Now that Natasha was able to hand Taen another defeat and learn of Damian's location, our hero can finally begin her trek up the perilous Mount Rose. What dangers will she find on her journey? You'll have to read on to find out.

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

Mount Rose

Having taken a taxi to Amphitrite City to save time, the duo made their way towards the base of Mount Rose and waited, and waited, and waited some more. By this point, Nora had grown impatient and began tapping her foot against the soft dirt path.

"…they're not here yet." She commented, crossing her arms over her chest. "We've been waiting for ages, and there's still no sign of them."

"I swear, they better show up. Otherwise, I'm gonna march up to Reukra and kick his ass all the way to prison." Natasha huffed to herself, having grown impatient as well. "Seems like we were li—"

"There's the second one." A familiar, yet distorted voice called out, the duo turning to see Malde and Damian approaching them. The green-haired girl flinched at the sight of her former friend, his distorted appearance catching her by surprise.

"Let's get down to business; you need us to get up the mountain. And we need the shard of the Augur's Crystal that Zenith possesses. So if we—" Malde began.

"Absolutely not! We can't do that." Nora retorted, causing the old man to raise an eyebrow in intrigue.

"What do you know about the crystal?" He inquired.

"W-Well, I, err…" She stammered, unsure on how to answer the question presented to her.

"I'm not asking you to get it for us. We simply don't want it on the hands of Zenith or Persephone. Once it's in your hands—or anyone else's—we can acquire it easily." Malde bluntly replied to her.

"You say that as if we're pushovers!" Natasha retorted, ready to fight the old man should the need arise.

"I see…" Was all he said in response to her statement, the old man turning his head to the side. "Damian, disguise yourself. Go through the checkpoint and get this over and done with."

Upon receiving his order, Damian used his power to disguise himself, making his way towards the checkpoint without saying a single word. The trio stood they're in total silence, the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. It was clear that neither side trusted one another, and only worked together under obligation. The awkward silence was soon shattered as the faint sound of a wooden ladder rolling down the mountainside echoed throughout the area.

"Perfect. That ladder should get you up and down the mountain without having to go through the checkpoint." Malde informed them, shooting a quick glance at the figure of Damian upon the mountainside. "He was your friend, right? He doesn't talk much anymore. I'm sorry if we've caused you great pain. But he's happier now."

"Did…did he chose to leave us? To become what he is right now?" Nora inquired.

"I never said that he chose this fate himself, but he's happier now." He replied, making his way up the ladder so that he and Damian can travel up the mountain at their own pace.

"I-If he's really happier this way, then I'll leave him—" The green-haired girl replied, only to get cut off by her friend.

"How can you say that? He wasn't given a choice in the first place. For all we know, that old man could be lying about how he's happier this way!" Natasha snapped, gripping her friend's shoulders firmly.

"Y-Yeah, you're right. We need to know if this was HIS choice before making a decision. I already messed up one time, I will make things right this time!" Nora replied boldly.

"That's it; we'll teach that geezer a lesson for taking our friend from us." The purple-haired girl chimed in.

"Indeed, but first we're gonna show Zenith and his cronies how to actually cure a disease!" The green-haired girl declared, catching Natasha off-guard. Her one-liner was…unimpressive to say the least.

"I hate to be that person, but you really need to work on your one-liners." She told her bluntly.

"I suppose I do…" Nora chuckled in embarrassment, her cheeks a faint red. With the small talk out of the way, the duo began climbing up the ladder and onto the cliffside before them. Thankfully, it was more than strong enough to hold the duo at the same time, the climb being rather uneventful. Once they had reached solid ground, the duo dusted themselves off and made their way up the mountainside. However, just as they were about to enter the first cave, a sudden rustling caught the duo by surprise, turning their heads to the left. Emerging from a series of trees was an imposing Trevenant, the likes of which they haven't seen before.

It stood at around 2 meters tall, with vivid pink cherry blossoms covering its body, mainly its head, back and arms. It's arms ended in what looked like sharp wooden swords there were able to easily cut down leaves and fruit in order to consume. The bark on its body was far lusher than the bark on an ordinary Trevenant, a clear sign that it wasn't a Ghost-type at all.

"A Delta Trevenant, and it seems to be itching for a fight…" Natasha spoke to herself, taking out a Pokéball and sent out her Delta Haxorus, the bipedal shark snapping its jaws at its foe. But despite the immense strength emanating from its foe, the Guardian Pokémon wasn't going to backdown, rearing its right arm in the air and swung down on its foe. The attack struck the Haxorus on the head, causing it to stagger back a couple feet as it shook it's head side-to-side. Shooting a glare at its opponent, the Anchor Shark Pokémon lowered its head, which shone a lusterous gleam and charged at the Trevenant, tackling it head on and sent it crashing into a tree. Seizing this opportunity, Natasha chucked a ball at the fallen Pokémon to capture it, the small device sucking it up before wiggling on the ground. A few seconds later, the ball ceased shaking, indicating a successful capture. "Nice, another Delta caught!" The purple-haired girl said to herself, picking up the ball and pocketed it.

"Your prowess with Delta Pokémon never ceases to amaze me." Nora stated, watching her friend pet her Haxorus.

"Thank you. I hope it'll give us the edge we need when it's time to confront Zenith." The purple-haired girl replied, recalling her companion before making her way into the cave with Nora following suit.

0000

Calreath burst into the Selene City Gym, his body drenched with sweat as he began panting for breath. His sudden arrival surprised Diana, the young gym leader making her way to his side.

"Is something the matter, dear?" She inquired, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"We've got trouble; the librarian, Zachery has ordered the people of Amphitrite City to hunt us down, branding us as Anti-Jaern insurgents who wish to keep the people unvaccinated. And it seems that word has reached the people of Selene City, given their suspicious glances in my direction. Quite frankly, I have a good idea on who he really is, but it's not safe to stick around her." The blue-haired man explained.

"O-Okay…" Diana replied, a little shaken up over what she just heard, not that one can blame her. After all, she was just told that a much beloved citizen of Torren, who commanded quite the influence over the region had ordered them to be arrested. The duo spent the next few minutes getting ready before beginning the long journey to Deyraan Town, where they could hopefully reunite with Nora and Natasha.

Unbeknownst to them however, the duo was being watched by an eerie figure from the shadows. The Mythical Darkrai, Pokémon of nightmares had been watching the duo and decided to trail them, but not for the reason they would expect.

"I knew it, I fucking knew it!" A second voice exclaimed, the figure of Persephone suddenly appearing in the back of the room. She had been hiding this entire time, using the power of her Zoroark's illusions to avoid detection. "I knew Darkrai was following my sister around for some reason. I knew she was aware of Darkrai's interest in her, but why? Why would Darkrai choose HER over me, even after what she had done?! What does she have that I don't?!"

"Zooorrrr~" The bipedal fox chirped; its eyes fixated on the various decorations on the backroom wall.

"I doubt we'd find the answer he—" The cult leader replied, pausing her comment as she laid eyes on a particular decoration, a small painting of a starry night, with a full moon in the center. It only took a few seconds for her to connect the dots, the white-haired woman smacking her face with her palm. "Of course, how could I be so stupid? It's not her Darkrai's after, but it's counterpart Cresselia."

"Zoorr?" The Zoroark inquired, curious as to what she was talking about.

"It doesn't matter. Now that I know what Darkrai's after, I can steal it from my sister and get revenge for what she's done! And if I were to find Natasha along the way, then that will be quite the bonus indeed. Ohohohohoho, this is going to be fun!" Persephone smirked, the wicked cult leader ordering her Pokémon to disguise herself as she began trailing after her sister.

0000

Though the journey was long and arduous, Nora and Natasha finally arrived at Deyraan Town, the town of eternal snow. A constant snowfall permeates the area every day of the year, rendering all but the hardiest of plants unable to grow. Because of this, the town is heavily reliant on imported produce from Nasca Town. But despite the harsh climate, the duo was taken aback by the awe-inspiring sight before them.

"I've been wanting to visit this place for a long time, I just wish the circumstances were a little better…" Nora admitted.

"Same; I'm sorely tempted to lie in the snow and make a snow ang—Hmmm?" Natasha began, only to get interrupted by the sound of something rustling within her bag. Opening it, she saw that her egg was about to hatch. "Nora, come quickly!"

"What, what is it?!" She replied, crowding around her friend and watched the green and yellow egg quiver within her grasp. A few seconds later, the shell started to crack as a small metal wing poked a hole in the shell. Eventually, the baby Pokémon broke through the shell, shaking the small shards off its body as it looked up at Natasha. It's metallic body was very small, and covered in several patches of green grass with small yellow flowers in them. It's metal ears had green rimming on them, and were able to pick up even the faintest of noises.

"So, this is what Delta Noibat looks like…" The purple-haired girl mused to herself.

"W-Wait a minute, I thought that Delta Pokémon were infertile due to their genetic structure." The green-haired girl rebutted.

"I thought so too, at least until I found the egg. Supposedly, there's a scientist in Gaea Town that has a Delta Egg as well. He must have the answers to how Deltas are able to breed." Natasha replied, recalling the Noibat to its ball to keep it safe from the cold.

"As much as I would like to find out, now isn't the right time. We should split up and look around town for Calreath and Diana; with any luck they should be here already." Nora suggested, prompting the two girls to go their separate ways. Natasha opted to explore the eastern side of town, walking beside a lake and towards a small field littered with snowmen resembling different Pokémon. There were some popular choices such as Pikachu, Charizard and Greninja, as well as more obscure picks such as Golduck, Stoutland and Mismagius. But as she was about to leave, the purple-haired girl noticed that the Mismagius snowman blinked at her…or so she thought.

'Did that snowman blink at me…?' She thought to herself, taking a closer look at it. However, it didn't budge a single inch at all, causing her to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Guess I was just seeing things." The teenager said to herself as she turned around and began walking away. Suddenly, something jumped out the snowman and uttered a quick cry of surprise, catching Natasha by surprise. Uttering a sudden scream, the purple-haired girl jumped forward and landed face first into the snow, a quiet chuckling echoing throughout the area. "Ugh…what was that?"

Picking herself up to confront the culprit, she was taken aback by what she saw. It was a Mismagius, but its face was light blue instead of the usual deep purple. Its dress was a vivid shade of red and was adorned with a few green and indigo gemstones. Additionally, its hat now resembled a red 'Santa Claus' hat, all the way down to the white cotton ball on top. Despite being a friendly Pokémon throughout the year, especially during the holidays, a small part of it loved playing harmless pranks on unsuspecting travelers.

"Can't say I'm surprised to see a Delta Species all the way up here." Natasha said, brushing the snow off her outfit. Despite being the victim of a jump scare, she wasn't angry at all. In fact, she was more than interested in picking up another Pokémon for her team. "Hey, Mismagius. How would you feel about coming along with me? I have plenty of companions you can play with."

The Christmas Pokémon mulled over her offer temporarily, before accepting it eagerly. Smiling to herself, the purple-haired girl recalled it to an empty ball she had on her before putting it away. Just as she was about to get moving, she received a surprise text message from Nora, which read.

'Hey Natasha, I found Calreath and Diana in the Pokémon Center. We'll meet up with you at the exit to Rose Crater.'

Putting her Pokenav away, Natasha made the short walk to the city exit, where she soon reunited with her three comrades. "Calreath, Diana. It's good to see you two again!" She smiled at them. "But how'd you get here so quickly…?"

"About that…the two of us visited here on an earlier date, so we kinda took a shortcut with the Pikataxi…" Calreath chuckled uneasily, with the two teenagers sighing to themselves. If he had offered to bring them along with him, they could've avoided the whole ordeal at the Perfection Base.

"Jokes aside, we're more than ready to finish the Infernal Cult once and for all!" Diana stated, shooting a glance towards the Rose Crater. "The volcano itself has been extinct for a long time, so there should be no risk whatsoever. Come, let's get going."

On her cure, the group of four exited the town and entered the volcanic crater. Despite being long extinct, there were still pools of magma littered around the area, though they're all cordoned off with heatproof metal. A few minutes into the trek, Diana suddenly gestured everyone to hide behind a large boulder, her gaze fixed on a nearby pair of Infernal Cultists. Checking side-to-side for any trespassers, the two cultists entered a small cave opening embedded within the mountain.

"That must be the entrance to their base…" Calreath said, the group of four emerging from behind the boulder to inspect the entrance. "This is it everyone; the fate of the region lies in our hands. We go in there, disrupt the broadcast signal and apprehend Zenith. We'll have to split up into two groups for maximum safety and efficiency."

"Then it's settled; I'll go with Nora, and you two—" Natasha began.

"Actually, it would be best if each group consisted of a gym leader and a teenager. I'll go with Nora, while you go with Diana." The blue-haired man told her.

"Okay…" The purple-haired girl conceded, a hint of dejection in her tone.

"I understand wanting to team up with your friend, I really do. But this is the way it must be for the sake of the mission. As for the plan, Nora and I will confront Zenith, while you two find a way to reserve the mind control he's got over the region. This is an incredibly dangerous mission, and I doubt they'll show us any mercy. I wish us all the best." Calreath replied, the blue-haired man entering the base with Nora following behind him.

"Sorry if I seemed a little down before; I have nothing against you Diana, honestly." Natasha replied, only for the young lady to brush her apology aside.

"No need to apologize; in fact, you just reminded me about our little conversation we had about love." Diana smiled. "Let's just say I have a very good idea why you wanted to go with Nora…"

"W-What are you talking about?!" The purple-haired girl replied, her cheeks a bright red as the gym leader giggled at her.

"We can talk about it after the mission. We should get going right away." The brown-haired woman replied, the duo entering the base as Natasha began thinking to herself. This was it, the final showdown against the Infernal Cult. The fate of the Torren Region will be decided within a few short hours.

Sorry if the chapter's shorter than usual, but I wanted to save the Infernal Base for the next chapter. It'll be one hell of a showdown, that's for sure. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.

Acquired Pokémon:

Mew

D. Venusaur

D. Charizard

D. Blastoise

D. Dugtrio

D. Crustle (Cake)

D. Golem

D. Ambipom

D. Muk

D. Reuniclus

D. Scizor

D. Volcarona

D. Sunflora

D. Gardevoir (female)

D. Gallade

D. Quagsire

D. Raichu

D. Hydreigon

D. Pidgeot

D. Golurk

D. Plusle

D. Minun

D. Ludicolo

D. Heatmor

D. Emolga

D. Drifblim

D. Roserade

D. Snorlax

D. Haxorus

D. Weezing

D. Dunsparce

D. Huntail (male)

D. Gorebyss (female)

D. Vespiquen

D. Chandelure

D. Bisharp

D. Scrafty

D. Luxray

D. Metagross (Spider)

D. Glalie

D. Froslass

D. Noibat

D. Liepard

D. Avalugg

D. Shuckle

D. Typhlosion

D. Trevenant

D. Mismagius