Pokemon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes

by Rider of Black 00

A young man takes on the Aevium League to escape from the tragic past that haunts him to this very day. Join him as he forms unlikely friendships with Aevium's most noteworthy citizens, as they work together to save their home from the dark forces that follow closely behind them.

46. Chapter 46

Yagami Kuzuki: Thank you for understanding and while I do get your concerns over Huey's presence in the story decreasing over time, I'm fairly confident that the devs still have something in store for him and Lavender.

Welcome everyone, to the bad future of Aevium. It'll be one of the darkest chapters in the entire fic, so you better prepare yourselves for it. Hopefully, I'd be able to do this amazing part of the game the justice it deserves.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.

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"Ughhh…wh-where am I?" Melia groaned in pain, slowly getting up the rocky floor as she quickly looked around the area in horror; where on earth was she? The skies were blanketed in pitch-black clouds, the water was a deep red, and didn't even look like water to be honest, and all the life was drained from the grass and trees around her. But the part that worried her the most was that she was alone, or at least not for long. Just a few seconds later, a mysterious glow shone through the area, a familiar figure falling out of it as he soon crashed onto the ground.

"Gah!" Julius winced, getting up off the ground and dusted himself off, a look of fear growing rapidly on his face. "Wh-What happened here? Where did we go?!"

"Oh, thank heavens Julius, you're alright!" The blonde cried out in joy, running over to him and hugged him tightly, with the young teen returning the hug. "I have no idea what's going on right now, but I'm glad I'm not alone…"

"Same here, I don't know what I would've done if I wound up here without you." He replied, the duo breaking off the hug as they did another survey of the area. "This place looks…dead. as if all life was sucked dry from this planet. Melia, do you remember what had happened before we got here?"

"W-Well, we had finished talking Vivian out of sacrificing herself, only to here Aelita's groans of pain as she was petrified before our eyes. Oh god, poor Aelita…" Melia began, only for yet another glowing light to appear before them. Stepping back cautiously, the duo was soon horrified over realizing who it was that had stepped out of the ball of light.

"…What has happened? Where is this?" Madame X asked herself, promptly turning around to glare at the duo from behind her mask. "You two…what have you two done?"

"M-Madame X…" They both began, only for a mysterious giggle to echo throughout the area, a young girl approaching the two teens with the Xen Dictator taking this opportunity to quickly leave the area.

"W-What do you want…?" Julius asked wearily, the girl giggling once more as several more children emerged from the bushes and trees, surrounding the duo in a circle and pointed their makeshift spears at them.

"L-Look, we mean you all no harm. So if you can j-just…" Melia attempted to reason with the kids, her voice trembling with fear. But the kids didn't relent, opting to lunge at the duo and bind them tightly with rope before carting them to a different part of the island. After a few minutes, they arrived at a tall totem of sorts and tied the two teens to the totem, before backing away from them.

"Mama Mosely, come look! Come look! We found more people!" The girl from before called out, a startled expression forming on Julius' face. He remembered Mosely from his time in Goldenleaf Town, the two of them forming a quick but firm friendship. Perhaps he could reason with her so that he and Melia can be free from this madness.

"Keep it down, y'all. I'm coming as quick as I can." A familiar sounding voice called out, the young children turning in awe as Mosely arrived on scene…or at least they somewhat resembled Mosely. The hair and face were identical, but her attitude seemed a lot different from before, a lot more hostile than usual. "Hmph…these two look like good for nothing adults!"

"M-Mosely! Don't you remember? It's me, Julius! We met in Goldenleaf Town, where we took on that slimy Geara." The young teen attempted to reason with her, but the look she shot back at him was one that indicated that she had no idea who this stranger was before her.

"Y-You're the leader of these children, right?" Melia inquired.

"Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter; all I want is for you two to stay quiet! I don't wanna have to do anything terrible." Mosely retorted, stepping closer to Melia. "What are a pair of adults like you doing here? How'd you even get here anyway? There's no boats on this small chunk of rock! And please don't start rambling nonsense like that guy beside you…"

"We don't even know what's going on here, so how can we tell you anything?" The blonde retorted, with the kids booing at her in response.

"Seems the kids don't like that piss-poor response you gave, and I agree with 'em. Now tell us what you know, or we'll be forced to do something we really don't want to do!" The orange-haired girl demanded, with the children crying out for their blood.

"Look, I don't give a damn what you do to me. But, if you so much as harm a hair on Melia, I'll end your miserable lives myself!" Julius hissed back at the children, glaring at the now hostile group before them as they sensed the hostility and fear in his tone. "As we told you, we have no clue how we got here in the first place, nor do we know what's going on. Now if you could untie us right now, then I won't have to bury your face into the dirt!"

"Tch, guess I expected a pair of adults to be stupid. Fine, if you're gonna act like that, then you leave me with no choice…" Mosely growled, bringing out a knife and approached the duo. But in the nick of time, a few small knives were flung in her direction, breaking the ropes blinding the teens as Mosely stepped back in shock. "W-What's going on now?!"

"Aiiieeee! I-It's the Reaper!" The young girl from before cried out, with Melia and Julius turning to see a man in a hooded cloak standing atop the totem, staring down at the group before him.

"Mosely, I thought I told you and the others to stop calling me that. For the last time…" He began, lowering his hood to reveal a young man with short black hair, his face nearly identical to that of…Keta?! "…My name's Kenneth." He introduced himself.

"W-What do you want?" Mosely inquired, eyeing up the adult suspiciously.

"I've come to give you a warning…stop harassing people you don't know. It'll save trouble for all of us. I'll deal with these two myself." Kenneth told her, the orange-haired girl letting out a low growl before gesturing at her children to retreat from the area. With a quick leap, the young man hopped off the totem and landed before the terrified teens.

"T-Thank you for saving us…" Melia thanked the man profusely, with Julius giving the man a nod of respect for his actions.

"I'm terribly sorry for how Mosely and the children acted. You know what they're like in these trying times." The young man apologized for the kids' behavior, before eyeing up the two curiously. "Though I do wonder…what are you two doing here? As Mosely said to you, there's no boat on this place; it'll be impossible for you to reach this place without one. We've been here many times before, and there was no sign of either of you before."

"We don't know…this whole ordeal is confusing and terrifying for the both of us." Julius admitted, shuffling his foot into the dirt. "So…w-what are you going to do to us?"

"You two will be coming with me; there's no option, you either come with us or stay here and starve to death." Kenneth told them bluntly, catching the two off-guard. From the look of things, it seems that they were in-between a rock and a hard place, with the risk of death hanging over their heads. The duo quickly whispered to one another before reaching a conclusion.

"Alright…we'll go with you." The blonde replied, a small smile forming on the young man's face.

"Good. Meet me on the docks when you're ready to go." He told them, quickly making his way south of the area as the duo looked at each other wearily.

"M-Melia, did we make the right choice? H-How can we trust his word that he won't hurt us?" The young teen asked wearily, a sinking feeling welling up inside Melia as she wasn't used to seeing the confidant Julius trembling in fear this badly.

"I-It isn't a choice I would go for under normal circumstances, but it's preferable over starving to death. Besides, we might get some answers from him over what is going on her." Melia replied, holding the young teen's hand and squeezed it firmly, hoping to reassure him. They then began the quick trip south to where Kenneth was waiting, a fairly large yacht beside him as he waved at the duo.

"Ah, I suppose you two are ready to leave?" He called out, the duo nodding in confirmation. He then proceeded to hop onto the yacht with Melia and Julius hopping on as the duo took their seats beside Mosely and the other kids, with Kenneth making his way to the captain's seat. "We're setting off now, is everyone ready?"

"Yeah, we're ready. Just go for it already." Mosely began, with the young man switching on the ignition as the yacht began to move away from the island.

"So, if I may ask…what, or rather where is this place?" Melia asked the other passengers, as they raised an eyebrow at her and Julius in surprise.

"Are you seriously asking us that question, as if you didn't already know? Have you two literally lived under a rock for your entire life?" Kenneth asked them incredulously, before a small sigh escaped from his mouth. "But fine, I'll humor you two. We're on a place called Earth, have you ever heard of it?"

"Heh, nice one!" Mosely snickered under her breath.

"We're being serious, sir. We really do have no idea what's going on." Julius replied, as another small sigh escaped from Kenneth's mouth.

"There's no name for this world. It's just a barren, dying planet. Just call it the Earth if you want, if it can even be called that."

"I see…" Melia replied a little uneasily, a petrified expression plastered on Julius' face as he now realized where they were. This planet…was their very own home, devastated by some unspeakable apocalypse that had destroyed virtually anything and everything in its path.

*Yawn…* I'm bored, are we there yet?" Mosely inquired out of boredom.

"What do you mean by 'there'?" The blonde asked another question.

"A small hideout for refugees called Telia Hideout." Kenneth answered, with Melia raising an eyebrow in curiosity. That place…the name sounded so familiar to her for some reason, but what it was exactly had escaped her mind. "Anyway, we're nearly there so hold on tight, everyone!"

Upon those words, everyone held onto their seats firmly as the yacht ground to a screeching halt, stopping at a nearby beach as everyone soon hopped off the yacht. Melia and Julius were the last to get off, the young teen's face now deathly pale as he wearily eyed up the hideout, which on a surface level looked no better than that other island they were on.

"Well, we're here. This is Telia Hideout." The black-haired man informed the duo, turning to face Mosely. "Did you enjoy your time out, Mosely?"

"Yeah, I did. Thank you very much for taking me out!" Mosely replied, a lot more cheerful than she was back there.

"Good, because that's the last time I take you out for runs." Kenneth replied a little firmly.

"Hehe, is that a dare I hear?" The orange-haired girl smirked back at him, the young man turning to face the two teens.

"Anyway, I have something to do before I can allow you two to run around on the island. Forgive me for this…" He began, walking up to them and punched them hard in the back of their heads, causing them to crumple onto the sandy floor as Mosely whistled in awe.

"Woah, you punched the crap outta them!" She called out.

"It had to be done. Now go get your sister and bring these two to the shack." Kenneth ordered, with Mosely making her way deeper into the island as he kept an eye on the unconscious teens.

0000

"Ugh…my head, it hurts…" Melia complained, slowly opening her eyes as she found herself in a prison cell alongside Julius, the young teen looking around the area erratically. "Julius…are you okay?"

"I-I don't know…my head hurts and I'm stuck inside some prison cell. I'm scared, Melia. I'm so, so scared for us both. We're stuck inside a timeline where the world is dead, and we have no way out of here; what do we do?!" He exclaimed, clenching onto the table tightly.

"Calm down, we'll figure a way out of this mess." The blonde tried to calm her lover down, before promptly thinking to herself. "From what I gathered; this isn't the future we came from…did we do something back in the past that horribly changed the fate of humanity?"

"The only thing I can think of was preventing Vivian from sacrificing herself. Were we…were we supposed to let her die?" Julius commented.

"Argh! This is all my fault! I meddled too much; all I wanted to do was help Vivian, and now the world's in complete disarray because of me." Melia cried out in frustration, punching the table as Julius promptly rested his hand on her shoulder.

"D-Don't blame yourself; you had no idea this would've happened. Besides, I share the blame for not telling you about the conversation I had with Vivian." He tried to soothe her, but it only caused the blonde to raise an eyebrow at his last comment. "That night I followed Vivian to her home, she spotted me and asked a few questions, mainly revolving around what matters the most to me, as well as whether I'd give my life up for the greater good. I should've pieced the puzzle together a lot quicker, but my inaction lead to a gross misunderstanding, I'm sorry!"

Just then, the door to the jail slammed opened, a redhead girl storming up to the cell before yanking the door open. Upon doing so, she walked right up to Melia and punched her firmly in the gut, causing Julius to lunge at the girl and grab her by the arms.

"Don't you dare hurt Melia like—" He began, only to receive a punch to the gut himself as he was flung towards the winded Melia, the duo crumpled up onto the ground.

"You bastards, you stupid crazy bastards!" The girl growled at them, only for Kenneth to storm into the jail to stop her.

"Amber!" He called out to her, catching Julius by surprise. Asides from the hair color, the girl looked nothing like the Amber he knew and respected.

"Y-You heard what these two were saying, right? They talked about how they travelled through time; they're a pair of lunatics! You brought crazy people to our place of residence, Kenneth!" Amber scolded the older man.

"All that concerns me is that they're not part of the Renegade." He attempted to calm her down, but it didn't seem to work.

"Does it matter? They're crazy and crazy people can hurt us just as much." The redhead shot back at him.

"Well what if they're telling the truth, and they're not crazy?" Kenneth asked her.

"Does that make a difference? If they are telling the truth, then they're the ones who brought us into this mess, especially the bitch! They're the reason why my mom was taken; it's all their fucking fault!" Amber ranted, as Melia slowly managed to get off the floor.

"Ugh…would killing me make you feel better?" The blonde inquired, causing Julius' eyes to widen in horror over her words. "…Would you find solace in knowing that you took out the one who put you in this mess? Th-Then just do it already…I'm waiting."

"M-Melia! D-Don't say such things!" Julius called out to her.

"S-Shut up, you!" Amber shot back, kicking Melia in the stomach as the blonde cried out in pain once more. Fear soon turned to anger, as Julius lunged up at Amber and pinned her to the table, holding her arm behind her back.

"You hurt her like that again and I'll break your fucking arms, you hear me?!" The young teen hissed at her, with the redhead spitting into his eye.

"Heh, you want a piece of me as well? I'm more than happy to kill you as well, given that you're just as guilty as her!" She shot back confidently, breaking free from his grip before opting to pin him on the table.

"Enough!" Kenneth shouted, breaking up the ensuing fight. "Damnit it Amber, get out of here, now!"

Shooting a most vicious glare at the duo, she shoved Julius onto the table before storming out of the jail, the young teen helping Melia up off the ground as the black-haired man approached the duo. "Please excuse my step-daughter. She's sort of a hot-head." He apologized.

"D-Don't worry, we've dealt with people just like her, actually." Melia replied weakly, her arm around Julius' shoulder for support.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of searching the both of you while you were knocked out. I know both your names, Melia, Julius." Kenneth began, before taking a deep breath. "I also know that you're telling the truth. See, we left you two alone so that you would talk amongst yourselves. It's the best way to get information out of someone around here. You two mentioned something about time travel, and how you messed something up in the past, right?"

"B-But why believe us? For all you know, Amber could've been right about us." Julius inquired, wiping the spit off his face.

"I happened to find Pokéballs, items, equipment and badges while searching through your stuff. Things that only existed in times before this one. There are only 91 species of Pokémon left in the world, there are no need for badges. Yet it seems that you have quite a collection of badges, as well as a myriad of Pokémon that I've never seen before. Even if you two aren't time travelers, you certainly aren't from this world. Even your choice of clothes says otherwise; you don't exactly look like you've been surviving day by day." The black-haired man continued, handing the duo their stuff back as a weakened chuckle escaped from Melia's mouth.

"Haha…you're right, we're not crazy. We've just doomed millions of people, no big deal." The blonde commented weakly, with Julius taking the time to check his bag, a small sigh of relief upon seeing that all of his Pokémon were safe and sound in their balls.

"As truthful as that is, it's just reality. One that can no longer be changed. As such, you two are part of us now. If you stay and help me protect the people here from the Renegade, I will gladly help you both in any way I can." Kenneth offered them, as Julius raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You mentioned that name earlier…who or what is this Renegade?" He inquired.

"We can talk about that later. But for now, I want you two to just survive. Dinner will be ready soon; now that we have two more mouths to feed, we'll have to cut rations even more." The black-haired man began, only for the young teen to raise his hand.

"In that case, don't worry about me. Just make something up for Melia; I can go without food." Julius told the young man.

"I see…" Kenneth began, before shooting a quick glance at Melia. "Unfortunately, you'll be given the bottom of the bin…you are the newcomers after all."

"I-I can live with that." Melia agreed, the black-haired man nodding in confirmation before making his way out of the jail cell as she sat beside the young teen at the table. "I guess this is it…all we can do is live."

"I-I'm so sorry Melia. M-My weakness back then cost us both, no, the entire world it's future. Had I told you what I learnt from Vivian; you would've made the right decision at that moment. Please…allow me to burden whatever punishment, whatever hostility they rest my hurl your way. I-I'm more than willing to starve if it means you get to live…" Julius replied weakly, only to break down sobbing in a mixture of misery and fear. "I'm so sorry, everyone…"

"Hey…it'll be alright, somehow." Melia began petting his back in an attempt to cheer him up, though even she had her doubts. "I greatly appreciate your kind offer, but I won't sit by while you suffer in silence. Come, we may get some additional information we can about this world by talking to everyone."

"A-Alright then…I-I won't let them harm you." The young teen replied, wiping his tears away as the duo began to make their way out of the jail. "W-What about Madame X?"

"I know this may sound very, very bad but I think we should look for her. She may be our sworn enemy, but she's from out time too…perhaps she may have a way to get us out of this." The blonde answered, with Julius raising a hand to his chin. Normally, he'd be appalled over working with the one who murdered his mother right before his very eyes, but in this doomed world, what choice did he have.

"In that case, I'm be willing to bury the hatchet for the moment, at least until we arrive back in our time." He conceded, the duo exiting out of the jail cell and were soon confronted by a small group of enraged survivors, with Julius clearing his throat as he approached the group. "Look, I know you're angry at us for essentially dooming you all, but the only person you should get angry at is me. I'm the one whose inaction doomed you all, Melia's just another unfortunate vic—"

The angered yells from the crowd echoed throughout the area as they lunged at him, assaulting the teen with various punches and kicks before leaving the two to themselves, with Melia helping the young teen back onto his feet.

"Thank you…things will be a little easier for me from here on out, though I don't think I can say the same about you." The blonde told him.

"It doesn't matter; as long as you're safe, then I'm willing to take any sort of punishment." He replied, the duo shooting a small smile at each other as they began exploring the hideout, desperate for some information. Just a short while into their trek, they happened to see Mosely looking around the area suspiciously, cradling something in her jumper before entering the caves that lead into the Hideouts interior. Curiosity filled the duo as the quickly followed after her, ending up in a small alcove as the saw Mosely bring out…a Pokémon egg?!

"Consider that my apology for being gone for so long, my friend." Mosely spoke to the egg affectionately, having taken it out for a walk of sorts. "I was trying to find something nice for you to lay in… H-Huh? Oh, it's just you two, 'sup?"

"Sorry for bothering you Mosely, but what's with the egg?" Melia inquired.

"Ah, I was just taking care of it, that's all. Tesla gave it to me a while ago…s-she said she found it on one of the runs her and Kenneth went on…I miss Tesla. She treated me like her real daughter…" The young girl sniffled, wiping a few tears away. "And it's all thanks to those stupid Renegade punks; they took her from us. Mark my word, I'll have my revenge on those creeps! As soon as this egg hatches, I'll wipe out the entire Renegade alongside whatever Pokémon hatches from it."

"I-In that case, would you like some time alone with your friend?" Julius inquired, the orange-haired girl nodding in confirmation.

"That'll be appreciated." She replied, the duo opting to leave her and her egg as they made their way through the cave and stepped back into the outside world. "Hey Julius, did you know that because of how dirty the water is, no aquatic Pokémon can live in it?"

"W-Where did you hear that, Melia?" The young teen inquired, taking a glance at the dirty red water surrounding the island.

"I-I must've overheard it when we were being taken to that jail cell before. And on a similar note, we'll have to talk to Amber again…" Melia told him, a look of unease etched on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that she doesn't hurt you, I promise." Julius pledged, the duo wandering the island for some time until they found Amber overlooking the crimson sea on a small ledge, the redhead turning to face the duo and shot a less vicious glare than before at them.

"Is there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about? Let me take a guess; Kenneth told you two to talk to everyone on this island." She sighed in annoyance.

"Y-Yeah, he did tell us to do so. Besides, it'll give us a chance to get to know everyone a little better." Melia answered, with the redhead letting out another sigh.

"Either way, don't get too comfortable…I don't think either of you will be staying here very long. At least, that's what I want to say, but there's no real place for you two to go. We may as well try and get along, yeah?" Amber conceded.

"Agreed. It'll do neither of us any good to continue these hostilities." Julius gave his two cents.

"Still, even if Melia isn't totally loco-, that means she's the reason behind all out suffering. And I won't forgive her—no, I can't forgive her." The redhead shot a glare at the blonde, before the young teen opted to step in.

"I-If you want someone to direct your anger at, then let me be that target. I was the one who failed to give her the information that could've prevented her from doing what she did. My weakness, my cowardice was the one that put you, Kenneth, Mosely and all the others into this mess!" He stated boldly, with Amber eying the duo up before delivering a powerful punch to Julius' stomach, causing him to crumple over as he gasped in pain.

"Consider yourself lucky, Melia. Now you won't have to suffer the brunt of my wrath." She told the blonde, who quickly helped her friend up off the ground. "Anyway, it's best that we head back inside; dinner's about to be served."

With that said, the redhead promptly made her way back to the caves with the duo soon following right behind her. Once they were inside, Kenneth gestured at the duo to follow him, the trio making their way to a small alcove away from the others as they proceeded to take a seat on the soft dirt floor. "So…you two want to know about the Renegade? But before I do, I guess I should go over what brought us all together."

"Sure, I'm more than happy to learn about the origins of your group." Melia smiled at the young man, only for Amber to roll her eyes as she and Mosely poked their heads through the opening.

"Oh brother, not this story again." She sighed quietly in annoyance.

"When the calamity happened, my mother passed away and my brother left me behind. Fortunately, my mother left me a boat I could use to escape the region. That region being Kanto, the place where I was born. For many years, I was a lone wolf of sorts, drifting around from island to island, which was when I met Amber's mother, Tesla. I decided to stay there for a while, and then eventually we were together, a sort of marriage if you will. I'm sure you know of this already, but this planet isn't in the best of shapes." Kenneth began telling the story to the two teens.

"Total understatement, the planet is dying!" Amber chimed in.

"Y-Yes, well the land on this planet is slowly being swallowed up by the Crimson Sea." The black-haired man continued. "Including this island and the one we picked you up from, there's only five more islands still standing. Two others are far too small to do anything of note on, and the final island is where the Princess lives."

"The Princess…who is she?" Julius inquired.

"After the calamity happened, the Princess took it as an opportunity to try and rule the world, and she was successful. Any who defied her was thrown into the Crimson Sea, or locked up in her castle, which is where the Renegade come in. the Renegade are a bunch of pirates that the royal family hired to capture people who ran away from the Princess' reign. We've been running away from them for quite some time, but the last time they able to capture five people, including Tesla." The black-haired man continued.

"F-For all I know, my mother could be sleeping at the bottom of the Crimson Sea. If her body didn't dissolve by the time it got there…" Amber commented weakly, fighting back the urge to cry. "After all it's what they do to the children of Nymiera. They take us and throw us into the Crimson Sea if they have no use for us. You fall in? you die, that's just it! I bet the Renegade doesn't even take people back to the castle anymore… I mean why would they? This world will be nothing but toxic waste in a matter of days."

"Please Amber, don't be so cynical. Have some hope…" Kenneth pleaded with her.

"Hope…there's no such thing as hope anymore. I'm just going to find a corner and sleep; it's been a long day…" The redhead commented dejectedly, making her way out of the alcove.

"Man…she can be such an edgelord at times." Mosely chimed in.

"Edgelord or not, I think it's time we all got some sleep. Unfortunately, there isn't any beds. You'll just have to find a piece of the floor that's the comfiest and made do." The black-haired man told them, as he and Mosely made their way to their respective "beds" as the duo tried to get as comfortable as they can.

"Here…you can use this as a pillow." Julius took off his jacket and handed it to Melia, the blonde accepting it gratefully as she rested her head on it. But as Julius was about to find his own place to lie down, the blonde tugged on him lightly to sleep beside her, wrapping her arm around him and brought him closer. Realizing that huddling together was a decent way to keep each other warm, he opted to cuddle her back as the duo soon drifted off to sleep somehow. But an hour later, the two lovers were abruptly awoken by a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Hey, you two! Wake up! Wake up!" Amber called out, promptly alerting the duo as they got up off the floor.

"A-Amber, what's going on?" Melia inquired, as Julius took the time to put his jacket back on.

"It's the Renegade! They've finally found our island!" The redhead called out, the trio attempting to run through the cave only for a group of pirates to halt them in their tracks. "C-Crap! They're here already?! Does that mean…"

"That's right, we already got all of the other rebels running around here!" One of the grunts sneered at her.

"T-This can't be happening…" Julius began wearily.

"It is happening; in that case I'll come along quietly." Amber yielded, the blonde stepping back in surprise.

"B-But we can help! The both of us have—" Melia began.

"Shut the fuck up, just shut the fuck up! Haven't you two "helped" enough?! Just stop acting like a hero, already! God, you two are so goddamn annoying. Shit happens and that's just it. What are you going to do anyway, fight them? They have my family on their ship! You want to risk their lives just to "help"?!" Amber ranted at them; the duo rendered silent by her raw anger at display. "Tch, pathetic. Let's go already, we don't have all day."

"Amber…" The blonde spoke sadly, the trio soon escorted out of the caves by the victorious Renegades, who were hooting in hollering to each other.

The S.S Paradise

Melia, Julius, Kenneth, Mosely and Amber were forced to stand before a high-ranking grunt of the Renegade on the main deck, with several more grunts continuing to holler over their victory. Grim looks were plastered on the faces of the five heroes as the grunt before them cleared her throat to begin her indoctrination speech to them.

"You five are now under the custody of the Renegade! We will be shipping you directly you Blacksteeple Castle as soon as possible. However, further details will be told to you by our most magnificent boss. Everyone, I want you all to look your most presentable for our Pirate Queen, Valarie!" The grunt called out, causing the other pirates to cease their hollering as they quickly tidied themselves up for their leader's arrival.

"V-Valarie?!" Melia exclaimed to herself, the group of five watching a middle-aged woman with medium length brown hair approach them. She most definitely looked the part of a Pirate Queen, with the fancy brown coat, the black captain's hat and even what looked like an eyepatch over her right eye. All she was missing was a hook for her hand and she was set. The older woman took a quick glance at the heroes before sneering at them.

"At last…I finally caught you scalawags; as you may know, I'm Captain Valarie, though Pirate Queen Valarie is also acceptable. I'm sure you're all very anxious right now, but I'm here to tell you that it'll all be okay…IF you behave during your time here. If you behave terribly, well my babies won't be happy about that…" She began, gesturing her hands towards the other pirates who all cheered loudly for their master.

"Pffft, babies? What kind of—" Amber began, only for Kenneth to nudge her lightly, causing her to cease talking.

"Thank you. Now as you may have gathered, the entirety of my crew are my babies. Each and every one of them is considered to me as my very own child. I look after them, feed them and even give them some work to do. *sigh…* I don't know what I'd do without them…" Valarie sighed, showing affection towards her loyal crew before gazing at them. "My children, how do you think we should punish these hooligans should they misbehave?"

"Crimson Sea! Crimson Sea!" They all hollered, jumping up and down on the spot as the heroes looked nervously at them.

"I figured you'd chose that; it IS your favorite after all." The pirate captain stated, turning once more to face the prisoners. "Then it's settled; we'll throw you brutes into the Crimson Sea if you misbehave too often. But for now, you can all go to the hold, at least until we arrive at Blacksteeple Castle."

The pirates cheered once more, watching their leader make her way to her personal quarters as they grabbed the heroes and escorted them to the hold, shoving them in roughly before closing the iron gate and locked them up. As one might expect, the atmosphere in the room was miserable; who knows what punishment the Princess has in store for them.

"I can't believe it…this may very well be the worst day of my entire life, and that's saying something." Julius sighed, sitting on the floor beside Melia.

"What else can go wrong today…? I-I just can't believe this is happening." Melia sighed sadly to herself.

"You might not want to jinx it, Melia. So we got captured? Big whoop, it was gonna happen anyway!" Mosely chimed in, taking the situation surprisingly well.

"You're taking things a lot better than I anticipated." The young teen chimed in. "As a matter of fact, you're just like the Mosely I know and remember fondly."

"Heh, again with that story? Ah whatever, I'm too lazy to worry about what's gonna happen, so I don't." The orange-haired girl replied, with Amber approaching the trio.

"For once, I'm gonna have to agree with Mosely. At first, I was pissed off about getting caught, but I've already accepted it. besides, they got everything on this stupid hunk of metal." The redhead commented, gesturing at the dozens upon dozens of crates stacked up in the hold alongside them.

"Now that's the fiery sister I know and love!" Mosely cheered, taking something out of her jacket as the other four stepped back in surprise. "Besides, I've got my buddy with me should things get too rough!"

"M-Mosely! How on earth did you manage to smuggle this egg?!" Kenneth exclaimed in surprise.

"Those pirates were smart enough to take our Pokémon away from us, but not smart enough to find an egg a nine-year-old hid? What sense does that make?" Amber pondered, with Mosely flashing a smile at them.

"I just hid it under my shirt, so it looked like I was really fat. Hahahaha! Those losers got outsmarted by a nine-year-old!" She chuckled to herself.

"As impressive as your ploy was to keep the egg safe, I suggest keeping quiet about it. The last thing I want is for the guards to find out and snatch the egg from us." Julius suggested, carefully watching the entrance to the hold just in case the guards came.

"Everyone, this egg is our opportunity to escape! When it hatches, we'll use whatever Pokémon it is to escape this cell, retrieve our own Pokémon and take over this ship! Even though it may be an infant, I'm sure it'll be strong enough to break those steel beams." Melia proposed, with Amber promptly raising her hand to ask a question.

"And then what, Melia? Suppose we manage to take over this ship, somehow, what do we do next?" The redhead inquired.

"Well…as you said before. All the islands in the world are starting to crumble into the Crimson Sea. But you don't have to worry about that if we have this ship. After all, there should be more than enough supplies here to sustain us for quite a long time." The blonde continued.

"I've heard from some of the pirates that they grow their own produce on the ship itself; it could be everything we need to survive." Kenneth added, a small glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Alright, I'll entertain the idea for a little longer. Say the egg hatches and we break out. Do you really expect us all to take on an entire frigate with a Pokémon that just hatched out of an egg? Not only will that not work, but it'll be extremely cruel to the baby Pokémon." Amber continued to question her, still in disbelief over the plan.

"It'll only be until we find our Pokémon, as Melia said earlier. Besides, if I'm left with no choice, I can take on the pirates myself in hand-to-hand combat, despite the fact that I'm no master at it…" Julius chuckled lightly, the group of four staring at him oddly, as if he had promptly grown a second head.

"In that case, we better hope that our Pokémon aren't too far away from this cell. I know I can put in some good work with my Lucario by my side." Kenneth commented, changing the subject from the young teen's absurd idea.

"Yeah, my Charizard is strong enough to deal with a few flimsy pirates." The redhead added, her gaze shifting back to the egg. "So how long have you had this egg for, Mosely?"

"Around a couple weeks; it started to make some noise this morning, so maybe it'll hatch sooner than I expected." Mosely answered.

"Then it's settled; we'll wait for this egg to hatch. For now, we should get some sleep. We'll need all the energy we can for our plan to work." Melia told the rest, the heroes all going off to their respective corners to sleep for the night, hoping that their plan would succeed.

One week later

"Rise and shine, everyone!" Mosely chimed loudly, the other four heroes getting up off the ground as they all rubbed their eyes before turning to face Mosely. "Did you all have a good sleep?"

"You'd think one would get used to these sleeping conditions after a while, but in my case, I didn't get much sleep. As for Julius…" Melia began, helping the young teen up on his feet as he struggled to stand up straight. "…He been getting even less sleep than me. Between that and the fact that he kept giving me his food for the week, he can barely stand up, let alone walk."

"I-It's fine, Melia…I-I can go witho—" Julius began, only to fall on the floor beside the heroes as he slowly managed to get back up. "S-See…?"

"Please Julius, you don't need to put yourself through all this for my sake. Why don't you go fix yourself up something from one of these boxes? I'm sure there's plenty of food for you to eat in them." The blonde pleaded, only for the young teen to shake his head in response.

"N-Not until…not until the plan succeeds. I'll…I'll manage just fine, d-don't you worry…" He replied, supporting himself on one of the crates as he gazed at the egg. The four heroes were able to see that he had grown thinner from a lack of food, his clothes now hanging a little loosely around his frame. "S-So how's the egg?"

"It'll be fine, don't be so impatient." Amber commented, with Melia turning to face the redhead.

"Hey Amber, remember what you said a few days ago, about people being thrown into the Crimson Sea. You said that it was the fate of, and I quote, "Us children of Nymeria". What do you mean by that? Who are the children of Nymeria?" The blonde asked, a look of curiosity on her face as the redhead let out a quick sigh.

"Well if you're a female, you're considered a child of Nymeria. Nymeria was said to be a goddess in ancient times, though not much is known other than that. History isn't exactly a big topic in this godforsaken planet." Amber began.

"But why females specifically? What makes us so special?" The blonde pressed further.

"W-We don't know, okay? They just find us unclean or something. And by they, I mean the royal family, even though it's ruled by a female. What a damn joke." The redhead hissed the last line under her breath.

"P-Perhaps this Princess…considers other woman to be a threat t-to her power…" Julius proposed, reclining by a wooden crate.

"That doesn't matter right now, we need to—" Kenneth began, only for a light cracking sound to echo throughout the hold. Turning to the source, they saw Mosely sitting before the egg, an overjoyed look on her face as a few cracks were starting to form.

"T-The egg! It's starting to hatch!" Mosely called out, the heroes crowing near it to see what could possibly be hatching from it they waited patiently, a few more cracks forming on it as the egg was soon enveloped by a wondrous glow that filled the room. Once the glow died down, it showed that a Mimikyu had hatched from the egg…and it was a shiny one to boot!

"Heh, even in this timeline…" Melia mused quietly to herself in slight amusement, an overjoyed expression on Mosely's face at the sight of the Pokémon.

"Hell yeah! I've always wanted a Pikachu; it's so cute!" She cheered, the Mimikyu shooting a small glare at the young girl as it attempted to scratch her. "H-Hey, don't scratch me like that!"

"It got mad at you since you insulted it by calling it a Pikachu." The blonde told her, crouching down and began petting the Mimikyu's head, causing it to purr affectionately. "Mimikyu are a pretty cute species, truth be told."

"I know it's been years, but I thought I remembered Mimikyu being an unsaturated yellow, not a light blue." Kenneth chimed in, eying up the baby Pokémon. "This must mean that it's a shiny Pokémon, just like my Lucario."

"On top of being a shiny Pokémon, Mimikyu are known to be pretty strong in battle, so we lucked out this ti—" Julius began, only to cough harshly into his jacket, clutching onto the crate as firmly as he can.

"Julius, once our plan has succeeded, I want you to eat something, anything okay?" Melia demanded, the young teen nodding weakly as he ceased his coughing as she shot a smile at the Mimikyu. "Hey…do you want to help us out?"

"K-Kyu!" The Mimikyu chirped harshly, showing no interest in helping out the heroes.

"Please Mimikyu, I know this is sudden, but we desperately need your help to escape. Please help us, help me break out of this hold." The blonde pleaded, the Mimikyu mulling it over before chirping happily at her.

"Hey…why does it like her and not me?" Mosely asked in annoyance.

"Perhaps because she acknowledged it as a Mimikyu, not a Pikachu as well as calling it cute. Mimikyu are known for being insecure Pokémon." Kenneth offered an explanation. "In any case, this is excellent news for us. Let us begin immediately!"

The heroes spent the next few minutes searching for a weakness in the steel bars, with Melia soon finding a couple that had some signs of rust on them. Pointing at the rusted bars, the blonde asked the Mimikyu to shatter them, the small Pokémon extending a shadowy claw from beneath its disguise and swiped at the bars, shattering them rather easily. "I knew you could do it, thank you very much!" She thanked the Mimikyu, who let out a happy chirp in response.

"So…what's the plan?" Julius inquired.

"I remember a few pirates shuffling in the room next to us when they took our Pokémon. They must've stashed them somewhere in that room; you need to sneak in there without getting caught." Melia told him the plan, the young teen agreeing to it instantly.

"For you Melia…I'd do anything for your sake, even if it means giving up my own life." He replied, shooting her a weak smile as he crept out of the steel cage.

"You already are, Julius…" The blonde commented sadly, watching her friend quietly make his way through the hold. The young teen saw that the shortcut to the room she was talking about was blocked by steel bars, and these one looked to be in mint condition. A sigh of annoyance escaping from his mouth, Julius walked away from the bars and exited the hold into the corridors, which were teeming with pirates. Had he been in better condition, he could've been able to knock them out quietly and hide the bodies, but in his current state they could finish him off easily. So, the only option left was to quietly sneak around them, hiding inside containers if he had to. He managed to climb atop a few crates to avoid a patrolling pirate, sliding down the other side and crept down a second hallway. From there, he managed to sneak by another pirate who was busy writing in their journal and found the second entrance to the hold, quietly entering it and soon found everyone's Pokémon, including his lying inside a pair of crates at the back.

"Hey…it's so good to have you back…" Julius smiled, a small tear trailing down his cheek as he saw that none of his, or anyone else's Pokémon were missing. Quickly sorting them out, the young teen took out one of his Pokéballs from his bag and sent it out, his imposing Beliaddon stretching its arms in triumph. Pointing at the bars separating the two room, the young teen requested his friend to destroy them, with the Demon Pokémon conjuring up a sword made of fire and slashed at it, the bits of steel falling to the ground as the heroes were alerted by the noise and ran over to him.

"Y-You did it Julius!" Melia smiled at him, the young teen handing the heroes their respective Pokémon as they all congratulated him.

"I-I'm glad I was able to—Argh!" He began, only to collapse to his knees as the hunger pains gnawed at him, rendering him too weak to continue walking as the Beliaddon cried out to him in concern.

"Don't worry, once we take over this ship, I'll ensure that your friend get the sustenance that he needs. But for now, you may need to carry him in your arm." The blonde reassured it, the Demon Pokémon sensing the kindness in her eyes as it gently lifted its trainer up into its arms.

"Now that we have our Pokémon, we can really begin to dish out the pain. Come out Charizard, it's time to get things cooking!" Amber smirked, sending out her Charizard as it roared triumphantly.

"Lucario, let us fight side-by-side once more!" Kenneth joined in, sending out his Pokémon who let out a growl of confidence.

"That's nice and all, but I don't have any Pokémon to fight with…" Mosely commented sadly, an idea forming in Melia's mind.

"Why don't you take Mimikyu?" She offered, with the orange-haired girl looking at her briefly before shrugging her shoulders.

"Eh, forget about it. I can just give them the ol' one-two. They won't even see it coming!" She cheered, quickly running out of the room with Amber and Kenneth calling out for her to slow down, before they opted to follow after her with their Pokémon in tow.

"I guess it's just you and me, Mimikyu." The blonde chimed in, with Mimikyu chirping happily as the duo exited the hold, with Julius and Beliaddon following suit.

0000

"I-I just don't know, sis. I don't think anyone here cares about how I feel." A pirate spoke to his sister, the duo patrolling on the main deck.

"And what exactly was your first guess?" The female pirate sighed, turning to face him. However, they would soon get the surprise of a lifetime as a familiar masked woman landed on the ground before them, her sword plunged into the wooden surface. Before they could even react, Madame X swung her sword at them, decapitating the duo as several more pirates were alerted to what was going on. Another pair tried to run at her, only for the Xen Dictator to cut them down easily before making her way across the deck, a fifth grunt hurling a rock at her and was promptly bisected for his trouble. Another pirate who saw this happen tried to run for her life, only for Madame X to lunge at her, impaling the poor soul before tossing her corpse aside. Three more pirates ran up to her, hoping that their numbers would grant them an advantage. Their smirks grew even more as they saw three more pirates approached the masked woman from behind, the six of them now surrounding her.

"Give it up, intruder. We have you—" A pirate began, only for Madame X to easily work her way around the circle, slaughtering the pirates with ease until none were left standing. After sating her bloodlust, the Xen Dictator made her way to what she assumed was the main cabin and quietly entered it.

0000

Julius and his Beliaddon continued to run through the halls of the ship, the Demon Pokémon conjuring up another Infernal Blade and wielded it in its free hand to scare off any pirates who would dare harm its weakened comrade. They soon walked up a flight of stairs and reunited with the other heroes, only for the young teen to be taken aback by what he was seeing. There were dozens upon dozens of green trees standing inside this room, fuller of life than he had expected. For a moment, he thought that he wasn't in an apocalyptic future, but then the cold reality soon set back in. As he expected, the others were just as surprised by this as he was.

"What is this place…?" Amber stared at the trees in awe.

"I-I've never seen so many colors in one spot." Mosely gushed in awe as Kenneth gazed at the trees fervently.

"Indeed…it's been a very, very long time since I've seen plant life this vibrant. This must be that garden that those pirates mentioned earlier." The black-haired man stated, with Amber turning to face him.

"You mean the place where they grow their own produce?" The redhead inquired, with the young man nodding in response.

"Truth be told, I'm surprised this ship can maintain an environment suitable for all these types of trees. What could be the secret behind this ship?" He commented.

"I-I don't care what secret it's hiding. Th-This is so beautiful…" Mosely sniffled, shedding a few tears of joy.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we can go any further…" Melia called out, gesturing at the group to a set of four laser barriers that blocked the way through; one blue, one green, one yellow and one red. "Valarie must be keeping us all from reaching the deck."

"No worries…I-I'll disable the generators for these lasers…they must be somewhere down here." Julius offered.

"Sounds like a plan; we'll keep this place safe while you go find the generators and destroy them." The blonde rallied the heroes, the remaining heroes fortifying the surrounding area while the young teen went to work. Within a few minutes, Julius was able to find the red generator inside a small storage room, with Beliaddon piercing it with its sword to destroy it, a few tiny sparks of electricity cracking from the damaged generator. Afterwards, the duo made their way through the halls and into another room full of trees and grass, where the blue generator was tucked into a corner, the Demon Pokémon destroying it carefully so as to not start an unwanted fire on the ship.

"That's it…w-we're halfway there." Julius chimed in, coughing into his jacket as the Beliaddon glanced sadly at the young teen before a newfound vigor coursed through its body. Continuing to stomp through the halls, the Demon Pokémon entered another room and passed by a peculiar machine and towards a small room where the green generator was hiding. The Beliaddon stomped on it a few times, destroying it quickly before leaving the room to search for the last generator. After a few more minutes of searching, it found a third room in what looked like a cafeteria, the yellow generator sitting firmly in the center with the Demon Pokémon bisecting the machine with its sword. "G-Good work, my friend…Now let's meet up with th-the others…" The young teen thanked his comrade, the duo beginning the trek back to the room where the heroes had set up base. Upon meeting up with them, the group went up the stairs and onto the deck…where they all began to gaze at the dark sky above them.

"Look Julius, the sky is just as dark as it was a week ago. It almost feels like no time has passed." Melia commented sadly, with Mimikyu looking up the sky in curiosity.

"Eh, you two will get used to it eventually. This is all we've ever known." Mosely replied, a low chuckle causing the heroes' hair to stand on edge. "Wh-Who's there?!"

"Such is the fate of a doomed world…" A familiar voice called out, the group of five turning to see Madame X walking out of the captain's cabin.

"Wh-Who are you?! I don't remember seeing anyone like you when we boarded this ship." Kenneth demanded, eyeing up the masked woman suspiciously.

"I stowed away on this putrid ship, much like how Melia and Julius did on this timeline." Madame X commented uncaringly, the blonde glaring at her.

"What are you doing here anyway? Why are you following us?!" She demanded, as she and Julius stepped closer to the Xen Dictator.

"Following? I've only been trying to correct the mistake that YOU TWO made. To make such a decision that plagued this timeline with nothing but disaster is an act I'd never thought you'd commit. Perhaps I was foolish enough to believe that you wouldn't be so naïve. Regardless, I believe a temporary truce is in order until we figure out how to get back to our time." She explained her reasoning, with Amber shooting a suspicious gaze at her.

"And why should they trust you? Considering how you mentioned a temporary truce, I don't think I should trust you." The redhead called out.

"You are of no importance to me, so shut your mouth." Madame X retorted, catching Amber off-guard as the older woman glanced at the various corpses that littered the deck. "As you may see, I've done my part by dealing with all the crew on the deck. I expect Melia and Julius to do their part by dealing with Valarie and reclaiming this ship. If you wish to go back to your timeline and see those you love again, I recommend that you follow my orders."

"Very well…you have yourself a d-deal." Julius yielded, with Melia nodding in confirmation as the trio made their way to the captains' quarters, only to have a voice call out to them.

"What are you two doing?! Are you seriously going to trust her?!" Amber asked incredulously.

"Yes, we are. If she really does know of a way to send me and Julius back in time to prevent this from happening, then there's no other option than to follow her." Melia told her firmly.

"Y-You can't be this stupid; she'll only stab you in the back!" The redhead protested.

"Madame X wants to leave this place just as much as we do. I don't think she can do it by herself, so that's why she's asking for our assistance." The blonde continued, with Amber letting out a huff of defeat.

"Fine, you two do what you want. But don't come crying to me when you find out she's been lying to you." She retorted, turning her head to the side in annoyance.

"That's fine, if it gets to that point then I may just accept my fate at this point." Melia replied, gesturing Julius to follow her as the duo soon entered the cabin.

"So, you two decided to follow me after all." Madame X replied, reading over the computer built inside the captain's desk.

"Yeah…I-I'd do anything for M-Melia's sake…" Julius replied weakly, holding onto Beliaddon firmly as the bipedal Pokémon maintained its grip.

"Neither of us had much of a choice; if you know of a way we can get back to our time…then we'll gladly accept your truce." The blonde added.

"I see that you two are on a short timer if someone's health is to be believed." The Xen Dictator shot a quick glance at the young teen. "But we can discuss solutions later, for now we have to catch Valarie before she escapes. Call it a hunch, but she may not care about her "children" as much as she claims. Realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, she opted to hit the road while she can…"

Pointing towards a ladder in the back of the cabin, the trio made their way towards it and climbed down it, with both Melia and Julius showing discomfort at the idea of working alongside their sworn nemesis but opted to put them aside for the sake of fixing their mistake.

"I-I don't know if I told you this…b-but I feel like I can do anything if I-I'm by your side." Julius confided to Melia.

"Indeed…I'm confident that we can take her down, if we're together." The blonde smiled at him, the trio hopping off the ladder and saw Valarie preparing what looked like a small submarine.

"Going somewhere?" Madame X inquired, catching the pirate captain off-guard as she turned to face the heroes.

"W-What the…?! Man, you're all so fast. Don't worry about me, I'll just be leaving…temporarily." Valarie stammered, making up excuses and lies on the spot.

"Are you sure? Because from the look of things, you're ready to drop everything and leave this place behind. I wonder how your "babies" will think about you abandoning them." Melia retorted smugly, causing the older woman to pause for a moment.

"Th-They would understand of course…we're losing this fight, so I'm going out to get some help." The Pirate Queen continued to lie.

"And where exactly do you think you'll find help? Do you really expect to walk back to Blacksteeple to tell your boss that you lost custody of the S.S Paradise? I'm so sure that'll go down really well." The Xen Dictator retorted as well, a low chuckle escaping from Julius' mouth.

"A true c-captain would go down with t-their ship…this person before us is a c-coward." He chimed in, angering the older woman.

"So you want to mouth off at me? Fine, I'll be more than happy to crush you in battle. Besides, if I win here then I don't have to go to Blacksteeple Castle. In fact, they'll reward me greatly when I emerge victorious! I'll have a lavish lifestyle at the castle without worrying about a thing!" Valarie channeled her anger into determination, with Julius hopping off of Beliaddon as he got out a second Pokéball.

"In that case…let's see you take on t-two Pokémon at once." The young teen stated, throwing his Pokéball to the ground as his Yatagaryu emerged, before collapsing to the floor as Melia helped him back to his feet with the Stormbringer Pokémon gazing at its friend in concern. The Beliaddon explained the situation via a series of chirps and cries, promptly the two pseudo-legendaries to glare viciously at the pirate captain.

"Y-You think you can scare me? W-Well you're wrong!" Valarie called out, sending out her Toxicroak and Dragalge, the two Tandor Pokémon unimpressed by their foe's strength. Within an instant, the Toxicroak lunged at the Yatagaryu in an attempt to punch it. only for the draconic Pokémon to dodge nimbly to the side and flick it aside with its slender tail into a wall. Meanwhile the Beliaddon yanked the Dragalge by its tail and slammed it on the floor a few times before tossing it towards the Toxicroak, with Yatagaryu following up with a devastating Thunderbolt. The attack struck the injured Pokémon, sending electricity coursing through their body as they cried out in pain before fainting from the relentless barrage.

"Woah…they must be really pissed at her." Melia whispered to herself, with Valarie quickly recalling her Pokémon.

"Alright…you got lucky. But these two will put an end to your mischief!" The Pirate Queen boasted, sending out her Vaporeon and Jellicent. Opting to that the offense this time, the two Tandor Pokémon lunged at their foes, with Beliaddon swiping at the Jellicent with its claws, knocking the Ghost type to the ground as the Yatagaryu sent a weak bolt of lightning to paralyze the Vaporeon, causing the Water type to become paralyzed and unable to counter as effectively. Giving each other a firm nod, the Yatagaryu picked up the enemy Pokémon in its grip, raising them into the air before dropping them, giving Beliaddon ample opportunity to smack them down into the ground with Infernal Blade, a sizable amount of dust getting kicked up as Valarie's strongest Pokémon were knocked up by the combination attack.

"H-How can trainers this strong still exist…?" Valarie called out weakly, recalling her Pokémon before falling to her knees. "A-Are my dreams not meant to become reality?"

"Julius, you may want to recall your Pokémon. They really seem to want her blood…" The blonde told him.

"R-Right. Thank you for helping me out, you two." Julius called out, quickly recalling his Pokémon before they could maul the defeated captain.

"I-I lost to the weakest of you three? What chance did I have of winning against you three if I couldn't even defeat some trainer starving himself for the sake of his friend?!" The pirate captain called out in anguish, before turning to face Madame X. "So what are you going to do now, slaughter me like you did to my babies? I saw what you did to all of them…if that's my fate, then so be it. I'd rather be with them than any of you in this room."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm feeling merciful. You're too valuable to just kill, I need you for something." The Xen Dictator replied, yanking the former captain off her sub before escorting her elsewhere.

0000

"So this is what you've all resorted to, huh? Tying up my hands and throwing me in jail, all while allowing Mr. Skin-and-Bones to go to town on our food supplies. Is this how things are going down now?" Valarie seethed at Madame X, who stared at her coldly from behind her mask.

"What Julius does right now is of no concern; there's more than enough supplies to last us all. Besides, you had no problem doing this to countless others." Madame X retorted.

"At least I allowed them to walk about their cell without being tied up!" Valarie defended herself fervently.

"And so that justifies everything? You're absolutely pathetic, you know that?" The Xen Dictator shot back.

"I-I don't have to justify anything! Soon…Soon my babies will come and rescue me. Their undying loyalty to me will motivate them to take down each and every one of you!" She ranted, a low chuckle escaping from the masked woman. "W-What's so funny?!"

"I'm no so sure about that one, Valarie. You see, I told them about your cowardly plan to abandon them. Their "undying loyalty" as you put it, seems to have died. No one's coming to save you, Valarie; loyalty is a two-way street. Besides, you were a fool to have faith in them anyway. Loyalty is nothing but business, it can be bought for the right price. They were only that way because you provided them with a safe haven, and because they thought you were strong. But in reality, you were no stronger than all of them combined. The moment someone stronger showed up, they flocked to them. There will always be someone above you, and they will eventually take what's yours. And I happened to be that someone, and I've already taken everything. You reap what you sow, Valarie Kersey." Madame X annihilated her with a speech so devastating it reduced the once proud Pirate Queen to a shivering wreck, barely holding back the urge to cry.

"I-If that's all true then, let me ask you something." Valarie replied, catching the masked woman's attention. "If there's someone above you and is waiting to take everything you love…then who exactly is above you, Madame X? Who will be the one that takes every single thing you love? Who will be the one that knocks you off the pedestal that you stand so high on?"

"A fairly simple question, so I'll give you a simple answer; no one." The Xen Dictator replied, walking out of the prison cell and allowed Valarie to wallow in her own misery. While they were waiting for her, Julius and Melia opted to hang out by the stern, the young teen looking a lot more vibrant than he was before.

"Ahh…I'm glad I took your advice and got a quick bite to eat. I really needed that." He smiled, his body looking slightly healthy than it was before. However, it would take some time to heal from a week without any food, which would serve as a reminder to never pull something like this again.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better. Anyway, we better see what Madame X wants with us; who knows what she wants us to do next." Melia replied, the duo holding each other's hand firmly in support as they waited for their nemesis/ally to arrive. Soon enough, the masked woman noticed the duo and approached them, making sure that it was just the three of them in the area.

"Good to see that you two are capable of following basic instructions." Madame X told them.

"Yeah…we can. Anyway, you said you'd explain your plan to us. What is it you want to do?" The blonde asked her.

"There's something you need to know. Before you two made your mistake in the past, I was in possession of a gem called a Time Diamond. It's an item that allows the user to manipulate and travel through time as they see fit. With it, you could rewind, fast forward or even stop time for a brief moment. Julius had a taste of its power when I used it to save Kugearen City from Indriad's bomb. I'm sure you can remember it?" The Xen Dictator began going over her plan, shooting a glance at the young teen.

"Yeah, I remember it. Pretty hard to forget someone giving you a second chance like that." Julius replied.

"You were in the past with us? For what purpose?" Melia asked her.

"I'm sure you'd like to know. Regardless, the Time Diamond I had was destroyed in my initial attempt to revert the mistake you two made by allowing Vivian to live. The severity of the change was too much for the Diamond and it shattered. As it shattered, it sent me to the future with you two." The older woman continued.

"So we were sent to this time because of you?" The blonde pressed her further.

"I directly sent all of us to this time unintentionally, but don't get things twisted…the moment you all would try to go back to the future with the power of the Timesplicer stone, you would meet the same fate." Madame X continued once more, as a thought soon formed in Julius' mind.

"If what you're saying is true, then you must've seen what had happened to Aelita." The young teen chimed in.

"I did. It's just as you may have suspected; she was present in a timeline where she didn't belong, so the universe corrected itself. As for why you two were spared that same fate, it was because you were protected from deletion. Those Time Gear Amulets that Spacea and Tiempa gave you acted as your guard against time." The Xen Dictator answered, the two teens caught off-guard by her last statement.

"Our Amulets saved us from being erased from history?!" Melia exclaimed.

"Correct. While in possession of this amulet, you are protected from time manipulation. And you were both given it at such a convenient time…what does that tell the both of you?" Madame X asked them, the duo spending a few moments thinking to themselves.

"They must've known this was gonna happen; Spacea and Tiempa saw that this was inevitable, so they gifted us the Amulets." Julius answered, with Melia reaching the very same conclusion.

"That's correct; those two damned all of us to this place. they knew exactly what you were going to do…but the fact that they gave you those Amulets…" The Xen Dictator began, only for Melia to chime in once more.

"Even if they gave us these Amulets on purpose, what does this have to do with the Time Diamond?" She inquired.

"There's one Time Diamond in the world at each time. When one is destroyed, another will appear at another location. Spacea and Tiempa gave you these amulets to protect you from erasure. They wanted you both to live through this hell, which can only mean two things. One, if you chose incorrectly, they wanted you to live with your decision forever. Or two, they knew that there would be a way to escape this place once we were sent here. If the latter is correct, then that can only mean that a Time Diamond is somewhere in this world. Considering out limited options in places to visit, I can only assume it's being held by the Princess at Blacksteeple Castle. If I get my hands on the Time Diamond, I can rewind time all the way back to before you stopped Vivian from sacrificing herself." Madame X continued, only for Melia to step back in shock.

"So you expect us to let Vivian die?!" The blonde exclaimed.

"There's no other choice but to let her do just that! It was her sacrifice that saved the world from becoming what it is right now in this moment! Stop focusing on the one and start thinking about the millions of people who died!" The older woman shot back, causing the two teens to clam up momentarily. This was the exact same moral dilemma that Spacea and Tiempa presented to Melia back then, the one that had upset her greatly.

"…Very well. We'll follow you around for now. But after this, we're back to being enemies." The blonde yielded, with Julius nodding in confirmation.

"Of course. Now that we have that settled, I'm going to put this plan into motion. Meet me in the Captain's Quarters when you're ready. Oh and one more thing…when we meet the Princess of Blacksteeple Castle, refrain from getting too close. Avoid physical contact with her at all costs, or the results will put us in even more peril than before." Madame X told Melia firmly, indicating that she was being deadly serious, more so than usual.

"Why? What would happen should they make physical contact?" Julius inquired.

"The consequences of that happening are a topic that I'd rather not discuss." The older woman brushed him off, walking to the Captain's Quarters as the two teens were no left on their own.

"Even if it is as she says, and that Time Diamond is the only thing that can save us…the power of that diamond., it sounds too great for someone like her to have it. when we find the Time Diamond, we have to steal it for ourselves, Julius. We're the only ones who would be able to oppose her if she chooses to use the Time Diamond for malicious purposes. I don't want it to come to that, so when the time comes, we may have to fight her." Melia warned the young teen.

"Agreed. I'll make sure to prepare for such an occurrence should it happen." He pledged, the duo going their separate ways to make some last-minute preparations.

Blacksteeple Island

The preparations took longer than Julius had expected, but he was confident that he was now ready to take on Madame X should such a thing happen. During his preparations, Amber wanted to show him something, claiming it to be the key to fixing all of this. Opting to find out what she was talking about, the redhead took him to a small room inside the ship where a strange machine was standing atop a podium of sorts, with a few computer terminals connected to it.

Amber then went on to explain that it housed the DNA for thousands of various species of Pokémon and plant life, including ones previously thought extinct. She gushed for a moment about the various possibilities that a machine like that could provide for the survivors, including a chance of rebuilding this world and detoxifying the Crimson Sea. Once their conversation was done, Julius excused himself and made his way back to the deck, where he saw Melia talking to the Mimikyu.

"Please forgive me Mimikyu, but I'm going to have to leave you here for a little while." She apologized to the baby Pokémon, the latter letting out a chirp of sadness as if begging to come with her. "I know you want to come with me, but I can't guarantee your safety from here on out. Besides, you're Mosely's Pokémon, not mine. I just don't want to see you get hurt, okay?"

The Mimikyu let out another cry of sadness before wandering away to a different part of the deck, with Melia letting out a quick sigh as Julius approached her.

"So have we arrived at the island yet?" He inquired.

"Yes, we have. Let's meet up with the others, we shouldn't keep them waiting." She answered, the duo hopping off the boat and met up with the others, with Madame X following behind alongside Valarie, who was still tied up tightly with rope. "W-Wait, why are you bringing Valarie with us?"

"She's needed to get inside Blacksteeple Castle, but that can be explained later. Right now, we must proceed with the plan. There's a small town we'll have to walk through before we can reach the castle." Madame X explained, dragging the former captain with her as the latter continued to struggle against her bindings in vain. Exchanging a cautionary glance with each other, the heroes opted to follow her down the path and through a set of trees, only to wind up in what looked like a quaint little village. Everyone with the exception of Madame X and Valarie were surprised at the sight of this town, gazing at it as if they had never seen anything like it before.

"My word…what is this place?" Julius wondered, his eyes looking over the surprisingly well-made houses.

"It's strange to believe that there's a village in a place like this." Kenneth commented in awe.

"It's where we take people after we kidnap them." Valarie answered, attracting everyone's attention. "Our job was to find people and bring them to this island. This village goes on for miles, same layout and all. It's like a never-ending maze."

"And you just collect humans to bring them here like they're some sort of livestock?!" Amber shot back, glaring at the former captain.

"I don't think about it that much, I was just doing what I was told." The brown-haired woman replied bluntly, a sense of hope welling inside the redhead.

"T-That must mean my mother's somewhere in this village!" She exclaimed in joy, only for Valarie to raise her hands in the air.

"Woah, woah, woah. I dunno about that one; she may have been taken to the castle for some reason—" She began.

"Quiet, the castle is just up ahead. Save the chatter for later and don't lag behind." Madame X abruptly cut her off, dragging Valarie once more as the heroes opted to follow her towards the path and towards the castle, the massive steel doors blocking their progress as the Xen Dictator pushed the prisoner towards a small password lock beside the doors. "You know what to do. You've been here before, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The former captain retorted, before letting out a quick sigh. "Honestly, I don't see why I should bother opening this door. You'll kill me the moment I do so; I'd rather you not have the satisfaction, sorry."

"This is hopeless, I was wrong to bring you with us. If death is what you want, then so be it." The masked woman retorted back, attempting to draw her sword only for Melia to quickly walk up to the duo to break it off.

"Stop! No more of this meaningless violence. Valarie, please open this door. We'll let you go once you do this." The blonde pleaded with her.

"Absolutely not. The moment we release her, she'll just run to the S.S Paradise and escape." Madame X argued, and her point seemed pretty plausible.

"Well how about we keep her with us after she's entered the code? Will that suffice?" Julius proposed to the group.

"That was my original plan, given that the device takes fingerprints into account." The Xen Dictator replied, directing her gaze to her prisoner once more. "Now then, open the door Valarie."

"…fine." Valarie huffed, making her way to the lock and entered in the code, stepping back as the doors promptly opened. "I've done my end of the bargain, now let me go. I don't have anything else I could possibly do."

"We already decided that you're following us, and that's final. And if you keep complaining, I'll kick you right in the gut!" Amber threatened, with Valarie growling at them before walking into the castle walls with a huff.

"S-Shouldn't we go after her?" The young teen inquired cautiously.

"As long as she's in out sights, she's no threat to us. Now come on, we don't have the time to stand around here." Madame X told the heroes, the group following her into the castle as Julius cast his eyes upon the imposing fortress that was permanently etched into his memory. Despite being in ruins, it still looked like it could weather a major storm that would come its way. But the time for sightseeing was over and the young teen quickly followed behind his allies, winding up inside the main foyer that had a large painting hanging up on the back wall. It depicted what appeared to be an adult woman with brown skin and flowing brown hair, her outfit consisting of a reddish pink robe. She was kneeling before some light that was floating just above her hands, a mystical power seemingly emanating from the orb.

"W-Who is being depicted in this painting?" Melia inquired, gazing at the painting in awe.

"The woman depicted in this painting is none other than Nymiera." The Xen Dictator answered, catching the others off-guard.

"B-But why would a painting of her be shown here at Blacksteeple Castle? From what Amber said, the Princess has a strong hatred for her and her children. Unless, she could be…" Julius began.

"Before you finish your sentence, let me answer it for you. No, Nymiera is not the Princess of the castle. At least, not anymore." The masked woman answered the teen's inquiry for him.

"W-Wait, so Blacksteeple Castle originally belonged to Nymiera?" The blonde asked quickly, still taken aback by this revelation.

"Yes, but she lost the castle many years ago to Team Xen many years ago, hence why we had control over it in our time." Madame X answered. "But regardless, she's no longer alive. But even if she were alive, the castle couldn't be hers."

"H-Hey Kenneth, do you know anything about Nymeria?" Amber asked her elder.

"Only a small bit about her personality, but that's all. It was said that she had a very loving, caring nature. A mother figure to all those around her." He answered, as Mosely began to tear up upon hearing his comment.

*Sniff…* "I-I miss my mother, s-so very much…" She sniffled, with the redhead scoffing at her comment.

"Tch, your mother never loved you, you know that?" She retorted.

"Yeesh, that's harsh." Valarie winced upon hearing that, even though the comment wasn't directed at her.

"Amber, I don't think that was a necessary thing to say." Kenneth scolded her.

"But it's the truth; don't miss someone who doesn't miss you. neither your father or your mother cared about you. the only reason they had you was to use you. they would intentionally starve you so that they can persuade travelers into giving food to a poor hungry child. It's funny though, I bet you never got to see any of that food those generous people gave. They kept it for themselves so that they can go to bed feeling full. That's when you met us, remember? You were starving, so my mom gave you all of her food." Amber laid out the harsh truth to Mosely, who momentarily ceased her sniffling. "My mother went to bed hungry because she was already full of happiness when she saw you being fed. My mother can be a little too kind, in my opinion. But that's just the person she is, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So screw your old mother and father. They may be your parents, but they aren't your family. You're with us for now on, you hear? We're your family now. My mother's in this castle somewhere, wouldn't the best way to repay her for saving you that night is to rescue her?"

"Y-Yeah!" Mosely cheered. "I won't let anyone lay a finger on her!

"That's the spirit, let's go get mom out of here first." The redhead shot her a small smile, the duo making their way up the stairs as the other heard a quiet sniffling from Valarie.

*Sniff…Sniff* "Th-That was beautiful…" She sniffled, a few tears forming in her eyes. "My own mother never loved me!"

"You can tell us about it later, we need to get a move on." Kenneth told her, the duo proceeding to follow the other two up the stairs, with Madame X about to make her leave when Melia called out to her.

"Madame X…what was your mother like?" The blonde inquired.

"What an insignificant question, it's almost laughable. She was a weak-hearted person who gave her life to protect me, something Julius and I have in common. The only difference is that his mother's sacrifice meant absolutely nothing. It'll all be the same in the end." She retorted coldly.

"Y-You didn't have to word it like that!" Julius shot back, tears welling up in his eyes over the fateful incident.

"Nancy's sacrifice meant everything. Without her, Julius wouldn't be standing here today, no thanks to you." Melia retorted, resting a hand on his shoulder to soothe him.

"That may be the case, but the only provided a temporary solution." Madame X replied, turning to face the stairs. "We can argue about this later, for now we must continue forth."

Watching their nemesis turned ally walk up the stairs, Melia redirected her attention to the painting on the wall. "…This is something I don't really like thinking about, but I can't help it sometimes. I wonder what my mother was like…if she loved or hated me. I don't even know what she looks like, or if she's even alive at this point. And if she isn't alive, I hope that she's proud of me wherever she is. I don't know if this is the same for you, but ever since Terajuma Island, I've always felt…I've always felt like Tesla was my mother. The one I didn't have."

"I-I feel you; Tesla was kind enough to take me in when I had nowhere else to got to. I don't think I can ever repay her for her kindness, no matter how hard I work." The young teen replied, turning away from the painting. "Come, we shouldn't keep the others waiting."

Agreeing to his statement, the duo made their way up the stairs and into the next room, unaware of the shadow following right behind them. The door to the castle slowly creaked open, the Mimikyu sticking its head inside before entering the castle, beginning its search for the human it loves the most. Meanwhile, the heroes had climbed up several flights of stairs before approaching a set of double doors decorated in a variety of fancy colors.

"This is it; the Princess resides behind these doors. If any of you wish to turn back, this would be the time to do so. I don't know what'll happen once we pass these doors, but I cannot guarantee your safety, nor do I really care to." Madame X warned the group.

"Yeah, let me at 'em I'm ready to—" Mosely began.

"You're staying here, where it's safe." Amber ordered, the optimistic look in the orange-haired girls' eyes falling like a ton of bricks.

"Bu-But why…? What about that talk of saving Tesla together?" She protested.

"I didn't want you crying in front of everyone! Besides, if something happened to you in there, mom would absolutely lacerate me. So do me a favor and please stay here. I don't mean to be rude, but you're small and weak. You'll get in the way." The redhead told her.

"I must agree with Amber on this one. Let the adults settle these problems; a child shouldn't have to do things like this." Kenneth admitted as well, agreeing with Amber's statement.

"B-But I'm 10 years old, I'm practically an adult! Didn't you say that 10-year-olds used to take down huge criminal organizations way back when?!" Mosely retorted.

"Those 10-year-olds also happened to be prodigies for their time. If I recall correctly, you don't have a single Pokémon with you." The black-haired man continued, with the young girl growling under her breath before letting out a huff.

"Fine, I'll stay here. I'll stay right here while you all have the fun of your life!" Mosely pouted, storming off from the area as Kenneth let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew…that's one concern out of the way." He sighed in relief.

"Good, now we can proceed." Madame X told them, the group making their way beyond the doors leaving Melia and Julius behind.

"I guess this is it…it all ends the moment we walk into this room. I-I'm trembling with fear over the thought that things can go terribly wrong after this point if we mess up." Melia confided to him.

"I-I'm scared as well, more so than you realize. But I have faith that we'll pull through in the end." Julius admitted, the duo giving each other a quick, good-luck kiss before stepping beyond the doors. The duo entered a lavish throne room, decorated with various paintings and other valuable relics as the group began searching for the Time Diamond.

"So, this is where we need to be? The Time Diamond should be here somewhere." The blonde asked Madame X.

"Correct, it should be in this vicinity. If not…then I don't have to explain to you what happens in that case." The Xen Dictator replied.

"Yes, we get the picture. We know it'll be a complete disaster for us all." The young teen chimed in, only for a familiar voice to call out to the heroes. They turned to the source only to see a middle-aged woman with striking red hair approach them, with Amber's eyes widening with joy as she ran over to hug the woman.

"M-Mom!" She sobbed into her shoulder, with Tesla petting her daughter's back in an attempt to soothe her. "W-We've been looking all over for you, mom!"

"Y-You were all looking for me?" Tesla inquired, with Amber and Kenneth nodding firmly in confirmation. "But why would you do that?"

"Simple, you were taken from us and we wanted to find you." The redhead replied.

"I see…but what is that woman doing over here?" The red-haired woman shot a glance at the bound-up Valarie.

"Oh, her? Don't worry about her, we already took care of her and her crew." Amber smiled.

"Indeed; we were able to take over the S.S paradise and found our way here to rescue you." Kenneth joined in.

"T-That's nice, but where's little Mosely?" Tesla inquired.

"She's waiting right outside this room. Don't worry, she's perfectly fine." The redhead answered casually.

"Then we should leave this place immediately; let's get out of here." The older woman suggested, only for the Xen Dictator to clear her throat audibly.

"I'm not leaving here without my Time Diamond. You all may leave if you wish, but I'm not leaving until I get what I came here for." Madame X told her sternly.

"Well whatever it is, you better get it quickly before—" Tesla began, only for another voice to echo throughout the room.

"Mother, who is it you're speaking to?" The voice called out, as a young girl with bright blonde hair that was done up into twin pigtails walked up to the group, a look of curiosity in her eyes. "Who are these people, mother?"

"M-Melanie…" The red-haired woman spoke lowly, as Melia stepped back in surprise.

"N-No…it's you!" She spoke lowly as well, her gaze fixated on the young girl.

"Just who are these dullards you're talking to?" The now named Melanie demanded, with Tesla walking up to her.

"T-These people are no one special…" She bluffed, hoping the young girl would buy it.

"If that's so, then why don't we all play together? Yes, I'll grant you all the esteemed opportunity to play with the princess of this castle." The young girl proclaimed, with nobody aware that Mosely had managed to sneak into the room, hiding behind a concrete pillar.

"Don't play games with us, you know exactly who we are." Madame X scoffed at the child. "Now tell me, where is the Time Diamond? I know you know where it is."

With a sigh of annoyance, Melanie chose to drop her act. "Fine, I'll cut to the chase. B-But all I wanted to do was play with Miss Melly and the others!"

"A-Are you talking about me?" Melia inquired, the young girl nodding in confirmation.

"Duh, of course I'm talking about you, you bimbo!" Melanie retorted.

"You watch your mouth, or else I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" Julius threatened, shooting a glare as the young girl wasn't fazed by his threat.

"Next time put a muzzle on your dog, Melly. His incessant barking is of no use to me." The young girl yawned in contempt. "Now then, it is possible that I have this Time Diamond you speak of. but now that I think about it…why should I hand over something so valuable to dullards like you all? After all, you aren't even from the same time as me."

"Y-You know about that?!" Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"Obviously; you really aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are you? I created the S.S Paradise; of course I'd add surveillance cameras around to keep an eye on my loyal subjects. Speaking of which, the captain I hired to steer that ship has marvelously failed at every corner. Come now Valarie, you're better than that aren't you?" The young girl droned on and on.

"I-I just…" The former captain could barely form any words in her mouth.

"Were you conked on the head when you were born, eh? Why would you wait for the last moment to try and escape? I suppose that makes me equally as stupid to believe that you were capable of doing anything that required the least amount of thinking." Melanie retorted cruelly.

"I won't ask you again, where is the Time Diamond?!" Madame X demanded, lowering her hand to reach her sword.

"Keep your head on, no need to throw a paddy for no reason." She brushed the question aside, taking out a multi-color crystal from her pocket. "Is this what you're looking for? I bet it is; your hands are trembling ever so slightly at the sight. But sorry, I refuse to hand over something so important."

"In that case, you leave me with no choice." The Xen Dictator drew her sword and stepped forward, only to step onto a trapdoor, the masked woman falling down before she could even react.

"Wh-What just happened…?" Julius commented, amazed at how this young child was able to outwit the menacing tyrant of Team Xen.

"How predictable…that's the problem with you simpletons. You get worked up over the smallest of things, and then you go smashing through your problems. Well, you can settle your problems in the cellar! Now, let's proceed with business, shall we?" Melanie chimed at them condescendingly.

"Look, can't you just let us go? Who needs a stupid diamond anyway?" Valarie requested.

"Correct! You all don't need this Time Diamond, not in my world." She replied, turning to face Melia and Julius. "If you two go back to your own time, what would I do without you? Specifically you, Melia."

"Y-You need me?" Melia exclaimed, with the young girl approaching the duo.

"I didn't believe it at first, but after closer examination, I've come to the conclusion that we must be related somehow." Melanie told her bluntly.

"Related? I-I don't think that's possible." The blonde continued.

"Be it by blood or some other connection, we're bound together by this world." The young girl replied, outstretching her hand. "Here, take my hand and we can figure it out together."

"I-I refuse to do that!" Melia told her bluntly, known full well about the consequences should they touch each other. With a quick sigh, Melanie retracted her hand back to her side.

"A shame, well if that's how it's going to be, then I guess that's just it. Listen, I know you two are anxious to leave this time, but what exactly is waiting for you on the other side? I've heard everything that happened to you through the cameras on the S.S Paradise. Everything that happened between you and Vivian…you two sure know how to ruin other people's lives." The Princess droned on once more, with Amber shooting her a vicious glare.

"Screw you! What do you know? For all we know, you're just as terrible!" The redhead growled at her. "If you're the one who created the S.S Paradise, then maybe you'll be able to answer a few questions."

"Fine…I'll entertain you. what do you want to know?" Meanie chimed back, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"What is the purpose of having all that plant life on the ship? How is it even possible?" Amber began.

"Because it was grown on the ship, you idiot. That one's easy to figure out. And it was possible to grow because we have the structures of all life on Earth located in the ships' database." The young girl answered.

"Y-You mean to tell us that you have the molecular structure of all life on the ship?" Kenneth exclaimed.

"How is that even possible? Where would you even get the resource to sustain something so huge?" Tesla exclaimed as well, a low chuckle escaping from Melanie's mouth.

"Let's just say I have some…connections." She chuckled, turning to face Amber. "You and Julius saw it, remember? I saw you go through the machine's database and stumbled upon all that information. You may have only delved into the DNA we had of Pokémon, but we have all that we need in that machine. With that machine, it would be possible to restore this world back to what it was before the calamity."

"I-It would be possible to restore the world?!" Kenneth gasped in surprise. "B-But even if that was possible, how would we do that? The ground is being swallowed by the Crimson Sea by the minute. Soon there will be nothing TO restore!"

"Hahahaha…no, the Crimson Sea does nothing but destroy anything that falls into it. The land being crushed and destroyed is my doing, silly!" Melanie bragged, catching everyone off-guard.

"Y-You're destroying the remaining bits of land on this planet? Why would you do that?!" Tesla demanded an answer.

"Hehehe…you know what they say…first you have to break someone down to build them up even better." The young girl chuckled once more.

"So that's why you created the S.S Paradise. I finally get it now…you created the S.S Paradise to kidnap people and deliver them to Blacksteeple Island. But when you heard that people kept escaping their kidnap, you decided to give them no choice…by destroying the remaining bits of land around the world, you constructed a plan that would eventually lead everyone into your grasp. If no one can live on your island, then no one can live at all!" Amber realized Melanie's grand plan, opting to expose her for her wicked scheme.

"…Oh my, and they said Melia was the brains of the group. Clearly, they were mistaken." She mused to herself, turning to face the redhead. "You are undoubtedly correct, Amber!"

"B-But why? Why go through all those hoops just to do all of that?" Tesla inquired once more.

"It's because she wants to play the part of a princess. She wants a kingdom to call her own…no, she only wants to use us as dolls! She doesn't want a kingdom to care for, she wants a kingdom to dictate!" Kenneth answered, shooting a glare at the young girl.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? Considering the circumstances, you all need someone to tell you what to do. I have everything I need to make this world habitable, it's only right that I have complete control in what happens." Melanie replied nonchalantly.

"We're not going to let you get away with this, Melanie! If we kill you right here, then we'll be the ones who have complete control. And then we'll restore this world to how it was before so we can all live in harmony." Amber chimed in, the young girl stepping back a few feet.

"Oh, a revolt is it then? What of the Time Diamond? If I shattered this hunk of rock, what would Melia and Julius do then? They'll be trapped here and will never have a chance to return back to their time. All the people they loved, never to be seen again. Just admit it, I have you two backed into a corner with no way out!" She taunted the duo, edging closer to the Time Diamond, only for Mosely to leap out from behind the pillar and snatch the crystal. Running quickly to Melia, the orange-haired girl handed her the diamond, a satisfied look in her eyes.

"Here you go, Melia!" She smiled.

"Mosely, you are amazing! You saved our lives when we needed it the most." Julius complimented her.

"I told you to wait outside, Mosely!" Amber scolded her.

"And look where that got you." She smirked, running up to hug Tesla. "And momma Tesla is here too! I missed you a lot."

"Hehehehe…Melanie chuckled lowly, attracting the attention of the heroes. "This is exactly how I wanted this to go down. Thank you, Mosely, for helping me with this."

"Pfft, what are you talking about, you stupid gremlin?" Mosely retorted, the young girl taking something out of her pocket and held it in the air.

"In the event of something like this happening, I've constructed a nice present for humanity's hope. What I have here is a detonator!" She smirked.

"A detonator?! W-What for?!" Kenneth exclaimed, with Melanie letting out another chuckle.

"It's pretty obvious; when I press this button, it activates explosives hidden throughout the S.S Paradise." She answered.

"B-But without the S.S Paradise, there will be no hope for this world…it's all we have that can save everyone from the calamity's aftermath!" Melia protested.

"If the S.S Paradise explodes, everything would be for nothing…" Amber chimed in.

"Melanie, sweetie, give mommy the detonator…it doesn't have to be like this." Tesla tried to persuade her, but it didn't work.

"Oh give it up, Tesla. I know you're not my real mother. Playing pretend only makes me happy for so long, but now I've hit my limit. Now, the S.S paradise can be saved; however, I want the Time Diamond back in return." Melanie made her offer, but the heroes weren't interested in it.

"We'll get back that detonator, and keep the Time Diamond, no matter what the cost!" Kenneth shot back at her, the young girl shrugging her shoulders.

"Why are you giving me that look? If anything, you should be with me, not against me. Just think about it…you say that you'll get back this thin no matter what the cost, but do you really understand what that cost is? Say my finger slips, and I accidentally destroy the S.S Paradise, but Melia and Julius successfully go back in time and fix that they've wronged, what would than mean for us all? Going back and fixing what they did won't erase us; our timeline will live on no matter what. The damage has been done. Melia and Julius will be put back on the right track and live their lives happily ever after." The young girl rambled on once more.

"Just get to the point already!" Amber demanded.

"I'm saying helping out those two won't benefit you at all. With the S.S Paradise destroyed; they'll leave you behind in this time to rot away. Perhaps, in that time the Crimson Sea truly WILL engulf the land with its toxic waters. You won't ever get a happy ending. You'll live in fear for the rest of your sorry lives. Or…you can get that Time Diamond back for me and we'll all live happily ever after in our restored world, together…now, doesn't that sound a little better?" Melanie concluded, with the five heroes mulling it over before turning to face Melia and Julius, glaring threateningly at them.

"D-Don't listen to her, she's trying to pit us all against each other." Melia called out, hoping they would see reason and cease their aggressive actions.

"I've done nothing but simply state the facts; everything else has been put together by you." The young girl replied.

"D-Don't fall for her schemes; this is exactly what she wants!" Julius called out to them as well, only for Amber to lunge at Melia, pinning her to the ground.

"Don't take this personally, just give me the diamond and this will all be ov—G-Gaahh!" The redhead began, only to cry out in surprise as Julius pushed her to the ground, helping Melia back up to her feet.

"Unhand her, Julius! Otherwise, I'll be forced to do something I don't want to do…" Kenneth growled at him, the young teen glaring back at him.

"To hell with you all! I will not throw Melia to the wolves for the sake of Melanie's lies." Julius shot back, taking out a pain of Pokéballs and threw them, sending out his Beliaddon and Yatagaryu once more.

"Bad move Julius, bad move." The black-haired man shot back, sending out his Banette and Krookodile, the two Pokémon snarling and hissing at their foes. Yet the two Tandor Pokémon were ready to dish out a punishment to their foes, with the serpentine dragon lunging at the ghost and slashed at it with its talons, picking it up in the air and dropping it to the ground before following up with a wicked thunderbolt, striking the Banette dead-on as a sizable cloud of dust was kicked up into the air. Meanwhile, the Krookodile lunged at the Beliaddon and attempted to clamp down on its arm with its jaws, only for the Demon Pokémon to dodge the attack and snatch it up by its tail, swinging it in the air before slamming it down on the ground, following up by breathing a stream of fire at it, sending the crocodile flying into its comrade as the two crashed into a wall, unable to continue fighting.

"How's that? Why don't you bring out your best if you're that desperate to win?!" The young teen retorted, with Kenneth recalling his Pokémon before opting to send out his ace.

"Very well, it is more than capable of defeating you on its own!" Kenneth accepted the challenge, sending out his Lucario and brought out his Mega-Ring, pressing on the key stone as the Lucario was surrounded by a wondrous orb of light. Soon enough, it emerged from its orb in its Mega form, letting out an almighty howl as it glared at its enemies.

Lunging at the Beliaddon, it opened up with a flurry of fists that sent the Demon Pokémon back a few feet, with Yatagaryu attempting to strike it down only for the Mega-Pokémon to knock it down with a swift punch. The Lucario leapt back a few feet and charged up several Aura Spheres, launching them at the two Pokémon as they were assaulted by the barrage flying back a few feet and crumpled onto the ground. But amazingly, they weren't out for the count yet; the duo slowly getting back up as a second wind coursed through them. Giving each other a look of determination, the duo charged at the Lucario who opted to fire some more Aura Spheres at them. The Yatagaryu charged up its Dragon Pulse multiple times and fired it to destroy the incoming attacks, granting Beliaddon ample opportunity to charge at the Lucario, an Infernal Blade in its hand as it slashed at the Mega-Pokémon multiple times, causing it to fly back into the same wall as before and left a sizable imprint, the Lucario devolving back into its non-mega form as it was unable to continue battling.

"B-But how…?" Kenneth replied, weakly, recalling his Pokémon as the two Tandor Pokémon celebrated their victory.

"You two did an amazing job out there; now it's time for a well-earned rest." Julius thanked them, recalling his Pokémon before shooting his former friends a smirk. "See? That's what happens when you attack my friends; you get obliterated."

"Hahahahahaha! Looking at you all struggle for your lives is priceless! But seriously, I don't want you all to get the Time Diamond back for me. I want Melia to give it to me personally." Melanie chuckled.

"W-What…?" Melia replied, standing close to Julius as Amber got back up and made her way to the others.

"When I said that I heard everything while you were on the S.S Paradise, I meant it. I heard absolutely everything. You were given the choice of saving one person, or millions. Now let us see if you'll make the same decision this time…" The young girl told her, waving the detonator in the air. "Like I said, I hold a detonator in my hand at this very moment. With a single press of this button, I can doom this world forever. But if you have me back the Time Diamond, I'll destroy the detonator. Humanity in this time will be saved, and things can go back to how it used to be. Or you can refuse my offer and use the Time Diamond to return to your time and destroy the little hope this world has left."

"I…I have to choose…again?" The blonde said weakly.

"Teehee, that's correct. Will you choose the one, or the million? But before you make your decision, I want you to take a look at this…" Melanie sneered, gesturing to a series of cameras that showed various crowds of people watching the entire exchange go one, with the terrified Melia standing in the center. "Can you see them? They're all gathered around, just for you, Melia. While we were talking, my loyal subjects took the liberty of placing these screens here for all to view. Keep your eyes wide open, Melia…for these are all the people left in this world, each and every one of them stands before you here. And each and every single one prays that you make the right decision. A decision that only you can make, Melia. A decision that will decide their, and our future."

"Turn those off, right now! This is the most inhumane thing you've done so far; forcing her to answer before the crowd in a situation like this!" Julius roared at her in anger, the young girl chuckling under her breath.

"You really are a dog, aren't you? Mindlessly barking at anyone that looks funny at her." She retorted, turning to face Melia once more. "Back in your time, you didn't know the consequences of your actions. But this time, I wanted to make it abundantly clear just what exactly you're doing. Will you look into the poor eyes of the people of this world and save them? Or will you turn your back on them to save you and Julius, condemning them to a cruel fate. Now…do you understand your position, Melia? You've got a decision to make now; will you choose you two, or the thousands before you?"

I-I can't make that decision…I can't…" Melia replied weakly, her heart racing at a mile a minute.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to help everyone? And here I was, being so kind, presenting the perfect scenario for you to help all life on Earth. I guess it's just as they say; be careful what you wish for?" Melanie sneered at here, clapping her hands together. "Now, for that decision? Don't think about doing nothing, either. You either hand over the Time Diamond or make your way out of this time."

The blonde was at an impasse, unsure of what she wanted to do. On one hand, she desperately wanted to help all those people outside, clinging onto whatever shred of hope they may have had. But on the other hand, staying here meant never seeing Venam again, and that was something she couldn't live with. Just what on earth was she to do in this situation?

"Melia…remember, whatever you choose, know that I will support you and be by your side." Julius whispered quietly, showing his full, undying support for her. Seeing the smile on the face of her closest ally in this time, Melia was soon able to make her decision, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Well? We're all waiting…" Melanie urged her to make a decision, only to frown at the blonde's lack of a response. "Remember when I said that doing nothing was not allowed? Don't let me pick for you, Melia, because if I do…I don't think you'll like that outcome very much. Let us try this ONE. MORE. TIME."

Nothing…neither the blonde nor the young teen chose to respond, causing the young girl to glare at them. "A-Are you stupid? Didn't you hear what I said?! Do you want me to pick for you? Fine, then I will pick for you!"

"There's just something not right about this, that's all." Melia began to speak up

"I-I will blow up the S.S Paradise right now!" Melanie threatened, waving the detonator frantically.

"Go ahead then…blow up the damn ship, I don't care." The blonde retorted, catching the Princess off-guard.

"What are you going on about? Have you gone bonkers?! If I destroy this ship, the future of this world is done for!" She snarled.

"Well if that's true, then why are you so eager on destroying it?" Melia asked back, as she and Julius approached the young girl. "Whether you like it or not, this world is your own too. If you destroy the S.S Paradise, then you'll submit yourself to the end of the world as we know it."

"I-If you really think I care what happens to this hunk of acidic rock, then you must be mad!" Melanie stuttered, her arrogant façade starting to break down.

"Perhaps you truly don't care, but I don't think that's true. I think you're eager to blow up the S.S Paradise because you know something we don't. I believe that you must have some sort of backup located somewhere here in this castle." The blonde replied smugly, catching the heroes off-guard as the young girl staggered back a few feet. Julius was happy that Melia was now in charge of the situation and he will let her have every last bit of glory that she deserves.

"T-That would make sense. If she had backups, then losing the S.S Paradise wouldn't mean that much, would it?" Tesla chimed in.

"Correct. She simply used our ignorance to our advantage, isn't that right Melanie?" The blonde replied, shooting a glance at the young girl who was now fuming at her.

"Well no, that's where you're wrong, Melia. As much as you want to be right, there is no backup." She hissed at her.

"And how can we be sure of that? You tried to make us believe that there aren't any, but you haven't really proved it yourself." Kenneth retorted.

"You can say what you want, but that doesn't change reality. There are no backups located anywhere in this castle at this time. So, if I were to destroy the ship right now, it's over. You get it? The S.S Paradise is the only thing that holds the keys to this world's prosperous future, and I can end it all with one click of a button. That is EVERYONE'S reality; not just yours but mine too." Melanie insisted firmly.

"T-There aren't any backups?" Melia double-checked with her.

"Not at this time, no!" The young girl hissed viciously, glaring at her with hate in her eyes.

'But why? Why wouldn't there be? It doesn't make sense…Is she truly this insane? Insane enough to throw herself under the bus? Not…at this time? Not…Wait! What did Madame X say again?' Melia thought to herself, recalling the conversation Madame X had with her and Julius on the stern of the S.S Paradise. And then…it hit her; she found the answer to this riddle before her.

"Y-You're telling the truth, there is no backup." Melia began, with Melanie letting out another condescending chuckle.

"Hahahaha, you see? This was all just a huge waste of time then!" She sneered.

"You didn't let me finish; it may be true that there isn't a backup anywhere…in this time." The blonde smirked, causing the young girl to jump back in surprise. "Just think about it. why need a backup if you could always just use the Time Diamond to go back to any point you want? If you were to destroy the S.S Paradise here, it would mean nothing to you because you can just go back."

"If that were true, then why would she risk her life like that when you have the diamond in your hand?" Valarie inquired. "Would she be in such position to blackmail you if you had the upper hand on her?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just as she said! I was just trying to get the diamond back to secure myself, that's all. I-It's why I gave you a second chance to hand it over! It's just as you said, Melia! I don't want this world to be in ruins like this forever! Hence why I went through great lengths to get that diamond back from you, as well as why I can't just let you have the diamond and return to your time in the first place! if you took that diamond away, you would take the only hope of humanity. Th-That is, if anything were to happen to the S.S Paradise of course!" Melanie blurted urgently, hoping to regain some ground, but the immaculate blonde before her wasn't ready to back down yet.

"A cute attempt at saving yourself, but there's a hole in the theory. If it mattered to you that much, then why didn't you just order the others to beat us up when you had the chance? If this jewel meant that much to you, you would've let Amber beat us up, all while Kenneth and the others distracted Julius. But you specifically asked for me to bring it to you." Melia began, slowly approaching the young girl, with Julius following behind her, thoroughly enjoying the snotty brat being put in her place. "There was something Madame X told me and Julius on the S.S Paradise; you said you were eavesdropping on us, so this should sound familiar. 'Don't let the Princess come into physical contact with you. the consequences would be dire.'"

"Grrrrrrrr!" Melanie seethed under her breath, on the verge of having a meltdown.

"That's why you wanted "me" to bring over the jewel to you personally. But if you wanted to get to me that badly, you would've just done so immediately. I don't know what it is, but you had to do something before you tried anything. You couldn't just attempt to do whatever it was that you were planning." The blonde continued, before opting to deal the coup de grace. "This isn't even the real Time Diamond, correct? It's a fake you created to piece together this grand scheme of yours. It's nothing but a distraction!" She continued, dropping it to the ground and stomped on it until it was naught but tiny little pieces.

"H-Have you gone mad?!" Kenneth cried out in surprise. "We don't even know if what you're saying is correct!"

"Melanie's face is all the confirmation my lady needs." Julius replied, smirking at the sight of the young girls' flustered expression. Within an instant, she brought out her remote and showed it to the heroes once more.

"Don't do it, Melanie. It's not worth it." Melia tried to calm her down, the young girl growling at her before tossing the remote aside, enabling Amber to scoop it up quickly. "You've lost Melanie, it's over."

"M-Me…lose? I don't think it'll go down that way. I never lose, I'm the Princess after all! Whatever I say, goes! Whatever I want to happen, will happen! If things don't work here, they will somewhere else! THIS WORLD IS POINTLESS! I'LL SEE TO IT THAT I SEE IT CRUMBLE BEFORE ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in defiance, snapping her fingers as a giant beam of light tore through the throne room sending the heroes flying back a few feet. Once the dust settled, it showed that everyone was knocked out, except for Melia and Julius who slowly approached the massive hole separating the two halves of the room.

"What on earth did she do…?" Julius exclaimed, eyeing up the hole wearily.

"I-I don't know…something just cut this whole castle in to, a very clean cut." Melia answered, turning briefly towards the others. "The blast knocked them out, but they seem to be doing okay. What a relief…"

"I'll say; that was a phenomenal performance you did back there, exposing that little weasel's plan." The young teen complimented her, only to step back in surprise as she saw Madame X leapt out of the hole and onto the other side. "Why am I not surprised you lived through that?"

"Stay alert, this isn't over yet. We still have her to deal with." Madame X warned them, the recognizable screech of a Yveltal echoing throughout the area. Stepping back in surprise, the duo saw Melanie rise up from the abyss on her steed, glaring at the two heroes.

"Melia…I must admit that you're far too smart for me. But it's just like you said, as long as the Time Diamond exists, I can start over. I'll keep trying my best to accomplish what needs to be done, and I won't stop until I do! As for you and your friends…I'll see to it that they're taken care of permanently, you stupid dullards! Yveltal, Decimation!" The young girl ordered, her Pokémon charging up a powerful ball of dark energy.

"M-MELIA!" Julius cried out, running in front of her as the Destruction Pokémon fired its attack, the young teen crying out in pain as it struck him dead on. The attack soon exploded, sending Melia flying back several feet as she clung onto the edge of a tower for dear life.

"I-Is this it? I c-can't hold on for much longer…" She winced, attempting to pull herself up as the last few moments dawned onto her. "Julius…did you protect me again, at the cost of your own life?"

Just then her grasp slipped, causing her to slide down the tower wall slowly with Melia struggling in vain. "No please…I-I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

'But maybe I should do just that…' A stray thought wandered into her mind, causing the blonde to lose her grip as she crashed into the ground beneath her, or at least she thought it was the ground. Somehow, she ended up in what looked like a shadowy void of sorts. 'H-Have I reached the bottom? Or have I just forgotten that I've fallen in the first place? is this real life? After all we've done together, for it to end like this…it's a little insulting, isn't it? But I suppose that's the fate for a girl as selfish as me. To think that I could solve the world's problems without anyone else's help. I've solved it alright. I've solved it by destroying everything. But I'm done. I've submitted. I can do no more harm, now that I'm gone. Isn't that right? Maybe…that's for the best?'

As the blonde was thinking to herself, a familiar multi-color ribbon slowly fell down to the ground beside her, the blonde weakly turning her head to look at it. 'Ah…it's the ribbon Venam got for me. Venam, I'm so sorry…I'm sorry for everything. I failed you, and I failed Julius. I'm the reason you're two are even in your situations. Everything that's happened to everyone has been because of me!' Melia thought to herself.

"Since when did you become such a whiny idiot, Melia?" A familiar voice called out, attracting the blonde's attention as what appeared to be the spirit of Venam approached her.

"V-Venam? How…did you find me?" Melia inquired.

"Man, did that fall knock out that brain of yours? I was here with you the whole time. That ribbon…that ribbon is what tied us together. It's what helped me find you here." The brown-haired girl answered, cracking a small smile at her.

"But…you're not really here. You're just…" The blonde continued.

"No…I'm not really here, but does it matter?" Venam replied casually.

"V-Venam, I'm so sorry…I'm sorry for what happened to you. If you never met me…If I were never born, you'd…you'd…" Melia began weakly, offering several apologies but the latter wouldn't hear them.

"Be bored as hell? Yeah, I would be. You're not, and never were a burden to me in any way. I know you blame yourself for everything, but this is one thing I just won't let slide. You've changed my life for the better. Sure, I may be a petrified piece of stone inside an incubator…but I'm lazy as hell so I'm always in that situation anyway! Please, don't beat yourself up, Melia!" The brown-haired girl supported her, only for the blonde to brush it aside.

"Ah…well, it doesn't matter anyway. It's all over for me. For all I know, I could already be dead." Melia replied weakly.

"S-Stop it! You're capable of so much, Melia. Don't give up now that I'm not around. You were always the one who got me up when I fell, and now it's my turn. There are still people waiting for you on top of this castle. You can't just let go of them now, they need you!" Venam began, tears streaming down her cheeks. "So, get the hell up, Melia! Because if you don't, then…then I'll never get to see my best friend ever again. And that fact alone would make this hell on earth!"

"Y-You're absolutely right, Venam! I can't give up here. Not now when you, Julius and the others need me; especially after all we've been through." Melia replied, slowly getting back up as a wondrous power started to form within her. "I can't give up on you…you gave me the strength I needed to be myself. You gave me the strength to help others when I needed help the most. After all you've given me, I think it's time to give myself strength. To reunite with you and thank you for all you've done for me."

"Yeah, that's the Melia I know!" The brown-haired girl cheered in support for her friend.

"Oh and Venam, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time now…" The blonde was ready to confess her love, only for Venam to hush her.

"No…you can tell me when you come to wake me up, okay?" Venam smiled, having a faint idea what Melia was going to say. "I'd prefer to hear it then."

"Yeah…that'll be perfect." Melia smiled, a wondrous light filling up the entire area.

Meanwhile, Melanie was looking over the ruined castle, figuring out who to kill next after disposing of Melia and Julius. However, the young girl would receive the shock of a lifetime as she saw Melia walking up to her, her gorgeous blonde hair now reaching her legs as she now wore a billowing white dress, with Venam's spirit floating beside her in support. Before the Princess could even speak, the duo began glowing brightly as they soon merged into one, with Melia soon channeling her hidden power as the entire island, no…the world was bathed by the light. The once blood-red sea was now transformed into a crystal blue ocean, the lifeless trees were revived as patches of grass grew all over the island. And it wasn't just the island; the entire world was bathed by her light, restoring it to its once pristine beauty. It was a miracle, a miracle only made possible by the unbreakable bond between Melia and Venam.

"I don't understand…how could this happen? This power…it's possible to do something like this all along? P-Perhaps…things could've gone another way…I could've done better? Ah…but this light is so warm…I guess those dullards aren't so bad after all. You win…Melia…" Melanie accepted defeat, slowly fading away from existence due to the blonde's power.

The rest of the people woke up to see Melia standing there, using the last of her power to bring back Julius, the young teen's eyes slowly opening as he found that he was alive, with Melia panting lightly to herself.

"Wh-What happened?! The last thing I remember was that I was struck by an attack and—" Julius began, only for the blonde to hush him.

"Don't worry…I'll explain later Julius." Melia replied, only for Amber to quickly run up to her in joy.

"Wow, who knew you were this fucking incredible! Just look around us…is this for real?!" The redhead exclaimed, eyeing up the lush vegetation that now populated the island.

"I-It feels too good to be true…everything is as it was before." Kenneth commented in awe.

"G-Guys, take a look over there!" Mosely called out pointing towards a ledge as the heroes saw what she was talking about. "I-Incredible! Whatever Melia did, it restored the world back to its former glory!"

"Everything is so damn green! Is it even supposed to look like that?" Amber inquired.

"Yes…This is how the world should be, bright and colorful!" Tesla told her, an ecstatic look in her eyes.

"Even the air smells better…it's almost burning my throat." Valarie chimed in.

"I don't know what you did Melia, but whatever it is, it was undoubtedly the most amazing thing you've ever done." Julius complimented her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get down there!" Mosely cheered, only for Amber to grab her arm firmly.

"Relax, we can go frolicking in the woods later. Right now, we need to find that Time Diamond that Melia and Julius need to get back to their own time." The redhead told her.

"Exactly, this is not their time, nor is it mine." A voice called out, the heroes turning around and saw Madame X walking up to Melia and Julius. "There's still a matter of our mission, right? Or are you going to forget about the original timeline you've forsaken?"

"You're right…there's no time to celebrate for Julius and I." The blonde admitted.

"Then we'll help you three look for it! it's the least we can do to repay you." Tesla began, only for Madame X to halt her in her spot.

"You're help isn't needed; I know where the diamond is." The Xen Dictator replied, catching the duo off-guard. "While you were off wasting time and having a nice look at the scenery…I did something productive and searched for it. it's in a few rooms behind the throne room we were just in."

"I see…" Melia replied, turning to face the others. "I guess this is goodbye. Thank you all for standing by our side, no matter what was thrown our way."

"Goodbye Melia, we'll never forget your act of kindness!" Mosely gave her goodbyes.

"I-I'm sorry for treating the both of you so terribly…it was fun, but you have your friends to look out for." Amber apologized to the duo for her previous hostility.

"I must thank you as well, Melia. If it wasn't for you, I'd be stuck in the castle with Melanie." Tesla thanked the blonde.

"I-I want to apologize as well for making your life on the S.S Paradise hell. T-Thanks for saving this planet, Melia." Valarie offered her apologies as well.

"I must bid you two farewell; despite the fact that it was you two that got us in this situation, the fact that you made things right is all that matters to me." Kenneth smiled, the group of five making their way downstairs leaving Melia and Julius alone with Madame X.

"Now that you've said your goodbyes, we can be on our way." The masked woman told them, the trio walking up the stairs, jumping over the gap to the other side as she made her way through the door, leaving the two teens to themselves.

"Now that we're alone…do you mind telling me what had happened?" Julius inquired, with Melia turning her head to the side as a smile graced her face.

"Venam saved me…she saved me when I needed her the most." Melia told him, turning to face the door again as she walked through it, with the young teen quickly following right behind her. However, the blonde soon called out to Madame X, attracting the older woman's attention. "Hey, are you just going to ignore what happened to me?"

"That's a hard thing to ignore." She replied firmly.

"I may have heard what you say when it happened, you said I awakened? What exactly do you mean by that?" The blonde demanded an answer.

"Melia, many people claim that you have the power to create Shiny Pokémon, correct? But did you think that "power" was solely for changing the DNA structure of Pokémon? That light that emanated from your body is far deeper than any Shiny Pokémon." Madame X began to explain the situation regarding her awakening.

"But this light is also responsible for that, right?" Melia continued.

"To some extent, yes." The masked woman confirmed.

"Then why did Melanie disappear when I did all of that?" The blonde pressed further.

"You did what Melanie tried to do to you. You figured it out, didn't you? Back when Melanie made you decide. Although I fell through the floor, I could still hear what was happening in this room, as could anyone who lived on this island. It was publicly broadcasted, after all." The Xen Dictator stated.

"Y-Yeah, she tried to bait me into giving her the Time Diamond. I only figured it out because you told me to avoid making physical contact with her. What would've happened if Melanie had successfully tricked me?" Melia inquired.

"You wouldn't be standing here now. That's all I have to say about that." Madame X answered.

"But what about Julius? You saw him shield me from Yveltal's attack. It was so powerful that it knocked me right off the castle. Yet here he is, in one piece. Not a single scratch on him either." The blonde continued.

"You used the last of your power to revive him, before transforming back into your normal form. This isn't the only brush with death he's had, but it was the one that made me finally understand what he is; the Interceptor." The Xen Dictator told her.

"Interceptor…wasn't that what the Puppet Master called you back then?" Melia asked Julius.

"Yes, it was. I don't think I could ever forget something like that." Julius answered, turning to face Madame X. "Do you know what an Interceptor is? Because I sure as hell would like to know."

"Hah…I'm sure you would like to know." Madame X replied, walking away from them as the teens were stumped once again.

"You get one answer, only to get 200 questions in return. Guess that's just how the cookie crumbles—Eh?" The blonde began, only for the young teen to hug her out of the blue.

"Th-Thank you for saving me back there…I owe you my life." He smiled at her, realizing his mistake and backed off slightly. "E-Er, sorry about that."

"No need to apologize to me. We're lovebirds, remember?" Melia giggled, recalled back to the promise she made to Venam before her awakening. The moment she wakes up, she will confess her love to her. "Anyway, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer."

"R-Right!" Julius exclaimed, the duo continuing to follow her into a small room in the back, where the Time Diamond laid quietly on the table in all its multicolor glory, with several bookcases alongside the walls. "Woah…that's the Time Diamond? It's so beautiful…"

"Madame X, I have a question for you. How exactly did I awaken myself?" The blonde inquired.

"Who knows…I saw Venam with you when you appeared before Melanie. Perhaps the unbreakable bond you had with her allowed you to have some sort of inner change." Madame X answered, her attention fixed on the Time Diamond. "As I'm sure you managed to deduce, this is the actual Time Diamond."

"I can see the difference for myself; this one changes color and everything." Melia chimed in, gazing at the Time Diamond. "But I'm a little surprised you fell for the fake one so easily. You said you had a Time Diamond before, so you should've seen the difference right there and then."

"Think of this diamond like weaponry. A sword on it's first day of creation is shiny and sharp. Over time though, it loses its shine and luster. It becomes dull and eventually breaks. The Time Diamond is no different, after many uses it becomes less beautiful. My Time Diamond was used so many times that it no longer sparkled like this gem." The Xen Dictator explained to the duo.

"Either way, let's just go back already." Julius requested, eager to get back to his own time as the Mimikyu from before was able to sneak into the room undetected.

"Before we do that, I must explain something. When we go back, there will be two versions of you and Melia. The universe doesn't allow for the same person to exist in the same time simultaneously. If this were to happen, eventually the universe would delete one of you to correct things. Your Time gear amulets will protect you from this, but if you were to ever lose them…I don't suppose you'd want to leave your existence up to the world, would you?" The masked woman informed them.

"Okay, so what can we do about that?" Melia inquired.

"We're going to have to force the universe to accept us through a process called overlapping. By coming into contact with yourself from a different time, you can merge with them. This will erase any risk of being deleted by the universe, but the process has its own risks. The main risk is being overtaken. The one with the strongest mind always comes out on top. If your past self has a better state of mind and force of will, they will become the dominant mind and you will be erased. Do you both understand?" Madame X told them, the duo quickly whispering to themselves for a moment.

"Yes, we do understand. If Melia and I were to fail the overlapping process, we risk our very existence." The young teen replied.

"Not your total existence, just the version of you that exists before me. If you were to lose your past self, you would end up being stuck in a time loop. You'd save Vivian from her fate yet again, and then repeat everything that happened here." The masked woman corrected him.

"I understand…but you mentioned contact with ourselves, right? Like physical contact? Don't tell me…" Melia began.

"You've already figured it out, and let's leave it at that. We're going to leave this wretched world once and for all." Madame X told her.

"Fine, but understand this, Madame X. once we're back to our time, and after we settle things…this little truce of ours will be over." The blonde stated firmly, with Julius nodding in support.

"Of course, but I also want you to understand something, Melia. That light that beamed from your body moments ago…one day that sacred light will be mine, then nothing would be able to stop me." The Xen Dictator warned her.

"As if I'd let that happen, we're not going down without a fight!" Melia retorted.

"Yeah, I've still got a bag full of payback to dish to you!" Julius chimed in, the older woman chuckling at them.

"And what a fight it will be…a fight to the finish!" Madame X replied, activating the Time Diamond as it hovered in the air, blanketing the room in an ethereal blue glow as the room's occupants, including the Mimikyu were transported from this timeline to their original timeline.

Whew…this takes the cake for the longest chapter I've ever done; I put in a lot of effort into making it as great as it is, so I hope it's satisfactory enough for you all. I know the battles were a little on the short side, but I'll make it up to you by writing up an amazing gym battle in the next chapter. Anyway, this was a major moment in the story for both our main protagonists, especially Melia. That personal moment between her and Venam before her awakening was one of my absolute favorites in the entire game, and I hope I was able to do that part, as well as the entirety of the bad future arc the justice it deserves. And on the topic of their conversation, I have a great idea on how to write the inevitable confession involving them and Julius, but that's for when the appropriate time comes. Don't worry, none of the future chapters will be this long, as I know that long chapters can be a bit overwhelming. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you all in the next chapter.