When we last left off, Natasha had defeated the Torren League Champion, securing the title for herself. Following that, she was informed of an expedition to the Holon Region, birthplace of the Delta Species. What wonders lie in store for her to discover?
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
Suntouched City
Having arrived at the bustling city, the duo landed at the Pokémon Center, with Natasha recalling her Noivern before making her way to the train station. A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination, with Nora and Monika standing outside the entrance.
"Natasha, it's been ages since I've last seen you!" Monika smiled cheerily, shaking her hand vigorously. "To think that you'd become Champion of Torren; it's such an honor being in your presence."
"No need for flattery; in the Holon Region I'm just another trainer searching for adventure." The purple-haired girl replied humbly. "How has the Scientist's Club been going while I was away?"
"Not that well, if I need to be honest. We don't have the funds to pay the rent on out club headquarters. In fact, part of the reason why we're going to the Holon Region is to set up a new base of operations." The young woman sighed, a hint of sadness in her tone.
"If you need a base of operations, then I'm more than happy to take you on as my apprentices." Professor Pine chimed in, with Monika's eyes lighting up upon hearing her words. "Given how vast the region is, I'll need some assistance in cataloguing all the Delta Pokémon living there."
"Y-You would really take us on as your apprentices?!" The bespectacled woman explained, with Pine nodding in confirmation. "T-Thank you so much! It is an honor to work for you."
"With me, Monika. Not for me." The purple-haired woman replied calmly, her head turning to face the station. "Perhaps we'll figure out where the Delta Species came from. Was it an ancient civilization? An energy wave? Or simple Darwinian evolution?"
"Whatever the case, the wait is killing me. Let's go already." Nora called out, the green-haired girl eager to begin her new adventure. Not wanting to stall for time, the group of four entered the subway and got on the train, taking their seat as the train began moving. Natasha turned to look out the window, her gaze fixed on the landscape as the train soon exited the city. A lone thought popped into her mind, would she meet this Professor Maple that Monika had warned her about? If so, then hopefully he wasn't as bad as she was told.
Holon Region: 1 ½ hours later
After what seemed like an eternity, the train had finally arrived at its destination, with Natasha's eyes widening in surprise. The region was just as lush as she had anticipated, the forests full of tall, thick trees. Peering out the window, she saw that there was only a few dozen or so people within the small settlement, Settlement Foxtrot she believed it was called. The train soon ground to a halt, the doors opening as the passengers hopped off it and took their first steps in Holon.
"The introductory meeting will be in fifteen minutes; feel free to explore the settlement in the meantime." Professor Pine informed Nora and Natasha, the purple-haired woman gesturing Monika to follow her into the region's main research facility.
"I'm going to talk to a few of the other scientists, they might have some useful information. I suggest you do the same, Natasha." Nora suggested, the green-haired girl heading off to the eastern half of the settlement, with Natasha heading off in the opposite direction. But as she was able to begin her investigation, she was caught off-guard by what sounded like a low moan. Though it wasn't a moan of distress, the purple-haired girl figured it was still a good idea to check it out, just in case it was serious. Determining where the moans were coming from, she left the settlement and walked through the thick forestry, taking care not to step on any fallen twigs. Around five or so minutes later, she soon arrived at what looked like a secluded pond, surrounded by a few berry trees. Her gaze soon shifted to the source of the noise, the large Wailord slumbering in front of her.
The Wailord's body was a snowy white, with a thick blanket of snow atop its back. Additionally, it had a lot of large, jagged icicles on its belly, more than strong enough to carry its weight. Natasha was awestruck by the sight; she had barely been here for ten minutes, and already she's seen a new Delta Pokémon. But just as she was about to take a closer look, she was caught off-guard by a sudden bellow from within the pond. Turning her head, she saw something emerge from the watery depths and crawl onto land, the purple-haired girl gasping in awe. She appeared to be an Aurorus, though she looked more like a plesiosaur than a sauropod, her thick flippers dripping with water. Her frills were made up of large green leaves that absorbed sunlight, giving her blue skin a healthy glow. The hump on her back resembled a desert island, topped off with sand and a pair of small palm trees. Additionally, the tip of her tail had a vibrant pink flower on it that was in full bloom, the plesiosaur flicking it gingerly. Seeing one Delta Pokémon this early was incredibly enough as is, but two of them? A part of her wanted to catch the duo, just so she could learn more about them. But as curious as she was able them, the Aurorus was equally as curious.
Gently nudging the Wailord's face, the Island Pokémon woke her friend up, the large whale stirring as it opened its eyes and gazed at the purple-haired girl. She was the one, it thought to itself; she was the one who would save this region from the evil lurking within. The Wailord gazed at its ally, giving her a reassuring glance that this stranger could be trusted. Seems the Wailord was the region's wisest inhabitant, the one whom all Delta Pokémon looked up to. Realizing that she could be trusted, the Aurorus offered her services to Natasha, pledging her loyalty alongside the Sky Whale Pokémon. Smiling to herself, the purple-haired girl pledged to aid them in her time of need, recalling the Wailord to its ball before turning to face the plesiosaur. The Island Pokémon requested that it stretched its flippers for a while, with Natasha more than happy to accept the request. Suddenly realizing that she had a meeting to attend, she gestured the Aurorus to follow her, the duo quickly making their way back to the settlement.
Upon arriving back at base, Natasha made her way to the main research facility, with Nora arriving less than a minute later. "Phew, I'm not late. Last thing I want is to make a bad first impression…" She chuckled sheepishly.
"Indeed. It would be terrible to waste such a—W-What is that?!" Nora began, before jumping back in surprise at the Aurorus.
"This is my newest friend, Delta Aurorus. I found her in a pond to the west of here alongside a Delta Wailord." Natasha informed her.
"Not even an hour, and already you've spotted two Deltas; you never cease to impress me." The green-haired girl smiled, a faint blush forming on her girlfriend's face. "I'm sure Professor Pine would be ecstatic to see her."
"Let's not keep her waiting then!" The purple-haired girl replied, the trio entering the high-tech facility. There were several machines tucked away in the back, the walls lined up with several bookshelves, chock full of various books about Delta Pokémon and other such topics. Monika was busy going over a few books, hoping to discover a secret or two hidden within. Soon enough, she looked up from her book, gazing at the newcomers.
"Welcome back, you two. I tell you, Holon University sure knows how to set up a base of operations." She greeted, with Natasha raising an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Holon University is the organization that funded this expedition. From what I've heard, both Pine and Maple are noteworthy members of the organization. As a matter of fact, they're in the back talking to each other."
Taking this as an invitation, the duo made their way to the back of the building, where they saw Professor Pine talking to a man. He appeared to be in his early to mid 30's, with medium-length brown hair tied up in a ponytail and matching brown eyes. He wore a sand-colored lab coat over a white button-up shirt and brown trousers and had reading glasses over his eyes. But what caught Natasha by surprise was the stone-cold expression on his face, as if he was deep in thought over something. Though what exactly she wasn't sure.
"Ah, you've arrived. Natasha, Nora, this is Professor Maple, my esteemed colleague." Professor Pine greeted cheerily.
"Charmed." Maple replied, a little too blunt for Natasha's liking. "As the leading expert on Delta Species, it's my goal to uncover every last secret surrounding them, including the history of the Holon region. Perhaps we may also find out why they're so much stronger than their normal counterparts. In any case, I'm more than grateful for your assistance."
"No need to thank us; it's an absolute honor for us to aid you on your mission." Nora bowed in respect, with Natasha following suit.
"I'm so glad that you two are more than eager to—O-Oh my. Is that a Delta Aurorus?!" The purple-haired woman exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, I found her in a pond to the west of the settlement. Perhaps there are—" Natasha began, only for Maple to storm up to the plesiosaur and began analyzing it fervently, the man gazing at it from all angles. The Island Pokémon grew uncomfortable with the professor, rearing back as it began nudging the teenage girl. "Professor Maple, with all due respect, do you mind backing away from her? Your scrutiny is making her uncomfortable."
Shooting a frown at the teenage girl, the older man relented, backing away from the Aurorus and cleared his throat. "…my apologies, I was simply mesmerized by such an exquisite species. If only I had found that pond first, I would've claimed her as mi—excuse me, I'm getting off track."
"Right…" Natasha eyed him up cautiously. "So what's the plan?"
"Simple; the three of us can divide and conquer the region. Natasha, you can explore the Holon Grasslands. Nora, you can explore the Holon Desert; I'll be at Settlement Oscar, observing how you two are going. Don't disappoint me." Maple replied, quickly making his way out the facility.
"Divide and conquer? Does he think this is a military exercise?" Nora chimed in, taken aback by his choice of words.
"That man…something's off with him, I can feel it in my bones." The purple-haired girl replied. "Anyway, we should get going. Wouldn't want to keep those Deltas waiting any longer!"
Agreeing with her statement, Nora briskly made her way out the facility, with Natasha and Aurorus following suit. Who knows what incredible Pokémon were lurking within the grasslands?
Holon Grasslands
Taking her first steps into the abundant grasslands, Natasha was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the environment. There were large open plains as far as the eye could see, teeming with wild Pokémon, as well as large lakes full of clean water. To the north were a set of tall, thick trees, forming a near impenetrable barrier for any curious traveler. However, there was also a much smaller clump of trees resting atop a small hill in the middle of the grasslands, forming a small grotto of sorts. The last noteworthy feature was the massive field of flowers in the northwestern section of the grasslands, where dozens of Bug Pokémon happily pollinated the flowers every day. This place was perfect; landscape that was untouched by the modernization of humanity. She hoped that the few settlements that had sprung up in the region don't grow any larger, lest this pristine habitat get soiled.
"Now then…where do I begin?" The purple-haired girl mused to herself, shooting a glance at her Aurorus. The peaceful plesiosaur gazed at the small hill with the grotto, or more specifically, the lake that resided in front of it. Assuming that the Island Pokémon wanted to go for a swim, the teenager made her way towards the hill, her companion following suit. Upon arriving there, the first thing the Aurorus did was dive into the water, cooing in content as her body was soaked in nice, cold water. Natasha soon turned her head to face the grotto, a sense of curiosity welling up within her as the thought of an unknown Delta Pokémon lurking within excited her. However, she saw just how dark the passage was and hesitated to go in, given that she could end up stumbling into a trap. Sensing her trainer's hesitance, the Island Pokémon began flicking her tail back and forth, an intoxicatingly sweet scent emanating from the large flower. Moments later, a rustling noise echoed from within the grotto, the purple-haired girl preparing herself as something emerged from the trees.
It appeared to be a Mawile with a hot pink body, its' 'hair' resembling leafy green petals. The jaws attached to the back of its head were also a hot pink, with green vines growing on them. Additionally, there were a pair of large red roses growing on the base of its jaws, producing their own intoxicating scent. Gazing at the Aurorus, the Mawile waddled up towards her, leaning towards her flower and took a long sniff. The Enticing Pokémon cooed in bliss, its shoulders relaxing as the purple-haired girl walked up to it and sniffed her roses. Natasha's nose was blessed by the enchanting aroma, sighing in relief over the wonderful scent. Sensing that the stranger before it was easily impressed with wonderful smells, the Mawile chirped into Aurorus' ear, encouraging her to pay a visit to the flower patch. Open to the idea, the plesiosaur cried out to the teenage girl, gesturing her to follow the duo northeast of here. Taking them up on their offer, Natasha followed the two Pokémon to the flower patch, curious to see how good the flowers smelled.
Upon arriving at their destination, the trio began smelling the fresh flowers, making sure to keep their distance from the other Pokémon. They gazed at the trio for a little while, traces of suspicion coursing throughout their body. However, a chirping from above reassured the Bug Pokémon, letting them know that there's nothing to be afraid of. Hearing this, Natasha averted her gaze from the flowers and saw what looked like a Lilligant, but she was different from the two she has seen before. Her body was a light pink, she dress made entirely put of hot pink petals. Her neck and head petals were also a hot pink, a floral tiara resting atop her head. Additionally, her wings were the same shade of pink as her body, fluttering slowing in the air. Natasha was taken aback by this; there was a second Delta Lilligant?! She had thought there could only be one of each Delta species, does this mean that there could be a second variant of Delta Volcarona? This was the breakthrough of a lifetime, and she was the one who discovered it.
Pure, unadulterated ecstasy coursed throughout her body as she approached the Lilligant, the teenage girl outstretching her hand as the Archangel Pokémon gazed at her. Slowly approaching her, she rested her small hand within Natasha's, sensing the latter's good intentions alongside her ravenous curiosity. The Lilligant retracted her hand and smiled at her, offering her allegiance to her with the Mawile following suit. Smiling at the fact that she had gained more allies in her journey to save the Holon Region from the evil lurking within, she took out two Pokéballs and recalled her newest companions, tucking them into her bag. When she saw Professor Pine next, she was going to tell her about her groundbreaking discovery, but there was still plenty of grassland to explore. Asking Aurorus for suggestions, the plesiosaur pointed to a set of trees in the northeast, right near the path leading to Settlement Oscar. Silently agreeing with the idea, the teenage girl followed her companion to their destination, steering clear of the tall grass just in case wild Pokémon were lurking within.
Soon enough, they arrived at their destination, with Natasha staring calmly at the trees. They appeared to be forming a circle around a large tree trunk with a large opening in the middle, the purple-haired girl itching to inspect it, only for a sharp battle cry to emerge from the barrier of trees to her side. Turning her head, she saw a tall figure leap out from within the forest and land in front of her, it's piercing gaze locked onto her. It appeared to be a Sceptile; its head, arms and chest a reddish orange. Its torso and legs were a creamy white, a thick black belt tied around its waist. It also had black belts tied around its neck and wrists and had no tail whatsoever. The Sceptile beckoned at the teenage girl, eager for an entertaining battle. Taking a Pokéball from her belt, she sent out her Gallade, the Swordmaster Pokémon bowing before its opponent in respect. The Black Belt Pokémon looked at the Ice-type for a moment before chuckling heartily, impressed at how strong it was. However, it was confident in its chance of victory, readying itself for battle.
Taking the initiative, the Sceptile lunged at the Gallade, delivering a jump kick that knocked the warrior off its feet. But as it was about to deliver a follow-up stomp, the Ice-type rolled to the side and got back up, delivering a swift punch to the dragon's stomach. Gasping lightly, it staggered back a few feet before recovering, holding its arms out in a combative pose. Narrowing its eyes at the opponent, the Swordmaster Pokémon lunged towards it, slashing its blades down on it. But at the last moment, the Sceptile was able to catch the blade, hoisting the Gallade into the air before throwing it into a tree. The Ice-type cried out in pain, falling towards the ground as it slowly got back up and brushed the dirt off its body. Realizing that another reckless assault would end in failure, it opted to take things slowly, analyzing its opponent for weaknesses.
Confidence coursing throughout its body, the draconic fighter reared its head back and fired a billowing stream of blue fire at its opponent. However, the Gallade was able to freeze it with a sudden burst of cold wind, hopping on top of it and ran towards the Sceptile. It was so taken aback by this sudden reversal that it wasn't able to counter in time, with Gallade delivering a swift uppercut to the dragon. The Black Belt Pokémon was sent flying into the air, leaving it vulnerable to a follow-up attack. Aiming to finish this battle, the warrior leaped into the air, its fists cloaked in a mixture of electricity and ice particles as it delivered a series of punches to the Sceptile. It was sent hurtling towards the ground, crashing in the soft dirt below as a sizable crater was formed on impact. Crawling out of it, it raised its hands in surrender, with the Gallade helping it get back on its feet. Gazing at the injured combatants, the Aurorus used her power to heal their injuries, a wonderous light enveloping the two Pokémon. Feeling refreshed, the Sceptile bowed at Natasha in respect, deeming her worthy of being its trainer. Taking out an empty Pokéball, she tapped the dragons head as it entered the device without succession. Putting it away, she congratulated her Gallade before recalling it as well, her gaze shifting to the sky as she saw that the moon was out. Damn, had she really been out here for this long? Whatever the case, this was the perfect opportunity for some camping.
Setting up her small camp, she slid into her sleeping bag and gazed at the full moon, taken aback by its immense beauty. No wonder dozens of poets had written about the night sky; the sight was simply mesmerizing. Just then, a vivid pink glow emanated from the large tree stump, the purple-haired girl sitting up in her sleeping bag as she gazed at the sight. Emerging from within the stump was an Escavalier, the pink-and white Pokémon empowered by the moonlight. Its body had an ice-cream cone at its base, acting as protective armor of sorts. Its spears were pink-and-white candy canes, capable of shattering rocks with ease. Additionally, it had blonde hair growing atop its head, a large pink bow tied within its locks. It soon turned to face Natasha, a serene smile on its face; seems a lot of Deltas here are trusting of humans, or it could be that they sense her Delta Call. Whatever the case, she wouldn't say no to meeting more Delta Pokémon.
Gesturing the Escavalier to her side, Natasha watched as the Fairy-type floated towards her, sitting atop her lap as it continued to smile at her. Sensing a lifelong friend in her, it nuzzled the teenager affectionately before embracing her, wrapping its candy cane arms around her. She began petting its head, the Candy Cane Pokémon cooing in bliss as the Aurorus smiled at them in content. The plesiosaur was pleased that it had befriended a strong but kind trainer, knowing that she would save the region from the threat looming over the horizon. But for now, it was content to kick back and relax for the night; there's still an entire region for them to explore.
And that wraps up the first chapter of Natasha's adventures in Holon, and she is making a lot of progress. Though she's already befriended six new Delta Pokémon, she'll need to gather as many allies as possible if she is to save the Holon Region from the villain who seeks to exploit and subjugate its populace. Thank you all for reading my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Acquired Pokémon:
Mew
D. Venusaur
D. Charizard
D. Blastoise
D. Dugtrio
D. Crustle (Cake)
D. Golem
D. Ambipom
D. Muk
D. Reuniclus
D. Scizor
D. Volcarona
D. Sunflora
D. Gardevoir (female)
D. Gallade
D. Quagsire
D. Raichu
D. Hydreigon
D. Pidgeot
D. Golurk
D. Plusle
D. Minun
D. Ludicolo
D. Heatmor
D. Emolga
D. Drifblim
D. Roserade
D. Snorlax
D. Haxorus
D. Weezing
D. Dunsparce
D. Huntail (male)
D. Gorebyss (female)
D. Vespiquen
D. Chandelure
D. Bisharp
D. Scrafty
D. Luxray
D. Metagross (Spider)
D. Glalie
D. Froslass
D. Noivern
D. Liepard
D. Avalugg
D. Shuckle
D. Typhlosion
D. Trevenant
D. Mismagius
D. Girafarig
D. Arcanine
D. Dodrio
D. Lanturn
D. Cofagrigus
D. Lilligant (Water)
D. Ditto
D. Wailord
D. Aurorus
D. Mawile
D. Lilligant (Fairy)
D. Sceptile
D. Escavalier