment she was born. It didn't matter if she was young or inexperienced, left alone with no one. She had committed herself to this fate like everyone in her family before.
An immense pain filled her, she knew that this attack would go beyond what she was supposed to be capable of. She coughed blood, her vision fading as she fell to the ground. Even if she survived the shock of overdoing her powers, the Pokémon who'd survived her attack wouldn't let her live.
She felt something grab her, but she was too weak to register it. She was moving now, she could hear voices, familiar ones. She could hear gunfire, someone calling her name.
"Stay with us, Lady Melissa!"
The voice snapped her to attention. Through her faded vision, she could see the bloodied face of a young man. She vaguely recognized him, one of the people eager to defend the village and fight.
Behind the man, three other people brought up the rear, firing their weapons as the gates closed behind them. Two burly men put in the deadlocks, dropping the added protective shield over the sturdy gate.
"You… you were supposed to stay in the village after the retreat," said Melissa.
The man smiled at her. "We were under the impression you'd be with us as well."
"You shouldn't have put my safety over your own. That's my job."
The man shook his head, stepping back as a doctor attended to her. "No, it isn't. Your job is to be our leaders, to guide us, and to do what's right for the people. And right now, dying isn't what we need. I can't imagine what it's like having your responsibility. But we need you!"
Melissa smiled in thanks, her vision fading once again as she lapsed on the brink of unconsciousness. Despite the man's words, nothing would change. Whether by choice or not, this was her path, one that she'd follow.
Abaddon and The Ideal One flew over the plains of the Outlands, having abandoned the vehicle they were using after a Pokémon attack.
"I wonder," said Abaddon, his red and black wings flapping as he drew level with his companion. "Why bother with a vehicle when we can do this?"
"It's more efficient. We can't waste-"
Abaddon rolled his eyes, soaring away. "Forget I asked. I should've realized your answer would go back to the Gloom Organization."
"Is that a problem?"
"You're practically a robot at this point. Always serve the Gloom Organization, always respect their leaders, always so loyal. Why are you so loyal, what's your motivation?"
"I will always serve the Gloom Organization. The Consumer was the one who saved me, the one who taught me to handle this power I wield. I will forever be grateful."
"That's all it took, a debt?"
"It goes beyond that."
"Sure," said Abaddon, smiling to himself. This information would prove useful. He'd need something to hold against Zek. Otherwise, he'd be a big problem, especially since it was no secret that Abaddon wasn't the most loyal person.
"Down there," said Zek, extending a hand. "That's the village."
Abaddon nodded. "Look at all those Pokémon. They're practically swarming the place. I guess that means this place is of importance, to the Pokémon at least."
"Then we get into the village, find what we're looking for, and get out. Conflict is unnecessary."
"Speak for yourself."
The Ideal One glared at him, then shook his head. If Abaddon was a liability, he could always go on without him. Nothing was more important than this mission. He'd been sidelined for far too long and look what happened. The Ultra Beasts were now in the hands of the enemy. Now that he was back, they wouldn't remain with them for long.
A stream of fire erupted from beneath the two men, forcing them to fly away from each other as a Charizard flew up, fire swirling around it.
"What did you say about avoiding conflict?" asked Abaddon.
The Ideal One didn't respond. Instead, he flew for the Charizard, his wings glowing as electricity surrounded him.
The Charizard dove, avoiding the attack and whirling around as it unleashed a powerful stream of fire. Abaddon flew down and used his wings to send powerful gusts of wind to blow back the fire, hitting the Charizard in the process.
With an enraged roar, the Charizard used Dragon Rush, diving straight for Abaddon. The Ideal One intercepted the attack with a powerful kick, electricity exploding off of his foot as he struck the Charizard mid-flight.
Abaddon's wings glowed as he shot multiple glowing feathers at the plummeting Charizard. The feathers struck the Pokémon and created red orbs that flew off of it and absorbed back into Abaddon's wings, increasing his strength as the Pokémon hit the ground, defeated.
"We don't have time to waste," said The Ideal One, watching as more Pokémon approached. "Let's go."
Abaddon nodded as The Ideal One dove towards the village. Before following him, he fired more feathers at the incoming Pokémon to slow them down. With a satisfied smile, he followed The Ideal One as they entered the village walls.
The two men landed on the ground within the village walls, dust exploding from the impact. Villagers all around them began to scream and run in terror, some pulling out weapons.
"Peace!" shouted Abaddon, raising his hands as his wings vanished. "We mean no harm!"
"Who the hell are you?" asked a man, aiming his shotgun at him.
"You could call us beneficiaries. We come from the Mestian metropolis and wish to help you battle this calamity you are facing alongside you."
The Ideal One turned to face him. "What?"
"Roll with it," muttered Abaddon. "People are better left alive and in debt. Besides, it makes it much easier to get what we want. Are you saying you can't handle a couple of Pokémon?"
"State your business and stop whispering among yourselves!" shouted the man again, his finger twitching on the trigger.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Abaddon cooly, lowering his hands. "We represent the Gloom Republic."
There were mutters among the crowd as people found a renewed interest in them. Even the angry man with the shotgun paused to consider.
"Simply put, your village is in danger. We have reason to believe that the Pokémon are attacking you for a specific purpose."
"Why else?" shouted a woman in the back. "They want us all dead!"
"It goes beyond that," said The Ideal One, slightly impatient. "Somewhere in this village sleeps a dormant energy, perhaps some kind of Pokémon."
Once again, there was more muttering among the crowd. This time, however, an old man walked forward, a polished cane steadying his movement.
"There is a story, passed on from chiefs before. I, however, am of no authority to tell you about this tale with great clarity. It would be best if you heard it directly from our chief."
Abaddon stared at the man, trying to make sense of the way he was speaking. "Basically, we're supposed to speak with your chief."
"She's resting right now!" shouted the man who'd saved her earlier. "She overextended herself during the battle and must recover!"
"Well," said Abaddon, turning to look at the massive gates as the people on top hurled projectiles at the sieging Pokémon. "We won't get to talk to her if the village is destroyed. Come Zek, we have a bit of… cleaning up to do."
"No one made you the leader. You're simply not mature enough to be one."
Abaddon scoffed. "You there, with the very adorable shotgun. Fetch me the best wine you have in this village. I'll be requiring it once I'm done with this mess."
The man who'd saved Melissa seemed a bit skeptical. "Forgive me, agents of the Gloom Republic. But our chief, the best sorcerer around these parts, couldn't defeat this horde. I cannot imagine-"
Abaddon didn't look at him. "Then shut up and watch."
The two men flew onto the battlefield, the villagers opening the gates and charging in behind them to provide support.
Abaddon landed on the ground, his wings glowing. He fired a pulse of darkness, red energy exploding around him.
The Ideal One remained in the air, taking out all the airborne Pokémon. He grabbed a Fearow by the throat, spinning around and throwing it at a Staraptor in a flash of electricity. He raised his arms as a Tropius blasted him with a Solar Beam, blocking the attack before flying forward and kicking it into the ground.
Abaddon found himself swarmed by multiple Pokémon, but that didn't worry him. Unlike The Ideal One, who specialized in overpowering single foes, Abaddon could handle a crowd.
As a Feraligatr leaped for him, he flew into the air, using his wings to slam its snout into the ground. His wings glowing, he activated his Dark Aura to boost his strength before creating a massive pulse that overwhelmed the opposing Pokémon.
A Lucario dashed forward, having weathered the attack. Abaddon brought one of his wings forward, blocking the punches it threw at him.
The Lucario flickered as it used Extreme Speed, dashing around him and striking him with a foot. Abaddon stumbled backward from the force but wasn't injured. Before he could attack again, the Lucario dashed away, appearing a few meters away before using Aura Sphere.
Abaddon didn't flinch. Charging the life energy he stole, he used Oblivion Wing, causing a massive laser to surge forward and consume everything in front of it. The Lucario barely dodged the attack, dashing in all directions around Abaddon as it used Meteor Mash.
Abaddon flew into the air, using the force from his take-off to knock the Lucario back. Diving to the ground, an explosion of dark energy blasted the Lucario off its feet as he landed.
Blasting forward, he grabbed the Lucario by its neck, holding it in the air.
"Try harder next time."
The Lucario couldn't formulate a response as Abaddon activated his power, draining the Lucario's life energy. Before he finished it off, however, he threw it on the ground, his usual crooked smile affixed to his face.
"Go on, get out of here."
The Lucario looked at him, hatred in its eyes. "You're letting me go?"
"I told you to try harder next time, there'll be no next time if you're dead."
The Lucario snarled at him, knowing it was being played with. "I'll make you regret your decision. The next time we meet, I won't spare you."
"As I have fun. Don't worry, I'll kill you first. Now go, before I change my mind"
The Lucario struggled to its feet, limping away from Abaddon. With one last curse, it turned and ran, fleeing the battlefield.
The Ideal One landed next to Abaddon, sparks flying off of him as he did so. "What was that about?"
"Oh, nothing. Nothing more fun than toying with your prey. Honestly, I should've killed it while it ran. But no matter. Looks like we're about done here. How many did you take out?"
"I wasn't keeping track. We aren't here to play games Abaddon, get that into your head."
"Our only choice is to wait for Sleeping Beauty to wake up, so we don't have much of a choice. So, why not-"
Abaddon froze, something was wrong, and he could feel it. The Ideal One looked at him, slightly confused.
"What's wrong?"
Abaddon didn't respond. Focusing on his powers, he tried to activate his Dark Aura. However, nothing happened. His wings were still there, he could feel his power, but he couldn't tap into his Dark Aura.
"Are your powers working?"
'"Why wouldn't they be?"
"Just answer the question, damn it!"
The Ideal One glared at him but nonetheless complied. Readying himself, he discharged electricity across his body, his armor lighting up as sparks flashed around him. "Satisfied?"
This only made Abaddon worry more. "Something's preventing me from activating my Dark Aura. My Dark Aura is one power among many that I hold. Its only counterpart is the Fairy Aura Xerneas, and her Chosen radiate, is Xerneas has a Chosen anyways."
"So what does that mean?"
"It means that somewhere around here, there's a Pokémon meant to counter Yveltal's power. Be prepared."
And indeed, there was. What the two men hadn't noticed was the reason for the Pokémon slackening their attack. Sure, Abaddon and The Ideal One were proving too much for them to handle. But there was another factor.
"Does such a Pokémon exist?" asked The Ideal One. "The only Pokémon that counters Yveltal's 's power is Xerneas, but they are more or less equals."
"If I knew the answer-"
Then, Abaddon stopped, finally noticing the Pokémon approaching them. It was a lithe, black Pokémon with expressionless white eyes and two hexagonal green ones that sat on its chest. Above was a red jewel that seemed to connect a long, green scarf. Finally, the Pokémon itself was shaped like a hound, similar to Boltund.
Behind this, Pokémon stood two, identical Pokémon, albeit smaller. Just by looking at the trio, The Ideal One knew these weren't Pokémon to be taken lightly.
Yveltal's Chosen. Said all three Pokémon in unison. To encounter you here, of all places. It seems Zekrom's Chosen is here as well.
"Abaddon knew the nature of these Pokémon immediately. No other Pokémon could exude such a powerful voice. You're… Legendary Pokémon."
Precisely. We have not been known to mankind for many millennia, but that will change. Mankind will learn of our existence before we ultimately wipe them from this earth. We are the balancers of nature, the protectors of Pokémon, the harbingers of order. We are Zygarde.