From Death to Damnation

Chapter 3: Three Traitors to the Genocide

"… What do we do?"

Dialga and Giratina sat by themselves in one of the spare rooms around the Hall of Origin. Although to the Legends, it was less like a room and more like a janitor's closet. The two had to convene here since Arceus had increased surveillance and sent some of the Legendaries as guards around the Hall, hunting for opposers to her plans.

"I… don't know, honestly." Giratina told the Time Lord. "Arceus hasn't acted like this before…"

Dialga sighed. "I know. This is… this is just completely unlike her."

"I understand that she hates this whole mechanic of Pokémon capture… but I think we can both agree that genocide is a bit drastic."

Dialga shuffled around the crowded closet, trying to find some space for her large body.

"Personally, I can't help but think that there's something bigger at work here."

"What do you mean, Dialga?"

"What I mean is that she KILLED Palkia. We both saw it. Since when has she ever resorted to something that extreme?"

"She can be strict…" Giratina noted. "But, you're right. She usually wouldn't do something as abhorrent as murder her own son. What are you suggesting?"

"I think something… or someone is either causing or forcing her to do these things. Someone else upset over Pokémon capture. If she was her right mind, I KNOW Mom wouldn't commit genocide OR kill Palkia. She wouldn't. She never would."

"If that IS it, then humans are out. Forcing a god they're trying to capture into destroying the human race would be stupid, to say the least. But if it ISN'T the humans, then you seriously think…"

"I think it's one of us. One of the Legends." Dialga told the Renegade Pokémon point-blank. "Anyone. Rayquaza, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Groudon, Mewtwo, Cresselia… whoever's doing this is also scared to death of getting captured!"

"…And whoever killed Palkia also knew he was trying to stop Arceus from carrying genocide out!"

"Exactly. If we can figure out who's causing Mom to do all this, then we might be able to get her back to normal!"

"Sounds great!" Giratina said. "Just one question: How are we going to do this?"

"…Yeah… I'm still working on that. We'll probably need to get some help."

"But that still leaves the question of… who do we trust? You just said anyone could be behind this, so who do we get to help us? Some of them probably even side with Arceus!"

"Well… you are right." Dialga admitted. She then turned to face Giratina with a more confident look on her face. "But I think I might know a couple of 'Mon who'd never do such a thing even under that fear…"

Dialga and Giratina peeked their heads out of the closet. Seeing that nobody was coming, they quickly slipped out and made their way down the hallway.

"So, who are we looking for?" Giratina whispered to Dialga, not wanting Arceus' allies to hear. "We don't even know who's siding with our mother…"

"I think Groudon is a possibility. He's always gone into rants about humans anyway long before this happened. This just gives him more grounds to side with Mom."

"Hmm. What about Celebi?" Giratina pondered. "Out of all the Legendaries, I think she's probably the most trust-worthy."

"That's exactly who I had in mind. I know her well enough to realize that she'd never do something like this." Dialga told him. "And that's who we're searching for first."

Sneaking quietly, they navigated their way to Celebi's garden, where the forest sprite often stayed. As the walk was silent and awkward, Giratina attempted to strike up a conversation.

"So… who else do you think is going to help Arceus? You know, in killing the human race?"

"If I recall, Kyogre, Lugia, and Darkrai also weren't fans of humans, but I'm not sure if they'd go that far."

"Uhh, Dialga?" Giratina interrupted, noticing someone coming towards her.

"Shaymin's crazy, and she, probably, scratch that, will side with Mom."

"Umm, Dialga?"

"I just… what do we do? I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of humans but a mass genocide? Mom's CRAZY! I can't just sit by and watch Mom kill off the human…"

At this moment, she finally realized that Giratina was trying to catch her attention. A look of fear was in his eyes, and Dialga immediately knew what Giratina was trying to warn her about.

"…And Mom's right behind me, isn't she?"

"What's this I'm hearing? Are you two also on the side of the humans?" Arceus asked them menacingly.

Giratina took note of a dark aura that seemed to surround Arceus, thinking that it might be the cause of her anger. Quickly, he distanced himself from the two others.

"Of course not." Dialga lied, unconvincingly. "We'd…uh, never side with such despicable beings."

Arceus eyed them suspiciously, not buying Dialga's story. "You expect me to believe that?" She chuckled. "Do you honestly think that I'm stupid enough to actually believe that? Well, I've got news for you; I don't buy a single word, Dialga."

"Mom, think about this."

"I don't need to." Arceus stood still, preparing to attack.

"You wouldn't kill me." Dialga told her. "There is no way you would murder Palkia and me. Something's wrong with you Mom, and to be honest, it scares me! OK, I admit it; it scares me!"

"Oh, nothing's wrong, honey." she said, eerily calm. As she said this, a white bright circle appeared underneath Dialga's feet, preparing to destroy her.

"Mom!"

"Good riddance, traitor!"

"STOP!"

The moment Dialga yelled that word out, time instantly froze. Her mother, left immobile, could only watch as her daughter and Giratina managed to escape.

"Urgh, damn it. You can't dodge me forever, Dialga. I'm coming for you."

"Oh, we're safe."

Dialga and Giratina had made it to the Gardens of Origin just outside the Hall. Magnificent plant life bloomed from every conceivable corner, with diamond daisies, ruby roses, and sapphire stones being among just a few of them. Calmly, Dialga and Giratina walked on the grass.

"So…" Dialga whispered. "It's not just about eliminating the human race anymore. Whoever's controlling her wants to kill anyone who stands in the way." Sighing, she made room on the grass to lie down and Giratina joined her.

Giratina set himself across from Dialga as she continued to talk. "Who… who's doing this? Why would she even go as far as to kill Palkia?" she mumbled. She fiddled around with her foot in the grass. "Palkia… h-he just wanted to help."

"Palkia…" Giratina muttered, focusing on the blades of grass wavering in the wind. "Whatever happened to him? Arceus killed him… and said she was going to send him to the worst realm imaginable. What kind of place is she talking about?"

"Hey guys, what's got you so down in the dumps?"

Dialga and Giratina looked up to see Lugia sitting next to them. He looked at them, wandering what was going on.

"Lugia?" Giratina asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on a date with Ho-Oh until the next week…"

"We had to cancel. We were heading to Unova, but apparently there's a war going on there. So, I came back here to crash. But then, I saw you guys getting all mopey."

"It's… one heck of a story." Dialga told him. "Something… big… happened while you were gone."

"Big? Like a 'good' big? Or a 'wow' big? Or it is an unbelievable kind of big?"

"…The last one." Giratina confirmed for him. "It's about Mom."

"Mom? Is she OK? She sick or something?"

"That's what we think." Dialga said. "But there's much more to it. Mom's gone wacko. She's dead intent on exterminating the entire human race."

Lugia sat there, eyes wide and jaw open "No way, Mom? Killing off the human race? I don't believe this."

"Unfortunately, it's true." Giratina reconfirmed. "Just yesterday, she… she killed Palkia."

"Wait…" Lugia stood, trying to take in all of this. "She killed him? As in, 'killed him' killed him? As in, 'cessation of life' killed him? That kind of killed him?"

"Yeah. That kind of killed him. She sent him to some sort of realm, but I don't know where."

"But… that doesn't make any sense. She's strict, but… she'd never do something like that. Why did she…?"

"Palkia opposed her plans of genocide." Dialga said. "To be honest, Giratina and I also do and… we just barely escaped from her. She was set on murdering us."

"Wow." Lugia said. "That's… hard to believe Mom would do such a thing. But then, why is she doing this?"

"We think something is corrupting her. Something's controlling her, and making her do this." said Giratina.

"But what purpose would they have?" Lugia shouted, getting frustrated at the whole issue. "WHY?"

"Because humans developed Pokéballs." Dialga informed the Legendary avian. "That's why. That's why she wants to kill the human race. So no Pokémon can get captured and be forced to serve for humans."

"Pokéballs? You are talking about those things that capture Pokémon? To be honest, I'm not a fan of them either; I've heard of them. But about Palkia… didn't you say that Arceus sent him to another realm?"

"Yes, actually." Giratina told him. "When she killed him, she said she was going to send him to 'the worst realm in the galaxies that you could never imagine in your wildest dreams.' I don't where she could have possibly have sent him… Do you know something about it?"

Lugia shook his head. "No, but we might find some more information about this kind of thing in the Library of Origin. From what I remember, Arceus said that all kinds of books from across the universes are in there. My guess is that…"

"One of them might have information that we need?" Dialga hoped.

"Exactly. Let's get going. We need to find as many Legendaries as possible who'll help us." said Lugia, preparing to head inside the Hall.

"Wait." Dialga stopped him.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you helping us? You HATE humans. I know you hate humans with an absolute passion. Why would you help us?"

"Guys, I think we can all agree that Arceus is going too far. As much as I hate humans, I kinda want them to stick around. They're fun to torment, anyway."

"Lugia?" Dialga said.

"Yes?"

"...Thank you."

Pokemon (c) Nintendo / Game Freak

Note: For those of you reading and wondering why the heck the title of the story is different, well that's because I changed it. Don't worry; no content in the story itself was changed. I just think the name change from 'Only One Way Down' to 'From Death to Damnation' is MUCH better. Anyway, the previous chapters haven't been altered (aside from the title change), and you can look forward to more chapters on their way!

Another note, when I shifted focus back to Palkia in Hell, I planned to expand further on the arena battles and introduce new elements. How? What will I do? You'll find out all in good time...