Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 33: Jacob

I awoke with a yawn. I was in my bed, in the same room I had shared with Pixie for so long... It had been nearly a week since the mutiny against Archie. No-one knew what I had done, and it still gave me nightmares.

Before Glair, Tertle and I had returned to the guild Simipour had left. He had completely disappeared; no Pokémon knew where too. Since then I had taken over as leader, everyone looked to me for guidance. I have no idea what to do, but I'm trying my best.

I walked from my room, several Pokémon greeted me as I passed, I nodded in response and continued. I ate breakfast before going to what had been Simipour's office. It now served as a meeting room for my inner circle which consisted of; Glair, Tertle and Sheldon.

Sheldon had evolved into a Bastiodon, and he had trained up a young Misdreavus to take over sentry duty. The small ghost-type could sneak up on anyone and detect things the steel-type Pokémon couldn't.

I entered my office and stopped at a table looking down upon a map of the Ardua region. Everyone in the guild knew what was happening now. I'd explained all about the Shadow Crystal and that we needed the Tears of Princes to stop it, but I had no idea where to find the Tears.

Exploration teams had been going out every day, searching far and wide, but nothing was found. Sheldon, Glair and Tertle knocked once before coming in.

We all stared at the map, Glair just sighed; "Find anything yet?"

I groaned, "not yet Glair."

"This is boring, I miss exploring, remember our first adventure? That was fun."

"Fun? What was fun about it?"

"Being chased by people, seeing the temple the Prince built, you and Pixie sleeping together."

Sheldon's massive jaw hit the floor, Tertle chuckled, I went redder than a Flareon.

"That's out of context!" I protested.

Sheldon took a moment, found his voice and then; "Uh, a Temple built by a Prince, doesn't that sound like a place we should be looking?"

My mouth dropped, I glared at Glair, she just looked at me innocently and asked; "What?"

Tertle 'Hm'd'. "H'm, so Glair was right, we didn't find anything then, but now it's possible that we missed something, and we need to go back for it."

Glair fell over laughing. I face-pawed.

"Glair, Tertle, get out to Madeira Desert, investigate the Temple. Find a way in."

Tertle raised the obvious question.

"What if it's not there?"

I sighed, and my ears drooped. "It has to be there, I don't know what to do if it's not."

Tertle nodded and they walked from the room closing the door after them.

I studied the map a moment more. Then walked out; "Sheldon, there's something I need to do, you're in charge while I'm gone."

"Uh, sure boss."

*****

I'm here. The Utrola highlands, hidden somewhere amongst the ancient plains lay the Utrola Ruins; A series of underground tunnels which branched across Ardua. Somewhere in the ruins lay a large amount of Dark Energy. The same energy held by the Shadow Shard.

The Shadow Shard... It's dark power, I could feel it. Archie thought he knew the potential it possessed, he barely scratched the surface. He never knew that once touched by the crystals power, it doesn't all leave. Rather it still exists within you and I could feel it.

The evil within me, I could feel it, it was reaching out, trying to gather more power from the other Shadow Shards. It had led me here to the South-Western plains of Ardua.

The energy trail was almost like a tangible substance, I could feel it around me and in me. I followed it deep into the highlands and then into the Ruins. The ruins were cold and empty, there was no life here, something about this place was... wrong.

I journeyed deeper into the ruins until finally, I arrived in a large cavern, Shadow Shards were everywhere, they glittered underfoot, shone overhead and sparkled in the walls. In front of me was a small altar. Stairs led upwards to a rectangular platform. Behind the altar was the rock wall of the ruins, it looked as if something had been torn free wall. Something large, that never should have been moved.

"So, it's you."

I jumped and spun towards the voice. The Pokémon in front of me had a look of neutrality, his face gave away no emotion. Shadows flickered off him, they danced around him. Were they shadows or his body, it was impossible to tell.

Marshadow.