Authors Note: Happy Halloween, guys! :D I thought I'd get on and add another story today. While I don't have any specific Halloween-themed pieces, I thought I'd go ahead and share this one today since it's a little dark.

So, this piece I just kinda wrote on a whim. Something I've been really wanting to do is write a Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts crossover, with Shadow Pokemon from Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness. The concepts between them and Heartless would go well together, I think. Although I couldn't think of a real direction to take the story (which I wanted to call Shadow Rise), I went ahead and wrote these "journals" through Ein's perspective (I wanted him to make a return since Shadows really are his babies--he was the one who created them). Taking a jab at Kingdom Heart's "Secret" Xehenort Reports, and using Colosseum's "Ein Files", I dubbed this little excerpt "The Secret Ein Files". Enjoy!




Report I

My dream of creating the ultimate Shadow Pokémon had been foiled. How foolish it was of me to ignore what seemed like a minor irritant. I earnestly take a vow that I will never be so naďve again. I will not make the same mistake twice.

For the past seven years, I’ve been a prisoner. The imbeciles who call themselves authorities have kept me under vigilant security both day and night, and it’s been far too long since I’ve seen the light outside concrete walls. I am alone, for the most part. Whatever happened to the other CIPHER Admins escapes me, but it matters little. Each were fools, as far as I’m concerned.

Some news of the world outside leaks in occasionally. Two years ago, great alarm had spread across Orre when it seemed that CIPHER had been resurrected. I had not thought it possible, but security doubled around that time, as if the guards feared that somehow I’d break out and rejoin the cause. Of course, no such thing happened. Apparently, the fools who dared to steal the title of the old organization hadn’t thought that I was important enough.

I wasn’t surprised when they failed once again. Defeated by another boy, nonetheless. If they accomplished anything noteworthy, however, it was the creation of XD001. I heard the rumors, and they told me that this Shadow had been designed to be incapable of purification. Created from the DNA of another Legendary Pokemon, the creature had undergone both physical and mental transformation. This intrigued me greatly, but I was disappointed when great hurrahs echoed through the region. Despite their claims, the boy hero managed to find a way to revert XD001 back to its original form.

Once again, Orre has settled down. Nothing else of great importance has trickled down to my ears of late, but this has lent me time to reflect. Why do the Shadow Pokémon fail us every time? If XD001 was said to be beyond redemption, why was the organization proven wrong? Is it really possible to create the ultimate Shadow? Perhaps we researchers have missed something crucial in our work. Maybe there is something more to the Shadow Pokémon, and the process that creates them.


Report II

How I long for my old laboratory! Within this cell, they have shut me off from any kind of research. I now find that time has erased some details of my work from my memory, but in order to preserve what I have left, I will write down what I remember. The guards at least allow me to keep a daily journal while suffering through my sentence. Though they do read through what I write, I give them mere decoys, and hide these real reports from their eyes.

Shadow Pokémon are created through a process that artificially closes their hearts. The beasts CIPHER made in the past showed no passion, no pity. Ruthless and cold, the Shadows acted as those without souls. They were brutal fighting machines that gave their opponents no mercy in battle, and their unpredictable nature sometimes led them to attack Trainers. That which was most attractive about them, however, was their power. We called them “Shadows” because of the unusual abilities they developed after their transformation. These abilities or powers could almost be compared to Darkness, and yet they seem to be unaffiliated with the Dark-type family.

Should I ever get the chance to escape this prison, I need to discover where this power comes from. For now, I have theories that perhaps these “Shadow” capabilities are perhaps a taste of what true darkness is like. While the powers of the Dark-type family is admirable, perhaps nowadays they are only a vague assemblage of what Darkness once was. A fascinating concept, but it brings further questions. What exactly is true Darkness, and what defines it? And if the process of creating Shadow Pokemon somehow unleashes it, why is that so? Does closing the heart really bring it about? And last but not least, does the Darkness spring forth from the closed heart?

Once again, I yearn for my lab…


Report III

Fortune smiles on me, it seems. Now my desires will be satisfied.

Not long after my last entry, I was visited with a peculiar stranger. Somehow, he had managed to slip past the guard’s radar—and even broke into my specialized cell without the key. Even now, I do not know his true identity, or even his face, as he wears a hooded gray cloak that hides his features. Many mysterious surround him, and though I still do not trust him, he gave me an offer I could not refuse.

Now I am glad to report that I’m free of that dismal prison, and can once again resume my research. Of course, there are a few requirements the cloaked stranger requires of me. Yet we both share common goals. He also wishes to uncover more of the mysteries of Shadow Pokémon, and so I believe that our arrangements will work out for the best of our interests. Finally, someone has remembered my ingenuity, my importance. CIPHER never would have existed without me.

The stranger, who prefers to go by the name Draxos, has provided me with a laboratory. Exploring its premises today felt oddly nostalgic. It isn’t the same as the lab I operated in the desert, but some of the original equipment was recovered from there. The “new” team had tampered with the calibrations, but after some aggravating work I restored them as best as I could. Now, I’m ready to pick up where I left off.

To begin again… First, I shall start off my investigation of this Darkness, and its connection to the heart. In order to accomplish that, I’ll need test subjects…



Report IV

To my delight, Draxos was able to accommodate my request for test subjects: several Pokémon taken from a shelter outside of Agate Village. In the past few weeks, we have placed them through several experiments as we sought for secrets within their hearts. A choice few were transformed into Shadows, and their power continues to amazes me. However, an interesting incident occurred while testing one of the other subjects.

We had been investigating the properties of a “pure” heart, but apparently our experimentation had placed too much stress on the Pokémon. As a result, the subject’s heart didn’t just close—it utterly collapsed. Our instruments picked up on an increase in darkness, so much that it actually broke our devices. The subject went comatose, and there was not much we could do to revive it. Yet after hours of close observation, the creature underwent the most curious transformation. Its very body came to epitomize the Darkness claiming its heart, a pitch-black, mutated monster of the likes which we have never before seen. However, before we could take closer observations, the creature disappeared without a trace.

Though my assistants searched everywhere for the creature, none of them were able to recover it. Disappointing, but we have emerged from this incident with intriguing new theories. I am now confident that this True Darkness of which I seek is hidden within the hearts of Pokémon. Closing the “door” to the hearts allows some of this Darkness to emerge. Yet perhaps we can completely unleash this Darkness by collapsing the heart. I wish to experiment more on this matter, but somehow I must find a way to contain these new Shadows.



Report V

The task has proved difficult, but with Draxos’ continued support, we have been able to devise a containment unit for the unusual Shadow Pokémon. Thus, we are able to conduct more thorough observation on these fascinating creatures. Repeating the technique we discovered by accident, we have created several more extreme Shadows, and we have gathered some interesting data from them.

First off, the Pokémon, despite its transformation, retains its shape—though this shape is highly mutated. It almost seems as if it lacks an actual body, existing perhaps as a highly solid shadow. I may be mistaken in that thinking, as the creatures prove to be highly dangerous. With or without a body, these Shadows can inflict great harm.

Speaking of lacking, my team and I have also discovered that these creatures also lack hearts. I believe we have gone beyond our wildest dreams—for without a heart, how could these new Pokémon be purified? They are truly beyond the light, with no hope of redemption. But they now exude a whole new level of power. My colleagues and I must be very careful when we deal with these creatures, as I have noted: they have proved to be quite dangerous. I have noticed that they violently try to attack any living thing that approaches them—not just other Pokémon, but people as well.

This could prove to be problematic for our cause, but we are actively seeking a way to control these creatures. Once we do, I can see nothing hindering us in our plot to market them as weapons.



Report VI

Finding a way to control our new breed of Shadow Pokémon is proving to be more difficult than I thought—and certainly, more dangerous. There was an incident in the lab this past week that resulted in the demise of one of my research assistants. He was being careless, and the creature struck swift and true. However, something unusual happened. The researcher did not pass from this world in the usual way. A Darkness not unlike that which covers the Shadow Pokémon consumed him, leaving nothing behind. Not even a carcass. I have reviewed the security cameras time and time again, trying to understand what happened.

He was there one moment, then gone the next. Yet moments before the disappearance, I noticed a glow that flickered briefly before the darkness closed in. I have tried to form hypothesis on this startling occurrence. It leads me to a whole new plain of perception. Perhaps what I saw that moment before his death was the researcher’s own heart.

All living things have Hearts. Perhaps the Heart of a Pokémon differs from the Heart of a human, or perhaps their Hearts aren’t at all dissimilar. What connections exist between them? Would these connections, if they are real, explain the real strength behind a Pokémon Trainer? Pertinent thoughts, of course, but what I really wonder is this: does this Darkness I discover in Pokémon also exist in human Hearts? If so, then perhaps exploring this avenue would bring me closer to discovering a way to control these heartless Pokémon.

I feel that the label “Shadow” no longer fits the creations I have made. I will give them a new name, a name that will describe their deepened power.

Eclipse Pokémon—they who have utterly crossed into the twilight.



Report VII

It has been several weeks since I last heard from Draxos, but he suddenly reappeared the other day. He seemed content to sit back and allow me to do my work, only coming in convenient contact when I just so happen to need his assistance. This time, however, he came with an order for evacuation.

It seems that the Orre police force is on our tail. Ever since the last Shadow Incident, they have grown keener to the affairs of their region. Needless to say, with the “mysterious” disappearance of Pokémon these past few weeks, they have grown suspicious. Orre has certainly changed over the years; no longer is it a corrupt region.

Our work is too important to risk exposure. We have gone farther than we ever have before. Thus, to preserve our research, we are not only fleeing the region, but also the nation. Somehow, Draxos has procured us a secluded property in a small, largely unknown region in the nation under Unova. I was troubled at first about securing passage, but yet again Draxos has surprised me. We have cargo ships even grander than the S.S. Libra to carry us to our new location.

I should feel sentimental about leaving Orre, but I feel as if I had severed my connections with it long ago—just as I have severed my connections with CIPHER. The old organization is dead; it will never be revived. But rising from its ashes, a new syndicate will rise like the legendary PHOENIX…



Report VIII

I have been able to spend an unusual amount of time with Draxos while we’ve been relocating, with which I shared the progress my research has made. The man is incredibly hard to read. I could not tell if he was impressed by our findings or not. Still, he seemed intrigued about my theories of how to control the Eclipse Pokémon.

As soon as we landed in our new location, he had me direct him to one of our strongest specimens. The Eclipse in question was a Garchomp we happened across by chance. I created it to test the extent of raw power my new Shadows held, but in the end I had grossly underestimated its potential. We barely managed to contain the creature after it wreaked havoc in my laboratory, and since then we have kept it locked away until some future date.

Despite my warnings, Draxos insisted on inspecting this Eclipse Pokémon. Because of all he had done for my team, I could not refuse his desire. With extreme precaution, we released the beast. I expected it to tear the laboratory apart, but something extraordinary happened. Draxos barked one order at the Eclipse, and it obeyed.

Draxos turned to me, and told me I was on the right path. The Eclipses were created by Darkness, fed by Darkness—Darkness is all they know. Therefore, they would only respond to Darkness. But only one kind of Darkness: the Darkness of the heart. With those words, Draxos and the Garchomp disappeared before my eyes under the cover of shadows…



Report IX

Since Draxos’ revelation, I have been pondering the results of my research.

All living things have hearts, but People and Pokémon have particularly special Hearts coupled with spirit and intelligence. In many ways, these Hearts are much the same—or, at least, they have special connections with each other. As we have seen, Darkness may be drawn from a Pokémon’s by closing its heart. Since our hearts are similar, Darkness must also dwell within a human.

But does this human Darkness hold the same kind of power? Perhaps, but maybe not in the same sense. If one examines the relationship of a Trainer and their Pokémon, we can see that strong bonds are formed through what I believe to be a connection between hearts. How else could these creatures understand our orders in battle with a language barrier between our species? This would explain why Shadow Pokémon are sometimes difficult to command—why sometimes they undergo a fever and violently attack people. That connection no longer is plausible, because their hearts are closed.

A different kind of connection is needed. If what Draxos said is correct, then Eclipse Pokémon will only respond to Darkness. This then is my hypothesis: by cultivating Darkness in Trainers’ Hearts, we can cultivate a bond stronger than any other with Eclipse Pokémon. How do we cultivate this Darkness? We cannot artificially close our hearts; we must do just the opposite. We must open our hearts our Hearts to the Darkness.

I am keen to test my hypothesis.



Report X:

My hypothesis has been proven to be true.

I have enlisted the help of several volunteers to research into the Darkness of people’s Hearts. Thanks to their contributions, I have discovered a way to control the Eclipse Pokémon. Now, I will begin mass production.

There are dangers, however, to opening one’s heart to Darkness, as we have noticed in our experimentation. If one is not cautious, the Darkness may very well consume them in entirety, and they will lose their heart. Several volunteers were reckless and met their demise at the claws of the Eclipses, and it was difficult to find replacements. Lucky for us, we found some meddlers trying to sneak onto our territory. So far, they have been useful test subjects…

In regards to the ability to resist Darkness, I have theorized that this is—in a sense—connected to the strength of willpower and courage. What we call a “strong Heart” is one that is fearless and astute. Test subjects with a “strong Heart” have shown an aptitude for controlling and resisting the effects of Darkness. Those with weaker Hearts tend to be fearful and cowardly, and thus are unable to resist power.

I have noticed that there are side-effects to prolonged exposure to Darkness. Test subjects who have used Darkness repeatedly develop darker skin and amber eyes. Interestingly enough, their hair also begins to lose its color, slowly fading into a pale white. On some, I have also noted that their ears are becoming slightly pointed. These side-effects appear to be of no consequence, and could be useful for distinguishing ourselves from the world.

After all this thorough research, I have been exploring my own aptitude for Darkness. Why should I deny myself the pleasures of power?



Report XI

We are ready to unleash our creations upon this pitiful world. I can in nowise see how anyone can resist our rise to power. Our Eclipse Pokémon are beyond purification, nor can they be stolen by thieves’ technology. I have yet to find a pure Pokémon capable of matching their prowess in battle.

Due to their peculiar characteristics, Eclipses cannot be contained within Poké Balls. I have devised instead a specialized capsule that I will refer to as Shadow Spheres. They do not open or operate like a Poke Ball—but instead, they bind the essence of the Eclipse to device that mimics a weakened Heart. They can only be freed when beckoned by a Trainer who can command Darkness.

We have found numerous Trainers capable of controlling the Eclipses willing to support our cause. Draxos and I have founded a new organization, picking seven of the strongest and most loyal Trainers to act as Admins beneath us. Team PHOENIX now rises from the ashes of CIPHER. We begin our takeover with this lowly region, then set our sights on the rest of the world.

Between our Eclipses and our newfound power over darkness, nothing can stand in our way.



Report XII

We have encountered a problem.

As our Trainers confront others from this region, our Eclipses aren’t just defeating their Pokémon. They are stealing hearts and creating more Eclipses. We have been unprepared for this unexpected outbreak—once one escaped from us, wild species began propagating like weeds. The population has grown out of our control, wreaking much more havoc than we anticipated.

Added to this chaos, a new type of creature has emerged—one the likes of which I have not seen before. Draxos has informed me that they are of no consequence; they can be controlled, just like the Eclipses. I doubt, however, that they are a type of Pokémon. I believe that these new creatures are the results of a human losing their Heart, as I imagine that many have been affected by the Eclipse outbreak.

Perhaps this problem may work to our advantage. Our fighting machines are cultivating fear in this region, and trouncing any resistance. As long as we maintain our hold over the Darkness, we will accomplish all our hopes and dreams.

On the morrow, our first region of many will fall into our hands.



Report XIII

I’m… not quite feeling myself right now. Might have overexerted myself against… Darkness is closing in on my heart. What I fool I was for believing that it was on my side. Darkness does not care for me. Does not care for my wants. It will only feed. Keep feeding, keep waiting.

I’m trying to regain my sanity, but I’m slipping. What will happen to me? Will I become even as they are? Will I become a Heartless?

Draxos knows too much. He knew this would happen eventually. Thought he seemed familiar, but he’s not like us. He’s different. He’s not like us.

What will happen to me? What is happening to me?

What have I become?