Chapter 35 – Ambition of the Twilight King
"Wait, wait, wait, wait… start over, Pelame," Blessing said as she was carefully being loaded onto Latias's back. "What happened?"
"Like I told you: the king just as good as destroyed Pocketurn!" Pelame answered, still feeling very upset. "We can't stay here!"
"But where are we going?" Neve asked.
"Swadfrieg. The king said he had a summit there that was unsuccessful, and he said that the other World Leaders don't think of the Dark Blessing as a threat. Well, I think that if he lied to me about saving Pocketurn, he also lied about what he was doing abroad. So I'm going to find out what the deal really is."
"You think you'll gain an audience with Swadfrieg's ruler?" Treasure asked.
"It's worth a try. Where's dad and Pugno?"
"They're in the training area," Neve answered. "Keldeo isn't letting anyone near there, not even to see them."
"Ugh…" Pelame went over to the grounds despite protests from her mother. "Captain!" she called once he was within her sights.
"What is—wait a minute…" Keldeo began. "Did you come here ahead of the king?"
"Forget about the king! He betrayed Pocketurn! I need to speak to Pugno and my dad!"
"Wait… does this mean you're not going to help us?"
"Help you? With wh—" At that moment, Pelame realized what was going on. "…you were in on it… you were in on the king's plan to conquer the world."
"Conquer the world?" Keldeo asked. "You think that's what we're doing? No, Pelame, we're saving the world. From itself."
"You're just like the king himself…" she looked past Keldeo and called out to her father and Pugno. "Come on! We're leaving!"
Pinna and Pugno stayed put.
"They're not going anywhere," Keldeo declared. "And it sounds like you're not going to cooperate with us, so neither are you."
Pelame tossed a ball of Alpha Power at Keldeo before he could do anything. Taking this chance, Pelame ran back to the others she came with and got on Latios's back. Once everyone was accounted for, the Eon Duo Mega Evolved and flew off to the specified destination. Just then, the king returned.
"Sire! There you are!" Keldeo said gleefully.
"Hello, Keldeo," the king greeted. "Sorry I took so long. I had to take a plane from Tan Fields back here since Pelame ran off without me."
"She was just here a moment ago. She fled along with her mother and her two guests. She isn't going to help us."
"I gathered that. We'll just need to proceed without her."
"Where are we striking first?"
"Swadfrieg. We'll leave as soon as we get an attack plan together. And also, as we agreed, I will be giving Dark Blessings to you all. So, everyone line up and receive it."
As calculated, the Eon Duo got their passengers to Bihda promptly at 6:23PM. On the way there, Pelame had explained what had happened at Promised Land.
"Here's hoping Queen Mkono listens to you," Latias said. "Good luck, everyone!" She and her brother left the small plot of land they chose to disembark at. Neve allowed the physically disabled Blessing to ride on her back, being as she was the only Pokémon in the group who was big enough to offer such a service.
"So, where's the Queen's residence at?" Neve asked.
"I'll lead us there," Pelame answered. "The city's not that big, even though it's Swadfrieg's Capital. In fact, I'm afraid this might be King Kangaskhan II's first target."
"His army beat this country's once before," Blessing added as they began the trip to the palace. "I hate to sound grim, but Swadfrieg may not stand a chance now that he has a Dark Blessing."
"Still, if we can give the queen a warning, she'll at least be able to mitigate some possible damage. Who knows? Maybe she could even beat him. That's the outcome I want, to be honest."
"By the way, why didn't you try to Purify him?" Treasure asked.
"Uhh, Treasure?" Blessing prodded. "He's a super-powerful Alpha who was at full strength at the time. You think Pelame's seriously gonna try to take on a Pokémon who was even able to beat Mustard Jr. in seconds?"
"Good point."
"I was about to say the same thing," Pelame said. "He'd have to be weakened in order for me to even have the chance. But that can't be good for his soul, simultaneously being an Alpha and a Demon."
"Sorry to distract from the point, but WOW does this city look great!" Blessing said in admiration. "What's that over there?"
"That's the Basílica de Swadfuego. We're near the palace now. I can tell by us being near the Basílica."
"Swadfuego? Isn't that the name of the moltres who's seen as a guardian of this country?" Neve asked.
"Yep. When I went Researching here with TIGHS, we were told about a door with the Alpha Sigil suddenly appearing when it finished being built long ago. And considering what the king told me about it being a Request Stone shrine, I guess this place was specifically chosen to be built here by Queen Elafa, who was the ruler when the Basílica was built. She'd have been the only one who'd know that the shrine was below the ground there."
"Hearing you talk about the Request Stone gets me wondering what all the other World Leaders used them for," Blessing said. "I wonder if a few of them wasted them on selfish ambitions like our current king did. And you know, if those Stones can't actually grant requests, why did it deliver the Dark Blessing's creator directly to his Stone?"
"I guess… he might not have intended that to be his request to the Stone. He asked the Stone to help him conquer Pocketurn, and I guess from there, he just told Unod to enter his Stone. I don't know! All I know is that we need to warn the queen, and, now that I think about it, the whole world!"
"Well, now that we're at the palace, we can. If this is the palace, anyway."
"Oh, it is." Pelame confirmed the identity of the building they arrived at. Its gates were shut and tightly guarded. Pelame approached the front gate's guard, who was a growlithe about her mother's height.
"Hold it, young lady!" he ordered. "Wait a moment…" He took a closer look at Pelame. "Ah, I knew you looked familiar. You were here to see the queen return to her throne back in Sixthmonth."
"So, were there just no other eevees there?" Blessing asked.
"Oh, there were. I just recognized this lady here. No other eevee there wore a white bow nor had a neck fur styled like this. Oh, and…" he lifted up the center part of her neck fur and showed her Alpha Sigil. "…not to mention this dead giveaway." He let Pelame's neck fur flop back down. "So, what're you doing back here, huh?"
"We need to see the queen immediately!" Pelame said with urgency. "It's very important!"
"Should've let us know before now. The queen can't see anyone right now—"
"But this is really important! Her country could depend on it!"
"How so?"
"King Kangaskhan II wants to conquer Pocketurn, and I think he's gonna start here!"
The growlithe guard responded with an expression that signified that his interest was piqued. He pressed a button on the gate's built-in intercom.
"Your Majesty? Someone's here to see you about something King Kangaskhan II is planning," he said.
After about fifteen seconds of silence, there was a response.
"Send her in. But only her. I see from my window that she came with others."
"Yes, my Queen." The growlithe guard let go of the intercom's button and got out a key. He turned it in a lock located on the ground in front of it, and it opened. "Okay, young eevee lady. The queen will see you. The rest of you will have to wait here, though."
"Go on, Pelame," Neve encouraged. "We'll be fine."
"I'll try not to be too long, then," Pelame answered.
"Oh, no, it's fine. We'll wait here."
"Uh, actually, why not go over to the hospital two blocks from here?" suggested the growlithe guard. "That sneasel on your back looks like she could use a wheelchair."
"Hey, that's a good idea! Well, Pelame, if we're not back out here, look for us at the hospital. Good luck, sweetie!"
"Thanks, mom." Pelame entered the grounds of the palace, prompting the gate to be shut behind her. "Sure has been a while since I was here…" she couldn't resist noting to herself. She approached the palace door and pushed it open. The palace wasn't nearly as huge and ornate as the Twilight Castle was, but it was still quite beautiful to behold. Its red and orange color scheme was marvelously done. As she was admiring it, she was approached by a Delphox she instantly recognized as Prime Minister Magus.
"The queen sent me here to escort you to her," he said. "Follow me, please."
Pelame nodded and did as told. He led her down the main hall and up the only staircase in the entire building. He knocked on the big door located at the top of the stairs.
"Here she is, Majesty," Magus announced.
"Send her in," the queen said from beyond the door.
"Yes, my Queen." Magus pushed open the door and allowed Pelame inside. He shut it once she entered. The room was a bit small, only about the size of her bedroom back at her house. She bowed before the ambipom seated on the throne.
"No need for that right now," said Queen Mkono. "State your business."
"Your Majesty, I came for two reasons," Pelame began. "First, to warn you that there's a possible coup heading here. And second, I had heard that King Kangaskhan II met with you, mentioning that you had refused his offer to help your country."
"Oh, so that's how he's phrasing his attempt to swindle me out of my country, huh?!"
"Pardon?!"
"*sigh* Well, considering that, it wouldn't surprise me that he'd try force. He knows deceit won't work."
"What are you talking about? What exactly did he do here?"
"To be blunt, he tried to swindle Swadfrieg from me. He came here proposing a deal that would station a big share of his military here. That wouldn't have been a problem in and of itself, but there was a provision that stated that one of his Elite Nine would be made the Governor of wherever the stationing would take place. Effectively meaning that he'd gain ownership of my territory if I was stupid enough to agree to it. The deal specifically mentioned Bihda would be occupied, which meant that he'd gain the city. And, well, you should know what happens when a Capital falls."
As Pelame heard this, she felt a mixture of betrayal and anger. Queen Mkono could see it in her face.
"Then I guess that's what he tried in Shizazoto, too."
"Doesn't surprise me, actually. And I think he chose to pull this trick on me and Kentahito because he knew the rest of the world probably wouldn't listen to us, considering that his predecessors were tyrants, so he'd sound like one in the making if he tried to blame another World Leader for anything at all. In my case, there's the fact that my country was at war with his only a decade ago. We'd sound like we were trying to senselessly discredit him."
"Still, to think I believed him… I completely fell into his trap…"
"How so?"
At that, Pelame told the queen about the events ranging from her seeking the king out for Alpha training up to his eventual betrayal.
"Unbelievable… it was bad enough he used the Dark Blessing as an excuse to try to swipe my country from me after attempting the same on Emperor Kentahito, but to have done so to you, too… he's just evil. There's no other way to put it."
"I'm sorry, Queen Mkono." Pelame looked up at the queen with a regretful expression.
"No, Pelame. You did what you thought was right. I might have done the same if I were—"
"Your Majesty! Are you there?!" asked the growlithe guard over the intercom.
"What is it?" the queen said into the intercom on her throne.
"I couldn't stop him! King Kangaskhan II just barged right in. And he has his army out here, too! What do we do?!"
"…stand by." The queen let go of the "speak" button on her throne intercom. "Pelame, please let me handle this."
"But, Your Majesty!" Pelame said, concerned. "You sure you can—"
The door was pushed open by King Kangaskhan II, who entered the throne room.
"My apologies, Majesty!" Magus said. "I couldn't stop him!"
The king shut the door in Magus's face. He approached the queen while barely taking notice of Pelame standing there glaring at him.
"Good evening, Queen Mkono," he greeted. "You look well."
"The feeling's mutual," the queen curtly responded. "Let me guess: you're here about Swadfrieg?"
"Precisely. I know we got off on the wrong foot last time, but I think that can be made up for. But you know, the blame can't go entirely to me. You failed to recognize an excellent opportunity to improve your land."
"I guess I did. Or it could be that I failed to see how literally signing Swadfrieg off to you would help it in any way. You've got a lot of nerve, you know that? Trying to conquer me with trickery, tricking this poor young lady here into forwarding your plans, and now I hear you brought your army here with you."
"Yes. Look outside."
The queen and Pelame both did so. Pelame could feel lots of dark energy coming from them. She came to the only conclusion she could, and it was dreadful: the Twilight Army were all Demon-types.
"Again, you should accept your share of the blame for this. I was driven to this, you know. But I can still give you a chance. I'm still in a peaceful mood. Just surrender Swadfrieg to me, and no damage will have to be done."
The queen had no response to this other than to glare at the king.
"I'll allow you two hours to come to a decision. When you do decide, meet me on the palace's front lawn, where I have a tent set up. Failure to show up will be interpreted as forfeit. Think about it." The king started on his way out of the throne room.
"Wait a minute!" Pelame ordered.
"Pelame, meet me in my tent. There's something I wish to speak to you about." With that, the king left the palace and went to his tent on the grounds. Pelame started after him.
"Be careful, Pelame," the queen warned. "And don't worry. I'll think of something."
"Okay," Pelame answered.
"And if the worst should happen, warn the other World Leaders. I'll contact them now and let them know what's happening, and to expect your arrival."
"Good idea." Pelame then left the palace.
Inside the king's tent, Keldeo was discussing strategic matters with his leader.
"Our new Dark Blessings will make this a breeze!" he gloated. "Gotta admit, I'm just itching to try this out on whatever idiot comes my way! Not to mention how good our nation's sigil looks on my haunches!" Keldeo looked admiringly toward his hips, which had the Twilight Kingdom National Sigil emblazoned on them in Mortite. "A true symbol of power, if I do say so myself. I can't wait for the chance to beat someone with it!"
"Be patient, Keldeo," the king advised. "You'll get your chance. It all depends on how cooperative the queen's feeling. And I'm not anticipating any other territory will surrender quietly."
"To be fair, you wouldn't, either."
"True. Now then, since we have 115 minutes left on the clock I put the queen on, use that time however you see fit. But remember: don't attack until I give the order."
"Yes, sire!" Keldeo left the tent. Just then, Pelame stormed inside.
"Hello, Pelame. I was hoping to see you," the king greeted.
"The feeling is not mutual," Pelame seethed. "You have so many things to answer for, I don't even know where to begin."
"Same with you, Pelame. You've been so cooperative until now. Why has your cooperation with me stopped? Do you not want to save Pocketurn?"
"That is what I've been trying to do all along! And I though you wanted to too! But you didn't! You just want to rule Pocketurn, not save it!"
"Pelame, me ruling Pocketurn will save it. Us ruling Pocketurn will save it. What did you think I meant when I mentioned saving this world?"
"I thought… all along, the Dark Blessing, and all the trouble it caused—some of which you and select members of your military were dealing with, by the way!—is what I've been fighting against! And then you went and released its creator and sealed her within that Request Stone! You know what the Dark Blessing has done! You know what it can do! So why use it, let alone give it to your entire military?! I just— it… gah… a… Are you completely out of your mind?!"
"Pelame, I can assure you that I am not. You, myself, and my army are the last remaining voices of reason left in the world! You know that power itself has no morality. Any power, even those intended for certain purposes, can be used for any number of goals. You met Alphas who were using their power for evil, and Pugno trained with a Demon who was a good Pokémon. And, of course, you've met many Alphas using their power for the good purposes Alpha Power was intended to be used for, and you've met Demons who used the Dark Blessing to cause all kinds of trouble. It's just what happens when a great power falls into the wrong hands; Paras used it as part of his Team Static agenda, and Mustard Jr. used it to try to destroy civilization. Completely irresponsible misuse. But as I stated, any kind of power can be put to more responsible and benevolent use. Which is why I consider myself a favorable representative of both Alpha and Demon power."
"By conquering Pocketurn?! How is that reasonable?! Do you even know what you're saying?! You sound just like Windie the Conqueror!"
The king's expression hardened. "That foolish ancestor of mine was a megalomaniac who just wanted power."
"Frankly, the way you sound now, it's like he's back from the grave. Except, you're tooling around with a dangerous power that has caused nothing but misery and despair, and even the deaths of some good Pokémon. Does all of that mean nothing to you?!"
"As a World Leader, things like that do mean a lot to me. How do you think I felt when my nation got blamed for the death of Magus's predecessor? Betrayed, that's what! Swadfrieg started a war against me just because of an anarchist lunatic! It was an awful feeling. That was when it became clear to me that reason had truly disappeared from this world. But I was assured that there was one individual who still knew what he was doing: me."
"And who told you that?"
"Unod."
Pelame gasped in shock.
"The Swadfrieg War took a terrible toll on all involved, especially me. Seeing all that senseless fighting, the blame for which unfairly went to me, it drove me mad. I was consoled by the creator of the Dark Blessing, who assured me that I was the only reasonable Mortal left. After the War ended, I feared that something like it or worse could happen again. So that was when I decided that I needed to do something about it. So, on Genesis Day 1507, I went to Promised Land to go to the Realm Gate. There, I could communicate with the Immortal Realm."
King Kangaskhan II arrived in the forest clearing where the Realm Gate lie. He stood on the node depicting his nation's sigil. Once he did, he heard a voice speak to him. No voice was heard, but his mind understood what was being said to him.
"That was a marvelous performance you displayed during the Swadfrieg War."
The king's low spirits were lifted upon hearing that.
"Your low spirits helped me reach you that day, but now your spirit burns brighter than ever. You deserve such a reward."
"Perhaps," the king responded. "However, even though the War has been over for years, I still can't get over this ominous feeling that someone else could snap and start another conflict. Pokémon are such fragile creatures, after all."
"Oh, don't I know? I've observed it all."
"I just wish I knew what could be done about it. If I could just convince everyone to see reason, there'd be nothing to worry about. Nobody else understands, though, not even my fellow World Leaders. And the more I look at it, it seems only my country has any reason and wisdom to it."
"I can concur with that."
"But the world won't listen to me, even if I tried to convince them. All they listen to nowadays is force. I've been planning to colonize the rest of the world in order to revive its reason, but my Alpha Power won't be enough to do that. And my Request Stone is blocked behind a barrier of some kind of dark crystal."
"Ah. That was my doing. That mineral is called Mortite, and I placed it there to prevent its use against me."
"I understand your caution. But I may need to get at it. I can release you, Unod."
"Then, you'll have to track down an Alpha who can get you past that barrier. Unfortunately, from where I am, I can't do it myself."
"And the other World Leaders aren't going to want to help me. So, who can? And how can there be other Alphas in the world?"
"There are. However, no one knows about this. Back when Alpha Power was first created and distributed, it only awakened within them when directly threatened by my power. But even from here, I can tell that the Bloodlines of those Alphas has survived. And in fact, no less than five reside in this very town. One of them is of two Alpha Bloodlines, one of which is Grani, the wretch who helped put me here. He had the most inconvenient ability to reverse the effects of my power, and that annoying ability rests within two of the Alphas living here. Whichever one of those gains more power can help you."
"But how will that power be awakened?"
"As you said, the Mortal Realm is slipping further and further into madness. Despair and doubt run rampant among all the other negativity. Despair and doubt is all I need, though, and the only thing I can use. And those very feelings have given me enough strength to communicate with you. If the gate were open just a bit wider, I could send out a piece of my power into the Mortal Realm. Then, whoever accepts my power will gain access to my abilities. And if they should lose their power to Grani's descendant, the stronger that Alpha will get. Let it grow big enough, and you can claim your Request Stone."
"I see. Then, for Pocketurn, I will allow that part of you into this Realm."
The king then knelt down onto the node and used his Alpha Power to pry open the Gate. Out of it came many small masses of dark energy that spread all throughout the planet. They traveled too quickly to be detected by anyone or anything. Even the king didn't notice.
"Now, many shares of my power reside on Pocketurn. Anyone who is near them will be able to hear me speak to them. For now, that is all I can do. Seek that Alpha out, and you will be able to save Pocketurn."
"Thank you."
"And be certain that the Alpha in question doesn't die, before or after you release me and gain my power. That power to Purify the effects of my power will seek out a new Alpha to reside in, should the holder not have an heir. And you are the strongest Alpha, so it'll go to you. And if it does while you have a share of my power within you, your soul will be overloaded and you will Disappear."
"I'll keep that in mind. I'll see to your entry into this Realm."
"Then we have a deal."
"And so, all I needed to do was wait until that Alpha she spoke of appeared. Then, when all of those Demon-type incidents happened, I heard of many Alphas appearing as a result. But I recognized that they weren't of Grani's bloodline, so I had to keep looking. Then, the Team Static incident happened, which ended with you Purifying its leader. From then on, I knew you were the one I sought. So I sent you that letter that offered to train you in Alpha Power."
Pelame remembered every word of that letter.
"Oh, Pelame," Neve said. "We brought a letter for you from the King."
"Excuse me?!" Pelame said in shock. "King Kangaskhan II wrote to me?!" She took the letter and tore the envelope open. She set the paper on the back of her mom's seat and read it aloud.
"To Pelame,
I regret not being able to meet you during the last Genesis Day. And now that you've saved my country, as well as possibly the world, from what Team Static had planned, that regret has grown. Of course, I am a busy King, so I hope you understand why I couldn't personally thank you for your heroic efforts. I hope you can settle for a letter. Anyway, I thank you on behalf of my country for putting an end to Team Static.
As one of the World Leaders, I am indeed an Alpha-type. But you and all of Pocketurn know that already. I was surprised to hear you are also an Alpha. I must admit that I'm very curious about this, and I'm sure you are, too. But between us, I am the more experienced Alpha, which is why I'd be more than happy to train you in your Alpha power. I don't know much about that 'Dark Blessing,' but from all the coverage of the Team Static incident, it sounds tenacious. Please do write back with an answer. Whatever you decide, it'll be fine with me. And even if you refuse, I'll leave the offer open in case you change your mind. It's up to you.
Sincerely,
King Kangaskhan II of the Twilight Kingdom Royal Family
P.S.: This is Captain Keldeo writing now. Tell your dad I said 'hi!'"
Pelame was feeling a mix of flattery and bewilderment. Lots of things were running through her head at this moment.
"Wow. My daughter, thanked by the King himself," Pinna said proudly. "And what an offer that is! Want to take it?"
Pelame snapped back to reality at that question.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Neve said, sensing her daughter's hesitation.
"Whew…," Pelame responded in relief. "Yeah, I'll have to turn him down for now. I'd like to focus on the Trailblazing Guild for now."
"Good idea, sweetheart," Pinna responded. "It's never a good idea to lapse from one major struggle directly into another. Just rest up for now."
"You turning my offer down did ultimately work out for the best, as those later Demon-type incidents made you stronger. None of those incidents were planned by me, but it is still fortunate that you stopped them. You nearly caught up to me by the time you finally did return to train with me. That final incident in the city gave you just the boost you needed to finally get me into that shrine so I could get the Request Stone. From then, I finally fulfilled the deal I made with Unod. And here we are now. Me, poised to begin my destiny to restore reason to Pocketurn, and you, seeming to oppose me. But it isn't too late, Pelame. You can still help me save Pocketurn. Don't turn traitor on me."
As Pelame heard the king come clean about all of the recent events, she experienced a huge gamut of feelings. Chief among these feelings were betrayal, fear, and wrath. She looked up at the king with these intense emotions on her face.
"The Team Static incident," she began. "Mustard Jr., and all other Demon-type incidents in the world… And all along, you caused all of it… you sold Pocketurn out to Unod for your own ambitions, condemned it to all kinds of misery… and you…" she began using her Alpha Power. "Have the GALL…" she advanced on the despot before her. "TO CALL ME A TRAITOR?!" She lashed out by throwing a ball of Alpha Energy at the king, hitting him directly. His Request Stone, acting on its own, tossed a ball of Demon energy at her in retaliation.
"Then… I guess you've made your mind up. It's a shame. You could've been a perfect Queen of the Twilight World." The king spoke into his Stone. "Keldeo, Pinna, Pugno, remove this traitor from my sight!"
As commanded, Keldeo, Pinna, and Pugno entered the tent and dragged Pelame out.
"Don't execute her, though," he added. "Keep her imprisoned until I gain the strength to finish her off myself."
"Yes, sir," the three soldiers responded.
"And then after that, get ready to attack. Thanks to Pelame's attempted mutiny, I've decided to attack Bihda right now."
"As you wish."
"YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE TO REGRET THIS!" Pelame screamed at the king as she was dragged off.
"Pelame, calm down!" Pugno ordered.
"Pugno, why are you listening to him?!" Pelame demanded.
"He's my king, and he knows what he's doing for the world."
"That's right," Pinna agreed. "Pocketurn needs the Twilight Kingdom."
"Dad, you too?!"
"Pelame, please understand—"
"No! There's nothing to understand! The king's an ambitious tyrant, and you three are his mindless slaves!"
The three Pokémon tossed Pelame into a metal box that was situated near cages that held Neve, Blessing, and Treasure. They then sealed it shut.
"My daughter…" Pinna lamented.
"She's not your daughter anymore," Keldeo said. "She's just a traitor now. Come on, let's get ready to fight."
The king stepped out of his tent and spoke into his Request Stone, which he was using to amplify his voice.
"Queen Mkono of Swadfrieg," he declared. "I have changed my mind. A traitor whom you were visiting with has attacked me and attempted to murder me. I am through with waiting, so I am now going to attack!" He turned to his army. "Twilight Kingdom Forces! You have my permission to attack—"
"Just a moment!" The queen climbed down from her throne room and met the king face-to-face. "King Kangaskhan II, I've come to a decision."
The king gestured to his army to command them to stand down.
"I will surrender Swadfrieg to you."
"NO! DON'T DO IT!" Pelame shouted from inside the box she was sealed in.
"But only on one condition."
"Hmph… you should know that it's much too late to bargain with me."
"Perhaps it is. However, think of the message you are sending to the world. They have lots of morale, you know. They'd be confident in taking on someone who conquered a country that surrendered peacefully. So, what I propose is this: a battle against me, one-on-one. No assistance from either side, just us and whatever abilities we have at our disposal."
"And you think you can actually defeat me?"
"It's worth a try. Defeat me, and Swadfrieg is yours. Lose to me, and you will just have to leave."
"Is that so?" the king laughed. "As it is, I've needed to test out these new powers of mine. Who better to defeat with them than the weakest of the World Leaders?! Challenge accepted!" The king removed his crown and grey coat and gave them to Keldeo. The queen removed her crown, ear rings, and necklace, giving them to Magus.
"Guard my son," she asked of Magus.
"Yes, Majesty," Magus replied, taking the queen's aipom son inside the palace.
"I can assure, you, Mkono," the king boasted. "Nothing you can do will stop me. And remember that ultimately, you brought this on yourself!"
The king made the first move by striking the ground with his tail, using Earthquake. The queen jumped over the rumbling ground and tossed a Shock Wave at him. He blocked it with a timely use of Protect. After that, he began pouring his Dark Blessing into his attacks, starting with a Thunderbolt. It blasted the queen straight into the wall of her palace. At the sight of this, the Twilight Kingdom Army cheered for their king.
"Stay down if you know what's good for you, you primal broad!" Keldeo taunted from the sidelines.
The queen got back up, determined to defend her country.
"See how hopeless this match is?" the king boasted. "Just make it easy on us both."
"A good leader stands with their country, no matter what," Mkono recited to herself. She rushed forth, readying a Fire Punch with her left tail hand and a Thunder Punch with her right tail hand. Neither connected, but the Focus Punch she readied with both the fists on her arms came close. The king grabbed hold of the sneak attack and lifted her over his head. He then tossed her upward, catching her by the tails and swinging her over his head. Once he released her, she went flying through the window of her throne room. Not giving her a chance to recover, he shot a Hyper Beam at the palace's second floor, significantly damaging it. To everyone's surprise, the queen wasn't defeated even by that. She was getting badly battered, though, which was evident by her limping out of the palace's front door.
"Well, well, your dedication to Swadfrieg sure isn't helping you triumph over me, now is it?" the king taunted. "See what happens when you try to defend ignorance?"
The queen still wasn't backing down. From inside the metal box Pelame was sealed in, she could see out the bars of it. "YOU CAN DO IT, QUEEN MKONO!" she cheered. "DESTROY HIM!"
Neve, Blessing, and Treasure couldn't help but be taken aback by what they heard Pelame say.
"Even if Swadfrieg falls," the queen said with resolve. "I'll gladly fall with it."
"That may very well be your fate," the king responded. The battle resumed once more with the king dodging the queen's Water Pulse attack and retaliating with a Hammer Arm attack. This knocked the queen down again, and this time, she stayed down. She had no energy to stand back up. The king advanced on her. "As expected. The weakest World Leader loses to the strongest. That's what you get for upholding the ignorance and misunderstanding of the world. So…"
Pelame began banging desperately on the box, trying to break out of it.
"Long live the queen!" The king shot a Demon-fueled Hyper Beam at the queen. The Twilight Kingdom Army watched in anticipation, Pelame and her group watched in horror, and the Swadfrieg Administration in the palace watched in fear as the attack was made. Just before it connected, something incredible happened. An Alpha Barrier blocked the attack, caught it, and tossed it back at the king, hitting him directly. Pelame had broken out of her makeshift prison and was now savagely attacking the king, not giving him a chance to fight back. To say the least, it was a shocking sight. Never before in all her life had Pelame hated a Pokémon so much that she was now actively trying to murder him. The king couldn't rise to his feet after Pelame finished bludgeoning him with her Alpha Power. Standing over her fallen enemy, she began summoning every bit of Alpha Energy she had reserved, creating a giant orb of light above herself that grew to be half the size of the palace grounds.
"NONE OF YOU SCUMS OF POCKETURN WILL SURVIVE!" she screamed.
"…Pelame...?" Neve called out in horror. The last thing she thought she'd see was her kind and sweet daughter willing to kill many thousands of Pokémon all at once. But considering everything she knew her daughter had been through, she understood how she felt. Her daughter had utterly snapped.
Pelame tossed her attack at the Twilit Army. Acting on its own, the king's Request Stone flew forth and created a dark barrier, dissolving Pelame's attack once the two forces came into contact with one another. Pelame's drastic attempt to save Pocketurn was thwarted. Creating and using that failed attack caused Pelame to sacrifice all of her energy, causing her to faint on the spot. Neve, Blessing, and Treasure, whose cages were blasted open by residual energy from Pelame's successful escape, went to their fallen friend and blew the Eon Flute. The Eon Duo arrived and picked up their passengers, flying off without asking for a destination when they noticed the situation that was going on. When they left, the king then struggled to his feet.
"There's no doubt now whose side she and her friends are on," he said to his army. "The terms of the duel have been violated. So, in accordance to that, Swadfrieg is ours!"
The Army cheered for their technical victory.
In the skies over International Waters, Pelame finally awakened.
"Unnnh... where are we…?" she asked. She then perked up. "Wait, what about Swadfrieg?! Where's the queen?"
Pelame's friends looked at her sadly.
"You don't mean…?"
"We're sorry, Pelame," Neve said, voice breaking. "King Kangaskhan II conquered Swadfrieg."
"No… this can't be… no…!" Pelame began to cry. "Why… WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!" she wailed loudly, sobbing into her mother's shoulder.
That night, the capital of Swadfrieg had finished being remodeled to suit the country's new ownership. King Kangaskhan II stood on the front porch of the palace with a microphone in front of him. Keldeo had a news camera set up to broadcast throughout the nation.
"Citizens of Swadfrieg," the king began. "I am King Kangaskhan II of the Twilight Kingdom. Moments ago, Queen Mkono of Swadfrieg fell in combat against me. She made a failed attempt to defend the ignorance of this nation. Swadfrieg is hereby a colony under the ownership of the Twilight Kingdom! Under this new leadership, a prosperous age of reason, wisdom, and understanding will begin! So say I, the King of what will soon be the Twilight World!"
The king switched the microphone off, which Keldeo knew was the time to cut the camera, ending the nationwide broadcast. Now, all of Swadfrieg knew what had happened.
"Where to next, sire?" Keldeo asked in anticipation.
"Well, now that this nation knows who it belongs to," the king answered. "We have no business staying here. Leona will remain here, though, along with a share of the Army. She shall be the Governor of this colony. As for the rest of us, we'll spread out and colonize any area we see fit. So, strike wherever you wish."
"Yes, sir."
"And if you run into any more resistance or catch up to the traitors who just escaped, feel free to put an end to them. But remember this, too, and let the Army know this as well: Pelame must not die by anyone's hand other than mine. If she dies, I will, too, as Unod warned me long ago. And for Pocketurn's own good, that must not happen."
"Then, how will be deal with her?"
"The closer we get to Genesis Day, the stronger Alpha and Demon Power gets. Soon, I will gain the ability to kill an opponent so completely, all traces of them will be gone, including even their immortal soul. The ability known as Disappearing. That is how Pelame will be dealt with. That way, her soul and her Alpha Power will die with her."
"I understand, sire. I look forward to that day."
"Let the Army know that Pelame is not to be killed. But feel free to kill any other traitor any way you like."
"It would be my greatest pleasure, sire." Keldeo left the palace. The king turned to Queen Mkono, whom he had turned into a Mortite statue.
"That shall be your fate on that day, too," he stated. "You and the other World Leaders. With you, all traces of Pocketurn's wretched ignorance will vanish."