The sky was of the blackest night, the midday sun that had once been so prominent and taken for granted, barely a speck in the sky. A dark speck at that. Such was the power of Ultra Necrozma. Moon shut her eyes as she climbed the rock face, not wanting to remember it all. Not again.
Oh how she wished things had been different, that she'd been strong enough to stop this apocalypse the world had been thrown in to. But this Pokémon was beyond strength. It had easily cast aside the Ultra Recon team's Pokémon like they were made of tissue paper, what chance did she, a complete novice have? What chance did anyone have that fateful day? Many people had gotten off far worse than a limp.
Moon flinched again, quickly spinning around to check whether she'd been followed or not. The bare rocks of the outcrop provided absolutely no protection or cover. Not from the bitterly cold winds, nor the beasts stray attacks. Though it was still in Alola, such was its power if she was found it was all over. She'd been lucky. The flash of light in the sky was just that, a flash. Moon sighed, wishing for the umpteenth time that it could be a sigh of relief and not despair.
She looked sadly down at the belt she wore that had once held pokéballs. All gone now, just like everyone elses, if there were any pockets of resistance that were still clinging on like she was. All that remained was the charred remains of the lower half of a ball that had once held her starter. Moon felt the tears come before she could force them away as she'd been accustomed to doing the past month. Blinking them back only made it worse.
Damn it. Damn it all…I miss you all so much. Moon gently stroked the rough metal, before stowing it away in her pocket again. I swear I'll make this right. Not long now.
It wasn't long now until her final destination well in this world anyway. Despite this, Moon was just so fatigued and aching she couldn't help but rest in the nearby cave that she'd been eyeing up. No Pokémon to be worried about, most of them had been wiped out in the attack, as had the humans. With a single attack, Ultra Necrozma had single-handedly wiped out nearly the entire world. Moon couldn't help it, the tears were so fast now, staining her once cream coloured top (which was now a dirty gray) with the wet. She sat with her back to the wall, the rough edges meaning nothing to her anymore, and hugged her knees to her chest.
Kukui, Lusamine, Hau, Lillie…oh Lillie, I'll make sure your sacrifice wasn't in vain. You all gave your lives to get me here because you genuinely believed it was our only chance. I read the history books in the library too, I just…I just never imagined I'd be finding out whether the stories were true or not like this.
Moon had developed a serious anxiety complex from the past month travelling but poked her head out of the cave anyway. The fierce gales immediately buffeted her back but she'd seen what she needed to anyway. An outcrop much like the one she was on, only at a higher level still. Crumbling but still obviously like the picture she'd seen in the book titled 'The History of the Sinnoh Region'.
So now I'm here on Mount Coronet, I've just got to hope the Spear Pillar is still intact.
She tentatively placed her grimy rucksack to the cold floor, taking out the most valuable thing she owned. Scratch that, it was quite possibly the most valuable thing humans and Pokémon alike had on their sides right now: the Red Chain. As the rumours went, a genius (or madman depending on who was telling the story) had invented a way to control both the Pokémon of time, and the Pokémon of space.
It was thought to have been destroyed when Giratina had broken through to their world but Moon was willing to believe that. Not when it was quite literally the last hope the world had. And she'd been right, the chain had survived, and she'd spent the last month after her escape from the Altar of the Sunne searching for it. She thumbed it carefully. It was clearly damaged, like most things now were, but Moon prayed to whoever was listening that there was enough of it left to make it work.
Come on, Moon, you've got to get up. She banged her head against the wall, enjoying the sensation. Just a little while longer and you'll find out if this whole f*cking trip was a waste of time or not and that everyone died for nothing.
Moon heaved herself up, her aching muscles protesting otherwise, and stumbled out into the frighteningly cold winds that a high altitude mountain system afforded. She'd seen some sort of open air temple as she'd been climbing and sticking her head out of the cave. If that wasn't it she'd die of exhaustion and hypothermia anyway so she didn't have anything left lose. Times like these as she trudged through the snow and winds that she still had both her shoes. She lost her left one to a Raticate made feral by Necrozma's light. She knew the unsuspecting populace had lost a lot more in the sudden tidal wave of random attacks by once friendly Pokémon than her single shoe, but she couldn't help but be weary all the same.
After another 20 minutes and Moon was chilled right down to the bone, the winds having successfully cut through her meagre excuse for a top, stolen from a Kalosian boutique during the anarchy, but now proving to be style over substance.
But at least I'm finally nearly here. Besides if I hadn't have stolen it then someone else who isn't trying to save the world would have done.
Compared to the Altar of the Sunne and Moone, the place was enormous; the outcrop was far far bigger than she'd been anticipating, the pillars easily 4 times her size towering over her feeble and malnourished form. Food wasn't exactly easy to come by now that things were…different.
Hopefully not for much longer. Here goes nothing.
At the far end of the construction was a raised triangle, which was altar enough for Moon's standards by this point, so she made her way over as fast as the limp would let her. Once in position she once again set her rucksack down and pulled out the remnants of the Red Chain, placing it onto the triangle. Moon didn't know what she expected, but as the seconds wore on she began to fear the worst.
Please…oh no please, please work!
The tears were returning again and in full force this time.
"Work damn you!" She yelled, the scream being ripped away by the winds above. Moon slammed her fist into the ground in frustration, then once again for good measure not caring at how much it hurt.
"You can't just fail after all I went through! After all I lost and all that people sacrificed to get me here!" She sank to her knees, not even caring she knew she if she lay down here she almost certainly wouldn't get up again.
"Hey useless Gods! This is YOUR world here and it's being destroyed, no scrap it it's already beyond hope, but if you cared even slightly you'd be willing to help me!" And with that, Moon summoned her final reserve of strength and ripped the Red Chain in half, flinging it away from the triangle. She collapsed in a heap, not having the energy to even breathe heavily.
"F*ck you all." She mumbled, much quieter now. "Lillie I'm so sorry. Sorry I was so weak and useless." Moon lay her head down on the stone, and closed her eyes, fully expecting that to be it. It was only then she could feel the rumbling beneath.
"WHO DARES DESECRATE THE TEMPLE OF THE ONE?"
Moon's eyes snapped open, the booming voice compelling her to stand. Gods her joints hated her now.
Two portals of energy had appeared either side of the triangle, swirling and dancing in their own light, such a rare sight in these times. Moon was amazed such a thing could even exist, but such was the power she had come for.
"P-please, almighty ones help me!" She stuttered, partly from the cold and partly anxiety. "There's a terrible evil h-here and…"
"WE ARE AWARE OF THIS, HUMAN GIRL!" The voice thundered. "BUT STILL YOU MUST GO! THIS IS NO PLACE FOR MORTALS."
"B-but I c-came all this way t-to…"
"ENOUGH! BE GONE OR BE REMOVED!" Moon bit back the tears. Of course it would be like this. However all was not lost: the energy portal on the right grew in size until a large, pink bipedal Pokémon was before her. She knew exactly who this was from her picture books when she was a kid, not just the Alolan library. The legendary Pokémon
"Lady Palkia," Moon breathed. "You're here."
"Human child, please, you must go." The voice was far gentler than the first, more masculine voice. "This place isn't safe for you or your kind".
"Neither is anywhere in this world anymore! I need your help, or guidance, just something!"
"And why exactly should I do this?"
At this, the second portal grew and formed into the other Pokémon of the duo. "Lord Dialga." The quadruped ignored Moon, instead facing his twin.
"Palkia why do you reveal yourself to this child? You know full well she isn't welcome here on the Spear Pillar."
"I'm well aware of the dangers that humans on the ground of The One brings, but look at her". The two titanic Pokémon shifted their gaze to the slight form of Moon, clearly underfed and bedraggled beyond recognition of the peppy girl that had moved to Alola. "She doesn't intend to try and steal from us like Cyrus did."
"And yet she has brought that THING back here!" Dialga mused. "Nothing good has ever come of that, she must leave immediately!"
"U-um can I just say something?"
Dialga's blood red eyes narrowed at Moon's apparent objection.
"If it will make you leave, you may."
"Thank you, my Lord," Moon said, bowing slightly. "And to you, Lady Palkia, for hearing me out". The Legendary Pokémon observed her silently so she continued. "I meant no disrespect by bringing the Red Chain back here, I just knew it was the only way to get your attention. I wouldn't have the first idea of how to use it so p-please believe me when I say I had no intention of using it! I just wanted to get you both here."
"…I believe you, human girl, "Palkia began. "but that doesn't mean you should have done this. We are not at your beck and call like ordinary Pokémon are."
"We are guardians of the balance of this world. We only…"
"THE WORLD ISN'T IN BALANCE!" Moon screamed, letting her pent up emotions get the better of her. "It's pure chaos ever since Ultra Necrozma came in to being over a month ago!" Then Moon realised just who she'd spoken to and immediately tried to back track. "I-I'm sorry for speaking out of turn Lord Dialga! It's just…"
"I will show you mercy on this one occasion. Your one and final time I will do so is up. Now leave or we will teleport you to the base of the mountain by force."
Moon just bowed again, grateful that hadn't already happened. While she was still here there was still a chance to persuade them.
"What you say about the Ultra Beast is true, young one," Dialga continued. "But we may not intervene in this matter. That is your burden to overcome."
"You just said you were the guardians, why do you let the humans and Pokémon alike of this world die? The aura Necrozma is radiating makes Pokémon turn savage and humans turn crazy, and that's ignoring its daily attacks which literally scorch the sky!"
"This matter does not disrupt the balance of time and space, so while we are the guardians, we are guardians of this only."
"But Solgaleo and Lunala while they were still here, and now Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts open portals in space and time! Think of the damage!"
"We allowed Solgaleo and Lunala safe passage as they were bringing light to those who had none, and the dark to those blinded. The others were just collateral."
"That 'collateral' has nearly made this world extinct!" Moon felt like banging her head on the floor again.
"Do not presume you know how things should be!" Dialga paused. "However, what you say has merit, the tearing of the fabric of this world if left unchecked will threaten everything. Ultra Necrozma's powers are beyond compare in this world and they will only grow as the darkness grows darker.
"So does that mean you'll help me and fight it off? Surely the both of you together would stand a chance? The guardian legendary Pokémon of time and space?" Moon didn't like the hopeful tinge her voice had acquired, and was soon shot down as both Pokémon shook their heads.
"Like we said, we cannot interfere in this world directly, the consequences for that would be beyond a disaster." Palkia turned to face Moon directly. "However, I believe what you say has merit, and that you act in good faith of the world. Though we will not fight, we can still help you."
"Sister, are you sure this is the correct way to deal with this? You would trust a small, broken human child?" Palkia nodded.
"I would, brother. I see now this human has come for the sake of humans and Pokémon alike, and in the name of the One we serve to beg us for help."
"If you are willing to put your trust in this mortal, then it would be remiss of me not to do the same." Dialga turned to Moon as well. "I am respecting my equal's judgment and forgiving you for bringing the Red Chain back to the sacred grounds."
"If you b-both weren't so huge I'd h-hug you both! Seriously that's s-such a weight off my shoulders, knowing I've g-got both of your support."
"But know that we still will not help directly, if we were to become involved and distracted, the banished one would return and consume your world." Moon had read about that in the history books too.
"Giratina poses a threat far greater than anything you can comprehend, it must not enter this reality."
"So how can you help me then? What can you do?"
"There is a Pokémon that can help you, one that can defy even life and death together, but unfortunately its cells have perished in Necrozma's light in this timeline."
"You don't mean…" Moon could remember something like that from when she had been travelling all over Alola during her Island challenge. Seemed like a lifetime ago now. "Those little cell things I kept seeing all over the place?"
"Indeed. At 100% of its power, the legendary Pokémon Zygarde is able to resist the power of both Xerneas, Pokémon of life, and Yveltal, Pokémon of death, at the same time and overwhelm them. Zygarde is your only hope of defeating Ultra Necrozma."
"But you said it yourself, the cells were destroyed. How can I…?"
"We will use our power to send you back, back to before any of this happened. With the knowledge you have now of Zygarde's importance and the threat of Necrozma stealing both Solgaleo's and Lunala's power, you should be able to set things right before it's too late."
"When can I…?"
"Immediately. You are dismissed, human girl."
"Save the world you once loved, but no if you fail a second time we cannot help you, we won't bend the laws we are pledged to protect no matter what the cause is."
"How many other people get a second chance?" Moon said, letting a glimmer of a smile cross her face for the first time in a long while. "This time I'll be ready. Thank you both for your help, I can't ever hope to repay you!"
"We're well aware of this. Begone, human girl!"
"Of course. Lillie, Hau, and all my friends, this time I'll be there 'til the very end. I won't let you down. I swear it."
The light from the portals engulfed Moon before she could react further. This time would be different, she knew it would.
Damn I'm tired, I uploaded this at just about 4 am uk time. Had this idea for ages, never did anything with until now. What if Necrozma didn't jsut absorb either Solgaleo or Lunala but both? What if Zygarde actually did something the sun and moon storylines? There you have it, might continue this might not, depends what people want!