Chapter 55 Fake God
Ash and the others stare into the fake Arceus, and they gulp as if it is emitting a lot of power.
El: Aduro, Creo, Iudex... Mei Divinitus! We will silence all heretics! Let judgment rain down upon thee!
Ash gulps as he has to battle the Pokemon or else it is going to use Judgement on them. Ash notices that the Crystal Caverns are boosting the power of Judgement, and he has Lycanroc to block the attack.
Ash: Lycanroc! Use Stone Edge!
Lycanroc fires the attack and the stones are charging at Arceus, however, the Arceus doesn't seem to take a lot of damage and it goes for Focus Blast, knocking the Lycanroc out of the battle.
Ash: No way...(Recalls Lycanroc and goes for Infernape) Infernape, use Mach Punch!
The Fighting-Type attack seems to be doing a lot of work, but Arceus rains Judgement again, and Infernape takes the hit as it is struggling. Even though it activates the Blaze, Flare Blitz manages to hit the fake god, but it goes for Shadow Ball, knocking out the Pokemon in the end.
Ash decides to switch into Sceptile, after using Leaf Storm to damage the Pokemon, it uses Recover to recover its health, and it goes for another Judgement to defeat the fake Arceus. Krookodile is next, and it goes for Dragon Claw to attack Arceus, but the Arceus defeats it with Focus Blast. Charizard is next, and Ash has high hopes for the Pokemon as he has Charizard go for Fire Spin, continuously dealing damage, but Arceus still holds on and defeats Charizard in the end.
Ash: Even Charizard can't beat it? Pikachu! You're my last hope.
Pikachu charges forward and he can only hope Pikachu can dodge the upcoming attacks, but after dodging Judgement, Focus Blast, and even Shadow Balls, Pikachu is getting tired and it gets hit by the Judgement.
Ash: (Sees Pikachu in pain) Pikachu, please, you have to do this...
El: Finish them already.
When Arceus goes for another Judgement, just then, Pikachu seems to be glowing in bright light, much to everyone's confusion.
Arceus: Ash...can you hear me?
Ash: Arceus? Is that you?
Arceus: I admit that I gave this man the light that he deserves, but he has been using it the wrong way. I'm giving your Pikachu power so you can defeat the faker. (Glows and Ash's Z Crystal starts to glow.)
Ash: Arceus, I won't let your effort be in vain. I will stop him.
After the light dies down, Pikachu struggles to get back up after missing the Judgement.
Ash: Pikachu, let's do this together! (Does the Z Pose) This is our full power! 100000000 Volt Gigavolt!
Pikachu jumps into the air and charges rainbow-colored electricity, and with the boost from Arceus' powers, Pikachu fires the attack at the fake Arceus, causing it to lose all its power immediately and return to being a Ditto.
El: (Stares at his fainted Ditto) Thou defiest me; thou defiest the Lord.
Ash: Just because we have both opinions doesn't mean I defiest the Lord. But rather, the Lord gave my Pikachu the power to stop you!
El: Ridiculous. As but a false idol, it cannot hope to mimic the true Lord's power. (Tries to leave, but find himself being surrounded by Radomus, Cain, and Adrienn)
Radomus: Is that all, then?
Cain: Wait, so if that was Ditto, then where is the real Gardevoir?
Radomus: Where, indeed? It looks like it's my move now. (Turns around) Gardevoir! Teleport, now.
Gardevoir: (Appears by teleporting) Ta-daaa!
Adrienn: So that's the real Gardevoir...
Gardevoir: At your service~ Miss me?
Radomus: Dearly. But we're not done yet. Gardevoir, Hypnosis.
Gardevoir: Yeees, Master! (Turns to El and goes for the move) Good night! Mwah!
El feels dizzy after the attack, and he falls down to the ground asleep.
Gardevoir: It's a One-Hit KO!
Radomus: Indeed. That about makes this case closed. (Changes the hat into a Police hat) We'll take this one back down to the station. He has some time to do.
Cain: Wait, I don't get it. If you could have just had Gardevoir Teleport at any time, why bother coming all the way down here?
Ash: Cain, that's why Dad said that we shouldn't do anything when we are back at the Vanhanen Castle!
Radomus: I hadn't said before? Simply because Luna asked me to.
Gardevoir: Yup! I could've escaped at any time~ But ohh, my darling Master, save me! Don't I make a compelling damsel in distress~?
Adrienn: (Sweatdrops) This Gardevoir is certainly more lively.
Gardevoir: Oh yeah, you were all "I will protect you!" and stuff~ You're a cutie! But I would never leave my master. He's perfect as is!
Adrienn: (Sighs) Heh. Well, I'm relieved.
Radomus: As my son asked in the first place, why should we be concerned when the opposing king places himself in check? El tried to strike at me by using Gardevoir, but it was his mistake in underestimating her.
Gardevoir: Please, hold your applause for me until we're back in the comfort of home!
Radomus: On that note, I think it's about time we picked ourselves up out of here. Shall we all leave together? It should be just a quick teleport out.
Gardevoir: Something about this place makes teleports so muddy... I don't think I can get us all the way, but I can at least take us out of this old cave!
Radomus: Better than hiking, perhaps. Let us be off.
Then Gardevoir teleports all of them out of the Grand Stairway, and they are glad to be on the ground again.
Ash's New Capture in Citae Astrae: Sigilyph (Cave)
But just as they get out of the underground, they are surprised to see that the gear is moving. But Adrienn seems to be the only one who doesn't know what happened.
Adrienn: Ah, it's good to be above ground again! I feel like I was down there for ages! Fresh air, come to me! (Leaves)
Radomus: (Turns to Ash and Cain) Say, does anybody notice anything strange?
Cain: (Gasps as he sees the Grand Gate) The Grand Gate! It opened!
Gardevoir: (Equally shocked) Whaaaat? But it's been sealed for years! Why would it suddenly open now?
Cain: Imma go check it out.
Radomus: Indeed, this is most curious.
When they get out, all they see is Adrienn's shocked face at the whole Reborn City, and Ash also realizes that he is actually in North Obsidia Ward, the same place where he tries to save Victoria from Team Meteor underground.
Adrienn: What... What's this?
Cain: Uh, so the Stairway kinda got a little roughed up by Team Meteor.
Adrienn: No, I mean, where- (Looks around) I don't-Um...
Radomus: Are you quite all right?
Adrienn: I'm confused. Where are we?
Cain: Uh, Reborn City? This is the North Obsidia Ward. Haven't you been here before?
Adrienn: This isn't the city. This isn't... Reborn. (Runs around) I thought that was- Where is the center? Where are the cabins and the port and the- The lake... It's... brown?
Cain: You must be new here.
Adrienn: I'm not! I've lived in Reborn City my whole life! But not- this isn't the Reborn City that I know! This place is disgusting...Nothing like the quiet city I grew up in.
Gardevoir: I think someone's gone a little Looney-tone~
Radomus: On the contrary, I have a somewhat different theory. Adrienn, the last time you saw this city, the lake was more properly colored. Is that right?
Adrienn: (Nods) Yes. It was a perfect, brilliant blue. That's why we named it Azurine.
Radomus: Tell me what else you remember.
Adrienn: Let's see... It used to be very lush. There were trees all over the place. This waterfall, the Celestinine Cascade, poured down into a river that ran through the city. At the corner of the lake, there's a beautiful little port, and my Gym-(Realizes something) What about my Gym? I've got to go there! (Rushes away)
Radomus: (Sighs) I believe it would not be best to leave xem alone right now.
Cain: Xe said that xyr Gym was at a port...Wait, xe's a Gym Leader?!
Gardevoir: Ah, ah, ah~ You finally figured it out! Of course ~I~ knew all along. There was a stand-in for a time, but...Well, it seems xe'll be taking xyr position back now!
Cain: Then, xe must mean the Coral Ward Gym!
Radomus: Indeed. Let's go.
When they rush to the Coral Ward, the same place where Ash first met Amaria, Adrienn is staring at the ruins of a gym, which is next to the Pokemon Center.
Adrienn: I... This is a joke, right? (Pinches xyr cheeks) No... Too elaborate to be a joke. I must be dreaming.
Radomus: Were this but a dream, it would be all the easier. Alas, it is not.
Adrienn: (Feels uncomfortable) I feel sick.
Radomus: Steel your nerves for a moment and answer this: This building has been this way for a long time, yet you are in shock. How is this?
Adrienn: When I left this morning, it was perfectly fine. None of this- This whole city- It's wrong.
Ash: Dad, do you know anything?
Radomus: As I thought. Then allow me to tell you what I know about this Gym. When the city was repopulated after the blackouts and earthquakes, several buildings were designated to remain untouched. In general, these were historically-significant facilities that their legacy might be preserved. This Gym was one such building.
Adrienn: (Confused) Blackouts? Earthquakes?
Radomus: This is all unheard of to you, yes?
Adrienn: I'm really confused.
Radomus: Understandably. Then allow me to clarify another thing: A moment ago, you said: "this morning" that this Gym was normal to you. Earlier, you said you arrived at the ruin around "an hour" before us. Do I recall correctly?
Adrienn: Yes, but I'm... afraid I hardly follow.
Radomus: To put it simply, based on your description of this city and your memory of what's happened, I believe there is only one conclusion that can be reached: You've been frozen in time.
Ash and Pikachu widen their eyes as if it all makes sense. If Adrienn is frozen in time, that explains everything from how Adrienn feels about the whole city right now.
Adrienn: I've- what...?
Radomus: When you fell down into the ruin, as you said, how did you get there?
Adrienn: I was checking something out in the mechanical hall behind the Grand Gates. Someone reported they had seen some kind of light shining through the floor, so I dismantled part of it and crawled down there. But when I lost my footing, I fell underground. Following a natural tunnel, I eventually came to that place.
Radomus: When you say you were in the Grand Gates, does that mean you accessed them as normal from the Grand Stairway?
Adrienn: (Nods) Yes. Why?
Radomus: Then that confirms it. The Gates have been inoperational for years. More than a decade ago, they suddenly ceased function.
Adrienn: I don't remember anything like that.
Radomus: Of course not. You were inside the ruin that entire time. If we are to believe what El told us about that being the site of Arceus' birth, there is no telling what kind of energy afflicts that place. It is possible the energy of the meteor concealed inside the ruin warped the flow of time and the Gates' function with it.
Adrienn: Then shouldn't you all have been stuck with me too?
Radomus: A valid concern; however, we had something you did not.
Ash: (Takes out the Ruby Ring and the Sapphire Bracelet) The keys! And the Amethyst Pendant as well!
Radomus: Perhaps their presence, and the energy they bear connected to the ruin, was enough to unlock you from the spell of frozen time.
Adrienn: So I was underground for- who knows how long- and I had no idea...To me, it just seemed like an hour... That's... a bad feeling.
Cain: (Feels concerned for Adrienn) What are you going to do now?
Adrienn: Well... I can't just leave this place like this.
Gardevoir: You're gonna try and fix your Gym? You've got your work cut out for you!
Adrienn: No. Not the Gym. I mean the whole city.
Radomus: You intend to fix the whole city?
Adrienn: I intend to do what I can. This is wrong. This is not Reborn. But if someone like me can do something- Anything to bring it just a little bit closer to the way it should be... Then that's worth doing. (Turns to Ash) Is there someone in charge that I can speak to?
Ash: Well, you can find my Mom or Ame at the Grand Hall in the city center. I'm sure they will be wanting to help you out.
Adrienn: I can't imagine that's moved far. You have my thanks...For getting me out of there, too, if that is indeed what happened.
Gardevoir: Good luck fixing the whole city~ Maybe you'll want to stop time again to do that!
Adrienn: (Chuckles) Hah, maybe so. Wouldn't that be nice? I'll see you all around, perhaps in a slightly brighter future. (Leaves)
Radomus: Well, that turned out to be an ordeal.
Gardevoir: Yup! And this'll make a niiiice juicy news story, too~
Radomus: Before that, Gardevoir, I'll be needing you. These two still have Gym Battles to do, after all.
Gardevoir: Ooooh. Well, if that's how it is~ We'll be waiting back at the Castle!
Radomus: Indeed. I will see you shortly. (Leaves with Gardevoir)
Ash and Cain look at each other with a shrug before going back to Vanhanen Castle so Ash can have his eighth gym badge from his father.
And here is a new chapter, the Arceus fight is really hard, in my opinion. But I'm glad that Ash manages to defeat the fake Arceus. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the gym battle.
