Interlude 1

William stood at the edge of the great chasm, a cold wind rustling through his feathers and blowing his cloak back. Dust was thrown around the empty plain, the land dead for miles around.

 

It had been that way for thousands of years, ever since the Darkness had been banished to the depths of the earth. For all William knew, it would always be that way. The curse placed upon this land was a very strong one, meant to drive away all Pokemon from ever visiting the Darkness.

 

Unfortunately for the rest of the world, it had not stopped William.

 

His memories from before were dim. They had been drowned out by memories of darkness, falling, loss, and then…the voice.

 

That powerful voice plucked him from the abyss, gave him a new life and purpose, and imbued him with power on the level of the queens. The voice he served, hoping it would bring enlightenment to all the rest of the world just like it had enlightened him. He was the herald of the Darkness, its holy prophet, and he would not rest until his god had spread its power across the land once more.

 

To him, there was no greater purpose. To help a god regain their place was an honor beyond any other.

 

Yet he also couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Something very important.

 

He was distracted from his thoughts by a burst of cold air from the canyon. Shadowy tendrils started rising up, thickening into a hazy image of a strange creature made of bones. Its form was indistinct and constantly shifting, for the Darkness was still quite weak.

 

William knelt upon one knee and bowed his head reverently. “My lord, I have returned.”

 

“Excellent.”, hissed the Darkness, “What do you have to report?”

 

William replied, “Four kingdoms have sworn allegiance to you. Three more are debating it. But the rest…they all seek your destruction.”

 

“As anticipated.”, the Darkness said, “Once I obtain more strength, however, they too shall bow. It is inevitable. We just need to wait a bit longer.”

 

William gave a short nod. “How long are you anticipating the wait to be?”

 

“A few weeks at most.”, the Darkness answered, “As war tears across the land and the four kings return, there will inevitably be rage, fear, and sorrow. Our little campaign should move it even faster. There are millions of Pokemon in this world now. It should be quite simple to gain enough power for me to fully break free of these accursed chains.”

 

“Of course, my lord.”, William agreed, “Shall I continue my current task?”

 

The Darkness said, “No. I have a new assignment for you. I have received word that the Diamond Kingdom holds a scroll about me – one that explains how to fully unleash me and how to utterly destroy me. This world’s heroes will inevitably try to retrieve it. I need you to retrieve it first.”

 

William nodded. “A scroll, you say? That should be a simple task.”

 

Then he frowned. “I am certain you are aware, but last night seven stars fell from the sky. Seven humans have come to Archaia, as they have in the past. What do you propose we should do?”

 

The Darkness replied, “Ignore them, for now. Humans are unpredictable creatures. These ones will either be a genuine threat, in which case we shall swiftly annihilate them, or they will be those annoying ones who try to build a power fantasy or a harem or something else stupid. Whichever they are, they will not pose a risk for very long.”

 

“As you say, my lord.”, William replied.

 

The Darkness started dissolving back to the chasm. “Get the scroll. Kill anyone who tries to stop you. I know you will not fail me.”

 

“Your will shall be done.”, William replied.

 

The Darkness faded away, and William stood up. He slipped out one of his daggers and spun it around in his wingtips.

 

“Time to add another queen to the list.”, he murmured, and then he dashed off silently into the night. (-o-)

 

Lightning crashed against fire as the two mighty Pokemon battled. One was a great orange dragon, a feral Charizard that had somehow found one of the ‘mega crystals’ and was wreaking havoc with its newfound strength and form.

 

Its opponent? The legendary mercenary, Zerys the Thunder Blade. No one was quite sure where the superpowered yellow feline Pokemon came from or even what species he was, but there was no doubting that he was quite strong and more than capable of defeating the beast.

 

Zerys had earned his title from the strange weapon he carried – a colossal sword that seemed to be made of frozen lightning, humming with barely contained power. Each swing flickered with electricity, and every strike summoned a crash of thunder. The sword was widely believed to be a gift from some unknown god, and anyone who watched him fight would quickly figure out why that was.

 

Currently, the two were clashing in the middle of a small town located on the outskirts of the Gold Kingdom. The telltale golden grass grew all around them, and a small river flowed nearby. Zerys was carefully luring the Charizard over to it, knowing this would be his best opportunity to eliminate it.

 

The dragon screeched at his face and swiped at him with claws infused with purple energy, but Zerys quickly dodged and rolled under the slash, bringing his sword around square into the Charizard’s back. It screeched in agony, stumbling forward and stopping barely five feet away from the riverbank.

 

Zerys smirked. Now was his chance.

 

Roaring a ferocious cry, he charged towards the Charizard, his fists lighting up with crackling blue lightning. He swung the unarmed one into the dragon’s jaw, and struck the other into the belly, the sword sending a brutal jolt through the Charizard’s body.

 

It cried out and fell into the river, steam rising up from the water around it. It screeched and blew a flamethrower towards Zerys’s face, but he leaped over it, raising his blade into the air. The skies rumbled, and a giant bolt struck down, electrifying the river and frying the feral. It gave out one last, pathetic cry, then fell over and fainted into the stream, its body being washed downriver and far from the town.

 

Zerys lowered his sword, breathing heavily. He wiped a thick paw across his forehead, before turning back to the town and grinning triumphantly.

 

“I have vanquished the beast!”, he declared, “Don’t be shy – feel free to come out and shower me with your gratitude! Autographs will come shortly after I receive my payment and get a drink.”

 

A few Pokemon peeked out the windows, cautiously looking around to see if the Charizard was gone. Once they were sure of that, they started pouring out of their homes, cheering joyously.

 

The village leader, a tall Ledian wearing an even taller hat, stepped forward with a small chest. “We thank you, Zerys. Without you we all would have been ruined for sure.”

 

Zerys smiled and gave him a short bow. “No problem! When ferals attack, I swoop in and whip all their tails back into the savage wilds they came from! You can always count on the Thunder Blade!”

 

He grabbed the chest and looked through the coins inside it. “Especially if you have ample payment. Gotta pay those bills, you know?”

 

The Ledian gave him a quick nod. “Of course, of course. I’m assuming you’ll be on your way soon?”

 

“So quick to get rid of me, huh?”, teased Zerys, “No worries, I’ll be out of your antennae first thing tomorrow. Is the local tavern any good?”

 

A nearby elderly Shuckle waved at him. “It certainly is! I would know, since I run the old place, heh.”

 

Zerys nodded, grinning. “Excellent. Set me up with the strongest berry juice you got.”

 

“Anything for you, hero!”, the Shuckle declared, before turning towards a large worn hut and scooting towards it.

 

Very slowly.

 

Zerys sighed and strode into the tavern, picking a nice large central table so he could enjoy all his new admirers. He was a bit vain and not afraid to say so.

 

As he waited for the innkeeper to drag his way inside, he rubbed his paws together and generated a small ball of energy, which he played around with until the tavern opened up. He then proceeded to stride in and throw himself down at the central table, where all his admirers could easily see him. The fight was over, time for the second most fun part.

 

Loads of villagers flooded towards him, peppering him with questions and holding out papers to sign. Zerys grinned and slipped out the giant quill he saved just for these sort of occasions.

 

“Zerys, tell us how you killed that Charizard!”, shouted a Togetic.

 

“Oh, it was rather easy!”, Zerys replied, “That guy didn’t stand a chance. Once he saw my big sword and my fearsome face, he fled right for the river! But he couldn’t outrun the lightning, and he went ka-bam!”

 

He slammed a fist on the table for additional impact, sending electrical sparks crackling through the air. The Pokemon gathered all squealed with glee.

 

A Wobbuffet shoved his way to the front. “Zerys, we love you! Punch me!”

 

Zerys rose an eyebrow. He had never gotten that request before. “Are you sure? Because my punches hurt. A lot. I am the supreme puncher. I fought this really buff Machamp once and I sent him home crying.”

 

“I can take it!”, the Wobbuffet cried.

 

“Okay…everyone stand back.”, Zerys said. The other Pokemon backed up, whispering curiously.

 

Zerys charged up lightning into his fist, wheeled his arm back, and slammed it right into the grinning Wobbuffet’s belly, throwing him completely across the tavern and cracking the wall.

 

“Whoo!!! No one’s ever hit me that hard before! I can really feel the blood pumping!”, cheered the Wobbuffet.

 

The rest of the crowd all cheered as well and nearly buried Zerys as they begged for autographs and answers.

 

But as he continued enduring the woes of fame, his keen eyes picked up on a figure in the corner of the tavern, draped in a dark cloak that obscured every part of their body except one glowing blue eye. As it spotted Zerys looking at them, the figure lifted up a hand and beckoned towards him with long, clawed fingers.

 

Zerys cautiously took his leave and walked over to the shady figure, giving them a wary look. “Who are you?”, he asked, “Do you want an autograph?”

 

The stranger gave a cold laugh. “No, Zerys. I am here on business.”

 

Zerys took on a serious demeanor. “What kind of business?”.

 

“What if I told you I had seen your boyfriend, and better yet, how to find him?”, asked the stranger.

 

Zerys snapped to wide alert, his eyes bulging and his fur crackling with static electricity. “Where? When? How?”

 

The stranger chuckled. “I knew that would get your attention. However, if you want me to help you, first I need you to help me. Perhaps you’ve heard of the falling stars?”

 

Zerys nodded, giving the stranger a suspicious look. “What of them?”, he asked.

 

The stranger answered quietly, “Each one carried a strange creature disguised as a Pokemon, with powers no one knows. I am not keen on the thought of them messing with my work. So I need you to clear them out for me.”

 

Zerys frowned. “Why me? I don’t generally do assassin work. There are loads of other Pokemon who would be more than willing to do this.”

 

“Ah, but Zerys, you are different from them. Stronger, full of heart, subject to many tales.”, the stranger purred, “Plus, I know how it feels to have your loved one pulled from your embrace and vanished away. I would like to see you bring yours back.”

 

Zerys thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, fine. What are my targets?”

 

The stranger’s blue eye lit up with glee. “Fantastic.”, he said, “I knew you would choose wisely.”

 

“I am doing this for my boyfriend.”, Zerys said sternly, “I do hope you actually know where he is. Because if you’re pulling my tail I will blast you into smoking ash.”

 

“Warning taken.”, the stranger replied, a little too cheerfully. He slipped over a piece of paper, marked with charcoal sketches of seven faces.

 

Zerys took it and slipped it into his bag, next to an old picture that had been there for years. He took it out softly, almost subconsciously, and gave it a look.

 

It showed him and a Quaquaval, arms around each other’s shoulders and grinning widely. Zerys felt a surge of determination. He would get William back, even if he had to fight Giratina to do it.

 

“Once you’re done, don’t worry about finding me. I always come and pay my dues.”, the stranger declared. Before Zerys could say anything, the stranger slipped around the corner and vanished. (-o-)