Welcome back to The Delta Whisperer, everyone! Not only will this chapter have an exciting rival battle but will also feature a few more captures. I hope you're all looking forward to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.

Following her quick journey through the very short Suntouched Exitway, Natasha took her first step onto Route 3 and gazed in awe at the sight. The route was full of lush trees lined up by the sides of the dirt path, with several small ponds of water strewn about the place. Dozens of bird Pokémon were chirping in the trees while the grass was teaming with wildlife, be it Grass, Bug or Normal type Pokémon. The purple-haired girl was a little surprised that such tranquility wasn't disturbed by the nearby city, though given it was surrounded by various mountain sides, that could be a sufficient explanation.

"Let's see if we can find ourselves something interesting to catch." She spoke to herself, making her way down the path as she scanned the sides for any unusual activity. At first, the journey wasn't very eventful, with nothing but the occasional battle between two trainers catching her attention. But it was the sound of tree bark getting stripped off that alerted the purple-haired girl, her head turned to the side and saw a mysterious Pokémon stripping the bark off a tall tree to snack on. The Pokémon was a Scyther, but its body was a icy blue instead of the light green they usually were, its scythes were curved like a hook instead of straight. There was no doubt about it; this was a Delta Scyther. Natasha took out an empty Pokéball, ready to catch it when it turned to face her, a determined look in the Ice Cleaver Pokemon's eye. If it was going to get caught, then it wanted the trainer to prove their worth to it first.

"Ah, I see how you want to play. I'll be happy to indulge you in your request!" Natasha told it, taking a second Pokéball and sent out her Delta Solosis, the ghost Pokémon letting out a low chime. Almost immediately, the small Pokémon emitted an ominous wind from its body with Scyther shielding its body with its scythes as the wind sent a shiver down its spine. Recovering quickly from the gust of wind, the Scyther conjures up a series of small shards of ice and flung them at the Solosis, the small Pokémon letting out a wince of pain as its body withstood the attack. Soon afterwards, the Solosis opted to retaliate by conjuring up a series of rock imbued with an ancient power, flinging them towards the Scyther as it was pushed back a few feet and landed on its back.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Natasha flung her empty Pokéball at the Scyther as it was soon captured by the device, the ball wiggling on the dirt for a few seconds before the light died down. A satisfied smile on her face, the purple-haired girl thanked her Solosis before recalling it, picking up her newly acquired Scyther and continued her journey down the small dirt path. Just a few minutes later, she wound up at the entrance to a small town, a sign to the side reading 'Metchi Town'. Figuring that it would be best to take a quick rest before continuing her journey to Vipik City, Natasha entered the town and made her way to the Pokémon Center, resting up her Pokémon as she began reading through any books she could find in case there was something interesting about this town. There were a few things that stood out to her; there was a Daycare Center to help trainers raise their weaker Pokemon, a secret base that one lucky trainer can buy, though for some reason no one has bought it yet, and the most interesting thing of the lot, an abandoned laboratory that can only be access by going upstream. The purple-haired girl knew what she was going to do next; check out this place to see if anything was left behind. Once her Pokémon were fully healed, Natasha took them back and made her way out of the building, approaching the river and began blowing up her inflatable Lapras. With the job done, she hopped onto it and began the steady swim upstream to where the laboratory sat, arriving at her destination a few minutes later.

As she had expected, the place was completely abandoned, with dirt and grime all over the building. The windows were broken with little glass pieces in front of them, and the door was slightly crooked; a strong kick should knock it off its hinges. Mustering up all of her strength, Natasha charged at the door and kicked it down, the door falling off it's hinges and fell on the floor with a loud 'bang', the purple-haired girl entering the dilapidatedbuilding. The air inside was thick and humid, the girl covering her mouth with her cape as she traversed through the place, before stumbling upon what looked like a broken laptop. Taking a seat, she clicked away on the keys hoping to find something interesting, her eyes lighting up over seeing a file called 'D0001'. Moving the arrow towards it, she clicked on the file as the screen was soon filled up with what looked like a report detailing some sort of experiment that occurred over a year ago.

Supposedly, it details the very first attempt at creating an artificial Delta Pokémon, a Dark/Poison Larvesta to be specific. The experiment was apparently a success, despite the specimen being somewhat unstable; its potential strength being comparable to legendary Pokémon. It then went on to say that a second specimen, dubbed D0002, was created to be a more controllable test subject. However, D0001 had released a deadly toxin into the air, causing a temporary panic in the facility. Thankfully, nobody was affected by the toxin, however the head of this project, Reukra was forced to capture D0001 to prevent a similar incident like this from happening. The report concluded that due to the incident, the place would have to be abandoned to prevent the police from discovering what they had been doing there. The scientists had packed up all their necessary equipment and evacuated the place, leaving D0002 to die in the laboratory.

"Unbelievable…" Natasha said quietly to herself; this place was obviously the former hideout of the Perfection Cult, where they conducted unethical experiments for the sake of creating the perfect Pokémon. But the news about a second Larvesta wandering these halls was most fascinating, if it was still alive, she had to catch it. But the only problem was, where could it be? As she was about to begin racking her brain over the location, she accidentally bumped into the desk, causing a small notepad to fall onto the floor. Picking it up, she saw that it had 'Old Passwords' written on the front and decided to flick through it quickly.

'Old passwords include…

AntiPassOne: antihydrogen
PassTwo: helium
AntiPassThree: …'

"Guess this third one must be the current password; based on the pattern, I have a good idea on what it is, but I need to find the proper door first." She mused, tucking the notepad away as she thought to herself for a moment until it dawned on her. If Perfection was experimenting on a Delta Species that's a Poison type, then it would make sense to build a containment chamber somewhere in the facility. With a clear idea on what to look for, the purple-haired girl made her way through the abandoned halls, looking left and right for any signs of a containment chamber. Eventually, she found a bright blue door that had a password lock on the front, with the purple-haired girl taking out the notebook to re-read it before opting to type the password in. "If I'm right, then the password would be antilithium…"

Typing the password in, she soon pressed the enter key on the pad, a green light flaring up as the door slowly opened. Letting out a quick cheer, Natasha promptly tossed the notepad aside before making her way through the door and into the next room, only to be taken aback by the reality of it. It wasn't a containment room; it was the back garden of the facility, a sizable fence blocking the way here from the other side. How reckless must they be to have kept a potentially dangerous Pokémon outside like this? But that thought could be put aside as Natasha soon found what she was looking for; resting idly on a rock was the Delta Larvesta. Its body was a mixture of black and purple, its head only having two horns on top instead of the usual five. The small larvae eyed her up wearily, with the purple-haired girl crouching before it to attract its attention.

"Hey there…feeling a little lonely, are you?" She spoke softly to it, the Larvesta letting out what she could only describe as an angry chittering. This Pokémon held a lot of animosity towards its former owners for experimenting on it before leaving it to die, something which Natasha picked up on. "You must hate the Perfection Cult, do you? Why don't I help you get revenge on them? Together, I know that we can take them down!"

The Larvesta was initially skeptical about her claims at first, but upon realizing that this may very well be the last time anyone, or anything comes into contact with it, it gladly took her up on her offer. After all, a lifetime of loneliness in this abandoned lab would be hell on earth. Slowly crawling up her arm, the purple-haired girl picked it up before gently stroking its fur slowly, the small bug letting out a quiet coo as the duo began their trek away from the lab and back to civilization.

0000

The purple-haired girl made her way back to town via the river, hopping off her inflatable Lapras and put it away, only for a familiar voice to call out to her. "Hey, over here Natasha! It's me, Nora!" She called out to her friend, the latter soon making her way to her.

"Nora, it's so good to see you again! How did your gym battle go?" Natasha inquired.

"Very well; I managed to get my first gym badge!" The green-haired girl smiled, briefly glancing to a small house by her side. "This town is very dear to me; I used to live here with my two brothers in that very house. I caught up with them just a few minutes ago. But enough about me, what have you got up to in this place?"

"I checked out that abandoned laboratory upstream from here; turns out it was an abandoned hideout for the Perfection Cult. They left a Delta Larvesta behind, but I managed to rescue it from a lonely existence." The purple-haired girl answered, showing Nora her newly acquired Pokémon, the small larvae gazing at her wearily.

"How cute! Still, it does send shivers down my spine that a cult had a base so close to my childhood home." Nora began, an idea forming in her mind. "How about a quick 4-on-4 battle? We're in a fairly secluded area, so we don't have to worry about anyone catching me with Celebi."

"Sounds like a plan! I think I'll start off with my Larvesta…" Natasha began, with the Rage Pokémon crawling down her arm before hopping onto the soft ground beneath it.

"In that case, I'll start off with my Honedge!" The green-haired girl called out, sending out her first Pokémon as the sentient sword gazed calmly at its foe. Almost instantaneously, the Honedge lunged at the Larvesta with incredible speed, slashing at it as the larvae was sent skidding back a few feet. However, the Larvesta wasn't out for the count yet, cloaking it's body in a dark aura as it crept towards the Honedge before striking it from the shadows. The Honedge let out a cry of surprise as it was knocked down to the ground, with the Larvesta following up by spewing a corrosive acid that managed to deal impressive damage to the Sword Pokémon. The Honedge attempted to get back up off the ground, but soon collapsed as it could no longer continue battling.

"H-How? Aren't Steel-type Pokémon immune to Poison-type attacks?" The purple-haired girl inquired, with Nora recalling her Pokémon as a new strategy formed in her mind.

"True, that is the case. However, your Larvesta used a move called Corrode, a move which bypasses Steel's immunity to Poison and deals super-effective damage. And now that I know your Larvesta is part Poison, I can send in my Trapinch to finish the job!" Nora explained, sending out her second Pokémon as the Trapinch let out a small chirp at the sight of its foe. The Larvesta began by cloaking itself in a dark aura once more before lunging at the Trapinch, causing it to stagger back a few feet. The Trapinch soon followed up by conjuring up a series of rocks and hurled them towards the Larvesta, the small larvae dodging the attack, only to find itself trapped within the rocks. Seeing that its opponent was now vulnerable, the Trapinch burrowing into the soft ground, hoping to strike its foe a devastating blow. However, the Larvesta had an idea on what its foe was hoping to achieve and began building up a concoction of power and rage within its body. As soon as the Trapinch emerged from the ground, the Rage Pokémon unleashed its power, creating a small rift that transported the two Pokémon to a different direction. The two girls were taken aback by what they just witnessed, concern for their friends growing by the second. But soon enough, the rift would open up again, with both Pokémon tumbling out of it and landed on the soft grass, neither of them able to continue battling.

"L-Larvesta!" Natasha called out, running up to her Pokémon as Nora ran up to her Trapinch, the both of them checking up on them before sighing in relief that their Pokémon weren't seriously hurt. "S-Sorry about that, Nora…" The purple-haired girl apologized, the duo recalling their Pokémon.

"No need to apologize, but I do suggest you be careful around Larvesta in the future. The last thing you want is for it to take some unfortunate person into a different dimension and leave it there. Once it realizes that such a stunt is not acceptable, then it will refrain from repeating it in the near future." Nora informed her friend, growing quiet all of a sudden. "I'm just glad that the Perfection Cult left it behind; who knows what damage they can do with it."

"Actually, the one I have was their second one. The first one was said to be a lot more volatile and could release clouds filled with deadly toxins into the air. The one in charge of the experiment was forced to catch it but notes that additional experimentation is required to control it." Natasha informed her, a slight shiver going up Nora's spine. "But that can be discussed later, we've got a battle to conclude. And between you and me, my Delta Scyther's itching for a challenge!" She called out, sending out her next Pokémon as the Scyther let out a cry of valor to bolster its spirit.

"You're right, we can talk about this later. But for now, I'll let my Floette have some fun." The green-haired girl replied, sending out her next Pokémon with the small fairy cooing adorably. Soon enough, the Floette began by sending a barrage of razor-sharp leaves at her foe, with the Scyther swiping them into pieces. The Ice-Cleaver Pokémon the lunged at the Floette and slashed at it with its scythes, causing her to let out a cry of pain as she was sent flying back a few feet. However, she soon regained her tempo and conjured up a sizable gust of light-pink wind at its foe, causing Scyther to stagger back and fall onto the ground. Picking itself up, the Scyther lunged at its foe once more, it's scythes shining in the light as it slashed at the Floette once more, causing her to fall to the ground as a small cloud of dust was kicked up, the small Pokémon unable to continue fighting.

"Don't feel bad, you gave it your all out there…" Nora consoled her friend, recalling it to her ball as a determined smile formed on her face. "Looks like you asked for it, Natasha. Just don't come crying when my Celebi cleans your clock in record time!"

Reaching for her last ball, the green-haired girl sent out her most trusted ally, with the Time travel Pokémon letting out a quick chirp as it shot a confident gaze at its foe. The Celebi began by conjuring up a series of rocks imbued with an ancient power and flung them at the Scyther, knocking it off its feet as it rolled on the grass for a few moments. Getting back up, the Scyther let out an annoyed growl before lunging at its foe and swung its scythe down on it, striking the Celebi on its head as its pendant was knocked off its body. The Celebi's eyes then began to glow a vivid blue as it ensnared the Ice-Cleaver Pokémon in a blue aura before flinging it towards a nearby tree. Letting out a satisfied sigh, the Celebi began floating back towards Nora, only for it to get caught off-guard by a series of sharp icicles being flung its way. Weakly raising its head up, it saw the Scyther slowly making its way towards it, a triumphant smirk on its face as the Time Travel Pokémon slumped onto the ground, unable to continue battling.

"How'd you like that, Nora?" Natasha smiled, with her friend applauding her quietly.

"Impressive…I didn't think you could defeat my Celebi, but I was just proven wrong." Nora replied, the duo congratulating their Pokémon as well before recalling them to their balls. "Truth be told, I'm starting to get convinced that the prophecy was about you instead of me."

"Well that part about the Delta Call fits me, but I still think you have a major role in this prophecy. After all, it could've been about two heroes, each one blessed with a different gift, saving this region from the cults." The purple-haired girl commented, a thought popping into her mind. "By the way, have you seen Damian recently?"

"Him? Oh yeah, we just passed by each other earlier. He seems like a trustworthy kid, so I told him about Celebi and Mew. However, I don't think I fully expressed the importance of keeping quiet about it. When you see him next, would you mind telling him to keep quiet about it? The last thing I want is for him to spill the beans to the wrong person. Luckily, he should be in Vipik City to challenge Xavier in a Gym-Battle." The green-haired girl requested, glancing at the river. "It's to the south of here, past Route 4. I suggest you get some training in before the Gym Battle."

"That I will. It also wouldn't hurt to search the area for more Delta Pokémon." Natasha smiled, flashing a thumbs up at Nora. "Farewell Nora, I'll be looking forward to the day I get to see you again, sweetheart."

"S-Same here…" Nora replied, a fierce blush on her cheeks. The purple-haired girl hopped back onto her inflatable Lapras and rode it downstream, making her way to the dense Route 4 within a few minutes. The trees in the route were tall and thick, blocking out a majority of the sunlight, making the route a little harder to traverse through. Natasha soon hopped off her inflatable Lapras and packed it up when she heard a quiet rustling from behind. Turning around, the purple-haired girl saw a Sunkern approach her out of curiosity, the small Pokemon's body a dark purple as small drops of poison dribbled onto the ground, the two leaves on its head set alight. Determining it to be a Delta Species, the purple-haired girl was eager to catch it, quietly taking an empty Pokéball out of her pocket before tossing it at the Sunkern, the ball capturing the Blazing Oil Pokémon as it began to shake rather violently on the ground. The shaking soon died down, a satisfied smile on the girl's face as she picked up her newly acquired Pokémon.

"Don't worry, I'll earn your love and trust." She spoke to it, promptly tucking it away as she continued her journey through the jungle. Natasha took in the sights along the path as she continued walking, watching the various Water-type Pokémon frolicking in the large river that cut through the route at times. But it was at the final leg of the journey that she noticed a strange sight; an abandoned house within the jungle, a faint flash of light coming from the windows as if someone, or something was still living inside the place. A sense of curiosity building up inside her, the purple-haired girl made her way to the house and opened the door slowly, stepping inside and was taken aback by the sight before her. Sitting quietly on the stained carpet, huddling each other for protection were a pair of Ralts, their bodies a mixture of blue and white, and their hair a pristine yellow that crackled with a small bit of electricity, which explained the flashes from earlier. There was no doubt in her mind, these two were Delta Pokémon, but why were they left here? Were they more experiments created by Reukra, abandoned at the same time the Larvesta was? Nothing at the lab mentioned a project involving Ralts, but given how decrepit the place was, the data could've been lost to the sands of time. Regardless, she wasn't going to leave these two to fend for themselves.

"Hey there…you two look pretty lonely. Want to come with me? I've got plenty of other friends who'd love to keep you company." Natasha offered, outstretching her hand as a sign of trust. The two Ralts eyed her up cautiously, communicating to one another via their minds before opting to put their faith into her. Making their way to her, the two siblings touched the girl's hand, indicating that they're willing to trust her as she shot a smile at them. "I'll keep you two safe…no matter what fate befalls me."

Taking out a pair of empty Pokéballs and placing them on the ground, the two Ralts' tapped on the buttons and entered the balls, with Natasha picking them up and tucked them into her pocket as she proceeded to exit the house. She was amazed at just how many Delta Pokémon she was able to befriend within a short amount of time but realized that she needed to train them up if she wanted to defeat Xavier in a Gym Battle.

That wraps this chapter up rather nicely, don't you think? A lot of captures in this chapter, but that's to be expected from a Delta Whisperer. Some readers may be confused as to why Natasha caught Delta Larvesta this early into the story, but I plan on making it her ace Pokemon. As for the Delta Ditto, I do plan on getting back to it via the small quest that involves the Ancient Tower and the Delta Noibat eggs so that's something to look forward to. However, the next chapter will be delayed a little so I can have enough time to write my Valentine's Day one-shot. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.

Acquired Delta Pokémon:

D. Ivysaur

D. Charmeleon

D. Wartortle

D. Dugtrio

D. Dwebble (Cake)

D. Graveler

D. Aipom

D. Grimer

D. Solosis

D. Scyther

D. Larvesta

D. Sunkern

D. Ralts (x2) One male, one female