The Cocoon of Destruction was a massive, black object that looked like a giant chrysalis.
This was the form the legendary Yveltal took when it went into its deep sleep.
It was the opposite of the Tree of Life that Xerneas became during its own slumber.
After Team Flare found the Cocoon of Destruction, they never actually touched it from a close distance.
According to legend, when Yveltal spreads its wings and tail feathers and glows with a red light, it absorbs the life force of every living thing around it.
Who would dare to get close to something like that?
Because of this, Team Flare had used hooks and ropes from helicopters to transport the cocoon back to their base in Geosenge Town.
By now, Xerosic had lost his patience.
He had to start the Ultimate Weapon, and to do that, he absolutely needed Yveltal's energy.
Under Xerosic's strict orders, a grunt named Ali and two other members cautiously entered the room where the Cocoon of Destruction was kept.
Ali didn't dare to get close to it, but Xerosic kept yelling and pushing him through the earpiece.
Shaking with fear, Ali slowly approached the cocoon.
He reached out and placed his hand on its surface.
How did it feel?
It was a bit cold and hard.
Perhaps because he was so terrified, Ali didn't notice a faint red light glowing from his palm and sinking into the cocoon.
"Sir, nothing seems to be changing," Ali said to Xerosic after waiting for a moment.
"How is that possible? How are we supposed to wake it up? Do we have to attack it?" Xerosic thought to himself, feeling confused.
He really didn't know the proper way to wake the legendary bird.
"Wait! Sir! It's lighting up!"
Suddenly, the terrified screams of the three men came through the headset.
Xerosic immediately looked at the surveillance monitor.
The Cocoon of Destruction, which had been completely still, was now glowing with an unlucky, blood-red light.
The light grew brighter and brighter.
It was obvious—Yveltal was waking up!
"Good! Excellent, Ali! You did a great job!"
Xerosic was extremely excited.
Yveltal was finally waking up!
This was perfect!
But Ali and the other two men were paralyzed with fear.
They watched the cocoon in front of them as it began to change shape.
A thick, evil aura started to spread wildly through the room.
Their legs felt like jelly.
"Run!!"
finally coming to their senses, the three men scrambled and crawled as fast as they could out of the massive room.
The Cocoon of Destruction began to float slowly into the air.
Two wings, shaped like the claws of a demon, snapped open.
The black tips of the claws looked sharp and terrifying.
Its tail feathers also spread out, looking like another giant claw.
Screeech!
A piercing, raspy cry echoed throughout the entire base.
Yveltal had awakened!
Faint crimson light pulsed across its body.
Yveltal's cold, heartless eyes scanned the surroundings.
Its energy felt violent and evil.
"Wonderful! Yveltal, you've finally opened your eyes!"
Xerosic's voice rang out in the room.
He was speaking to Yveltal through the base's intercom system.
Yveltal's merciless eyes turned toward the speaker in the corner of the room.
"Yveltal, don't you think this world—"
Before Xerosic could even finish his sentence, a blindingly bright crimson beam swept across the room.
Everything turned red.
Controlled by Yveltal, that terrifying death ray instantly tore through the entire space.
Xerosic's monitor was filled with red light before it cut to static.
The screen turned into "snow," making Xerosic jump in shock.
Boom! Rumble!
The sounds of explosions were deafening.
The entire base shook violently.
Xerosic's face turned pale.
Holy crap!
"Sir! Get out of here! Yveltal has gone crazy!"
Ali ran into the control room and shouted at Xerosic.
"Damn it! That thing!"
Xerosic grit his teeth.
That ungrateful Yveltal!
I was kind enough to wake you up, and you repay me by destroying my base the moment you open your eyes?
But Xerosic only dared to complain in his mind.
He prepared to follow Ali and the others out.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive red beam blasted through the wall.
The shockwave sent Xerosic flying through the air.
He groaned in pain.
As he looked up, he saw it.
The crimson beam hit Ali and his men.
They didn't even have time to scream.
Every bit of their life energy was sucked dry by the death ray.
This was Yveltal's signature move—Oblivion Wing!
It was the wing of death that could steal the life of all things!
The red light faded, but Xerosic's face was as white as a sheet of paper.
He stared at the doorway in horror.
Several lifeless stone statues stood there.
They looked exactly like Ali and the others.
Xerosic could even see the twisted expressions of pure terror on their faces.
They were dead.
Their life force had been completely stolen by Yveltal, turning them into stone.
The sounds of explosions continued without stopping.
Yveltal was heartlessly firing Oblivion Wings everywhere, destroying the base and harvesting the lives of every living thing inside.
"How... how did this happen..."
Xerosic was terrified.
His entire body shook uncontrollably.
Fear and regret mixed in his heart.
He could only lie on the floor, feeling as weak as a worm trying to stay alive.
He truly regretted it.
If he hadn't woken Yveltal, this never would have happened.
Screeech!
The cold, demonic cry sounded like it was right next to his ear.
Xerosic looked up.
A giant black and red bird was floating above him, wings spread wide.
It looked down at him with eyes as heartless as a god's.
"No..."
The crimson light gathered again.
Yveltal began to fold its wings slightly, and the red light of death began to shine.
Oblivion Wing!
"Please, no..."
But why would Yveltal care about the crying of an ant?
Embracing death was the only end they deserved, wasn't it?
The powerful red beam shot down from the sky.
Xerosic's eyes were filled with nothing but that terrifying crimson light.
Just as Lysandre had said, Xerneas was the kind giver of life, and Yveltal was the heartless taker.
To Yveltal, life was something to be stolen.
No creature could escape death.
It was simply sending them on their way a little early.
Boom!
After a massive explosion, the black and red Yveltal rose high into the sky.
Its demon-claw wings spread wide as its cold eyes looked down at the lush, green earth below.
A black, unlucky aura began to spread, matching the red light on its body.
It was evil, dark, and terrifying!
This was Yveltal's ability—Dark Aura!
A while later, when Damian and Caitlin arrived at Geosenge Town, they were instantly shocked by what they saw.
Everything in sight was a lifeless, dull gray.
That's right.
All they could see was an endless wasteland of gray.
The trees, the grass, the people, and the Pokémon—everything had turned into gray stone statues.
There wasn't a single bit of life left.
Every bit of life energy had been stolen by Yveltal.
"This is..."
Even Caitlin felt her skin crawl at the sight.
It was truly horrifying!
"Did Yveltal do all of this?"
Damian had told her they were coming to find Yveltal, but Caitlin hadn't expected Yveltal to be this cruel.
Screeech...
Yveltal's low cry sounded from the distance.
Its giant black and red shadow was flying toward them at high speed.
It seemed it had sensed two more living beings entering this land of death.
"Yveltal, the Plunderer of Life. It really lives up to its name," Damian said.
To be honest, even he was shocked when he first saw this dead land.
He knew that Yveltal had the worst "waking up" temper of all legendary Pokémon.
He knew that as soon as it woke up, it would fire Oblivion Wings in every direction to steal life.
But seeing it with his own eyes was still a shock.
In front of Yveltal, these ordinary lives were so fragile.
They could only wait for death.
Damian couldn't imagine what would happen if the Kalos region didn't have Xerneas to balance out Yveltal.
The entire region would probably have been turned to stone long ago.
Then again, even without Xerneas, Zygarde would probably step in to stop Yveltal.
Zygarde's job was to balance the ecosystem, and Yveltal stealing life without limits was definitely destroying that balance.
Screeech!
Yveltal arrived in the air in front of Damian and Caitlin.
With its wings spread and its tail feathers curved, it looked like a giant letter "Y."
This was why people called it the "Y God," just as Xerneas looked like an "X."
As for "Z," Zygarde in its 50% Forme looked like a "Z," and its special move, Core Enforcer, even carved a giant "Z" into the ground.
These patterns were easy to see.
Yveltal pulled its wings in slightly.
Crimson light began to shine.
"Tsk. No words, just an Oblivion Wing the moment we meet? You really are direct," Damian scoffed.
He shouldn't have expected anything else from Yveltal.
The crimson beam of death shot through the air, flying toward Damian and Caitlin on the ground.
It didn't hesitate for a second.
Shadow Mewtwo suddenly appeared in front of them.
A deep purple psychic barrier lit up.
Boom!
The Oblivion Wing crashed into Shadow Mewtwo's barrier.
Blinding red light splashed everywhere before finally exploding.
The sound was deafening, and a powerful shockwave pushed outward.
The thick dust was blown away by a gust of wind from Shadow Mewtwo's arm.
Shadow Mewtwo slowly raised its head and looked directly at Yveltal in the sky.
Yveltal narrowed its eyes.
It looked down at Shadow Mewtwo.
The fact that this Pokémon could block its Oblivion Wing meant it was very strong.
It seemed it had finally met a tough opponent.
"Yveltal, the symbol of death and destruction. To do such an unforgivable thing... your crimes are too great," Damian said, stepping forward with a righteous look on his face.
Yveltal's eyes showed no emotion.
They remained as cold as ice.
It had been this way since the day it was born.
Other living things feared it, hated it, and blamed it.
It was always like this.
This human was doing the same thing.
But what did it matter?
"You are far too dangerous, Yveltal! So, for the sake of the world, I must catch you!"
Yveltal: "...?"