[Pokemon] Dark to Light; A Max/Noir Story

"Eris, could you please take these back to Historic Fiction, section C, please?" Max inclined a small pile of returns as she knelt down to tend to Joker. The vaporeon was recovering from a fresh wound from their training on Iron Island.

"Of course, Maxwell." Eris picked up the stack of four and headed off to the proper section.

Max pet her Vaporeon on the head with a smile as she looked over the wound. "Lookie here! You're healing up nicely, little miss. You'll be back on your feet in no time!"

Joker purred and lay her head back down on her bed, shutting her eyes once more to rest. The blonde book keep turned her attention to the pile of returns on the front desk and went back to checking them back into the system. As she worked, she felt a cold shudder crawl down her spine as she lost aural contact with Eris. Max immediately stopped her work and went back to check on her partner.

"Eris? What happened? Are you okay?" She called out, going further into the library... Past the section she told Eris to go to. Max was getting worried now. The place was eerily silent; not even her footsteps cound he heard on the hardwood floor beneath her. The air was thick and the space around her grew darker and darker as she progressed. Max blinked several times, feeling a drowsiness come over her, desperate to shake it.


The aura guardian woke up in a ruined library, the world around her desolate and drained. Eris lay several feet from her, eyes closed.

"Eris!" Max crawled to her partner, gently shaking the Lucario awake. "Get up buddy..." She placed her forehead to his, relaxing a bit as she felt the connection return and Eris regain consciousness. The two looked around, trying to determine their location.

"Surely this is Canalave... But why in ruin?"

"...Maxwell."

"Hm?"

Eris pointed up to the sky, or at least what should have been. Instead it was a mass of swirling black and purple void. Max stood, helping her partner get up as well. The duo walked through the deserted city, trying to figure what happened, and how they got here.

"As I was placing the books back, I was overcome with drowsiness, Maxwell."

"I was too. Then I woke up here."

"If that is the case, perhaps this is a sleep effect? Most likely a nightmare."

"Nightmare? There's nothing scary here!" Its all just rui-" Max halted in motion, as well as words as they came across their home. It was in shambles, dried blood sprayed across the front walkway, leading inside. She looked at her partner with great concern and slowly headed inside.

There was no trace of her family, just signs of a heavy struggle. Max scoured the entire house top to bottom, desperate to find something. Anything.

"Kyukyukyukyu!"

Max whipped around, watching a shadow dart across the hall. The Old Chateau flashed through her mind, and she began to shake.

Eris was nowhere to be found.

Every step she took was heavy as she fearfully and reluctantly went to investigate the shadow. It lead her to her room, where there was a mass of writhing black tendrils in the corner. Two yellow eyes peered out of the darkness at her, the shadows beckoning her closer. Something placed a paw to Max's back, snapping her out of the trance she had fallen into; Eris.

"It is advised you do not approach, Maxwell." The Lucario warned.

She nodded and swallowed her fear, which just formed a lump in her throat.

"...Who are you?"

"Kyukyukyukyu~"

The eyes flashed red as a shape familiar to Max began pulling itself from the dark. Its mouth split into fours, black sling and bits or organic material falling from its jaws. Large claws scraped up the already deteriorating floor as it advanced on the trainer, paralyzed in fear. Max couldn't will her body to move, even with Eris calling to her and desperately pulling her arm. She opened her mouth, but no sound would come out. Her ass met the floor as she fell backwards, scuttling to the far corner as the thing continued its advance. Eris stood halfway between the thing and his partner to protect her, but it just slithered past him; it wanted nothing to do with the pokemon. Max let out a petrified squeak as the cold black tendrils carressed her cheek and its rotted warm breath blew across her face.

"Maxwell." She heard Eris speak calmly. "Close your eyes and focus. Find peace with your aura, and overpower this. Trust yourself."

Max held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, racking her mind and soul for peace. Her thoughts brought her back to the night Eris saved her in the Old Chateau. The calm and protective feeling that the little Riolu putting himself between little Max and the dark brought to her filled her mind. She felt her muscles relax and she opened an eye to find Eris once more in front of her protectively, and the darkness shrinking back to the corner. When it had completely receded, all that was left was a shivering silver shape. Max took a breath and slowly moved toward the shape in the corner.

"...hello?"

The mass hurled itself at her, two arm like tendrils wrapping her in a tight embrace. Eris moved to attack, but Max stopped him.

"Its okay..." She placed a hand to what she thought was a Pikachu's head, until it fell to the side. She jumped, startled. A pair of small black eyes looked up at her from its torso, tears in the corners. "...a pokemon?" Max looked to Eris, who shut his eyes and placed a paw to the creatures fake head.

"...Mimikyu." He responded. "Its constantly lonely, so it wears a Pikachu disguise to try and gain affection."

"What was all the darkness?"

"That's what was hidden under its disguise."

"Poor little guy..." She stroked its head gently. "You must have been along for so long to become this dark..."

"Perhaps you are the one to finally give it the love and affection that it craves?"

Max looked back down at the Mimikyu and smiled warmly. "What do you say, Noir? Want to come home with me?"

"Mim! Kyu~"

"Its settled, then. Can you take us all home?"




Eris woke up first, finding Noir attempting to awaken Max. With a combined effort, the girl sat up. "Welcome home, Noir."

~7 months later~

"Noir, set up a nightmare, just inside the door. Not TOO scary, as there will be kids coming through the haunted house." Max grinned through her Noivern fangs as she adjusted the large ears she wore.

"Maxwell, you look ridiculous." Eris crossed his arms, but Joker snickered.

"Oh come on, Eris! Its Halloween, live a little! Why don't you put on the soldier costume mom made for you?"

Eris grumbled and ascended the stairs, returning a short time later on a suit of armor built for him.

"Good, good! Great work everyone! Noir, the scape looks amazing! Now... Places everyone!"