As I finished telling my friends about my past, I leaned against a tree in Malie Garden. The sun was coming up, yet I wasn't tired. Sure the Xurkitrees and Guzma took a lot out of me, but telling my life to my friends kept me awake. I was also anxious to see what they would say. What I didn't expect was them to all hug me.
"Okay," I said, suffocating under their grip. "Why am I getting hugged? I'm not complaining, but I murdered people."
They backed up and I took a gulp of air. "Better."
Hau patted me on the shoulder. "Zeno, we don't care about who you used to be."
"We care about who you are now," Robert added.
"And," Alex said, hands in her short's pockets. "You were young. Brought up in a dark world full of evil. You did what you did because it's what your father wanted you to do."
From her tone of voice, I knew she was talking about herself as well as me.
Nebby circled my head as Lillie smiled at me. "What you did to Team Rocket a couple days ago wasn't you and we know that. We care about you Zeno and we will never leave you even though of who you were."
I rubbed Nebby's head and looked at my four friends. "Thank you for understanding me. You have no idea how much it means to me, truly."
After that followed a minute of awkward silence. Then of course Robert broke it.
"So," he said, looking around. "Are we continuing our Island Challenge or what?"
Cue the sweat drops.
...
Since we were all tired, we had decided to get some rest at the PMC. When I woke up, I was alone. I headed to the lobby and found my friends waiting for me.
I stretched. "What time is it?"
Robert looked at his watch. "8:03... PM."
I groaned. "You guys let me sleep for fourteen hours!?"
Alex shrugged. "We only woke up two hours. Besides, it looked like you needed the rest. At least, that's what Hau said."
I nodded. "Thanks. So, where do we head off to now?"
Hau was using Rotom for something. "All we have to do is head right and down the street. Along the way is Route 11. Head down there and-"
"Wait," Alex said, taking Rotom from Hau. "What about our Electric Trial? Just because Zeno did it doesn't mean we don't have to."
"Gimme," Hau said, grabbing Rotom back. "It says here "because of the disastrous events on Mount Hokulani, the Electric Trial is closed. If you wish to collect an Electrium Z and Steelium Z, please come by the entrance to Route 11 where you can get one of both"."
"Oh," Alex said. "Nevermind."
"Never doubt Hau the great," Hau said, pumping his chest with one fist.
Alex slapped him.
Rotom zoomed into my backpack and Robert cleared his throat. "Are we going or not?"
Hau nodded. "I'm ready."
Lillie stuffed Nebby back into her prison. "We're ready."
"Let's move out," I said. "Or as the Kalosians say it, Allons-y!"
...
As we walked towards Route 11, Hau handed me a Z-crystal. "This is from Kukui. It's a special Z-crystal only for Decidueye. The Decidium Z."
I clipped it onto my Z-ring. "Nice. What's the move called?"
"Sinister Arrow Raid," he said. "I got the Primarium Z. Oceanic Operetta is a beautiful move."
Alex turned around, walking backwards now, and held up a Z-crystal. "I have the Incinium Z. And since Robert here didn't get a starter Pokémon, he got stuck with a Snorlium Z."
"Paaaancaaaakessss," Robert said dreamily.
"What?" I asked, confused.
Alex shrugged and turned around. "It's part of the Z-move. Don't ask."
I didn't ask.
Once we got to Route 11, we saw a lady holding a basket with Electrium Zs and Steelium Z's mixed in it. My friends minus Lillie grabbed one of each, but I noticed Hau snag two Electrium Zs when the lady wasn't looking.
"Why'd you grab two?" I asked him when we were out of earshot of the lady.
Hau wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm going to try something with one of them and if it blows up, at least I'll have an extra."
"What are you going to do?" I asked cautiously, but Hau didn't answer. Instead, he brought out his Alolan Raichu.
After a few minutes of watching Hau trying to do something with the Z-crystal on Raichu, I walked a bit faster to see what Alex, Robert, and Lillie were talking about.
"What do you mean Nebby's been acting strange lately?" Alex asked Lillie.
"I don't know," she said, looking at Nebby's face in the bag. "She's taken to staring at the moon. I don't even know why."
She took Nebby out of the bag and Robert stared curiously at her. "Maybe she has a connection to space? I mean, she looks like she has a whole galaxy in her."
Nebby freed herself from Lillie and flew towards me. She circled around my head frantically and I laughed.
"What are you-!"
A jolt of icy coldness shot through my body when Nebby touched my head. I gasped and felt my head. There was nothing physically wrong. Then that meant, somehow, it was Nebby.
"When happened?" Lillie asked, concerned, trying to grab Nebby.
"I don't know," I admitted.
I looked at Nebby who was staring straight back at me, as if she wanted me to touch her. "But I have a theory."
I reached out my hand and Nebby pressed her head against my palm. The icy coldness swept across my body and my legs threatened to buckle, but I beared the cold. My vision flickered and I saw scenes flash by. A great canyon, an altar, the moon, a city in ruins.
The cold grew unbearable and I stumbled back from Nebby as Hau shouted, "I got it!"
Robert caught me before I hit the ground. "You okay man!?"
I didn't say anything as I heard a distant, tranquil voice speak in my head.
"You cannot experience these visions alone Hero Born of Darkness. You must seek the help of your friends."
I looked at Nebby and I felt like it was her talking.
Hau was examining his Z-crystal. "Ah ha! I changed it to a Aloraichium Z. Amazing!"
"HAU!" Alex snapped, pointing at me. "Focus!"
He looked at me. "What happened?"
I shook my head. "I'm not totally sure, not I think Nebby's trying to show me something. No, show all of us something."
"How do we do that?" Lillie asked, now holding Nebby.
I looked at my friends as I stood straight. "Gather around Nebby."
"What?" Alex and Lillie asked at the same time.
"Just do it," I said and they did as instructed.
Now we stood in a circle, the five of us with Nebby in the middle. Nebby began to glow and I could feel myself slipping into a vision. Everything faded away and when it cleared, I was standing atop a great canyon at night. And my friends were with me.
...
The moon shone directly overhead in a clear night sky. A slight breeze drifted past us, like the centuries of the past.
Lillie was looking everywhere frantically. "Where's Nebby!?"
"Nebby isn't here hear because we aren't really here," I said. "This is a vision."
"A vision of what?" Alex asked.
"Of that maybe," Robert said, pointing at something in the distance.
We all turned and saw a huge altar in the far distance. A ball of light was forming there, energy flowing everywhere.
"C'mon," I said.
We ran across the top of the canyon towards the altar.
"The Altar of the Sunne and Moone," Hau said. "I wonder what's going on?"
"We're about to find out," I grunted.
The ball of light grew in intensity and a winged creature could be seen inside. Then the sky turned black and the altar was hidden in darkness. An Ultra Wormhole appeared above the Altar and within it was a big, dark shape.
Then everything disappeared and we were somewhere different. A futuristic city with a huge glowing tower. The top of it had been blown apart and a bright light emanated from it. The light intensified until nothing could be seen. A huge roar came from everywhere and I could see the silhouette of a large winged creature made of pure light. Then shadows wrapped around it and huge glowing red eyes filled my vision.
"I will destroy everything you hold dear Hero Born of Darkness!"
Then my friends and I were standing in the ruins of a city. Buildings had fallen and the ground covered in rubble, streets no longer visible. The sky was pure black and unearthly howls filled the air.
I looked around and saw two figures facing each other. My friends and I got closer and now I could make them out. One was the Shadow and the other was me. I was battered, bruises and cuts all over my body, my clothes ripped all over the place. I looked weak and exhausted.
The Shadow laughed. "First your will die, then your friends will join you."
A huge dust cloud billowed over the scene and when it cleared, the Shadow and I were gone. Instead, huge beasts roamed the ruined city. A huge red, mosquito like creature, a big dragon with a huge mouth, and a clown like beast.
"It's Hau'oli City," Hau whispered. "We're in Hau'oli City."
I could see that it was and now I could see people hiding. They hid in fallen buildings, behind piles of rubble, and some ran for their lives.
The scene changed again and now we were above Alola, just below the clouds. Smoke billowed from cities and from all four islands. On the island with the canyon and altar, a battle was raging. The Tapus and gods of Old clashed against each other, shockwaves of energy rippling through Alola.
The Breaker fought against Tapu Koko, punches met with lightning. The Prowler shimmered in and out of the physical plane, dodging Moonblasts from Tapu Lele. The Stalker flung webs, trying to trap Tapu Bulu. Tapu Fini sent blasts of blue energy into the ocean while dodging the Crusher's huge tentacles.
In the blink of an eye, the scene changed. The Breaker was absorbing energy from Tapu Koko, the Prowler from Tapu Lele, the Stalker Tapu Bulu, and the Crusher Tapu Fini.
The distant, tranquil voice spoke. "You have all seen some of what the future holds. This is all I can show you, but I also have a warning. Beware deception of those who seek change."
My friends disappeared and I saw a night sky, the heavens filled with light from stars. One by one, the stars winked out.
"The Shadow grows stronger still. You must prepare for the battle ahead both physically and mentally. When the time comes, you'll need all your strength to defeat the Shadow or Alola will be forever lost."
The voice became sharp. "You will die Hero Born of Darkness, make no mistake, but you must defeat him or all is truly lost."
I began to through a pit of darkness, images flashing by. My friends, trapped in a glass room filling with water. The Farthest Hollow glowing with light, a motionless body slumped on the ground, and a cluster of tents in a desert. The last image I saw was a dark shape moving between bamboo trees, it's body reflecting what was behind it. It roared and my eyes opened to face reality.
...
I fell back from the circle my friends and I made, gasping for air. My friends were in a similar state and Lillie was holding Nebby to her chest.
"What was-" Robert started, but stopped.
"Guys," he said somewhat calmly.
"What?" Hau asked, sitting up beside him.
"Run," Robert whispered.
I quickly followed his gaze and saw what he saw. Something was moving between bamboo trees, only its shimmering outline could be seen. Its misshapen body reflected the bamboo behind it and it roared at us.
"RUN!" I yelled.
My friends and I quickly scrambled to our feet and we ran down Route 11. The thing behind us crashed through bamboo trees, trying to catch up.
Suddenly, I crashed into Hau. Apparently, Alex, who was in the lead, stopped all of the sudden. I looked back and saw the creature solidify. It had long arms with big sharp talons and its head had no eyes, just a mouth full of sharp teeth (Think of a Future Predator from Primeval TV show). It was completely white and it snarled at us, but stayed twenty feet from us.
I looked around and saw that we were surrounded by these creatures. They closed in and my friends and I backed up into a tight circle.
"We're so going to die," Hau said hysterically. "But I had dreams! I was going to get rich! Be the Island Champion! I was-!"
"Hau!" Alex whispered sharply, slapping him. "Shut up for Arceus' sake!"
"Sorry," Hau said. "I just don't wanna die!"
He composed himself. "I suppose that if I'm going to die I might as well say this. Zeno, I was the one poking holes in your trench coat. Alex, I kept stealing your toothbrushes and throwing them away. Lillie, sometimes I'd let Nebby loose. Robert, I, uh, I actually didn't do anything to you."
"YOU DID WHAT!?" Alex and Lillie shouted at the same time.
I looked at Hau. "You poked holes into my trench coat? I didn't even notice."
"Dang," Hau said. "That's why you never said anything."
"Not to interrupt," Robert said. "But I think they're going to strike."
The creatures did look ready to strike. One of them ran at us, talons raised. Then a freezing wind knocked the creature to the side.
"UB-06 codenamed Predator," Kamake said, joining us, a Weavile and Alolan Ninetales at her side. "Fun fact. They're the only Normal type Ultra Beast. Anyway, Blizzard and Avalanche."
Ninetales blew cold winds at several of the Ultra Beasts while Weavile flung ice rocks at them. They screeched and roared and backed up, but didn't run away.
"Figures," Kamake said. "They're not even smart enough to run away."
She tapped away at a device and an Ultra Wormhole appeared. The Predators, sensing a way back to wherever they came from, took the chance. They dove into the Wormhole and when the last one went through, Kamake closed it.
"Well," she said, turning to face us. "I must be going."
Before we could get a word in, she started walking back towards Malie City.
"She's a weird lady," Robert said. "What was she even doing here?"
I frowned. If Lusamine was letting Ultra Beasts into Alola, why was Kamake sending them back? What side is she truly working for?
"Who knows who?" Hau said. "Now can we get..."
He trailed off when Alex and Lillie turned to glare at him.
"Now ladies," he said, sweating. "What I said, that was, uh, added for effect. Yeah, effect."
Alex and Lillie jumped at him and he went down screaming.
"Note to self," I said, standing next to Robert. "Don't get the girls mad."
He nodded. "Agreed. Should we help him?"
Hau screamed in agony.
"He'll be fine," I said. "Anyway, Rotom!"
He zoomed in front of me. "Yezzz?"
"How long to the next town?"
Rotom showed a map of Ula'Ula. "If you finish walking the rest of Route 11, which is about a half hour away, you'll have a day till you reach the next town."
I nodded. "Gotcha. All we would need to do is rest at the beginning of Route 12, continue on through past Route 13 to the next town and get there by... Nightfall."
Rotom zoomed back into my backpack and I saw that Alex and Lillie were done beating up Hau. "Alright girls. Help Hau to his feet. We're moving out."
As expected, we stopped at the end of Route 11, then woke up to find it almost midday. After that, we reached Tapu Village by the time the moon had started to rise again.
"This place has a creepy aura to it," I commented. "Reminds me of when I spent a week in Lavender Town."
"Who are they?" Hau asked, pointing to a group of people down the street.
I looked and noticed they all wore leather jackets and boots. They looked like a biker gang. When one of them turned their head, I gasped as my blood ran cold.
"It can't be," I breathed.
"What?" Alex asked. "Who is he?"
My shock turned to anger, my blood now boiling. "It's Scourge, leader of the Night Hunters. The one who killed my Charizard and Arcanine."
Ah, things are now falling in place for the upcoming chapters. Everything is being prepared for the wonderful/terrible things to come. Anyway, next chapter might take a bit to come out because I'm redoing my whole room, clearing out junk and rearranging everything. I likely won't find a lot of time to write, but I'm hopeful that it'll still come out in a couple of days. And next chapter is going to be a good one, trust me. So yeah, till next time my faithful readers. Toodles