With the first half of the Dream Realm done and dusted, it's time to cover the second half, where Natasha finally has some long-awaited answers to the questions plaguing her mind. Oh, there will also be a Gym Battle to sweeten things up. With that said, let's start the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
The Dream Realm: Cerebrum Town
Arriving at the small town, Natasha made her way to the small Pokémon Center in the town square, hoping to take a quick break after all she's been through so far. But it wasn't just her that needed it; her Pokémon were tired from the back-to-back battles between Persephone and Damian. Entering the small building, the purple-haired girl noticed that it didn't have all the luxuries that the Torren Pokémon Center's had; perhaps it had just been built recently. Regardless, it still had all the necessary healing equipment, so it would suffice for now. Approaching the nurse at the front counter, she handed over her Pokémon to the nurse, the young woman giving her a quick bow as the teenager took a seat in the lobby. Waiting quietly on the couch, the purple-haired girl directed her attention to a pair of trainers having a casual chat with one another.
"Have you heard? Adam has a teenage daughter!" The young boy called out, catching the old man beside him by surprise.
"Does he? I've been here since the town was first founded, and this is the first time I've heard about it." The old man inquired, a hint of curiosity on his wrinkled face.
"Uh-Huh. I've heard that she's a very talented trainer and had luscious purple hair. She sounds amazing…" The young boy sighed dreamily, a faint blush forming on his cheeks as Natasha was soon struck by a sudden headache. She couldn't explain where it came from, but it had to do with what those two were talking about. Could it be a stolen memory trying to worm its way back into her mind? Was this a side-effect of roaming around in her Dream Realm for too long? Whatever the case, she needed to see this Adam as soon as possible. A few minutes later, the nurse called out to Natasha, the teenage girl approaching the desk as she received her Pokémon from the former. Giving her a nod of gratitude, she made her way out the building and made her way to the north, where she soon laid eyes on the REM Ocean.
The REM Ocean was a mile long stretch of water, littered with a few small islands in-between both beaches. Serving as the final obstacle to Erebus City, Natasha brought out her Inflatable Lapras and placed it on the water, hopping onto it and began sailing towards her destination. She wanted to get this part over and done with quickly, lest she get attacked by the unknown creatures lurking within the depths. Still, that doesn't mean she couldn't enjoy the peaceful sights, her eyes shifting from island to island as she passed them by. The islands had some trainers on them, engaging each other in short but intense battles. Assuming that they can handle themselves, the purple-haired girl continued her journey through the ocean, arriving at the other side five minutes later. Hopping off her Inflatable Lapras, she stored it back into her bag before making her way down the path, only to be accosted by a young man.
"Hey there, are you Natasha, by any chance?" He inquired.
"Yes, that's me. Why'd you ask?" The teenage girl inquired back, a look of curiosity on her face.
"I was asked to deliver a message to you. The Gym Leader, Adam wishes to see you, saying that once you see him, you'll finally recognize who he is." The man informed her. "The Gym is in the northernmost part of town."
"Thank you very much, I'll make my way there right now." Natasha thanked him, making her way down the dirt path as she soon stepped into Erebus City. Though it wasn't as big as some of the cities in the Torren Region, it was the largest settlement within the Dream Realm. The houses were fairly large, and there was even a small shopping district to the east. But her main destination was the large building at the back with the orange roof; the Erebus City Gym. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha entered the large building, awaiting the moment when all her questions will finally be answered.
Upon entering the Gym, the very first thing she saw was a middle-aged man in the lobby, leaning up against the wall. He had short purple hair, the exact same shade as hers, with a matching beard and moustache as well as dark brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a pitch-black three-piece suit, with tails hanging off the coat. She flinched slightly at the sight; she had seen this man before, but where? "Well, well, well. Look who it is. You look different, Natasha." The man began, directing his attention to her.
"H-How do you know my name?!" She stepped back, catching the man by surprise. "A-Are you Adam? What did you want with me?"
"Yes, I am Adam. As you may have suspected, I am the First Augur." He introduced himself, a look of…sadness in his eyes? What could he possibly be sad about? "How could you have forgotten about me? Surely, you know who I am, Natasha."
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are…" She apologized, her gaze shifting towards the ground as an idea formed in Adam's mind. Making his way to the teenage girl, he took her crown off and rested his hand on her head, causing Natasha to recoil in shock as she was soon bombarded with a series of long forgotten memories, memories that held the truth as to what really happened that fateful day.
One year ago
The moon shone over Gaea Town, heralding the arrival of another starry night. The townsfolk had all retired to their homes for the night, blissfully unaware that a great tragedy would befall the town tonight. Making her way back home from the nearby route, Natasha carried a basket full of vegetation for her mother's research into Delta Pokémon, the middle-aged woman on the cusp of making a breakthrough. The purple-haired girl arrived at the front door and stepped inside, unaware that the house was being watched by a pair of shadowy figures.
"I'm home, Mother! I got the plants you were looking for." Natasha called out, making her way to the dining room where she saw her mother, Luisa hands-deep inside her research. She had long, flowing purple hair and deep blue eyes, just like her daughter. Her outfit was that of a well-esteemed scientist, down to the lab coat, button-up shirt and pencil skirt that reached just above her knees. Additionally, she wore a set of reading glasses over her eyes.
"Thank you very much, darling. Just put the basket on the table." Luisa replied, her daughter doing as she was told before taking a seat beside her. "I'm so close to solving the population crisis among Delta Species, and these plants will be the key to doing so?"
"Hmmm? What have you figured out?" The teenager inquired, genuine curiosity on her face.
"As I told you before, Delta Pokémon are unable to breed with their regular counterparts. This coupled with their low fertility rates and high value on the black market means that they run the risk of becoming extinct if we don't do anything about it. Those plants I asked you to gather are special herbs that increases a Pokemon's fertility and sex drive considerably. If we can feed them to some Delta Pokémon and have them mate with a compatible Pokémon, we could save them from extinction. The only problem is that asides from a member of the same species, the only compatible Pokémon would be a Delta Ditto, and those are rare, even among Delta Pokémon." The middle-aged woman explained. "I plan on showing my research to my cousin, Professor Sylvan later this week; perhaps she could help me locate a Delta Ditto or two."
"So where will the breeding take place? As lovely as they day-care in Metchi Town is, I doubt they'll be able to keep the experiment a secret." Natasha replied, but the look on Luisa's face indicated that she already found a way around that problem.
"There's a far away region known as the Holon Region, said to be the birthplace of Delta Pokémon. I've recently set up a few settlements around the place to keep the Pokémon safe from poachers, as well as conduct further research into them. I also had to pull a few strings to keep Professor Maple away from the region; he's always been too power hungry for my liking." She continued, an idea forming in her mind. "Perhaps I should take you along as well. It would be a good way to see if you really have the Delta Call."
"The Delta Call? What is that mot—" She began, only for the door to open as a familiar figure entered the house. "Father!"
"Sorry I'm late, darling. That last battle took longer than expected." Adam apologized, embracing Natasha from behind and kissed her on the head. "How has your day been?"
"Good, thank you very much. Mom was just telling me about her latest breakthrough; it could bring back Delta Pokémon from the verge of extinction." She explained.
"That's excellent news!" The middle-aged man cheered, making his way to Luisa and kissed her on the cheek. "Once the population's high enough, I might add a Delta Pokémon or two to my team. It'll make battles more exciting, that's for sure."
"I'm sure the other Gym Leaders will follow suit, but there's more pressing matters at hand, such as those wicked cults plaguing the region." Luisa chimed in.
"That reminds me; my assistant Jaern has informed me about a cult located within Shade Forest. To think that they're a stone's throw from Tenlor Town is sickening; who knows how many young trainers they've preyed on." Adam stated, a determined look in his eyes. "Hoopa and I will put an end to their cult, just like all the others."
"If you need some help from Meloetta, I'm more than happy to let you borrow her for—" The purple-haired woman began, only for the door to open abruptly as two figures enter the house, one of whom the family recognized. "J-Jaern? Is there something we can help you with tonight?"
"A-Ah, Luisa. So good to see you again. And is that Natasha I see? My, how she has grown after all these years!" The blonde man replied cheerily, though it didn't sit right with Natasha for some reason. For some reason, she found his demeanor suspicious, but she couldn't put a finger on it. And who was that woman beside him? A fellow trainer or something? Still, he was a friend of the family, so there must be a reasonable explanation for it. "I-It's good that you're here Adam, I have an urgent message for you. The Sky Cult has formed an alliance with the Cult of Darkrai!"
"The Cult of Darkrai? That can't be right; weren't they defeated by the Infernal Cult a long time ago?" Adam replied, surprised by what he just heard.
"I-I know; I was just as surprised as you are when I heard the news. Who would've thought that the cults would put their differences aside to deal with you?" Jaern continued, making his way to Natasha, the purple-haired girl standing up in response.
"H-How did you find that out, Mr. Jaern?" She inquired, a light chuckle escaping from the man's mouth.
"Let's just say that I organized it myself…" He smirked, keeping his eyes on her.
"W-What do you—" The purple-haired man began, only to get caught off-guard as the woman ran behind him, holding his hands behind his back. "W-What's going on here?!"
"I'll cut to the chase; we're here for you, Adam." The woman stated bluntly, removing her hood and revealed her face to the trio.
"P-Persephone?! Aren't you Diana's sister? I thought you were declared missing three years ago." He exclaimed.
"Don't you dare bring her name up!" She snapped, striking Adam's face with a swift slap. "Jaern, we got what we came here for. Let's just go already."
"Not everything, my dear…" The blonde man replied, wrapping his arm around Natasha before bringing out a knife, pointing it at the teenager. "You're coming with me; I need your Delta Call for my ambitions to be fulfilled."
"H-How could you do this to us, after everything we've done for you…" Luisa exclaimed, taken aback by what she's witnessing.
"Simple, your husband's doing a really crummy job of dealing with the cults. I should be the one in charge of Torren; I'll deal with those cults the proper way. And in order to do so, I need an army of Delta Pokémon by my side. All this time, I acted as your friend, aiding you in taking out my competition, all for the sake of getting closer to your daughter. I want her power, and I will get it by any means necessary." Jaern explained, a twisted smirk on his face.
"Forget about the girl; we've got the Augur, let's go already!" Persephone called out, struggling to keep Adam within her grasp.
"So this was your endgame? Befriending us so that you could stab us in the back in the pursuit of power? The moment I break free, I'll make sure that you two will spend a very, very long time behind bars." The purple-haired man narrowed his eyes, his anger directed at the traitor.
"IF you break out, that is; I've formed a very effective plan to wipe you out from existence. Once I've done that, I'll extract your daughters' power from her and claim it for myself. It'll most likely kill her, but as they saying goes, you can't make an omelette without—" The blonde man continued, only to get tackled to the ground. "Y-You!"
"It'll be a cold day in hell before I let you touch my daughter!" Luisa hissed at the traitor, pinning him to the ground and attempted to disarm him. They struggled for a few moments before Jaern was able to overpower her, plunging the knife into her chest and pierced her heart. Her eyes widened in pain, unable to make even the faintest of sounds as she slumped onto the ground, the last traces of life leaving her body.
"MOTHER!" Natasha cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she glared at Jaern. "I'll kill you, you bastard!"
"In your dreams!" He retorted, delivering a swift punch to her stomach before holding her in a firm bearhug. "What are you waiting for, let's ditch this joint."
"What the hell Jaern?! This wasn't part of the plan!" Persephone chewed him out, horrified at what she just saw. Adam was in a state of shock, too numb to even consider breaking free from her grasp.
"It was a part of MY plan, and you better follow it to the letter!" The blonde man shot back at her.
"W-When we're done with our agreement, I'm definitely going my own way." The white-haired woman declared, only for Jaern to chuckle back at her.
"No, you won't. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as guilty as I am. If you even think about reporting this to the police, I'll simply pin the crime on you; I have all the right connections after all." Jaern retorted, snatching Luisa's research papers and stuffed them in his pocket. After all, he was the only one worthy of wielding Delta Pokémon. "Now let's go already! I want to become Augur as soon as possible."
"…as you wish, Augur." Persephone replied, a small hint of venom in her tone. Not that it mattered, he was going to kill her once she had outlived her usefulness. After all, she was a witness to the crime, and he didn't want her telling anyone about it. Making their way out the house with their prisoners in tow, the blonde man began musing over his first speech to the people of Torren. After all, what's a future leader without an ascension speech?
End of flashback
Natasha was left speechless at what she just recalled; who her mother was and what happened to her, why Persephone deemed Jaern to have gone too far and most importantly, the identity of her father, the First Augur. "F-Father…" She began, a look of relief on the man's face.
"You finally remembered…" He began, the purple-haired girl embracing him as she began sobbing quietly. "Please don't cry darling, it's going to be okay."
"H-How will things be okay?! I-I completely forgot about you and mother, even when she gave her life to save me. W-Why did this have to happen…?" She cried, the First Augur holding onto her firmly.
"We'll be okay, I promise you. Everything's going to be alright…" Adam attempted to soothe her, and it worked somewhat. "Once we get out of here, we'll find a way to make Jaern pay."
"That wicked despot has plagued the region for too long. I will make him pay for tearing our family apart!" Natasha pledged, clenching her fist tightly. "Unfortunately, we're stuck down here with no way out."
"There is one way out, but it requires a certain companion to be by your side. I assume you know who I'm talking about?" The purple-haired man inquired, a quiet chirp echoing throughout the gym as Mew appeared before them. "Excellent, seems that everything is in place! I have some of Hoopa's skin flakes here; Mew should be able to use them in order to use Hyperspace Hole."
Handing the skin flakes to Mew, the Psychic type absorbed them into its body, granting it the ability to use Hoopa's Hyperspace Hole. "So how did things turn out the way they did, Dad?" The purple-haired girl inquired.
"It all started years ago; I was blessed with a series of fortunate events, I was chosen by Hoopa to save the region from the cults, I was able to become a Gym Leader of the Torren Region, and of course, I met your mother. Victory after victory against the cults caused me to grow arrogant, deluding myself into thinking I couldn't be defeated. It all came to a head one day when I saw Cynthia of the Sinnoh region entering a cave in Amphitrite City. Curious, I followed her inside, only to come across some of the world's strongest trainers, talking to one another in secret. However, they soon discovered me and demanded I explain why I eavesdropped on them. Terrified, I struggled to form coherent sentences, only for Hoopa to appear by my side, putting the trainers at ease." Adam began recalling his side of the story.
"That does line up with what that king fellow said; Mythical Pokémon don't side with those who are evil at heart." Natasha chimed in.
"So you've met them on your journey?" He replied, his daughter nodding in response. "That saves me a few minutes…A-Anyway, I overheard them talking about a crystal of sorts, and the immense power it contained. I asked if I could borrow it, hoping that it's power would crush the cults once and for all. Though a little weary about it, they were convinced by my determination and handed it over. A few days later, I met Jaern during my quest, and took him in as my assistant. Had I have known about his cowardly plan, I would've ignored his request to join me."
"Jaern must've been eavesdropping as well, hence why he didn't want to fight you. He knew he was too weak to take you on in a battle, even without the crystal." The purple-haired girl commented.
"Neither of them could kill me, on account of the crystal, so Persephone had Darkrai seal me away within your dreams, before having her Gengar use Dream Eater on you. If Mew had arrived just a few minutes later…I shudder to think what would've happened." Adam replied, shuddering at the thought. "It was fortunate that I was still able to communicate with Hoopa and have it send Mew to help you out."
"So that's why I was her prisoner; she wanted to dispose of you for good." Natasha said, having another one of her questions answered.
"I've been watching your quest from the very beginning; you've done a much better job than I have, defeating Audrey and Zenith. You even showed mercy to Persephone, even though she was Jaern's sidekick. You're the hero of this story, not me…" The purple-haired man began, a warm smile on his face. "it's up to you to reunite the crystal, return it to its guardians and defeat the Giratina cult, even though I'm sure they're not a cult."
"There's also the matter of dealing with Jaern, bringing that creep to justice." Natasha added, an idea forming in her mind. "You're the Gym Leader, right? Do you mind having a battle with me, so I can win your badge?"
"I've been wanting to hear those words from you for a long time, Natasha. I'll be more than honored to battle you; just don't expect me to go easy on you." Adam smirked, eager for a battle.
"I was hoping you wouldn't hold back; I'll show you just how much I've grown throughout my journey!" The purple-haired girl declared, sending out her Scizor with Adam sending out a Greninja in response. Having just remembered that her father specialized in Dark-types, she figured that the best plan of attack was to be hyper offensive. Pointing at the Greninja, Natasha ordered her Scizor to use Hone Claws, The Frozen Claw Pokémon sharpening its pincers to boost is attack. But the Greninja decided to play sneaky, conjuring a handful of purple spikes and scattered them on the ground near Natasha's feet. It proceeded to repeat the process once more, the floor now covered with a mat of Toxic Spikes. Having completed its trap, it made it's way back to Adam's side and taunted the Scizor, infuriating the Ice-type.
Letting out a cry of rage, the Scizor charged at the frog, treading over a few spikes as the poisonous fluid entered its body. Once it was within arm's length, it began bombarding the frog with a vicious barrage of punches and kicks, sending it flying towards the wall and was knocked out on impact. Though it had won the battle, the damage was already done; she needed to find a way to deal with those Toxic Spikes as soon as possible.
Recalling his Greninja, Adam proceeded to send out his Tyranitar, the large dinosaur uttering a loud roar and shot a glare at the Scizor. Not wanting to lose momentum, the Frozen Claw Pokémon lunged at the Tyranitar and delivered a swift punch to its torso, but the latter's high defense enabled it to endure the hit. Staggering back a couple feet, the Armor Pokémon snorted before a harsh orange aura enveloped its body. Moments later, it crashed into the Scizor, sending it flying back several feet as it crashed into the ground. But despite the super-effective attack, the Frozen Claw Pokémon was able to get back up, though it was a struggle to do so. Opting to put it all in this last attack, it dove towards the Tyranitar, sweeping it off its feet with a Low Kick before delivering a Cross Chop on its torso, pushing it into the ground and created a thin blanket of smoke and dust. When the smoke subsided, it showed that Tyranitar was unable to continue battling, with Scizor falling onto the ground as well, making things end in a draw.
'So this is what it's like to fight against someone with the Delta Call' Adam mused to himself, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon. Within seconds, they sent out their next companions, the Gym Leader choosing his Drapion while Natasha chose her Hydreigon. The sight of the three-headed cobra intrigued the man; he never knew a Delta Hydreigon existed. And from the way it absorbed the Toxic Spikes into its system, he determined it to be a Poison-type. Eager to see just how powerful it is, he ordered his Drapion to use Earthquake.
The Drapion slammed its thick tail into the ground, creating a powerful tremor that knocked the Hydreigon off its feet, but only for a little while. Eyeing up its foe cautiously, the Tyrant Cobra Pokémon reared it's heads back and breathed three streams of fire at the scorpion, catching it by surprise as it was pushed back a couple feet. Its tough carapace was able to withstand the fire, the Drapion breaking free from the attack and scuttled towards the Hydreigon. It's tail now coated in water, the scorpion swung it towards the cobra, landing a direct hit as its head recoiled from the impact. Angered by the cheap shot, the Hydreigon slammed its head into the opponent's face, before slithering back and channeled its inner power. The ground began quivering beneath its feet, a series of cracks appearing beneath the Drapion's feet. Suddenly, a large explosion from the cracks sent the scorpion flying into the air, crashing into the ceiling as it soon fell to the ground. The impact had knocked the Drapion out instantly, putting Adam at a disadvantage.
Recalling his injured Pokémon, the purple-haired man gazed at the Hydreigon, a cunning plan forming in his mind. Reaching for his next Pokéball, he threw it to the ground, sending out his Spiritomb. Upon its arrival, the room grew dark all of a sudden, the Forbidden Pokémon chuckled ominously, a new power coursing through its body. Natasha was taken by surprise; his Dark-type moves will become stronger thanks to the New Moon. Regardless, she was still confident that she'll win this battle. However, Adam began to put his plan into motion, his Spiritomb conjuring some balls of ghostly fire and flung them at the Hydreigon.
The ghostly fire struck the cobra, leaving it was several painful burns on its body as it hissed in pain. The Forbidden Pokémon followed up by using Hex, conjuring a few spirits from its body and sent the shades at the Hydreigon. The shades focused their assaults on the cobras' burns, inflicting additional pain to the Delta Pokémon. Shooting a glare at the Spiritomb, it conjured up a large wave of dark purple sludge and swamped the arena, causing the shades to dissipate. The sludge struck the Spiritomb, the amalgamation of entities shivering on the spot as it was poisoned from the attack. Sensing an opportunity to finish things off, The Tyrant Cobra Pokémon spewed a viscous green liquid on the Spiritomb, the liquid seeping into its body and mixed with the poison as an electrifyingly sharp pain coursed through its body. The Spiritomb was only able to endure it for a few moments before collapsing onto the ground, unable to continue battling.
"Seems that I've grown a little rusty…" Adam commented to himself, recalling his Pokémon before sending out his Bisharp. Though it was weak to Hydreigon's Ground-type moves, he had the perfect insurance policy for it. The Tyrant Cobra Pokémon reared its heads back, ready to use another Flamethrower, but that was exactly what Bisharp had hoped for. The Sword Blade Pokémon lunged at its foe, delivering a swift but powerful Sucker Punch that smacked the cobra into the ground, the serpent unable to continue battling. A small smirk of satisfaction on its face, the Bisharp leaped back to its side of the field, awaiting its next victim.
"This could be a problem…" Natasha muttered to herself, recalling her Hydreigon as she gazed cautiously at the knight. One wrong move could put her in a very sticky situation, so she had to think things carefully. An idea suddenly formed in her mind, a plan that could catch her father by surprise. It was a risky gambit, but it could be very profitable if it goes according to plan. Reaching for her third Pokéball, the purple-haired girl sent out her Lanturn, her father raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Sure, it may be weak to its Dark-type attacks, but she could easily exploit its weakness to Fire-type attacks. But she wanted to cripple it before it could deal too much damage, and she had the right move for the job. "Use Will-O-Wisp!"
Conjuring a series of ghostly fires within its belly, the anglerfish spewed them at the Bisharp, the attack inflicting several burns on its body. Annoyed at its foe for crippling it, the Sword Blade Pokémon cloaked its blades in eerie shadows before slashing at the ghost, causing it to spin in the air for a few moments. Quickly regaining its composure, the Lanturn's esca were burning brightly in the darkness, drastically increasing its special attack. Sensing an incoming attack, the Bisharp lunged at the anglerfish and attempted to slash it once more. But it dodged at the last second, retaliating with a boosted Flamethrower that sent the knight flying into the wall, crashing into it before sliding down to the ground. It was unable to continue, leaving Adam with one Pokémon left.
"Very good, Natasha. You've grown a lot during your journey." Adam complimented her, recalling his Bisharp before reaching for his last Pokéball. "But now it's time for your final test, a reunion with an old friend of yours. Hydreigon, I choose you!"
The purple-haired man sent his ace Pokémon out, the Brutal Pokémon uttering a deep roar before gazing at Natasha, a look of joy in its eyes. "It's so good to see you again, Hydreigon!" The purple-haired girl smiled at the hydra, some more memories returning to her. She used to get a thrill out of watching Hydreigon defeat trainer after trainer, but now it was her turn to face it in battle.
"Now that we've all been reunited, why don't I show you my trump card?" The purple-haired man called out, taking his Mega Ring and pressed down on the Keystone. The Hydreigon was soon enveloped in a wondrous orb of light, causing the darkness to dissipate as Natasha watched in curiosity. The orb soon shattered, revealing Hydreigon in its new form, the purple-haired girl taken by surprise. It was now a quadrupedal creature, its body a lot bulkier than before. But the most surprising part was that it now had five heads instead of three, all of them fixed on the Lanturn. Intimidated by the sight, the anglerfish attacked recklessly out of fear, attacking the Hydreigon with a powerful Shadow Ball. The attack struck the hydra in its main head, but it was able to withstand the attack with ease. Opting not to hold back anymore, the Brutal Pokémon, uttered another roar, four more heads growing from its back as it prepared a devastating assault. All nine heads began collecting pitch-black energy in their mouths, ready to fire off a barrage of Dark Pulses. One by one, the lesser heads launched their attacks at their opponent, the Lanturn flinching with each strike as it teetered aimlessly in the air. Finally, the main head fired its Dark Pulse at the anglerfish, knocking it out of the air and onto the floor.
"O-Oh my…" Was all Natasha could say, taken aback by Hydreigon's new power. Recalling her injured Pokémon, she sent out her Chandelure, the chandelier chirping happily in response. She knew that a strong Moonblast would knock it out quickly, so she opted to go on the offense. The teenager asked her Pokémon to use Moonblast, the Chandelure chirping in response as it gathered lunar energy. Once it had enough, it fired the attack at its foe, but the Hydreigon was prepared. Charging up a series of Flash Cannons in its mouths, the Brutal Pokémon fired the orbs at the incoming attack, the silver balls of light intercepting the Moonblast and caused it to explode mid-air. With the Chandelure now vulnerable, the Hydreigon charged up more Flash Cannons and fired them at its foe. The assault was like that of an artillery barrage, the chandelier bombarded with multiple orbs of energy as it fell to the ground. An idea forming in its mind, it got back in the air and began glowing, a sudden blanket of smoke permeating the area.
The Hydreigon ceased its attack, waiting patiently for the smoke to dissipate in order to get a clear visual on its target. It soon got its wish, the Brutal Pokémon locking eyes on its foe as it opted to go for Flash Cannon once again. The attack fully charged up, the hydra spewed the relentless barrage at its foe and landed a direct hit, only for the Chandelure to fade into nothing. Taken aback by the substitute, it began looking around the room for its foe, unaware that it was right behind it. The chandelier had finished charging up its Moonblast, aiming its attack at the hydra's back before launching it at quick speeds. The Hydreigon didn't have time to react before it was sent flying into the ground, the Brutal Pokémon promptly devolving as it was unable to continue fighting, earning Natasha her final gym badge.
"To witness my own daughter surpass me…I've been awaiting this day for so long." Adam smiled, recalling his Hydreigon as he walked up to his daughter. "Here, the Tartarus Badge. With this, you can now challenge the Elite 4."
"Thanks dad." Natasha smiled, accepting the badge from her father. It was a pitch-black badge with a small diamond in the middle, symbolizing the light shining through the darkness. "We did it Chandelure, we completed the Torren League challenge!"
"Chan~" The chandelier chirped happily, a light chuckle escaping from her father's mouth.
"Not quite, darling. There's still the Elite 4 and the Champion to deal with. I'd tell you who the Champion is, but nobody knows who he is, not even the Elite 4 themselves." Her father reminded her, his gaze shifting elsewhere. "There's a small cave behind the gym with an insignia on the wall. You can use Hyperspace Hole to open up a portal, enabling you to leave this place."
"A-Aren't you coming with me…?" The purple-haired girl inquired, only for Adam to shake his head in response.
"As much as I want to enter the real world once more, I'm afraid we don't have the time for such things. You need to find the Giratina cult and deal with them as soon as possible. I promise you, I'll figure out a way for people to come and go from the Dream Realm as soon as possible, that way we can see each other as often as we like." He replied, ending things off with a promise that sparked new hope within the teenager. If what he was saying is true, then they'll finally be able to live a normal life once this is all over.
"Alright dad, I'll pick up from where you left off. I'll deal with the Giratina cult, and Jaern. They will pay for inflicting misery upon the people of Torren!" Natasha pledged, embracing her father one last time before exiting the gym. These next few days will determine the fate of not only Torren, but all of existence as she knew it.
And with that, the Dream Realm arc has been concluded. I do apologize if I got a few things wrong with Luisa, but there was so little information I was able to find about her, that I had to make a few things up on the spot (In fact, her name was the only thing I knew about her). The flashback may be a little bit controversial, but I figured it would explain how Jaern and Persephone were able to defeat Adam the first time around. Anyway, the upload schedule is back to normal, so I should be able to upload the next chapter within a week or so. 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
