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PART VIII

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One Light in the Darkness

* * *

Three days passed, in which any sign of normalcy faded from existence. The purple cracks in the sky spread all the way to the horizon, coating Eravate in a tainted glow. From the trees, rocks, rivers, the plains and lakes, nothing remained untouched. It was as if the sun had gotten sick.

But in truth, it was Eravate that had fallen deathly ill, and all its inhabitants shared the burden. Passing through the countryside, the Pokemon living in the villages were terrified, as neighbours and Alliancemen alike turned to the darkness. They had no idea what was happening, and few dared to speak their mind.

Even the ferals roamed the countryside in a panic, succumbing to the plague. Their bodies turned dark with a black vapour, a purple glow manifesting in their eyes. In essence, they were indistinguishable from Mystery Dungeon anomalies now.

In these times, the faintest sign that not everyone had lost their mind and soul would be a blessing. But in the days after Luminity’s fall, George couldn’t find one. For there was no time to rest, lest the Alliance caught up with them… if ‘Alliance’ was even the right term to describe them anymore.

Three days south from Luminity City, George, Terez and Hein reached a crossroad. The time to discuss things had yet to arrive. Whenever they stopped for a breather, it didn’t take long for Anomalies to fall upon them. Thus, answers were as far removed from George as George was removed from home.

Did he even have a home anymore?

“Our Cheri supplies are running low,” Terez said, rummaging through a large bag she had prepared in advance. “Any more paralysis thrown at us, we’re toast.”

Hein nodded at her from above, his arms crossed. “Hm. I assume they are not grown in this area?”

Terez stuck two fingers out; a psychic wind blew in the direction her fingers pointed towards, to a town called ‘Goldwood’. “Perhaps they are. But I wouldn’t steal from the poor unless our lives depended on it.”

The ghost floated closer to the ground, mouth opening a little as he shot a sideways stare at her. “You know there is a likelihood of that, yes?”

She closed her eyes. “I’ve been well aware for a while. What a travesty…”

“Don’t…” whispered George as he wandered aimlessly behind them, his feet shuffling through the grass as his eyes bulged from their sockets. “We’d be no better than the Crest, remember? You were there when they stole Greenfield’s food, we can’t do that…” he choked out, his voice sounding tired and emotionless.

The Dusknoir raised a hand. “There is a world of difference between paid thugs stealing out of boredom, and our survival. Our lives are far too valuable, George. And that is the way it is.”

George struggled to suppress a deep, heavy breath. “That’s a one dimensional way of viewing the world,” he said. “What if we can avoid it…?” ‘What is one dimensional again?’

Hein shook his antenna. “Terez, we need to find a place for that boy to sleep. Fast.” His eye closed for a moment, then reopened. “Can you detect the aroma of Cheris?”

Terez nodded. “On the western side of Goldwood, the nearest town. One farmer has a field of them, and there’s some bushes in the back as well. But using psychic energy to smell is not one of my strengths, remember.”

“Of course,” Hein replied, a bloodier shade of red colouring the pupil of his eye. He clenched his fists, ectoplasm submerging into the ground. “Leave the road as soon as you can. We will rendezvous in the woods once more, and we’ll continue from there.”

The Gardevoir took in a deep breath, aiming to calm her mind. “Time to get to it, then.”

George raised a hand to intervene, but it went unnoticed. Hein disappeared into the ground and drifted off towards the village, whose residents wouldn’t know who had stolen from them. The Dewott groaned. Even if his protest was noticed, neither Hein nor Terez would put a stop to it, something he knew deep down.

If only he wasn’t so tired.

“Stay safe out there.”

* * *

Some time later, Terez managed to drag George off the road. She held on tight to his hand, waiting for Hein to arrive while scanning the area for threats. George tried joining the search as well, but he was concentrated on everything except the forest. He gazed at the purple sky looming overhead, feeling a lump in his throat.

‘It’s spreading slower now… or is it?’

The Dusknoir didn’t let himself be waited on, for he emerged from the earth holding a small burlap sack. “In, and out. Only one sod spotted me during the harvest, a lad of some thirteen years. I made sure he wouldn’t cause trouble.”

“Will they find him asleep?” asked Terez as she received the sack from Hein, then transferred the Cheris to her bag.

“Oh yes,” Hein said. “The ‘Lone Eye’ is many things, but not a cold blooded killer. No matter how many people wish to believe otherwise.”

George shook his head. ‘Why is he patting himself on the back now, of all times…?’ he thought to himself, his facial expression souring. ‘Of all the disgusting things this… damn ghost has said, acting virtuous like he’s Robin Hood, ugh...’

Terez scratched the Dewott behind the ears, causing him to lock up for a second. “I know. This isn’t what you wanted,” she started. “But it’s either this, or potentially being captured. And you don’t want to know what will happen if they get their claws on you. None of us do.”

George groaned. “It’s fine. I can’t do anything about it, can I?”

The Gardevoir stimulated his muscles with a wave of a hand, an effect which refreshed the blood vessels running through him. “Not for now… right then.” She resumed counting the berries. “Thirty altogether. Enough for… two weeks, at this rate.”

“We should be able to find more in that timeframe,” Hein replied, laying a hand on his spectral chest while looking to the sky. “Now then… Dusk will soon be upon us. We better find a resting spot as soon as we can.”

Without a word said, Terez yanked George ahead again, dragging him through the woods and its rocky outcrops. Hein followed after, the glare of his eye burning in the back of George’s head, which the Dewott didn’t like. He stared at the ground, watching his feet shuffle through dead leaves which spat up like water. A deep pain went through his head as those same leaves crumbled apart.

‘Three days. Three days to utterly destroy my life, and make me start all over again… Is that really all it took? I haven’t been able to talk to anyone in three days, and I haven’t been alone for a single time…’

His ears went flat against his head, as the events of three days ago replayed in his mind. From fire raining down from the walls of Luminity, to the shrieking of Queen Patrina as he played the Azure Flute for her, to watching Artanouk kill her as he revealed his true colours. And then Blitzer.

‘Where is he…?’ George wondered while tears began to well up. ‘Did you make it out alive? Were you captured? Killed? Joined them? I don’t know...’

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The wind howled past him, leaving cold seeping through his fur.

‘Where are you… I miss you… you would understand. You always understand. You’d understand now, too, wherever you are… I swear, we were meant to be together when we first met. I’m not supposed to be without you. I’m not. I’m not supposed to be alone again…’

His emotions got the better of him, and he let out an audible sniff, raising the ire of Terez and Hein alike.

“Focus, George.”

Terez might as well have poured salt into an open wound, for that’s how her words felt to George. Still staring at the ground, he clenched his fists around the Azure Flute dangling from his neck, gritted his teeth, and did his very best to not let out another sound.

‘All the company I have are people who I can’t even trust… How can I trust people who don’t even trust me? Who have been telling me to keep quiet ever since we met? Nothing but eyes forward, mouth shut, fight off attackers, can’t even ask a question because we keep getting attacked. Because we’re always busy. Because I can’t ever catch a break…!’

Frustrations boiled over the edge. No matter how exhausted and hungry he might’ve been, George didn’t let it stop him from kicking his foot against a large boulder lying on the road. A chunk of it chipped off, and flew deep into the woods. Everything was alright for a second. Then the pain kicked in. Literally.

“NGH!”

George fell over, groaning from the sharp pain in his foot. Moments later, he was plucked off the floor, and dangled in front of Hein’s eye by his massive hand.

“George. We told you, didn’t we?”

“YES!” the Dewott shouted. “I’m done! I can’t take this! These have been the worst three days of my life, and I can’t even talk to you about it-”

Psychic energies forced his mouth shut. His eyes flashed blue and black, as he tried to fight back, to no avail.

“You can, George. We will tell you everything you want to know, the moment we can actually catch a break.” Terez looked away from him, a move she clearly struggled with given her twitchy fingers and eyelids. “It’s been horrible on us as well, believe me. I wish this didn’t have to happen.”

Hein eased George back onto the ground. “We may not know each other well. But you remind me a lot of myself many moons ago. I also wanted answers for something I didn’t understand… and still do not. Once we’ve thrown the Anomalies off our scent, I will not hesitate to explain what has been hidden from you. You deserve to know.”

George sucked in a breath. “Why should I trust you…? You’ve been nothing but a mystery ever since the day I met you.”

The Dusknoir put his hands together before his eye. It looked as if he were praying.

“Because I have nothing worth keeping secret any longer.”

George turned away. ‘He’s lying…’

Terez sighed. “Take it easy for now, George. In any case, there appears to be a small grotto up ahead. We should take shelter there for the night.”

“Is it adequately obscured?” “ Hein commented, holding a hand just before his chest. ”The last thing we need is for the Corrupted to find us while vulnerable.”

The Gardevoir took a few steps towards the supposed grotto. “I’m not particularly confident. But what are the odds we will find anything better? We aren’t exactly spoiled for choice.”

Hein nodded, albeit slow enough that it resembled him hanging his head. “Fair enough. Wherever we stay, we will have to set up a watch.”

Upon closer inspection, the ‘grotto’ was little more than a dent in the rock. The result of a giant Pokemon having thrown a tantrum ages ago, and little more. Given how thick the canopy above was, the nights out here were bound to be dark. And since the surrounding shrubbery wasn’t all that thick by comparison, any light would be visible from afar. They could forget staying dry too if it rained. About the lone positive was that there was enough space for the three of them, even for Hein and all his bulk.

George crashed onto the rocks the second he reached them. Exhausted in body and weary in the soul, any bed was good enough. If the rocks got too cold, a little moss gathering couldn’t hurt. And that’s if the rocks turned out to be bad company; he welcomed any company at all by this time.

‘Maybe if it’s cold, it’ll distract from how lonely it’s been… it’s like the nights out in the Kronn, except even worse. At least I can pretend Blitzer is still \with me. Just another bad dream…’

He covered his face with his hands, pressed his head against the rocks below, and waited for sleep to come. All the while, Terez and Hein watched over him, discussing amongst themselves in a sombre tone.

“We can’t keep this up forever, Hein. He’s bound to lose what hope he has left.”

“Patience. The amount of Corrupted tailing us has been thinning since yesterday, has it not? We should be in the clear soon enough.”

“Another empty promise. You know fulwell that anything can happen out here.”

“I know. But it is what it is, Terez. Our job is to keep him safe. And eventually, when the opportunity arises, we can make him more comfortable. He must remain strong until then. It is only the beginning.”

“Shh!” Terez suddenly whispered, sharp and hard on the ears. “Not so loud, Hein! How can you say it gets harder, when he’s just lost his only friend? That isn’t hyperbole. They were inseparable, and now-”

“That is nothing I have not seen for myself,” Hein replied, his hollow voice ruminating through the forest. ”Ever since those whippersnappers wandered into the café, I noticed likewise… let me phrase that again. Spiritually, this is the main hurdle. The physical part… is yet to come.”

George squeezed his eyes shut. ‘He can’t even get along with someone that can stand to talk with him… who is he to say when everything gets worse? He’s made my life worse every time he shows up.’

He squeezed a hand around the flute which now rested on his chest.

‘If only I hadn’t gone into the café then… I wouldn’t ever have found this damn flute… I’d still be living with Greenfield, with Blitzer, and his parents, and…’

“Right then, about watch duty,” asked Terez with a groan. “Do you mind going first? I want to keep George company while he is still awake. And I would prefer him not going. He needs the rest more than either of us.”

Hein let out a chuckle that sounded far too jovial for him. “Be my guest. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl, you know.”

“Oh, shut it, you,” said Terez, as the sound of her feet stepping into moss reached George’s ears. She kneeled down by the Dewott moments later, running a hand over his head. “How are you feeling?”

“Not good,” George answered.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Terez gently scratched George behind his ears, which went wholly flat in response.

“Just talk with me. You haven’t said anything since we fled the city.” George moved his fingers over his eyes. ‘If only I could-’

Terez’ grip on George’s head weakened. “There was no chance to.”

“Yes there was,” he growled.

“George, I-”

“There was. Just because you don’t want to say no, doesn’t mean there wasn’t,” he growled even louder than before, feet thrashing about.

The Gardevoir grabbed George by the arm. “We’ve been tracked by anomalies non stop. I understand what you’re going through, but acting out this way isn’t going to help you, George. Please, stop it. All you’re doing is making it more difficult on yourself. We’re here for you.”

The Dewott groaned. How touchy the Gardevoir had gotten wasn’t lost on him. She wasn’t wrong, and he knew it. No amount of wishful thinking was going to turn the situation around, and yet reality didn’t stop stinging. It felt like an invisible burn eating away at him, and no amount of soothing from Terez or anyone else would help him heal.

And he was so, so tired of it all.

“Why did it have to happen this way…?”

Terez moved her hand to the side of George’s head. “I wish I knew the answer to that.” She sighed, before putting her bag beside her. “Let’s get you something to eat. You shouldn’t be sleeping on an empty stomach. None of us should-”

The wind of a ghostly energy howled in the dark nearby. Terez dropped her idea in an instant, and rose back to her feet. Hein held fire and ice in his fists, the bands on his arms and body glowing with energy unabated.

“Quick. We’ve got company.”

Hein’s warning shattered what little peace had been established, and Terez stood up to heed it. “Stay here,” she said, “Only stand up if you need to. We will handle this.”

George watched as she joined Hein’s side. Their silhouettes contrasted with each other in the cold dark. Two opposites resembling rivals, yet standing by each other regardless: The spectre of death, and the enchanted guardian.

And as the enemy without identity descended upon them, the strength of their bond would be bared for the world to see.

Anomalies crept through the forest, fangs bared and talons at the ready. Six in all formed a half circle around Hein and Terez, with two more in the sky. The grey vapour poured off their bodies as the purple glow in their eyes intensified; a black-scarved Liepard took the lead.

“About time you stopped running. You know how much trouble you’ve given the world with these antics, no?”

Terez snapped her fingers by her waist. “Nowhere near enough.”

George felt a calming presence from afar. ‘Outnumbered, yet not worried…?’ he wondered, while fidgeting with the incomplete Azure Flute.

Liepard hissed, saliva spattering into the ground before sizzling away. “Alright. The gig is up. You’re completely surrounded.”

The red glow in Hein’s eye intensified. “By dead men.”

The Dusknoir’s voice echoed through the forest, as he smashed his fist into a Swoobat, ice crystallising on its wings to the sound of an ear piercing shriek. In the blink of an eye, Hein stuck the same hand towards the ground. Dark arms swept the surrounding anomalies off their feet, right into the waiting arms of the Dusknoir.

Right as the scream hit, Terez spread her arms wide open. A dazzling light spread from her chest and hands, blinding the anomalies to the right who staggered back in terror. One of the birds tried swooping at her arms, but she dove out of the way. Using electricity, she stunned the anomalies with a few waves of her hand, even as the Liepard lunged at her.

“Grr! Get her! HER! She’s Thunder Waving us-ghk!”

Liepard’s voice was cut short by a branch hitting him in the head. The color drained out of his eyes upon seeing Hein looming over him, a ghostly essence covering two fingers. First the ghost struck him in the shoulder, before a ball of shadows exploded under his chest.

“You should have brought more.”

As Hein’s words echoed, he and Terez dominated their enemies. One Poliwhirl collapsed from a psychic attack, before Terez fired a ball of natural energy to finish them off. The explosion that followed blasted the bark off nearby trees, while sending Poliwhirl flying into a hill. And all the while, Liepard watched on in terror as the energy was slowly sucked out of his body, and was absorbed straight into Hein’s body with little regard for life.

In the blink of an eye, one target went down, followed by another, followed by more strikes at those trying to get up. Not a single Anomaly landed a hit back. Not one.

For a bunch of backstabbing, bloodthirsty Pokemon, they didn’t resemble much.

In the end, all were brought to heel. “That settles that,” said Hein as he dusted his body off. The one tiny twig that got into his ectoplasm didn’t go down without a fight. Just not a big one.

“Even less of them compared to yesterday,” Terez commented. “You think it’s sincere?”

“Gathering up strength, in all likelihood,” Hein responded, as he moved Liepard’s body out of the way. “We’ll see more of them before we arrive at the island. That much I can guarantee.”

As they calmly discussed what to do next amidst the defeated enemies, one of the birds – a Kilowattrel – happened to be crawling away. Without flapping their wings, they inched their way out of Hein’s shadow, careful to not alert either Terez or the Dusknoir in the process, lest they fall victim regardless.

George wasn’t fooled… but he was still exhausted after a long day. Not letting the Kilowattrel escape after all this had priority over anything else. What if they made it back, and revealed exactly where they were?

“Nrgh!!”

Without thinking, he fired an ice beam from his fingers. Kilowattrel was struck square in the side and collapsed, much to the surprise of the two in whose shadow they now lay.

“Eh?”

“Oh, for the love of- George?”

It didn’t take long for George to pass out. Before the dreams started, he could’ve sworn Hein and Terez were floating right over him.