Zarius felt incredible. As if he was on top of the world. He pushed Corina to the bed and began undressing her, exploring her body with his hands and feeling the rapturous joy of her fervent worship filling him as if a drug – heightening his senses as he felt-

  “The Water Trainer arrived,” Lucien said from the door. “Hate to interrupt your mating.”

  Zarius growled in frustration at being stymied and pushed himself off of Corina. “Get dressed. Get equipped. We’re leaving.” He stood up and turned to face Lucien, “Come on, shadow time.”

  Lucien dipped into Zarius’ shadow and the cool sensation surged up his body. “We are low on Moves,” the Pokémon advised. “Any combat should wait until nightfall when it resets for us.”

  Zarius frowned and glanced back at Corina, “Herald, we will head outside town.”

  The woman had fished her gear out from her lockbox and was putting it on, suiting up in her light armor and packing a bag. “I’ll be right behind you. I can fly to find you if you want to get a head start.”

  Zarius headed to the stairs and walked up to find Mary, Wilson, and Bradley all standing there. Bradley’s Bayleef was next to him, and the man looked very angry as his face was set into a scowl. He was holding a short spear in one hand, and whilst it wasn’t combat-ready, it was close to being up and ready to strike.

  Bradley was further back, foot angled forward and ready to crouch into that defensive stance if needed, and his Lapras’ head was poking through the door at the far end of the room.

  Mary stood in front, a small dagger unsheathed and held in her crossed arms. A spectral, hard to see purple, spiked creature with floating claws hovered just above her shoulder. “Zarius…mind telling us what happened down at the river?”

  Zarius chuckled, then laughed. A mad, manic laugh of those filled with and drunk on power. “I showed my true form,” they said as the laughter ceased and they brought their gaze down to the arrayed Trainers. They stopped suppressing their Aura. Shadows billowed around their body, and crimson spikes shot out in all directions betwixt the cascading slivers.

  Mary stood, frozen in place, her breath caught in her lungs. The air was tense, and Zarius stood there, expectantly, until she recovered her breath and spoke. “You…you are…I’ve heard tales…” Corina walked up behind Zarius and stood just behind to his left. Mary’s gaze flicked over to her, “And you have the shadow upon you,” she stated, “Mixed with your Aura.”

  Corina smiled and glanced at Zarius, “My Lord? Shall we tell them?”

  “No,” they replied. “The time has not yet come for my magnificence to be fully revealed.” Zarius looked straight at Mary as the shadows receded and they suppressed their Aura. “Now, Corina and I are going to exit. Tonight, when the moon is high overhead, Mary, I want our fight for that gold badge.”

  The Guild Leader paled but nodded, “I…Very well, I shall perform the sacred rite entrusted to me by the Guild Master. The training yard outside of town, at the full moon’s apex.” She sheathed the dagger, “Pokémon only.” She went to the small stove and began stirring the eternal stew pot.

  Bradley kept his stance and spoke in a trembling voice, “I s-saw it. D-death itself.”

  Zarius raised an eyebrow, “And what of it?”

  Wilson lowered his short spear and looked to Corina, “That’s how it is, eh? Just going to up and leave with this…Trainer?”

  Corina gripped Zarius’ shoulder and her voice was filled with vitriol. “You were poor in bed, and you’re a worse Trainer. I’d never stay for you.” She ran a hand along Zarius’ spine, eliciting chills that ran up his body. “But Zarius…he’s more than a Trainer.”

  Wilson grit his teeth and shouted, “You bitch!”

  “I know it,” Corina replied with a lascivious smile. “Now, get out of our way.”

  Wilson turned to the door and strode out, the Lapras pulling its head back. Zarius went over to Mary, “What about those Luxray pups?”

  “They are called Shinx. The captain of the guard offered to buy them. I accepted.” She didn’t look at him but reached into her hip pouch and pulled out a stack of five gold coins, setting them on the wooden table next to the stove. “There’s your cut.”

  Zarius snatched it, pocketed the coins, and left the building with Corina right behind him. Bradley hesitated for a moment before following them out. Zarius kept walking with Corina in tow, heading to the gates leading outside of town to the south.

  Bradley and Wilson followed, and Corina looked back before turning to face Zarius and muttered to him, “They are spooked.” Their Pokémon were trailing right behind them – the Lapras traveling on a small cushion of water that seemed to buoy them up over the ground, and the Bayleef trotting with sure steps.

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  Zarius chuckled, “As they should be. I presume you had some relationship with Wilson.”

  “Yes. I slept with him a handful of times.” She shrugged, “But just because no one else was brave enough to bed a Trainer.”

  Zarius glanced back and gave a toothy grin to the two men, “Coming to watch the nighttime battle?”

  Wilson scowled in response, but Bradley spoke up, “I want to know the truth. What was it I saw? What are you?”

  “We could use more worshippers,” Yveltal said in Zarius’ thoughts.

  He is weak, Zarius thought back. Not a good fighter. Not worthy of worshipping me.

  “Water Types are useful for traversing the seas.”

  We have Corina’s flying Pokémon if we need to travel distances quickly. And besides, we have to cull, do we not? If we travel along the seas and rivers, or through the sky, we cannot very well reduce the excess population caused by Xerneas’ victory over us.

  “A fair point. Do not forget, though, that we must press forward at a reasonable pace. Acquire all of these badges, then head to war.”

  Zarius could feel his heart pumping at the idea of being on a battlefield, surrounded by the dead and dying, their blood soaking through his clothes as he reveled in the screams of pain and agony. Their life essence, being sucked up as he stood triumphant on top of a pile of corpses. I need more defensive qualities, Zarius commented as they arrived at the training field.

  “Perhaps the next Pokémon you bind should be of the Steel Type. To gain the defensive qualities, such as Corina’s wings from her Corviknight.”

  It would be wise, Zarius thought back as he hopped the fence. Corina was a step behind him, and he paced over to the practice weapon racks which had a bench that he sat upon. He leaned against the fencing as the sun began its slow descent toward dusk. Corina snuggled up next to him, but the other Trainers walked a short distance off with their Pokémon and waited.

  Lucien left Zarius’ shadow. He sat down next to the Trainer. “If we are facing a Ghost and Psychic Trainer, then despite my mostly support focused build, I should be the one to fight her Bound creature. Psychic will do nothing to me, and Ghost will be half as effective.”

  Zarius put an arm around Corina and ran a hand along her neck, “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Lucien’s teeth glimmered in the dusk, and he chuckled. “It should be quite interesting.”

  “Are you not going to merge, then?” Yveltal asked.

  Hmm? Zarius thought back inquisitively.

  “In ancient times, when Trainers battled with Pokémon, they would merge their consciousness with their Bound Pokémon to take direct control. It results in the host body going dormant, which necessitates protection.”

  Zarius glanced at Corina, “Have you merged before?” he asked.

  She nodded, “A few times, Lord Zarius. It is thrilling, but risky because you’re so vulnerable. And if your body dies while you’re merged, you’re stuck inside your Pokémon.”

  Lucien shrugged, “I do not mind either way.”

  Zarius looked over at the two other Trainers with suspicion, “I would not put it past one of them to try and kill me while I was in such a state. Not Bradley, perhaps, but Wilson obviously hates me for taking your adoration, Herald.”

  Corina looked over at the man who was staring daggers at the duo, “Well, I can keep your body safe, Lord Zarius.”

  “As can I. My power will shroud our body in pure shadow.”

  “How long would it take to return from being merged?” Zarius asked.

  Corina smiled, “It’s near instant.”

  “And, I can recall your consciousness from your Bound Pokémon if our body is threatened.”

  Zairus reached a hand down and scratched behind Lucien’s ears, “Seems like a plan.”

  Night fell and Zarius felt full of energy as the language of the gods appeared before him as it had on prior nights, notifying him that his Moves were refreshed, as were his limited Abilities such as Legend Mode. Lucien had curled up in a ball next to his feet, and was snoozing as they waited.

  Mary came walking down the path with the spectral figure floating behind her. Even harder to see at night, but Zarius’ vision caught the edges of it. She hopped the fence and glanced at Zarius, cuddled up with Corina. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  Zarius smiled and nodded, “I am. Terms?”

  “We each get one Pokémon. Merged or unmerged – the choice is yours.” She looked over at Wilson and Bradley, who had engaged in hushed conversation that Zarius’ couldn’t even pick up, given how quietly they were whispering to each other. “I will elect to merge with mine.”

  She snapped her fingers, and the spectral figure came into full view. A deep, purple body with spikes, white eyes, and a pink, gaping maw appeared.

  “Haunter,” it whispered out.

  Zarius felt a chill down his spine as the figure floated over to the center of the field.

  Lucien’s eyes snapped open, and he stood up, stretching his forelegs out, then trotted over to the center of the field as well.

  Mary walked between the two Pokémon and planted the Duelist’s Ward. Then, she walked over to Zarius and Corina, “Mind moving over so I can sit?” she asked.

  Corina stood up, Zarius slid to the side, and Mary tilted her head back against the fence before her body went limp. She was breathing steadily.

  Zarius looked up at Corina, “Protect my body, Herald.”

  She grinned with ecstatic joy, “Of course, Lord Zarius.”

  How does this work? Zarius thought to Yveltal.

  “Focus on Lucien.” Zarius did so. “Now that your gaze is fixed on him, you must envision yourself in his fur. Be Lucien. Act like him.”

  Zarius tried to picture himself as Lucien. Closer to the ground, on all fours, standing in the center of the field with the ward in front of him. He could feel his heart beating, and there was an odd, pulsating along the side and front of his head. Like a headache, but without pain. That pulsating built and built as his vision flashed black.

  He could see the Duelist’s Ward in front of him. His body was strong, lithe, and quadrupedal. He could feel his tail flicking back and forth, and the anticipation of battle keeping him on a razor’s edge. Sparing a glance to the side, Zarius could see his body, embraced by Corina and surrounded by a black aura. The night air smelled sweet and mixed with the earthiness of the mud to create an interesting mix of scents. He could smell more acutely than his improved senses in his body, and his ears twitched as he picked up all manner of sounds in the distance and up close. The mud and dirt beneath him felt cool between the toes of his paws, and he could feel the claws hidden within, ready to be unleashed.

  The Haunter in front of him spoke, “Are you ready?” it whispered out.

  “Yes,” Zarius and Lucien replied, as one.

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