Ranger HQ Ranger Union HQ

[Namohysip]

Mhynt took a steady breath. "Right."

She hesitantly approached the relic fragment and reached toward it. At a single touch... nothing seemed to happen. Mhynt frowned at this; that didn't seem right for some reason. She drew her blade--a muscle memory for channeling Radiance--and focused on the relic again. It felt warmer. Brighter. It was working--it just needed a jolt of power for what it needed.

And then... a flash. Another flash. Like it was coming to life.

Finally came an overwhelming pulse that blinded Mhynt--and took everyone in the room within it. A few startled shouts accompanied the humming burst, but Koa, Mhynt, and Archie saw something more.

--

Nobody else was around. They stood in a white void shrouded in mist of the same color, or perhaps a hint of blue. Their shadows were uncharacteristically dark and wobbly.

"What...?" Mhynt stepped back. Her shadow didn't follow.

All three saw their silhouettes rise from the ground, morphing into a three-headed hydra that snarled at them and sizzled in the bright environment. Linked by a thin, black strand, Koa, Archie, and Mhynt knew precisely what this was.

Mhynt drew her blade silently and glanced at Koa and Archie.

 

[Weazel]

In the end, it was Mhynt, as Koa’s insistence, who approached the relic first. It seemed like everything was destined to go wrong today, though, as whatever it was the Grovyle did released a blinding white light from the relic that quickly overwhelmed Archie’s vision. Or, that was what it seemed like at first, but clearly there was something more going on than that, because when the Dewott moved his hat back into its proper place – having pulled it down to shield his eyes originally – he found that Sybil’s study had been replaced by a featureless white void. Worse than that, Steven, Wes, Sybil, and Sinopa were gone. He, Koa, and Mhynt stood alone, with nothing else for company but their shadows.

Their hostile shadows, as it turned out. The trio’s shades pulled away from them, merged together, and twisted into some pure black approximation of a Hydreigon. Whatever this was, it didn’t seem like they’d be escaping it without a fight. Archie drew his scalchops, and with a flourish, called forth a pair of Razor Shells. They could do this. He couldn’t let himself be afraid.

 

[Tetra]

What-? Panic flared through Koa as the world vanished in a flash, replaced by a strange mist obscuring everything. Fear clenched his heart as their shadows rose up, mingling together into him.

Koa dropped into a battle stance, his heart racing and a snarl building in his throat. Protect them. Stop Alex. Radiance flared around his paws. He returned Mhynt's gaze, looking to her for guidance.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt raised her blade and nodded, just as the hydra snarled at the three of them. She crouched, then dashed forward. "Strike with everything! With your Radiance!" she commanded.

The hydra of Shadows roared, but Mhynt, Koa, and Archie were undeterred. Streaks of lightning flew across the battlefield, further enhanced by Archie's Razor Shells and the ambient water they gave off. Mhynt raised her blade and plunged it into the chest of the Shadow as sparks and slashes covered the other three.

It was surprisingly easy and decisive. A single, powerful blow from the three of them was all it took, backed by a blistering warmth on their backs.

As the creature flailed, dissolved, and evaporated before their eyes, becoming nothing more than white mist in the void, everything else in their vision faded away, too.

--

An instant had passed. Mhynt gasped and staggered back a single step. Koa and Archie were back, too--though to the others in the room, nothing had happened.

But the glow of the relic did not completely fade from the trio's bodies--and anyone with aura sight could see what the three were feeling. A burning, pulsing sensation of something that had once been there, now gone.

Their hearts beat with the intensity of a marathon's strain. From their chests, a single, black orb formed and pushed itself out with violent, bright gold spewing from the ethereal wound. The thing--a serpent, like the head of a Hydreigon had become its own entity--snarled and withered before them, and then fizzled into the light.

A bright, painful aura remained on Koa, Archie, and Mhynt. Shadows were suppressed entirely, at least for now. And a distinct... lightness of their hearts, like something had been clasped there, now released.

The infection was gone. In fact... it felt as if the infection wouldn't be able to return, no matter how hard Alexander tried.

The pain, however, was too much. Mhynt stumbled into the wall, using it as a weight to keep her up. She had no wounds, but her aura... needed time.

 

[Inkedust]

"Oh excellent!" exclaimed Sybil at the sight of the miniature heads, immediately taking notes on the process. "So it does work after all. How are you three feeling? Feel free to sit down if you need it, that did not look completely effortless," she added. "Perhaps we can try it on a fully Shadowed subject and see how those will interact, such as those guards or that lycanroc you rescued from Terminal Two."

 

[Weazel]

Archie slumped back against the door frame again. Every fiber of his being screamed in pain, but, at the same time, he felt and immense sense of relief and satisfaction. The taint Alex had left in him was gone, he’d seen it get ripped out with his own eyes. Hell, he’d faced it down in some kind of battle in the center of the mind. That alone made this whole misadventure, from the trek out to Timeless Oasis to now, worth it.

“Hopefully they won’t have to face a manifestation of an evil Zweilous to purge their own Shadow,” the Dewott quipped. Then he slid down to a seated position. Actually, Archie was seriously considering taking a nap right here...

 

[Tetra]

The horrid spectre of Alex faded and they were back, back with Sybil, back with the team. Except the room felt like it was spinning for a moment, or maybe he was. He thought he heard voice from the others, but the sound of his heart blotted it out. He couldn't stop staring at the spot where that disgusting thing had come out of him had died. Was... that it? The poison was gone?

A dizzy grin spread across his face.

Light. Free. Even with the strange burning sensation in his chest, for the first time in weeks he felt like he could breathe. He could move, and think. He sank onto the ground and laughed. "It worked," he breathed. They were finally free. It was over. He didn't even care how tired he felt. For the moment, nothing else mattered.

"I'm feeling great," Koa said to Sybil, grinning wildly, his eyes alight with happiness. "Best I've felt in weeks."

 

[Namohysip]

In direct contrast to Koa, Mhynt promptly flattened herself on the ground face-first. "I'm okay," she wheezed.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes blinked, and then all of the Wayfarers save himself and Steven were suddenly slouching as if they’d ran a race. The hell? He flinched as eerie blackness leeched out of them and withered away like smoke. That, combined with Sybil’s beaming response, could only mean one thing.

“It works,” he breathed. Thank the stars.

A huge weight lifted off Wes’s shoulders at the sheer relief on Archie’s face. He’d been carrying that burden for ages, it seemed, and now he was free of it. His tail wagged without his awareness as he stepped over to the Osh—er, no, whatever species he was now since evolving—and gave him a good natured nudge. “Must be nice to not feel like shit anymore, huh?” he said with a grin.

He looked at Sybil and the ghostly Espeon (who, with a pang in his chest, reminded him far too much of Neo at first glance). “So, we can cure everyone now. Right? We just need to occasionally charge it with Radiance or something?” Wes could barely contain his excitement. He felt light on his paws, ready to bolt out the door and drag Seth and Leona back here the second either of their hosts gave the word.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sinopa watched the purification with fascination, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws, looking for all the world as if she were watching a stage play.

"How remarkable," she whispered to herself. Then, her face beaming, she lightly applauded the display.

“So, we can cure everyone now. Right?

Sinopa turned her head on one side. "Well, you may not be wholly representative of other 'mon suffering from Shadow. Your auras contain trace amounts of both Shadow and Radiance, even after this purification. It seems that dragon's influence has been purged, but I have examined the Shadow pokémon you brought here, and their auras are thick with darkness."

For a moment, the Espeon's analytical interest gave way to a faint sorrow.

"If any one of them stands the best chance at successfully recovering, it would be the Lycanroc. She at least desires to resist the Shadow."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven continued to stare with wide-eyed alarm at what had just transpired. What exactly had transpired, he didn't know. But he could tell at least that it was some kind of cleansing. A horrifically taxing and painful cleansing.

Shakily, he spoke up, some of the earlier hope he'd felt at the Relic's promise of healing dampened by what he just witnessed. His voice a mixture of relief and worry. "While I'm overjoyed that the Relic is able to heal this shadow corruption, and we've seen it's power first-hand, I fear for all of those people from Cipher's cells. I... I don't know how many would agree to undergo another process such as this, even if it meant being rid of their Shadows."

His mind briefly flashed to Reno, how angry the Noctowl was at they way they'd treated him. How desperate he was to be free of Shadows, and free of suffering. If the path to freedom was more suffering, would he still choose it?

"I don't know how many would be able to endure such a process. So many of them were in poor condition, weak from torture and neglect at Cipher's hand."

He glanced from Sybil to Sinopa, and then to where the Wayfarers who had undergone the Relic's touch still slumped, exhausted.

"Is there anything we could do to mitigate the Relic's effects to be less strenuous? Those people-- Cipher's unwilling experiments-- they've suffered enough. The least we could do is to ease the healing process for them."

 

[Weazel]

Before he could doze off completely, the Dewott felt himself being nudged back to wakefulness. He found Wes grinning down at him when he opened his eyes again. Archie smiled up at the Lycanroc, and he had to agree, not having the constant threat of Alex hanging over his head was freeing.

"I'll let you know how it feels once my nerves aren't on fire," Archie replied, teasingly.

Still, Steven brought up a good point. The three of them - himself, Koa, and Mhynt - were strong, and had the added mystical benefit of being from another world. Koa was struggling to stand, Archie himself was sitting, and Mhynt was face down on the ground. It was clear that the process had taken a lot out of them. Would a normal Pokemon be able to withstand it? Maybe the ones inflicted by Cipher would have an easier experience, they wouldn't know without testing. The other ones touched by Alex, though? Having to go the same process Archie, Koa, and Mhynt did could well kill them! But, speaking of the ones Cipher experimented on...

"What about Seth?" He asked, "He's an offworlder, like us, so he should be able to withstand whatever the relic throws at him. And since he's one of Cipher's victims, his experience with the relic should be more along the lines of what the other Pokemon we rescued would experience."

 

[Inkedust]

Sybil hummed at Steven's question. "Well, this did appear to be a special kind of Shadow infection. One that's far deeper which needs a more intense removal. At least that's from what I can observe. We won't know how it interacts with fully Shadowed pokémon unless we try it." She nodded at Sinopa. "The day-lycanroc can perhaps give the most information on it as I do not believe she carries Radiance like the night one, although if you wish to bring him along as well for testing, I certainly would not have any qualms."

She turned to look at the Relic more closely. "Although that reminds me. How has our day-wolf been faring since her arrival to HQ, Sinopa?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sinopa smiled warmly, but a slight frown betrayed some anxiety (or similar feeling, at least).

"She's been well," said the Espeon. "Or, not well as in entirely alright, but well as in... She is a Shadow pokémon. These things are relative! I would say that I am pleasantly surprised by how well she has been."

Seeing some of the expressions this explanation received, Sinopa laughed lightly, tail swishing.

"Don't worry. No berserk rages or anything. She's just... scared. It mostly shows when she sleeps... which she hardly does."

 

[Tetra]

Could this really be it? Had they actually found the key to saving the shadow Pokemon? Hope blotted out his tiredness for the moment. "We have to try and help her," Koa said firmly. "If she wants to try," he added quickly.

Having even the minor infection had been terrible, he couldn't imagine how much worse it could be to feel that constantly. "It was... exhausting but if Leona is strong then maybe it'll work. And with us here, we can help her if anything goes wrong."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes shifted restlessly. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s bring her here and see if we can cure her, yeah?” After seeing the success with Mhynt, Koa and Archie, he now felt optimistic that the Relic wouldn’t hurt them, at least. Most likely. It was a risk, but it was also the best shot they had at curing a fully Shadowed mon. Hell, it might be their only chance.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven nodded first at Wes, then Koa. "I agree, if the Relic is still sufficiently capable, we should test it now to see if it can cure others. But before we do, I'd like to take a look at the Relic myself. Perhaps I might be able to glean something new from a closer examination? I wouldn't say I'm an expert on ancient relics, but, ah, I do have some experience with them."

The ghost of chiseled braille in the pouring rain.

He turned to Sybil. "May I?"

At Sybil's nod, he approached the workbench. Eagerly, yet delicately for a 'mon made of steel, he reached out to cradle the activated Relic in his claws.

As soon as his hand made contact with the Relic, time froze. Because of course it did, this was its power. He'd been prepared for such a thing, but... But something felt off. Different.

Like a snare around his mind, something cinched tight and pulled, sending him careening, yet left him utterly still. There were flashes of images, like snapshots of memories. A platform of ice, cold and unforgiving. His outstretched arm. Tired. He was so tired. Then... nothing.

And then, in the dark, quiet echoes. A voice.

"..ven."

Feminine. Sybil?

"Steven."

No. It was... more familiar. Painfully so.

"Steven. Why are you here?"

It wasn't possible. He struggled to speak. "...Mom?"

"You shouldn't be here."

"What? No, I chose to come here." Here? Where was here? He couldn't see. "Someone-- Someone needed my help."

She wore a sad smile. Such a sad smile. Why was she sad?

"What kind of mother would I be if I passed up the chance to give you life again?"

To anyone listening, they would hear a sharp inhalation from Steven's projected voice.

He drew back from the Relic, letting it clatter back to the desktop, and gave a nervous glance around the room. Surely they'd been staring.

"I-I'm sorry. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts." It was clear it took some effort to hide the waver in his tone. "It's a very interesting Relic. Rough, yet refined craftsmanship. Truly worthy of a Saint."

He backed away even further, eyeing the Relic with strange apprehension.

"I... I look forward to its capabilities in healing Leona. And everyone."

Trailing off, he drifted to the edge of the group, clutching his arms to one another.

What was that?

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sinopa nodded, giving a stray, curious glance to Steven. Had she noticed his reaction to the relic?

"Well, I'll go ask her if she'd like to try right now, then," she said, her voice lilting. "One moment!"

The Espeon winked out of existence. Elsewhere, she would summon Leona.

 

[Inkedust]

Steven found a second pair of curious eyes glancing at him once he lost contact with the Relic before Sybil turned to focus on the matter at hand.

"Once we can prove this to work, we will need to find a way to distribute it safely and efficiently. Taking the Relic out in the open poses risk knowing that Cipher has interest in destroying it and I do not believe it is feasible to convince so many pokémon to make the trek all the way out here."

With a hum, Sybil turned back to her work desk. "I will let you know what solution we come to."

 

[Tetra]

Worry tugged at Koa. Steven seemed... troubled. But whatever it was probably was private. He didn't want to bother him for now.

"What else do you know of relics like these?" Koa mused. He stared intently at the stone, contemplating what he could remember of saints here and what Sybil had said. "If its been charged with radiance does that mean... Could it have any of the Saint's powers as well? And is there any other way we can transport that power in small doses?"