Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 97 - Reaching Out

A great Titan towered over the forest, charging a Shadow Blast. Anam was all too familiar with the attack; it was a signature, powerful technique that all basic Titans shared.

It fired; Anam countered with a sigh, which unleashed a halfhearted, indigo, yet radiant blast of his own. The light of his attack cut through the strike and split the blast across the empty fields of purple grass behind him. When the attack faded, Anam fired again and blasted the Titan directly, knocking its front half into pieces. He closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. Please, have a moment of peace.

The rest of the body went limp, countless Void Shadows scattering in all directions.

Anam watched them go, a few of them firing parting shots of darkness toward him, but a barrier of light dissipated all but the strongest ones, which lightly stung his amorphous body.

The Goodra then advanced, his horns drooping, with slow steps.

Anam, you should hurry, a voice called within him.

"I'm sorry, Jam-Jam" Anam said, taking a breath. "I don't like hurting them."

I understand. But please, before Dark Matter gets to the town. You can feel him getting closer, can't you?

"Mhm. Okay."

And talk to us mentally when you go in there, James chided. You want to convince them to evacuate, not that you're crazy.

"Okay."

Perhaps, a new voice said, this time of his mother, you should start practicing that now.

Okay.

It was a miracle that he had company at all. Dark Matter had claimed so many spirits within his core, but James and Madeline, his parents, he was able to wrest back. But so many of the others were still somewhere in the Voidlands, either as Void Shadows, or frightened spirits trying to live their sad lives.

Anam shook his head—bad thoughts. He shouldn't focus on that. He had to save them. He could save them! He just... needed to find the others. Defeating Dark Matter wasn't something he alone could do, after all. It was too bad he couldn't get to Necrozma immediately, not with the power he had now.

"Just a little more," Anam said, leaping into the air and flying forward. Even in the Voidlands, under Dark Matter's domain, he still had some of his Mystic power manifesting. Just ahead, Anam saw a great spire jutting out of the dead forest, as well as several Pokémon flying overhead. Good, they spotted him.

Less good, they were firing at him.

Twirling to the left, Anam easily dodged a Hyper Beam, and then another barrel roll left him only grazed by an Ice Beam. Then came the great charge from the spire itself, energy concentrating at the tip in a fine, bright point. Anam held his hand forward.

A beam of energy, another high-powered Hyper Beam, cut across the trees, incinerating the tips off the branches it touched, but Anam knew how to manipulate crystal energy. He deflected it to the left, where it sliced through the forest and left a messy, smoldering gash in the trees. That left the scouts panicking; they must have expected it to be a direct hit.

"Wait!" Anam shouted, but his voice didn't carry far. He flew faster, but then wobbled in the air—he was using his power too much. It was so strange to not have Dark Matter powering him anymore.

Be careful, Anam, Madeline said.

Sorry.

He landed a few paces from what he thought was the town's entrance. Within seconds, scouts surrounded him, using the gnarled trees as cover.