With the Holon Region fully explored, Natasha makes her way back to Torren in order to enter the Dream Realm, hoping to solve all the problems within its borders.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Insurgence; it is the property of its creators.
Selene City
Following the celebration party at Settlement Foxtrot, Natasha decided to head back to the Torren Region, specifically Selene City. She had wanted to check up on Diana and Calreath to see how they were going, the latter especially as she wanted to know how well he was recovering. Upon arriving at her destination, she made her way to the hospital, where she saw Diana walking out the main doors. She had a quiet look on her face, but it was one of contemplation, not one of despair. Noticing the purple-haired girl, the Gym Leader's eyes widened in joy as she gave her a quick hug. "Natasha! So good to see you again!"
"Hey Diana, how's everything going with Calreath?" The teenage girl inquired.
"He's doing well, thank you very much. However, he broke a few bones in his legs, so he won't be able to fight in Gym Battles for a month or two." Diana answered, her gaze shifting to the side. "In all honesty, I think it would be a year or two before the Torren League can go back to normal; between what happened to Calreath, East's disappearance and sudden reappearance and Reukra's fall from grace. And then there's the matter of my retirement…"
"Huh?!" Natasha exclaimed, taken aback by her words. Retirement? She had never expected to hear that from Diana, especially since she was still fairly young.
"I've been thinking over things for the last few days, and I've come to the conclusion that I'd be better off as a Pokémon Researcher than a Gym Leader. Perhaps Professor Sylvan might even take me on as an apprentice." The brown-haired girl stated.
"I know Holon University has a position open as the "esteemed" Professor Maple was arrested the other day." The purple-haired girl chimed in, attracting her friend's attention. "Long story short, he was one of Jaern's flunkies and attempted to take over the world using Delta Pokémon."
"I see…" Was all Diana could say, her tone growing quiet as her gaze shifted to the side. "Listen, I know you've done so much for me, and I hate to come across as selfish, but do you mind doing one last favor for me?"
"No problem. What do you need help with?" Natasha inquired, receiving a small parcel from the soon to be ex-Gym Leader.
"I would like you to deliver this to Perse; I know there's a bit of bad blood between you, just like there's bad blood between us, but this could be an opportunity for the three of us to bury the hatchet." She replied, her words making sense.
"I'll be happy to help you out. After all, it gives me an opportunity to see my dad again." The purple-haired girl smiled, accepting the request as a wave of relief coursed through Diana's body.
"Thank you so much; you don't know how much this means to me." The brown-haired girl shook her hands vigorously. Giving her a quick nod, the teenage girl made her way out the city and began the long journey back to Samsara Cave, as that was where the portal to the Dream Realm rested.
0000
It took hours for Natasha to arrive at her destination, a look of exhaustion plastered on her face, but at last, she had arrived at Samsara Cave. Taking a quick breath, she entered its depths and made her way to the portal. However, she soon heard what sounded like faint singing in her direction, the melody awakening a memory long thought to have been consumed by Persephone's Gengar. That voice…it was Meloetta; her mother's Meloetta. Natasha quickly ran through the cave towards the source, making sure not to trip over any loose rocks on the ground, before eventually arriving at a stone door. There were eight stone holes within the door frame, a spark of inspiration forming in her mind as the purple-haired girl took out her scrolls that she had collected. One by one, she inserted them into the holes, placing the last one in as the door began to rumble. Slowly but surely, it sank into the ground, revealing a hidden alcove where the Melody Pokémon had been hiding for all this time. Gazing up at the teenager, the Mythical Pokémon was hit with a wave of nostalgia, beaming brightly at the daughter of her former trainer as she leaped up to embrace her.
"It's so good to see you again, Meloetta…" Natasha began, embracing the Psychic-type back as an immense wave of emotions washed over her, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. At long last, she now had something physical to remember her mother by, even if it was her treasured companion. Just then, a flash shone through the room, the teenage girl turning to see that her Mew had gotten out of its ball and began chirping to the Meloetta, as if they were old friends. "S-Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I'm heading over to the Dream Realm to visit my dad. Did you want to come along with me?"
"Mel, mel!" The Meloetta chirped eagerly, hoping to see Adam and Hoopa once more. Shooting her a small smile, Natasha made her way back on the path to the Dream Realm, blissfully unaware on what she was about to stumble upon.
0000
Upon entering Erebus City, Natasha was taken aback by what she was seeing. Throughout the area, she saw the citizens fighting against the Darkrai cultists, the latter having succumbed to Malde's influence. Seems like he's been pretty busy while she was fighting in the Torren League. Both sides seem to be evenly matched, though the balance could be shifted should Persephone join the battlefield. Searching for her father, she saw that he was able to defeat a Possessed-Cultist with his Mega Hydreigon, the teenage girl quickly running up to his side.
"Natasha! You came at the right time!" Adam called out to her, turning his head to her briefly before glancing back at the battlefield. "As you can see, things aren't exactly the greatest right now. That Deoxys virus…it had infected those Darkrai cultists, causing them to launch an attack on the city. I don't know how it works, but they're now taking orders from that old guy. We've been fighting them off for some time, but we cannot last much longer; the only way we can win is with a trump card."
"Y-You mean Darkrai…?" Natasha began.
"Precisely. Though it may not look like it; all of humanity's Dream Realms are connected to one another, with a place known as Rem Village acting as the center. It is here where Darkrai resides, watching over the Dream Realm. In between the separate Dream Realms are the dangerous Badlands, where unspeakable horrors are said to reside. I need to you brave the journey to Rem Village and convince Darkrai to aid us, even if it's only for a short while. With it on our side, our victory is all but guaranteed." The older man told her.
"Got it. If you want, I could search for Persephone and convince her to fight alongside us." The purple-haired girl replied.
"Hmmm…well as the saying goes; the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Adam mused to himself. "Very well, it's worth a shot. But be careful; I still haven't forgotten about her role in our capture."
"Don't worry, no harm shall befall me." Natasha replied, gently kissing his cheek before making her way to her destination. She made sure to steer clear of the Possessed-Cultists to avoid a confrontation, knowing full well that time was of the essence. Eventually, she made her way to the beginning of the Badlands and stepped onto the treacherous field. Almost immediately, a bone-chilling sensation rocked her body, an oppressive sensation of nervousness overcoming her. She quickly looked in all directions, hoping to find what was causing her to be so nervous, but she couldn't find anything. Just then she heard what sounded like rustling in the grass, the teenager gasping in surprise. Something was in those bushes, and it was eyeing her up for a meal.
Taking a deep breath, she began running through the plains as if her life depended on it, quickly leaping over rocks and fallen logs in order to avoid her pursuer. Natasha refused to look back at what was chasing her, lest a mere gaze at the horror behind her drove her to insanity. The purple-haired girl quickly scrambled up several cliffs and continued running, the monster behind her roaring in anger before walking back from whence it came from. Panting lightly to herself, Natasha slowed down her pace and began walking to her destination, her gaze shifting left and right just in case she stumbles across another monster eager to tear her in half. Soon enough, she saw what looked like an abandoned village that was in ruins, save for a single house in the center resting atop a small hill.
"That must be it; I'm finally at Rem Village. All I need to do is—" She began, only to hear someone walking up to her from behind.
"Well, well. It's been a while, hasn't it…" A familiar voice called out to her, the teenager turning to see Persephone approaching her. "I'd be a bit more jovial, but your accommodations are beyond atrocious, especially the color scheme."
"Still as snarky as always, Perse." Natasha retorted back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to head to—"
"Oh no, you are NOT beating me to Rem Village!" The cult leader interrupted her. "That damned virus has turned all my cultists into mindless zombies, literally, and I need Darkrai to put a stop to it."
"Well what do you know, we have the same goal for once. And as a bonus, I'll help you get out of here, but only if you put an end to the Cult of Darkrai." The purple-haired girl offered, causing the white-haired woman to pause. Though they certainly weren't friends, she was smart enough to see the benefits of their temporary alliance. Besides, she couldn't be any worse than Jaern. "And to sweeten the deal, I even have a gift to you from Diana. She wants to—"
"Let me guess, she wants to brag about having Cresselia? You can tell her to shove her "gift" up her—" Persephone began.
"Hold on a moment, let me finish please." The teenager replied, causing the cult leader to cease speaking. "I don't think I can ever understand how her betrayal hurt you, but she wants to make things right again. I'm not asking you to make up with her right now, but at least consider burying the hatchet, between you two, and the two of us."
Gazing quietly at her nemesis, the older woman sighed to herself, turning towards the lone house in the ruined village. "…You're right, you could never understand how much her betrayal affected me. But you're also right about burying the hatchet; I don't want to let her dictate my life anymore. I mean look at where my anger led me, forging an alliance with an opportunistic loser like Jaern. I want this cult business over and done with, just as much as you do." She confessed, a small smile forming on Natasha's face.
"Thanks for listening to me. Now then, shall we get Darkrai to join us one last time?" The purple-haired girl offered.
"Sure, on one condition. I want a rematch with you." Persephone requested, piquing the teenager's attention. "Your comment about how I was your easiest opponent got to me. I refused to be granted such a pitiful title, and I want to seek my redemption!"
"I'll be happy to challenge you, but it'll be a quick battle. How does 3-on-3 sound?" She accepted.
"Fine by me, just don't go crying when you lose for the first time." The cult leader declared, sending out her Gengar as Natasha sent out her Milotic, a deadpanned expression forming on the woman's face. "And to the surprise of absolutely nobody, Natasha sends out a Delta Pokémon…"
"I'm just being considerate; I don't want you to have a heart attack after all." The teenager retorted, chuckling to herself as the Milotic prepared itself. Grinning at its foe, the Gengar slunk into the shadows and lunged at its foe, striking it from the aether as the Haunting Pokémon was flung back several feet. However, it was quickly able to regain its composure, its eyes glowing a bright purple as it searched for its opponent. Within a few seconds, it was able to detect the Gengar, the phantom conjuring up a Shadow Ball and flung it at its foe. The Milotic countered by conjuring up a wonderous wall of light that reflected the attack and sent it flying back, striking the Gengar as it was knocked to the ground. Dusting itself off, the phantom opened its maw and spewed a barrage of noxious sludge at the Milotic, with the serpentine Pokémon dodging it with ease. Quickly changing its tactics, the Gengar disappeared into the shadows once more, causing the Milotic to pause on the spot. Rather than search for it, it opted to sit still and mediate, its eyes glowing a purplish red. Seconds later, the Gengar emerged from the aether and struck the Haunting Pokémon with a powerful attack, only to get caught in its paralytic gaze. All of a sudden, a shadowy apparition dove through the phantom's body, draining it of its energy as the two combatants dropped to the floor, unable to continue battling.
"Of all the outcomes I anticipated, a draw was not one of them." Persephone admitted, the duo recalling their Pokémon as she sent out her Houndoom. In response, the purple-haired girl sent out her Electivire, the gargoyle roaring triumphantly as the darkness in the air heightened its speed. "Just how many Delta's are there? It seems like you have a never-ending supply of them in your bag."
"I don't know the exact amount, but I know there's a lot out there in the Holon Region. If you want, I'll make my final Pokémon for this battle my non-Delta Species Pokémon." Natasha offered.
"I didn't even know you had one. Very well, you can use it, if only to sate my curiosity." The cult leader accepted. Snorting to itself, the Houndoom reared its head back and breathed a potent stream of flames, the Electivire blocking the incoming attack with its sturdy arms. Uttering a quick grunt, the gargoyle took to the skies and summoned a barrage of rocks, raining them down upon the canine as it quickly ran through the incoming shower. Just then it started climbing up the rocks and into the air, its tail glowing a bright silver as it slammed down on the gargoyle's back, knocking it to the ground. Slowly getting back up, the Electivire shot a glare at the canine and sucker punched it, knocking it to the ground. Uttering a low bellow, the gargoyle cloaked its body in a harsh orange aura and began assaulting the Houndoom with punches and kicks, ending things off by picking it up and tossing it towards the cult leader, her Pokémon unable to continue battling.
Silently, Persephone recalled her Pokémon, watching the Electivire stagger on the spot in confusing. Hoping to end things here, she sent out her Alakazam and ordered it to use Psychic. Doing as it was told, the Psi Pokémon enveloped the dazed gargoyle in an oppressive aura, lifting it up into the air before slamming it into the ground. As the dust settled, it showed that the Electivire was unable to continue battling, a look of satisfaction on the Alakazam's face.
"Looks like it's down to one on one. Now to fulfill my end of the bargain…" Natasha chimed in, recalling her Pokémon before sending out her Mew, causing the cult leader to stare at it in shock.
"…it is too last to take back my request?" She inquired.
"Technically, I was the one who made the offer; you just accepted it. And yes, it is too late to take it back." The purple-haired girl retorted, a cheeky grin on her face. "Use Double Team!"
On cue, the Mew split up into over two dozen copies, all of them staring down the Alakazam. However, the Psi Pokémon wasn't fazed by this, using its high intelligence to locate the genuine Mew. Conjuring up a Shadow Ball, it flung it at its target, scoring a direct his as all the copies soon disintegrated. Shaking its head to regain its composure, the Mew copied its foes move and conjured up a Shadow Ball of its own, flinging it at its enemy as the latter retaliated with a Focus Blast. The two attacks collided in mid-air, though the Shadow Ball was soon able to overpower its opponent, striking the Alakazam in its face as it was flung back a few feet. Slowly getting back up, it watched as the Mew began waving its hands back and forth, selecting a random attack to finish things off. Its hands stopped glowing a few seconds later, a light whistling noise echoing throughout the area. Gazing up in the sky, the Psi Pokémon watched as several meteors were hurtling towards it, the Psychic-type unable to move in time as it was struck but the relentless barrage. Flying backwards, it soon crumpled on the ground, unable to get back up as Natasha won yet another battle.
"Truth be told, I'd expected this to be the outcome." Persephone admitted, recalling her Alakazam. "Still, I did better than last time, so that's a plus."
"Speaking of which, I need to apologize. You weren't the weakest trainer I ever fought. That honor goes to Jaern, who didn't even knock out a single Pokémon of mine." The purple-haired girl replied.
"Speaking of which, how is our "esteemed" Augur going?" The white-haired woman inquired.
"He's been publicly disgraced and humiliated. As we speak, he's rotting behind bars, and I doubt he'll ever get out." Natasha answered, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
"Serves him right! But then again, I don't exactly have much room to talk, given that I was his lackey and whatnot." Persephone replied, gazing back at the lone house. "Mind if you do the talking? I wouldn't be surprised if Darkrai's still angry with me."
"Fair point. I'm sure it'll listen to you if you apologize for what you did back then." The teenager suggested, the duo making the quick walk to the lone house before entering it. Stepping into the lone room, the duo watched as Darkrai turned to face them, its lone eye narrowing upon gazing at Persephone; as she had suspected, it had not forgotten at all.
"Listen, about what happened at the base, I-I'm sorry for causing you so much grief. I was so caught up in the prospect of revenge against my sister that I was willing to trample over everything and everyone. I didn't mean to hurt you or Cresselia…" The cult leader apologized, internally surprised by her words. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't apologize, but when confronted by a Pokémon that could easily tear her into pieces, an exception could be made. The Darkrai continued glaring at her before easing up its gaze, indicating that all was good between them.
"Hey Darkrai, do you mind if you assisted us for a little while? Erebus City is in danger and we need your power to save the people." Natasha requested, with the Darkrai giving her a slow nod. It's eye glowing brightly, it soon enveloped the room in darkness, the trio warping back to Erebus City.
0000
Quickly warping back to their destination, Natasha saw that things had gone downhill; the Possessed-Cultists were overpowering the citizens, crushing their Pokémon with ease. And to make things worse, Malde and Damian were fighting against Adam, the Gym Leader slowly but surely losing ground.
"You can't hold out forever, Adam. Hahaha, would it really be so bad? We can promise you and this place peace and tranquility. We can also promise you immortality; that's nothing to laugh about." Malde offered, a hint of smugness in his tone of voice.
"A long life isn't worth it, especially if it's anything like yours. I can't imagine having my free will erased by a virus, much less having it control my entire body." Adam retorted, noticing his daughter shortly afterwards. "Looks like the tides have turned."
"Indeed, and I have Darkrai by my side!" She declared, the Pitch-Black Pokémon materializing behind her as Persephone gazed at it. In what could be the one opportunity in her life, it was fighting beside her, even if it was only for a little while.
"Tch, it won't do you any good. Damian, deal with her!" The elderly man ordered, with Damian slowly walking up to her.
"Don't do this Damian, you are not his puppet anymore. Fight! I know you can break free!" The purple-haired girl began, causing the teenager to stop in his tracks.
"What are you doing?! Destroy her this instant!"
"Forget about him! Break free of his control and come back to us. I miss you; Nora misses you; she feels horrible about all those things she said to you. Please…I just want the Damian I know back…"
A few small tears fell down her cheeks, with Damian gazing at her as he started crying as well. Deep down, he missed travelling beside her, fighting alongside her for the people of Torren. He wanted to be free from Malde's control, to no longer be forced to fight his friend. Turning to face the old man, the teenage boy shook his head, indicating that he wasn't going to fight her.
"W-What are you doing?! You're not supposed to disobey me!" Malde snapped in anger.
"It's over! Your lieutenant no longer wants to fight for you, and we have Darkrai on our side. Release your grip on Damian and everyone here, and leave us in peace!" Adam demanded, a low growl escaping from the old man's mouth. Despite his power, he knew he couldn't defeat Darkrai in a battle, and was left with only one choice.
"Very well…" He replied bitterly, his eyes glowing as the entire area was enveloped in a wonderous purple light. Within a matter of moments, all of the cultists have been cleansed of the virus, as well as Damian. Tired and exhausted, the teenage boy fell to the ground with Natasha catching him in time.
"Uggh…where am I…?" He asked groggily.
"Everything's going to be alright." She smiled at him, tears of relief falling down her cheeks.
"This isn't over…I'll come back, and when I do, I'll—" Malde began.
"Darkrai, Hypnosis!" Persephone called out, the Mythical Pokémon uttering a low growl as it lulled the elderly man into a deep sleep, enabling the former cult leader to tie him up. "Better he be in the hands of the police than left to wander this place."
"A fair point, Persephone…" Adam replied, eyeing her up with a hint of suspicion. He still didn't trust her after all, given what she had done that fateful night.
"Look, about that night…I-I'm sorry; I genuinely didn't expect Jaern to go that far. It doesn't excuse what I did, but it's all I can say." The white-haired woman apologized, catching Natasha by surprise. That was something she didn't expect at all.
"If you're truly sorry, you'd surrender yourself to the authorities, and allow justice to be served." The older man replied, with the former cult leader nodding in response. Turning to face Darkrai, she gave it a small smile, the Pitch-Black Pokémon uttering a quick growl as it returned to its home, leaving her on her own.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's ditch this joint already." Persephone called out to her cultists, murmurs of confusion escaping from their mouths as the group made their way to the cave at the back. "Don't keep us waiting Natasha."
"I won't, I've just got some business to attend to first." She replied, turning to face her father. "Looks like this is goodbye for now; I'll see you soon."
"Perhaps even sooner than you think…" Adam smiled at her, causing her to look at him in confusion as a sudden chirping echoed throughout the area. Out of nowhere, Hoopa appeared right by the Augur's side, catching her by surprise. "Surprised? So was I when it appeared before me again. I guess it wanted to help me out one last time."
"Finally, it seems like all of us are reunited once more. Well almost all of us…" Natasha began, a hint of sadness in her tone as Damian quickly raised his hand in the air.
"S-Sorry to interrupt, but can somebody fill me in on what's going on?" He inquired.
"It's a long story; I'll fill you in while we're leaving. For now, I need some help carrying Malde out of here." The purple-haired girl told him, the duo picking him up as they slowly made their way to the cave where the others were waiting.
A little late, but that wraps up the Dream Realm arc nice and neatly. Tune in next time for Audrey's rescue and the Taen arc. Thank you all for reading my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Acquired Pokémon:
Mew
Meloetta
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
D. Lilligant (Water)
D. Ditto
D. Wailord
D. Aurorus
D. Mawile
D. Lilligant (Fairy)
D. Sceptile
D. Escavalier
D. Camerupt
D. Tentacruel
D. Yanmega
D. Greninja
D. Goodra
D. Tangrowth
D. Lopunny
D. Lucario
D. Blaziken
D. Dragonite
D. Serperior
D. Torterra
D. Magmortar
D. Maractus
D. Kabutops
D. Toxicroak
D. Darmanitan
D. Crustle (Berry)
D. Amoonguss
D. Medicham
D. Electivire
D. Noctowl
D. Shiftry
D. Milotic
D. Octillery
D. Sableye
D. Aggron
D. Scolipede
