"So, can they still be saved?" Shiro asked.
'As long as we release them…' Unown A replied with a worried look. 'The difficult part is the power of Him sealed inside. If that power isn't handled properly…'
"How confident are you?"
'Somewhat. But I think I need to study it a little more.'
"What do we need to prepare?" Shiro began packing his things. "Sandgem Town is already remote enough. Let's conduct the experiment in the wilderness outside town."
'Alright.'
After that, Unown A listed a series of materials and tools. Fortunately, the research institute had a well-stocked supply. Claiming that he needed them for an important research project, Shiro gathered everything he needed. He also took the opportunity to replenish his nearly depleted supply of Pokéblocks a bit.
Only after repeatedly assuring Rowan that it wasn't a dangerous mission and that he would be conducting his research just outside Sandgem Town did Shiro mount Corviknight and fly southeast.
* * *
On a barren stretch of coastline near Sandgem Town.
The beach was narrow, and the poor soil supported nothing but a few scattered rocks. Waves occasionally washed over the shore, while the nearest forest stood dozens of meters away.
There wasn't a single person in sight, not even a wild Pokémon.
"Ten Black Apricorns, three Maranga Berries, one pair of Iapapa Berries and Colbur Berries, then five Rowap Berries. They're all Dark-type berries."
As he spoke, Shiro carefully arranged everything according to Unown A's instructions.
'Because we're Psychic-types, even when we're being controlled by Him, we're still Psychic-types.'
While speaking, Unown A used its psychic power to pull over several rocks infused with Dark-type energy and stacked them into a precise pattern. 'With these Dark-type berries and materials suppressing the power, even if something goes wrong when we open the box, the damage will be kept to a minimum.'
'It's ready.'
As soon as Unown A finished speaking, Shiro stepped back several paces. Without wasting any time, Unown A placed one of the iron boxes into the center of the formation and used its psychic power to unlock it.
Click.
A narrow crack immediately appeared along the lid of the pitch-black box. Within only a few seconds, countless black strands resembling wisps of smoke seeped through the opening, carrying an unsettling psychic aura.
Without hesitation, Unown A severed a portion of its own psychic power and activated the prepared Dark-type materials. In an instant, black mist rose from the materials. It twisted together into a strange mass before forming a cage that trapped every strand of psychic energy trying to escape.
Inside the cage, more and more psychic energy gathered until it almost completely filled the space, making it impossible to see what was happening within.
Pop!
The box sprang open as Unown F shot out, but it couldn't break free from the cage.
Unown A extended its psychic power into the cage to examine Unown F's condition, while Shiro watched from nearby with a frown.
He couldn't help feeling nervous. If Unown F and the other two Unown couldn't be restored, things would become very troublesome. If the people behind Hunter A were capable of controlling every Unown this way, then recovering them all would accomplish nothing.
A few moments later, Unown A finally spoke. 'It should be possible to restore it... G! Come help me!'
Unown G immediately teleported over. The moment its psychic power touched Unown A's, the two instantly understood each other's intentions.
Working together, they tore open the black mist cage. The black strands of psychic energy tried to spill out, but the two Unown caught them before they could escape. They forcibly compressed the strands into a single mass and stuffed them back into the original black box. Then they stripped every trace of contamination from Unown F and sealed that inside the box as well.
Only then did Unown F finally calm down and quietly fall asleep. The black mist cage gradually dispersed, leaving only the black box that had originally contained Unown F.
'As long as the box stays closed, everything will be fine. The nightmare energy and the Feather of Time inside are enough to keep it sealed,' Unown A said, nodding in satisfaction.
If the box could imprison a corrupted Unown, then naturally it could imprison the source of the corruption as well.
Although it was only a fragment of Arceus' power, Unown A wasn't capable of removing it completely. For now, sealing it away was the only option.
Following the same method, Unown A and Unown G released the remaining two Unown, Y and P. Now, all three Unown lay peacefully on the beach.
"When will they wake up?" Shiro asked.
'About two hours,' Unown A estimated. 'Maybe a little longer. They were already weak before, and they overused their powers. They need time to recover.'
"Alright."
Shiro nodded before taking out a box of Psychic-type Pokéblocks from his backpack.
Unown A looked at them with a pained expression. Those Pokéblocks had just been brought from Rowan Research Institute. They were practically the last of their supply.
"Don't worry. The institute still has plenty of Pokéblocks." Shiro searched through his backpack again. "We'll leave tomorrow, and after that we'll buy more supplies."
As he checked his belongings, he realized that his medicines were almost completely gone as well. Only one bottle of the company's healing spray remained.
"We'll rest today. Tomorrow we'll pay a visit to the Hunters Guild."
As Shiro organized his backpack, he took out several Poké Balls. All of them had been confiscated from Hunter A.
One entirely black Poké Ball contained the Champion-level Claydol. The other three contained a peak Elite-level Zweilous, a Chandelure, and another Claydol.
Perhaps sensing that the situation had turned against it, the Claydol that had arrived late to the battlefield had voluntarily returned to its own black Poké Ball. By the time Shiro found it, it had already been sleeping inside for quite a while, recovering from its injuries.
He still wasn't certain whether the black Poké Ball itself was what controlled Claydol. At first, he thought it was likely. After all, in one of the Pokémon movies, Team Rocket had used similar Poké Balls to forcibly capture and control Pokémon.
But the three Unown had gone out of control because of that mysterious power belonging to Arceus…
'It's the Poké Ball,' Unown A answered. 'That Claydol, along with the Weezing from before, has nothing to do with Him. It's simply your humans' latest technology.'
Hearing that, Shiro put all the Poké Balls away. "That's for the best."
Unown A tilted its eye curiously. 'What are you going to do with them?'
"Hand them over to the Hunters Guild."
Unown A blinked. 'So you're going to let the Hunters Guild sell their leader's own Pokémon... You really do have a wicked sense of humor.'
"Hm? Aren't we supposed to be the good guys?"
'Of course we are! With me, A, representing justice…' Unown A proudly raised its single eye. If it had arms, it would surely have been standing there with its hands on its hips. 'Come on, isn't it obvious? We're partners in justice!'
"Partners in justice..." Shiro murmured as he rubbed the Poké Balls in his hand. He simply smiled and said nothing.
**
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