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Since he had last met the Underboss in Sootopolis, Isaac had been wracking his brain to come up with something that might prove his worth to the man. [break][break]

Money was the first thing that came to mind, but the priest didn't have much to spare, and certainly didn't have enough to offer anything worth noting for someone so entrenched in Rocket's hierarchy. Power was the second thing that came to mind, but how did you give that to someone, exactly, when they had already had such cutting teeth and sharp claws? [break][break]

That certainly was a hell of a question, but it was one that received a rather serendipitous answer in the form of a rumor about this very cave. Another had once plumbed its depths and emerged with a terrible prize – maybe there was some scrap left for Isaac to pilfer. That was how he had first found himself in the corpse of Granite Cave, scavenging its depths like the vulture he was. [break][break]

Of course, that was a task far easier said than done. The cave (or what was left of it) was well-guarded indeed, and while Isaac had managed to charm his way past the guards once or twice by assuring them that he was there to aid the displaced wildlife, other locals had seemed to see right through him. The Gibles certainly had, and Isaac had the bite marks to prove it. [break][break]

But just when Isaac was ready to give up (and drown himself in the surrounding waters, because facing the Underboss empty-handed was a fate worse than death), he had spied something glittering in the dark on his second of the three nights before the Underboss would come back for him. Something floating, something dancing, something melodically singing to him, an ethereal angel flitting by some stretch of shoreline not far from the cave. [break][break]

A Nihilego, Isaac later came to learn, from the Ultra Deep Sea that lie just beneath the cavern. [break][break]

Now, maybe it was just the sleep deprivation at this point, because Isaac was running on just a two hour power nap he had taken on a park bench back in town, but his first instinct was to follow the floating Ultra Beast. And that was exactly what he did, chasing it deliriously across the sand while it stayed just out of reach, like a mirage, like a maddening dream, until it suddenly slipped away from view. Its immediate disappearance confounded Isaac, until he nearly tripped over the narrow entrance to an unseen tunnel. [break][break]

Oh, this was exactly the thing the priest had been searching for! He could have cried for how ecstatic he was, even as he tumbled down the rabbit hole and into the dark below, and maybe he did shed a tear or two when he finally reached the bottom and found himself in the cold, dank bowels of this dead place. Isaac at least let out a pitiful yelp when he finally stumbled upon that stone angel again, finally reaching it, only for it to turn and loose some sort of vile toxin in his direction. [break][break]

On the bright side, Isaac at least had the foresight to reach for a Pokeball when this little altercation occurred, and could at least shield himself behind the Glalie he had summoned when the Ultra Beast tried to saturate him with its vile ichor. The Nihilego, thankfully, slipped away after this one-off 'warning shot'. The Glalie, on the other hand, did not come away from this exchange unscathed. [break][break]

But, in the end, this had turned out to be what Isaac would call a 'happy little accident'. Sure, he was now more or less trapped in this tunnel, because the entrance he came down was far too steep for him to climb back up. And sure, the Glalie he brought with him had seemed permanently altered by that encounter, hide blackened, teeth gnashing, exuding a dark, otherworldly aura that made Isaac want to cry and wretch all at once, but it wasn't all bad. He finally had something to bring back to the Underboss, and he at least had a pair of other Pokemon who were able to keep the beast (mostly) contained until Isaac could figure out how to bring it to heel. [break][break]

He contemplated this predicament, eyes bleary and stomach churning from the past few sleepless nights, when a voice suddenly rang out through the dark. Isaac screamed, and it took every bit of willpower he had left not to soil himself, [break][break]

“Good heavens, man!” [break][break]

From the far end of the tunnel, maybe some twenty or so feet away, red eyes suddenly darted towards the new presence that occupied the space. The Cofagrigus and Runerigus that cornered it didn't dare follow suit, lest they be torn apart by the rabid Shadow, [break][break]

“I – I – oh good Lord, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” the priest sputtered, until he remembered what exactly he had come here for. Panic gave way to jubilation, and Isaac suddenly grinned wide, [break][break]

“I do apologize for the rather... unorthodox choice in location, but I can assure you that I've found something quite special.” [break][break]

Wide eyes moved from the Underboss to meet the scarlet gaze that leered back hatefully, [break][break]

“Yes, quite special indeed. Would you like to have a look for yourself?”

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Cillian cackles.[break][break]

The sound echoes in the cave, and seems to echo again from some otherworldly influence. His laughter surrounds them, deep and gravelly, and it most certainly draws attention.[break][break]

Unwanted by anyone sane, but who ever claimed Cillian was?[break][break]

Golden eyes glow like a cat's in the dark. They shift from Isaac Ward to a horrible, beautiful sight.[break][break]

"Oh." His voice is soft with wonder. This is Cillian's religion, his scripture, his devotion. "A Shadow Pokémon."[break][break]

Where Isaac's two Pokémon fight valiantly against this creature of hate, Cillian approaches it without fear. The lord of shadow is pursued by a MIASMA that follows him without wind.[break][break]

If this is his religion, then she is their goddess. In her absence, her Harbinger enacts her will.[break][break]

"You're beautiful, aren't you?"

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For the briefest of moments, Isaac found himself consumed by an ungodly blasphemy. As glowing, golden eyes and the crawling darkness of thick MIASMA made their way towards the Glalie, the priest thought that maybe this was a being worth worshiping, this man who could so readily conjure the miracle of night and cast it upon the world. [break][break]

The Glalie must have thought so too, the priest mused silently, because what once appeared to be indiscriminate fury calmed as the Underboss spoke with wonder and reverence. The Shadow ceased its thrashing at the surrounding ghosts and returned the golden-eyed gaze of its messiah, red eyes growing wide with curiosity. [break][break]

He had done well, Isaac thought with new smug satisfaction. He finally managed to find his voice again, [break][break]

“I will admit, this is my first acquaintance with a Shadow Pokemon,” the priest chuckled breathlessly, [break][break]

“But they do possess a rather umbral sort of majesty, I must admit.” [break][break]

He paused, and suddenly considered the circumstances that had lead him to this dark hole. This could be the beginning of something rather magnificent, he imagined, [break][break]

“I also have some sort of theory of how we might produce more of these specimens, if it should please you to hear it.”

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"Not your first," Cillian corrects, without ever taking his eyes off the Glalie's majesty. "My Eurydice has that honour."[break][break]

The DHELMISE that had torn a hole in the world through which the Harbinger could stalk his prey. It escapes the confines of the ethereal realm with its PHANTOM FORCE, proving that Cillian had not truly been alone. Had this been an ambush, he was at least moderately prepared.[break][break]

Cillian dips his head to the Glalie, displaying an immense amount of trust in his own abilities when he turns his back to it to regard Isaac anew.[break][break]

"You have my attention."[break][break]

Not I'm impressed; not yet. But he is listening.[break][break]

"I believe I am aware of most methods by which they are created. Enlighten me with yours."

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Ah, how foolish of him, and how apt for a creature named for a woman condemned to the underworld. [break][break]

Isaac didn't have time to feel sheepish about his misstep when the Underboss turned back to him. His trust was well-placed, for the Glalie still watched the Harbinger with the sort of patience that Isaac didn't think the creature was capable of. Not since its transformation, at least, [break][break]

“Of course, of course.” [break][break]

He probably wasn't bringing anything new to the table, in actuality, but the priest was still eager to present his offering, [break][break]

“Well, you see, my Glalie was perfectly normal until we had an encounter with a rather strange creature. An aggressive one, at that. I believe it was some manner of Ultra Beast.” [break][break]

Unsurprising, considering where they now stood, [break][break]

“They saturated my Pokemon with some sort of toxin. I thought him dead, at first, but instead, he was reborn as the creature you see before you.” [break][break]

Isaac was a man of faith, not a man of science, so the specifics of whatever biological mechanism must have occurred were beyond him. But maybe such a thing could be replicated, with a little trial and error and the acquisition of one of those Ultra Beasts for himself.

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Golden eyes widen slightly at the realization that this Shadow was a newborn. They gleam with delight, and Cillian has to bite his tongue to stop from interrupting.
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Isaac Ward provides most of the answers he seeks.
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"Did it look a bit like... mm." How to describe Nihilego? "Like a Tentacruel, with its many limbs, but white, and floating through air rather than water?"
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He wishes he'd brought his own with him.
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"You, and your Glalie, are extraordinarily fortunate." There's a fervour in the deep rumble of the underbosses voice. "To survive such a process is incredibly rare. There is a reason that for all the Ultra Beasts that attacked during the Three-Day War and before, only so many Shadows were born. Most simply succumb to the toxin. It takes a special sort to survive."
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There is a slight tingle of disappointment in the knowledge that the Glalie was spoken for; had it been wild, he'd have gone through any measure to acquire it. He could dispose of the priest and claim his prize regardless, but he was not a man so short-sighted as to discard a potential ally so quickly.
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In times of war, Rocket needed as much support as they could get.
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And if this man could lead them to Giratina...?
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"Your theory holds water, however; Ultra Beast toxin is the most well-known way that Shadows are created. The first way that we knew of. It is even how Shadow Lugia was changed."
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There's pride in his tone. It took a special sort to survive, and she was special indeed.

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“Yes!” [break][break]

The delight of understanding was punctuated by a snap of the fingers, [break][break]

“It was just as you said! A white, tentacled thing!” [break][break]

And it seemed as though their encounter was a lucky one, in more ways than one. Isaac didn't spare a thought for his own mortality when he listened to the Underboss's explanation. The only thing that was at the forefront of the priest's mind was of this new world of possibilities, just waiting at his fingertips, [break][break]

“Then I shall find more of these creatures for you!” he asserted emphatically. [break][break]

Even if Isaac's spiritual allegiances laid elsewhere, he couldn't help but be awestruck by the transformed creature of darkness, especially if its mere presence could command such awe from the single most terrifying man that the priest had ever met, and all the better if curried the favor of another being who might help facilitate his own ends, [break][break]

“Even if surviving the process is an uncommon occurrence, surely I might find more success if I simply... gamble, long enough, I should think.” [break][break]

An unspoken promise to sacrifice an untold number of lambs upon the alter of darkness. A mere pittance, by the priest's consideration.

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Isaac Ward's enthusiasm is met with a glimmer of amusement in Cillian's eyes.[break][break]

"Nihilego, they're called. Ultra Beasts, as you expected."[break][break]

The priest seems eager to aid Cillian's cause; though an army of Shadows could certainly benefit Rocket also, it is for his own selfish purposes that the underboss courts.[break][break]

His laugh rumbles in his throat, echoes around them.[break][break]

"I've gambled hundreds," he says calmly, as though not confessing to the mass murder of Pokémon. "My collection reflects as much. You'll be welcome to review my findings, and contribute in whatever way you wish."[break][break]

He pauses to let it sink in. He doesn't say the words, but there should be little doubt. He's impressed.[break][break]

"And in return, you will have no shortage of allies in your pursuit of the Renegade. A colleague of mine has already been hunting it." He speaks of THEO BECKETT, though doesn't yet name him. "Tell me, though: is it patronage you seek? Or merely communion?"

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Isaac was glad to be in the company of one with such vision. It would take men like the Underboss to guide him to the gates of Arceus's shadow, and Isaac was gladder still to hear that he would have other such like-minded colleagues. [break][break]

Isaac smiled wide, oh so wide, with a mouth of neat white teeth that never seemed to end, [break][break]

“Oh, I seek something far more transcendent than all of that.” [break][break]

His excitement was building just thinking about it. Isaac wondered if the Glalie could sense it too, because it too seemed to grin wide, wide, wider still – or maybe the expression was merely a trick of the light, [break][break]

“It is as I said when we first met – I seek to install the Banished One, or the Renegade, as you so call them, as the ruler of all creation.” [break][break]

Oh, and how momentous that blessed day would be! Isaac clasped his hands together tight and began to wring them anxiously, [break][break]

“To play a part in that is all that I seek. Communion would be sublime; but patronage?” [break][break]

The priest gasped, as if the thought had only just now occurred to him. Perhaps it had – to think himself worthy of such attention was practically tantamount to blasphemy, but... what if? [break][break]

When he looked at the Underboss again, it was as if he was seeing him for the first time, [break][break]

“It would be simply divine,” he squeaked out, as though his voice had been all but stolen from him.

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Was this how he'd seemed to Emma, when he'd braved the frigid bowels of Shoal Cave to challenge Articuno? To howard slayte when he'd embraced his corrupt patronage to ascend to new, terrifying heights?[break][break]

Mad with the idea of power. Fervent.[break][break]

Tempest Quinn has never understood the minds of men who would cast themselves into a volcano or brave the Disortion World for a mere chance at power. But Cillian understands those kindred spirits all too well.[break][break]

"The Banished One," Cillian echoes, tasting each syllable of the epithet. "I've never heard it called such. Fitting, though, I think, in juxtaposition with the Original One."[break][break]

He's not sure what will happen if they successfully usurp a god. But Cillian's crazy enough to try it.[break][break]

A deep laugh rumbles in the underbosses chest at the choice of words. Divine.[break][break]

The hand Cillian extends now is without its umbral shroud, stripped of its claws. His left, befitting a deal with such a devil. A great scar splits straight through the palm, rough to the touch and reflected on the back side. A stark reminder that no power comes without a price.[break][break]

"To divinity, then."

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Banished, and soon to be restored. Isaac wanted to laugh too, and he almost did, unable to contain the light, flittering giggle that broke free of his broad smile. It was pale and small compared to the booming timbre of the Underboss, compared to that deep thunder that echoed from behind his ribs. But then again, so was Isaac. [break][break]

For now, at least. [break][break]

Just as he had done in that dingy alley in Sootopolis, Isaac took the hand of the Harbinger gladly. His god's love had transformed him; maybe one day, the priest might be lucky enough to share a similar honor, [break][break]

“To divinity.” [break][break]

The accord had been sealed, and so had the Sinnohan's fate. Such was the long and dark path before him, from which there was no going back. Isaac wouldn't have had it any other way.

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