Thanks to IanAlphaAxel for reviewing the previous chapter

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Chapter Twenty Four: Love and Loss

Johanna paced back and forth figuring it was better than just standing around still doing nothing. Cynthia, Dawn and Cyrus hadn't returned from their journey into the Distortion World and she was beginning to panic. Biting down hard on her lip, she tried her hardest to hold back tears, but the thought of losing both her daughter and the girl's father was too much to bear.

"Don't be upset, Johanna," Barry said, smiling up at her. "Dawn will be fine!"

She tried to smile back, but she didn't have the heart to lie to him. She wished she had his confidence – everything would be so much easier then. Turning her back to Barry, she moved towards the wall of the mountain peak and leaned against it, resting a hand on her swollen belly. It had been twenty eight weeks since conception. Only a few more weeks remained before her expected due date arrived.

Her first pregnancy had been a nerve-wrecking experience and this one would be no different. The first one had taken place at home on the couch and Carolina had helped deliver the baby, having helped quite a number of females in the process before. No complications had arisen fortunately, and she hoped this one too would be a smooth ride. She tried to tell herself not to stress since that wasn't healthy, but too many fears raced through her mind.

Would Cyrus be forced to leave her should the police decide to lock him up after this incident? What if Cynthia, Cyrus and Dawn failed to escape the Distortion World? What if… Stop it, she scolded herself. Think positive thoughts. The man who called himself Charon remained near the rift gate while his two girls stood in front of him. They had been defeated, but they refused to clear the way.

"This is ridiculous, Charon. We should leave – there is nothing else for us here," the purple-headed female spoke, a hand resting on the left side of her hip, giving the elderly man a disdainful look.

Charon looked at the gate opening for a few moments longer then turned away muttering something to himself she could not decipher. Barry stepped forward and raised a hand, pointing a finger at Charon. "You're not going anywhere – you're going to face the law and pay for your crimes."

"You may have defeated the commanders in battle, but you have no idea of the true fight that awaits you," Charon replied, peering down at Barry, not at all phased by the threat. Johanna took another step back. She wished she had listened to Rowan's protests about coming up the mountain, but she had to see her daughter and Cyrus.

"The fight is over. You have no Pokemon. There is nowhere to run," Barry replied.

"Do you think I climbed to the top of this mountain without a backup plan?" Charon responded, narrowing his eyes, shaking his head in mocking-like manner. "Foolish child." Gesturing to the mountain, he added, "This mountain top is fitted with explosive devices that will be trigged when I give the word." The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a smirk.

"You're lying," Barry said.

"Care to put your assumption to the test?"

Rowan placed a hand on Barry's shoulder and shook his head. He didn't have to speak a word and Barry knew to back down from the fight. Whether Charon was bluffing or not, she couldn't tell. He obviously worked for Team Galactic, and seemed to be of a reasonable standing if he had control over these two female commanders. He seemed to know a fair bit as well considering he knew where the rift led to.

"Oh come on, Jupiter!" the red-headed female spoke. "We may have lost the Pokemon battle, but we can still come out the victors. Your friends are in the Distortion World and there's a high chance they won't survive." She turned to face Barry and leered.

Barry grimaced. "You're trapped here on this mountain. You have no Pokemon to defend yourselves with."

Jupiter rolled her eyes. "Haven't you listened to a single word that's been said? We can bring this mountain top down on you and you'll be crushed. If we can't leave, you can't either." She pointed to the mountain peak, bringing their attention to some flashing red lights. If the Galactic commander hadn't pointed them out earlier, Johanna would've missed them.

Johanna met Rowan's gaze and bit down on her lip, bringing a nail to her mouth. Their backs were pressed up against the wall and the Galactic commanders had the advantage now. Rowan joined her at the mountain peak's wall. "Do not panic, Johanna. We will escape this unharmed," he whispered, but he didn't sound confident. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Charon on the Xtransceiver talking to someone.

"You've won the battle, but you've lost the war," Jupiter said smugly.

"Please," Rowan started. "It doesn't have to end in bloodshed. Both sides can walk away unharmed. Let us negotiate a deal and call a truce."

Barry's jaw dropped. "Professor! You can't reason with them! They're bad people!" he protested, but the professor refused to change his mind. Johanna understood what his motives were – walk away unharmed and call on the might of the league and the gym leaders to arrest them and end the threat to Sinnoh for good, but Barry raised a fair point too. They could not be trusted.

Charon narrowed his eyes. "It's too late for a truce. Your people have made your intentions quite clear to me." He turned to face Johanna, his gaze hardening. "Your daughter has been quite the pest and I for one, will be glad to be rid of her presence. I had hoped to have permanently dealt with her earlier, but it seems luck has been on her side. But no matter – Giratina will reap her soul as he will with her foolish father and our Champion of the region."

"Giratina?" Rowan spoke.

"The guardian of the Distortion World… or Spirit World whichever name you prefer to use. He was banished by Arceus to remain locked forever in the cage… until now of course. I convinced Cyrus to open the gate – it was through my guidance and my persuasion that he began to believe in the idea of a perfect universe of his creation. It was all lies of course, it is impossible, but the fool believed in it."

"But why would you want to allow this Giratina to escape?" Rowan asked.

Charon turned his head in his direction. "What lengths would you go to save the ones you loved?" Rowan spoke no further and Charon continued. "I was a trainer once and I lost my Pokemon during a trip in the Spirit World. Giratina damaged him and his injuries were so severe he could not be healed. I had no choice but to put him down." His smirk faded.

"This is revenge then?" Barry said.

"Yes, you could call it that… and I'm not going to allow anyone to interfere with my plans when I have come so close." He glanced up at the flashing lights, raised a hand then spoke in a low voice. "Rotom!" Before Johanna or anyone else could react, the mountain peak top exploded.

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Fear was an emotion a Champion was not accustomed to feeling or at least that's what the general public opinion thought. Champions were revered as deities and people expected great things from them. One expectation was a Champion should not feel fear, but fear that was all she felt as she stood in the shadow of the monstrous beast looming over her.

She was no stranger to large Pokemon, but even a Wailord looked small in comparison. She suspected the Distortion World made Giratina appear larger than normal and that caused her to worry. Not only was the beast far larger than anything she had ever encountered, but he was completely foreign to her. She knew nothing about Giratina's powers and abilities. For the first time in a long time, doubt and fear entered her mind.

Giratina brought one of its six thick grey legs forward and Cynthia's eyes fell on the biggest of the three yellow claws on its foot. The sheer size of its foot was comparable to a Wailmer and Cynthia knew it would be instant death if one was crushed beneath it if they were not pierced by the sharp tips of the claws first. But it wasn't just the creature's feet that were deadly – Giratina's shape was designed to kill.

The two large black ghostly wings on his back resembled claws which could easily penetrate flesh with little effort while his muscular tail could easily topple down even the sturdiest of buildings in Sinnoh. The gold half rings circling the back of his neck seemed to be used for grabbing victims while his dagger-like teeth were used to tear away the flesh of the hapless prey. Giratina peered down at them through blood-red eyes.

"Nobody move," Cynthia whispered. A voice in the back of her head which sounded much like her grandmother urged her to flee now while she had the chance, but her legs refused to obey. All she could do now was look helplessly at the guardian of the pit. In the corner of her eye she could see Dawn slowly edging back, while Cyrus looked on, his expression unreadable. "Dawn, don't move," she added.

Dawn stopped, taking in a deep mouthful of air, her eyes never leaving the creature's face. Giratina lowered his head and brought it forward, opening his jaws, a hot breath reeking of decomposing flesh washing over their faces. Holding back her disgust, Cynthia remained still as Giratina continued to examine his prey, a forked tongue stretching out of its mouth. The pinkish tongue moved to Dawn first, dragging it down her face, leaving a trail of saliva behind. Dawn's face paled, but she managed to hold back a scream and the contents of her stomach in. The tongue moved off her face and moved to taste Cynthia next.

Scrunching up her face, she braced herself for the same disgusting treatment, feeling her stomach churn as the saliva made contact with her face. Much to her relief, Giratina didn't seem interested in her, withdrawing his tongue as if she was some foul-tasting object. The beast moved to Cyrus and pressed his tongue against him, but recoiled immediately. He reared, a bloodcurdling anguished scream echoing throughout the Distortion World.

Somehow, Giratina knew Cyrus had been the one to open the door. "Run!" Cynthia blurted, her legs finally responding. Grabbing Dawn's hand, Cynthia pulled Dawn forward, pulling her away, narrowing avoiding one of Giratina's feet. Both girls stumbled forwards as Giratina's foot connected with the ground again, causing a mini shockwave to throw them off balance.

Cynthia ungracefully fell forward, bringing Dawn down to the ground with her, face landing in dirt. The Distortion World was changing again and this time she found herself in leech infested earth. Immediately, she jumped up, and clawed wildly at her face, hoping none were attached to her. Fortunately, her face hadn't been in the water long enough for the leeches to dig into her flesh, but she could feel them clambering up her legs. Dawn stopped briefly to flick leeches off her bare legs, squishing them underneath her shoes, but her attempts were futile. For every leech crushed, another would attempt to attach itself to her.

"We have to keep moving!" Cynthia warned. "If we stop, we'll be vulnerable!" She didn't dare look back. The sound of Giratina's roars were enough for her to know the beast was right behind them and gaining ground at a rapid pace. She was beginning to tire now, but stopping would mean certain death. She continued to sprint ahead, hoping her companions were right behind her.

"Dawn!"

Cynthia skidded to an abrupt halt, almost tripping over a root, and turned around. Dawn had fallen over a concealed root and was now sitting on the ground, hands clasped around her left ankle, trying to tug it free. Giratina charged towards them, his tail swinging from side to side, ripping trees up from the ground, another anguished scream leaving his throat.

"I'm stuck!" Dawn yelped.

Cynthia rushed back towards her and dropped down next to Dawn. Cyrus knelt down and examined the root which had somehow ensnared Dawn's ankle. He attempted to pry it off, but the root would not budge. Without wasting much thought, Cynthia reached down to her pokebelt and summoned her Togekiss. Her faithful companion flew in a circle around her head awaiting his next order. "Use Air Slash on the root, Togekiss!"

Togekiss obeyed, and swooped down, slashing at the thick root with his left wing, slicing it down the middle. The root released and Dawn scrambled free, dragging her injured leg behind her in the dirt. Examining it closely, Cynthia noticed a red ring had formed around the ankle and judging by the way Dawn scrunched up her face, she knew it hurt. The girl tried to climb to her feet, but collapsed to the ground, unable to bear the pain.

Giratina was only a couple of metres away and he reared up again on his hind legs. He brought them back to the ground, creating another powerful shockwave, knocking the surrounding trees down. The beast reared again, but this time he beat his wings, conjuring up a strong wind. An invisible force lifted her and her companions off their feet then dropped them back down to an ever changing terrain.

Now she was standing in a swamp which reminded her of the Great Marsh only this one belonged to the hostile Giratina who showed no signs of tiring. He lifted his tail up and crashed it down into the swamp, causing strange looking green plants to surface, filling the spaces between the trees. The plants had four petals and two long vines sticking out from the western and eastern sides. Giratina pounded the ground again and the plants opened, releasing an aroma which was similar to that of rotten eggs.

"Togekiss, use Shock Wave!" Cynthia ordered. She had to buy time to escape the claws of Giratina. Togekiss flew towards the beast and clapped his wings together, releasing a strong bolt of electricity to emerge from the tips. The bolt struck the guardian, but bounced off his hard scales, rendering the attack as useless. Could anything harm the guardian in its natural environment? Giratina roared, and swatted a wing at the Pokemon, but Togekiss's smaller size allowed him to nimbly evade the attack. Giratina's left wing smacked into a tree.

"I can't move!" Dawn wailed.

Neither could Cynthia. Well, barely. The swamp slowed her movement. "We must keep moving! The rift has to be close!" She tried to move a leg forward, but found her right leg had somehow gotten stuck in the swamp. Reaching down, she wrapped both her hands around it and yanked it out, almost toppling over in the process.

"Dawn, climb on my back," Cyrus ordered.

Dawn didn't question him. She climbed on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, and legs around his waist, holding on as if her life depended on it. Cyrus grunted, obviously his arm still hurting from Houndoom's bite, but managed to stand up without falling over. With Dawn freed from the root, they could once again make some progress. It was a tiring process – each step required more effort than the previous. Her training to become the Champion hadn't prepared her for this, but through sheer determination, she managed to make ground, venturing further across the swampland.

Cyrus was having a far more difficult time than Cynthia having to deal with the extra weight on his back, taking more than double the time it took for Cynthia to move a leg, but he persevered. The sounds of an increasingly agitated Giratina reverberated throughout the world as did the sounds of falling trees and splashing water. The ground shook again, and for a fleeting moment, Cynthia thought the swamp was going to open up and swallow her whole, but no hole appeared.

She heard Cyrus gasping for air behind her. "How much further?"

She didn't know – the world kept changing. It was hard to pinpoint the exact location of the rift to the real world and even if she knew where it was, she was sure Giratina was going to be it extremely difficult to reach it. "I… don't know," she answered truthfully.

"So we are running around in circles with no clear direction as to where to go next?"

She held back from commenting, knowing there was no point in arguing. In a tense situation like this, it was understandable for tempers to flare and the best thing to do was to remain as calm as possible. "The rift will not be hard to miss." A glowing portal showing Mount Coronet was bound to be easy to spot even in the Distortion World's changing environment. At least, she hoped so.

"Perhaps it would be better if we flew instead?"

Flying. Of course. Why hadn't she thought of that? Giratina had wings, but he looked far too bulky to be able to gain much height. Flying would give her a better view of their surrounding environment as well and make it easier to spot the rift. Not only that, but it would allow them to avoid swamps, leeches and other annoying obstacles. "Togekiss! Return!" she called out, as Cyrus gently lowered himself to the swamp floor for Dawn to slide off.

"Honchkrow!"

"Honchkrow."

Two Honchkrows emerged followed by a Gyarados. One looked to be on the verge of fainting and the other looked in prime condition. The tired Honchkrow's feathers were not as glossy as the healthier one and she assumed it was because the avian was older. She suspected the fatigued Honchkrow belonged to Cyrus. His avian flew around in circles – sitting down in the swamp would result in both birds getting stuck and incapable of moving for a few moments.

Fortunately, the Distortion World changed environments again. It appeared to take on a new world every couple of minutes and thankfully this one had dry and stable ground for the Honchkrows to land on. Dawn used her remaining strength to clamber on while Cyrus hopped on his avian's back. Once they were both on, Cynthia climbed on Togekiss's back. Her Togekiss had sustained a couple of injuries during the scuffle with Giratina, but still had the strength to carry her.

The trio lifted up into the air and once again Cynthia led the way. Her companions seemed content enough to let her do the work although she suspected it was mostly due to the injuries they had both sustained. The Distortion World changed again, this time taking the environment of a red desert. Various types of unidentifiable shrubs stretched across the bases of the sand dunes and cliffs, but Cynthia had little time to admire the view.

She briefly glanced over her shoulder and noticed Giratina was no longer walking, but rather slithering across the sand. He resembled a serpent-type creature now, his two black bat-type wings replaced by six black ghostly streamers instead. Four golden spikes appeared at the edge of his tail, adding more power to his already punishing weapon. She turned around again, scanning around the arid environment, searching for the portal.

"I see the portal!" Dawn said, raising a hand, pointing to a glowing item in the far distance, situated in between a deep, wind carved crevasse.

"Let's move!" Cynthia commanded.

As they neared the crevasse, the sands below lifted up from the ground, forming into vicious twin funnels. The funnels sucked in more sand and advanced towards their party, growing in intensity with each passing second. Trees were uprooted and drawn into the howling winds and more sand was thrown up around them, limiting visibility by a severe amount. Cynthia's hair whipped around her face as sand grains entered her mouth, nostrils and eyes. Her mouth felt as dry as the desert around her.

Giratina roared again and charged forward, crashing down into a sand dune below. A cloud of sand rocketed upwards shrouding her and companions in more sand, as the funnels closed in. The closer the funnels came, the harder it was to remain balanced in the air. Cynthia almost fell off as Togekiss veered to the left, but fortunately held on. There was another gust of wind and Cyrus's tired Honchkrow was blown off course. Both Pokemon and trainer made a rapid descent to the ground.

"Dad!"

Dawn's Honchkrow dove and Giratina chased after her, his claws stretched out ready to grab and crush. One attack was all it would take to kill and it would be permanent in this place if the killing blow was dealt by Giratina himself. She didn't waste another second thinking about death. "Togekiss, bring me closer to Giratina." A foolish and dangerous idea formed in her mind, but it was crazy enough to work… or at least buy some time for Dawn to save her father from death.

Cynthia wrapped her arms around Togekiss' body as firmly as she could, as they hurtled down after Giratina, funnels rapidly approaching her. The power of the wind knocked her from side to side, throwing her Togekiss off course multiple times, but not once did the funnels make direct impact. Togekiss was agile enough to avoid getting directly in the way. Her Pokemon neared Giratina's bulk and once they were close enough, Cynthia jumped, grabbing hold of one of the spikes on Giratina's tail.

A dumb idea. A foolish idea. Again she heard her grandmother's voice berating her for foolishness – suicidal dangerous stunts like these were not typical of her, but the situation called for extreme measures. She did the only thing she could do – she used her teeth as a weapon and bit into Giratina's tail. Surprisingly, it was soft.

Although her teeth did no damage to Giratina, it was enough to bring the guardian to an abrupt halt in midair. He thrashed wildly, swinging his tail back and forth, wriggling his body so violently she had the wind knocked out of her. Temporarily weakened, her hands released their grip, and she slid off, plummeting downwards.

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A boulder crashed to the ground and the impact threw Barry off his feet. Throwing his hands forward to protect his face, he toppled over onto the earth below and winced as his body made contact. Clouds of dirt rose up around him, bringing tears to his eyes. "Professor! Johanna!" he cried out, but there was no response.

Groaning, he pushed himself up from the ground and looked around him, examining the damage. The entire mountain peak had been destroyed – all that remained of it lay scattered around him. He crawled forward and tried to stand, but movement of his body sent a wave of pain rushing throughout his joints. He called for his companions again, but there was still no reply. Were they alive?

Panic and worry prompted him to rise to his feet. He tightened his jaw, fighting down the urge to cry from pain, and hobbled forward. He couldn't see whether Charon and his commanders had stayed (or had been caught in the blast themselves), nor could he see the Distortion World opening, thanks to haze around him. Right now though, it was the last thing he cared about. Finding the professor and Johanna was far more important.

He called their names again and again until his voice became hoarse. They had to be alive – but why were they not responding to his pleas? He continued moving forward when he found himself falling again. A deep groan left his throat, as he hit the ground once more, a new wave of pain washing over him. He lay on his left side, waiting for the pain to fade then climbed to his feet once more.

He covered a few more metres when he spotted the upper half of the professor underneath some rocks. Relieved, he rushed over, ignoring the pain then dropped down besides the man. "Professor!" he cried. The professor did not respond. Barry checked for a pulse and fortunately the man was breathing, but he did not open his eyes. He looked down and noticed the professor's waist and legs were trapped beneath a couple of rocks. "Professor!" he cried again. He pushed the rocks off, but the damage had already been done.

Professor Rowan's eyes fluttered open. "My legs… I can't feel my legs…" he murmured.

"Professor?"

Rowan gazed up at him and Barry could read the fear in his eyes. It worried him seeing a man normally so calm and in control looked scared. "Barry…" He moved his right hand slowly towards Barry, his fingers grasping at the air. Barry took it and held on tightly. "Find… Johanna…" he rasped.

"But professor, I need to get you out of here safely."

The elderly man coughed several times, pain lacing his features then spoke again. "Leave me be… I am of no use to you… You must be strong… Find her… Find my niece." He closed his eyes as another cough left his throat.

Barry bit down on his lip so hard it almost bled. "Professor!" he cried, voice laced with urgency. He grabbed the man's shoulders and shook them, but the man's eyes remained closed. "Professor!" he screamed, eyes beginning to water. The professor remained silent – all Barry could hear was his laboured breaths. He hit the ground with a fist and wiped the tears away, raising to his feet once more. The professor was alive at least, but for how much longer?

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Johanna lay on her back, staring up at the darkened sky, one hand resting on her stomach and the other beneath her. Pain from the lower part of her back travelled up her spine and down her legs prohibiting her movement. She tried to sit up, but stopped when the insides of her stomach began to twist. Her insides felt as though they were being twisted, pulled and squeezed and only worsened as time passed on.

There was nothing she could do but lie down on the ground and sob to herself, and hope someone would come to her rescue. Another intense contraction prompted her to yell, as she moved her hands around, searching for something to grab hold onto. Her fingers brushed up against some small stones. Curling her fingers around them, she held on so tightly, she could feel their sharp edges cutting into her skin. But the pain paled in comparison to the contractions in her stomach. She couldn't hold back her screams any longer.

"Oh, look at how helpless you are," someone drawled from above.

Johanna opened her eyes and noticed the red-headed female leering down at her. She too had been caught in the blast, but managed to escape with a couple of grazes and bruises. "Please… help me…" she rasped, in between sobs.

The commander knelt down and wagged a finger in her face. "Now why would I want to do that? I've wanted you to suffer from the very moment I learned about your connection to Dawn and Cyrus. When I heard Dawn was his…" She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath then exhaled, opening her eyes again, glaring down at her with malice. "I didn't want to believe it. I followed him one day and what a surprise I received when I found him with you at that hospital in Hearthome City." She spat in her face.

"You don't…" Johanna rasped, but another powerful contraction stopped her from speaking further. More tears trailed down her cheeks as the commander drew her face in closer.

She gripped Johanna's shoulder and squeezed. "What makes you so special? Why would he choose you over me?" She applied more pressure and Johanna screamed again. "I served him faithfully! I believed in his stupid mission! I would've taken a life to make him happy!" She screamed in Johanna's face then lowered her voice to a controlled whisper. "I used to think Cyrus was perfect. He made me believe anything was possible. He looked after me, gave me a place to call home and promoted me to a commander."

"I…" Johanna started.

The commander silenced her. "I loved him and I thought if I gave him everything that he'd somehow love me back." She snorted, and flicked a strand of hair away from her face with the back of a hand. "I carried out his stupid plans because I thought it would bring us closer, but I was a fool to think he'd ever look my way once. While I gave him my allegiance, you gave him what I could never give – a child." She glanced down at Johanna's belly with disgust.

Johanna wished she could move and get away, but she couldn't. The Galactic commander had the advantage and there was nothing she could do to overpower the younger female. "Please," she pleaded. The girl was more unstable than anyone else she had come across.

The commander climbed to her feet and glowered down at her. "He lied to me. He used me. He took away my life making me believe that somehow everything was going to be better, but I'm not going to suffer anymore. I'm going to return the favour – everything he put me through… the pain, the misery, the hatred… I'll make him suffer. If I can't be happy then he can't be either."

Before Johanna could get out another word, the red-headed female swung a leg back then brought it forward, jabbing her hard in the stomach. She screamed.

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Her surroundings became a blur. All the colours rolled into one. Togekiss was out of her sight. She was falling so fast she didn't even have time to think of what her death would mean to the world. In a few seconds she would be greeted with pain then there'd be nothing but a bloodied broken mess behind. She braced herself for impact but it never came. Instead, she found herself descending to the ground slowly. Had death come already? She opened an eye and looked at whiteness. Togekiss.

She smiled faintly and rested her head against her Pokemon's back, taking in deep sharp breaths. "Head to the portal… We're getting out of this place."

Down below, she caught a glimpse of Dawn and Cyrus making their way towards the portal within the crevasse. Her risky move had bought both of them time, but Giratina was still a threat. Giratina landed on the ground and stabbed at the ground with his tail, causing clouds of sand to burst up from below. A sand blast struck them both skywards at least two metres up into the air.

"Put me down here," Cynthia said, pointing near the place Dawn and Cyrus had been hit.

Togekiss dropped down to the ground and Cynthia pulled herself off. Recalling her Pokemon to her pokeball, she climbed to her feet groggily, and staggered over to ensure her companions were all right. Dawn stood up slowly, placing a great deal of weight on her uninjured ankle and waited for Cyrus to stand up himself. Cynthia wasn't sure whether it was because of the sand blast or if exhaustion had finally caught up with him, but he remained on the ground, curled up in a ball.

Giratina jumped into the air and hovered above the ground, the black streamers on his head standing erect. Wispy black clouds with a purple aura began to circle his stature as the light in the world began to fade. It seemed to be sucking in the light. "Dad… get up…" Dawn urged, reaching down to grab his uninjured arm. He grunted. "We have to get to the portal."

While Dawn tried to get her father to stand, Cynthia focused her attention on Giratina. So far, she had only seen a fraction of Giratina's power – what else could the beast do? He was a legendary and created by Arceus himself, so he had to have some form of significant and unique power in his possession. The light continued to dim until she could no longer see her own hands. She was surrounded by pure blackness – not even Giratina's glowing red eyes were visible.

"What happened to the light?" Dawn whispered.

"Giratina... seems to have drained it…" Cynthia replied softly.

Being unable to see anything was unsettling especially with a banished Pokemon in their presence. She briefly considered summoning another of her Pokemon to help, but what was the point when nothing could be seen anyway? Her Pokemon would be fighting completely blind. What made matters even worse was that all sound except for their breaths and voices had become inaudible.

Then-Cynthia's eyes widened, gasping for breath, her hands moving to her throat. It was as if something was choking her yet there was nothing physically preventing her from breathing properly. She fell to her knees as the lights switched back on. Dawn collapsed besides her, her face paling at a dramatic rate as their oxygen situation became worse. Leaning forward, Cynthia tried to draw in a deep breath, but there was nothing. All she could see was her own shadow choking itself.

Black dots appeared before her as her consciousness began to fade. Strength fading at a rapid pace, Cynthia was unable to keep herself sitting upright and fell sideways onto the sand, gasping. In between the dots, she caught a glimpse of Giratina's face peering down at her, forked tongue hanging out of his mouth. This was it. The true end.

Giratina reached down with his claws and picked her up, but dropped her immediately, a surprised snarl leaving his throat. Oxygen filled her lungs again. She scrambled to the side and lifted her head to see what had caused the distraction. Behind Giratina, she found Garchomp attacking Giratina's tail with her own. Garchomp's Dragon Rush attack seemed to inflict a great deal of pain and it made her wonder if Giratina was part-dragon and part-ghost. It was a well known fact dragons were weak to each other.

Cynthia picked herself up slowly. Giratina fought back, smacking his tail into Garchomp, throwing her dragon roughly to the side. Garchomp picked herself up and rammed her head into the tail end. "Now is our chance!" Cynthia cried, pointing to the rift opening. "Go now!" Garchomp was losing. In a world Giratina ruled, no Pokemon or trainer had a chance in combat.

With assistance from Dawn, Cyrus helped himself up, and hobbled over towards the opening, Dawn limping next to him. When they had stepped through the portal, Cynthia herself made her way over after recalling her Garchomp to the safety of her pokeball. Giratina charged, but the guardian was too late. Cynthia threw herself through the portal and landed back on Mount Coronet, relieved to have escaped unscathed. The realm closed behind her trapping Giratina forever in the Distortion World. A smile spread across her face. Sinnoh had been saved.

A tormented cry tore through the air, wiping the smile off her face, a chill racing down her spine. She pushed herself up and stared at the path before her, eyes falling on a wounded Barry. He was covered in dirt marks, and clutching a bruised and scratched arm to his chest, wearing a forlorn expression.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, a single tear sliding down his left cheek before collapsing in a heap.

.

Mount Coronet didn't look the same. The peak had been bombed and now lay in piles of rocks around the place the pillars had once stood. In amongst the ruins stood Charon and he was flanked by Jupiter and Mars, both of whom had sustained a couple of bruises and grazes. "No… this cannot be…" Charon remarked, his eyes widening at the sight.

"Barry!" Dawn cried, rushing towards the fallen blond male, dropping down to his side. Cynthia hurried over to assist while Cyrus glowered at Charon.

Charon pointed a finger at him. "You were meant to die!" he bellowed.

"You failed," Cyrus replied.

The scientist turned red with anger, but instead of acting it out, he remained in place, trembling. Mars and Jupiter looked equally surprised. "You survived," Charon said. "But it matters not. You might have sealed the gate, but I'm not done yet." He grabbed Mars and Jupiter's hands and led them towards the edge leading to the path back down to the entrance of the mountain. "This isn't over yet – I will have my revenge."

Cyrus made a move to follow him when a scream reached his ears. A female. Charon took the opportunity to hurry down the mountain with his former commanders while Cyrus and his companions were temporarily distracted by the sound. Dawn froze, her eyes widening then rose abruptly to her feet. "Mum!" she yelled. Before Cynthia could stop her, Dawn bolted off towards the sound, calling for her mother.

Johanna was up here too? Why in the name of Arceus had she climbed all the way up here? He cursed under his breath and followed the direction Dawn had taken, weaving his way through fallen rocks until he found Dawn kneeling down by her mother's side, sobbing into her chest. The last time he had encountered Johanna had been at the hospital and that had taken place many long months ago.

Now she was here lying on the ground, her hands resting on her swollen belly, tortured screams ringing out throughout the mountain peak. She was pregnant? He froze in place, surprised by the revelation. Johanna pregnant. Again. He knew it was his – Johanna wouldn't betray him. Why on earth had she climbed up the mountain? His thoughts were broken by another pain filled scream.

"Johanna!" Cynthia rushed forward and dropped down besides Dawn.

Dawn held onto her mother, refusing to let her go, continuing to cry into her shoulder. Cyrus remained frozen in place, looking on as the scene continued to unfurl. Johanna being pregnant again – the thought remained firmly implanted in his mind and refused to leave. He hadn't been there during her nine months of pregnancy, and didn't know what to expect, but somehow he knew this wasn't normal.

His thoughts were confirmed when he spotted blood gushing out between her legs, spilling out onto the ground, her screams becoming more strained with each passing second. Dawn gazed down, horrified. "What's happening?!" she blurted, turning to Cynthia for answers. "What's happening to my mother?!" Cynthia pulled Dawn close and covered her eyes with arms, shielding her from the blood.

"Everything's going to be fine…" she said. "I need you to find the professor and check up on Barry again, Dawn."

Dawn tried to pull Cynthia's arm away, but Cynthia did not budge. "I'm not leaving her!"

"It's out of your control. Please, Dawn. There's nothing you can do to assist. Please, do as I say," she begged. Dawn nodded. "Do not look back – keep your eyes focused on the path ahead," Cynthia added. Dawn climbed to her feet and headed back towards the place Barry was, not once stopping to glance back at her mother, although Cyrus suspected she wanted to. Once Dawn had disappeared, Cynthia motioned for Cyrus to walk over. "You – come over now. I need your help," she commanded.

He sauntered over towards Johanna and Cynthia, eyes transfixed on the blood. It was beginning to resemble a murder scene he had witnessed on television programs. Blood everywhere. He tried to speak, but a lump had formed in his throat. He hadn't cared when his grunts had died in the bomb blasts, since he hadn't been there to witness it, but seeing Johanna lying on the ground, blood gushing out, screaming in pain, left him speechless.

Cynthia grabbed his arm and sunk her nails in. "Cyrus."

He looked at her, feeling his blood run cold. "She never told me she was…"

"You can ask her questions later, but now is not the time." She gestured down at Johanna again. "I didn't want to tell Dawn, but you need to know. Johanna's suffered trauma to the stomach and it's led to the placenta being damaged. If she doesn't get help quickly, the baby will die and possibly Johanna herself."

"But…"

She grip tightened. "I'm the Champion of Sinnoh. I can get her the best medical care the region has to offer, but you have to trust me to fly her down in these conditions."

It would be easy to lay the blame on Charon for causing the explosion that led to Johanna's current status. It would be just as easy to hold Johanna at fault for making the foolish decision to climb the mountain in her state. She should've known better than to climb up a mountain while pregnant, but deep down he knew he was the one at fault. He was the sole reason she had become pregnant in the first place. She probably thought she could convince him to back down one last time. Love for him and her daughter had brought her here despite the risk it posed.

"Cyrus?"

He gazed back down at Johanna again. She was still gushing out blood, but her screams had quietened down now, probably because she was losing her voice. She reached out to grab him and he took her hand and held it for a few moments. Leaving Johanna before had been easy, but a lot had changed since then. Leaving her now especially in this state was the last thing he wanted to do, but there was no other option. He could see the Champion in the corner of his eyes, looking at him expectantly, awaiting his approval. "Go then. Fly quickly."

Cynthia immediately set to work, summoning her Togekiss to the field. How a Pokemon like that could transport Johanna and Cynthia down to the nearest Pokemon Centre was unknown to him – the Togekiss looked like a gust of wind would blow it off course, but the bizarre looking Pokemon had proven to be quite strong. If anyone could endure the elements of Mount Coronet's breeze, it would be Cynthia and her Pokemon.

Cynthia climbed on her Pokemon's back and held out her arms to hold Johanna carefully. Cyrus lifted her up and gently lowered her into the Champion's arms. "Head to Celestic Town. I'll be there." Togekiss took to the air and soon disappeared into the clouds. He walked away from the bloody pool, forcing away negative thoughts, and found Dawn with Barry and Professor Rowan. Barry fortunately was standing, but the professor had seen better days.

"Where is-" Dawn started, her eyes red and swollen. He wasn't quite sure how she was keeping it all together – she was close to losing him and now she was close to losing her mother as well.

"Somewhere safe," he replied.

Dawn knew better than to question further and gestured to the professor. "The professor can't walk – he says he can't feel his legs," she said then turned to Barry.

"I'm fine," Barry replied. The worst he had sustained was a couple of scrapes fortunately.

Cyrus looked at the professor. Paralysed from the waist down. The man had probably taken a severe blow to the spinal cord during the explosion. How on earth had Jupiter and Mars escaped with just a few wounds while the others had suffered greatly? "We're heading to Celestic Town's Pokemon Centre. The blast has probably attracted a few hostile Pokemon so we'll need to be on our guard."

"We can handle it," Barry said. "I know the way down. Follow me!"

For a trainer who had survived a bomb blast up on the mountain, he had certainly recovered quickly, or perhaps he was putting on a brave face in the wake of tragedy. Barry walked forward slowly calling out his Pokemon to form a protective ring around the group. Dawn summoned her healthiest Pokemon to provide back up while Cyrus had given himself the task of carrying the professor down the mountain. Barry walked ahead as quickly as possible while Dawn stayed close to her father.

"She's going to be all right, isn't she?" Dawn commented.

He looked down. Dawn was obviously referring to her mother. He nodded. "She'll receive the best care. The medical staff will do all they can to save her," he replied. It wasn't a lie – but it wasn't the complete truth either. Telling Dawn her mother could possibly die though was cruel and not something he wanted to say. It was better to give a neutral answer.

Dawn turned away. "She'll survive. I know she will." She fell silent.

He hoped for Johanna and the unborn child's sake, Dawn was right.