(Prior to Team Mission 5 - Genesis)
He could feel it, the creature was fast approaching. If it made it here then all would be loss. He couldn't believe this woman had gotten the jump on him then. How did she know about Magearna? And for that matter how was she able to get past Volcanion? He was almost certain this was the same woman the Steam Pokemon steamed to mush, if it was then she was a particularly strong hybrid, or rather just stubborn. Regardless she survived being ambush by one legend, escaped, and returned to somehow blindside not one but two legends this time and even corrupt and take control of one of them. Then with the former temple keeper under her command she was able to waltz right into the Forest of Origin undetected and corrupt the Tree of Life. This wasn't exactly his preferred action to take but he had no other choice, the corruptible influence of this plague was fast acting, he had but minutes to make a choice. His first action was to fight but Magearna moved to protect the venomous woman, there was no time to be distracted by a drawn out fight. His only course of action was to delay the corruption and to do that he had to go inside the Tree of Life, dive into the sleeping mind of the Life Pokemon its self, the Saltire of Origin, the Horned Chi, Master of the Realm, Xerneas. And so, Sucellus slipped into a dream, a place so real and yet so distant and beyond even the far off Fairy Realm. A place beyond even death's reach. Or so he thought.
*
“Haha! I'm prepared this time!” Zera cackled, gliding backwards out of the way of a stream of boiling water, dodging a Scald fired off by the crimson commander of steam. The woman's mind had slipped a little since the last time she had stared into the eyes of her attempted killer, however she was never more coherent and aware of her actions then she was now. She was not only a mission of revenge but also of one of even greater importance; to ensure Ein victory. Nothing else was more important than the scientist winning, nothing else, not even revenge, was a greater motivator for her. That said she couldn't say she wasn't going to enjoy putting this hot head in its place and make it pay for what it did to her face, and the rest of her body for that matter. “I wish I could drag this out more but I'm on the clock.” She said with a twisted smile before letting loose a burst of gas and sending herself shooting towards Volcanion.
*
He knew where he was going, knew what he was getting himself into, but all this was too much to take in for even the Herald of Life. Such a strange place this was, far surpassing anything the Fairy Realm could conjure. There was nothing and everything simultaneously it felt like. A vast empty expanse of white and yet he could feel the that this place was filled to the brim with a powerful and pure energy, the very source of life its self. This place was the sleeping mind of Xerneas its self. Anyone else, if they could get here, would probably mentally folded within half a second if they saw this place, and even he had to admit it was a little jarring for him as well, in spite of his 'rank' as Grand Fairy Master and title as the Herald of Life, Xerneas' chosen.
While this was suppose to be a place inaccessible to anyone, even the most powerful Psychics, a place of purity and life, there was one other presence here beside himself, a foul and dark one. Near and far off in the vast whiteness, its distance indiscernible, was a wriggling mass of black corruption. It was the dream manifestation of the Shadow virus that woman had infected the Tree of Life with, Xerneas' unconscious mind, as the originator of life, had given it form. Even though this was a 'dream' things here were still very 'real', that is actions had consequences. The power of the Life Pokemon did not discriminate, not in the real world, the dream world, or even when the things it breathed life into would harm it. Xerneas loved all, and now one of its creations wished to destroy it, though Sucellus was here to prevent that.
*
The woman dodged again, using a Shadow Amoonguss to springboard off of. She had intended to keep that one for a little longer and hated burning it so soon but she saw little other choice, that damnable legend was starting to learn and had begun to predict the moment where her gasses started to run out and in her moment of vulnerable it had unleashed an impressive Overheat. Not intending to get burnt into an even more disfigured state she was quick to release the mushroom Pokemon and pounce on it up into the air to safety while it was flamed into a pile of ash. It made her stomach sink just a bit to see what it was capable doing to a Shadow Pokemon with just one move and yet at that same time it excited her even more. That was the funny thing about nearly dying; once you experienced either two things happened, you either became paralyzed with fear of dying or simply stopped caring about it. She had turned to the later.
“Aw, wanted me dead that badly huh?” She mocked the legend upon landing. It had put a lot of power behind that Overheat, perhaps too much as even it seemed a little winded by performing that move. Looks like not even ancient mythical protectors were above allowing their emotions get the better of them. That was good, for her, a weakness in this imposing creature that she could manipulate. Now it was only a question as to how.
*
“Master! I shall not let you fall to the darkness!” Sucellus shouted as he conjured up a miniature Fairy Ring, his faithful Carbink appearing from it, the two giving off a pink aura as they bounded and began to Channel. A beautiful bubble of opal energy would appear around them, taking on the form of a gemstone. The bubble would be utilized as a shield to protect them both from the oncoming blast of black energy which slammed against the gem-like bubble, both Sucellus and Carbink grunting upon impact. This vile force was powerful, he had not experienced such incredible evil since the Great Elemental War.
Once the stream of deathly black energy had ended her lowered the shield and sent Carbink away again in a puff of sparkling pink energy. He did not want to tire it out already, the Grand Fairy Master felt that he would need to call upon his Jewel Pokemon many more times during this fight. With Carbink gone it was now just the two of them existing in this vast space of white; the Herald of Life and the black mass of corruption which had now taken on a very fitting form. Still pitch black in color but now more stable in its shape and mentally discernible for the human, it was massive in size and had two humongous wings and an equally impressive tail. The only thing not pitch black on it was the empty 'lines' which rain across its body, letting the whiteness of the realm shine through. He wasn't sure if this was just Xerneas' mind giving the corruption form, or maybe even his own, but for all intents and purposes the Herald of Life found him facing the counter opposite of his master; the Destruction Pokemon, the Hand of Death, the Vast Hunger, Bringer of the Black, Yveltal.
*
Despite having sensed Volcanion had spent a great deal of energy when firing off that Overheat she realized the legend still had a great amount of energy still left. This wasn't the first legend she ever faced, in fact she had once commanded one herself, but no matter how many times she engaged them she always had to appreciate their vast power. Such useful creatures legendary Pokemon were, provided you could tame them, otherwise they turned you into a walking scar. That was something she was never going to get over.
“My turn!” She cackled, leaping into the air and unleashing a rain of Sludge Bomb as she let loose globs of explosive sludge from every available pore on her body. Numerous balls of sludge would come down from above upon Volcanion and yet the Steam Pokemon did not fret. Instead the legend stood firm and waited. But a moment before impact it would unleash an explosive cloud of steam around its self, utilizing the move Steam Eruption to protect its self as it instantly evaporated the incoming sludge. The cloud of steam was so big and hot that despite being a good distance away from Volcanion Zera flinched as her skinned was singed, the ends of her hair curling under the heat.
Upon landed she glared at the silhouette inside the cloud of steam, it was just sitting there. There was no way it could take it down like this. While it had used several powerful moves it still had plenty of energy of left, something she couldn't say at the moment, not only that it had destroyed one of her Pokemon already, plus this ancient temple was far too small for her to easily move around in. She was at a disadvantage no matter how she looked at it. As the hybrid considered retreating for now, having found herself at a loss on what to do next, a new opportunity presented its self in the form of a strange metal creature, having floated into the chamber from the downward staircase behind Volcanion. It had arrived just as the steam faded away, just in time for the Steam Pokemon to spot it, just as Zera did.
“Magear?” It chimed, Volcanion looking back at it with a shocked and trouble expression. Zera recognized that face, Pokemon or not. She had found how to manipulate its weakness. Yes, this was how she would get around this menace. Zera smiled.
*
It had slipped away again, into the darkness beyond Xerneas' dreams, where that was he was unsure, there was still great many things he could not comprehend concerning these primordial creatures but he did understand what move it was using. Phantom Force, a move similar to the abilities held by another creature of death, the Rogue Pokemon Giratina, another legend it had witnessed before. The phantom Yveltal had caught it off guard several times already with this move but now he was starting to figure it out. As soon as it disappeared he summoned forth his Slurpuff, both him and her closing their eyes immediately and twitching their noses. Not many people realized this but emotions had “smells” to them. Sure, a good Fairy Channeler would sense emotions, a powerful one even at great distances. However a true Master could do even better they could smell, in such a way that it was like having a different kind of sight, but instead using your nose to see instead of your eyes. And evil had the strongest of smells, a scent he could pick up across dimensions as it neared if he focused hard enough.
“There!” He alerted his Pokemon, the Slurpuff flipping over him so it stood in front of him. Focusing on Slurpuff he conjured up a Fairy Ring from her, sending her away instantly and replacing her with Carbink again, having one of his Pokemon to focus on made this action instantaneous almost, rather than the seconds delay it took otherwise. With Carbink out he was quick to Channel with it and once again conjure up a protective opal gem stone shield around them, the black phantom Yveltal slamming its tail against the shield, both Pokemon and Master wincing as it did as they focused hard to endure the blow. It was powerful, so much so that he doubted he could defeat it, after all it was created from Xerneas' sleeping mind. However he didn't need to defeat it, just contain it or slow it down somehow. As he looked down at his little Carbink an idea came to him. That's how he could delay the corruption. All he had to do was pin it down for a few seconds.
*
“You can't help but protect it, can you!?” Zera shouted as she mocked the Volcanion, once again it jumped in between her and Magearna, taking the Pain Split in place of the Fairy Pokemon, Zera gasping slightly as she was filled with such powerful life force, her wounds instantly healing. Her plan was perfect, she had ran around and fired off a few pot shots at Magearna, Volcanion quick to counter them each time with ease, one time squarely hitting Zera with a Water Pulse which left her head ringing but her persistence paid off as she saw her window of vulnerability, sacrificing another Pokemon to catch the Steam Pokemon off guard and move in close on Magearna, this time letting Volcanion fry a Shadow Vileplume. For awhile there she was regretting how many Grass types she brought to this fight but now it didn't matter. All her exhaustion and pain were gone and Volcanion was left stunned and winded. With just further seconds to act she jumped on the crimson legend and leaped off of it with a burst of gas, tackling the fleeing Magearna. For whatever reason it didn't fight much, and soon she would find out why it didn't.
If the myths were true, as Ein informed her, what she was looking for was inside this metal shell. You see, when she first sought out the Temple of Life beneath Lumiose City, when the Snagems tried to stop her and Volcanion surprised her and almost killed her, she had expected to find Magearna. The Artificial Pokemon was well recorded in the legends about the Temple of Life. An ancient Pokemon constructed long ago with the purpose of maintaining the Temple of Life as well as the Great Fairy Ring to the Forest of Origin. It was the queen of Kalos long ago who had the temple built out of devotion for her master, Grand Fairy Master Sucellus, and it was also her who gave up her family's most prized and ancient object to be sealed inside the temple so that the temple may endure for ages. Zera had did her homework on Magearna but Volcanion was a complete surprise. Come to find out Volcanion was also sealed in here by the royal family, a legend passed down in the king's side, the queen having convinced him that Magearna needed a protector to keep it safe, and now Zera knew why it needed one in spite of the power the Artifical Pokemon had.
And there it was, pulsating with life inside the chest of Magearna; the Soul Heart. A marvelous construction it was, something Ein died to get his hands on, one she was meant to bring back with her. Its time of creation was unknown and yet it was such an advanced one, far beyond today's technology. An artificial soul and heart, all in one, a powerful construction that could breath life even into a lifeless doll. This was Magearna's true self. Just looking at it Zera could feel its power, and not only that its purity. That's why it refused to harm her, why Volcanion was necessary to protect it. Magearna's heart and soul was so pure, like a crystal clear stream of water, untainted and couldn't even comprehend harming another. That certainly worked in Zera's favor though, a pure heart was all the more easy to corrupt.
*
Going on the offense Succellus and Mawile clashed with phantom Yveltal relentlessly. Using the emotion and desire to protect others to fuel their powers the pair Channeled together and created massive fang-like Fairy energy constructs around their fists and second mouth respectively, giant energy 'maws'. Punching and clashing with Yveltal's wings and tail several times the pair were starting to get winded, not yet having found an opening. At one point Succellus thought he did and swapped Mawile out with Sylveon through another Ring to conjure up ribbons of Fairy energy to bind it but the phantom Yveltal was too quick to counter as it unleashed a Dark Pulse from around it as the ribbons closed in. The Grand Master had but a brief moment to snatch Sylveon away before the dark energy corrupted its open heart in that moment. He was still shaken from that moment.
Master and Pokemon continued to punch and snap at phantom Yveltal with their constructed energy jaws, the shadow of Death just too quick for them to get a good hold on it. Succellus though saw an opportunity when the phantom disappeared with a Phantom Force again, this time not switching out Mawile for Slurpuff, a ploy to lure the phantom in which would soon pay off. As the fake Yveltal appeared and attempted to strike them with its tail Succellus commanded Mawile to use Baton Pass. It was a risky plot but miraculously Mawile was quick enough and in a flash of light replaced its self with Sylveon who instantly he Channeled with to summon forth a giant flurry of ribbons. He could have switched them out with a Fairy Ring himself but he noted that somehow the phantom was beginning to sense this action so he took a chance and did the next best thing, which paid off as hundreds of ribbons flung out at phantom Yveltal, the shadow of Death attempted to avoid many of them but it was too late, before long it was consumed by the ribbons and completely 'cocooned' in them, looking like a mummy. This was his chance.
Keeping Sylveon out to hold it her opened up five more Fairy Rings, bringing forth Slurpuff, Mawile and Carbink again as well as Boss Fairy Florges and his Alolan Ninetales. He needed the energy from all six for what he was going to do but also he needed at least three of them to help Sylveon keep it contained while he worked. Florges would utilize her floral aroma and song to attempt to lull the phantom into a peaceful rest. Succellus knew this wouldn't truly work but it made the phantom's struggle harder. The nine tailed Fairy he would tap into its emotions and turn its anger up to ten, allowing it to unleash a powerful freezing move on the ribbon cocoon that was the shadow of Death, the cocoon frozen solid, not that it would actually physically contain it alone but it helped for now. Mawile on the other hand summoned forth a massive pair of jaws constructed from Fairy energy and attempted to physically squeeze and hold it in place.
With his hand on Slurpuff who gladly provided the bulk of his energy while he drew a little from the other four besides Carbink, Succellus would connect with his Jewel Pokemon and pump into it a tremendous amount of Fairy energy, the Carbink giving off a beautiful bright glow. If the phantom Yveltal could see it he was certain it would shy away from this bright aura of life energy. Paying that no mind for now he began to act, pointing his other hand at the cocooned and frozen phantom. Sparkling rainbow light would appear around the bound phantom and would soon take on a form identical to the construct that Succellus could summon around him with Carbink for protection, however this one had a different ability, one of containment rather than protection. Ulla would eventually figure out a lesser form of this power and dub it 'bubbling', Succellus instead called it 'geming'.
Focusing all his might as well that of his partners the Grand Fairy Master tried to shrink and close the gem construct around the phantom, however despite how trapped it was right now its power was still incredible and now he could feel just how much it was resisting. He couldn't give up though, neither could his Pokemon. All of them knew how important this was so with one last burst of energy they put their entire being into this construct. They were going to trap this thing in it even if it killed them. And that would be okay, as long as Xerneas endured, then life could as well.
*
“Phew, that was messy!” Zera almost, wiping her forehead of sweat as she stood there victoriously, looking at the downed Volcanion several feet away from her, Weezing floating above her, Shadow Gengar lurking in the shadows behind her, and the newly corrupted and baptized in darkness 'Shadow Magearna' standing silently in front of her. One could see a fierce battle had ensured here in this ancient temple, Zera, her two Pokemon, as well as Shadow Magearna on one side facing the now reluctant to fight Volcanion. After she had gotten her hands on the Soul Heart and stabbed those shards into it the battled drastically turned in her favor. Shadow crystals as Ein called them, crystallized Shadow energy harvested from Shadow Mewtwo, he theorized if they came in direct contact with Magearna's heart it could corrupt and Shadowfy it completely, and he was right. That was not the only thing though, now they had something of a siphon on their side once they got to the realm proper, just as Ein intended. He correctly guessed that Magearna could draw from the Fairy Realm to power its Soul Heart, and eventually this would allow Shadow Mewtwo to pass through the dimensions and break into the Fairy Realm himself.
But for now she didn't worry about that, she had Shadow Magearna on her side and Volcanion would barely put up a fight. With it and her other two Pokemon, one of them also a Shadow Pokemon, the fight was relatively easy. She and her Pokemon accomplices relentlessly attacked the Steam Pokemon without remorse, pummeling with everything they had until it succumbed to its wounds. Giving it one last look before scoffing and turning away Zera would begin to walk off, her two Pokemon following but at first Shadow Magearna stood behind and just stared at the banged up and bruised Volcanion. Was the Shadowfication not complete? Could it still feel such emotions as concern and regret? That would just not do.
“You! Come! Now!” Zera barked at the Artificial Pokemon. It would turn its head around slowly while its body would not move and stared at Zera for awhile as if contemplating its next action. However it would soon turn the rest of its body around and float over onto the hybrid's side, following her down the last staircase in the temple which would lead them directly through the Grand Fairy Ring and the Forest of Origin its self. Volcanion could do little but watch the only friend it knew in over a thousand years float away, its physical form in sight and yet its heart was so far away. It just wanted to rest and dream, dream of a different more happy time. And so it did.
*
It was a dream, right? That means nothing could actually hurt him and his Pokemon, right? He hoped so. Staring at the small round opal gem stone in the distance he could see even from here the swirling blackness inside of it. Such anger and rage it contained, he didn't know how long that gem would hold the corruption and how much good it would do to slow its spread down out in the physical realm but it was all he could do, all his Pokemon could do. Speaking of her look around at his passed out friends. Physically they looked fine but he could feel that their life forces were so depleted, so thin. They had given up so much just for this small hope and he worried that this would have some repercussions on them once they returned to the outside world, if they could even return. He was so weak, so tired, all he wanted to do was rest and dream. Dream within a dream, was that even possible? He didn't know but he intended to try.
As he closed his eyes and attempted to drift off he heard voices calling out to him. He recognized them, didn't he? It was hard to tell. This place was so disconnected and faraway from any other that he even struggled to access his memory. However with some time and focused he realized he did recognize those voices, they were that of his students. Ulla. Kaya. They made it to the Fairy Realm. Upon closer inspection he sensed that many others had too and a great fight had broken out. They needed his help, there was still much to do in order to protect the Tree of Life, Xerneas, and thus all life his self. He could sleep another time, there was much more time to dream, he couldn't just give up yet. Life had to go on.
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