Illumination at Dusk

The sun had just set completely, leaving the early night behind. The only light was a fading light blue band across the horizon in the western sky. Lan could barely see the outlines of objects, but it wasn't like he actually needed to see anyway. He and his Xatu sat again on the island on Lake Acuity. The water around them was mostly still, a calm splashing noise coming from every direction out of the darkness.

Lan and Xatu had been looking at each other for some time, but now, they finally locked in eye contact, neither of their gazes wavering a bit.

Hello, Chrono.

Hello, Lan.

I've done as you've suggested and obtained the two pokémon eggs.

Very good. Then you are travelling in the correct, Xatu stopped his thought for a few seconds, looking for a word to explain the concept to Lan. It continued, direction.

Yes, I suppose so. Last time we were here, you told me I could not know the purpose of needing the eggs at the time.

And you are wondering if you are ready to continue in this direction?

Yes, I am.

Very well. Give me a moment. The Xatu thought as it closed both eyes.

Lan waited for Xatu in the darkness, patient this time.

After several minutes, Xatu's eyes snapped open, and looked back into Lan's.

Lan, how many regions have you heard of?

Lan was silent for a moment, considering the implications of the question. He responded, Well, there's Sinnoh, and TJ said he'd been to Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Orre. So five regions.

And of those five regions, you've never once left Sinnoh, correct?

Yes, that's true.

Despite your achievements as a trainer, you are still limited in possible knowledge of Pokémon. How much can you truly know about them if you've only seen them in one setting?

Yes, that's an interesting idea. I'd never even considered that.

I have seen what is to come, so I can tell you what your decisions will be, allowing you to make them correctly, and yielding the best possible outcome. Do you understand?

Lan thought about the question, and eventually decided, Yes, I do. What is my course of action?

Xatu didn't say anything for a couple seconds, and then said, In three days, you will be in Violet City, in the Johto region. There you will find a Pokémon school with a piece of knowledge that simply cannot be found anywhere in Sinnoh. You can always choose not to go, of course, but that will result in a very different, less desirable path.

Lan was silent this time, and then spoke using his mouth, "Thank you."

You are welcome. I was meant to tell you this.

Three days? I'm not even sure how far away Johto is. To get there in three days, I'd need to leave Sinnoh-

Xatu thought suddenly, The day after tomorrow.

So tomorrow will be the last day I spend in Sinnoh for awhile... Lan's thoughts became scattered, but he focused and thought, Thank you, Chrono. Travelling to a new region. This will be interesting.

Lan?

Yes, Chrono?

Don't forget to bring the eggs with you.

Lan wondered what Xatu had seen to make it remind him, but instead he thought, I won't.

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there

With a light dusting of snow falling not far away, the very morning air at Lake Acuity seemed to have slowed because of the cold. Nothing appeared to move except for a minute shifting of the surface of the lake, which was itself barely moving unless one paid close attention to it. In the middle of the lake was a conspicuous island with a strange cave, and just outside of this cave sat a Pokémon trainer facing a Xatu. The trainer named Lan was medium height and fairly thin. His hair was a brown and his eyes were a piercing blue, framed by rectangular glasses. Lan was staring into his Xatu's eyes, rarely blinking. The Xatu was staring back at Lan just as motionless. They were both completely still and silent, and yet just by their gaze could speak in a way words cannot.

"I finally have owned every known kind of Pokémon, you know." Lan thought to Xatu.

"Yes, I do. Congratulations."

"I had a feeling you knew. Thank you, I'm just so happy to have done it, it's beyond words."

"Understandably so. It's quite an accomplishment for any trainer."

"Yes, absolutely."

"May I ask why you like coming here?"

"I don't really know, it's just a peaceful place that helps me think for some reason. It's a nice place to be, especially after I've been spending so much time at the Fight Area lately. I can't get as long a winning streak there as I'd like to. Quite frustrating."

"Yes, the Others share your frustration." The Xatu was quiet for a few seconds, and then continued with convinction, "I'm sure you'll get through it, though."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." Lan was silent this time, and the Xatu half-asked half-stated, "There is something else?"

"I just... can't help but wonder what I will do now? There are no Pokémon I haven't owned. There's nothing left to find. I can always breed and raise more powerful Pokémon, but I can't help but wonder what the point of it would be. Does that make sense?"

The Xatu did not speak at first, and then replied, "Yes, I think it does. You have proven yourself in what you consider to be the ultimate goal for a trainer, and now are left without a feeling of purpose, or at least direction."

Lan considered it, "Well put. Yeah, that's pretty much correct."

"I believe I can help with this. Would you like me to see if I can discern the path before you?"

"Yes, please, Chrono. I would appreciate it very much. I'll wait until you're finished.

The Xatu nodded and slowly closed its left eye shut, opening its right eye wide. It was then even more silent and still than before, becoming like a statue. Lan looked away from Xatu's eyes at last, and around at the lake that surrounded him. The water was moving gently in waves going in the same direction, making it seem like it was the island was moving. Lan stood up and turned away from the optical illusion, walking into the cave behind him. Xatu hadn't moved a millimeter.

The inside of the cave was a strange place. It was just a single huge cavern with a depression in the center in the shape of an odd symbol, filled with water. Lan walked right over the puddles into the center of the cavern and stopped. He recalled catching Uxie here, it seemed like forever ago. He thought also of Mesprit and Azelf, of the clash between Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina that he had witnessed, and the incredibly rare legendary Pokémon he had met and caught. He thought back on the Pokémon of incredible power his friend TJ had sent him, and all the trading he had done with his friends he had met all over Sinnoh. He thought back to the tournament he entered in Phenac City in Orre, that even though he had lost, was an incredible competition, more intense than most Pokémon League battles. He thought also of the ones Xatu had called the 'Others', the Pokémon closest to him; Alakazam, Gengar, Metagross, Tyranitar, Umbreon, and Mr. Mime. He remembered raising their parents' parents' parents and hatching them from eggs. Lan lowered his head and smiled.

"It's been such a long journey. Incredible." He thought simply.

Lan grabbed two worn Pokéballs from his belt and threw them out into the cavern. There was a flash of light that made it too bright to see, and then two Pokémon, a Gengar and an Alakazam were standing in the cavern with Lan.

"Cheshire. Casey." Lan thought with an apparent tone of attachment. The Gengar smiled wider, and the Alakazam held its spoons over its head and actually managed to grin.

"I wanted to try something different. You're both so powerful and so fast, but what if you don't spend that power on attacking others, but rather as a medium to build, construct, and shape? Casey, think of a way we can most efficiently allow you and Cheshire to... combine each others attacks without focusing them at anything. Does that make sense?" Alakazam nodded at Lan and then didn't move much for about fifteen seconds. Alakazam looked at Lan, explaining the solution to him in a second. Casey then looked at Gengar, and both Pokémon darted off in opposite directions into the large circular cavern. Lan was in the very center with his Pokémon standing at opposite walls, about forty feet away.

Lan shouted in his head, "Okay! You both can do this, I'm sure of it. Both of you go clockwise in as big a circle as possible, as fast as you can, then use your attack along the path you're travelling on! I want both of you in focus mode! Ready??" The Gengar and Alakazam were both silent, and then by some unhearable cue, both of them simultaneously began speeding along the side of the cavern. They both circled the cavern's edge once, then twice, then three times in a matter of seconds. The Alakazam seemed to be levitating itself just off the ground and moving its own body along with telekinesis to speed itself up. The Gengar also appeared to be levitating and gliding headfirst, without any apparent effort, approximately an inch off the ground, both of them constantly travelling in the same huge circular path. The Pokémon went faster and faster. Soon Lan couldn't look at them without seeing a visable blur.

"Okay, now! Casey, Psychic. Cheshire, Shadow Ball!" Both Pokémon grinned at once and Gengar left an energetic trail of a shadowy blob behind itself. The Alakazam sped through the Gengar's Shadow Ball, using psychic to move the shadow around its own body, and then behind itself, twisting it into shapes and textures that there are no words for. The Gengar also kept moving and added more shadow to the ring around the edge of the cavern. The Alakzam and Gengar continued to travel in the same circle using their strongest attacks on the same place.

"Perfect! Keep going! Faster, and use your other attacks!"

Alakazam added a glowing green energy to the mixture while the Gengar left a trail of electricity and a blue-white flame behind it. The Pokémon moved faster and faster and combined their attacks into a ring more and more. They traveled through each others attacks unscathed, as both Pokémon were powerful, precise and synchronised enough to keep their attacks from actually hitting the other. The noise in the cavern was nearly deafening, indivisible, and while beyond words, can only possibly be compared to white noise.

Lan watched the incredible mass around him grow into a wall covering the sides of the cave from floor to ceiling, and observed the dozen or so colours that could be seen in it. Lan stared into it and his mouth dropped open as he began to say, "How can this be?"

~~~

Lan awoke an hour later outside of the cavern. He stood up and saw his Alakazam and Gengar waiting next to him. He turned to them and thought, "How did I get out here? What the hell just happened?" Gengar and Alakazam did not respond, as if any answer they gave would be completely meaningless.

Lan considered it, and then thought, "That was something I'm not meant to see, or not able to understand... right? "

Gengar and Alakazam both at once gave the slightest of nods.

Lan accepted it, "Okay, I understand, but at some point I would like a better explanation. You both did perfect, thanks so much. Chesire, Casey, return!" Lan held up the two Pokéballs and called the Pokémon back into them. One second later the still-unmoved Xatu opened its eye and looked at Lan. Lan and the Xatu locked eyes as Lan sat again.

"Lan. I have a solution for your dilemma of purpose and path. While you have collected every Pokémon, it is not enough to learn and grow stronger. True learning comes when one teaches. True strength comes from making somebody else stronger."

Lan and the Xatu kept their eyes locked and sat still for a few minutes. Finally, Lan thought, "What do I need to do?"

"Obtain a Wynaut Egg and an Absol egg. Do not hatch either of them. Then, wait."

"For what... purpose?" Lan thought.

"That is not yet for you to know. You knowing now will affect the outcome."

"I do not understand."

"You will."

"Lan looked down, then back up. Okay, I get it. I'll get the eggs. Is there any kind of time limit I should know?"

"Within the next two weeks is the only time these eggs will be relevant and useful. "

"Okay, I understand. Chrono?"

"You're welcome, Lan."

TJ, diye, and the Black Rayquaza. Pt III

On her Pelipper's back, diye floated through the sea towards Sky Pillar. Even though she had begun her day early in the morning, surfing through the ocean towards her destination had taken several hours, and it was now the afternoon. Finally, she saw a massive tower come climbing out of the seas on the horizon, and the tower only got bigger as she got closer. It seemed to grab for the sky, and reach high up into the atmosphere.

She got to the shore of the island, which was unremarkable except for a entrance to a cave. Stepping into the sand, she turned to her Pelipper.
"Good job, Prothero. Return." she said as she raised her Pokéball towards it. A brilliant red beam shot out of the button of the Pokéball and stuck the Pelipper, which turned into a red light and returned to the Pokéball. Putting the ball on her belt, she checked the coordinates and said, "Alright. This is the place. Here we go." diye stepped into the entrance of the cave. She climbed many floors of the dark tower and navigated over dangerous cracks in the floor, which would have sent her tumbling down. The tower seemed to go on forever, but her coordinates said she still had higher to go, so higher she climbed.

Eventually, she got to an entrance that led outside, and when she finally got out, the sun was almost fully set. She was on top of the tower, high above the ocean. On the platform she was on was a large surface littered with massive boulders. She checked the time, and realised it was exactly when the Rayquaza was supposed to land. She ran towards the location, and saw a black figure coiled on the ground that almost seemed to be waiting for her. She had found it.

The Rayquaza's yellow eyes turned to look at her, and the ancient Pokémon let out a piercing cry, as if a challenge. diye shouted, "Rayquaza, I have travelled long and far, and I challenge you to a battle!" She threw a Pokéball to the ground, releasing a Mew. The Mew floated upwards to fight the Rayquaza. "Mew! Do not attack it! Leave everything to me!"
diye threw an ultra ball at the Rayquaza, which pulled the beast inside of it. The ultraball almost instantly broke back open, and the Rayquaza reappeared. It went into a frezy and flew straight for the Mew, using an outrage attack. The Mew fell to the ground, fainted.

diye was shocked. Mew was one of the rarest Pokémon, and despite its appearence was deceptively powerful. This Rayquaza had felled it with a single attack. She realised TJ was right, this Pokémon was strong.

"Mew, return!" She said, recalling the Pokémon. "Then how about... Go, Tommy!" She threw a Pokéball and a Swampert appeared. She had raised this Pokémon from a Mudkip, the Pokémon she had received at the start of her Pokémon journey.
"Tommy, just stay there! Don't attack it!" she yelled to her Swampert. "Go, ultraball!" She threw the ball at the Rayquaza, and the ball sucked the Pokémon inside, only to break open before it had even fallen to the ground. The Rayquaza charged for diye's Swampert just as it had the Mew, and just like Mew, Swampert fainted instantly.

diye was amazed. "Tommy, return!" she yelled while recalling her Swampert. She only had her Pelipper left. "Alright, go, Prothero!"

diye knew that if she tried another ultraball, the Rayquaza would just faint this Pokémon of her's, too. Then she would lose the Rayquaza forever. She knew what she had to do. She pulled the masterball out and extended it to its full size.
"You won't break out of this! You're mine, Rayquaza! Masterball, go!!" diye yelled. She threw the masterball at the Rayquaza and its long black body turned into red light as the masterball hit it. The masterball pulled the light inside and hit the ground. It shook violently, the Rayquaza trying to escape. After what seemed to be an eternity, it stopped and sat motionless on the ground.

diye walked up and plucked the masterball off the ground. She did it. She had caught the legendary shiny Rayquaza.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours later, she landed on the ground in Lilycove city with her Pelipper carrying her. "Prothero, return." she said as she recalled her Pelipper into the safety of its Pokéball. She ran to the motel where she was staying and rushed by the front desk. She hardly noticed the television in the background. She ran up the stairs and into her room, where she quickly dialed TJ's number.

His face appeared on the screen with a smile.
"You've done it, haven't you?" He asked knowingly.

"Yes! I caught it! It was just like you said!" diye said, ecstatic.

"I knew you would. I never doubted you."

"Thank you! I can't believe it, I actually did it!" diye said. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'll transfer it now!"

"There's no need for that, not now. I'd like you to give it to me in person. Besides..." TJ said without finishing.

"Besides... what?" diye asked, dejected, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, no! Not at all! You performed flawlessly, just like I said! However, there's one thing I'd like you to do before returning to Kanto."

"...what? What is it?" diye asked, confused.

"Well," TJ said, "are you familiar with Latias?"

"Not exactly. I know it's a rare dragon and psychic Pokémon that's supposed to be all but impossible to find, let alone catch, but not much more than that." diye responded.

"Good, good. This is what it looks like," TJ said, and an image of a red and white Pokémon appeared on diye's screen"I've heard reports of one flying around Hoenn, and if you're up for it, I'd like to send you on another mission."

"...what do you have in mind?" diye said with a glimmer in her eye.

TJ smiled.

TJ, diye, and the Black Rayquaza. Pt II

diye stepped of the boat onto the dock of Lilycove city. diye was born and raised in Hoenn, and had been to Lilycove city previously during her adventures, but she found herself quietly impressed every time she went. The ocean, the culture, the scenery. The city was beautiful. diye breathed in a breath of the salty sea air and sighed.
"Right. The Cove Lily Motel." she said to herself.

She walked through the city, passing with a large department store, a museum, and finally, the motel, where she was to stay while in Hoenn. She walked into the building and up to the counter of the motel, but there was no one at the counter, though she could hear an indiscernible noise in the back room. She dinged the bell. A voice came from the back room, "Oh, right, sorry!"
A click, the noise stopped, and diye realised it was a television. A man rushed to the counter from the back room.
"Hello! Welcome to the Cove Lily Motel! Would you like a room?" the man asked.
"Yes, please. I'll be here for one week." replied diye.
"Ah, okay!" The man said, "and what brings you to Lilycove? Wait, let me guess... A pretty girl like you? You must be here to do some shopping at the department store! Or maybe you're going to enter a Pokémon contest?" The man said.
"Nope and nope." diye said, a little bit annoyed. She was instructed to not talk to too many people about her mission, but she decided to make an exception, "I've come from Kanto to Hoenn to capture an extremely rare and powerful Pokémon for official research. It's said to be one of the mythological Pokémon that helped form Hoenn, stopping the war between the Pokémon of the land and the Pokémon of the sea. However, this particular specimen is even rarer than that, as it's said to be as dark as the blackest stormcloud. Now, do you have any vacancies?"

diye entered her room after the man sheepishly led her to it.
"Um... and if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to phone the front desk miss-- pardon me. ma'am." The man said and slunk down the hall.
diye closed the door and chuckled to herself. She loved destroying people's perceptions of her if she had been underestimated. She put her bags down and pulled the three Pokéballs off of the pouch on her belt. She didn't carry many of her Pokémon with her, but only because she didn't have to. She has been known to say, "I don't lose battles."
She laid down on the bed for a moment, tired.
"Ugh. I hate long boat rides." she said to herself. Picking up her three Pokéballs, she held them close to her face. "Alright, guys. We can do this. It will be hard, but we've faced worst... I think."

diye put the Pokéballs back in the pouch on her belt and went to the phone in her room. She dialed a number, and it began to ring. The screen turned on, and TJ appeared on the screen.

"Hello? Oh, diye, it's you! You got to Lilycove safe and sound, I see. Was the boat ride alright? Were there any complications on getting settled in?" TJ asked.

"No, nothing I couldn't handle," she said, thinking back to the embarrassed and belittled motel manager.

"Good, that's good. Are you all set and ready to go for tomorrow? That's when you have to be at Sky Pillar, you know." TJ said.

"Yes, I know. I have the information commited to memory as well as the notes you gave me. I'll be just fine." diye said.

"Good, good! I'm sure you'll do just fine, then. You've always been more than capable at everything. Of course, this may be the hardest battle you've ever had. This isn't like catching any other Pokémon, this is much more than that. You've got a big day tomorrow. One that will baffle the other Pokémon professors! And you'll be interviewed by all sorts of magazines about the event, if this goes correctly!" TJ said, clearly excited about what was to come.

"I don't care about publicity or fame. I just want to catch this thing, and for you to study it. I'm doing this for science." diye said calmly.

"Good. That's why you're better than other trainers, diye. You know what really matters. You do everything for all the right reasons. You're going to do great tomorrow."

"Thank you. Wish me luck. I won't let you down. Goodbye, Professor."

"Goodbye, diye."

diye hung up the phone and got into bed. "The hardest battle I've ever had? I hope everything goes well tomorrow." she said nervously.

Back at TJ's Pokémon lab in Kanto, he hung up the phone. A Xatu stood several feet behind his chair. He turned and looked it in the eyes. "You're still certain?" He said towards the Xatu.
It remained motionless.
"Good," he said, "I believe so, too."

TJ, diye, and the Black Rayquaza. Pt I

TJ had been looking for it for a year. All his other research had been halted for the entire time. He heard a rumour of a rare Pokémon, but this was rare even by TJ's standards. He had collected many rare Pokémon throughout his ten years as a Pokémon trainer, but this amazed even him.

For the long year, there had been no news, no sign of it, nothing. Many of his colleagues told him to give up the search; that it wasn't worth his time. This only fuelled him more, though. To prove them wrong, to catch it. The Shiny Rayquaza.

His only proof of its existence was a photo taken by an amateur Pokémon photographer. It was a blurry picture, but still intriguing. It showed a long snakelike figure flying high in the sky. TJ recognised it instantly as a Rayquaza, but while the figure should have been green, it was black. The picture was presented to the scientific community, consisting of some of the best Pokémon professors in the world. It was instantly dismissed as a hoax by the majority, but TJ would not give up so easily. He found the photographer who took its picture and asked him questions about it.

He learned that it could be found at Sky Pillar. TJ had been to Sky Pillar only a few times, but every time he returned with a Rayquaza. But the shiny Rayquaza was special. Different. Rare. Rare even for Rayquaza, which many people thought there was only one. TJ knew better. There was more than one, and he had proof with the few of them he had managed to capture. But the shiny Rayquaza would be invaluable for his research. Alternate-coloured Pokémon were rare enough already, but a shiny legendary Pokémon was a chance he couldn't let slip by.

"diye, are you still willing to go on this trip? It's not too late to decline if you feel that you're not up to it." asked TJ while rummaging through cabinets and drawers in his lab. TJ was a thin young man with short brown hair. Rectangular glasses framed his brown eyes.

diye was a young Pokémon trainer, a teenager, but was quite talented. She had managed to capture Kyogre on her own, and with TJ's help, even managed to find and obtain a Mew. She was fairly tall, and had bright red hair and blue eyes.

"Yes, I still want to do this mission. I realise how important this is. Besides, it's not my first time doing something like this." replied diye.

diye's first mission, when she first became an assistant of TJ, was not an easy one. TJ had, as a sort of initiation, sent her off to find Regice, Regirock, and Registeel. He gave her only a set of coordinates, which seemed to be an unremarkable spot the middle of the ocean west of Pacifidlog town. The puzzle of where to find them was hers alone. She performed flawlessly, capturing all three and returning to TJ within a week.

"True, and your first mission was much more of a puzzle than this. However, none of the trio of Pokémon that you caught can compare to the sheer power of Rayquaza. It's among some of the most powerful Pokémon in our known world. It won't be easy" said TJ.

"I can do it." said diye confidently.

"Alright then. Here's what you have to do. You leave for Hoenn in the morning. I've been monitoring Sky Pillar for a year, and I'm certain the black Rayquaza will be there soon." TJ told her.

"I don't mean to doubt you, but how can you know?" she asked.

TJ glanced at a Pokéball on his desk, containing a Xatu, a Pokémon he'd obtained in Hoenn. He looked back at diye. "The right eye of Xatu."

"Oh, of course. It can see the future, right?" diye responded.

"That's right. It saw the shiny Rayquaza land at Sky Pillar, and that's why you need to leave tomorrow. It will land in only a few days." TJ said.

"I understand. What are my instructions?" the young Pokémon trainer asked.

"I've given you a set of coordinates for longitude, latitude, and altitude, as well as the time it will be there. When it lands, challenge it to a battle--" TJ was interrupted.

"Weaken it and catch it, I know what I'm doing." diye said.

"No, diye. This time is different. You are not to attack it at all. You cannot risk making it faint. I might have been lucky to only have searched for a year to find it. If it faints, there's no guarantee it will even be found again. If you need to, you may use this." Tj said while opening a cabinet. He pulled out a masterball and handed it to diye.

"Is this a masterball?! Where did you even get this?" diye said.

"I've been saving it for a special occasion. I think this qualifies." TJ said. "Now, do you understand your instructions?"

"Yes. I'm ready." said diye.

"Then that's all. You have your instructions. It's in your hands now." said TJ.

diye turned to leave the lab, walked to the door and then stopped. She turned around and said to TJ, "Don't you worry a bit. I won't fail you." and then walked out the door.

TJ glanced again at the Pokéball containing Xatu, and said quietly to himself, "I know."