Welcome to the next chapter everyone, where we take our first steps into the Dream Realm. And what better way to mark the occasion by starting off with a rematch against Persephone? I hope you all enjoy the chapter, my dear readers.

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

The Dream Realm: Prion Site

Darkness, that was all Natasha could see around her. Slowly getting up off the ground, the purple-haired girl surveyed her surroundings, hoping to figure out where she was, but to no avail. She was on what appeared to be a small prairie, surrounded by dark blue water, a few dead trees littering the place. Additionally, there were a few bent radio antennas, but what they were there for was a complete mystery to the girl. Slowly approaching the water, she eyed it up in curiosity, reaching towards it, only to retract her hand at the last minute. What if it was corrosive enough to dissolve her hand, or contained unspeakable horrors waiting for an easy meal? Her intense stare at the water was only broken up by the sound of quiet chirping.

"N-Noibat!" She called out, quickly running towards the source and scooped up her Pokémon. Thankfully, it was unharmed from what had happened to them in the Cult of Darkrai Base before arriving here. Gingerly placing it on her shoulder, the purple-haired girl surveyed her surroundings once more, spotting a pair of paths leading away from the prairie. The path leading west was completely blanketed in a dark mist, with who knows what lurking within, whereas the path leading south had nothing out of the ordinary, for this place at least. "Come on then, let's find a way out of here."

"Noi~" The small Pokémon chirped in agreement, the duo making their way south. Thankfully for them, the journey wasn't a long one, taking ten minutes at the most. They didn't see anything worth nothing, except for a few ripples in the murky blue water. Though she was curious on what was in the water, she knew that her curiosity could lead to her death. At the end of the path, laid what appeared to be…a small town? What was a town doing all the way in this godforsaken place?! Surprisingly, it appeared to be fairly livable, with a few small farms and what looked like a water purifier at the edge of the town. The townsfolk seem surprisingly happy despite their circumstances, further confusing the purple-haired girl.

"What is this place…?" Natasha asked herself, her gaze fixated on the bustling town before her.

"Don't look at me, this isn't my Dream Realm." A familiar voice called out to her, the teenager turning to see Persephone approaching her, stopping right beside her. "Just look at it; nothing but black, red and dark blue. And they call me the edgy one."

"Not my problem, I wasn't the one who angered Darkrai back there." The purple-haired girl retorted, a small smile forming on her face. "Look on the plus side, at least you haven't broken your streak of failures yet."

At this stage, Persephone was sick of it all. She was sick and tired of all her plans getting screwed up, she was sick and tired of getting the short end of the stick while her sister raked in all the luck, she was beyond sick and tired of looking like a joke when compared to the other cults. But most of all, she was sick of the smart-ass brat before her trash-talking her, her smug demeanor pushing her beyond her limits. "You know what, Natasha? Shut the fuck up! You can take all your passive-aggressive jabs and stick them up your ass!" The cult leader snapped at the teenager, shooting a vicious glare at her.

"If I remembered my pocket-sized violin, I'd play it for you. But I don't have it with me so you can go cry somewhere else. Besides, you started it by working with Jaern to steal my memories back then." Natasha retorted, raising a hand to her chin. "So who is he to you, anyway? Your brother? A workmate? Perhaps your lover? If it's the latter, I must say you could do SO much better than—"

"Just shut up already! When my Pokémon are done with you, you'll be begging for death!" Persephone hissed, taking out a Pokéball and released her Spiritomb, the collection of evil spirits glaring at Natasha, her Noibat leaping off her shoulder to confront the powerful enemy. "And what is that little runt going to accomp—"

Her taunt was soon interrupted by a mysterious glow emanating from the small Pokémon, the purple-haired girl stepping back in surprise as her Pokémon was evolving before her eyes. Within moments, the glowing subsided, revealing Delta Noivern in all its glory. Its metallic torso was covered in lush green grass that was brimming with life, its metallic wings spread far as a sharp screech escaped from its mouth. It looked just like the statues she saw back in that tower, only this one was full of life. "Noivern, you've evolved!" Natasha smiled at her companion, the cult leader rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Even if it's evolved, it's still no match for my Spiritomb. Watch!" She declared, taking out her Mega-Ring and pressed down on it, the Spiritomb glowing harshly as a multi-colored orb encased the entity. Within seconds, the orb shattered, revealing Spiritomb in its Mega-Form; it's body having grown larger. Several green orbs surrounded the vicious creature, a pair of ethereal hands emanating from its keystone. It's smile was larger than before, its ghostly purple teeth as sharp as steak knives.

Outstretching her hand, the cult leader ordered her Pokémon to attack its foe, the Forbidden Pokémon encasing its body in darkness before lunging at the Noivern, the attack landing a direct hit. However, the latter was able to withstand the powerful attack, no thanks to its durable body. Taking to the skies, the Noivern began flapping its wings quickly, conjuring up a powerful gust of wind and pushed the Spiritomb back several feet. Managing to regain its composure, the Forbidden Pokémon conjured up a series of pitch-black balls and hurled them at the Noivern, the Sonar Bat Pokémon effortlessly dodging the barrage of Shadow Balls. It proceeded to follow up by swooping towards the vicious entity, smacking it with its sharp metal wings and caused it to spin rapidly on the spot. The Spiritomb ceased spinning a few moments later, the Ghost-type staggering on the spot in dizziness and was left vulnerable to a follow up attack. Seizing this golden opportunity, the Noivern channeled its inner energy, conjuring up a large green ball and fired it at the Mega Pokémon. The attack struck the Spiritomb's face, sending the Forbidden Pokémon flying back several feet as it fell before Persephone's feet, devolving into it's normal form and was rendered unable to continue battling.

"You can't be serious…" The cult leader scoffed in annoyance, recalling her Pokémon and sent out her Houndoom, the canine snarling at its foe. The Noivern flew up into the air once more and began flapping its wings rapidly, conjuring up a second gust of wind and attempted to send the canine flying. However, the Houndoom was able to hold its ground, cocking its head back and breathed a powerful stream of fire at the Sonar Bat Pokémon. The flames were able to pierce the relentless gale and strike the Noivern, causing it to cry out in pain as it was sent hurtling towards the ground, crashing landing on the dirt path as Natasha winced at the sight. Knowing that it wasn't able to continue fighting, the purple-haired girl recalled it, quickly selecting her next Pokémon as her Delta Haxorus emerged from its ball. The Anchor Shark Pokémon looked down at its foe, almost as if the canine wasn't worth its time.

Angered by the shark's dismissal of its strength, the Houndoom lunged at the Haxorus, it's mouth locked in a snarl as it bit down on the shark's right arm. Shifting its gaze to the right, it began shaking the dog off its arm, before promptly smacking it with its thick tail, sending the canine flying back several feet. However, the Houndoom was able to land on all fours, the Dark Pokémon snorting in annoyance and spewed a stream of powerful fire at its foe. Shooting a glare at its foe, the Haxorus' body was soon cloaked in a harsh orange aura as it lunged at the canine, assaulting it with a relentless barrage of punches, bites and kicks before tossing its body towards the cult leader, her Pokémon unable to continue battling. Annoyed at this turn of events, she promptly recalled her Houndoom and sent out her Gengar, the sinister Ghost type sneering at the enraged shark. Floating in the air, it opened its maw and fired a series of Shadow Balls at the Haxorus, striking it directly and watched it stagger back a couple feet. However, this surprise attack only served to further infuriate the Anchor Shark Pokémon, the Water-type leaping into the air and slammed the Gengar down with its arm. Watching the Ghost-type fall to the ground, it then proceeded to kick and stomp on the Shadow Pokémon for a few moments, before delivering a powerful kick that sent the ghost type hurtling towards the white-haired woman, knocking her off her feet. Slowly getting back up, she saw that her Gengar was knocked out instantaneously, a scowl forming on her face.

"This isn't fair you know; especially since you can pull whatever Delta Pokémon you want out of your ass…" Persephone retorted, recalling her Gengar as she saw that the Haxorus' rampage had ended, the shark staggering on the spot from a mixture of fatigue and confusion. Seizing an opportunity for a comeback, the cult leader sent out her Alakazam, the Psychic type hovering in the air as it calmly gazed at its weary foe. Pointing directly at the Haxorus, the white-haired woman ordered her Pokémon to use Focus Blast, the Psi Pokémon, channeling its inner strength as it conjured up a large orb of brownish-orange energy. Pointing its spoons at the Anchor Shark Pokémon, the Alakazam hurled the orb of energy at its opponent, the attack landing a direct hit and sent the Water-type flying back towards Natasha's feet, unable to continue fighting. Shooting a sympathetic look at her injured companion, the purple-haired girl recalled her Pokémon, promptly selecting her third Pokémon as she sent out her Metagross, the cult leader rolling her eyes in disgust. "You know, it IS possible to use a non-Delta Pokémon for once in your life. Why don't you step down from your gilded throne and join us mortals?" She taunted sarcastically.

"And associate myself with the likes of you? No thank you, I have more self-respect than that." Natasha smirked arrogantly, pointing at the Alakazam. "Let's see if we can knock it out in one hit, okay?"

Giving her a small nod of confirmation, the Metagross scuttled towards the Alakazam at quick speeds, dodging incoming Energy Balls from the Psi Pokémon. Once it was close enough, it raised its forelegs in the air, its claws coated in a bright green aura as it slashed at the Psychic-type Pokémon, sending it flying back a few feet as it crumpled on the hard soil, unable to get back up. Sighing to herself, Persephone promptly recalled it before sending out her last Pokemon, her trusty Zoroark. The sinister fox shot a smirk at the giant spider, lowering itself on all fours and breathed a stream of fire at its opponent. The relentless blaze struck the Metagross, a low groan of pain escaping from the Tsuchigumo Pokémon as it struggled to maintain its footing. Soon enough, it was able to break free from the relentless assault, staring down the Zoroark as it leaped into the air and slammed its feet into the ground, creating a powerful tremor that caused the fox to lose its footing. With its opponent now vulnerable, the Metagross scuttled towards the Zoroark, raising its forelegs in the air once more and slashed at it. The Illusion Fox Pokemon howled in pain as it was sent flying towards Persephone, crumpling on the ground before her as Natasha was able to secure another victory.

"Of all the cultists I fought, you'd have to be the weakest of the lot…" The purple-haired girl scoffed, recalling her Metagross as the cult leader fell to her knees. "Audrey, Zenith, and even Taen were able to put up a decent fight. I guess being Jaern's obedient underling drained you of whatever talent you may've had."

"Are you satisfied yet…?" She muttered, recalling her injured Pokémon.

"What was that?" Natasha inquired.

"I SAID ARE YOU SATISFIED YET, YOU WRETCHED GIRL?!" Persephone shot back, her patience having run out. "I am sick and tired of having nothing go my way! All I've experienced throughout my life is failure after failure after failure, and when it looks like something's about to go my way for once, it blows up in my face! But you don't know what failure is like, do you? All you know is victory since you were blessed with some special power that makes Delta Pokémon flock towards you. And if that wasn't enough, you have Mew at your beck and call, granting you the ability to copy the special powers of your friend's Mythical Pokémon. I swear, I've read self-insert fanfictions that had less overpowered protagonists than you!"

"Perse, I can—" The teenager began.

"Just shut it! You don't know what it's like to have been dealt an unfair hand, you don't know what it's like to see everyone around you grow stronger while you flounder like a fish out of water. You couldn't possibly understand what it's like to be the butt of everyone's joke…" The white-haired shot back, a few tears streaming down her cheek as she began quietly sobbing to herself. Natasha was stunned at what she was seeing; deep inside the conniving cult leader was a miserable woman, who only wanted a fair go at life, but was pushed to the ground due to circumstances out of her control. A sense of pity welling up within the teenager, she crouched beside the cult leader and rested her hand on her shoulder.

"There, there. It'll get better, I promise you…" She consoled her enemy, the older woman ceasing her sobbing as she glanced up at the teenager.

"Easy for you to say, you haven't gone through half the shit I've been through." Persephone replied, wiping her tears away.

"You're right, I haven't experienced the pain of betrayal at the hands of my sibling, nor have I experienced a never-ending wave of failure. But the way I see it, there is hope for you. Put an end to the Cult of Darkrai, free yourself from being Jaern's disposable pawn, and start over from scratch. Once that happens, I'm sure your failures will start to become successes." Natasha told her, the cult leader keeping her gaze locked on her enemy.

"To be consoled by my enemy…I can't say I expected that." The white-haired woman said, getting back up on her feet. "I may need some time to think to myself; thank you, I guess."

"No problem!" The purple-haired girl smiled, getting back up on her feet. "I'm going to try and find the Augur, the PROPER Augur. After all, if you sent him into my Dream Realm like you said you did, it shouldn't be hard to find him."

"You go do that. I'll just find my own way out of here." Persephone told her, her gaze shifting downwards for a moment. "O-One more thing…though I will not deny my involvement in the Augur's disappearance back then, I will admit that Jaern went too far that day."

"Too far? What do you mean by that?" Natasha inquired.

"Your father can answer that question for you. As for me, I'll come out and say that I never, ever liked working with that man. As far as I'm concerned, Torren would be better off without that self-righteous prick!" The cult leader stated, promptly making her way back to the prairie back there to conduct her own search. Just what on earth did she mean when she said that Jaern went too far that day? What exactly does she know about her father? The only way to find out is to find the Augur and talk to him; perhaps the townsfolk know where he is.

Setting her sights for the small village, the purple-haired girl walked into the cozy little hamlet, the townsfolk directing their attention to the newcomer. What she didn't anticipate were the eager looks on the people's faces, as if they were in the presence of royalty.

"Is it her…is that Natasha?!"

"It is! That's Mew hovering right behind her!"

"Oh my god, this is so amazing! I can't believe I'm in the presence of the legendary Natasha!"

"That was Persephone she defeated, right? She's defeating cult after cult with ease!"

"She's far more competent than that idiot Jaern!"

This was near indescribable; she was being revered as if she was the savior of the world. Well with how many cults she was able to defeat, it wasn't far from the truth. Waving politely to the crowd, she opted to make a short but memorable introductory speech. "Everyone, it is I, Natasha, the owner of this Dream Realm. I thank you all for your hospitality and kind words. May your town prosper for over a thousand years!" She called out the crowd, the people applauding her speech as an elderly gentleman approached the teenager.

"Young one, I sense that you are looking for someone, or something. Is there anything I can help you with?" He inquired.

"I am looking for the First Augur of Torren. Do you know where he may be?" Natasha inquired.

"The Augur? Adam may know where he is, but you'll have to travel all the way to Erebus City to find him. Luckily for you, I have a strong Delta Pokémon that will aid you in your journey. Take good care of it, and it will defeat your enemies with ease." The old man took out a Pokéball and opened it, revealing a Delta Dodrio. Its feathers were a mixture of magenta and red that were split evenly down the middle. It's legs and neck were a translucent blue, its psychic energy charges up in the crystal orbs embedded in its heads.

"Thank you very much for your generosity, I'll take very good care of it." She thanked the old man, receiving the empty ball from him and recalled the Dodrio. Pocketing the ball, she bid everyone farewell before making her way out of town and down Cortisol Road.

0000

The trek down Cortisol Road was fairly simple, save for the sudden spike in temperature. The source of the spike were the small pools of murky lava littered beside the road, thin trails of smog emanating from the blisteringly hot pool. But despite the heat, her Pokémon were all-in top-notch condition, even the ones that had fought Persephone back in Prion Town. Natasha was busy glancing at the eerie, yet alluring sights before her, her attention soon directed to a series of ripples emanating from the largest pool of lava, a mysterious creature emerging from the depths as it gazed upon the teenager. It appeared to be a Lanturn, it's ethereal body a deep shade of purple. The most notable feature was that its face and esca were made entirely out of fire, illuminating the surrounding area.

"Fascinating…who would've thought that my mind would contain so many Delta Species?" The purple-haired girl mused to herself, an idea forming in her mind. Taking out a small bag of food, she gestured the Lanturn to approach her, the anglerfish slowly floating towards her in intrigue. Placing the food on the ground, the teenager stepped back and watched as the Ghost Light Pokémon began gingerly nibbling on the food in front of it. Once it had its fill, the Lanturn looked up at the teenager, a sense of trust emanating from the anglerfish. Taking out and empty Pokéball, Natasha placed it on the ground, the Lanturn approaching the device and tapped on it, allowing itself to enter the ball. The wiggling barely lasted a couple seconds, indicating a successful capture with the teenager picking up the ball and pocketing it. Having cleaned up the ground before her, Natasha looked to her sides one last time and resumed her journey to Erebus Town.

"Stop right there!" A familiar voice called out to her, with Natasha stopping in her tracks as she saw Malde and Damian walk up to her from behind. "…the two of us were doing so well, too. Persephone is an insufferable woman; we tried to help her, but she was too far gone to be healed. It's a shame, really. Every person we fail to convert makes our plan take longer to finish."

"Look, I know that she's far from a saint, but the poor girl got dealt a bad hand in life. I think I may've put her back on the right path." Natasha countered, the old man eyeing her up cautiously.

"I see…" Was all he said in response. "To be honest, we can't follow through with our mission while we're stuck down here. The Dream Realm…a desolate place. We're stuck here unless we somehow manage to capture Darkrai. I assume you know where this is going…?"

"I hear you; you want to deal with me in order to get out of here. Hate to burst your bubble, but if you kill me here, it's highly likely that you'll go down with me." The purple-haired girl retorted.

"It's a risky move, but it's the only option left. Damian!" Malde ordered, the young boy silently approaching Natasha. "It's such a shame…I would've loved for you to join us. Deal with her!"

Nodding silently, the white-haired boy sent out his Eevee, the small Pokémon eyeing up the purple-haired girl, who sent out her Bisharp in response. The mutated human pressed down on his Mega-Ring, the Eevee growing stronger before her eyes as it evolved into its Mega Form, a sight she was familiar with. Pawing on the ground, the Evolution Pokémon emitted a wickedly powerful bolt of lightning, the Bisharp narrowly dodging the attack. Locking eyes on the Eevee, the Bisharp leaped into the air and tackled into the opponent at blindingly quick speeds, rendering its foe unable to counterattack. It soon followed up with a series of punches and kicks, the Eevee holding its ground as it promptly spewed a stream of boiling hot water, causing the Bisharp to stagger back a few feet. Drying itself off, the Bisharp ran towards the Evolution Pokémon, leaping into the air and followed up with a jump kick that sent the Eevee flying back several feet, crumpling onto the ground as it devolved back into its normal form.

"…" Damian remained silent, recalling his Eevee and sent out his Attack Forme Deoxys, the purple-haired girl's eyes widening in surprise. Sensing her uneasiness, the Deoxys seized this opportunity, channeling its inner power to create a multi-colored orb of psychic energy. It lobbed the orb at the Bisharp, knocking it off its feet and sent it flying towards Natasha, knocked out from the powerful attack. Wincing in pain for her comrade, she recalled the Bisharp to its ball before sending out her Volcarona. If they weren't going to hold back, then neither will she. Natasha knew that Attack Forme Deoxys had incredible offensive capabilities, but paper-thin defences. If she was able to land a super-effective attack, it would be curtains for the extra-terrestrial Pokémon. Setting her plan in motion, the purple-haired girl pointed at the Deoxys, with the Volcarona diving towards it.

The Deoxys attempted to knock the moth down with its tentacles, only for the Apocalypse Pokémon to create a wormhole and slip into it at the last moment. Taken aback by this maneuver, the DNA Pokémon scanned the area for its foe, unaware of the ripple appearing right behind it. Before it could react, the Volcarona emerged from the wormhole and struck the Deoxys, sending it flying forward several feet as it crashed into the ground. Sensing that it was unable to continue battling, Damian recalled it before sending out his Shaymin, the small hedgehog quivering in fear at the sight of the all-powerful moth. Shooting a look of pity at her Mew's friend, Natasha ordered Volcarona to finish it off quickly, the Apocalypse Pokémon taking the time to build up the poison flowing within its blood. The Shaymin opened its tiny maw, the grass on its back glowing a bright green as it fired an Energy Ball at the Volcarona. Though the attack hit its mark, the moth was able to shrug it off like water off a Ducklett's back. the Volcarona had finished charging up its attack, firing a relentless barrage of sludge at the Shaymin, sending it flying towards Damian's feet as it was knocked out in a single hit.

"So this is how it'll go…" Malde said to himself, as Damian recalled his Pokémon. "If only you had joined us, you would've been a key player in our mission. Guess we'll have to find another way out. Still, if we can't get out of here, we could always help the people of this desolate place. Fall back, Damian!"

Damian didn't obey his order at first, secretly handing over his Crystal Piece to Natasha, the purple-haired girl pocketing it discreetly. After some further prompting from Malde, the young boy quickly joined his side once more, the duo walking down Cortisol Road as Natasha watched them leave.

"Damian…" Natasha muttered sadly, feeling the Crystal Piece in her pocket. She knew that deep within his heart, Damian wanted to go back to normal, to be freed from Malde's influence over him. She will save him, no matter how long it takes. With her resolve empowered, the teenager gestured her Volcarona to follow her, only for the moth to cease moving, its gaze fixated on what appeared to be a pitch-black rock. Approaching it slowly, it tapped on its side with its wings, only to fly back quickly as the "rock" began quivering on the spot. It revealed itself to be a Cofagrigus, a set of four fluorescent green arms emerging from its body as it grinned at the duo. It's sarcophagus was a steel barrel design to safely store nuclear waste inside, topped off with warning labels and such. However, the top of its head resembled the head of an aerosol can, sending mixed messages to the teenager. Based on how its limbs were glowing, she assumed that it was made of a material similar to nuclear waste, but nowhere near as dangerous.

"Now this is a surprise…" The purple-haired girl commented, her gaze fixed on the Cofagrigus. "Were you watching us the whole time?"

"Grrriiiiiiiiigussssss~" The Nuclear Pokémon moaned; a grin still fixed on its face.

"Do you want to join us? We'll be more than happy to have you join us!" She offered, taking out an empty Pokéball and placed it on the ground before the Poison-type. Slowly walking up to it, it eyed the device in curiosity, pressing the button on the device as it promptly entered the ball. The device shook for a few seconds before grinding to a halt, indicating a successful capture. Picking up the ball, she promptly pocketed it before eyeing up a small town in the distance. "Come, let's make our way to town and have a rest. I say we've earned it after what we've been through so far."

Giving her a quick nod, the Volcarona followed its trainer to the town off in the distance, the teenager unaware of the major revelation that will soon dawn upon her.

That's the first half of the Dream Realm arc done and dusted, with a quick smoking of both Persephone and Damian. I do apologise if the former seems a little out of character, but think about it, the poor woman had been dealt an awful hand in life. It seems likely that she would eventually have a meltdown and unleash all her pent-up frustration at the nearest person. Anyway, the next chapter will feature a Gym Battle and answer some major questions. 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. Noivern

D. Liepard

D. Avalugg

D. Shuckle

D. Typhlosion

D. Trevenant

D. Mismagius

D. Girafarig

D. Arcanine

D. Dodrio

D. Lanturn

D. Cofagrigus