When we last left off, Natasha won the Midna School tournament with style and grace. Additionally, she met the lovely young Nora and quickly befriended her, though there may be more to this relationship than she first expected. Now the duo is off to investigate a cry for help coming from the Ancient Ruins.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
Upon entering the Ancient Ruins, Nora and Natasha found the source of the cries; standing in a corner surrounded by strange people was a Riolu, the small Pokémon frightened for its life. The people edged closer and closer to it, hoping to capture it for whatever nefarious purpose they may have in mind.
"I-I've seen these people before; they planned to assassinate the Augur back in Telnor Town. But why would the Abyssal Cult want their hands on Riolu?" Natasha spoke softly to Nora.
"I don't know either, but we won't let them take it by force!" The green-haired girl stated, the duo confronting the cultists as the trio turned to face them. "Hey, you leave that Riolu alone, you brutes!"
"Tch, just what we needed; a pair of meddlesome brats getting in out way." The Abyssal cultist in charge of this mini operation hissed to herself. "Listen kids, this is adult business only. Get out of here unless you want to be shipped home in a wooden box!"
"Like I'm afraid of some cowardly cultist who gets a thrill out of scaring small Pokémon. You are no match for us whatsoever!" Natasha declared boldly, her Geodude hopping out of her arms and growled lowly at the cultists.
"So you wanna act tough? Then we'll give you a sound thrashing and take all your Pokémon for ourselves. Cultists, ready yourself for battle!" The head cultist declared, her two flunkies approaching the duo and got out their Pokéballs, throwing them to the ground and sent out a Horsea and Skrelp respectively. Nora quickly selected one of her own Pokéballs, throwing it to the ground and sent out her Sewaddle to assist her friend.
Soon afterwards, the Horsea and the Skrelp stood firmly on their tails and shot a blast of water from their mouths, hoping to wash the opponents aside. However, the Geodude had expected this outcome and used its mind to form a wondrous barrier of light to shield itself and the Sewaddle from the attack, the water trickling down the barrier and onto the rocky floor beneath their feet. With the attack dealt with, the Sewaddle conjured up a bunch of sharp leaves and hurled them towards the Horsea, the attack striking the seahorse head on as it was sent flying back into a stone pillar and crashed into it, promptly sliding down to the ground. While this was happening, the Geodude was gathering mental energy in its head while pressing its hands against the rocky ground, using it as a launchpad of sorts to hurl itself at the Skrelp. The attack struck it head on, sending the sea-dragon flying towards its fallen comrade and crashed into it, kicking up a small amount of dust into the air.
"Wow…you only got that Delta Geodude recently, and you formed a bond with it already." Nora commented in awe over Natasha's special gift.
"We can delve further into it later, we've got some cultists to defeat." The purple-haired girl replied, watching the Abyssal Cultists recall their fainted Pokémon.
"What are you two louts doing?! I need you to distract them while I capture the Riolu!" The head cultist shouted in anger, causing the duo before her to gulp in fear.
"Y-Yes ma'am…" A cultist replied, quickly sending out his Corphish as his ally sent out a Seel in response. Hoping to regain the initiative, the Corphish lunged at the Sewaddle, hoping to crush it with its claws, only for the Geodude to block the incoming attack, its arms shielding its body from the attack. Letting out a small huff of annoyance, the Corphish mustered up all its strength to lift the Geodude up in the air and throw it aside, with the Seel following up with a sizable blast of water from its mouth, sending the Geodude flying into a set of clay pots as Natasha quickly ran over to check up on her ally, who was knocked out from the consecutive attacks.
"Don't worry…I'll make sure those brutes don't hurt you any further…" She cooed at the injured Geodude, recalling it to its ball as she promptly made her decision. With a quick flick of her wrist, she threw her next ball and sent out her Squirtle, the small turtle eager to crush its foes. Glaring at the Seel, it promptly began spinning its arms in the air, generating a small blue wind around itself, crossing its arms before opening them as the wind formed a shockwave that flew towards the Seel at rapid speeds, the powerful Vacuum Wave sending it flying across the ruins. Meanwhile, the Sewaddle was nimbly dodging the Corphish's attacks, bobbing and weaving underneath the attacks before headbutting it, sending the small lobster flying through the air before following up with a second Razor Leaf, striking the Corphish head on as it soon began plummeting towards the ground. It crashed into another stack of clay pots, shattering them into thousands of tiny pieces as it staggered from beneath the debris before promptly collapsing onto the ground.
"Alright, we did it!" Nora cheered, her Sewaddle jumping for joy as the Squirtle sighed in relief.
"Pathetic…you had some of the best Pokémon in the Abyssal Cult, yet you lost to a pair of kids?!" The head cultist scolded her subordinates.
"Lady, if that was the extent of your cult's power, then it's a complete mystery as to how you're still standing. You're a complete joke; just leave the Riolu alone and go home to save yourself any further humiliation." Natasha mocked the cultist, causing her to growl in anger at her.
"I'll teach you to mouth off like that! First I'll catch this Riolu, then I'll break your—" She began, only for a low growl to emanate from the back room of the ruins, behind a sizable ledge. Emerging from the room was a Lucario, standing tall and proud as it glared at the Abyssal Cultist.
"At last…you're here." The cultist smirked uneasily, trying to maintain her composure. "Quickly, we need to catch it; you both know what we want this Pokémon!"
Nodding in confirmation, the two Abyssal Cultists joined their leader's side, only for the Lucario to begin glowing in a variety of colors, it's body encased by the aura as it soon broke out from the orb, revealing it in its Mega Form. Growling lowly at the cultists, it approached them slowly, causing the trio to gulp in fear before quickly fleeing the ruins. The Riolu ran up to it and nuzzled the Lucario affectionately, the duo quickly making their way to the back room of the ruins, but not before shooting a quick look of gratitude at the duo.
"Well that was a sight to behold. Now to—huh?" The purple-haired girl began, only to see that her Squirtle began glowing a bright white, its body rapidly changing as it was going through the process of evolution. Soon, the light died down, revealing that it had evolved into Delta Wartortle. Its body was now larger than before, it's tail having split into two in order to better conceal its shell from plain view. The small cloths on its arms had become fingerless gloves, and it now sported a red belt around its waist. "Wow, you evolved Wartortle! Well done!"
"Tortle!" The Wartortle chirped proudly, resting its hands on its hips.
"Truth be told, I was hoping to find some connection to the prophecy in these ruins. But it seems like these aren't the ruins I'm looking for…" Nora commented, briefly glancing side-to-side. "Still, what were the Abyssal Cult doing here? From what I know of them, they're a lot like the notorious Team Aqua from the Hoenn region, so why would they go to a place that has nothing to do with Kyogre."
"Perhaps the prospect of a Mega-Lucario was too much to pass up on. Or they didn't want any of the other cults getting their hands on it first." Natasha deduced.
"Makes sense when you think about it…" The green-haired girl replied, turning her head to the side. "Mega Evolution, huh? I know that it enables a Pokémon to take on a form that is much stronger than before. But it requires a close bond between said Pokémon and its trainer to occur; how was that Lucario able to Mega-Evolve without a trainer nearby?"
"I'm not so sure myself, perhaps something in the next town might give us a clue to this phenomenon." The purple-haired girl suggested. "I must say Nora, that was some really impressive battling back there. You're the perfect combination of strong and cute!"
"O-Ohh…thanks." Nora replied quietly, a fierce blush forming on her soft face. "A-Anyway, we should make our way to Suntouched City; it's a short distance from these ruins."
Agreeing to the plan, the duo quickly recalled their Pokémon before making their way out of the ruins and to their next destination, a few questions floating in Natasha's mind. What is the end game of the Abyssal Cult? How could a wild Lucario Mega-Evolve without a trainer nearby? How on Earth did she come to possess the Delta Call, and why is everyone so interested in it?
Suntouched City
After spending the last fifteen minutes traversing through the Cyan Cavern, the duo finally arrived at the lustrous Suntouched City, a place far larger than they had expected. And though Cyan Cavern was a most beautiful place, full of deep blue stones and pools of clear water, there was nothing of much interest within its cool interior. The bustling city before them however, was a sight to behold; there were dozens upon dozens of buildings neatly arranged into small block, and there were lots of support pillars keeping up what looked like another portion of the city.
"Woah…what's with those blocks of land above our heads?" Natasha inquired in awe.
"Don't you know, it's the main appeal of Suntouched City. There's a second level to the city that's way up in the sky, hence the name Suntouched City. Don't worry though, it's not dangerous at all to travel from level to level, you just make your way to the respective elevator and take a ride." Nora explained to her friend.
"If you say it's safe, then I trust you. but where do I even begin expl—oh, what's this now?" The purple-haired girl began, getting caught off-guard by a massive gold statue of Jaern standing proudly atop a cliff, the plaque underneath reading 'Jaern, the Second Augur. May his hits be critical, and his Focus Blasts never miss.' "Well…someone loves himself a lot."
"How typical of him; making himself out to be a lot greater than he really is…" The green-haired girl muttered to herself, not wanting anyone else to hear it. "Anyway, I plan on getting in some training before taking on the gym, I suggest you do as well once you're done exploring the city."
"Sounds like a plan; the next time we meet, I'll have a nice shiny badge to show you!" Natasha promised, the duo shaking each other's hands firmly before going their separate ways. The first thing on Natasha's list was to go to the Pokémon Center and give her friends some much needed rest, the purple-haired girl entering the building and putting her balls into the small machine before taking a small pamphlet about the city and began reading it. It went on and on about the city's main attractions, but a few of them really caught her attention; firstly, the Suntouched City Gym. It went in detail about how the young leader, Orion is skilled in using Fire and Grass type Pokémon, hence why he built his team around the use of Sunny Day. This meant that Natasha couldn't waltz up there with a Water Pokémon and expect to sweep the entire battle, she would have to find a way to deal with the sun as soon as possible.
Additionally, there was a broadcast tower that was looking to recruit promising trainers to participate in a new show about rare Pokémon and where to find them. The disclaimer about a generous reward being offered was nice, but these potential hunts could lead to her finding some more Delta Pokémon, which is always a good thing for her. Just then a light 'ding' emanated from the machine, indicating that her Pokémon were fully healed. Putting the pamphlet back, she took her Pokéballs and thanked the nearby nurse before making her way out of the building and towards the broadcast tower, which was nestled on the second level.
"Can somebody help me? Please, it's an urgent matter!" A cry for help echoed out near the area, the purple-haired girl running to the source and saw a middle-aged man pacing near the elevators to the next level. "Ah, th-thank goodness you came! I don't know what I would've done if nobody came…"
"Calm down sir, what's troubling you today?" Natasha inquired with the man taking in a couple deep breaths.
"It's my field miss; something's been eating at the produce and their flowers, and I have no idea how to chase them away. The people of this city rely on my field for food, and I don't want to disappoint them; please, help me chase away the thief from this city." He explained his troubles to her, a small smile forming on her face.
"Don't worry, I'll help you out." Natasha promised, the man thanking her profusely before offering to show her where the field was. Going up the elevator, the purple-haired girl let out a cry of surprise over how quickly it shot up from the ground, only to reach a grinding halt ten seconds later as it arrived at the top. Stepping off the small plate, the teen was at awe over how high she was, the bright white clouds floating carelessly beside the landmasses. However, she soon remembered her mission and followed the man south of the area, to a large piece of land that had several produce fields on it, a large tower standing firmly over the fields as the duo made their way to a filed full of fruit and flowers. "I thought you only had one field…"
"Oh, I do. The others belong to the other farmers in this city; it was awfully generous of the people in charge of the broadcast tower to loan us their spare land for farming—aha, there's the thief in action!" The farmer began, pointing to a rustling flower that was slowly getting eaten by some unseen force, a sudden realization forming in Natasha's mind. Quietly approaching the flower, she promptly clapped the air before it, a cry of surprise coming from atop it as the culprit fell of the flower and onto the soft dirt below. The culprit was an Aipom with a body covered in pitch-black fur, bright white eyes that stared deeply into the girl's soul, and a small nick in its left ear. The most notable feature was its tail, that was a ghostly white and had the power to disappear for a short amount of time.
The Aipom got back up on its feet and eyed up the girl curiously, as she got on one knee and brought out something from her bag. "You know you can't eat those plants; those belong to the people of Suntouched City. Why don't I give you this instead?" The purple-haired girl offered a jar of Honey to the small monkey, who began sniffing it curiously before snatching it from her hands and began eating it gluttonously. Within a few minutes, it had finished its feast, wiping its mouth and hand on a small pile of leaves beside the field, chirping happily at Natasha before leaping up into her hands.
"Whew…take about impressive. You knew how to handle that critter without breaking a sweat!" The farmer whistled a compliment at the teenage girl.
"Thanks." Natasha smiled back at him, eyeing off the broadcasting tower behind them. "Anyway, I have some business in the tower to attend to. don't worry, I'll make sure this cheeky little rascal doesn't cause you any more trouble." She ruffled the Aipom's head affectionately, making her way towards the tower before entering it. Upon entering the main lobby, she recalled the Aipom into an empty ball before pocketing it and made her way to the front desk.
"Welcome to the Suntouched City Broadcast Tower, how can I help you today?" The receptionist asked in a cheery manner.
"I read somewhere that you're looking for a trainer to participate in a new show about finding rare Pokémon. I'd like to apply for the job, please." The purple-haired girl requested.
"No problem! Come this way." The receptionist replied, gesturing the teenage girl to follow her upstairs. After a brisk walk to the Director's office, they knocked on the wooden door and were gestured to step inside. Upon doing so, the receptionist gave the Director a quick bow in respect before making her way back to the front desk, the tall, white haired man gesturing the teen to take a seat.
"Ah…you must be an aspiring star. Tell me young lady, what's your name?" The older man inquired.
"N-Natasha, sir." She introduced herself.
"Well Natasha, it's a good thing you came here on time because a lot of aspiring trainers have snapped up our offer. We already had another trainer take up the pilot episode, as well as a few other trainers snapping up some other episodes, but we've got a special one for you. It's a two-for-one special about Delta Pokémon lurking in an isolated section of the Rezzai Desert, and the ruins within that area. If you manage to snag them both up, we'll be sure to reward you handsomely. What do you say?" The Director offered.
"Sounds like a plan! I know a thing or two about Delta Pokémon, so I can provide some tips for the audience as well." Natasha chimed in, the old man's eyes sparkling as if he had stumbled upon a goldmine.
"Terrific! We'll send you to the location via chopper this instant; time is money as they say!" The Director called out, eagerly shooing the young teen out of the office as he began plans on writing up the episode.
0000
The helicopter trip to the Rezzai Desert took a little longer than expected, but they eventually found the place. Resting atop a high ledge was a small plot of desert with a small pyramid in the center of the area, the helicopter slowly descending onto the ground as the engine began to slow down. Soon enough, Natasha and the filming crew hopped off the chopper and began setting themselves up.
"According to our intel, the Delta Species roaming these sands is a Grimer, though what type specifically is unknown. As for the Delta in the ruins, we know even less about that one, so that'll be a nice mystery for the audience." The cameraman informed Natasha, giving her the greenlight as he began filming her.
"Welcome everyone to the latest episode of Pokémon Hunt, the show that goes into detail over the rare Pokémon one might encounter in the wild. Today's episode is a two-for-one special featuring Delta Pokémon, the mysterious denizens of the Holon region that found their way here. For those of you unaware on what Delta Pokémon are, they're essentially your average Pokémon, but they have a different type than their kin; for instance, a Psychic/Rock type Geodude. Anyway, we've heard reports of a Delta Grimer lurking within this desert and—" Natasha began, before a low cry echoed throughout the area. Now on full alert, she gestured the cameraman to follow for a moment, before stopping at a most fascinating site. Standing by itself in a patch of sand was the Delta Grimer, it's body consisting entirely of sand instead of sludge. It was picking up the skeletal remains of some deceased Pokémon, breaking them open in its maw to suck out the bone marrow before crunching on the drained bones. After having its fill, it soon caught wind of the humans nearby and turned to the source, letting out another low cry.
"Take caution when approaching a Delta Grimer; they can quickly retract into the surrounding sand to escape an imminent threat. What I plan to do is show that I mean no harm before convincing it to tag along with me." Natasha smiled to the camera, crouching on one knee and outstretched her hand which was full of various candies. "Don't worry, I mean you no harm."
The Grimer eyed her up wearily, making its way towards her slowly before sniffing the candy in her hand. With a quick flick of its wrist, it snatched up the candy and gobbled it up quickly, the Ground type Pokémon letting out a quick cry of joy before moving closer to Natasha.
"Do you want to come with me?" She offered, the Grimer nodding its head fervently as the teenage girl brought out and empty Pokéball, the Grimer tapping the button as it promptly entered the ball. "And that's how you befriend a Delta Grimer, everyone! Now then, onto our next Pokémon!"
The teenage girl made her way into the pyramid within the desert, the blistering heat soon replaced with a nice, refreshing coolness. A few lit torches were lined up against the walls, but aside from them, there was very little light inside this dark ruin. A few minutes into their exploration, the group was caught off-guard by a ghostly moan, the cameraman gulping in fear as Natasha hushed him.
"Don't panic, it's just a Delta Solosis; they have a very distinctive moan. Hopefully I can imitate it well enough to attract it to our location." The purple-haired girl began, cupping her hands over her mouth and imitate the moan, though the pitch wasn't as low as the moan. However, it seemed to work as a floating specter approached the group and eyed them up curiously. The Delta Solosis took on the form of a small grey rock with a trio of holes representing its eyes and mouth. It's body was surrounded by a shadowy aura, the small Pokémon floating on the spot as it continued to gaze at the humans before it. "As Delta Solosis is a Ghost/Rock type Pokémon it won't be easily swayed by the food I have. However, I do have a small brown stone that it may like…"
Upon saying those words, Natasha brought out a small brown pebble and showed it to the camera before offering it to the Solosis, who floated down to her hand to inspect it. it eyed up the stone happily, using its power to lift up the stone and attack it to a small nick above its left eye before nuzzling up to the purple-haired girl affectionately. Knowing that it wanted to tag along with her, she brought out another empty Pokéball and allowed the Solosis to tap on the button, quickly entering the ball as the purple-haired girl managed to snag another Delta Pokémon.
"And that is it for this week's episode of Pokémon Hunt! Be sure to tune in next time for another thrilling adventure!" Natasha concluded the episode, flashing a smile as the Director ordered the cameraman to cut.
"Well done, Natasha. This will be one episode that the audience won't forget anytime soon! Now then, let's head back to base so we can discuss your payment." He told her, the group quickly making their way out of the pyramid as Natasha began planning out her next training session. She would need to quickly gage the strengths and weaknesses of her newest friends if she wanted a chance to defeat Orion.
Another nice chapter done and dusted, and Natasha has some new friends to play with. Good thing too, since she'll be going up against the Suntouched Gym, which'll be the first major obstacle in her journey through Torren. I'll catch you all in the next chapter.
Acquired Delta Pokémon:
D. Ivysaur
D. Charmander
D. Wartotle
D. Diglett
D. Dwebble (Cake)
D. Geodude
D. Aipom
D. Grimer
D. Solosis
