Landon and Tsuname followed the zombified crowd out of the hotel. Toya remained the only Poke’mon on the outside that didn’t lose her mind. “I wonder where they’re going.” Landon blinked. “If we follow them, we might find out. Are you sure you want to keep going?” Tsuname asked without looking at him. Landon nodded—he could handle anything that came his way. They walked through the Poke’mon Center lobby and out of the front door. The two kids gasped as they gazed at the sight around them; the entire lake area was engulfed in a thin, purple fog. “Murrrkraawww!” “Huh?!” Both Tsuname and Landon glanced up at the sky to see a flock of Murkrow fluttering above loudly. The claw marks in the sky started to glow—they seemed bigger. And the moon had turned a threatening purple as well. “What is going on here? This island is acting crazy!!” Landon exclaimed. “Lan, we’ve got bigger problems.” Tsuname pointed forward. “What?” Landon glanced around him, soon sweating anime style. Just like the breeze, the crowd vanished into thin air. “But-but they were just here! How did we lose them that quick!?” Landon exclaimed. “Well, we wont’ find them just by standing here.” Tsuname turned to him, “Let’s get going, Himura.” “….right!” Landon knelt down and pressed the blue button on the side of his shoes; four in-line wheels appeared on the bottoms in a brisk flash of light.

       Tsuname panted slightly as she ran across the lush grass through the trees. Landon tried his best to skate through the hazy purple fog. The moonlight struggled to force its shine into the darkness but, though it found it difficult, the black claw marks had no problem becoming apparent. The two Origin Wakers made their way down the hill until they slid to a halt at the lake clearing. “Hmm….” Tsuname gazed around the lake area. The murky fog seemed to have avoided even going near the water. Landon frowned as cold chills were sent through his body. “Tsuname, something’s not right here; I’m sensing impending doom.” “We just lost a bunch of people, not chasing a group of vampires.” Tsuname told him. BMMMM-CLBMMMM!! The sound of thunder echoed through the air. A strong gust of wind blew out of nowhere, taking the fog away with it. Landon pushed his bangs away to gaze up at the now clear sky. From the purple streaks above, a tiny but visible black speck of light shot down. It was soon joined by an entire group of Dark Seeds. They all splashed down into the lake water, sending millions of water drops onto the kid’s faces. “What was that?!” Landon asked, brushing the water from his hair. “They looked like those black seeds.” Tsuname stated. The two dared to take a step closer—against their better judgment—and examine the lake. The areas where the Dark Seeds touched began to bubble wildly, smoking like a pot of boiling water. Slowly, shapes started to rise from the active spots. As they grew, they slugged closer and closer towards the bank. Landon gulped as he took a frightened step back, grasping the hilt of his sword. Tsuname treaded backwards also. The aquatic shapes took on a sort of human form; when they stepped onto the grass, it smoked as it was burned away. “Eck!” Landon jumped. The creatures let out a zombie-like moan as they crawled towards the two humans. “Lan—” “Yeah, I know.” Landon frowned, “But I don’t like it.” “Then let’s go!”

       Tsuname and Landon rushed forward towards the liquid creatures. Their bells started to glow and vibrate (Tsuname’s made a noise since Landon’s was a soundless bell).  The zombies let out another moan, but didn’t move any faster. “Explosion Attack!” Tsuname jumped and thrust her hand forward; from her fingers, tiny orange spheres shot out through the air. Once they collided with the water zombies, they exploded in a crackling puff of smoke. “Ohhhnnn!!” More of the walking water beings continued to sluggishly draw closer to them. Landon slid to a halt and pointed his index finger forward. With his other hand, he grasped and pulled back as if he were holding an invisible string to give his position an archer’s appearance. “Bright Jewel Arrows!” From the wind, a group of glowing crystal blue arrows appeared around Landon’s pointed hand. “And fire!” At his command, they bolted into the zombies, causing them to melt. Still, the zombies continued to draw nearer to them. So close, that the two kids had to put their backs to each other. “Lan,” Tsuname looked down to her friend, “Let’s combine our attacks, okay?” “That sounds good.” Landon held his palms parallel from each other; in between, beads of crystal energy gathered together. Tsuname did the same, except that her energy was orange in color. A long wind from their power blew, causing their hair to sway. They both drew back their arms before forcing their attack forward. “Red Bomb Arrow!” They exclaimed in unison. From them, an orange arrow enshrouded by a spiraling, shimmering crystal energy soared through the air. KABOOOOM!! It exploded in a shining fine dust. “That had to work!” Landon stated. But when the smoke cleared, the zombies were still coming. “Mu-uu-dkip!” Toya shook out of fear and gripped her trainer’s hair. By now, the attackers had them completely surrounded. “We’re done for!” “We’ll have to force our way through, then.” Landon drew his sword and held it to the side. He closed his eyes and concentrated immensely on transforming it into his most powerful weapon, the Shikon Subeta (translated, it means Fang Sword). A line of crystal light traveled gradually along the entire sword form the hilt to the blade tip. As it did so, the reverse-blade sword became a wooden, rod-like Japanese sword known as a bokutou. On it were several different markings that glowed in three different colors. Landon opened his eyes and gripped the Fang sword with both hands; the entire sword radiated with a red-colored aura. “Cherry Flame Burst!!” His own fang vibrated as he brought the wooden sword to the ground; a burst of fiery red energy spiraled across the grass and forced its way through the zombie wall. Anything that was in its way was incinerated at once. The attack rushed all the way to the lake and steamed away from hitting the water. Now, there was a slight parallel clearing for them to use. “Let’s move!” Landon shouted. Tsuname didn’t hesitate to dart down across the grass, followed by her young friend. They burst out of the group of attackers and darted along the banks of the lake. “Ohaaaaaannn!!” The zombies moaned as the shuffled after their prey. Tsuname rushed across the grass into the trees of the lake with Landon right on her heals. Their footsteps splashed loudly splashed loudly in the seemingly empty night. Landon could both hear and sense the zombies shuffling after them. He dared to glance back to see the creatures sprinting with their arms flailing limply. “How in the heck do we get—” SPWAAA!! Suddenly, Tsuname felt the ground cave in beneath her; the next thing she knew, she was tumbling down really fast. “Tsune—meeeeeee!” Landon wailed as she took a tumble down into the hole as well. The wind rushed against his and Toya’s faces. He could barely see Tsuname, who unlike him, was falling in circles. The rock of the pitfall swiftly turned from its dirty wet brown to a cool blue.

 

       “Oof!” “Ack!” “Kip!” the two kids and Poke’mon hit the ground on their bottoms harshly. Pain shot through them sharply for a minute. “Ohhh…” Landon winced, clenching his teeth. Tsuname rubbed her back as she let her eyes wander around. They had fallen into a blue kind of cavern deep underground. The hole they had fallen through was so long, they could barely see the top. She couldn’t see any of those water zombies following them down, but wasn’t going to chance letting her guard down. A cool breeze blew against the human’s hair as she continued to search around. When she glanced to the distance in front of her, a giddy look spread on her face. “Oooo!” She drooled a little. “Tsune, what’s up?” Landon blinked at her. “Oh, my,” Tsuname pointed forward. Landon glanced to the side, “….huh?” His eyes widened a little. Sitting before them, shimmering brightly, was a mounding trove of treasure. Coins upon coins of gold and silver were stacked against the wall. Rubies and Sapphires that were polished to perfection embellished the corner of pearls. From diamonds to emeralds, the trove was a treasure hunter’s food for the pocket. “Oh yeah—that’s a trove!” Tsuname greedily crawled across the ground over to the pile of shimmering bounty; she jumped into it, swimming and tossing the treasure up. “I can’t believe that lecherous old man was right—this is amazing!” She exclaimed. Landon got to his feet and frowned; he couldn’t quite explain it, but he could feel an impending doom drawing closer to them. He slowly started forward while watching his friend admire the precious stones. Toya clambered onto his shoulder to keep from straying in the least from her trainer. “Tsune…I don’t like this; there’s something wrong here.” He voiced. “Oh, stop being so paranoid.” Tsuname said, grinning at their find. Landon reached to pick up one of the coins and eyed it suspiciously. By looking at the toad picture on its face, he could tell that a coin collector would go crazy over something so rare. But still, he couldn’t shake that troublesome feeling. “Hmmmm…” SHWEAA! Suddenly, the coin’s eyes glowed an angry crimson and its teeth became jagged and bared. “Huh!” Landon’s and Toya’s eyes widened; in a split second, a blackish, liquid-like substance shot from it and grasped the Crystal Bell. “Hey, let go of it!” Landon cried, struggling to try and pull the coin away. The liquid’s strong grip clenched the bell tightly, failing to yield in the slightest. There was a shrill cry from Tsuname; all of the coins and jewels she was once swimming in were now a puddle of black liquid, trying its best to engulf her. All too lately, Landon realized that the treasure room was actually a trap. “That old man set us up!” He shouted, trying to keep the goop from choking him with the bell’s strap. “We should’ve known better than to listen to a complete stranger! The money isn’t worth it!” Tsuname growled. “Mudkip!” Toya tried to help her trainer by crawling along his arm and pulling the bell from the substance as well. Landon clenched his teeth and fell down to one knee; the coin was cutting off his air circulation with each tug it gave. He had to do something about it quick, or else there would be one less trainer in the world. “Grrr!!” Landon gripped the Fang Sword harder, causing it to spiral with a blue wind; with a quick swing, he hacked the liquid into two pieces. CLING! The coin clattered to the ground from his hand. The liquid bubbled into a hot smoke, blowing out into the air. “Ahh—” Tsuname’s body became swallowed up by the liquid. “Tsuname, hang on!” Landon raised his sword over his head. A spiraling wind—his element—swirled around his weapon.  He was about to rush forward and free his friend, when he stopped in his tracks. The liquid that encased his friend started to glow a dim red in the middle. Instantly, he recognized it as Tsuname’s power. “Explosion….Attack!!” KABAAAAN! Tsuname’s energy attack erupted in a light explosion and sent the liquid sprawling everywhere. “Ack!” Toya ducked to avoid getting hit by a fly-by shot. Tsuname panted  to try and replace the oxygen she had lost. “That’s….it—we’re….getting outta’ here….now!” She said in a broken sentence. “Ohhhannn!” A group of moans sounded into their ears. The spots of black liquid rippled wildly, all of which were echoing with the same zombish moans. Landon and Tsuname clenched their fists as the puddles slowly rose to take form; first, the legs formed, followed by the torso and the arms. The rest of their form rose up to completion. Now, there were millions of the water zombies looming around the entire area—they were trapped with no way to get out! “What’re we gonna’ do?” Tsuname growled.

       Landon reached to his belt and pulled off a poke’ball. He held it out and pressed the button in the middle. “Let’s go, Bayleef!” he called. The ball didn’t release Landon’s Poke’mon at once like it usually did, but rather sparked with a purple energy. “Mud!” Toya’s body went tense and alert as if she had been shocked into a trance. All of Landon’s poke’balls started to spark wildly as well. “What the—? What’s going on here?” Landon frowned. Tsuname’s poke’ball that held Starmie started to spark and she brought it up to her for a better look. SPAAA!! “Hah!” In bright flashes of light, the poke’balls burst open, calling all of the kid’s Poke’mon. Bayleef, Trapinch, Volbeat, Tambourine, and Raichu stood with their backs to their trainer. “….what’s up? Are you okay?” Landon started towards his Poke’mon slowly. “Bay!” Bayleef whirled around at him with an angry look on her face; the expression caused Landon to stop in his tracks. Something about it made him feel uneasy. Tambourine and Raichu turned to him too, followed by Trapinch and Volbeat. “Mudkip!” Toya jumped down from her trainer’s head and joined her Poke’pals. “Toya…” Landon reached out to touch her cheek. But before he could get close, a chill ran through his body; he was forced to draw back immediately. Never in his life had he felt his Poke’mons’ spirits so cold and distant from him. The warmth that he usually felt from them was now completely gone. The Crystal Bell around Landon’s neck started to glow and he could see a blackish-purple aura around his Poke’mon—the same aura of Team Subject’s Poke’mon! “What’s wrong with them?” Tsuname gave a serious frown at Starmie. The Poke’mon growled dangerously at the humans as if they were going to attack. The water zombies slowly crept towards them with their arms outstretched. They were cornered, out-numbered, and unable to defend themselves. Landon and Tsuname backed into each other with their teeth clenched, sweating. Their hearts beat against their rib cages faster and faster with each second. The closer their enemies got, the more they started to sweat nervously. “Kuuuuu!!” “Squaaaaa!” BAANNN!! Suddenly, a stream of ice and fire shot through the roof and hit the ground around Landon and Tsuname, forcing their attackers back a little. The two elements spiraled and circled with each other before colliding and evaporating into a thick steam. “What in the heck?” Landon squinted his eyes to try and see through the evaporation. From above, two figures dropped down from the hole above. Landon tried to make out their silhouetted figures—they seemed so familiar. One figure was quadruped with a long, flowing mane. Even through the steam, the crystal on its head still glimmered. The other figure didn’t even touch the ground; it kept its body afloat by flapping its wings. Its flaps caused the steam to slowly drift out through the holes in the underground. When everything was clear, their true forms were revealed. Landon’s and Tsuname’s eyes widened a little bit. Standing before them were none-other than the legendary Poke’mon Suicune and Ho-oh. Given his current situation, Landon couldn’t help but think about how rare of a treat it was to be so close to two legendary Poke’mon bound with the tendency to run from any and all human contact. “Get on, quickly!” Suicune voiced without moving its mouth. Landon—who was still a little shocked—deduced that they spoke via mind speech. The two kids just stood there at first out of surprise. “Hurry—we don’t have much time!” Ho-oh stated. Tsuname shook off her look, growled, and darted towards Ho-oh. “Let’s go, Lan; we’ll have to run for now.” “No way—I won’t leave my Poke’mon!” Landon exclaimed. Suicune made an advance towards him and motioned for him to jump on his back. Its crimson eyes looked sincerely into Landon’s stubborn sapphire eyes. He couldn’t just leave his Poke’mon and not find out was wrong. He wanted to find out and fix it. But Suicune’s expression begged him to follow. “Please—we need you.” It said. Landon frowned at the spot he was put in. He didn’t know whether to trust Suicune or say in the cavern. “Landon—!” “Wraaa!” “Kuuu!!” Suicune opened its mouth and fired a frigid beam of energy; the attack whizzed right by Landon’s cheek and struck a zombie behind him, encasing it in ice. “Let’s go!” Suicune bit Landon’s shirt collar and tossed him up onto his back. Landon landed softly, but firmly onto its feathery fur. It’s purple mane swayed no higher than his shoulder. Ho-oh, who was carrying Tsuname, let out a squawk as it flapped its majestic wings. Lifting into the air, it soared through the hole they had created earlier. Suicune barked, jumping up the side of the wall with little effort. Like the wind, it drifted up through the hole, leaving the zombies and Poke’mon back into the cavern.

 

       Ho-oh soared deftly through the night sky with Tsuname holding tightly onto its feathers. As it flew, it left a rainbow trail of light behind it. Suicune darted across the tree tops as light as a feather without even making the leaves move much. The orchid claw marks shone vividly in the black, starry night sky. Landon and Tsuname gazed down at the land below them, both sporting angry expression. They could see lots of purple specks of light—possibly the aura’s of the strange Poke’mon. What ate at Landon the most was that six of those lights were his friends. “You can see them, can’t you?” Suicune asked. “Huh?” Landon blinked at it. “The Poke’mon with the dark auras’ you two can see them perfectly well?” “Yeah….” Landon voiced. “We’re so glad you two of all humans on this island are safe.” Ho-oh spoke through the kids’ psyche. “Safe? What do you mean by that?” Tsuname blinked. “We mean that you’re the only ones who escaped the recent rain of Dark Seeds.” Suicune answered her, “Allow me to explain briefly. Dark Seeds are tools used to control Poke’mon using the power of shadows. By disrupting a Poke’mon’s natural balance, it becomes a complete and loyal slave as long as the seed is embedded inside its body. This allows the one who created them to control their every aspect—including the ability to evolve them.” “No way!” Tsuname gasped. “It gets worse; the seed can grow, and once they bloom into Somber Blossoms, the infected Poke’mon can’t be saved.” Suicune finished. Landon let out a frown; not only was the thought of making Poke’mon zombie slaves sickening, but the one behind it was also toying with his Poke’mon. “This is all apart of Niotra’s plan to revive the shadow that once threatened to destroy this island. The minute he realized that you two were Origin Waker, he sent Team Subject and his minions to try and destroy you.” Ho-oh said. “Dr. Niotra is behind all of this? But why does he need to infect the Poke’mon and humans with Dark Seeds?” Landon growled. He felt pretty dumb allowing the old doctor to slip right under his nose. “Somehow…Niotra is accustomed to the ancient times of Northside Island. Spreading Dark Seeds spreads his control. He’s obviously trying to control every aspect of the world.” Ho-oh stated. “Landon, do you have the Rainbow Wing with you?” “This thing?” From his backpack, Landon withdrew the shimmering multi-colored feather. The wind tired to blow it from his firm grip. Suicune landed onto the ground; the area that once was a sea of trees was now a vast field of grass and rocks. “No matter what, do not let anyone else touch that feather or your Crystal Bell. As long as you hold them safe, mine and Suicune’s power will always be within your reach.” Ho-oh said. Tsuname gazed up at the stars above and gave a light sigh, “There are so many Poke’mon who are infected out there….” “Which is why we need your help. In the ancient past, Poke’mon have always been able to rely on Origin Wakers to help them in life-or-death situations. Can we ask you children to help us?” Suicune asked them. Landon gazed down at the Rainbow Wing. If he wanted any chance at saving his Poke’mon, this was it. All of his friends were counting on the destruction of the Dark Seeds—counting on him and Tsuname to defeat Dr. Niotra. Closing his eyes, he replaced the Rainbow Wing in his backpack. “I’ll do it…for my friends!” “And you can count me in, too!” Tsuname exclaimed. “Then we have to hurry to Kita Tower!”



       A swirling rush of wind flowed behind Suicune as it raced across the island trail. Ho-oh’s wings left streaks of Rainbow light while it soared like a jet through the claw-streaked sky. The two legendary Poke’mon raced towards the gigantic tower that resided in the very middle of the island. The moon gleamed against the metallic structure brightly. “There’s no doubt that Dr. Niotra is controlling the output of Dark Seeds from that tower. We’ll get you to the inside safely.” Suicune said. Landon gripped its fur tightly as it picked up speed. Suicune was so fast—it was running as swiftly and lightly as the wind itself! BBBLLLLL! “Huh?” Landon and Tsuname glanced upwards; the sky rumbled before raining with a million purple specks of light. The Dark Seeds streamed through the air like miniature comets in an attempt to hit the travelers below. “Oh-no; Niotra must be trying to hit Landon and Tsuname!” Ho-oh gasped. “Landon—whatever you do—don’t let go!” Suicune gave him little warning; Landon gripped the canine Poke’mon’s fur as it literally turned into a large wisp of wind. It darted in between the millions of Dark Seeds that pelted the ground. Ho-oh’s body lit up and reflected the seeds away from it. They both forced their way through the raining attack fiercely and deftly. As the drew closer to their destination, a purple misty wall formed in front of the large tower. Not even the spotlights could pass through the non-permeable force that had risen. “That’s a….an energy barrier!” Landon stated as the wind blew in his face. “Don’t worry; while Suicune and I are in our Legendary Body forms, we can run right through it.” Ho-oh said. It and Suicune darted towards the barrier without even slowing down; they passed through smoothly with very little resistance. “Whoa!” Landon glanced back at the barrier for a second, impressed. Suicune’s body returned to its normal state and it slid to a halt besides the steps leading to Kita Tower’s double entrance doors. Ho-oh landed beside Suicune softly. Landon jumped onto the ground and gazed up at the high tower. He could sense a strong power emanating from the very top. There was no doubt about it in his mind that Dr. Niotra was there. “Let’s go—we don’t have time to waste.” Tsuname said, jumping off of Ho-oh. She and Landon lead the run up the steps; the two grasped the handles and pulled on the heavy doors. They made a creaking sound as they slowly opened up. Landon walked inside first, examining the dimly lit lobby. The vast inside was made completely of marble. Paintings and sculptures of various Poke’mon embellished the room. The titles were marked with white suns and black moons. At the end of the north wall was another pair of doubles doors—one being an elevator and the other being the blockade to the stairway. Suicune stepped up to Landon’s side and glanced around as well. SHKRRCHZZZ! The sound of a speaker echoed throughout the area. The four got on their guards, ready for anything that came their way. “You are a bunch of fools to think you could stand up against my Dark Seed army! You’ll never make it to the top in time.” A voice sounded from the speaker. “We’ll just see about that! I’ll meet you at the top!” Landon exclaimed. “Hmmmm….” Tsuname stepped up to the elevator and read the sign beside the controls, “…..this elevator only takes us halfway up the tower. We need to get up to the speed elevator to make it to the top.” She said. “Well let’s hurry up—I’ll show Dr. Niotra what happens to people when they mess with Toya or any of my friends!” Landon stepped up to the control panel and pressed the up button. Suddenly, the panel started to spark; shots of electricity flew at them wildly. “The elevator’s no good—” “We’ll have to take the stairs.” Suicune nodded its head towards the double doors leading to the staircase. Landon frowned—Niotra would have to make this difficult! But taking the stairs was better than being stuck at the bottom. “Let’s go!” Landon wrenched the doors to the stairs open and rushed in, followed by Tsuname, Suicune, and Ho-oh.



       Unlike the rest of the building, the staircase had lights strung all around the entire upwards stretch. The steps ascended to the top along the wall in a cubical fashion. Landon’s, Tsuname’s, and Suicune’s foot (paw and claw) steps echoed as they beat against the stairs. Ho-oh would’ve flown if it could, but the hallway was way too narrow for its wings to spread out properly. So instead, it trotted at the end of the line. Landon panted lightly, a little tired from all the running he had done that night. He was determined to catch Dr. Niotra and show him what for. “….huh?” Not slowing down, Landon glanced at his feet; he could’ve sworn he felt the platform underneath him shift. KABLAAM! “Haaah!” Another firm stop caused the step beneath to crumble into the air. Suicune grasped Landon’s shirt with is mouth and stopped him from falling down to the floor below. “Hang on tightly!” Without warning, Suicune started to leap up the different levels of stairs; each step crumbled once it was touched. Ho-oh, with Tsuname on its back, used its powerful talons to follow its partner in a series of its own jumps. The legendary Poke’mon hopped the entire way up the staircase. As they ascended, Landon could sense the source of energy from the top draw closer. They came to a stop on a narrow platform that was just wide enough to fit all of them on. “Thanks, Suicune,” Landon jumped off and stepped in front of the elevator door. He neared his finger to the button carefully—the last thing he wanted was another sparking elevator. Bing! The elevator tone beep. There was a mechanical moving sound as the speed elevator made its decent downwards. In less than a few minutes, the steel double doors slid open, revealing a glass elevator. “The speed elevator leads directly to the top. Ands since there aren’t any stairs between this floor and the peak, we have no choice but to take it.” Ho-oh said. Landon stepped in first and prodded the only button on the inside. The doors shut behind Ho-oh before the entire elevator moved upwards. As they rode, Landon gazed out of the window. He could see the entire island below. It was sad to see such a beautiful island in turmoil like this. Even the sea churned at the events going on. “But once this elevator stops, I’ll get my friends back no matter what!” He thought to himself. The elevator came to a stop and his heart gave an excited jump. This was it—there was no turning back now.

       The double doors slid open slowly to reveal a very large room. It was very dark inside. All of the walls except for the north wall were made of glass, only allowing the purple light of the night inside. Landon’s Crystal Bell and Tsuname’s Amber Bell shone their colors in the dark. Landon stepped inside with a frown. “Okay, Dr. Niotra; this game has strung along far enough. Show yourself, now!” He exclaimed. His voice echoed all around the darkness. “You know, you’re beginning to be a thorn in my side, Landon Himura. A thorn that must be plucked immediately.” Dr. Niotra’s voice sounded from, seemingly, all around. Landon clenched his fists and teeth, “You coward! You have my Poke’pals hostage and I want them free. I can either fight you, or you can make this easy!” He exclaimed angrily. “Not to mention we’ll be behind him, too!” Tsuname stated and the two Poke’mon nodded. “….a match sounds good. I accept your challenge.” SNAP! A purple spotlight shown at the opposite end of the room. Dr. Niotra’s cape swayed  in the nothingness and his white suit was tinted with orchid from the light. He folded his arms and grinned. “Your timing couldn’t have been better. Tsuname Kashu; Landon Himura—I have sealed your doom! Aha-ha-ha-ha!” The old man let out a sinister laugh. “The longer you prolong this, the worse I’ll punish you. Show me my friends!” Landon cried. “As you wish,” Dr. Niotra held up his hand and snapped his fingers. At that, all of the dim, purple lights around the room flashed to life, illuminating some of the shadows of the room. They danced along the night blue carpet, revealing a sight that made Landon sick to his stomach. The room, which was much more vast than it appeared to be with the lights off, was filled with the hosts of the Dark Seeds. Both humans and Poke’mon sported purple-black auras. May and Zeru; Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny; even Yoshimari and Tsubimi of Team Darkhorn were amongst the crowd. He eyed his Poke’mon with a pang of guilt and anger. Part of the entire island and their Poke’mon was crammed into one room. Landon and Tsuname could see that some of the auras were red and black verses purple and black—and Toya’s was one of them!



       “So, how do you like my collection? I’m very proud of it myself.” Dr. Niotra spoke, “An entire island army that hang on my every whim—” “Poke’mon and humans are not your whim!” Landon exclaimed angrily. Dr. Niotra just gave a grin, “I don’t expect such a young boy to understand the fine structure of my plan. Though, you should think before you act out against me. Humans are so hypocritical—you’re trying to stop me from catching Poke’mon with Dark Seeds when your goal as a Poke’mon trainer is to catch them all. Our methods are different, but we are still catching them against their wills; like caged animals; survival of the fittest.” At that, Landon hid his eyes underneath his bangs. Niotra was right—when trainers catch Poke’mon, they’re normally too weak to fight back. Trainers don’t even take the time to think if the Poke’mon is happy the way it is….they just capture them. “Don’t listen to him, Lan. You love your Poke’mon too much—you’re different!” Tsuname stated. “On another note; Poke’mon battle each other to become stronger. My Dark Seeds help them by increasing their power.” Dr. Niotra held up his right fist and opened it; from his palm, a flower with spiraling purple petals blossomed from its dark seed shell. It glowed with a scary red and black aura. “And my Somber Blossoms—which have sprouted in your first Poke’mon I might add—will make Poke’mon invincible and under my control. After all, Poke’mon are just tools for war, and the promise of power just makes them even stronger—” “Shut up!” Landon shouted, “My Poke’mon are my friends. I know so because each of their spirits have once communed with my own. You and I are very different—Poke’mon are not tools for your war against the world!” “Why don’t you stop being a coward and fight us yourself?!” Tsuname stepped up, clenching her fists. “No matter what, we’ll stop you!” Suicune stated. “You won’t get away with controlling innocent minds!” Ho-oh cried. “Insubordinate fools! You can’t overcome the power of the Dark Seeds, nor can you keep me from controlling the world with them! Attack, my soldiers!” Dr. Niotra snapped his fingers again; the wall behind him faded into a swirling liquid-like substance. With little effort, he leapt backwards and vanished into the substance.

       The Dark Seed hosts—with Toya in the lead—growled at the group of four. “Landon, there’s no way we can fight them.” Tsuname said. “Then I’ll have to try and purify them all.” Landon withdrew his sword and, at once, it changed into the Fang Sword. “But there’s way too many; we’ll have to stop it at the source.” Suicune stated. Outside, the sea started to churn even more, sending waves crashing into the banks of Northside Island.



THIS IS THE END OF PART 6. SEE YA' IN PART 7!!