Warning comes in the familiar sound of opening capsules, but Orion is relaxed enough to disregard a potential threat. This is a public route, and though they're well off the beaten path it's not particularly strange that someone else might have wandered out this far in search of Pokémon.

"Hm?"

He turns toward the sound as the route is plunged into an unnatural darkness. His guard is up, now, but Orion is too late in releasing his Alakazam onto the scene. By the time Tianyi gets her bearings, an arrow of shadow has pinned her own.

The councilman hears his Pokémon cry out in pain, but he cannot see her. Her MIRACLE EYE allows her to discern shapes in the dark, but the ghostly shackle of her shadow prevents any attempt to flee. Her TELEPORT fails, and fizzles out.

Another capsule bursts, Orion's Lanturn attempting to ILLUMINATE the spreading void.

"Who's there?" Orion calls loudly. His voice comes out strong despite the panic gnawing at his chest. When he'd attempted to stagger back from the dark, his own shadow had acted as an anchor. He was trapped. "You're attacking a member of the Council; back down, and I'll consider against pressing charges."

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"]

Katherine Fairburne

Lanturn's light battles against the veil of darkness, but Orion is too far from his mysterious opponent to catch anything more than a vague silhouette at the edge.

A surge of water floods forth, only to slam into an invisible wall. With her TELEKINESIS, Alakazam wrestles for control of the deluge as her trainer reaches for his phone. An emergency signal is sent out to both the Council and the Rangers, but any help that may come has no hopes of being precise. They would have to find their way from Fortree, and he was well into the wilderness. The nature that Orion took comfort in had become a weapon against him.

Katherine's distraction works: as Lanturn sends out a SIGNAL BEAM toward the SURF, phantoms close in from behind. Tianyi, disadvantaged by her typing, can only hope to RECOVER from the damage.

A rippling snarl from the trees announces the presence of two Pokemon who'd been enjoying the nearby woods: an Absol whose ruffled fur resembles wings as it leaps to its master's defense, and a Silvally whose FANGS glisten with ICE as it lunges at shadows. THUNDER crashes overhead, the Absol relying on its SUPER LUCKY strikes.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon absol-mega"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon silvally-psychic"]

Katherine Fairburne

Thunderous retribution strikes the councilman's beloved Absol, the energy of its mega-evolution fading along with the ruffled fur along its spine. When it tries to call down another bolt, it falls further victim to a spiteful opponent.

"Altair!"

Orion's cry is threaded with distress for his lifelong partner, visible only as a swaying silhouette in the smoke. Against his better judgement, he rushes forward to tend to the wounded Pokémon. Pheromosa chitters in distaste, its little claws digging into his shoulder.

Succumbing to sleep, Lanturn's light dims, plunging Orion into darkness once more.

Absol counters the void with a resplendent FLAMETHROWER that bathes the battlefield in warm hue before it fades. It's just enough time to see another wisp of flame strike Perseus, the Silvally growling as it finds itself BURNED. The chimera's crest glows, then ripples as it turns hard as steel; snarling, it launches itself at the nearest foe with a devastating CORKSCREW CRASH.

Tianyi, still frail after meagre recovery from its injuries, aims to DISABLE the devastating mirror coat.

Their opponent was stronger than most foes Orion had faced. His heart hammers in his chest, confidence in his incoming back-up faltering. He could only hold them off for so long without aid.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon absol-mega"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon silvally-psychic"]

Katherine Fairburne

Orion finds his Absol in the gloom, drops down to his knees next to his oldest friend and runs fingers through its bloodied white fur as it shudders in pain. Though the herald of disaster stands in defiance of their foe, willing to fight until its last, Orion will not allow it to risk its life for his own.

Altair's pokeball shudders in his hand as red light swallows the creature, the Absol attempting to defy Orion's wishes and return to his side. It is weakened, however, and after a beat the shuddering goes still, and the light on the ball dims.

Silvally, too, falls victim to the assault. It is designed to fight, to kill, but these are no Ultra Beasts, and it is outnumbered.

Orion is left with his wounded Alakazam and an infant Ultra Beast, the former attempting to use its FUTURE SIGHT to their advantage. What were the aims of this unseen villain? What was the reason behind the attack? Into Orion's mind, a single image is delivered: the Pheromosa. That's what they're after. Was it Megalopolans, then, come to reclaim their beastly kin?

No, he thinks, they don't use Pokémon, do they?

It doesn't matter. He will not relent. He is a fighter, through and through, and he'll protect his Pokémon until he no longer can.

"I won't give it to you," he snarls, tone threaded with grief for his fallen friends. "If you don't leave, now, you're about to be very outnumbered."

A lie. He has no idea how far away help is.

Still, he persists, sending out a sleek-furred Espeon who summons the MORNING SUN upon witnessing the darkness around them. Lanturn continues to slumber.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon espeon"]

Katherine Fairburne

Orion's Pokémon are stalwart, brave in the face of danger, but they are not invincible. The ghost-type specialization of his mystery foe bests his beloved psychic partners, and they fall one by one.

Alakazam, already wounded, takes an arrow before its FUTURE SIGHT comes to pass. Whatever it had seen in its visions would be left unknown.

Espeon seals her own fate with the brilliance of the sun, the flamethrower's heat burning hot and bright. Yet it is not the flamethrower that downs her, but the dark pulse of energy that follows in its wake. The delicate feline lets out a horrible yowl of pain as the dark energy assaults her mind. She stumbles back toward her trainer, desperately seeking comfort, then slumps onto her paws.

Lanturn doesn't wake, brought down by an assault from the shadows.

Already vulnerable from grief and anxiety, Orion's mind is open to the Spiritomb's influence. He fights it for as long as he can, but his limbs turn leaden and his eyelids droop, and a distant silhouette is the only thing he manages to glean before his mind succumbs.

Pheromosa is young, and struggles little. Its small form rests in the grass, undefended.

Katherine Fairburne