~Darkrai's POV~
[Almia Region, Later, Altru Building – Altru Tower]
With the Tears secured, I ascended. Not by conventional ans, but by dissolving into the shadows and reforming, floor by floor, a spectral ascent.
The Tower vibrated now, a deep, resonating hum that thrumd beneath my very being. The Shadow Crystal cried out, a siren song of encroaching darkness, promising power, promising oblivion. But I was immune.
Azure and Jirachi had gifted this iron will, this absolute dominion over myself. At best, I can feel the Shadow Crystal.
Soon enough, I was already at the tower's peak.
*Wooosh*
The Altru Tower felt like a needle stabbing into the heart of the sky. At the very top, the Shadow Crystal sat encased in a machine of horrific complexity—the Incredible Machine. I've heard about it in the news once before.
It was when Team Dim Sun was active that I was aware of these machines. It pulsed with a rhythmic, sickening light.
*Thump-Thump*
*Thump-Thump*
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
A man stood before the crystal, his eyes wide and glazed with a fervor that bordered on insanity. Kincaid. The current leader of Team Dim Sun.
I recalled in the past that Team Dim Sun was led by another human before it was dismantled. I can clearly see that this man revived a dead organization.
He turned to , his hands trembling with excitent as he boasted, "The guardian returns! The Shadow Crystal called, and you answered. With you by my side, Darkrai, the influence of this crystal will be absolute. We will reshape Almia—no, the world—into a dream of eternal darkness!"
I landed on the cold tal grating of the platform, my tattered collar fluttering in the unnatural wind. I looked at him—this small, fragile thing who thought he could command the abyss.
I said, my voice resonating through the air like grinding stone, "You speak of darkness as if you understand it? Fool."
Kincaid froze. His jaw dropped as he muttered, "You... you can speak?"
I continued, my blue eyes narrowing at his bold claim, "I have only one master to follow. And he is currently teaching children how to be heroes. You? You are rely a fly caught in a web of your own making."
Kincaid's face twisted from shock to a mask of pure rage as he ranted, "You dare? I have the Shadow Crystal! I have the power of the void!"
He lunged for the controls of the machine, slamming a lever forward as he boasted, "If you won't submit, I will break you! Amplify the Shadow Pulse! Darken his soul!"
*HUMMMMMMMMM*
*ZAP*
The crystal erupted. A wave of pure, concentrated malevolence washed over . It was designed to trigger the "Darker Impulses" of any being it touched, to turn a guardian into a monster.
I stood there. I didn't even blink.
Years ago, perhaps it would have worked. But my Master was no ordinary trainer. With the help of the Wishmaker, Jirachi, he had granted a gift: absolute sovereignty over my own power.
I had mastered the nightmare. I was the nightmare, and a nightmare cannot be scared of its own shadow.
I asked coldly, "Is that all?"
Kincaid paled as he went into a childish tantrum, "Impossible... the readings... they're off the charts! Why aren't you under my control?!"
I said coldly, my voice indifferent, drifting closer, "Because you are playing with sothing you can't understand."
I raised my hand to end the farce…
*SHING*
… but a sudden, piercing cry echoed across the tower. A blur of blue and silver intercepted my path. I drifted back, my eyes widening.
Standing between and Kincaid was a Lucario. But its eyes were not the calm, focused red of its species. They were a glowing, chaotic purple.
*Wooosh*
Beside it, the air shimred as a Cresselia, my eternal counterpart and fellow guardian, descended, her lunar rings shadowed by the sa corruptive energy. Finally, the floor hissed as a Heatran crawled from the shadows of the machine, its magma-laden body pulsing with dark light.
Kincaid laughed, regained his confidence as he commanded, "You are not the only guardian in this world, Darkrai! The Prince's Tears... they were the keys to their loyalty! By using the shards we had, we captured them. And now, they are the Shadow Crystal's puppets! Guardians, destroy him!"
"ROAR!"
The Heatran let out a tallic screech, launching a Magma Storm. Swirling vortices of fire and molten rock tore up the platform.
*CLANG*
I swerved, dodging a Bullet Punch from the Lucario that moved with unnatural speed boosted by Extre Speed. Cresselia followed up imdiately, her Moonblast glowing with a sickly violet hue.
*BANG*
I parried the Moonblast with a Dark Pulse, but the impact sent a shudder through my fra. I could easily overpower them if I used my full strength, but these were my kin. They were brainwashed, their spirits trapped in a cage of artificial darkness.
If I struck too hard, I might shatter their minds along with the machine.
*BOOM*
A blast of fire caught my trail. I hissed in pain. I was hesitating. I was holding back, and in a battle of this scale, hesitation was a death sentence.
The Lucario charged again, its paws glowing with Aura, preparing a point-blank Aura Sphere. I braced myself, preparing a Dark Void to simply put it to sleep, even though the Shadow Crystal might wake it back up instantly.
*RMBL*
Then, the sky split open. It wasn't a move.
It was a tear in the dinsions.
*SKREEEEE*
*VROOOOOM*
A beam of pure, prismatic psychic energy descended from the clouds like the hand of an angry god. It slamd into the ground between and the Lucario, the shockwave throwing the brainwashed guardians backward.
I looked up. A familiar, bipedal figure descended slowly, surrounded by a faint purple aura. His long tail flicked with annoyance, and his three-fingered hand held a silver device. I sighed in relief.
His voice was a telepathic boom, arrogant and sharp, the newcor said, "You're taking your ti, Darkrai."
I sighed, the tension leaving my shoulders, "wtwo. Master sent you?"
*Tmp*
wtwo landed gracefully, holding up a Rotom Phone. On the screen, Azure's face was visible, though the reception was grainy. Azure's voice ca through, "Darkrai? You there? Oh, good, I can see you! I can see wtwo made it in ti – is that a Cresseila, Heatran… and Lucario?"
*Beeep*
wtwo scoffed, rolling his or its eyes, turning the phone off as he stated calmly, "The boy worries too much sotis. Although you do seem to be in a bind..."
wtwo turned his gaze toward the Shadow Crystal. The crystal sensed his presence and reacted violently, lashing out with tendrils of dark energy that tried to pierce his mind. wtwo didn't move.
It raised an eyebrow, observing the Shadow Crystal with curiosity. He simply looked at the crystal with utter contempt as he said, "You are an artificial clump of concentrated grief. I was born in a lab to be the strongest being on the planet. My mind has been forged in fires your creators couldn't imagine."
*SHINNG*
With a flick of his finger, a barrier of psychic energy expanded, crushing the dark tendrils like dry twigs. wtwo asked with a raised eyebrow, "Why haven't you destroyed this eyesore yet?"
I sighed helplessly as I explained, regaining my composure as I floated beside him, "I cannot simply destroy it. It is my duty to guard it. This crystal is the Luminous Crystal, corrupted by human incompetence. It needs to be purified, not shattered. The Red, Blue, and Yellow gems—the Tears—are the only way."
wtwo glanced at the three brainwashed guardians as they scrambled back to their feet, glaring hatefully at us. Heatran was charging another Magma Storm, and Cresselia was gathering lunar energy.
wtwo smirked with an arrogant expression. wtwo said calmly, his eyes glowing with an intense, haunting blue, "Fine. You play priest. I'll play the bouncer."
Kincaid scread from his control booth in a dented voice, "Kill them! Both of them! Use everything!"
Heatran lunged, "GRAAAAA!"
wtwo didn't even turn around. He raised a hand casually as he stated dismissively, "Aura Sphere."
*POW*
A ball of blue energy, ten tis larger than any a Lucario could produce, slamd into Heatran's chest, pinning the massive fire-type against the wall of the tower. Its eyes widened in genuine shock.
Kincaid ordered, "Cresselia! Moonblast!"
*FLASH*
*SHIIII*
The lunar Pokémon let out a lodic, pained cry as she fired. I moved to intercept, but wtwo was faster.
*CRACK*
He used Telekinesis, freezing the Moonblast in mid-air, then shattered it with a re thought. wtwo commanded , "Go. I've got this handled."
I nodded. I drifted toward the center of the machine, where the Shadow Crystal hissed. I reached into my Dark Void dinsion and pulled forth the three gems.
The Red Gem. The Blue Gem. The Yellow Gem.
*CLING*
They began to orbit , trailing ribbons of pure, elental light. Kincaid lunged at with a heavy wrench, his face a mask of desperation, "No! Stop him!"
I didn't even have to look at him. My shadow rose from the floor, grabbing him by the throat and hoisting him into the air. He gasped, dropping the tool as he dangled over the edge of the platform.
I turned my attention back to the crystal. I intoned, my voice vibrating with the power of the ancient world, "By the tears of the Prince! By the blood of the earth, the soul of the sea, and the spark of the sky. Hear thy Shadows of Almia! Purify!"
*SHIIIIIIIIIIING*
I slamd the three gems into the heart of the Shadow Crystal.
*FLASH*
The sound was deafening—a high-pitched chi that seed to vibrate every atom in the Almia region. The purple darkness that had choked the tower was suddenly burnt away by a flash of brilliant, blinding white light.
*CRA-CRACK*
The Incredible Machine began to moan as its circuits overloaded. The dark influence was being sucked out of the air, drawn into the gems, and neutralized.
*SHINNG*
I saw the light wash over the guardians. The purple glow in Lucario's eyes vanished, replaced by a confused blink.
*THUD*
Heatran slumped to the ground, the internal fires of its body returning to a steady, natural orange. Cresselia let out a long, sighing breath as her lunar rings regained their soft, ethereal glow.
The Shadow Crystal was gone. In its place floated a diamond-clear stone that radiated a warmth like a sumr morning.
The Luminous Crystal.
Kincaid whimpered, his spirit broken as the shadows finally dropped him onto the tal floor, "It... it's over..."
He looked at his hands, then at the tower, realizing everything he had built was failing as he uttered, "My masterpiece..."
wtwo drifted over to him, looking down with a cold, clinical gaze as he snorted, stating coldly, "Your masterpiece was a pile of scrap tal and stolen dreams. You're lucky my master prefers rcy over results."
I approached the three guardians. Lucario bowed its head to , a gesture of deep respect and apology. Cresselia floated near, her mind eting mine in a silent bridge of gratitude. And Heatran eyed and grunted happily.
They were at peace once more.
I turned back to the Luminous Crystal, the gems now circling it like a protective crown. My duty is fulfilled.
The balance was restored. I pulled out my own Rotom Phone—a gift from Azure-from my Dark Void dinsion.
The screen flickered to life. Azure's voice was much clearer now, "Darkrai? I felt the shift from here. I assu everything went well?"
I said thankfully, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction, "The crystal is purified, Master. wtwo assisted. The other guardians are safe."
Master sighed in relief, hearing my words as he replied cheerfully, "Whew… thank goodness. Good thing I called wtwo to back you up. Tell wtwo to bring you back. You gotta tell what happened."
I nodded as I said calmly, "We are on our way."
I looked at Kincaid, who was trying to crawl toward an escape hatch. I asked coldly, "Where do you think you're going? GET OVER HERE!!"
I raised my hand, and a sphere of swirling, pitch-black energy manifested. I promised to give the disruptor a never-ending nightmare, and I don't break my words…
Dark Void.
*VROOOM*
The sphere expanded, washing over Kincaid. He didn't even have ti to scream before he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber—one he wouldn't wake from until the Almia Rangers arrived to cart him away to a very deep, very dark cell.
wtwo placed a hand on my shoulder as he chuckled, seeing the other Guardians beginning to leave, "Ready to go back to the brat? Didn't expect my day to battle two Legendaries assisting you."
I let out a soft, dark chuckle as I replied calmly, "He is not a brat, wtwo. He is the one who keeps the world from falling apart on a constant basis while we're busy fighting crystals."
wtwo muttered with a shrug, "Sa thing."
*FLASH*
With a flash of psychic light, we vanished from the Altru Tower, leaving the Luminous Crystal to shine its light over a world that was, for the mont, finally at peace. It was ti to return to my Master's shadow.
/////
~Azure S. POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Nightti, Heartho City – Grand Heartho Hotel]
The Heartho Grand Hotel was luxury at its finest. I was sitting in the corner of the lavish dining room, the table spread with enough food to feed a small army, as I finished my training for the day. Pikachu, Eevee, and Pichu (w) were happily chowing down on their food in a ssy manner.
Diamond was currently having a "who can eat more" contest with Lax, his Munchlax. Pearl was arguing with a waiter about the nutritional value of the appetizers for his Monferno. Platinum was gracefully sipping tea, though her eyes kept darting to the empty chair beside . She noted, setting her cup down, "You've been distracted all evening, Azure, after your training. Is sothing wrong?"
I said calmly, checking my Arc Phone, "Just waiting for so friends."
*POP*
The air in the center of the room suddenly buckled. A shockwave of psychic energy sent the napkins flying and made the chandeliers jingle.
*WHOOSH*
Two figures materialized out of thin air. The hotel guests scread.
Pearl jumped onto his chair, pointing a finger as he was startled, "GHOST! AND... AND... WHATEVER THAT IS!"
Dia shouted, nearly choking on a bao bun, "Whoa!"
Darkrai stood there, looking as stoic as ever, though he looked a bit dusty, but otherwise fine. Beside him, wtwo stood with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly annoyed by the sudden attention.
I said casually, not even looking up from my stir-fry, "Hey, guys. Took you long enough. Darkrai, did you get the gems back?"
Darkrai nodded, floating over to stand behind my chair like the world's most terrifying butler. wtwo projected as he telepathically said, 'I suggest calling Green. She seems concerned about the Almia energy readings and my presence.'
I sighed as I nodded my head, and I muttered, "I'll call her back later. You guys want to join us for dinner? The Wagyu is incredible."
wtwo looked around at the gawking socialites and the terrified hotel staff. He looked at Diamond, who was staring at him with a piece of broccoli hanging out of his mouth. wtwo shook its head, replying calmly, "I'd rather deal with the Shadow Crystal again than babysit a bunch of kids. I am returning to the Air Ship. Deoxys and I are in the middle of a chess tournant."
I blinked, hearing that. I asked, grinning, "Which one? The chill one or the one that still thinks humans are a mistake?"
wtwo smirked, a rare, sharp expression as he replied, "You figure it out."
*ZAP*
With another flash, wtwo was gone. The room fell into a stunned silence. Platinum was staring at , her mouth slightly agape.
Pearl looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Platinum started, her voice trembling slightly, "Azure... Was that... was that the legendary Pokémon of the Kanto region? And is that a Darkrai currently guarding your seat?"
I nodded as I said, casually patting Darkrai's side, "Yup!"
The shadow Pokémon leaned into the touch slightly as I asked, "So, Darkrai. How was the trip? Almia's all good?"
Darkrai's eyes glowed softly. He began to recount the battle—the Sinis Trio, the Altru Tower, the corrupted guardians, and wtwo's 'gentle' intervention.
As he spoke through telepathy, the three Dex Holders sat there, completely forgetting their food. Pearl stamred, his face turning red, "You an to tell . That while we were practicing helping Platinum train her Contest Skills... you sent your Pokémon to fight a world-ending threat in a different region?!"
Pausing, I then nodded casually as I said, finally digging into my ran, "Multi-tasking, Pearl. It's a vital skill for a Trainer. Besides, Darkrai was called there for his duty. I'm just glad he ca back safe.
Diamond said suddenly, his eyes shining with a new kind of determination as he gazed at intently, "I want to be like that! I want to be so strong that my Pokémon can save the world while I'm eating dinner."
I laughed, ruffling the kid's hair as I replied encouragingly, "Stick with , Dia. We'll get you there. But first..."
I looked at my lineup on the table. Pikachu was sharing a fry with Pichu (w), and Eevee was trying to steal a piece of chicken from my bowl. I reminded them, "… first thing in the morning, we assist Platinum with her contest performance."
Platinum looked at Darkrai, then at . She smiled as she said, regaining her composure and straightening her dress, "I suppose so, and your help would be greatly appreciated. That if we are to travel with a man who commands legends, we should at least finish our al with so dignity. Diamond, wipe your face."
Dia chirped, "Yes, Lady!"
I leaned back, feeling the warmth of my team around . The Sinnoh journey was just beginning, and with Team Galactic moving in the shadows, I knew things were going to get a lot louder soon.
But for now?
The ran was hot, my partners were ho, and the night was peaceful.
I whispered, "Glad to have you back, Darkrai."
The shadow poked a clawed finger toward a plate of spicy crackers as he asked, "Master... may I?"
I grinned, handing him the plate, "Help yourself, buddy. You earned it."
As the legendary shadow Pokémon began to nibble on snacks in a five-star hotel, I couldn't help but smile. Life in the Pokémon world was better than on Earth.
/////
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter!
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