Welcome to the next chapter of Insurgence, where we finally deal with the Infernal Cult once and for all. It'll feature the climactic battle between Natasha and Zenith, with the fate of the region determined by the outcome of the battle. That said, I hope you all enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
Infernal Base
The base was eerily silent, save for the low humming of the machines littered throughout the place. it seems that the entrance was unguarded, enabling the two women to walk inside without any issues. Making their way through the hallway, the duo were soon greeted with a fork in the path, leaving them no choice but to make a decision.
"Seems the path splits here; which way should we go?" Natasha inquired.
"The smart thing would be to go down the path that Calreath and Nora didn't go down. The only problem is, we don't know which direction they took." Diana replied, an idea forming in her mind as she reached for her PokeNav. "I'll shoot them a text, perhaps we can get an ans—"
"Stop right there!" A voice called out, the duo turning around and saw Persephone in the entrance. "I knew I'd find you here, Sis..."
"Persephone, not now..." The brown-haired woman whispered urgently.
"Don't give me that shit; you've been lying to me this entire time! I finally bit the bullet and followed you; lo and behold, I saw Darkrai hovering right behind you. And don't try and deny it, I know EXACTLY why it's interested in you. And to make things worse you crawled your way back into the Infernal Base, the place where you abandoned me!" The cult leader snapped, pointing her finger at her sister. "Cresselia was sent to help us both. but no, you were too scared to help your last living relative, your own flesh and blood!"
"Can't you two save this for another time? In case you didn't realize, we're in the middle of an important mission." Natasha requested.
"Stay out of this, you meddlesome brat! You have no fucking idea what I went through under that bastard Zenith. I spent three whole years under his control, doing anything and everything he wanted me to do, without a choice. Who are you to stand there and expect me to forgive her for abandoning me?! Do you even know what I had to do to escape? How I—" Persephone continued to rant.
"You know, I would like to know how you managed to escape..." A bone-chilling voice called out, the trio turning to face the source. Approaching them was Zenith and a few cult members by his side, a cocky smirk on his face. "I don't appreciate the name-calling, either. I'm not a bastard. I know we're enemies, but let's be polite with one another, hmmm?"
"There's one place you can stuck your politeness; up your ass!" The purple-haired girl shot back, the older man tsking to himself.
"You must've been raised in a barn with manners like that. Guards." He called out to his men, whom promptly approached and apprehended the trio. "Escort these three to their cells. You'll love it here; we have complimentary butlers and a heated pool. It's a lot better than what Persephone has to offer; I'm sure Natasha will have a better time here, especially since she's a vital part of my plan."
"W-Wait, how am I a part of your plan?! Answer me, Zenith!" She demanded, kicking and screaming as the guards dragged her and the two sisters away.
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Trapped, again. Natasha couldn't believe her luck; she started out her journey within a cage, and she was now stuck in another. The worst part was that Zenith lied about the butlers and the pool; there wasn't even a bed for her to rest on. The purple-haired girl frowned to herself, brimming with anger over how Persephone ruined things for her.
"I swear, when I get out of here, I'll break that woman's neck. I don't care if she's Diana's sister; she'll pay for this with her blood..." She muttered angrily to herself, the sound of footsteps approaching her cell. Looking up, she saw Zenith and an Infernal Cultist arrive at the door, a triumphant grin on the former's face. "Oh, you're here. I take it the butlers and pool were a lie?"
"Oh no, no, no. Those luxuries are reserved for me. Not that you need them since you look comfy enough in that cell." He replied.
"Well why don't you come join me then? There's plenty of room for the two of us." The purple-haired girl offered, but the cult leader wasn't falling for her trap.
"No thanks, I've got some important business to attend to. Still, I am disappointed that you had to hear all that family drama; what a waste of time, am I right?" Zenith inquired, but the teenage girl refused to answer. "You're a smart kid, I'm sure you know about my special power."
"I know all about your mind control ability; you used it to brainwash the people of Torren into believing you're a humble librarian." She answered bluntly, clearly not in the mood for any of his shit.
"Mind control is such an ugly term...I prefer mind optimization. Still, it isn't 100% perfect, I need someone's DNA in order to control them." He began.
"Which is why you went around giving people those "vaccines" you were handing out. It was all a ruse to get their DNA in order to control them!" Natasha called out, having figured out Zenith's game plan.
"Clever girl, but you forgot one tiny thing..." The cult leader replied, taking out a small vial of blood from his pocket. "I have your DNA right here. With it, I can brainwash you at will, making you my elite agent. Remember the prophecy at the library, the one that tore your little group apart? It was neither Damian or Nora, the traitor was you all along!"
"Tch, damn you..." She hissed, unable to do anything as Zenith laughed manically for a few seconds.
"I was worried at first; Diana was able to escape with Cresselia's power, leading me to believe that Legendary Pokémon have the ability to protect their trainers from my power. I was worried you'd be the same, but that's no longer the case. As I said before, you'd be the traitor that the prophecy warned about, and you'll be my most valuable asset. My men have kept an eye on you ever since you left Persephone's base of operations, watching you grow in power with every Delta Pokémon acquired. With your strength and my genius, the region-no, the world will be our oyster! I'll keep drilling you with my power, weakening your willpower with each attempt until you become my subservient pawn. I think I'll start by...having you touch the back wall." He began, his eyes locked onto her as they began glowing red. The purple-haired girl tried desperately to resist, but was soon overcome by the cult leaders power. Wordlessly, she walked towards the back wall and touched it, a look of ecstasy on the man's face.
"Yes, yes! it works; I have the one blessed by the Delta Call under my control. Next, I'd like you to—" He began, only for a quick rumbling to echo throughout the base. "Seems like there's a fight breaking out in the hall. Your friends must've been discovered. Keep a careful eye on her; make sure she doesn't break out at any cost!"
Nodding obediently, the brainwashed guard allowed his master to walk past, standing firmly in front of the door as Natasha was soon freed from Zenith's clutches. clutching her head in pain, she mulled over how she could break out of this scenario, an idea soon forming in her mind.
"Hey...mister. Do you mind giving me a massage? My shoulder's feel a little stiff..." She requested.
"No can do; Zenith has ordered me to stay right here." The guard replied in a monotone voice, his free will non-existent.
"But surely your boss would want me in peak condition. after all, I am his most valuable asset." The purple-haired girl continued, with the guard ignoring her request. "Very well, I'll just tell Zenith that you tried to kill me. I'm sure he'll punish you for trying to ruin his-"
"Okay, okay. I'll do it. Just keep your mouth shut!" He yielded, opening the door with the fingerprint scanner and walked in. But before he could respond, she lunged at him, slamming his head on the tiled floor and knocked him out. Eyeing up a small cut on his head, she picked up the blood with her finger and called out to Mew, handing the DNA over as the Legendary Pokémon used its power. Within moments, Natasha had transformed into an Infernal Cultist, stepping outside the cell and closed it behind her.
"Perfect, now to find Zenith and give him a taste of his medicine..." She smirked to herself, making her way through the base. She spent the news few minutes exploring the other cells, picking up items there were left behind by previous prisoners. Most of them were simple medicinal items, while a few of them happened to be rare TMs. Putting them away, she promptly left the holding cells and made her way to the main hall, attracting the attention of another cult member.
"So, how's the prisoner?" The cultist inquired.
"Uh...about that—" She began, only for a voice to call out to them.
"Wait right there, you two." Zenith's voice called out, the old man approaching them, a frown etched on his face. "The prisoner has escaped. You know, the one kid who is vital to our plan's succession? The one kid I asked you useless mongoloids to always keep an eye on? Our big announcement's starting, and I don't want her to ruin it. Therefore, you two will be my guards for the broadcast; make your way to the studio room as soon as possible!" He demanded.
"Y-Yes sir!" The cultist replied, quickly following behind his master with Natasha trailing behind them. As she was making her way through the halls, she stumbled upon another set of cells, with one of them holding a familiar face behind them.
"Hey you, yeah you. I know you can hear me, you freak. Off to polish your master's boots with your tongue?" He taunted, unaware that it was really her inside the disguise.
"Calreath, settle down. It's—" She began.
"What's the matter, gonna cry about it to daddy Zenith?" He continued, causing the girl to sigh to herself. Checking the coast, she ordered Mew to change her back, catching the Gym Leader by surprise. "N-Natasha?! This is a little awkward..."
"I guess you forgot about Mew's power?" The purple-haired girl replied, with Mew quickly transforming her back into an Infernal Cultist.
"I guess I did." Calreath chuckled uneasily, a little embarrassed over his previous outburst. "Don't worry about getting me out; Manaphy can easily get me out of here. I just need to wait for the right time."
"Have you heard? Zenith's making his big announcement. He's all worked up over my escape, so he wants to begin as quickly as possible. He foolishly appointed me as his guard alongside another cultist." She informed him.
"Is that so? That makes things a little easier for me. For now, you need to follow them; I'll join you in a bit." He told her, the girl giving him a nod of approval as she briskly walked down the hall.
0000
The studio room wasn't a room, but a chamber of the mountain that was decorated to resemble a studio. A few cameramen were positioned in front of the desk, with Zenith sitting calmly on the chair. Noticing the disguised Natasha, he gestured her to come stand at his side. Once she was in position, the older man arose from his chair.
"Before we begin, I would like to know. Do I look presentable?" He inquired.
"Absolutely sir. The cameras are ready to roll when you say-" A cameraman began, only for Manaphy to appear before them, catching everyone but Natasha by surprise.
"W-What?" Zenith began, watching Manaphy approach the other cultist. In an instant, the cultist was enveloped in an orb of light, before being replaced by Calreath a few moments later. "Y-You! How did you escape?!"
"Heart Swap, Manaphy's signature move. I used it to swap my position with that of your bodyguard." Calreath answered.
"Whatever, I still have another guard to deal with-" The cult leader began.
"I don't think so!" Natasha called out, removing her disguise as the cult leader was taken by surprise. Somehow, they were able to communicate with one another to set up this trap. "For someone as smart as you, you forgot one thing. Mew's special ability."
"Argh, how could I be so careless? I forgot about Mew's ability to transform its trainer into someone else!" Zenith hissed to himself, before jumping atop his desk. "Well it doesn't matter, I have all of Torren under my control. I am protected by the prophecy; you cannot defeat me. I heard the entire thing back in the library, something you cannot deny, Natasha!"
"Why don't I put that to the test?" Calreath declared, jumping atop the desk as well. "My Water Pokémon shall douse your twisted ambitions! I'll make sure to put on a show for the audience."
"Yes, a show. I'll be glad to throttle the person I told the people to hate. However, I've got something better in mind..." The cult leader began, taking out a small remote and pressed on the button. In an instant, the spot Calreath was on opened, revealing a trap hole. The blue-haired man fell into the dark abyss, too stunned to utter so much as a scream.
"Calreath!" Natasha called out, running up to the hole and peered inside, but was unable to find her friend. "You cowardly bastard! You have no sense of honor whatsoever!"
"Tch, I couldn't care less about honor. Not when I'm so close to victory." He began, closing the door and disabled the remote. "That trap door leads to a very, very deep area of the base. It's unlikely you'll ever see him again."
Taking out a Pokéball from his belt, the cult leader sent out his Groudon, the massive Pokémon standing before him as it uttered an almighty roar. "You on the other hand, shall become my prized agent. I can defeat you with ease, for I have two of the strongest Pokémon at my command, Groudon and Heatran. Look on the plus side, I'll be a much better Augur than that idiot Jaern."
"That, I can't deny..." Natasha admitted, the duo getting into position. In an instant, Zenith sent out his Excadrill, with Natasha sending out her Hydreigon in response, the two powerful Pokémon staring each other down. As the Hydreigon was much faster than it's opponent, it was able to dive to the right of the mole and slam its body into the ground, creating a series of tremors that caused the Excadrill to stagger on the ground. Sensing its foes vulnerable state, the Tyrant Cobra Pokémon reared its heads back and fired a trio of Flamethrowers, the attacks converging into one to form a massive stream of fire, striking the teetering mole head on. The attack sent the Excadrill flying back to the wall, creating a small impact crater in the rocky surface as the unconscious mole fell to the ground. Zenith would've been angrier had it not been for the fact that Excadrill's defensive stats are notoriously low.
"You got lucky there…" Zenith muttered, recalling his Pokémon before taking out another ball. He threw it to the ground, sending out his Blaziken before promptly pressing down on his Mega Ring. The Blaziken was enveloped in a wonderous orb of light, breaking free a few moments as it emerged in its new form. Eyeing up the three-headed cobra, the bipedal chicken lunged at its foe, pummeling it with a barrage of punches and kicks, concluding with an uppercut that sent it flying back a few feet. Shaking it's main head to regain its composure, the Hydreigon reared its heads back and spewed a massive barrage of sludge bombs at its foe. The Blaziken was dodging the attacks with impressive speeds, but tripped on a tiny rock, halting its momentum temporarily. This momentary pause caused the bipedal chicken to be assaulted by the Sludge Bombs, shielding its face with its arms. But the Hydreigon seized this opportunity to lunge towards its foe, channeling its inner power to create a series of cracks in the earth that began glowing. The cracks soon exploded with incredible force upon making contact with the Blaziken, the attack sending the chicken flying towards one of the bookcases behind Zenith and caused it to fall to the ground. The Blaziken soon devolved into its normal form, unable to continue fighting as Natasha shot a small glare at her foe.
"Don't expect any mercy from me, especially after what you did to Calreath!" She declared, the older man recalling his Pokémon.
"Tch, seems I should be taking you more seriously. Incinerate her snake, Heatran!" The cult leader declared, sending out his first legendary Pokémon as the beast uttered a deep roar, causing the lava pools in the room to ripple before shooting pillars of magma into the air. The purple-haired girl frowned at the sight before her; this Heatran was the first major threat of the battle, and it wasn't going to go down without a fight. Slamming its foot on the ground, the Heatran created a series of tremors that caused the mountain to quake, striking the Hydreigon as it began teetering on the ground, dazed from the attack. The Lava Dome Pokémon took this opportunity to lunge at its foe, striking it head on with it's iron-hard head as the Tyrant Cobra Pokémon was sent flying back several feet. Slowly getting back up, the Hydreigon was on the verge of collapsing, however it mustered up all its willpower into one final attack. Uttering a hiss from the depths of its lungs, it slammed its body into the ground, creating a massive tremor that shook the mountain once more as the waves struck the Heatran. The Lava Dome Pokémon attempted to hold its ground, but was soon swept aside by the relentless shockwaves, sending it flying back as it promptly crashed into the wall, causing it to crumble as a hidden chamber was discovered.
"You! Get back up you useless—" Zenith began, only for the Heatran to get back up on its feet, roaring angrily at the cult leader as it stomped into the hidden chamber, breaking free from his clutches.
"Seems like Heatran has no interest in being your pawn anymore." Natasha called out, her gaze turning towards Hydreigon as she recoiled in shock. Her companion had knocked itself out upon slamming itself into the ground, the purple-haired girl quickly rushing to its side. "You did well out there, my friend. You've earned a nice rest…"
Quickly recalling her Pokémon, the two trainers stared each other down, reaching for a Pokéball and threw them at the same time. On Zenith's side was his Volcarona, the large moth fluttering its wings carefully in the air, while Natasha had her Metagross ready for battle. Almost immediately, the Volcarona began beating its wings quickly, conjuring a hot gust of wind that struck the Metagross directly. But the large spider was able to withstand the attack, scratching the ground beneath its feet to sharpen the tips and increase its attack. Now ready to get going, the Metagross slammed its feet into the ground, creating a small tremor that caused a series of stalactites to fall onto the Volcarona, pinning it beneath the pile of rubble as a look of irritation appeared on his face. Being a Bug/Fire Pokémon, there was very little chance of it withstanding a Rock type attack, especially from something as powerful as a Metagross. His hunch was proved correct as his Pokémon emerged from the rubble, only to collapse on the ground, having been knocked out in a single attack.
"I-I'm still completely in control!" Zenith blurted, recalling his Volcarona before sending out his Chandelure, the ghostly chandelier eyeing up its foe. Waving its arms slightly, it conjured up a series of Shadow Balls and flung them at its foe, striking the Metagross head on and pushed it back a few inches. Shaking its head side-to-side, the giant spider spewed several globs of webbing from its mouth, immobilizing the Chandelure as it desperately attempted to incinerate the webbing as soon as possible. However, it was all a ruse to enable Metagross to use its strongest attack; rearing its forelegs in the air, it created an almighty tremor that was much stronger than the previous ones, the shockwaves striking the chandelier and sent it flying back several feet into a different wall, creating a sizable impact crater as it promptly fell onto the ground, unable to continue battling. Recalling his Pokémon, Zenith had enough of Natasha's resistance; she was supposed to be his pawn, not his enemy. "Groudon, crush this insolent brat like the bug she is!"
Taking out a large red orb from his pocket, the colossal Pokémon began to glow, an ancient power flowing through it. The previously black lines all over its body were now a bright red, lava flowing throughout the beast's body, as it uttered an almighty roar, creating a fake sun that shone extremely harshly. Realizing that it had reverted to its Primal Form, Natasha knew that the real battle was about to occur. She ordered her Pokémon to use Earthquake once, the giant spider raising its forelegs in the air and slammed them on the ground, creating a series of powerful tremors. The attack struck the Groudon directly, a small growl escaping from its large mouth. Shooting a glare at its foe, the Continent Pokémon raised a single foot in the air and stomped the ground, causing a series of sharp stalagmites to burst from the ground beneath the Metagross, pushing it up into the air. But just as it was about to fall onto them, the stalagmites exploded, sending it flying back towards Natasha where it promptly crumpled on the floor. Wincing in pain for her injured comrade, the purple-haired girl recalled it, and promptly sent out her Mew, the mythical Pokémon eyeing up the colossal beast.
Natasha whispered something into Mew's ear, the small Pokémon nodding in confirmation as it's body began to glow, the psychic type transforming into a creature that caused the Groudon to narrow it's eyes in rage. It was now gazing upon the form of Kyogre, it's sworn rival, but that wasn't the only surprise. The Kyogre's body began to glow, a series of yellow lines appearing all over it's body as it reverted to it's Primal Form, the harsh sun replaced with a relentless rainstorm.
"But how?! You don't have the Blue Orb!" Zenith demanded an answer.
"No, I do not. However, Mew is said to have the DNA of every Pokémon that's ever existed, including the legends themselves. If it can transform into Kyogre, then I'm sure it's capable of transforming into its Primal Form." Natasha retorted, outstretching her hand. "Origin Pulse."
"Uttering a deep roar, the Kyogre leaped into the air and conjured up a series of large blue orbs, who all grew in size before they each became as large as a Golem. The Sea Basin Pokémon then fired a beam of pure energy from each orb, the attacks hurtling towards the Groudon as it realized it's inevitable fate. The beams of energy struck the colossal Pokémon, pushing it towards the wall as it crashed into it, creating a massive tremor within the depths of the mountain. The Continent Pokémon emerged from the rubble and attempted to make a last stand, only to collapse on its stomach as a look of horror appeared on Zenith's face.
"N-NO! This cannot be…I was supposed to emerge victorious!" He roared in anger, slamming his head into the table a few times as a sizable cut appeared on his forehead, causing blood to trickle down. Natasha on the other hand, was ecstatic over her victory, her Mew transforming back into its original form as they embraced each other.
"We did it! We defeated Zenith once and for all!" She cheered, unaware that an Infernal cultist had approached the duo.
"M-Mr. Zenith? I have a—" He began.
"…can I help you? As you can see, this isn't the best time right now…" The older man replied, doing his best to hide his intense anger.
"Ah, wonderful. It seems that Natasha has defeated you already, tying up all the loose ends left." The cultist began, catching the duo by surprise. Surely, this cultist would be horrified to see their leader get curb-stomped by a child.
"W-Who are you?" Zenith inquired, a faint look of disappointment on the man's face.
"Oh Zenith…I honestly thought Her plan wouldn't work. It was my fault for doubting Her; I guess arrogance really blinded you." The man continued.
"W-What are you talking about?!" The cult leader demanded, only for the man to face Natasha.
"Do you recognize me, Natasha? What if I were to dress and speak like…" The man began, promptly removing his outfit as the teenage girl was taken by surprise. Underneath his uniform, was the mystic garb worn by the Oracle back in the Utira Library. The Oracle wasn't a woman at all, but a man who dressed up like one. "…like this?"
"Y-You're the Oracle, from the library…" Natasha said, her comment catching the cult leader off-guard.
"T-The Oracle?! T-Then that means—" Zenith began.
"The prophecy was a hoax? Obviously. I mean, who actually believes that garbage? I thought a "genius" like yourself figured it out when you mentioned L. Frank Baum. You do know his most famous piece of work, right? The Wizard of Oz." The 'Oracle' began, turning his head to face Natasha. "Young lady, do you know the plot twist of the story?"
"Yes, I do. The wizard was a fake; there was no magic at all." She replied, a small smile on the man's face.
"Correct. It was all just a single man pulling some strings. A few flashy lights, fancy explosions, timed smoke. It's really easy to fake an amazing effect if you have the know-how." He replied.
"S-So there was no prophecy in the first place?" The cult leader inquired.
"Maybe there was a prophecy long ago, a prophecy about a hero who would defeat the cults. It seems to be coming true, all things considered." The 'Oracle' continued. "But the one I told you? It was definitely a fake. You were never actually supposed to recruit Natasha."
"But why tell a fake prophecy? Why bring up the prospect of me joining the Infernal Cult in the first place? Do you know what it did to Nora? To Damian?!" The purple-haired girl demanded, a hint of anger in her tone of voice.
"I had no intentions of causing a rift within your group of friends. For that, I am sorry. As for why I brought up that part, it was so Zenith would lower his guard long enough for you to defeat him." The man apologized, with Zenith connecting a few of the dots.
"So you're working for Her, aren't you? She's been plotting against me this whole time." The old man said, a smug look appearing on the 'Oracle's' face.
"Sure am. She sure was. You do know what happens if She wins?" He continued.
"Everything goes. Our existence, our world…all of it destroyed. So why would you even consider siding with Her?!" Zenith demanded.
"Simple, She'll help me through those minor setbacks. Besides, I was offered a fortune." The 'Oracle' replied, turning to face Natasha. "Natasha, She has pioneered all of this from the beginning. She gave him his mind control powers, and it's thanks to Her that they didn't work on you. True, he would be able to control you if he put all his effort into it, but only for a few minutes at most."
"Heh…heheheheh. It's over, it's all over…" Zenith chuckled to himself, before promptly fainting on the ground.
"A-Are you a…" She began.
"A cultist? No, I'm not. I guess you could call me a mercenary in the grand scheme of things. The person I work for…you do not want to get on Her bad side. She was the one who created the cults in the first place; by gifting Zenith his powers, he was able to create the Infernal Cult, alongside all the other cults. After all, the Infernal Cult was the first one to come into existence. Do not worry, you'll meet Her when the time comes…" The 'Oracle' began. "But for now, you have a job to do. I'm sure someone as smart as you knows what to do."
"Indeed, I do." Natasha began, approaching Zenith's body and scooped up his blood with her finger, as well as pocketing his shard of the Crystal. She gestured Mew to approach her, the Psychic type taking the blood as it used its powers to transform her into the cult leader himself. Approaching the two cameramen, she spoke in a dramatic voice.
"People of Torren, it is I, Zenith of the Infernal Cult. You may recognize me as Zachery, the friendly neighborhood librarian handing out vaccines to cure the Deoxys virus running rampant all over the region. Well it was all a hoax; I planned on using your blood to turn you into my subservient pawns, with the vaccines being a convenient way to do so. However, as I was about to rule the world, I was bested by that talented and beautiful trainer, Natasha. Even with Groudon's might on my side, I was no match for her awesome Delta Pokémon. It is with that humiliating defeat that I am left with no choice but to relinquish my control over you, and disband the Infernal Cult. Don't bother catching me, for I shall never return to the Torren Region, again!" She spoke dramatically, the cameramen ending the broadcast as she transformed back into her normal form. "So, how was it?"
"Impressive. I see why She has taken a great interest in you. For now though, this is good-bye." The 'Oracle' said, disappearing into a puff of smoke once more. Guess old habits really die hard.
"I guess this is it; after all this time, the Infernal Cult is finally done for." The cameraman began, only for the ground to begin trembling. "Crap, that battle must've caused a disturbance within the mountain. We gotta get out of here!"
"Right behind you!" Natasha replied, the trio fleeing for their lives. However, the purple-haired girl was soon halted by Manaphy, a look of distress on its face. Gesturing Mew to approach it, it handed a small amount of powder to it before the Water type walked deeper into the mountain, no doubt searching for its beloved companion.
"Natasha!" A familiar voice called out, the purple-haired girl turning to the side and saw Nora approaching her alongside Persephone. "W-We need to get out of here, right now!"
"Grrrroooooaaaa~" A loud roar echoed throughout the cave, the trio turning to see Groudon walk up towards them, with Persephone seeing a chance to profit from this ordeal.
"Groudon, why don't you ditch this pathetic cult and join me? We can rule the world—" She began, only to get silence by a roar of disgust from the Continent Pokémon as it promptly dove into the lava. "Well that's new; a Legendary Pokémon running away from me…" The older woman commented bitterly.
"Suck to be you, Perse…" Natasha taunted, earning her an especially spiteful glare from the cult leader, only for the earthquake to intensify in magnitude.
"S-Save the fighting for later. We need to get out of here, right now!" Nora called out, quickly making her way through the base.
"She can run away, but I want to show you something before we leave." Persephone told her, snatching the teen's wrist as she dragged her out of the studio and into a small room with a fairly large cell inside. There was a Pokéball beside the door, and behind it was Diana herself.
"Perse, the base is shaking. Please, get me out of here!" Diana pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.
"Nope, I'm leaving you right there. But not before I take this…" The cult leader began, scooping up the Pokéball beside the door. "Seems you weren't lying at all; Darkrai wasn't interested in you. It was interested in Cresselia. They're considered two sides of the same coin, the New and Full Moons. With Cresselia in my possession, I can finally force Darkrai to be by my side, forever. Heh…when you think about it, the situation is ironic, in the poetic sense."
"Look, I'm so sorry about what happened back then. Just help me out of here!" The brown-haired woman pleaded once more, a few tears of fear falling down her cheeks.
"Consider this payback for what happened back then. We're even now." Persephone stated, turning her back and leaving the base, the gym leader directing her attention towards Natasha.
"D-Don't leave me behind. Please, help me!" She requested desperately.
"W-What do I do?! The fingerprint scanner is busted, so I can't use that." Natasha replied.
"The administrator panel is behind the locked fence to the right of this cell, but I don't know how to open it." Diana told her, an idea forming in the teenager's mind.
"I think I know what to do. Please forgive me for this." The purple-haired girl said, asking her Mew to transform into Manaphy and use Heart Swap on the duo, reversing their places.
"W-What are you doing?! There's a way both of us can get out of here, you know!" Diana exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave right now. Once you're out of here, I'll bust the cell down, and search the base for Calreath. Zenith pushed him through a trap door, and I intend to find him, no matter the cost." Natasha replied, realizing the gravity of her situation. "If you do find Nora, please tell her that I—"
'Boom!' the sound of an explosion echoed throughout the area, causing the duo to fall onto their legs. "W-What are you waiting for, Diana? Just go already!"
"I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" Diana apologized profusely, tears streaming down her cheeks as she quickly got up and evacuated the base. Now on her own, the purple-haired girl pondered on what to do next, her thoughts soon interrupted by a few roof tiles striking her head, knocking her unconscious.
Don't worry, this isn't the end of the story. Rather, I plan on doing a small bit of divergence from the story to spice things up. I do hope you like what I have planned for you all. 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
