Pokémon XYZ: Life, Death, Order, and Chaos (book 2 of the HBoD series)

Chapter 38: Fragile Bond

"Please," I reached out my hand desperately. "Please! I can save you!"

Mira smiled at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then blood filled my vision and I sunk into darkness. Images flashed around me. The pouring rain as the Cult of Chaos advanced on the Tower of Majesty, their attack in the middle of Lumiose, and the murders they commited, including the girl I failed to save.

Waves of dark pink and violet splashed around me, rising above my neck, choking me. I felt myself sinking into the chaos around me, my mind buzzing. A dark shape swam around me in a zigzagging pattern, giant claws curling around my middle.

"Oh sweet, sweet hero," the voice cooed, like venom coursing through my entire being. "You were so important. A necessary sacrifice for me to rise."

"However," her claws sunk into my side and I gasped in pain, liquid surging into my body. "My cult decided she would be the best course of action. A new sacrifice."

"Do not worry," a single claw was dragged down the length of my body. "I won't let them kill you. While you may no longer be a part of the plan, I do wish for you to witness my return. They think you can stop me from rising, but I want you to watch in despair as chaos engulfs the Earth once more. You will see the end of days and you will be broken, unable to do a thing to stop me."

I saw Mira floating above me, lifeless eyes haunting me. "She will not be the last, I promise you, Hero Born of Darkness."

...

My eyes snapped open, awakening into a dark room. Hard floorboard pressed against my back, the sound of the wind outside producing eerie noises in this old house. Sitting up, I groaned, my back aching. Then I stopped, my gaze fixed on the little girl in front of me. With her white dress, she seemed to glow in the darkness. Her dark hair flowed behind her, her face hidden behind shadows. A Drifloon seemed to float down from thin air, grabbing the girl's hands. She seemed to smile as she was pulled back and up into the air, vanishing into nothing.

...

"I told you the house was a bad idea," Robert said, shivering as the light rain managed to drip through the large leaves that looked as if Fall had already arrived. "Things never go right when ghosts are involved."

"Tell me about it," I glanced back at the run-down house we had for some reason thought it was a good place to spend the night in. "Never doing something like that again."

"You ever look at the branches and see gnarled hands reaching towards you," Alex pointed at said branches, reaching over the path.

"Stop," Robert pressed his hands over both ears. "Stop I say!"

Alex grinned. "What? Is the big baby scared of ghosts?"

Robert shot a glare at her. "They're not natural."

"What about Ghost types?" I asked.

"Not natural," Robert repeated. "There are so many twisted myths and stories surrounding Ghost types and their origins."

"So you really don't like ghosts?" Alex looked surprised. "You've mentioned it, but you've never really acted like it. I mean, Zeno had Mimikyu as one of his travelling Pokemon before."

Robert shrugged as our feet splashed through the murky swamp. "Well, Mimikyu is an oddity in their own right. Some Ghost types are different than the rest, but the majority have some twisted backstory to them."

The wind shifted, blowing towards us, carrying with it fall-colored leaves.

"It's the height of summer," I plucked one out of the air. "And yet it's fall over there."