Pokémon USUM: Hero Born of Darkness (book 1 of the HBoD series)

Chapter 33: Shooting Stars

I stumbled towards a small open area. It ended by going over the side of the mountain. Before I could get to the edge to jump, I collapsed, my body failing me. I lay facedown as everything turned black and I slipped into a dream.

...

I was walking down a black corridor. My footfalls made no sound, like I wasn't even there. I could hear a muffled voice up ahead, but it sounded distorted.

As I walked, it got louder and louder. Soon, I was by a black door. I pushed it open and saw Alex. She was facing away from me, talking to nothing.

"Zeno was my best friend," she said in a distorted voice. "A kind person who would do anything for the ones he loved."

She turned to face me, her eyes completely black. "But a monster like him could never be kind, could never love, and could never be a friend."

I stumbled away from the door, shaking my head. "No. No. No. This isn't real. This isn't real."

"He was my first friend."

I turned to see Hau, facing away from me and staring off into the distance. I walked up to him and looked at his face.

"I never had a friend," he said. "I left Iki Town to get my starter Pokémon because I was hoping to make a friend. Then I met Zeno and I knew I couldn't waste that chance."

I watched as his eyes turned black. "He was never my friend. I realize that now. He was just a monster."

I turned away, fighting back tears. Next, I saw Robert staring angrily at the darkness, his eyes a cold black.

"I convinced my parents to let me go to Alola to begin my journey," he said, his fists clenched tightly. "I would never have done that if I knew I would be traveling with a murderer. A monster."

His body faded away and it was replaced with Lillie. She was on the ground, her bag gone, and she appeared to be hurt.

I crouched down next to her. "Lillie! Are you okay?"

When I touched her arm, her face shot up, her black eyes wide with fear. "NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!"

I crawled backwards, tears sliding down my face. I fell next to a pool of clear water and when I looked at myself, all I saw was the Shadow staring back up at me.

I clutched my shadowy head. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

...

I awoke where I had fallen, almost all my strength gone. There was no hope. My friends hated me and the Shadow had almost taken over my mind. I couldn't even move towards the edge a couple feet away.

I reached out my hand. "Alex. Hau. Lillie. Robert."

My hand collapsed into the dirt. "I'm sorry."

I lay there, feeling myself being drained, dying, as the Shadow began to engulf my mind. My eyes closed and I gave into the darkness.

...

Nanu was walking back to the police station when he saw streaks of light in the night sky.

"Shooting stars," he murmured.

He was about to move on when he noticed they were heading straight for

"Mount Hokulani," Nanu gasped as the shooting stars struck the mountain.

But there was no explosion, no falling debris. The orbs of light just hovered in a circle above a single spot on the mountain.