Thanks to Tgonthefiery for reviewing the previous chapter. Ha ha, you're so right. She's a bit of a twat.

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Chapter Twenty Two: Abandon All Hope

Cyrus had expected to see a large group of his grunts patrolling the lower levels of Mount Coronet, but to his surprise, only one grunt had shown up, whom he recognized as the one who had informed him of the sexual activity taking place in the Nap Room. He walked over to question him. It wasn't like the grunts had gotten lost on the way – a couple of days ago he had shown them the route to the mountain to prevent such a disaster from occurring.

"Where is everyone?" he demanded.

The grunt paled the moment Cyrus landed eyes on him. "B-boss!" he stuttered, twiddling his thumbs together, his eyes glancing down at his feet. "I-I am not sure!" he blurted, still refusing to meet Cyrus's glare. The stutter in his tone and his refusal to lock eyes told Cyrus the boy knew something, but was afraid to share it.

He moved forward swiftly, reached out a hand and grabbed the boy around the neck, shoving him into the wall. The boy yelped and tried to free himself, but Cyrus's grip was unrelenting. "I am going to ask you again and this time I expect a better answer. Where is everyone?" he said in a low voice.

"Th-they left, b-boss," he spluttered. "The-they sai-said they got a bet-better deal from ssoo-some-someone else." Anger poured through him, prompting him to unknowingly tighten his grip around the young adult's neck. The boy's eyes widened. He gasped for breath and started to kick his legs in a desperate attempt to free himself. "Bo-boss!" he gasped.

Cyrus glanced down sharply at the boy and released his grip noticing how pale he was. The boy fell to his knees, a hand around his neck, drawing in deep heavy breaths. Cyrus turned his back, and took in a few deep breaths himself, trying to calm himself down. Betrayed. A simple word, yet it stirred ugly powerful emotions of hatred and fury, cutting through him like a butcher's knife slicing meat.

He turned around again. "Keep talking."

"I-I tried to convince them to stay, bu-but they said you wer-were m-m-mad." The grunt took in a deep mouthful of air and continued speaking, his eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know they are g-going! Please, you must believe me!" He cowered before Cyrus, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto the ground.

Cyrus looked down at him, tilting his head to one head, contemplating the grunt's fate. He was useless, like most of the other grunts in his workforce, but at least this one had remained loyal. That had to count for something. "Why are you here? Why did you not leave with the rest of them?"

"I swore to serve you faithfully!" he cried.

Cyrus raised a brow. "Perhaps you are a spy."

The boy's eyes widened. "N-no!"

"Why should I believe you?"

"I will prove my loyalty to you!" He reached a hand down into his pocket pulling out a small knife. Stretching out his left palm before him, he brought the edge of the blade to the skin and began to drag it across slowly, the sharp edges cutting into the flesh.

"Stop this nonsense," Cyrus ordered before he could stop himself. He wasn't sure why he even cared – this boy was just a grunt, a meaningless person whose only purpose in life was to carry out Cyrus's orders. He shouldn't even be concerned for the boy's life, but it mattered to him and he didn't know why. It was the same feeling he felt just moments ago when he had a hand to his vulnerable throat. He couldn't harm the boy.

Blood trickled down the boy's hand, dripping onto the ground. "I am loyal to you," the grunt murmured weakly, continuing to drag the blade across his palm, until he reached the other end. He clenched his hand. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"You need to leave," Cyrus said. The boy opened his mouth to argue, but Cyrus silenced him with a glare. "You said you were loyal to me – I want you to head to a place called Twinleaf Town and deliver a message to a woman called Johanna. Tell her," he said then paused. Why was he even bothering? The world as he knew it would cease to exist by the end of day. What was the point in even delivering a message when it wasn't going to matter anyway? But he wanted to. He needed to.

"Tell her what, boss?"

"Tell her I apologize," he said after a few seconds delay. "She will understand."

A pang of regret poured through him and that confused him even more. Regret wasn't something he was supposed to feel. He had spent many long years masking his emotions waiting for the day he had the chance to permanently remove them. Touching Mesprit was supposed to erase all feelings, but instead it seemed to have heightened his sensitivity to emotions. No wonder Charon had refused to touch the Mesprit. He had known all along. The sooner he reached the peak, the better for his state of mind.

"Okay, boss."

"Now leave."

The boy hurried away, clutching a bleeding hand to his stomach, as Cyrus looked towards the cave's entrance. Soon, everything would change for the better. He stepped inside.

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Dawn wasn't quite sure what she was expecting when she returned to the streets of Veilstone City. It was incredibly quiet – normally, the streets would be filled with people, but it was so dead now it was like she had stumbled in on a graveyard. Where had all the locals gone? Where was Maylene? Why on earth was it so quiet here? So many questions raced through her mind, but she did not have an answer to any of them.

"Dawn!"

She jerked her head in the direction of the sound and spotted Barry a few metres up ahead, poking his head out from behind a building. He motioned for her to hurry over just as two Galactic grunts emerged from the headquarters, their mouths pressed into grim smiles. Dawn felt tempted to run over right now and teach them a lesson, but Barry grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the building, stopping her from doing anything rash.

"Don't be reckless, Dawn."

He was so serious Dawn almost laughed at the obscurity of it. Don't be reckless? Now wasn't the time for laughs though and she remained quiet, watching the two grunts walk by, two Houndoours following behind them. She pressed her back against the wall, trying to blend herself in with the brick, but fortunately the grunts did not look their way.

"Charon says we have to catch the ship."

"But the boss says we're needed with him."

The first grunt shrugged. "Charon is the rightful leader of Team Galactic."

"But the boss…" murmured the other grunt.

"The boss lied to us," the first grunt hissed. "He sent our brothers to their deaths. Our lives mean nothing to him, but Charon sees our true worth." He placed his arms on the worried grunt. "You can choose to take the path the boss wants you to take, but you will go alone."

The second grunt glanced down at his feet. "I will come and board the ship with you," he softly whispered, lifting his gaze up from the floor, as his friend's hands were removed from his shoulder. The other grunt smiled, but said no more, as they continued walking down the street. Once they disappeared behind a corner, Barry turned to Dawn, his blond brows knotted in confusion.

"What was that about?" he murmured.

Dawn frowned. "I don't know, but it sounds like there are quite a few people who aren't too impressed with my father." She moved away from the wall and glanced up at the Galactic building.

Barry placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "I need to know the truth, Barry." For a long number of years she had always wanted to meet him, but now that she knew he was behind the bombings, she didn't feel so certain. How could she look into the eyes of a man who was indirectly responsible for the deaths of innocent Pokemon? She didn't even know what to say to him. She pulled her gaze away and looked at Barry. "I need to do this alone."

"That's too dangerous," Barry replied. "I can't let you go in their alone."

She smiled. "I appreciate it, but I need to know where Cyrus is."

Barry removed his arm. "You're reckless, Dawn. I'm supposed to be the reckless one."

"I guess the roles have reversed then," she replied wryly. "I'll be fine. My Pokemon will protect me."

She turned away from him, moving into the building's shadow, feeling her heart beat begin to quicken. This must've been how May and Red felt when they faced the ones who threatened their homeland's peace. In the corner of her eye, she could see Barry standing still, debating with himself what to do next. She knew he wanted to come with her, but she also knew he wasn't going to stand in the way of her wishes.

"I'll wait for you at Twinleaf, Dawn. You better be there."

"I promise. I'll see you there."

He didn't see convinced, but he turned away and followed the path the grunts had taken earlier, disappearing from her sight. Dawn's hand slipped down into her bag, her fingers brushing up against the key Saturn had given to her. Curling her fingers around it, she pulled it out and strode towards the building, trying to calm her racing heart beat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She stopped.

"Turn around, Dawn. I prefer to face my enemies when I defeat them so I can see their grief."

Paul. She was beginning to wonder when that boy would show his face again, but did he have to decide now was a good time? Turning around, she turned to glare at him, hoping he'd see the frustration on her face. "Paul," she said slowly. The boy looked much the same as last time, except his hair was now longer, reaching down to his shoulders. His expression remained as hard as ever, his lips seeming permanently fixed in a smirk. "What do you want?"

He sauntered towards her, a hand resting on his pokebelt. "I wanted to show you around my hometown," he replied, holding his hands up in the air, gesturing to the building surrounding them. "What? You're not interested? How about a Pokemon battle then, winner takes all?" he added, moving his hand down to his pokebelt again.

"I don't have the time to battle with you."

Paul sighed, brushing his bangs away from his face. "You don't have a choice." He removed a pokeball from his belt and threw it forward, summoning a Torterra to the field. His Torterra had a deep scar running down the centre of its head, and the horns on either side were chipped. "Someone is offering a lot of money to have you defeated."

Dawn summoned her Torterra. The two tortoises' glowered at the other. "So you're doing this for money?"

"You gotta do what it takes survive. Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!"

His Torterra stomped the ground, vines bursting out of his tree, digging themselves into the holes the tortoise had created. The vines ran deep underground and Dawn could see cracks appearing where the vines moved. Thick roots burst up from the cracks, covered in thorns, sharp enough to tear away the flesh. Dawn jumped out of the way as one of the roots emerged from underneath her.

Another root lifted her Torterra up from the ground, throwing her tortoise to the side, his back ramming against a nearby building. The force of the impact created the wall to cave in, causing bricks to topple down, landing in a heap. Dust rose up, temporarily creating a haze, limiting visibility. Dawn coughed, as the dust drifted towards her, bringing tears to her eyes. Paul's Torterra was strong – much stronger than she had anticipated. Paul's methods, although unethical and cruel, had turned his Pokemon into an indestructible tank. Right now she didn't have the power to take on such a beast.

Through the vines, she could see Paul standing opposite to her, his arms folded across his chest. He caught her eye and winked. She cocked her head to the side, confused. What game was he playing at? Her thoughts disappeared when the vines came to life, its tendrils reaching out to grab hold of any solid object in sight. The tendrils wrapped around a house until it could no longer be seen then tightened, crushing the building until it was nothing but smouldering ruin.

"You know, Dawn, you could try and put up a fight," Paul taunted.

She glanced in the direction of her Torterra, but all she saw was a mountain of bricks, her Torterra most likely trapped underneath it. "You're destroying the city!"

"Give yourself up and we'll stop otherwise I'm going to tear this place down."

Paul seemed different from the last she saw him. Last time, he seemed to only care about his own selfish goals and that was making his team the ultimate power force. This time, he seemed to be fighting for a cause he didn't wholeheartedly believe in. Destroying buildings to get at one trainer didn't fit in with his earlier goals about making the perfect team.

"Who do you work for?"

"I serve myself," Paul replied. "I don't answer to anyone."

"You're lying."

He snorted. "I see what this is – you're trying to get inside my head, but you won't find anything that will help you. Is this how you fight your battles? You spend your time chatting?" He snickered. "Words won't save you. Torterra, use Stone Edge!" The earth beneath her Torterra split open, making way for roots, which propelled her tortoise skywards. The roots returned to the ground and Torterra came crashing down, his back facing downwards. He landed with a loud thud, a dust cloud shrouding him.

"Torterra!" Dawn called. She ran forward towards the place her Torterra lay when a vine smacked the path in front of her. "This isn't right, Paul!" She tried to move past once again, but the vines blocked her. There was no way she could gain access to Torterra.

Paul's laughter filled the air. "None of your Pokemon can even compare to the power of mine. Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!" The vines whipped back and forth, the tendrils grabbing hold of any solid medium-sized object they could, turning them into rubble within seconds. The scene around her seemed like it came directly out of an apocalyptic movie, only this was a reality. She leapt out of the way as debris flew over head, a chunk of wall ripped off by a vine.

She could see no possible way of winning this battle under the current circumstances – Paul was far too strong to take on directly. Digging a hand into her bag, she searched for the master key and wrapped her fingers around it. She quickly summoned Houndoom to deal with the tendrils. Houndoom's breath of fire set alight a vine, but the victory was short lived. Every vine that was knocked down was replaced by another one within seconds.

She made a break for the entrance of the headquarters. "Houndoom, find Torterra!" Houndoom nodded and jumped over a scorched vine then lowered his head to the ground, sniffing the earth for Torterra's scent. He lifted his head then bounded off to the north-east towards a pile of rubble while Dawn jammed the key into the door. She could hear Paul calling out her name. She turned the key, opened the door and hurried inside, slamming it shut behind her.

Once inside, she pressed her back against the wall, taking a few moments to calm her racing heart. Paul's Torterra was strong, but not powerful enough to take down this massive building. He'd probably find a way to blast down the door eventually though so she didn't have much time to waste here. She hoped Houndoom and Torterra would distract Paul long enough for her to learn the truth.

Moving away from the door, she stepped towards two flights of stairs both leading to the floor above. At first glance, they appeared identical, but on closer inspection, she noticed there was a sign next to the staircase on the right reading, 'this staircase does not lead to a dead end'. She headed up the stairs, noticing the building was strangely quite vacant. There was not a single grunt to be seen in sight.

The second floor was just as uninteresting as the first – the floor was a dark grey and the walls were a shade lighter with nothing of interest to look at. What was even stranger was there didn't appear to be any form of life in here – the bins were empty, there was no furniture around in sight and there wasn't even a mark of dirt anywhere – it was as if they had cleaned the entire place out knowing the authorities would be here to investigate.

Dawn continued making her upwards to the peak level, bypassing a few more bare rooms until she reached a room with a large screen and a lectern on a raised platform. Nothing was playing on the television at the moment – it seemed to be stuck on a screen showcasing a giant yellow 'G' with a space background. This must be the room where Cyrus addressed his grunts, Dawn observed.

She walked up the stairs and headed towards a door in the far right corner. The silence of the place was unsettling – she couldn't help but think she was walking right into a trap. Perhaps this was planned and the grunts were going to ambush her. She inserted the key into the door, glancing over her shoulder, as if expecting one of the commanders to appear, but there was nothing. The place really was deserted.

The door popped open and she stepped inside. This room was different from the others – this one had a variety of machines and night sky wallpaper. It wasn't the machinery that caught her attention though – lying on the floor, slumped in a corner, were three coloured Pokemon covered in blood. She assumed they were the Lake Guardians. Dawn immediately rushed over towards them and knelt down, pressing her hand against their bodies, trying to detect a heartbeat.

Nothing. She moved her hand through the blood, trying to find another spot where it would be easier to feel a pulse, but she still found nothing. She tried again and this time she detected a pulse. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth. At least the Pokemon were alive, but for how much longer? Something had been ripped out of their backs with force.

"You poor Pokemon," she murmured softly. "Who would do such a thing?"

"You're too late," a voice said behind her.

Dawn froze; the voice didn't belong to her father, but rather to someone else she couldn't quite recognize. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted a man in a blood-splattered lab coat, black framed glasses sitting on his nose, his smile twisted into a cynical grin. Now she remembered him – he was the same man at the Valley Windworks she had encountered almost two years ago.

She climbed to her feet, her hands covered in the blood of the wounded Pokemon. "Charon."

Charon shut the door behind him then moved towards Dawn, rubbing his palms together, his eyes fixed on her face. "Ah, you remember my face. That is good." His grin widened. "You have come here searching for answers, yes?"

"Where is my father?"

"Cyrus? He's gone."

Charon stepped forward and Dawn took one step back. Her mind screamed danger, but her legs refused to move towards an escape route. "Gone?"

"Did you really come all this way thinking he'd be waiting for you here?" Charon shook his head in mock pity. "He abandoned you once before, Dawn – what makes you think anything has changed now?" Again, he stepped closer. Dawn took more steps back until she hit the wall. "But don't be afraid… I'm here to help you. "I can take you to your father if that's what your heart desires." He extended a hand.

Dawn looked at it. The grunts earlier were following orders from Charon, the one the first grunt claimed was the rightful leader of Team Galactic. Could Charon be trusted? He didn't seem like a danger – he was just an old man with no Pokemon, but then again, looks could be deceiving. "You give me his location and I'll find him myself," Dawn said.

Charon chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "I can't decide if you are foolish or brave. Why do you insist on meeting him?"

"I want the truth."

"The truth is before you, Dawn. These innocent Pokemon were tortured at the hands of your father – he took great delight in watching them suffer and you want to risk your life going after him?" Charon tilted his head to the side. "The same blood might flow through your veins, but that does not mean you are bound to him. You would be wise to be blind and walk away. Leave your father to his fate."

Dawn frowned. Charon seemed to be trying to convince her to walk away, but why? His loyalty to Cyrus was questionable – he didn't appear to hold the man in high regard, yet he willingly worked for him, but for what reason? Why would someone want to spend so many long years in service to a person they didn't care for… unless… Charon had an ulterior motive. Perhaps her father wasn't the true villain they were searching for. Perhaps the real mastermind was the one standing right in front of her, but it was hard to know the truth without hearing both sides. At the moment, she had no proof Charon harboured ill thoughts.

She needed to find Cyrus that much was certain, but where to look? The grunts hadn't mentioned his whereabouts and Charon didn't seem to want to give it away for whatever reason. Her only option was to use him and find information and pray to Arceus this wasn't a set up. "Please."

He studied her face then sighed. "I would like to borrow one of your Pokemon for a couple of moments. I believe you had a Murkrow at one point, yes?

She nodded. "Why should I entrust my Pokemon with you?"

"I was once a trainer like you, Dawn. I had a Pokemon of my own, a Rotom, but unfortunately he perished. Rotom's ashes are in a safe – you would not be so cruel to prohibit an old man from taking his partner with him?"

"Don't you have a key?"

"The safe was designed to only respond to a particular Pokemon. Cyrus designed it, and made sure only his Pokemon could open it." He gestured to a wall in the far eastern corner. "That is the safe. In exchange, I will give you the location of your father."

She looked at the wall trying to determine whether or not she could trust the man. Opening the safe protecting a Pokemon's ashes couldn't be harmful, right? She summoned her Honchkrow. The bird waddled over to the safe. "Use Night Slash, Honchkrow." Honchkrow jumped into the air, emitting a cry and slashed the door with his talons. An opening in the wall appeared and parted giving way to a tiny room.

There was a table in the room and sitting on the top was a brown chest with a padlock. Charon stepped inside and picked it up, carrying it with both hands. "Your father is at Mount Coronet." He bowed his head. "Good day to you, Dawn." He exited the room. She was tempted to follow him, but she knew she couldn't afford to waste more time.

"Let's leave this place, Honchkrow," she said. Honchkrow flapped over, seemingly quite eager to leave the building as well. She led the way to the second floor and peered down below. There was no sign of Paul, but he could be hiding in ambush. Leaving the way she entered wasn't a smart idea, but fortunately there were other ways to get around. She summoned Zweilous. "Zweilous, blast down this wall with Dragon Pulse!"

The two heads opened their mouths. Twin beams of draconic rage fused into one powerful beam, blasting the wall down. Before climbing onto her Honchkrow's back, she reached down into her bag and pulled out her Xtransceiver. Barry was probably worried sick about her. She dialled his number. "Barry, it's me, Dawn."

"Dawn!" he blurted.

"It's happening at Mount Coronet."

She hung up before Barry could get in another word. Putting the Xtransceiver back in her bag, she tightened the strap then climbed on her Honchkrow's back, after returning Zweilous to his ball. Honchkrow lifted and flew through the newly created opening and swooped down to the ground where her Houndoom and Torterra lay. Dawn retrieved her Pokemon back to their pokeballs and ordered her Honchkrow to fly in between the vines. Veilstone City was no longer a vibrant place of entertainment, but rather a war zone. She hoped no innocent lives had been caught in the crossfire.

"We need to head to Mount Coronet." Honchkrow squawked.

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It had taken at least an hour to reach the upper levels of Mount Coronet and another hour to navigate his way through the twisting paths inside the mountain. Many of the paths led to dead ends much to Cyrus's annoyance – no one else had ever climbed to the peak before so he lacked the assistance of a map. It was a matter of trial and error and he had taken to drawing scratch marks into the walls before new paths to remind himself which ones he already taken.

The process would've been much easier if his grunts had been there as asked. They were supposed to be acting as live markers to make it easier for him and his commanders to find their way to the peak, but there was not a grunt to be seen. The absence of grunts made it far more difficult for him to find his way out – not only was it hard to find the right path, but there a large number of hostile Pokemon living up here.

The Pokemon were unlike any other he had crossed paths with before – these Pokemon did not live in a habitat populated with humans and regarded people as something to devour. There had been no traces of human remains on the lower levels, but there were quite a few bones up here. It was an upward climb of death. Many trainers had obviously tried to climb the mountain, but none had lived to tell the tale.

Fortunately, his Pokemon were more than capable enough of dealing with any threat they came across. It helped greatly all his Pokemon had great eyesight in dark places otherwise he'd still be lost and stumbling around in the darkness. He turned a corner and spotted a half-eaten human corpse lying before him. The stench of decomposing flesh filled his nostrils. He snorted, studied the corpse for a few moments then stepped over it continuing on his path.

The higher he climbed the colder it became and the more difficult it was to breathe. Every step became more difficult to make than the previous one, but he carried on, determined to make it to the peak. A cold breeze entered the cave, sending a chill racing down his spine. He followed the direction of the breeze hoping it would lead to an outdoor path that wasn't a dead end.

His Crobat and Honchkrow flew around him scouting the path ahead making sure it was safe to travel. He bypassed a few more human bones and wondered how so many trainers had perished. Surely, not all of them could've been killed by Pokemon? Stepping over a few more bones, he made his way towards the light, feeling a sense of relief pour through him. Progress at last.

He was panting now, his heart racing what felt like million miles a second. He paused for a couple of moments to regain his breath then continued on, making sure to stick close to the wall. Snow blew almost horizontally up here restricting his visibility severely, making it difficult to see his own arms and legs. He reached out a hand to the left, feeling for the wall, making sure he hadn't strayed in the wrong direction. One miscalculation and he'd join the ranks of the others who had been defeated by the mountain.

He took a few more steps forward, wincing as another gust of wind assaulted him. The wind felt like it had teeth – every gust felt like receiving a nasty gash, but the pain was short-lived, numbed by the freezing cold. He persisted though and soon found himself standing in a patch of grass, two trees on either side. Wind struck him again, so powerful, he was almost knocked over. He reached his hands out to the side to balance himself, fingers on his right hand brushing up against one of the trees.

The tree moved. He was confused for a few moments then realized the tree was in fact an Abomasnow. This one seemed much bigger than the ones found in possession of trainers around Snowpoint City though – two great shafts of ice protruded from its back with green sitting around the base. He immediately moved back and stepped into the other tree.

He remained still hoping the unusual Abomasnows wouldn't pick up his scent. Fighting them here in an environment which had limited visibility ran a high risk of a fatal fall. The Abomasnows roared. Cold breath washed up against his face, specks of saliva landing on him. As gross as it was, he did not move. The one to his left brought its head close to Cyrus's and sniffed then flicked out its wide reddish tongue, running it down his face, leaving a trail of saliva.

Cyrus cringed. The other Abomasnow joined in the sniffing session. He felt another rubber-like tongue lick the back of his neck. Slowly, he brought a hand to the belt around his waist, reaching for his Houndoom. He managed to remove the pokeball and let it drop to the floor. The pokeball opened and Houndoom emerged.

"Use Fire Blast, Houndoom."

His canine roared, and threw himself at the first Abomasnow, releasing a ball of fire. Flames encased the creature melting the icicle shards on his back. The Abomasnow roared. It reared up on its hind legs and swung his forelimbs back and forth, sending layers of snow in various directions. Cyrus made a break for it, but only covered a short distance when the other Abomasnow rammed into him, knocking him over onto his back.

Groaning, he picked himself up. The two Abomasnows stormed towards him. Fortunately, their movements were quite slow thanks to their bulky forms. Cyrus continued moving forward as fast as he could in deep snow, his Houndoom flanking his left side and stopped when he reached a rocky wall. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the pair of Abomasnows rapidly approaching him. He turned back to the wall again, searching for a way to climb it, but found nothing he could grab hold onto.

He moved across the wall, desperately trying to find something, anything, that would help him climb up. Another blast of wind knocked him back. It was through sheer determination he found the strength to carry on stopping at a bent tree. At least, he hoped it was one. He climbed up it then jumped down onto the ledge. The Abomasnows punched the ledge he was standing on, but their attacks did nothing. Houndoom hurried up the bent tree.

Cyrus glanced down at the pair. "Houndoom, use Fire Blast again." His loyal companion obeyed, breathing down fire on them, setting them alight. The two Abomasnows roared, swinging their fists at each other's heads to douse out the flames, but only succeeded in knocking each other out instead. One of the Abomasnows took too many steps back and fell off the edge. The other one hit the ledge and fell face first into the snow. With the unusual Abomasnows dealt with, Cyrus moved on, climbing higher up the mountain until he reached a piece of land were the wind did not blow and the snow did not fall. His visibility was perfect again, giving him a chance to admire his new surroundings.

Sand-coloured columns surrounded him – many of them had broken, but there were still some standing. It appeared to be an ancient site of some importance, though he did not know what that was. He suspected it was probably a place of worship used by their earliest ancestors. Up ahead, he saw a pedestal and moved towards it, removing the Red Chain from the left pocket of his jacket.

He placed the Red Chain on the pedestal. The item began to glow as did the columns surrounding him. He reached out to touch it, but the surface was no longer cool to touch. The ground jerked suddenly, catching him off guard, causing him to topple over. One of the columns split in half as Cyrus climbed to his feet. He heard a rumble from above and looked up. The clouds were no longer a light grey colour, but were a deep shade of the darkest grey.

They parted. Two monstrous forms came down from the heavens. One was blue four-legged dragon and the other a bipedal pink dragon. Dialga and Palkia, the Creators of Time and Space. They looked down at him, snarling and roaring, but they were incapable of doing anything else. Somehow, the columns on the peak prevented even the strongest of Pokemon from attacking. Red light burst from the Red Chain, enveloping the two legendaries, prompting them to roar again, their combined roars causing the entire mountain to shake.

The Red Chain shattered into pieces and the remaining columns around him crumbled into rubble. Even the pedestal had broken and in its place was a large black shadow door with a purple hue. He moved towards it. "And so it begins," he said to himself, stepping through the door.

The birth of a new world awaited him.

.

Climbing up Mount Coronet was much easier as a group of three rather than embarking on the trek alone, Mars learned. It was far quicker to navigate through the twisting routes with three people and it was also much safer. There were hostile Pokemon living in the mountain and Mars wasn't sure if her Pokemon alone could take them on, but with Jupiter's Pokemon at her side, defeating them was much easier. Charon stood behind them, holding the flashlight in his right hand, the other one cradling a chest under his left shoulder.

What was inside the chest was a mystery – Mars tried asking for details, but Charon refused to speak of it. He simply said it was important that the chest did not fall in the wrong hands and Mars didn't pry for further details. "Looks like the boss made our journey much easier," Jupiter remarked, pointing to a few fainted Golbats. "We just have to follow the trail of fainted Pokemon and we'll find him."

Mars snorted. "I hope so… I can't believe he wanted us to walk all this way…" she murmured, kicking aside a couple of bones away into the darkness. She turned to Charon and opened her mouth to speak when she felt the inner cavern walls shake. Grabbing onto her companions for support, she held onto them firmly, giving them a wide-eyed look.

"Is it a Pokemon?" Jupiter yelped.

Charon shook his head. "He actually made it…" he trailed.

"Made what?" Mars snapped.

"The journey to the peak. He's summoned Dialga and Palkia to open the rift to the Distortion World… or what is most commonly referred to as the Spirit World," Charon explained, a smirk crossing his face. "Come, we must reach the peak." He seemed more excited than usual. Charon led the way to an opening outside, guided by a trail of fainted Pokemon. It was not snowing outside like one would expect – the weather was oddly calm.

Dark, menacing clouds stretched across the sky above them. Never had she seen a cloud so dark before. A cold unsettled feeling raced down her spine. "It's so quiet. Why is not snowing up here? Or blowing for that matter?"

Jupiter too, looked concerned, and perhaps even fearful. "This is… unnatural." She turned to Charon.

"This used to be druids circle many long decades ago," Charon explained. "Our early ancestors used to build monuments of stone to practice rituals. This was such a place – the highest point in the entire region and not so easily accessed." He pointed to the peak where Mars could see a few tall columns. "There is a magical energy that runs through this mountain."

"I don't like it," Mars said, wrapping her arms around her body. The Pokemon rangers of today were said to be direct ancestors of the druids – no wonder they were weird.

Jupiter snorted. "Why are we even up here in the first place?"

"To ensure the gate is not destroyed," Charon said, pointing to a large black shadow door on the highest point.

"Is the boss in there? Shouldn't we go after him?" Mars said.

Charon shook his head. "No, that is far too dangerous."

Jupiter tilted her head. "Isn't this what you wanted, Mars? I thought you were mad at him?"

"I am, but…" She looked to the gate again, unable to shake off a feeling that something was terribly wrong about it. "I never got the chance to have the final say. I can't believe he just walked away like that without telling us anything! He didn't even wait for us!" she complained, kicking the snow. She was half-tempted to walk to the gate now, step inside herself and teach her boss a lesson, but Jupiter held her back.

"What happens if the gate is destroyed?" Jupiter said, looking to Charon for an explanation. Charon seemed to know far too much about the gate, but then again, Charon seemed to know everything.

"Whatever is in there will be trapped inside forever," Charon replied. He moved closer to the gate, climbing up a bent tree, bypassing a strange looking Abomasnow lying face-first in the snow. Mars peered down at it, gave it a sharp kick to test if it was alive, but the massive hulk of a creature remained unmoving.

"Was that an Abomasnow? It didn't look like any of the ones I had seen before," Jupiter remarked.

Charon supplied an answer. "The circle here gives the Pokemon additional features making them different from others of their species. I suppose you could say they are 'mega' evolutions, although I prefer to use the term, the next step in evolution, to describe them." Mars walked up the bent tree then helped Jupiter up. Together, the trio moved towards the gate.

An overriding sense of evil poured through her as she approached the gate. It was almost like this door was a gateway into hell itself. Mars half-expected to see hands emerging from the darkness, pleading for help, like she had seen in numerous horror movies, but there was nothing. Another chill raced down her spine and it wasn't from the cold. "I guess we wait."

There was silence, but peace never lasted for too long. She heard panting behind her and glanced over her shoulder, finding a young teenage male with a wild bushel of blond hair, staring at her. Jupiter turned around as well then smirked. "Look who it is, it's the cry baby," she taunted. "Did you come all this way looking for a rematch? I've gotta say, I'm impressed you made it all this way, but then again, we did make it easier for you."

"Jupiter and Mars… deal with this. The gate must be unharmed," Charon said. He moved closer towards the gate while the two girls moved into position.

"I'm always up for a battle," Mars said, pointing a finger at the blond-haired male. "You don't look so tough anyway. You can help keep things interesting." She summoned her Bronzor and Jupiter summoned hers as well.

"Barry!" Another voice. Mars looked behind Barry and spotted Dawn. She snarled at the sight. Of course Dawn would be here. She was always showing up to make her life miserable.

Barry turned to face Dawn. "Dawn, you made it! What do you say you and I team up and take down these thugs once and for all?" She nodded.

"A two-on-two battle it is then," Jupiter said. "Are you sure you can handle this? You make one mistake and you'll fall to the bottom," she added, gesturing to the side of the mountain. That was a permanent way of dealing with the bastard child, Mars thought.

"Quit talking, and let's battle!" Barry demanded.

Thunder roared.

.

Cynthia stepped outside her home and looked up at the peak of Mount Coronet. Thick dark cloud amassed around the highest point and was rapidly building in size. She knew if action was not taken now, the world she loved would cease to exist. "Cynthia!" Cynthia jumped at the sound of her voice. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Steven racing towards her. There were dirt patches on his clothes.

"Steven?"

"It's started. We're too late."

She looked up at the peak again. "It's never too late," she replied. The clouds lit up temporarily, as lightning jumped from cloud to cloud. Was Dawn up there right now fighting against Team Galactic? The girl didn't know what horrors awaited in the Distortion World.

"You're going to enter the Distortion World," Steven said, grabbing her arm, turning her to look at him. His eyes were wide with concern, but also with fear.

"Dawn is up there, I know it. She'll enter the rift to find her father… I need to be there with her. I promised to keep an eye on her, Steven. I'm not going to break that vow." She tried to move forward, but Steven wouldn't let go. "Steven."

"The true power of Giratina is unknown."

"I'll be cautious."

He closed his eyes, muttered something then opened his eyes, looking at her again. "Promise me you will come back in one piece."

Cynthia lifted a brow. "I'm the Champion, Steven. I have a duty to protect my homeland and its inhabitants from destruction. You of all people should be aware of that having protected your people at one point in your career." She pried his fingers off her then reached down to summon her Togekiss. Her Togekiss emerged from his pokeball and gazed up at her awaiting orders.

"I don't want to lose you, Cynthia."

That caught her by surprise. She looked at him, another brow raised. "I appreciate your concern for my safety, but I can do this. I must do this, Steven." She climbed onto the back of her Togekiss. "Please take care of my grandmother and my little sister." She was about to order her Togekiss to fly up towards the peak when Steven reached out to her again. This time, instead of grabbing her arm, he lifted a hand to her face, pushing back a part of her fringe that covered her left eye.

"That's better," he remarked, pulling back, a smile on his face. Cynthia just frowned, confused by his actions. "Remember, the Distortion World and Spirit World are the same. Negative emotions will attract the attention of hostile spirits – when you found yourself overwhelmed, think of the positive memories to guard your mind." He studied her face for a couple moments longer then moved in cupping her chin with his hands, pressing his lips against hers.

She was overcome by shock, and momentarily forgot about the scheme taking place on the peak of Mount Coronet, but regained her senses shortly afterwards. She pulled back, feeling flustered. "I really must be going. Come on, Togekiss. We need to fly to the peak." Togekiss jumped into the air and spread his wings. Cynthia didn't dare look back – how was she ever supposed to look him in the eyes again after that?

There was no way Steven could possibly be romantically interested in her – she had known him for years and never did he try to make a move on her. He always talked to her myths and legends and his current research project rather than talk about romance topics. She decided it was simply one of those 'heat of the moment' type actions and thought little of it.

She pushed thoughts of Steven out of her mind and focused on the task ahead. Togekiss's wings beat the air as he continued to climb higher and higher until she could clearly see the people battling on the mountain. She spotted Dawn, her blond friend and a couple of Galactic commanders engaged in a battle, but there was no sign of Cyrus. What she did see was a shadow door - the gate to the Distortion World. "Hang in there, Togekiss. We're in for a rough ride."

.

Unnatural rain bucketed down, drenching those caught in it within seconds, as a lightning bolt struck down a column, slicing it in half. The sheer force of it threw the upper half over the side of the mountain while the other half fell to the ground. Deep rumbles of thunder followed. Dawn's hair whipped around her face as the storm conjured a wind, so wild she thought she was going to get swept off her feet and thrown off the mountain.

"Heracross, use Night Slash!" Barry ordered, pointing his finger at Jupiter's Bronzor. His sturdy bug rushed forward and leapt in the air. He crashed down on the Bronzor, slashing at it with the axe-shaped horn on his head. Bronzor fainted.

"Houndoom, use Fire Blast!" Dawn's Houndoom jumped into the fray, spitting a ball of fire at Mars' Bronzor. The creepy creature was hit directly in the face, leaving a ring of black around its inner circle. Her Bronzor fainted too.

The two commanders brought forth two Golbats. Dawn had seen quite a few of those on the way up and had battled a few as well. These two Golbats would be no different.

Jupiter pointed at Barry's Heracross. "Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

"Golbat, use Air Cutter as well!" Mars ordered. The two bats flapped their wings and manipulated the wind around them to use against Barry and Dawn. The pair flew forward and swooped down, slashing their wings against Heracross, knocking the bug unconscious. Heracross had great power, but he had too many weaknesses to exploit.

Barry recalled his Pokemon then brought forth his prized mascot and starter, his Infernape. The flame on his blew in the wind, but somehow never seemed to die out. "Infernape, use Aerial Ace!" His ape ran over to a still-standing column and climbed up then jumped out, slashing a claw at Jupiter's Golbat. The weight on the bat's back caused it to crash to the ground. The Golbat tried to throw the monkey off, but Infernape held down the bat's wings, rendering it incapable of escaping. "Go for it, Dawn!"

"Houndoom, use Fire Fang!" Houndoom sunk his red-hot fangs into the flesh of the Golbat then picked it up, and hurled it to the side. The Golbat hit a column and flopped to the ground. Wind created by the storm blew it over. It landed on the Golbat knocking it unconscious. Jupiter grimaced.

"Golbat, use Poison Fang!" Mars's Golbat swooped down towards Infernape, sinking its fangs into the exposed neck. Infernape tried to swat the bat off, but Golbat held on. It released and removed its fangs, beating its wings furiously to stop itself from getting blown away in the wild elements. Infernape paled.

Barry cursed, and recalled his poisoned Pokemon. He brought out his Staraptor who dug his talons into the snow to remain standing. Jupiter summoned her Skuntank. Flashbacks of its horrible stench played in Dawn's mind and she felt her stomach twist. Hopefully, the wind would blow it away before it reached her nostrils. "Staraptor, use Take Down!" Barry's Staraptor jumped into the air. He threw his entire weight against the bat, knocking it out of the air, slamming it into the snow. The Golbat fainted.

"Hmph, you've toughened up… but you're still no match for the power of my Skuntank!" Jupiter boasted.

Mars brought out her final Pokemon, her Purugly. The two tank-like Pokemon stared down at their opponents. "This ends here. Purugly, use Slash!" Purugly dashed forward and threw her massive bulk against Houndoom, barrelling him over into the snow.

Cat and dog engaged in a vicious duel, but Houndoom was unable to gain the upper advantage. Purugly slashed his face, creating a gash just above his nose. Dawn recalled her Houndoom and brought out her Torterra.

"Skuntank, use Flamethrower!" Skuntank raised its tail, lowered its head then opened its mouth. Flames spewed forth, tiny embers attaching themselves to Torterra's body. Her Torterra growled and swayed from side to side, trying to remove the flames that clung to his body, but the damage had been done. His legs gave way underneath him. Dawn recalled her Torterra.

"I've got this! Staraptor, use Close Combat!" Staraptor took to the air again then hurtled down, his wings pinned against his body. At the last moment, he raked his talons forward and struck the Purugly on the back, forcing the monstrous feline deep into the snow.

Dawn summoned her Zweilous. "Use Dragon Pulse, Zweilous!" Twin beams of draconic energy left the mouths of her dragon. They fused into one and struck the snow around the cat. A layer of snow landed on the feline burying it beneath. Mars kicked the ground, a string of curses leaving her mouth.

"I should've taken this battle on my own…" Jupiter murmured. "Skuntank, Flamethrower!" Another breath of fire left the skunk's mouth. The flames struck her Zweilous, shrouding him in fire, but they appeared to do little damage. Zweilous roared, shook his body, shaking the flames off.

"Staraptor, use Take Down!"

"Zweilous, use Slam!"

Staraptor attacked the Skuntank from above while Zweilous struck from the ground. The combined effort of two physical attacks was too much for the Skuntank. It fell over onto its side. Barry threw a fist into the air. "Who is the weak one now?" he demanded. The intensity of the rain died down, but the storm still continued to rage. Another bolt of lightning struck a column. Dawn jumped at the explosive noise, feeling her ears ring.

"Dawn!"

The ringing in her head died. She turned behind her and found her mother with Professor Rowan. It had been a couple of months since she last saw her mother and it was quite shocking to see how much weight the woman had put on during their time apart. "Mum!" Dawn rushed over to her and threw her arms around her waist.

"Professor Rowan!" Barry blurted. "You made it!" The professor leaned against the mountain's wall, taking in deep long breaths. Dawn was surprised the guy even managed to make it up this far, but he appeared to be stronger than what his age implied.

"Did you invite the rest of the neighbourhood as well?" Jupiter commented sourly.

Mars's eyes locked on Johanna then moved downwards, eyes resting on her belly. Her eyes narrowed, fingers curling into fists. "You…" she hissed. She took a couple of steps towards Johanna, but Zweilous blocked her path, snarling. Mars froze.

"Dawn!" Someone else called her name and it came from above this time. Riding on an oval-shaped avian was Cynthia, her long blonde hair flowing in the wind. Her Pokemon landed on the ground and Cynthia climbed off.

"I came as quickly as I could… Are you all right?" Cynthia said.

Dawn nodded. "I'm fine."

Cynthia turned to the shadow door behind the two female commanders. "I would love to talk, but we do not have much time. Your father has stepped through the rift entering what is known as the Distortion World. I fear he may be in great danger." She took Dawn's hand. "If we do not stop him now this world will cease to exist."

Johanna's jaw dropped. She looked physically sick at Cynthia's words. "No… I won't lose my daughter!"

"Johanna, I'm asking you to trust me on this," Cynthia said calmly. "I will protect Dawn with my life, this I swear, but she must come with me to put an end to this." Johanna started crying. Professor Rowan hobbled over and placed a hand on his niece's shoulder.

"Cynthia will bring her back safely," he said soothingly.

Johanna buried her face in his shoulder and continued weeping. She wept some more then sniffed, pulling her head away from the professor's right sleeve. "Please… don't let him die… I need him…" Cynthia studied her face for a few moments then nodded. Johanna turned back to Rowan again. Dawn gave her mother an assuring smile and followed Cynthia towards the rift.

"You can't enter the rift!" Charon exclaimed, storming forwards, pushing the other two commanders aside roughly. "You must not interfere!"

"You will stand down," Cynthia replied, her voice taking on a dangerous tone, Dawn felt a shudder race down her spine. Charon lacked Pokemon to defend himself with and could do nothing but stand back and allow Cynthia and Dawn to pass. Dawn gazed up at the door feeling a dark evil radiate from it. Something didn't feel quite right about it.

"Take me with you," Barry said, rushing up towards them. "I need to be there too!"

Cynthia shook her head. "Your place is outside here. Protect the others and do not let the Galactic commanders leave your sight."

Barry looked at Dawn. "Don't be long." He took a few steps back, his Staraptor at his side.

Dawn looked up to Cynthia for comfort. Cynthia smiled. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Together, they entered through the rift.