Now that Natasha has acquired all 8 Gym Badges, she is able to take on the Torren Pokémon League, something which hasn't been attempted in ages. But before she can do so, she's got some unfinished business left to deal with.

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

Samsara Cave

Having followed her father's instructions, Natasha stumbled into the dimly lit cave, clutching her head as it ached lightly. Now that she was out of her Dream Realm, she could fulfil her promise and deal with the Giratina cult once and for all, finishing what her father could not. Naturally, she was bound to come across the so-called hero Jaern in her battle against the puppet masters of the Cult Wars, giving her an excellent opportunity to deal with him as well. She took her first steps out of the cave and into the sunlight, enjoying the warm rays of the sun shining on her body. It's been a while since she'd last seen sunlight, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it. However, the peace was soon shattered by the sound of her CyberNav ringing, the purple-haired girl answering it quickly.

"H-Hey…Natasha. I was on my way to Gaea Town like we talked about, when I ran into something. Jaern's here in Amphitrite City, and he's battling a Giratina cultist; I've never heard of a cult worshipping Giratina before. P-Please come quickly, I don't know what's going to happen!" Nora informed her before hanging up, traces of nervousness brimming within her tone. Though she couldn't care less about Jaern, Natasha didn't want anything to happen to Nora. Slowly climbing on Volcarona's back, the teenage girl asked it to make a beeline to Amphitrite City, the large moth flapping its wings and took to the skies.

0000

Upon arriving at their destination, the purple-haired girl hooped off her Pokémon's back, thanking it before recalling it to its ball. Noticing a large crowd standing before the large lake to the south, she made her way towards it, a film crew recording the entire incident before them.

"We're live in Amphitrite City, where the most noble Augur Jaern is facing off against a mysterious cultist who claims to worship Giratina. But in a series of events most surprising, the Augur is in serious trouble!" The reporter spoke to the crowd, with Natasha turning her attention to the battle. True to her words, Jaern was struggling against the cultist, several cuts and bruises scattered all-over Rayquaza's body. In a sharp contrast, the cultist's Garchomp wasn't injured at all.

"T-This can't be! You can't defeat Rayquaza with just an ordinary Pokémon!" Jaern hissed at the cultist.

"Use Dragon Rush!" The cultist ignored Jaern's comment, the land shark lunging at the legendary Pokémon and slammed into it, knocking it to the ground. "This world has some very strong Pokémon; Garchomp in particular is fantastic."

"T-This isn't possible! You cheated somehow!" The blonde man shot back, only for the cultist to chuckle in contempt.

"You were always a hinderance, Jaern. You were never meant to be the hero of this story. We've been planning this since the dawn of time, so we had expected someone to oppose us. Your acquirement of the crystal the Augur used was admittedly unexpected, especially when you shattered it." The Giratina cultist began, remaining calm and collected.

"I-I didn't shatter the crystal. It was those br—" The Augur began.

"Those children? The same ones you tried to kill because they discovered that you were the head of the Sky Cult?" The cultist interrupted him, a series of gasps escaping from the people's mouths. Natasha however, was enjoying the murderer squirm before the crowd, his public image disintegrating by the second. "But your meddling hasn't changed anything; Natasha has two of the pieces and you have the last one, or should I say, had the last one."

Upon saying that, the cultist approached the blonde man, snatching his piece away without resistance. "For a defender of Torren, you were a miserable failure. Natasha was able to do all that you failed to do, all while you wallowed in self-indulgent hedonism. The crystal is nearly reunited once more. Soon, the final battle will commence." The cultist began.

"Don't worry; I won't be a pushover like the so-called Augur." Natasha spoke out, the crowd muttering to themselves in shock as the cultist turned to face her.

"So good to see you, Natasha. I can feel the power emanating from the shards you hold. The crystal can only be passed from one being to another if it is earned. We'll need you to follow me back to where you reunited with Mew. You might want to be quick about it; we have your friend Nora, as our esteemed guest." The cultist informed her, the purple-haired girl shooting him a vicious glare.

"You better not lay a finger on her, or else I'll end your life!" She snapped, moments from slamming the cultist's masked face into the ground.

"Do not worry, she is unharmed. Think of her as your supporter in the final battle…" The cultist reassured her, the masked figure making his way to the cave, leaving a flustered Jaern. Directing his attention at Natasha, he was about to give her a piece of his mind when a familiar voice came from the crowd.

"H-How could you…?" A hiker spoke, the blonde man recognizing him as the one he "saved" from the Sky Cult back in Koril Desert. "I saw you as my hero, yet you were the one leading those brutes who nearly killed my family. I…I can't bear to look at you anymore…"

"W-Wait!" Jaern began, only to see the hiker turn away, covering his face as he wept quietly. Noticing the camera, he pointed a finger at the film crew. "D-Delete that footage, this instant!"

"Not a chance, you phony! We trusted you to save us from the cults, yet you were one of them to begin with! You're a disgrace to the Torren region!" The cameraman shot back.

"The First Augur was a better man than you'll ever be!" Someone else shouted.

"Let's lock this cultist scum in jail!" A third person demanded, the crowd shouting at him in fury.

"Th-This is all a big mistake! I-I'm not a cultist!" The blonde man babbled, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Not only are you a sham, but you're also a murderer…" A voice called out to him, the cult leader turning his head and saw Natasha smirk at him. "Does the name Luisa ring any bells?"

Jaern froze on the spot; she remembered that night. She remembered the one thing he wanted her to forget. That worthless Persephone; when he gets his hands on her, he'll—

"Luisa? You mean that young scientist researching Delta Pokémon? He's the one that murdered her?" Someone inquired.

"Wasn't she the First Augur's wife? Does that mean Jaern had something to do with his disappearance?" A young woman called out.

"Didn't they have a daughter as well? Who knows what horrors he inflicted upon her." A third person chimed in, the crowd's furor intensifying.

"I say we beat the answer out of him, make him suffer for his deception!" A middle-aged man suggested, the crowd cheering as they were eager for retribution.

"Y-You need me. I'm the only one who can stop those Giratina freaks!" Jaern retorted.

"Ridiculous! You got defeated by a mere grunt. What chance do you have against their leader?" Natasha shot back, slowly approaching the blonde man. "I defeated the Abyssal Cult, The Infernal Cult, and the Cult of Darkrai. Not to mention the fact that I defeated you back at Jade Tower. You have no chance of victory!"

"Grrrr! I'll show you, Rayquaza, come with—" The blonde man began, only for the large dragon to roar at him in anger, shooting him a vicious glare. Picking itself up off the ground, it flew up into the air, leaving Jaern's side for good. Realizing that he was out of options, Jaern shot the crowd a hateful glare before fleeing towards the cave.

"First it was Zachery the Librarian, and now the Augur? What's next, will the Torren Champion be outed as a cult leader?" The cameraman commented facetiously, the crowd promptly dispersing as Natasha meditated on the situation. She was the last hope for the Torren region—no, all of existence as she knew it. Whatever those Giratina cultists were planning, it couldn't be good. Taking a deep breath, she made her way towards the cave, for the people of Torren and for Nora.

0000

Quickly making her way through the cave, Natasha made a beeline for the chamber where she had reunited with Mew back then. That cult member from before said that he'd lead her to where the final battle would take place, and she didn't want to keep him waiting.

"NATASHA!" Someone roared at her from behind, the purple-haired girl turning around and saw Jaern storming his way to her. "You ruined me, you bitch! I was the Augur of Torren, I had the entire populace catering to my whims, and I had Rayqauza by my side. I would've made the perfect hero, using the crystal to stop Her. We didn't need to have this problem, but you couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"Go cry me a river, asshole. What chance did you have against Her when you couldn't even defeat her lackey?" Natasha retorted.

"Look what you did to me!" He screamed, taking out his phone and showed her several images, all of which depicted the statues of him vandalized. "My statues have been desecrated; my public image ruined…you took everything from me!"

"Hah! I should be the one saying that. You killed my mother, imprisoned my father in my memories and tried to take them away from me. Then when I tried to help you out alongside Damian, you and your flunkies tried to sacrifice us." The purple-haired girl retorted. "You never cared about doing what's right, all you ever wanted was the praise and rewards for being the big hero. Now stand aside, Jaern. It's time for the real hero to save the region."

"No, that's not going to happen…" Jaern hissed, taking out a Pokéball. "I'm going to reunite you with your dear mother and take your place as the region's savior. Then, and only then will I get the praise that I deserve."

"Bring it on, insurgent!" Natasha retorted, taking out a Pokéball as well, the two trainers throwing it at the same time. The purple-haired girl went with her Roserade, with Jaern settling for his Aegislash.

The Aegislash promptly got into its Sword Form, its body cloaked in a dark purple aura as it slashed at the Roserade, the Night Bouquet Pokémon dodging it with ease as it chuckled at its foe in amusement. Fluttering the fan in its hand, the Roserade conjured up a pitch-black ball of energy within its grasp as a series of shadowy circles were flung towards the ghostly sword, scoring a direct hit as it was flung towards the ground. Slowly picking itself up, it got back into its Shield Form, pointing its shield at its foe as it shone a lustrous silver. Sensing that offensive attacks wouldn't work, the Night Bouquet Pokémon conjured up some ghostly balls for fire and flung them at the Royal Sword Pokémon, inflicting some serious burns on its body. With its foe now vulnerable, the Roserade began waving its fan in the air rapidly, creating a blisteringly hot gust of wind that swept the spectral sword up and tossed it into the wall, knocking it out efficiently.

"Tch…" Jaern scoffed, recalling it before sending out his Goodra, the large dragon uttering a drawn-out gurgle. Rearing its head back, it spewed a barrage of sludge at the Night Bouquet Pokémon, the latter conjuring up a wall of light to protect itself as the blonde man scowled in response. With an opportunity presenting itself, the Roserade waved its fan in the air, conjuring up an icy cold wind that struck the Goodra, freezing it on the spot. Seizing this opportunity, it gathered as much lunar energy in its fan as possible, pointing it at the dragon as a powerful pink beam of energy shot out of it. It struck the Goodra directly, sending it flying towards Jaern's feet as it crumpled on the floor, unable to continue battling.

"I should apologize to Persephone when this is all done; even she put up more of a fight than you." Natasha commented smugly, recalling her Roserade. "Why don't you send out your next Pokémon? I promise I'll send out something with a type disadvantage…"

The 'Augur' was livid at the brat before him; how dare she make fun of him. Recalling his Goodra, the blonde man sent out his Lucario, the jackal growling at its opponent. Eyeing up the jackal, the purple-haired girl sent out her Scizor, the Ice-type taunting its opponent. Lunging at its foe, the Lucario pummeled the Scizor with its fists, the mantis blocking its attacks with its pincers, though it was pushed back a couple feet. The Frozen Claw Pokémon retaliate with a sweeping kick, knocking the Lucario to the ground before jumping back a couple feet. Slowly picking itself up off the ground, the jackal dusted itself off before lunging once more at the mantis, eager for revenge. However, the Scizor dodged at the last moment, clamping its pincer over Lucario's neck as the latter's eyes widened in surprise. Picking it up into the air, the Frozen Claw Pokémon slammed its foe into the ground, kicking up a small blanket of dust. When the dust settled, it showed that Lucario was unable to continue battling, knocked out in a single hit.

"I-It's not over!" Jaern hissed, recalling his Pokémon and sent out his Salamence, the large dragon roaring at its foe. "Melt that thing with Flamethrower!"

Taking to the skies, the Salamence breathed a potent stream of fire at the mantis, the latter leaping behind some rocks to avoid the attack. Eyeing up a set of stalactites on the ceiling, the Scizor shot some shards of ice at them, shattering their base as they promptly feel onto the large dragon, knocking it to the ground. Slowly getting back up, it reared its head back and spewed a stream of draconic fire at the Frozen Claw Pokémon, sweeping it off its feet as it fell on the ground. Quickly getting back on its feet, the Scizor conjured a series of sharp icicles and flung them at the Salamence, sending it flying towards Jaern's feet, unable to continue battling.

"How disappointing…I was hoping for a satisfying battle, but all I got was some weakling pretending to be a hero. If you were the last hope for humanity. I would've made my peace with Arceus by now." Natasha taunted, pushing Jaern over the edge. Recalling his Salamence, the blonde man sent out his final Pokémon, an Arcanine, the large dog pawing the ground beneath its feet.

Opting to take the offensive, the Scizor lunged at the canine and delivered a swift kick, only to bounce back towards Natasha and re-enter its ball. With a quick flourish, the purple-haired girl took out a third Pokéball and sent out her Gorebyss, the draconic fish fluttering its eyes at the Arcanine. It quickly coiled its body into a circle, boosting its stats considerably before poking its tongue out at the canine. Enraged, the Arcanine charged towards the Gorebyss, its body cloaked in electricity. However, the Gorebyss retaliated with a swift Aqua Tail, knocking the canine off it's feet before following up with a powerful Dragon Pulse, sending it flying into a cluster of rocks. The Arcanine attempted to get back up, but wasn't able to, securing Natasha her easiest victory yet.

"And that's a wrap. It's no wonder you resorted to such cowardly methods back then; my father would've crushed you in an instant." The purple-haired girl called out, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon as Jaern glared viciously at her.

"Damn you…damn you to whatever hell those Damned Cultists are stuck in." He hissed, kicking a rock into the wall. "I hope you're proud of yourself. I could've stopped Her, you know. But you ruined that, forcing my hand which led to my exposure."

"How many times are you going to delude yourself into thinking that? You lost to Her underling; what chance did you have of beating Her?" Natasha retorted, grabbing Jaern by his collar and pushed him to the wall. "Now talk; what do you know about Her?!"

"Heh, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I discovered what was really going on behind the scenes of the Cult Wars during my research of the crystal. It's a power source older than time itself, containing a limitless amount of energy. An entire universe could be created with its power, which I think is what Her and Her Damned Cult are after." He began, a cocky smirk on his face despite the circumstances.

"You think that's what She wants? And what is this Damned Cult you keep going on about?" The purple-haired girl continued.

"I do not remember much about Her, hence why I assumed her goal. I don't know why, it's as if there's a block in my memory. All I know is that She's much stronger than you can imagine; She makes the other cult leaders look like a joke. As for the Damned Cult, that's what I've labeled Her group as, even though they're not actually a cult." The blonde man answered, snickering to himself. "It's obvious that you don't stand a chance against Her. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy the last few moments on this planet before you ruin it."

"Not a chance in hell!" Natasha retorted, punching him in the gut before tying his hands together with rope. She soon followed up by tying some more rope around his ankles, leaving him in a compromised position. "You're coming with me to watch your dream shatter like glass. Afterwards, I'm handing you over to the Torren Police, where you'll rot behind bars."

"You really are an evil child, are you? You would've made a fantastic cult leader." Jaern replied whimsically, only to wince as the teenage girl dragged him to her destination. A few minutes later, the duo arrived at their destination, the cultist from before eyeing them in curiosity.

"Ah, you decided to bring the usurper with you. How interesting…" The cultist began. "Our leader wishes to speak to you directly. She says She wishes She could meet you, but circumstances make it impossible for Her to do so. Therefore, you will need to go through the Void Gauntlet in order to speak to Her. Do not worry, I will act as your guide through the gauntlet."

"Thank you, I guess…" The purple-haired girl replied cautiously.

"Let us make haste, She is not keen on waiting too long." The cultist replied, gesturing the duo to follow him through the large portal behind him. Upon stepping through the portal, the teenage girl found herself in what appears to be a small cavern, floating within the depths of space. Peering over the edge, she saw an endless abyss of stars staring up at her from below.

"W-What is this place?" She inquired nervously.

"The Void Gauntlet is a passage to the Distortion World, made from pieces of several important areas throughout multiple worlds. This is the only way someone from your world could enter the Distortion World." The cultist explained, the trio soon coming across another cultist. "Greetings, brother."

"So this is the Natasha I've heard so much about? She has taken a liking to you. But can't we just let it sleep?" The second cultist inquired, teleporting away from the area. What does that even mean? Either way, she had to keep going, the group making their way through the opening, only to end up in an abandoned mansion. The same mysterious void pulsated below them, beckoning them to gaze into it. She would've been taken aback by it, if it wasn't for what the cultist said before.

"So tell me, are you a cult who worships Giratina?" Natasha asked her guide.

"We're involved with Giratina, yes. But we are not a cult like the other people we've fought, we only want freedom." He replied, leaving her with more questions than answers. Freedom from what? Perhaps She could answer that question when the time comes. Making their way through the mansion, they soon laid eyes upon a mysterious portal, the trio entering it before winding up in a forest she hasn't seen before.

"The Naragex Forest, said to be the largest forest in the Vesryn. I would've liked to visit here under different circumstances…but I can't because of you." Jaern sniped at Natasha, the teenager rolling her eyes at his complaint.

"So tell me, what's with that suit you're wearing? I got to admit, it looks pretty nice." The purple-haired girl inquired, attracting the guide's attention.

"You humans never cease to surprise me; you find our suits to be pleasing to the eye, much like that regal outfit you're wearing. But we don't wear them out of fashion, we wear them out of necessity. We cannot take them off, not here anyway." The cultist answered. Not only did they yearn for freedom, but they're forced to wear heavy suits that, based on the guide's tone, are uncomfortable to wear. A few minutes later, they found another portal and stepped through it, winding up in the fabled Cave of Origin. But what attracted Natasha's attention the most was the small stone in the center of the cave, the teenage girl quickly making her way to it. Though it's been a while since she last completed the puzzle, she remembered what to do and solved it in a matter of minutes, earning her the seventh scroll.

"Excellent!" She cheered, pocketing the scroll and approached the duo once more. "There we go, now we may continue."

"Very well." The guide replied, the group making their way through the cave and hopped into the portal at the end, winding up in the Pokémon Village from Kalos. "It's a shame you know? Your world has so many beautiful locations, but you'll have to return to the mirror."

"The mirror? What on earth is the mirror?" The purple-haired girl inquired.

"It's not on Earth, but is what divides Earth from us…" The cultist answered, the group making their way to the cave at the end of the village and stepped inside the cave, only to see yet another portal in the center. Stepping through it, the trio soon wound up at the Pokémon Tower in Kanto, an eerie feeling permeating in the air. "Natasha, though it may not look like it, we are not your enemy."

"I find that a little hard to believe." She retorted, a sigh escaping from the cultist's mouth.

"From your position, your apprehension is understandable. But all we're after is salvation." The cultist replied, the group climbing up a flight of stairs and appeared at Citadark Isle, the base of operations for Cipher. They were the masterminds behind the Shadow Pokémon project and attempted to take over the Orre Region, but were thwarted in the process.

"Citadark Isle? I've always been interested in Shadow Pokémon; I'm surprised the Perfection Cult hasn't attempted to create their own Shadow Pokémon." Jaern chimed in, eyeing up the rugged mountain in awe.

"I can't say I'm surprised to here that from you." The purple-haired girl commented, checking to make sure she has her shards of the crystal. Sighing in relief upon finding them, she continued her journey through the island. Soon enough, they arrived at the next portal, stepping through it and entered the Giant Chasm from the Unova region. "So what's it like in the Distortion World?"

"Let me put it to you this way; the Earth and the Distortion World are two sides of a coin, but one side is much smaller, emptier and full of unspeakable horrors. I'll let you guess which side is which…" The guide told her, as Natasha started to gain an understanding on why they're doing what they're doing. The trek through the chasm was relatively peaceful, the group facing no resistance at all. Soon enough, they made their way to the portal on the other side, arriving at the Spear Pillar atop Mount Coronet, a powerful gust blowing throughout the area. "This is it, the last stop before our arrival to the Throne of the Hegemon."

"Throne of the Hegemon?" Natasha inquired.

"It is where you and Her will engage in the final battle, a battle that will determine the fate of your people, and my people." The cultist told her, the group making their way to the portal. They stepped into the portal, only for the teenage girl to gasp in awe at what she was staring at. Standing right before her was a large tower, equal in height to the Jade Tower back in Helios City. Along the path were several statues of Giratina in its Origin Form, leading her to believe that she was now in the Distortion World. This was it, within that tower was her final opponent, and her dear friend Nora. No matter what happens, she will save her friend, even if she must sacrifice herself to do so. "At last, we are here. I will go on ahead and inform the Mistress. Do not take too long, you two."

Watching the cultist enter the building, Jaern turned to gaze at Natasha, a look of contempt on his face. "Well this is it; at least I get a front row seat to watch you doom our planet to damnation."

"Oh shut up already, you sore loser! I'm going to save the day and you get to watch my greatest triumph!" She retorted, dragging him by the wrist and into the tower. The fate of existence as we know it will be determined within these halls, where two champions from different worlds will fight each other to the bitter end.

And that wraps this chapter of Insurgence; it may get a little slow at the end, but it'll pay off within the next chapter. As for the Jaern rematch, it was satisfying to write him getting trounced easily, proving to everyone that he isn't the hero that he thinks he is. 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