Darkest Day (Pokémon Sw/Sh fanfic - rewrite available and in progress)

Crowned Sword

One week later...

The stone. That was all he remembered when he woke up. The stone was the problem. He sat up, blinking at his surroundings. The route to Stow-on-Side was already warming up with the sun's rays, creating a watery haze over the sand dunes that he loved so much.

There was the stone, inches away from his hand. It was glowing a crimson red, a color that he had grown to fear since the last time he was awake. When was that? Two days ago? This Wishing Star was very dangerous. Not only did it hide a destructive force, but it also drained the life-force of anything that touched it, placing them in a coma-like sleep. He should have known that would happen to him. After all, Eliana had suffered the same illness only weeks ago.

Raihan didn't remember being on Route 6 the last time he was awake. He remembered just leaving Hammerlocke because Hop was on his way to challenge the fourth gym.

The memory came back to him full-force. He had snuck the Wishing Star away while Absol was sound asleep next to Eliana. He wished that he hadn't done that. Almost instantly, he was attacked by a powerful otherworldly force. It screamed "dangerous". And to think he actually liked Eternatus before this.

Wait.

Eternatus.

"Rose!" he shouted aloud, suddenly remembering.

The sounds of footsteps in sand sounded outside the camping tent he was in, and they were very hasty. Leon was soon making his way inside, a huge wave of relief washing over him.

"Thank Arceus you're awake," he said. "We thought you were done for."

"You should have took it," Raihan replied weakly.

Leon shook his head. "You were holding it too tight. We couldn't pry your fingers open for nothing."

Damnit. That meant that if he had hopes of reaching out to Eternatus again, he probably wouldn't live to see the light of dawn ever again.

Leon took a seat next to him, sitting cross-legged. He put an arm around Raihan, saying, "Eliana took Hop out for some special training. I stayed behind to keep an eye on you." He pointed outside the tent at the dunes, which were shifting at the very moment. "I had a feeling you'd come around if we went on to one of your favorite spots in Galar."

Raihan couldn't smile. Too much was on his mind. He stared blankly ahead, trying to piece together his encounter with Eternatus. It was all too fuzzy, and it pissed him off. He knew it was important, and the vision had provided an answer to prevent something horrible from happening.

He didn't even hear anything Leon was saying until he mentioned a sword and shield.

"What?"

Leon blinked, slightly startled. "I said that Eliana's planning to look into researching the Sword and Shield when we get to Stow-on-Side," he repeated. "Why, is there a problem?"

Of course. It was all coming together now. Raihan could recall Eternatus' very words to him.

The Sword and Shield are broken. There is no hope of saving your precious region now.

Broken. That meant that they were just relics, not pokémon. But then again, they had been used over three thousand years ago, so of course they'd be withered away over time.

But the thought still gnawed away at his mind. If there were no Sword and Shield, then what could stop the Darkest Day? There was so much he knew, yet he also knew so little. It wasn't enough to explain to everyone. Not just yet.

"Rai? You alright?" Leon snapped his fingers in front of Raihan's face, jolting him out of his thoughtful trance.

"Fine," he muttered, stuffing his hand in the pockets of his sweatshirt. He felt cold, like all the warmth had been sapped out of him. Even as he thought about it, his body was threatening to faint on him again. Lightheaded and weary was all he felt besides dread and terror.