The chaos was gone.
In its place came stillness.
Riverleaf's once-peaceful evening air now held the scent of burned soil, blood, and herbs crushed beneath frantic footsteps. All across the field, villagers moved quietly, tending to the injured. Pokémon, too, lay in makeshift cots bandaged, exhausted, twitching in their sleep.
Shion sat alone on the porch of his home, his right arm wrapped tightly in cloth soaked with salve. Dried blood still streaked his cheek, but he barely noticed it.
His gaze was on the stars.
The sky was vast, deep, and indifferent. The same sky that hung above the capital, above the wild forests, above places Shion had never seen and perhaps never wanted to see.
At his feet sat Arceus, in his now all-too-familiar Bidoof body. For once, the god said nothing.
A soft breeze passed through the village. Somewhere far off, a Tauros cried in pain. Lantern light flickered against the windows of the nearby huts. Behind them, the sound of whispered prayers and murmurs filled the air.
"Kiba's still out," Shion said, finally breaking the silence.
"He needs rest," Arceus replied, his voice soft. "What he did… that form… it takes a toll."
Shion looked down. "What was that form?"
Arceus turned his round eyes toward the horizon.
"That," he said, "was a rare evolution of the Rockruff species. A Dusk Lycanroc. It can only occur during a narrow window of time, and even then, only with Rockruff that possess a particular kind of spirit... one that's endured powerful emotional bonds."
Shion blinked. "I thought Rockruff only evolved into Midday or Midnight forms."
"They usually do," Arceus said. "But your partner… he's different."
They sat in silence.
Shion slowly lifted his wrapped arm, wincing as he moved it. The pain was sharp, but distant—muted beneath the grief pressing on his chest.
He looked to Arceus again.
"That Ursaring… did it go berserk because you weren't here to keep the world in balance?"
Arceus stared at the dirt.
"I can't say for certain," he said. "But the world is losing balance. Without me in my true form… things I once kept in harmony have begun to unravel. Some Pokémon are changing. Growing unstable. Ferocious."
A long pause.
"It's like… something is whispering to them. Stirring them from within."
Shion didn't respond.
He simply watched the stars.
And so did Arceus.
Neither of them said another word for the rest of the night.
---
Edge Ravelle forest
Near Ravelle Royal Academy
Moonlight cut through the trees, casting long shadows on the scorched forest floor.
A dozen Pokemons Arbok , Ariados, Pangoro lay unconscious in the dirt. Some twitched, others groaned. All bore one terrifying trait in common:
Crimson eyes.
Before them stood a unit of armored knights, silent and stern. Their Pokémon stood ready Bisharp, aggron, Braviary, and others.
But it was the woman at the center who drew all attention.
She stood tall, clad in silver-white armor with the royal crest of Ravelle etched onto her pauldrons. Her long, silver-white hair fluttered in the wind. A Gallade stood beside her, its blades glinting under the moonlight.
She surveyed the defeated Pokémon with narrowed eyes.
"Report," she commanded.
A knight stepped forward, saluting. "Commander Seris, this area's wild Pokémon began displaying violent behavior approximately a weeks ago. Locals claimed they were acting erratically—attacking without reason. Crimson glow in the eyes. No provocation."
Seris remained silent.
The knight hesitated, then added, "One student from the Academy was found dead this morning. Body torn apart near the western grove. No time to react. We believe it was an ambush."
A hush fell over the unit.
Seris stepped forward, boots crunching over broken branches. She knelt beside a fainted Arbok, examining its glazed-over eyes.
Red still lingered beneath the lids.
"This is the third zone to report crimson-aura Pokémon," she muttered. "Whatever this is… it's spreading."
Her Gallade made a low noise, as if sensing something far more ominous in the shadows.
"Signal the capital," Seris ordered. "And triple the border patrols. I want the forest sealed off to all civilians. Anyone caught inside remove them by force if needed."
She rose, staring into the darkness of the trees.
"Something is coming," she whispered. "And it's not stopping."
---
Riverleaf Village
The smell of bitter herbs and drying blood hung in the room.
Shion sat beside his father's bed.
The older man lay motionless under a thick wool blanket, breathing shallowly, his face pale and lined with pain. Where his left leg had once been, only wrappings remained.
His mother stood near the window, wringing her hands.
Miya sat quietly in the corner, hugging her knees. Her eyes were red. She hadn't spoken much since the night before.
Shion reached out and took his father's hand.
"You saved the village," he said softly. "You told me to protect them. You did that too."
His father didn't answer.
But his fingers twitched.
Shion smiled weakly, his throat tightening.
"You'll be okay," he whispered. "I know you will."
The door creaked open behind him.
Arceus padded in, silent.
"You should rest too," his mother said gently. "You're still hurt."
"I know," Shion replied. He stood, walking to the door. "I just… needed to see him."
They stepped outside into the cool evening air.
The stars were back.
And so was the silence.
But it wasn't peaceful anymore.
It felt like a silence before the storm.
"Arceus," Shion said quietly, staring into the fields.
"Yeah?"
"Are we… just going to wait for this to keep happening?"
The Bidoof looked up at him, eyes no longer tired—now heavy with something older. Wiser.
"…No," he said. "We can't."
Shion nodded slowly.
His eyes drifted toward the edge of the village.
Toward the forest.
Toward the horizon.