23StellaOrgana: Thanks for the kind words. I was surprised that there was little to no backstory for Meloetta despite the fact that she's locked behind a long sidequest and grants you the power to unlock those music walls you see throughout the game. So, I figured I'd do something about it and write a small backstory for her.
Sorry for the late update, but last month was really busy for me and I needed a break of sorts from Insurgence. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for my tardiness.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
With her business in Hekate Town concluded, Natasha made her way onto Route 12 and towards Selene City, in the hopes of meeting the Gym Leader. After all, if she was a close friend of Nora, then it's likely that she's also been chosen by a Mythical Pokémon; perhaps she may even have an idea on where the remaining scrolls are located. Route 12 itself was fairly simple to traverse, what with it being a steady uphill climb with patches of grass growing alongside the dirt path. But as she reached the top, the purple-haired girl stopped in her tracks before quickly hiding behind a large tree beside the path. Peering out from behind, she saw a Darkrai cultist talking to Persephone, the duo standing before the entrance to the city.
"Miss Persephone…are you sure this is a good idea?" The cultist inquired, mulling over the various ways the mission could go wrong. "After all, you didn't bring all your Pokémon with you."
"I'll be fine. After all, I'm merely visiting my sister; nothing wrong with that, am I right?" She replied, daring her subordinate to answer back at her.
"W-Well yes, you are, but…" The cultist stammered meekly.
"Then I don't see the problem. We need to figure out why Darkrai keeps running off to her if we are to catch it." Persephone interrupted his rebuttal.
"B-But shouldn't we be looking for that Natasha kid? If we don't, the Augur's going to come after us." The cultist told her, a condescending chuckle escaping from the woman.
"Hah, do you really think I'm afraid of that imbecile? Even with the legendary Rayquaza on his side, I'm more than a match for him. But enough talk, I've got a treacherous sister to confront." The cult leader stated firmly, the duo entering the city as Natasha emerged from behind the tree. This was not good at all; who knows what Persephone and her cult have in store for this city? The Gym Battle could wait a little longer as this was a more pressing matter. Quickly making her way up to the top, she quickly entered the city only to be taken aback by its size.
While Selene City wasn't the largest city in the region, it was still a vast metropolis that one could easily get lost in. The most notable landmarks were the restaurant built like a lighthouse in the right side of town, and the large lake directly in the middle of the town. But now wasn't the time to be gawking like a tourist; she had to get a move on this instant. Quickly making her way through the city, she searched all over the place for the cultists, but to no avail. Just as she was about to take a quick breather, she saw the cultist looking over his shoulder before making his way towards the Gym. Assuming that is where the meeting is, she quietly followed the cultist for a few minutes, hiding behind a rock as she saw the cultist stand beside Persephone, the cult leader talking to a brown-haired woman who appeared to be around a year or two younger than her.
"Been a while, hasn't it Diana…" The white-haired woman called out, a hint of contempt in her voice.
"Persephone, what are you doing here? I thought you wanted me out of your life for good." The now-named Diana inquired curiously.
"I'm not here to see you; I merely wanted to see it with my own eyes." Persephone demanded, the white-haired woman growing infuriated over her sister's attempts to play dumb. "You know, Darkrai! We talked about this before!"
"Look, I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. I'm not friends with Darkrai; it may seem like we're best friends to you, but we're not. Heck, I haven't even seen the thing. Please, Perse…you need to abandon this cult business while you still can. I get that you want revenge, but it isn't going to work. After all, you might get captured again, or worse…" Diana pleaded with her sister, but it fell on deaf ears.
"Wow, Diana. The way you worded it, it almost seemed like you cared." The cult leader retorted.
"Really? Look I get it, I hurt you really badly back then, but it was years ago. I'm so sor-" The brown-haired woman began.
You abandoned me, Dia! How can I ever forget something like that?! You have no idea what I went through!" Persephone shot back, before taking a deep breath. "It seems that this trip was a waste of time; I've got more important matters to attend to, such as capturing some brat who got the Augur's panties in a twist."
"Hmmm? Why would the Augur want a child captured?" Diana inquired.
"Long story short, some girl with purple-hair named Natasha escaped from our custody a while ago. The Augur's scared of her, as she could easily ruin his "prestigious" career. If I don't find her in time, it'll be the end of the Cult of Darkrai." The white-haired woman explained.
"A purple-haired girl, huh? Sort of like the one behind that rock, eavesdropping on us?" Diana stated, leaving Natasha with no choice but to confront the duo as a bewildered expression formed on Persephone's face.
"Of all the times to not have my full team of Pokémon…" The cult leader muttered bitterly to herself. "No matter, I'll still take you out right here! You're going right back into custody, where I'll finish off what I started!"
"Hah, bring it on!" Natasha retorted, sending out her Froslass while Persephone sent out her Gengar. The purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes at the Gengar, knowing that it was the one who consumed most of her memories, with the ghost smirking back at her. "Froslass, go for Fiery—"
"Gengar!" The ghost type chortled; its body enveloped into a multi-colored orb of light as Natasha gazed at it firmly. A few seconds later, the orb shattered, revealing Mega-Gengar in all its glory as an eerie aura permeated the area.
"I may not have brought all my Pokémon, but at least I wasn't stupid enough to leave my Mega Ring behind." Persephone stated, pointing towards the Froslass. "Destroy that weakling with Shadow Ball!"
Nodding in agreement, the Gengar gathered the eerie aura surrounding it into a ball, taking aim at its opponent and hurled it at astonishing speeds. Though the Magma Pokémon attempted to get out the way, the powerful attack, grazed her back, causing her to spin in the air before crumpling onto the ground. However, she wasn't out for the count yet; getting back up, the Froslass cloaked her body in fire before twirling towards the Gengar, striking it head on as it was sent flying back a couple feet.
"Alright, a direct—huh?!" Natasha cheered, only to get taken aback as the Gengar's body started to ripple on the ground, before reverting to its true form. It was a large black and red quadrupedal fox, with an extremely long mane and a fairly muscular body. It had patches of white fur over its face, elbows and knees that resembled bone masks, as well as sharp red claws on each of its paws. There was only one Pokémon that resembled what she was looking at. "—Mega Zoroark…"
"Well the cat's out the bag now, not that it would matter in the long run." The cult leader stated confidently, her Zoroark getting ready to deal a retaliatory blow. It lunged towards the Froslass, hoping to ensnare her in its jaws, but when it bit down, it soon realized that the Froslass before it was an illusion. Quickly turning around, it saw multiple copies of Froslass descend onto it, their bodies cloaked in flames as they spun towards it and attacked, juggling the large fox in the air multiple times before the real Froslass dealt a final blow to it, sending the Zoroark hurtling towards the ground, unable to continue fighting.
"I'm a little disappointed Perse. Your Zoroark should've been able to see that the Froslass was an illusion created from Double Team. Perhaps someone needs to brush up on their skills…" Natasha taunted her opponent, a look of irritation growing on her foes face.
"Bite your tongue, you cheeky brat! I'll make you eat your words!" Persephone retorted, recalling her Zoroark before sending out her Spiritomb, the amalgamation of ominous spirits eyeing up their foe with mischievous glee. Rearing back its head, it spewed a viscous ball of poison at its foe in an attempt to poison it, only for the Froslass to wink at its foe as its body emanated a bright glow before retreating back to its ball, with Natasha quickly sending out her Heatmor as it opened its mouth and consumed the ball of fluid in one gulp.
"How'd you like my new combo? Set up Froslass with Fiery Dance before passing on her buffs with Baton Pass. Now you're stuck dealing with a boosted Heatmor; have fun…" The purple-haired girl stated, pointing towards the Spiritomb. "Flash Cannon!"
Pointing its launchers directly at its foe, the Heatmor fired off a series of silver orbs of energy at the Forbidden Pokémon, landing a series of direct hits on it as it was sent flying back several feet. But despite the attack's immense power, the Spiritomb's high defenses ensured its survival. Slowly getting back up, it gazed intently at the SludgeEater Pokémon, its irises spinning in circles as it attempted to hypnotize its opponent into falling asleep. But the Heatmor was able to avert its gaze in time and jumped to the side, taking aim once more and fired a stream of intense flames at its opponent, striking it head on and sent the amalgamation of spirits tumbling back towards Persephone, a sigh of annoyance escaping from her mouth.
"Tch, you're getting on my nerves, girl…" She huffed, recalling her Spiritomb before sending out her Houndoom, the hellhound letting out a ferocious growl. Rearing its head back, it spewed a massive stream of fire at the Heatmor, striking it directly as the SludgeEater Pokémon was sent flying back several feet, crumpling before Natasha's feet as she winced for her injured comrade. Although it was more than capable of dishing out powerful attacks, its defenses were rather lackluster, hence why it was knocked out so quickly.
"Don't worry, I'll avenge you my friend." Natasha consoled her injured Heatmor, recalling it to its ball before mulling over who to send out next. A flash of inspiration shone in her mind, the purple-haired girl taking out a third ball and sent out her Blastoise, the large tortoise staring down its foe. Unintimidated by its opponent, the Houndoom charged up another Flamethrower and fired it at the tortoise, only for it to withdraw into its shell, shielding itself from the attack. Once the attack subsided, the Blastoise emerged from its shell and channeled its inner aura into a ball, rearing its arm back and flung it at the hellhound, landing a direct hit as it was sent flying back several feet before crumpling on the floor. Given Houndoom's notably fragility, it wasn't a surprise that the super effective attack knocked it out.
"I'm done played around, child." Persephone stated, recalling her Houdoom and sent out her Gengar, only this time it was the real deal. The sinister ghost started things off by attempting to lull its opponent to sleep, its eyes boring deep into the Blastoise's soul as it soon drifted off to sleep. From there, the Gengar rose into the air and fired a barrage of noxious sludge from its mouth, the attack assaulting the defenseless Blastoise as it was pushed back a couple feet. It then lowered itself back onto the ground, hoping to gloat in front of its slumbering opponent. However, the tortoise promptly uttered a loud snore, a large wave of dark energy escaping from its mouth as it struck the Gengar head on and sent it flying back towards its trainer's feet. "Sleep Talk, I should've known. Somehow, you always managed to find a way to secure the upper hand."
"I like surprising my opponents; keeps them on their toes." The purple-haired girl smiled, with both trainers recalling their Pokémon as a sigh escaped from the cult leader's mouth.
"Just my luck. Only I would find the very person I'm looking for when I'm woefully unprepared. I will find you again, and I will lock you up for good!" She huffed, turning to face her sister. "And Diana, Darkrai is mine and mine alone. Don't even try and stop me!"
"Sis…" Diana replied sadly, watching her sister storm off in a fury. "Natasha, was it? I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I'm Diana, the gym leader of this city. As you found out, Persephone is my sister. I'm not gonna defend her actions, or my actions back then. There's a reason she's doing what she's doing, and she won't stop until she achieves her goals." The brown-haired woman stated, as Natasha got a better look at her. Her medium length brown hair was done up in a ponytail, with her brown eyes expressing feelings of remorse and regret. Her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved black shirt, with a matching black skirt and leggings.
"I see…so would you have a problem if I challenged you to a gym battle?" Natasha requested.
"As much as I would love to battle you, I'm unable to do so today. Do you mind waiting until tomorrow?" The gym leader requested.
"Fine by me. I can spend the rest of the day exploring the city." The purple-haired girl stated.
"If you're looking for recommendations, there's an abandoned tower to the west of here that's rumored to have a very powerful Pokémon residing inside it. Just make sure you don't spend too long exploring; there's this meddlesome Pokémon that roams the city at night. Thankfully it hasn't attacked anyone yet, but you can never be too careful." Diana informed her junior, with Natasha giving her a nod of appreciation before going their separate ways.
0000
"Phew…just how far is this tower from Selene City?" The purple-haired girl sighed to herself, a little exhausted from the long walk to the ancient tower. But her perseverance was soon rewarded as she stepped out of the forest and into the small clearing where the tower resided. As Diana had mentioned, the place looked abandoned, with signs of damage all over the place. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha stepped inside the tower and was taken aback by how dusty it was, the walls and ceiling littered with cobwebs. Thin rays of light shone through the cracks in the wall, and they seemed to be fading slightly. Realizing that this meant night was upon her, the purple-haired girl opted to pick up the pace in her exploration, as this was one place she didn't want to explore at night. She climbed up flight after flight of stairs, searching the empty rooms for anything of use before searching the room after that. But as she reached the top of the stairs, she was taken aback by the sight before her.
Standing firmly in place were a pair of statues that resembled a Delta Noivern. Their metallic torsos were covered in a fluffy green fur that had the consistency of grass. Their metallic wings were outstretched over what looked like a bowl in the center of the room, while their ears were drooping slightly, as if they were ill or something. Taking a few steps towards the statues, Natasha soon realized that they weren't statues, but actual Pokémon. Unfortunately, both of them were dead, their bodies slowly succumbing to the elements as rust was evident on their crumbling bodies. But the biggest surprise of them all was the presence of an egg in the bowl they were protecting, its shell a lustrous silver with green spots all over it.
"T-This is amazing. I thought Delta Pokémon couldn't breed due to their warped genetic structure." She exclaimed, her eyes soon glossing over to a journal left lying beside the makeshift nest. Picking it up, she began reading through it, hoping it would have the answers she's looking for.
'When I first heard of Delta Species, I was immediately fascinated! I had to know more about them. I soon discovered that due to a genetic mutation, none of them were able to breed, even with their non-Delta variants. This could explain why they're so rare and valuable. Luck would soon favor me as I caught sight of a silver dragon flying through the sky towards this very tower. I must chase after it! It could be one of the elusive Delta Species that I've been searching for.'
'This tower seems to have been falling apart over the last few years. Had it not been for the sound of fluttering above me, I would've turned around. The sound of being so close to a big discovery pushed me ever forward. I can't walk away now!'
'As I climbed higher to the top, a very strange screech from a few floors above had caught my attention. What was more fascinating were not the noises itself, however, but more the fact that it sounded different each time, as if two Pokémon were there…'
'I was so close to the top, I could hardly believe it. The screeching had died down as I got closer though. Perhaps the Pokémon was hurt? I knew that I had to hurry, in fear of all this work being for nothing if the dragon I saw were to perish.'
'I had finally made it to the top, and the journey was worth it. I had found a new Delta Species! It appeared to be a Noivern with shiny metallic skin and flowing green grass on its chest and stomach. But the biggest discovery came in the fact that not only was there two Delta Pokémon in front of me, but also a nest with a pair of eggs snuggled inside them!'
'The two Noiverns appeared to be huddled around the eggs, and it took a while before they let me come near them. Both dragons looked really weak…rust had started to form on their bodies, and their yellow eyes seemed to be fading. It must've taken all of their strength to keep these eggs safe here. The one that appeared to be a female nudged me, gently pushing one of the eggs towards me. I nodded and took the egg with me, leaving the other one with its parents. If you found this journal, please take the other egg and keep it safe. It might be the only surviving proof that Delta Pokémon might be able to breed. If you do find this, I'll be continuing my research into the breeding of Delta Pokémon. You can find me in Gaea Town, in the small lab beside the pond. Just mention the egg, and I'll be happy to tell you all that I know.'
Natasha knew what she must do; these Noivern gave up their lives to protect their young, and she'll honor their dying wish. Gently picking up the egg and the journal, she placed them both inside her bag and shot a small smile at the two Noivern before making her way back down the tower. An hour later, she made her way back to Selene City, a small sigh escaping from her mouth as she saw that it had gotten dark, meaning that the Pokémon Diana mentioned would be out on the prowl.
"Now to find the Pokémon Center before that thing—" The purple-haired girl began, only to get interrupted by the sound of a trash can falling over, following by the sound of something rummaging through it. she quickly walked towards the source of the noise and saw what looked like a Pokémon rummaging through the garbage. Just then, the creature heard her and stuck its head out the can, its eyes locked onto the teenager.
It was a most baffling creature, almost as if it was made up of several other Pokémon. It's legs were made out of steel, yet its body was covered in lilac-colored fur. Its tail was long and thin and ended in a scythe like protrusion that sway carefully in the air. Finally, the fur on its head, face and neck were a light grey of sorts, its feline like features granted Natasha a sudden realization.
"You're a Delta Liepard, aren't you?" She muttered, the cat giving her a nod of confirmation. "We can't have you causing the people any more trouble, can we?" She continued, taking out an empty Pokéball from her bag.
Realizing what she was attempting to do, the Liepard opted to accept the outcome, knowing that it would receive a better meal than leftover scraps. With a quick flick of her wrist, Natasha threw the ball at it, the device capturing it as it jiggled on the ground for a few moments before the light died down. Picking the ball back up, the purple-haired girl promptly cleaned up the area before heading back to the Pokémon Center in order to rest up for the night.
That's it for this chapter. I do apologize if there wasn't a Gym Battle in it like I mentioned in the last chapter, but I didn't want the chapter to drag on for two long. The next chapter WILL have the gym battle against Diana as well as the confrontation with Taen at the Dragon Ruins, so that should be something to look forward to. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Acquired Delta Pokémon:
D. Venusaur
D. Charizard
D. Blastoise
D. Dugtrio
D. Crustle (Cake)
D. Golem
D. Ambipom
D. Muk
D. Reuniclus
D. Scizor
D. Volcarona
D. Sunflora
D. Gardevoir (female)
D. Gallade
D. Quagsire
D. Raichu
D. Hydreigon
D. Pidgeot
D. Golurk
D. Plusle
D. Minun
D. Ludicolo
D. Heatmor
D. Emolga
D. Drifblim
D. Roserade
D. Snorlax
D. Haxorus
D. Weezing
D. Dunsparce
D. Huntail (male)
D. Gorebyss (female)
D. Vespiquen
D. Chandelure
D. Bisharp
D. Scrafty
D. Luxray
D. Metagross (Spider)
D. Glalie
D. Froslass
D. Noibat (Egg)
D. Liepard
