Dimension W2+UM #2
"Okay, long story short, this dimension is a wreck," Elio reported. "Massive casualties, human and Pokémon alike. It's so cold that even the Ice-Types froze. But with Kyurem out of the picture, the temperature's already rising. His power was somehow stopping the ice he created from melting or breaking, but after you knocked him out it started melting. The people in the cities who survived this long have made contact with this dimension's Home Islands. The damage is pretty bad even over there -"
Skye held up a hand. "Elio. Summarise," she instructed.
"Right. Lots of damage, but this world can probably recover. Apparently they'd been dealing with this for two weeks. Also, we have no idea where Atlus is," Elio grumbled.
"Good," Skye nodded, content. "Atlus can take care of himself. Is there anyone important around here? Someone needs to take care of Kyurem," She raised the Ultra Ball she'd used to capture Kyurem.
"I thought you were going to keep it?" Kris checked. All four field members of the Ultra Rescue Initiative were gathered in this dimension's Castelia City, where most of the surviving populace of Unova was gathered.
"I was, but if this dimension is gonna survive, then, well there's only one Kyurem in every dimension. I'd feel weird about leaving this dimension without one of its unique Legendaries. Besides, he might be more trouble than he's worth,"
"Unique Legendaries?" Kris parroted.
"Right. Okay, so there's two categories of Legendary Pokémon, the type that are whole species, and the type that there's only one of in each universe. The likes of Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres for example, and also Reshiram and Zekrom for that matter, fall into the first category. Meanwhile Kyurem, as well as others like the Creation Dragons and Lake Trio, there's only one of each. That said, there's some Legendaries where we don't know enough to say whether there's only one or multiple, like Xerneas and Yveltal. Though there is proof of multiple Zygarde, so . . point is, if this world is gonna survive, it's probably a bad idea to steal their Kyurem,"
"I personally wouldn't miss it, but that's just me," The four turned to see a tall man with an explosive mane of spiky red hair approaching them. "So I hear we have you lot to thank for this storm letting up?"
"If you mean I beat that Ghetsis guy, then yeah," Skye confirmed. "Uh . ."
"This is Alder. Retired former champion of Unova," Elio explained. "Apparently he's the only one left with anything approaching seniority,"
"The Gym Leaders all went to challenge Ghetsis. We might never know if they even made it," Alder rumbled. "Thank you, all of you. Because of you, our world might survive,"
"That's why we're here," Skye grinned.
"So, we already evacuated a bunch of people back to our dimension. Do we send them back here now, or . . ?" Kris asked.
"I dunno. This hasn't come up before," her leader responded.
"Do you not usually save worlds?" the Unova Champion asked.
Soliera piped up. "The first time we did this, the entire planet was being swallowed by water. Presumably it was the work of Kyogre, who we could not reach by dint of not having any sufficiently powerful subaquatic Pokémon. The second time, space itself was falling apart. This was not something we had the power to correct or prevent. We usually prioritise evacuating as many people and Pokémon as possible. This time, though, it seems like that might not be necessary," Alder nodded, understanding.
"I'll head back to the refugee camp and tell the people there to start coming back through the Ultra Warp Hole," Elio volunteered, striding off.
There was a great whooshing noise, and the five Trainers present started at seeing a massive white dragon land at their meeting spot on the edge of the city. "The legendary dragon?" Alder exclaimed.
"Reshiram? What are you doing here?" Skye frowned, recognising the Legendary Pokémon. The dragon crooned, bending its head and making eye contact, before bowing deferentially.
"I think Reshiram's taken a liking to you," Alder observed.
"Are you seriously going to catch another Legendary Dragon?" Kris groaned.
"Catch . ." Skye regraded Reshiram appraisingly. "Is that what you want, Reshiram? To come with me and help us?"
The Fire-Type tilted her head, considering the Trainer, before slowly nodding.
"And, you're sure that's alright? Because we live a really long way away, there won't exactly be many chances to visit," the URI leader pointed out.
"I don't think you know this particular Reshiram's history," Alder interrupted. "It's been sealed in a stone for hundreds of years, until it was freed by a Trainer named N, who became Reshiram's trainer. Given the circumstances, I suspect that N is dead. Reshiram isn't like most Legendaries, it has no established way to survive in the wild, it needs a trainer. I think having someone like you might be the best thing for it,"
"Is that so?" Skye looked back at Reshiram. "Well, if you're sure," She fished out a spare Ultra Ball she had left over from catching Kyurem and offered it. "Last chance to back out,"
Reshiram looked almost indignant as she touched the ball, being sucked in and caught instantly. The ball didn't even shiver.
"You get how this doesn't help your case of 'I'm not some overpowered super-trainer', right?" Kris felt the moment needed ruining.
"Oh, bite me," her leader scathingly retorted.
"It occurs to me that, as a Fire-Type, Reshiram is another Dragon that is not weak to Ice. So in that sense, your side objective was still successful," Soliera pointed out.
"Thanks, walking type chart," Skye smiled, showing the insult as good-natured, before looking back at Alder. "Oh, before I forget, here," She switched Reshiram's new Pokéball for Kyurem's on her belt. "You should take this. Stability of the dimension and such and such aside, I feel like Reshiram would be mad if I kept it,"
"That's Kyurem, isn't it?" Alder nodded. "Very well," He reached out to take it, but a sudden noise interrupted them, a booming, rolling noise of thunder.
"What was that?!" Kris exclaimed, looking around.
"Up there!" Soliera exclaimed, pointing up into the sky. Everyone followed her indication.
The clouds were being sucked upwards, like an inverted tornado. Beams of purple energy shone through the evaporating snowstorm, and an ominous rumbling echoed through Unova.
"Oh, what now?" Skye complained. "I thought we were done!"
A shape flashed within the growing storm, and suddenly a massive hand shot out of the heavens, into the countryside. Even from Castelia City, they could see the hand wrap its fingers around Dragonspiral Tower, the place where Skye had left Ghetsis, and rip it from the ground, lifting it into the air. The sight rendered the group speechless.
Slowly, the appendage rose, carrying the building with it, and Skye started. "Wait - Kommo-o's still over there! Necrozma!" she shouted, already running towards the golden dragon and clinging to his back. The Legendary took off, an Ultra Warp Hole ripping open in space, which they flew into. Idly, Skye realised that she was still holding Kyurem's Pokéball. Oh well, she'd give it to Alder after rescuing Kommo-o.
For a second, the colourful lights of the Ultra Warp Ride played around her, then they burst outwards - and had to pull up to avoid crashing into a massive purple wrist. As Necrozma swooped upwards, climbing the rising tower, Skye regraded the impossibly long arm reaching down from the heavens in bewilderment. "What in Distortion is that?"
It took a few minutes, by which time they were dangerously high up, but Necrozma levelled out at a speed matching the rising building. Kommo-o, who was still crouched over Necrozma, roared happily, seeing his Trainer.
Skye realised she was still holding Kyurem's Pokéball, and fumbled, switching it for Kommo-o's and clipping the former to her belt. "Return!" she commanded, and her Dragon vanished. She spared a glance for Ghetsis, but found him suddenly out of sight.
And then the man tackled her, surprisingly spry for his age. "You think you've won?" he challenged. "You've only delayed me!"
Skye's grip on her dragon slipped, and she fell backwards, holding herself in place with her legs. With one arm around Necrozma's shoulder, Ghetsis used his free hand to snatch Kyurem's Ultra Ball from Skye's belt. Necrozma bucked, trying to shake him off, but his goal was accomplished. "You haven't seen the last of me!" he roared. "I will become the king of all dimensions!" His feet landed on the collapsing remains of Dragonspiral Tower, and the hand holding it suddenly shot upwards, quickly vanishing into the clouds. Skye watched him go, helpless.
She frowned, shaking her head. "Okay, Necrozma, let's -" She was cut off, as suddenly the clouds cleared, revealing the source of the disruption.
An impossibly massive Ultra Warp Hole was floating above Unova.
But Skye only had a second to take it in, before suddenly the air itself moved towards the Warp Hole. And that wasn't all, for a split second she looked down, and saw rocks, trees, the land below was shifting upwards, breaking apart and being pulled in.
"Open a Warp Hole! Back to Castelia!" Skye shrieked, her voice definitely not turning shrill from panic, and Necrozma roared assent, spinning and ripping open a much smaller portal. The larger hole's gravity sucked them in, and Necrozma stopped fighting it, letting the gravity of the larger Hole pull them through the smaller one.
X
The partners erupted out of the ground in Castelia, the ground shaking. "Elio! Kris! Soliera! Where are you all?" Skye shouted, looking around.
"Here!" Kris shouted back. Skye had been gone for suck a short time that barely anyone had moved, only Elio running back to the refugees. "What's going on? Did you make that Warp Hole?"
"It's not ours!" Skye shouted back, the wind rushing past them and into the sky. "I don't know what's causing it, but its gravity is so strong it's going to suck all of Unova into it! Tell Elio, we can't waste Lunala on individual portals anymore!"
"Wait, if it's going to suck the whole region through, that's not too bad, right?!" Alder questioned. "It'll be in a different place, but worse things could happen!"
Skye fixed him with a dull glare. "Three words. Unova flavoured smoothie. It's so strong and sucking in so much, it's going to grind everything that goes through it into paste!"
Everyone went pale at that mental image. "Castelia's going to be airborne in a few minutes, we need to send this whole city into another dimension! Go! Me and Necrozma will look outside the city, see if there's anyone else we can rescue!" Skye declared, before patting Necrozma's neck. "I know you've been going hard today, buddy, but push through it. We've still got people to save,"
Necrozma groaned in agreement, and took off.
Kris, Alder and Soliera exchanged glances for a second. "I will inform Elio what has to be done. Gather as many people as you can in open spaces, I doubt the skyscrapers will all survive the transition," Soliera declared, pacing away.
"Distortion of an operation you've got," Alder observed.
"It's impressive, huh," Kris agreed with a smile.
X
Elio looked up at the massive Ultra Warp Hole in horror as Soliera recounted what had happened. "Unova flavoured smoothie. Right. That's one terrifying mental image,"
"Mister Elio?" Elio and Soliera turned to see a young Unovan child looking up at them, a sort of dull fear on her face. "Are we . . gonna die?"
"Don't talk like that," a woman who was presumably her mother reprimanded her. "I'm very sorry - please, carry on,"
Elio looked at them both, and realised that they, as well as however many thousands, tens of thousands possibly, of people in this city were all relying on him. Him and Lunala. The weight of what they were trying to do settled on his shoulders, heavier than ever before.
He looked at Lunala, and the Moone Pokémon looked back. We're just a bunch of kids, he thought to himself. Who are we to try to save countless worlds?
The only ones who can, the thought came drifting back to him. Elio couldn't tell if the answer came from Lunala's Psychic typing or his own subconscious. Either way, they were right. "Lunala. Time for the grand finale," He produced a dark-coloured Z-Crystal, and clipped it into his Z-Power Ring. "Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom!" he roared, striking a pose. Energy flowed from his body and empowered Lunala, their bond made manifest in unlimited Z-Power.
Lunala shrieked, a high, unearthly noise that reverberated across dimensions, before soaring into the air and transforming, turning to a shade of light blue as she took on her Full Moone Phase. She spread her wings, and an Ultra Warp Hole appeared above Castelia. Right on cue, the gravity of the massive, higher Hole ripped the peninsula apart, the ground shaking. Amidst water and rubble, Castelia City floated into the air.
Lasers arced from Lunala's wings, meeting the edges of the Warp Hole and latching onto them, spreading them wider. "Don't worry, everyone!" Elio reassured them. "This portal's under our control, it's not like the big one, it's safe!"
Then there was an earth-shattering crash, and Castelia broke in half.
Elio blinked, looking across at the massive crack that split the city. "Uh . . okay, we can work with this. Lunala, keep it steady and bring it down! We need to keep the city steady. The sooner we're through that portal, the better!"
"If anyone has Pokémon that can help hold the city together, release them and enlist their aid!" Soliera shouted at the crowd. With flashes of light, Boldores, Sandiles, Krokoroks, Drillbur and Excadrill, Dwebble and Crustle appeared, and spires of rock shot out of the ground, bridging the gap. Castelia shook, and people collapsed as the sky quake faded, the floating city stabilised.
Lunala called out, and Elio noticed the portal was big enough to cover the entire city by this point. "Lunala! Now!" he called, and the bat nodded, bringing the portal downwards.
With a shake, Castelia City escaped its home dimension and entered the Ultra Warp Ride.
"Okay, Lunala. Well done," Elio smiled at his Legendary, who nodded. "Take us to the Ultra Plant. We've been planning to build a colony there anyway, this'll be a good start,"
X
Skye scanned the disintegrating country. It was hard to tell, but she wasn't seeing anyone . . anyone alive, anyway. Plenty of frozen corpses. Whatever that hand was going to do to Ghetsis was too good for him.
Necrozma dipped, and she patted his chest. "Stay with me, buddy. We're almost done," Peering through the flying debris surrounding them, Skye saw something moving. "There! Necrozma, go that way!" she commanded. Flapping his wings, Necrozma soared towards the source of the motion.
As the distance shrank, Skye blinked, seeing a bubble of Psychic energy, protecting . . some Unovan Psychic-Type. Duosion, was it? She could never remember the non-Dragons . .
Regardless, she and Necrozma were here to rescue them. "Come on, Necrozma, we're almost there. Just reach that Pokémon and open an Ultra Wormhole," she encouraged.
A chunk of ice hit the Dragon's head.
Necrozma was finally at his limit. He groaned, spiralling, and collapsed, only saved from falling by the upwards pull of the Warp Hole devouring Unova.
"Necrozma?" Skye patted her partner's neck. "Necrozma!" she shouted. "Necrozma, wake up! We're not done yet!" The unconscious dragon crashed into the soft, squishy form of the probably-a-Duosion, and the soft gel surrounding it stuck fast. The crystalline Pokémon was unresponsive as the three were sucked upwards.
Skye looked up again. The massive Ultra Warp Hole was drawing them in. Unova flavoured smoothie? Try Unova flavoured with a sprinkling of Dragon and Trainer.
"C'mon, come on! Wake up!" she yelled at Necrozma, pounding at his skin. Her Z-Power Ring touched his back crystals, and Skye paused. Z-Power . .
She fumbled, and withdrew a dark blue crystal, which slotted into her stone armband. Carefully locking her feet around Necrozma's waist, she stood and posed. "Use Devastating Drake!" Golden energy flowed from her body into Necrozma's, just as she was hoping it would. "Wake up," she pleaded with her exhausted partner.
No response.
Skye sighed, removing the Dragonium-Z. Somehow, she knew it would come to this. Carefully, not wanting to lose the precious crystals, she exchanged dark blue for gold. "Necrozma," Her partner's name was spoken more to prepare herself than to get his attention, which didn't work anyway. Skye triple checked that her feet were locked in place around his crystalline spikes, and she brought her hands to her forehead, before extending her right outwards. "Use Light That Burns The Sky,"
Z-Power flowed out of her at a vastly increased rate, the bond between herself and Necrozma made manifest and drawing on her very essence to empower her partner. As black spots danced in her vision and a trickle of blood emerged from her nose, Necrozma jolted awake, roaring in sudden exhilaration.
"Open a damn Warp Hole and get us out of here . ." Skye mumbled, her body going limp. The last thing she noticed was Necrozma's tail wrapping around her, before darkness claimed her vision.
