Shiro fell silent, thinking hard.
What could he even ask for? He couldn't take the Sword and Shield dogs with him, and the so-called artifacts they'd given him—a cracked sword and a chipped shield—looked more like discarded props than legendary treasures. If he showed them to anyone, they'd probably just laugh and ask which junkyard he pulled them from.
'What do I even want…'
Then it hit him.
He recalled the Impidimp from the illusion earlier, the little creature that had claimed to gain power from Zacian and awaken Fairy-type energy. So why couldn't he do the same?
Of course, he wasn't aiming for Fairy energy specifically. What he wanted was a special ability.
In the world of Pokémon, humans weren't limited to just training their bodies. Some people could awaken extraordinary powers: Psychic energy, Aura, the power of Dragons, the power of Viridian, even the mysterious force known as the power of Bonds.
Many of these abilities could be granted by Legendary Pokémon. After all, they were the ones who held pieces of the world's authority.
So if Zacian and Zamazenta were really that special, shouldn't they be able to grant him something powerful—something that covered survival, combat, healing, and maybe even mobility?
With that thought in mind, Shiro laid out his request to the two heroes of Sword and Shield.
"..."
Zacian turned to look at Zamazenta again. It had no clue how to respond. Even the power granted by Arceus didn't cover that many features all at once.
"We can only grant you the powers of Fairy and Fighting," Zamazenta said calmly. "One linked to spirit, the other to the body. That is the most we can offer."
Shiro frowned slightly, feigning disappointment. In truth, he was more than happy with that.
He had asked for something big on purpose, knowing he'd probably get talked down. Ending up with two types of abilities, one from each of them, was already more than he expected. Zacian, a Fairy-type, would grant spiritual strength. Zamazenta, a Fighting-type, would lend him physical might. Together, they formed a perfect balance.
Before he could say another word, the two legendaries acted. As if afraid he might change his mind, they each opened their mouths and released a glowing orb. One shimmered with pale pink light, the other burned a deep crimson. The spheres floated toward him, then gently merged: one into his forehead, the other into his chest.
Shiro's entire body trembled. A wave of searing heat rushed through his body like a wildfire. At the same time, his mind felt incredibly clear and cool, as if a hidden switch had been flipped.
As his vision blurred, he saw Zacian and Zamazenta's figures slowly fading away, their combined voices echoing in his mind.
"Our pact is complete. Await the call of Sword and Shield."
"..."
Shiro couldn't speak. His head and body were caught between freezing cold and burning heat. It wasn't exactly painful, but it felt like ants crawling under his skin. The itchy sensation made him feel as if something inside him was waking up and beginning to break free.
At some point, he started to hear voices.
"Shiro? Shiro! Don't die on me now! We're getting you out of here soon!" Marvin's voice sounded rushed, mixed with heavy breathing and the jolting bumps of movement.
Then came the calm, steady voice of a man, one that felt vaguely familiar.
"We've given him the best medicine the company has. We've pumped in nutrients too. There's no way anything can go wrong."
"But his forehead's ice-cold, and his body's burning up. It doesn't feel like a regular fever..." This time it was Nessa's voice.
The shaking continued for a bit, and Shiro felt the energy within him finally settle in place. The cold in his head and the fire in his body slowly faded. In their place came a surge of power, far stronger than anything he'd felt before, followed by a deep, gnawing hunger.
He took a few deep breaths. His mind had never felt clearer. Feeling returned to his hands and feet all at once.
Shiro opened his eyes and saw the rocky ground shifting beneath him, along with a bright light swaying back and forth. The deep yellow glow came from a flashlight that moved with someone's steps, flickering as it bounced.
"Marvin?" He called out softly, then raised his voice. "Marvin!"
"Yeah?!" Marvin suddenly stopped, and the whole team behind him came to a halt. He tried to lower Shiro from his shoulder, but before he could, Shiro stood on his own.
"What the... Are you having some kind of final burst of strength?" Marvin looked shaken and reached out to steady him. But no matter how hard he pulled, Shiro didn't budge. Instead, he ended up losing his balance and almost fell forward, only to be caught by Shiro.
"This isn't a final burst," Shiro replied. "I'm already fine."
He turned to Nessa and gestured. "Check."
She placed her hand on his forehead and nodded. "Yeah, he's fine. His temperature's normal again."
Shiro then looked toward the rugged middle-aged man behind them—Gareth, the captain of the B5 Squad.
Gareth's face was covered in dust. His gear was a mess, clearly showing that they'd left in a hurry. The group following behind him looked just as worn out. Dust clung to their clothes and their faces were lined with exhaustion.
"I'm good now. Let's keep going," Shiro said as he took the lead.
The others watched him, stunned, but he was already moving forward. He checked the Poké Balls on his belt and the backpack on his back to make sure nothing was missing or touched. Then he pulled out Gastly's Poké Ball.
He remembered that Gastly had fallen asleep alongside Dreepy. It should be awake by now.
While running, he pressed the release button. A flash of red light emerged, and Gastly floated into the air, groaning softly.
"Gaaaaastly!"
As soon as it appeared, the Ghost-type shook off a haze of ghostly flame and zipped ahead, its eyes half-lidded like it had just woken from a satisfying nap.
With everyone moving at full speed, the dark rocky tunnel soon came to an end. They returned to the large cavern where they had started. The ground was still blanketed in thick layers of dust.
The bright lights lit up the cave in every direction. Stone pillars stretched from floor to ceiling, casting tall, narrow shadows along the walls. On the other side of the cave was a tunnel that looked completely different. It led into another path that disappeared into darkness.
Shiro stared at it for a moment. He pulled out his communicator and checked the map. That tunnel also had a clear route marked. It had already been explored by the B5 unit.
Marvin noticed him looking and followed his gaze. He walked while asking Gareth behind him, "Hey, did you guys check out that side too? What's in there?"
Gaile glanced briefly at the tunnel, then answered, "Hundreds of Ground-type Pokémon. We went through that path first and searched every corner before heading to the main route."
"I see," Marvin muttered.
Shiro finally understood. No wonder the previous tunnel was almost a straight shot with no side paths. He could imagine the B5 unit fighting their way through a den of Ground-types, all while being rushed by researchers above to push through.
As they stepped into the final stretch, their feet sank slightly into the sand. The air grew lighter. They were nearing the surface.
The group moved slowly through the narrow passage that led upward. The slope was packed with loose sand and gravel, making it hard to climb. Shiro, leading in front, decided to call out Drakloak.
"Use Dragon Rush to clear the way," he said softly.
The Dragon-type let out a low cry, curled itself up for a moment, then shot forward like a missile. The blast of wind and power surged up the tunnel, sending a wave of sand flying ahead. The narrow path instantly became a lot easier to walk through.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!