Welcome to the next chapter of Rejuvenation, where we'll be treated to a series of epic events. I hope you all enjoy what's coming up in this chapter, as I know I will.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.
Hiyoshi City
Having made his way back to Hiyoshi City, Ren was planning on informing Nymiera on what had happened to her trusted friend, Kanon. However, he figured that it wouldn't hurt to check up on Julius beforehand, given that it would only take a minute or so. Making his way to the hospital, he promptly entered the front lobby, only to see his friend signing something on the front counter.
"There you go." Julius said to the receptionist, handing over the document that indicated that he was ready to be discharged. "I thank you all for keeping an eye on my while I was out."
"Not a problem, mister. If anything, you should be thanking the young gentleman who brought you here…as a matter of fact, he just stepped through the door." The receptionist smiled at him, the young teen turning to see Ren approaching the counter.
"Julius! It's such a relief to see you're well again!" The raven-haired teen smiled, the duo giving each other a firm handshake.
"I owe you one, Ren. I don't know when I can repay you, but I'll find a way." Julius promised, only for Ren to brush it off.
"No need to repay me, I was just doing the right thing. That being said, we really need to head over to Nymiera's place as soon as possible." Ren stated, gesturing his friend to follow him out the hospital.
"So what exactly happened while I was out of commission?" The young teen inquired.
"Long story short, I helped a young girl named Anastasia confront her mother over some misgivings in their relationship. Things went better than expected as she didn't even need my help to stand up for herself." The raven-haired teen began to explain.
"By any chance, was her mother's name Katsu?" Julius inquired, catching his friend off-guard.
"Y-Yeah, how did you…" He began.
"I had a brush with her a while ago. It's good to see that they buried the hatchet and decided to start over again." The young teen chimed back. "Did anything else happen?"
"Yes, right after they had sorted out their issues, I saw Kanon get captured by some evil Gardevoir. That's why I have to warn Nymiera; she could be in danger." Ren continued, with Julius raising an eyebrow in concern.
"Then we have to get a move on; that Gardevoir is no joke. She's a manipulative witch who nearly got Kugearen City destroyed in an explosion." He informed his friend, the duo beginning to sprint towards Nymiera's house and entered it abruptly. From there, they made their way to the back room, where they saw Nymiera having a pleasant conversation with her friends.
"I had this pendant custom made for me and my family on Kristiline Island. Hopefully my son will like it when he grows up." Anju stated, showing Nymiera and Hazuki a wondrous blue pendant that bore a striking resemblance to the one that had materialized in Julius' bag somehow, something he still needed an answer for.
"Sorry to break your conversation up, but I need to tell you something. Kanon has been captured!" Ren informed the trio, who were taken aback by the news.
"Captured? Shall I go search for him?" Hazuki inquired, only for Nymiera to raise a hand in the air.
"While appreciated, it isn't necessary. After all, I can just call him and he'll appear soon enough." The black-haired woman reassured her, promptly calling out to Kanon. Seconds went by, seconds that soon turned to minutes, however Kanon did not show up at all. "That's odd…he should be here by now."
"The one responsible for his capture is no ordinary being; she has dark powers that can ensure that he remains a prisoner. Hence why we need to rescue him right now." Julius stated, alerting the older woman of his presence.
"Adr—Julius. It's so good to see that you're alright again!" Nymiera smiled at him, managing to cover up her initial slip-up as she turned to face Ren. "Who is this being that he's talking about? Surely you must know something about it?"
"I don't have much to go on, but his captor was some red and black Gardevoir. Julius just told me that she's no laughing matter, given how she nearly orchestrated the destruction of Kugearen City." Ren answered her question.
"That's not the only thing she did; she attacked Vivian while she was performing an important ritual to save the region." Anju chimed in, turning to see that Nymiera was…shaking on the spot slightly? As if she was shivering from the cold or something? "A-Are you alright."
"Y-Yes…everything is fine. Please, wait for me outside." She requested, the group giving her a quick look before promptly making their way outside the apartments. Once she was alone, Nymiera was free to speak to herself.
"Why…? I've tried so hard to move on from that time. I thought you did, too. After I thought you found a wife and finally settled down…you won't give up. You've never given up. Not once. And you know something? I can't blame you, either." She began, making her way to the paintings that depicted the history of the world's creation. "How many times have I tried to forget the past? But it's something you can't forget. It's etched into the hearts of each and every person on this planet. The past has a funny way of creeping up on you. But that's just how destiny works, right? The end is near. And I will be the one to end it. once and for all. For everyone who has died by your hands, Vitus!"
0000
The group of four were waiting patiently outside, hoping that Nymiera wouldn't take too long in getting ready. Luckily, they wouldn't have to wait any longer as their ally promptly exited the apartment complex, having changed out of her usual outfit into the reddish-pink robe that Julius saw in that painting back then.
"Everyone, this is it. We're looking for Vitus' lair. It's hidden somewhere in this city, we just have to find it. And when we do, we'll rescue Kanon and end Vitus once and for all!" Nymiera pledged to her allies. "The crimes he's committed upon this world are inexcusable. What he did to push Vivian was unforgivable; we will avenge her, and everyone who lost their lives to his evil. People and Pokémon alike!"
"Vitus? Who is she talking about?" Ren whispered to Julius.
"Let me explain; Vitus, or Indriad as he's calls himself these days, was a young father who was pushed over the edge by the murder of his wife, an act orchestrated by his very own Gardevoir. He is the one who had inflicted so much suffering on Maria, and for that, I won't forgive him!" Julius answered, a hint of firmness and venom in his tone as he saw the older woman turned to face the two teens.
"Ren, Julius, I must ask you two for your assistance. Gather your friends and aid us in our search." She requested.
"Yes ma'am!" The raven-haired teen replied firmly.
"Anju, you will search the south western section of the city. Hazuki, I want you to search this area. There's a chance the enemy could be lurking beneath us without our knowledge." Nymiera asked her friends.
"Understood, Lady Nymiera." Hazuki pledged, bowing slightly in respect.
"This will be our final mission. Move out!" The black-haired woman called out, with the three women heading off in separate directions leaving the two teens to themselves.
"Since she asked us to find Reina and Huey, I suppose we should go do tha—" Julius began, only to get interrupted by two mysterious figures tackling him to the ground. "G-Gah! Be gentle with me…"
"Julius! I'm so thankful you're alright; I came this close to puking when I heard what happened to you…" Huey admitted, the duo helping their friend off the ground.
"I'm glad that it didn't end up going that far. All jokes aside, I'm relieved that you're much better now. But what happened to you back there? Did that mysterious man really ambush you from behind?" Reina inquired.
"No, he wasn't the one who put me in that state. When I investigated the mansion in the pass, I was struck by a series of painful headaches. During those headaches, I heard voices…voices that sounded familiar, but I can't put my finger on why. I don't know what they were talking about, but it had to involve me somehow." The young teen explained, a sense of curiosity and intrigue welling up inside the others.
"Seems that guy was right when he denied any involvement in your injuries." Ren stated, his mind mulling over something that man had told him. From the way he talked about Julius, it was as if he was someone that could alter the course of fate. He was sorely tempted to ask his friend for any ideas what he could've been talking about, but he didn't want to risk another incident like the previous one. "That being said, we were just looking for you two. Things are starting to get serious, and I'm sure you know what I said before. If things get too rough out here, I want you two to stay out of it."
"Ren, you know me; no matter what you say about it, we'll ignore it and stand by your side." The raven-haired girl replied quickly.
"I figured you'd say that; hence why there's no point in fighting over it. I need your help once more; specifically, to look for an underground base. Have either of you seen anything like that?" Her older brother asked, the duo mulling it over for a bit.
"Well…there were these weird people at the lake Reina and I visited. They were dressed up as maids and were standing around as if waiting for something. However, they both returned to the city so I doubt we'll get anything by investigating the lake." Huey informed him.
"They must be some of Indriad's followers; we find them and we'll most likely find their base." Julius deduced, turning to face the young duo. "You two stay here just in case the maids flee in this direction. With any luck, we can set up an ambush and capture them."
"Can't say I like the idea of waiting around here for the enemy to come to us, but I suppose we have no choice." Reina sighed lightly, having accepted the plan quicker than her brother had expected. "We'll wait here, but if you find the base, you WILL let us know. Got it?"
"I understand. Come, Julius." Ren told his friend, the duo making their way to the city center and began their search for the maids. However, it was a task easier said than done; finding a specific pair of people in a city as large as Hiyoshi was no easy task. They spent half-an-hour searching various shops and buildings for the elusive duo, scouring the city from top to bottom the best they could. But just as they were about to give up, fate threw a bone at them for once. While resting on a wooden bench, they caught what looked like a maid whispering to another maid, the duo promptly entering a small park near the mayor's office as the duo got up to investigate them. Crouching behind a small bush, they eavesdropped on the maids, hoping that once of them spills the location of their base.
But instead of talking, the duo quickly made their way out of the park and towards where the duo were hiding. Uttering quiet cries of surprise, the two teens quickly dove into the bush, watching the two maids make their way out of the park before silently emerging from the bush. Once they brushed the leaves off their bodies, they quickly followed the maids through the city before winding up at an isolated bench south of the shopping district. Hiding behind a tree, they saw one of the maids pull on a branch as the ground before the bench opened up, revealing a hidden staircase that lead to who knows where.
"Nice…all we need to do is—" Ren whispered, only for his speaker phone to start ringing as a look of fear formed on his face. "SHIT!"
"C-Can't you turn it off?" Julius whispered back, watching his friend fumble with the device as he saw the two maids approaching the duo. Thankfully, Ren was able to switch his phone off a few seconds later, but their cover was already blown at this point.
"Well, well, well. Looks like we have ourselves some eavesdroppers. Surrender to us now, and we'll finish you off quickly." The first maid warned them, only for Julius to laugh darkly at her. "Oh? What's so funny, young man?"
"What I find funny is the fact that you're not willing to go through with your threat; otherwise you would've done so already. However, I myself have a personal reason for disposing of your master and his twisted Gardevoir. If neither of you step out the way, then I'll just have to add you to the list…" He smirked, reaching for a Pokéball and threw it to the ground, his Chainite emerging from it as it uttered a low growl at the maids. "Now this fella here is looking for the trainer who abandoned it long ago, the same man as the one I'm hunting down. However, it has no issue taking out its anger on anyone it deems to be an obstacle…do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Y-You dare send out your demon to attack us?! Master Indraid is right; you are a wicked child!" The second maid scoffed in disgust.
"If you want a battle, then I'm more than happy to—" The first maid began, reaching for a Pokeball of her own, only to cry out from surprise as she was sent flying into the air. The two teens watched her go in awe, turning around and saw Hazuki standing where the maid stood, her sword drawn out and aimed at the second maid.
"Now, now. There's no need to be so—" She began only for a blast of ice to send her flying to the trees, the duo turning once more and saw Anju and Nymiera approaching the others.
"Woah there, I get that this is a serious issue, but was attacking them really necessary? Mind you, I'm not a fan of what Julius was doing, but I think he was merely threatening them as opposed to actually planning to attack them. Right, Julius?" Ren exclaimed, hoping that his friend would back him up.
"The maids? I have no real grudge against them, so violence wouldn't be necessary. Their master though, I can't say that I wouldn't harm him. As I've said, I have a bone to pick with him." The young teen admitted, his friend shooting a look of concern at him. Just how deep did his grudges cling onto him? In a way, it reminded him of how Goldenleaf Town used to be, stewing in anger over the lives they lost that tragic day. still, it gave him a side-goal of sorts; if he couldn't save his hometown from their grudge, then perhaps he could save his friend from his grudge.
"Your concern isn't needed Ren, those maids were just familiars. They weren't real people." Hazuki reassured him.
"Exactly, they've been manifested through Garufan magic. They'll just fizzle away into nothing when destroyed." Anju chimed in.
"We don't have much time; Kanon must be saved and Vitus must be dealt with. Otherwise, he will destroy everything we know and love." Nymiera reminded the younger duo.
"Agreed. He will pay for his crimes, even if it's by my hand." Julius pledged, with Chainite letting out another growl of support.
"In that case, we'll split off into two groups. You two will gather your friends and join us, while we'll be making out way through the base." The black-haired woman told them, gesturing her friends to follow her down the staircase.
"Hey, Julius. You mind giving my sister and Huey a ring? I've got a call to attend to as you may've heard." Ren requested, his friend giving him a quick nod as he took out his CyberNav and began dialing them up. The raven-haired teen took this time to call the number back, only to see that it was Nastasia once again; as he expected, she was less than impressed that he ignored her call. "Look, sorry about ignoring your call, but I was trying to be discreet and the ringtone gave my position away. And to be honest, after you hung up on me before, I don't think you have much room to complain."
"I suppose that's an adequate reason for your actions. My apologies for hanging up on you before. I got a bit…unstable." Nastasia accepted his excuse.
"It's water under the bridge. Right now, I'm about to do something really dumb; I'm sure I told you this before." Ren informed her.
"Yes, yes. You've told me this before. Listen, I know that being stupid is in your nature, and I respect it. Just don't die on me, okay." She told him.
"Awwww, do you care for me…?" He cooed affectionately in a joking manner, only for his boss to frown viciously at him.
"F-Forget what I said; you can die in a blaze of glory for all I care!" Nastasia snapped at him, promptly ending the call as a sigh escaped from his mouth.
"Jeez, I was only kidding…" The raven-haired teen commented, turning to face his friend who tucked his CyberNav away. "Any luck getting in contact?"
"Yes, I was able to tell them about what we found. They should be arriving here…now." Julius replied, the duo watching their friends arrive just on cue. "Ah, seems I was spot on."
"Heya! I'm glad you kept your promise to me!" Reina smiled at the duo, turning to see the opening that he had mentioned in the call. "Who would've thought something like this would be so close to the city?"
"It looks a little scary, to be honest…" Huey eyed up the staircase wearily.
"Here's the plan; Kanon has been captured by some evil Gardevoir and we're here to rescue him. Nymiera and her friends have already entered to confront her trainer, Vitus, while the two of us waited here for you two. Neither of you have to follow us down there if you don't want to." Ren informed the duo about the situation.
"Oh brother, you know me so well. I'm not afraid of some evil Gardevoir! Come, Huey!" The raven-haired girl called out to the redhead, the latter following her cautiously down the staircase. Turning to face Julius, the two teens gave each other a nod as they followed their friends down the staircase.
Underground Sanctuary
Upon stepping into the underground sanctuary, the first thing they notice was the oppressive atmosphere in the air, the dark corridors dimly lit by a series of torches hanging off the walls. There were numerous images of Unown on the walls and floor of the sanctuary, and the area itself was surprisingly cold.
"Th-This place is way too spooky for me…I think I'm gonna puke again." Huey shivered in a mixture of cold and fear.
"Again…?" Ren inquired out of curiosity.
"He puked while we were at the lake." Reina answered quickly, shooting a look at her weakened friend.
"I-I get squeamish whenever I get nervous…" The redhead admitted, turning to face her. "What about you, Reina? Are you scared?"
"Not really, but that's because I don't really understand what we're up against." The raven-haired girl answered his query.
"What we're up against is a foe who has no problem harming young children in order to achieve their goals. Therefore, I suggest you take extreme caution in this place." Julius informed her.
"But if that's not a sufficient indicator on how scary our foe is, think of Uncle Leo at Aunt Lisa's wedding when he didn't get his meds or slice of dulce de leche cake." Ren added, only for his younger sister to jump in fright.
"H-Holy shit, my heart just dropped. It's literally in my ass right now." Reina exclaimed, the young teen raising an eyebrow at her response. Whatever happened at that wedding must've been terrifying to warrant such a reaction. "Y-You can't just drop a bomb like that on me, brother!"
"Heheheh, that was funny. Well what are we waiting for, let's explore this place already!" Huey called out, as he and Reina made their way through the dark tunnels and into the darkness that permeated the area.
"I'm beginning to regret letting them come along…" Ren sighed in a mixture of annoyance and weariness.
"Understandable, but they would've followed us here whether we invited them or not." Julius chimed in, resting his hand on his friends' shoulder.
"Good point Jul—G-Gah!" The raven-haired teen began, only to cry out in pain as his body was soon coated in a thin layer of electricity, with Julius stepping back in shock. "Instantly regret…instantly…regret…instantly regret…instantly…regret. W-What about you, Reina?"
"H-Huh?" The young teen mused to himself, wondering what exactly was happening to his friend. But as suddenly as it began, it had ended, leaving the duo more confused than before. "R-Ren! Are you okay? What happened there?!"
"I…I don't know. It must be…must be the atmosphere that did something to me. It's not worth worrying about, though. We best get a move on." Ren began, keeping the fact that he glitched out at the Voidal Chasm as well.
"A-Alright then." Julius replied cautiously, watching his friend make his way through the dimly lit tunnels. From the way Ren brushed off the incident, it was as if it were a normal occurrence to him. But there was nothing normal about what just happened; somehow Ren must've experienced a temporary glitch in the matrix that had affected him greatly. Either way, he knew that such topics are best saved for later, the young teen making his way deeper into the dark tunnels in the hopes of catching up with his friends.
0000
"I hope he's gonna be alright…" Ren sighed to himself, having narrowly avoided a steel gate closing down upon him. The raven-haired teen knew that his friend would have to find another way through the sanctuary, if one existed that is. But the only thing he could do know was move forward and hope that Kanon was alright. After a few minutes of walking, he emerged in what looked the ceremonial room, with a few pathways leading to the large altar in the middle that served as the rooms floor. Stepping onto the altar, he saw that both Huey and Reina were looking around the place, the trio soon getting alerted by someone calling out to them.
"Ren!" Nymiera called out to him from the other side of the room. "I want to thank you and your friends for coming this way. But I must apologize and ask that you leave the rest of this to us. When you get back to my house, please check behind the bookcase in my room. Things will be clear when you do that. Goodbye Ren, Reina and Huey. May we meet each other in the future. One more thing…if any of you see Julius, tell him that we will meet again when the Obelisk emerges."
Watching the older woman leave, the trio were stumped at what she was talking about, notably the obelisk she had mentioned. "What does she mean when she talked about the obelisk emerging?" Reina inquired.
"Didn't she want the four of us to help her save Kanon? Why does she want us to leave all of a sudden?" Huey added. "I thought he was the only way back to our time…"
"I don't have an answer to any of those questions; the best thing to do is turn back and search for him our—" Ren began, only to get cut off by a large ball of dark energy materializing over the altar, a familiar foe emerging from the ball of darkness.
"I don't remember inviting you three here…" Gardevoir crooned at the trio, a slight hint of mockery in her tone.
"The people behind RSVPing are always so incompetent. But I can assure you we're definitely on the list" The raven-haired girl scoffed at the Pokémon.
"Yeah, maybe she should check her list again…" The redhead chimed in, only for Ren to shoot the duo a gaze of disapproval. "What? It sounded funny in my mind."
"I don't know about you, but I grow tired of these games. Master Indriad's plan is almost at fruition; I cannot allow anymore interference." Gardevoir stated bluntly, as if she were ordering the trio to leave this place immediately.
"Argh! Forget about Indriad, or Vitus or whatever he calls himself! Where is Kanon?!" Ren demanded.
"Kanon has been stored deeper within the ruins. Originally, I had placed a tracker on Nymiera's lackey to finally reveal her location. But fate granted me with something else, Kanon. And it worked marvelously; like roaches scavenging for food, they all appeared." The twisted Pokémon boasted gleefully, proud of herself for her devious plan.
"I-I don't get it. Why did you want Nymiera to show herself that badly? Who exactly is she?" The raven-haired teen pressed further.
"Bah, I don't see the point in talking to death fodder. Did you really think I'd let you three leave here alive?" Gardevoir stated, using her power to envelop Reina and Huey in the same dark balls of energy she had previously emerged from, taking them elsewhere into the sanctuary.
"W-What did you do to them?!" Ren demanded angrily, his foe chuckling at him in contempt.
"I warped them somewhere else in this place. I'd do the same to you, but there's something about you I find…interesting. Most notably that body of yours; it's artificial, isn't it?" She inquired, catching the raven-haired teen off-guard as she slowly approached him. "I knew it, it lacked a human aura. Care to tell me why you're walking around in an empty shell?"
"H-Hey, I should be the one asking questions around here, not you. Where exactly did you take Reina and Huey?!" He demanded once more.
"E-Enough with these meaningless questions; I've let your kind roam free for far too long. It's about time I got truly serious!" Gardevoir declared, her body soon consumed by the dark energy as she began to change form. The dark energy soon dispersed, revealing her true form; her body was now a mixture of black and white, a pair of shadowy black wings stemming from her back. Her right hand had morphed into a scythe head and was shining in the otherwise dark room. Finally, there was a red halo of sorts hovering over her head that was marked with an ancient rune of sorts, most likely connected to the Garufan tribe of old. "There is far too much on the line to let things continue as they are. I will do ANYTHING in my power to stop anyone who gets in my master's way."
"I don't think you heard me before…What exactly did you do to my friend and sister?!" Ren asked once more, a pair of metallic wings growing from his body as he soon began floating above the ground.
"Ahahahahaha…how interesting. I wouldn't have it any other way." Gardevoir commented, the duo lunging at each other as they began their epic showdown.
0000
"Argh! It feels like I'm going around in circles…" Julius complained, traversing the dark tunnels with his Chainite by his side. Since the steel gates in the corridor were down, he was unable to head straight down the corridor, where his friends had gone down. And while he didn't like the fact that he was separated from them, he can take comfort knowing that the three of them were safe and sound, or so he assumed. Just then, the young teen was struck by another headache, resting himself on the wall as he heard a voice speaking to him in his mind.
"Your friends are in danger. If you do not hurry, it'll be the end for Ren, Reina and Huey. Let us save them, together…thank you for being there for me, Julius." The voice from before spoke to him, fading away from his mind as his headache soon died down.
"T-That voice…it referred to me by name. W-Who was that person? Could it be that Adrest fellow that Nymiera mentioned back then?" The young teen asked himself getting off the wall and continued down the tunnel, only for a second voice to catch him off-guard.
"Maria, my child…I can feel your presence." Anathea called out, materializing from the Soul Stone as the young teen stepped back in surprise. "It has been a long time since we last met, Julius."
"It has been a while, Anathea. You said you can feel Maria's presence here, right?" Julius inquired.
"Yes, I can feel her presence somewhere in this dungeon. Perhaps…perhaps that is why I'm able to appear before you once more. Maria's presence must have awakened me once more! Please, help me find Maria. Together, I knew we can do it." The older woman requested.
"Mark my word, we will save her. No matter what I must do, Maria will be saved!" The young teen pledged, the older woman giving him a grateful smile as she disappeared back into the Soul Stone. With a renewed vigor, Julius made his way through the dimly lit tunnels, searching high and low for any nook and cranny Maria could be held captive in. However, a few minutes into his search, he happened to come across…Anastasia? What was she doing here?
"Y-You're Maria's friend!" Anastasia turned to face the young teen. "Are you here to look for her as well?"
"Indeed I am, but I insist that you leave this place. Gardevoir is a most evil foe and she wouldn't hesitate to kill you if she finds you." Julius warned her, only for the young girl to brush his concerns aside.
"I'm not afraid of her anymore; I've grown a lot stronger since we last met!" The purple-haired girl replied boldly. "I'll be fine on my own here; you need to search the deepest parts of this place."
"If you insist…just promise me that you won't get yourself hurt. Maria would be devastated if anything were to happen to you." The young teen requested, with Anastasia giving him a firm nod as the duo went their separate ways. While traversing through these tunnels, Julius had spotted what looked like several pitfalls line with spikes, a heavy stone slab looming precariously over it as if waiting to trap any unsuspecting soul who would fall down the pit. He shivered at the thought of Anastasia accidently falling into one and suffer a most horrifying death, so he opted to get that thought out his head and continued down the corridor. Over the next fifteen minutes, the young teen desperately searched the area for Maria, but wasn't able to find her. Sighing to himself in weariness, he was about to sit by the wall for a quick rest when he suddenly heard a faint cry for help.
"W-Who was that? Is that you, Maria?!" Julius began, quickly running down the corridor, only to find himself in a small room of sorts, a large ball of dark energy floating in the center. Taken aback by the sight before him, he would only be further surprised to see Anathea rematerialize beside him.
"I can feel a person's aura within this rift. You won't be able to do anything, but I can probably get in myself. This will be dangerous, so step back." The older woman warned him, stepping inside the darkness as a distorted voice soon echoed throughout the room.
"What's the point of even acting like I'm happy…? On the outside I act as if I've got no care in the world. But on the inside, I'm torn up. Do you know what I told Rune before she went missing? We got into a fight and I told her that I hated her, and now she's gone. And then Ren and his sister came into the picture. I grew jealous of both of them. So jealous, that I thought…I thought that if I had to suffer, then so should they. I wished they were separated! I'M A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING…I just want my sister back… I JUST WANT RUNE TO BE WITH ME AGAIN!"
'That voice…Huey!' Julius thought to himself, watching as what looked to be a corrupted version of his friend emerged from the darkness, grabbing a pair of Pokéballs as he sent out an Octillery and a Flareon, his beloved companion, who were also corrupted by the darkness. A plan soon formed in the young teen's mind; if he defeated him in battle, then perhaps Chainite could consume the darkness that clung onto his heart. Taking a Pokéball out of his pocket, Julius promptly sent out his Syrentide, the Siren Pokémon letting out a quick chime of determination.
She opted to begin the initiative by calling forth a tidal wave to flood the area, with the Flareon quickly retreating to high ground while the Octillery was more than content with staying put and allowed the water to flow around it. Using the new source of water to its advantage, the Octillery sucked it up with its mouth before firing it back with incredible force, with Syrentide narrowly dodging the powerful blast of water before countering with a Moonblast that sent her foe flying towards the back wall, leaving a sizable crater as a few stone chips fell to the ground. Seeing that it was on it's own, the Flareon let out a quick cry to bolster it's spirit, cloaking it's body in fire as it tackled the Siren Pokémon, causing the latter to cry in surprise as she was pushed back several feet. However, she was not ready to throw in the towel yet, channeling her inner power to create another tidal wave that swamped the area once more, only this time Flareon wasn't able to escape in time. the corrupted Huey stepped back in surprise, taken aback by how quickly his Pokémon were defeated.
"Now!" Julius called out, his Chainite springing to action as it's shadowy hands held a firm grip on Huey's shoulders, the Retribution Pokémon draining the young man of the negative emotions that had consumed him. Slowly but surely, the rift of darkness that had enveloped him had disappeared, the redhead freed from his corruption as he slowly began to regain his composure.
"Ugh…why? Why were you able to hear that? No one was supposed to know about what I said to my sister…" Huey groaned weakly, rubbing his aching head as he turned to face the young teen. "J-Julius?! For a moment, I thought you were either Ren or Reina…"
"It's okay Huey, I'm here to help you, as is Anathea." The young teen replied calmly, gesturing to the ethereal woman beside him.
"It's a relief to see that you are unharmed; the name's Anathea." She greeted the redhead. "The both of us had worked together to draw out and eliminate the corruption that had plagued your heart."
"N-Nice to meet you, miss…" Huey replied nervously, before noticing that his Pokémon were injured. "W-What happened to my friends?"
"You sent them out to attack us while under the corruption. Don't worry, they'll be fine after some rest." Julius informed him, the redhead consoling his injured friends before recalling them back in their balls. "So, do you have any idea what had happened to you?"
"I…I'm not sure myself. I know that Reina's in danger as well, so we need to get a—" The redhead began, only for the area to begin quaking out of nowhere. "W-Woah! Sounds like someone is fighting. Is Ren fighting that evil Gardevoir?"
"If he is, then we need to help him as soon as possible!" Julius called out, gesturing the group to follow him as quickly as they can.
0000
Ren was doing his best to defeat the twisted Gardevoir, but no matter what he tried, she would always find a way to counter his attacks. The duo clashed in midair, hoping to knock the other onto the ground to perform a finishing move, trading quick banter with each other in the hopes of psyching them out.
"Y-You're tough…" Ren panted at his foe.
"What's wrong? Faltering already?" Gardevoir taunted, a low growl escaping from her opponents' mouth as he lunged at her, only for her to dodge it and grab him by the scruff of his neck. "This is all you are? You have the gall to stand up to me? Master Indriad blessed me with this power long ago…allow me to demonstrate!"
With a quick fling of her wrist, she sent the raven-haired teen flying into the wall, the latter crying out in pain as the twisted Pokémon pressed him firmly against the brick wall. "A-Argh! W-Why are you doing this…?" He asked weakly.
"Why I'm doing what I do? It's because Master Indriad showed me this world's filth. Humanity and Pokémon alike, both on this planet…it was never meant to be. We were never meant to be created! We're a putrid plague placed upon humanity that lives to destroy everything!" She began her justification for her deeds, a second wind coursing through Ren as he pushed her off of him. "Somehow, you've shown yourself to be even worse than I thought. You are neither human or Pokémon, but a coward that hides in an empty shell. How could you do such a thing? You were once pure."
"I'll show you who the real coward is!" Ren snapped at her, lunging at her only for the Gardevoir to grab him, lifting him up in the air before throwing him onto the ground.
"Hmph. I'm afraid this pointless skirmish is beginning to wear thin. There's no use dragging it on, I'm willing to end this. Goodbye, Ren." She told him, slowly making her way towards him.
0000
The group had continued to run down the halls of this sanctuary, searching desperately for a way to meet up with Ren and help him out. However, the group soon stumbled upon another ball of darkness in a small room, floating above the group. Given how similar it looked to the previous one, this meant that they had found Reina, the raven-haired girl trapped in the same situation as Huey was.
"Rena must be in there; we have to save her!" Huey called out to the others.
"Indeed, she is in there. Like before, I will have to step inside and draw her out so that Julius can cleanse her of her corruption." Anathea stated, quietly entering the rift as another distorted echoed throughout the area.
"I've travelled the region for so long…to make sure my brother was okay. After so much travelling, I found out that he had joined Team Xen. But then…I find out that everything was just a misunderstanding. But is it?! Is he simply lying to me? To all of us?! He's going to kill us. He's going to kill all of us! I know it! I won't let him do this. I won't let him kill everyone!"
On cue, the corrupted Reina emerged from the rift, taking out two of her Pokéballs as she sent out her Honchkrow and Swoobat. The two Flying types, floating calmly in the air. As his Syrentide was a little exhausted from her previous battle, Julius opted to recalled her, sending out his Frosthra in her place as the fluffy moth quietly flapped its wings in the air.
The Honchkrow initiated the battle by taking to the skies and swooped down on the Frost Moth Pokémon, who dodged the attack and countered by conjuring a chilling cold gust of wind that caused the opposing Pokémon to shiver on the spot. However, neither one of them was ready to throw in the towel yet, with the Swoobat channeling its psychic power to conjure up an orb of energy that absorbed the darkness around it. It flung the ball of energy at the Frosthra, striking it head on as it was sent hurtling towards the ground. But before it was about to crash into the ground, the Frost Moth Pokémon managed to recover and swoop back into the air. A quiet chittering escaping from its mouth, it conjured up another cold gust of wind at its foes, this one much more powerful than the previous one. The attack struck both Pokémon, sending them hurtling towards the ground as they crumpled in a pile.
"Now!" Julius called out, his Chainite reaching over to grab Reina's shoulders as it began to drain her of her negative energy. Like before, the rift soon disappeared, leaving Reina on her own as she held her aching head in her hands.
"Ugh…what happened to me? Why were you all able to hear that? You weren't meant to hear that?" Reina protested.
"Don't worry, it happened to me as well." Huey chimed in, watching his friend tend to her Pokémon before recalling them.
"Now you know…now you know what dark thoughts I was thinking. But they were only thoughts…feelings I would never act on." The raven-haired girl stated. "I don't want Ren to die, no matter what he's done."
"I'm just glad that you're alright now." Julius stated, recalling his Pokémon as he promptly looked her in the eye. "How did you and Huey end up like that anyway?"
"Well…Ren caught up to the two of us and briefly talked to Nymiera about the situation, with her telling us to head back. However, we were soon ambushed by that Gardevoir Ren talked about earlier. She…She…" The raven-haired girl began, a look of concern growing on her friend's face.
"What did she do?" The young teen pressed her further, the latter recalling the unpleasant memory.
"She trapped Huey and I in those rifts from before. Inside, we were corrupted by our own thoughts, our fears; it was a most terrifying experience." Reina spoke softly, with Julius' gaze turning to he ground as he clenched his fists in anger.
"Gardevoir; it's bad enough that you caused Maria and Anathea so much suffering, it's bad enough that you attempted to thwart Vivian's ritual to save the region, but now you decided to put my friends through so much mental anguish?!" He fumed to himself, his fingernails puncturing his palms as thin trickles of blood soon coated his hands. He looked up from the ground, a dark look of determination in his eyes. "It's all the more reason for me to dispose of you, permanently…"
Upon saying that, he briskly walked down the corridor, hoping to enact revenge on the one who has caused much suffering to those around him. "I sense a lot of darkness within him. I pray that it doesn't consume him…" Anathea spoke quietly to herself.
"W-Woah, y-you're an actual ghost?!" Reina exclaimed in surprise, having just nothing the older woman.
"Ah, where are my manners? The name's Anathea. It's a pleasure to meet you." The ethereal woman smiled at her. "I sense you aren't frightened by my presence?"
"Considering how me, Ren and Julius all grew up in Goldenleaf Town, ghosts don't bother us that much." The raven-haired teen replied casually.
"W-We should get a move on; otherwise who knows what'll happen to Ren and Julius!" Huey called out, with Anathea disappearing into the Soul Stone once more as the duo quickly made their way through the dark tunnels in search of their friends.
0000
Quickly making their way to the next room, the heroes soon found themselves in the same alter-like room they were in before, their eyes widening in horror as they saw Julius tending to an injured Ren. "R-Ren!" Reina called out, quickly running over to him as she and Huey made their way to his side.
"He's so beaten up…did Gardevoir really do all of this?" Huey inquired, his eyes glancing over the battered body of his friend. The raven-haired teen's wings were badly broken, his outfit was tattered in several places and there were scratches and bruises all over his body.
"I-I need to see if he's breathing!" The raven-haired girl chimed in, quickly checking to see if Ren still had a pulse, only to step back in surprise. "What…what's going on? That is this? This isn't my brother!"
"W-What do you mean?" Julius inquired, having calmed down a little from his initial outburst.
"His body…it's…mechanical. Have a look over—" Reina began, only for the room's atmosphere to grow heavy as a familiar voice mocked them.
"Oh, are you trying to wake him up? It's no use, he's gone." Gardevoir crooned, appearing right before the trio. "And I see you brought Julius with you. What a pleasant surprise."
"Oh it is pleasant alright, but not for you that is…" The young teen retorted, smirking darkly at her. "I've been waiting to make you pay for all that you've done, and if you were the one who did this to Ren, then that'll make your demise all the more satisfying."
"It's not surprising to me that you chose to align yourself with these impure beings, vermin tend to stick together after all." The wicked Pokémon sneered.
"F-Fiend! What did you do to my brother?!" Reina demanded.
"Your brother? That is not your brother, but an empty shell. His suffering is more than deserved for hiding away in the pathetic excuse of a body." She taunted, the raven-haired girl growling in anger as Gardevoir turned to face Julius once more. "Hmmm…that presence. Is that wench Anathea with you? Don't try and hide from me; I can sense you."
On cue, Anathea appeared right before the evil Pokémon, shooting a most vicious frown at her. "Ah, I'm impressed Anathea. It takes true strength to linger on this planet after death." Gardevoir commented in a strange sense of awe.
"Gardevoir…why are you doing this?" Anathea inquired, her frown softening a bit. "Don't you see? Everything you've done is for what? To protect an evil man like Vitus?"
"His name is Master Indriad, and you shall refer to him as such. I don't have time for you, Anathea. Disappear!" The wicked Pokémon shot back, causing the ethereal woman to disappear from the area with a flick of her wrist. "Come, the stage shall be set!"
Out of nowhere, four Pokémon appeared from separate Dimensional Rifts; a pair of Ralts and a pair of Kirlia, catching Huey and Reina off-guard by how corrupted they appeared. "W-Woah! What are these things?!" The redhead inquired.
"Beings that reflect my past. Every emotion I've ever felt resides within each one. Julius, it's time to step forward." Gardevoir called out to him, the young teen stepping forwards as requested.
"D-Don't do this! It's obviously a trap!" Reina whispered in his ear.
"It may be, but I've been wanting to deal with her for a long time now, and I won't throw this chance away." Julius replied, stepping forward to confront his adversary. "Well, what are you waiting for? Show me what you've got!"
"I swore upon my Master that I would get my revenge for all the meddling you've done. I have an unbridled hatred for you that will not cease until your blood has been spilled on this floor." She seethed at him, the young teen opening his palm as a few drops of blood from his previous wounds fell to the ground.
"There, my blood has been shed. Now can you put it to rest?" He inquired sarcastically.
"Hah! To be joking in a time like this; I don't know if your brave or stupid, probably the latter. This is the fated moment; the final showdown between you and I. Only one of us will leave this arena alive and by my Master's command, I will destroy you!" The wicked Pokémon declared, with the Ralts and Kirlia standing by her side.
With a quick flick of his wrist, the young teen sent out two Pokémon; his Vilucard and his mother's Sylveon, with the two Ralts stepping forward to confront the duo. The Ralts initiated the battle by emitting a hypnotic wave to lull their foes to sleep, hoping it would grant them an advantage. However, the Sylveon retaliated by emitting a pleasant-smelling mist from her feelers, bringing some light to the otherwise dark room and shielded herself and her ally from the hypnotic wave. Now that they weren't at risk from falling asleep, the Vilucard was able to go on the offensive, launching a barrage of noxious sludge at the enemies that struck them head on. But for some reason, the attack didn't deal super-effective damage like Julius had expected; perhaps the rift had granted them a resistance of sorts to Poison-type attacks.
Mildly fazed by the barrage of sludge, the Ralts were more than willing to launch a counterattack against their foes, channeling their power and the power of the dark sanctuary to conjure up a wave of darkness to strike down their foes. The wave of darkness hit both Pokémon, pushing them back a few feet but were still raring to go. Quickly going over a plan between themselves, the two Pokémon sprang back in action, with Vilucard conjuring its own wave of darkness to attack the Ralts. As expected, the pair of Feeling Pokémon countered the attack with their own waves of darkness, the two attacks colliding in mid-air. But in a twist that caught them by surprise, Sylveon fired a Moonblast into her allies' attack, greatly increasing it's strength and broke through the attack, striking the Ralts head on as they soon disappeared from the room.
"Your resistance, however admirable, is futile. Your life will end here, Julius!" Gardevoir called out to him, gesturing the two Kirlia to step up to the field. The pair of Emotion Pokémon emitted a quick laugh of mockery, gesturing their foes to attack them. The Vilucard was more than happy to do so, leaping up into the air and fired a barrage of sludge at them like before. And while it was able to deal super-effective damage, they were more than capable of handling it. The corrupted Pokémon smirked at this, seeing that their foe was now vulnerable and went on the offensive; with the first one firing a ball of dark purple fire at the Villainous Pokémon, knocking it over. The Vilucard quickly attempted to get back up, only for the second Kirlia to counter with a blast of dark energy, sending the poor Pokémon skidding across the floor, with Sylveon watching in horror.
"V-Vilucard!" Julius called out, quickly running over to his injured ally to check on it. "Th-Thank goodness you're alright. I'll make sure they won't hurt you any further…" He replied, quickly recalling his Pokémon before musing to himself on who to send out next. A bright idea soon formed in his mind, his hand reaching for another Pokéball as he promptly sent out his Yatagaryu to confront the hostile Pokémon.
Gazing at its foes, the Yatagaryu had come up with a way to deal with them, whispering into Sylveon's ear on what the plan is. Nodding in confirmation, the Sylveon opted to stand her ground, using her mental energy to conjure up a wonderous shield of light that protected her from attacks. With the stage set, the Stormbringer Pokémon let out a low roar, causing several dark clouds to form over the arena, the sound of thunder rumbling throughout the room. The Sylveon, from behind her shield channeled the fae energy within her to shoot a powerful beam of bright pink energy into the clouds, amplifying the volume of the thunder within. Just a few seconds later, a pair of wickedly powerful lightning bolts strike the Kirlia, the electricity boosted by the fae energy as both Emotion Pokémon let out distorted cries of pain, their bodies soon fading away as a quiet scoff escaped from the Gardevoir's mouth.
"Seems like I have to do things myself. No matter; I shall enjoy crushing each and everyone one of your Pokémon!" She smirked, taking flight as her entire body radiated dark energy. Within an instant, she swooped down at the Sylveon, striking her head on with a slash from her scythe hand as the Intertwining Pokémon was sent flying back several feet and crumpled on the floor before Julius feet. Caught off-guard, the Yatagaryu attempted to knock it's foe out of the air with a powerful bolt of lightning, the storm clouds boosting its power by a considerable amount. But despite landing a direct hit, the Gardevoir was barely fazed by it at all, easily brushing off whatever paralytic feelings were coursing through her body. A smirk plastered on her face, she conjured up a ball of dark energy and fired it at the Stormbringer Pokémon, the attack striking the serpentine dragon and caused it to fall from the sky, falling onto the ground beside the injured Sylveon.
"N-No way…" Julius began, taken aback by just how easily she was able to defeat two of his strongest allies.
"Now you know…now you know just how futile your efforts are." Gardevoir taunted him, the young teen quickly recalling his Pokémon. "As Master Indriad's personal Angel of Death, I will ensure that all those who oppose him meet their end by my hand!"
"An Angel of Death, you say?" The young teen began, a cold, calculated smirk appearing on his face, a different Pokéball in his hand. "In that case, allow me to introduce you to the Prince of Darkness then!" He declared, quickly sending out his next Pokémon as his almighty Beliaddon stepped onto the field, relishing in the darkness that permeated in the area.
Conjuring up a sword made from the fires of the underworld, the Demon Pokémon lunged at its foe, who countered with a few blows from her scythe. The two Pokémon of darkness swung their weapons against each other for a few minutes, quickly moving around the arena as they waited patiently for that one split-second of hesitance to exploit. However, the Gardevoir had one advantage in her favor; she was more adept at flying than her opponent. Opting to use this advantage now, she quickly grabbed the Beliaddon with her free hand, and began flying upwards, albeit it at a slower rate than usual. Once she was at a sufficient altitude, she raised her scythe in the air, hoping to land a finishing blow, only for the Demon Pokémon to smirk at her. Confused at what it was smirking about, she continued to raise her scythe in the air, only for a searing pain to soon course through her arm.
*Thwack* In an instant, the Beliaddon was about to sever her left arm, freeing itself from her grasp as an agonizing pain coursed through her body. Falling back down to the ground, the Beliaddon took in a deep breath and spewed a stream of intense fire at her, engulfing her completely and damaging her wings and her body as she fell down to the ground and collapsed, only to slowly get back up and glared at her enemy.
"This…can't be possible. I…I am pure! I hold Master's Power!" She panted, her legs having been burnt to ashes as she floated weakly in the air.
"It's because you underestimated us…" A voice called out, the heroes turning to see Ren slowly get back up onto his feet.
"R-Ren!" Reina cheered in relief, as she and Huey helped him stand. "I-I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Yeah…I took quite a beating, but I'll be alright." Ren smiled at her, turning to face Julius. "Thanks for stepping up to the plate, my friend. I knew I could count on you."
"No problem. Besides, it allowed me the opportunity to finish off this worthless piece of garbage!" Julius replied, shooting a look of contempt at the injured Gardevoir.
"Y-You! How are you still standing…?" She hissed at the raven-haired teen. "I…I've spent far too long and worked far too hard only to die here…"
"You know, I've heard enough out of you." Ren began, slowly making his way to Julius' side turning to face him. "What do you say? Shall we finish this together?"
"I was hoping you'd say that! This witch will pay for all that she's done and now that she's weakened, it's about time we finished her off for good!" Julius chimed in.
"Yeah, Ren's right! We will finish this together!" Huey voiced his support.
"You can do it, you two! Make sure she doesn't mess with anyone again!" Reina voiced her support as well, the raven-haired girl shooting a smug grin at her enemy. "You may be able to pick us off one by one, but together we cannot fall!"
"I still have some of Master Indriad's power left! This fight isn't over, not by a long shot!" Gardevoir snarled at the heroes in anger.
"That's too bad. Because this isn't a fight anymore…this is an execution!" Ren declared, promptly sending out his Greninja. "Julius, let us send this witch back to hell!"
"Hell yeah! And once we're done, I'm totally stealing that badass boast for myself!" The young teen smirked as his friend, with Beliaddon letting out a boastful chuckle at its adversary.
A low growl escaping from her mouth, the Gardevoir flew into the air and swooped down at the Demon Pokémon, only to get struck from behind by a series of Water Shurikens the Greninja threw at her. Turning around, she raised her scythe in the air and swung it down, the blade of dark energy hurtling towards the frog Pokémon, only for the attack to get intercepted by a blast of wind from out of nowhere.
"Did you really think we'd sit on the sidelines and do nothing?" Reina chimed in, her Swoobat letting out a quick chirp as Huey's Flareon growled at the twisted Gardevoir.
"Send out all the fodder you can; they will fall to Master Indriad's power!" Gardevoir seethed at the heroes, flying slowly into the air as she channeled her inner power in the hopes of finishing off her enemies at once. Raising the ball of dark energy in the air, she flung it towards her foes as the four Pokémon countered with their own attacks. Flareon counted with a stream of fire, Swoobat countered with a beam of psychic energy, Beliaddon countered with a blast of dark energy, and Greninja countered with a stream of hot water. The attacks collided in midair, with both sides battling for dominance over the other. But her previous injures had weakened the Gardevoir, enabling her foes to overpower her as she was soon consumed by the combined attack. The wicked Pokémon let out a scream of pain, her already weakened body further damaged by the powerful blast of energy.
"I can't…I can't go on like this…" She groaned weakly, falling to the ground before slowly floating just above the ground.
"You're done for! Now to take you down for good!" Ren declared, his left arm soon transforming into a portable blaster of sorts, causing the other three to jump back in surprise.
"S-Since when did you have a laser cannon in your arm?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise.
"That's not important right now. All I need is a little time." The raven-haired teen began, his laser cannon collecting energy as fast as it can.
"P-Perhaps I truly cannot win, but I can still escape to fight another da—" Gardevoir began, only to get blocked off by a wall of fire. "W-What is this?!"
"Nuh-uh! My Flareon won't let you get away so easily." Huey boasted, his Flareon letting out a quick chirp of happiness. "But just to be on the safe side…do it Julius!"
"You got it! Beliaddon, Infernal Blade!" The young teen called out, his companion twirling its sword in the air before flinging it at the Gardevoir, severing her right wing as she soon fell to the ground.
"Let's go for a hat trick. Swoobat, Imprison!" Reina called out, her Pokémon chirping back at her as it used it's mental energy to encase Gardevoir in a prison made of light.
"S-Stop this…" Gardevoir demanded weakly, noticing that Ren's laser cannon had finish charging.
"E-Everyone, to me!" He called out, the three trainers making their way to him and held a firm grip on him, their Pokémon standing back as the raven-haired teen mustered up all his energy to fire the finishing blow. The blast struck Gardevoir head on, causing a series of explosions to rock the area and conjured up a large cloud of smoke. When the smoke died down, it showed that Gardevoir had reverted to her normal form, her eyes closed firmly as her tattered body was in complete ruin. "It's over…you've lost Gardevoir. That's all there is to it."
"I've…lost…Hahahahahaha…" She chuckled weakly. "It's been so long since I've felt…defeated. I've worked so hard to get where I am, and it all came crashing down within a single moment."
"Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you had put all that effort into something good. I'm still not 100% sure who this Vitus or Indriad person is, but…just look at where you are because of them." Ren told her, turning to face his allies. "Come, we should head deeper into the ruins."
"B-But Nymiera said to leave the rest to her." Reina protested, catching Julius off-guard.
"W-What? Why would she say that?" He inquired.
"Perhaps she didn't want us to get in the way, which is understandable I suppose." Huey answered, shooting a quick glance at Ren. "Besides, his body took quite a beating. I doubt he can continue in his current state."
"B-But what about—" Julius began.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be able to rescue Kanon. Just put your faith in her and everything will be alright." The raven-haired girl reassured him.
"I-If you say so…" The young teen sighed dejectedly, given that Kanon wasn't who he was talking about. "Well, shall we head ba—"
"M-Master…" Gardevoir called out weakly, looking around the area desperately. "Why did you abandon me? I spoke to all the boys and girls… I made them laugh, didn't I? I made everyone laugh. Why did you leave me all alone…?"
"W-What's going on here?" Huey inquired, with a rift soon engulfing Gardevoir as Anathea appeared before the group once more.
"How pitiful…she has taken refuge within a Rift. But she cannot hide while I'm here. I don't think she'll put up a fight. I don't think she can. We shall enter nevertheless." She told them, the group of five entering the rift to see what exactly she was hiding.
Flashback
"Mr. Luck…why are you leaving me here?" A Ralts inquired, no doubt being Gardevoir when she was younger. The both of them were in a forest during a rainy night, the man she was talking to wearing what looked like an old ringmaster's outfit.
"The people in the surrounding areas just don't care about the circus anymore." The man named Mr. Luck sighed wearily, looking up to the stars. "The colonies around Miera have moved on, and so shall we. That's just how things go in show biz, I guess. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a wonderful owner."
"Please…take me with you…" Ralts pleaded desperately, only for the man to shake his head sadly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. Things just can't work out the way you want them to. Perhaps one day we'll meet again. Until that day, this is it." The man replied, tipping his hat as her as he slowly left the area, with Ralts watching him go.
"Why…I don't want to be alone." She called out, shivering to herself in a mixture of sadness and the cold. However, she wouldn't be alone for long, as she saw a second man walking down the dirt path.
"Your worth…Do you not see it?" The man inquired, crouching down to her level.
"H-Huh…who are you?" The small Pokémon inquired.
"Tell me…were you left out here to fend for yourself?" The man asked her, running a hand through his blond hair to wipe the water away.
"Y-Yes…I'm here alone." Ralts replied to his question.
"And this has led to you seeing yourself as a worthless being?" He pressed her further, the small Pokémon nodding slowly in confirmation. "Nonsense, I can see your potential."
"M-My potential?" She asked.
"Of course…After all, you have gained the ability to speak with the power of your mind. Even for a Psychic Pokémon, that is rare." The blond man spoke kindly to her, an idea forming in his mind. "I can give you worth. I can give you the power you need…to prove yourself worthy to everyone."
"You can…?" Ralts asked him, a light chuckle escaping from the man's mouth.
"Come with me, and you'll never be alone ever again." He offered, the small Pokémon quickly making up her mind.
"I'll never be alone…Please, take me with you." She requested.
"Good…in that case, you shall feel the power flowing through you. It is yours for the taking." The blond man told her, the small Pokémon feeling a wondrous source of energy flowing through her body.
End of Flashback
"Yes…That's right! My true Master has shown me my worth!" Gardevoir declared, the rift disappeared as she gazed upon her adversaries. "Master Indriad was the only one who ever cared for me! Thousands of years ago, when I thought I was nothing, he showed me that I was…that I was worth something! And now I must repay him for everything he's done. But no longer…I shall perish and wither away into nothing. However, I can still give back to my Master one final time."
Upon saying this, she called forth the last of her energy to create a massive rift, catching the heroes off-guard. "Woah…that's a very large rift." Ren commented in a mixture of awe and concern.
"Even if it takes whatever life I have left in the process…I will summon a black hole and destroy everything in its wake!" The wicked Pokémon declared boldly, with Reina and Huey stepping back in fear.
"W-We gotta go now!" The raven-haired girl called out, gesturing her friends to leave this place right now.
"This is the end for you, Julius…Ren…" Gardevoir began, only for the rift to suddenly disappear, catching her by surprise. "W-What is this?"
"Just die already, you insufferable creature!" Indriad scoffed at her, his hand outstretched as he took back the power he had given her. "I'll take what you took from me back then. Your worth has run out!"
Promptly disappearing back into the depths of the sanctuary, Indriad had abandoned his loyal ally, her body changing color to that of a regular Gardevoir as she felt all her power getting drained from her. "Why…Why would you…Master…?" She began, only for another rift to suck her up.
"Wh-What?!" Ren exclaimed, his body quickly diving into the rift despite the protests from his friends. Entering the rift, he soon saw Gardevoir falling down rapidly, the weakened Pokémon talking to herself.
"I've been abandoned once again…everything I've done was for my master, and even he…didn't love me. Even in the end, I amounted to nothing. I was a fool. Everyone…I'm sorry." She began, only to see Ren flying towards her.
"H-Hang on! I'm going to get you!" He declared, desperately making his way to her.
"R-Ren…? What are you doing? This is pointless…" Gardevoir asked him. "Even if you manage to catch me, I…I won't last."
"I don't care, just hold on!" Ren ignored her comment, a small smile appearing on the weakened Pokemon's face.
"Ren…Thank you." She replied, using her energy to push him out of the rift, a look of surprise etched on his face as he was spat out of the rift. "But my sins will not and cannot be forgiven…but I must ask, still, for my forgiveness. Julius…Ren, Anathea, Maria…everyone."
"W-What just happened?" Huey inquired, a look of confusion on his face. "Was Gardevoir abandoned by her trainer?"
"Looks to be that way." Ren replied sadly, guilt welling up inside him over his failure to rescue Gardevoir. "Come, Nymiera and the others will be able to rescue Kanon. I'm sure of it."
"Finally, I was growing weary of this place anyway." Reina chimed in, the group of four recalling their Pokémon as she and Huey proceeded to make their way through the ruins. However, Ren noticed that Julius wasn't moving at all, the raven-haired teen making his way to his side.
"Julius…did you hear me? We should get going." He told him.
"I…I can't. Not without Maria." Julius replied, only for his friend to rest his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sure that Nymiera will be able to save Maria alongside Kanon. You just have to put your faith in her." Ren reassured him, the young teen accepting the answer as the duo slowly made their way out of the underground sanctuary.
"By the way…that was nice of you to try and rescue Gardevoir like that, despite what she did." Julius complimented his friend.
"Don't get me wrong, she committed some heinous crimes, but seeing her get abandoned by Indriad like that, it made me feel pity for her. To be betrayed by the person you put your faith in the most; that's got to be the most painful feeling of them all. In a way, my small act of mercy might've brought her some comfort in the end." The raven-haired teen began, turning to face his friend. "Julius, I ask this of you. When you have your final confrontation with Larkspur, don't let vengeance consume you; offer him some mercy upon defeat."
"W-What?! I-I can't do that!" The young teen exclaimed in surprise. "L-Look, I get what you're saying; showing kindness to your enemy is act of benevolence and forgiveness, but do you know what's he's done to me?! I-I can't just let it go like that; I have to seek justice for them!"
"I know what he's done to you; after all he was a member of Team Xen. But there's a difference between seeking justice and acting out your revenge. Is it worth losing the friends you have now for the sake of shallow gratification? I'll give you some time to think about it." Ren asked him, with Julius thinking over his words to himself. Was it truly possible to show mercy after so long? Perhaps it would be for the best; after all those dark thoughts could consume him from time to time, causing him to act in an overly aggressive manner. But it wasn't something he could answer right now; it was something that would have to be saved for when the time came.
That's another chapter done and dusted; I hope you all liked it. Regarding the ending, I figured that Ren would be the perfect person to give Julius some advice on applying mercy to his enemies, given the formers act of kindness towards Gardevoir during her final moments. It'll all come to a close in a later chapter so that's something to look forward to. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.
