Pokémon: Fate and Faith – The Movie
Final Judgement on Aether Castle
Prologue: The Champion's Celebration
"Some victories mark the end of a journey...
...and some awaken the beginning of a legend."
A clear blue sky stretched over the Luminara League Stadium.
Golden confetti drifted gently through the air.
Thousands upon thousands of spectators filled every seat.
Children waved Luminara League flags.
Families cheered loudly.
News helicopters circled above the stadium.
Across the entire region, giant screens replayed the final moments of the League Championship.
Lunashade's Eclipse Burst...
And Serena's Garchomp.
The announcer's excited voice echoed across every television.
"For the first time in history..."
"A Trainer from Emberfall Town has become the Luminara League Champion!"
Cheers erupted once more.
At the center of the stadium...
Elior stood proudly.
The Championship Trophy rested in his hands.
His team surrounded him.
Infernarx.
Lucario.
Thundrion.
Mystveil.
Skyrend.
Eclipse Lunashade.
Every Pokémon looked toward the cheering audience.
Professor Solan smiled proudly from the front row.
"You've exceeded every expectation..."
Kai folded his arms.
"Next time..."
"I'll beat you."
Mira laughed.
"You just lost yesterday."
Kai smiled.
"That doesn't mean I can't start preparing today."
Everyone laughed.
For the first time in many months...
There was peace.
Elsewhere...
Far away...
Beyond the seas...
On the lonely shores of Aether Isle...
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Ancient ruins trembled.
The sea became unnaturally calm.
Umbreal stood before the colossal stone gate.
The three ancient keys glowed brightly inside the seal.
Cracks spread across the ancient stone.
Umbreal's Eclipse Lunashade stood silently beside him.
Umbreal closed his eyes.
"...It's happening."
He slowly looked toward the distant horizon.
Toward Luminara.
"The seal has begun to break."
Deep inside a forgotten underground chamber beneath the League...
A lone figure walked through the darkness.
Every step echoed through the ancient halls.
The figure wore a long black cloak.
His face remained hidden.
Ancient golden symbols glowed across the walls.
He stopped before an enormous stone mechanism.
It was connected directly to the foundation of the League Stadium.
The man slowly removed his hood.
It was...
Zeff.
He smiled.
Not with joy.
But with certainty.
"Thousands of years..."
"The waiting ends today."
He gently placed his hand upon the mechanism.
Immediately...
The three keys embedded within Aether Isle reacted.
Golden light shot into the sky.
The ground beneath the League vibrated.
The mechanism slowly began turning.
Ancient gears untouched for centuries awakened.
The walls trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Zeff quietly whispered...
"Rise..."
"Aether Castle."
Back at the League Stadium...
The celebration continued.
Children laughed.
Photographers rushed toward Elior.
The League Chairman prepared for one final speech.
Then...
RUMBLE...
The trophy in Elior's hands vibrated.
Infernarx looked around.
Lucario suddenly opened its eyes.
Its Aura had sensed something.
Eclipse Lunashade's crimson eyes narrowed.
It stared directly beneath the battlefield.
Another tremor.
Stronger.
The audience stopped cheering.
Confused murmurs spread throughout the stadium.
Professor Solan stood up.
"...No..."
Umbreal's voice echoed from the stadium entrance.
"GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE!!"
Every head turned.
Umbreal sprinted into the stadium.
His clothes were torn from his journey.
His breathing was heavy.
For the first time...
The calm and composed Umbreal looked afraid.
He looked directly at Elior.
"We're too late."
Without warning—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The battlefield exploded.
Massive pillars of stone burst upward.
The Championship Stage shattered into thousands of pieces.
People screamed.
Gym Leaders immediately began protecting the spectators.
Infernarx grabbed Elior and leaped backward.
Lucario shielded nearby children from the falling debris.
The entire League Stadium shook violently.
The earth continued splitting apart.
A deafening roar echoed from beneath the ground.
Then...
Slowly...
An enormous black structure emerged.
One floor.
Then another.
Tower after tower rose into the sky.
Ancient walls covered in glowing golden runes.
Countless windows.
Gigantic gates.
A castle so massive that it cast a shadow over the entire League.
Its highest tower disappeared into the clouds.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Nobody had ever seen anything like it.
The camera slowly rose into the sky.
Showing the entire Luminara Region.
At its center...
The colossal Aether Castle stood where the League Stadium had once been.
Lightning flashed around its towers.
The clouds darkened.
The wind howled.
Far below...
A small smile appeared on Zeff's face.
He looked toward the highest tower.
"Now..."
"The Final Judgement begins."
Dark clouds covered the skies above Luminara.
The joyful music from the Champion's Ceremony had vanished.
The only sounds left were crumbling stone... frightened cries... and the deep rumble of the earth itself.
The magnificent Luminara League Stadium was gone.
In its place stood an enormous fortress unlike anything recorded in history.
Its walls were forged from smooth black stone that reflected no light.
Golden runes pulsed across every tower, glowing like veins carrying ancient energy.
The castle rose so high that its highest towers disappeared into the clouds.
Lightning danced around its highest spires.
The air itself felt heavier.
Even experienced Trainers struggled to breathe.
Thousands of spectators stared upward in complete silence.
No one moved.
No one understood what they were looking at.
Elior looked around the ruined battlefield.
People were trapped beneath broken stone.
Children cried for their parents.
Several Pokémon had been separated from their Trainers.
Without hesitation, Elior handed the Champion's Trophy to the League Chairman.
"Please keep this safe."
The Chairman looked surprised.
"Elior..."
Elior smiled.
"Right now..."
"People need help more than I need a trophy."
Without another word, he turned toward the destruction.
"Infernarx!"
Infernarx roared.
Together they lifted a collapsed pillar, freeing several spectators.
Nearby, Lucario used its Aura to locate survivors buried beneath rubble.
Thundrion raced across the stadium at incredible speed, carrying injured people to safety.
Mystveil carefully moved massive pieces of stone using Psychic.
Skyrend flew overhead, guiding rescue teams toward those trapped in hard-to-reach places.
Eclipse Lunashade stood quietly in the center of the ruined battlefield.
Its crimson eyes never left the castle.
Something inside...
Was calling to it.
Umbreal finally reached Elior.
His breathing was still uneven from his journey from Aether Isle.
He looked directly at Eclipse Lunashade.
The mysterious Pokémon looked back.
For several moments...
Neither moved.
Finally, Umbreal spoke.
"It recognizes the castle."
Elior looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Umbreal slowly turned toward the towering fortress.
His expression grew serious.
"Because..."
"It was born from the same ancient power."
The surrounding Gym Leaders immediately fell silent.
Professor Solan stepped closer.
"Umbreal..."
"Tell us everything."
Umbreal closed his eyes.
"Thousands of years ago..."
"Before Luminara existed..."
"There was only one kingdom."
Golden runes on the castle walls suddenly glowed brighter.
Almost as though the castle itself were listening.
"At its center stood Aether Castle."
Images appeared within the glowing runes.
The entire sky became filled with ancient visions.
The spectators watched in amazement.
They saw a thriving civilization.
People and Pokémon living together.
Magnificent towers.
Ancient temples.
A peaceful kingdom unlike anything in modern history.
Umbreal continued.
"The kingdom protected the balance known as Fate and Faith."
"Its greatest responsibility was preventing that balance from being abused."
Professor Solan whispered,
"The legends..."
"They were real."
Umbreal looked toward the castle.
"Zeff doesn't want the castle itself."
"He wants what lies at its highest chamber."
Mira frowned.
"What's there?"
Umbreal answered quietly.
"Judgement."
The word echoed through the silent ruins.
Nobody understood.
Except Eclipse Lunashade.
The mysterious Pokémon lowered its head.
Almost...
As though remembering something long forgotten.
Suddenly...
The enormous entrance to Aether Castle slowly opened.
GRRRRRRRRMMMM...
The sound echoed across the entire region.
Golden light poured from within.
A cold wind rushed outward.
The temperature around the League dropped instantly.
Then...
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Steady.
One...
Two...
Three...
Everyone watched the darkness inside the castle.
A group of figures slowly emerged.
All wore identical black cloaks marked with a golden eclipse.
They formed two perfect lines on either side of the entrance.
Then a familiar voice echoed from within.
"Welcome..."
The cloaked figures bowed.
A lone silhouette walked forward.
It was Zeff.
He smiled as he looked across the ruined League.
His eyes finally stopped on Elior.
Then...
Umbreal.
"So..."
"We meet again."
Umbreal stepped forward.
"This ends today."
Zeff laughed softly.
"No."
He slowly turned toward the castle behind him.
"Today..."
"Everything begins."
The great doors started closing once again.
Before the doors completely shut, Zeff spoke one last time.
"If you wish to stop me..."
"Then climb."
He smiled.
"Reach the throne room..."
"If you can."
The doors slammed shut with a deafening boom.
BOOOOOOM!!
The golden runes across the castle flared to life.
A shimmering barrier surrounded the entire fortress.
The ground trembled once more.
The challenge had been issued.
The sun disappeared completely behind the storm clouds.
Elior looked at his friends.
Mira.
Kai.
Professor Solan.
Umbreal.
Then at his Pokémon.
Infernarx stepped beside him.
Lucario clenched its fists.
Thundrion's electricity crackled.
Mystveil floated calmly.
Skyrend spread its wings.
Eclipse Lunashade stared silently at the castle.
Elior tightened his gloves.
"We're going."
Umbreal nodded.
"No matter what awaits inside..."
"Zeff must be stopped."
The camera slowly pulled back.
The heroes stood before the gigantic gates of Aether Castle.
A place from which no one had ever returned.
The storm raged overhead.
Till the Next Phase...