Diantha's first impression of the otherworldly city was not the most pleasant. All buildings shot up in the form of dark crystals, and roads paved every which way with the same shade. Artificial light was plentiful, and yet the whole place felt dark. The sky was a void punctuated by purple swirling particles, and a tower in the middle of the city seemingly went up to it, with a flat field on top to boot, from where beams of light shot up into the sky.
She heard a roar, and her body shook. She looked down at the Pokémon she had mounted, and which had led her this way. The people she'd seen on the altar called it 'Solgaleo'. She could only relate it to Pyroar in appearance, but it was much bigger, and everything, including its mane, was encased in steel. Its face looked up to her, and though she could not read the eyes through the iridescent blue visor, she took it as a hint to come down from the Pokémon, and so she did.
"So, Solgaleo brought in another Trainer?"
The voice, articulate and vibrant, came from her right. Someone had been approaching her. Their uniform, bizarre as it was, matched the people she'd seen earlier, being a mash of white and steel blue that covered most of their bodies, including white visors. This man, however, had an even more vivid color of blue for his twirly mustache. Diantha nodded.
"What happened here? Where's the kid?"
In response, the man glanced towards the tower Diantha had noticed earlier.
"She didn't come back. She was bent on fighting Necrozma, and climbed up to do so. We heard fighting, but when it stopped… Well, we can still hear him above us."
"Oh no… What can we do at this point?"
The man shook his head.
"We can't fight. Not as well as she could, anyway. We have no chance, and everyone is hiding while Necrozma's around. Are you a strong Trainer?"
This gave Diantha pause for thought. Her hand involuntarily reached to grab the Key Stone on her pendant, and she looked further down the road. The path to the tower was a straight line. It wasn't even far. A feeling, much like stage fright, washed over her, but she made her voice sound confident.
"I trust my Pokémon."
"Very well. I hope you'll find her safe. Good luck."
Diantha stepped away from him, and began a brisk walk forward. She was in a hurry, but before handling whatever was up on the tower, she had to get herself under control. Even before seeing the Pokémon (or whatever it was), she heard of what it did. Necrozma. It affected an entire world: others worlds than its own, too. It could apparently rampage dimensions over what it searched. Being a ex-Champion meant nothing to such a beast. She'd have to win on skill alone: and if not, she at least had to save a life while trying.
The tower had an elevator at its base. Diantha called it, and it took a fair bit to arrive. It had last been on the top, of course: the kid she was instructed to help was up there too. She climbed inside at the first opportunity, and ascended.
Even before reaching the top, she could feel it. A wave of opressing energy. Solgaleo itself had a strong presence when she got near it, but this was nothing like it. It seemed to come from all sides, and it shook her whole body. The chill going down her neck made Diantha tighten up the fluffy scarf she wore, and take a deeper breath.
Once she reached the top, she stormed out. A flight of stairs greeted her, but it was not very big. And from there, she could see it. Before, she had thought the tower was full of signal lights that bathed the otherwise dark sky. It wasn't so.
It was a Pokémon.
Its body shone in white and gold, and a wave of energy permanently irradiated from the main two-legged body towards its double set of wings, that seemed to float of their own accord beside it. Each had a glittering gold appendage under it, numbering four arms. It couldn't be under 20 feet in size, and was probably double that with its wing span. The presence it gave out was only getting worse, and Diantha struggled to stand her ground.
The creature didn't look at Diantha, however: it was occupied with several crystals sprawled on the surface it hovered over. Next to it was the human body of a girl, sprawled on the floor and with the bag on her back cut in half, leaving other supplies also scattered on the floor.
"There! Oh no- Am I too late?"
She voiced this after a gasp, which was enough to announce her presence. The Pokémon gazed over to her, and let out a cry: one that seemed to reverbrate through the entire city. It flew proudly in place, body jolting with energy.
Diantha felt floored. She had no escape.
"Gardevoir!"
The Pokémon came out in front of her. The familiar cry gave Diantha some strength back. Both of her companion's arms shot to either side in defense of the Trainer. Gardevoir must have felt what was happening even before being called out.
Diantha clutched her pendant.
"I'm counting on you."
The Key Stone on the pendant shone, and resonated with Gardevoir, giving her a surge of power which translated into a different appearance. The opposing Pokémon cried again. It probably felt challenged.
"Gardevoir, Psychic!"
A wave of telekinetic energy surged in a sphere around Gardevoir and was sent at her opponent. It was one of her strongest moves. Yet, the enemy barely flinched.
Instead, in a feat of incredible speed for its size, Necrozma arched back and darted at the opposing Pokémon, striking it with a wing and flying around to its original place. The act caused a gust of wind almost strong enough to kick Diantha off her feet- it certainly spread a lot of items already on the ground all over the place.
But Diantha's eyes were on Gardevoir. She had been flung towards the stairs, and rolled down over them before landing at the base with a thud: it didn't move after that.
"Gardevoir!"
That send her down to her knees. Her best friend and companion, felled with a single move.
Behind her, Necrozma roared again. Before Diantha could go down to check on her friend, she heard something else behind her.
"Zzzzt! Whoa, help here, please!"
She turned out of shock. A red rectangle with big eyes floated mid-air and called out to her, in clear English. She didn't identify it at first, but the aura and color looked like those of a Rotom. Was it the kid's Pokémon?
Necrozma had looked at Rotom once it interjected. In a panic, Diantha reached for another Pokéball on her belt.
"Aurorus, go!"
As her sauropod-like friend materialized and Necrozma looked at the blue newcomer, Diantha herself struggled to her feet and made a dash around the perimeter, crouching near the girl on the floor. It really was a Rotom near her, but it wasn't possessing an appliance: it spoke through something like an electronic tablet.
"P-Please get her out of here," the Rotom begged. "We need more people if we want to take thiszzzz guy on! T-The Professor, the kahunas, anyone!"
Before she could reply, Necrozma's cry brought her attention to it again. It created and levitated four gems behind it, and they floated behind it, getting slower up to a standstill. They were aimed and ready. Diantha had never seen the previous move, but she identified this one with a chill. Power Gem. Super-effective.
"Aurorus!"
Her shout was too late. Her Pokémon was battered with every gem, and the pain was too sudden and intense for even a grimace to form in its features. The last hit took it out of four legs and flung it over the edge of the tower: he just didn't fall the massive height of the tower because Diantha brought him back to the Pokéball on reflex.
"Zzzzzt! This is a catastrophe!" Rotom waved in mid-air. Diantha could barely stand up. Her legs were shaking. This wasn't stage fright anymore. The whole movie set was being torn apart, and she was in the middle of it.
If Cynthia was here… If Diantha could be more like her…
As Necrozma shouted again in either triumph or unsatisfaction, Diantha shuffled her hand to another Pokéball.
"Tyrantrum, come out!"
The familiar red-scaled dragon came to her aid, its roar not at all intimidating on the face of its competition. Instead of sending it to battle, Diantha hugged the body of the kid in front of her and dragged her up with difficulty. The weight was no problem, but Diantha's body could barely respond appropriately. She then flung the body over Tyrantrum's back.
"Run! Take this kid out of here, down the stairs!" Diantha looked at Rotom. "Can you operate the elevator for him?"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" The Rotom exclaimed, the cry of a regular Rotom bleeding through the words.
Diantha heard Necrozma again. It inched its mouth up, charging something. The purplish tint gave her the hint earlier than usual, since she knew that move intimately. Dragon Pulse. Super-effective.
"Go, now! Gourgeist!"
Tyrantrum rushed with heavy steps. By a miracle, Necrozma's move missed, hitting the broad side of the tower's edge, and not being redirected fast enough to follow Tyrantrum's pace. What followed was a rushing of the powerful Pokémon's wings in pursuit, but the wail of a pumpkin spirit under it made it back down. Diantha joined her new Pokémon in standing on Necrozma's way.
"We need to buy some time. Stand strong, friend."
Necrozma did not wait. It charged energy from its whole body into a dark ball. Another move she didn't recognize. Expecting the worse, she braced herself, as did her Pokémon. The ball was thrown, and upon contact, spread an expanding wave outward that even shook Diantha herself, despite her not being the target.
She looked to the side. Gourgeist winced, but it held the line, pumpkin under it unmoving. Not a super-effective hit, but it charred several parts of the Pokémon at once. It wouldn't withstand two of those moves.
"Gourgeist, Leech Seed!"
She shouted orders without thinking. Her friend clearly needed the health, and that was a way of getting it. With one of its arms, it threw three seedlings that attached themselves to the crystals in Necrozma's feet.
"Now, Gourgeist, Phantom F-"
She didn't manage to finish the sentence. Necrozma was quicker this time, despite charging up the same move as it had last time. The wave of power came again, and though Gourgeist did not leave the path it had to protect, it fell flat on its face after the move.
"No!"
Fainted. Diantha brought it back to the Pokéball.
She didn't have much fight in her. Heck, she might have despaired already if she didn't have to protect someone. But that was exactly why she needed to hold her ground. Even if her Pokémon were being hurt.
"Hawlucha!"
The fighting bird took its place and stance, unfazed by the figure a dozen times bigger than it in front. This gave Diantha peace of mind enough to think. She had seen all of its moves, and all her remaining Pokémon had clear weaknesses to the ones she knew. She couldn't formulate a strategy. She could only hope.
"Hawlucha, Flying Press!"
As the Pokémon spread its wings and readied for a jump, the same attack Gourgeist suffered charged in Necrozma's golden hands. When it fired, it missed the Pokémon, but homed towards it along its attacking movement, and it eventually, inevitably hit. Unlike Gourgeist, however, it made the Pokémon shout and go limp mid-air.
Diantha covered her mouth. Now she realized it. Psychic-type. Once again, super-effective. All she could do was bring Hawlucha back to its Pokéball before it hit the ground.
Necrozma waved in place, looking at her. She reached for her last Pokéball, and hesitated. She had never been so soundly defeated, neither her Pokémon had been so hurt. She had to keep trying, but it felt like sending them to a slaughterhouse. Was she even helping by continuing?
A familiar cry reached her. Looking back, her Gardevoir was at the edge of the stairs, fallen but dragging herself forward. She must have done so the whole way from down the stairs. Diantha gasped, and shot a hand forward.
"No! Stay back!"
Necrozma cried again. This wasn't good. One hand having hovered enough over the last Pokéball, it now took it up with decision.
"Goodra!"
The purplish gooey dragon came out standing in front of her Pokémon friend. It towered over her and Diantha, yet it wasn't even a third of Necrozma. The shining Pokémon switched targets. This was the last stand, but Diantha was not thinking straight. All she knew was that Necrozma's speed was too great at this point. It was going to move first.
Sure enough, it brought its mouth up again. A purple beam began to form. It was charging the very same move Goodra knew herself. Diantha steeled herself for it. And the attack was let out in one continuous ray of pain.
Goodra stood against it, raising its small arms up in defense, trying to contain the beam. It singed the Pokémon's gooey body and arms, and Goodra's face contorted in pain. Diantha was about to shout for this to stop.
"Zzzzt! Roto Power unlocked! Hang in there!"
The Rotom she had seen before was there again, dashing into the action. Diantha couldn't say anything before it latched onto Goodra.
"W-Wait! What are you doing!?"
"Juzzzzt- ahhh- giving your friend- aaaaaugh- a pick-me-up!"
Diantha looked up. The Dragon Pulse was not stopping, but Goodra held the line, eyes closed and whole face contorting with effort.
She was holding on. There was a chance. But the attack wasn't stopping. Diantha looked desperately around.
"Y-Your friend's coming baaaack! But the elevator's toooooooo sloooow!" Rotom let out, words elongating in-between electric shocks. Whatever he was doing was strenuous too, and wouldn't last. It gave an even bigger sense of urgency.
"Goodra, hold on!" Diantha shouted out, desperate and nearly crying. She missed Rotom's words. All that mattered was that her last friend didn't fall over on her. Not now.
But there was no good strategy. She didn't even know the other Pokémon's type. There was no effective way of doing this. Yet, when looking over to Necrozma again, she realized it.
The seedlings that were by his feet were growing. A lot. They were saplings at that point. The Leech Seed was working. This, along with the beam from Necrozma gradually weakening, renewed her hope.
"Goodra!" Despite her friend's still holding on for dear life, she looked at its Trainer when called for. "It's time! Hit him back! Dragon Pulse, now!"
In what seemed like a herculean effort, Goodra lifted its own head, moved her arms up along with the beam and used part of its energy to launch its own attack. A beam of much the same color and intensity flew across the air and hit Necrozma's body. The hit was more significant than she expected. For the first time, the cry of Necrozma wasn't that of imponent triumph: it was a painful wail.
Just like that, the huge beast struggled to keep itself on air, and plummeted to the ground, over the many things it hosted. The body was engulfed in light, and from the light, two Pokémon appeared: Diantha cared for none. Rotom had just fallen out of his post, wobbling in the air precariously with swirly eyes, and Goodra dangled, stood by a thread, seemingly about to fall from exhaustion: which she did, right before Diantha could reach her.
"Goodra! Oh, Goodra… Y-You did great. I-I'm so sorry…! Please be OK…!"
Without the pressure in the air or the sense of dread anymore, Diantha held the charred body close and openly wept. A gentle hand grazed her shoulder. Her Gardevoir had struggled her way closer to try and help, and now she was comforting her. Tears still flowing, Diantha pulled Gardevoir into the embrance too, and so they stood.
Tyrantrum's roar was not far behind. It climbed up, and positioned himself in front of the new Pokémon. One, a winged beast with iridescent blue skin, didn't seem up for fighting. The other, Diantha couldn't look at before it seemed to dissove the ground into a wormhole and vanish from sight.
(...)
"Was the child alive?"
Diantha was down at the dark Megalopolis again. Phyco (she learned the name of the man she'd run into when arriving) had given his home as the space to keep the wounded kid on for recovery. It was an unique place: despite being mostly a cube within a dark crystal, it had minimal decór and the appliances were on the walls, which would make the free space seem big and inviting if it wasn't the black motif. Something out of a dark and gritty sci-fi film, Diantha thought.
"She is. It might be a while before a full recovery," Phyco ammended, as he struck his mustache. "But I'm sure you can bring her back to your world with little to no risk."
"Necrozma was looking at some crystals she had in her bag," Diantha commented, leaning against a black chair and taking a deeper breath. "There's other things too, scattered on sight. Can you get someone to gather them all before the girl leaves?"
"Certainly."
Silence. Phyco offered something he was brewing on the spot. Didn't look like tea, and more of a grayish liquid, but Diantha accepted it anyway. The fight had been draining and made her very thirsty. Thankfully, the liquid tasted sweet: just as she liked it.
"Are her Pokémon with her?" She asked, more absentmindly than when she ventured on with the other questions. In a sad twist, the man held his head down.
"Yes. We found five Pokéballs, as you call them, in great condition. However… one was broken."
"Broken? Like… snapped open forever?"
It wasn't uncommon for Pokéballs to break when attempting capture. That was why they were unusable afterwards.
"No, actually. It was smashed to pieces. We could only find shards of it on the girl's bag and some dust in her hands that we presume to be of the same origin."
Diantha was silent. That was a completely different story. She hoped with all she had that it was at least Rotom's Pokéball. That'd mean all her Pokémon were in one piece.
"Well, I'll get someone to gather what you need," Phyco said, standing up and gesturing to the far wall, where two beds laid on the earnest corner, one of which was occupied by the blacked out girl. "Make yourself at home. If you need to rest, go right ahead."
He left shortly after that. That last bit of information still nagged at Diantha, and she couldn't bring herself to calm down easily. But her body was fatigued, and she wasn't about to go through space and time without a break.
So, she laid down on the empty bed, curled to one side and closed her eyes, falling asleep much sooner than she had expected.