It was there that Lita the Pikachu had spread the word to the other Emissaries. The path from the Emissary base to the Ancient Temple itself felt like many miles now, but distance wasn't the problem. The outside world had become darker, nefarious, and twisted. But despite all of the Abyss's efforts, they carried on, sacrificing their safety and well-being to give the world a second chance, insisting that this is not how it was meant to end, if it was even meant to end at all.
Once all fifteen of them had gathered around Yasha the Absol and the holy Altar before them, they had assembled before her all seven vessels of banishment, infused with more than enough holy power to obliterate the Enthrallers that were continuing their demonic plague and soul-consuming pestilence upon Yaru. Signs of the end times were upon Salvage Keep and it was rapidly spreading throughout Yaru, but in the dark times, there was resistance and refusal to be complacent to such evil.
"Thank you all for joining me," Yasha told them. "I know many of you have seen and experienced horrors unlike anything you have ever seen and felt before. You did it all for us, to save Yaru, even at the cost of everything. Because you were the only ones that could..."
"I have been using this time to communicate with Utopia and analyze the Phylactery," Yasha explained. "With Sankala's help, we were able to discern the purpose and the connection between Gravemeld's Phylactery and the six others. In addition, we found out how to track down these dark signatures and how to link them to their Enthrallers. The seven Vessels of Banishment will become purifying light that will destroy both the dark conduit Phylactery anchors, and then the Enthrallers themselves."
And then, for a short moment, a sudden glow appeared, and with a few short seconds, it materialized into form, revealing Sankala the Sylveon, an Angel of Utopia. Surrounded by a ghostly but comforting ethereal glow, she approached the Emissaries, reassuring them with a comforting smile to help them feel at ease.
"Greetings and well met, Emissaries," Sankala smiled warmly, "Within this holy aura we are safe, beyond any scrutiny that the Abyss is capable of. They will only know what is about to transpire here when it is far too late to act against it."
Using her own power and the divine forces charging within the Altar itself, the demonic signature of Gravemeld's Phylactery was read and traced to be made a target, and in turn, Gravemeld the Enthraller as well.
"Madder, the Thundercaller Relic, if you may," the Sylveon requested.
Madder the Mimikyu, wishing it could have been used more for combat, still decided to comply, and had taken the relic and placed it upon the Altar.
One by one, they were called to the Altar. Lita the Pikachu had carried the Jadestone Sword in her yellow paws, placing the holy armament upon the Altar, followed by Adrian Aylian the Lucario, taking the Angel's Dawn charm and placing it upon the Altar as well. Truly, now in his Ekans form, had coiled his tail around the Crusader Spear, but upon Sankala's request, he had slithered his way to the Altar to place the spear upon the Altar. Meanwhile, Old Lace, after being reincarnated into a Magikarp by Madder, held the Rod of Light in his mouth, and was carried to the Altar by Lillian the Lopunny. Letting loose his grasp on the Rod, he too placed the holy Vessel of Banishment upon the Altar. Lastly, Brass the Braixen had taken the Dragonstar Flail and gently placed the weapon upon the Altar.
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It had all come down to this. With all the pieces in place, there was nothing the Abyss could do to stop what was to transpire here.
"Now, Carly," Sankala politely addressed the Yanmega. "As you hold the Starhail Staff, the initiator of the ritual, we need you to start the process."
It was then Carly the Yanmega had approached the Altar, with the Starhail Staff in her claws. Channeling her focus into the staff, a brilliant white light had surrounded the sphere and poured forward its light before the assembly, channeling pure divinity into the Altar.
With the signature of the Phylactery tracked, the purification of Yaru could begin. A brilliant light was spread across the holy grounds, cutting through the darkness and forcefully driving back the shadows. All seven of the Vessels of Banishment had become pure, infinite white that burned like supernovas. With the targets identified, there was nothing stopping them now.
The Thundercaller Relic, first of the armaments, now blazing white like a comet, surged out of the Altar and identified the first of the Phylacteries, the one belonging to Repose. It tracked down the dark signature to the Sunken Passage, hidden deep in the darkness. However, that star of light broke through, obstructed by nothing as it targeted the Phylactery and annihilated it with its holy power. And in the process, it discovered where the Enthraller had been hiding, and who it was. This whole time, Repose had been hiding as Lillosh the Sandygast, and had been at Shila's Educations, pretending to be one of Salvage Keep's own. But once the exorcising star had identified her, there was nothing stopping it.
Lurking just outside of the school building, she saw the purifying comet surging through the darkened skies, coming for her. Repose, the dark Enthraller within her, suddenly realized there was nowhere to run and that Utopia had unleashed their strike from beyond their scrutiny. But within her own body, Lillosh, trapped and afraid, also thought this was the end for her.
"I... I will be gone forever, won't I?" Lillosh whimpered, "And forgotten...?"
...
"No," a voice from beyond the skies had answered her, "for these dark deeds were not of your own doing. A second chance waits for you above."
Repose's frantic attempt to escape was met with instant, utter failure as the purifying star made direct contact with the Sandygast's body, smothering the darkness with a divine, purifying fire that annihilated Repose beyond eternity. Lillosh, freed from the imprisonment within her own body, ascended upward, now free as a renewed and cleansed spirit.
...With the destruction of Repose, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
Upon the Altar, the Jadestone Sword had transformed into a second star of purification and surged out from the Altar, seeking the second Phylactery. Identifying the dark signature, it traced it down not toward a particular place...
..but toward a particular Pokémon. Epsilon's Phylactery was tucked away and hidden within the one place that Orin could not get to and could not tolerate: Shilamora's own body. The Goodra had looked up, seeing the star of purification coming for her. She was suddenly in great fear, having no idea what this was for or why it was coming after her specifically. But even she was not aware of the dark conduit that had been implanted into her body without her knowledge.
The purification star created by the Jadestone Sword made contact with the Phylactery, and completely vaporized it while leaving the Goodra completely unharmed and even feeling more relieved with the dark conduit removed from her vitals. With the sights set on Orin the Vivillon, there wasn't much the butterfly could do to escape, but when he realized what had transpired, he couldn't help but smile. While he never was able to kill Shilamora herself, he knew what was about to happen to Epsilon as the purification star rocketed toward him with no signs of stopping.
"So much for your god-forsaken party," Orin muttered to Epsilon with a dark grin. "You know, I kind of like the way Utopia says 'screw you.'"
It was then that the purification star exploded upon the Vivillon's body, smothering everything with the white cleansing fire. From the white flames, Orin's spirit ascended while there was nothing left of Epsilon.
...With the destruction of Epsilon, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
The third of the seven, the Angel's Dawn, had become the next in line to become a holy purification star. Already, the dark clouds in the sky were being defeated and driven back as the sunlight was now able to pierce its way through again once more. The civilians had looked outside their windows, beholding in the wake of these hours of darkness, light and hope was fighting back.
The third of the stars tracked the Phylactery of Abatis to the dark tunnels of the Mercenary Guild, but even in the most defiled, darkest places, there was nowhere to hide. The holy star had enveloped the Phylactery, wholly destroying it beyond reclamation. Once read and understood, it identified the darkness at the source... Abatis, residing in the body of Delta the Flareon.
Standing at her guard post at Salvage Keep, Delta had beheld the star coming for her, and within her, she sensed the panic of Abatis, the dark Enthraller she had been struggling with ever since. Delta realized that cleansing, fiery light would give the dark Enthraller absolutely no quarter and means of escape...
...this was the judgment she had been waiting so long for.
"It's over..." Delta shivered and smiled as she beheld the star, knowing freedom from this torment was just mere seconds away. "Oh thank god it's over..."
It was then that the star had made impact with her, purging the dark spirit of Abatis into nothingness. With the dark shackles destroyed, Delta's spirit surged into the heavens, relieved to be beyond freedom in ways she could never imagine before...
...With the destruction of Abatis, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
As the Crusader Spear transformed into the fourth star, the remaining Enthrallers realized their dark operation was being met with crushing failure and defeat, and were attempting to abort the dark operation for the time being.
That fourth star was now on the hunt for Payload's dark Phylactery, and once it was located in the Crater Centre in the underground chamber, it was struck and destroyed, leaving nothing of the dark conduit remaining. With the target now identified as Dee'mang the Pikipek, there was very little Payload could do to escape. Even trying to fly away using Dee'mang's body failed as the young woodpecker regained control of his body and overrode the Enthaller's influence as the fourth star sped toward him.
The young Pikipek realized what it was. An answer from Utopia, a savior armament to purge out the Enthraller that had been causing him to commit atrocities. As the star came for him, he had far too many questions about what was to transpire, but in those last few seconds, what was in his mind was spoken...
"Will... will I see my parents again?" the young Pikipek asked...
...
"They're already waiting for you." the voice of the skies replied. "It's time to come home."
That sudden feeling of hope surged through Dee'mang's spirit, and as the fourth star struck down, the last thing Payload ever felt was repulse from the sudden feeling of hope and happiness in the victim he had tormented. And then, it felt nothing as it become nothing, all while Dee'mang's spirit surged toward the heavens, flying up high in ways he never could before, and the feeling excited him beyond even his wildest dreams...
...With the destruction of Payload, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
The darkness was failing. Once again, the sun had shined down upon Yaru, and the darkness surrounding Salvage Keep was losing the battle against the light. The Rod of Light of light soon transformed into the fifth star, and tracked down the fifth of the Phylacteries within the Fragments from the Past, able to detect the signature even in the darkest of places within the Hell-Cursed Cauldron. The atrocities performed here would be no more as the wicked conduit was struck hard and fully destroyed, leaving nothing of it or the cauldron itself remaining.
Indulge had become the target now, and the star sought it, recognizing the signature within Yurtag the Palpitoad. Even in the darkest, most hidden places, there was no escaping that fiery, purifying star. And despite Indulge's attempts to make a run for it, the purification star far outran any attempt Indulge tried to make.
"One less disgusting Enthraller in the universe, coming up!" Yurtag grinned as the star sped toward him. "Good riddance."
When the star collided, the dark Enthraller Indulge was wholly eradicated, leaving no trace of its existence. Meanwhile, Yurtag, finally relieved that his passion for cooking was no longer being twisted into something horrendously disgusting, felt his spirit being guided into the skies above.
...With the destruction of Indulge, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
Never before had the sun shone so brightly as it did now. Whatever dark clouds that tried to surround it were being crushed, defeated, and thrown aside. Everything within the skies had yielded to its light, and nothing stood in its way as the shadows were forced back.
It was then that the citizens of Salvage Keep had emerged from their homes and shelters, out into the open. They were no longer afraid as they began to pray.
Thank you... thank you for this second chance...
And it was then that the Dragonstar Flail had transformed into the sixth purifying star, surging toward the second of the last two Phylacteries in Salvage Keep. It sped its way toward the outskirts of the Clutch of Decaying Houses, finding the half-finished vehicle, neglected and forgotten, but even in the darkest, most forsaken places, there was no hiding. The Phylactery of Netherfall was found, struck, and obliterated in a fiery white flash of light.
And that dark signature was located back to Marisha the Flaaffy. Netherfall, once found by the light of Utopia and the banishment armaments, was done for.
Marisha was standing outside at the time, beholding the bright sunlight, feeling the dark spirit of Netherfall weaken and fall back. Every passing second helped her feel more free, more relieved, and she hadn't felt that since before that fateful day...
I only wanted to help others... I don't know why this had to happen to me...
...but it's over now.
Marisha fought back against Netherfall, so much so that she was even able to run toward the purifying star, yearning for the release it would give her. There was nothing that Netherfall could do now except watch helplessly as the judgment fire swept across her, annihilating Netherfall beyond even memories.
It was then that Marisha's spirit jumped into the sky, her feet leaving the ground, but she continued flying, upward and higher like never before...
...With the destruction of Netherfall, the darkness surrounding Yaru had lessened...
---
It was then that the final, seventh star was created. The Starhail Staff had left Carly's claws, and the last of the Phylacteries was destroyed before the Yasha, Sankala, and the Emissaries. Once the seventh cleansing star left the Altar, it surged across a divinely lit sky, across Salvage Keep now relit with life and sunlight.
And it was then that Gravemeld never felt so alone. Residing within Filimolon the Ditto, who had been hiding as Imeida the Kangaskahn. With Gravemeld's dark brethren eliminated, it was only then that the Enthraller experienced the fear of being alone, helpless, and about to face total erasure.
As the final star surged forward like a blazing white comet, Filimolon looked up, knowing this was the end.
"You've done terrible things..." Filimolon muttered for Gravemeld to hear. "Unforgivable things. I want you... I want you to look at that... and know you deserved this...
...
...and nothing less..." just before the star struck down, and cleansed with its purifying flames of purity and justice.
For Gravemeld, there was only fire. Fire, suffering, and defeat before the nothing. After the fire, there was only Filimolon's spirit rising to the beyond above. But almost as soon as it ended, Gravemeld was almost instantly forgotten, as if the dark Enthraller never was in the first place...
...With the destruction of Gravemeld, the darkness surrounding Yaru was gone...
---
A glorious light had swept across Yaru. In the wake of such devastating cataclysm, the seeds of life were spread across the ruined landscape. In places where there was only dust and sand, life began to take root. Where there was once dust, grass, trees, and shrubs soon grew.
And it was there that Sankala the Sylveon had gathered her power, and channeled it across the lands, as far as it could reach while calling out to the heavens above, signaling to the very realm of Utopia itself. Besides her, Yasha closed her eyes, and prayed with all her heart and spirit. And at that moment, never before did she have a wish and prayer as strong as the one she had now.
For many years, Yaru has been in a state of pure strife, struggling to survive. But I wish for it to be reborn, not just the way it was before the dark disaster claimed so much life upon these hills, these valleys, and these seas...
...but better than it ever was before...
Utopia, please hear my plea and listen to my words as I call upon you now. Show your mercy upon these Pokémon and the scarred and sundered world we live in, and give us the hope we need to believe in. For what we fight against will come again, and with our hope, our love, our dreams, and our camaraderie, we can all be a valuable ally in the war we know we will have to face.
We will be there for you, and you can be there for us. As friends, family, and partners. We have seen and have experienced horrors we were never supposed to be witnesses to, even after catastrophe has left its wounds upon this wounded world. But we have survived, and carry on that same driving courage of hope and desire for a better world.
But together, we can make that possible. Not just tomorrow, but today, at this very moment in time. Please hear my prayer to make Yaru a world reborn, rejuvenated with new life, color, and possibility. We will help you fight the Abyss, for we have experienced its cruelty, but banded together to try and fight it. But we need new hope, and new life to be stronger than how we were before. Can you grant that for us all?
Will you answer my prayer...?
A newfound light had come down from the skies, flooding through Salvage Keep and the scarred lands of Yaru. Sweeping across the globe, wisps of pure, white light and mercy scattered throughout the sundered world. The stars were gathered, and it was there that a miracle was performed.
The damage from the many years of post-apocalyptic disaster were undone. Ruins of cities long lost crumbled into the sands, but in their place, new life was born. New forests grew where there was only debris and refuse. The contaminants polluting the seas, the lakes, and the oceans were filtered out and cast into the nothingness, leaving crystal clear waters in their wake.
The remaining minions and hunters of the Abyss found themselves hopeless, like dying candles standing before a thunderous wave of water. The light of rejuvenation enveloped them, vaporizing their demonic forms before flushing out their evil. They never stood a chance against such a force divine.
All the while, the Pokémon of Salvage Keep and all throughout Yaru witnessed in awe and wonder, never seeing anything like it before. The light was incredible and bright, but they could look into it and not be blinded and not be dazed, but instead filled with hope, energy, and encouragement for that better tomorrow.
"I... I never thought something so incredible like this was possible..." Shilamora spoke in overwhelmed awe.
"I'm glad we're not alone..." Typhen the Luxio replied as he watched the cleansing light purify every last corner of Yaru. "And now... we never will be."
It was the day that would be written down in legend for millenniums to come. The day Utopia opened up and showed its forgiveness and its hope to a world of Pokémon that was at one time on the verge of collapse. A day that started in great darkness and dismay, but had turned into the brightest day and purity and hope became a miracle for a Pokémon world in desperate need of it. And it would be forever known as
A day we remember as a time of healing, of hopes and second chances. A day of jubilations and celebrations unlike any other where color and life replace the darkness and despair. Where we can smile and laugh as our children run throughout newborn streets of cities blooming with prosperity. A day we flush away the sadness forever.
It was the day they remembered the world being reborn. Rekindled with life, a marking of a time when children born would only read about the strife in books and would not have to see the horrors and pain for themselves. A safe place where mothers could raise their children, all Pokémon could be free, and every day of being alive would be a blessing...
...and the answer was Yes.
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