Pokemon: Orbion and the Runes of Chaos [#Wattys2016]

Eight: Tidings of Evil

Orbion stood upon the rim of the Basin of Creation lost in thought. The valley looked much as it had when he and Jason had explored it two years previous. It was an almost perfect bowl carved into the land, possibly a remnant from an ancient meteor impact. The only flaw in its shape was the narrow valley that cleaved the western edge of the bowl, created over many eons by the single stream that fell in a series of waterfalls from the opposite side of the basin and wound its way across the bottom of the valley.

The normally sparkling waters of the tropical creek were muddied by the forces Orbion had gathered in the Basin.

Thousands of Pokémon worked in the circular depression below, clearing away the thick jungle foliage to reveal a second ancient temple nearly identical to the one found in the dessert. Behind him, the Pokémon Orbion had personally sought out and enslaved shifted slightly.

"What is your command, master?" asked the soft, rasping voice of Kyurem. He stood half-shrouded in the shadows cast by the brilliant full moon above.

Orbion turned to his newest minion. "You shall stay close at my side and provide the last line of defense. I will be distracted while performing the summoning and may be unable to defend myself should any sort of attack be mounted against the temple."

Kyurem nodded, his eyes glowing purple as a side effect of being controlled by Orbion's power. The two dragons flew down into the basin and landed before the second temple. The rest of Orbion's six dominion orbs waited there for him. They spun horizontally around him in a curved arc several times before assuming their normal positions in a circle orbiting just behind him.

"This structure shall only serve as a hindrance in the coming events," Orbion said aloud. He socketed the Earth Orb into his tail and, with a single movement, caused the entire temple to implode upon itself.

He lifted the condensed mass of stone high into the air and sent it drifting out past the border of the cleared circle. He then slowly floated to the center of what remained of the structure. Only inlaid stone tiles and a descending staircase carved from the volcanic bedrock of the island endured.

He stopped in what had been the deepest tomb of the temple. Now it merely formed the epicenter of the shallow crater. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly.

Almost as if on cue, dozens of portals opened around him. Unown poured forth into the world and began to circle him in long interwoven streams.

To think such harmless little beings possess the power to rewrite the laws of nature themselves, Orbion mused. Experimentally, he tried to manipulate the swirling masses. He threw his arms out wide, causing the Unown to freeze in place.

The Runes of Creation shall serve as my tool of vengeance against humanity. Orbion began to articulate his commands to the mass of Unown. "I cannot safely manipulate you in such an open space. Build me a fortress worthy of our cause."

Orbion began to chuckle as the Unown resumed their rapid swirling. His chuckle built to maniacal laughter as immense crystal lattices formed around him.

With the dawning sun came the whistle of the first train into hills. Vierachu's ears twitched slightly at the distant sound, and he rolled off of Ash's stomach.

After rousing everyone else with Thunderbolt, he raced out of the hastily constructed campsite towards the mining complex station. The others soon followed after hurriedly kicking some dirt over the smoldering fire and gathering up their sparse belongings.