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"Chairwoman, preparations are complete."
The voice snapped Raven out of her thoughts.
Her body stiffened slightly before she returned to the present. She gave a small nod, withdrawing her hand from the mithril tree. Determination burned in her eyes.
Everything was ready.
The safeguards to control Xerneas were in place.
Now came the final step.
The most critical step.
Awakening it.
In its dormant state, Xerneas existed as the silver tree before them, isolated from the outside world. It sustained itself by absorbing sunlight, moonlight, and the life energy of the surrounding forest.
External force alone could never awaken it.
Its divine defenses were absolute.
Even in sleep, any attempt to attack it directly would trigger an automatic retaliation, reducing everything nearby to nothing more than nourishment for nature.
This was the authority of a god.
Even corrupted by the Nightmare Seeds, its power remained beyond human comprehension.
That was why no living creatures existed within the Sandalwood Forest.
Nightmare Pokémon, despite their madness, instinctively avoided this place.
Even they feared divine authority.
In this dying world, this forest was one of the last sanctuaries.
Raven stared at the silver glow coating the tree's surface. It looked gentle.
But she knew the truth.
The power contained within it was unimaginable.
She took a deep breath.
Her racing heart steadied.
Then she reached behind her and carefully retrieved a heavy, sealed black case.
She had not come unprepared.
After entering a complex sequence of passwords, the case opened.
A crimson light burst forth.
Inside lay a massive feather.
Dark red.
Longer than her forearm.
Crimson veins ran along its surface, glowing faintly like flowing blood. It radiated an aura of death and decay.
The moment she touched it, she felt her life force being drawn toward it.
This was her key.
A feather from Yveltal.
If Xerneas embodied life, nature, and creation…
Then Yveltal embodied death, destruction, and decay.
Two gods.
Opposites.
Both are standing at the apex of existence.
Their powers governed the balance of life and death itself.
They were not allies.
They were rivals.
Enemies bound by fate.
Only the presence of such opposing divine authority could awaken Xerneas from its slumber.
Raven's breathing grew shallow.
Her face turned pale as her life energy drained into the feather.
But she did not stop.
She stepped forward.
Carefully.
Slowly.
She pressed the crimson feather against the mithril tree.
BZZZZ—
A wave of invisible force erupted outward.
The calm forest exploded into chaos.
Wind howled violently, tearing across the clearing.
Silver light and crimson light intertwined.
Life and death.
Clashing.
Her hair whipped wildly in the storm.
Fear flooded her mind.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
To abandon everything.
But she refused.
She was too close.
Too close to turn back now.
Madness flickered in her eyes.
With a cry, she forced her trembling body forward.
Boom!
The feather made full contact.
A violent shockwave blasted her backward, sending her crashing across the ground.
Pain consumed her.
But she didn't care.
She looked up.
And laughed.
She had done it.
The crimson feather dissolved into pure energy, sinking into the tree.
BOOOOM!!!
The earth shook.
Light consumed everything.
An ancient roar echoed through the air.
The towering trees bowed.
Nature itself submitted.
The Phantom Order's officers collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure.
Then—
A sound.
Soft.
Ancient.
A voice older than time itself.
And suddenly…
Everything became still.
The storm vanished.
The light faded.
The silver tree was gone.
In its place stood something else.
A magnificent figure.
A divine Pokémon had awakened.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
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