Oscar looked up as the sky suddenly darkened. It had already been night, but the stars that were normally visible through the top of the Tree of Life were suddenly covered in dark clouds. Oscar squinted at the sky, "Hm, forecast did not mention rain." 

Oscar was at the Tree to see bryan delarosa , to whom he owed his life thanks to his generosity. He would often show up to the Tree of Life, uninvited, and deliver pastries and other various sweets that Bryan probably could not eat because it would kill his chiseled figure. Nevertheless Oscar would come attempting to chat or whatever, anything to show how much he appreciated what Bryan did for him.

Tonight he came with a nice pot of home made chili, he made it himself with the help of his pokemon. There was even enough for Xerneas to have some, if it desired. When Oscar arrived he could not locate Bryan, so he set his pot down and just waited to see if he would show--then the sky went dark.

Oscar stepped outside, looking upward to get a better look at the storm clouds. It was so bizarre, he could barely see the clouds themselves. The sky was just--dark. Oscar tilted his head, pulling a pokeball off his belt. Oscar's crobat, Nostra, would emerge after a flash of light. The bat looked to his master, waiting for orders. Oscar pointed upward, "Go as high as you can. See what's up with those clouds." 

Nostra nodded, flying up past the Tree's peak and out of view. Oscar's gaze was pulled away from the sky as a glowing aura appeared on the tree. He looked over and found crystalline flowers appearing across the tree's surface. Oscar's expression strained, "What the fuck..."

Dawn of the Darkest Day

A worrying omen.

Gwyar and what remained of the Sootopolis PD stood at the top of the station's roof, their faces grim.

A dark cloud hung over the city, and with it, a sinking feeling that things were about to get worse.

"... I'll go." Gwyar said after a moment, turning for the door.

As protests filled the air from his fellow officers, the chief said nothing, staring into the darkness that slowly covered the city.

"... I expect a full report once you're back, Lieutenant."

Gwyar's lips turned up, offering the man and the group a smile as he saluted.

"Yes sir!" He began to say, a small yip following his words as Raki the Riolu followed up besides him.

Gwyar's smile softened as he looked at the puppy.

"... Not you, Raki." He said after a moment, slowly kneeling in front of the puppy. "I need you to stay here."

Raki's brow furrowed, first in confusion, then in frustration. His yiping turned to barking, his paws turning to fists as he sharply punched at the air in a show of dexterity and force.

He could do this! The whole point of being with Gwyar was to grow stronger! To fight!

"... No, not this one." He said, looking over his shoulder and at the dark sky.

His instincts were screaming at him. Years of experience were telling him- you might not come back.

If it was that dangerous, then...

"I need you to protect everyone here." He said to the puppy, slowly reaching up to take off his police cap, before placing it atop Raki's head. "Understood, Officer Raki?"

The puppy trembled in place, paws curled tightly at his sides as his teeth grit. Slowly he nodded, while small tear streaks began to pool at his chin.

Again and again...

"Thank you, Raki." Gwyar said softly, before slowly standing up, turning towards the stairs.

"Time to work."

---

-Gwyar is going.

TAG: @noonr

The only known instance of something like this before was the unexplained BLACKOUT OF SLATEPORT.

For Gavin, who had been witness to the horrific realities beyond the Blackout, the darkening skies inspire an all too familiar dread. Then, as now, he had been disadvantaged against a powerful and unknown threat. Then, as now, Lugia remains a bastion between her chosen and his attempts to defy fate. He feels naked without his legion of Shadow Pokémon, still recovering from a violent blast.

But reports come in waves, first by mint frost, then Rowan Wrynn, then other members of Rocket who reach out ⁠— out of fear, curiosity, wonder.

Rocket comes first.

Swallowing his fury, Gavin turns his back on the pursuit of vengeance.

He tunes into the comms.

"I'm en route to the Tree."

When he arrives, a chill runs down his spine... but he keeps his back straight, lifts his chin in defiance of the threat. Lugia's powerful wingbeats stir up winds that ruffle through his hair and tug at his clothes.

A spitting image, but this was not Chu-e Choi.

"We had a deal, parasite."

This might have been a poor night to be by the Tree of Life.

The prophecies the Lake Trio shared with Hideo and many others never fully left the boy’s mind. He tried to push them away, covering them up with his previous goals of just doing the gym circuit and traveling the region, but the looming, unknowable threat always found a way to worm back in. Perhaps he should have realized something was wrong when those Crystabloom flowers appeared. He’d only dealt with them once - a sudden appearance he helped defend alongside DEREK HOFFMAN . And with them, an odd darkness that he only knew of from his Gardevoir telling him.

THE DARKEST DAY IS ACTIVE

His Wishiwashi could, at the very least, light things up for his team to see. Why it lit up like that, he didn’t know, but it was a help he wouldn’t reject.

He followed the blooms, and as he approached the Tree, his Gardevoir notified him of a lot of people here. They both knew Rocket was here - but they didn’t exactly know who was Rocket and who wasn’t. And his Gardevoir recognized someone in the crowd: Eris Halla . If she were here, then this couldn’t have been a bunch of Rocket…

Hideo carefully approached, listening to Eris demand something from…someone. He didn’t know who it was. His Gardevoir didn’t recognize Chu-e Choi , so as far as he was aware, it was just some guy. But his talk with her, where she asked him if he’d ever stopped her if she wanted to hurt someone, came to mind.

Was this the one that took away her family?

And more importantly, the man was accompanied by a strange Pokemon. “What is that?” Hideo wondered aloud.

Hideo follows the Crystablooms, accompanied by his Gardevoir and his Illumina Wishiwashi
Notices Eris Halla in the crowd, goes towards her.
Hideo doesn't recognize Chu-e Choi . Yet.