Having explored the Holon Grasslands, Natasha makes her way to Settlement Oscar in order to report her findings. Unbeknownst to her, this is when her new adventure throws a curveball her way.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
The next morning
Natasha stirred awake after a peaceful night's slumber, the teenage girl sitting up in her sleeping bag before rubbing her eyes open. It was another pristine day today, the sun shining brightly as a few clouds were present in the sky. Getting out of her bag, she quickly packed her things and got ready for the day, eager to see some more Delta Pokémon. Beside her, her Aurorus was waking from her slumber, the graceful plesiosaur soaking in the sunlight with her frills.
"Ready to explore more of this region?" Natasha called out, the Aurorus chirping happily as they duo made their way down the dirt path. Around a quarter of an hour later, they soon stopped before a sign that read 'Welcome to Settlement Oscar'. Wasn't this where Professor Maple said he would be waiting for a report? Since she was here, she may as well talk to him. Making her way into the small town, she soon heard a voice calling out to her, the teenage girl turning to the side as a familiar face greeted her.
"Good to see you again, Natasha. I take it you've been working hard in the Holon Grasslands?" Maple inquired, the purple-haired girl nodding in confirmation.
"Yep, I've found several Delta Pokémon; their information is in my Poké—" She began, taking her device out, only for the older man to snatch it from her. "H-Hey, be careful with that!"
"Fascinating…" He commented, flicking through the various files on the device as he stopped on one in particular. "Delta Volcarona?! I've heard whispers on just how powerful it is; I must see it this instant!"
"Well you're going to have to wait as I need to resupply at the settlement." Natasha replied curtly, taking her Pokédex back from the man. "So have you found anything interesting on your end?"
"I've been examining the area, and there's several habitats worth exploring. There's the desert to the south as I mentioned yesterday; Nora should still be there. Then there's a marsh to the east and a large lake to the north, I suggest leaving the lake for a latter date. You can either join up with Nora in the desert or take the time to explore the marsh. As for me, I think I'll take the desert; I've heard some…interesting stories about the desert." Maple informed her, an eerie smirk on his face as he made his way to the south.
"That man gives me the creeps." The purple-haired girl stated, with Aurorus nodding in confirmation. Opting to brush the encounter aside, the duo made their way towards the small supply shop set up within the settlement, the plesiosaur opting to wait outside. She was about to begin soaking up the sun's rays once more, only to be distracted by the sound of quiet munching. Peering her head around the corner of the building, she saw what looked like a Camerupt happily munching on some garbage in the bins behind the building. Its thick fur was a dark purple, a yellow pattern resembling the biohazard symbol on both sides of its stomach. Its humps oozed a viscous green liquid that resembled nuclear waste, which wasn't as deadly as the real thing. Additionally, it had a gas mask on its face that didn't inhibit the camel, as it continued eating in peace. A moment later, the camel stopped eating, raising its head to gaze at the Aurorus. It recognized the plesiosaur, the Half-Life Pokémon letting out a quick moan as a way of greeting its friend.
"Is everything alright out there?" Natasha called out, having finished purchasing supplies for the upcoming leg of the journey. Upon exiting the building, she saw her friend talking to the Camerupt, intrigued by the sight of the camel. "Why hello there; how did you get here?"
"Caaaaammmmm~" It moaned once more, shooting a quick look in the direction of the marsh. Perhaps it wandered out here to find an easy meal. Whatever the case, she was more than happy to take care of the camel. Inquiring if it wanted to join her, the Camerupt was more than happy to agree, the purple-haired girl taking out an empty Pokéball and caught the Delta Species. Pocketing the device, she soon set her sights on the marsh, the teenage girl commencing the quick trek to the new location
Holon Marsh
Stepping into the marsh, the first thing she noticed was the noxious odor permeating throughout the area, mainly consisting of rotting vegetation. The various ponds throughout the area were murky and hard to see through, the smell originating from said ponds. Asides from the smell, the area appeared to be pleasant, with thick threes dotted throughout the area. Unfortunately, the haphazard placement of trees would make things difficult to traverse through, at least until Aurorus had an idea. Eyeing up a wet patch of dirt, the plesiosaur slapped its flipper onto the patch, leaving behind a clear print.
"Hey, that's a great idea! Good thinking." Natasha smiled, the Aurorus chirping happily in response. Now that the duo has a plan sorted out, they can begin exploring without worrying about getting lost. Opting to go north, they walked through the treacherous marsh, taking care to avoid the murky ponds scattered around like landmines. Soon enough, they stopped before a large tree, an uneasy feeling welling up within Natasha. Anticipating a trap, she took out a jar of honey and rolled it towards the base of the trunk, a shadow soon appearing from within the treetop. Within moments, it leaped down from the tree and landed on the ground, hastily opening the jar and began slurping the contents inside. It resembled a Tentacruel, but its tentacles were made up of long, slender vines. It's body was a bright red, the green jewels on its head oozing a poisonous fluid. It shot a quick glance at the duo, before resuming its hasty consumption.
However, the scent of honey wafted in the air, attracting another to the area. Flying towards the Tentacruel was a particularly large Yanmega, a ravenous look on the bugs face. Its legs and wings were made up of thick leaves, a large vine with red leaves growing from its head. Its head and thorax were yellow, while its long abdomen was green, a set of red pincers on the tip of its tail. The two Delta Pokémon locked eyes with one another, ready to fight over the jar of honey, only for Natasha to step into the fight.
"Break it off, you two. There's more than enough honey for the both of you." She called out firmly yet gentle, taking out a second jar and handed it to the Yanmega. Eying it up, the dragonfly quickly opened it and began slurping the contents of the jar, its thin tongue draining the jar quickly. Once both Pokémon had finished draining their respective jars, they turned to gaze at Natasha, a satisfied look on their faces. "There's plenty more where that came from; care to tag along with me?"
Eager for more honey, the two Delta's swarmed her, accepting her offer as she recalled them into a pair of empty balls. Pocketing the small devices, she quickly made her way towards the center, hoping to find another Delta or two. The trek was a little easier than before, as there were less trees blocking their path, the duo soon arriving at a clearing that was occupied by two Pokémon. The first was a bright green Greninja donning armor made from fireproof wood, its neck and wrists surrounded by a ring of fire. Additionally, it had a wooden helmet on its head with two horns, as well as wooden claws on the ends of its fingers and toes. It was sitting in a cross-legged position, quietly meditating to itself with its eyes closed. The second Pokémon was a large Goodra that was made entirely out of thick mud, water dripping from its tail and horns. It had a warm, caring smile on its face, indicating that it was a very friendly specimen. Noticing the purple-haired girl, the Goodra tapped on the Greninja's shoulder, the frog getting up on its feet and gazed at the duo. Sensing the immense strength within her, it challenged her to a battle, posing itself in a combative stance.
"So that's how you want to play? In that case, I'll be happy to indulge you!" She called out, sending out her Delta Dodrio. The three-headed bird cawed at the frog, kicking the ground beneath its feet before charging at the Greninja. The frog was able to dodge the incoming attack by leaping into the air, retrieving a few fire-coated seeds from its armor. It threw them at the Psychic-type, but the latter was able to conjure up a quick wall of light to deflect the attack back at the frog, knocking it out of the sky. picking itself back up, it conjured a series of shuriken made entirely out of fire and flung them at the Dodrio, landing a direct hit as the three-headed bird staggered back a few feet. Shaking its heads to regain its composure, the flightless bird conjured up a devious plan within its minds. Daring the Greninja to attack it, it calmly watched as the frog leaped into the air and conjured up a sword made out of leaves, swinging the blade down at the bird. But at the last second, the Dodrio's left and right heads began glowing, ensnaring the frog within an oppressive aura. It's beak glowing a bright blue, the center head began pecking at the frog relentlessly, targeting its weak points as the Greninja gurgled in pain. Around a minute later, the Dodrio slammed the frog into the ground, backing away as its foe weakly got onto its feet.
The Greninja raised its hand in the air, surrendering the match as the Dodrio squawked in triumph. Making its way to the injured frog, the Aurorus used her power to heal its wounds, the Guardian Pokémon sighing in relief. The Goodra was impressed with Natasha's strength, realizing that the teenage girl could help it reach its max potential. Likewise, the Greninja was impressed with Natasha, the frog more than happy to aid her in her mission. Sensing that the two Pokémon wanted to join her, the purple-haired girl was more than happy to have them join her, taking out another pair of empty Pokéballs and caught the two Pokémon. Putting the small devices away, she turned to face her companions, gesturing them to follow her out of the dense marsh with the Pokémon more than happy to do so.
Holon Desert
Following a quick rest at Settlement Oscar, Natasha made her way south to the Holon Desert, the teenage girl immediately taken aback by the intense heat. How such an environment was nestled in between a lush grassland and a thick marsh baffled her, but she chalked it up to the power of a Legendary Pokémon. But if that were the case, that would mean that there exists a Delta variant of a Legendary Pokémon, something which would challenge everyone's perspective on them. Glancing to her side, she noticed that her Aurorus and Dodrio were panting lightly, the intense heat getting to them. Taking out her Pokéballs, she recalled them to their devices, knowing they would be nice and cool inside. With that out of the way, the purple-haired girl began planning her trek through the desert, making sure to check out the large pyramid at the very end. But as she was about to begin moving, the sound of sand trembling beneath her feet caught her by surprise, the teenager stepping back as she saw something emerge from the depths below.
Towering before her was a large Tangrowth, its body a creamy white. Sharp brown vines covered its imposing figure, making it resemble a large tumbleweed. Its eyes were locked onto Natasha, sizing her up for purposes only it knows. But before it could so much as move, a shrill chirp caught it off-guard, the Tumbleweed Pokémon turning to face the source. Looking down at it from atop a ledge was a Lopunny, her fur a mixture of black, grey and pink. Her body was more muscular than that of a standard Lopunny, her fur a lot messier as well. The bipedal rabbit leaped off the ledge and stared down the Tangrowth, eager for a fight with the large Pokémon. Happy to accept a challenge from its rival, the Tangrowth uttered a low groan, raising a thick vine in the air and slammed it down on the ground.
The Lopunny was able to dodge in time, shielding her face with her arm from the sand that was kicked into the air. Pawing the ground beneath her, she soon leaped into the air and delivered a brutal jump kick to the Tangrowth's face, the Tumbleweed Pokémon staggering back a few feet. Shooting a frown at the rabbit, it burrowed its vines into the warm sand beneath its feet, as they soon re-emerged to snare the Lopunny's feet. Seeing that its opponent was trapped, the Tangrowth charged up a large Focus Blast and fired it at the immobilized rabbit. But in a move that caught it by complete surprise, the Lopunny grabbed the ball of energy and flung it back at its face, the Tangrowth groaning in pain as it was flung back several feet, crashing into a pile of sand. Slowly getting back up, the Tumbleweed Pokémon raised an arm in surrender, the Lopunny huffing to itself with pride.
Unsure on what to make of this, the purple-haired girl called out to them, attracting their attention easily. Moments later, one of her Pokéballs opened itself, her Aurorus emerging into the blistering heat once more. Having had a nice rest inside her ball, the plesiosaur was more than capable of enduring the weather this time around. A smile formed her face upon glancing at the Lopunny, the Island Pokémon casually chirping with her friend. Natasha gazed at her companion in intrigue; did it act as the region's diplomat, travelling to the various biomes in order to keep the peace between its residents? It soon ended the conversation with its friend, the Lopunny turning to face Natasha before bowing in respect, the Tangrowth following suit. Understanding that they were offering her their loyalty, the purple-haired girl happily accepted them onto her team, taking out a pair of empty Pokéballs and recalled them to the devices. Pocketing them afterwards, she soon directed her attention to the pyramid looming over the area, the teenage girl gesturing her Pokémon to follow her inside.
0000
The Holon Pyramid was already impressive from a distance but seeing it up close was another thing altogether. It effortlessly towered over her, reaching over a hundred feet tall as the sun shone on it, casting a large shadow where she was standing. Curiosity welling up inside her, the purple-haired girl stepped into the large pyramid, only to get caught off-guard by a familiar face.
"I knew I'd bump into you sooner or later!" Nora cheered, embracing her girlfriend firmly with the latter returning the hug. "So how has your time here been so far?"
"Amazing; I've seen so many incredible Delta Pokémon that I don't know where to begin. Who knows, we may see another one within this pyramid." Natasha replied merrily, breaking off the hug moments later.
"Indeed. Personally, I'm glad that I can catch a break here; so many things happened in Torren within a short span of time. Between Jaern and Reukra getting outed, and your ascension to the role of Champion, the media have been having an absolute frenzy at the moment. Our discoveries here could further aggravate the media, so we'll need to keep it to ourselves for the moment." The green-haired girl told her.
"Fine by me. Now let's get going; we have a pyramid to explore." The purple-haired girl called out, the duo making their way through the dark corridors. Opting to help her friends out, the Aurorus conjured up a miniature Sunny Day, the bright red orb of energy lighting up the sandy tunnels. But even with the assistance, the pyramid was no easy feat to explore, due to all the winding halls and tunnels throughout the place. For the first thirty minutes, the trio ended up in various dead ends, with Nora placing small sticky notes on the walls to ensure they didn't end up down that path again. Her clever gambit worked as they had eventually stumbled upon a flight of stairs at the back of the pyramid, the trio slowly climbing up them.
They soon entered a vast room that was fit for a king; decorated with highly detailed hieroglyphics that told the history of the Holon Region. Furthermore, there were piles of gold and treasure strewn around the place, shining brightly within the dimly lit room. Nora's eyes widened in awe, the teenage girl making her way to some hieroglyphics to begin reading them. But before she was able to, the room was soon blanketed in light, revealing a set of figures at the back of the room.
Sitting on a throne made from gold and jewels was a Blaziken, its gaze locked onto the intruders before it. Its body was a hot pink; it's gold-colored wings flapping carelessly in the air. It wore a silk headdress and skirt that were topped off with precious jewels, its outfit resembling that of a pharaoh from the times of old. Standing beside it was a Lucario, acting as a bodyguard for its monarch. Its body was dark grey and muscular, a clear sign of its imposing power. It also wore silk clothing that were adorned with jewels, though they resembled that of a head priest. Though neither of them could sense any malice from the duo, they weren't too keen on intruders entering this sacred pyramid, the Lucario stepping forward to challenge the duo.
"I understand that you're cautious about us, and with good reason. However, I'm more than willing to prove my good intentions to you with a quick battle." Natasha replied, sending out her Crustle, the crab chittering quietly to itself. Gazing at the Cake Pokémon, the Lucario charged up a Dark Pulse and fired it, the pulsating wave of dark energy barreling towards the Crustle. The small crab was able to retract into its shell in time, the attack bouncing off it and into the ceiling, creating a small blanket of dust in the air. Moments later, the Cake Pokémon got back out of its shell and began biting chunks out of it with is fork, boosting several of its stats, but lowering its defenses. Now that it was all fired up, the crab quickly scuttled towards the Lucario, its body glowing a vivid pink as it tackled into the bipedal jackal, playing with it roughly for a minute before flinging it towards the Blaziken. The injured jackal crumpled on the ground, catching the chicken by surprise as it stood up from its throne. It raised its hand in the air, indicating its desire for a ceasefire.
Gingerly waddling towards it, the Aurorus used her power on the Lucario, healing its wounds within a matter of moments. Slowly getting back on its feet, the jackal turned to face its monarch, ready for its next order. But as the Blaziken was about to do so, a powerful tremor rocked throughout the area, catching everyone by surprise. Intrigue and concern were plastered on everyone's faces, the group running out of the pyramid to check it out. Upon stepping out into the desert once more, they were taken aback by what they saw; lying a several meters in front of them was a large crater several meters deep, with dozens of large rocks strewn around the place.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" A voice called out, the group turning to see Professor Maple walk up to them, his gaze locked on the Delta Pokémon beside the two teens. "Well, well. Looks like you two managed to find some more Delta Pokémon; I'd study them, but we've got more pressing matters at hand. One of my field agents reported a battle between two powerful Pokémon."
"By powerful, you mean Legendary Pokémon, right?" Nora inquired.
"Precisely. Only a Legendary could cause this much damage in such a short span of time. My first guess would be Regirock, but it has no known rivals as we know. Unless…Unless it encountered it's Delta variant. But if that's the case, then this could shatter everything we know about Delta AND Legendaries!" The middle-aged man prattled off eagerly, an unsettling look in his eyes. "Those idiots at the university doubted me, saying that such a thing wasn't possible. But this crater right here proves me right; I'll find it, and then I'll show them. I'll show all those fools who dared oppose me! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
"Uhhh…c-can we get back to our assignment? You're creeping me out, mister…" Natasha began, snapping the professor out of his trance.
"A-Ah, my apologies. F-For your next assignment, you are to check out the Holon Lake; it's to the north of Settlement Oscar. Let me know if you see any more proof that a Delta Legendary exists." Maple told her, the bespectacled man hastily walking north out the desert, leaving the two teenagers baffled by what they saw.
A stern look formed on the Blaziken's face as it watched the professor walk away, the Holon pharaoh sensing ill intentions from the man. Speaking softly to its bodyguard, the bipedal chicken soon turned to face Natasha, the monarch offering its aid as well as that of its bodyguard. Knowing that she would need as many allies on her side as possible, she accepted their offer, recalling them to their balls as a look of determination formed on her face.
"I'm going to check out the lake like he told me too; if there is a Delta Legendary out there, I need to keep it out of his hands." Natasha told Nora.
"Agreed. As for me, I'm going to read those hieroglyphs back inside the pyramid. Perhaps I'll be able to learn something that could aid us. I wish you luck in your endeavor, Natasha." The green-haired girl replied, the duo giving each other a quick kiss before going their separate ways, hoping that their preparations won't be in vain.
Another good chapter wrapped up nicely; sorry for the delay, but I got caught up in my Azur Lane story for a bit. The upload schedule should be back to normal, so you won't have to worry about another delay hopefully. 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
D. Camerupt
D. Tentacruel
D. Yanmega
D. Greninja
D. Goodra
D. Tangrowth
D. Lopunny
D. Lucario
D. Blaziken