A few hours earlier, deep beneath Lake Verity, a faint pink glow slowly spread through the clear waters.
Inside a pitch-black psychic space, Mesprit slowly opened its eyes. A trace of joy colored its voice as it looked at the Pokémon standing opposite it.
'Azelf... you've come.'
The Pokémon facing it looked remarkably similar, the only major difference being the deep-blue color of its jellyfish-like head.
It was another one of the Lake Guardian, Azelf, the embodiment of willpower.
Although the three lake guardians were born in lakes separated by vast distances, their shared origin allowed them to communicate remotely through psychic power. Whenever their physical bodies slept at the bottom of their respective lakes, their minds could remain active and connected. This space served as a meeting place for the three of them.
For a very long time, however, only Azelf had remained here.
'You're back,' Azelf said quietly, showing neither happiness nor displeasure.
Mesprit was already used to that attitude. It drifted lightly through the dark space, its voice bright like a young girl welcoming the arrival of spring. 'Do you know? A human saved me. Since returning, I've seen so many things and even traveled to other regions...'
'I know.'
Azelf's gaze seemed capable of piercing through the psychic space itself, through the clear waters of Lake Verity, all the way to the somewhat out-of-place human standing by the lakeshore.
It examined Shiro with a stern, scrutinizing look before turning that same gaze back toward Mesprit.
'Do you still remember Uxie?'
Mesprit immediately froze, and unconcealed hatred filled its voice. 'Why bring up that traitor again? If it hadn't been for it...'
The words suddenly stopped. The sentence that was about to leave its mouth became stuck as old memories resurfaced, and a conflicted expression appeared on its face.
Azelf finished the thought for it. 'If it hadn't been for Uxie, you would never have been captured by humans. It is also true that if it hadn't been for Uxie, you would never have met that human.'
After a brief pause, it added, 'You would rather stay with that human.'
At those words, the four appendages above Mesprit's head rose into the air. It clutched its head with both hands, looking pained, while its twin tails twisted around each other as its body turned restlessly within the space.
'No, I just—'
Before it could finish, Azelf interrupted, 'We are all servants of Arceus. We are His most loyal followers.'
'I know...' Mesprit replied softly. 'I need some time to rest and recover from my injuries.'
'What was the reason you called me here?' Azelf asked calmly.
A hint of pleading entered Mesprit's voice. 'Help me watch over him… I saw it. The person brought by Uxie will put him in danger.'
'Uxie's actions are, of course, unforgivable.' Azelf's eyes darkened slightly. 'But...'
It fell silent for a moment and met Mesprit's gaze. After several seconds, it finally said, 'Go and rest. I'll watch over him.'
'Okay.'
Mesprit let out a sigh of relief and slowly disappeared from the psychic space.
A long time later, Azelf's low voice echoed through the darkness.
'The same goes for you, Mesprit. Corrupted knowledge. Betrayed emotions… No matter what happens, we must never abandon Arceus.'
* * *
In the far north of Sinnoh, Lake Acuity lay surrounded by endless snow-covered peaks and biting cold. The surface of the lake remained perfectly calm.
Buzz!
Space suddenly twisted as a black crack opened in the air. A flash of yellow light appeared, and a battered figure fell onto the snowy shore.
It was Alfred, the Hunter Guild's chief, Hunter A.
Looking at the psychic crystal in his hand, now completely drained of energy and crumbling into dust at the slightest touch, his expression stiffened. His weakened body struggled across the snow, and after dragging himself more than five meters, his hand finally touched the surface of Lake Acuity.
The peaceful water immediately rippled, and psychic power surged out to wrap around him.
'Alfred, you failed.'
The voice coming from the lake was ice-cold.
"I... I'm sorry... Great God of Knowledge, I—" Alfred hurriedly began to explain himself, but before he could continue, an intense feeling of suffocation seized his throat. His limbs twitched helplessly as his body weakened.
Bathed in white light, Uxie kept its eyes closed. 'My relationship with you humans is merely one of cooperation. As for you, you're nothing more than a tool handed over by those humans. Do you understand what that means?'
"I understand! I understand!" Alfred cried out as the pressure around his neck eased slightly. "Great God of Knowledge, I made a mistake. Please forgive me!"
'Good...'
Uxie deliberately dragged out the word before suddenly roaring in anger.
'Useless thing! Not only did you fail, you even lost all three Unown! You managed to completely exhaust the crystal I gave you as well… what a piece of trash!'
"Y-Yes... I'm sorry... I..." Alfred's chest rose and fell violently.
Splash!
He was hurled straight into Lake Acuity.
The deep-blue lake was deathly silent. Water rushed through his nose and mouth like a flood, pouring into his lungs. Once again, he was suffocating.
Alfred struggled desperately. Only when he was on the verge of his limit was he pulled back out and thrown onto the lakeshore. The freezing cold quickly turned the water on his body into ice, and curled up on the shore, he shivered uncontrollably.
Yet Alfred understood that this was only a minor punishment. He would not die here. As long as he continued begging Uxie, he might even be given more opportunities.
Uxie sneered. 'You had the advantage in strength and still ended up like this. Don't go provoking Shiro again for the time being… my dear sister certainly knows how to choose people.'
'Shiro now possesses five Unown. Once they awaken, he'll gain a portion of their source power. Wait until you and those humans find more than eight Unown and obtain even greater power. Then we can make further plans.'
'And one more thing. Tell them to send more Pokémon. There aren't enough resources around Lake Acuity to condense another crystal.'
Alfred immediately lowered himself to the ground and repeatedly agreed.
Uxie did not waste any more words. With a wave of its hand, psychic power carried him away.
The lake soon returned to its empty and silent state.
Floating above the water, Uxie slowly opened its eyes. Its once-bright yellow pupils had become dark and murky. Thin strands resembling blood vessels drifted within them.
'My dear sister, don't blame me… Everything is His will. I have never betrayed anyone. I have only followed all of His commands.'
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